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svtskneecaps · 4 years

Text

you mean the world to me

(gender neutral) reader x wonwoo

genre: fluff + angst; words: 7k

(i’ve found i write for wonwoo in times of academic panic and if ever there was a time of academic panic, this is it)

You didn’t see Wonwoo at all on the morning everything changed. His side of the bed was empty when you got out of the shower, and your keys were missing from the hook. Maybe that was your first clue that something was up. His set still hung there innocently, the tiny bear charm you’d gotten him on your two year anniversary swinging lightly on the breeze from the AC unit.

You shrugged and picked up the keys. This wasn’t the first time he’d grabbed the wrong set, and it probably wouldn’t be the last.

(your second clue was that the door was unlocked)

You called him on your lunch break to tease him about the keys, but it went to voicemail. That in itself wasn’t odd; usually if he was in a frenzy working on some idea he’d forget to check his phone, but it was sort of odd that it didn’t even ring.

You shrugged that off too. Maybe he forgot it at the apartment, and it died. He’d never forgotten it before, but there was a first time for everything.

You finally accepted something was wrong when you stopped by the bookstore with coffee and it was closed. And dark.

He always had the front light on when he was inside.

Hours later, as you paced around the apartment trying to work out whether or not to call the police, you heard the jangle of your keys in the lock. You swung the door open before he’d even unlocked it, heart in your throat.

“There you are! I was worried, where have you been, why weren’t you answering your phone?”

Your questions died in your throat as you looked him over. He looked exhausted.

“Wonwoo,” you said, softly, “are you okay?”

He visibly forced a smile. “Yeah,” he said.

You opened the door wider, and he hesitated before he came in. He hovered in the entryway, like a stranger in his own apartment (the one you picked out together).

You sat down on the couch, and he followed you to the living room, but he sat in the guest chair instead of his usual place beside you. He didn’t speak, just looked around the room as if he’d never been in it before. Finally, you were the one to break the silence.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

He looked at you, appearing to consider his words carefully (as he does, of course, he’s a songwriter).

“If you woke up in a stranger’s bed, in a life you don’t recognize, what would you do?”

You blinked. “Like those Hallmark movies?”

“Hallmark movies?”

“Yeah, it’s a huge trope in like the Christmas movies? Somebody runs into a Santa character and one way or another they make a wish and then Santa slaps them into an alternate universe where usually they’re married with several children or something, and they learn the true meaning of Christmas.” You made jazz hands.

He wrinkled his nose. “I don’t think Christmas is involved.”

“Are you saying you weren’t some rich businessman in your past life?” you teased. “I could see it, you know.”

“But if you were in that situation,” he pressed. “What would you do?”

You thought about that. “I guess I’d go with it,” you said. “Try to figure out who I am in the new life and make the most of it.”

“You wouldn’t try to go back?”

“I don’t see how I could figure it out, unless I recognized the Santa character on my initial run to all the places I used to know and talked to them about it.”

He groaned. “Please let’s not call them the Santa.”

You weren’t sure if he was joking until he smiled, and you relaxed.

“Well that’s what they are,” you defended, maybe a little too quickly, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“Can they not be wish granters? Or guardian angels or something? Not all of the stories are to do with the true meaning of Christmas.”

You shrugged. “I know you’re the writer here but your storytelling experience pales in comparison to my extensive knowledge of Hallmark movie tropes.”

He leaned forward. “I’m a writer?”

You forced yourself to laugh like he was making a joke even though something in your chest went tight.

(he chose to sleep on the couch that night and even though you were upset that he wasn’t next to you in the bed, some strange part of you was glad for the distance)

You called out of work the next day to walk Wonwoo to the bookstore, citing stress at your significant other going missing for most of a day. Seungcheol was understanding, telling you not to worry, that he’d see you Monday.

Vernon was leaning against the wall by the door when you came up, messing with something on his phone.

“Hey,” he said, glancing at your partner. “I was worried; it’s not like you to be late.”

Wonwoo was quiet for an odd amount of time, long enough that you glanced over at him. He was staring at Vernon with some odd look in his eyes.

“We got a late start,” you finally answered for him. “After yesterday. . .” You coughed. “Anyway, you guys need any help setting up?”

“Probably, yeah, we just got a shipment of that new YA series the other day,” Vernon said. You step to one side, motioning Wonwoo up the steps to unlock the door. “Maybe you shelve those while I blow the dust off the front desk. She’s not used to being unused this long.”

You laughed, too loud. “It was a day.”

“I know, it was ages.”

(you didn’t comment on how Wonwoo had to try three keys from the ring before getting the door open, or how he looked at the inside of his own bookstore like it was a wondrous new place. Vernon didn’t seem to notice)

You dragged the box out to the shelves and started placing the books. Apparently Vernon had forgotten how well voices carried in the quiet space, because you could hear him speaking as if he were next to you when he said, “Hey, man, did you two fight?”

“What?”

You could imagine Vernon’s shrug, heard him fiddling with the crack in his phone case. “I don’t know, it’s just, usually you two are pretty much inseparable, but like, yesterday you totally go off the grid and now today there’s a whole sidewalk between you.” A floorboard creaked. “I know it’s probably not really my business, y’know since I just work the front desk and all, but, I thought I’d ask.”

The pause stretched out so long you found yourself frozen, breath caught in your lungs, hand hovering above the next book, waiting.

“I’m adjusting,” Wonwoo said finally. “I’m a different person than I was two days ago.”

It was an answer and a non-answer all at once and it implied more than it clarified. You picked up the book and slotted it onto its place in the shelf, above the carefully written label. You didn’t mention the conversation when you brought the box back. You made an excuse about going for coffee and bolted out the door.

(usually the bookstore felt welcoming, an extension of your significant other, but the atmosphere was stifling and foreign and you couldn’t stay)

Thankfully, Seokmin had the morning shift, and you arrived during a dead period. He was able to sit with you as you nursed your drink and fretted aloud over everything that happened.

“It’s like I blinked and he was a total stranger,” you said. “I don’t know what I did.”

“Maybe it wasn’t anything you did?” he offered. “Maybe he just changed.”

“It’s just so weird.” You cupped your hands around your drink. “I mean, I know people say that by the end of a long lasting relationship your significant other changes enough to be a bunch of different people, but it happened overnight. Like he went to sleep as a writer, and my--” you choke on boyfriend-- “significant other, and then he woke up and-- I mean aside from him still being named Wonwoo it’s like-- I don’t know who this man is anymore.”

“Maybe not,” Seokmin said agreeably.

“Wow,” you said, sipping your drink. “Stop hanging out with Jeonghan so much, you’re starting to sound like him.”

He laughed and nudged your shoulder. “What I’m saying is, maybe he feels strange and different, but that doesn’t have to matter. What matters is if you’re willing to find the pieces of him that you loved again. He can’t have changed that much underneath.”

He was right, no doubt. The awkward way Wonwoo had held himself the night before reminded you of the first time you’d ever really talked. He wasn’t so different, just undeveloped, like he’d jumped back in time. Like he’d crossed the multiverse from an existence where he’d never met you.

You could handle it. The situation was manageable. You could treat each interaction like you’d just met him for the first time. It could be easy, or it could be the hardest thing you’d ever faced, but you could handle it. Really.

(you texted Wonwoo asking if you should bring anything back for him and Vernon. his coffee order was different than the one you remembered)

You unlocked the door to the apartment that night. Wonwoo lingered in the hallway until you glanced back at him.

“You do anything at work today?” you asked.

He shook his head. “That office is a disaster. How did I ever find anything?”

You laughed, hanging up your keys. “Yeah, that’s what I’ve been saying basically since we bought the place.” You almost nudged his shoulder as you passed him on your way to the kitchen, but stopped the thought before it became a motion. “Keys on the hook,” you directed, “before you forget where you set ‘em.”

It took him two tries to find the right hook, but he got it. “I had to spend most of the morning organizing everything,” he said. “There’s so much stuff in there.”

“Let the record show that I’ve been telling you this was how it was gonna end up for years.”

“That’s the most long-winded way to say ‘I told you so’ I’ve ever heard.”

“What can I say? I like the sound of my own voice.” You pulled ingredients from the cupboards. “You remember where the pans are?”

“No,” he said.

“Neat.”

Making the food was the only easy part. Sitting at the table, you were acutely aware of him, like every one of your senses was waiting for something major to happen. Nothing did, though; you ate dinner in near complete silence. It wasn’t the comfortable silence you were used to. The air between you felt charged like the static balls at a science fair. You wanted to bridge the gap.

Wonwoo wanted to take the couch again, but you refused.

“Your turn in the bed,” you said, shooing him away. “You and I both know that couch doesn’t do the back any favors, and it’s your apartment too.”

“You don’t have to, I can--”

“Mom said it’s my turn on the couch,” you said in a high pitched, nasal tone, and then snickered, halfheartedly throwing a pillow at him. It flopped on the floor halfway between you. “I’ll be fine.”

He hovered in the doorway a few moments more, but relented in the end. “Goodnight,” he said, and made to close the door.

“Goodnight,” you said, and then, “you mean the world to me.”

The door clicked shut. You scooped up the pillow again and dropped it and yourself on the couch.

(it really is back pain in all forms and you woke up with cramps in muscles you didn’t even know you had, but it was worth it. it was always worth it)

You spent the weekend dancing around him, like planets. Like stars. Like if you got too close it would end in catastrophe.

Sometimes you’d slip into a back and forth with him that felt so familiar you could almost forget that you hardly knew him anymore, until you’d reference an old memory and he’d give you a quizzical look. It would sting, except the old memories felt strange to you now too. You didn’t mind not thinking about them, if it meant he didn’t look at you like that. Like a stranger.

The stranger you were.

You returned to work Monday and Seungcheol swung by your desk.

“How’s your boyfriend?” he asked. “He feeling better?”

You ignored the part of your stomach that twisted hearing boyfriend (that was what he was, after all, or what he had been, before Thursday; it shouldn’t feel so strange).

“I think so,” you said, because he’d put his keys on the right hook without you needing to remind him and he knew where all the cooking utensils were without needing to ask you.

Seungcheol rested his arms on the top of your cubicle. “And you? How are you holding up?”

You felt like you were hanging on by a thread. “Fine, I think. Pretty well, all things considered.”

He looked at you with concealed concern, but seemed to understand. You didn’t want to talk about it at work, even if Seungcheol had been one of your closest friends in university.

“Well, give me a call if you ever want to talk about it,” he said, and then left, probably for his own desk.

You bolted the moment time ticked over for your lunch break.

You didn’t know if Wonwoo would want you swinging by. You didn’t know if he’d answer your call. You called anyway, even if your hands shook.

He picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hey!” You wiped your palm on your shirt. “I’m out on lunch break; if you aren’t too busy maybe we could run get Chinese or something?”

There was a pause, and then, “Okay. Just let me make sure Vernon and Chan can handle the store.”

He met you out front, and you walked to the restaurant together.

It wasn’t too cold out, so you got the food to go and found a bench to sit at, watching people as they pass.

“You remember that game, where you pick somebody going by and try to guess what they’re doing?” you asked into the silence.

He hummed. “Maybe. Why, you want to do it now?”

You shrugged. “Might as well.”

Even though he’d seemed apprehensive, he took to the game quickly. He was the one to decide that the woman wearing heels with her paint splattered jeans was a street performer, on her way to meet up with the other members of her busking group. You countered that obviously, the man in the mask waiting impatiently to cross the street was on his way to manage a rambunctious group of idols.

“Can you imagine?” you asked, shaking your head. “Must be rough, having to keep some of those groups under control.”

Something odd tinged the edges of Wonwoo’s expression when you looked back over at him. You couldn’t tell what it was. You hadn’t been able to read his expressions for days. It should have scared you.

It didn’t.

“Must be rough,” he echoed, his voice hollow. You were caught between asking about it and pretending you hadn’t noticed when he pointed across the plaza at the fountain. “Bet that guy’s an idol.”

“Yeah?” You followed his hand to see a man standing by the fountain, staring up at the jets of water, his hands buried in the pockets of the long coat he wore.

“Yeah. He’s taking a break from the practice room to appreciate everything around him,” Wonwoo said. “He’s gonna go home to the other members of his group and they’re going to ask where he’s been and be worried.”

“What’s he going to tell them?”

Wonwoo leans back into the bench, and maybe a little bit into you.

“He’s going to tell them he was getting a new perspective,” he said. “That he’s seen life from a new angle. And. . .”

The silence stretched, but it was comfortable. His arm touched yours, resting there.

“And,” Wonwoo said, and his voice cracked, “that he missed them.”

You tore your gaze from the man at the fountain. Wonwoo stared into nothing, eyes wet.

“Are you okay?” you asked softly.

He didn’t look at you as he nodded. Maybe that was for the best. You could feel tears building in your own eyes. You didn’t even know why.

You missed them too.

The alarm on your phone went off.

“Ah,” you said. “I should get back to work.”

You stood, ignoring the chill on your arm where his had been.

“I’ll see you back at the apartment, yeah?” you said.

He looked at you, that time, standing. “Yeah,” he said.

You threw out your trash and offered him your arm gallantly. “Would you allow me to walk you back, sir?”

He laughed and tossed his own trash, taking your arm. “Sure.”

You walked him all the way back to the store, where you swept off an imaginary hat and dipped into a grossly exaggerated bow. You heard him laugh, and when you came back up he was smiling (you would do anything to see him happy).

“Alright, you’ve done your job,” he said.

You place a dramatic hand on your chest. “Are you implying that I did all that out of a sense of moral obligation?”

He snickered. “Well, when you put it that way.”

Whatever expression had made its way onto your face made him laugh, his face lighting up as he reached out for the doorway to steady himself. You broke into a smile, heart beating a little faster.

“Okay, I gotta go before I’m late.” You almost wanted to hug him goodbye, but something stopped you. You settled for a quick wave. “You mean the world to me, okay? I’ll see you after work!”

Friday, Wonwoo came in and barely hung up his keys (on the right hook) before tipping himself over the arm of the couch to flop face first into the cushions with a deep groan. You stared at his limp form from the kitchen, a tiny smile forming on your face.

“So, how was work?” you asked.

He mumbled something into the couch that might’ve been, “Peachy.” He flipped over. “Some woman decided we should be a bookstore and a coffee shop and made sure we knew it.”

You wince. “Yikes.”

“Yeah.” He ground his hands into his eyes. “I spent half my morning making sure she wasn’t taking it out on Vernon or Chan.”

“Well, if she didn’t get the kids then it’s all good.” You set down the spoon and moved into the other room, leaning on the back of the couch. “Shame Seungkwan wasn’t there, he’d have given her a real piece of his mind.”

“I would have let him. Not like I even wanted her to buy anything after she said that.” Wonwoo dropped his hands, one arm falling off the side of the couch. He gazed up at you.

“She can keep her condescending cash to herself,” you agreed, and reached out to mess with his hair.

