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prettygiri222 · 5 months

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New Year New Me Us

Summary: your new year's resolution is to be done with your toxic ex, how long did it last?

Gojo Satoru x Black Reader PLOT + SMUT

“I don't want to keep doing this with you Satoru… we're done.” you managed out through hiccups. tears were streaming down your face from another pointless argument that started after your boyfriend came home from work. it became a constant and you finally reached your limit.

“...” Gojo bit back his tongue not wanting to say anything else that could hurt your feelings. but that ended up being the wrong idea. he watched in silence as you packed up your things.

you had a suitcase packed for a while now ready to leave but you couldn't do it. you and Gojo were high school sweethearts and he was your first everything. he was your first boyfriend, your first kiss, your first time, you met his parents and vice versa. so you didn't want to give up on him through a few hiccups. but it was too much now.

your friends, having witnessed the relationship from the beginning, watched how you slowly started hanging out with them less. your excuses went from “being out with your boyfriend" to “Toru says it's dangerous” to “Toru said it's too late” and lastly to “Toru said no.”

it was a shame seeing how you used to gush about the things Gojo has done and bought, to you not wanting his name to be mentioned during the few times you all got together so you could have a break from his draining antics.

with the New Year’s coming up at the end of the month they finally managed to convince you to dump him. you planned to participate in the new year tradition of eating twelve grapes under a table to hopefully invite a new love into your life, something healthy.

“bye Toru,” you didn’t look back once you reached the door. you had already steeled your resolve. you two were done for good. you heard him kiss his teeth behind you but he stayed quiet, burning holes into your back. he just followed you around the shared house that you were leaving to him since he was the one who bought it. you were going to stay at a friend's house till you got back on your feet.

“we're not done,” Gojo mumbled under his breath. you had already walked out the door so you didn’t hear him. he knew he wasn't acting as the best boyfriend right now but it was because everything was acting as a stressor in his life. and you were the only thing able to keep his piece.

but your friends were getting to your head and it pissed him off. always trying to take you out to parties and clubs. you were a good girl with a boyfriend at home so there was no point. that didn't stop him from attending though. your friends sent you pictures and videos of him at the same places he didn't want you going.

when you brought it up he claimed that it was for business. since he's been in these places and as the owner of a few he knows the vibes and energy, “it's just single women dressing like sluts and horny men.” no place for his perfect housewife, although you were still his girlfriend by name.

yet that’s exactly where Gojo had met you. it was at a mutual friend's house party and you were the one who came up to him. you had a huge crush on him back then, everyone did, he was a senior and you were a junior. after a few coolers and hushed whispers, your friends convinced you to go up to him.

you stumbled over to him with your hips swaying to the music. he was in the corner standing up against the wall by himself nursing a red solo cup. once you were close enough his head snapped towards you, making you all flustered. he shot you a small smile wondering what a cutie like you was doing here. when you got back to your friends you were flaunting his number.

he was far from being done with you but for now, he was going to give you some space to clear your head.

☆☆☆

the different scents of musk, weed, vape, cologne and perfume both overwhelmed you and gave you a sense of comfort. it's been so long since you've been out with your girls, this was going to be a great way to bring in the new year. the music was vibrating through your body and the dark lights made way for a great ambiance.

Gojo hadn’t left your mind since you broke up but he was at the forefront either. although you missed him at times and craved his presence you knew it was for the best. but tonight you had forgotten about him completely.

tonight you were dressed to impress. you adorned a honey blonde wig with big bouncy curls and a black satin jumpsuit that exposed part of your chest. you couldn't wear a bra with it so you wore some pasties to prevent a nip slip.

to avoid drama and actually spend some time together you and your gals had pre-booked a booth. as well as a table so you could participate in the new year tradition to bring in love as your friend snuck in some grapes. the alcoholic taste of casamigos burned your throat as you all took shot after shot. feeling your body and brain slowly begin to numb.

it was a blur how you all got to the dance floor but bodies were rubbing and bumping against each other. you were whining, shaking ass, popping and locking and even threw some legwork into the mix. you and your girls were having the time of your life without the presence of any men, except for the occasional guy who came up behind one of y'all.

Gojo watched you with a frown face as you had fun in his establishment. you knew he owned a few clubs but he never told you the names not wanting you to stop by. little did you think you would waltz right in. it was the new club that was making a name for itself around the city that your friends decided on.

Gojo knew you were going to be out partying with your girls on the new year so he told his men to be on the lookout. once the bouncer let y'all in he alerted Gojo of your whereabouts. Gojo had pictures of you plastered all around his office, it would've been hard for his men not to notice you.

anger coursed through his body watching as you let men come up and dance behind you. this was the exact reason he didn't want you coming to these kinds of places. though you rejected every advance to take it further it still had him seething. in his eyes you were still taken.

he took deep breaths to calm himself. if he wanted to win you over he was going to have to play nice. Geto, his best friend and right-hand man, gave him some advice, if he wanted to win you back he was going to have to show some growth. so that meant not snapping at every little thing.

and he was trying, it was so hard watching as you bounced around the club with your tits spilling out of your one-piece. how could you not feel the breeze? but he knew if he went down to the floor, picked you up in front of all your friends and took you home so he could fuck you until all you remember was his name you would be pissed.

but it was hard. he was stone-cold sober so he could have a clear head when you two talked. anytime he came down to his clubs he was always high, he couldn't stand being around these types of people. most of the time he left it to Geto but when he had to present he was fried out of his mind.

“man fuck this shit,” Gojo's last straw was watching you giggle when another man slapped your ass when you bent over to twerk. he stormed out of his booth and towards you. the crowd parted at the sight of a 6 '4 pissed off heavily tattooed man storming through.

you oblivious to his presence kept on. “it’s the speaker knockerz,” the throwback song blared on the speakers, of course you had to show out.

“e-excuse me!” before you could get into the song a strong grip found your arm. you stumbled as it dragged you out of the crowd. your eyes trailed the body, the hand was attached to see who it was ready to scream at them. ice rushed through your veins upon seeing a familiar tattoo, you only knew one man with red lips tattooed to his neck with your signature underneath. “Toru…”

he didn't say anything but his grip on you loosened. you wanted to pull your arm out of his grip and head back to your friends but your heart panged at the sight of your ex-boyfriend. the clock projected behind the DJ's booth read 11:20. you should have time to sort this mess and say your goodbyes before the new year, right?

deciding to give him his last chance of the year you followed him to the back of the club and into the elevator. his hold on your arm hesitantly slipped down to your hand where he held his breath. he was testing the waters to see how you would react.

you did not pay it any mind, too busy collecting your thoughts. how did Gojo find you? you had a month of no contact and had him blocked and removed from every social you had. he didn't follow any of your friends so how did he know where you were?

the silence left you time to realize where you were, this place was one of his clubs. you sighed in embarrassment. you've heard him on the phone talking about closing a deal on a new place but you didn’t connect the dots. Gojo kept you in the dark about his line of work, not wanting you to get involved.

DING! the elevator reached the top floor and Gojo exited first with you slowly following behind, scoping out the place. he led the way to a door where two men dressed in uniform stood taller than him. “Sir.” they greeted him before turning to you, “Ma'am.”

“I don't care if the building is going up in flames, do. not. interrupt us,” Gojo spat out. they just nodded and opened the door. you raised your carefully threaded brows in shock. Gojo gestured for you to enter first which you did, uncertain to where this would lead.

you looked around the vast room stunned, it had a luxurious interior design. there were pictures of you and Gojo decorating the room. it was a lot but not enough to the point it was worrying but romantic. it's been a month since you last saw each other so he should have taken them down by now. but he didn't.

the room was thick with tension, no one wanted to make the first move. you, afraid to be on the receiving end of his anger and him, not wanting to say the wrong thing.

“...princess, can you please look at me?” there he goes with that sweet nickname that made your knees feel like they were melting. when he used his charm he was irresistible to you. you loved it when he was sweet, it's how he wooed you in the first place.

but it no longer affected you, you've been focusing on yourself this past month. so no way were you going to let him back in with a few sugar-coated words. that's what you believed until you turned around and your resolve quickly depleted.

Gojo stood with his regular hunch in his back but he still managed to tower over you. he was wearing leather pants and a short-sleeve button-up that showed off his arm tattoos and gave a glimpse of the one on his chest, with a single chain decorating his neck. his hair was tousled back with a few strands falling out in the front. he looked really good, but you weren’t going to fold.

“Satoru…” a gasp caught in your throat when you looked up to see his bright blue eyes. they were swollen with eye bags underneath, a tell that he hadn’t been able to get enough sleep. god knows when the last time you two had slept separately before the breakup, always snuggled close. he hadn't had a proper sleep since you left.

“I know I haven’t been the best boyfriend as of late and I truly did not mean to take it out on you but c’mon you see how your friends get in these types of places.” Gojo exasperated, gesturing to the door. you frowned, if this was his attempt at reconciling with you he was going about it the wrong way. “you're better than this.”

“from what I remember I'm single and in your club so I'm just as bad as those girls you see,” this time it was Gojo who was frowning. his club was such a nice place with good music and food, there were lots of security and friendly female bartenders who made you feel safe. it was such a shame he wanted to keep you from it.

“you know that's not what I meant…” he shook his head looking down at your revealing outfit. suddenly uncomfortable in your outfit you crossed your arms in front of your chest.

“so what did you mean?” the both of you stood in silence. he bit his tongue to hold back from saying something slick. you took his silence for the nonchalance he liked to flaunt. you sighed at the realization that he hadn’t changed in the time you were apart. there was no point in wasting any more time with him.

you moved to walk past him. “where are you going?” he asked, moving to block your path. you rolled your eyes at his advance.

“to be a whore-”

“don’t be like that, you know shit-” you could see how hard Gojo was racking his brain to find the right answers. your heart swelled a little, maybe he did have a change of heart. “you know how I struggle to find the right words.”

Gojo was right, in this relationship, he always used his actions to show you just have much he cherished you acts of service and gifting giving being his main love language. he would go out of his way to open every door for you, he loved indulging you in your stuffie obsessions, buying ones he thought you would think were cute, a few even having his voice in them, and he pays for everything, clothes, nails, hair and makeup.

when you fall asleep in his car after a late night drive he would pick you up and bring you to the room without waking you and complete your skincare so you wouldn’t wake up with pimples. he would surprise you with gifts after you completed strenuous tasks. and his exquisitely planned date nights he went all out for every Friday night.

he took your stillness as you contemplated his previous actions as a chance, “give me consent,” you looked at him in surprise as if he had just shot you. he wanted to fuck? that’s how he planned to apologize to you? “give me consent and I’ll show you just how much I love you.”

“no.” you bluntly stated, visibly upset. after all these years this was how he viewed you, an object of sexual desire. you held yourself as you shivered at the thought, it made you feel disgusting. this was not how you wanted to start your 2024.

“I promise you you won’t regret it,” he picked up your chin so you could look him in the eye. you could tell he was serious about it, his eyes glazed over. but there was so much yearning in his eyes as he looked at you. “just say our safeword and I’ll stop, no hard feelings.”

butterflies you didn’t know you were holding erupted in your stomach at his gesture. you felt like your high school self again. getting all nervous when he would rest his hands on your thigh while he drove.

