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#self indulgent as hell cause I'm constantly exhausted from work
books-and-catears · 2 years
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"Could I stay like this?"
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You were exhausted today. Having to manage a whole event, assignments and 7 chaotic brothers was no easy feat. It was only lunchtime and you were dizzy with fatigue.
You must have missed your footing and stumbled a couple of times because someone called out to you. "MC! Are you okay?! You don't look too well..."
A pair of arms held you upright but you just wanted to rest. Without another word, you leaned into him, your head right over his rapidly beating heart.
"Could I stay like this? Just for a little bit?"
Lucifer
"Of course, MC."
He gently pats your head as he leans against the wall on his room. Another hand holds you by the waist, keeping you balanced. The door might be unlocked, one of his brothers might slip in and see him like this with you but he didn't care.
You seemed restful in his arms. He didn't want to disturb you. He stared at you with guilt.
"I'm afraid I've given you too many responsibilities. I apologise, MC. You can take it easier from here onwards."
He whispers holding you tighter. He can hold you like this for the rest of the day if you want.
Mammon
"Oi, easy there! Hold on!"
Mammon's arms tightened around you instantly to make sure you didn't fall. His cheeks flushed red at the proximity.
He gently makes you sit down on his couch, holding you with one hand and fanning you with a notebook in the other.
"You'll get a fever from so much work, MC! You're acting all workaholic like Lucifer. And you're supposed to ask me for help! I'm your protector remember?"
He keeps fanning you until he feels you are finally cooled down. Is prepared to tuck you to sleep in his bed if you ask.
Leviathan
"Ah! Careful MC!"
He catches you and loses his balance in suprise. Luckily he does fall back against his cushy gaming chair. He would much rather move you to his bathtub where he assumes you'd be more comfy.
"Give me some warning before you do that next time please, MC! *Sigh* This is why I tell you to stay here with me! Look at how they tiring my brothers are!"
He looks down to see wires from his consoles wrapped around both of your feet, binding you together. He blushes as you mumble something and his arms relax on you.
And to be honest when was he next going to find you so close to him, away from his annoying brothers?
Satan
"By all means, MC."
He chuckles a little seeing how you clumsily fell on him. He still manages to walk you to his bed, almost carrying you. He's already checked your vitals to make sure nothing is seriously wrong.
Propping you up to his chest, he pulls a thin blanket on both of you. He makes you curl into his warmth as he makes sure you're comfortable.
"No more long nighters for you, MC. And you're welcome to come and rest here whenever you like. Shhh...its okay, keep your eyes closed. You can fall asleep."
He strokes your hair like he does with cats. And with another hand he resumes reading a book, glancing at you every now and then. And he smiles, reassured that you're resting well.
Asmodeus
"Oh darling, of course!"
He clucks his tongue and shakes his head in dismay. Clearly you have been ignoring his advice of getting enough rest.
He takes the pillows on his bed and fluffs them up before placing you on them. He wants to get his entire relaxing kit from the bathroom but the way you cling to him has him weak.
"I'll ask Solomon to help at the event this week, so take the all rest you need, MC. Yes, I'll be keeping an eye on you to make sure! Now rest."
He runs his fingers softly around your eyes and then threads his fingers through your hair, pressing them into your scalp. It was the best head massage you'd ever had.
Beelzebub
"MC?! MC what's wrong?! Hold on!"
He promptly picks you up princess style and heads over straight to your room. He needs to make sure you're okay at all costs.
Your arms wrap around his torso and he doesn't have the heart to set you down now.
"Have you been skipping meals again, MC? I'll take you to Hell's kitchen after this. My treat. Make sure you eat a lot okay, MC?"
He smiles at you, gently brushing stray hairs off your face and cupping your cheek. If anyone barges into your room, he covers your ears and shoos them away.
Belphegor
"Make yourself at home, MC."
Luckily for you Belphie was already sitting on the common room couch. He laid down, taking you with him, curling his arms around your waist.
"This is why I keep telling you to get more rest. But you never listen do you? *Sighs* Are you competing with Lucifer to see who overworks themselves to death first? I can't allow you to win that."