And drew back just as quickly, your hand hardly brushing his hair before hastily retreating to grip your leg. Why did you do that? It was wrong, it was all wrong. Your face burned. You didn’t know him well enough you’d known him for years he was a stranger you’d played with his hair all the time in university, even before you’d made it official it felt wrong to do it it felt wrong to pull away--

Wonwoo sat up. “Hey, everything okay?”

“--Yeah.” You shook your head. “Just-- head rush.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah.” You tore yourself away from the couch, making for the counter again and ignoring the sting on your leg where you dug in your nails. You could hear him trailing you.

Wonwoo leaned on the counter as you picked up the spoon. For a moment, you thought he’d press you again.

“So,” he said, “how was work?”

Of course he wouldn’t push. He was Wonwoo.

“Fine,” you said, stirring the ramen in the bowl. “Same old story, really, except everyone was talking about the company dinner party Sunday.”

Wonwoo blinked. “You didn’t tell me there was a dinner Sunday.”

You dashed the spoon through the noodles with perhaps more vigor than strictly necessary. “I didn’t want to bother you. You know, since you haven’t been feeling well this week. It didn’t seem worth adding to your plate and it doesn’t seem like your scene.”

“It doesn’t seem like yours either.”

He was right; it wasn’t your scene. You always found yourself walking on eggshells every time, a glass of wine gripped in your hand that you never dared drink from out of fear of making a fool of yourself.

“It’s my job,” you said. Your next stir sent tiny dots of water into the air and you flinched back.

Wonwoo nudged you out of the way, taking up the spoon even as you pouted at him. “Well,” he said, “need a date?”

You blinked. “Are you volunteering?”

“Maybe,” he said. “You work for one of those fancy companies, right? They probably have all kinds of high society foods.”

“They do cover meal costs,” you admitted.

He scoffed. “And you were going to leave me eating ramen alone on my Sunday night?” He reached up and tousled your hair. “If you need moral support I’ll be there.”

Your heart swelled. “Jeon Wonwoo, you mean the world to me you godsend.”

He ducked his head, turning to the ramen again. “Hey, any guy would count himself lucky to be your plus one.” He nudged your elbow. “How about you grab a couple bowls out and we eat this on the couch? We can watch a movie or something.”

(you found your seat on the couch, your bowl nestled in your lap, and when he came to meet you he sat beside you)

Saturday you spent at the bookstore, shelving books, distracting Vernon, and waiting for Wonwoo to get off. Seungkwan stopped by with a deck of cards and in the spare moments between customers you played poker under the desk. Chan threatened to quit after you inexplicably bluffed him out of three rounds in a row. Vernon swore he wasn’t stacking the deck, you were just that good all of a sudden.

“It’s not possible for you to have gotten good at bluffing in under a week, it’s like you’re a totally different person,” Chan said, and he was joking but the sting and the familiarity of the words drained the blood from your face and you barely managed to play it off. The game continued, but without you.

Seokmin was sitting at a table in the coffeeshop flicking idly through a textbook. You ordered a drink and joined him.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“Fine,” you said.

“Really? Because you only come in here alone when it isn’t.”

You huffed. “It’s nothing. I just needed an escape.” The bookstore felt more welcoming again, more like Wonwoo (Wonwoo with his arm touching yours on the bench, Wonwoo pressed against your side as you play fight over who gets to cook dinner, Wonwoo with his head on your shoulder as he sleeps through the emotional climax of Finding Dory, his breathing a steady breeze against your neck) but something in Chan’s words. . .

You’d recoiled.

“I’m not--” you gripped your cup, thinking carefully about your words. “I’m not a different person, am I?”

“As far as I know you’re the same person you’ve always been.”

You rolled your eyes. “No, I mean-- have I changed, like-- my personality, my little ticks. Any of that?”

Seokmin looked at you (he always looked like he knew more than he said; probably it came from being top of his class all through school but still. . .). “Maybe,” he said. “I’d say you’re the same you, but maybe they knew a different you.”

Your head slipped to meet the table before you could catch it. “Seokmin you know I’m not smart enough for riddles.”

“It doesn’t have to be a riddle.” He laughed. “Everybody has a picture in their mind of everybody else, and it’s never the same as what actually exists.”

“Philosophy is ruining you,” you said. “Stop hanging out with Jeonghan, he’s turning you into a paradox.”

“What I’m saying is, just because someone thinks you’re different than you were, that doesn’t mean you actually are. Maybe you’ve just been different this whole time, and now they finally noticed.”

“Maybe.”

He had a point, once you stripped away the philosophic layers. It was just the phrasing.

It’s like you’re a totally different person. In under a week.

Last week, everything had changed.

You couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, but you sipped your coffee anyway. Seokmin asked about the company dinner, and you tried to forget about it.

You went shopping with Wonwoo after he closed up the store, trying to find something business casual for the dinner.

“And nothing in the closet would work for this because?” you asked, flicking through the rack of button ups.

“Because it’s a special occasion,” he said, holding a suit jacket against his chest and then hanging it up again. “We can’t wear anything we’ve already worn.”

You snorted. “What are we, movie stars on the red carpet?”

“No,” he said. “I mean, if you wanted, maybe, but no.” He glanced up. “Anytime is an excuse to treat ourselves.”

“Can’t argue with that.” You trailed your arm across a line of ties, letting the material fall over your finger. Your motion halted over a tie. “Oh, this’ll be impressive.” You held it up for him to see.

“Nice,” he said. “The bundles of bills will surely let your boss know you’re in this for what really matters.”

You pointed at him. “Exactly what I was thinking.” You looped it around your head, fingers pinching it together. “Maybe I could wear it like one of those guys in the post apocalyptic movies, that way they know I’m willing to go all the way.”

“Now you’re talking.” He hung up the jackets and came over, taking another tie off the rack, this one a soft coral pink. “Or maybe, you put this one on. . .”

He looped it around your neck and tied it properly.

“Where’d you learn how to tie a tie?” you asked, a laugh bubbling out of you.

“I felt bad making the stylists do it for me all the time,” he said, offhandedly.

The wrongness niggled at you.

You turned to the mirror nearby, playing with the ends of the tie. “I don’t know,” you said.

“What, you don’t like the color?”

“No, pink is a great color.” You surveyed yourself. “I just think I’d want a little more color to my outfit than a tie.”

“Of course,” Wonwoo said, moving to stand behind you, his chest nearly brushing your shoulder as he studied your reflection. “You’re the business one, we want to make sure you pop.” His eyes lit up. “I know.”

He didn’t quite have it the first few times, but finally, after taking over a changing room and trying on enough outfits that the both of you had nearly filled the reject cart, you walked out of the store with your purchases on your arms.

You stopped for takeout on the way back, too tired to cook, and ate dinner in a comfortable silence, leaning against each other and the couch as the TV played the weather forecast. When he dozed off against your neck, you forced yourself up.

“Come on sleepyhead,” you said, pulling him up with you. He made a few affronted noises but didn’t argue as you stole his trash and stowed the leftovers in the fridge and all but carried him into the bedroom.

“Dramatic.” You clicked your tongue, dropping him in the bed and moving to grab your sleepwear and get changed. His hand caught your wrist.

“You don’t have to take the couch tonight,” he said, and his voice was much clearer now.

“Well I’m not about to let you take it,” you said. “It’s my turn.”

“No, I meant--” he cut himself off.

“Oh,” you said.

“If you want,” he said hurriedly. “If it doesn’t make you uncomfortable.”

“Um-- if you’re okay with it,” you said, and your face burns and he looks kind of like he’s in the same boat and he drops your wrist.

“Okay,” he said.

“Okay,” you said, and made for the bathroom.

He was changed when you finished in the bathroom and you climbed into bed beside him. It was strange, sharing, even though you knew you’d done it before maybe. There was an ocean of bed between you that you didn’t dare cross.

You closed your eyes. “Goodnight, Wonwoo,” you said, the words echoing off the wall you faced instead of him. Then, quieter, “You mean the world to me.”

(it’s the best rest you’ve gotten in what feels like forever; you wake up in a tangle of limbs but neither of you are in a hurry to pull away)

You idled outside the building, picking at the sleeves of the shirt you’d picked out the day before.

“Ready?” Wonwoo asked, making eye contact. You nodded, eyes slipping down to rest on the pink tie, the same pink as you’d chosen your shirt to be. He held out his arm, like a gentleman, and you took it.

The room rented for the dinner is as stuffy as you expected. You made small talk with coworkers you’d only ever seen for five minutes at the printer, and played the people watching game with Wonwoo in hushed tones whenever you got a spare moment. Seungcheol swung by a few times to check in and spill a bit of corporate gossip in a hushed voice, both with and without Joshua by his side.

“It’s a game we play,” Seungcheol explained when Wonwoo asked about it. “We make small talk together, he sends me to ‘get drinks’ and then talks me up behind my back.” Seungcheol glanced over at Joshua, where he was chatting calmly with two members of the board of directors. “He’s really good at it.”

Your social battery died about halfway through, but you forced yourself to soldier on. It probably wouldn’t look good if you left early. Hopefully no one would notice as your responses grew shorter and your smiles more strained.

Wonwoo took your hand after you laughed a little too loud at a coworker’s joke, and then turned to you when they had said their goodbyes to do another sweep around the floor. “Are you okay?” he asked softly. “Is it time to go?”

You shook your head. “I shouldn’t leave early.”

“We’ve been here more than half the time, I think we’re allowed.” He folded your hand between his, rubbing it soothingly. “We can use me as an excuse, say I got tired. Please don’t force yourself to stay; I can tell something’s wrong.”

You kind of wanted to cry, and you didn’t know if it was the stress of the evening or what. “I don’t deserve you,” you said.

He wrapped an arm around your shoulders and tugged you in. “You deserve the world,” he said softly into your ear.

And then you left the party.

You stopped at the park, instead of going directly home, sitting at the fountain’s edge.

“You remember when we got takeout?” he asked.

You did. “When we first played the people watching game, right?” you asked, and stopped. That hadn’t been the first time; you’d played it all the time before hadn’t you?

“Yeah,” he said. “You dropped me off.”

“You got really into the game,” you said. “That idol guy’s backstory was impressively complex.”

He laughed, soft and fond, and yet also flat. Like there was a layer of irony you hadn’t caught.

“When you dropped me off at the bookstore, you said that-- you said ‘you mean the world to me’. And-- we’re dating, at least according to Vernon, and, this whole time you never said ‘I love you’.” He looked at you. “Why is that?”

You open your mouth, the answer of a shared back and forth you two had used since university sitting on your tongue, but it didn’t come out. You just closed your mouth.

Because it wasn’t. It wasn’t something you’d said since university. You-- hadn’t known him in university.

“I’m not sure,” you said, bewildered because it was true. Why did you say that?

“It’s just stuck with me,” he said. “Ever since that first day, when I didn’t--” he cut himself off. “It was like I’d been dropped into this world from another one,” he said. “I didn’t know anything, and-- you were a total stranger.”

Another world. Total stranger. The words vibrated against the walls of your skull. You’d thought of him like a stranger too, even though you knew him. At least you thought you did. But you didn’t know him in university, you didn’t know him at all.

“But, as time went by, and I got time to know you, I realized something,” he said, and he took your hand in both of his. “And I don’t think we’re strangers anymore.”

Strangers, you were strangers. What had you thought, that first day? How did you even know it as the first day, beyond Wonwoo’s strange actions? You weren’t thinking of it like the first day of Wonwoo. It was the first day at all. You didn’t know him.

“I guess. . .” he trailed off. “I guess what I want to say, is just that I. . .”

He wasn’t your housemate or your boyfriend or the guy you knew from the frat. He wasn’t-- he was--

Oh god.

You tore your hand from his.

Everything went deathly silent.

“Fancy meeting you here.” Seokmin’s voice rang out.

Your head jerked up.

Time had frozen around you. Wonwoo still sat by the fountain, looking in your direction with an expression of distress, his hand reaching after you. You scrambled back. He didn’t move.

“I guess this means you figured it out?” Seokmin asked.

You looked at him. “What have I done?”

“A wish was made,” he said. “I granted it.”

You blinked. A flash, staring up into the sky from the window; “I wish I could tell him what he means,” you said to the stars, “every night. I wish I could tell him, he means the world to me.”

“You’re Santa.”

Seokmin made a face. “I’m with Wonwoo, let’s not call it that.”

“And Wonwoo knew the whole time that this was wrong?” you asked. He nodded. “Why? Why not me? It was my wish.”

He smiled. “Wishes don’t always work the way you expect them to.”

You shook your head. “Send him back now.”

“Why?”

“It doesn’t matter why Seokmin, just do it!”

He blinked at you. “For the record, I’m not actually Seokmin. I’m just borrowing his appearance, to keep an eye on you.”

You dug your fingers into the dirt, like a reminder it was still there. “And Seungcheol? Vernon? Chan?”

“Projections. Every person you’ve met here is a projection.”

“At least you didn’t abduct them.” You stopped. “At least I didn’t.” You shook your head. “But it’s done now. You have to send him back. He didn’t ask to be here, he didn’t want to be here!”

“And if he doesn’t want to go back?”

“Of course he wants to go back!” you shout. “Have you not seen the way he cares for the members? You said you were keeping an eye on us, did you miss that day at the park? He misses them! And I dragged him away!” You shoot to your feet, throat beginning to close up. “You have to fix this-- I have to fix this!”

The thing which was not Seokmin looked at you. “Don’t you wonder what he was going to say to you, before everything clicked?”

You swallowed. “Whatever it was, it was built on a lie. And it’s a lie I refuse to keep living.”

Not-Seokmin shrugged. “Then turn and look him in the eyes and wish everything back,” he said.

You did.

(if you cried when you woke up in a single bed you recognized as truly your own, you were the only one to know)

Wonwoo was oddly quiet in broadcasts from that point on. You couldn’t bring yourself to talk about him anymore. Someone asked you on Twitter if you had something against him.

No, you’d responded, he just reminds me of a recent ex. Every time I see him I think about them and it’s just too painful right now. I don’t hate Wonwoo.

Two days later, the Seventeen Twitter account dmed you.

I need to talk to you.

You sent, I’m sorry.

You deactivated.

You almost gave away your concert tickets, but you’d been planning on going with a friend before everything and you wouldn’t let them down. You went despite all your misgivings. With the stage lights on full blast, there was no way he’d be able to see you in the audience. You were safe, with your seats halfway up the concert hall, half a mile from the stage.

And then Seventeen, in the middle of their set, hopped off the stage, into the audience.

You’d wondered why certain aisles had a security detail around them.

If it wasn’t the middle of a song, you’d ask the people farther down the row to switch with you but you didn’t dare move around; it had been drilled into you that doing so during a performance was disrespectful. You were the seat on the aisle, and Wonwoo was on his way up, his eyes scanning the crowd with a sharp determination even as he continued his verse flawlessly.

Would looking away be more conspicuous than staring?

Should you jump to blend with the energy of the crowd, or freeze so he didn’t look?

It didn’t matter.

