#what a professional specialty to have man i feel for her
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so one of my skills in life is that i test very well, largely because of pattern recognition, and i realized today that it’s pretty detrimental to the medical evaluation process. i basically scored perfect on a hearing test today that ruled out some diagnoses, and i am only now going back over the process in my mind and realizing that i didn’t actually hear a bunch of stuff i said i did, i just knew the right answer because the pattern of words and beeps was a consistent speed and pattern and they told me in advance what words they were going to use so like? yeah?? of course i knew when to raise my hand and could figure out what word you were saying? anyway i got an A in hearing which is normal to want yet perhaps detrimental to achieve.
and i can’t really call them and go “sorry i think i outsmarted your test, like a dumbass” so if i notice my hearing getting worse i’ll call them back and get re-tested, and bring someone with me to be like “your goal is not to pass the test. repeat after me. your goal is not to pass the test.”
#i just like to ✨ impress people ✨ by getting all the answers right#and i can’t seem to turn that part of my personality off. fuck me. anyway#i havé à bunch of people in my life with hearing loss tho so i know that my hearing IS pretty good#and none of the stuff they discounted based on the test had cures anyway soooo no big loss#this poor woman like yeah tinnitus can be caused by literally anything and there’s nothing you can do about it#it might seem to go away but it’ll definitely come back and will continue to suck even though we don’t know what caused it. sorry#try not to stab yourself in the ear i guess#what a professional specialty to have man i feel for her#the symptoms
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okay so i've had an idea, and my destiny 2/cayde-6 brain worms are too strong so i'm never personally going to write this BUT. had a thought. about civilian specialist!reader, an ethical hacker that works with agencies of all sorts to nab cyber criminals, with a specialty in trafficking. SO, the idea is that she's been working in a little hacker pod of primarily women and LGBT folks. basically has formed a queer little social bubble where there is nary a cis-man in sight.
enter the 141.
they're after some guy that's difficult to pin down. too tech savvy for their usual intel gathering techniques. so, reader gets called in. referred. price is told, "top of their field, a true professional, won't find anyone better." so, when a tattooed, green haired girl with an attitude and a mouth for back sassing shows up, he's flummoxed.
but soap, dear johnny boy, is smitten. head over fucking heels puppy boy love.
she passes all the tests, proves to be every bit of the professional while on a job that was promised. so she gets added, temporarily, to the team. has to be on site with 'em too, something about needing direct access to a closed network, who knows none of them really understand what she's saying anyway.
so they're on the job, out in the field, and reader has been trapped in testosterone soaked HELL for weeks now. it's getting to her. the belches, Ghost's crass jokes, the Horrible Feet Smell. the bulldoze ahead without consideration attitude of self assured, confident men that haven't really been told 'no' enough in their lives.
and johnny, poor johnny, overhears her say to gaz (cause lets be honest, he's the only one of them that'd have a skin care routine and regularly moisturize so she's bonded with him the most), "i can feel this experience actively turning me into a lesbian" after watching price flick a still lit cigar into the dirt and hock up a smokers lung loogie to finish it off. johnny panics.
from then on he is Desperately trying to get the lads to clean up their act because "no. no, no, no, she cannae be a lesbian i havenae asked her out yet." (─‿‿─)♡
i'm gonna keep it a stack , i think i've seen some like hacker girl who's got a whip for a tongue and attitude for days on here somewhere, alTHOUGH i think she pulled in price, i can't really remember.
she was all tatted up too i think?
it's out there, i just know it.
johnny nagging behind the guys like please god stop being disgusting i need her number is killing me though
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Rain..
He theoretically understand the concept of love
Neuvillette x Reader | y/n | you
short story
Part 1 | Part 2
[ how can you love someone when you don't have a reason? ]
---------------------------
[ Two years ago ]
The first day of work you didn’t think to see the Chief of Justice but you did.
You were in charge of handling the new case files as well as writing specific paperworks for the court. It was your specialty so you’re confident to do a good job for those tasks.
On your way back to your desk after getting some refreshments, someone was walking ahead towards your empty desk. The first thing your eyes noticed was the man’s waist long white hair with two blue navy coloured strands.
‘It’s just like an insect’s antenna but combed neatly’. You secretly thought after seeing those two blue navy strands of his hair. Fortunately, you didn’t laugh like a madwoman for thinking such bizarre thoughts.
His slow and calm footsteps have forced you to follow his walking pace until you could reach your desk. It was a little awkward because it feels like an eternity to you.
The sole of his shoes echoed through the place and somehow you couldn’t help but walk a little quietly. Just a few more steps he’ll pass by your table and your silent suffering will end.
Or so you thought.
Suddenly he stopped right in front of your desk and you halted as well. He turned, facing your desk and you could see his side profile from where you stood. Instinctively you feel like turning around and act as if you forgot to take something from the refreshment room.
But before you could move, the man wearing a formal navy blue attire turned his head towards you. There were other workers working on their desk accompanied with an ambience of a usual office atmosphere but to you the world suddenly fell silent.
‘Is that the Chief Justice, Neuvillette?’. You finally remembered that man whom you’ve seen before during trials in court. You’ve heard about him many times and see him from afar but never this close.
His enchantingly unnatural blue eyes met your gaze as he suddenly turned to face where you were silently standing. Reflexively, you politely bowed with a slight smile.
‘What the hell?! What the hell!’. You nervously screamed in mind repeating those words like a chant.
Unexpectedly he expressionlessly slightly bowed back in response to you. Truthfully, you didn’t know what to do after that exchange of wordless courtesy.
“Do you perhaps know the person who’s occupying this desk?”. His deep voice rings in your ears.
“I uh… that’s-”. Taken aback for a brief second your mouth didn’t seem to cooperate with your mind.
“It’s… That’s me. What can I help you Sir?”. You quickly responded professionally.
That was your first encounter with that respected and yet mysterious man. Oddly enough despite harbouring various negative thoughts towards him, you didn't think it was all a false assumption until you've had enough encounters with him during work hours.
Most of his direct visits would be because of the wrong things you've done in your work. Imperfections or flaws, things that even your colleagues couldn't distinguish. Despite that, he never scolded you and calmly corrected or advised what needed to be changed. Those frequent corrections last for three months. At some point you even thought of quitting just because he would complain about missing punctuation marks.
Fortunately, you did get better and become an absolute particular about everything before you send those papers to him. You couldn't afford to start everything all over again every time something was written wrong.
[ One year ago ]
A lady whom her partner was responsible for a crime was sentenced to serve a few years in the fortress of Meropide. It was rather serious but at the same time can be considered a normal case that has been conducted fairly.
As one of the workers in court, the lady turns out to be an old acquaintance of yours from your previous work. So naturally she would refer to you, asking if you could help to reduce his sentence. Obviously things like that were impossible to change once the judgment of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale concluded the trial. Everyone should know that but perhaps you were the only person she could share such meaningless concerns with.
For a whole week she would visit your desk and all you could do was try to repeat the same thing in a calm manner. It was a professional process but at the same time it was unnecessary. Your coworkers didn’t know what to do either since she wasn’t being violent.
When Neuvillette learned of this matter from other workers who were talking about it during their lunch break, he went to confirm it with you. However, without even asking he had already seen what was happening.
You didn't think the Chief Justice would care about trivial things nor did you expect to see him standing there in front of your desk during lunch hour.
"Ma'am. With all due respect, it is inconvenient to question the court's staff. As the Chief Justice, I shall assist you with an appropriate solution. Please make an appointment for a meeting with me tomorrow." Neuvillette expressionlessly spoke.
You quietly stood there feeling relieved that someone would professionally reason with this pleading woman. As of late, you only wished to have a peaceful day but you didn’t think he would be the one who’ll throw himself into that situation.
[ Present time ]
"...will you keep it?". Neuvillette implored, looking at your face with a soft smile as he leaned closer to your face.
And here it comes without warning… he has yet again placed himself in a situation that you’d never imagined he would be in. That question he spoke circulating inside your head like a spell but you wonder why…
“Why now? Why?”. That question comes out of your mouth without hesitation and yet your voice was trembling with an evident quiver.
“That’s because…”. Neuvillette gaze falters away from you, he didn’t know what to say. Did he even have a reason in the first place?
“It’s alright. I was being impulsive… I’m sorry”. You gently spoke, cutting his word short as you quickly removed his gloved hand away from your left cheek. It was unreasonable to ask these questions that you knew he wouldn't have an answer to.
“Look at me, y/n! Tell me exactly what you want to hear, something to enlighten those ears.” He unhesitatingly questions with a solemn frown.
You scoffed. He's making you feel so much rage and disappointment but guilty at the same time. It's infuriating to think that he's only using your emotions to understand himself but you couldn't get angry either because he's not even human to begin with. If perhaps he did understand your feelings there wasn't much he could do for you anyway.
The difference between him and you is not something you could easily go up against just for your own selfishness.
"It's nothing". You quietly looked away in response.
"I just think… if I tell you, it'll be meaningless. I don't want you to understand me just because I want you to." You slowly added as you unwaveringly met his gaze.
"But I…". He looked at you pleadingly.
"...I really want to understand you. I still didn't have the answer to your question and I couldn't understand myself either. It pains me so much that I kept thinking about you". He adds soulfully.
"No books could tell me about your thoughts, about your feelings, about how you perceived this world or me… I want to know these things, these little things that you've kept secret from me. Please enlighten me". He spoke slowly but a hint of desperation was clearly evident within his deep voice.
"I know you're trying to understand me… I-". You tried to belittle his reasons yet again.
“I'm denying all the deception you speak of… it is only fair to speak out the truth”. He voiced the disconcerting things that had been kept inside his mind.
[ Eleven months ago ]
“Would you like a cup of coffee or tea?”. You questioned him with a small smile.
"A glass of water would be nice". He responded with a nod.
Unquestioningly you nodded in response, not surprised since that was what he would often request over any other drinks. After washing the glass available from the refreshment room you brought back a glass of water for him.
You would sometimes do these little gestures while he checked your documents every few times in a week. It actually felt a little awkward whenever you just stood in front of his office desk as he reviewed your work. So the idea of taking small tasks such as that was better to pass up some time.
He looked up at you and you thought you've made a mistake yet again with your paperwork.
"I've been wondering if you've been adding sugar into the water?". He suddenly asked before handing you the file of documents.
You took it already wondering if you could file in the documents into the record room. "No, it's fontaine regular filtered water".
"Is that so…" He paused, seemingly thinking of the matter.
"Yes." You want to ask him about the status of the documents but you didn't dare to cut through his words either.
He suddenly stood up, "Are there macaroons?"
You nodded, "Yes, would you like me to bring it for you?"
He nods.
"And about these documents?"
He looked at you briefly before seemingly just remembering the matter, "Leave it on my desk"
You nodded and did as told before heading out to take some macarons from the refreshment room. As you were just a few steps outside, you heard the door to his office open again. You turned your head over your shoulder only to see the chief justice walking out.
"Do you perhaps need something else?"
"I need another glass of water"
You nodded and he only walked towards you which you least expected. Despite that you didn't think much and just proceeded with your given task. Oddly enough, he ended up accompanying you to the refreshment room.
'He should've just got the macaroons himself or asked me to get the glass of water as well'. You think to yourself.
It's one of those feelings where you'd feel awkward to be in a room with your boss at work. Despite doing nothing wrong, it just wasn't that enjoyable. Perhaps seeing his face reminds you of your unfinished work.
He immediately took a glass of water and slowly drank it as if it was wine.
"I shall send this to your office room now". You informed him after arranging a few macaroons into a plate.
He looked at you, "If I may ask, where did you acquire the water?".
He spoke of that same odd question again.
"It's from here".
"Hmm…". He seems to ponder seemingly thinking about matter with a slight frown.
"Did you perhaps forget to wash the glass before filling it up with water?"
"Of course not, I'd make sure to clean it". You started to feel worried about these odd questions.
"Forgive me, I simply wanted to know why the water you gave me tasted so different from regular Fontaine water". He explained as if sensing through your troubled facial expression.
You couldn't help but slightly laugh, "How would… how would it taste any different?"
[ Present time ]
The truth? You sighed at his request.
"Fine." You nodded before walking towards the bench nearby. There weren't many passersby but rather than standing you'd at least minimise the odd occurrence between him and you.
It was crazy enough that he's seen outside instead of in the court.
"This feels so awkward". You admitted as he sat down next to you.
He sighed, he already did and say all those insane things just for you to listen to him and yet you still think the whole situation is awkward. He didn't quite get it. Was he the problem here?
"Right, so the truth…" You subconsciously placed both of your hands to cover your face. Turns out it was difficult to say these simple things.
"You know it already, why are you making me say this". You whined, trying to escape from saying it.
"Whatever it is, I'll believe you. Please, go on ahead and tell me". His eyes glistened as he blinked his eyes to gently hold his gaze onto yours, but you couldn't read his thoughts and intentions as his expression remained gentle and calm, the only thing out of the ordinary was the way he looked at you, which couldn't seem to break its connection with yours.
Without a single word he moved his head close to your cheek, before softly kissing it as a sign to reassure you once more.
Your resolute thoughts to reject him crumble down into a hazy fog of lightness, as if your soul was being pulled into a realm of fairies where the sparkling pixie dust would blind your judgments.
You gasped, your own lungs forced you to breathe. It felt like he was veiling you with an enchantment and you couldn't help but doubt your feelings for him once more.
"I…". You turned to face him with your eyes closed. Somehow, you knew that looking at him directly would only eliminate your focus.
"I love you very much. I know it's silly, maybe I'm just infatuated and to be honest I have no plausible reasons behind these feelings." You sighed.
"Before it's too late, I'd rather-"
A wide smile crept up his lips. That was exactly what he wanted to hear. He waited for a long time.
"You..." He suddenly spoke and you opened your eyes to look at him.
In that instant you forgot the sentence you wanted to tell him. 'Before it's too late, I'd rather let you go' was what you wanted to say but those damn beautiful eyes have left your mind devoid of thoughts. All that was left was your lingering fondness for him.
He stared into your eyes before he gently placed his forehead against yours. His warm breath brushed against your skin, yet he was also as silent as you were for a few seconds.
"It was you... It has always been you."
He brushed his thumb against your cheek, his gaze unshakably focused on you.
"You're everything I've ever wanted, please don't tell me otherwise because how am I supposed to believe my own judgements when I can't even understand myself."
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A/N: intentionally wanted them to be emotionally difficult XD and here I am having a difficult time trying to put on their shoes. I hope his story quest (which I haven't do) will give me inspo for part 3. I want to reveal some truth about him towards her. But of course, let me know if I should continue this.
The Duke's story is halfway done but then I've started another Hai's story (the regular Elucidation Duo) and I miss writing the Inexpressible Duo.
#genshin impact#genshin impact neuvillette#neuvillette#neuvillette x reader#genshin headcanons#genshin imagines
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A common mistake I see everyday as a ProDom is that some gentleman have no idea how to appropriately approach a mistress.
It’s partially laziness, lack of manners or just lack of basic communication skills.
If you’re a sub and you want to approach a Mistress be mindful and respectful.
As ProDoms we receive hundreds of messages we don’t have the capacity in texting with each and everyone for hours just to get the basic information if someone wants to apply for a session.
Here are some Do’s and Don’ts that will help you as a sub to learn how to approach a Mistress!
RT to spread the word and help others! 💋
Do's:
1. Do Your Research: Before reaching out, spend time on the mistresses website or social media profiles. Check out their requirements for you to apply for a session. Understand their specialties—whether they focus on bondage, discipline, sissy training, etc. And see of they even offer what you’re looking for. Don’t waist our times with nonsense questions, that could be easily answered when you would check the website.
2. Communicate Clearly: During your initial contact, whether it's through email or a booking form, be concise yet thorough about your interests, limits, and previous BDSM experience. This clarity helps the dominatrix tailor the session to suit both of you. Mention also daytime and session length you’re interested in the Mistress can see her availability and offer you an alternative date in case she is unavailable.
3. Show Respect: Use the title or name they prefer (Miss, Mistress, Master, etc.), and always maintain a polite and respectful tone in communications. This respect should also extend to respecting their time—arrive on time, be ready to start, and finish sessions as scheduled.
4. Come with a present: Always bring a gift when you visit your Mistress, it doesn’t matter how small or big, let it be flowers, chocolate or parfume, it’s all about the gesture. Never forget that good manners bring you further in life!
5. Do Maintain Confidentiality: Respect the privacy and confidentiality of your interactions. Professional Mistresses value discretion both for themselves and their subs.
Don'ts:
1. Don’t waste a Mistresses time: If you are unsure about the time & date, don’t ask for a session. There is no point in applying for a session if you don’t even know you can attend the session. Simply: don’t ask for an appointment if you can confirm. If you don’t feel 100% ready to attend a Femdom Session don’t ask for one either. We don’t have time to convince to try out a session if you’re not ready.
2. Don't Be Disrespectful: Avoid using overly familiar or derogatory language. Addressing the Mistress as “Babe”, “Darling” etc. is rude. Also message like “How are you?” are completely useless to a Mistress who receives tons of messages in a day. Also important, respect their professional boundaries and don't pry into personal details unless voluntarily shared.
3. Don't Overstep Boundaries: Never attempt to push the dominatrix into an activity that the Mistress doesn’t offer. Respect their limits just as they should respect yours.
4. DON’T TRY TO NEGOTIATE THE MISTRESSES RATES: There is nothing more turning a woman off than a stingy, cheap man. If you can’t afford a session, save money until you can.
5. Don't Cancel Last Minute: Always try to give as much notice as possible if you need to cancel. Understand and respect their cancellation policy, which might include a fee or the deposit being kept. Don’t accept the deposit getting paid back after you cancel last minute
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141 in the Office
I recently went back to working in an office and all I can think of is 141 in a similar situation.
Price - He's always dressed in business casual, whether it's a polo with pressed kahkis or jeans and button up, he's dressed to be professional. Of course he's in charge of your team. He makes sure everyone has the tools to succeed and makes sure that you don't struggle if he can help it. While you don't have as close of a relationship or casual of one like the others, you still catch yourself pausing to smile and wave when you see him at the copier. Cause damn, kahkis never looked so good.
Gaz - He's probably second most professional dressed. He does kahkis now and then, polos a lot, but game days means he's in jeans and his team's jersey. It's not everyday so it's fine. He's the first to say hello to you because he's at the front of the pod of cubicles your team shares and because he likes to check in with everyone. He's very efficient so his work load gets done quickly. He's always offering to help with your work as well as any technical problems, even if you don't ask because everyone can here you grumbling and threatening the programs.
Soap - He's the most casual and laid back. Wears jeans and plain shirts. While he looks like he'd be the laziest person there, he's one of the hardest working. He also makes sure everyone has a decent time at work. If you're having a bad day, he'll take a few minutes to crack a joke to make you chuckle. Maybe even bring you a cup of coffee for those mornings where you feel you can't just wake up.
