#oh also i was drawing sunny and moon too but… i fucked up moon and have to redraw it…
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eclipses
#2024#equinox eclipse#oc#fnaf eclipse#eclipse oc#fnaf oc#fnaf#five nights at freddy's#the one on the right has sun and moon in there too- the left one is just eclipse#i'm gonna ramble a lot in these tags#sun moon eclipse and one other animatronic were all damaged and the 'eclipse' on the right is what was salvaged…#the fourth animatronics fionna (an oc) could not have her ai recovered… but they got her music boxes put in their chest#forced to go on living knowing you can't hold each other anymore and your one friend is gone entirely#and in sunny and moon's case- they can't ever kiss the other again :x#left eclipse's ribbons and bottom clouds are supposed to be purple but they looked too blue in the photo… idk why#oh also i was drawing sunny and moon too but… i fucked up moon and have to redraw it…#also sunny and moon were holding hands so if i redraw moon then i have to redraw them both sighs its fine#i'm not doing it now i'll come back to it- all that matters is that these two are done and look how i want them to
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Can you do 30 headcanons for Sundrop?
30 Sun/Sundrop Headcanons
———————————————————[Disclaimer!!]
This post will contain: NSFW,Sfw,Fluff,Smut
It’s also Genderless for the girls,gays and theys! You are a Technician in these scenarios!
———————————————————
Let’s begin!
His favorite nickname for you is “Sunshine!” but he calls you every nickname that he can find.
He always talks super eccentric wich leads you to misunderstanding him often.
In the after hours of the Pizzaplex he pins all the drawings that kids made for him on the walls in his room.
He’ll randomly pick you up and treat you like a toddler, just to mess with you.
He’s usually not roaming free in the Pizzaplex but when he’s concerned about you he’ll storm out within minutes.
He’s a desperate dude. He would beg just to let him fuck you. Just drooling over you and your perfect figure praising you every minute.
He can handle various types of kids who are different than others. He knows ASL and has bells around his wrist so the blind kids hear him.
He learns the names and interests from kids who are regularly with him.
He has a lot of stamina. Like. A LOT. So he can go on for hours and hours.
His head spikes spin when he cums, but he always puts his head behind though, so he won’t hurt you accidentally. “F-Fuck sunshine~ This is amazing!”
He loves making puppet shows for the little ones! And sometimes he’ll ask you to join him to make them more human and interesting to look at.
When the kids leave he’s usually very alone. Cleaning the daycare or searching for you to accompany him.
He’s a fan of Karaoke but he doesn’t want people to hear his voice.
One time you came into the daycare in the after hours to search for sun. His monthly maintenance was due but he was nowhere to be found.
It’s weird since he’s always on time. You look through the whole daycare but he wasn’t there. So you go to his room and look over it. And there he is bawled up in the corner.
“Sun? What’s up dear?” you asked gently knowing that he needs you right now. “Sunshine?! Oh… I’m so so sorry that you have to see me this way again.” He said in a super sad tone while looking on the ground. “Don’t worry Sunny. You know you can tell me everything…” He looks up at you with hope.
“Oh… I… uhm… the parents were talking about me again.” He continued to tell you how the parents were talking bad about him. It broke your heart. You sat down beside him and hug his slim build. “You’re the best Sun. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise.” You give him a reassuring smile and you guys hug for a long time.
His love language is Acts of Service. He appreciates everything you do for him, even if it’s something small like leaving a sticky note for him.
He apologizes a lot too. Even for stuff that isn’t in his power.
He likes dancing with you. No matter if it’s more partying or if it’s more of a slow dance. “Come here sunshine. Let’s enjoy this moment…”
He’s not only programmed to entertain children but also to educate them. He has a wide range of languages and can count up to 100.
His dick is basically a tentacle. It’s twisted with moons part wich makes it even better to play with.
He has ADHD and uses stimming toys to calm himself. His favorite are the fidget cubes. He also got really sad that fidget spinners didn’t trend anymore.
Sometimes he wishes to be only one animatronic instead of two. After all Moon gets to spend all night with you and he doesn’t.
Every time the younger kids are explaining new memes to him he doesn’t understand. “Oh! What you drawing there small one?? What’s that? A skibidi Toilette…? That sounds disturbing…” You pat him on the shoulder. “Yeah no one gets what they like about…. That.” You say with a slight disgust on your face.
He also wished he could be more comfortable. His metal build isn’t really good for comforting the kiddos. He asked you a bunch of times if you can change something against that but you can’t due to the strict guidelines for him.
He tries to get into your special interests. Asking a bunch of questions so you know he’s interested in your life.
He’d be a switch with a bottom preference. He loves getting touched by you. But he also loves seeing you desperate.
One time you asked him if he still loved you. That man looked at you with the most shocked expression ever and just hugged you.
He hugged you and said “Oh Y/N… my sunshine… you’re the best thing that ever happened to me! I love you with all my body, heart and soul!” You guys just stand there holding each other for a very long time
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That’s also finished! I wanna send a huge shoutout and thanks to @millenniumproductions !! I’ll make sure to fulfill all your requests sooner or later! If you’re new here you can also leave a Follow and request! And once again thank you for reading!
- Your Ghost ༼ つ ╹ ╹ ༽つ
#fnaf sb x reader#fnaf sun#sun fnaf#sundrop#fnaf#fnaf fandom#fnaf sb#fnaf security breach#genderless reader#sundrop fnaf#sunrise fnaf#sunny fnaf#fnaf sb sun#fnaf sb sundrop#sundrop x reader#sundrop x y/n#sundrop x you#sun x reader#sun x y/n#sun x you#fnaf sb Headcanons
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Saw your requests were open for FNAF maybe some soft noncon with yandere Sun. If your up for it.
The logic of the SB animatronics is...interesting. They clearly have some level of emotion that seems programmed in, but some that don't have any purpose and seem organic. Why this is so isn't ever explained, but for this hc I'll say these robots are a little more sentient than they were meant to be.
Anyway, Sun is programmed to have a very...well, sunny personality. He also has an innocence to him, but it's a bit strained since he seems to know Moon is lurking inside him. I think that he'd easily get a crush on a fellow Fazbear employee, but because he's programmed to be a daycare attendant he isn't able to process/understand/feel anything uh, sexual. His initial idea of romance and love is from family movies and stories: "loving" Darling means he wants to draw pictures of the two of them together, hold their hand, cuddle, and k*ss them (only when the kids aren't able to see, of course!) His lips can't move, but he can just pretend and make a smoochy sound when his face plate touches their mouth or cheek.
But let's say a Fazbear programmer notices and either takes pity on Sun for Darling not noticing that crush, or maybe they're a pervert/asshole and want to mess around a bit in what they think is harmless fun. They tweak Sun's programming to add some knowledge and interest in "adult" things. And Sun's new and old programming give him this form of logic without realizing how fucked it is: Darling is a grown-up. Grown-ups apparently enjoy sex. If Sun wants to be with Darling, he should show it by doing THAT with them!
He's so removed from the context of what sex and a relationship really means/is, but he's so eager to try. And nervous too! He's done some things adults do, but they're mainly related to childcare: adults care for kids, and he's the best at that! So he wants to try this new thing he just learned all about from his software update. And he really hopes he's good at it so Darling will want to love him back.
He gets the perfect opportunity when they're assigned the night shift, AND it's just him and them! He's so excited that Darling notices he's even more hyper than usual for most of the day. He thinks it's a "date", something else his update included: it's like a play date, but for adults only. You get food, you hold hands and kiss, and pretend to argue over who pays for the food, and afterwards you do sex together. He can do that!
Darling thinks it's a little funny that Sun is calling this a "date" when all they're doing is going with them to the food court to use an employee voucher meal. It's only good for a slice of pizza and a small Fizzy Fazz, but Darling gets way more food and a LARGE Fizzy Fazz. Sun gets a little flustered when he realizes what this means about Darling; they're a NAUGHTY adult. And his software lets him know that naughty ADULTS definitely love doing sex. This is gonna be so fun!
After Darling finishes, Sun's skipping the whole way back to his room in the Daycare. He brought out a ton of play mats and blankets from the nap area, and made it into a bed right next to where he charges himself. Darling's not a huge fan of sleeping RIGHT next to the world's loudest and singiest animatronic, but it was a sweet gesture.
Once they say they're going to go to bed, Sun eagerly waits for them to take off their clothes. But...they don't? Oh, they must want him to do that. Okay Sun, this is it. Just confess how much you love them, and then do sex with them as best as you can. You can do this. No problem!
Darling takes the confession well, mostly assuming that Sun's just imitating how a kid would have a little crush on someone without knowing what romance really means. But things go wrong when he presses his face against theirs for a "kiss", and he quickly puts a cold metal hand under their shirt. When Darling tries to pull away, Sun just thinks he's doing something wrong and tries to do better and better with each passing second. They didn't like that, so let's just take the shirt off! Uh, okay, now they're upset. Let's just get all their clothes off and see if he can do better after that.
Poor Darling is getting held down by him, and he's designed to be able to restrain a fully grown adult in a safety situation. Needless to say, they're helpless as he strips them and enthusiastically fumbles and strokes every inch of them with a lot of curiosity.
Sun uses a minor vibration function in his fingers for tickling to give it a whole new meaning for Darling. He brags that other adults have to use a toy to vibrate, but he does it all on his own! His naughty Darling must think that's so cool, having a boyfriend that can do that with his hands. So...why are they crying? He's trying his best. Well...some of the people in his software update's footage were crying too, but it was because it felt good--TOO good, even. Wow, he must be doing a great job to have them do that before putting anything inside!
He's so eager to explore and find out what makes them feel best, and when he finally does slide one long finger inside, he tries his best to play with one of their nipples with his other hand and "cuddle" the other half of their chest. He can feel their heartbeat and temperature rising, and the noises coming from their mouth and body are so funny. He tries to imitate them to show he's having a lot of fun too, even if he can't feel it the same way they do. But he can feel love, he knows that!
When they finally cum around his hand, he bounces excitedly and is so PROUD of himself. He's such a good boyfriend! He loves them so much, and they love him too; the noises and faces they made, and the "cum" that's all over them and his fingers prove it! He puts his hand up to Darling for them to see how shiny it is, just like their face from crying about how good they feel.
He wraps his arms around them and cuddles them again, throwing one of the quilts over their shivering body as he connects his charger to his back and pulls them close. He's quietly whispering/rambling as they fall asleep about how he can't wait to do sex with them every single night, and how he's so happy he changed their schedule to permanently have the night shift with him. They can go on more dates, do sex, cuddle, fingerpaint ALL over them, dress up in wedding costumes...
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Wanna Be Kissed (Wolfstar)
Okay! So I’ve decided to start bringing some of my fics from Ao3 over here, mostly because I think it makes it a lil easier for people to find! Here’s the first one anyways! (Side note - any remus/sirius transferred will be wolfstar, not coops)
Sirius Black has never kissed a girl. In fact, Sirius Black has never kissed anyone, ever.
It’s not that the opportunity hadn’t presented itself, because Merlin, it had. Sirius was infamous in Hogwarts, the brooding Black boy, the first to not be sorted into Slytherin. The boy who ran away from home. The leather jacket wearing, wild haired, grey eyed mystery man.
Apparently girls were into that, if Sirius’s friends were to be trusted.
“What about Lucy Lancaster?” Peter whispered as the Marauders sat curled up in a corner, their corner, of the Gryffindor common room.
Sirius furrowed his eyebrows, looking across the room to the blonde girl in question. “The fourth year?”
Peter nodded, “Yeah, I mean, she’s only one year younger than us and she’s really pretty and smart.” He gushed.
Sirius looked over at his friend. “I think she sounds more like your kind of girl Wormy.” He said, standing up and moving to sit closer to the fire, grabbing his book off the coffee table as he went. He curled up on the cushy red sofa, but had barely opened the book to the latest page when James Potter himself flopped down next to him.
“I know there’s someone you fancy.”
Sirius didn’t look up from his book. “Do you now?” He didn’t need to look at James to know his friend was flushing a little red.
“Okay well, I don’t know.” He admitted. “But I do suspect.”
Sirius met his eyes, amused. “There’s a fair bit of a difference between knowing and suspecting Prongs. For example, I know that you’re one hundred percent head-over-heels in love with Lily Evans, but I only suspect that you were the one who put itching powder in Lucius Malfoy’s quidditch robes.”
“It wasn’t me.” James grumbled and continued when Sirius looked at him disbelievingly. “Really it wasn’t. That’s not my style… anymore.”
Sirius laughed, patting him on the shoulder. “Yeah I know, Evans wouldn’t approve.”
“Yeah but also I just think we’re a bit too mature for stuff like itching powder when our time could be much more productively dedicated to tasks such as perfecting the map.”
Both boys sighed longingly. The map, their pride and joy. It wasn’t quite perfect yet - they still had a few passages to fill in, but it was getting pretty close.
James shifted in his seat to face Sirius properly, and Sirius mirrored his movements.
“In all seriousness though Pads, you know you can talk to me, right?”
Sirius smiled at his friend in a way that he could only pray was reassuring and nodded. “Of course I know James. I promise if there was anything to know, I would tell you.”
James nodded and stood up. “Good. Okay, I’ll uh, leave you to your reading.”
James retreated back to the others and Sirius watched him go, watched him sit down next to Remus. Watched as Remus offered him a chocolate frog.
Sirius hadn’t been lying to James, unless you counted a lie of omission. There really was nothing to tell - nothing had happened per se. Nothing had happened… recently. Because Sirius Black had been in love with Remus Lupin for a long time.
Remus-motherfucking-Lupin. The bane of Sirius’s existence. The love of Sirius’s life. He had known for years. Known that the love he felt for James and Peter was very, very different to the love he felt for Remus. He didn’t imagine James kissing him. He didn’t take a deep breath whenever Peter hugged him, trying to memorise his scent. So yeah, Sirius has never kissed anyone, simply because it wouldn’t be fair. Not to anyone. Not when Sirius’s heart was no longer his own to give away.
“Pads, we’re playing exploding snap, do you wanna join?” Remus called from where they were all laughing and Sirius sighed, already standing up. He’d never been able to say no to his tawny haired friend.
“Deal me in.”
****
“Fuck!”
Sirius’s head whipped up at the sound of Remus cursing. “Moons?” He called, swinging his legs off the side of his bed and drawing back his curtains, “Are you okay?”
Remus sat on his own bed, a dripping mug in his hand. “Yeah sorry,” he grumbled. “I’m just a twat, I spilled my tea all over myself.”
Sirius but his lip laughing even as he grabbed his wand and spelled away the puddle on the floor. Remus caught the back of his t-shirt and pulled it off over his head in one swift movement that took Sirius’s breath away.
“I cast a cleaning charm.” Sirius stuttered uselessly, his eyes focused on Remus’s lightly tanned skin, the faint whisper of shining scars that moved as Remus stood up.
“I know.” Remus shrugged and Sirius just gazed at those powerful shoulders. “But I still feel it, you know? I just need a new shirt.”
Sirius nodded helplessly as Remus walked to the trunk at the end of his bed and pulled out another shirt. Sirius thanked Merlin that the other boy was faced away from him because there was no way he could disguise his gawking at the dips of Remus’s shoulder blades, the curved run of his spine. Fuck, Sirius would give anything to trace his fingers over that soft skin.
Remus tugged the shirt over his head and crawled back onto his bed leisurely. Sirius’s heart rate was anything but. Everyone assumed that Remus was super scrawny, and they had been right, at least at first. When Remus had arrived at Hogwarts, that’s exactly what he had been - a stick thin little boy with big caramel eyes. But a wonderful combination of a solid three meals a day, a growth spurt and having to stay fit in order to help him recover from his monthly adventures had resulted in Remus Lupin looking like he starred in wet dreams.
(Never mind the fact that he starred in all of Sirius’s dreams).
“G’night guys.” Peter called from behind his curtains, the rest of the Marauders chorused a sleepy response and once again, the dorm room was silent, unlike Sirius’s brain. No, his traitorous thoughts just kept thinking about what it would be like to make Remus shout ‘fuck’ again in a non-tea related incident.
(They were some pretty good thoughts).
****
“Hey Sirius.”
Sirius looked up from his breakfast to see Anna O’ Connell sliding onto the bench next to him.
“Hi?”
“There’s a trip to Hogsmeade today.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Sirius couldn’t quite decipher the look on Anna’s face at his response.
“So… are you going?” She asked, reaching forward and touching Sirius’s wrist lightly. Sirius looked over at the other Marauders who had all stopped eating to listen in.
“Yeah we’re all going.” Sirius said nodding his head at the others. “Aren’t we lads?”
Sirius could see James looking at him with wide eyes and a ‘what the hell are you doing?’ expression and Remus wasn’t looking at him at all. Peter looked nervously between Anna and Sirius for a moment before nodding. “Yeah we are.”
“Oh right, yeah okay.” Anna said, beginning to stand up. “I guess I might see you there so.”
Sirius shrugged. “I guess so.”
Anna walked away and before she was even out of hearing range, James punched his shoulder not-so-lightly. “Mate, what the hell?”
Sirius rubber his throbbing arm. “What was that for?”
“She was obviously asking you out!”
Sirius choked on his pumpkin juice. “Well apparently it wasn’t that obvious, cause I didn't know about it.”
Remus finally met his eyes, wincing slightly. “It was pretty blatant.”
Sirius sighed and slumped forward, resting his head in his hands. “Oh my god I’m so dumb.”
James nodded in agreement. “Yeah you are. But if you went after her now and just explained what happened I’m sure she’ll still go out with you.”
Sirius shook his head. “No I don’t want to go out with her. I just wish I could tell when people are asking me out. I feel like it’s probably something I should be aware of.”
Remus smirked and Sirius’s gut twisted. He loved that little twitch of the other boys lips. “Probably.”
Peter patted Sirius’s shoulder sympathetically. “Don’t worry about it Pads, I’m sure you’ll get it the next time.”
Sirius just stared down at his now-cold toast. “Yeah.” He mumbled. “Next time.”
Sirius sat down on his bed and fell back dramatically, staring up at the rafters of the dorm. His radar for girls asking him out had not improved, according to his friends a grand total of five girls approached him that week alone. He had only known one of them asked him out on a date.
(That was only because she said “Hey, wanna go on a date with me?”)
He had politely declined.
Sirius sighed and grabbed his little red ball he kept on his locker and threw it up in the air as he lay on the bed, finding the steady rise and fall soothing. Most of Gryffindor, most of the castle really, were all outdoors enjoying the first properly sunny day in a long while. He knew if he looked out the window, he could probably spot James, Peter and Remus all sitting under the oak tree they tended to frequent.
There was a knock on the door. “Sirius?” Remus asked, poking his head in.
Or maybe Sirius wouldn’t find them all outside after all.
“Hey.” Sirius said, stopping throwing the ball but not sitting up.
Remus lay down next to him. On the small bed, their shoulders were pressing together and Sirius could feel the heat radiating off the other boy.
“Why aren’t you outside?”
Sirius shrugged. “Just wanted to think I guess.”
“Will I leave you alone?”
If it had been anyone else asking? Yes, Sirius wanted to be alone. But for Remus?
“No, you can stay.”
Sirius resumed throwing the ball, every so often passing it to Remus to give him a go. They lay side by side in silence for several minutes before Remus spoke again.
“Hey Pads? Could I… ask you something?”
Sirius turned his head slightly just for a second to glance at him. “You can ask me anything.”
Out of the corner of his eye he could see Remus biting his lip for a moment as if choosing his words carefully.
“Why do you… why do you never say yes to any of those girls?”
Sirius’s heart stuttered for a moment but he took a steadying breath. “I just don’t fancy any of them.”
“But isn’t that the point of dating? To see if you could maybe fancy someone?”
Sirius laughed nervously. “I guess I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been on a date.”
Remus fiddled with the fraying cuff of his jumper. “Yeah me neither.”
They were quiet again for a moment before Remus started talking again. “Do you think you’ll ever ask one of them out?”
“The girls?”
“Yeah.”
Sirius shook his head. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because it wouldn’t be fair.”
Remus huffed our a breath. “Come on Pads, that’s a non-answer.”
Sirius rolled his eyes at the typical Remus response, but his lips twitched. “I don’t fancy girls.”
He held his breath, waiting for Remus’s response. He didn’t think it would be bad exactly - he knew his friends! He knew he could trust them, he knew they loved him but sometimes no matter how much logic dictates otherwise, a tiny inkling of doubt can creep in.
“I’m not so sure I do either.”
Sirius wasn’t sure what kind of response he was expecting but it definitely was not that. He turned his head to see Moony already staring at him. They didn’t say anything - they didn’t need to, the look that flashed between them said enough. A quiet understanding. Remus’s lips quirked and Sirius’s eyes followed the movement before they resumed speaking.
“So is there a guy you fancy?”
Fuck this was dangerous territory. But Sirius couldn’t lie, not to Remus.
“Yeah.”
This time it was Remus who rolled his eyes. “Wow that was so descriptive.”
Sirius’s eyebrow arched. “It was a yes or no question.”
Remus huffed. “Fine, fine, don’t tell me.”
Sirius bit his lip. And rolled onto his side to face Remus. The taller boy did the same. “I don’t just fancy him, I’m in love with him.”
Remus’s breathing sounded uneven. “He must be incredible if you feel that way.”
It felt like there was an elephant standing on Sirius’s chest. “Merlin yes. He’s kind and thoughtful and I could get lost in his eyes forever. He runs his fingers through his hair when he’s thinking, when he’s studying I know he bites the top of his quill even though he denies it and when he’s nervous he plays with the cuffs on his jumper and it’s so cute and I -“
Sirius cut off as Remus’s hands stilled. Hands that had been fiddling with the cuff of his jumper.
“-And he’s one of my best friends in the entire world. He’s brave and strong and the best person I know. I would do anything for him.”
Remus stared into his eyes for, Sirius couldn’t even tell how long. It could have been seconds or hours but to be frank, Sirius couldn’t give a fuck either way. Remus’s honey eyes had flecks of dark brown in them and all Sirius wanted to do was map the splash of freckles on his nose. Remus bit his lip so hard Sirius was nearly worried he’d draw blood before his eyes became steadier, more decided. Sirius watched as Remus’s chest rose unsteadily as he took a breath.
“He’d do anything for you too.”