He’d seen you.

He took the stairs two, three at a time, stopping on the landing beside you, turning to face the rest of the hall again as his verse finished, and then he glanced at you.

The spotlight shone on his face.

“Please don’t leave,” he mouthed, or maybe said, but the combined roar of the crowd and the blood rushing in your ears drowned it out completely.

And then he turned to complete the performance, leaving a few fans looking at you wistfully.

(several of them came up after the concert to congratulate you, to gush about how lucky you were, to speculate about what happened and laugh about it; blessedly no one was openly rude about it)

You sat on the edge of a fountain, in the plaza a block from the back door of the concert hall, fidgeting with your sleeves. You didn’t know if you were crazy. You probably were crazy, waiting for him. He’d be livid. He had to be livid. He’d never forgive you.

But whatever closure would mean for him, you’d give it to him.

Anything.

The back door of the concert hall slammed open and a figure came bolting out towards you. They skidded to a halt at the edge of the fountain, and you could see Wonwoo’s eyes over the mask.

“I wasn’t sure you were going to stay,” he said.

“I wasn’t either.”

“I’m glad you did.” He sat down on the edge of the fountain. “I really need to talk to you.”

“I’m sorry,” you blurted, before he could get upset.

He blinked. “For what?”

“For making the stupid wish and dragging you into an alternate universe, and then not even remembering doing it.” You rubbed your arm, staring at the brickwork. “I mean I was basically gaslighting you the entire time.”

“I know you didn’t mean it,” he said.

You toed the crack between two stones. “What all do you know?”

“How that world worked. How I got there. How I got back.” You saw him move, reaching out like he was going to take your hand, and then stopping himself in the middle. “I’m not upset with you.”

“You should be.” The words dropped out of your mouth. “You should hate me. You-- I basically ruined your life.”

“You didn’t ruin my life, you showed me what I was missing,” he said. “You remember when we played that people watching game? What I said about that man?”

You picked at a loose thread in your sleeve. “He. . . he was taking a break from the practice room.”

You saw him nod from the corner of your eye. “And I said he was getting a new perspective.”

“He’s seeing life from a new angle,” you said.

“It was as much my wish as it was yours,” Wonwoo said. “I felt lost. I didn’t know where to go next or what to focus on, and it wasn’t something the members could help with, but it was something you could help with. And you did.”

You felt numb. A wish was made. Not-Seokmin had given one last riddle, one you were finally understanding.

“You add a dimension to my life that I was missing,” he said. “Just, please-- please don’t leave me again.”

You looked at him, finally, sitting there on the edge of the fountain, his hair a mess from the performance.

“I didn’t want to leave,” you said. “I just-- I had to let you go.”

“You don’t have to here,” he said. “I know I don’t run a bookstore, and we didn’t meet in college, but--”

“I didn’t fall for you because you ran a bookstore,” you said. “The bookstore was window dressing. You’re you no matter what career you have.”

On impulse, you reached out. He met you in the middle and you laced your fingers through his.

“I love you,” you said.

He clasped his other hand around yours and lifted it to his lips, his eyes squeezed up in such overwhelming happiness you thought you’d cry.

“I love you too.”

#caratwritersclub #seventeen #seventeen scenarios #seventeen imagines #seventeen au #wonwoo scenarios #wonwoo imagines #wonwoo #jeon wonwoo #wonwoo fluff #wonwoo angst #listen i don't know how to tag and i refuse to learn now on principle #i'll throw words into these bitches with reckless abandon and one day #i'll die

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juliandev0rak · 3 years

Text

Into The Wild

Chapter 1: Daisy

✧ Into The Wild Series ✧ playlist ✧

words: 2468

Willa Clary gets out of her car and shuts the door with a dull slam, sending up a cloud of dust and scaring off a lizard who had been sunning on a nearby rock. She surveys her surroundings with a grin, taking in the trees, the small clearing of wooden cabins, and the shiny blue lake in the distance. She pulls a faded brochure from her pocket and reads the words she’s read about a thousand times over the last few months:

“Camp Vesuvia: eight weeks of summer fun!”

The photograph on the front shows the same view she’s looking at, but the scene in front of her is far more beautiful than the photo. The trees are more green, the sky more blue, and the cabins around her look even more charming. In the summer heat the air seems to shimmer, giving everything a slightly magical quality. Willa decides that she loves the place already.

When Asra, her best friend and old college roommate, told her about the job opening at the summer camp he works at, she’d jumped at the chance. Asra has told her plenty of stories about what goes on during a summer at Camp Vesuvia and with every story she found herself wanting to be a part of it. He told her about the other people who work there and how fun it is to get to know all of the campers, he told stories of roasting marshmallows and telling ghost stories around the fire. He’d also mentioned how beautiful the scenery is, but his description hadn’t done it justice.

All of Asra’s stories brought Willa back to her own childhood, spent in a tiny rural town where exploring nature was pretty much the only activity available. She’d moved away to the big city for college, where she’d hoped to find her way. But after graduating she’d found herself with a degree, but no job, and an aching feeling that she wasn’t where she was supposed to be.

And since Willa loves nature and children (and also really needed a job) she figured a job at a summer camp would be a perfect fit for her. So she’d packed her bags and driven out into the middle of nowhere, her home for the next eight weeks.

The door of the cabin closest to her opens with the sound of a bell, and Willa’s eyes are drawn to the tall woman standing in the doorway. Her height draws attention, as does her brightly colored purple hair. Willa takes in the woman’s perfectly styled outfit and heeled boots, she doesn’t look like she belongs in the middle of the woods, but something about her seems very welcoming.

“Welcome, Willa, we’ve been expecting you!” The woman calls, beckoning her over with a perfectly manicured hand.

“Hi! You must be Nadia?” Willa asks, moving to shake the camp director’s already outstretched hand.

“Yes I am, if you should require anything over the course of the summer I can be found here in the office. I’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival, Asra has told me quite a bit about you,” Nadia smiles, shutting the door behind them as Willa follows her inside.

The front room of the cabin is small but well decorated. A large polished wood desk takes up the majority of the room and bookshelves and filing cabinets cover most of the remaining wall space. Nadia settles into the chair behind the desk and Willa takes the empty seat in front of it. She looks around as Nadia searches for a file, taking in the stylish furnishing and decor which looks surprisingly perfect in the wood paneled cabin.

Nadia finds the correct file and riffles through it briefly before pulling out a small stack of paper which she hands to Willa. “I’ll just need your final signature on some of the paperwork and we’ll get you all settled in. We expect the first round of campers tomorrow morning at nine, and things will only get busier after then.”

“How many campers do you expect in total?” Willa asks. She looks through the paperwork quickly as she signs it, standard onboarding and personal information, all as expected.

Nadia frowns slightly at the question and her forehead furrows, portraying a bit of the stress hidden behind her cheerful facade. “We have nearly seventy campers staying for the entire summer, the most we’ve ever had at one time. Which is precisely why I decided to take on more help. We have a small but reliable staff here but I thought it was time for some reinforcements.”

Willa hands over the completed paperwork and watches as Nadia carefully looks it over. “Wow, that’s a lot of kids, but I’m sure we can handle it!”

“That’s the sort of encouraging spirit we need around here,” Nadia smiles. “Asra told me you were an ‘eternal optimist’ and I hoped his description would prove accurate.”

Willa blushes slightly at the compliment and smiles back at Nadia, making a mental note to thank Asra later for his apparently glowing recommendation. “It’s easy to be optimistic in a place as beautiful as this.”

The sound of a bell alerts them as the front door opens and Nadia stands to greet the person entering, “Ah, here’s Asra.”

“Willa!” Asra calls from behind her and WIlla nearly knocks her chair over in her haste to hug him.

“Asra! I’ve missed you!” Willa takes in the familiar appearance of her friend. Asra wears a pair of overalls over a “Camp Vesuvia” shirt. A name tag pinned to one of the straps says his name, written in familiar handwriting and accented with a sparkly smiley face sticker.

“I’m happy you decided to take my advice and come to Camp Vesuvia, you’re going to love it here,” Asra says.

“Yes, I hope that you will, Willa,” Nadia smiles at the two of them before taking her seat again. She points to the wall behind Willa, “Your room key is hanging on that board, it’s the one with the red ribbon. I’ll leave Asra to show you the way. I'm quite busy with last minute preparations, but I hope you’ll find the lodgings comfortable.”

Willa turns to the board, spotting the key hanging all the way at the top. “Thank you, Nadia!” She stands on her tiptoes to reach for the key and Asra laughs, reaching up from behind her. He easily grabs the key and hands it to her, ignoring the annoyed expression on her face.

“Still as short as always,” Asra teases.

“Still as rude as always,” Willa frowns, but she’s too excited to stay mad.

“Let’s get you moved in. Did you bring that scarf you said you’d give me?” Asra heads for the door and Willa follows, laughing at his enthusiasm.

“Yes, and I brought extra yarn so I can make you another if you’d like—” Willa’s words are cut off as the door opens before Asra can get to it. A large figure stands in the doorway, and Willa and Asra step to the side to let him in. He has to duck a little to enter the room, and Willa looks up at him, noticing shoulder length dark hair and a park ranger’s uniform.

Nadia stands to greet him, “Ah, Muriel, excellent timing. I was just going to call you. We’ve had a few bear sightings around camp and I wanted to go over our safety plans, perhaps we can ensure all of the trash receptacles are in working order.”

The man nods in agreement, but his attention moves away from Nadia and over to Willa. When he notices that she’s looking back at him he swiftly looks away, clearing his throat as he takes a step closer to Nadia’s desk and away from Willa. In the near split second when they looked at each other, Willa noticed how bright his eyes were, green like the trees outside. Her eyes stay on him, noting the way his posture slumps a little as if he’s used to being too tall for a space.

“Oh, pardon me for not making introductions sooner. Muriel, this is WIlla, she’s our new counselor and the arts and craft director,” Nadia gestures at Willa, “And Willa, this is Muriel. He’s the park ranger assigned to our area. The ranger station is about a mile from here. if anything goes wrong he’s the first to call.” Nadia gives Muriel a warm smile and he flushes faintly, eyes resolutely staring down at the wooden floors.

“Muriel’s great, he’s the best at roasting marshmallows,” Asra says, finally pulling Willa’s attention away from the man. Asra raises an eyebrow at her in question and Willa looks away, brushing past him to move towards the door.

She turns to glance over her shoulder at Muriel, who still seems to be finding the floorboards exceedingly interesting. “It was nice to meet you, Muriel,” Willa says, giving him a cheery smile. Muriel looks up in surprise and stares at her for a minute before nodding in response. Willa turns to leave, Asra right behind her.

“‘It was nice to meet you, Muriel’” Asra imitates in a sing-song voice that sounds surprisingly accurate to Willa’s. She scoffs and fights the urge to shove his arm as if they were twelve, she sticks her tongue out at him instead— much more mature.

“Clearly he’s attractive, you can’t blame me for staring,” Willa says, rolling her eyes at Asra’s over-eager expression.

“True, I can’t blame you, and like I said— Muriel’s a great guy. He’s a bit shy and doesn’t like to socialize much as you may have noticed, but he’s saved us from quite a few scrapes over the years,” Asra recounts. “He repaired the roof of the main hall after a thunderstorm knocked over a tree last year, and he even put out a fire once when a campfire got out of hand.” “Well, he sounds like quite the man.” Willa hides her smile as she turns to open the trunk of her car. She hauls out a suitcase painted a bright blue color and dotted with daisies, she’d done the art herself one day when she’d run out of canvases and needed something new to paint on. Asra grabs her other bag and shuts the trunk, giving her another smirk.

“Let's get going, I’ll give you a full tour along the way.” Asra hoists her duffle bag over his shoulder as he walks. Willa follows behind, taking in all the sights as he leads the way through Camp Vesuvia.

Asra delivers on his promise of a tour, pointing out everything they pass along the way. “The building we just left is the office, but we all call it ‘the palace’ because Nadia’s the queen around here. Don’t worry though, she’s a benevolent ruler,” he laughs. Nadia seems kind, but she clearly expects the best from everyone and Willa would hate to disappoint her.

They pass the arts and crafts cabin, the main hall where meals are eaten, and each of the cabins for campers. Asra stops in front of a small building next to the main hall, it looks homey and a small puff of smoke comes out of its chimney. A wooden sign by the door is marked with a large pot and a spoon and judging by the delicious smell of bread emanating from the building, this is the kitchen.

“Here’s the kitchen, Portia works here along with Hestion and Selasi. You’ll meet them at dinner. I’m convinced they’re the best cooks in the world, and Selasi’s pumpkin bread is legendary.” For a minute it seems like Asra might go in to look for the aforementioned pumpkin bread, but he turns away from the door and continues on the dirt path forward.

He points to another small cabin to their right, “And here’s the first aid center. Julian is our resident doctor, he’s Portia’s older brother,”

“Ah, I seem to remember someone named Julian from quite a few of your stories,” Willa says, jokingly waggling her eyebrows. Asra grimaces and looks straight ahead, not meeting her eyes.

“Yes well, that was in the past. Those stories are old,” Asra waves a hand as if to show how unimportant those stories were. “Let’s move on, over here is where we store the canoes! Lucio is our recreation director, he’s kind of an asshole but the kids think he’s cool.”

The tour continues on until they reach a larger looking cabin tucked back into the trees. It has a wrap-around porch dotted with comfortable looking chairs and a bright green door. It looks welcoming, and there's a great view of the lake from the front porch. Willa can picture herself out there enjoying a cup of coffee or knitting.

“And here we have our final destination for the day, the counselor's cabin where everyone on staff here lives.” Asra shows her through the comfortable three story cabin, it’s more modern than Willa had expected. She thinks back to the well decorated front office, the palace, and decides that Nadia must be responsible for this cabin’s design as well.

Finally, Asra leads her to a closed door on the second floor and she unlocks it, entering a small but cozy looking bedroom. The walls are painted sky blue and a vase on the dresser has fresh flowers in it, she immediately feels at home. Willa sets her suitcase down by the dresser and flops down on the bed facedown.

“This is going to be so fun!” she squeals, her words slightly muffled by a pillow.

Asra flops down next to her, “You’re going to love it! The camp comes alive when the campers get here, and I bet you’ll be great at teaching art.”

“I hope so, but it’s been a while since I made a friendship bracelet,” Willa laughs, pointing to Asra’s wrist which is bedecked with half a dozen colorful string bracelets.

“Campers made these for me,” he explains proudly, lifting his arm up so Willa can see the bracelets better. “A lot of the same kids come back every year and most of the staffers do too. I think you’ll fit right in, this is going to be the best summer!”

Willa looks out the window next to her bed and catches a glimpse of Nadia and the park ranger, Muriel, out inspecting the grounds. Muriel looks up at the window as if he can sense her gaze and she smiles and waves at him. He doesn’t respond, quickly walking away towards the trees, but Willa thinks she might’ve seen a hint of a smile tug at his lips as he looked at her.