Ghost - He's the second most casual. Wears a black face mask everyday, siting allergies so no one gives him grief. His wardrobe is very black or dark blue/green/brown. He sits across from you and is quiet, but catches you off guard with a joke that was too funny for how dark it was. He and you share types of tea you found from specialty stores, but hellalways be a PG Tips man.
Farah - She's feral and no one tells her what to do. Not even Price. She's so good at her job that no one tells her she can't wear something. Except for flip flops. That's the only thing Price won't let slid. 'It's a safety concern.' It's the only thing she yields on. She likes to share a bit of her cooking with you at lunch so that you always have something to eat, but also because you genuinely love her dishes.
Alex - He's the capybara of the team. Polos with jeans and he's always making sure his mushroom coffee replacer doesn't stink up the office. He brings food for everyone a lot and makes sure that no one goes without. Doesn't matter what it is.
I'll probably think of more later, but have fun with these!
Masterlist
Tag list: @sebbytheraccoon @pricescigar
#cod#cod mw2#cod mwii#simon ghost riley#john price#captain john price#john soap mactavish#farah karim#alex keller#ghost/reader#soap/reader#price/reader#captain price/reader#farah karim/reader#alex keller/reader
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More (Apparently) KH3:Remind and Melody of Memory Stuff
Spiritually pounding on the windows of the Square Enix building- what do you MEAN I find out via YouTube that there's story cutscenes locked behind those egregious Data fights?? (That I'll personally beat... someday...)
(I also just went ahead and watched all the cutscenes for Melody of Memory, because I didn't want to play through a $60 rhythm game, sorryyy)
But first, Re:Mind and its sneaky, sneaky cutscenes...
Everything with Yozora has me Bonkers. I can't believe they've done this. Echoing Sora's first line in the series "I've been having these weird thoughts lately" through his own side of the story, him saying that he doesn't look like how he appears, the 'why do you know that name,' the "save Sora" while immediately drawing a gun on the man in question?? I'm just... *screaming noises* They're bringing everything together with the fiction versus reality stuff they have going on, and guys, I get SO excited when some games go meta. I'm squealing like a little girl; I'm ecstatic. Despite Sora being in (what I now know as Quadratum) and the background of the Yozora fight reflecting that, I can't help but wonder if it was another internal fight due to the arena switching to Sora's Heart Station for a second, akin to Roxas' fight in KH2.
And the music was so pretty... Yozora has a gorgeous theme. The prettier the battle theme, the more insane the KH fight, I say.
Also Riku was dreaming of Sora for a year. Lmao. He just... didn't say anything about it, while everyone was busting their asses. I'll be honest, literally the only way I could take that is that he dismissed his dreams as irrelevant- ah yes, dreaming of Sora? Nothing crazy to see here. Oh, Riku.
Also more importantly than Riku's angst deal- KAIRI WAS LAUNCHED INTO SPACE WHEN SHE WAS A PRESCHOOLER TO ACT AS A KEYBLADE WIELDER HOMING DEVICE, JESUS CHRIST. Kairi 🤝 Megamind 🤝 potentially Superman (I'm not a comics guy):
Getting launched out of their home planets into space in order to escape the destruction of their worlds, given vague and confusing scenarios and instructions to adapt to once they find a new planet, but they really just wanna chill and be loved and keep people safe.
And she's gonna train with Aqua! :D Another professional at getting launched into other worlds (realms). I hope she bonds with Ventus, as I've recently been made aware of their similarities in disposition, and how they are treated by others (hearts of pure light, designated by their groups as "the one who should stay home/be protected", wavering self confidence in their own abilities and self worth). Additionally, the hilarious potential scenarios of Kairi being like "yeah, and my favorite color's actually-" and Ventus interrupts with "Purple. I know," because the man essentially vicariously lived Sora's childhood. I'm super stoked for future Kairi screentime! Loved when she saw Xehanort in her memories and was like 'I don't care if you're a memory, data, manifestation of my heart or any other thing- I hate you, get out of my life forever. Hugs and kisses, die.' Like, 10/10, girl. Fair. Kairi's a volcano wrapped in a sweet package ready to snap at someone.
Riku's like "Y'know Ansem, I'm gonna miss you... 🥺"
And Sora's like "Xemnas, stooop all the violence. How can you take advantage of people with hearts? You should feel your feelings. You're valid, bestie. ☺️"
Kairi's no bleeding heart for baddies, she just wants everyone to get off her damn case, lol!
Also LOL at the fairy godmother of all people being the one to ship Riku off to Quadratum after Sora. My Cinderiku jokes (as well as my previous KH3 post's blurb about Riku determinedly walking into the ocean to find Sora) may not be completely unwarranted, now. Like, Miss 'specialty in dreams?' Miss "If you'd lost all your faith, I couldn't be here. And here I am." Not even to mention "a dream is a wish your heart makes," a very relevant lyric for this set of circumstances, if I do say so myself. I guess that's just gonna be another song I love and sing to myself that now makes me think of KH. 🤷 There's worse things I suppose, for example, like Buddy Holly being stuck in my head for three days straight and making me feel like I'm trapped listening to my uncle's records (thanks, Good Omens).
I ended up re-watching "Cinderella" for the first time in a while because of that part of Re:Mind and MoM. The KH association of the part with Fairy Godmother's appearance is now semi-heartwrenching, given the context of her appearance in "Cinderella," as well:
You have the vocalizing chorus throughout the opening of the scene acting as a callback to Cinderella's "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" song as well as reflecting her inner thoughts, and she has a dialogue with it while she sobs alone in the garden:
Chorus: Whatever you wish for, you keep...
Cinderella: "Oh, no... no, it isn't true."
Chorus: Have faith in your dreams and someday... your rainbow will come smiling through!
Cinderella: "It's just no use. No use at all."
Chorus: No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing...
Cinderella: "I can't believe! Not anymore..."
Chorus: The dream that you wish... *lyric trails off, unfinished*
Cinderella: "There's nothing left to believe in... nothing..."
[Fairy Godmother materializes next to her]
FG: "Nothing my dear? Oh, now you don't really mean that."
Cinderella: "Oh, but I do-"
FG: "Nonsense, child! If you lost all your faith, I couldn't be here, and here I am!"
[the violin and cello come in to finish the last part of the lyric] "...will come true."
Beautiful scene, really. The chorus assisting the animation is delightful... I watched Bambi and Lady and the Tramp (Bella Notte <3) a lot growing up because I loved that old-timey choral work. So dreamy...
Additional funny/sweet bit: I like how Mickey was freaking out to the point of being pinned down over Riku being unceremoniously dropped into Quadratum via Fairy Godmother's spontaneity and enabling.
'You sent my son to the big city ALONE?! He could get mugged, he could get lost, he could get hate-crimed, he could-'
*jump cut to Riku, and he's trying to gauge the value of Earth Money by spying on hot dog stands. He sheds his first known tear of the series by trying to figure out public transit routes*
Anyway, in the words of Cid:
"But what happens next?!"
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hi s i absolutely ADORE you can(t) teach old dogs new tricks. i just wanted to know what images you have of steve and bucky when you picture them for the series. idk if you’ve mentioned it already but i would love to know
Aw, thank you! I'm glad you enjoy it!
I don't think I've put any actual images out there and... it's just as well 'cause I don't think there are really any images that exist for the exact look I imagine for them.
Basically, I'm imagining Steve older than we ever see him in the MCU (not counting Old Man because... he doesn't count) with almost entirely silver hair (shaved short sides and a longer quiff-like top) and a salt and pepper beard. Bucky is young, like, 40s Bucky before the war but with his longer hair. The Wakandian Jesus look, y’know?
A more drawn-out answer could be the character outlines I have in my original plan for the series (so don't mind the horrible grammar, haha):
Steve Rogers
Same/similar background
Brooklyn
Poor
Mom was single (Dad died before Steve can remember him) & poor, an immigrant from Ireland, a nurse in Hospitals around the area they lived
Mom died of cancer when Steve was in high school
Raised Irish Catholic
Uncircumcised
Born in 1969 (54)
Sexual Orientation
Gay
Ma had a feeling he was… she could probably tell… but he never told her before she died (she died when he was 17, and spent the rest of high school bouncing around between friends' houses until he graduated)
Left Brooklyn
Came to San Fransico to find new people & work (came out in San Fransico by the time he was 19)
Started as a photographer, and had a good eye for it (film camera w/ dark room development)... moved from scenery landscape photos to photos of people to fetish photography through a boyfriend (a past Daddy)... then slowly integrated more and more into the kink scene, was a boy for a long time, sold photos of himself, then photos of his subs… his professional dom business took off
(two coming outs, one coming out as gay, the other coming out as kinky w/ his kinky lifestyle)
Epidemic
1981 to early 1990s (AIDs epidemic)
Lots of friends died during HIV/AIDs crisis
He survived the HIV epidemic
Old-guard Leather & BDSM / Occupation
Leatherman
Professional Dominant
Sex worker
People pay to have scenes w/ him
Bondage & impact play are his specialties BUT he does a lot BC he’s been in the scene for so long
Was a photographer B4 pro dom… casual then a fetish photographer
Appearance
Blue eyes
Greying hair (salt & pepper)
Hair is short on the sides and a little longer on top
Beard
6’2” & 260-ish lbs
Obviously works out a lot…
His arms and shoulders are huge and his stomach is soft (a belly but when he flexes it’s pretty hard under a layer of fluff. His whole waist is wide, though). Also. He has an unfairly round and pert butt
Needs glasses when reading
Fashion
Often in a t-shirt & leather jacket with dark wash denim when casual
When domming… leather: leather peaked cap, leather jacket, leather shirt + leather tie (or leather vest w/out a shirt under it), big, wide leather belt, leather pants (or leather chaps on top of dark Levi jeans)
Usually prefers tight briefs as underwear
Aaaand Big, leather boots
Collar
Steve's play collar is black leather with silver hardware. It has a silver o-ring on the front, two o-rings on the side, a silver padlock on the back, and all around the collar there's a silver chain overlaying the leather. He had a good friend and BDSM gear craftsman make it for him, originally with the intent to collar someone else, but... it never ended up happening, Steve got a different collar instead, he just fucking loves this collar. It reminds him of the plain chain and padlock collars he used to see all the time at the leather bars and bathhouses. Rugged, masculine, junk-yard-esque collars.
Bucky Barnes
Background
Grew up in modern New York
Brooklyn (he was growing up by the time Steve had left the area for the West Coast)
Middle class
Parents are alive, Dad is an alcoholic (mean drunk) & Mom did the best she could, but they don’t talk often
Circumcised
Born in 1997 (26)
Sexual Orientation (1)
Gay
Came out when he was 18 (2015, June 26, when all 50 states legalized gay marriage)
Religion
Parents are both Jewish… Bucky goes back and forth with it… he isn’t practicing actively, but… it’s a little hard to leave the faith completely behind after being raised that way
Sexual Orientation (2)
Leviticus 18:23 & Leviticus 20:13 (Torah)
Mother was speechless, she nodded and grabbed his hand, when she turned away, Bucky saw her eyes were glossy (crying)
Sober father made him write out passages again and again and again and again after he came out, believing that it was a problem to be solved
Drunk father yelled at him, saying that he couldn’t believe his son was this way, he tried to do everything right!
Bucky wasn’t kicked out, but he didn’t exactly feel safe… so he left and lived with a friend (at their parent's house until he could afford to rent a place of his own)
He occasionally speaks to his Mom, but more often, he speaks to his sister. He doesn’t speak to his father.
While in NYC, he dated one guy for almost 2 years (stayed until he was 23) and went on a few dates w/ some more guys
Since moving to San Fransico he’s dated around more (23-26)
He hasn’t connected w/ anyone really... COVID-19 pandemic
Sexual Experience
Has had vanilla sex... kind of bored by it
KNOWS he's interested in kink
He’s topped in vanilla sex and the power he got from that, he liked… he wants more… more power dynamics
Wants to be a dom
Restraints really appeal to him (cuffs, rope, etc.)
Occupation
Web Developer
Codes
Works online (he used to go into an office in NYC, but when he expressed his decision to move & put in his 2 weeks, they didn’t want to let him go... online now)
Designs the front-end (the parts of a site a user interacts with) & back-end (the behind-the-scenes part) of sites (referred to as “full-stack”)
Doesn’t have a degree, he took classes in high school, then a few through the nearby community college, and was good enough to get hired, then he’s been building his career since then
Appearance
Long dark brown hair (often pulled back into a bun when he’s working on something)
Steel blue eyes
Stubble (short beard)
6’0” & 200-ish lbs
Works out... nice arms & NICE legs
Has a good amount of body hair, he obviously manscapes, but it’s dark & thick
Fashion
Around his apartment, he’s often in just a t-shirt and basketball shorts (or sweatpants)
Wears a lot of jockstraps
When he’s not home, he’s in a lot of ripped jeans (black) & t-shirts (loves his denim jacket) + he always has his dark aviator sunglasses BC his eyes are sensitive
I hope that was somewhat interesting 💀💀 and that it gives you a clearer picture! Thanks for the ask <3
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Actors/Behind the Scenes AU, in which FF16 is a duo/trilogy of movies, and the characters are actors in said movie -
Headcanons that inspired Peppermint and Chocolate Chip (aka, that one Actress!Benedikta fic).
Outside of FF16, Clive is a dork. A quiet but nice guy who likes games. He’s a fan of the FF franchise, and his fave is FF8. (Inspired by Ben Starr talking about his FF experiences. Also I'm projecting.)
Joshua’s two actors are totally attached at the hip. They’re not related but everyone is astounded at the resemblance, no wigs were needed even! And Adult!Joshua adores Kid!Joshua and protects his mini-me with his life. (I'm actually thinking of them both having Joshua as a middle name! Something like Andre Joshua and Allen Joshua. Btw, Adult!Joshua is Clive's actual brother.)
Jill is an indie pop singer. Sometimes busks. She loves everybody! She baked sugar cookies for the cast and crew once. She still burns the oven sometimes, though. Also she takes up kendo to improve her stage action scenes but tells no one of her rank because it’ll scare them (and they’ll make her teach everyone else on set, and that’s a pain). Her favorite FF is 10...... 2.
Benedikta is actually an awkward bean. She IS the hottest thing right now, an it-girl if you will. But she IS an awkward bean off-set, and reality shows exploit this for all they can. Oh, and she’s a big eater. -> This is what became the actual Benna fic
Hugo’s a comedian, actually. He’s also an amazing cook. He and Benedikta get along well. They’re cool besties. He often invites her to his YouTube channel to cook for her.
Barnabas Tharmr: A-list actor. Everyone’s beloved leading man. Very versatile, hot, in-demand. He’s perfect, oh, and he sings too. Confusing af love life. -> Referenced in the Benna fic
Dion’s probably following in Barnabas’ footsteps career-wise. That recent boy-next-door role he played had all the teenage girls want him as a boyfriend. They don’t know that he takes cues from real-life experience, and a real-life boy-next-door that captured his heart. 👀
Oh, Cidolfus Telamon: where to begin? Also another A-list actor, like Barnabas. Action films are his specialty, although you also see him in heavy dramas. All his works are guaranteed hits, no questions asked. His relationship with Barnabas, although professional, currently leaves much to be desired. Rumors abound that he used to have a thing with Benedikta, although both sides deny it. Also The Original Troll on set. He's fun to have on talk shows, but that's only when he feels like showing up.
Terence is Dion's best friend from theater. The original boy-next-door, and Dion's real-life partner. Knows just enough pop culture to get by, so he doesn't understand how he got this role, but if anything good comes out of this it's getting to work alongside Dion again. Greagor knows how long ago their last production together was ever since his love shot to fame on TV/Film. (Oh, if only he knew who suggested him to the director, because "he's good at his craft." 👀)
Sleipnir's that one cocky archetype co-actor you usually see in these kinds of cast ensembles. He's actually nice, though! Just innocently insensitive at times. Terence hates him with a passion, but Sleipnir likes to believe they're Vitriolic Best Buds. (And they actually are. Dion agrees but doesn't dare say it to his bf's face.) He's a horrible troll, just like Cid.
Jote's an adorable Tonberry rookie actress! She briefly had ensemble/swing stints in another theater troupe (Adult!Joshua's, actually), before landing this role. She loves posting pictures of sunflowers. Laments her dark clothes. Looks up to Benedikta despite their only scene together being a violent one. -> Referenced in the Benna fic.
There MAY be a part 2 of these headcanons. If I feel inspired, maybe even an actual fic featuring another character in the same vein as the Benedikta one. Will probably make it an AO3 series when that happens!
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COFFEE BREAK ⌕ 휴닝카이
masterlist | request
pairing. huening kai x female!oc | genres. comfort/hurt, slightly romance, coffee au, barista au, university au, etc. | warnings. none | word count. 1.1k | request. yes
note. I hope you enjoy this oneshot! I want to relax in a cafe now 😭, but I can't drive and there is no cafe near my university. I guess Starbucks will do it, but still, it is not the same. Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment or reblog this oneshot with a comment or something if you enjoy this story!
Ren just got out of her class after an endless day of exams after exams. She sighed in relief as she stepped out of the university, feeling the cold autumn breeze hit her face. Walking out of the university grounds, she decided to take a stroll around the street before going home.
Walking around Seoul, she spotted a new cafe. She remembered there was a new cafe that is so popular nowadays. She entered the cafe, scanning around to fit a spot to sit. Once she found a spot near the window, she went to the cashier and waited for a barista to take her order. Staring at the menu, she didn't realize a barista had come behind the cashier. "Welcome to Happily Ever After Cafe. What would you like to order today?"
She didn't hear him, just let her mind wander off. "Excuse me, miss?" Quickly, she snapped out of her thoughts. Looking down from the menu, she noticed the barista. Noticing the barista in front of her. She noticed his hair. The barista’s hair was bleached blonde. It was short and layered, and the bottom was just about over his eyes. Some of his hair was lighter, making it seem like the barista had box-dyed his hair instead of going to get it professionally done. As he looked up, he had to shake his head to get part of his hair out of his eyes.
rest under cut
"Oh, hmm, what would you recommend? Something that isn't bitter or coffee." The man nodded. "I will recommend… a specialty. It isn't on the menu, though." Ren thought about that for a second before answering. "Alright, then I will get that, please. "Alright." He quickly put down the order. Once she paid for her order, she went to her seat and started working on her assignments.
As she worked on her assignments, time passed fairly quickly. "Here is your order." "Huh?" She looked up from her laptop, noticing the same barista in front of her with her drink. "Oh, you don't have to give it to me. I could've gone up and gotten it." He shook his head. "It's alright, you seem very focused. I don't want to disturb you."
"Oh, thank you then." He put down the drink and noticed her assignments on her laptop. "Are you a university student?" She nodded. "I am too. What university do you attend?" "Yonsei University." His eyes widened, and a smile appeared across his face. "Me too, may I ask what your major is?" Ren smiled and nodded. "I am an art student and minor in business. May I ask what yours is?"
"I'm majoring in dance," he answered her. "What year are you in?" "I'm in my 2nd year. You can take a seat if you are available and want." He thought about it for a few seconds. "I will be back. I'm gonna ask for a break." Ren nodded before he ran to the barista counter. As she waited, she worked on her assignments.