He traces circles on your back, feeling you relax further into him. Just like Beel, he death glares at anyone who makes noise around you. Which is frequent since you both are in the common room!
Solomon
"I've got you. It's okay."
Holds you close and drapes his cape around you to keep you comfy. He's eyebrows furrow in worry before he realises it's merely fatigue. He can definitely help you out of it.
You feel the rushing wind in your hair and on your cheeks as he flies you through the air back to his place. He grabs onto you tight even when you're inside.
"Now rest as much as you like. I'll give you some revitalizing potion later. Oh did I move too far away? Can I come closer then? As you wish, MC."
He chuckles as if he didn't desperately want the same thing. He blows softly on your forehead and stroking your cheek with his thumb. Perhaps you should go back to the human world for a while,away from everyone else.
Simeon
"Oh dear! Are you okay?! MC?!"
Readily catches you, pacing himself delicately so as to cause you minimum disturbance. He doesn't know much about normal human biology only that they're much more fragile.
Sits down with you in the back of an abandoned classroom, your cheeks falling soft and warm against his bare shoulder. He blushed at the sensation.
"Are you not feeling well, MC? Does anything hurt? What can I do to make it better? Just stay like this? Of course, for as long as you need!"
He whispers his worries as he drapes one arm around you and gently places his head on yours, drawing circles on your arm. He's determined to have a talk with Lucifer later - clearly you need to be taken care of better.
Diavolo
"Of course. Hold on tight, MC."
He carries you around like a child on his shoulder everywhere he goes. People keep staring but he couldn't care less. He just glares at them and they stay silent.
You stir a little while he's sitting in the council room, signing some papers. You lift your dizzy head up a little but he coaxes it back down on his shoulder.
"No MC, it's no trouble at all. In fact, it will be more worrisome for me to let you walk around on your own in this state. So please keep resting. I'll have Barbatos and Solomon prepare whatever medication you require."
He readjusts you on his lap whenever you seem fidgety and rocks you gently whenever you try to wake yourself up. He's already preparing to make you stay at the castle this week.
Barbatos
"Allow me to give you some more comfort."
He deftly multitasks while holding you close. He prepares a suitable resting spot on the student council lounge sofa.
He smiles when he sees you refuse to let go of his hands. He sits down first and gently lays down your head on his lap.
"Yes it's really fine, MC. I have no immediate duties to be taken care of. Please sleep and rest your brain for a while if you can. I'll make you peppermint tea later."
He runs his fingers through your hair, combing the tangles out of them, massaging your scalp and the back of your neck in the best way possible. He's honestly really grateful to have you here.
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nolspreid · 2 years
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Broken Pieces - Steven Grant x Reader
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You didn't like how Steven talked about himself.
warnings : none (maybe a little angst?? and also self deprecating themes ig) but mostly fluff
word count : 2.01k
author's note : i wrote this randomly in like one sitting at 3am with no plan whatsoever,, it's my first x reader fic please be indulgent,, (also i didn't even proof read it lol so enjoy my silly little spelling mistakes) i just wanted to add on to the sea of soft!steven x reader cause im a sucker for it
<>
"You alright, love ?" Steven asked you, brows furrowed in nothing but curiosity and concern, noticing you blankly staring at him as he went on and on, venting to you about his long day working at the museum - among other things.
"Uh, yeah" you answered after a little while, your mind having wandered to the depths of itself. you gave him an apologetic smile before tightening your grip on his big hands and intertwining your fingers together. "I'm alright, Steven. I'm so sorry, my mind was… elsewhere." You looked at him with mostly care and worry behind your eyes.
"What's going on ?" He slightly shifted from his previous laid back position against the backrest of the couch and was now sat up straight in front of you. Your naked legs were tangled together, covered byt the warm and fuzzy blanket Steven bought for the two of you. He gently put his hand on your thigh underneath it as his thumb drew circles on your soft skin.. He hoped that this gesture would soothe out the pain you seemed to be enduring.
You opened your mouth, only to close it again after a few seconds, leaving the silence between the two of you grow ever so daunting. What were you gonna say to him ?