“I’ve got a good feeling about this summer, too,” Willa says, turning back to Asra with a giddy grin. “I can’t wait!”

✧

#here's chapter one!#willa wednesday #willa clary #muriel the arcana #milla #the complete cast of characters is as follows:#willa- camp counselor and director of arts and crafts #muriel- park ranger #nadia- camp director #asra- camp counselor #julian- doctor/ first aid #portia- cook #lucio- recreation director #me- overexcited writer

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kuroopaisen · 4 years

Text

the in-between | ii (kuroo tetsurou)

➵ it took you and kuroo far too long to learn that love was never singularly defined. it can be both striking and understated, sudden and unhurried, gentle and all-consuming. and most of all, it can be anything else in-between.

wc: 7.9k (part 2 of 3)

warnings: f!reader, mentions of anxiety & depression (kind of), cursing, reader is a g@mer girl in one part, persona 5 spoilers (kinda), dog??

a/n: once again a big thank you to @w-yuren T-T thanks for making this legible. also, obaa-chan is the familiar term for one’s grandmother!

m. list | ch. 1 ↞ ch. 2 ↠ ch. 3

You supposed you felt a little bad for revelling in the fact that the third years were leaving the club. Them leaving meant Kenma would finally know some peace, safe from their heckling. It was difficult to work up any sadness at your upperclassmen’s departure, even if you had spent a substantial amount of time with them.

But, that little nugget of quasi-guilt was absolutely trumped by the sheer delight of seeing Kuroo be handed the mantle of captain.

You weren’t surprised. There’s something of a natural leader to him, and he was already doing a great job of holding the first and second years together. His fellow year-mates were positively beaming as congratulations rang throughout the gym, Kuroo’s cheeks flushed a little with a mixture of pride and embarrassment.

You were waiting your turn to congratulate him, heart full just from watching him get the praise that he deserved. You were happy to observe, really. Especially when he looked so honoured, so happy when Coach Naoi gave him a congratulatory pat on the back.

Finally Kuroo turned to you, eyes bright as he held his arms out. You jumped into them on instinct, wrapping your own arms around his neck. He hoisted you off the ground in one smooth move, twirling you round. A squeal escaped you before you could stop it, but he didn’t seem to care. He was just cackling.

You couldn’t quite tell if the thrumming in your chest was due to a short adrenaline spike or because you’re so close to him.

He finally put you down and pulled away, his hands moving up to hold you by your shoulders.

He smiled at you. In that moment, you thought that his features should only ever hold a smile.

You’d always been kind of aware that Kuroo was a pretty attractive guy. He was tall, fairly muscular, and his face wasn’t too bad for a teenage boy. You’re not blind, after all.

But this was the first time that you’d really felt it for yourself.

He’s got a certain twinkle in his eye that you didn’t quite know how to read. For some reason, it made you feel bad.

You tried your best not to think about it. Not while you were still in the gym. Not while the two of you got celebratory ice cream with Kenma on your way to the train station. Not while he walked you home, chatting your ear off about what his plans were for the next year.

You just tried to distract yourself with the fact that he was so happy.

“You know,” Kuroo sighed, looking up at the sky. “I’m not sure about this whole captain thing.”

“Isn’t it a bit late for doubts?” You scoffed. He’d spent the past hour or so being delighted by it. You’d wondered when the overthinking would kick in. Not that you could really rag on him for it, all things considered.

“I don’t mean like that,” he shook his head, pursing his lips. “I don’t know. It’s just…”

“Stressful?”

“Kind of,” Kuroo shrugged. “It makes it all feel very real, you know? We’re gonna be third years soon.”

You shivered. “Don’t remind me.”

“You’re going to have to face reality one day, you know,” he chuckled, ruffling your hair with one hand. He was really making a habit of that, wasn’t he?

“Hush,” you sighed, waving a hand at him.

He was right, though. Third year was getting closer and closer. Kuroo being made captain was just a more pressing reminder. It sounded like quite the responsibility, but you knew he was up to the challenge.

You’d spoken about it a little bit before; mostly your theories about who’d get saddled with the title. It could only really be between him and Kai, but he’d definitely seemed to express some interest.

“This is what you wanted, right?” You asked, looking up at him.

He gave you a half-smile. “I was kinda hoping for it, I guess.”

“Why are you worried, then?” You asked, tilting your head at him. “Don’t tell me you’re worried you won’t be any good at it.”

“Wow, harsh!” He nudged you with his elbow, but he was grinning.

You rolled your eyes at him, nudging him back. “You’re a great fit for it, okay?”

“Am I?” He hummed, closing the distance between you. You didn’t feel the need to move as you walked along, arms brushing each other.

You knew that tone of voice. He was trying to lead you in a certain direction; to say certain things. Usually compliments that he’d laud over you later. Today, you’d take the bait willingly. But just this one time.

“You’re gonna be great at it, Tetsurou,” you sighed. “You’re more caring than you let on, you’re mature enough, and you know how to use everyone’s strengths,” you rattled off, gripping the strap of your bag with blanched knuckles. “I can’t think of anyone better for the job.”

You weren’t lying about any of it. He knew when to reign Yamamoto in, he gave Kenma space while still pushing him to be his best, and he’d long moved past his petty rivalry with Yaku. You’d watched him look after each and every one of his teammates in little ways, and you’d seen how he’d manage to bring them together as a cohesive unit – even though he hadn’t been in any position of authority.

You weren’t going to say all of that, of course. You weren’t even sure how to put it in a way that didn’t sound exceedingly awkward. But you admired him. A lot.

You looked up at him. He’d stopped walking, and he’d brought one of his arms up to cover his face. You stepped towards him, tilting your head.

“You okay?”

“Mhm.” His neck was a bright scarlet. You bit back a laugh.

“Tetsurou?”

“Just give me a minute,” he mumbled, voice all muffled.

You laughed. “What’re you all embarrassed for?”

“I didn’t think you’d say that!” He whined, dropping his arm to his side and burying his hands in his pockets. His face was just as bright as his neck. It was kind of cute.

“Oh come on, you were practically begging me to!” You scoffed, nudging him with your shoulder. “You’re not slick, you know!”

“Okay, maybe I was fishing for compliments,” he laughed, looping an arm around your shoulders in some attempt to contain you. “But you didn’t have to get so sappy!”

“I wasn’t even that sappy,” you rolled your eyes, leaning into him. “You really can’t handle sincerity, can you?”

“Shut up.”

✉

[god’s least favourite] 9:34 PM: oi

[YOU] 9:34 PM: rude

[god’s least favourite] 9:34 PM: you do realise you’ve got to show me some more respect now

[god’s least favourite] 9:34 PM: seeing as i’m captain and all

[YOU] 9:35 PM: bold of you to think i showed you any respect in the first place

[god’s least favourite] 9:35 PM: excuse me

[god’s least favourite] 9:35 PM: you’re officially obligated to refer to me as captain now

[YOU] 9:36 PM: don’t wanna

[YOU] 9:36 PM: manager trumps captain

[YOU] 9:36 PM: just ask the boys

[YOU] 9:36 PM: they’ll side with me on this one

[god’s least favourite] 9:39 PM: good luck with that chemistry exam :)

[YOU] 9:39 PM: NO TETSUROU I’M SORRY

[YOU] 9:39 PM: I TAKE IT BACK PLEASE

✧ ✧ ✧

Inviting you to his house shouldn’t be a big deal. You’re friends. He’d been to your house a fair few times. He got along wonderfully with your family. He had no doubts that you’d get along well with his family, too. And there was absolutely nothing weird going on between the two of you.

But for some reason, the thought of you meeting his family sparked a little anxiety inside his chest. And it certainly wasn’t helped by how smug his family was being about the whole thing.

He’d managed to shake off his father and his grandfather, both of whom had busied themselves in the little vegetable garden for the morning. His grandmother, however, was an entirely different challenge.

“So.” His grandmother smiled at him, tilting her head at him in a deceptively innocent way. “You’re inviting a girl over, Tetsu?”

“It’s not like that, Obaa-chan,” Kuroo sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Are you sure, Tetsu?” She chuckled. “That blush on your cheeks says otherwise.”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kuroo mumbled, his brow furrowed as he poured some hot water into a little tea cup for her.

“Well, your father and I were just innocently chatting about how you never bring girls over,” his grandmother said, her face graced with a mischievous smile. “Are you embarrassed by us, dear Tetsu?”

“You caught me, Baa-chan,” he chuckled, using a spoon to mix a bit of honey into her tea. “I’m actually a bit of a Casanova.”

She faked a gasp, placing an incensed hand on her chest. “Oh goodness, Tetsurou! I thought we raised you better than that!”

“You know what they say,” Kuroo grinned. “Nature and nurture, and all that.”

His grandmother chuckled. “Men really will find any excuse to be terrible people, won’t they?”

He snorted at that. “Wow! I didn’t know you woke up today deciding to absolutely obliterate every man ever.”

She cackled, shaking her head. Kuroo took a quick sip of the tea to test the temperature. Deciding it was appropriate, he turned around to give it to her, hoping his cheeks had cooled down at that point.

“Well, you must like this one more than the rest,” his grandmother cooed, resting her chin on her hand as he placed the tea cup in front of her. “Seeing as you’re bringing her over and all.”

“She’s just a good friend,” Kuroo mumbled, scratching the back of his neck.

“Blushing and scratching your neck!” His grandmother’s eyes shone with delight. “My, my, Tetsu, you are nervous.”

He opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came. Sure, he usually got the jump on everyone else, but there was no outsmarting his own grandmother.

The doorbell chimed through the house.

“You better go and greet your lady, little Casanova,” his grandmother raised a pertinent eyebrow at him, taking a sip of her tea.

“I told you, it’s not like that,” Kuroo huffed, waving a hand at her.

“Whatever you say, Tetsu.”

But he was already gone, half-running to the front door.

By the time he opened the door, you were halfway down the front path, back turned to him as you looked around.

“Leaving already?” He smiled, trying to look as composed as possible.

“Yeah,” you grinned, looking over your shoulder at him. “Already bored.”

Kuroo scoffed, shaking his head. “To think I offer you the privilege of coming to my house–”

“Oh, yes, the great honour of being allowed into the Kuroo household,” you played along, half-skipping back to the front door and slipping your shoes off. “I will finally step foot in it’s hallowed halls… a privilege I have not yet been granted.”

Kuroo snorted, moving to ruffle your hair. “You sound like someone out of one of Kenma’s games.”

“That’s the point,” you shrugged, slapping his hand away. “Oi. I tried to make it look presentable.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he chuckled, stepping aside to let you in. He did his absolute best to ignore just how pretty you looked today.

He took a deep breath. Before you two would be allowed to just hang out, you’d have to meet his family. And though he loved them more than anything, they had the potential to cause quite the ruckus.

But it went fine. His family managed to resist their innate urge to tease, and you held a conversation with each of them quite smoothly. His grandmother had taken a particular liking to you – as he’d expected – and he could tell that you were relieved by it. You hadn’t told him you were nervous about meeting his family, but he was well-acquainted with your tells. You’d relaxed within the hour, which was a feat worth celebrating.

The only issue was that his family wouldn’t leave you alone. His father had left for work pretty soon after you’d arrived – but not before you’d noted the similarities between him and his son. Though you’d said his dad had better hair.

His grandparents kept flitting between the living room and the kitchen, always finding some conversation to start before Kuroo could usher you out of there. He knew it should be annoying, but there’s something endearing about watching you talk to his grandmother so easily. And as always, his grandmother had really listened to him – he’d warned her a few days ago that you could get a bit nervous. He could see that she was doing everything she could to ensure you were comfortable.

His grandmother didn’t say anything about their earlier conversation, much to his relief. Although, he’d appreciate it if she stopped waggling her eyebrows at him whenever your back was turned.

But of course, your favourite member of his household was his dog.

He was a friendly little thing, a little bigger than usual for his breed, but with a lot of love to give. You’d bonded immediately.

“He’s beautiful,” you gasped, scratching behind the Akita’s ears. “What’s his name?”

“Kuroo Coco Sora Kuu Inu-chan.”

You blinked up at him. “Why… why so many?”

“We couldn’t agree on one name when we first got him,” Kuroo shrugged. “So he has four names.”

“Who’s responsible for Inu-chan?” You smirked, turning your attention back to Kuroo Coco Sora Kuu Inu-chan. Maybe you’d just stick with Coco.

“Well, uh…”

“Couldn’t think of anything more creative?”

“Listen.” Kuroo held up his hands, crouching down next to you. “I was like… eleven?”

“That’s no excuse.”

“I’d like to see you come up with something better,” he scoffed, placing a large hand on Coco’s head.

“Oh, easy,” you said.

“Yeah? Prove it.”

“There are much more important things to think about, you know,” his grandmother called out, her head poking from round the corner with a bright grin.

“My pride is on the line, Baa-chan,” Kuroo grinned. “If I’m going to be mocked, I’d like to see her do better.”

“Well I need to steal her for a moment,” his grandmother beamed, turning to look at you. “Just ignore him, dearie. I have something to show you,” she smiled, eyes sparkling in the very same way Tetsurou’s did when he wanted to cause some mischief. So, it ran in the family.

Next thing you knew, you were ushered to a couch with a mildly agitated Kuroo in tow.

“Take a look at these,” she said, handing you a pleather album as you sat yourself down.

“Thank you,” you smiled, placing it in your lap. It felt almost sticky, the fabric and the corners well-worn with age. Kuroo plopped himself down next to you with a sigh, pouting a little.

“Oh no,” Kuroo murmured as he noticed the object in your hands.

“Oh yes,” his grandmother chuckled.

Was this what you thought it was? You opened the book, to be greeted with – yep, that’s definitely Kuroo. As a very unfortunate-looking baby.

“Do you have to?” He groaned, sinking his face into his hand.

“Of course I do,” his grandmother said innocently. “That darling Kenma of yours found it quite amusing, didn’t he?”

You smiled at that thought. Kenma wouldn’t have been awfully expressive, but you had the feeling that Kuroo’s grandmother was just as perceptive as the boy sitting next to you. Obnoxious cleverness seemed to be a Kuroo family trait.

You turned the page, another set of baby photos ready to delight you.

“Why do you look so angry?” You laughed, pointing at one of him in a bright yellow onesie, barely four months old.

“Because they put me in that,” he said.

“What about this one?” You asked, pointing at a very forlorn-looking toddler in a crib.

“That’s probably the first moment I comprehended my mortality.”

You snorted, turning the page once more.

As you moved through his younger years, his grandmother began to regale you with the story behind each photo. You weren’t surprised to hear that there’s a chaotic element to most of them. And as she spoke, you could tell just how much she loved him. Just how proud she was of the young man he’d grown up to be.

It made the whole experience all the more fun. There’s such a wealth of love amongst these pages, a sense of genuine and total adoration for the boy in the photos. His grandmother had acted like she had gotten this out to embarrass him – but, it seemed more like she’d wanted to brag about her little golden boy.