A few minutes later, the barista came back with a cake. "Here, this is for you." He put down the plate in front of her. "Oh, I didn't order this." "I know, I just want to give it to you. It is my specialty. It is yet to be put on the menu, and I want to know if it is good in customer opinion before it is put on the menu." Ren's eyes widened. "Oh, alright. I'm glad to eat your specialty." He smiled. "Hope you like it and I am a year older than you. I'm in my 3rd year at the university." She nodded as she took a scoop of the cake.
Letting the cake flavor sit on her tongue, it felt so soft like a cloud. The cake just melts in her mouth, so she doesn't need to chew it. The flavors aren't too strong or too bland. It was just so perfect. "What is this masterpiece?! It is so good!" She covered her mouth with her palm, looking at the barista who was slightly blushed from the compliment. "Thank you, it is a strawberry lemon-flavored cake with a hint of vanilla and chocolate." Her eyes widened. "Really? I didn't notice the vanilla and chocolate taste." He lightly chuckled. "It's because I made it hidden for a reason."
Now she knows about the flavors. The strawberry flavor isn't overpowering the lemon flavor. Same with the lemon. The vanilla and chocolate have a small hint but it isn't noticeable. Everything just blends perfectly together. "What is the name of the cake?" "It is named after the cafe, I am actually one of the co-owners of the cafe."
"Who are the others, may I ask?" "The owner is Soobin-hyung, who works in the front with Beomgyu-hyung and Taehyun. Both of them are the other co-owners. There is one more who is busy with university work since it is his last year. His name is Yeonjun." The barista told her. "I see…oh my, I forgot to ask for your name." "Oh, I'm Huening Kai. If you want, you can call me Hyuka or just Kai." Ren nodded. "I'm Ren, it's a pleasure to meet you." "Same here." They talked a bit more before Kai had to go back to work.
Ren finished her drink and assignments and then packed up to catch the last bus. Huening Kai was about to leave, too. He saw her walking out. Saying his goodbyes to his hyungs, he ran to her. "How was your drink?" He asked. She turned her head to him as she walked to the bus stop. "It was delicious." He smiled. "That is good." They walked together to the bus and went in once it had arrived. The bus was barely crowded, but there were a lot of people. "Go sit, I will stand," he said as he saw an empty seat and spot. She nodded before walking to the seat.
After a while, Ren was about to press the stop button, but Kai beat her to it. "Looks like we are going to the same stop." She slightly blushed at his statement. "Yeah," was all she could say. Once they arrived, both of them quickly got out of the bus. "Let me walk you to your apartment," he said out of the blue. "Huh? You don't need to. It is quite a walk."
"I can't let a lady walk on her own, especially at night. That's not how my mom taught me." Ren felt her cheeks getting a little hot. "Okay." They walked together to her apartment in silence. Once she had arrived, she was about to enter after she punched in the passcode. "Oh wait," she stopped midway. "Thank you for walking me home, Kai." He smiled. "It was nothing." She was hesitant at first, but asked, "Do you want to come inside?"
He shook his head, noticing how uncomfortable she looked. "No, thank you. Go inside now." She nodded. "Good night," she said before closing the door behind her. Kai looked at her apartment door one last time before walking to his apartment.
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#🍵 — tomorrow x together oneshots & drabbles#🍵 — tea house requests#kpop#txt#txt fanfic#txt fanfiction#txt fluff#txt ff#txt fic#tomorrow x together#tomorrow by together#tomorrow x together fic#tomorrow x together fanfic#tomorrow x together fanfiction#huening kai#hueningkai#huening txt#heuningkai fanfic#heuningkai ff#heuning kai fanfoc#huening kai ff#heuning kai fluff#hueningkai fluff#hueningkai imagines
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yuzu’s swap au
This has been lurking in my brain every since and I think I want to talk about it!!! I ALSO HAVE AN URGE TO DRAW SO BAD GHHRHGH but maybe the picrews and neka will help hehe
What is the Swap AU?
Basically an AU where everything is the same but Tenma and Kai have swapped roles (and personalities) aka one of the many Actress Kai AUs
But also there are things I didn’t swap swap because I thought it would be funny to keep them (but these are like anchor points to my swap au aka what i don't really change and they are just SOME of them):
Tenma still ends up joining Mankai as the Summer Troupe leader and he still will have that stage fright moment
Kai’s desire to change herself and make her bravado into True Confidence
Kai and Itaru know each other and still have that good ol’ sibling dynamic
nonotenkai are still a thing theyre still childhood friends and the roles of kai and tenma in the miscommunication equation are the same, Tenma still likes Kai even after the childhood phase.
BUUUUUT with those similarities in mind, here are the list of changes (respective to similarities listed above):
Tenma has all the personality flaws and insecurities Kai would typically hold (impending need to be ‘useful’, kai’s overworking tendencies and her overall anxiety and overthinking), he is SUPER interested in theater but after that stage fright moment, he swore off it and never gave it another chance (until Mankai)
in this au, Kai would be bolder than the typical kai who would usually double think lots of things (she does have confidence but not as much as she’d like)
Itaru being the one usually sneaking Kai out esp when she needs a breather from showbiz (default: Kai would frequent to Mankai to check up on Itaru settling in esp when Itaru’s social battery is drained in ACT 1)
In my point of tenkai childhood friends, Kai still overhears that Tenma likes Nono (the misunderstanding) and that Tenma likes Kai (a point that still stands even into the current A3 timeline) BUT BUT BUT kai this time, has feelings for tenma!! she is actively seeking out his attention and affection but Tenma chooses not to read too much into it
Kai being a playful, flirty girlie. GET YO MAN BABYGIRL!!!!
Tenma being into cosplay :) [kai screaming in the distance]
OKAY SO SWAP AU BRAINROT TIME!!!
Kai actively flirting with Tenma but she would always play it as a joke after but there would be moments where Tenma would be downright honest and would catch Kai flustered
“Practice a kiss scene with me.” Line? UNCHANGING EVEN IN SWAP AU AND ITS STILL TENMA’S LINE, kai could NEVER nevernevernevernever do it to Tenma but it is only because of Tenma’s insistence that they do it (…because he wants to help and he believes that this will help the quality of performance and kai is just dying inside from embarrassment)
I think it would be completely sweet for Kai to gift Tenma flowers after their plays and gets clamored by Natsugumi because Itsuki Kaiya is a famous teen actress ♡
Tenma who wants to be super good at acting so he asks (begs) Kai to help him and Kai is so willing to help him through. Although Kai's specialties aren't in comedy, it would be good to get some feedback from someone who is a professional :>
Everyone who keeps asking Tenma; “hey, you and Kai are dating, right?” Tenma with a straight face: No.
Kasumi who is STILL their number 1 hater and supporter, pushing their heads together just to kiss and get on with their lives but this time Kasumi is egging Kai to confess because she can't stand Kai just trying to form a cohesive thought when she wants to be honest with Tenma.
Tenma and Kai running through scripts together 💕💕💕 Something about the sheer professionalism of a thoroughly trained actor and how Kai looks so good when she’s focused and serious makes Tenma shift slightly in his seat as Kai’s trying to explain why this might be a better way to phrase that improv he thought of on the spot and building the characters together 🥺 and how they’re both trying to get the vibe right
Tenma, who is still good at fake crying. Ever since Kai discovered that, she is literally just asking him everyday: "...Are you sure you don't want to enter show business?"
Tons of tension. Weird, almost bordering sexual tension. It makes people want to leave these two alone and see what happens in the next ten minutes. Yuki cannot STAND being the 3rd wheel 8/10 times that he gets caught between these two (almost literally if circumstance pushes it).
TENMA BEING A FUCKING NERDDDD SHIT OHHHRJFHFJDJ tenma that just spends his free time rolling on gacha, playing rpgs, and cosplaying!!! OH FUCK THATS SO CUTE HRRGHHRGHHR
“No, because you see these two WORK—it’s like instinct, the chemistry is THERE, and I don’t—I just feel like I’m being baited over here, you know?” / “…And this affects that theory you were talking about how?” / “It affects the fan theory because we suspect—(goes on about the theory)“
By the end of that conversation, kai is doing research about it in her own time and raises her own point to tenma (it gets ugly bc they’re both stubborn and kai believes in the theory that contradicts what tenma talks about)
Like Tenma’s One Interest (which is Bonsai) Swap Kai has a singular interest that keeps her grounded and its crochet/knitting :D
Kai is literally that One Juniper Woods sprite where she fucking knits out hearts when she has Tenma in the brain (she also gets inspired enough to…knit him a scarf)
Tenma who is never moving on from Kai’s hand knitted scarf gift on Christmas, he uses it and he takes such good care of it (and rarely lends it to ANYONE)
Kai who is surprisingly pure and says things that could be taken in multiple ways (in contrast to OG Kai who is quite buried in filth). Tenma knows she doesn't mean it when she asks him to stay the night. Tenma, whose brain cannot TAKE IT ANYMORE, when Kai tells him with a flustered expression that she wants to do it (hold hands) but luckily since this isn't his first rodeo with Kai's words asks her to clarify what exactly it is and Tenma is more than happy to hold hands with her.
Aki who is more than happy to be Kai's wingman, he sets up opportunities for both of them. Bringing Tenma to a certain location that a hotspot for couples to date? Easy. Telling Kai that they will eat outside later, so they should meet here, in this spot, around this time. They got set up :)
Tenma that works in Hanakotoba :3 Pretty boy surrounded by many pretty flowers hehehehehe
Kai who needs a moment of quiet after really long days of filming and practice, Tenma would offer her his jacket and she puts it over her head to give her a few minutes to calm down and relax
Grhhgghrhr tenkai that are still very subtly physical. LIKE not exactly touchy but they just need each other close to feel ok. I’m talking sitting beside each other, hand brushing against each other, PINKY LINKING!!!!! , small tugs on tenma’s sleeve when kai doesn’t want him to leave just yet, or the unconscious tenma move where he gently nudges kai or guides her away from the road with his hand on her shoulder AARGGFHHFFHFHD
kai has shit sense of direction in this au
secret date nights because dating a celebrity is HARD, tenkai is who is super tight lipped about their relationship and only say enough to satiate the people
Despite the swap, I still think Kai would be the more protective out of the both of them, she has disguises whenever she goes out with Tenma LMAO like wigs and contacts at the ready to keep her hidden. she’s very careful about going out and it doesn’t help that tenma has a very eyecatching presence lol
In this swap au hehehe (to end it all off) tenma is the one who confesses :D in the default, kai is the one who ends up confessing but i think it would be a neat take to see tenma say it first LMAO
I indulged in this AU because I just needed a reason to see a flirtier Kai, that’s all.
#a3 yume#yuzu's yume#a3yume#yuzu: swap au#yuzu: tenkai#this was too self indulgent hrgghhrg#yuzu’s hcs
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16th August 2013
Dear Pete,
Sitting in a cafe this evening, okay it was a Starbucks again, and yes, I have become one of those pretentious types who sit in those places with their laptops and their books, pretending to be grossly engaged in whatever work lies before me but really just checking out every else in the room and wondering if someone will link with me on Tinder...
Kidding! I'm not even on Tinder. Yet. Wait, where was I?
While not browsing Tinder I overheard a discussion between three women my age. Eavesdropping is such a nasty word so let's not go labelling it as such, seeing it wasn't a sinister thing I was doing. They were all dressed up, hair and nails done to perfection, make-up expertly applied and wearing the black corporate uniform of the professional woman. They sat there gossiping like a group of excited schoolgirls rather than the upper class businesswomen they clearly were; that was always going to whet my curiosity. One of the women had a date later tonight with a man she had clearly been fantasising about for some time and who, at least it seemed from the comfort of my bucket chair, had only recently begun to notice she was a bit of a catch.
As I sat there, sipping on a tepid latte and eating each and every moderately delicious morsel of a dry slice of chocolate cake with cream (please don't tell Jimmy. As far as he knows I'm on some thirty-day paleo challenge. Seriously, in which culture would thirty days of organic produce be considered a reasonable idea?? I'm pretty sure if the option had been there in the paleo era to eat pizza people would have), I realised I was sneering at them. It had nothing to do with the fact that they looked like they could eat their cake without having to put in hours on the treadmill later (though if we're being honest I was feeling a slight resentment towards them for that too, but I can whole-heartedly assure you that that wasn't the motivator for the sneer. Well not the main one anyway).
I've never had a poker face. Not in any sense. That's why whenever we got caught doing something your parents always zoned in on me for answers. I didn't even have to say anything, they just asked a question and watched my face. Every little feeling, each emotion, it's right there. It's also part of the reason I am so exceptionally gifted at making a fool of myself and I suck at card games.
Catching myself with that look, I stopped to question what it was that was making me scrunch my face up in a manner that was so grossly unattractive.
I date a lot. I'm learning that. I didn't think that I did, but my friends have been dropping that crumb of information into the conversation quite regularly lately. Even Kylie, whilst we were at dinner at Jamie's, she mentioned that she thought she'd never had as many dates in her life as I had during the last six months. At the time I just chuckled along with everyone else, but now, in hindsight, I am starting to see the ridiculousness of my endeavours, and questioning why it is that I always seem to bolt from one heartache to the next at breakneck pace. There was barely a moment to breathe between The Czech and PT Patrick. Even now, it's been only several months since PT Patrick and I still let myself go crazy over Big Red.
Well, not crazy. And I did dump him. Which counts. But I was definitely prepared to throw my all into it before I really knew him and I found myself growing attached to him before I'd even let him stay the night.
How can one girl really fall that often?
First dates, now they are my specialty. They're like an addictive drug, luring you in with the adrenaline rush, the promise of happiness, the possibility of finding something incredibly special and rare. Believe me on that point, it is rare. Second and third dates with me? Well, they're more difficult to come by. Without giving them the mythical status of a unicorn or your brother's virginity, they really aren't that far off. The first date is fun because it can go either way. Anything and everything can happen. The big drawcard of the first date, more so than potentially meeting your soul mate, is that even if the person turns out to be your idea of hell on earth, it's still early enough in the game that you can send a text the next day and it's done.
Over like it never happened. Everybody carry on calmly. Nothing to see here. But there I was screwing up my face all the same.
The truth is, I don't understand that excitement at all. While I may have prattled on to you, and everyone else who would listen, about the fact that I had a date, I don't exactly approach them with the conviction of a bride-to-be. There is no rushing around doing hair and make-up, or spending hours talking and shopping with friends ensuring that the perfect ensemble is created. You've seen it. Beyond running a straightener or curling iron through my hair twenty minutes before it's time to meet, there isn't a production. I might stress beforehand about what I'm going to wear, but typically I throw on whichever shirt is lying closest to my jeans on the floor, I slide into the heels that clash the least, and I am out the door. Do you remember that first date that Sailor Brad took me on? He wanted to go to that rather expensive restaurant for dinner and instead of being flattered and impressed it was enough to earn him a strike in my book because it meant jeans weren't an option. My extreme apathy actually makes me high maintenance rather than low-key. Like a hispter without the cool.
Listening to them it was hard not to knowingly chuckle at their naivety and misplaced excitement, except that somewhere deep down there was a minute chance that there was some jealousy regarding that girlish enthusiasm and the fact that I couldn't relate to it.
Thoughts of whether her date is working out have randomly popped into my head since she left the cafe several hours ago and I find myself really hoping that it does. Dating and the expectations and hope that go along with it are some of the most surreal and vulnerable feelings in the world, but if they call and say to me that they want to hang out again that is an amazing feeling and it makes it completely worth it. On the off-chance that feeling ever happens to me again and I get the opportunity of a first, second, or third date, I'm going to do exactly what those girls did. I'm going to do my hair properly; I'm going to keep the jeans on the clothes room - ahem, spare room - floor and throw on one of those hundreds of dresses I own; and I'm going to allow myself to get excited about hanging out with a cool person - even if he does turn out to be someone who swears like a sailor and drives like a madman. I'm not going to gently suggest that he might not see me again, or find ways to work into the conversation how different we are. Instead, I'm going to stay relaxed and enjoy how nice it is to hang out with a man who makes me laugh, who is sexy, and who is happy to just hang out with me.
Mostly though I think that if I ever feel that way again I'll just remind myself how nice it will be to be on a date with the guy who does want that fourth date.
As for me, my phone stayed silent today and I didn't even care. Why would I when tomorrow I have Christopher to sit with me and eat Thai food while watching old episodes of Scrubs and pretending that the drunken sexcapade never happened?
Turns out one out of three can be enough to make me happy. Maybe the job and the relationship will come later.
Liv x
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So many thoughts on that Chozen pretends to be a Kyoto sensei episode. I was going to put all my thoughts in one massive read more post but then realized I had way too much to say specifically about these few things so uhhh I guess I’ll do this and then make comments on the other things later as I go. (I’m still not very far in the show yet. 😅)
Fushimi Inari Shrine, the place Terry mentions as a spot he loves in Kyoto.
Chozen scoffing at this freaked me out a little. Because his recommendation wasn’t an apples to apples comparison. Yes Fushimi Inari Shrine is a big touristy spot but it’s a Shinto Shrine and the pathway that goes up the mountain covered in Torii gates is open 24 hours so it is totally feasible to go when it’s empty. I went at night there was maybe 2 other people I saw on the entirety of my walk. The actual shrines weren’t open but you could still walk through and pray or cleanse.
And really the big tourist draw is that it’s essentially hiking. You get to the top of the mountain and watch the sunrise or sunset. The friend I was with got creeped out because it was night and there’s a lot of final resting spots along the way and there were foxes calling out so we didn’t go all the way to the top. But for tourists that’s the draw right? A hike.
What Chozen recommends is Nanzen-ji temple. Notice that little tiny word difference there. Shrine and temple. Nanzen-ji is a zen Buddhist temple. Chozen, hon, you’re applying for a strike first no mercy position and you just told a really rich nerd that instead of doing some badass hiking to go to a zen Buddhist temple with pretty stone gardens.
Old, pretty, nice view, all are great. But it’s like all peaceful gardens and what not. And monks. I got so scared that Chozen just immediately told on himself.
Hamo is the food that Terry served Chozen And omg. Let’s talk about trying to make someone feel at home while also showing off. Daggertooth pike conger, aka a sea eel teeth (symbolism much?) is what Terry served up. A website offering to sell me some says it’s at least $60 for 1 lb not including whatever nightmare shipping to the states is. But that’s not what makes it special.
It’s full of tiny tiny tiny bones so preparing it properly is a TASK. Like Terry had to hire a professional who knew how to cut this eel for this Kyoto summer specialty which I don’t think would be all to easy to accomplish because it’s really only popular in Kyoto.
And Chozen, dear darling old man, did not even have a bite. 😂 Like the skipped straight to the Suntory. Which is technically from Osaka but Osaka and Kyoto are pretty close so I’ll let Terry slide on that one.