“...ok, one last time...” you couldn’t help but already break your new year resolution and give in to his charming antics. and it wasn’t the alcohol clouding your judgment, that was just the effect Gojo had on you. whether it was a good or bad thing.

you found yourself pressed against his wooden desk with his hands wrapped around the sides of your neck pushing himself closer to you. your lips were captured in a passionate open-mouthed kiss. you moaned deeply into his mouth feeling him slurp and pull on your tongue. each caress sent waves of tingles to your neglected pussy.

his hands gently roamed your body, down your neck to grope at your breasts before they found a place at the curve of your hips. Gojo felt you rutting against the leg he placed between the both of yours. temporarily breaking the kiss he rested his forehead against yours to watch you get off on his thigh. he couldn’t feel you through the thick leather material of his pants but he knew you were wet.

the way you move your hips against him was sinful. you had the motion of water pushing and pulling of water at the beach. the material of your jumpsuit was so thin the roughness of Gojo’s pants was enough to stimulate your clit. he grew hard just looking at you.

returning to your lips he could taste all the liquor you consumed throughout the night mixing with the fruity taste of your lip gloss. he devoured your lips this time, nipping at them as he swallowed your moans. when you struggled to keep up with his kisses stopped.

he peppered kisses down your neck relving in the way you were so responsive and sensitive to his touch. you went from having constant sex to being celibate for a month, so you were definitely feeling it.

“Toru…” you whined. you didn't have time for all of this. you wanted to get back to your friends before the countdown. not to mention you were going to have to clean up.

“I know baby, but lemme take my time with you,” once his kisses reached your chest he pulled back. he slipped the satin off your shoulder exposing your perky breasts that sat nicely without the help of a bra. “I didn't get to tell you earlier but you looked gorgeous today.”

the honest look in his eyes told you he was speaking the truth and not just wanting to get into your pants. it had you feeling all mushy inside. “thank you,” you shyly muttered.

he peeled off the pasties covering your nipples and dropped them on the floor fully exposing your brown tits and dark brown nipples. he quickly busied himself sucking on one while he fondled the other. he soon switched sides not wanting to neglect the other.

you were so uncomfortably wet. you could feel how your thong stuck to your cunt, your wetness seeping through your jumpsuit and dampening Gojo's pants. you arched into his mouth desperate for more.

“yea, I hear you,” Gojo stood up shifting his dick in his jeans. the tightness of his pants was insufferable but his focus was on you right now. he had to make sure you knew how he felt.

he unbuttoned his shirt with haste not wanting to be apart from you for too long, revealing his cut abs and carefully trimmed happy tail. you took the chance to remove the rest of your jumpsuit and heels as well. clothes were strewn across the room without a second thought.

he licked a long stripe from the middle of your chest and up your throat before finding his lips against yours. how he missed this, how he missed you. he picked you up and placed you on the desk, your bare pussy leaking onto the wood.

“need you now,” you whined, breaking away from the kiss. you looked into his blue eyes with your dark brown ones, both dilated but his were more noticeable. he hissed seeing your swollen lips and already fucked out face.

“I gotta stretch you out baby,” Gojo was big and thick. it was always a bit painful when you tried to take him without it claiming you were a big girl. but the stretch was so delicious, it had your nails scraping against his back. “haven't taken my dick in a while.”

he picked one of your legs and held it up by the back of your knee so he could have easier access. he collected the wetness seeping from your pussy and spread it all around your lips. coating you in your own fluids. “stop teasing me Toru,” you were so whiny tonight.

you let out a pleased moan when he finally slipped one of his fingers into your tight hole. he smiled down at where his fingers disappeared into your dark folds watching as you bucked your hips wanting more. when he tried inserting the second one it struggled to get past your ring of muscles.

“relax,” he whispered. his warm breath fanned your face only inches away from your lips. your tightness proved to him that you hadn't seen anyone during your little break and he revelled in it. it meant he didn't have to pay anyone a little visit after.

“ok” panted out. you had to will yourself to relax, the little bit of stimulation was already overwhelming. you hadn't been able to even touch yourself in the month you were single out of respect for your roommate. so when he added another finger you lost it, feeling them nudge at your insides. when you started to clench around his fingers he knew you were ready. to your disappointment, he pulled out.

“oh hush” Gojo heard you whimper, he was going to give you what you really wanted. he unbuckled his belt and let out a sigh of relief. he felt like he was going to burst, his tight pants were cutting off the circulation of his dick. when he pulled out his dick it was flushed an angry red. he smeared your wetness on his tip, jerking himself a little.

this time he laid you flat on his desk knocking off the paper and items he had on it with no care in the world, both of your legs rested on his shoulders. his ice-blue eyes were fixed upon your beautiful self, there was no way he could lose you. you were flawless in his eyes.

from your natural hair that he loved when you rocked to your brightly coloured and styled wigs. your aesthetic that seemed to be ever-changing from Y2K to coquette to bohemian to baddie to alt when you felt like it. the way you never failed to take his breath away with or without makeup. your body that looked amazing no matter what you wore and how it fit so perfectly against him.

but nothing made his day more than when he would come home from a stressful day and be greeted by your pearly white smile. someday it would be the smell of your home-cooked meals that greeted him first followed by you in a little apron only in your underwear claiming it gets too hot when you cook and he could feel the tension melt from his body.

“mhm,” you both moaned at the same time. Gojo intertwined his fingers with yours beside your head at the same time he pushed the tip of his dick into your stretched hole. you were so wet that he slid in with ease. his dick spreading the inside of your pussy as he pushed deeper into you feeling your wet warmth suffocating wrap around him.

“missed this, missed you Toru,” you blabbed, already drunk off his cock. Gojo was giving it to you slowly and deeply, he was making love to you. his hips were moving at a tamed pace making sure his tip kissed your sweet spot at the end of every thrust. he wanted to make sure he was consuming all five of your senses. and that he was all you knew leaving you no room to question his desire for you.

“yea?” Gojo was trying so hard to maintain his composure but he was about to go crazy. how could you try and keep this from him? try and leave him? Gojo maintained eye contact with you watching as you grew shy under the sheer intensity of his gaze. “gonna be my sweet little housewife again? let me put a ring on it so you won’t be able to leave me so easily.”

“mhm,” you closed your eyes, a soft moan leaving your mouth. you heard his first question clearly but you didn’t want to give him the answer to avoid ruining the mood. you felt your orgasm slowly approach, there was that growing feeling in your lower stomach that had you grinding up against him. “I’m close Toru,”

Gojo frowned at how you so blatantly ignored his confession. he kept up his pace watching the in-between of your brows crease as you focused on the building sensation. your moans switched over to mewls as you drew closer. but he felt a pang in his heart, the anger from earlier begun to simmer under his skin again.

“you gonna cum for me, darling?” Gojo already knew the answer. he could feel the way your soaking cunt pulsated around him. you could only nod overwhelmed, your eyes were still screwed shut. it pissed him off how you were getting off on him while he was suffering. he roughly grabbed your chin and forced it up. “and look at me when you do.”

“oh god,” you lost it at the command, barely able to open your eyes as it hit you like a truck. you cried out, feeling the building sensation burst. he let out a groan feeling your juices gush around his dick.

“it’s not god princess, it’s me.” you could tell Gojo was angry now. he always snapped at the littlest of things when he was. his last straw was when you squeezed your eyes closed again, shaking from pleasure. you just weren’t listening tonight and it pissed him off to no end. Gojo didn’t say anything else as he turned you around, you were now stomach flat on his desk while your ass hung off.

“wait Satoru! what time is it?” you attempted to get up from his desk in a panic but his strong palm kept you down. what about the new year and your friends? he pushed his tongue against to cheek, you were trying to leave him again.

“oh, so you get to cum and I don’t and when you want answers you get them, is that right? you know that’s not how things work around here princess.” Gojo tried to keep his voice smooth but after years of knowing him, you could hear how he strained. “it’s my turn now so keep still.”

Gojo didn’t give you a chance to talk back, he inserted his slick-coated dick back into your gaping hole. there was no resistance this time allowing him to bottom about almost immediately. a gasp was forced out of your mouth with how rough he was being. you should have been used to it but you weren’t.

“you don’t love me anymore?” his eyes darkened at the thought. no way in hell was he ever going to let you leave him. you were his little sunshine, he wouldn’t know what to do with himself without you. he grabbed the front of your neck pulling you back into his chest so he could whisper in your ear, “you must’ve found someone else if you can’t even look at me anymore.”

“I didn’t,” you whined out. this new angle allowed him to reach deeper. you struggled on your tippy toes to maintain it while his cock plunged deep into your cervix, bullying it. tears began to well in your eyes, “Toru, it hurts.”

“so say it then. say our safeword and I’ll stop,” this was Gojo’s attempt at provoking you. he knew it hurt, with the way your hips jerked after every hit. but he knew that you were feeling good. your moans were high-pitched and caught in your throat and your pussy was oozing more liquid than usual, it was running down both of your thighs.

you bite your lip. your safeword was at the tip of your tongue. if you said it you knew Gojo would stop no matter how angry he was. then maybe you could go back down to the club and ring in the new year with your girls. but you couldn’t.

your head dropped against his shoulder as you let out loud cries. if the guards didn’t hear you before they must be able to hear you know. the wooden desk rattled under you at the force of his thrusts. the ceiling of his office was nothing more than a blur at this point, your tears stuck to your lashes and clouded your vision.

“so why are you trying to leave me, pretty girl?” Gojo wiped the tears that were running down your cheeks. acting all nice and sweet as if he isn't bullying your cunt as he speaks. he relished in the way you were becoming putty in his hands.

“I already told yo-” he cut you off delivering an unexpected strike against your g-spot. “Toru!”

“told me what?” he was acting dense. while he kept his tattooed hand around your throat the other picked up your leg so he could change the angle of his thrust at will. he was alternating between hitting your cervix and g-spot.

“oh fuck” you cried out. you felt your climax approaching at an alarming rate. you weren’t going to last much longer at this rate. the one leg you still had on the floor shook as you struggled to keep your balance and from pleasure. “I’m close.”

“what were you saying before?” Gojo purposely slowed down his thrust to draw out your whines, missing both of your spots with his shallow thrusts. you were going to be his again by the end of the night.

“nothing!!” you cried out pathetically. you reached out behind you to grab his back for some balance. but you still shook pathetically feeling as though you were about to burst. Gojo felt his balls swell at the sight of you all fucked out from him.

“so we’re back together again?” Gojo asked already knowing the answer. he fucked you dumb, turning you into his little doll who said yes when he asked. it was so cute when you got like this. you hated orgasm denial so he used it as a punishment when you weren’t listening. you would do anything to cum. “you’re gonna let me put a ring on your finger, have you be my real wife?”

“yes! whatever you want!” you babbled. Gojo immediately picked up the pace, your sopping cunt was so wet that his dick was just gliding in and out of you. it was the end after that, your climax hit you harder than the last time, your toes curling in. your eyes focused on a dark spot on the ceiling as you let it all out, soaking Gojo’s dick. you could barely hold yourself up, “I’m cuming Toru!”

“Shit, me too princess” it didn’t take much for Gojo to cum after you. with the way your warm pussy wrapped around him and the liquid that trickled down his dick he couldn’t help but release inside of you. stuffing your insides with his thick load of hot cum.

after you both calmed down after your intense orgasms he set you down on his desk. he checked the time on his wristwatch seeing that it was now way past midnight, “happy new year, my love. may we see many more.”

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padfootagain · 1 month

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Only An Almost (VI)

Chapter 6: Hiding

Hello!! Here is a new chapter!

I hope you’ll like this chapter! Please, tell me what you think!

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Pairing: Hozier x fem!reader, friends with benefits AU

Warning: No explicit smut or nsfw content, but there are sexual themes and heavy make-out sessions (it’s a friends with benefits AU, I can’t really escape it), so 18+ only!

Summary: Andrew has been in love with you for years, and yet he has never confessed his feelings. But a night out celebrating the engagement of his best friend changes everything. However, you don't seem ready to be with him just yet. You make him an offer that he can't refuse... but will certainly regret.