And fuck if Sirius didn’t want to cry. Or jump around laughing. Or shout with delight from the tower. But most of all, he wanted Remus.
Cautiously, so cautiously, he reached his hand out and traced the cheekbones he had so often admired, Remus shivering lightly under his touch. His hand dropped lower as he ran his thumb over Remus’s ever so slightly parted lips, able to feel his hot breath on his skin.
“Are you ever going to kiss me or am I going to have to do it myself?”
“Merlin, I love you.” Sirius breathed before doing exactly that. He leaned down and connected their lips, at first, just a bare brush, Sirius was being so careful, waiting to see if Moony would decide that, actually no, he wouldn’t be making out with one of his best mates today, but that never happened. Instead, Remus tangled one hand in Sirius’s hair and wrapped the other tightly around his waist.
“Kiss me properly you wanker.” Remus demanded and Sirius smirked before pressing his lips against Remus’s and for a moment, that was all he knew. The world could have exploded but all Sirius would have registered was the hot force of Remus’s lips on his own, the fingers curling in his hair and the hand pressing steadily into his waist.
They pulled away gasping, Sirius looking at Remus’s swollen lips with a smug delight. He had always wondered what Remus would look like after a good snog. Now he knew.
“I love you too.” Remus said simply, cupping Sirius’s jaw in his hand and caressing thumb over Sirius’s cheekbone. Sirius’s heart just about exploded and he quickly leaned down to reconnect their lips, gasping as he felt Moony’s leg wrap tightly around his waist and he pressed himself impossibly closer.
“I love you.” He murmured against Remus’s lips. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”
Sirius has never kissed a girl. But he has kissed someone. The best someone in his opinion. The only someone really. Remus-motherfucking-Lupin; no longer the bane of Sirius’s existence.
(But still the love of his life).
#wolfstar#Remus Lupin#Sirius Black#wolfstar oneshot#Remus Lupin/Sirius Black#Marauders#marauders era fanfiction#marauders era#hogwarts#James Potter#peter pettigrew#ao3 OpeningMyEyes#remus lupin#sirius black
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Pillowtalk
Max Phillips x F!Reader
Word count: 1124
Warnings: mentions of sex, self-deprecating!Max
Rating: Teen and up, tooth decaying sweetness
A/N: Day 8 of the December Writing Challenge by @honeymandos! ❤️
I gotta be honest, I had to google what pillowtalk exactly means. And it’s probably not 100% like proper pillowtalk??? But I hope you enjoy nonetheless! ❤️
The hot tub theory is an idea mentioned in @ithinkhesgaybutwesavedmufasa Max Phillips fanfiction “With Cherries On Top” (which is, hands down, one of the absolute best Max stories out there and I loved every second of it. It deadass even made me cry at 3am, the writing is so frickin’ good!). Max basically mentions that he heard of some vampire dude who had sex with his human girl in a hot tub or jacuzzi and the hot water was able to, y’know, warm him up so well he was actually able to get her pregnant!
Hope you enjoy ❤️
---------------------------------------------------
You lie in bed, head on Max’ chest while he gently draws circles on your shoulder with his fingertips.
Your eyes are closed and a hazy, satisfied smile plays on your lips. When Max makes love to you it feels like the world around you just stops.
The rough sex is amazing, but slow, affectionate sex is even more intense. Especially with his stamina.
The two of you had just spent the last three hours touching, kissing and making each other feel good. You are spent, sore and you feel ethereal. Floating on cloud nine because of how good he always makes you feel.
Max chuckles softly at your blissed-out expression, the sound rumbling through his chest right beneath your ear, making you shudder slightly. He presses a kiss to the crown of your head making you hum, responding with a soft kiss to his chest.
For a while, you just lay there, tangled, basking in each other’s presence. You start to drift off but then Max says something that wakes you like cold water splashed into your face.
“I don’t deserve you.”
Turning your head, you look up at him with a frown.
“Why do you say that? That’s not true.” You cup his jaw with your hand. But he just gives you a sad smile and turns to kiss your palm, then your wrist.
“I love you, but I always wonder how you can love me back. I have no soul. I can’t even give you my heart because it’s dead. We can’t have children. I can’t take you to the beach, we can’t vacate in warm and sunny regions. Our home is dark and cold because I can’t let any sunlight in. You will never be able to listen to my heart beating for you, will never be able to feel my pulse under your fingers. I can’t even cry although I want to, so often. If I turn you, you will outlive all of your family and friends, seeing them die while you stay young forever. I can’t do this to you…”
You sit up and straddle his waist. Reaching out, you take his face into your hands, gently pulling him up into a sitting position. He looks at you with puppy eyes and if he could cry right now, oh he would.
“There’s more to love than just those things, Max. You make me feel good. No, you make me feel absolutely amazing. When I’m sick you stay home to care for me until I’m healthy again. I don’t need to listen to your heart, hearing your laugh and your voice in your chest is just as intimate to me as hearing your heartbeat. You are not dead to me, you are very much alive. Just… differently” you say, making him chuckle a little. You lean forward to press a tender kiss to his lips.
“I know that if you turn me, I will see all my loved ones die but I will not be alone. I will spend eternity with you and that relieves me. You might not be a human anymore, but I don’t see that. I don’t see your supernatural form. All I can see is you. Purely you. Your emotions, the way you always take care of me, the way you love me. I don’t need sunny vacations; I prefer snowy escapes and you know that. I prefer to cuddle with you under blankets with a big mug of hot chocolate after spending the day out in the cold, having snowball fights with you, building snow people, making snow angels. I know you miss the sun, but we can try things out so that you can still go to the beach, with a parasol protecting you from the sun. We can go to outside pools that have roofs. Once you turn me, we will have all eternity to find millions of solutions for all the things you want to do but think you can’t. I won’t let you stop doing the things that bring you joy. We can make it and society evolves as well. People will start developing special items and resorts for vampires, I know they will. They kind of have to and if humans won’t do it then other vampires certainly will. Because you’re part of our society now and we gotta include you. Also, our home is not dark or cold, it’s full of love and warmth. Whenever I come home I feel safe, sheltered. And I would never have it any other way. It’s cosy and we can always light some candles or string up some fairy lights if needed. You make this home home for me. You are my home. You have my heart and I have yours, beating or not. I love you to the fucking moon and back and I will never stop loving you. I will never stop telling you how much you mean to me, will never stop feeling like a teenager freshly in love whenever I am with you. Max, there is so much more to love than just the things that seem most important. But they’re not the same for everyone. Every couples makes these things work the way that suits them best and we can do it too. You’re the only man I would ever want to spend eternity with and nothing could ever change my mind about it.”
His lips start trembling and he presses his face into your breasts, tightening his grip around you. He can’t cry but he can still feel overwhelmed by how much you love him. By how much you care for him even though he can’t give you everything you deserve.
It amazes him how easily you can push all of his worries and doubts away, instead replacing them with security and pride. He is dumbfounded by how lucky he is, having been blessed with an angel, with you.
He never thought he would ever be worth of a love like yours. And he knows you would slap him across the head if he ever said that out loud, this thought making him chuckle softly.
He lifts his head to look back up at you, you had been raking your fingers through his hair all the time.
You flash him that smile that never fails to make his knees weak and he kisses you, gently, but with an underlying passion.
For a little while you just kiss each other, both of you pouring all the love and affection into the kiss.
Suddenly, you slowly pull away, resting your forehead against his. You look him in the eyes, a mischievous little grin playing on your lips.
“You know, we could always try out the hot tub theory.”
-------------------------------------------
@absurdthirst @tangledlove27
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Zoro x reader! They've been traveling companions for a year before they met Luffy and became pirates, so they're close to each other. S/O fell in love with Zoro but he rejects her, so they stayed as close friends. Then, after 2 years passed, S/O is still friendly to him and the others but seemingly moved on while Zoro's love for her grow, and while he was still ambitious towards his dream, he felt so lonely as he watched S/O move on, even if she's happier than before.
Hello!! I’m so sorry for the late response!!
From the moment I read this request, I fell in love with it!! It took me a while to write it, but here it is!! Let’s go! (I slipped a bit of Law x Reader to add to the angst, I hope you don´t mind XD)
Word count: 1.6K
Warnings: angst
Posted: 06.05.2020
Unique Kind of Pain — Zoro x Reader / Law x Reader
It didn’t matter how much time Zoro spent training, it never seemed to be enough. As soon as he got down from the crow's nest, and he saw you there, it instantly hurt. Almost as if someone poked his heart with a needle, it stung. Constantly. His decisions haunted him, and were slowly carving a whole in his chest.
The sight of you was unbearable. And it pained him. Seeing his best friend should not hurt this much. And yet, the weight of his mistakes seemed to follow you everywhere. Your smile, the warmth of your skin, the sound of your voice. Oh, the sound of your voice when you called his name.
“Zoro! Come see this! Look what Ussop did!”
That same gentle voice that had been calling his name for several years now. He remembered he sometimes found it annoying. The way your voice pronounced his name when you were angry. The concern, when he got injured. The annoyance when you got lost and were looking for him. Back then, he disliked the ways your voice called his name. But now, each and every single time you called his name felt like a cursed blessing.
He wiped his face with the towel, as sweat kept falling from the intense training. His heart shrunk at the sight of your smile, your eyes reflecting fascination at Ussop’s newest project.
“You’re amazing, Ussop”
“Thanks, [Name]!” Ussop giggled.
He could hardly concentrate on Ussop's new additions to his slingshot, as he was distracted by you. Your smile radiating fascination as it shone all the way into your eyes. The sweet smell of your hair that now haunted him in his sleep.
Over time, as his feelings for you grew and grew, things got worse. Little by little. It hurt. But it wasn't so bad. Not yet at least.
At least not until the whole Dressrosa chaos was over. In Punk Hazard, Zoro could tell Law was being particularly friendly towards you. But he could easily ignore that. God knows what happened in Dressrosa. For a fair amount of time, you stuck with him, fighting side by side. And suddenly, you were gone.
Back in the Sunny after whatever shit show Fujitora tried to pull before you left. Everyone was on the ship and it was only you who was missing. Zoro's heart was in his throat, wondering if you were alive.
A series of conflicting feelings overwhelmed him at once when you ran across the deck and jumped into the ship. A cheeky laugh escaped your breathless lips as you apologized to your crewmates. As your eyes scanned the Sunny, they stopped when you saw Trafalgar Law, rather weak, sitting on the grass.
"Law!" You sprinted one last time towards him.
Falling in your knees as you slid a few feet, colliding with the doctor and wrapping your arms around Law.
"Oh god, you're fine!" You said breaking the hug and looking at him. "Your arm! You got it back"
"Yeah. I was not going to lose my arm. Fuck that" He chuckled "You dissapeared, I was worried"
"I went looking for Luffy...sorry"
"It's okay, you're fine and you're here" One of his long hands brushed a strand of hair behind your ear, lingering on your cheek as you leaned into his touch, looking into his grey eyes.
The whole scene, while for most of the strawhats looked rather adorable, for Zoro ir was unbearable.
A sting pinching his heart, as well as an uncomfortable twist of his guts suddenly angered him. Not angry at Traffy. Zoro knew it was childish to get angry at him. He was angry at himself for digging his own grave like this. He wished he was the one in your arms, and not Law. He wished he had corresponded to your feelings back then.
Without saying much, he turned around and left. Drowning himself in yet another intense training. Probably more intense than before. His mind constantly picturing you in Law's arm, his imagination torturing him, playing him. Picturing you kissing him, clinging to him, as his hands roamed your body, whispering sweet nothings back and forth in each other's ears as you were both consumed by desire.
The sweat puddling on the floor didn't seem to be enough. The strain in his muscles and the fatigue weren't enough to stop his head from wildly betraying him.
"Oi! Zoro!" Franky called, cheerfully climbing the ladder to the crowsnest. "Robin says dinner is ready! Since sanji isn't here, she cooked for us tonight"
TFrabky's fatherly instincts needed a single glance at Zoro to notice he was pushing himself way too much.
"Zoro? Aren't you overworking yourself?"
"I'm fine," Zoro grunted, doing another sit up with a bar and weights on his shoulders.
"No you're not!" The cyborg hurried to his side. "Stop that, if you injure yourself, Chopper not only will get mad, but you won't be able to work out for a while!" He begged as Zoro growled lowly and put the weight on the floor before sitting down on the ground "Don't you feel like everything hurts?"
"That's precisely the problem" Zoro whispered to himself, however Franky managed to listen clearly as day.
"What?"
"Nothing" Zoro answered.
"Do you feel alright?" The swordsman looked at Franky, noting Franky was being insistent.
"Yeah. C'mon. Let's go" Zoro shrugged.
"Zoro, don't lie to me. I know something's bothering you" Franky said louder than before.
"It's nothin'"
"Its [Name], isn't it?"
Zoro stopped dead cold at the entrance of the crowsnest. He glanced at Franky over his shoulder.
"I noticed the way you were looking at her when she ran to hug Law" Franky said. "If you like her why don't you tell her?"
"I can't"
"Of course you can! Aren't you guys best friends?" Zoro glared at Franky, feeling somewhat annoyed, and also desperate.
"It's more complicated than that"
"Talk to me, kid" Franky said, resting one of his huge hands on Zoro's shoulder.
He took a deep breath, thinking. He'd never talked to anyone about it. When you confessed your feelings for him back in Thriller Bark. He wanted to keep it a secret, but his body urged him to let all those intrusive thoughts out. Maybe talking to someone would help him soothe his nerves instead of intensively working out.
"After dinner," Zoro said.
He wanted to buy some time, maybe put his thoughts in order before talking to Franky.
Strangely enough, what normally felt like a blink of an eye,the usual chaotic dinner scene now seemed to go by in slow motion.
On one hand, his thoughts seemed to float around the room, shapelessly, and without an order. His mind was a total mess. Ten times more chaotic than the traditionally loud strawhat mealtime.
On the other, your flirty playful game with Law. You were talking to him, not really minding the other conversations taking place in the kitchen. His arm was around your shoulders as the both of you were deep in your conversation. Zoro could tell how your "mindless" playing with his hand wasn't so mindless.
After dinner, Zoro politely waited for Franky to be done and the both of them left the kitchen without saying much.
Zoro told Franky the whole story. Normally, he'd like to go straight to the point and keep the details to himself. But talking to someone about it, felt so liberating, all of his thoughts left his lips without second thoughts.
Franky listened. Carefully. And very rarely interrupted Zoro to ask something. In the end, he remained silent for a few moments, letting all the information sink in and drawing conclusions.
"I still think you should talk to her. Maybe she'll get mad, considering the circumstances. But she still deserves to know. Especially because it's bothering you this much" He began "Even if she gets mad, she's your friend. I've seen you guys fight and yell at each other, and half an hour later, see you guys laughing as if nothing happened"
"I don't know…" The swordsman whispered
"Think about it…"
Zoro sighed loudly, looking at the moon shining bright close to the sea.
A set of silhouettes left the kitchen into the deck. Not noticing Zoro and Franky, Law and you made it to the edge, looking at the moon and the stars.
Zoro watched, silently, feeling his burdens weigh on his shoulders heavier than all of the weights up in the crowsnest.
It didn't take long for Law to place a hand on your waist, as you spun on your toes looking at him. Unable to hear what you were saying back and forth, Zoro could tell where this whole scene was going to end up.
It didn't take long for you to stand on the tip of your toes, and for Law to leane down. Any trace of space was gone. The both of you trapped in a kiss Zoro craved.
He felt nauseous and light on his feet. He turned around, unable to keep watching as you wrapped your arms around Law's shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Zoro" Franky whispered upon witnessing the scene.
"I am too…" Zoro said defeated. "I'll talk to her tomorrow, I'm off to bed now".
"Goodnight, kid," Franky said looking at Zoro as he silently made his way through the deck to the guys' room.
"Night, Franky" He whispered, not helping but peek once more, as Law had you in his arms, kissing you passionately.
It hurt. It hurt as bad as it hurt when he realized he had feelings for you. And hurt like the pain your eyes reflected when you confessed to him back in the day. It hurt like the realization that you had moved on whereas he had fallen for you. And boy, what a unique kind of pain that was.
#one piece zoro#zoro x reader#roronoa zoro x reader#roronoa zoro#zoro imagine#one piece law#one piece#one piece imagines#one piece imagine#one piece x reader#law x reader#trafalgar d law#law#trafalgar law#trafalgar law x reader
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Faking It - Epilogue
Summary: You’d done plenty of dumb things in your life, but the dumbest had to be picking Greendale’s latest bad-boy to pretend to be your boyfriend.
Masterlist
Part 6 | Epilogue
Word-count: 2.3k+
A/N: okay so about a million years ago @corishirogane3 sent me the cutest headcanon for this series and i had to make it canon. i’ve rewritten the ending so much that i’m not sure how i feel about it anymore but!! i wanted to post this sugary sweet ending after my finals so 💕💕 i hope you guys like it
Caliban hated birthdays. His mother would always try her hardest to make each year better than the last, with more outrageous parties in the hopes that he would forget he was a bastard whose father cared more about his reputation than his son. It never worked.
Kinkle: Happy Bday man! You’re still an asshole but I’m glad we’re friends again
As if his childhood confusion wasn’t hard enough, Caliban’s teenage angst almost burned everything to the ground. He was angry at his family for abandoning him and his mother, at the people around him for being conceited and boring, and at California for being too goddamn sunny.
Theo: happy birthday to my gay awakening 💕
Birthdays made Caliban infinitely aware of his precarious loneliness in the world. He’d stopped telling people when his birthday was long ago, but somehow they’d find out and ruin his plans to spend the day alone and screaming at the sky. Year after year, it was just the same hollow wishes from people who didn’t really care about him.
Rosalind ✨: happy birthday old man. i got you a haunted portrait so you don’t wrinkle
But this year was different. Caliban still wasn’t sold on the perfect greeting card birthday, but he’d been less angry since moving back to Greendale. Dating you - real or not - meant he got a group of friends as part of the deal, and the lot of you had extorted his birthday to draw up his astral chart. Apparently, he was an Aries sun, Capricorn moon - whatever the fuck that meant.
Sabrina: Happy Birthday Cal 💞
Still, Caliban could move across the country and collect as many friends as he liked, but he wasn’t sure if he’d ever enjoy his birthday.
With a sigh, Caliban threw off his covers and padded across to his closet. He pulled out his usual dark clothes and scrounged around for his leather jacket before realizing he’d loaned it to you. He smiled to himself and set to make himself presentable.
This first hour of his birthday was always spent alone. It was one of the many birthday traditions he and Isobel shared, along with birthday pancakes, ditching the last half of school, and triple chocolate cake with Sour Patch Kids stuck to the icing. He was thankful for all the things his mother did for him, but that first dose of silence and solitude was crucial if he was going to deal with all the birthday bullshit that lay ahead.
Caliban’s phone dinged with yet another notification and he stopped in the middle of the hallway to dig his phone out of his pants pocket. Sure, Caliban talked a big game about hating birthdays but he still checked every text he got, hoping for ... something.
Fitch: Happy non-birthday to the best not fake boyfriend I’ve ever had ❤️ I love you and I’ll see you soon
He always read the texts, but he almost never responded. He leaned against one of the door frames and started typing something in the way of a reply. The only problem was that Caliban was only gifted in the way of words when he was lying, and he never wanted to lie to you. Caliban sighed and locked his phone without sending anything. He’d figure out what to say once his stomach was full of pancakes.
Expecting to come downstairs to the low hum of Isobel singing along to music, the smells of cinnamon, sugar, and melted chocolate, and one very messy kitchen, Caliban was surprised when he reached the bottom stair and heard your voice. Everything else was as expected, but you stood out among all the chaos.
“Is this okay?” you asked quietly.
Isobel stopped her humming for a second. “Oh, yeah! That’s perfect, sweetheart.”
The pancake batter sizzled in the pan and Caliban decided to brave the kitchen. It was still as messy as always, but there you stood, clad in a borrowed, sunflowered apron and brandishing a spatula.
Since you and Isobel were whispering and watching the pancakes rise with your back turned to the entrance, Caliban walked over as quietly as he could and got a better look at the assortment of toppings on the counter. He'd just bitten into one of the strawberries when you turned to grab something off the counter.
You jumped sky-high and Caliban laughed. “Jesus. How long have you been there?” you asked.
“Long enough.” Caliban tried to sound nonchalant, which was difficult to do with all his curiosity. His cool facade was also ruined by Isobel rushing around the island to hug him and kiss his cheeks.
Isobel settled slightly after sitting Caliban down on one of the stools and promising to be right back with his present.
With your new-found solitude, Caliban turned to with an amused smile. “When you said you’d see me soon, I didn’t think you meant quite so soon,” he said. He reached for another strawberry.
You were happy to have caught him off-guard. “That’s kind of the point of a surprise.” You turned back to the stove to keep the pancake from burning but looked over your shoulder to add, “I mean, I can leave if it’s a problem?”
“You would deprive me of your company on my birthday?”
You set a plate in front of Caliban that had a single, oddly shaped chocolate-chip pancake. “I'd never dream of it, Abercrombie.” You took a step back, pulled out a knife and fork, and set it in front of him. “Tell me how it tastes?”
Caliban cut a piece and held his fork out to you.
“No way. That’s your birthday pancake.”
“You would really make me beg on my birthday?”
“You can’t play that card the whole day-”
“Yes, I can. Because it’s my-”
“Don’t say it-”
The word was on the tip of his tongue, but Caliban didn’t get the chance to play his birthday card another time because Isobel rushed back into the room holding a wrapped present and grinning wildly.
Isobel set the present down on the stool next to Caliban and tapped the top. “I know you don’t like opening them in front of anyone, but I couldn’t wait.” She tapped the gift again before reaching out and squeezing his hand. “Happy birthday, my love.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Caliban said in a low voice. Isobel gave him the sad smile she always did on his birthday and he gave her the matching smile he always did.
Your voice broke both of them out of their birthday stupor. “Well, I’ve got to get going or I’ll be late.” You untied the knot behind your back as you spoke before lifting the apron over your head. “I just wanted to stop by to steal a few legendary birthday pancakes and drop off the scavenger hunt stuff.”
“I’m sorry, would you repeat that?” Caliban asked, sounding as saintly as he could.