Oh and then the swords. Terry you nerd. "Dragon of Echigo“ is Uesugi Kenshin. Like that whole part is just symbolism. I got worried but it’s general and not specific to Kyoto or something from Okinawa which is what I worried he’d have been drawn to. But essentially the guy was called the god of war and known for his strategy and a rise of industry and trade. So like I get why they picked him....or her? There’s a theory that Uesugi Kenshin might’ve been a woman. So maybe the sword will be talked about again when the new sensei arrives?
And to think the tell was exactly what I thought it was. Not Kanpai! But Karii! An Okinawan cheers instead of Japanese. I can’t believe he slipped up like that. Let alone that that was all Terry needed to find out exactly who Chozen was and his relationship to Daniel. You’d wonder of course if he’d think oh this guy tried to kill Daniel so maybe....but no. That didn’t even come up really at all which is fascinating because it’s an angle Chozen could’ve played up and didn’t.
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#LOVESTRUCK II
CHARACTERS: AYAKA, CHONGYUN, GOROU, KAZUHA, RAZOR, THOMA, XINGQIU
GENRE: FLUFF!~ (〃ω〃)
PAIRING: CHARACTER X GN!READER
“THEY HAVE A CRUSH ON YOU.”
NOTE: i hope i managed to do ayaka, thoma and gorou justice!!
PART I || NAVIGATION
#AYAKA
did someone say wing man thoma?! (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)
she’s way too shy to just straight up tell you!! it was already a big step for her to get closer to you in the first place; to spend time together as close friends outside of a professional setting - so how could she possibly confess? (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)
she’s absolutely adorable in the small ways she shows her adoration!! :( if she manages to get ahold of some rare specialties from a different region she’ll invite you so she can share it with you (ＴｗＴ。)
she’s very busy but she loves (!!) to spend her free time with you - actually, sometimes her free time is spent thinking about if it’s okay to as you to hang out again, scared that she’ll be a bother or annoying (*´；ェ；`*)
every time you visit the kamisato residence, whether it be for business or just to spend time with her (and maybe thoma), thoma without fail tries to egg ayaka on and get her to finally confess (๑･̑◡･̑๑) he means no harm!! he just wants to see both of you together, all cute and happy 😞
thoma almost confessed for her multiple times and she was on the brink of a breakdown every single time (｡-_-｡) he’s very excited about her having a crush on you!! he loves it~
she’s very grateful for him and how supportive he is, she truly is!! but she’d still rather have him keep quiet about it because by now there are probably 10 other servants that know about her little infatuation (*⁰▿⁰*)
ayaka is very unsure how or even if she should tell you about her feelings - she’s the daughter of the kamisato clan, would it really be appropriate for her to harbour such feelings?
it takes a lot, and i mean a lot, of encouragement from thoma
…and maybe some slight fearmongering, “but miss, what if they leave inazuma before you’ve confessed? will you be living with it for the rest of your life?”
and she knows that he’s right; which is exactly why she invites you to the residence, ready to finally confess the feelings she had been harbouring for a long time
because she’s so nervous she actually greets you from behind the screen instead of face-to-face ( •́દ•̩̥̀ ) she’s trying okay!! she’s nervous cut her some slack (*´艸`)
“uhm…we’ve gotten quite close over time, have we not? do you think that, maybe…we could continue that way? please don’t misunderstand, i mean in a more…romantic..way?”
#CHONGYUN
poor chongyun not only has to figure out a way to stay calm when thinking about you but also has to endure xingqiu’s teasing,,,give him a break please (＞人＜;)
his ice pop intake always seems to quadruple when you’re with him…how weird 👀
yun has two states of mind when he’s near you: either his mind is racing a thousand miles and hour or it’s just completely blank. nothing. radio silence. not a single thought behind those eyes.（╹◡╹）
he’s so conflicted though :(( like he likes you!! so much!! but he’s always so busy training and he’s also famously bad at picking up on social cues - he frankly doesn’t know how to read other people, much less how to read the one person that makes his whole face burn with just a single smile (● ˃̶͈̀ロ˂̶͈́)੭ꠥ⁾⁾
he’s done a really good job convincing himself you don’t like him and he’s in his head about it all quite a lot - it plagues his mind and he’s always on edge around you because he’s internally freaking out over you while simultaneously talking himself down :(
he just wants to be loved!! preferably by you!! but he’s so unsure and awkward so he kinda just…doesn’t even try ‧⁺◟( ᵒ̴̶̷̥́ ·̫ ᵒ̴̶̷̣̥̀ )
and while xingqiu found his crush dilemma pretty entertaining at first, he won’t stand for yun talking himself down like that - especially when everyone knows that you like him too!!
so the confession might not necessarily be something chongyun himself planned, but xingqiu, xinyan and xiangling did their best to help out!!
it’s a little date set up by those three - xiangling cooks, claiming that she can’t eat with you because she’s busy cooking for everyone
xinyan plays some music, which obviously means she can’t sit and eat with you two!! and for some reason she’s playing pretty cheesy and slow songs…(*vдv艸)
xingqiu is “busy” but for some reason there’s someone sitting at a table behind chongyun that looks suspiciously a lot like xingqiu…how weird…
it’s just the two of you and it doesn’t take long for both of you to catch onto what’s going on - even chongyun realises rather quickly that this isn’t a hangout with all of his friends, but rather a set up!!
and while he does internally curse his friends for getting him in this situation, he figures it’s now or never - if he doesn’t confess now, he’ll probably keep it to himself forever
chongyun is the first one to break the silence, “y/n, i’m sorry for this…set up, but i have to tell you something. i really, really like you. as more than a friend, i mean. i’m sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, but i just…i just had to get it out of my mind, i apologise.”
let’s just say he was pleasantly surprised when you leaned over the table to give him a little kiss on his cheek (*∩ω∩)
#GOROU
it’s not even close to being a secret - everyone knows. everyone!! |･ω･)ﾉ
he’s very open about the fact that he cares about you deeply and that he likes you a lot. at first, it wasn’t that much different from the way he treated his other friends - well, at first
the more time passed, the more he realised that maybe, perhaps, possibly…he feels a little different about you than his other close friends
it’s like you caught him in a trap without him noticing and just kept slowly reeling him in - until he realised that he’s been caught. no, that he’s the one who caught feelings U(,,๏ ⋏ ๏,,)U
gorou enjoys your company a lot!! when he knows that you’ll come visit, he always makes sure to clear his schedule as best as he can - obviously that’s not always possible, but he tries his best!
one of his favourite past times with you is to lay in your lap while you scratch his cute ears…it makes his heart flutter so much~╰(⸝⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝⸝)╯
you pretty much become his personal cuddle buddy - not that you mind 👀
you don’t read too much into his affection to be honest - you’ve always been close, and the way he treats you is similar to the way he treats others
gorou isn’t in a rush to confess to you; he likes the way it is now. he likes to just plop his head into your lap when you’re sitting in the grass, he likes listening to you talk and even if it’s a little cliche, he likes the way you support him and worry about him
the way you always strengthen him in his beliefs, the way you take care of him if he gets hurt, the way you spare him your time when he needs someone else’s opinion - he loves all of it, especially because it’s you
it doesn’t come to much of a surprise for everyone else when he’s strutting around all confidently, claiming that he’ll finally make you his officially. he was pumped and ready to sweep you off your feet!!
“yeah, today’s the day~ i’m so excited. y/n definitely won’t be able to reject me!!”
…unfortunately for him, he hadn’t noticed that you were already there and that you’d seen him boast about confessing to you all confidently…he’s so embarrassed!! (ﾉω･､)
it’s one of the few times you see him turn all shy and awkward, his ears flat against his head, blush evident on his face - how could you possibly reject that?
long story short: he’s glad he’s cute and that you like him as much as he likes you ( ˘ ³˘)
#KAZUHA
mr wandering samurai didn’t expect to fall in love, quite frankly (ﾉε｀◎)
a relationship is a huge commitment, which is essentially the exact opposite of what he wants being the free-spirited wanderer he is. well, it was - until he met you.
he suddenly started asking himself if getting close to someone would really all that bad - you’re so sweet to him, how could he not want to be closer to you? ໒( ˵ •̀ □ •́ ˵ )७
frankly, he’s scared - he’s scared of losing someone again, of getting hurt again.
but he’s sure, he’s convinced that you’re worth it; that the warm feeling of having you stare at him like he hung the stars in the sky is worth the risk
so he decides to indulge himself a bit - he enjoys travelling with you. it’s nice to be able to spend the nights sleeping next to you, the moon light illuminating you in a way that makes his heart soar
kazuha is sure that you know what he feels for you; there’s no way you wouldn’t. not when he can’t help the warm smile when you wake up in the morning, face still puffy and eyes drooping, when he always lowly recites poems to help you fall asleep ´･ᴗ･`♡
he always thought he loves nothing more than being free, but now he knows that there are a few things he treasures more
the whispered banter when you try to sleep at night, the way you roll your eyes at him when he offers a poem in exchange for cooking duty, the way you’ll silently listen to him playing his leaf flute after laughing at him at first
you’re two fools in love which is evident to not only everyone around you, but also to yourselves - you know, and that’s enough for both of you
as long as you have each other there is no rush; there’s no pressure and no need to say it
so when he one day presses a small kiss to your lips when he bids you goodnight, neither of you are surprised or bashful - it’s a warm and welcome feeling; and at that moment it felt like the most natural thing to do
#RAZOR
oh boy! OH BOY!! (´⊙ω⊙`)
may the archons bless his soul because this boy is CONFUSED (���˃̣̣̣̣̣̣︿˂̣̣̣̣̣̣ ू)
he doesn’t know why he suddenly feels so warm around you!! is he getting sick? are you sick? did you get him sick? what’s happening?!
he doesn’t know how to put the feeling into words. all he knows is that you make him feel warm and safe; all he wants to do is curl up into you (๑•́3₋•̩̥̀๑)
you always think of him; you bring him tasty dishes when you visit him, you tend to his wounds and scars, you always respect his feelings and make sure he’s comfortable- you’re his favourite person!!
because he doesn’t know what exactly he’s feeling he probably won’t be very secretive about it? he doesn’t feel that embarrassment or shyness others would feel; all he knows is that he likes you, and that’s enough for him
bennett probably is the one that tells razor what that fuzzy warm feeling inside of him is; why he gets so excited whenever he gets to be with you
“you’re in love, razor! you love y/n, that’s so cute!” “love?”
he thinks a lot about what bennett said - it doesn’t mean much to him, but at least now he knows what that feeling is called - love
his confession isn’t much of a confession and feels much more like him stating a random fact - he’s so casual and calm about it, you didn’t believe him at first (＇ェ＇；)
he gets a little upset when you don’t believe him because that what bennett told him!! did bennett lie?
“razor love is a very strong word, i don’t think-“
“but bennett said! he said it’s love. feels warm and nice when with you. different warm than bennett or red girl!! love. razor loves you!”
#THOMA
someone save poor ayaka from his excited gushing please (｡・・｡)
he just loves talking about you so much - ayaka probably knows every single detail about you by now, bless her
he doesn’t waste much time once he figures out that he has a crush on you - in his mind, the more time he wastes not confessing to you, the more time he could spend as your boyfriend is wasted
and he can’t have that!! absolutely not!!
now, he doesn’t want to overwhelm you - he won’t jump you and confess his undying love to you, but he’ll start planting the seed
he’ll take you out for dinner and jokingly call it a “date”, he’ll joke about being your boyfriend when people ask - he wants to gauge your reaction, if you immediately recoil at the though or if you seem to be comfortable with it
luckily for him, you are in fact are comfortable with the idea of him being you boyfriend…maybe more than he anticipated （〃￣∇￣）
he’s over the moon!! and poor ayaka is now subjected to him planning out his confession…while yoimiya is all for it and does her best to help him make it as exciting as possible (・・。)ゞ
ayaka does give him some tips though, especially after she overheard him and yoimiya talk about “massively massive fireworks”…maybe a little too much for a simple confession, thoma!! but we love the energy!!
he decides that he’ll make use of some smaller fireworks, and that he’ll let his genuine feelings handle the “sweeping you off your feet” part - which they do, safe to say
the best thing isn’t even all the stuff you do but rather spending time with him; he could take you on a walk through a desert and it would be fun as long as he’s with you
seeing your smile just boosts his confidence and, before yoimiya even gets to set off her fireworks, thoma is leaning close to you, your fingers intertwined with his,
“i hope you enjoyed today, because i really did. i thought about it a bit and…what if this became a regular thing? maybe, let’s say, once a week? we should probably also make it official so people don’t get the wrong idea, you know. what do you think about titles? like…me being called you boyfriend for example? personally, i really like it.”
you can’t help but giggle at him, because it’s so much like him. and thoma’s favourite part of this all? the way you got startled when the fireworks finally were set off in the middle of your first kiss. (〃ω〃)
#XINGQIU
he’ll somehow find a way to use his crush on you as a way to tease you Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑)!!
like he’ll suddenly spend more time with you and you see a chance to tease him, saying something like “say xingqiu, why are you always with me lately? do you like me that much?”
and he’ll just smile at you, “what if i do?”
he’s infuriating!!…but so pretty (๑ˇεˇ๑)
his crush also isn’t much of a secret. well, most people don’t really know - but you do
he wouldn’t associate himself with someone that’s not good for him or would hold him back - he’s determined, and he’s not above cutting people out if they impact him negatively
which just means the fact that he actually fell for you is a huge thing for him!! he won’t really show it, but he’s genuinely in love with you. he trusts you and loves to be around you, but most of all he enjoys teasing you (´∀｀)
both of you know that you like each other but you’re both too stubborn to say something. well, you’re stubborn; xingqiu just enjoys watching you struggle a bit ⋌༼ •̀ ⌂ •́ ༽⋋
you don’t want to give him the satisfaction of confessing first and he just loves to see you pout at him when he changes the subject for the 10th time~ he’s cruel ੧(❛〜❛✿)੭
once he actually decides to make it official though, it’s probably one of the sweetest things you’ve ever seen
xingqiu wrote a story just for you an he’s reading it to you under liyue’s starlit sky, in a sea of flowers that enchant both of you with their sweet smell - though you’re sure nothing will ever be as sweet as the gentle smile he gave you when he finished his story
“…and as for him? would he have to pick between his lover and the sun, the stars and the moon - some would say he’d have nothing left, as for life would end the second he made his choice; but for him, it’s the only choice that made him feel alive.”
TAGLIST: @whygz
#genshin impact#genshin#genshin impact headcanons#genshin headcanons#ayaka x reader#ayaka imagines#chongyun x reader#chongyun imagines#gorou x reader#gorou imagines#razor x reader#razor imagines#thoma x reader#thoma imagines#xingqiu x reader#xingqiu imagine#genshin imagines#genshin impact imagines#kazuha x reader#kazuha imagines
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You Take Good Care Of Her Pt.1
Word Count: 1,416
Status: Not Requested!
Fandom: The Expendables {1-3}
A/N: So this was one of my writings I have on my Wattpad, and decided to have it brought over here to Tumblr. This isn't my best work, but it's okay I guess.
Relationship: Lee Christmas x Reader
Summary: Y/N and Barney Ross are half siblings. With their lives not being easy, the only people they had were each other, Barney raising her as his own. But, that all changes when she decides to serve our country, earning many scars outsiders will never see. When she returns however, she might actually get the happy ending Barney and her have always dreamed of.
Warnings: language, a little bit of angst
Masterlist The Expendables Masterlist Part Two
{Not my gif}
For the next few years, with Barney's extensive training and knowledge with hand-to-hand combat, how to quick draw a weapon, and how to know how to use it, Y/N had become a strong woman. Y/N never understood how or why he knew these things, but yet again, she never doubted her brother for a second. Barney has always been there for her, as he was now, teaching her self defense in the best way possible.
After Y/N had graduated high school, she joined the army, starting out as a nurse but quickly changing ranking when a horrific war came in, needing her well hidden skills. Barney was proud of his little Gumdrop, the nickname he had given her from the day she was born, but he would be lying if he didn't say he was the least bit nervous. He knew she could handle herself, especially when Y/N had even made it a point in learning all different types of weapons, perfecting Barney's signature skills, and going way beyond anything either of them could imagine. Barney was almost like a proud father.
To say that military didn't change a thing about a person would've been a full-faced lie. It had made you hard, cold to the touch, maybe in the worst ways selfish, too. Y/N was never one to put herself first, but in the military world, although you are all fighting alongside each other as a team, the main point was for you to take care of yourself and only focus on keeping yourself alive; no one else mattered on the battlefield.
Y/N had started to write a diary, trying to keep herself from driving off the deep end into insanity. She was lonely, something that was expected in this way of life. Battle was a different world, a separate one from the world of the more fortunate ones, the ones not in war. Y/N had made a few friends, but as the wars raged on outside, they slowly died off, scaring her, and not wanting to have to hurt as much as she does because of how much she cares.
But after all, nothing is permanent. No one stays forever, and that made Y/N miss her brother all the more. As she writes in her diary, she also wrote letters home to Barney, those that could have a range of time before getting a response back. After all, Barney was stuck on missions, making a group called the Expendables, and spending so much time up just to not be alone, worrying for his baby sister, and if she will actually come home alive.
After 10 years, Y/N was able to return home, different, but whole. Barney, who had responded a few weeks before, had been the first to see her come down the escalator of the airport, more than ready to feel whole again, to have his family back. When she had spotted him, she practically tackled anyone in her way, almost tripping down the steps to get to her brother. With a lunge and a jump, she crushed her older brother in a rib shattering hug, tears of joy not only pouring out of her eyes, but his too, although he'd never admit to it. Clearing his throat he said, "Let's get you home Gumdrop."
After loads of catching up, Barney told her there were people he wants her to meet, as he was going to show her what he had spent so much time training her for, to be one with the boys, the Expendables. Barney had blabbed about what it is he had done on the ride before entering Tool's shop, which is what made Y/N so eager to meet the rest of the gang, knowing what and who they were before they even entered her life.
The first person she met was Tool, an older man with a rugged smile, warm eyes, streaked hair, and a creative eye for everything he sees. Y/N enjoyed him and took a close liking to him immediately, becoming a weird yet funny father she never had. She was caught up in a conversation with Tool, missing the warm smile her brother had as he watched his sister find someone so alike to her, talk to her, and share interests that normal fathers would, even if it wasn't by blood. Then, multiple other men filled the room of Tool's tattoo shop, the smell of testosterone, grease, and smoke filling the room as the roaring of motorcycle engines came pouring in, soon shutting off.
Barney and Tool introduced Y/N to every person of the group before they all spread out and did their own thing. Toll Road, one of the members, had talked to her, being kind and gentle, a total opposite of his professional career choice. After that, Y/N had made her rounds, talking to everyone: Gunnar Jensen, quiet, handsome, tall, and quite funny. Yin Yang, small, quick-witted, loyal, and very caring. Hale Caesar, the most hilarious person Y/N had ever met, very playful, and a lot of fun to hang out with. She had met everyone, except one; Lee Christmas.
A few times during the night, their eyes had met, as if it were electric that made them shudder and stare on many occasions. But, although many looks were made, he had made it his duty to avoid her like the plague. "But why?" was a constant thought that crossed her mind.