Word Count : 2387

Masterlist for the series – Hozier’s Masterlist – Main Masterlist

Andrew needed to talk to you.

After his conversation with Sam, there was no doubt left in his mind that he needed to tell you how he truly felt. This… situation, this… arrangement… it couldn’t go on. It was hurting him too much. Having you for a moment, and then being back to square one, holding himself back all the time, and this fool’s hope that you could feel the same if he waited…

He couldn’t keep on doing this. Another week and two nights with you had passed, and Andrew was now resolute. As he was knocking on your front door and then digging his hands in his pockets, he kept on repeating the words he had prepared beforehand. It was so much easier to write things down, he had sketched his speech this morning.

I know you don’t want a relationship at the moment, I understand that.

He knocked a second time as you weren’t opening the door.

But I’m not sure this… arrangement of ours is a good idea. I see you as more than just a friend. Way more than that. And I don’t think that I can keep on being casual with you.

At long last, the keys turned in the lock, and he stood a little straighter, taking a deep breath.

I get it that this is not the right time for you, and that’s alright. I’ll wait. I’ll wait all the time you need to have a proper date and a proper relationship with you. I’ll wait for you.

You opened the door.

I’ll wait for you, Y/N, if you want to give me a chance…

“Andy? Were we… had we something planned for today?”

“Hi! Erm… not exactly, but like… I haven’t seen you in a few days, I was getting worried you might have been eaten by some roaming spirit or the monster under your bed or something…”

He mentally slapped himself for such a weird and stupid joke.

You granted him an amused smile nonetheless, he was even ready to believe that you were struggling not to laugh.

“I’m alright, I’m just super busy with work.”

“You look tired.”

You looked exhausted, actually, with bags under your eyes, dishevelled hair…

“Thanks, I guess…”

He rolled his eyes.

“It’s not what I meant. You are always stunning. But you do look like you haven’t had a proper rest in a few days.”

“I have so many things to do…”

You heaved a sigh, and it was easy to see that you were buzzing with anxiety.

“Can I come in?” Andrew finally asked, but he was surprised when you hesitated.

“I have some work to do…”

“It’s Sunday afternoon, you’re not supposed to be working on Sunday.”

“Andy…”

“Do I really need to beg?”

He gave you a crooked smile, the ones he thought were almost cocky but behind which he badly hid that he was worried. You heaved a sigh and let him in.

“Tea?” you asked, although you were already grabbing the kettle by the time Andrew had rid himself of his coat.

“Thanks,” he smiled as he sat down by your table.

He waited until you were sitting with him before speaking again. He reckoned that you needed to be eased into the conversation he was aiming for, so he started with niceties.

“What has you so busy then?”

“Work. Important projects.”

“What kind?”

“Look, Andy… I appreciate the thought, but I don’t have time for this…”

“You can’t keep on working without taking a break… it’s Sunday.”

“Like you’re never working on Sundays.”

“I’m a musician, not an office employee. If I want to, I can decide not to work for an entire month, and no one is going to say a thing about it.”

“Touché…”

“Seriously, though… I’m just worried. Why don’t you take a small break with me, huh?”

“Andy, if you came to get laid, I’m not in the mood…”

“I didn’t…”

He frowned as he stared at you, offended by the thought. Your expression softened.

“Sorry. I’m a little on edge.”

“I haven’t heard from you in several days, I was just stopping by to check up on you.”

“I know… I’m sorry, that’s very nice of you, actually. I’m just so…”

“Stressed? Tired? On the verge of a nervous breakdown?”

“All of the above…”

Andrew drank a gulp of tea or two, before standing up in a jolt.

“Come on, go get changed.”

“What?”

“You need some fresh air. Some fresh air, and a nice walk. Come on. Get properly dressed, we’re leaving.”

“Andy…”

“You look like a zombie, you need a break.”

“I thought I was still stunning.”

“You are. Don’t ask me how you do it. Come on!”

You smiled, and seemed to hesitate one last time before getting up as well. You went to your tiptoes to kiss his cheek, and he bent to meet you halfway.

“Thank you, Andy. Where are we going?”

“I’ll find a nice spot, I promise.”

How could Andrew bring up this conversation?

He kept his words light and playful during the short drive to the spot he knew you would like. Some quiet path winding through the Wicklow hills, one that you knew already, but didn’t go there often. It was an easy, peaceful walk. Perfect to focus on nature, and get out of your head. It would do you good.

You were finally starting to relax, and Andrew didn’t dare to bring up the subject he so desperately needed to discuss. Partly because he didn’t want to stress you out again, partly because he was too afraid.

You joked around and spoke of unimportant but lovely things while you walked, his fingers brushing yours every once in a while, blaming the uneven terrain for the ghostly touch. But he didn’t reach out, didn’t hold onto you. He didn’t dare to.

You had brought some snacks with you, prepared while Andrew was pestering you to hurry. He decided that he would talk to you while you took a break to eat them. Yes, that sounded good…

“How often do you come here?” you asked him after a short silence.

“To this spot you mean? I don’t know… Haven’t come in a few weeks, that’s for sure.”

You giggled, and he slowed down to walk next to you again.

“You and your long legs. Wait for us mortals, would you?”

“Only if you’re nice to me.”

“I’ll give you a snack.”

“Hmm… that could work.”

“Or actually, never mind that. Go ahead and play the lure. So the beasts will attack you and spare me.”

“The beasts? What beasts? The squirrels? A bird?”

“There are badgers everywhere around here.”

“True, but I’m too skinny for their taste, I’m sure.”

“A bite-size ankle.”

“Nothing but bone, I’m afraid. Not enough sustenance. They’ll have to get to you, eventually.”

“Naughty.”

You walked further along the quiet path, laughing and joking and talking nonsense. And this was nice, unbelievably nice. There was just something about you that made Andrew’s shoulders lighter, his world brighter.

Love. It’s love.

You took a turn, came to particularly nice spot, breaking free from the trees of the forest trail. There was a clear view of the hills from there, and the valleys below.

“This is so nice. You were right, I was cooked up at home, and then at the office… I needed this. I needed some time outside, to clear my head.”

The Wicklow hills rolled before you, in various shades of green, the bluish grey of a stream running between them. You sat down together on an old stone wall, and you shared your snack with him: some slices of apple and a few biscuits.

“It’s so nice out here. We had not done that in a while, had we?” you went on, before taking a bite at the piece of apple in your hand.

The fruits were sweet and sticky with juice and sugar. The flesh had turned a little brown, oxidized by the air. Andrew hummed in agreement as he took another piece.

“Yeah, a few months, I’d say.”

“Longer than that. I don’t think we’ve done this since you’ve been back.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

He saw your gaze softening with sadness, something close to melancholy.

“How do you do it?”

Andrew frowned in response, silently asking what you meant. You looked at the landscape again as you answered.

“The touring. The constant travelling. Always being away from home. How do you do it?”

Andrew shrugged.

“It’s not as bad as it sounds. I get to do what I love, I can’t complain about it, I reckon. I’m so lucky people across the world love my music, that… total strangers on another continent can find something to relate to in my songs… It’s more than I’ve ever hoped for concerning my career. I’m very grateful for that.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

He couldn’t refrain a small smile at that. You were always so stubborn, never letting him get away with things. He loved that about you, it was endearing.

He set his gaze on the landscape too, tracked some clouds drifting in the blue sky. The weather was so lovely this afternoon… he wondered when it would turn to rain.

“It’s tough,” he admitted. “On one hand I’m unbearably lucky. I love travelling, I’m going to places I would never have dreamt of visiting. I meet amazing people. I get to perform my songs, and people come to see me. And I would lie if I pretended that I don’t love touring. But it’s… it’s hard to be away for so long. You live out of a suitcase. You don’t have a proper bed, not to mention your own. You never sleep twice in the same place, you’re always busy, always torn in a thousand directions at once… you’re never on your own, there are constantly at least five people in the same room as you. Sleeping in a bus is hell. You’re… exhausted, all the time. Stressed because of all the things to do, stressed about the schedule, the interviews, the nerves before a show… And I miss home. I miss my parents, and my brother. I miss my friends. I miss my house, and my dog, and my bees, and just… this. I miss this place. And I miss you…”

He heaved a sigh, forcing himself to look at you again, feeling your stare upon him.

“But in the end, I love it. There’s nothing as rewarding as hearing someone else singing something I have written. There’s nothing as exhilarating as being on stage, and performing and… It feels like I was born to do that. It just feels so right. It’s the same when I write music. It just feels right.”

Slowly, you nodded, a gentle smile on your lips.

“I understand. But it sounds lonely.”

“I’m literally never on my own, that’s an issue, actually… to me it is, at least.”

“But you’re not with your family. Can you say that you’re with the people who matter most to you?”

“Some of them are.”

“What about most of us?”

He granted you a sad smile.

“Yeah… yeah, I miss all of you.”

You looked away again, and he was surprised to catch a glimpse at tears in your eyes.

“I don’t think I could do it. Not just travelling but… just… how can you be with someone if you’re never here?”

It was his turn to look away to hide rising tears. His throat tightened, his heart dropped, his chest was collapsing…

Was that why you didn’t want to be with him? Why you kept him at arm’s length?

“It can be difficult,” he nodded.

“Is that why you broke up with your ex?”

“There were a bunch of reasons. But it was one of them, yeah.”

“I… I don’t think I could handle it. Waiting for you to come back…”

“I understand.”

“Don’t get me wrong, when I proposed our… arrangement… it wasn’t because it was you. I… I genuinely don’t want to date anyone at the moment. My job is a lot. And I… I’m a little lost these days. What I’m trying to say is that… I feel lonely, sometimes. But I can’t be in a relationship right now. But if I proposed for us to remain friends, it wasn’t because I was rejecting you specifically. Do you see what I mean?”

“I think so… but I… I mean like… my career means that… if you were in a position that allowed you time and space for a relationship, you would still not choose me, right? That’s what it means.”

“I…”

But you grew quiet, and he wasn’t stupid. His vision was blurred with tears: a mix of several shades of green, a splash of blue and some grey and white. A cloud was passing.

He had come all the way here with you to talk, and he had his answer.

“You’re… you’re still okay with what we agreed on, right?”

What could he answer?

No… no, it hurts more than anything I’ve ever experienced. But I can’t lose you for good. I’m not strong enough to survive it…

“Had I been anything else but a touring musician… would you have wanted to date me?” he asked, voice deeper than usual, unbearably fragile.

You didn’t say anything; he took your answer for a no.

He was being a fool…

“I can’t think like that, Andy.”

“Why not?”

“For the same reason you can’t stay for the entire night. That we can’t have pet names. That you can’t kiss me now.”

He blinked his tears away to look at you, frowning, silently encouraging you to keep going.

“I can’t let you break my heart, Andrew.”

His lips parted at your words, he tried to wrap his mind around their meaning, blinked a few times.

It was… It was him. He was the problem. Him, and his job. The same pattern it had always been, all over again, but with you this time around.

You cleared your throat, stood up in a hurry.

“Come on, let’s finish this hike!”

He looked at you as you started to walk away, but didn’t move a muscle.

You could have loved him, and he would still stand no chance at all…

#andrew hozier byrne #hozier #the hoziest #hozier x reader #hozier x you #hozier x fem!reader #hozier x y/n #hozier fanfiction #hozier series #series #fanfic #fanfiction #writing

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myimaginationplain · 1 month

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I've found that when it comes to discussing who has the best claim to the iron throne and/or the Targaryen dynasty, there's often this implicit assumption that when Jon finds out about his true parentage, the knowledge will inevitably leak to the general Westerosi public. People love to theorize about whether or not the Northerners would continue to support Jon if his being Rhaegar's son came to light, or if he would be pushed as heir to the iron throne over Dany & Aegon, & I'm just like...how would any of them find out about it? Why would any of them find out about it?