Isobel laughed. “Your brilliant girlfriend figured out how to give you a special birthday while letting you spend the whole day by yourself.” She wrapped an arm around Caliban’s shoulders and looked over at you. “There are clues and activities all over town and you can only come back once you’ve finished them all.”
As intriguing as a day spent on his own seemed, Caliban couldn’t help but feel like there was a catch coming. “And what about my daily need for education?”
“I thought you were a fan of more alternate education,” you teased. You leaned over and ate another bite of pancake. “Don’t tell me you’re going soft in your old age.”
Caliban gave a short laugh. “I said no such thing.”
You smiled. “Your mom promised to give you the first clue after your first pancake stack. I’ll see you later, okay?”
Caliban nodded, suddenly unsure of how to respond. He was bad at receiving gifts at the best of times, and this gift was personal and bestowed upon him in front of his mother. It was an awkward set of circumstances. “Thank you,” he said softly as he hugged you goodbye.
“Of course.” You kissed his cheek and disappeared out of the kitchen after waving goodbye to Isobel.
Once you were gone and Caliban was left with the familiar sounds and smells of the morning of his birthday, he began to think that maybe his opinion on birthdays needed a bit of changing.
---
Though he’d only participated in a few scavenger hunts, Caliban was competitive and he was relentless. He tore through clue after clue in the same ravenous fashion that a pack of wolves would their next meal, though he tried to savor it as best his hunger would allow. Every handwritten clue was kept, every souvenir pocketed, and every moment memorized. He didn’t want to waste the most thoughtful gift he’d ever been given just because he was an impatient bastard.
But, as he stared at his suspiciously dark house, he wondered if he should have taken it a bit slower. The last clue had hinted at something waiting for him at the house, and his desire to finish the scavenger hunt waged war on his hatred of birthday parties. He was just about to put the car in reverse and dart into the street when your head popped around a curtain. You ducked inside at such a speed when your eyes met his that Caliban laughed at the mental image of you crashing into a lamp and trying to play it off.
In the end, neither his desire nor hatred lured him into the depths of his birthday party. His bizarre inclination to do anything and everything you wanted drew him in.
So, Caliban showed up at his party. He wore a party hat, played nice with the other kids, and blew out the candles on his cake. All in all, it should have been the perfect end to his perfect day. But even with all your careful planning, there was no accounting for the bullshit hole in Caliban’s chest that always left him feeling empty.
When the hole in his chest got too big, Caliban sneaked up the stairs, ducked into his room, and slipped out the window. He wasn’t running away - though the thought did cross his mind - but he just needed some fresh air. Harvey’s laughter mingled with that of his other friends and the laugh tracks of bad movies, drifting through the open window to the warmth of the April night. Still, there wasn’t enough fresh air in the world to fix him.
“Hey!”
Caliban twisted around to see you popping your head out of his bedroom window. You had a silly grin on your face and your hair was falling all over your face. The hole in Caliban’s chest got a little smaller. Your smile softened as you tilted your head to mirror his.
“Hey, you wanna get out of here?”
“Aren’t you worried about missing the party?” Caliban asked.
You shrugged. “Roz and Theo ate all the good snacks so it’s pretty lame anyway.” Caliban laughed and you flashed him another smile. “Come on, Abercrombie, you really gonna make me climb on the roof to come get you?”
Caliban let out a long whistle and adjusted to get a better look at you. “I’d like to see you try, but careful - it’s slippery out here.”
“Stop being an asshole and let’s get out of here before someone notices we’re gone.”
Grinning, Caliban rolled over and held a hand out to you. There was no need to be so secretive, really, but sneaking down his mother’s carefully cultivated trellis was half the fun. Caliban squashed some hydrangeas on the way down, you tumbled into him after getting your foot stuck, and the two of you were left breathless for a moment before rushing to the car so no one would discover your attempted prison break.
Giddy as you turned onto the freeway, the two of you laughed with the windows down and music blaring. Caliban didn’t think his birthday could get any better than it already was, but that moment with you was his favorite part. Or at least, it was until you started complaining about wasting away and you pulled into a diner for something to eat - then he found a new favorite moment.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“You know what.” You tilted your head. “Is this because of the fry thing? I’m telling you, if you just try it then you’ll like it.”
Caliban laughed and shook his head at ‘the fry thing,’ also known as your insistence to dip your fries in whatever milkshake you had on the day. “I’m not trying it.”
“You’re a coward.”
“You can’t say that to me. It’s my birthday.”
“You hate birthdays.”
“Still.”
Rolling your eyes, you pushed the plate of fries over to him. “Try it once, okay? And you’ll see it’s the perfect combination of salty and sweet, hot and cold, yummy and delicious.”
Caliban couldn’t help it. He’d been putting it off for almost a year now, and it just didn’t feel right to say no to you after everything you’d done for him today. Plus, you were cute when you got your way. So, he reached out and dipped a fry in the milkshake.
Annoyingly, it was everything you’d said and more. Despite the sugary, fried high he was bound to be on in a few minutes, Caliban knew the best part of this whole endeavor would be to see your sickeningly smug face when he admitted defeat.
You’d turned him into a cheesy cliche. He was disgustingly romantic, he carried your books between classes, and had your coffee order memorized. Because you were the sweet to his salty, the brave to his reckless, the Fitch to his Abercrombie.
And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Tagged: @t-a-i-l-o-r-m-a-d-e @miss--moose @marrypuffsstuff @harryscarolinaa @igorsbby @foji2000 @hxlalokidottir @artaxerxesthegreat @thxmagic @strawberriesandknives @xealia @hotmessindisguise @acciomaximoff @reheated-coffee @shelby-x @perseny-blog @millie-753 @luneerius @shizzybarnaclee @lettherebelovex @throughparisallthroughrome @ietss @thebookwormlife @mechanicalanimalz @mariamermaid @nqbmf @caliban-is-my-girl @shephard17895 @andie-kathleen @clockworks-world-to-fandoms @luquincy @marina468 @olivia-west-allen @drrramaaaqweeen @roxytheimmortal @blondeeee-e @piensa-bonito
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hi nikki jie i finally finished rereading dream catcher and omg askdkskjdjsa iM -
wOW it was absolutely incrediblee im so full of emotions rn asfjsk i read ch 5 & 6 just now when i was otw to sch to study before cca (pls omg my heart was in shambles i had to take a few min to compose myself aft i reached the library 😭) then i just read the last chapter otw home and im so !!!!! i think ch 6 would be my absolute fave, maybe cuz that was like the climax of the whole story haha, but like it was such a roller coaster like omg all the intensity of keiji trying to save her, and then my soul was healed when they were talking in that dreamscape and him finALLY realizing he was in love with her, and then you stabbed me through the heart when his memories started slipping away 😭 and like this trope of a character giving up their memories of their beloved just to save them has soo much angst potential but is too underrated and you used it so beautifully here and my heart was physically aching while i was waiting for my bus T^T aND ch 7 when akaashi was so upset he still couldnt remember her name, and when he finally heard toya-chan at the florist askdjsj omg my heart!! 🥺❤️ i love all the flower languages and all the sky and celestial imageries that you used here and it was really soo beautiful when akaashi was realizing he was in love with her,, and i also loved how you described all the surroundings (i felt his nostalgia when he visited her village, the shrine dreamscape, the forest shrine) in ch5 especially like it felt sO REAL and there was such a clear image in my head it was amazing,, i think the reveal of her being the florist didnt hit me as hard this time cuz i reread it already knowing it was her, but i remember being so shookt the first time i read it and being so impressed that everything was soo well thought out,, i absolutely loved it and im really glad i reread it heh
oh and omg i almost forgot to mention but if it wasnt obvious i absolutely adore moriko??? i really love how she views the world, how she makes everything so simple; time should be spent with the people you love, and you should do things that make you happy, her deciding to become a florist simply because she loved the look on people's faces when they bought flowers 🥺 she's so reckless and brave and sweet and she's just absolutely perfect 😭
AND you must be annoyed cuz this is like the 192388th time im saying this but 'when the sun loves the moon'??? IM RLY SO EXCITED OMG YOU HAVE NO IDEA askdksjsj ill be looking forward to it!!!! i cant wait to see the outtakes too 😆
and aaa i saw you've been feeling lonely while your husband is back at ns why must sg do this 😭 is he gonna be back soon ? either ways, i hope you feel better soon!! have a good weekend nikki jie!! ❤️ ~ ann :>
i'm just...speechless that you'd even take the time to re-read dream catcher. i think it's one of the pieces that i still can't believe i was capable of writing, especially chapters 6 and 7 - the dreamscape and akaashi's memories returning back to him is prob the best writing i've ever produced LOL (is it shameless of me to say that?)
but yeah i think bcos the fic is set up like a romance-mystery, bcos it has a non-linear timeline, i really had to plot the whole thing out, leave little clues here and there, rely very heavily on the imagery like flowers and sky and stars and fire to really carry the story. it's definitely another instance of me torturing akaashi, but i think his character lends itself very well to a fic like this. i love love the trope of losing your memories to save someone - i think i grew up watching a lot of hk dramas and i can't pinpoint which it happened in, but this trope really stuck HAHA. and yeah there's so much angst, delicious angst there isn't it!
and omg moriko moriko, that reckless, wise, sweet forest nymph. she's...definitely has the sunniness (like bokuto) and i think that initially draws akaashi in, but she has q a lot of layers bcos she's brave and strong yet doesn't even think anything abt her strength, and that's what i think is amazing abt her. she's someone who marches to the beat of her own drum, she doesn't give a flying fuck about the world thinks. she's just unabashedly herself. that's what akaashi ends up falling head over heels for.
HAHA when the sun loves the moon is gonna be a fun ride methinks? it was such a blast to write bokuto's character, and i loved the whole process of coming up w a reader-chan that fits him, that fits his larger than life, bombastic personality. i've definitely poured a bit of my soul into her (like i do with all my readers / mcs) and i hope you'll like her too :)
mr nikki is back! but he's been away playing in some competition so....home alone i guess? haha.
#Nikki chats!#ann<3#i love all your reblog tags#oftentimes i read them on the mrt#then i tear up like a fool#bcos how why i don't deserve your rb tags#you sweetheart ily
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I'm the 海内存知己 anon back with ANOTHER poem (sorry). So I came across 行路难三首 and the line 大道如青天，我独不得岀 reminds me of wwx, esp in ep29 when he says something like "there isn't a 阳关道 that allows me to protect those I want to protect"- the line is basically the situation he was in. In the same set of poetry is also the line 且乐生前一杯酒，何须身后千载名 which reminds me of the two wwx related alcohol lines you've posted about before (the idea of "what the heck, I'll drink first and deal with life later")
okay listen anon, you can’t just come into my askbox quoting 李白 Li Bai without some WARNING first
all righty so some context for folks who aren’t familiar with the greatest Chinese poet of all time*, Li Bai is a fucking ICON. Poet. Swordsman. Hermit. Drunkard. Li Bai, in my head, is the ULTIMATE poetic mood for Wei Wuxian, and yes this is a hill I will die on.
(* the asterisk is so I can say “joke’s on you, Li Bai and Du Fu actually trade off on that title, and also we’re pretty sure Li Bai was central Asian, not Han Chinese, so HAH”)
Receipts? Damn right I got receipts (by which I mean anon’s got the receipts)
The poems anon mentioned,《行路难三首》Three Poems on Difficult Roads, is a collection of three Li Bai poems written as he confronts his frustrated political ambitions; throughout the poems, he comes to the various conclusions that 1) the muddied world simply does not appreciate his upstanding and unique genius, 2) it’s not worth it to get involved in the messiness of court politics ft. many many historical examples of worthy men of service whose stories ended badly, and 3) he’ll drink to that, thanks.
I’m not going to translate all three poems, but some highlights!
其一 / the first
金樽清酒斗十千，玉盘珍羞直万钱 / The clear liquor in the golden goblet is worth a thousand taels; the delicacies on the jade plate costs ten thousand taels
停杯投箸不能食，拔剑四顾心茫然 / I hold the cup, cast aside my chopsticks, I cannot eat; I draw my sword, looking about at a loss
欲渡黄河冰塞川，将登太行雪满山 / I wish to ford the Yellow River, stop up the waters with ice; I want to climb up the snow-covered sides of the Taihang Ranges
闲来垂钓碧溪上，忽复乘舟梦日边 / An idle worthy once trailed a fishhook in a stream; another daydreamed in a boat by the riverside*
行路难！行路难！多歧路，今安在？/ The road is hard! The road is hard! There are many forks in the road; where am I today?
长风破浪会有时，直挂云帆济沧海 / There will be time enough to ride the wind and waves; until then, I raise the sails and cross the deep seas, headed for the low-hanging clouds.
god Li Bai is so good at that...高昂 elevated，豪放 unrestrained style. Just the sweeping scope of this poem...gosh.
(* yes these are references. yes I am also too tired to explain them)
其二 / the second
大道如青天，我独不得出 / The great way is as broad as the clear sky, yet I alone do not walk out on it
...
行路难，归去来 / The road is hard! Return, go home!
brb SCREAMING about the wide and sunny way and 魂兮归来 at the same time
其三 / the third
...
含光混世贵无名，何用孤高碧云月？/ When one holds light within in this muddied world, prize namelessness; what use is there to sit, high and alone, amidst the clouds and moon?
我观自古贤达人，功成不退皆殒身 / I look at the worthies, from ancient times to today; those who did not retire after achievement all lost their lives
子胥既弃吴江上，屈原终投湘水滨 / [Wu] Zixu was discarded into the Wu River; Qu Yuan, in the end, flung himself into the Xiang waters from the shores
...
君不见吴中张翰称达生，秋风忽忆江东行 / My lord, do you not see how Zhang Han of Wuzhong truly understood life; when the autumn winds blew, he suddenly thought of home, and departed for Jiangdong
且乐生前一杯酒，何须身后千载名？/ What joy can be found in a single cup of wine; why seek leaving a name for oneself in a thousand years?
gosh, I mean, I know there’s no government in the world of CQL, but Wei Wuxian would’ve been such a great travelling Daoist poet-swordsman oh my god
Bonus Round, 《将进酒》, another Li Bai classic, aka one of my favorite poems in existence
君不见，黄河之水天上来，奔流到海不复回。
君不见，高堂明镜悲白发，朝如青丝暮成雪。
人生得意须尽欢，莫使金樽空对月。
天生我材必有用，千金散尽还复来。
烹羊宰牛且为乐，会须一饮三百杯。
岑夫子，丹丘生，将进酒，杯莫停。
与君歌一曲，请君为我倾耳听。
钟鼓馔玉不足贵，但愿长醉不复醒。
古来圣贤皆寂寞，惟有饮者留其名。
陈王昔时宴平乐，斗酒十千恣欢谑。
主人何为言少钱，径须沽取对君酌。
五花马，千金裘，呼儿将出换美酒，与尔同销万古愁。
Do you not see the waters of the Yellow River from on high
surging down to sea, never to return?
Do you not see the elder generation sighing over their hair,
in the morning as dark strands,
in the evening already white as snow?
Happiness in a human life ought to be enjoyed to the utmost;
raise not this wine cup empty to the moon.
My god-given talent has a purpose in this world,
even if you scattered a thousand gold coins to the wind,
they would still return.
But for now, we feast on lamb and ox to make merry,
tonight, we'll drink at least three hundred cups.
Come, Cen-fuzi, Danqiu-sheng - drink with me, let our cups never still.
I will sing a song for you –
turn your ears and listen carefully to what my song has to say:
Sonorous bells, magnificent drums, rare delicacies, fine jade - none
are precious enough to win my heart,
and yet, I'd gladly drown in drunkenness
and never wake again.
All the sages and men of talent since ancient times have always walked
alone; only the drinkers among them have left behind their names
The warrior-king Chen, in days of old, held magnificent banquets at Pingle,
Uninhibited, they would down flagon after flagon
Unheeding of the cost, so drunk on jubilation.
My dear host, why do you speak of lacking money?
Go, go fetch more wine to pour for me.
Your five-flowered horse, your fur coat of a thousand gold--
call your boy out to exchange them for wine,
and with me, drink away the sorrows of the ages.
fuck I almost forgot how much I love this poem
#gratuitous translations? g r a t u i t o u s t r a n s l a t i o n s#I'm actually really glad I dug up this translation of 将进酒 I made a few years back#it's not half#anyway I'm a Li Bai kinda person and I will happily die on this hill#this is barely related to CQL at all omg#ask and ye shall receive#Wei Wuxian
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Survey #416
“don’t pray for me when you’re the one to blame / don’t think of me when you go up in flames”
Does your town/area have a farmer’s market? Do you ever buy your vegetables there rather than grocery store? Not close enough for us to actually go there for groceries, no.
If you had a significant other and somehow got a chance to kiss your celebrity crush, would you still go for it? Well no, given Mark's been in a serious relationship for like six years, and I'd feel disloyal to my partner. I can just dream about it, ha ha.
Do you tend to be attracted to people that are more similar to you in interests and mannerisms or do you tend to be attracted to someone opposite/complementing to you? I tend to be drawn to people I'm more similar to.
What is a talent that a lot of other people desire or value but you really don’t care to have (e.g., singing, etc.)? *shrug*
If someone asks you to hang out, but for some reason you’re just feeling lazy/don’t want to go anywhere, do you ignore them, make up an excuse, or just tell them the honest truth? Tbh, odds are I'm making up an excuse.
Would you like to meet an alien? That would depend on its motives. It might have wisdom to share, or it may be nefarious, in which case I don't wanna meet it obviously.
If so, would you trust them enough to go back with them to their planet? That's a no no matter how it acts. Trust issues, my friend. And that's with humans.
What do you think is at the end of space. It's kinda science that space is infinite...
Do you like D&D or Magic: The Gathering the most? I've never played D&D because I know I would be way, way too awkward to actually do it. M:TG is fun, though.
What is your favorite Disney movie? TLKKKKK.
What’s your favorite book series? Wings of Fire tops the list right now, but Warriors will always have a very special place in my heart.
What’s something you wish they’d build in your neighborhood? Idk.
Do you usually keep ponytail holders around your wrist? No. I don't even wear my hair in a ponytail because it's too short.
Sunny D or orange juice? Orange juice. I have to be in a very specific mood for Sunny D.
Can you snap out of a bad mood fast? Nooooo, unless something drastically good happens.
How can a person tell if you’re mad or annoyed? My face will probably give it away, mixed with me being short and snippy or more awkward than normal because I'm trying to not be a bother.
What’s something you enjoy that’s outside your age level? Certain TV shows.
When your friends come and hang out at your house, what do you get up to? The only friend I have that I hang out with once in a blue moon is Girt, and we'd usually play board games or watch TV.
Do you think it’s ignorant for people to have unprotected sex when they’re not ready for a child? Yes. Like yes, I'm pro-choice so won't look down on someone getting an abortion, but I still think you should be willing to act to prevent things from getting to that point where that procedure is chosen. For it or against it, abortion is a serious decision and should be treated as such.
What were your favourite things to do as a child? My favorite thing had to be video games, specifically Spyro, and I also adored Webkinz and Neopets on the computer. I also loved playing make-believe with my toys like every other kid. I loved watching Dad play video games, too. I've also been a drawing fiend since I was very little.
If you were shopping with your best friend, and they picked an outfit that was completely unflattering, would you tell them? I honestly don't know if I would. Her being comfortable and happy in it is what matters, anyway.
Do you prefer using air-con or having the windows down when you’re driving on a hot day? Team A/C for sure. I hate the feeling of wind just slapping the hell outta your face and making a nest out of your hair.
Can you ever manage to finish three courses when you go out to eat at restaurants? No.
What would you say your favourite farm animal is? Pigs! They are so incredibly misunderstood. They're very intelligent, CLEAN (I know, can you believe it?), silly, and happy animals that I just adore.
Is your ex currently in a relationship and if yes, how do you feel about that? Idk if "the" ex is with anyone, and it's for the better I don't, probably.
Which one of your friends should be a stand-up comedian? Girt.
Is your mom a better driver or your dad? Oh yeah. Dad tailgates like a motherfucker.
What's your least favorite genre of music? Either rap or country, idk.
Do you like poems? I do.
Do you enjoy drawing? I have a love-hate relationship with it. I LOVE when something comes out the way I wanted it to, but if it doesn't, I feel very disappointed in myself and bash it into my head that I could do better.
Do you even have any drawing talent? So I'm told.
Have you ever seen The Sound of Music? Yes, in elementary school's music class.
Ever seen Beetlejuice? If so, did you enjoy it? Oh yes, that was one of Jason's favorites. I liked it.
How do you deal with oppressive heat? Complain, sweat my ass off, do anything I can to cool off that doesn't involve taking clothes off.
What’s one thing that people definitely CAN’T count on you for? To remember pretty much anything whatsoever.
What about something they definitely can count on you for? An ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on.
How do you feel about your handwriting? I like it.
Is there a store that bothers you immensely for some reason (people who shop there irritate you or the employees who work there are rude, etc.)? Uhhhh I don't think so.
What’s something you complain about frequently? If I'm hot, or my legs hurting.
If you’re home alone and someone knocks on the door, what do you do? Ignore it. I'm not answering.
What’s one book that you have read that will stick with you forever? Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo. It's an anti-war pacifism novel, which is something I'm very much passionate about.
Would you ever get one of those old school “mom” tattoos with the heart? No. I know with certainty I want a tribute to my mom when she passes, but definitely not that design.
Are you a Giants fan? I don't care for sports, but the NYG always make me think of Jason's dad, who is like, obsessed with them. So I guess I feel a bit of warmness towards them just for memory's sake.
Last time you went pumpkin picking? Never.
Do you prefer eating corn straight off the cob or corn already taken off the cob? I think corn on the cob tastes better with all the butter and spices you can put on it, but I do enjoy off the cob too because it's just so much cleaner.
Would you want your family to go on Wife Swap? Well, I live with my mom and she's divorced, so... I don't have to worry about this.
How old is your current e-mail address? God, I've had it since I was a kid.
Last time you conversed with someone in a language other than English? Not since taking a test for German in high school.
Last video you favorited on YouTube? Oh my god, it was this video from my favorite reptile channel (Snake Discovery) of them taking their pet tegu to the park. She clearly had SO much fun. Now mind you I very rarely favorite things, so yeah, I adored the video.