As time passed, Y/N had become just one of the guys, squeezing her tiny self into the little family they had all made. Tool had given her her own specialty Expendables tattoo to make it official too. Decorating it with vines and flowers, "Matching your personality," Tool would tell her, "Beautiful and delicate alongside other flowers in a bundle, yet hard and piercing when messed with by the wrong hands." Y/N enjoyed her tattoo all the much more, taking his words to heart and placing a sweet kiss on his cheek. She never realized the eyes that watched her so calmly from afar though.
What Y/N didn't know was how Lee actually felt, and that was a charge he knew was on him. It never stopped him from getting jealous though, stiffening as he watched her every moves. He had fallen for her soft Y/E/C eyes, and Y/H/L, Y/H/C hair that only she could make beautiful the second he met her. He would talk to her every now and then, but always kept his distance, knowing exactly who she belonged to. Barney would have his ass hit by a train if he ever touched her, and that was because she had gone through so much already, Barney not wanting anymore pain in her life.
Despite his attempts, he knew he wouldn't ever be able to resist her, and for that, he didn't care what he had to go through, he was going to have her. Because she was his, and he was hers, no matter who knew.
To be continued...
#lee christmas x reader#lee christmas imagine#lee x reader#female reader#reader insert#barney ross x reader#tool#gunnar#gunnar jensen#expendables#expendables imagine#expendables x reader#yin yang#hale caesar#barney ross#jason statham#sylvester stallone#mickey rourke#dolph lundgren#terry crews#jet li#randy couture#toll road
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The Return of Walter Peck
Summary: Sabrina takes over for Janine and comes face to face with Walter Peck. (Thick!Girl x Egon Spengler)
Sabrina has been the night shift secretary for about three or so months now. She, like Janine, has mild psychic abilities her specialty were auras and spirits, much to to one Dr. Spengler’s intrigue. She grinned tenderly at the thought of the taller man. He’d wanted to run some tests and she was curious to quiz him on the things he was creating and improving for the job.
The week had been slow so Ray and Peter agreed they could make do with one secretary, so Janine opted for the next couple of days off. Leaving Sabrina to handle the phone calls and any cases that might pop up.
Peter, Ray and Winston had gone out for food leaving Egon and Sabrina alone at the temporary office. Sabrina read her book her head bobbing softly to the song currently playing softly on the radio. The morning had been lovely with Egon coming up more than usual to check up on her, which she thought odd but chalked it up to his usual mannerisms.
All had been well when the bell of the temporary office rang announcing the arrival of a potential client. Sabrina looked up to find a blonde man in a suit looking around as he leisurely walked around the waiting area. Sabrina kept a subtle eye on as she “read” her book.
The man reached her desk and looked like he was going to move to the back offices when he finally spotted you.
“Can I help you sir?” Sabrina asked as “cheerfully” as she could muster.
“Bedside manners seem to have improved,” he said to himself as he gave Sabrina a look over.
Sabrina to her credit did not openly shiver at his slimy once over.
“I was originally looking for the ghostbusters,” he said in what he thought was a charming manner, “But I’m pretty sure you’ve all the answers I’m looking for.”
Sabrina was not amused, she’d been fooled like that before. And having a man flirt with her because he thinks her dumb is not something she’s fond of experiencing. Granted it didn’t take much for a man like this one to think a woman dumb.
“You’ll have to come in at another time Mr. Peck,” she said as professionally as she could, “None of my employers are currently available, but if you leave me a message I’ll be sure to get it to them as soon as they come back.”
Her nonna Delia would be proud, her ma not so much, but who cares! Her goal is to get rid of this creep as quickly as humanly possible.
“I’ll be by later today,” he said with a wink and, finally, left the building.
Sabrina sighed in relief and nearly ran to the back of the office where a makeshift tell her shop was set up.
Egon looked up at the sound of her rapidly approaching heels and concern took over at her clearly agitated state.
He stood from the stool and approached her heaving form.
“Are you alright?” He asked concern evident in his voice.
“Yeah,” she said with a shaky nod, “Just some guy left me feeling weird.”
“Another Venkman groupie?” He asked with a smirk.
“Nope, this one was a guy and too well dressed for the likes of Peter Venkman,” Sabrina said with a laugh, “But this guy reeked of false high standard. He came in asking to talk to one of you but I said no one was in.”
Egon looked at her surprised and asked, “Why not call me up?”
Sabrina blushed lightly and said, “You’re busy rebuilding and I wasn’t going to interrupt you over what could have been a covert journalist.”
Egon was touched by her care. He’d been surprised at her consideration of him and his actions/reactions. She never touched him before letting him know, if she touched him, she made sure he ate and made sure to at least sleep a full four hours before going back to work. But what really threw him for a loop are the times she’d come down and just listen to him talk...about anything. And always wondered why.
“Did he at least leave a name?” He asked giving himself a mental shake.
“Water Peck,” Sabrina said and gave him space as soon as she saw the stony look take over the doctor’s face, “I take it you know him?”
“We’ve met...” Egon said stiffly before turning fully to her and saying, “Did he leave any message?”
Sabrina shook her head telling him that Peck only said he’d be by later in the day.
“If he comes back don’t hesitate to call me up,” he said seriously.
“You’re sure?” Sabrina asked.
Egon nodded, he has business to finish with that...man.
Sabrina took a deep breath and relaxed. If Egon was there when the creep showed up she’d be fine.
“Are you sure ok?” He asked noting how she seemed to be deep in thought.
“I’ll be fine,” she reassured, “It’s not the first time I've been face to face with a creep.”
“Did he do or say something you?” Egon was on high alert now scanning you making sure you were untouched.
“I’m fine Spengs,” Sabrina reassured once again, “He just...I...”
Sabrina took a deep breath and started from the top.
“He just gave leered at me like most creeps do,” she said quietly suddenly finding a spot on Egon’s sweater interesting.
The pair stayed in silence for a while taking in what was just said
As if she needed another reason to feel embarrassed for being a big girl. She knew most men thought of her. She is either too fat to be attractive, or she’s fat enough to be a fuck and dumb and desperate enough to fall for it. She didn’t need to know that Egon though that of her too.
Sabrina cleared her throat and excused herself to the front. She cared for the introverted doctor, has a bit of a crush on him too. But in her mind that is something that needs to be nipped in the bud as soon as possible. Past experiences have taught her that not even the smart ones look beyond what is skin deep. They’re better off as borderline, maybe, friends and that is as far as things would go.
Sabrina had made herself comfortable enough to doodle in on a spare piece of paper. All she longed for now was the day to end so she could go home and lick her wounds with the two men that have never let her down, Ben and Jerry. To her surprise, Egon walked in a thick tome in one hand and a clip board in the other. He didn’t say anything as he pulled a rolling chair to the other, computer less, side of the desk and made himself at home. Which was out of character for him.
She kept her gaze on her doodle missing the tender looks he was sending her way.
They did their own thing in a fairly comfortable silence, each engrossed in their own work just taking in the presence of another human. The peace was broken when said creep walked back into the office.
Sabrina put away her drawing, drew as much strength as she could muster and prayed it was enough to keep her head straight.
Egon on the other hand stayed seated, albeit stiffer then when he was before Peck walked in. Letting Sabrina complete the pleasantries.
“I see one of your bosses has come back,” Peck noted with false interest.
Egon noticed Peck eyeing Sabrina and felt a hot stripe of anger shot through at the incredulity of this ape to look upon a woman as a bare object. Least of all the sweet young woman that took care of hi–them when they insisted on take out.
“He’d just arrived from lunch, we were going over the books,” she lied easily.
Peck gave a cocky nod and kept his distance seeing who it was that was sitting at the desk.
‘Smart man,’ Egon thought fighting a smirk.
Sabrina stood and made to ‘work’ on other things and give the men space to talk. She was used to being dismissed, its the 80s, not much consideration was given to women even if their stations were of value.
“You’re leaving?” Peck asked lightly.
“I’ve files to organize and you did come here looking for one of my employers,” Sabrina said directly yet respectfully, “Excuse me.”
Sabrina fought the urge to bolt but was stopped.
“Wait,” Peck called out, “What time to you get off? Take you out for a drink?”
“She’s not interested,” Egon said seriously finally standing.
“She can answer for herself,” Peck said eyeing Egon warily.
“She is right here and not interested,” Sabrina said loudly, annoyed at both men.
“Oh come on a girl like you clearly has nothing better to do,” Peck said arrogantly.”
“A girl like me?” Sabrina asked rhetorically.
He waved his hand about nonchalantly, “Well you know...big girls.”
“Are you insinuating that because I’m fat, I'd be desperate enough to go out with you?” Sabrina asked flatly.
Egon’s blood froze.
“Well, you’re not unattractive and seem smart,” Peck said cocky grin on his face as if he thought he was getting somewhere.
“Seem smart?” Egon asked lowly.
“Well she’s a woman,” Peck said, “Come on even a genius like yourself must admit that girls like her can’t seem to go far.”
Sabrina had heard this since high school. Her well meaning aunties proclaiming she has the perfect child bearing body, nonna lucia’s passive aggressive comments on how she must loose weight to find a successful man but then shaming her for not eating enough, the mocking of her peers and pitying looks of her teachers.
“Clearly stated she’s a woman yes,” Egon said, “And yet so far the only one whose proven that an individual can’t go far is you.”
Peck sputtered at that.
“And to be specific she is not interested because she already has a partner,” Egon said cold, calculating, grin on his face, “And I guarantee you she holds her own.”
Peck’s eyes widened and went from Egon to her and back to Egon.
“Are you so desperate for something that you’d sink so low as to fuck your boss?!” Peck yelled at her, “I see now that you’re nothing but the office slut.”
Sabrina ran from the room in tears, shame and embarrassment coursing through her as she heard the ghosts of the mocking and taunting all around her.
Peck looked satisfied at his job which set Egon off.
“You really are full of yourself,” Egon said and without warning approached the man and knocked him out cold. He nodded in satisfaction and went in search of his girl.
He found Sabrina in the makeshift lab, sitting on the couch hugging a pillow. He knelt by her side and placed a hand on her shoulder startling her.
Sabrina jumped slightly at the feel of a hand on her shoulder. She looked to find Egon and a kind smile.
“You didn’t need to do that,” Sabrina said wiping away the tears,
“Not my best moment, nor how I wanted to ask you to dinner, but I thought it would be enough to shut him up,” Egon said honestly.
When he mentioned asking her out she was floored, “Asking me out?”
He blushed and nodded.
“But I’m–”
“Absolutely gorgeous,” he said honestly, “And smart, and patient. Not many people can deal with my weird ticks and quirks. But you are patient and make sure I’m alright and sleeping and eating. You make sure to have extra blankets for the nights I stay here. And you let me ramble on about what I do.”
Sabrina looked at him in wonder.
“Don’t you see?” He asked borderline hysterical in his anxiety to let her know just how special she is to him.
“But I like listening to you,” Sabrina said quietly, “Daddy’s a mechanic and my brother is a bio chem major.”
This floored Egon, and he finally realized why it was that when he went on tangents she seemed to meet him halfway.
The pair shared warm grins.
“How does Italian sound?” Egon asked.
“I’ll cook then,” Sabrina replied, “Come by mine at around 6?”
Egon nodded sitting next to her and pulling her into a warm hug.
Both sighed in relief as unnecessary walls crumbled. The last thing Egon thought of was a promise to make her see how lovely she is to him before they heard...
“Someone left me a present!”
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Prima Vista Part IX
[ previous ]
Rating: E (explicit; mdni)
Pairing: Mike Zacharias x fem!reader
wc: ~ 14.3k
Warnings: timeskip, mutual pining, author doesn’t know shit about science subject matter, explicit sexual content, ass play, snowballing, tooth rotting fluff
A/N: This is it, y’all. This last part was so much fun to write, I can’t even put it into words. The feedback on this has been incredible, so a big thank you for that, and before anyone asks, I have a handful of spinoff oneshots planned for this series. Enjoy~
- NINE YEARS -
“Hey, don’t forget about the meeting at three.”
Mike glances up from his computer to find Henning leaning through his office doorway. It’s the first time Mike has looked away from the screen in at least an hour, and he blinks at his colleague several times in an attempt to get rid of the gritty feeling in his eyes.
“Yeah, thanks,” he nods, rubbing a hand down his face. “Definitely would’ve forgotten about that one.”
Henning leaves with one rap of his knuckles against the doorframe, and Mike checks his phone to see how much time he has before he has to make his way to the conference room. It’s twenty after two, so he spends a little while longer reading over the journal that had been sent to him, only tearing himself away when his alarm goes off at 2:55.
He waves at a few people as he passes, shows the reserved smile he’d mastered upon entering the corporate world, then walks into the large meeting space and sets his little notepad on the mahogany table as he sits down in a plush rolling chair.
This meeting has been planned for a few weeks now, a team of researchers contracted by the government to study Lake Sina and everything wrong with it. Its water quality is at an all time low, and it's up to Mike and his team to figure out a way to change that so it can be purified enough to distribute to the public. There are a few large cities close to the lake, all of lower income and all struggling with their water systems. If Sina can get clean enough, it would solve a huge crisis that most people don't even know is taking place.
Tomas, Henning, Lynne, and Nanaba are already in the room, and after a few minutes, another group of four walks in, all unfamiliar except…
Mike’s eyebrows knit together as he stares. He can only see a profile from where he’s sitting, but it’s one he recognizes. The time he spent admiring it, mentally sketching every feature—of course he’d recognize it. Recognize you.
There is a pounding in his chest that Mike hasn’t felt in years, and his palms are suddenly damp. The collar of his shirt is too tight around his throat, and he reaches up to undo the top two buttons so that he can fucking breathe, but Jesus Christ, he can’t believe it. It feels like a lifetime has passed since he last saw you.
He wonders if you’ll have the same reaction when you finally notice him, if you’ll gawk at him or grin or run away. He wouldn’t blame you if you tucked tail. That last conversation—if it could even be called that—is not one of Mike’s fondest memories, and he can’t imagine the toll it took on you, what you must have felt going into your final year of undergrad.
“Is there a remote for the projector?” You call out to the table, and your voice sounds exactly the fucking same. It makes Mike want to slam his head into the wood, but before he can, you zero in on him.
He watches as your eyes grow, jaw setting, shoulders rising with a deep breath, and oh, you’re panicking. You’re panicking just like he is.
“Um,” you cough and shake your head, then lean over to speak to one of your people before basically jogging from the room.
No one seems to think anything of it. Mike has to white-knuckle the arms of his chair to keep himself from getting up and following. There's no reason he should follow, though. The two of you haven’t spoken in almost a decade. He has nothing to share with you, no reason to talk to you on a non-professional level. You don’t know each other anymore, and that’s fine. It’ll be fine.
A mousy looking man starts passing out little binders to everyone at the table, then introduces himself as Moblit and the other two in the room as Hange and Abel.
"And, the other girl you saw is—"
"I'm back, I'm here," you announce as you step into the room, closing the door behind you and introducing yourself with a wave. "Did we get the projector working?"
"Yes," Abel answers, passing you the remote that Nanaba had procured a few minutes ago.
Hange plugs a cable into a laptop and the white screen is lit up with the image of the well known lake, once beautiful, deep blue but now a murky brown.
Mike has been preparing for this project for a few months now, going to an off-site lab to look over the samples being sent in or dropped off. He knew there was a research team studying the lake, but… what are the odds that you would be part of that team?
He supposes your jobs could overlap just like your classes used to, but you had told him you wanted to go into natural hazards ("You're a natural hazard," he had replied with a snort). Of course, that had been a long time ago, but how had that dream morphed into hydrology?
Before the presentation starts, Mike's boss, Keith Shadis slips through the door and takes his seat at the end of the table. You're quick to grab one of the binders and walk it over to him, flashing a smile and never letting your gaze flit to Mike.
Hange does most of the talking, going over all of your findings while all of you "braved the wilderness". Moblit and Abel insert a few things here and there, and then Hange clicks to a slide with a graph on it and hands the remote to you.
"If you turn to page seventeen in the binders, you can probably get a better look, but this shows how much the level of pollution in Lake Sina has risen in the last year alone. We took samples over…"
You keep talking, but Mike loses his focus, watching your hands move as you speak, the way you're rocking back on your heels, and how you look anywhere but at him.
Even though there's a tiny tremble in your voice, you sound passionate, and why wouldn't you be? Mike is passionate too. About the same god damn thing.
With a PhD in environmental science, his specialty is pollutants. It's something he's been interested in since grad school because the earth is beautiful but in an awful state, and Mike wants to fucking change that. He's written journals and articles, worked with leading experts, and it's what he's decided to dedicate himself to, so why is it that this life that he's built for himself is suddenly intermingling with yours? How—
A hand comes to rest on Mike's and he startles at the touch, jerking his head upward to see Lynne with raised eyebrows.
"Mike, I get why you're lost in the pollution sauce, but if you click that pen one more time, I will throw you out of this high-rise."
He stares at her for a second before chuckling and tossing his pen onto his blank notebook. He hadn't even realized he'd been doing it. It's a little embarrassing, actually. How many people noticed? Did you?
The presentation ends with Hange telling everyone that they're happy to be teaming up with the Corporation to work toward a solution and a plan to clean Lake Sina and possibly implement it into larger bodies of water.
The planning stage of the project will more than likely last for a few months, meaning you'll all be regulars in the office which Mike isn't especially thrilled about, even if you will be sequestered in a little annex and spending a lot of your time in the lab. Mike will still have to see you and work with your team, god, probably have to talk to you.
The floor opens up for any questions, but Shadis is the only one who speaks, wanting clarification on some statistic that Mike is going to have to read over later. Once the boss is happy, he stands, then walks behind Mike's chair to slap him on the back and say the last thing Mike wants to hear.
"This is Dr. Mike Zacharias. All of you should get familiar with him since he'll be heading this project."
Mike sits up a little straighter and forces a tight-lipped smile that all of his colleagues know is fake.
"Happy to be working with you."
It isn't a lie. He's been excited about this project for a long time now. He just wasn't expecting such a massive wrench to get thrown right into the middle of it.
The four of you start packing up your materials. When Henning tries to hand you his binder, you tell him, "No, those are for you to keep. Just to get a real grasp on what we found out there."
Mike knows he's staring, swiveling back and forth in his chair, twirling the pen he's picked up again, and he wonders if it would just be easier to rip the bandaid off. Exchange hellos, go over the bare minimum—how long he's been with the company, how long you've been researching. Just enough to appear casual, like you didn't break Mike's fucking heart in college.
And, then he thinks about just avoiding you altogether. There's always the chance your issues could come up in conversation, and it's so far in the past now, there's nothing either of you can say to make the other feel better. This can't be about closure. It's just a job. That's all.
"Wow, everyone really… cleared outta here."
Mike's vision unfogs, and he glances around to find that yes, you're the only two left in the conference room. Fantastic.
You're wrapping a cord around your elbow then shoving it in a laptop bag, and he can tell you're moving as fast as you can, ready to get the fuck out of there.