I feel like some people believe that when Jon finds out about R + L = J, he'll, I dunno, send out news letters about it or something? Publicly renounce his status as Eddard Stark's son? I don't exactly understand what people think Jon would do with the information, but anything less than keeping as tight a lid on it as possible would be very out of character for Jon. Guys, we're talking about the same guy who purposefully gave a young mother the wrong baby. He's not gonna be cavalier about this.

The only people we can really be certain he'd feel the need to tell the truth to are Arya & Sansa. We know that Bran is likely to already know the truth himself by then through his greenseer tree-god bullshit; Rickon, even if he is found & taken to Winterfell by the time the other siblings reconvene (which I find highly unlikely), would probably be considered too young to trust with information like that.

Daenerys is also an extremely likely candidate for being one of the few people Jon would tell, although this is variable, as it depends on what sort of relationship you believe she & Jon will have by the time R + L = J is revealed. I for one am betting on she & Jon already being involved in some capacity by the time he finds out, thus making her one of the people he'd tell. But if you're in the camp of people who think they'll be enemies by then, he probably wouldn't tell her in that scenario.

Sam is furthest down on the very short list of people Jon would probably tell. I think it's likely, seeing how much he trusts Sam & leans on him for support. But still, it's not a sure thing.

So, including Howland Reed (who has successfully kept the secret for ~17 years now), that makes just 6-7 people who would be privy to Jon's parentage. None of whom would have much motivation to go screaming about it from the hilltops in any scenario where they're still behaving like themselves. (If any of you bring up show!Sansa here, then I'm gonna beat you with a hammer. Don't be a hypocrite; if you can acknowledge & accept that literally every other character was wildly ooc in Season 8, then do the same with Sansa. Betraying Jon's trust after swearing not to before a heart tree is just as ooc for book!Sansa as purposefully burning Kings' Landing to ash would be for book!Daenerys.)

Even in the event that Jon rides a dragon, I think that can easily be explained away by lying about Jon's mother. "Oh, why can I ride a dragon? Not many people know this, but my mother was actually a Lyseni whore. You know they have some Valyrian blood in them. She died in childbirth, though, which is why my lord father took me in." Who's gonna call his bluff on that? Ned's resolute silence on Jon's mother would absolutely work in his favor. The historical precident set by Nettles & others like her means that Jon can 100% just say his mother was the daughter of some unknown dragonseed or something.

IMO, the real question we should be asking is, if Jon were to have children, would he ever tell them the truth?

#the remaining starks are some lying mfs. they know how to be duplicitous & certainly know how to keep a secret. don't forget that #asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #jon snow #r + l = j #r+l=j #arya stark #sansa stark #bran stark #daenerys targaryen #samwell tarly #theory

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lizzydizzyyo · 2 months

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I think what's really compelling about House's absolute unwillingness to bow down to anything or anyone (the ethical board, the law, extra rich CEO, vindictive police officer, and even the patients themselves) regardless of how absolutely batshit and downright illegal his actions are, is because it's coming from a chronically disabled person, in more ways than one.

He cannot walk without agony or his cane. His chronic and severe pain led him down the path of deep Vicodin addiction until he also becomes psychologically dependent on it too (once, Dr Cuddy gives him saline placebo and it "works", in that he is not feeling his leg pain anymore for a few hours).

He understands it deeply just how desperate people can be when they're in pain and nobody can (or are willing to) help them—at least, so far, until they land on his doorstep. Which is canonically the most extreme step patients take when everything else fails—you don't just go straight to Plainsborough Teaching Hospital and to Dr Gregory House MD's office; you have to go through dozens of other doctors in various specialties and failed treatments too.

(Although that's a separate discussion about how doctors, particularly resident ones, are overworked and underpaid and redtaped by shithead insurance companies even if they do know how to treat a patient and want to).

He knows, from the bottom of his heart, that having such a painful and life-limitting debilitating condition is comparable to hell on earth, because he has one. He knows, that despite his disability being visible to everyone, yet no one wants to put an effort to help him deal with it—is also hell on earth.

Cuddy simply throws money at him and turns the other way to his Vicodin abuse, like she is saying, "I don't care if he takes 10 Vicodin pills a day or more, and I have to pay at least $1M every year for lawsuits, as long as he gets the job done," (and when they decide to go into relationship, she immediately drops him when he relapses, even if the reason for his relapse is her—although, yes, there is another discussion to be had about keeping yourself and your child(ren) safe being a priority compared to helping an addict, recovering or not). Wilson, as loyal as he is to House, simply either enables him or lectures him without going into the root of the issue and thoroughly help House that way. His subordinates, especially after the original trio, are simply too scared, too ignorant, or too ambitious to even approach the issue and choose to keep their job than help House (also another discussion to be had about how you can't help people who don't want to help themselves and so on).

So when he sees a patient who has gone through hell trying to get a correct diagnosis and treatment, he becomes laser-focused on doing everything under the sun to get to the bottom of it and cure the patient. He doesn't care if he has to break into countless of houses (haha pun) and collect insane and probably biohazard samples to do it—he absolutely will, no question.

Yes, hate-criming and being a bigot is his favorite hobby (still livid at the asexual ep and the production's choice for the resolution, let's just say I still have beef with Hugh Laurie and the entire production team for it), and so is insulting patients in so many ways that Shakespeare would personally fly to New Jersey and shake his hands if someone manage to successfully perform necromancy on ol' Billy boy. But House is no one if not dedicated. "Yes, my patient is an idiot, everyone is an idiot too, but I WILL cure their condition like my life depends on it," is basically his middle name.

Besides, you can make the argument that he is more compassionate than all the other doctors around him, because despite his absolute disdain towards some of his patients' beliefs and stupidity, he still works his ass off to treat them. He will call your god an idiot in 7 different languages while putting you in a diagnostic machine he manipulated the whole hospital into letting him use so that you could get a test which weren't available to you before. He will tell you that your currently-happy marriage will end in a bloody divorce and your ex will leave you penniless so love is not real while injecting you with a medication he had to hack the CDC's database for.

There are even episodes that show him being truly earnest, like the clinic duty scene where he is snarky as usual to a girl who seemingly stupidly had unprotected sex until she lashes out, and House is like, "Oh shit, this is above my paygrade", and immediately goes to Cuddy with a very serious expression and no sarcastic dilly-daliying, demanding her to transfer the patient to someone else because he is not good with "curing" rape case (interesting choice on the writers' part to make the patient insist to have therapy with House, though).

There is an episode about a very workaholic woman executive in a fashion company who has tremor and partial paralysis, and later on it's shown that she seems to tie her worth as a person to her corporate success while band-aiding her deep psychological issue like her suicidal ideation, and House genuinely asks her, "Do you want to live? I cannot help you unless you want me to," or something along the line.

There is also the cursed 9-year-old terminal brain cancer episode where Chase kissed the patient (ew), where at first it shows House being a usual misanthophe to Wilson and saying, "She is not brave, it's the brain tumor clot talking because it must be near the amygdala." Later in the episode, House sits near the patient alone, and compassionately asks her if she even wants to live, going through the rest of her short-lived but horrible agony, even if they catch the clot. The surgery to find and get rid of the clot is risky and can debilitate her even more, and this is why House is laying the decision to her hands. That she gets to choose. This is what truly reveals to him that she is genuinely brave (aside from the scan showing the clot to be so far away from her amygdala), but for the wrong reason. She is brave for her mom, willing to go through horrible surgery and drag out her already painful cancer-ridden life because, "My mom needs me". When everyone is congratulating her in the end, you can tell House has a bittersweet expression of both awe towards her bravery, and sadness that this 9-year-old sick girl has to bear the brunt of her horrible pain just so that her mother is not sad. That he couldn't convince her to be a child until the nearing end of her life.

The most interesting evidence of his compassion to me is the gunman hostage episode. It might sound weird because in the whole episode, he is depicted to first want to outsmart the gunman patient, then becomes laser-focused but only because he sees it as a puzzle, then absolutely selfish and dangerous because he volunteers himself as the last hostage and gives the gun back to the guy after the MRI. I do think it's true that his dedication to solving patients-are-just-puzzle-to-me conditions shines through in the episode, especially the scene of him returning his gun, but there is something else I catch when I rewatched it before.

When the gunman patient is put in the MRI because Cameron tells him a theory through the hostage call, the remaining doctors in the room including House are wary at the gunman but also hopeful. Yet, when the result shows up on the screen, he realizes that the theory is wrong and the guy let go his only bargaining chip for nothing. If you watch this part carefully, you'll notice that House actually looks pitying and sad at the gunman's disappointed demeanor and expression. He realizes he is going to be another notch in the guy's failed doctors list, and at this point (with the gun given away and even the best, most talented doctor also not finding out what's wrong with him), the guy has given up hope that he will ever see the day he will be cured, certainly not behind the bars.

Yes, his thirst for puzzle is House's big driving force in giving back the gun, but you'll be lying to yourself if you don't notice House's compassion for the guy because he doesn't want the guy to go out empty-handed, with absolutely no more hope because House knows once they step out of the door, this guy will never, ever be allowed to be in the vicinity of any hospital or doctor ever again in his life, aside from jail's bare-minimum exams and medications. House can't handle the thought of putting someone else through his own disappointment—that nothing works to help his leg pain. He especially doesn't want to be the cause for this gunman guy's case either. Even in the end when House realizes the guy is a fucking moron because he doesn't know that Florida is, in fact, in earthwide-horizontal tropical zone and this is what stumps most of the guy's previous doctors—House still gives him a subtle salute to the guy while being handcuffed and led away, almost to say, "Enjoy your healing and the defeat of your arch nemesis The Sickness™, glad to be part of it."

Majority of his drive to stop at nothing until his patient is cured is definitely thanks to his own fucked-up leg, even if there are some dialogues with Cuddy and Stacy Warner (House's ex wife) that seem to imply he has always been a misanthrophe whose hobby is getting into malpractice (or general) lawsuits. I wholeheartedly believe that after his leg clot rendered him disabled and with chronic pain, he became much more dedicated and obsessed with getting to the bottom of a patient's medical information, even for info that seems innocuous or irrelevant that always turn out to be important (probably more like a plot armor than established characterization, to be honest), almost like this is his method of relating to the patients in his own weirdly human way, and maybe a little bit (actually, a lot) of projecting.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

#house md #rec #media analysis #writing #english #me #i hv more to say abt this show like him making the mistake of not amputating his leg bc of his bias against (particularly visible)disabilit #even tho cuddy and his other past ortho surgeons suggest against keeping the leg because the clot is really bad and unsalvagable #years later even while having his leg it's now useless because all it gives him is pain and anger issue with a dash of opioid addiction #so when he sees patient being stupid or refusing a certain test/treatment he KNOWS in the bottom of his heart to be right #he just won't take it lying down & he will drag his patients kicking & screaming bc ''trust me i was an idiot too don't repeat my mistake''#but that's an essay for another day #whump #whump meta #disability

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jinwoosungs · 5 months

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{ 114 }

resolutions.

mike schmidt x fem.reader

the moment mike schmidt came home from his shift at work, you had already said your goodbyes and goodnights to abby. being hired as abby's babysitter for roughly a year now, you were close to the schmidt siblings and developed a relationship akin to friendship with them.

you held your bag in tow, brushing back your hair as you met with mike. there was a sheepish expression on his face, and you figured he was going to tell you that he would be late once more with your babysitting fee. yet when he reaches into the pockets of his jeans to pull out a stack of cash, you were pleasantly surprised, to say the least.