There’s so many photos. Enough that you started to lose track.

But, you froze immediately on a certain page. Two young boys, splattered with mud. One of them’s a little taller, grinning at the camera with a volleyball in hand. The other boy was hidden behind him, eyes a little round and spooked, but the smallest of smiles on his lips.

“Is that Kenma?” You gasped, leaning forward to get a better look.

“The one and only,” Kuroo smiled.

“He looks tiny!”

“He was.”

“And that’s you?” You asked, pointing at a little boy with wild hair and a brilliant grin on his face.

“Yeah,” he chuckled, his gaze settling on your face.

“Your hair hasn’t changed,” you laughed, turning to smile at him. “Have you ever actually used a hairbrush? Or have you just made an active choice never to touch one?”

“Look.” Kuroo shifted to face you a little more directly, jabbing one finger at his hair. “You try dealing with this every morning.”

You laughed, returning to the album. You pressed a hand to your chest absent-mindedly. God, this feeling was a little overwhelming; if you were forced to put it into words, you’d settle on ‘absolute fondness’. All you knew was that looking at this photo made you feel so soft. So full of love.

“You alright?” He asked, a hand instinctively moving to your back.

“I’m fine,” you smiled. “Just a little emotional.”

For whatever reason, he couldn’t stop looking at your face. He’d seen you smile plenty of times, and the expression always looked good on you. But there's something about this smile, in this moment, that’s so mesmerising.

You didn’t notice, so engrossed in your own fondness as you look down at two of your closest friends, young, covered in mud and happy. It’s not your memory to look back on, but you’re glad you’ve been permitted a peek into it.

And Kuroo didn’t notice his grandmother watching him from the other side of the couch, observing him with a positively amused twinkle in her eye.

She could already tell just how well you two got along. How happy you could make each other. And nothing could delight her more. And even if she hadn’t been watching you interact all day, this look he was giving you right now was evidence enough of the rich affection he held for you.

She just hoped she wouldn’t have to knock some sense into the poor boy, dense as he can be.

✉

[YOU] 9:33 PM: tetsu

[YOU] 9:33 PM: tetsu tetsu tetsu

[emotionally constipated] 9:33 PM: mm?

[YOU] 9:33 PM: i need photos of coco Right Now

[emotionally constipated] 9:33 PM: that’s inu-chan to you

[YOU] 9:33 PM: tetsu i’m Desperate

[YOU] 9:33 PM: i need to see him

[YOU] 9:34 PM: if i don’t see him i’ll Die

[YOU] 9:34 PM: also please tell your grandmother that i adore her

[emotionally constipated] 9:34 PM: hahah i’m glad you had such a good time

[YOU] 9:35 PM: i really did :(

[YOU] 9:35 PM: can i move into your attic?

[emotionally constipated] 9:35 PM: no

✧ ✧ ✧

"They're going to be a handful," you smiled, zipping up your bag.

"Yeah," he chuckled, looking down at your hunched form. "But you're already attached to them, right?"

"They're sweet," you said, standing up. "And, I think they've got a lot of potential."

"For giving Yaku an aneurism, maybe."

"But Tetsurou," you grinned, "that's the best part!"

"Got it in for Yaku, have you?" He raised an eyebrow at you, but he did a pretty poor job of wiping the smile off his own face.

"Don't push your agenda onto me," you chuckled. "I'm not the one who had stupid little spats with him, you know."

"What can I say? I was young and foolish, once upon a time."

"You say that like you're a geriatric."

"I've grown a lot this past year," he sighed, holding up his hands.

You shot him a look; one that's supposed to tell him how very silly he was. But he'd been getting better at reading in-between the lines, and he knew that there's fondness there. A deep, untempered well of fondness that neither of you knew how to put into words.

"Bold words, from someone who still laughs at the word 'cock'." That wasn’t quite what he’d expected you to say, but they were certainly words he had to defend himself against.

"Look, I'm just saying that it’s exactly the sort of word they'd use in porn–"

"Oh, so you do watch it then?"

It’s not that he thought there’s anything all that wrong with watching porn. He’s a teenager – he was going to get curious. And that was fine. But the thought of you knowing about it made him nervous. What if you thought less of him for it, for whatever reason? What if the knowledge made you uncomfortable?

"I–" He stuttered, painfully aware of how clammy his hands were."I didn't necessarily say that–"

"Then how do you know?" A smile he didn’t quite like spread across your face.

"I just– Yamamoto–"

"I can't believe you'd throw him under the bus like this!" You gasped.

"I'm not, I'm just relaying a fact–" He could feel his ears burning.

"And here I was, thinking you'd be the sort of captain who'd look out for his teammates. You know what, Tetsurou? I'm surprised and disappointed." You were having far too much fun with this. And he was playing right into your hands.

"I can't believe you're persecuting me for no good reason." He tried to find his footing again, to try and turn it on you. He knew it’s not going to work, but it’s worth a try.

"I have a perfectly adequate reason, thank you very much."

"Yeah? And what's that?"

"You're a teenage boy. You know… a scourge on this planet." You lowered your voice, as if you were letting him in on a dark secret.

"Excuse me?"

"I meant what I said."

"Then why be our manager, hm? Why subject yourself to the company of teenage boys every day?"

You laughed. He knew he loved the sound a little more than he should. "Well, you got me there."

He smiled at you. God, he hoped his face wasn’t giving too much away.

You’re just chatting in a gym. Just acting like teenagers. But it's the type of moment he's grateful for. The sort that made him feel bad for that multitude of other universes where he didn’t have the privilege of knowing you. He felt a little cocky about it, too, even if that's a bit childish.

"Hurry up," he sighed, nudging you with his elbow. "I wanna go home."

"Yeah, yeah," you sighed. "Thank you, by the way."

"Hm?"

"For still walking me home," you smiled up at him. "I don't think I've said thanks yet."

"Pft." Kuroo shook his head. "You don't deserve it, I can tell you that."

You faked a gasp, one hand on your chest. "And here I thought we were friends."

"And here I thought that you held me in higher esteem," he chuckled.

"Huh?" You tilted your head at him as you walked towards the doors of the gym.

"You think I'm just a… you know," he grinned, leaning down closer to you. He didn’t catch the blush on your cheeks as you stepped out into the dusk. "A teenage boy."

You laughed, shaking your head. "Wow, you really took that to heart, huh?"

"Here I am, subjecting myself to the mortifying ordeal of being known, and you have the gall to speak to me like this," he sighed, looking up to the sky.

"Oh, you're not so bad," you giggled, looping your arm through his. He thought his heart might give out, small as the gesture may be. "If it makes you feel any better… you're my favourite teenage boy."

Oh, now that's just too much.

"Oi," he barked, nudging you a little roughly. You just laughed. "You can't just say shit like that."

"Why not?"

"Because–" The words caught in his throat, and he didn’t quite know what to say. There were so many ways this could go; some of them were frankly terrifying. "You've just gotta warn a guy before being that sappy, alright?"

So, he evaded.

"I'll be more careful next time," you bit your lip. But you smiled.

✉

[the worst member of the kuroo household] 12:24 AM: fyi, if i did in fact watch porn, i'd want you to know that i'd ensure it was ethically sourced

[YOU] 12:24 AM: tetsurou it is 12:30 in the morning

[YOU] 12:24 AM: what does this even mean

[YOU] 12:24 AM: why do i need to know this

[YOU] 12:24 AM: what are you even doing up

[YOU] 12:24 AM: don't tell me–

[YOU] 12:25 AM: omg do 10 cents of your proceeds go to farmers

[YOU] 12:25 AM: OMG sustainable porn

[YOU] 12:25 AM: i'm so proud of you for doing your part for the environment :')

[the worst member of the kuroo household] 12:25 AM: WHY ARE YOU ASSUMING THE WORST

[the worst member of the kuroo household] 12:25 AM: I'M NOT DLKDDKLJ I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT I'M NOT SUPPORTING A SHITTY INDUSTRY OKAY

[the worst member of the kuroo household] 12:26 AM: i know parts of it are bad and exploitative and if i did so happen to consume that kind of content, i'd avoid that. that's all i'm trying to say

[YOU] 12:26 AM: omg, look at you supporting indie artists

[the worst member of the kuroo household] 12:26 AM: i'm losing my mind–

[YOU] 12:26 AM: it's okay, for your sake i'll pretend i can't read

[the worst member of the kuroo household] 12:26 AM: please don't send this to yaku

[YOU] 12:27 AM: :)

[the worst member of the kuroo household] 12:29 AM: wait, what are you even doing up?

[YOU] 12:29 AM: ;) none of your business, that's what

[the worst member of the kuroo household] 12:30 AM: DON'T SAY THINGS LIKE THAT

[YOU] 12:30 AM: ;)

✧ ✧ ✧

Kuroo didn’t mean to stare. It’s just that during practice, his gaze always found its way back to you.

He just liked making sure you’re doing okay. During second year, he’d check for signs of anxiety or discomfort; you had understandably feared a hit from a stray ball, and you had seemed to find the third years too intimidating to really connect with. But now?

Now, he had the pleasure of watching you flourish. You managed to get along with each member of the team so well, from Inuoka to Kenma. You always seemed to know the right thing to say, the right way to encourage them (or in a certain setter’s case, when to give them some space). To varying degrees, they’d come to rely on you – both as a manager, and as a friend. You hadn’t shied away from the challenge. You’d taken the time to get to know each and every one of them; ‘my kids,’ as you’d called them in conversation with your other third years. Yaku had kicked up a fuss to that little moniker, but he was outnumbered.

Most importantly, you were smiling a lot more. Kuroo knew that those feelings you were grappling with didn’t go away overnight. They didn’t pack themselves up and disappear because you’d found one good thing in life. But there’s relief in knowing you’ve got people to rely on, people who helped make you smile. He knew, for certain, that you had a support system that adored you. And he couldn’t feel more humbled to be a part of it.

So, maybe he wasn’t just checking to see if you’re okay. Not anymore, at least.

No, he just liked seeing you be happy.

At that moment, you were sat on the ground, bandages in your lap with a water bottle and bunch of bananas to one side and Lev to the other. You were tending to an minor injury he’d gotten as the result of a rather stupid little accident. Kuroo was close enough that he could hear you; as per usual with Lev, you were gently reprimanding him. With good reason.

“You’ve gotta be more careful,” you hummed, wrapping a bandage gently around Lev’s finger. You weren’t quite sure what had happened – as far as you could tell, he’d somehow tried to hit the ball incorrectly? – but Lev had to sit out for a while.

And he hated it. He wasn’t very good at masking his emotions. Nor did he feel much of a need to even try.

“I am,” he whined, pouting at you. You hadn’t known him for all that long, in the grand scheme of things. But Lev was a pretty easy guy to pin down.

Your eyes flashed as you looked up at him, and he wilted.

“You just wanted to look cool, didn’t you?”

“Well what’s the point if I don’t look cool?” He grumbled, shoulders slouching.

You laughed, patting him on the arm. “You do realise volleyball isn’t all about looking cool, right? I’ve heard Kuroo try and explain that to you far too many times.”

Out of all the first years, Lev had been the most… difficult. Inuoka was good-natured if excitable, Shibayama was gentle and well-meaning, and Teshiro was generally well-behaved.

But Lev? Lev was a force of nature. You’d call him a whirlwind, but that didn’t seem wild enough. He was something like an earthquake and a fire storm happening all that once. And he didn’t seem to have any awareness of that.

“Now, try to be more careful,” you smiled, tilting your head at him. “I want to see you out on the court! I love seeing that spike of yours!”

Lev beamed at that, his shoulders perking right up. If there was one thing Lev responded well to, it was praise. You just had to work out how to use that to your advantage. By some stroke of luck, he happened to be quite fond of you. That, at least, made your job easier.

“But, you’ve got to listen to Kuroo more,” you sighed, standing up and crossing your arms. “And Yaku, for that matter. If you want to become Nekoma’s ace, you’ve got to get pretty damn good at defense, too.”

Lev opened his mouth to reply, but you shook your head. “Trust me. You’ll shoot your way to the top in no time.”

He made a little sound in the back of his throat, wiggling his now bandaged finger.

“And eat this,” you sighed, handing him a banana. “Keep your sugars up.”

Lev wasn’t looking at you or the banana. Instead, he was staring at something beyond you, his eyes glinting with a certain intensity you’d come to dread.

“What are you staring at?” You frowned, looking over your shoulder.

“If I got enough of a running start, do you think I could jump over the net?”

“Lev, no!”

Across the gym, Kuroo bit his lip, holding back a cackle.

You’d really stepped into your role as manager, hadn’t you? You’d lost much of that initial nervousness, and you’d bonded with the first years quite well. You talked freely with the team, and you weren’t afraid to speak up if you had an idea or an observation. You laughed a lot more, too; whether that be at some of the antics the first years got up to or at Fukunaga’s puns or at Yamamoto being Yamamoto. No matter the source, he was always glad to hear the sound of your laugh ring out in the gym.

You seemed happy; joyful, even. Knowing that you had people you connected with, people you felt comfortable with was a relief. The team was closer now than it had ever been – and you’d even admitted to him, very quietly, that you felt a bit less lonely. That alone made Kuroo feel like he’d made the right choice in wrangling you this mad little group.

“You’re so obvious,” Yaku scoffed, rolling his eyes at Kuroo.

Kuroo flinched, taken completely unawares. He looked to his side quickly, noting that both Yaku and Kai were giving him a certain knowing look that he didn’t like. Whatever they were thinking, it wasn’t good.

“Hah?” Kuroo raised an eyebrow at his friend, pushing away the scant bit of panic that gripped his chest.

“Staring at her during every practice isn’t exactly subtle,” Yaku snorted, wiping his forehead. “She’s going to catch on eventually.”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kuroo mumbled, lifting his water bottle to his lips.

Kai chuckled, bringing one fist up to cover his mouth.

“Oi,” Kuroo huffed, “Stop it.”

“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me,” Yaku grinned. “For now.”

“Shut up,” Kuroo bunted Yaku’s back with one knee, violently hoping that his cheeks weren’t all red.

“You’re really punching above your weight, you know,” Yaku sighed, propping his hands on his hips.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Oh, it’s on.

Across the gym, you walked up to Kenma, a frown on your face.

“I thought those two were supposed to have sorted things out?” You frowned, looking at Yaku and Kuroo mouthing off at each other. You couldn’t quite hear what they were saying, but they looked fervent.

Kenma shrugged. “I dunno. They’re both pretty easy to rile up, so…”

You smiled to yourself. Sure, everyone on the team was a little stupid in their own way. But that’s what made them all so endearing. So endearing, in fact, that you wanted to look after them as best you could.

And you honestly tried not to play favourites. But it’s hard for you to not pay particular attention to a certain middle blocker.

✉

[YOU] 9:46 PM: yaku asked me to tell you to stop bullying him

[ethically sourced :)] 9:46 PM: I WASN’T BULLYING HIM

[YOU] 9:46 PM: but you were shouting at him

[ethically sourced :)] 9:47 PM: he deserved it

[YOU] 9:47 PM: i’ll be the judge of that

[YOU] 9:47 PM: what were you even arguing about?