"Uh, yeah," Mike agrees, pushing himself to his feet and grabbing his notebook to curl in his hands. "Everyone's just ready to get back to work, I guess."
"Yeah. You can only hold someone's attention with a PowerPoint for so long."
Mike's mouth is too dry, and it feels like he needs to cough, but he doesn't want to startle you, so he just quietly clears his throat in an entirely ineffective way and tells you, "Good PowerPoint, though."
You snicker, not loud enough to hear your real laugh, and Mike doesn't know if he's grateful for that or not.
"Thanks. Mobs made it."
Slinging the bag over your shoulder, you finally look up at Mike—really look at him for the first time—and he sees your expression go soft, mouth twitching like you’re caught between smiling and frowning, and Mike is taken back to the first night he met you when he wanted you to shotgun that disgusting beer.
You blink at him, open and close your mouth, and Mike is waiting with baited breath for you to say something else, but all you do is hold your hand out for him to take the projector remote from you.
"Here."
He grabs it with two fingers, careful not to brush your hand. Fuck, he wishes his heart would stop beating so hard, it's incredibly uncomfortable.
"I feel like I should say something," you murmur, "But I have no idea what, so I'm just gonna tell you I look forward to working with you, Dr. Zacharias."
He grins. Widely. He doesn't mean to, but he does. It's been so damn long since anyone has said his last name like that.
"Do you, though?" He asks.
"Do I what?"
"Look forward to working here."
"Oh, uh…" You bite your lip, start rocking on your feet again, then shrug. "I guess? I mean… Big project."
"Very big."
"It's important to me. I can't say that I was expecting—"
"Me?" Mike offers with a tilt of his head.
He's standing too close. It feels like he is, anyway, so he moves back to lean against the conference table.
"Yeah, pretty much," you laugh. "It's been a while."
Mike wonders if you remember that night as well as he does. No matter how much he's tried to forget it, that image of you with fat years rolling down your face just will not leave him. Do you remember how it felt? Can you remember everything he said to you?
Before Mike can respond, you wave a hand. "Anyway, I need to go help set up our little area, so…"
"Yeah, for sure. I'll be around."
After powering through the last hour of his day, Mike bolts from the building. He needs to get home. He needs to get a drink in his hand. He needs to unwind and not think of you.
He needs to fucking call Erwin.
"Hey, bro, what's up?"
"Dude," is all Mike says at first.
"What?"
"You will never fucking guess who's on the team we’re working with on the Sina water project."
Erwin hums in a sing-song sort of way, then chuckles. "Funny, I got a similar call about an hour ago."
"You guys still talk?" Mike asks a little too loudly.
"Yeah, man. Not every day or anything, but—"
Mike rolls his eyes. "You're unbelievable." He isn't mad, and Erwin knows this. He's just a little surprised. His friend hasn’t as much as uttered your name in the last ten years.
"Yeah, whatever. How'd it go from your perspective?"
"It—Wait, what did she say?"
"Oh, no no no," Erwin laughs. Mike here's a distant, "Hold that, please!" and figures he's making his way to the elevator to leave work as well. "I am not getting caught up in your bullshit again."
Pouting, Mike finally turns on his car and pulls out of the parking lot. "Fine. It went… Well? I think? I mean, super awkward, but that isn't surprising."
"No name-calling or confessions of undying love?"
"No, I'm not twenty-two anymore."
"Could have fooled me," Erwin snorts.
"Fuck off. It was a good presentation, but she was nervous, and I couldn't tell if it was from having to speak in front of people or if it was 'cause I was there, and then we talked afterward—nothing important or anything, just, like, an acknowledgement. You know, you're here, I'm here, we have to find a way to co-exist, except neither of us actually said that," Mike has to take a deep breath. He's rambling, he knows, and Erwin is just listening, probably storing it all away to make fun of him about it later. "It was okay. It could've been worse."
"Could have been better too."
"What? How—"
"Could have bent her over the desk and—"
"Dude!"
Erwin breaks into that deep laugh Mike is so used to, tells him, "I'm just saying! I know she's still cute. We have each other on Facebook."
He's right. Too right. You are absolutely still cute, all dressed up in business casual attire, so different from the leggings and hoodies you used to wear. Your face has matured slightly—naturally—and your hair is different but still suits you. Mike has no idea how he's supposed to work with you for the next few months.
"I can't deal with you," Mike grumbles. "Why did I even call you?"
"Probably because I'm the only one who has an inkling about what you're going through right now," Erwin replies. "Aside from her anyway."
"Yeah, yeah."
They chat for a little while longer until Erwin gets to the bar he's apparently meeting some coworkers at, and Mike spends the rest of his drive listening to music too loud as he tries and fails to clear his mind of you.
*
You're pacing. You have been for the last hour. The food you made for yourself went cold some time ago, but you're too busy whining into your phone to notice.
"Just—like—what the fuck am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to work with him like this? He's overseeing the whole fucking project! I can't just avoid him!"
"Okay, first thing's first," Hitch stops you. "I need you to take a deep breath for me."
"Hitch—"
"Breathe!"
You inhale through your nose then blow out through your mouth, but that's obviously not good enough for Hitch because she demands, "And, again."
"What are you, my therapist?"
"I mean, I usually act like one, so… anyway, while you're calming the fuck down, I'm gonna call for backup. Hold please."
Dropping yourself onto the hotel couch, you try to relax even though you know it'll be impossible because—
"You're working with Mike?" Rhi's shrill voice meets your ear, and you have to pull the phone away.
"Rhi, you're supposed to help me calm her down, not add to her panic," Hitch reminds her.
"Yeah, no, that's not gonna happen," Rhi tells her, and you laugh to yourself.
"Agreed."
"Okay, so tell me what happened. Oh my god, did you cry? Did he cry? What'd Erwin say when you told him? You told him, right?"
You've gotten used to Rhi's rapid fire inquiries a long time ago, so you have no problem answering, "We walked in for the big Sina presentation today, and he was just there, and I was freaking out, so Hange had to do most of the work but still made me go over my findings 'cause I understand them better than they do, but anyway. I don't think he was paying attention at fucking all which is cool 'cause I wouldn't have been either, and then we talked for a second afterward, but there were no tears. There was almost vomit 'cause I felt like I needed to throw up, but I kept it together. I think."
"Okay, and Erwin? What'd he say?"
You snicker to yourself. "He made fun of me for a little while and then he told me to talk to Mike once I calmed down just to catch up and then to—this is verbatim, by the way—to possibly have dirty sex in Mike's office."
Both of your friends howl, Hitch being the first to gather herself enough to giggle, "He fucking would say that, oh my god, I hate him."
"Same," Rhi drawls. "Okay, but is there the possibility of dirty office sex?"
"Wha—That's what you're taking away from all that?" You splutter.
"Uh, yeah."
"I'm kinda curious too," Hitch pipes up.
You wave your free hand around in confusion and tell them, "I—we—no! We don't even know each other anymore. We said, like, four words to each other today, and it was fucking weird, so no. Pervs."
"Do you want to, though? Has he aged well?" Hitch asks in a low, sultry voice.
You click your tongue and pause, not wanting the first thought that pops into your head to be what comes out of your mouth because yes, holy shit, yes, Mike looks so fucking good. It was one of many reasons you were so tongue-tied in front of him.
He's still impossibly tall and broad, but in slacks and a button up. The beard he’s always had is short and rugged and a tad darker than the hair on top of his head that he's let grow out long enough to tie in a bun, and it fits him too well. You thought you were gonna start drooling on his fancy shoes.
"He's alright," you play. They see right through you, falling into another long fit of laughter until you admit, "Okay, okay, he's still stupid hot, alright?"
"God bless. I'm so happy to hear that. I'm so happy for you."
"Why would you—"
"Just promise you'll invite us to the wedding."
"I think you guys are getting a little ahead of yourselves."
"Oh my god, we have to call Marie."
"And, Maddie."
You shake your head as the other two start going back and forth, talking about you like you're not even there, bringing up college memories, old parties you'd all gone to.
"Hey, remember when you hated me?" Rhi questions, and both of you snort.
"And, you hated me right back. Stole your man or whatever."
Hitch mutters a quiet, "Ew, fuck that guy."
And, Rhi picks up, "Yeah, fuck that all-American, record-breaking pitcher."
The three of you talk well into the evening, eventually switching to Zoom so that you can all see each other and add Maddie and Marie into the call. You and Hitch break open bottles of wine, but Rhi and Maddie don't drink, "Solidarity with this pregnant bitch," Maddie says, and Marie lifts her glass of water to cheers via internet.
Sophomore and junior year of college, you never would have expected to get close to anyone other than Hitch, but through a few shared classes and petty curiosity, all of you ended up seeking solace in one another and came out on the other side as best friends. Hitch was even Maid of Honor in Marie and Nile's wedding. Against all odds, everything turned out pretty wholesome.
"I genuinely hope it works out," Hitch says now, words long, lazy, and starting to slur together "Like, even if it's just you and Mike making up and being, like, cool with each other again."
"Hitch, you're drunk, please go to bed."
"I am drunk. But, I still mean what I said. I miss when you guys were just best friends."
"Why?" You question with a head shake.
Hitch sighs, "'Cause you were so happy."
"No, I—"
"I mean, you were still all… weird and guarded, but that dude made you laugh and smile so much."
"I daresay I even saw you giddy on a couple of occasions," Marie hums.
"Whatever. I just want it to be… not awkward."
"Then, talk."
"Mm, pass."
*
A light knock on the wall of the impressively large cubicle gets your whole team's attention, all of you glancing up to find Mike standing in the little entryway, hands in his pockets.
"Hey, just checkin' in. Have you all gotten settled?"
"Yes!" Hange is up on their feet. "Great accommodations, and that lab you guys use?" They moan, and you can tell Mike is trying not to laugh because his mouth is twisting to one side like it always does when he tries to appear unaffected by something. However, you know well that it is very hard to remain unaffected by Hange Zoe.
"Yeah, we haven't had a lab that shiny in a long time," Moblit chuckles.
"Don't you work in government buildings?" Mike frowns.
"You ever seen the inside of a post office?" You question, immediately regretting it when those light green eyes land on you.
"Uh, yeah?"
Smirking through the butterflies, you tell him, "Those are government buildings too."
"Don't mind her. She's just being a smartass," Abel says.
Mike is really fighting that smile now. Even pinched to one side, you can see the way his lips are trying to curve upward, and you have to bite yours and look at the floor before you start acting like a god damn school girl.
It's nearing the end of the first week at your new location. It hasn't been terrible, and some of the strangeness is beginning to wear off, but it's still jarring to see Mike walk around or hear his voice carrying through his office door.
Neither of you have gone out of your way to talk to one another. Anything project related, Hange handles for the most part, and if anything is delegated to you, you try to pass it off to Abel because you're just not ready to be alone in a room with Mike. Your brain and your heart can't take it yet.
You can't deny that you're curious, though. You wonder what his life is like now, what his job is like outside of what you've seen (which, admittedly, is not much), what he does in his free time now, who he spends his time with. You couldn't help but notice (you made a point of looking) that there isn't any type of ring on his finger which is pretty fucking surprising since, well, Mike has always been a catch. How has someone not come around and swiped him off the market? Or, does he just not wear a wedding band at work? Or, does he just have a girlfriend and is waiting to take the next step? So many questions you have no business asking.
Mike hums, rubs at something probably nonexistent on the carpet with the toe of his shoe, and mumbles a little, "Nothin’ I haven't dealt with before," that makes everyone look at him curiously. "With co-workers, you know. Lotta sass in the office."
You stifle a laugh and stand up. There are a lot of sassy things you could say, but you figure none of them are actually appropriate, especially since Mike is technically your boss now—why is that so hot?—so you just slip out of the cubicle, doing your best to not brush up against Mike. He apparently doesn't care, though, because while he moves to the side, he does the thing that all men do, placing a hand on the small of your back as if to guide you past him, and it makes you burn.
"'scuse me," you squeak, relieved to be able to run to the restroom where you can sit in a stall and scream to Hitch through texts.
You are dying—mostly because you don't know what you want. Do you want to be friends? Do you want to seduce him? Do you want another nine years away from him? You have no idea.
You were sad for a long time after that holiday break. You trudged through your spring courses, took more classes in the Summer, then started all over. Hitch had to physically drag you out of your tiny apartment a few times but never to any parties, thank god. Just to lunch or the library, and eventually, Rhi, Marie, and Maddie came into the picture. Further into the picture, anyway.
While they got you laughing again, though, that ache didn't ever fade. Mike's words replayed in your head in a constant loop, day and night for months. I can’t do this anymore. Start fresh. Shouldn’t be hard for you. You were mad at yourself for a long time, for ruining everything and hurting him. If you could have gone back to the start of it all and done things differently, you would have, but you just had to sit with all your mistakes instead.
Then, your anger shifted toward him. Because you weren't the only one who messed up. You may have been the first one to, but he did some shitty things too. He's the one who didn't care even after finding out it was Zeke who blocked his number. He's the one who refused to believe that you and Erwin weren't actually a couple. He's the one who brought Rhi to the ranch house with the specific intention of hurting your feelings (and to wet his dick).
And, he's the one who didn't want to work things out.
You understand his frustration. You broke his heart, after all. But then, he turned around and broke yours too.
It was nine years ago, and you've moved on. You've dated people since then. You've fallen in and out of love. Mike wasn't even on your radar until Monday, but now… Now, there's no forgetting him. Old wounds get jabbed every time he peeks around the corner, any time you hear him laugh or see him smile, and when he actually looks at you, fuck, it's like someone is ripping stitches out of your skin.
It is not a productive work environment.
Your team hasn't noticed much other than Moblit asking what has you so tense these days, but no one has made any connections, and you'd like to keep it that way. Hange would have a fucking field day if they found out.
There are many meetings to toss around ideas, plans and blueprints that get scrapped. You stumble through presentations, trying not to look directly at anyone as your cheeks heat up and your hands shake.
"You've never been nervous about stuff like this," Abel tells you in the conference room one day as everyone else files out. "What's up with you?"
"Nothing," you shake your head. "Don't worry about it."
"Nothing my ass," he grumbles, walking out without you.
"You really should try to relax," Mike tells you from where he's still sitting at the table. "No idea why you're so nervous."
Everyone else is gone which means you're free to squint at him, scathing retort on the tip of your tongue, but when you see that he's smirking at you, the words dry up.
"Don't play dumb, Zacharias."
"I'm not playing anything," he tells you. "But, I do need to know how long we're gonna keep up this I don't know you-you don't know me thing."
"You literally just said—..." Taking a deep breath, you look over your shoulder to, one, form a coherent sentence in your brain, and two, make sure no one is close enough to hear it when you say, "What would you prefer we do? Not like we can just pick up where we left off. Unless, you know, you wanna go back to being incredibly fucking pissed at me for months on end."
"Man, you really are tense about this," Mike chuckles, and you're torn between slapping him and jumping his bones, so you do neither. Fuck, why'd he have to wear the purple tie today? It looks so good with his complexion and complements his eyes. A few strands of hair have come loose from the bun at the back of his head, and he shakes them out of his face like he used to shake his shaggy bangs, and all you can do is stare and squirm and tell him, "I have to go."
"Go where?" He asks, standing from his chair. It feels like he towers over you even from across the table.
You hold your hands out and gesticulate a little frantically, "I don't know—work? Maybe?"
He's extremely amused, even laughs as you make your way out the door, then calls, "Whenever you're ready to talk, just let me know! You know where my office is."
"I don't wanna talk!"
You really don't. But, you also really do.
*
Mike starts having fun with his new department (you specifically) around the third week.
He's never seen you like this before, having to mentally prepare yourself before you walk into any room, like you have to be ready for him. You nibble on your lip and rock on your heels. Your hands shake in meetings when you have to point to pictures or graphs.
It’s just so unlike you. He got so used to the surly, uncaring girl in college, never happy to see Mike until you gave him a fair chance (and decided you enjoyed his cock). He expects everything to come out of your mouth to be sarcastic or suggestive, and when it's not, it takes him off guard.
Mike is nervous around you too. He can easily admit that. But, his neverending panic really just manifests in the form of nausea and heart palpitations which he thinks is better than trembling and stuttering, but it's still mildly distracting.
Every once in a while, he catches a glimpse of that old side of you, though, a mumbled smartass remark or an unimpressed expression, and he has to make a conscious effort to not grin like an idiot because he's still trying to decipher his actual feelings.
Is he supposed to act like nothing ever happened, or should he hold a grudge? What seems more natural? What feels more natural?
Mike knows the answer to that last question, but he hasn't fully accepted it.
"It's kinda cute, actually. Like, I walk into the room and she gets this little doe-eyed expression. Looks like she's about to run away."
"You're kind of a sadist, you know that?" Erwin says.
"I mean, is it so wrong to get a little satisfaction outta this?"
"I think so, yeah. You're driving her crazy, dude."
Mike smacks his lips and rolls his eyes. "Man, how would you know—"
"'Cause she told me!" Erwin basically shouts like it's obvious. "The words came out of her mouth. Mike is driving me crazy. Just like that."
Pouting, Mike takes another sip of his beer and lets his eyes travel to the bottom of the TV screen to check the score of the game he isn't watching.
"Well, it's not like I can really do anything about it. She'll only be here for a few months."
"Do you happen to know how long it takes for a stomach ulcer to form?" Erwin asks.
Mike frowns. "Uh, no?"
"Well, neither do I, but I'm pretty sure it's not very long."
Both of them laugh. Mike mutters something about Erwin being fucking stupid, and then Erwin sighs and speaks, "I am begging you, dude. Please just get a fucking drink with her or something."
"We don't mix well with alcohol," Mike snarks.
"What's the worst that could happen—you end up in bed again?"
"Well—"
"Honestly, both of you could probably benefit from a good fuck, but what do I know? I'm just the guy both of you call for this shit."
"Alright, I get it. I'll… see if she's up for something," Mike mumbles.
"I mean, I wouldn't open with sex, maybe start off with lunch or…"
"I'm hanging up now."
Mike doesn't actually know how to ask you, though. You're so fucking skittish around him, and you're obviously worried about people finding out you have a history, so he's gonna have to be strategic about it, maybe plant the seed a few days before or—
"Hey, listen…" You appear in Mike's office doorway, long cardigan falling to your knees and swishing behind you even after you've stopped moving. "I know it's almost five, but I'm, like, right in the middle of mapping out a new plan, and I don't wanna lose steam, so is it cool if I stay late?"
"Yeah, I don't care," Mike answers, tacking on, "S'long as you're okay with being here late with me."
"Oh, th-that's—" you splutter for a little while, and Mike raises his eyebrows. "That's n-not necessary. You don't have to, like, supervise me or anything."
"I'm not supervising you," Mike snorts. "I'm trying to finish my piece for a journal."
"Ah, right, that's… yes." You shoot off a half-hearted finger gun, and Mike wants to hop his desk to get to you. There you are. There are your dumb fucking mannerisms, please, just act like yourself, for the love of god.