"thank you so much for your help. this should cover this week and the last but uhm, i'm sorry if it's a few dollars short."

you shake your head and told him not to worry about it, pocketing the money within your bag.

although you knew that it was time for you to go, there seemed to be something that stopped you from leaving. for starters, mike was still standing directly in front of you, eyes darting all across your form as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

you tilt your head at him in question, knowing that he wanted to say something to you with the way he kept opening and closing his mouth. he repeats your name a few times, the syllables coming out in stutters as he struggled to tell you something, yet still, nothing substantial ever came from his parted lips.

"mike, can she stay over for new years?!" just then, abby's voice was heard ringing across the room, with her standing just a few feet away from you and mike, her brown eyes widening with a strange eagerness within its innocent gleam.

"w-well- abby, it's getting kind of late and maybe she doesn't want to stick around anymore than-"

"no...!"

your sudden outburst makes mike take a step back as you could feel the heat against your cheeks. this was a secret kept to yourself and only to yourself- but ever since you had first laid eyes on mike, you developed a bit of a crush on him. he just looked so soft in his signature, hunter green sweater and jeans. his brown hair was perfectly tousled, and you hated to admit that those perfect curls that fell across his forehead made your hands tremble and ache with the need to run their fingertips against them.

to say you didn't mind staying close to mike (and abby) would be more than an understatement. each time they insisted that you stay over for dinner while watching a blockbuster movie or play a round of some board games, you never once declined their offer-

and you certainly weren't going to start now.

clearing your throat in hopes of hiding the fact that you really wanted to stick around, you gently let go of the straps of your bag, allowing it to fall against the floor with a gentle thump!

"as long as you're both okay with me being here, i-i don't mind sticking around for the new year."

by now, abby was jumping up and down excitedly, reaching mike as she gripped at his arms while repeating please please please like a never-ending mantra. a tiny smile graces his features as he meets your expectant gaze. "you really don't mind?"

"not in the slightest, mike."

you could practically feel the excitement in the air, their joy and happiness becoming so palatable that it became almost contagious. you spent the next couple of hours eating the freshly delivered pizza while watching the news coverage of the new years countdown in times square.

as time passed, you danced with the live music playing on the t.v., telling stories all while laughing and having a good time. the clock struck 11:50pm, and that was when the crowd was heard bursting with excitement at the new year that was quickly approaching. you, mike, and abby were settled on the couch, and you took notice of how abby was nodding off. her eyes kept squinting at the television screen, yet each time mike asked if she wanted him to take her to bed, she would vehemently shake her head no.

"'m fine, i'm not tired at all." there seemed to be a determination in abby's gaze, one that was fitting for such a strong willed girl like her. moving away from mike, she clutches her sketchbook close to her chest, her gaze now unwavering as she stared at the screen, ready to join in on the countdown.

you tried to ignore the warmth you felt with mike settled next to you. his close proximity wasn't anything foreign, but was something you knew you could never get used to. you could feel his shoulder occasionally brush against yours, but neither of you ever once said a word.

the clock read 11:55pm, and you became aware of some soft snores coming from the opposite end of the couch. with a tiny smile felt spreading across your face, you lean forward to see that abby was already sleeping, her tiny form curled up against the couch with her cheek resting against the armrest.

you were ready to say something; ready to comment on how cute abby was and how lucky she was to have him as her brother when the softest expression you had ever seen graces mike's features. you watch as the back of his hand gently touches abby's cheek, and you knew that you could no longer deny what you had been feeling for mike this entire time.

you knew that your heart was stolen by him ever since the day you first laid eyes on him.

gathering your courage, you swallow back the fear that was threatening to overcome you, knowing that if mike didn't know how you felt, then he may fall deeply for someone else. you shakily call out to mike, making him face you.

he detects the anxiety coursing through you, his expression filled with concern as he meets your gaze. "hey, what is it, what's wrong?"

you wring at your hands, clenching your fingertips together as a way to comfort yourself. you tried to keep your voice even while maintaining his gaze, but somewhere along the lines, you lost your courage.

wishing to hide yourself from mike, your eyes look away from him and towards the t.v. screen where they were now counting down the final minute for the new year.

60...59...58...

you hear mike softly call out to you once more, "is everything okay?"

"everything is fine, mike. i was just wondering..."

44...43...42...

you met his gaze while letting out a sigh. "i was just wondering if you had any new years resolutions you wished to achieve this new year."

20...19...18...17...

you heard mike let out a soft chuckle, his hand reaching out to you as he brushes your cheek with his fingertips, "it's funny you ask, because i do have a resolution i hope to accomplish pretty soon, actually."

mike suddenly leans closer to you, making you nearly hold your breath when you said, "a-and what would that be?"

10...9...8...

his lips were a mere centimeters away from yours, and you could feel his hot breath against your skin when he answers, "to finally make you mine."

3...2...1... HAPPY NEW YEARS!

fireworks were seen dotting your periphery when mike finally kisses you, slotting his lips perfectly together against yours as you lean back against the couch, accepting his kisses. both of your eyes were clenched shut, yet it seemed that mike was always able to find you as he drew you to him. you could feel the way his hands delve into your hair, causing you to moan as you turned into a puddle whilst in his embrace.

you were ready to deepen the kiss, actually desiring for mike to take it further when a small giggle was heard. mike immediately pulls away from you, completely red-faced and mortified as abby was seen gazing at both you and mike.

"finally, it was time that you lovebirds got together. i got tired of seeing you dancing around each other and decided to take matters into my own hands." abby brushes back her strands of dark hair while ripping a page out of her sketchbook, giving it to mike before excusing herself to her bedroom.

your heart was still pounding, and you were certain that your expression held the same amount of embarrassment as mike's. you clear your throat and inch closer to him, curious as to what abby had given him.

as you rest your chin against his shoulder, you look down at the sketch clutched within mike's hand to see a cutely drawn picture of you and mike holding hands with abby off to the side, holding what looked like a bow and heart arrows. the picture was honestly so adorable that you and mike began laughing profusely.

by the end of your laughing fit, you were breathless, losing strength as you fell back into mike's arms. "i can't believe abby knew all along."

you shake your head in response all while facing him, settling yourself against his lap as you wrapped your arms around his neck. too caught up in your throes of first love, you began to press lingering butterfly kisses against his skin. "and to think i was foolish enough to try and hide my feelings from her."

mike hums in agreement, brushing his nose against yours in a sweet gesture that had your heart racing in response when he tells you. "as embarrassing as that was, i have to say, i'm glad that my new years resolution came true."

and you couldn't agree more to his sentiments.

a.n. - i've missed writing for mike, so have something fluffy and sweet for the new year 🥹 🎆

all stories are written by rei; reposts, translations, and plagiarism are not allowed.

#mike schmidt x reader #mike schmidt x you #mike schmidt imagine #mike schmidt fluff #fnaf x reader #fnaf x you #five nights at freddy's #michael schmidt x reader #michael schmidt x you #.stories

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the-badger-mole · 1 year

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I feel like I don't harp on Aang's lack of leadership skills enough. I can already hear people cracking their knuckles to type out some long diatribe about how it's unfair to judge Aang's leadership because he's a kid. Let me stop you right there. As with his lack of respect for consent and his lack of preparation to deal with Ozai, his age is irrelevant because the framing of Aang would have us believe that he's right. The show wants us, the audience, to see Aang as clever and wise beyond his years. To say I can't be too hard on Aang because he's a child flies directly in the face of what the writers intended. So, step away from the keyboard and let me finish, alright?

Bet.

When I think of Aang as a leader, the episode that comes to mind is The Great Divide. Someone recently brought this up to me as an example of Aang being a Trickster type. I disagree. I think Aang is more of an Innocent than a Trickster, but I get how someone might see him as either *. It doesn't make him a great leader, in any case. In fact, it supports my theory that he's a bad leader. His actions in TGD show that he is far more interested in taking the easy way out than in any real sort of conflict resolution, which in a world looking for guidance post war is...not a great attitude to have. This is the most egregious example of his lack of conflict resolution skills, but it's not the only example of this. He also looks for the easy fix when Katara and Toph are fighting (although, this is interestingly actually framed as a misstep for him. A box of Mars bars to Bryke for that, I guess). It would be fine if this was acknowledged as a short-coming in him, but the way TGD ends, it's supposed to make Aang look clever. (P.S. there's NO way those groups didn't go right back to fighting, because that's not how conflict works).

Bryke could have left that alone and just have more examples of Aang being a good leader in the rest of the series or in the comics, but seeing as they don't seem to understand why Aang isn't the wonderful person they frame him to be, I get why there's not a whole lot of growth in him. Speaking of the comics, remember that time that Aang jumped on board with anti-miscegenation without considering the consequences? Remember how the only reason he changed his mind is because he would be personally affected by it? Yeah...

So, in the comics, Aang meets a group of wanna be Acolytes who studied Air Nomad customs and wanted to actually live them out. They shaved their heads and painted on some tattoos, and Aang was all about it...until he realized that it wasn't paint, they had actually gotten the tattoos, and at that point, he feels insulted. Mind you, he wasn't insulted about his culture being used as cosplay. He was mad that they misunderstood the significance of the tattoos and in their misguided attempts they did something they weren't supposed to. I'm not saying he was wrong to be upset, per se, I'm just saying that cultural appropriation is probably something that the creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender are out of their depths on. Well, this incident sours him on the idea of mixing cultures and in his anger, he jumps right to anti-miscegenation.

Let me repeat that. Avatar Aang, who is supposed to represent all peoples, got angry at some well-intentioned, but severely misguided girls, and decided that the solution would be to support policies that would literally tear apart families. Then he only walked that back because he wouldn't be able to keep Katara. It wasn't him realizing how much damage he would do to other people. It wasn't him understanding that the issue he's trying to solve requires more delicate handling than simply saying "everyone go back to where you came from". It was his selfishness that saved the day (sort of? I think annexing a part of the Earth Kingdom to make pseudo-New York was...questionable at best).

These are the two biggest, if not only examples of the type of leader Aang is. In both cases, his solution had more to do with him, his personal convenience, his feelings, than any thought of how best serve the people looking to him to lead. They are not presented as issues with his leadership, highlighting the ways he needs to grow into his role. The solutions he comes up with are presented as examples of his cleverness and wisdom, but actually, they just show how he leads based on what's best for him. The people of Planet Avatar ** are subject to Aang's whims and how much work he feels like putting in on a given day. But the people he's leading are supposed to think he's a Big Dang Hero. In a better written story, this would be the beginning of a villain arc.

*(btw, it is still The Year of Content ™️©️®️, so probably expect another post in the future about why I think Aang is more in line with the Innocent than the Trickster. Maybe. We'll see...)

** (is there a name for that world in the fandom? Can we come up with one? Planet Avatar is incredibly lame.)

#atla #anti aang #avatar aang is bad at his job #and the narrative doesn't seem interested actually improving him #they just want us to accept that he's a good leader #without any evidence of his leadership skills #for anyone who thinks i ONLY hate aang because of zutara #nuh-uh!!!#i also hate him for being a a boring poorly written character who the writers tried to trick me into believing was tH3 r3@L h3R0000 🙄#as if #THE YEAR OF CONTENT!!!!

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zhongrin · 3 months

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story time about a (possibly) new hobby(?)