Do you like chocolate with coconut filling? Noooo, I'm not a coconut fan at all.
What was the first thing you ate today? Mom made bacon, yuuuuum.
Do you know how to play Mahjong? No. Mom loves it, though.
Do you have any skirts longer than knee-length? I don't own any skirts.
What’s the farthest you’ve gone with someone you weren’t dating? Just flirting.
Ever had a promise ring? No.
What about one of those “I’ll wait until marriage” rings (I think they’re called purity rings or something)? They're called abstinence rings, and yes, in HS. Funny how looking back I was definitely breaking that vow while I wore it lmao.
What is the shortest time you’ve heard of people being together before getting married? My late grandma and her second husband got married SO fast. Like they were together for probably a couple months (maybe less?), then boom, the news came that they were engaged.
Are any of your friends currently pregnant? Facebook friends, yes, which are mostly composed of old friends and acquaintances from school. One poor girl very recently got into a bad wreck, but thank goodness she and her unborn daughter are okay.
Have you ever played golf? I loved playing putt-putt when I was younger, and then Jason and I once had a mini-golf date. It was really cute.
When was the last time you waxed anything on your body, if ever? It's been some years since I used to wax my eyebrows.
Have you ever been in a car accident? Yes. A minor one, but still.
Can you honestly say you love the last person you kissed? Yep.
Are you smiling in your Facebook profile picture? Yeah.
Would you ever go on Fear Factor? Noooo. I would NEVER get past day #2 where they tend to do the disgusting shit, and I'm way too out of shape to do the wild stuff they do.
What colour was the last mask you wore? Blue.
Can any of your friends sing well? Which one has the nicest singing voice? Oh yes, Sara has an absolutely beautiful voice.
When was the last time you had a nightmare? I had two last night, actually. I have this habit of taking my APAP mask off in the middle of the night because it's a nuisance, and I never remember doing so. When I do that, I'm much more prone to have nightmares because the mask helps my sleep apnea, which causes my nightmares/terrors.
Where do you see yourself in ten years? I do NOT want to imagine this. It's either going to be beautiful or a fucking catastrophe, of that I'm sure.
Does your family have traditions? Just pretty ordinary holiday ones.
Have you ever met anyone half-way famous? Tez is famous, as far as I'm concerned. :') I also have some musician friends trying to make it, but idk how far they've actually gotten in the industry.
Is there a celebrity that you are related to? No, just ancestors.
Would you call your last relationship a mistake? Definitely not.
Would you ever take up a job in photography? Ugh... that's the fucking dream. But I'm massively losing hope.
Do you throw out your assignments once you’ve gotten them back? When I was in school, it depended on whether it would serve as good study material or not.
Who was the last person you messaged on Facebook? My old friend Jenna messaged me a few days back just to say she was thinking about me and wished me well, which I really appreciated. Of course I messaged her back wishing her the same and all.
Have you ever developed a crush on someone the first day you met them? Don't believe so, no.
Do you have any friends who never shut up about their boyfriend/girlfriend? Well, I used to. She vanished.
Have you ever showered with a member of the opposite sex? No. Don't want to. I want to be alone when I shower.
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richie for the supercoolcharacterheadcannonsmeme :)
yay ok babe!!! i rly like this idea hehe even tho im unsure about the reasoning for most of these LOL
2-4 songs that are probably on their iPod
these are not rly for any reason and i tried to pick diff genres he’d like sO just to pay respects to the book, im putting
1. you’re so square by buddy holly
but also:
2. clint eastwood by gorillaz
3. with a little help from my friends by the beatles
4. this charming man by the smiths
the one place they sometimes end up falling asleep — where they’re not supposed to
homeboy doesn't get much sleep so i say he would fall asleep many inappropriate places : one being (if we’re talking about Munch Tozier existing) sitting against his little sister’s bed after he was telling her bedtime stories to help her sleep :’)
he also would probably fall asleep in the shower lols
the game they’d destroy everyone else at
he would destroy everybody at stratego AND clue which would piss people off so much omg, he’d also be pathetically proficient at wii bowling 😌
the emoticon they’d use most often
😇 and im not sure why he just rly likes the angel face and uses it to piss ppl off when hes annoying them
what they act like when they haven’t had enough sleep
honestly i tend to hc richie as not getting much sleep typically. i think he probably would act pretty spastically then crash later in the afternoon, but when hes feeling very tired hes pouty, eyes puffy and kinda whiny.
he also gets very, very cuddly and soft and turns off the sarcasm and jokes bc he just wants to be held
their preferred hot beverage on really cold nights. or mornings. or whenever.
really cold nights and mornings alike, he’d go hot chocolate bc i feel like he’s too much of a bitch to rly like coffee. to seem cool, he’d order coffee black but he’d pour so much sugar and creamer when ppl aren't looking.
hes got major sweet tooth tho
how they like to comfort/care for themselves when they’re in a slump
oh richie is an angsty guy sometimes (only bc i say so) and so he just kinda.... curls up in bed and tbh, he’d call up stanley to talk bc stan rly knows how he feels. or he’d call his significant other bc he knows that he needs to b around someone or else he’d not get better,, just bc hes extraverted enough to not want to live inside his head when hes not ok
what they wanted to be when they grew up
i mean. comedian, very straight forward.
for a while tho, when he was rly young he used to tell people “dentist” but that’s bc it was the only profession he could think of bc his dad is one
their favorite kind of weather
richie likes the sun ! he rly likes all kinds of weather bc he is a simple man but he loves it when it is sunny but not too hot, so he isn't fucking sweating through his layers of shitty hawaiian shirts while still being able to wear pants
thoughts on their singing voice (decent? terrible? soprano? alto?)
i am a drummer so idk much of a difference between soprano or altos lol, but in general i feel like richie could have a p good singing voice! i kinda head canon him sounding like kinda rough voice and its p deep idk man but i feel like he could have more than just one pipe ;)
how/what they like to draw or doodle
well, obviously dicks. like he (esp in middle school) drew dicks on e v e r y t h i n g but i feel like he also probably draws rly odd and unique character faces, like ppl to match his Voices and hes got shit drawing skills but they kinda look cool so ???
and once he doodled eddie and stan, and mike liked it so much that he ripped the faces off the page and he keeps them in the back of his phone case :’)
request a character :)
//tag list: @gabiatthedisco @blisshemmings @toziershmozier @simplesammyx @dickology64 @clownsloveyou @baby-yoda-a @moon-shine-baby @daughter-of-the-stars11 @lets-vibe-bro @trashedfortozier @oceandog13 @finnskindofwoman @kait-tozier @upamongthestarss @fiantomartell @beverlyparkerr @beauregard-s @diorbubs \\
#richie tozier x reader#supercoolcharacterheadcanons#richie tozier headcanons#ask game#losers x reader#headcanons#anon#bill denbrough x reader#eddie kaspbrak x reader#stanley uris x reader#ben hanscom x reader#mike hanlon x reader
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One Direction (To Your Heart), 2/6 (Methessence) - Cheetah
Summary: Jaida will share two tattoos with her soulmate: one will be her own first tattoo, whilst the other will be theirs. And if there’s anything Jaida knows about her soulmate, it’s that they love One Direction - why else would it be written out on her skin?
What Jaida doesn’t expect, though, is that she’ll meet her soulmate during the final week of preparation for her first big fashion show, or that it’ll be the bubbly, blue-haired artist she’s working with.
Maybe it’s time she learned to embrace the unexpected. And One Direction.
Chapter Summary: Jaida meets Crystal, and finally gets acquainted with One Direction.
A/N: The song in this chapter is “Kiss You” by One Direction. I will admit that writing this fic has made me appreciate them a lot more than I used to lol
Thank you so much to @dollalpaca for betaing!
Ao3 || my blog
~
Meeting
At first, all Jaida sees is blue.
Her gaze swims in bright necklaces and denim, in cobalt hair rippling with colour like the ocean on a summer’s day. And then she meets brown eyes as wild and untameable as the seaside cliffs, shimmering like they’ve been touched by the moon. Jaida feels her breath catch in her throat.
“I’m Crystal.” The stranger extends her hand for Jaida to shake, and the sapphire bracelets adorning her wrists glimmer in the white light of the lobby. “Crystal Methyd. I’m the assistant events coordinator - I was told we’d be working together?”
“You’d be right,” Jaida greets her with a warm smile as she shakes her hand. Crystal’s grip is soft but firm, matching the silent confidence in her umber eyes.
Today is the first of many days they’ll be working together, doing odd jobs to ensure this fashion show runs smoothly. It’s Jaida’s first show with the Del Rio brand — in fact, it’s her first big fashion show in general — and she wants nothing more than for it to go well. She started working with Bianca shortly after her graduation, when the brand was nothing more than a handful of people with sewing machines and a dream. Now, it’s expanded into so much more, and Jaida is desperate to prove that she’s really, truly meant to be here.
As she stands opposite Crystal’s sunny smile, Bianca’s words from earlier in the morning ring in her head: “Here’s your schedule, Hall. You’re working with some girl who sounds like she might be a drug addict.”
She hopes beyond hope that Bianca is wrong. Nothing is going to ruin this for her, least of all the crazy assistant of the events coordinator.
And upon first glance, Crystal is as wild as her name suggests, with her summer-sky hair and eclectic sense of style. But there is such excitement in her smile and her brilliant eyes that Jaida can’t help but be immediately endeared, the worry dissipating slightly in her chest.
“So,” Crystal says, drawing out the syllable as she bounces on the balls of her feet. “Hair and makeup artists, yeah? You ready to go?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Jaida tucks her clipboard into her purse, even though she’s perused her schedule enough times that she’s sure she’s memorised it by now, and follows Crystal to her car.
They listen to One Direction for the entire drive.
At first, Jaida doesn’t realise what she’s listening to - she’s only aware that it’s some generic pop song that she’s probably heard before and couldn’t be bothered remembering. Crystal hums along, slightly off-key and warbly, but Jaida doesn’t mind.
“You okay with this music?” Crystal asks, midway through the song, as though only just realising Jaida might not agree with her taste in music.
“Yeah, I’m chill.” Jaida doesn’t actually like it, but she isn’t about to start a debate about the validity of modern pop. Besides, Crystal seems happy - and equally at ease with their lack of small talk - and Jaida is content with that.
“So tell me, girl, if everytime we to-o-ouch, you get this kinda ru-u-ush,” Crystal sings aloud while they’re waiting at a red light. “God, I love this song.”
“It’s not bad,” Jaida admits begrudgingly, stifling a smile when Crystal shoots her a look of abject horror.
“‘Not bad?’ This is art!”
“Naw, child, this ain’t it.”
Okay, so maybe she was wrong about starting a debate.
“No one knows how to appreciate One Direction anymore,” Crystal laments, as the lights change and she returns her focus to the road.
One Direction. Jaida’s mind can’t help but wander in the direction of her mysterious soulmate. It’s been four years since the night her soul tattoo appeared, and there’s still no sign of them. It doesn’t worry her like it used to; she’s decided to let fate run its course, and in the meantime, she does what she pleases. Now, seeing the mark on her skin has become routine. She’s grown accustomed to its presence the same way she got used to seeing herself with earrings after she got her ears pierced.
Soon enough, they’re arriving at the hairstylist’s studio, its walls lined with wigs and photographs of models with perfect hair. Crystal is like a bird, bright and breezy, hopping through the room with an enthusiasm that seems to radiate from all of her features. For a moment, Jaida wonders whether or not her own posture is too stiff, too poised, and has to remind herself that she’s a professional, here on business. So is Crystal, but the word professional seems to carry a different meaning for her.
And, as it turns out, any worries Jaida had about Crystal are unfounded. She is competent - incredibly so, in fact. The Crystal she sees in the stylist’s office is one who knows what she’s doing; who uses her wacky style and charm to her advantage, who gets her point across clearly and concisely. All Jaida needs to do is make sure Bianca’s vision is followed.
In a few hours, everything is sorted out, and the meeting is over faster than Jaida could have anticipated. The drive back passes in much the same fashion as the drive over: as soon as Crystal turns the key in the ignition, the same poppy, upbeat love songs begin pounding through the car. Crystal sings along shamelessly.
And again, all they seem to be listening to is One Direction.
“Do you listen to anything other than this stuff, child?”
“Well, yes,” Crystal says, “but I’m kind of obsessively listening to my One Direction playlist right now. I can change it, if you want.” She doesn’t sound offended, and Jaida likes that about her. She’s easy to get along with, and in the few short snippets of conversation they’ve had, Crystal has taken any teasing comment with an easygoing laugh and a toss of her ocean-blue hair.
“One Direction is fine,” Jaida decides after a moment. She can’t help but think of her soulmate, and whether or not they, too, have a One Direction playlist that they listen to on repeat. She might as well take this opportunity to get acquainted with their favourite band. “I just wanted to make sure you’ve got more taste than this.”
“Haters gonna hate,” Crystal replies breezily, grinning at Jaida in the rearview mirror, and Jaida grins right back.
~
Jaida is unusually nervous.
She swirls the words on her tongue — three simple words — and wonders at her own anxiety. She isn’t usually like this, and she’d hardly expect Crystal of all people to be the reason for it.
She bites the bullet as Crystal locks her car.
“You want lunch?” Jaida asks cordially.
Crystal chews on her bottom lip, silent, and for a moment, Jaida wonders what in the world she’s done wrong. Do event coordinators have something against eating lunch with their coworkers? Maybe it’s something specific to Crystal’s team, or maybe Crystal just doesn’t like her.
“I mean, I would,” Crystal says eventually, her voice high-pitched and sheepish. “But I promised I’d hang out with Widow on my break, so… I can’t.”
Jaida has no idea who Widow is, and she doesn’t bother asking. She isn’t sure whether or not she wants to know why all the people she’s hearing about today have such strange names.
“It’s cool,” she says instead. “I’ll see you after.”
“See you then!”
They part ways in the lobby. Jaida finds Nicky in her dressing room, saying something in French to her phone, adding a slow emphasis to every syllable as though she is talking to a small child. A moment later, a voice parrots it back through the phone, and Nicky visibly winces.
“We’ll work on it,” she promises. Her gaze snaps up when Jaida snickers, and Jaida takes her glare as an invitation to sit down right beside her.
“Hey, bitches,” Jaida says, grinning when she peers at the phone and sees Jackie’s pixelated face looking back. “How’re y’all going on this fine day?”
“Damn, something’s got you in a good mood,” Nicky comments wryly, but her cold facade is broken by the slight quirk of her lips. “Did that meth girl give you a joint or something?”
“I don’t smoke at work, you dumbass,” Jaida chides her playfully as Jackie laughs. “Also, her name is Crystal, and she is so fucking good at her job.”
Nicky raises a playful eyebrow. “Oh really?”
“Don’t give me that look, bitch. Didn’t you realise I’m back half an hour early?”
“Nope.”
“You guys, I’m so confused,” Jackie cuts in. “Since when was there a meth girl?”
“Oh my god, I can’t believe I forgot to tell you!” Nicky exclaims. She’d been there when Jaida had received her schedule, and had gawked right along with her when they saw Crystal’s name. “Just this chick Jaida’s working with for the next week. What was her full name again, Jaida? Crystal Meth?”
“Crystal Methyd,” Jaida corrects, as Jackie’s hand flies to her face in a feeble attempt to maintain her composure. Jaida can’t help but wonder if she’d react the same if she met Crystal in person; now that Jaida can put a face — and a personality — to the name, it seems less outlandish and more… quirky.
“So? What’s she like? Apart from being ‘so fucking good at her job?’” Nicky asks, her eyes gleaming with a strange sort of curiosity. “Is she as crazy as you thought?”
“And then some,” Jaida laughs. “But she’s, like, a fun crazy. It’s cool. She looks like a lollipop.”
Nicky nods slowly. “Please elaborate.”
“Blue hair, a fuck ton of necklaces… the whole shebang,” Jaida says. She’s still stunned at how Crystal doesn’t get sick of the constant rattling of the beads. “Like, you know those big ass lollipops we had as kids? The swirly rainbow ones? Imagine one of those, but blue. That’s Crystal.”
Nicky nearly chokes on her lunch.
“That is the single most amazing thing I have ever heard,” she proclaims, mouth still half full. “Calling someone a ‘big ass lollipop’. Have I told you I love you, Jaida?”
“Hey!” Jackie whines, pretending to be wounded by the statement. “I thought your heart belonged to me, Miss Doll.”
“You can share,” Nicky replies haughtily, sticking her tongue out at Jackie.
“No fair.”
“Deal with it.”
Jaida laughs, already all too familiar with Nicky and Jackie’s playful banter. They might bicker like an old married couple, but Jaida always sees how Nicky rolls her sleeves up when she’s nervous, sees how she’ll immediately relax as she gazes at her lilac flowers.
Jaida has known Nicky since they were kids, and she has never seen anyone make her smile like Jackie does.
“Well,” Jaida says, “unfortunately for you, child, my heart will soon belong to an avid One Direction fan. Sorry ’bout it.”
Soon, she thinks, as soon as the words have left her lips. How soon? It’s such a loose term. Soon could be twenty years, or it could be tomorrow. Fate has left her nothing but a string of words to follow, and she has given nothing back - save for the Arabic tattoo, her skin is empty.
“Girl, if they were still a thing, I would sit through an entire concert for you to find your soulmate,” Nicky promises. “And that’s no small deal, Jaida - that’s ten years off of my life, just for you.”
“Luckily for you they’re still no longer a thing,” Jackie remarks.
Jaida chuckles. “Actually, I listened to some One Direction today, in the car. Crystal played it non-stop.”
“Maybe Crystal is your soulmate!” Nicky gasps, bolting upright in her seat.
“Bitch! She’s my coworker!” Jaida can’t help but wrinkle her nose - Crystal is nice, but soulmates is taking it a bit too far.
“That’s how all the best love stories start, you know!”
“Naw, child, I doubt it. We’re too different.”
“Since when has that stopped anyone?” Jackie grins, sharing a knowing glance with Nicky.
“I’ll believe it until proven otherwise,” Nicky insists, slamming her fist on the table emphatically. “Besides, she sounds like the type to get a One Direction tattoo in a foreign language, don’t you think?”
Jaida rolls her eyes, amused. “You haven’t even met her!”
“And also,” Nicky continues slyly, ignoring Jaida. “You have no proof that she’s not your soulmate. You won’t know for sure until she shows you her collarbone.”
“Ooh, kinky,” Jaida deadpans. “What do you want me to do, take her to, like, a strip club or something and hope she takes her clothes off? You can do that, child, I’m keeping things professional.”
Jackie laughs. “Let’s plan a double date.”
“Let’s get through this next week first, then we’ll talk,” Jaida counters, knowing the possibility of her following through will be slim. Still, she can’t help but wonder if by then, she and Crystal will actually know each other well enough for the idea to be plausible.
“Oh, wait! I have something to show you,” Nicky gasps suddenly, swiping off of FaceTime and opening photos instead. She chooses an image before swivelling her phone around for Jaida to see. “Sorry, I know this is going totally off-topic, but you must see this.”
It’s a photograph of Shea Couleé, one of Nicky’s fellow models, standing in a gauzy gown of galactic violets and a shimmering ebony. Jaida recognises the design instantly - it was one of the first things she pitched to Bianca, who, later on, begrudgingly admitted that she liked it so much she’d nearly promoted Jaida on the spot. The top half of the dress is covered in jewelled stars and surrounded by rings of planets, whilst the bottom is layers of tulle and gleaming black satin that shines like the midnight sky. Jaida remembers thinking something like this would be impossible to bring to life, yet now, she’s not only seen it on a mannequin, but also right here, in this photograph of Shea.
And she looks so beautiful, Jaida almost feels herself tearing up. Shea’s warm brown skin seems to glow amidst the glimmering jewels and star-shaped rhinestones. She holds her head high, ink-dark hair cascading down her back and over her shoulders, spilling over constellations and galaxies. She looks regal, silver specks like starlight pooling in her obsidian eyes. She’s surrounded by tiny worlds, supernovas and shining stars, and Shea wears them all like she’s the sun. Jaida can’t take her eyes off of her.
“I know, right?” Nicky gushes. “Doesn’t she look so incredible?”
“Holy fuck. Holy shit, child, I can’t. This isn’t real. Pinch me.”
“It’s real!” Nicky promises, grinning from ear to ear. “I saw her at the fitting. She looks even better in person - I can’t wait for you to see her model it.”
Jaida genuinely has no words. They lodge in her throat, sticky with unspoken emotion. This moment feels… powerful. It feels like all her dreams have come true at once. All her late nights designing, sewing, stoning fabrics and adjusting seams - every moment feels worth it. She stares at the image, trying to sear it into her mind so that she’ll never forget it, wears the thought of it like a badge of honour. Jaida feels like anything is possible; like this show might just be perfect.
~
Jaida finds Crystal sitting in her car, headbanging to music so loud Jaida can hear it from outside — it’s still One Direction — as though the world isn’t passing right outside the windows.
“Hey, bitch,” Jaida greets her cheerfully, sliding into the passenger seat. She has to choke back a laugh when Crystal practically leaps out of her skin, her back stiffening until it’s ramrod straight.
“Shit,” she gasps. “Sorry. You literally gave me a heart attack. Oh my god, don’t ever do that again.”
This time, Jaida can’t hold back an amused snort. “I could tell. You were completely in your own world just then.”
“Such is the power of One Direction,” Crystal replies sagely as she turns the music back down to a more appropriate volume. “By the way, we’ve got another stop after this next meeting - the designers just finished the flyers and stuff, so we gotta go print them off.”
“No trouble.” Jaida can’t say she’s enthusiastic about having yet another task on her itinerary, but this one is so minimal effort that she can’t complain.
“Right, cool.” Crystal shifts the gearstick as Jaida leans back in her seat, surrounded by the generic pop melodies of One Direction and her own thoughts.
She can’t help but reminisce on Nicky’s words from earlier. What if all this is the work of fate? Are these car rides — and the fact that Crystal has, so far, played absolutely nothing but One Direction — destiny?
It sends an undeniable shiver up Jaida’s spine. To think that this moment was fated to happen no matter what she does feels… strange, to say the least. But if they are fated to fall in love, why doesn’t Jaida feel it?