[ethically sourced :)] 10:12 PM: doesn’t matter

[ethically sourced :)] 10:12 PM: anyway do you think it’s possible to pavlov lev?

[YOU] 10:12 PM: that’s one way to derail the conversation

[YOU] 10:16 PM: with what?

[ethically sourced :)] 10:16 PM: praise

[ethically sourced :)] 10:16 PM: specifically from you

[YOU] 10:16 PM: LKJDDKJL why?

[ethically sourced :)] 10:16 PM: because there’s nothing more motivating than that

[ethically sourced :)] 10:18 PM: for the first years

[ethically sourced :)] 10:18 PM: i meant for the first years

[ethically source :)] 10:20 PM: not me :)

[YOU] 10:21 PM: you know tetsu, lying is bad for the soul

✧ ✧ ✧

"Yeah, but who are we gonna date?" You huffed, brow furrowed as you glared at the screen. The synths of Persona 5’s idle music provided a deceptively soothing ambience as you made the protagonist run around in circles.

The two of you sat on your bedroom floor with a smorgasbord of snacks, your backs relaxed against your bed frame. This issue of ‘who should we date?’ had been a consistent topic of conversation for the past two weeks. Kuroo was sure that it’d never get resolved.

"My vote's for Makato," he shrugged, reaching into the bag of chips and taking a handful.

"You're so typical," you scoffed, shaking your head.

"Look," he laughed, "We can date Ann if you really want to."

"I'm just confused as to why you don't want to." You pouted at him as you sat with your backs against your bed, shoulders pressed together.

The issue of Takamaki Ann had been a surprising one to you; your argument was that she’d been the protagonist’s second friend, and had a wonderful bond with him. Kuroo had been less convinced.

"It's not that I don't want to," Kuroo grinned. "It just feels like… I'm giving in."

"Giving in?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. "You know."

"To… the boobs?"

He cackled at that. "That's one way of putting it."

"But she's an angel," you pouted. "It's not her fault she got put in the latex catsuit."

Kuroo grinned. "See, it's fine for you if you wanna date her. If I choose Ann, then I'm the target audience, you know? I've given into the whole pervert thing."

"I think you're forgetting that you can date your teacher in this game."

"I'd genuinely blocked that out."

You smiled at him, and his heart squeezed a little. He couldn't say why, though.

"Alright, compromise. Who did Kenma date?"

"Uh… last time he played, he did the whole harem thing."

"The whole harem?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Including the teacher?"

"Of course."

You stared at him for a moment, expression something akin to shock.

"It was for an achievement," Kuroo shrugged.

“There’s... a harem achievement?” You frowned.

“Nah,” he shook his head. “But you get an achievement for dating all the romance options, and he didn’t really want to play the game ten times over.”

"Oh," you nodded. "Right."

A pause.

"He doesn't have a favourite?"

"I guess if he was forced to pick, he'd go with Futaba."

"Makes sense," you nodded, a little pout on your face. Kuroo couldn’t help but smile at the look on your face.

Kuroo chuckled, shaking his head. “And does it not make sense for me to choose Makato?”

“I didn’t say that,” you rolled your eyes, pressing your arm against his.

He grinned, reaching over and plucking the controller from your hands.

“Hey!”

“It’s my turn to play,” he smiled. “And I’m going to go and hang out with Makato.”

You sighed, resting your head on his shoulder. You’d been doing that more and more recently. He still wasn’t quite used to it. “I’m not saying you can’t like her. I mean, she's great, but… Ann's right there."

He didn’t say that it’s because Makato kind of reminded him of you. She’s smart, if a little stupid sometimes. You’re not the same person by any stretch of the imagination, but he couldn’t get the association out of his head when he had first noticed it. It had endeared her towards him – maybe more than it should have.

There was certainly some irony in the fact that she was the girl you were least interested in dating.

You gasped suddenly, sitting up straight.

"What?" Kuroo frowned, disguising genuine concern with annoyance.

"There's still another team member we haven't met yet, right?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"What if we want to date her?"

Kuroo laughed, resting his head against the bed. It’s nice to see you get invested in this so much. There’s something of a mix between pride and delight in his chest, knowing he’d brought you something that made you smile. There’s a part of him that wanted to make sure you’ve always got something to smile about.

He’s relieved, really, that you had agreed to play this with him. It was quite the commitment – Kenma’s playthrough had ended up being what, one-hundred and thirty hours? – but Kuroo had asked you if you’d be up for it anyway.

You’d agreed, and he’d felt unreasonably delighted by that. It was a bit stupid, but he liked that the game gave him a reason to spend time with you. Well, even more time with you. When Kenma had told him just how long a single playthrough took, Kuroo had immediately presented the game to you.

It’s not like the two of you were spending less time together. It’s not even like he needed to have a consistent reason to spend time with you either. It had become something of a routine to spend every second evening at either of your houses; the general idea was still to study, but it was easier and easier to get distracted these days. Not that he was letting you get lazy or anything like that. There was just too much to talk about.

Hell, you even knew each other’s families quite well at this point. Your family loved him, much to his relief. And, his family still adored you. His grandparents were still sending him knowing looks over dinner, even when you weren’t there. If he so much as mentioned your name in conversation, they’d start chuckling.

It’s just that you’re a part of his life now. Someone who brought him comfort. Someone who could help him relax. And he wanted to hold onto that as best as he could.

✉

[YOU] 12:01 PM: tetsu

[YOU] 12:01 PM: testu tetsu

[YOU] 12:01 PM: i desperately need your help :(

[tetsuwu] 12:01 PM: are you okay?

[tetsuwu] 12:01 PM: what can i do?

[YOU] 12:06 PM: i can’t stop changing my mind about which girl to date

[tetsuwu] 12:06 PM: oh my

[tetsuwu] 12:06 PM: GOD you had me genuinely worried

[YOU] 12:07 PM: :)

[tetsuwu] 12:07 PM: we can date ann if you really want

[YOU] 12:07 PM: it’s just that i think she’s the best match for the protagonist, you know?

[tetsuwu] 12:07 PM: yeah

[tetsuwu] 12:07 PM: the silent protagonist who barely has a personality except for what you project onto him

[YOU] 12:08 PM: D: so utilitarian

[tetsuwu] 12:08 PM: what? i’m right

[YOU] 12:09 PM: but tetsu my Immersion

[tetsuwu] 12:09 PM: you’ll live

[tetsuwu] 12:09 PM: also for the love of god can we please change my name from tetsuwu

[YOU] 12:09 PM: >:)

✧ ✧ ✧

"I'm excited!" You beamed up at him, notebook clutched to your chest and jacket tied around your waist.

"You sure you can handle it?" He grinned, ruffling your hair habitually. "There's gonna be a lot of teenage boys running about. I'm not sure you're ready for such unbridled chaos."

“Surely they can’t be much worse than our kids,” you smiled. “I mean, there’s Karasuno. But I’m as used to them as I can be. I think.”

“Bold of you to assume that you’d ever be used to Karasuno,” he chuckled, shaking his head.

“Yeah, that’s fair,” you laughed. “I used to think that our kids were super chaotic, but then…”

Kuroo smiled to himself. Seeing you get so excited for this training camp did his heart some good.

He couldn’t have imagined you being like this when he had first met you in second year; you’d really begun to open up, to express yourself. You were actually looking forward to working with the other managers. You’d even spoken about making friends with them. Honestly, it’s sweet.

“Don’t forget to do your work, though,” he yawned as the two of you came to a stop in front of your house. Practice had run a little later than usual, which had messed up his plans a bit. He’d wanted to get home to work on his literature essay – the current bane of his existence – and to get your help.

“Yeah, yeah,” you smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m on top of things. That timetable you made me really helps.”

He felt a little swell of pride at that. The study timetable had been primarily a test run, a set of suggestions he’d put forward in an attempt to help you quell your anxieties. But, it had worked wonderfully. He’d done his best to account for your study habits, practice, and the fact that the two of you literally couldn’t get through twenty minutes without having a conversation that went completely off topic.

Suffice to say that even he was impressed with how effective the timetable had actually been.

“Anyway,” you yawned, waving at him as you turned to open your front door. “Goodnight.”

“Oh, before you go,” he cleared his throat, making you turn back around.

“Everything okay?” You asked.

“Can I be a bother and ask you to read over my literature essay?” He asked, scratching the back of his neck. “I know it’s late, but…”

“Sure,” you nodded. “On one condition.”

He paused. He’d said those words to you once, hadn’t he?

“You want me to buy you yakisoba, don’t you?” He grinned, pushing that little memory aside.

You pouted. “How’d you know?”

“You’ve been craving it all week.”

“Oh.” Your pout deepened. You always pulled this expression when he managed to be one step ahead.

“I’ll do it,” he shrugged. “But only because I’m desperate.”

You let out a little ‘whoop’, turning back to your door with a little jump. God, you could be so cute sometimes.

And then you were gone, flying through your front door with a simple, “see you later, Tetsu!”

He watched you go with a frown etched on his brow.

It's an inconspicuous little revelation, almost annoying in its mundanity.

How hadn't he noticed you before? Why had it taken you begging him for help for him to look your way?

You were captivating.

It's in the way your eyes lit up whenever you spoke about your passions – even if it was just which girl you should date in a video game. It's in the variations of your laugh, each timbre seemingly tailored to each brand of stupid thing he might say. It's in how your hands tended to each and every member of the team with such sincere adoration. Even with him.

It's how you’re in all of him. In every thought, every decision, every absent-minded daydream. In each and every time he stopped and wondered, "what would she think?" In how every time he learned something new, saw something funny, he wanted to tell you about it. In how he'd structure his week around when he got to spend time with you.

But he's just a high school student. Just a boy.

And that's not how love had been explained to him. Not as something so quiet. Not as something so natural, so comfortable, with someone who brought him such comfort. Love was supposed to be difficult, challenging. It was supposed to choke you. Love was supposed to slap you in the face, demanding and all-consuming.

So, he figured it must not be love. He hoped it's not love. It must have been something else entirely.

What that was, he didn’t know.

✉

[father of nine] 10:36 PM: here’s my essay

[father of nine] 10:36 PM: please tell me it makes some sense

[YOU] 10:36 PM: shh stop being so hard on yourself

[YOU] 10:37 PM: it can’t be worse than inuoka’s history essay, bless his soul

[father of nine] 10:37 PM: you’re an angel, thanks

[father of nine] 10:37 PM: * angle

[YOU] 10:37 PM: you say that like i’m not doing this for a price

[father of nine] 10:37 PM: you say that like you wouldn’t crack eventually

[YOU] 10:38 PM: oh, so you’ve got the gall to push your luck, do you?

[father of nine] 10:38 PM: :)

#haikyuu x reader #kuroo x reader #kuroo tetsurou x reader #kuroo tetsurou #kuroo tetsurou imagine #kuroo imagine #kuroo scenario #haikyuu imagine #haikyuuwritersnet #this is incoherent but i had Fun #and That's What Matters #the in between

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everybodyscupoftea · 4 years

Text

the date

pike jj x reader ft. cody and tyler

part 2: in which you begin to move on

it’s been a secret, but here’s zach :)

let me try and explain the timeline here real quick: okay so this is before the pogues come to visit, after the sick day. the timeline is a little fucked but that’s okay, we can just pretend we do not see inconsistencies :)

“Call him,” Tyler urged, nudging your leg with his foot.

“What if he says no,” you protested, “I can’t take any more rejection from men this year. Not to sound like I need men to validate me, but I’m not sure my ego can handle much more of this.”

Cody laughed, “We’ll kick his ass if he hurts your feelings.”

“I doubt you could, I’ve seen the pictures,” you scoffed.

Tyler’s jaw dropped, “Hey, I can hold my own.”

“Sure you can, scarecrow,” you teased.

He rolled his eyes, “Whatever, look, I know this guy and he’s really nice and respectful and understanding. Plus he plays baseball, I know how you feel about that.”

Raising your eyebrows, you hummed thoughtfully, “You should’ve said that immediately. I’ll call him.”

“Really?” Cody asked, “That’s all it took?”

“That’s all,” you confirmed, “now, help me come up with something to start the conversation.” -

“You can’t wear that,” Cody scoffed, looking disgusted at your outfit.

“What? Why not?”

Cody ticked reasons off on his fingers as he spoke, “First, you already had to cancel on him once because your body just shut down so the expectations and anticipation are even higher. Two, you have to really wow him because he’s only seen you looking like shit, you have to prove you’re better than that usually. And C, look good, feel good.”

You wanted to roll your eyes, but he made some pretty good arguments, “First of all, if he’s seen me only looking bad, the bar is pretty fucking low, dude.”

“Exactly, that’s why it’s so sad that you’re literally tripping over it.”

Looking down at your shorts, you crossed your arms, “Wait, what’s wrong with this outfit though?”

“No shorts,” Tyler yelled from the bathroom.

You scoffed, “Mind your business in there.”

“No, you need help.”

“Trust me, I do not need two men’s help.”

“But you do though,” Cody said, digging through your wardrobe, looking for something else.

“Dude,” you protested as he pulled out an armful’s worth of clothes.

“Options,” he told you, “I’m just trying to help.”

You sighed, “I suppose you’re right. Hit me with it.”

“Skirt,” Tyler yelled from the bathroom.

“Where are you going?” Cody asked, walking back to dig through your closet again.

“Dinner and a basketball game.”

“Oh, maybe shorts are the way to go.”

“Thank you,” you said, grabbing some clothes to put back in your closet.

“No,” Tyler interrupted, finally leaving the bathroom, “Still a skirt, but you can dress it down with a t-shirt.”

“But, shorts,” you tried to argue.

“Show off your figure, bitch,” Cody responded, shutting you down.

Zach picked you up from the dorms, Cody and Tyler watching you get in the car from a distance. He rolled down the window and waved at them, “See you guys around!”

“See ya, man!” Tyler yelled back.

Cody gave him a scrutinous look, “Be good!”

“No promises,” you mumbled and Zach snorted.

“Gonna be that kind of date, huh?”

Your cheeks heated, “No, I meant like, the basketball game. I get kind of into it.”

Zach pulled out onto the street and glanced over, “Hey, I was kidding, don’t stress.”

“Not stressed,” you pouted.

The restaurant he picked was one you’d surprisingly never been to and when you told him he chuckled, “You strike me as the type to have a regular.”

“I am, but I swore we tried every place near campus before establishing our regulars.”

“Well, I’m honored to show you something new.”

He parked and jogged around to open the door before you could get out. It was, unusual, but you weren’t complaining. Zach walked slightly behind you, hand hovering near your back as if he wasn’t sure whether he could touch you or not.

You paused and he walked into you, hand brushing against you, and cleared his throat, “Fuck, sorry.”

“You can touch me, you know?”

Zach blushed, “Well, I didn’t want to assume.”