(it got kinda long, so feel free to skip hahah)

so. part of my this year's resolution was to learn an erhu... or any musical instrument, really. and i attended an introductory chinese instruments workshop recently.

it was super fun!! they let us try a few instruments, like...

the smiling frying pan (zhong)ruan, which is like a guitar, but round.

dizi ー although since it's a wind instrument they didn't let us actually play it, because. you know. hygiene reasons. kinda amazing to think that the instrument's life and blood is pretty much a small sheet of rice paper... the xiao was also kinda interesting!! such a low and unique sound ✨

pipa... it's a very cool and pretty-sounding instrument for sure, but i don't think i'll have the brainpower to remember and learn the finger techniques ;;;

erhu. while i only managed to make noises akin to killing chickens didn't really manage to make a decent sound on it, it's definitely an instrument i might want to learn more than the others!! we got to see a true expert play in person, and. man. it does sound so... idk how to describe it. soulful? but also, i might be biased bc zhongli's theme has an erhu in it hahahah also the way zhonghu sounds??? 💗

guzheng!!!! they sound soooo good in-person... especially the expensive one.... figures orz also i found this while doing my own research but did you know that guzheng has areas on its back called 'phoenix eyes' (to insert the strings), 'dragon cave' (sound hole 1), and 'heavenly pond' (sound hole 2)? plus, the hanzis for certain top parts also contains the dragon/phoenix/mountain characters and i think it's neat lol

i've tried piano and guitar in the past, but i never really felt attached to them. but... i fell in love with the guzheng. i wanna learn it so badly.

but the (decent) instrument is so expensive, it's incredibly massive (the travel-sized ones are even more expensive orz), and the maintenance seems like a nightmare???? (although i think musical instruments maintenance in general is a nightmare anyway?? idk)

anyway, i did book a trial guzheng lesson. and maybe if it really hooks me up i'll attend a few normal classes... and if my interest holds up, i might consider buying a secondhand one? on the other hand, it also feels like i should try to fully ride the waves while this excitement is going 📈🔺⏫.... hrhsldkjflsjd idk anymore ;;;;

#rin rambles #rin's journal #making a tag bc this is probably too long to be just a 'ramble' hskdjsjd #in any case the salary adjustment at w should kick in next month so hopefully i have some $ to spare for a guzheng if it ever comes to it..#my specs: i thought- // me: yes ik your lens is fucked and i need to buy a new one BUT BUT BUT- /smacked #ugh i have too many things i want orz hskdjskdjls

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mimisempai · 5 months

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To a new year with you

Summary

On New Year's Eve, Greg joins Mycroft on the balcony of their apartment and although they're both convinced that New Year's resolutions are overrated, Greg suggests a little game that could make the concept a lot more interesting.

Notes

Mystrade Monday 3.0 #70 - Characters A and B make New Year’s resolutions and bet who will break their resolution first.

@mystradepromptsandscenarios

On AO3

424 words - Rating G

"What are you doing here all by yourself? The party's inside, isn't it?"

Leaning against the balcony railing, Mycroft felt two arms wrap around his waist as the detective rested his chin on his shoulder. He leaned into the embrace and replied softly, "My little brother is already impossible to stand in his normal state, so when he's drunk..."

Greg, glancing behind him, chuckled softly and replied, "You're right.

For a moment, they remained embraced in a silence broken only by the ambient sounds of New Year's Eve celebrations throughout the neighborhood.

Greg asked quietly, "What's on your mind?"

Mycroft turned between his arms and replied earnestly, "New Year's resolutions."

"And what's yours?"

Mycroft sighed before answering, "I don't know if it really matters because I know I won't keep them."

Greg shook his head and said softly, "I'd tend to think the same, but I've got an idea."

Mycroft tilted his head and raised a questioning eyebrow.

The detective said, "How about we make a bet on which one of us breaks one of his New Year's resolutions first?"

A mischievous gleam appeared in Mycroft's eyes as he asked, "And what will be the penalty?"

Greg thought for a moment and replied, "The winner decides."

"Interesting."

Mycroft brushed Greg's hair back and, resting his hand on his lover's cheek, asked, "And what will be your first resolution, my love?"

"One I'm about to lose...less smoking."

Mycroft chuckled softly and Greg added, "Your turn."

Mycroft replied with a half smile on his lips, "One I think I'll lose soon too, less working."

It was Greg's turn to chuckle before he said more seriously, "Tell you what, I'll give you a resolution, stop defining yourself by the mistakes of your past."

"Fine, then stop putting yourself down."

The two lovers continued to make resolutions for the new year when they were suddenly interrupted by Sherlock's loud voice, which they could hear even through the closed door.

"10! 9! 8..."

As his brother continued the countdown, Mycroft took Greg's face in his hands and just as Sherlock shouted, "Happy New Year!", he brought his face close to his lover's and whispered softly, "Happy New Year, my love."

Greg barely had time to reply before Mycroft pressed his lips to his own, and even Sherlock's banging on the glass door didn't stop them from celebrating the New Year with a long, deep kiss.

After all, that had been one of their shared new year's resolutions.

More time for themselves.

So they might as well start now.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story 🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Mystrade masterlist here

#mystrade #mycroft holmes #greg lestrade #mycroft x greg #some fluff as always #sherlock bbc #emotional hurt/comfort #established relationship #mystrade monday #mystrade monday prompts

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coraniaid · 7 months

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Did Buffy (or anybody else) tell Faith about the Cruciamentum?

On the one hand, the answer seems to be yes: at the very least, Faith immediately guesses why Wesley is in the library at the beginning of Bad Girls ("New Watcher?") and later makes it clear she knows he is there to be Buffy's new Watcher as well as hers ("You're actually gonna take orders from him?"). So she must at least have been told that Giles had been fired, if not anything about why. And Buffy does start spending a lot more time with Faith immediately after the events of Helpless (both in Bad Girls and in The Zeppo) so she'd have had plenty of opportuntiy to tell her if she wanted to (and if she was going to talk to anybody about it, why not Faith?). At the very least, it would be pretty shitty not to warn Faith that she had a Cruciamentum of her own to look forward to (assuming, of course, that Faith is actually younger than Buffy, which I think on balance she has to be even though there are some hints that she isn't).

On the other hand, Faith's implicit argument that Buffy shouldn't take orders from Wesley seems to boil down to the fact he's "pretty much just a dork" and not refer at all to the fact that the Council who sent him almost got Buffy killed not less than a month ago. And would Faith "I have a problem with authority figures" Lehane really be as quick to forgive and forget Giles's actions as Buffy herself seem to be? (We move on very quickly from Buffy's "you bastard [...] if you touch me, I'll kill you." Would Faith?) If Faith knows about it, it's kind of odd that Giles role in the Cruciamentum never comes up in any of Faith and Buffy's arguments in Consequences. When Buffy suggests they tell Giles, why doesn't Faith remind her that Giles is also an authority figure who can't be trusted, one of the "nine times out of ten" somebody's public face isn't their real one?

The resolution, I suppose, is that Buffy doesn't tell Faith about Giles's role in the Cruciamentum because -- as far as the show is concerned -- it already didn't happen. The test itself will only be brought up once again, in Season 5's Checkpoint (funnily enough, the only Season 5 episode to remember that Faith exists), and in a way that suggests Giles had no involvement in it at all.

Although this season is much more serialized than the first two, it's still a lot more episodic than what will come in two or three years' time. What matters from Helpless is that Giles was fired. The actual details as to why are something we don't only not need to know, we're actively encouraged to forget them. Giles's betrayal of Buffy's trust won't be brought up again, and much of the subsequent plot only makes sense if you pretend it didn't happen at all. Indeed, it's arguably vital to Faith's character that she doesn't know about it: she exists in this story to be a Buffy who doesn't have a good relationship with her Watcher and is envious of the Watcher Buffy does have. That doesn't really work so well if Faith knows Giles was willing to repeatedly drug and lie to Buffy before sending her off powerless to fight a vampire. Who would envy that?

This episode might be about consequences, but -- not for the last time -- the show is very selective about which actions have consequences and who gets to suffer from them.

#btvs #buffy rewatch 2023

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littlemissaddict · 5 months

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Simply Meant To Be - Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

So I started this before Christmas while watching The Nightmare Before Christmas and had planned to have this up New Years Eve but as usual I'm late. This is such a self indulgent fic and there is no real plot to it other than me wanting my own Sally/Jack moment but this is the only way I'm going to get it so I hope you guys enjoy it just as much.

Word Count: 2621

She'd begun to wish she'd never even brought up the idea of the stupid New Years Eve party. Normally Eddie was all for them knowing he'd make a bit of extra cash in his dealings that would mean he wouldn't have to ask Wayne for the cash just to be able to fill his gas tank, which Wayne was more than happy to do, it was just Eddie hated asking as he knew he struggled to get by as it was.

"I just don't understand why someone is throwing a fancy dress party in December, it's not fucking Halloween" he ranted, not taking his eyes off the joint he was rolling although she wasn't sure if it was really the party bothering him or the fact she suggested they go as Jack and Sally. Which had been slightly selfish on her part as she hoped to have her own 'Simply meant to be' moment like the one at the end of the movie but that was just wishful thinking going on Eddie's reaction.

She sighed knowing it wasn't going to happen, "tis fine Eds you don't have to come, I'll just tag along with Steve and Robin" she told him, accepting defeat and trying to change the subject as they were supposed to be hanging out and a grumpy Eddie was no fun.

“So you're still going ahead with this then?” Robin asked.

It was the night of the party and Robin had come to hers to get ready, then Steve would be picking them up at 7. It had been a couple of days later when Robin had asked if she was still going that she spilled about the incident with Eddie and his outburst at her suggestion.

“It's the only costume I have, seeing as I presumed Eddie would at least pretend to be as excited about this as me, seeing as he knows it's my favourite movie” she told Robin, and while it wasn't a lie that she'd only bought this costume even though she'd had plenty of time since his rejection to get another one, part of her hoped that he would come around to the idea.

“You could always join me and Steve” Robin offered her a small smile, “You can never have too many Men In Black” she added, hoping to lift her mood.

She stared at the dress hung up on her closet door, the beautiful patchwork that was Sally's dress and made up her mind. “Thanks for the offer but this is what I want, even in spite of Eddie” she smiled, resolution clear in her tone as she made for her make up set on the dressing table. Robin watched as she turned herself into the character, forgoing the blue skin as they had left it too late to start getting ready and the both knew Steve would get impatient about having to wait for them.

“Looking good, ladies”

It was about half an hour later when the sound of Steve’s voice from her bedroom door startled them both, thankfully they were both suitably dressed and he hadn’t walked in on either one of them changing as she doesn’t think either of the three of them could have dealt with the outcome of that.

“Your mom let me in” he shrugs in explanation to his sudden appearance as they both glare at him for the scare he just gave them, wandering into the room and peering around as if it was the first time he’d been there. It wasn’t. “Oh come on, don’t look at me like that, we're going to a party it’s supposed to be fun” he says exaggeratedly, acknowledging the looks the two of them were sharing between themselves. “There'll be no grumps tonight or I ain’t taking either of you” he adds, causing her to scoff and mumble to herself.

“Yeah that’s why Eddie’s not here” she repeats a little louder this time at Steve’s request as both he and Robin missed her the first time.

“Yeah, yeah I heard all about ‘Mr I’m Too Good For Fancy Dress’ now let’s get going” he urges, pulling out his sunglasses and putting them on even though there was no possible way he could see with them on.

“I’m gonna walk if you plan on driving in those” Robin threatens as they follow him down the stairs.

Her mother calls to them as they reach the hallway, making for the door, telling them to have a good time but to be safe. She also reminds Steve of her curfew, making it his responsibility to have her home on time and Steve, being Steve, can’t refuse her not for fear of making it into her bad books. The scene in front of them has her and Robin holding back laughter as Steve reassures her that he'll have you home on time and not a minute later.

“Kiss ass” Robin says between bursts of laughter as soon as the car doors shut behind the three of them and she can't help but join in.