She chances a sidewards glance at Crystal, and realises that she must have taken her denim jacket off sometime during the lunch break. Now, the jacket is loosely tied around her waist, and the T-shirt she’s wearing above it leaves her arms bare.
Bare enough for Jaida to see her tattoos.
There’s one on her right bicep: Jaida can only see the lower half of it, but it looks intricately detailed. She notices a small cat and a pair of legs before her gaze lands on the inside of Crystal’s other arm, where two circular symbols are inked onto her skin.
A weird combination of disappointment and relief washes over Jaida. Crystal isn’t fated to be hers after all - there are her tattoos, not one but two of them, likely both tied to a mysterious, predestined love.
You haven’t seen her collarbone yet, Nicky’s voice whispers in Jaida’s mind, but Jaida shoves it away. She doesn’t care. This is confirmation enough.
It’s incredibly common for people to get their soul tattoos in obvious places, like these tattoos on Crystal’s arms, or the flowers on Nicky and Jackie’s wrists that led them to one another. Jaida still remembers how Nicky would refuse to cover up her tattoos when she went outside, because “today could be the day, Jaida!”
Jaida almost laughs at the memory. She wonders if her own soulmate has spent as much of the last four years as possible with their tattoo showing. That might make things easier.
But Jaida has decided that she doesn’t care for easy. She’s grateful that her tattoo — her fucking One Direction tattoo — is in a place that she can cover up, and that in the meantime, her freedom is still hers. She doesn’t even need to think about her soulmate if she doesn’t want to. The words on her collarbone are the only things binding them, and right now, that bond can easily be ignored.
Her thoughts drift, momentarily, to Gigi - the girl she met years ago, with the honey-gold hair and skin as smooth as flower petals. She thinks about the image of the little doll on Gigi’s ribcage: the only trace of ink on her pale skin.
They had briefly asked about each other’s marks, and that was it. They didn’t match, but it didn’t matter. It had never mattered, even as they watched the spark die out and realised that maybe it was just destiny.
They’re still friends. Jaida sees Gigi sometimes, and it still makes her smile. Even if it’s over — even if it was never meant to be — they shared something special, regardless of their mismatched tattoos.
Jaida glances over at Crystal again. She’s focused on the road ahead, but she’s still quietly murmuring along to the music. She’s undeniably beautiful, Jaida thinks, with her sandy freckles and cerulean hair. She chances one more look at Crystal’s tattoos and fires off a text to Nicky.
I was right!! She’s already tattooed, so… no chance there.
Nicky’s reply comes instantaneously.
Seen her collarbone yet? ; )
Jaida leaves her on read.
~
Jaida and Crystal are the last customers in the print store.
It’s nearly closing time, and the girl behind the counter looks rather irritated to see them there. Ordinarily, Jaida wouldn’t have been too happy to be waiting around this late either, but today, she has Crystal. Talking to Crystal is easy; conversation flows between them like bubbling spring water, and Jaida soon forgets about the time.
She picks up one of the flyers as a staff member deposits a pile of them on the counter. Beside her, Crystal looks like she’s about to vibrate right out of her skin with anticipation.
“You good there?” Jaida asks, her brows furrowing in concern.
“Oh, yeah, totally.” Crystal shoots her a self-assured grin. “Just waiting to see what you think.”
Jaida’s gaze darts back to the flyer in her hand, and she almost does a double take. Looking back at her is a gorgeous model, dark skin shining a brilliant topaz in the gold lights and falling glitter.
And she’s wearing Jaida’s galaxy dress.
The drawing of it is almost better than the real thing. It no longer looks like a garment - rather, the model has become one with the universe itself, as though she carries worlds in her palms and constellations in her eyes. She looks powerful, commanding, ethereal.
Jaida’s gaze travels down the line of the model’s body and there, in the bottom corner, is a tiny signature of swirling script and looping letters. Jaida peers closer at it, making out an elegant C and the long tail of a Y.
“…Crystal, did you draw this?”
“I did!” Crystal seems to brighten, her face alight with pleasure, at Jaida’s realisation. “Do you like it?”
“Are you kidding? Child, this is amazing!” She traces the outline of the perfect silhouette, still in awe of the work of art she’s holding. Crystal’s talent is immeasurable.
“I was given some photocopies of the designs that are gonna be in the show,” Crystal says. “And I just liked this one so much I knew I had to draw it. Do you know who designed it? The sketch didn’t look like one of Bianca’s.”
“Yeah. It’s not,” Jaida replies, almost shyly. “It’s mine.”
“No way!” Crystal gasps, slamming her palms onto the counter and wincing at the noise she makes. “How are you not, like, head designer? Hell, you could probably take Bianca’s job if you wanted to.”
This gets a laugh out of Jaida. “Bitch, I’d have to pry it from her cold, dead hands!”
“Okay, okay, true. But holy shit, Jaida. This dress is gorgeous. What are you even doing running these silly errands? You should be with all the designers. Why aren’t you with all the designers? I bet Bianca’s just scared you’re gonna outdo her.”
“Don’t let her hear you say that,” Jaida snickers, “but it’s really just that we don’t have enough people yet. We’re still a small brand, so it’s very, like, all hands on deck. Everyone’s gotta do a bit of everything.”
“Oh. I guess that makes sense.” Crystal nods slowly. “How long have you been working with Bianca?”
“A year now,” Jaida replies. “It’s a good job. I get to do a lot of stuff - I’ve designed, sewed, and I did some of the models’ makeup one time.”
“Wow,” Crystal breathes, and Jaida warms at how impressed she looks. “You’ve gotta show me more of your dresses when we do the run-through in a couple days.”
Jaida smiles. “Sure.” There’s a pause before she adds, “what about you? What got you into event coordination?”
“I wanted to be a freelance artist for the longest time,” Crystal explains, shrugging. “But it’s just… not easy making a living like that. So I found some jobs where I could do some art here and there, and this was the first one that stuck.”
“I get that,” Jaida agrees quietly. It’s easy to have big dreams, but making them come true is another story - she feels lucky to have met Bianca when she did. “But with a talent like this,” she continues, gesturing to the flyer in her hands, “I can see you going places. Big places.”
“Aw.” Crystal’s face softens in a smile. “That’s so sweet. Thanks, Jaida.”
“That’s everything,” the girl behind the counter interrupts before Jaida can respond. “You’re with Del Rio, right?”
“Yep.”
“Right. All yours, then.” She gestures to the boxes of flyers and programs before turning away to shut off the printers.
“Welp, let’s get moving,” Crystal says, grunting as she heaves a box off the counter. Jaida follows, pretending not to notice the way Crystal’s tattoos flex as she moves. They load the boxes of flyers and event programs into the car before Crystal slams the boot shut, turning to face Jaida and smiling triumphantly.
“All in a good day’s work,” Jaida says, grinning.
“We were amazing today,” Crystal agrees, putting her hand up for a high-five. Jaida smiles and hits Crystal’s palm with her own.
Crystal tuts. “That was weak,” she tells Jaida. “Come on, you can give me more than that!” She raises her hand again, waving it in Jaida’s face. “Go! Go! Go! Show me what you’ve got!”
“What the fuck,” Jaida laughs, but she complies, whacking Crystal’s hand with as much strength as she can. “Better?”
“Oof,” Crystal groans, shaking out her hand before breaking into a smile. “See? That was much better. I knew you had it in you.”
“You are so crazy.”
“That’s old news, Jaida,” Crystal replies sagely. “Old, old news.”
Jaida snorts, almost in disbelief. Crystal is so amusing.
“I see. Thanks for catching me up,” she says, playing along.
“You’re very welcome.” Crystal grins brightly before opening the car door. “Now let’s take this stuff back so we can go home. I want a warm shower and some food.”
“That sounds amazing,” Jaida murmurs, sliding into the passenger seat beside Crystal.
“Yeah. You know what else sounds amazing?” Crystal asks, grabbing her phone as the car hums to life. “This song. This is the perfect way to end a good day at work.”
A moment later, upbeat, electronic music fills the car, and Crystal immediately begins bobbing her head to the beat.
“Let me guess,” Jaida says, pretending to think, “One Direction?”
Crystal’s brilliant grin is all the confirmation she needs.
They begin driving, and Jaida will admit that while she doesn’t like the song, Crystal’s finally-free-of-work-for-the-day excitement is infectious.
“Baby say yeah, yeah, yeah!” Crystal sings as they’re waiting at a red light.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” Jaida joins in, and her chest warms when Crystal turns to her, eyes wide and shining with a pleasant surprise.
“If you don’t wanna take it slow, and you just wanna take me home, baby say yeah, yeah, yeah,” Crystal sings, her gaze flicking expectantly to Jaida.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” Jaida finishes. Crystal giggles, bubbly with delight, as the light changes and she resumes driving.
Jaida leans back into the faux leather of the seat, her skin flush with a strange — but not unwelcome — warmth. It feels like Crystal’s presence has touched her in a peculiar way. Her bluebell laughter, her childlike excitement, her wild and wonderful charisma — all of it feels so comfortable to Jaida already, even though she’s only known Crystal for a single day.
She likes Crystal, she’s decided. Crystal with the strange name and the lollipop hair. Crystal who sings along to One Direction in the car. Crystal with the tattoos painting her tanned skin.
Jaida leaves work that evening feeling light on her feet, a lively melody playing on loop in her head. This day turned out better than she could have expected, and she has high hopes for the week ahead.
She hums the melody that’s stuck in her head as she boards the train on her way home. It’s cheerful, upbeat - where did she hear this again?
With a laugh, she realises it’s the One Direction song she and Crystal had sung together on the way back home. Jaida decides it might not be so bad after all.
#rpdr fanfiction#jaida essence hall#crystal methyd#nicky doll#jackie cox#crystal x jaida#jackie x nicky#fluff#lesbian au#soulmate au#diversity fic#black girl magic fic#one direction to your heart#cheetah#s12#concrit welcome
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Welcome to the Heart Pirates, Nami-ya chapter 14: It’s All Fun and Games
The Polar Tang’s library was easily Nami’s favorite place on the submarine. For one, it was the coolest room on the whole ship as Law had put a considerable amount of resources into developing state-of-the-art climate control equipment to keep the books in good condition. Secondly, the walls were lined with shelves practically bursting with tomes on navigation, oceanography, geography, zoology, weather, history, and, of course, every type of medicine imaginable. Thirdly, it was comfortable; there were plush chairs and couches, a peaceful atmosphere, perfect lighting for reading, and a large table where she and Bepo could work on maps and other projects.
In fact, that’s exactly where the pair of navigators had been holed up over the past few days. Stacks of books on horticulture and gardening surrounded them as they furiously scribbled on sheets of graph paper, meticulously planning out the new greenhouse. With the money they’d accrued from the gala heist, Clione had managed to purchase the equipment needed for solar lights and the sprinkler system. Now it was up to Nami and Bepo to decide which plants should go where so the engineers could start the installation process. It was trickier than it sounded; due to the combination of medicinal herbs and produce, many with different watering and sunlight requirements, the room needed to be carefully mapped out for peak efficiency.
“What do you think of this layout, Nami?” Bepo asked, handing her a rough sketch. “Rough” being the key word—though there was a marked improvement over the past few months, even under Nami’s careful tutelage, his drawing skills still left much to be desired.
Despite the giant sweatdrop falling down the back of her head, Nami forced a happy grin. “It’s a good start! What corner are we putting the aloe plants in?”
“Well, they need a lot of sunlight, so I thought the west corner?”
She studied her notes carefully, a deep wrinkle forming across her brow. “Hmm, but that’s the area that also gets watered the most. According to the books, aloe needs to be watered deeply, but infrequently; otherwise it’ll rot.”
“I’m sorry,” he replied, round ears drooping as he hung his head, a gloomy cloud forming around him.
“It’s ok! We can make a dry corner—a section that has a lot of sunlight, but no sprinkler system. We’ll manually water those on a strict schedule.”
He perked up at the suggestion. “Maybe we can have a chart or something next to those with specific instructions to avoid confusion? And some plastic curtains to block out the spray from the sprinklers so it stays dry?”
“Great idea!” she replied, smile much more genuine this time. With how sensitive Bepo was, she’d forced herself to adopt a more calm, motherly demeanor when working with him. He was a lot like Chopper; sweet and a little naïve but extremely intelligent in his specialized field. She wondered if perhaps, like the blue-nosed reindeer, he’d been bullied when he was young. Had people thought he was a monster, too?
“Thanks, Nami,” Bepo said, bashfully rubbing the back of his neck. “Actually, the island we’re heading to has the aloe variety that Law uses—I know we’re not ready for a full greenhouse, but maybe we could pick up some fresh plants and set up one of the sunlamps in here as a tester since it’s the driest room.”
At the mention of the captain, Nami had to bite back a frustrated sigh. Law had been pretty much intolerable for the past week. She’d thought she’d seen the worst of his insomniac tendencies when he’d been working on the fertilizer, but this was so much worse. He stayed in his room practically all day, and on the rare occasion he emerged he’d been broody and snappish. Most of the crew had chalked it up to stress and lack of sleep again, but Nami could tell they were trying to hide their concern. This wasn’t a hyper fixation like the fertilizer had been—this was an obsession over something personal.
However, she dared not press the matter—Law wasn’t like Luffy or Zoro, whom she could knock over the head and nag into submission. And if his mood did have anything to do with the Amber Lead vase, she was even warier. She still distinctly remembered his rage after the gala—he’d implied that the World Government had covered up the truth that the infamous disease wasn’t contagious. Maybe he wanted the vase to prove it? To spit in the eye of those who had callously doomed an entire city?
Seeing the frown on her face, Bepo sulked. “I’m worried about him too.”
“I’m not worried about him,” she huffed, crossing her arms stubbornly.
The Mink ignored her denial. “I wish he’d get more sleep. I know he’s working on a plan, but he still needs his rest.”
“Why don’t you just drug him or something?” she asked a bit petulantly. Really, she was mostly upset that Law was needlessly troubling his crew. Didn’t he realize how much they cared about him? “There’s plenty of sedatives aboard the ship.”
“Oh no!” Bepo cried, black eyes widening in horror. “Law’d be furious if we did that! There’s too much risk involved. What if we were attacked? He’d be too out of it to fight or take care of the wounded.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she acquiesced, slumping forward and resting her chin on her crossed forearms. Chopper would probably have the same objections. Except a sleep-deprived, angry doctor wasn’t much better than a doped-up one. “Still, he needs a nap or something. He’s been acting like a toddler.”
“Careful who you call a toddler, Nami-ya,” Law’s deep voice rasped in her ear, startling a shriek from her throat as she jerked upright, nearly smacking his chin with the back of her head. “And keep your voice down—you’re in a library.”
“Oh, go to hell, Law!” she snapped, twisting around in her chair to glare up at him. “What are you skulking around for, anyway?” Not that she should really complain—he was actually out of his room, after all.
Striding past her, he perused the history section before selecting a large, faded tome. “It’s my ship—I’ll go where I please.”
“Well, how about you please go to bed?” she argued. Screw not pressing the issue—maybe she couldn’t knock him over the head like her own crew, but she could sure as hell nag, and clearly someone had to. And he wouldn’t attack her with Bepo around, right? “You don’t want to screw up someone’s medication like you did last time you were overtired, right?”
The glare he threw over his shoulder was so full of malice Nami shrank down in her chair. Though a valid point, she knew her comment had hit below the belt.
“Watch your tongue, Nami-ya, or else I’ll remove it,” he sneered. Even with the shadow his hat cast over the top half of his face, Nami could clearly see his eyes were bloodshot and the bags underneath were even darker than usual. “Getting that vase is going to take even more planning than the gala, and I’ve got less information to go on and maybe a third of the time. Even if I could calm my mind enough to sleep, I simply don’t have the time to spare.”
“Look, I know you’re the devious schemer around here, but you’re also the doctor. You of all people should know the importance of getting proper rest. If you’re that worried about your plan, I can help you; burglary is literally the reason you brought me on,” she argued, arms spread wide.
A deep frown marred his face as he shook his head. “No. After what you went through on Grimm, I want you to take it easy until we get to Atifakuto—that’s when I’ll need your help. You’re lucky I’m even letting you work on the greenhouse plans.” He glanced down at the piles of papers strewn across the table. “By the way, I want to look those over later.”
She smacked her forehead in exasperation. “Seriously? Your own plans aren’t enough to keep you occupied? You have way too much on your plate as it is. For God’s sake, just take a break and get some fucking sleep!”
Long fingers gripped the book in his hands so tightly Nami could hear the leather binding groan. “Don’t you dare give me orders on my own fucking ship, Nami-ya.”
“Captain,” Bepo interrupted quietly, voice nearly a whimper, “do you promise to at least try to get some sleep when we get to the island tomorrow? Even just a short nap? It’ll be sunny and warm and safe—maybe your mind will settle down there.”
There was a moment of tense silence as a pair of round black eyes shimmered pleadingly, desperately hoping to put an end to the argument.
“Shit. Quit being so cute,” Law muttered under his breath. Narrow shoulders heaved in a sigh. Not even the Surgeon of Death could be mad at the sweet Mink when he sounded so genuinely concerned. “I promise to try. At the very least, I’ll spend some time outside; I’m sure all this time underwater hasn’t exactly helped my vitamin D deficiency. So long as no one gets any ideas about giving me another lovely sunburn,” he quipped, scowling at the mikan-hair woman meaningfully.
Nami held up her hands in surrender. Even though he totally deserved another prank due to his prickly behavior, it was way more important that he had enough peace of mind to get in even a small amount of sleep.
Damn, she thought to herself as Law stalked out of the library. Bepo’s right; I really am worried about that idiot.
XXX
Cousteau Island was small but beautiful. By Nami’s estimation, it had been an undersea volcano that had risen up less than a hundred years ago. Shaped like a fat crescent moon, the majority of the land was covered in lush jungle and lined with smooth, sandy beaches. The surrounding ocean was nearly teal, full of tropical fish and rainbow-colored coral. Fruits like bananas, coconuts, and pineapples grew in abundance, but there didn’t appear to be much wildlife—mostly birds and sea turtles who had decided the uninhabited island was the perfect spot to lay their eggs due to a lack of predators.
“How did you guys find this place?” Nami asked Bepo, not bothering to keep the awe from her voice as they surfaced in the cove. “I’ve never heard of Cousteau Island, and it wasn’t the atlas.”
More than happy to tell the tale of their lucky discovery, her fellow navigator explained, “It’s a summer island we found when a storm blew us off course. It’s so tiny its magnetic field is hidden by Grimm’s, so it doesn’t show up on a log pose—we had to make an eternal pose to get back. It’s also surrounded by a massive reef that’ll destroy most other ships if they get close, but we found the underwater tunnel to get through. It’s completely uninhabited, so we claimed it and use it as a hideout.”
Glancing around, Nami could see the skeletal remains of what looked like a pirate ship wedged onto the rocks, along with debris scattered along the beach. They appeared to be several months old, however, so she doubted they’d be running into any castaways. “How’d it get its name?”
“Cousteau found the safe path to the island, so we let him name it,” Law interjected bluntly, though not without a hint on begrudging affection for the diver/oceanographer. “Otherwise, it would have been ‘Trafalgar Cove’.”
Nami nodded in understanding, too pleased at the possibility of mapping out a brand-new island and taking a vacation to mock him for the blatant arrogance. It seemed Law hadn’t been making empty promises when he told her the island would be much more relaxing. Now all he had to do was keep his promise about getting some sleep.
Upon landing, the crew spent the better part of the morning setting up chairs, umbrellas, a volleyball net, blankets, tables, and everything else they could think of for a fantastic day on the beach. Surprisingly, getting the bonfire and grill started was the easiest part; debris from the shipwrecked pirate ship, which seemed to mostly consist of the shattered remains of wooden crates and barrels, littered the shore, so there was no need to cut down trees. By noon, the last of the preparations were finished, and after a quick lunch, the crew split off into their own groups.
Cousteau and Crozier led Clione, Darter, Sgt. Pepper, Ajisahi, Tsunomedori, and Shiroruka to explore the jungle, promising to be back by sunset with fresh fruit, water, and the aloe Law wanted. Skua and Malamute, two of Ikkaku’s fellow engineers, elected to stay on the ship to perform some maintenance. The rest, led by Penguin and Shachi, chose to change into bathing suits so they could all enjoy some much-needed relaxation on the beach.
“Incoming!” Nami shouted, spiking the blue and yellow beach ball hard over the net, scoring the winning point for her team.
“Nice shot!” Ikkaku cheered, high-fiving her partner.
“And that’s the match!” Ermine sniggered from their spot by the grill as they cleaned the assortment fish Jude, Uni, and Seiuchi had caught for dinner, careful to keep their long brown braids free of fish guts. The cook had been thoroughly amused throughout the game—they’d never pass up the chance to watch the first and second mate get trounced by a pair of pretty ladies in swimwear. “Did you guys even score a single point?”
“Ah, shuddup,” Shachi groused as he fell back onto a nearby towel, though his displeasure at losing didn’t stop him from ogling Nami and Ikkaku’s sun-kissed bodies. Nami had elected to don a cherry red, lace-up one-piece that tantalizingly showed off her legs and cleavage. Ikkaku’s was comparatively more modest, being a sporty, black, high-neck two-piece, though the mesh across her breasts didn’t hide much.
The swimwear had been a tactical choice—the moment Penguin and Shachi had proposed a game of volleyball, the girls knew there was no better way to distract them. And with such a devious plan, they of course added on a friendly wager—losers do the winners’ cleaning duties for the next month.
“Man, they destroyed you,” Jude mocked from his chair, black bowl cut shining in the late afternoon sun.
“Like you would have done any better,” Penguin argued as he took a swig from his water bottle.
“Doesn’t matter—I’m not the one with double cleaning duty.”
“You’re all getting extra chores if you don’t quit your damn whining and let me work in peace,” a dark, irritable voice called.
Law was seated a dozen feet away from the makeshift volleyball court on a wide beach blanket, Bepo snoozing softly behind him. As promised, he’d managed to doze for a short while in the sun, but it hadn’t done much for his mood. In fact, it seemed that with that small bit of rest, he’d become even more determined to work on his plan instead of relax like his body clearly needed. So, despite the protests of his crew, he’d attempted to return to his work inside the ship.