“That’s very sweet, but I think we’re past the point of casual touches after you spent an entire day taking care of me. And, technically, we’re dating.”

“Well, we agreed it was the fever talking and we’d actually go on a date before making that decision.”

“I’m a modern woman,” you waved his words away, “caution to the wind.”

Zach laughed and held the restaurant’s door open for you, “Fair enough. Takes a lot of pressure off for tonight.”

“Were you nervous?” you teased.

“Well, yeah. You’re so pretty and funny and smart, and I want to impress you.”

Your jaw dropped and your ears felt hot, “I,” you cleared your throat, “well, thank you. Consider me impressed,”

“Good,” Zach smiled, picking up the menu the hostess had sat in front of him. He flipped through it and nudged your foot with his, “By the way, the meatball subs here fucking slap.”

“Oh yeah?”

“If I remember correctly, you told me once that meatball subs were your go-to for testing out Italian restaurants.”

“I, yeah they are, um, when did I say that?”

“You snapped me a picture of a meatball sub from Subway one night super late when you were drunk and told me about it.”

“Right, and you just…remembered?”

“Well of course, I had to pick a place with a fire meatball sub for you. Good impression, remember?”

“Yeah, I’m starting to get the picture.”

He smiled and nudged your foot with his again, “Ready to order?”

“Guess I’m trying the meatball sub.”

When the waitress came back, Zach let you order first and then ordered his food and a bottle of wine for the table. You raised your eyebrows as she inspected his ID and told the two of you it’d be out shortly.

“I’m 20,” you told him.

“But I’m 21, and I know you drink.”

“Touché.”

“This wine is really good. Admittedly, I don’t know everything, all my knowledge is by proxy, my uncle owns a winery in Napa, but I know some.”

You nodded, fully impressed, “Good enough for me.”

Zach laughed, “Good to know.”

The wine and the sub were excellent, right on par with the company. Zach kept you laughing through the whole meal, the conversation staying alive without things getting awkward.

“Wait wait wait,” he laughed, pausing to take a sip of wine, “you’re telling me that Tyler actually went as Hermione?”

“Full wig and everything!”

“Fuck, wish I could’ve seen pictures of that.”

“Oh, I have some,” you reassured.

Zach dissolved into laughter again, taking your phone from you to scroll through. The smile dropped after a few seconds and he swiped up on a notification, locking your phone. Your heart dropped and you smiled uncertainly as he said, “Ready for dessert?”

“Yeah, I saw lava cake on the menu. Is everything okay?”

“I think so, you just got some passive aggressive texts from a JJ.”

You rolled your eyes, “What did he say?”

“Something about being a bad friend and abandoning them. I think it was supposed to sound like a joke, but that’s not the vibe it really portrayed.”

“Yeah, he’s been a real dick lately.”

Zach’s eyebrows shot up and he leaned forward, “Wanna talk about it?”

“I don’t really want to kill the mood,” you laughed humorlessly.

“You aren’t if I’m asking.”

“Well, if you want the whole truth, I kinda liked him. And then he started dating this girl Brooke, and she’s the fucking worst. She literally hates me for no reason and JJ doesn’t say anything in my defense when she treats me like shit.”

“Ah, I’m sorry to hear that. You deserve a better friend.”

“Not so sure about that, clearly karma has it out for me.”

“We’ve only known each other for a short time, but I think you’re incredible and you don’t deserve to be treated that way by a friend. Is that the guy you were telling me about, the reason you want to take things slow? Because I think I understand now.”

Your eyes filled with tears at his earnest words, “Yeah, it is, and wow, you’re actually the best.”

Zach laughed just as the waitress set the lava cake and two spoons between the two of you, “I try.”

Shortly after finishing, Zach paid and the two of you left the restaurant hand in hand. He opened the car door for you again and smiled, hand on your knee. You gave him a wobbly smile and patted his hand, “Thanks.”

“Anytime, seriously. Ready for some basketball?”

“Always.”

When you got back to your dorm JJ, Cody, and Tyler were all sitting on the floor outside your room, half empty bottle of flavored vodka between JJ’s fingers. His eyes were fluttering and you could tell he was gone.

Tyler smiled apologetically, “I’m so sorry. He was threatening to come here alone so we decided to come as buffers.”

You snorted, “Real mature, J. Saw you blowing up my phone while I was at dinner.”

“With who?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I met someone.”

“We’re best friends, of course it’s my business.”

“Are we?”

You didn’t give him time to answer before going inside your dorm and letting the door slam shut between you and the boys. There was a slapping noise and Cody said, “Bro I know you’re not going to remember this tomorrow, but for fuck’s sake.”

JJ made a wounded noise, “What if he’s a dick?”

Going on your tiptoes to look through the peephole, you managed to catch Tyler’s shrug, “Dude, I’m not sure what to tell you other than that he’s a good guy.”

“Is he good enough?” JJ countered, arms crossing sloppily.

“Is Brooke good enough?” Cody asked, not even looking up from where he was kicking at the floor.

“Brooke is great,” JJ slurred defensively.

“Great at being the absolute worst,” Tyler scoffed.

You fought back a laugh and walked away from the door. JJ wasn’t going to ruin your night.

#pike!jj #frat!jj #cody and tyler #jj maybank #jj maybank x reader #jj maybank fic #jj maybank x you #outer banks #outer banks fic

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solalunar-eclipse · 3 years

Text

Scars You Can’t See - Chapter 12

Chapter title: Beliefs

Word count: about 4100 words

Author’s Note: How did I write over four thousand words?? Mostly I’m just grateful this chapter got out in time, but still. Wow.

First | Previous | Next

...

Over the next few days, Team Sonic dedicated their time to helping their counterparts recover from the exhausting ordeal of the past couple weeks. Tails worked to replace some of Omega’s burnt-out wiring (from his attack on G.U.N.), while Knuckles and Sonic...well, they wanted to take care of Rouge and Shadow, but it was very difficult when both Mobians kept insisting that they were “fine really, don’t worry about us so much” despite looking like they could collapse at any second.

The general stress level on the island was only raised upon a second call from the president, since she requested that a few of them come see her to discuss what should be done with G.U.N. at her office. Shadow and Rouge obviously weren’t going. Neither of them were ready to deal with the president, let alone the press (even if the latter continued to insist otherwise). The sheer idea of being in the same city as G.U.N. had especially shaken Shadow, even if he refused to say so.

Sonic had seen how he cringed at the mere idea.

Since Knuckles absolutely refused to leave his island, it was decided that Sonic, Tails, and Omega would travel together to see the president and hear what she had to say. She seemed pretty trustworthy, and if any of her staff wasn’t...they’d be able to handle themselves just fine.

While Tails helped haul Omega into the back seat of the Tornado (an impressive feat considering that he’d used to struggle with lifting Sonic in his early years) and prepared for takeoff, the hedgehog in question was zipping all around the island, trying to make sure everything would be okay while he was away and unable to defend his friends.

“You guys are sure you’re gonna be alright?” he asked for what was probably the fifth time, after Shadow had needed to physically stop him from starting a mini-whirlwind.

“Yes, Blue, we’ll be fine. Now go! You don’t want to keep the president waiting!” Rouge insisted, pushing the worried hero towards the Tornado.

He twisted around, trying to make eye contact with both of them. “You’re really, really-”

“Sonic.” Shadow said calmly. “It’s going to be alright. I promise.”

The hero could practically feel his body untense, finally willing to jump onto the top wing of the biplane and prepare for takeoff. Before Tails fired up the engine, he took one last look at his friends.

Knuckles had walked up beside Rouge and looked like he wanted to put his arm around her waist without being awkward...which just made him look awkward anyway. The bat took the initiative herself, leaning against him comfortably. Her eyes were back to teal again, since she and Shadow had both taken out their contacts pretty quickly.

Rouge had taken off her leather jacket by now, and Sonic could see it lying on the altar next to Omega’s generator- Angel Island was pretty warm, after all. Shadow was still wearing his hoodie, though he’d taken off the glasses. Omega had tried them on once out of curiosity and nearly broken them in the process...so the hybrid simply hadn’t bothered with it after that. His quills were still in a ponytail, which Sonic wasn’t complaining about in the slightest. (It was a good look on him, that was all!)

He switched on his earpiece and settled into his ‘flight’ position once again. “You guys read me?”

“Loud and clear, hon.” Rouge said. “Now go!”

The Tornado’s engine kicked up a roar as the plane wheeled down the clearing and began to lift off the ground. Knuckles and Shadow both waved, while Rouge opted for a mock-salute, which Sonic returned cheerfully as the plane pulled up above the altar.

He crouched low on the top wing as Tails pulled into a turn, angling the plane so that their course was set for Central City yet again. The fox switched on the turbo engine, too, but it would still take them about an hour and a half to reach the city at this rate.

To pass the time, Tails and Omega started talking almost immediately about how they needed to take some time in the workshop to fix up the latter’s various dents and scratches. Both of them seemed pretty excited about this- the former because he’d get to return to his workshop, the latter for style reasons, and both because they’d get to spend time together. Somewhere along the way, Omega insisted loudly that Tails “must return me to my original color as soon as it is possible to do so.”, clearly less than happy about his current paint job.

Sonic sighed as the conversation turned to advanced technical terminology, feeling a little bored. It was a little funny for him to say so, considering that he was blasting through the sky on a biplane going at speeds rivaling advanced jets...but here he was. Bored.

He tapped his feet, trying to look for shapes in the clouds or enjoy the feeling of the wind on his face, anything to avoid checking how long they’d been up in the air….

Too late.

The hero sighed loudly upon discovering that it had only been ten minutes since takeoff. How could something that was usually so cool be so...just...not?

Sonic quickly decided that he had to call up Angel Island right now so that he could find somebody to talk to. As the earpiece patched through to the other end, he heard a sudden “Ngh-” followed by a loud sigh.

“Hey, everything okay there?” he asked, resulting in a startlingly high shriek from the other end.

“Sonic! Don’t do that!” Shadow hissed at him. “Give me a little warning next time!”

“There’s, like, actually no way for me to do that without talking.” Sonic shot back cheerfully, feeling more upbeat already.

“Ugh.” the hybrid groaned, before some sort of thud came through the mike.

“Seriously, though, you okay?”

Shadow sighed. “I’ve spent the past four minutes walking through a tangled, vine-filled forest in any direction that is away from the altar. It could be worse, but it could be better too.”

Sonic frowned, worried. “And why were you walking away from the altar? Are Rouge and Knuckles with you?”

“No.” the hybrid muttered. “They’re kind of busy making out. At the altar. Which is why I’m not there, obviously.”

“Aw, man...they probably just missed each other a lot.”

Shadow sighed. “I know they did, and I’m not judging them. But they deserve some privacy, and I really deserve to not have to watch that.”

Sonic grinned. “Hah! That’s fair. So whatcha doing now?”

“Lying on the ground next to a lake and watching some Flickies on a tree. You?”

“Sitting on the plane. And bored. Or, at least I was. Bored, I mean.” Sonic amended quickly.

The hybrid snickered. “I’d hope you’re still sitting on the plane.”

His smile only grew. Talking with Shadow was always fun- he didn’t know why he hadn’t called sooner!

“Soooo...you feelin’ any better after those power naps of yours?” he asked curiously.

“Actually, yes. Mostly it helps to not be looking over my shoulder all the time.” Shadow sighed again. “It’s…” he trailed off, clearly embarrassed.

“Hey, you can tell me!” Sonic said encouragingly.

“It's difficult to adjust. I...still catch myself looking over my shoulder only to see it’s a fly buzzing, not a plane, or something like that. I shouldn’t be, but I am.”

Sonic wished he was back at the island already so that he could give Shadow all the comfort he deserved. “There won’t be any planes there, Shadow. I mean it. And none of that ‘shouldn’t’ talk, either, ‘kay? It’s alright to be a little stressed, just remember everything’s gonna turn out fine.”

“That means a lot...thank you. Again.”

Sonic could feel a grin spreading across his whole face. “No problem! Now, what I really need to tell ya about is……”

He spent the rest of the flight chatting with the hybrid, catching him up on all the jokes, memes and random news he’d missed over the past couple of weeks. Shadow was eager to listen, and Sonic was so glad to finally be able to tell him everything that he swore he’d never take his friend’s presence for granted again.

Eventually, though, he was pulled back to reality in the middle of a particularly passionate explanation of why exactly it was so cool that the Tomatopotamus 2 movie’s release date was finally out when Tails tapped on his shoulder. “Uh, Sonic? We’re here now.”

“What?” The hero glanced down, only to discover that yes, Central City was in fact right beneath them. “No way, that was like twenty minutes!”

Omega shook his head. “Correction: it has been an hour and twenty minutes.” He sounded smug for some reason, and Sonic glowered at the robot irritably.

“I guess I gotta go for now, sorry.” he sighed into the earpiece.

“Good luck to all three of you.” Shadow said. “I’ll be listening in, and I’ll go break up Knuckles and Rouge now.”

“Good luck to you.” Sonic snickered. He could practically hear Shadow roll his eyes at that one.

They coasted to a stop on the back lawn of the president’s home, the hedgehog pointedly ignoring Tails and Omega’s conversation about the theory of relativity, or something along those lines. Even though he didn’t know what exactly they were talking about, he could guess, and he didn’t approve. At all.

Sonic hopped off the wing of the plane before it had even finished landing the moment he spotted someone on the grass, waving hello as the president herself walked over to greet them. He rushed over to her, taking her hand and shaking it happily.

He and the president had spoken a few times before- being a hero meant he ended up talking with quite a few famous people, but she was one of his favorites. She was relatively young compared to most of the others who had held that title, but she handled herself with the confidence and strength she deserved (and needed) for this station.

“Hey there! How’s the job?” he asked with an understanding grin, knowing all too well how it felt to be responsible for large groups of people at a time.

She dropped his hand (and the remaining air of formality) in favor of running copper fingers tiredly through her hair, letting out a long sigh. “These last few days have been tough, but I know it’s probably not as much stress as you guys have been dealing with. Still sorry about that, by the way.”

Sonic looked up at her, still sympathetic. “It’s not your fault. I bet you’ve probably got a lot on your plate too- dealing with this fallout ain’t gonna be easy.”

“I know, but it’s what I have to do. For your friends, and for everyone.” she said, squaring her shoulders determinedly.

Tails rushed over not long after, having parked and shut down the plane by now. “Hi, Ms. President! How are you?”

“Hello, Tails,” she said. Impressively, she was one of the few adults who refused to talk down to the young fox, instead treating him like the mature person he was. (This definitely earned her a few extra points in Sonic’s book.) “I’m perfectly alright...I hope you all aren’t doing too badly.”

The president had the thoughtfulness to at least look a little awkward at that, clearly embarrassed by the fact that some of the United Federation’s most famed heroes were now essentially unable to live in the country without being in serious danger.

Omega greeted her as well as he made his way over, clearly alright with being at least somewhat decent to the woman who had helped shut down G.U.N.