Steve spits out protests to the statement, his face beet red as she leans across from the back seat to rest a gentle hand on his shoulder, “Don't worry Steve, you can do no wrong in her eyes, hell she'd probably even let you get away with murder” she jokes, unable to resist the urge to tease him a little bit more and this time he realises what they're doing, brushing off their laughter at his expense and starting the car. “I'm serious though Steve, I swear my mom loves you more than me sometimes, you know after the first time you and Robin came around she asked me if we were dating” she revealed.

“I'm taking that this was before you and Eddie got together” Robin asks, interrupting her.

“Obviously, you know how much she adores him though” she smiles, they'd all seen the way her mom would fuss over Eddie whenever he came around, the same way she fussed over Steve, “she was so disappointed by the fact that you weren't going to be her possible future son in law, even tried to talk me into dating you and that was only after the first meeting” she adds, it was the first time she'd told either of them this, not that she’s purposely kept it a secret there just never seemed a reason to bring it up until now.

“You know there's still time to make me her future son in law” he smiles, catching her eye and winking at her in the rear view mirror.

She laughs in response, knowing that he was joking but Robin groans in protest as if thinking he was being serious. “God no, please don’t” she whines turning to face her in the back seat, “I love you both and I want you to be happy but I don’t wanna be a constant third wheel” she adds, a very serious look on her face.

“Chill out will you, I’m already taken and Steve doesn’t like me like that” she reminds her over dramatic friend as Steve agrees with her from the front. Robin sighs in relief as they pull up outside the house she assumes is their destination if the music booming from inside is anything to go by.

They make their way inside to an already crowded house and head straight to the kitchen to get a drink. Steve sticks with a soda as he’s the designated driver, since he’s the only one out of the three of them that actually has a licence, while Robin grabs two solo cups and fills them with the first thing she finds.

She takes the cup from Robin and hesitantly takes a sip, spluttering at what tastes like neat vodka. “Jeez Rob, did you actually put any mixer in this?” she asks, looking at the drink cluttered counter tops for coke, lemonade or anything to add to the alcohol.

With drinks in hand they made their way into the thick of the party, losing track of time and of how many drinks they’d had until half past eleven when the music was suddenly halted so that they could all be warned of the time. “C’mon let’s head outside, don't want to miss the fireworks” Robin urged tugging on her hand and weaving through the crowd towards the back door.

She cast a glance at Steve who merely shook his head, having had enough of their drunken antics even though she’d had nowhere near as much to drink as Robin and was only a little tipsy, yet he still followed them out to the back yard. They were the only ones out there, except a few stragglers who were either having a smoke or just escaping from the madness inside.

“You sure you want to wait another half an hour out here, it’s a little chilly” she asked, already feeling the goosebumps prickling along her skin and making her shiver after mere minutes in the cold December air.

“Sure as sure can be” Robin nodded vigorously, a little too excitedly as she unexpectedly reached out to grab her arms to steady herself and would have tipped the both of them over if Steve’s quick reactions hadn’t kept them on their feet.

“I’m gonna go get you some water just stay here” he told her with a shake of his head as he disappeared inside, leaving her with Robin who for some reason could not seem to keep still all of a sudden and she had no idea why.

The excitable jitters didn’t seem to stop once Steve was back with the water and she began to wonder if it was a way of keeping warm and she was tempted to join her until she felt the warmth of a jacket being wrapped around her shoulders. Turning she was met with Steve’s kind smile as she realised that it was his jacket, “M’not going to let you freeze out here just cause she’s too excited for the fireworks” he chuckled, nodding towards Robin who seemed to be in a world of her own as she scanned the backyard as if looking for someone though again she had no idea why until a figure walked into view from around the side of the house. A figure she’d recognise anywear, dressed in all black with wild curls.

Eddie.

As he came closer she could see what looked like white chalk marks running in stripes down his jeans and leather jacket, a jacket which underneath sported a white t-shirt and on his face the familiar markings of Jack Skellington. She couldn’t believe it, he decided to come albeit very late but he’d still shown in a matching costume for her.

Slipping Steve’s jacket from her shoulders, she thanked him again even if she’d only worn it for a short period of time as she made her way towards Eddie. As she came to a stop in front of him, he reached for her hands and started speaking before she had a chance and although it took her a minute to realise what he was doing when she did it had tears of joy filling her eyes that he was doing this for her.

“My dear friend, if you don’t mind,

I’d like to join you by your side,

Where we can gaze into the stars

And sit together, now and forever,

For it is plain to see,

We’re simply meant to be”

She joined him at the end, it was silly and sappy but god it was perfect. “I’m sorry I upset you, I didn’t realise how much you wanted to do this and if I did, I wouldn’t have hesitated to come” he told her afterwards.

“It’s okay Eddie I-” she was going to tell him that she forgave him but then it hit her, she hadn’t told him that he’d upset her with his dismissal of the party, “how’d you know?” she asked, interrupting herself.

“Robin, she called me this afternoon and called me allsorts or names, telling me that I owed you this after all you do for me coming to shows at the shitty bar, sitting through hellfire meetings and putting up with me when I fuck up just like I did with this” he explained and she cast a glance over her shoulder to where she’d left Steve and Robin and now her strange behaviour of wanting to be outside and the jitters made sense, she was on the look out for Eddie making sure he kept to the promise he made her. “And I would have been here earlier but I tried to get a costume but nowhere had one in stock so I had to improvise with this shitty excuse” he added.

She shook her head at him, “I love your attempt” she told him, her hands squeezing his hands from where they were still clasped together.

Her words seemed to put him at ease as he carried on, “and then I felt like I had to make it up to you so I rented the film and watched it, that’s when the idea came to me so I watched the end scene on repeat until I knew it word for word just so I could surprise you with it” he carried on with his explanation, pausing to take a breath, “I love you sweetheart and I’m so very sorry I’ll spend the whole night grovelling at your feet if it’ll make up for my fuck up” he promised, making her laugh.

“I’m sure that’d be very entertaining but you don’t have to” she assured him, “in fact I’d never thought I’d get this in my wildest dreams so thank you for making one of my dreams come true” she chuckles and they both know she’s referring to his little sing song.

“If you stay the night maybe I can make a few more come true” he suggests, a pout on his lips but a mischievous glint shimmering in his eyes that has her shaking her head at him but the smile is irremovable from her face.

There’s more the both want to say but it’ll have to wait as the countdown begins from inside the house, growing louder as everyone makes their way into the garden, “Happy New Year sweetheart” Eddie smiles as the first firework lights up the sky.

“Happy New Year Eddie” she replies, leaning in to fulfil the well known new years tradition and kissing him.

“Okay lovebirds, I’m happy that you're good again but we’ve got a curfew to keep” Steve’s voice breaks them apart as Eddie’s stares blankly at him while she can’t help but laugh.

“Oh Steve, she was kidding, she’s not expecting me home because we were supposed to be spending the night at yours” she reminds him as Eddie joins in the laughter as he realises what was going on, “only there’s been a slight change of plans, I’m staying at Eddie’s” she tells him.

“You’ll have to stop by for your overnight bag” Steve relents, remembering that you and Robin dropped your bags off the day before to save time now that he’s sure your mom won’t kill him for having you home late.

“Don’t worry about it man, she won’t need it” Eddie winks as Robin fake gags at his words.

“Ok didn’t need that mental image” Steve grimaces as he catches on to what Eddie is implying, “I’ll see you guys later then I guess” he finishes and she nods as she and Eddie say their goodbyes before heading to his van and then his trailer which they have all to themselves for the rest of the night.

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x reader fluff #eddie munson x reader angst #eddie munson oneshot #eddie munson blurb #eddie munson drabble #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson angst #eddie munson #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things

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drawingdroid · 5 months

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Melting Point: Chapter III

A Sculptor Din Djarin x Art PhD Reader Series

Read Prologue | Chapter I | Chapter II

Chapter III: The Father/Yield Strength

Summary: It's your first day working for Din Djarin and you learn some personal things about him, but the highlight of the afternoon is seeing again the little boy!

Words: 3306

Warnings: In this chapter topics about war are discussed! It's brief but if that triggers you, take care! This is a slow burn, you've been warned!; a lot of talking about Art and PhD life; Reader is not Grogu's nanny but this is very Grogucentric if that makes sense; And Reader is Din's employee too; Very grumpy and antisocial Mando; Grogu is human but the only thing described are his eyes; Reader appearance is left blank; Age gap of 10-15 years; Fluff fluff fluff

A/N: Happy New Year y'all! Wow, holidays are exhausting and I just wanted to isolate and write, so I'm glad to have this out finally. I'm so thankful for your comments and notes, they made the world to me! Even though I don't answer, (it's in my New Year's resolutions to overcome that anxiety) I read you and my heart warms up! Anyway, hope you enjoy ol' gruff Mando, I promise he's warming up the next chapter, but I love to stay truthful to the character and write him rough around the edges. Tell me what you think!

In the end, you could have saved yourself the embarrassment of asking for his name, because it was all over the work contract he emailed you the next morning. After the realisation that you knew each other from the opening, you had asked briefly about his son and left awkwardly. Why he hadn’t said anything was a mystery to you, although you suspected that he, indeed, didn’t like you. But it didn’t make sense that he hired someone he didn’t like. You sighed, realizing you were overthinking again.

Still not able to recover from the fact that your new boss was also the attractive dad you had met at the art exhibition, you walked through the faculty to meet Professor Armorer again. She didn't greet you this time, concentrated on a piece she was hammering. You waited by the forge, mesmerized by the sheer force she possessed and the hypnotizing colours of red hot beskar. It was a beautiful spectacle. Finally, she was satisfied with the piece, she introduced it in cold water, provoking smoke to form.

"You've met him." She said after the prolonged silence, the visor of her mask fixated on you now while she discarded her plier. You nodded, growing every day more accustomed to the economic use of the language of both your professor and your boss.

"He definitely needed help." You commented, picturing the hell of a table where he had his documents piling.

"I think you'll be able to learn a lot from each other." your tutor said mysteriously. You didn't know how you were supposed to teach anything to a professional sculptor like him, you'll be happy just giving him a hand, but you didn't say anything.

"I'm grateful for this opportunity Professor, I'll be able to stay in Nevarro thanks to you both." You said with humility and she nodded in acknowledgement.

"Now that you're more established, I'm arranging a meeting for you to know your colleagues. I'll send you the details soon." You'd been eager to meet the members of your investigation group since you had read the articles they published in prestigious art magazines. Their work was outstanding, and they were pioneers in a laser technique that revolutionized art restoration. You felt like a nobody in comparison to them. Probably that was why you didn't receive the scholarship.

"I'm looking forward to meeting them." You tried to sound cheerful but your feelings of unworthiness were starting to flood your insides. If your professor noticed it, you were unaware of it.

"One more thing. I'm emailing you a list of the readings you must prepare before the meeting. You'll be able to find most of them in the faculty library." You smiled at the prospect of immersing yourself in new knowledge and nodded, this time enthusiastically. Then she returned to her work without saying anything more and that was your cue to leave but you couldn't get your feet to move.

"Professor." She lifted her gaze from the anvil, letting you know you had her attention. "Who was the scholarship given to?" You asked in a small voice. She took her time responding.

"Genetic Engineer. Penn Pershing." She revealed and then started to melt Beskar again.

You left the workshop buried deep in thought, but feeling a bit relieved. It was normal that the university prioritised something as important as generic engineering over art. You convinced yourself to feel a little less bad about the scholarship. Art didn't save lives, you reflected. Discovering the formula for organ clonation did. You decided to move on and start focusing on the present moment. Your research, your job and your writing, so you decided to head to the library to find the books Professor Armourer had sent until it was time to head to work.