While he was talking about his day, about how bored he was working at the gift-shop counter and how unnerving his boss' presence was, constantly lingering around to remind him not to "chat the visitors' ears off" despite him really wanting to, you felt a sudden sort-of-sadness washing over you. You couldn't really explain it but you felt a heaviness in your chest, weighing in a bit more with every word he spoke.
Hearing your boyfriend talk about his job like that made you sad. Hearing him talk about how he was being treated in such a casual, detached, used-to-it manner made you angry. You were angry at Donna, his boss, for giving him hell when he deserved paradise and even more. You were angry at him, for not standing up for himself and letting people walk all over him. And you were angry at yourself, for caring so much that it made you sick to your stomach.
When you met Steven, the second you laid your eyes on him, especially on his brown curls, exhausted eyes and boyish grin, as cliché as it was, you felt a million butterflies fly around in your empty stomach. You'd walked up to him, barely managing to conceal the flustered look on your face and asked him about the items he sold. You wanted to start a conversation with him and that seemed like the easiest approach. He started talking to you about the pyramid shaped key rings and about the plushies of the different gods, taking one in his big calloused hand and setting it on the counter. It was a plushie of the goddess Taweret, Egyptian deity of fertility. Soon enough, he started rambling about the origin of her cult and how exactly people worshipped her in the ancient days. While he was talking, you couldn’t help but notice how his face, previously dull and haunted by boredom, was now lit up and joyful. You could practically hear the smile in his clear, soothing voice.
Realising mid-sentence that he completely went off-track, he scolded himself mentally, already picturing Donna lecture him about how "he's not the bloody tour guide" and should stop giving people unwanted remarks about ancient egypt. He then profusely apologised to you. His eyes were looking down at the plushie that he grabbed from the table where he'd put it while his lips curved into a defeated half smile. You were amazed at how expressive that man was. You could read his face like an open book, every emotion he felt being completely obvious. Not that you were much of a stoic yourself.
"That's so interesting," You slightly squinted your eyes to read his name on the tag that you just noticed he was wearing "Steven. Could you tell me more ?"
He looked up to you, eyes open wide and mouth faintly agape. He wasn't annoying you with all these useless facts ? And even more unbelievable, you wanted to hear more ? As he blinked slowly, he let out a shaky breath that made your heart melt. He was adorable. As he continued talking, giving you little facts about the goddess, the life in egypt and whatnot, you found the way his hands caressed and handled the plushie endearing. Everything you'd seen about him so far was endearing. To the way his pretty brown eyes wandered about, shifting between timidly looking into yours and at the table, to the way he tripped over his own words, as if he was hurrying to get to the next one already. After a few minutes spent with him excitedly talking and you scrutinising his face, he stopped talking and finally made solid eye contact. "I assume you're interested in egyptology, yeah ?" His eyebrows went up an so did his voice.
"Me ? I guess you could say that yes." A little laugh escaped your pink covered lips as you tucked a piece of stray hair behind your ear. You hoped your flirtatious intentions were obvious enough for him to pick up on it.
"Stevie ?" A feminine voice called from not so far away. You both turned your heads in the direction it was coming from, you with curiosity and him with apprehension. A blond haired middle aged woman was looking at him with a severe expression on her face and her arms crossed over her chest. She looked somewhat angry, or disappointed, or both.
"Shit," You heard the man in front of you say when he turned his head back to his gift-shop counter and accesorily to gift-shopist reality. He seemed to "have forgotten that he was only here to sell useless crap" as his colleagues so well put it. "I'm so sorry miss, but I'm actually not allowed to erm… chat during my work hours." He said, the words leaving his mouth with a truly bitter taste. He enjoyed this little talk the two of you just had and the look of pure interest in your face struck him. He always tried to share his extensive knowledge of all things in regards to ancient Egypt to pretty much everyone stopping by but he wasn’t used to people actually listening and being interested.
Your hands flew to his, gently taking the plushie he was holding and inadvertently brushing against his fingertips as you did so. "It's alright, it's my fault, I distracted you from your job. I'm gonna buy that, yeah ?" You smiled at him, truly sorry for monopolising his attention for so long.