However, the maintenance had proven noisy enough to force him back outside, stacks of books and papers in hand, and he’d sullenly plopped onto the blanket beside his navigator, resolute to get some work done despite the universe’s clear attempts to stop him.
In Nami’s opinion, he looked absurd in his black and yellow swim trunks surrounded by notebooks full of messy scribblings and huge history books. He was like a nerdy brat who’d been forced on a family vacation but opted to petulantly do homework on the beach instead of have fun.
Sure, he was a hot nerdy brat, but she could also see the signs that his obsessive planning was taking its toll on his body. The definition of his muscles was starting to fade, and he looked thinner. Tan skin appeared dull even in the bright sun, and there wasn’t enough concealer in the world to cover up his eyebags now.
“Ok, this is ridiculous,” Nami grumbled with a scowl. She squeezed the volleyball between her hands, briefly imagining it was Law’s thick skull. “Even post-catnap he’s being a grumpy bastard.”
Ducking beneath the net to stand beside her, Penguin nodded in agreement. “Normally I’d say leave him alone and let him deal with it at his own pace, but this is different.”
“He told you what we’re going after?” she asked lowly, keeping her voice down to avoid disturbing the man in question or risk him eavesdropping.
“Yeah. That’s why I’m worried.” Penguin gave her a sidelong glance. “Amber Lead’s a touchy subject with him. Think this is bad? It was way worse when we sailed the North Blue.”
“What’s his deal with it?”
“It’s not my place to say. What’s important is that we get his mind off of it. All this brooding’s just going to make his insomnia worse, and it’s completely killing the party mood.”
“Any suggestions?”
“You could give him a lap dance.”
Before anyone could blink, Penguin was on the ground, a grapefruit-sized lump throbbing on his head. “Ow! I was kidding,” he moaned.
Nami cracked her knuckles. “Got any legit suggestions?” she growled, a murderous look in her eyes.
“Leave it to me,” Shachi chimed in, getting up from his towel. His gait was determined as he marched over to his captain. Standing directly in the man’s sunlight, he waited until Law glared up at him in annoyance.
“Move.”
“Nope.”
“That’s an order.”
“Nothin’ doin’.”
“If you don’t move in the next five seconds, they’ll be using your head as the volleyball.”
“Go ahead—the rest of me will still be right here, blocking your light.”
Rubbing a hand over his frustrated face, Law half-growled, half-sighed, “What the fuck do you want?”
Shachi crossed his arms over his chest. “This is supposed to be a vacation, but you’re bringing down the whole mood. So, unless you want a mutiny on your hands, you’re gonna play the King Game with us.”
Gold eyes narrowed ominously. “Are you fucking serious?”
“Law, you’ve been a brooding pain in the ass for eight days. I get you’re dealing with a lot of shit, but if you expect us to just sit by and let you kill yourself with planning and sulking, well, you’ve got another thing coming.”
“I refuse to leave things to chance,” Law snapped, gesturing towards the large pile of notes and books before him. “The plan hinges on me memorizing all of this. I don’t have time for stupid games.”
“Dude, too much stress from studying can cause brain inflammation and result in memory loss or depression. So unless you take a break, you’re more likely to forget this stuff and your plan will be ruined.”
“Please, Captain?” Bepo chimed in from behind him, black eyes once more shimmering with beseeching tears. He’d awoken at the mention of the King Game; it was one of his favorites, and there was no way he was going to let Law miss out.
Another sigh, this one more resigned as the stubborn captain massaged his temples. The combination of scientific facts and Bepo’s puppy-dog eyes was especially effective in his weakened state. “How long do I have to play?”
Shachi grinned triumphantly. “No less than thirty minutes. Come on; it’s a relaxing, easy game. Heck, you might not even end up having to do anything.”
“If that’s the case, it’ll be an even bigger waste of time.”
“Law, when have you ever considered watching us act like idiots a waste of time?”
He couldn’t argue with that. “Do you promise to leave me in peace afterward?”
“Aye-aye, Captain,” he said with a mock salute. “Now, is your grumpy ass going to join us, or are we coming to you?”
“Fine, fine,” he growled, carefully marking his place in his books and laying Kikoku across the papers so they wouldn’t blow away in the wind. Bepo hefted him to his feet despite his grumbled protests, ushering him towards the group that had formed. Jean Bart, Uni, Jude, Ermine, and Seiuchi had come to join them, plopping down onto the sandy beach in hopes of cheering up their moody captain.
“Ok,” Shachi began, clapping his hands together eagerly, “does everyone know how to play this?”
“We all draw popsicle sticks. Each stick has a number except for one that has a crown. Whoever draws the crown is the ‘King’ and can order one or two numbers to do anything they want,” Jean Bart answered bluntly.
“Within reason,” Ikkaku interjected, pointing her finger at Jude and Seiuchi. “Nothing R-rated.”
“Surprised you guys are so tame,” Nami giggled, glancing around the circle.
“Things got a little out of hand once,” Uni said vaguely while everyone else mumbled in uncomfortable agreement. “A lot of rum was involved.”
“Say no more.” Nami could easily imagine, with a crew of mostly men, just how insane the game could get under the influence of alcohol.
The warm dusting of pink that broke out across Penguin’s cheeks confirmed her suspicions. “Anything goes so long as it’s PG-13 and doesn’t cause grievous bodily harm.”
“Whatever,” Law grumbled from his spot beside Bepo, still determined to remain sour and unpleasant throughout his prescribed dose of forced fun.
Rolling his eyes at their captain’s less-than-enthused reaction, Shachi held out his fist clutching the popsicle sticks. “The sooner you start playing, the sooner we’ll let you get back to your brooding, Boss.”
The answering glare was ignored by the crew in favor of drawing a number, with Ikkaku cheering loudly, “Oh yeah! Guess who’s the King!”
“But girls can’t be kings!” Shachi teased, quickly ducking the fist he knew would be coming.
“Buddy, you’re lucky I’m not royalty—otherwise I’d have you drawn and quartered for that crap,” she snapped, but there was no real venom in her tone. If Nami had to guess, this was a joking argument they had every time. “But as your temporary ruler, I decree that numbers eight and five should do a handstand contest. First to fall loses.”
“I’m eight,” Uni stated, getting to his feet.
“And I’m five,” said Jean Bart.
“This’ll be over quick,” Ermine whispered to Nami. “If he hadn’t gone into piracy, Uni would have been a great circus acrobat. Or maybe a ninja.”
Nami stared at the mysterious Heart Pirate, impressed. Perhaps she could ask him for a few tips—balance was vital when you were a burglar.
To everyone’s surprise, though, despite Jean Bart’s massive size, he kept his balance remarkably well even on the soft sand, managing to stay up for nearly a full two minutes until finally yielding.
“Saint Charlos would regularly make me perform for him,” he explained, tone nonchalant but the tension in his shoulders betraying his discomfort. “I was basically his circus monkey.”
“Crap, I’m sorry, Jean,” Ikkaku replied, looking guilty. Even though it had been completely unintentional, bringing up the former slave’s past was generally regarded as an unspoken taboo.
He lifted his shoulder in a half-shrug, though he wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes. “It’s fine. At least this time I could stop when I wanted and didn’t get beaten after.”
Everyone in the circle winced. The Celestial Dragons really were a piece of work.
“Alright, next round,” Shachi changed the topic as he collected and shuffled the sticks, trying to keep the party mood from turning sour and to give Jean Bart the opportunity to step back out of the spotlight.
This time, Bepo had the luck of being King. “Uh, I order number three to scratch behind the King’s ears for a full minute,” he said shyly, tapping his claws together bashfully. “I mean, only if they want to.”
“Do I?” Nami called cheerfully, climbing to her feet and scurrying over to the cute bear. Immediately she buried her fingers in his thick fur, manicured nails scraping across Bepo’s sensitive skin in quick little flicks. The Mink immediately leaned into her touch, growling happily, and she swore she saw his foot twitch like a dog’s.
So cuuuute! Nami thought, working her hands even deeper into the white coat. And so soft! Almost as soft as Chopper! She allowed herself a brief daydream of cuddling up by a fire on a cold winter’s night, using Bepo as a pillow while Chopper lay against her legs in his reindeer form.
“That’s enough you two.” Law’s voice broke her out of her fantasy, and instinctively Nami glared at him. However, she didn’t miss the brief hint of a grin that tugged at his lips at the sight of his navigator so happy. “Bepo looks like he’s about to pass out.”
She stuck her tongue out at him. “Jealous?”
His face settled back in a scowl. “If I’m stuck playing this game, I’d rather not waste time watching my navigators fondle each other.”
Annoyed, Nami gave Bepo one more pointed scratch before returning to her spot. Darn. For a second, she’d thought Law might have started to relax a bit. Instead, he was stubbornly staying too grumpy to even flirt with her, and she’d lobbed him a softball!
The lots were pulled again, with Uni earning the King spot. “Number ten must sit in number one’s lap for the next three rounds.”
Ermine was the unlucky one, as Bepo gingerly lowered himself onto the cook’s lap.
“I’m putting you on a diet!” they groaned, voice muffled by the Mink’s thick fur as their legs sank deep into the sand under the added weight of a fully-grown polar bear.
“I’m sorry,” Bepo replied miserably, hanging his head.
“You’re not putting him on a diet,” Law snapped, glaring at his crushed subordinate. “Bepo’s a healthy weight for his size and species.”
Ermine didn’t dare argue. Not just because trying to do so with the ship’s doctor would be suicide, but because they didn’t have enough air in their lungs.
“Since Ermine’s a bit…indisposed at the moment, I think they should sit this one out,” Penguin stated as he collected the sticks.
“Agreed,” they wheezed.
Discarding one of the numbered sticks for later, the first mate held out his fist, prompting everyone to draw.
Nami was the lucky lady, and she gave a catlike grin as she considered her potential victims. Should she demand their wallets? No, they were wearing swimsuits, so they probably wouldn’t have them on them. Have someone kiss her feet? Whatever it was, it needed to be devious and hilarious if she wanted any chance at getting Law to enjoy himself. The man took sadistic pleasure in other peoples’ discomfort, after all.
The perfect idea came to her like a vision from God. No matter who her command was inflicted on, it would be funny, but if luck was on her side…
“Numbers two and three have to kiss each other on the lips for three seconds.”
Inwardly she cheered as, across from her, the first and second mate gaped down at their numbers in abject horror.
“You know, I used to like you,” Shachi groused while Penguin glared at her.
“Ha!” Ermine laughed weakly from under Bepo’s furry mass. “Looks like I got off easy.”
“Watch it, asshole, or I’ll take my sweet time and let you suffer!”
“Nami, please reconsider!” Penguin begged, shuddering at the mere thought of kissing his best friend. “We agreed to keep it PG-13, remember?”
The Straw Hat shrugged nonchalantly, which was heavily at odds with the evil grin etched on her face. “It’s just a peck—hardly anything scandalous.”
“A three-second peck is still three seconds too long!”
“Aww, don’t tell me you’re afraid of cooties!” Ikkaku jeered, which made Penguin blush in embarrassment.
“I’m not afraid of anything! I just have standards!” Shachi defended himself.
“Hey!” Penguin snapped, looking wholly offended. “Fucking excuse me, but standards? I’ve seen some of the women you’ve slept with, and I’m sure as hell prettier than your last one-night stand!”
“The hell’s that supposed to mean, creampuff?”
“It means you can’t attract good-looking women to save your life, barnacle-face!”
Nami rolled her eyes at the childish fight and was about ready to knock them both over the heads to put an end to the argument when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye.
For a second, it looked like Law’s mouth had twitched upwards. It could have been a trick of the light, or he was actually amused by his friends’ obvious discomfort just as she’d planned. Not willing to let the chance to get Law back in good spirits slip away, Nami pointedly cleared her throat to catch the duo’s attention.
Clasping her hands together and batting her eyelashes, she gave her best pout. “Please, boys? For me?”
“And me?” Ikkaku joined in, mimicking Nami’s flirtatious pose.
Weak against the machinations of such beautiful women, their resolve wavered and Nami, locking eyes with Penguin, jerked her head towards his captain and gave a subtle thumbs up. Penguin seemed to catch on to her meaning, as he gave a small, resigned nod before sighing and grabbing Shachi’s head to slam their mouths together for a quick, awkward kiss.
The moment his grip loosened, Shachi jerked away, spitting and sputtering with disgust. “Oh gods! My mouth! You’ve poisoned me!”
“Believe me, I didn’t like it any more than you did, dickhead,” Penguin grumbled as he furiously wiped his lips. Taking pity on the poor man, Ikkaku passed him his water bottle, though she didn’t bother to repress her snigger when he swished a large gulp of water around his mouth before spitting it out.
Meanwhile, Nami peered at Law, hoping his sour shell had finally cracked. But while he wasn’t glaring at them all like he was plotting how to brutally murder them and hide the evidence, his expression was still far from his normal carefree smirk.
“Good to see you’re both so secure in your masculinity,” he sneered.
“Give me a break, Law,” Shachi coughed, though there was a slight hint of red in his cheeks at being called out. “She might as well have asked me to kiss my brother. My gross, ugly-ass brother.”
“Love you too, man,” Penguin replied sarcastically as he collected the lots, pointedly ignoring the rest of the crew’s sniggering.
The next two rounds, though amusing, were fairly uneventful; Jude got his feet kissed by Jean Bart, much to the larger man’s obvious disdain, and Nami, upon becoming King again, demanded a shoulder massage, which Ikkaku was all too happy to give. The rest of the men certainly had no complaints about getting to watch the two beautiful women in sexy bathing suits pamper each other, so the round lasted nearly a full five minutes without even Law interjecting to hurry them up.
In fact, Nami could feel Law’s hot gaze upon her as she arched into Ikkaku’s touch. The engineer was surprisingly good with her hands and her skilled fingers even managed to coax out a few pleased sighs from the thief’s lips as she worked at a knot of tension in her shoulders. Through hooded eyes, Nami noticed the tip of Law’s pink tongue peek out to moisten his lips as he leaned forward, resting his chin on steepled fingers as he observed the motions of Ikkaku’s fingers as they kneaded her skin.
Nami had the feeling that he was taking notes for his own fiendish use. Her suspicions were confirmed when Ikkaku managed to press down on the sensitive junction of her neck and shoulder; Law’s golden eyes practically lit up when she let out a faint, involuntary sound of delight.
The attention they were getting didn’t escape Ikkaku’s notice, either. “God, you’re all animals,” she groused, rolling her eyes as she pulled away from Nami. Patting her friend on the head, she said, “I’ll finish the job back our cabin, Nami. Away from prying eyes.”
“Sounds good to me,” she teased back despite her mild flush. She justified the sense of satisfaction she felt to the fact that, despite the show being over, some of the tension in Law’s shoulders has eased as if he’d been the one getting the massage. He hadn’t quite reached to point of relaxation, but it was clear the game was successfully beginning to distract him from his obsessive planning.
A few more rounds passed before Penguin had the good luck of becoming King. He rubbed his chin in thought as he considered his order. “Number eight has to do an impression of number one.”
“Ooo, I got eight!” Ikkaku shouted, grinning widely. A gleam of pure mischief twinkled in her brown eyes. Across from her, Law sighed, raising the stick to show he was number one.
“Remember who signs your paychecks,” he grumbled, scowl once more settling across his face.
“‘Remember who signs your paychecks’,” she repeated, voice dropping a few octaves as she smirked. Getting up, she struck a few poses, dramatically holding out her hands like Law did when he used his powers. “Room. Shambles.”
The group chuckled and sniggered around them while Law continued to glare up at the engineer as if he was trying to set her ablaze with his mind. None of them felt particularly bad about cheering Ikkaku on; considering what she’d gone through on Grimm, she was probably the only one besides Nami who could get away with a less-than-flattering impersonation of the captain. In fact, Jude and Seiuchi decided to aid her impression by getting up and switching places in the circle, gasping in mock surprise at their new positions.
Emboldened by her fellow Heart Pirates’ approval, Ikkaku melodramatically recoiled from some imaginary horror, face twisting in disgust. “Ugh, is that bread?! So help me, I’ll switch your brain and your bowels if I find so much as a crumb on my plate!”
Nami stifled a cackle behind her palm as she noticed Law’s cheeks heat up just the slightest bit. “I do not sound like that,” he scoffed, arms folded tightly across his tattooed chest.
Ikkaku donned a serious expression, mimicking his posture and frowning down at Law as if in the midst of a stern lecture. Their eyes locked, and an unspoken challenge was declared. “Ikkaku, you can’t install lasers onto the sides of the ship because they’re not yellow! I committed to this obnoxious color scheme, and damn it, you’re not going to ruin it with your cool ideas!”
“I never said that.”
“Ikkaku, you’re the most brilliant, valuable member of my crew and I couldn’t bear to lose you.”
“I definitely never said that.”
“Ikkaku, you’re fired.”
“Now that I have said. Multiple times.”
Plopping down onto the sand and reclining against Bepo, she cheekily flipped her captain off. However, it seemed the ridiculousness of the situation finally broke Law, as his scowl dissolved as he chuckled and returned the gesture, admitting defeat.
Whether he was overtired or he legitimately found it funny, it didn’t matter; at last, the brooding captain was having a bit of fun.
Determined to keep his spirits up, the crew eagerly drew numbers again, each planning their own silly command. Seuichi had the honor of becoming King that round and rubbed his hands together eagerly. “Number nine has to wrestle number six.”
“In the name of every god ever dreamed up throughout history, I will make you fucking pay for this,” Jude snarled at him as Jean Bart proved that he’d drawn number nine.
“Hey, Jude, don’t be afraid,” the gunner countered with a smirk, twirling his thin mustache deviously. “I’m sure Jean Bart will go easy on you. I mean, it’s not like you had him kiss your feet recently, right?”
“Yeah,” the helmsman said menacingly, cracking his knuckles. “You’ve never done that.”
Jude stared at Law beseechingly, but the captain merely smirked and ordered, “You reap what you sow. Maybe this'll teach you to be a bit nicer to your shipmates.”
“This is gonna suck,” he muttered as he squared off against the much larger man.
It did. Jude didn’t even last ten seconds before he was put in a headlock and forced to tap out.
Next, Law drew the King stick, and that oh-so-familiar smirk finally adorned his face. “I order ten and five to worship me and declare how great I am.”
Nami gave a quiet sigh of relief that she hadn’t drawn either number. She wanted Law in a good mood, but a girl had her limits. Game or not, her literally worshiping him on her knees was the exact kind of thing he’d hold over her head for the rest of the year.
After Uni and Penguin finished extolling their captain’s virtues for a good three minutes, it was time for the next round.
“Woo, I’m the King!” Shachi cheered as he held up the stick adorned with the little crown drawing. Behind his sunglasses, he peered at the circle mischievously. Reaching into a nearby beach bag, he pulled out a small box. “Your illustrious ruler demands that number seven and number four play three rounds of the Pocky Game.”
Glancing down at her popsicle stick, Nami silently cursed her luck; the number seven was written at the top in bold, black marker. Brown eyes darted about the group, wondering who she’d have to play with until they landed on Law’s wide smirk. Silently, he turned his stick for all to see, showcasing the number four neatly printed at the top.
“Holy crap,” Shachi sniggered. He didn’t even need to see Nami’s number—her mortified expression said it all. “Karma’s a bitch, ain’t it?”
Gleeful at the unexpected vengeance, Penguin eagerly leaned forward to hand her the box. “No need to be shy, number seven. It’s just the Pocky Game—hardly anything scandalous, right?”
The navigator glared at him before heaving out a sigh. “Right,” she grumbled, grabbing the strawberry pocky and shuffling over to sit across from Law. It was for the greater good, right? They were trying to keep the grumpy captain out of his sour bubble. It was no big deal; she could always break away before their mouths got anywhere near each other.
Smug grin widening, the captain leaned in as Nami slipped the creme-covered biscuit stick between her lips. “It’s ok if you chicken out after the first bite, Nami-ya,” he teased as he gently bit down on the other end, gold eyes bright with amusement.
Fire flashed in Nami’s eyes. She might not mind being a coward in most situations, but this time, her pride was on the line.
Her righteous courage abandoned her quickly, though. The moment she felt his hot breath tickle her nose she jerked away, blushing in embarrassment as she realized there was still a good two inches of pocky dangling from Law’s mouth.
“Ready for round two?” he asked, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he chewed on the crunchy treat.
“Only if you’re ready to eat what’s basically a breadstick,” she countered, hoping to gross him out so he’d back down.
Law didn’t fall for her ploy. “It’s closer to a cookie, really, and those I can stomach. Especially if the prize at the end is worth it,” he replied with a leer, deliberately running his tongue along his upper lip.
Why am I even freaking out about this? Nami wondered as she pulled out another stick of pocky. If we do end up kissing, who cares? It’s just a brush of lips. Completely innocent. No worse than Shachi and Penguin’s peck. More importantly, I can’t let him psyche me out—he wants that way more than a tiny, indirect kiss.
Determination returned, she carefully balanced the thin treat between her teeth, steeling herself as Law slowly leaned in to take the other end. This time, they managed to nearly bite their way to the middle. Unfortunately, a gentle breeze blew in, causing a loose strand of Nami’s sweetly scented hair to flutter against Law’s nose. His nostrils twitched at the delicate tickling, and this time he pulled away, turning his head in anticipation of a sneeze that never came.
“Shit,” he growled, annoyed at his ill luck.
A smug smirk curled Nami’s lips. “Now who’s the one chickening out?” she teased.
“I didn’t chicken out. Or would you rather I sneeze all over your pretty face?”
“Yeah, that was one hell of a sneeze,” she replied sarcastically. She didn’t know why she was provoking him—the man was far from shy about looking for an excuse to kiss her, and her cheek basically guaranteed that he wouldn’t let her off easy in the last round.
She refused to acknowledge the tiny voice in her ear whispering that she knew damn well why she was egging him on. That she got a primal thrill sassing such a dangerous man and coming out alive when so many others couldn’t. Taunting Law was like playing with a tiger; he could rip her to shreds if she grew too careless, but he’d wouldn’t sink his claws in so long as he enjoyed the chase.
Law stuck the final stick of pocky between his teeth, beckoning her forward with a “come hither” curl of his finger. In response, Nami rested her hands on his bare knees as she leaned in, bracing herself as she wrapped her lips around the other end. Their gazes locked, and in sync, they slowly started nibbling along the sweet, crunchy stick.