The sky was as grey as Beskar when you left the library with a pile of books in your arms. Luckily, they had most of them as your tutor had said, but you'd have to be imaginative to find the most rare of them.

The volcanic activity of Nevarro sometimes made the sky this heavy colour, but today it looked more like a storm was forming as the breeze was cold and smelled like rain. You ran to the bus, not wanting under any circumstance that the books you had just lent ended molten because of the weather. On the bus ride, you started reading one of the books that had caught your attention the most: Ritual Weapons of Mandalorian Culture. An anthropological view. There was a dense introduction about the importance of weapons in Mandalorian religion and then the first chapter depicted the most important of them, something called The Darksaber. You observed the drawing of the sword. It looked like how you imagined a black hole to be and the view gave you shivers. According to the writer, it was lost in The Purge, as the majority of Mandalorian devices and art. You sighed and closed the book, noticing you had arrived at your destination. You looked up to check the sky. It was darker than before and you'll swear you could hear thunder. Great.

Your boss had told you yesterday that he always left the door unlocked so you could just slip in without knocking every time, so you went inside the workshop carrying the heavy pile of books and deposited them in your workspace

"I'm here!" It looked like he was nowhere to be seen, and you started preparing your computer to open the spreadsheet where you had been tracking all his documents. No way you were using the 90's antique he had lying on the desk.

After 20 or 25 minutes, you grew worried. His truck was at the door, so he had to be inside. Your overactive brain started to generate possibilities. Maybe he'd had an accident and was lying in some corner of the studio? Bleed dry? Unconscious? You just got this job, your boss couldn't die the second day at work! You checked your phone but you didn't have any message from him, so you started wandering around the studio.

Soon you forgot you were looking for your boss's corpse. You hadn't had the opportunity to see any of his sculptures since the wire he had been welding yesterday didn't have any information about the project he was working on. But when you ventured further into the workshop, finally you saw some pieces of his in different states of completion here and there. It was clear that his primary material was metal, but you could see some stone and clay ones too. There was something familiar in all of them, but you supposed it was that they took inspiration from traditional Mandalorian art.

The styles were diverse, it didn't look like he stuck with one but more likely he explored different techniques depending on the project. For some reason, no finished piece was to be seen, but there were two sculptures in a corner that caught your attention. They looked more traditional than the other artwork since there were clearly two human busts, a man and a woman, portrayed in a semi-realistic way. They were made from molten bronze that looked like lava cooled down, which made them very expressive, but your favourite detail about them was the missing parts of the faces as if the sculptor had forgotten part of the model's features as he had been modelling them.

You observed the sculptures for some time until a cough behind you made you jump.

"Sorry! I didn't want to pry…" You turned in your heels to be welcomed by the wall of your boss's expansive chest. You felt so embarrassed you could die right there but then you noticed.

He wasn't wearing the mask.

Angular jaw covered by stubble, beautiful aquiline noise and plump lips framed by a neat moustache. You couldn't get yourself to meet his eyes though. It was already impolite how you were staring at his face.

"You work here." He said simply in his beautiful baritone voice as if that gave you full permission to nose around the studio. "Sorry for being late." Then you noticed he had been caught in the rain as his shoulders looked soaked. You were so mesmerized by the sculptures you didn't notice that indeed, the storm had started.

"No worries." You responded. Finally, you dared to not evade his gaze and be polite enough to look up.

Oh, Maker. Were those the warmest pair of eyes you had ever seen?

They looked kind, and welcoming. And also sad and tired. Terribly sad. You felt a knot in your throat and had to look away.

"This…this bust they're…incredible." You said deflecting the attention from the effect that gaze had had on you, even though you regretted not having picked a better word to depict your admiration. Looking again at them after having seen his face, you noticed something. "Are they your family?" You ventured. The look-alike was evident even though the portraits were fractioned. He lifted his brows with a hint of surprise and took his time to answer. You regretted being so nosy immediately.

"My parents." He answered in a raspier voice than usual. You nodded and smiled kindly, but still wondered if you had made him upset.

"I see." You fidgeted uncomfortably. For some reason, any of you were moving. The air was tense. "I should be starting with that paperwork." You finally got yourself together and looked at his face again. His head was a bit tilted to his right as if he was deep in thought. You noticed his soaked hair was dark and wavy, now plastered to his head because of the rain. "You should probably go dry yourself a bit." His dark chocolate eyes fixated on yours and he slowly nodded, moving so you could return to your desk.

You smiled again and returned to work. Now that you were under his gaze, you noticed how wild your heart was racing. He was your boss, you had to put yourself together. It didn't matter that he was crazy talented and incredibly handsome. After some deep breaths, you were able to calm yourself and return to work when he made an appearance again. Apparently, he had changed his overalls for dry ones and thank god he was wearing his usual welding mask.

"I've restocked the fridge uh…and there's a kettle if you want some tea." He was fidgeted with a towel he probably had used to dry his hair, because the strands were now looking into every direction. "It's starting to get colder."

"That's thoughtful of you, thanks." You tried to be relaxed and natural. It was easier without having those incredible eyes staring at you. He nodded and then left you with the paperwork. Soon you could hear the familiar sounds of the cutting machine and then a hammer. Today he didn't turn on the radio.

After finally achieving to order all the invoices by date and introducing all the data about suppliers in your growing spreadsheet, you gave yourself permission to stretch and make use of that kettle.

The kitchenette was old but clean and it had everything one could need. You looked through the cupboards and, to your surprise, your boss had a good collection of teas. You decided to go for a comforting blend called Apple pie chai. Cute, you thought. You wondered if he would fancy some too and prepared two mugs. While waiting for the water to boil, you stuck your nose in the fridge. There were sweet and savoury snacks and some fruit too. You went for the apples to complement the tea and cut them into bite-sized pieces for both of you and then put some dark chocolate next to them. When the tea was ready, you put everything on a tray and went to the bench he was working on.

"Snack?" You asked softly offering the tray. He lifted his gaze from his work and it took a bit for him to react until he nodded and lifted his welding mask.

"Thank you." He picked the mug closer to him with his orange-fingered gloves still on. Closing his eyes, he smelled the aroma of the tea. "It's been a while since I've had this one."

"Though it matched with the autumn weather." Even though it was still the beginning of September, the temperature drop looked more like a full autumnal afternoon. Then both of you enjoyed your drinks and snacks looking to the rain through the huge windows for a while until he talked.

"Will you arrive home safely with this storm?" He then asked. It didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon and you looked worried at the pile of books you had brought from the library, frowning. "I can give you a ride." He offered, noticing your worry for the precious cargo. You'll normally brush away an offer like that, but it wasn't a single possibility that you and the books would arrive dry to your dorm.

"I'll appreciate that a lot, but only if is not a bother. I live a bit far away from here."

"Don't worry about it." He then finished his tea and put his welding mask down again, resuming work. That was your cue to return to your desk now, but first, you washed everything you had used and dried it.

The rest of the afternoon was quiet, the incessant rain just interrupted by thunder from time to time, and after some time a a lot of sticky notes, you had organised a huge part of the table not only by theme but by date too. You didn't want to pry much, so you had been just overeading the documents a bit. Electricity bills, client invoices, supplier info, everything was now in neat stacks. You hadn't checked the time. It was almost 17:00. Your boss had noticed too, because he approximated you and stopped in his tracks when he saw the piles of documents.

"This is…" He observed everything like he couldn't believe it. "Thank you." He added sincerely, now looking at you.

You smiled smugly, knowing you were efficient.

"I have a system, I can explain it to you tomorrow, but in the meantime, it would be great to get some folders." You said while picking your things. "I'll also start digitalizing everything and entering the data in a spreadsheet so it's easier to find everything." He nodded slowly. It wasn't clear who was the boss at this moment.

He nodded again in approval. Your gaze met his mask, fixing the t-shaped visor in it. You had liked working in silence with him this afternoon. Sometimes you had observed how he welded the thick wire or bent it at his will. It looked like he knew exactly what he was doing.

“We should be going,” Din said before starting to remove his mask and gloves. You nodded and picked up the pile of books you brought from the library. He disconnected the electricity and put on his brown leather jacket and you both were ready to leave. His truck was parked at the door, but the rain was pouring so hard you thought you better run for the sake of the books, nevertheless without a word, your boss opened a battered umbrella and covered you. “Go inside.”

You looked at him wide-eyed for the kind gesture and obliged, rushing to the passenger door. He opened it for you and in a heartbeat was seated in the driver’s seat. You gave him your address and he started the car. The truck was indeed old, but under his hands, it worked like clockwork. He drove with confidence even in the storm with terrible visibility. You noticed through the mirror the baby car seat behind.

“Thank you for the ride, I wouldn’t have survived this storm” you said softly, looking at the road. He hummed acknowledging your words and continued driving in silence. You were tense and weren’t sure if you should try small talk or not, a million thoughts going through your mind.

“I need to pick up Grogu before dropping you,” he said after a while, a hint of something you didn’t recognize in his steady voice.

“Of course, it’ll be great to see the little guy again!” You were surprised but happy to meet the cute toddler so soon. He was just so cheerful, especially in contrast with his gruff dad. It looked like mentioning his son softened him a bit because it was him who gave small talk a try.

“Uh…you have a lot of books there.” You smiled and looked at him and he passed his right hand through his hair.

“Those were the ones Professor Amorer told me to read for my thesis,” you explained. “I already started one about weapons, it’s so interesting.”

“How so?”

You shifted in your seat, growing excited to speak about your favourite topic. “There’s an entire chapter dedicated to this ancient weapon, The Darksaber. Almost anyone has seen it and the text leaves unclear what it is exactly, but the stories say that the one who has it shall rule Mandalore.”

Din visibility tensed and clenched his jaw and you wondered what had you said to fuck up. Ever his knuckles grabbing the steering wheel turned white.

“It isn’t like there’s anything left to rule anyways.” His tone was sour and you felt terrible for being so unthoughtful.

“I’m truly sorry for your loss, I’ve been tactless.” You lowered your head in shame, not looking at him. After the Great Purge, Mandalorians were refugees without a land to come back to, and you sometimes forgot that in your excitement, even though that was the destruction of Mandalore was first reason you were driven to study and preserve Mandalorian Art. Watching so much heritage being destroyed in The Purge, some of it stolen or trafficked in the black market, gave you the push to focus on the topic. You remembered being a girl and watching the bombings on the TV, the horror. It was a genocide and the annihilation of a beautiful culture. For you, preserving their Art was, in a way, to preserve their memory.

“It’s alright, it’s been a while.” He looked sad now, although you couldn’t really tell because of his permanent scowl. You didn’t talk again until he stopped the truck. “We’re here, it’ll be just a moment.”

With the umbrella from before, he rushed to the front door of a single-family home. Despite of the heavy rain, you could see the lawn was well taken for. A woman appeared from inside, and you could see she had long hair and a kind smile. She handed the boy to Din and waved to them when they left. You noticed a little girl appeared behind the woman and waved to them too. You wondered who they were.

“Here you are…” Din strapped the kid in his seat and you couldn’t help but turn to greet him.

“Hi little man, how was your afternoon?” Grogu squeaked excitedly, giving you a toothy smile.

“It seems like he remembers you.” His dad had returned to the driver’s seat and he looked softer now. You couldn’t help but feel relieved, the conversation had been a bit tense before. “Did you have a good time with Winta?” He asked the child, and the little one started an incomprehensible debriefing with his dad.

“That looks like a lot of fun!” You commented, and the kid looked at you with those dark, bright eyes. You smiled at him and he reached with his hand to you. Obliging to his silent petition, you let him grab your hand with his little one. It was when you heard something you weren’t expecting and warmed your heart.

Din Djarin chuckled.

Next Chapter

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