"Great, awesome, good." He said, a huge smile stretching his pink lips, relieved that this was probably gonna save him from being torn apart by his boss later on. After you paid for it, you looked at him earnestly. "It was really nice meeting you, Steven." You finally said before walking away, not without waving him a little goodbye with your free hand. He waved back at you, still amazed by what just happened. It took him time to fully register the way you looked genuinely fascinated by what he had to say, the way your fingers touched his for a split second when you took the plushie from his hands, and the way you said his name twice. It rolled out of your lips so naturally and casually that he felt a little sting in his chest. This feels nice, he thought, unfamiliar but nice.
Ever since that day, you kept coming back to the museum and eventually, you got yourself a nice little collection of plushies since you made sure to never leave without buying one. Soon enough, he asked you for your name, then you asked him out on a date, then you became a couple.
The more things you discovered of him along the way, the more you liked him and the more you wanted to know. He was devastatingly beautiful, funny, smart, passionate, gentle, sweet, caring, and so much more. You learned all of that through the first couple of dates you've been on together and to which he made sure to bring you flowers. You could see all of that in him from the very beginning but the horrifying realisation that it was absolutely not reciprocated from his part hit you like a truck. He was a lovely and wonderful man, why couldn't he see that ?
Steven deserved the world and all the best things it had to offer. The words quit your mind as you tried to piece together the things you wanted to communicate to him. You couldn't quite find the right words or phrases to tell him how sad it made you that he didn't see himself the way you did. You wished you could tell him that you wanted to shower him with all the love pouring from your heart. You wish you could tell him how all you wanted was for him to know his beauty and his worth. Your eyes started to water as he was still looking at you, patiently waiting for you to answer. You had a dreadful week so your sensibility was heightened and your emotions were a lot stronger. You didn't have the energy - and honestly didn't really feel the need - to fight the tears running down your cheeks.
"Do you know that I love you, Steven ?. I love you so much it hurts. I love you so much that I don't know what to do with these feelings." Your voice broke with the last words you spoke. You lowered your head on his shoulder and started full-on properly crying. Before he could think about it, his arms flew over your back to take you into his warm embrace, hugging you tighter than usual. His eyes were still awestruck, due to the shock of seeing you burst into tears like that. "Shh, It's okay, babe. I'm here and I love you too." he kept saying while stroking your hair to reassure her, in the way he knew it did. He still couldn't really believe it. You were crying because of him ? Because you loved him ?
Wow. Was all he could think of. While he was heartbroken to see you cry, part of him was secretly happy because you said you loved him. You said you loved him so much that it was distressing. Wow.
Oftentimes, he wondered why you even wanted to be with him. Surely someone so gorgeous and lovely as you could date someone much better, he thought. Everytime he did, he reminded himself that he was a broken piece of man. An empty shell. He truly believed that you would be much happier with someone else - anyone else - than with his depressing, dull and odd person. You deserved someone who could care for you, protect you and make you feel appreciated everyday, not someone who would disappear for days at a time with no previous warning to fight for an Egyptian god. Nevertheless, you seemed to think that he met all the criterias. Seeing you so helpless and distressed because of your love for him, made him feel all kinds of warm inside. You loved him.
And he loved you. He loved you so very much that he didn't think he would be able to express it to its fullest extent in his lifetime. You were the light that pulled him out of his boring day routine and dark lonely nights. You were the only one that listened to what he had to say, that cared and appreciated him no matter how insufferable and deranged he thought he was. You gave him life everyday just by being around him. You were his solace of peace and quiet when all he could feel was the harshness of the world. The only moments where he felt like he was truly alive were the ones he spent watching you, touching you, kissing you. You were the best thing that could have happened to him.
Cupping your face in his hands, he slowly lifted your head so that your tear filled eyes faced his. "I. Love. You." He punctuated every word with gentle kisses on your forehead, on your cheek, and on your lips.
One thing was sure, you loved this man with everything you had and also promised yourself that you'd help him walk out the path of despair he was engaged in and into the true light of happiness, holding, kissing, loving him and his broken pieces every step along the way.
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