"Okay, well if you need me, uh, I will probably be on the floor in the annex, so…"
"We do have chairs, ya' know," Mike smirks.
"Yeah, but it's easier to just spread everything out so I can see it."
"Want a corkboard? You can make it look like you're doing a murder investigation."
"Hmm, might make it look more official," you muse, making a face of contemplation.
Before you can actually say yes, Mike pipes up again. "I don't actually have a corkboard. It was a joke."
"Yeah, I know," you snicker. "Wouldn't be big enough anyway."
Too many responses flood Mike's brain at once, causing him to bite his tongue because every last one of them is gross, but you must be able to read it on his face because you point and tell him, "Stop."
"I didn't say anything!" He laughs.
"You don't have to. I know."
Mike rolls his eyes, "Okay," and looks back to his computer, hoping the screen is high enough to hide his grin as you turn and walk away.
The next hour is spent editing the same paragraph over and over with no real motivation because everyone has vacated the floor except for you and Mike, and this could be a good time to talk to you, but he also doesn't want to disrupt your work. Just because he can't focus doesn't mean you can't. You'd only get upset if he distracted you from your work anyway—it's happened before—redirecting your attention from a textbook or study guide to… other things.
He goes down a rabbit hole, reminiscing on those occasions, then tweaking them just a little to fit into the current setting, and it's the absolute last thing Mike should be thinking about, but it's Friday, and you're slightly more casual in your flowy cardigan and tight jeans, and all he wants is to get one teeny tiny look at your ass in them because he knows your it’s perfect. He's seen it in leggings and cheeky little boy shorts and lacy thongs, and there is absolutely no way he can go out to talk to you now.
Also, he really needs to write at least one paragraph before leaving tonight. It's all about water and waste and pollutants which is the shit Mike knows like the back of his hand. He'd just rather have said hands on something else.
"Yeah, this isn't gonna happen," he mutters to himself, taking his hair down to scratch at his scalp. He's better off just going home.
Mike packs a few things up before stepping out of his office, closing and locking the door behind him. Half the lights are off, but the portion over the annex is shining brightly. Mike stares in that direction as he debates telling you he's leaving or bolting without saying anything.
It's the thought of you walking out to your car alone that makes his mind up, and Mike saunters to the annex and finds you on hands knees surrounded by several sketches, crumpled notes, and the set of blueprints that Mike is pretty sure got thrown in the recycling on Tuesday.
"Where'd you even find those?"
You don't look up when you answer, "Recycling comes every Monday."
"So, you went… dumpster diving?"
Lifting your head, you squint up at Mike, tracking him as he squats on the other side of your organized chaos.
"Is it dumpster diving if it's all paper?"
Mike shrugs. "Dunno. How's it comin'?"
"I'm comi—It!" You correct a little too loudly. "It's coming! It's coming along just fine."
"Yeah?" Mike chuckles. "Cute Freudian slip there."
"It was not—" You grit your teeth, fingers curling on the papers they're resting on, then question, "Did you need something?"
"Just came by to say I was leaving," Mike tells you. Something catches his eye, though, some of your notes scribbled just big enough for him to read a few of the words from where he is, and he grabs the sheet to look it over more carefully.
Irrigation plans, specialized pumps, introducing new life into the lake, specifically filter fish…
"I was just vomiting ideas out on paper, it's nothing important."
Mike hums and reads further. Some of it is familiar because Mike has considered some of these himself, but while your engineering thoughts are a little vague, the ideas that lean more toward the biological side of things are pretty interesting, even if they're just sloppy bullet points and arrows.
"You wanna vomit on a person instead?" He asks, chuckling at the look you give him.
"Ew."
"Just spitball. Throw it at me."
"Oh, I'm gonna throw somethin' at you all right."
Mike slips his bag from his shoulder and sets it down before sitting on the ground, picking up the papers closest to him.
"Tell me about the xylem tissue method," he prompts.
You don't speak right away, just chew on your lip while staring at the sketches on the ground, but then you nod and sit back on your heels.
"So, we know that white pine trees are a natural means of filtering, but there aren't any around here. I know it's more of a long-term plan, but we can't just go with a temporary fix, so I was thinking—"
Mike listens. To everything. Everything you can think of. He watches too. You rub your hands over your jeans and flick hair from your eyes. You change positions, sitting on one foot while resting your chin on your knee as you think out loud, then move to sit cross-legged only to get up to pace the length of the cubicle, barefoot since your heels were kicked off long ago.
He asks questions or makes suggestions here and there, and soon it isn't just you who's brainstorming.
It's easy. It's what Mike knows, and it's obviously what you know too, and a couple of hours pass before either of you realize it.
"Shit, it's almost ten," you state, looking at your phone. "Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you here so late."
"It's fine. Wouldn't have stayed if I didn't want to."
Mike stretches as he stands, twisting to crack his back and rolling his neck. You gather up all the papers, straightening them into a neat pile then putting them in a drawer at the bottom of your desk.
You walk out together, still chatting in the elevator and out to the parking lot, and Mike feels good. He feels like… He feels like he did in college.
"Please tell me that is not your car," you say, eyeing the boxy, white Mercedes that is, in fact, Mike's.
"What of it?"
"These fucking Jeeps are so ugly, I cannot believe—"
"Uh, it's not a Jeep. It's a g-wagon, thank you."
You roll your eyes. "I liked your Wrangler better."
"I bet you fuckin' did," he mumbles, too lost in the memory of you riding him in said Wrangler to think about how you might take the comment.
"It was easier on the eyes," you explain.
"It was a frat boy car."
"You were a frat boy!"
"And, now I'm a professional."
"Are you, though?" You tease, expression skeptical save for your tiny smirk.
"Most of the time."
The only other vehicle in the lot is a Land Rover, considerably larger than the little hatchback you used to drive but very fitting for someone in your line of work. Mike thinks about mentioning that it's basically the same as his Mercedes, just not as expensive and with rounder edges, but he knows you'll just get indignant and defensive.
He walks you over to your car, and you don't question it, just open the passenger side and throw your bag inside.
This is your chance, Mike realizes. Just ask. Ask her to go somewhere else and talk about something other than work.
"Hey, uh, do you wanna grab a drink or something?" He tries, heartbeat picking up once again. His eyes are a little too wide as you regard him carefully, studying him like one of your samples.
Then, you shake your head.
"No, Mike. I don't wanna grab a drink." His stomach opens up, the heat that comes with embarrassment creeping up his neck.
"Oh, sorry, I just—"
"But, there's a breakfast place close to the extended stay they put us up in. I've been wanting to check it out."
And, like that, his hope is restored. Hope for what, Mike doesn't know, but it's certainly there, blooming in his chest like unkempt wildflowers.
"Yeah?"
You nod. "Yeah. I'm still not really a morning person, but d'you wanna meet there at, like, ten or so?"
"Tomorrow?"
"I mean, if that works for you."
"Yeah!" Mike clears his throat, lowers his voice so that he sounds a little less excited. "I'm usually up and moving by eight."
"God, why do you hate yourself?" You cringe.
"I've always been an early riser."
"Not from what I remember."
Mike leans against your rover, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, maybe not when I was kept up into the early morning hours, but usually I was up before everyone else."
You post up across from him, one hand on your hip, and Mike realizes this is gonna go on for some time.
"Kept up? Like you didn't wanna be?"
He's fine with that. He'll stand out here talking with you until the sun comes up if you'll let him. And, maybe after that too.
*
Breakfast is good. Breakfast is safe. Breakfast is the start of the day and free of alcohol. There is nothing suggestive about breakfast.
Except breakfast has become a habit. For the last three Saturdays you’ve sat at the little cafe next to your hotel talking with Mike for at least an hour. You’re kind of getting to know him again, but most of the conversation consists of stupid jokes or blatant deflections.
His parents are still doing well, both in their sixties now, but Scout, unfortunately passed away a few years ago. Hearing it makes your eyes burn, and watching Mike’s face fall actually makes you wipe at your own rapidly forming tears.
He still keeps in touch with several of his frat brothers—Erwin (obviously), Nile, Gelgar, and some of the younger kids, Jean, Marco, and Connie.
“Yeah, I’m actually pretty close to Marie now,” you tell him. “And, Maddie, and Rhi.”
“Rhi?” He looks incredibly surprised.
“Yeah,” you laugh. “Bonded over the woes of college boys.”
“Didn’t see that coming.”
“Neither did I, honestly.”
Working with him is easier now. The ice has been broken. The boundaries have been set even if they are unspoken. You still do your best not to touch him at all, never stand too close or brush against him in any way, but you’ve loosened up a lot, and your team seems to appreciate it. Unfortunately, they also start to notice the way you light up a little too much whenever you’re around Mike, and naturally, Hange just had to comment on it a few days ago.
“You have a crush on the bossman or somethin’?”
“What? No. We just work well together, I guess.”
You do not tell Mike about this exchange, in fear of him prying. Well, do you have a crush on the bossman? You’re not ready for that, probably never will be.
There are a few breakthroughs in the Sina project. The research team gets extra funding to run more trials, and you start to stay late more often, sometimes in the tower with everyone else and sometimes in the lab. Things are progressing nicely.
Eventually, breakfast turns to lunch, lunch turns to dinner, and then you find yourself in Mike’s apartment, sitting at his kitchen table while he cooks.
“So, we talk every once in a while now, but it’s usually really awkward. Like, I still don’t ever know what to say to him.”
“Do you find it weird that he reached out in the first place?”
“Kind of? When I was younger, I always hoped he would, but now that he has, I almost wish he hadn’t. Does that make sense?”
Mike shrugs as he pours noodles into a strainer over the sink. “I mean, he’s your dad, so yeah, it makes sense. What he did was super shitty, but I figure it’s hard to forget the good times and just abandon all hope.”
“Yeah. On the bright side, he sends my brother money for commissary, like, every week, so that’s nice.”
It took a little while, but you’ve let yourself open up to Mike much easier this time around. Whether it’s because you already know you can trust him or because you’ve gotten the closure you needed for so long, you’re not sure. You just know it’s been easy.
Unfortunately, with vulnerability comes feelings, and you are having a lot of those. Too many. You’re glad that it’s not debilitating dread and nervousness now, but the overwhelming affection isn’t any less distracting.
Watching Mike move around his kitchen, though—clad in a t-shirt, faded jeans, and the dish towel thrown over his shoulder, you are painfully reminded of why you got so attached all those years ago.
It isn’t fair. You really didn’t want to fall back into this hole. You knew it was a possibility as soon as you saw him at that first meeting, but you were trying to put it off until you had to leave.
Because that’s the plan. You come in. You complete the project, get them started on a long-term plan for the lake, then head back to your home facility and wait for another job to be assigned. You can’t just stay here, even if the idea gets a little more tempting every day.
You’re just friends, though, just spending time together because it’s familiar. It’s nice being back on the same page, just letting the past stay there.
“So, it’s been about two months,” Mike starts, and something about his tone makes your stomach drop. “I feel like that’s an appropriate amount of time to wait before finally addressing the elephant in the room.”
So much for letting the past stay there.
Groaning, you rub your hands down your face. “Do we really have to?” Of course he would want to talk about it now that you’re comfortable.
“I really think we do.”
“Mike, that was so long ago. I was a dumb fucking kid. What do you need to know other than that?”
He braces himself on his counter, face serious. “Nothin’ really. I just want you to know that I was a dumb kid too.”
“Yeah, and we’ve grown since then and gotten over it, right?”
He lets out a long sigh. “I had gotten over it, but working with you every day has kinda... brought some things back to the surface.”
Staring at him, you swallow and try to stay calm. You know where he’s coming from, and it’s a little comforting to know that he’s been experiencing at least some of the emotions that you have been, but you don’t know whether or not it’s a good thing.
“I get it. I’ve been struggling too, but there’s nothing we can really do about it.”
You’ve thought about just taking the plunge and sleeping with him again. It would be nice—really fucking nice—but it would only make things worse.
“I guess. It’s been cool to hang out again, but…” Mike chews on his lip for a moment before finishing, “We’ve never been good at just hanging out.”
The reminder makes your skin prickle with heat, and you shift in your chair, reeling in your thoughts before they run wild.
“Yeah. If it would be easier to just not hang out, I’d understand.”
He turns back to the stove to stir something and turn on the vent then twists back around. “That’s not what I’m saying.”
“Then, what are you saying?”
Mike makes a little disgruntled noise, hanging his head like he’s getting frustrated. “I’m saying some days are hard. I tried to keep some distance, but that lasted for about a week, and now you’re here, and even though you’ve changed some, you’re still you, and I’m still me, and… Some days are just hard.”
Some minutes are hard, you think to yourself. You can be going about your day like someone who isn’t completely fucking smitten, and then you see Mike, and he nods or grins and suddenly all you want is to be alone with him and trace over his lips with yours, feel his hands on you, run your fingers through his long hair.
“If I could take those feelings away from you, I would,” you tell him, and it’s apparently the wrong thing to say because he frowns.
“Do you not feel the same way then?”
Your reply is almost instantaneous. “Christ, Mike, of course I feel the same! I was in love with you! I didn’t know how to show it back then, but that’s what it was, so yeah, I feel it too, but there’s no point in—in analyzing it or turning it into something—”
“You were in love?”
“Dude. Yes. It took me a while to realize it—like, way too long—but yeah. Definitely love. Junior and senior year wouldn’t have sucked so much if it was just lust or infatuation or something.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” you wave him off. “I fucked up. You had every right to be pissed.”
“I could’ve handled it better,” he mutters.
You shake your head. “Dumb kids, remember?”
Mike looks genuinely upset, and you don’t know what to say anymore, so you get up from the kitchen table and walk over to him. You have to physically urge him to turn and face you, but once he does, you wrap your arms around his torso and sigh. He immediately locks his wrists behind your back, resting his chin on your head, and it feels familiar and right and a little bit like home. You can smell the fabric softener that clings to his shirt and the fresh scent of his deodorant, different from what he used to wear, but that doesn’t make it bad.
“Can we wait for a while longer before we decide to act like dumb kids again?” You ask.
Mike chuckles above you. “You say that like you’re positive we will.”
You’re just being realistic, and you tell him as much. The chances of you leaving the city without having sex at least once are slim to none. You figure the two of you will break and indulge in one of those ‘just for old time’s sake’ fucks, but if Mike keeps talking to you like this, admitting feelings and what not, you’re gonna lose it much faster than you’d originally planned.
“Yeah.” You feel him nod. “Yeah, we can wait.”
When he kisses the top of your head, you almost give up then and there.
*
This fucking sucks. Everything sucks. Mike was never one of those people who looked back on college as his glory days, never really had the desire to go back to it, but now he feels like he’s reliving them because he’s back to being twenty-one and obsessed with a girl—being obsessed with you.
It wouldn’t be so bad if he didn’t know that you felt it too, but you admitted it, so now the only thing that’s stopping the two of you from exploring that avenue is, what, fear? Again?
He gets it. He does. You don’t want to fall into something serious only to leave, but it’s possible to navigate relationships like that. Long distance-works. There’s technology for that like phones and video chats and sex toys. Then, there’s always the option of just relocating. It would be drastic, but Mike isn’t against the idea. Arrangements would have to be made, but he could swing it. It’s a little crazy so early on, but...
He’s not gonna push it, not in a blatant way, but he’s gonna try his damndest to make it harder for you to go. He grows bold enough to start touching you more. A hand on the small of your back as you leave a room together, an arm around your shoulders when you watch TV over dinner, tucking hair behind your ear (“God, that used to be Erwin’s, like, go-to move.”). It’s fucked up because he knows your colleagues are asking about it, that he’s subjecting you to their interrogations, but he can’t help himself. He can’t stop.
It definitely has an effect on you. You get flustered every time, can’t look at Mike for a while, and he hopes it’s because you’re thinking about other ways he could touch you—has touched you—f you’d just give him the chance.
He thinks he has the patience to keep it up, wind you up more and more every day until you spin out of control and into his bed. You’re still spending time with him outside of work, still sharing pieces of yourself, and you’re not stopping him from putting his hands on you. so it’s only a matter of time.
It comes to a head in his apartment after dinner. It’s so simple, something Mike didn’t even do on purpose, but as you’re washing your hands, he comes up behind you and reaches past you for a paper towel. He puts a hand on your hip without thinking, and his chest presses against your back, and then you’re exhaling in one quick huff and squirming to turn around.
“Okay.”
“Okay, what?” Mike asks, confused as he takes a step back.
“Okay, I’m ready to act like a dumb kid.”
You don’t even dry your hands, just curl your fingers into his shirt and gaze up at him with dilated pupils, and Mike is elated.
“Oh, thank god, fuck, thank god.”
He leans down, and you stand on your tiptoes, and when you meet in the middle and he feels your lips on his for the first time in almost a decade, he groans.
You pull him closer, tilt your head further back to give him better access, and Mike cradles it in his hands. He tries not to breathe too heavily, pant like a fucking dog, but he’s been waiting for this since he saw you again. Maybe before that. He thinks on some level he’s been waiting for this since he left you alone in the ranch house, a little voice nagging at him to go back, to fix things, and he just never did.
“This is stupid, this is so stupid,” you murmur against him. “Only gonna make things harder.”
“Just stop thinking about it,” Mike replies, nipping at your bottom lip. He doesn’t want you to think about it because he doesn’t want to think about it otherwise he’ll blurt out everything he’s been stewing on for the last couple weeks, the possibility of a real relationship, of you staying or him going, and that's too much.
You both shed clothes on your way to the bedroom, a trail of shirts and pants until you’re naked and laid out for him, and Mike swears he just might cry because you’re so beautiful, just as he remembered with a little more meat on your hips and thighs, a new scar on your calf that he asks about before brushing his lips over it. That leg is already resting on his shoulder, and once he gets situated on his stomach, he throws the other one over himself.
His mouth starts to water as he gazes at your pussy, so fucking pretty, hole fluttering when he spreads you open. You can’t answer his question about the injury as he lowers his face, pressing the flat of his tongue to the sensitive skin then dipping it inside of you.
“Oh, fuck.”
You taste and smell and feel perfect, and the only thought in his mind is to devour you. He won’t stop until you’re crying, drool leaking from your mouth and your cunt. And, he knows exactly how to get you to that point.
Mike flicks over your clit until it grows firm against his tongue then sucks it into his mouth. The noise you make goes straight to his cock, and he starts to rut into the mattress to get some kind of friction. He can already feel precum dripping from his tip, knows you won’t be the only one getting messy tonight, but he doesn’t care. He’s never cared.
Mike only pulls away when your thighs start to tremble around his head, and it’s only to mark them with bruises. It reminds him of the last time, when you’d let him fuck you in a fit of desperation. It had been his undoing. He thought of that night for years, and now that he’s able to do it all again, he can’t help but confess, “Fuck, I’ve missed your pussy,” just before he spits on it.
Your chest is rising with every little whimper you release as your nails dig into your palms. He’s never been happier to have long arms, able to reach up and massage your tits, stretching his fingers out to span across your chest, thumb on one nipple, pinky on the other, and as he teases both of them, he moans at the fresh slick that coats his tongue.