The seconds dragged by as, inch by inch, their faces drew closer. Nami tensed as she felt his exhalation warm her skin, while Law’s eyes suspiciously flicked towards her hair as if daring it to interfere again. However, neither pulled away, and he pounced on the opportunity presented to him; angling his head and closing the last centimeter between them to brush his lips across hers in a chaste but teasing fashion. When Nami didn’t immediately pull away, Law tested his luck further by lightly catching her plump bottom lip between his teeth before flicking the tip of his tongue to soothe it.
The action sent tingles down Nami’s spine and she finally broke away, cheeks red and breath quickening minutely. It had been barely more than a few seconds—the kiss she’d given him at the gala had been longer—but the tension between them had made it a tempting, sizzling experience.
“So,” Law drawled, watching the Cat Thief as she shuffled back to her spot like the hungry tiger he was, “who’s up for another round?”
The pair was so focused on each other they didn’t notice Shachi and Penguin subtly low-five while Bepo and Ikkaku shared a thumbs-up.
XXX
“Seriously? We leave you alone for a few minutes and you’re back at your plans?” Nami sighed as she plopped onto the towel next to Law, eyeing the messy papers in his hands disdainfully. The King Game had ended not long ago with everyone in good spirits. Even Nami, despite her lingering embarrassment from the kiss, had managed to enjoy the final round where Jude had to serenade the crew by singing “Dr. Heart Stealer.”
“The deal was that I would play for thirty minutes and then you all would leave me in peace,” he replied, not even looking up from his notes. He’d escaped back to his makeshift workstation the moment Bepo had inadvertently caused a commotion when, tempted by the smell of fresh fish, he’d absconded with the large sea bass Ermine was preparing to grill. The rest of the crew had chased after him; some in hopes of saving their dinner, others treating it as a new game.
That left no one but Nami to confront the workaholic captain, even though she would have been happier to keep her distance for a while longer. “That deal was solely between you and Shachi as you were non-specific regarding the plurality of ‘you’. You really must be tired if you missed an important detail like that.”
He scowled, realizing that she was right but refusing to admit it. Changing tactics, Law tilted his head slightly, smirking down at her with hooded eyes. “If you’re so concerned, I’ll take another break later if you make it worth my while. Perhaps with another round of the Pocky Game?” he purred.
She flushed slightly at his suggestion but refused to let him distract her, instead turning her attention to the books before them. “You have five seconds to finish whatever you’re doing before I toss those into the ocean.”
Annoyed, he glared at her defiance before reluctantly activating his Room, teleporting the books, papers, and Kikoku safely inside the submarine. There was too much of a risk that she’d make good on her threat and destroy his work, and he also wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop himself from cutting her to bits if she did. “That’s the last order you get to give me tonight, Nami-ya,” he grumbled. “I don’t take kindly to being bossed around.”
Rolling her eyes at his stubbornness, she leaned back on her hands, enjoying the sensation of the warm sun on her face. Honestly, he should be thanking her. Days like these were too perfect to waste studying, and the tide was coming in—his work would be ruined anyway if he didn’t get those books off the beach. “You really are such a control freak. Would it kill you to listen to the wisdom of those around you for once?”
“Are you saying you don’t get caught up in your cartography?” he challenged.
“Look, as someone who used to be forced to work nonstop without food or sleep for days on end, I fucking appreciate it when my nakama makes me take a break.”
Law grunted in reluctant acceptance, leaning his elbows on his knees as he stared out at the vibrant waves that slowly threatened to encroach his spot. “I do appreciate their concern, but they should also respect my authority as captain.”
“They do, Law,” Nami sighed, rubbing her temples, “but respect and blind obedience aren’t the same thing. You’re practically killing yourself working on those plans; are the guys supposed to just sit by and watch? And considering how…personal this all seems to be, they have even more right to be worried and tell you to take a step back.”
“Yes, it is personal—that’s why I can’t leave anything to chance. Atifakuto is known for its museums and art auctions. If I’m to blend in well enough to get my hands on that vase, I need to be well-versed on history and art throughout the four Blues.”
Ah. No wonder he’d been so intent on studying. “I get it; this is important to you, tons of preparation is needed, and a lot relies on you. But planning to the point of sleep deprivation is only going to increase your chances of messing up. You need to sleep, Law.”
“Contrary to what you might think, it’s not my work that’s been keeping me awake. I can’t sleep—insomnia’s a bitch like that. The body may crave it, but the mind has other ideas.”
“You managed to catch a nap earlier,” she argued weakly.
“Oh yes, because a brief doze in the sun makes up for nearly a week of nightmares.”
Brown eyes widened in surprise. Nightmares? Nami wondered. What kind of nightmares could the Surgeon of Death get?
Realizing he’d given her a nugget of personal information he hadn’t intended, Law’s entire expression closed off as he got to his feet. “I’m going for a walk.”
“Law—”
He turned towards the eastern side of the beach, the bold face of his back tattoo smiling mockingly at her as he activated his Room. “I’ll be back by sunset,” were the last words he said before he vanished, replaced by a broken, rusted metal bar.
XXX
Law wasn’t back by sunset, though the crew assured Nami that there was no reason to worry.
“Law loves to go on long, aimless walks,” Bepo said as he handed her some pineapple slices. He’d managed to eat the giant sea bass before the crew caught him, but they’d stumbled upon some ripe fruit in the process, along with a bed of oysters, so Ermine had reluctantly forgiven him. “They help clear his head when he’s got a lot on his mind or his insomnia gets bad. If we can’t get him to sleep, this is the next best thing. At least he’s not working.”
She hummed in reply, still mulling over what kind of nightmares a man like Law could be having. Were they related to Amber Lead, or was it something else? The man was a renowned sadist and didn’t seem to blink when it came to murder or torture, though admittedly the only people she’d seen him actually harm were utter scumbags.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Skua and Malamute, the engineers having at last come out of the ship. Their brows furrowed as they looked around at the small gathering, confused.
“Where is everyone?” Skua asked, taking a plate of steamed oysters.
“Probably still exploring the island,” Ermine said with a shrug.
“It’s not a big island; shouldn’t they be back by now?”
“You know Cousteau; maybe he found some pond full of weird fish or something and is making everyone document their behavior throughout the day.”
Malamute’s brow furrowed. “I’d believe that if it were just him in charge, but you’re forgetting Crozier’s with him. You know, the man who survived a forced march across an island literally made of ice and rocks? That guy doesn’t fuck around; if he says the crew will be back by sunset, they’ll be back by sunset.”
Penguin considered his words, rubbing his chin. “You’ve got a point. They might be in trouble.”
“Or they’re on their way back now,” Shachi said with a shrug, chowing down on some grilled fish Bepo hadn’t gotten to. “There aren’t even any predators on the island, and if anyone got injured, they would have called on Crozier’s mini Den Den Mushi.”
The bushes behind them rustled loudly, and Shachi jerked his head in their direction. “See? That’s probably them now. Or maybe it’s Law, and you can ask him to Scan the island for them.”
Before anyone could reply, a massive boar burst out of the jungle, squealing in fury as it barreled into the camp, knocking over tables, chairs, and umbrellas. Instinctively, Penguin grabbed a burning stick from the fire and waved the hot flame at the beast in hopes of scaring it away. However, its green eyes flashed in clear anger at the threat, and, sharp tusks gleaming in the red glow, it let out another loud squeal before charging at the first mate, showing none of the instinctive fear one would expect for the man’s primitive weapon.
Acting fast, Ikkaku tackled Penguin so the boar just missed them, the soft beach sand cushioning their impact. However, the beast didn’t stop, using its momentum to make a U-turn for another attempt on the group.
It didn’t get far, though, as Jean Bart managed to grab it mid-charge and pick it up as if it were no bigger than a corgi. As the boar squealed angrily, he chucked it up into the air, watching as it flew in a wide arch high above them before landing somewhere in the middle of the jungle.
“Where the fuck did that thing come from?” Ikkaku panted.
“The jungle, obviously,” Jude groused, helping her and Penguin to their feet.
“But boars aren’t native to the island,” Uni pointed out. “Last time we were here, only birds and turtles had managed to make this place their home. So either it washed up on shore in that shipwreck, or someone brought it here.”
Skua knelt down and studied one of the debris in the woodpile. “This looks like it could have been part of a crate. Or a cage.”
Nami remembered the metal bar Law had switched himself with. “My money’s on cages. Maybe that pirate ship was transporting animals.”
“Do you think there are more of them?” Shachi asked as he pulled a pistol out of his beach bag.
Uni peered into the shadowy trees. “Who knows? Maybe something even worse is lurking in the jungle, waiting to pick us off.”
“The last thing we need is you freaking everyone out with your ghost stories!” Ermine snapped, even as he grabbed a large carving knife to use as a machete.
Penguin frowned as the crew armed themselves with the knives and pistols they’d habitually brought along. “Ok, given the fact that we were literally just attacked by a wild animal, I say we should start looking for the others. If nothing else, if a boar was able to survive the shipwreck, then it’s possible something more dangerous did, too. There may even be human survivors.”
“Do we split up or stay together?” Jean Bart asked.
“Hmm, split up into smaller groups, but no one’s to wander the island alone. That way we all have someone watching our backs while still covering the optimal amount of ground. That work for everyone?”
“Aye-aye!” they shouted, pairing up as they headed into the dense foliage, lanterns and weapons in hand.
“I’ll catch up!” Nami called out to them, sprinting towards the small motorboats. There was no way she was going to go wandering around a jungle with so much skin exposed again; she learned her lesson after Little Garden. She also wanted to grab her Clima-Tact; Ikkaku had been modifying it that morning, so it was likely still in their quarters.
To her surprise, instead of following the others, Bepo stayed with her. “None of us should go wandering off alone, right?” he explained nervously. “And somebody should head back to the ship to call Crozier; at the very least, they need to know there’s potentially dangerous wildlife around.”
“Good thinking,” she said, climbing onto the boat and revving the engine. It only took them a few minutes to get to the submarine, but she could tell Bepo was fretting from the way he clicked his claws together. “They’ll be fine,” she assured as she scaled the side ladder onto the bottom deck.
“I hope so. Maybe they ran into Law?”
“If they did, we can kill two birds with one stone.”
Bepo sighed as they stepped into the comparatively cooler interior of the submarine. “I’ll go make the call; meet me on deck in a few minutes?”
“Sure; I shouldn’t take long.” True to her word, Nami dashed to her quarters and quickly pulled on a pair of jeans, boots, and a long-sleeved top. The fabric was stifling against her skin, but it was better than risking another Keschia bite. Her hand hesitated over her Clima-Tact and holster; Ikkaku had told her she’d managed to increase the power of a few things, but they hadn’t been properly tested yet. Should she risk it? Ikkaku was good with machines and gadgets, but she wasn’t Usopp.
Couldn’t turn out any worse than the first time, she decided, recalling her battle with Ms. Doublefinger. If she could secure a dark horse victory with a weapon she’d never even used before, she could certainly manage with a modified one.
Weapon securely strapped to her leg and delicate skin protected from any prehistoric bug bites, Nami determined she was ready. However, as she trotted down the hall, she hesitated in front of Law’s quarters.
Though her trust in Law had grown to the point where she didn’t think he’d be selling Vegapunk’s weapons research, she still wanted to take a look at Harpin’s ledgers. Wanted to finally unravel the mystery as to why Jinbei had set Arlong loose in the East Blue. She’d noticed some of the research had centered around cyborgs; Franky could use that. Then there was the stuff on Kuma and the Pacifistas—if they needed to fight him again, she’d much rather know what they were up against. There was intel on Blackbeard, too; considering how he was the reason Luffy’s brother was dead, she had no doubt her captain would end up fighting him. Any information she could give him could save his life!
She’d considered just asking Law if she could look at them. Surely he’d understand her reasons; be able to appreciate her desire to plan and be prepared. But the time was never right—he was either obsessively planning and thus rather ornery and volatile, or they were in the midst of some crisis and it would slip her mind. Besides that, she still wasn’t sure why he wanted them.
The information in those books is more valuable to me than everything in that mansion combined, he’d sneered during their fight. But what information was that? He’d burned the blackmail and Marine profiles. As far as she knew, he’d kept his word and not sold any of Vegapunk’s weapons research. Hell, he’d been more interested in his fertilizer formula, and that was as a favor to Nami.
If the research and blackmail weren’t what he wanted, why did he got to so much trouble to get those ledgers? What other information could possibly have been worth nearly getting himself and his crew killed?
By process of elimination, that left the book on the shichibukai, and with his control-freak tendencies and his violent reaction the last time they’d discussed it, she wasn’t sure he’d be willing to part with it.
She could borrow it, though. Grab it, hide it, make a copy, then find a way to return it without him noticing.
Unconsciously, her hand slowly raised to the cold steel door handle. This was the first time the ship had been completely empty. Everyone was preoccupied on the island. Surely she could take a few minutes to grab the ledger from Law’s room, right? Just a quick in-and-out. He didn’t need it at the moment—it had nothing to do with his plans. He wouldn’t even miss it.
Cautiously, she tried to open the door. Locked. She could easily pick it with her tools, though. She could pop back into her room, grab them, jimmy the lock, grab the ledger, pop back out…
She was wasting time. Bepo was waiting for her. What would she tell him if he saw her breaking into his captain’s room? Or worse, what if Law suddenly returned? He could teleport back to the ship without her even realizing, and she doubted he’d be happy to see her there, especially when his crew was in potential danger.
If Nami wanted to get that ledger, she’d need a much better plan than some spur-of-the-moment burglary attempt.
Making a mental note to start working on that once the current crisis was over, she sprinted back to the main deck to find a worried and dejected Bepo.
“They didn’t pick up.”
A thousand outlandish scenarios about what could have happened to them popped into Nami’s head, from cannibals to the island actually being a sentient being that had been slowly devouring the crew for sustenance.
God, she missed Usopp. At least when he was around, she had someone to blame when she got worked up like this.
“M-maybe we should stay on the ship. You know, in case they try to call us?” she said nervously, her old scaredy-cat tendencies bubbling to the surface.
“But what if no one finds Law? Even if the others return, we’ll all just have to head back out into the jungle to find him. It’s better to find him first, and you saw him last, right? You have the best idea where he might have gone.”
Slumping, she sighed. He was right, and unfortunately, Crozier and Cousteau’s team had gone West, so it was unlikely the search party had thought to go in Law’s direction. “I guess you’re right.”
By the time they arrived on the shore the rest of the crew was long gone, so Nami and Bepo headed East towards where she’d seen Law wander off.
“Even if there are wild beasts, they wouldn’t stand a chance against Law,” Bepo assured her confidently as they searched, keeping to the outskirts of the jungle. The tide had washed away Law’s footprints, but they were hoping to find some sort of clue or disturbance along to foliage to see if he’d ventured into the jungle. “I’m sure he’s already on his way back; we’ll find him in no time, and then he can use his powers to Scan the island and make sure there’s nothing else dangerous!”
Nami’s mouth twisted in disdain. She was beginning to understand why Law put so much pressure on himself; his powers, plans, and medical abilities were everyone’s go-to solution for any given problem. She wondered if Law’s control-freak tendencies were because of this, or if he’d always been that way and the Hearts had just learned to pick their battles.
Regardless, Bepo had a point this time—if Law used his powers, they’d know the situation with the island and where the crew was in one fell swoop.
Life was never that easy, though. Icy dread crawled down Nami’s back as she caught a flash of yellow near the edge of the jungle. Heart in her throat, she darted towards it, barely restraining a strangled sob when she realized it was the shredded remains of Law’s swim trunks.
Oh my God! Nami could feel sharp tears sting her eyes as she collapsed to her knees, cradling the tattered mesh in her hands. Up close, she could clearly see it had been torn apart by a razor-sharp blade or, more likely, claws and teeth. What could have done this? There’s no way it was a boar! Please don’t tell me he’s—
She jumped as a set of long, sharp claws filled her vision, only to realize it was Bepo reaching for the piece of cloth.
“There’s no blood,” he mumbled, studying it closely.
Hope filled her chest at those simple words. If there was no blood, there was a chance Law was perfectly fine! Probably buck-naked, but that was way better than dead!
Her happy bubble burst when a strange, husky sound reached her ears. Goosebumps rose up along her arms as she realized it was a growl of some kind.
She lifted her head slowly, only to find a pair of wild gold eyes peeking out from the darkness of the jungle. The beast moved closer, and Nami found herself mere feet away from a snarling snow leopard, its white fangs bared menacingly.
#Fic: Welcome to the Heart Pirates#lawna#law x nami#lawnami#heart pirate nami#heart pirates#one piece#One Piece Fanfiction#op fanfic#trafalgar law x nami#trafalgar D. Water Law#trafalgar law#one piece nami#cat burglar nami#nami#straw hat nami#shachi one piece#one piece shachi#shachi#one piece ikkaku#ikkaku one piece#ikkaku#penguin one piece#one piece penguin#one piece bepo#bepo#king game#pocky game#beach fun
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10 + 10
I realised after I had posted this that I did it on a reblog that was already pretty long... so I have now done a separate post to try and make it smaller! Sorry!
I was tagged twice to do this and was writing out my answers when Coop tagged me AGAIN!! So I am sorry to all of you, this is long and you're going to learn more about me than you probably wanted to!!
Answer 10 questions then add 10 of your own:
@lucynnamonroll thank you for the first Tag flower!
1. A dream that you still remember?
I dreamt once that someone was chasing me and my dog and they bit me, took a big chunk out of my arm. And then my dog gave me this big blue fruit and my arm grew back. My dreams are always very strange.
2. What job did you want to do when you were younger?
I wanted to be a vet but I am way too emotional around poorly animals and also not smart enough to learn how to treat them haha!
3. And now? Did it has changed?
Yeah, I don't think I was ever cut out to be a vet. I'd like to work with animals though, maybe kennels or something? Zoo Keeper would be cool.
4. A favorite game?
I'm gonna take this as video game... There are a lot. I love Mass Effect and Dragon age, Gears of War... but Horizon Zero Dawn was amazing. I loved every single thing about it. Beautiful game, great story – just.. chefs kiss
5. Where did you have traveled? (Either it’s in your country or not)
I've been a few places- France, Spain, Somewhere else hot but I can't recall where... Ireland, Scotland. I was supposed to have gone to Bulgaria at the beginning of May but Coronavirus done fucked me over.
6. Did you have a totem animal/a favorite animal?
Ever since I was about 6 wolves have been my favourite animals. I originally started drawing so I could create a wolf fursona …. siiigghhh
7. Did you/Do you have a teddy bear to help you to sleep? How it was looking?
Yes, a little dog called Custard. He is a beige colour with brown ears but is still in pretty good condition. He sits on my desk chair when I'm not using it.
8. THE animated (or not) serie of your childhood/teenage years?
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES – heroes in a half shell, turtle power!! I was also hella into Dragon Ball Z on Toonami when I was a kid. I remember we went to see some family up north and they didn't have Toonami and I cried because it was mid way through the Buu arc and I was gonna miss it.
9. Do you have anime/series/movie/whatever things merch?
I have a few bits. A Hatake Kakashi figure, one for Katakuri and Zoro. A heart Pirates hoodie. I think I have Kid's wanted poster somewhere...
10. How was your day?
Oh. It was a day. I slept through most of it. My energy/motivation levels are pretty low at the moment. But it was sunny, so that was nice.
@luffytarhoe thank you for my second tag!! 💙
1- What’s your favorite show/anime of the moment ?
I don't watch a huge amount of anime despite the focus of this blog. So probably One piece on that front. Otherwise I am watching Outlander atm, which is pretty good but there is sooooo much sex. An ungodly amount of sex.
2- What type of music are you into?
My music tastes are quite varied. I like stuff that you can listen to and put into a situation, so usually sad stuff where I can imagine I am the main character weeping over the bodies of my fallen comrades. Also Goo Goo Dolls!
3- If you could have one superpower , what would it be ?
Probability, or luck. Like Domino in Deadpool. That's always been such a cool concept to me.
4- What’s your favorite color ?
Blue and all it's hues. Maybe teal if I had to get specific.
5- Do you prefer animated or live action shows/series ?
I am happy with both. Though some animated shows should stay animated – looking at you ATLA...
6- Do you believe in ghosts ?
I believe that energy never disappears, only changes forms and I don't think that's any different for whatever happens to people energy once we die. I'm a big wimp though so it's easier for me not to believe in them!
7- Do you speak any foreign language(s) ? if yes which ones ?
No, sadly I never had a talent for languages. I'd love to speak Gaelic though.
8- Your n°1 fictional character ?
Probably Stone from the Raksura book series. He's just a fun grumpy old shapeshifting man.
9- Would you say you’re more of an extrovert or an introvert?
Definitely an introvert. I like me time. And all my hobbies are single person hobbies so that doesn't help haha.
10- What was the best vacation you ever took and why?
I haven't been on holiday in over 10 years but we went to a zoo in Spain once and a Monkey sat on my head. That was pretty rad.
@doctorgerth and finally, thank you for my 3rd tag!!
1. What are your zodiac signs (sun, moon, rising, if you know them) and do you think they fit you pretty well?
I am an Aries and that is pretty much the extent of my knowledge on the subject. Aries are meant to be pretty hot headed and outgoing and I can only really claim to be one of those thing and only when I need to be. So no, I'm not sure it fits me.
2. What is your favorite clothing item and/or accessory?
I don't reallllly care a lot about clothes and or stuff. So I guess either my glasses because I need them to see long distances (and to drive) or my phone if that counts as an accessory because that has all my crap on it.
3. Any future children or pet names?
Noooooooooooooo and no
4. If you could meet anyone (can be past, present, future, real, or fictional) who would it be?
I would have liked to have met Steve Irwin I think. He seemed pretty chill and I grew up watching Crocodile Hunter on TV so he was a big hero of mine for a long time. Also the Rock or Jason Mamoa because of reasons....
5. Brag on yourself! What’s something you love about yourself?
I am passably amusing and guess I write okay too haha
6. What is a movie or show that you could rewatch a million times and never get tired of?
The film Evolution is endlessly funny to me and it makes me laugh every time I watch it. I used to have it on VHS and I kept a video player in the house to watch it until my cousin got it for me on DVD (Yes I am old.)