“A finger,” you pant, “Give me a finger, fuck, at least one, please please please—”
You’ve always been so cute when you babble. Mike can never say no when you talk to him like that, but after assessing and deeming you fit, he slides two fingers into you at once, still sucking your clit.
You swear loudly, almost in surprise, but that doesn’t stop you from moving your hips, fucking yourself on every digit as your jaw drops open.
Mike wants to see your face—has to see it, so he licks up your body, stopping to tongue over your nipples as he goes. He never falters in his thrusting, still knows the exact angle he has to crook his fingers to hit your g-spot. Your back arches, and you plant your feet flat on the mattress to give yourself more leverage, more control. Mike smirks down at you, enjoying your euphoric expression as he grinds his palm against the bundle of nerves that is the key to making you fall apart.
“Oh my god—oh, god—fuck, Miche.”
His breath catches in his throat. God, he hasn’t heard that in too long. He never told you, not that he ever had to, but hearing you call him that drove him crazy, made him fall further in love and lust at the same time, and hearing it now has the same effect.
“Please,” you whine, then repeat it, spreading your legs to coax him deeper. “Fuck, I need you so bad, s-so bad.”
He’s in the perfect position to rub his cock over your stomach, smearing pre everywhere it touches. From the beginning, Mike has loved leaving traces of himself on you, always felt like he could almost smell it on your skin, like a sigil to ward off others.
He places a soft kiss at the corner of one closed eye, then on the other, and when you open them to look at him, he sees that they’re filled with tears.
It makes him pause, but you keep riding his fingers and beg, “Don’t stop, please don’t stop, m’fine, just—”
“Why're you crying then?" he grins, leaning down to lick your bottom lip. "Feel good?"
You nod, raising to your elbows to force your mouth against his, sliding your tongue inside then whining when Mike pulls away, but it's only to gather the spit in his mouth. When he kisses you again, he makes sure you take it all, pushing saliva past his teeth and onto your palette, and when you swallow, Mike makes a noise of satisfaction.
"That's my fuckin' girl."
That wide, fuck-drunk smile he loves so much spreads across your face as you accept the praise you never would have when you were younger.
Mike noses just under your ear then asks, "You ready for my cock?"
"Always,” you breathe. “Always ready for it."
"Yeah?" You nod, face scrunching up, and Mike thinks there's a chance that you're—"Gonna come for me first?"
Your muscles are starting to tense, hips stuttering, and he can actually feel your pussy spasming around his fingers.
"Come on, baby, you can do it. Just—'
Your eyes roll back as your body pulses. Mike's hand is coated with slick that he can't wait to lick off, and he fucks you with his fingers until you go limp.
He cleans his hand then slithers back between your legs to catch everything that's leaking from you. You release a pitiful moan when he traces a circle around your entrance then squeal when he rubs his beard over it.
"Jesus fuck!"
"Sensitive?" He teases before crawling back up to kiss you.
Holding himself up with one arm, Mike takes hold of his cock, painfully hard at this point, and parts your wet folds with his tip. He slides it up and down, teasing both you and himself and gasping every time it just barely dips inside of you.
"Miche, please."
"You sound good when you beg," he tells you. You've been doing an awful lot of that tonight.
"Good enough to fuck me?"
"Mm, maybe," he plays, but he's cut off when you lift yourself just enough to take his cockhead inside of you, squeezing it so that he swears.
It completely dismantles any self-control Mike thought he had, and he gives you everything he has in a single thrust that makes you scream his name.
"You asked for it," he tells you, starting to pull out.
You grip his biceps, shaking your head. "J-just stay still for a—oh god, oh god…"
Mike doesn't move, lets you adjust while he enjoys the way your cunt clenches around his cock. You're panting, eyebrows knit together, and apologize, "Sorry, give me… a minute. Been a while since I've taken anything this s-size."
It's juvenile, but Mike's chest still puffs a little when you tell him that, and that feeling only grows when you give him the go ahead to move and he pulls out to see that his cock is already covered in white cream.
Breathing out a quiet, "Fuck," he slowly pushes back in, mesmerized by the way it creates a thick ring at the base. "So pretty," he mutters, rubbing a thumb over the skin that's stretched around him. "Such a pretty pussy."
He lets a string of spit drip from his mouth and onto your clit then strokes the swollen bud in circles, the pad of his fingers brushing over the tiny hole that makes you twitch every time.
Mike falls into a very slow, deep rhythm, torturing you as he drags his cock over every inch of your satin walls. Tiny gasps are pushed from your throat with every thrust, growing louder when Mike sits back on his heels and pulls your hips up to meet his. It leaves you helpless, only able to claw at the blankets, but your efforts are half-hearted, the press of Mike's cockhead against your g-spot obviously making it hard to do just about anything.
"I—I—I—..."
"You what, baby?" He coos while admiring how big his hands look where they wrap around your waist, holding you mostly still as he drives his cock in and out of you.
Your cunt is pulsing again, so tight around him as it drips with slick and cream. The sounds it's making, an obscene balance of suction and squelching, has Mike shaking over you because it's so lewd but so familiar, and god, he has missed this.
And, you're right. It's stupid because he's just putting himself in the same place he was in ten years ago, but now he's a grown fucking adult, able to handle himself better, communicate better, fuck you better.
Tears leak from the corners of your eyes when he picks up his pace, and he groans when he presses in just a little too far, cockhead nudging against the wall deep inside of you. Your eyelids flutter, toes curling where your feet dangle and shake on either side of Mike.
His hips start to snap against yours, his balls swinging every time, and Mike remembers how nice it felt when they'd slap against your clit, the way you'd sing for him, and well…
"Turn over," he breathes, pulling out and helping as you get to your hands and knees.
He takes the time to appreciate the view, letting the weight of his cock settle on your back just to get a visual of how much you take of it, what it might look like deep in your ass and what it would be like to see your stomach bulge from it.
Another day.
Not wasting any more time, Mike sheathes himself inside you once again, spreading your cheeks and spitting on your puckering hole so that he can press against it with a thumb.
Your pussy opens up for him, like your body is begging him for more, so Mike fucks you harder, faster, slipping the tip of his finger into your asshole so that you tense up and say his name drunkenly.
His heavy balls hit your clit over and over, making you squirm and swear, head hanging back in an invitation, so Mike uses his free hand to grab you by the hair, pulling and glancing at what he can see of your face to make sure he isn't hurting you too much.
That grin is back, crooked and shiny with drool you keep having to suck back from your teeth. Mike hasn't felt this good having sex in god knows how long (he knows exactly how long it's been), and he thinks out loud, "Always take my cock so well. Always been able to…"
"Feels so good, Miche," you cry, "You feel so fucking good, oh my god."
He takes you like this until you can't hold yourself up anymore, elbows buckling underneath you, and all he does then is fall onto his back and pull you with him, letting you ride him like this and dragging his nails down your spine. It curves under his touch, arching and bowing as you lean forward to plant your hands between his legs and bounce on him.
Mike has a perfect view from this angle, huffing at the way your puffy lips open for him, clinging to his cock and dripping gossamer strands. Pressure slowly starts to build in both his gut and his balls, a hot sensation that grows, making him feel full and swollen and fuck, he can't wait to fill you up, can't wait to see you sloppy with his cum again.
But, not yet. Not yet.
Pushing you until you move off of him, Mike grabs his pillows and shoves you down on them, kissing you again before burying his face between your legs. Your hands are immediately in his hair, and he smiles when you tug at it a little harshly, using the strands as a means to guide Mike right where you want him. Even though he's taking this little break to let himself calm down, he can't help but press his hips to the mattress. He's hot and throbbing and dripping pre, ready but not ready to unload everything inside of you. He doesn't want it to end too soon, wants to savor every second because you're here crying and pleading for him, pushing yourself against his face only to pull back when he sucks on your clit.
He's able to fit three fingers inside of you now, keeps licking and fucking you until you whisper a slew of curses and start to warn him, "You're gonna make me—" breaking into a high-pitched moan as you squirt into his mouth and all over his hand.
"Fuck yes, again, come on, baby, do that again."
Mike coaxes another out of you, groaning at the feeling of you dripping down his face and chuckling at the way you shiver and sit up. Your eyes are barely open, head swaying back and forth, but you plant a hand on his chest with the confidence of someone who doesn't look like they're about to pass out, shoving him back until he lays down.
Straddling him, you sink down on his cock and bite your lip as you rock back and forth for a few seconds. Mike can feel fluid dripping over his pelvis, murmurs, "So messy," while pulling you down for a lazy kiss.
He lets you ride him, lets you think you're in control for a while until your legs start to get tired, rhythm becoming slower, and then Mike takes over. He lifts and drops you to his content, hips meeting yours as he fucks up into you. Your own hands cup your tits, pinching your nipples and putting on a show as you bounce up and down.
"You're so good," you breathe. "So fucking good to me, god, Miche, right there."
He's on the brink, so close to his climax, but he holds back, giving it to you just the way you want it until it starts to hurt, and then he grunts, "'m gonna come, baby, I have to. Fuck, please, please, let me—"
"Yes, yes, wanna feel you…"
Mike's head sinks further into the pillow as his hips move without any thought on his part. He spills inside of you, hot ropes of cum filling your cunt so that it starts to leak out around him, then shooting even more inside of you.
"Jesus fucking—"
Your muscles clench, squeezing and milking him until Mike starts groaning and twitching from overstimulation.
He could die right here and now and be totally fine with it. He really could. But before he can let that happen...
Mike urges you back, letting you get situated on your pillows again as he gazes at your stretched pussy and everything dripping out of it.
As soon as you stop moving, Mike is working his tongue inside of you. He can taste both himself and you, feel it coat his tongue as he drinks in as much as he can before sliding up to your face and taking your chin so you'll open your mouth.
The first drop makes you open wider, sticking your tongue out so that Mike can fill your mouth with his cum and spit, and the fact that you let him is so incredibly arousing, he just might fuck you until he's coming dry.
The little pattern is repeated a few times, Mike licking your pussy then spitting everything into your mouth, but he leaves some for lubrication, shoving the last of his cum back inside you when he starts fucking you on his fingers. He keeps you pliant, sucking on your clit so that he can slowly ease his pinky into your ass, and it isn't long before you're letting out breathy little sounds and tensing underneath him.
He takes care of you through your orgasm, looking at your face from where he lays. You're so pretty when you come, mouth open, eyebrows high, the picture of ecstasy, and Mike wants to remember it forever. He wants to keep you like this forever.
You shudder when he pulls his fingers from you, whine when he slowly laves over your sensitive pussy with his tongue, but after several long licks, Mike crawls back up to lay next to you.
"God damn," you laugh. "I had almost forgotten how good you are."
Mike smirks, kissing your temple and nipping the shell of your ear. "Almost?"
You nod, a spent smile making your lips curl. "I don't think I could ever fully forget even if I wanted to."
Humming, he traces fingers over your stomach, now sticky from the mess of precum he had basically slathered you with.
"Yeah, we were pretty good for each other when we weren't being stupid," he muses.
He should probably step away for a few minutes, hop in the shower and wait for the flood of chemicals in his brain to fall away.
"We were, weren't we?"
"Mhm."
Mike dips to press his face into your neck. He just can't stop touching you, can't stop breathing you in. He needs to memorize everything about this—how soft you are underneath him, how you smell like sex and sweat and your perfume, how quiet your voice is when you speak to him.
He feels your body rise and fall with a heavy sigh, and he's about to ask if you want to rinse off, but you open your mouth first, thoughtful when you tell him, "I loved you so much, Miche."
"I know," he replies. Even if he couldn't see it then, he can now. You may not have told him to his face, but if Mike had been just a little smarter back then, he would have realized you were telling him in different ways. "I loved you too."
He feels you pet his hair, probably a tangled wreck from being pulled. "I, uh…" You swallow hard, and Mike rests his chin on the hand on your chest, your heart beating against his palm a little too fast.
"You wanna shower before you say whatever you're about to?"
He knows what you're about to tell him. He just wants to make sure you don't regret it when you come back to yourself. "Yeah, probably."
Both of you leave the bed on unsteady legs, Mike leading you to the shower and setting it to your favored temperature. He stands under the spray with you, taking the brunt of the water while kissing you. You move slowly, tangling your tongue with his, mapping out his body with exploratory hands.
Mike is the one to break away after several minutes, insisting on soaping you up and dragging his loofah over your skin. He even sinks to his knees, gentle as he cleans your thighs and between them, careful not to get suds anywhere they're not supposed to be. When he’s finished, Mike presses a kiss to your pelvic bone before standing again, grinning when you pull him back to your face.
He doesn't have the same, short refractory period he used to otherwise he'd fuck you against the tiled wall, but he's content to stay like this, sucking on your lip and pressing against you.
Even after you've been given the chance to get your thoughts in order, you still blink up at Mike, water droplets dotting and falling from your eyelashes as you tell him, "I love you. I still love you. I don't think I can stop."
He holds your head in his hands, brushes his nose against yours as his chest swells with more emotion than he thinks he can actually handle, and his own confession is easy: "I love you, too." Another soft peck to your lips before he adds, "I think you already knew that, though."
"Wasn't positive."
Mike knows there are logistics to consider, but the two of you can work on that later. For now he just wants to finish rinsing off and crawl into bed with you.
He should probably change the sheets, though, and find you pajamas, so Mike does exactly that as you traipse back out to the kitchen for some water, wearing absolutely nothing and making him bite his lip.
He puts new bedding on the mattress, then digs through his dresser for a t-shirt and boxers. Something catches his eye, printed material that almost makes him laugh out loud. He doesn't know why he still has the shorts, especially since he ruined the shirt a long, long time ago, but he's so glad he does.
Pink and covered in palm trees, he can't even fit into them any more, but it's fine. He thinks he knows how he can repurpose them.
But first, he needs to call his mom.
*
It's an easy fix, really. Before the Sina project even comes close to wrapping up, Mike finds a place for you in his department, something you hadn't thought possible, but apparently he's kind of a big deal in the field.
When he makes you the job offer in the conference room, he's able to keep it professional for a whole three minutes before you agree to the terms, and then he's out of his chair and picking you up to swing around. Just like that, the whole fucking office knows about the two of you.
"Ha! You owe me fifty bucks, Moblit!" Hange shouts for everyone to hear, and you shake your head as the quiet man asks if he can Venmo them.
"I fucking knew it! I knew there was something going on! God, that's so satisfying. I'm not even mad that you're leaving us."
"It's been going on for a long time now," you snort.
Hange leans against the wall and wriggles their eyebrows, "Yeah, what, like, the whole three months we’ve been here?"
"Try ten years," Mike mutters, and the eyes behind Hange's glasses nearly roll out of their head.
You and Mike have to sign a few things, contracts and couples disclosures and what not, but you don't mind.
The first thing you do is ask for a few days off in order to move, and Mike naturally does the same to help. You live just over three hours away, but are able to recruit some help in the form of your old friends.
You let out a shrill scream when you see Erwin step out of his car outside of your apartment complex, all but throw yourself into his arms so that he laughs and squeezes you tight against him. It's been a couple years since you've actually seen him, the distance between you just a little too far, but it's so nice to stare at his stupid face again.
Nile is also there with a very pregnant Marie on his arm, and Hitch and Rhi arrive as all the guys are carrying down the first load of packed boxes.
"Damn, it has been a long time since we've all been together," you say, looking around at everyone and grinning after you tape up another set of cardboard flaps.
"Yeah, kinda weird how we all just get along now," Hitch giggles.
"It's almost like we're adults or something," Rhi adds.
You pass her the box, but she just groans and passes it to Erwin.
Everyone takes turns making trips to Mike's apartment, and the moving effort takes three days in total. You really need to find a way to repay all of them, maybe suggest a nice dinner.
"God, why do you own so much shit, babe?" Mike asks after loading the last shelves of a bookcase into his car (that you still hate).
"Because everything has sentimental value. Don't judge me."
"Oh, I'm judging. When'd you get so soft?"
You roll your eyes and reach past him to close the trunk door.
The others are all standing in the parking lot with you, antsy and excited for the two of you, or so you assume.
"I really can't thank you guys enough. You've made this so much easier," you tell them.
Erwin grins widely and pulls you into a hug, and to your surprise, Hitch slides around you to hold you from behind. It makes you laugh and call them dumb, but when they step back, you're hit with the realization that they weren't just being goofy; they were strategizing, keeping you shielded from Mike who is now kneeling on the asphalt and chewing on his bottom lip.
Your eyes grow wide, and you step back only to run straight into Erwin's chest. He puts two, grounding hands on your shoulders, and you can almost feel his smile as Mike reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box.
A small pink box.
A small pink box with pieces of fucking palm trees wrapping around it.
"Did you get that fucking upholstered?" You shout, and Mike lets out a giddy laugh, his eyes so narrow from grinning that you can barely see the green. "I don't even wanna open it. I cannot believe—"
"Good thing you don't have to open it then," he chuckles. “I do.”
"You are fucking impossible, you know that?"
"Yeah," he agrees before prying the ridiculous box apart and revealing a ring that makes you tear up.
It isn't huge, but it's far from plain, sparkling stones wrapping around it with a larger, round cut in the middle. It's extremely pretty and very you, and oh, you wanna put it on, you wanna put it on right now.
"Don't look too impressed. Mom helped me pick it out, and it’s all ethically sourced, of course," Mike says, and you wipe your eyes while giggling.
"Oh my god, she's crying!" Rhi yells.
"Shut up, it's because of that atrocious box."
Mike looks behind you at Erwin. "I knew she'd love it."
"Yeah, good call, bro."
"I hate both of you."
"Still gonna marry me, though, right?" Mike is still grinning, but you can see the barest hint of worry in his eyes, and you can't blame him because this is big. This is commitment. Marriage. He wants you to marry him.
And, some will say it’s too quick, that you’ve only been actually dating for a couple of months, but it makes sense because if you’re being honest, you never really fell out of love with Mike. He’s always been nestled deep in your heart.
"Against my better judgement," you smirk.
He stands up quick enough to make himself dizzy, has to brace a hand on his car as he kisses you.
"Finally!" Erwin shouts, clapping his hands and being joined by the others.
Mike slides the ring from the terrible box, pushes it onto your finger with shaky hands, and when you admire it in the sun, you look at him and nod. "Very nice, Zacharias. Even in the parking lot setting."
"I just wanted everyone to be here! If we went somewhere fancy, you would've figured it out."
That's true. Going to some nice restaurant or quaint little park would have definitely tipped you off.
"Also, you know once we're married, you will also be Zacharias."
"Yeah," you nod thoughtfully. "Yeah, I guess I will be. Hey," you look at him with raised eyebrows. "Wanna shotgun beers at the wedding?"
Mike laughs loudly. "That is how it all started, isn't it?"
"Yeah, this stupid frat boy in a Hawaiian shirt came up to me and demanded I shotgun a room temp beer."
"Sounds like an asshole," Mike chuckles.
You shrug as he pulls you into his chest and sigh into his shirt, "He turned out alright, I guess."
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