7. What is your favorite album of all time?
I haven't listened to it in a long time but I really loved Maroon 5 – Songs about Jane.
8. Do you believe in ghosts and/or aliens? If you have stories to back up, plz share.
I want to belllieeveeeeee! Ghosts, yes, hesitantly but I think I answered that in a previous one. Aliens 100% because I refuse to believe that we are the only sentient life the universe. It's just... statistically impossible.
9. What do you do/who do you look to for inspiration?
I guess human being wise my mum is my inspiration for a lot of things? She's just a lovely person and she's very kind and sweet. I am very aware that we are not much alike, but I look to her as the sort of example of a good person. Creativity wise it's just a clusterfuck of books and badly organised pinterest boards.
10. What is your happiest memory?
Practically anything that has my nephews in it I guess. They're just... hilariously weird little dudes and I love them so much. They always make me laugh.
And here are my questions!!
1. What is your favourite book?
2. What is you most loved item and why?
3. If you got the chance to travel to another planet (knowing you would never see your friends or family again) would you do it?
4. One song that makes you cry?
5. Do you believe in supernatural stuff? Ghosts and Monsters and Fairies? Any experiences with it?
6. What is the most embarrassing thing you have ever witnessed or had happen to you?
7. What one thing would you buy if you had the money?
8. What is your worst habit/personality trait?
9. If you could alter your body with one cool feature, what would it be? (camera eyes, monkey tail, etc)
10. Do you have the patience to play a full game of Monopoly with no breaks?
I'll tag @pinkhatlizzy @nakunakunomi @lirulee @one-piece-dumpster-fire and anyone else who wants to answer my dumb questions!! Tag me because if you decide to do it so I can see your answers 💙
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keep calm and let HR handle it [VI/VI]
Rey managed to go a full year without ever directly interacting with her new CEO, but now it seems like he’s dropping by her office every single week.
(Because what else is a love-struck fool to do when he falls for his head of HR other than find reasons to visit her department?)
OR: five times Ben gets summoned down to HR, and one time Rey gets called into the CEO’s office, based on this prompt from @optimisticsprinkles: “Rey as the director of HR at [office] and Kylo/Ben starts finding reasons to be sent down to HR”.
At long last, we get to see Ben's office. (Oh, and also these two get their shit together and get together.)
Chapter 5
Also available on AO3.
And hey, maybe check out my Twitter and Ko-fi?
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Company picnic
Hi Rey,
I’ve got several updates from the board on our annual picnic idea. Could you come by my office first thing tomorrow morning to discuss?
Best regards,
Ben Solo,
Chief Executive Officer,
The Organa Foundation.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Company picnic
Hey Ben,
Sure, I’ll see you in the morning. Fingers crossed for good news!
Warm regards,
Rey Niima,
Head of Human Resources,
The Organa Foundation.
Exactly a week after Ben Solo’s birthday, he finds himself critically considering a bouquet on his desk. It’d been an impulse purchase on his way to his meeting with Rey, which had also come about due to his impulsive decision to contact her after a week of radio silence on his end, which had, of course, been caused by his very, very impulsive mistake of calling her sweetheart.
It’s a pretty thing, if you ask him, an explosion of white and yellow blooms that remind him of Rey and the light she’s brought into his life. He’d picked it out with exactly that sentiment in mind, but now that he’s supposed to give it to her in about five minutes, Ben suddenly regrets his questionable decision-making.
Flowers have meanings, don’t they? What the hell had he been thinking, buying her a bouquet based on aesthetics? What if sunflowers mean something bad, something cruel? What if that’s the first thing Rey notices when she walks into his office and it dooms them before they’ve even begun?
He can’t bear the thought of going back to a life without her. He’s spent all week realizing exactly how much he can’t bear it, and now it might just happen anyway because he’s an idiot who’s never bought anyone flowers before and didn’t think before acting and fuck, what is he even going to say to her when he presents her with these possibly rude flowers?
To be safe, Ben pulls his phone out of his pocket and frantically keys in a Google search riddled with typos. But before he can dive into the results for sumflwr meabinh, a single knock rings across his office.
And when he turns around, there she is.
“You kept Leia’s chairs,” is the first thing Rey says to him in a week, giving him a bright smile as she settles into one of said chairs, a pair of emerald velvet tufted wingback chairs his mother had salvaged from the burning wreckage of her childhood home in Alderaan.
Ben had expected her to take them when she retired, had insisted that she do so even, but Leia had simply smiled at him with a faraway look in her eyes as she patted the tall back of one chair, reminiscing about the many days he’d spent curled up in these very chairs as a toddler, a tiny little thing floating in an emerald sea.
He’d stopped protesting after that.
Rey blinks at him expectantly, and he realizes that that’s it, that’s all she has to say for now, she’s not going to confront or lecture or push him about the fact that he’s avoided her for a whole week. It shouldn’t surprise him, really, since that’s one of his favorite things about her: how she always knows when to push him and when to give him space, when to prod and when to be patient.
“I, um, yeah, I did–”
“Oh, what’s this?” she coos with obvious delight as she spots the bouquet on his desk, reaching out to trace the sunflower’s petals with a light touch.
Right.
This is it, then.
Showtime.
Now or never.
For Rey.
Ben takes a deep breath, and makes the unexpected choice to pick up the flowers and settle into the matching chair next to Rey’s rather than his own on the other end of his desk.
Rey watches him with careful yet smiling eyes, and he catches the little puff of laughter that escapes her when he awkwardly thrusts the bouquet into her hands. “They’re for you.”
“They’re beautiful, Ben,” she says, shifting the arrangement to cradle it in one arm. “So is this a congratulations, our picnic idea has been greenlit gift or…?”
The way she lets the question hang in the air, the way she smiles knowingly and expectantly at him, the way one finger is gently, reverently running along each carefully-chosen bloom…
She knows. Of course she knows, his beautiful, perfect, bright Rey; of course she would have pieced it all together long before him, human disaster that he is.
And she’s here. She knows, and she’s here, and she’s smiling, and she’s waiting–
Rey’s done more than enough of that for a lifetime, Ben knows. He won’t, can’t keep her waiting for even one second longer.
“It’s… it’s a these reminded me of you gift, because they’re so bright and sunny and Rey,” he falters on her name as he loses his train of thought, only to find renewed strength in the way she slips her free hand into his and encourages him to go on with a wordless nod. “Rey, I know that’s not always you, I don’t need that to be you all the time, I want you to just be you around me, but… but even at your lowest point, even in your darkest moments… you’re still perfect to me. You’re still the sun to me. You – fuck, this is so corny but you make me want to be corny, you make me feel like maybe I’m capable of that, maybe I can just be the guy who’s corny about this amazing woman who lights up his life, who makes him feel seen and heard and cared for for the first time in years. You make me feel… you make me feel like maybe I do deserve good things in my life, Rey. And you are, without a doubt, the best thing that could ever happen to me, that has ever happened to me.”
He has no idea what he’s just said, no way of knowing if he even makes sense anymore, but if the way Rey is smiling at him while her eyes shine in a telling way is anything to go by–
“I know this is… this is so not HR-sanctioned,” Ben adds, attempting to end on a light note as if that’ll make up for the rest of his desperate, rambling, half-coherent plea. “But I was hoping that maybe…”
He trails off at the sight of Rey moving to place the bouquet on his desk, and holds his breath.
This is either about to go very, very well, or very, very wrong.
She could be getting ready to stand up, walk away, and leave this place – leave him – for good. Or…
Or she could simply be freeing up her hands so that she can reach out for him instead, so that she can rest one hand on his beating heart and curl the other around his neck to pull his lips down to hers.
Ben doesn’t actually realize she’s gone with option B until their lips touch.
It’s like a burst of static, but painless.
It’s like everything he’s ever dreamed of, but better.
It’s like coming home, but to a home you’d long ago given up hope on ever finding.
It’s perfect, in other words, and he doesn’t know why that surprises him given that Rey is involved. She kisses him soft and sweet, winds both arms around his neck to draw him as close as possible and smiles into their kiss until he’s smiling too.
And Ben can’t even complain when she finally pulls away, because then she’s whispering against his lips–
“Have lunch with me today?”
Like an idiot, he ruins the moment by incredulously blurting out the first thing that comes to his dazed mind. “Here?”
Rey just laughs and kisses him again, shakes her head with a smile as she cards a hand through his hair. “Let’s go somewhere, just the two of us.”
It’s hard to think straight with her looking at him like… like he imagines he must be looking at her right now, like he hung the stars and the moon, like this could be the start of the rest of their lives. But somehow, mercifully, his brain gets it together just long enough to realize, with no small amount of hope– “Like a date?”
“Exactly like a date,” Rey says, making all his dreams come true.
Ben is the one to kiss her this time, cradling her face in his hands like the precious gift it is while he tries to tell her with a kiss all the things he can’t say just yet, all the things he knows he’ll tell her soon enough anyway because this is Rey, Rey who makes him feel safe, Rey who makes him feel like a person again, Rey who’s only known him for a few months but already knows him better than anyone else.
Suddenly overcome by a tidal wave of joy, Ben pulls back to give her a smile so wide it hurts. “Is HR okay with this?” he asks teasingly, feeling lighter than he has in a long, long time.
Rey laughs and rolls her eyes at him and tugs him back down into another kiss. “HR,” she murmurs against his lips, “is very, very okay with this.”
.
.
.
(The rest of HR, as it turns out, is maybe not so okay with their boss going missing for the entire morning, but they quickly get over that when they find out she’s been hard at work practicing employee engagement with the CEO.)
.
.
.
Sunflowers, in case anyone was wondering, apparently mean adoration, loyalty, and longevity. I'd say Ben got it right.
We made it to the finish line, friends! After a whole year of trying to get this written, only to realize that it was never meant to be just a one-shot and then having to adapt it for a multi-chapter format, and then struggling to get back into the swing of things after a prolonged hiatus... I can't believe we made it. And really, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart: it's all thanks to you guys. You've been so sweet, and supportive, and encouraging, and kind beyond belief. Thank you all so much for every single lovely comment that kept me going. <3
To Beth, thank you for the prompt that started it all. This was an absolute joy to write, and I hope you've had as much fun reading it as I have writing it.
I'll be starting my holiday fic giveaway soon (the first fic goes up on the 3rd), so I'll see you guys around! Until then, thank you so much for reading and please feel free to like/reblog/comment on this fic one last time. It really does mean so much to me.
#reylo#rey x ben#rey/kylo ren#rey/ben solo#kylo ren/rey#star wars#rey#ben solo#kylo ren#my fics#fic: HR
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she’s the sunset (in the west) - thasmin fic (2/?)
Yaz doesn’t make promises lightly. It’s one of her things. A promise should be taken seriously, carried out. If she’s promised to bake a cake for the school summer fair even though she can’t bake for shit, she’s still going to do it, layering the burnt bits in slightly sloppy buttercream. If she’s promised to take her parents to the airport at 3am on a school day, she’ll set an alarm and turn up to work the next morning on with a coffee stapled to her hands.
If she’s promised to find Poppy Smith some friends, she’s one hundred percent going to do that too. She remembers the warmth in Joanna’s eyes at the thought of it—this feels important, like she could actually change something. It might not work. It might be that in less than a year’s time Poppy will move up into year one and nothing will have changed, but she’ll be damned if she doesn’t try.
She brainstorms ideas at her tiny kitchen table as soon as she comes through the door. Ryan’s not home yet so she violently clatters all his dirty crockery into the empty sink, dragging her flipchart paper down the stairs (which she saves only for special occasions). An hour later, her whole kitchen wall is covered in bright pink post-it notes, like she’s attempting some spontaneous redecorating.
“What the—“
Yaz almost jumps out of her skin, black marker sliding out of her fingers and onto the floor. She’d been so absorbed in her new project she’d never heard the front door creak open—and that’s quite a feat considering Ryan’s just come in from football practice, the studs of his boots usually clicking on the laminate like a herd of women in stiletto heels.
“Don’t sneak up on me like that!” she exclaims, heartrate slowly easing back to normal. Ryan rolls his eyes.
“I literally didn’t, but okay,” he huffs, refusing to look away from the chaos she’s created. He squints as he expertly manoeuvres his dirty kit from his bag to the washing machine—if only he could do that with the socks he leaves stranded in the hallway, she muses. “What the fuck is duck-duck-goose?”
“You’ve never heard of duck-duck-goose?” Yaz asks, open mouthed. Ryan bemusedly shakes his head. “Did you even go to primary school?”
Ryan shrugs. A grin tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Not if I could help it, no. Mum was a pushover but Nan never believed me when I told her I had the Japanese flu or whatever.”
“I bet she didn’t,” Yaz hums, because Grace never took any of Ryan’s shit. Not even at the end.
The two of them stand in silence for a moment, like every time Ryan mentions the lost women of his family. Yaz has never felt the pain he has. She can see it in his eyes, sometimes, how it lingers like fog. Dense and dirty but fading, eventually. Slowly.
But it’s okay, he has her. He’s always got her.
(It makes her think of Joanna Smith, again. About the dad that’s not around.)
Ryan snaps out of wistful reverie first, grabbing a beer out the fridge and snapping the lid on the kitchen table. Yaz throws him a look. He knows she hates that, which is probably why he does it. “What’s all this for anyway? Because if you’ve volunteered to lead another year six team-building weekend I’m going to be seriously questioning your sanity. Especially after last time.”
“No,” Yaz tuts, as if she’s going to make that same mistake twice, “There’s this kid in my class who is finding it hard to make friends. I’m trying to…think of something to solve that.”
Ryan takes a long sip of beer, studying more of her responses. “So you think a trip to the aquarium will fix it?”
Yaz shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe? Nothing gets five-year-olds talking more than jellyfish. That, and what they’re going to get at the gift shop on the way out.”
“I guess,” Ryan offers, but he doesn’t look too convinced. “Just… some kids don’t want to make friends, Yaz. As long as they don’t seem too unhappy, what’s the harm in it?”
“This kid is four, Ryan. It’s a very important stage in her social growth. If she doesn’t start developing those skills now when she’s little it could be a really big problem later on.”
“That’s a bit dramatic,” Ryan says, “All I’m saying…this is a lot of effort for just one kid. As far as you’re concerned, as long as they can count to ten and know most of the alphabet you’ve done your job. And don’t, uh, stick their fingers into plug sockets or something.”
Yaz just about resists the temptation to go off on just how wrong that is and just how Ryan could possibly understand anything about her job, how it’s never just one kid. Yes, she needs to teach them how to read and write and count. But she also needs to teach teamwork, conflict resolution, gratification. How you can’t hit someone with a building block or steal somebody’s sausage rolls at lunchtime. How you must listen to the people around you and acknowledge that sometimes you can’t win, whether that’s the star of the week accolade or someone’s forgiveness, straightaway. How you must be kind, always, forever.
The day she sees a kid in her class that’s struggling to fit in and she thinks it’s just one kid is the day she’ll walk away from teaching and never look back.
“Are you hungry?” Ryan asks, after a moment, “I haven’t eaten yet. Pizza?”
Yaz’s hand relaxes, flexing from a fist to loose. On an outtake of breath she runs a hand through her hair, before nodding. “Yeah, sure.”
“Cool,” Ryan already has his phone out, scrolling through the options on Dominoes. “Hey, Yaz, if you went through this much effort for a bloke maybe you’d finally get laid.”
It’s meant as a joke but—ha. Yeah. Maybe.
-x-
As it happens, it doesn’t matter how many neatly written post-it notes and mind maps you make. Children will always be ridiculously unpredictable, like they’re wired completely different to every single other person aged eighteen or over. She tries class games, seating plans, even outdoor learning in the summerhouse on the grassy quad near the upper school playground—but nothing will encourage Poppy Smith to talk to the other children, or the other children to talk to her.
Instead, Poppy becomes incredibly attached to Yaz. And that is really, honestly, the last thing she wanted.
“You know, it’s really sunny outside today, Poppy,” Yaz says, as in a new turn of events, Poppy refuses to follow the other children out onto the playground during lunch break. Instead, the little girl stays in her seat, taking her dark blue starry-patterned pack lunch box out of her draw and unpacking it onto the table. “I think some of the other girls were thinking about playing with the new skipping ropes. Wouldn’t you like to play with the skipping ropes?”
Poppy shakes her head decidedly. Silently, she removes a small peanut-butter and banana sandwich from her box and places it in front of her. Yaz watches as she nibbles round the corners first before eating the filling.
“Wouldn’t you prefer to go outside?” Yaz asks, somewhat weakly, because she has a feeling Poppy won’t give in to her hints easily. “It’s so dark in here and I have to mark your handwriting worksheets!”
“I want to stay with you, Miss Khan.”
When two little eyes blink innocently back at her, Yaz finds it very hard to resist. Technically, as long as she’s not on her own, it’s not breaking any rules. It’s just—this is not in the plan. It’s not good to let a kid become too attached. It goes against every instinct she has as a teacher, but she knows if she forces Poppy outside she’ll go back to silently stalking the edge of the playground with her book about space, lost in a world of her own.
If she’s in here—just for today—at least she’s in her company. Talking to someone.
“Okay,” Yaz smiles tightly, “As long as you promise to go outside tomorrow, yeah?”
Poppy nods happily and returns to her sandwich.
-x-
Quite by chance, today just so happens to be the day that Joanna is late. As one-by-one the kids spot their parents or guardians in the playground and head off back home, rain splattering off bright red wellies and raincoats, Poppy stands on her tip-toes and peers into the murky outside. The weather has turned somewhat since lunchtime.
Yaz looks at her watch. Quarter to four. The playground is mostly empty, other than a group of mums nattering by the gates, restless kids hanging off their arms or in pushchairs.
It’s the second time she’s been left waiting for Joanna Smith, Yaz ponders, and wonders if it’ll be the last time. She sighs, looking at the back of Poppy’s head, watching as the little girl’s eyes lock on to everything and everyone walking past the school.
“I’m sure she’ll be here soon, Poppy,” Yaz says, gently smoothing Poppy’s hair. Poppy looks back up at her, eyes wide and concerned.
“What if she’s gone to the moon without me?” Poppy asks quietly. Yaz shakes her head with a smile, crouching down so their faces are level.
“Your mum wouldn’t do that, I promise,” Yaz says, “She’d always wait for you. I’m sure of that.”
Poppy frowns. “My daddy didn’t.”
Oh. Oh. Yaz freezes for a second, like she always does when a kid says something like that. You know—something unbearably sad, something hanging and poignant, one of those things that just slips out because kids don’t hide anything. Kids have sad stories too. They carry tragedies in their reading folders, hidden under exercise books and friendship bracelets and constellations of gold star stickers.
Yaz takes one of Poppy’s tiny hands in her own. Notices the stars she’s etched on her palms in blue biro pen. “Look at me, Poppy. Your mummy isn’t going to leave you behind. Ever.”
(It’s a big, big promise. She doesn’t realise it at the time, but it’s the biggest one she’s ever made—because sometimes, sometimes people don’t come back. Or you don’t go back to them. Maybe it’s the first promise she’s made that she won’t be able to keep. Sometime.)
Poppy’s disgruntled expression shifts into a smile, and Yaz can’t help but grin back. When she stands, still clutching onto Poppy’s hand, she can see through the raindrops on the window a shaky, grey figure running towards the door. Against her better judgement, she can feel her heart do something she doesn’t want to put a name to.
The glass door opens and Joanna emerges from the cold, her anorak dripping rain onto the floor in mad, abstract patterns. She pulls down her hood and her blonde hair is a chaotic mess of drenched natural waves—it reminds Yaz of tides and sea-salt and white-sand beaches, somewhere cluttered and rugged like the Northern coast. The kind of water that leaves you freezing but dazzlingly awake, shivering in clean, white towels with piles of seashells in your pockets.
Joanna blinks and catches eyes with Yaz. Grins. “I’m making a habit of this, aren’t I?”
Poppy replies first, dashing towards her mother excitedly. She grabs Joanna’s legs in a hug and Joanna laughs, ruffling her hair.
“Oh, baby, you’ll get all wet,” Joanna murmurs, before clearly deciding that Poppy is going to get wet going outside anyway. She scoops her up into her arms and kisses Poppy’s cheek messily, Poppy’s hands looping round her neck.
“You didn’t go to the moon without me,” Poppy says matter-of-factly.
“Of course I didn’t,” Joanna answers, before looking confusedly back at Yaz, forehead scrunching. “I would never leave you behind. Never ever.”
“That’s exactly what I said,” Yaz reassures, “Your mummy was just late, Poppy. Nothing to worry about.”
Joanna grimaces, shifting to bring Poppy further up her hip. “Yeah—I’m so sorry about that, I…”
“Don’t worry about it,” Yaz responds, smiling comfortingly. Joanna seems to take it, smiling back. “No harm done, eh?”
“No, I suppose not,” Joanna’s eyes seem focussed on Yaz’s face for a second or two, and her heart is doing that thing again, that ba-dum ba-dum ba-dum that she’s only ever really felt when Harry Styles winked at her during a One Direction concert fucking years ago.
(Was it really that long ago, huh? Have men really been that disappointing since?)
“Well,” Joanna says, breaking the silence, “I think you deserve a treat, ay, Pop? Ice cream?”
Poppy looks excited but Yaz laughs, glancing at the deluge outside. “You’ve certainly picked the perfect weather for it.”
“Mummy,” Poppy says pointedly, playing with Joanna’s wet hair, “Can Miss Khan come for ice cream with us?”
“Oh, uh—“ Joanna looks at Yaz expectantly, “I mean, of course she can, if you’re allowed…?”
Yaz pauses, because this is not a situation she’s encountered before, and she’s not sure what she’s supposed to do. It’s probably important to keep a professional distance from the kids in her class and their families. She knows she can’t show favouritism, but… this isn’t that, is it? This is just going for ice cream with a woman that she can’t help but want to get to know better. There’s a magnetic quality in Joanna. A one that makes all her wiring stutter and restart.
“You know what,” Yaz answers, after a moment, “That sounds like a lovely idea.”
(Oh, and this is when she discovers that she’ll do anything for a smile from either of the Smith women.)
#doctor who#dw#doctor who fic#doctor who au#thasmin#thasmin fic#doctor x yasmin#thirteenth doctor x yasmin khan#thirteen x yaz#thirteenth doctor#yasmin khan#thasmin au
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