“Would you like to come inside?” she asked politely. “I promise, there’s nothing inside but some Secret Service...and hopefully cake, if I requested it early enough.” she added with a warmer smile.

“What are we here for?” the robot asked bluntly, unprepared to trust as easily as the two Mobians were.

“Right!” she said, taking his question in stride. “I’m working on a new set of rules with the congressional branch that deal with some of the problems within G.U.N. so that they don’t crop up in the future, as well as trying to figure out what to do with them in general- so I wanted your opinion on both of those subjects! As long as that’s alright with you?”

Shadow spoke up in Sonic’s ear. “Rouge is interested and so am I.”

“Totally!” Sonic chirped, following her inside. Omega agreed with Rouge and Shadow (somewhat reluctantly), having tapped into the hero’s communications as they were landing.

Halfway up the stairs to the president’s office, the first lady came rushing in the opposite direction, apologizing all the while for getting in their way. “Hi, Sonic! Hi Tails! Hello, Omega! So nice to see you! Sorry, the cat’s gotten loose again…” she sighed, sagging against the railing briefly.

“We really need to get him a tracking collar, don’t we?” The president shook her head, her soft Afro bouncing as she pinched the bridge of her nose briefly. “Good luck finding him, anyway.”

“Have fun in your meeting!” the first lady chirped, winking overdramatically at her wife for emphasis before rushing off in search of their cat.

Tails grinned up at the president. “I know how you feel...sometimes I want to get a tracker chip for Sonic when he stays out too long on a run.”

“Hey!” the hero protested, but nobody seemed to be terribly worried about his pride. He could hear Knuckles, Shadow and Rouge laughing in his ear, too, and he pouted, wishing more than anything that he could offer a snappy comeback- but he couldn’t give away the fact that he had an earpiece in.

The president invited them into her office and began to lay out her plans for how to improve the country. The legislative body was working with her on some sort of complete shutdown and restructuring of G.U.N.- it seemed like there were going to be new leaders, new hiring processes, review systems, a different set of priorities…and that was just the start.

It was a lot, but Sonic was glad that she’d at least given them the opportunity to hear about these plans. Shadow and Rouge got to provide their input as well, which was great, but only through Omega, not Sonic. They would’ve trusted the president with that information, for sure, but the two members of the Secret Service behind her desk?

No way.

Especially not when Rouge recognized one of them from G.U.N.’s special training programs. They might not be close enough with the organization for it to really mean anything, but the group definitely didn’t want to take chances.

Partway through the meeting (not long after the cake arrived), the main phone on the president’s desk rang, startling everyone out of their conversation. She picked it up with a calm “Hello?”, but her eyes quickly widened as the person on the other end began to speak.

“Thank you.” she said quickly, before putting the phone down. Her eyes met Sonic’s, and he felt his stomach drop. The hero suddenly wished he hadn’t eaten just yet…

“Three representatives of G.U.N. are at the front gate.” the president said quietly.

The hero heard a gasp in his ear. He wasn’t sure who had done so, but the sound made his surprise morph quickly into defensiveness. “Omega. Tails. Do you guys want to meet with them?” he asked coolly, his face losing most of its expression.

“I would...like to do so.” the robot said.

Tails met Sonic’s gaze. “Yeah, same here.”

They moved to the main conference room, and the three heroes stood at one end of a long table, waiting for the members of G.U.N. to appear. It didn’t take long before they were buzzed in, and Sonic could feel himself shifting into a more confrontational stance, prepared to fight if necessary.

The commander was the first one to enter the room. His presence immediately raised everyone’s tension levels- at the very least, he seemed to be aware of it. He almost looked...a little embarrassed?

The silence on the other end of the communicator was near-deafening.

He was followed almost immediately by an agent that Sonic didn’t recognize, a wolf who seemed more than a little bit awkward and apologetic. She sat down to his left, sneaking glances at each of the three heroes in the room.

After that, a skinny, pale sort of guy entered the room, looking incredibly full of himself. Sonic wasn’t usually one to get bad first impressions of people, but this person irritated him almost immediately. Omega obviously recognized him- and not in a good way- as he began to make several loud clicking noises not unlike those of guns loading. On purpose, of course.

The commander sat down last (still seeming less than comfortable), cleared his throat, and looked up at the other three. “Before I speak, is there anything you would like to say?”

Sonic, Tails and Omega regarded him in stony silence.

He shuffled some of the papers in front of him and sighed quietly. “I would like to begin by apologizing for the distress I and the organization I serve have caused to you and your friends. All of you. I wish...no, I should have handled this in a different manner- requested a meeting, spoken with you first, done something to ensure that my intentions did not appear malicious. But instead…

“...instead I have distanced myself from three of the most skilled people ever to serve under my command, as well as further tarnished G.U.N.’s already ruined reputation. I…” The commander sighed here. This speech was already taking a lot out of him, Sonic could tell.

“I fear that my father’s views have heavily influenced my own, to say the absolute least, especially regarding my job and what needed to be done to serve this organization. ‘Shoot first and ask questions later’ was a favorite motto of his, and one that I accepted for a long, long time...my family has discussed with me lately (and quite gently, perhaps more so than I deserve) about how that ideology is problematic, to say the least.

“I liked to think I was not a bad person. That I was being more open-minded. But now I see that I was foolish to believe as much. I chose to try and salvage G.U.N., to cover up the mistakes as others have done before me because it was ‘for the good of the country’, because ‘other people wouldn’t understand what needs to be done’, and more. My guilty conscience wishes I would blame my father for my mistakes, but at some point, one must take responsibility for one’s own failures.

“Particularly…” and here he looked directly at the three of them, though he almost seemed to be searching for someone else instead, “...having alienated the last person on this planet who truly can comprehend the life I have led.”

Sonic realized with a start that he was talking about Shadow.

“All I can say now is that as of tomorrow, I am resigning as commander of G.U.N. I clearly have not succeeded in improving this organization at all, so I believe a new, younger face...someone without prior biases or contacts...would be better for us now.”

The hero heard gasps in both his ears- one from Rouge and Shadow, the other from the wiry man in front of him. Said human immediately started stammering at the commander, asking him why in the world he thought this was a good idea. The older man in turn merely waved him off with a stern word or two, forcing the other human to sink back into his seat with an obviously displeased expression.

The lavender wolf, the president, Omega, and Tails, on the other hand, all seemed to approve of the commander’s decision, as did Sonic. The hero felt nothing but relief now, hoping that finally, the big things could start to change for the better.

They spoke a little longer, the tensions mostly eased now (with the exception of the skinny guy, of course, who Rouge irritably identified as the less-than-respectful PR officer that the team had spoken to way back in the beginning). The conversation wasn’t very important, just polite nonsense about how change should be made soon and all that.

Things weren’t comfortable by any means, and they shouldn’t have been, but...Sonic felt a little lighter at the thought that someone important in G.U.N. at least accepted what was going on.

As the three heroes left, the commander asked them for one favor. “Could you please tell Shadow and Rouge that I apologize for the way G.U.N. has behaved? The way in which I have commanded this organization is wrong...I can see that now.”

Sonic offered him a quick flash of a grin, realizing that the commander truly didn’t know about his earpiece, nor Omega’s connection. “Hey, being able to apologize says a lot, too. I’ll be sure to let them know, don’t worry.”

“Thank you, and safe travels.”

“You too, alright?” he replied politely, before hopping onto the Tornado with a wave.

The flight back seemed to take forever (really, this time), partly because Sonic was dying to get back and partly because his friends seemed too busy talking seriously to chat. He tried his best to bask in the feeling of hope, but it was difficult to focus when his excitement was rising with each passing second.

As soon as they landed, he jumped off and ran over to his friends. “It’s gonna be alright now, guys!” he said, grinning at them. “You’re gonna go home soon!”

Rouge gave him a big smile back, before rushing over to Omega to celebrate. “Did you hear that, Omega? We’ll be home in a couple of weeks, max! Shadow-”

She trailed off, watching him carefully. The hybrid was staring down at the ground, his hands trembling slightly. “It’s...done? Then what now? What should we do?” he asked, trying to keep his voice calm and failing miserably. Sonic’s ears drooped a little as he heard the shake in his friend’s voice.

“Now you get to rest. You’ve earned it, you know that? I know it’s tough to just...go back and chill after everything, but you gotta know when to let other people carry on the work ya started, alright?” Sonic said carefully, stepping closer and closer to Shadow. His hands hovered slightly over his friend’s arms, unwilling to touch the hybrid unless he was alright with it first.

Suddenly, Shadow leaned into Sonic’s chest, his eyes shut tightly, clearly fighting back some sort of emotion. The hero held his friend tightly, sinking to his knees in an attempt to comfort Shadow better. Rouge and Omega rushed over, holding him tight as well. “Hey…” the bat said gently, “Shadow, we’re all going to be okay, I promise. We can stop now.”

“How do we know? What if something happens and it all goes wrong-”

Sonic stopped him right there. “We can set up whatever you need to feel comfortable, but trust me, we’ll all make sure nothing goes wrong. I’ll hold the president to her word, and so will everyone else here.”

“But...nobody’s ever really been able to stop G.U.N. before...not even me.” Shadow said quietly.

“There are more people on your side now, Shadow.” Omega replied, looking down at him. “You are not alone in this fight- so many others want this too.”

“I’ll have to wait and see before I can believe that.” he muttered, sighing.

Tails and Knuckles walked over too, the former offering him a hopeful smile and the latter clapping a hand on his shoulder. “You guys can stay here a while longer, I guess, until everything’s sorted out.” the echidna said, trying his best to help.

“Yeah!” Sonic cheered. “We’ll make sure this all gets fixed up properly, alright?”

Shadow smiled faintly at him. “I’ll hold you to that, Sonic.”

The hero couldn’t help but grin back, all his hope for his friend bursting through. And when Shadow’s smile grew just that little bit more real, he was determined to do absolutely whatever it took to make the hybrid smile properly again and again, without any fear holding him back.

He knew, without a doubt, that Shadow was more than deserving of all the happiness in the world.

#shadow the hedgehog #rouge the bat #e 123 omega #sonic the hedgehog #miles tails prower #knuckles the echidna #whoa that's a lot of people #scars you can't see #sycs #sol's fanfiction #i almost thought i wouldn't be able to get this out in time...#life has decided to throw lots of work at me so the last chapter might be a couple of days late #we'll see #also a few clarifications:#the commander is beginning to realize that his father taught him about the world in a very very biased way #and feels pretty bad about it #i didn't know how to end this since it was the chapter with the least planning behind it #so hopefully it turned out alright #and finally #i tried to make it clear that the president is Black but in a respectful way #if i failed to do that then please please please let me know and i will change it #also hopefully shadow wasn't too ooc at the end there #:S #hope you enjoyed the update and have a wonderful day!

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contrabandhothead · 4 years

Note

Hi! I saw your post about requests! :) could I get some BOB head cannons of what it’s like to date them while also being is easy company? :)

I’m so so SO sorry this took so long, and I hope you like it 🤞🏻also, I couldn’t do all of them because school has been keeping me very busy. If you want to send another request, and i’ll do more for you when I have time 💕 Enjoy!

Dick Winters

generally very private about his relationship

mom and dad™ of easy co.

i want to say that he puts you on his team during missions, but i feel like he thinks it’s unprofessional

so he probably puts you on a team with someone he trusts and that he knows won’t take unnecessary risks *cough cough* Speirs *cough cough*

doesn’t mean he doesn’t get worried though

give this man a massage please, he’s stressed af

you’d never want to jeopardize his position though, so you’re generally okay with it

however, sometimes you get a little lonely

Dick notices this and tries to clear out a slot in his schedule in order to spend some quality time with you

treats you like any of the other men, except when you’re alone

king of stolen kisses behind crumbling walls before a battle

very healthy relationship overall 12/10 would be an amazing father

secretly wants to get married when the war is over

i’m not saying he definitely proposed on V-E Day but he definitely did it

cries at the wedding, especially since it’s been so long since he’s seen you all dolled up because of the war

also cries because he’s finally getting to marry the love of his life

drunkenly told Nix at his bachelor party about how amazing you would look at your wedding and then went on and on about the specific shade of your eyes

S I M P

Nix never lets him forget it

Lewis Nixon

this man

let’s be for real here

he has NO idea how to display affection at all, especially because of his past

so he does what any rich boy would do

showers you in gifts that you don’t need

it’s not that you’re ungrateful for them, you just wish he would understand that you don’t love him for his money

i feel like everyone forgets that he’s lowkey rich

can’t relate Nix

he will buy you anything he sees you look at for more than a second

always has them delivered by some random Private

the men tease you RELENTLESSLY for it

“hey Y/N, what did that overflowing wallet buy you this week?”

“Shut up Tab”

is always worried about you

especially since he usually isn’t on the battlefield since he moved to staff

you’re fine

you can definitely handle yourself after Sobel’s training what a fucking dick

takes you out on small simple dates when you guys actually have weekend passes

the guys always help you get ready for your dates (they see you as a little sister it’s really cute)

Ron Speirs

this man

oh wow

the flavor

never really got to see you until Dog Co. was basically absorbed by Easy Co.

definitely thinks he’s not good enough for you

when you first introduced the Easy Co. men to him, they thought the exact same thing (they changed their minds after a while though)

REASSURE THIS MAN. EVERY. STINKIN. DAY. THAT HE IS GOOD ENOUGH.

P L E A S E

secretly is a cuddle monster

will 100% sneak into your foxhole to cuddle and will slit anyone’s throat that mentions it

this man has arms and legs like an octopus when it comes to cuddling

will pull you back into his arms even if you need to use the bathroom and will not be letting go

steals you pretty things for absolutely no reason (Ron, no)

the man is like a freakin magpie

the men of Easy Co. grow to like him more when they realize how happy he makes you and how he doesn’t hurt you

he actually values their opinion on your relationship a lot

he knows Easy is like family and you’re like the younger sister

doesn’t show it though

pushes you away when he feels insecure

jealous™

surprisingly domestic

Carwood Lipton

wholesome but to the max™

you’re both so in love i feel like i’m going to throw up rainbows

signed up for the paratroopers together

i feel like Carwood is the type of person to marry his high school sweetheart

so yeah, you guys are that™ couple

best aunt and uncle of easy co.

Lip worries about you just a littleee more than the other men

he’s just a worry wart in general

almost threw hands with Sobel once when Sobel insulted you

he will not stand for anyone insulting his gal

isn’t as private as Dick is with his relationship, but is known to hide it from superior officers other than Nix and Winters

aka Sobel

was 100% willing to get kicked out of the infantry to defend you from Sobel

thinks a lot about how good of a mom you’d be, especially when he sees you caring for the men

is also a cuddler, though not nearly as clingy as Ron

just a loose arm to tuck you into his side, especially during Bastogne

prefers having you on his team, not only because he cares about you, but also because he admires your skill and accuracy

you’re a damn good shot, and he’d scream it from a mountain for all to hear

so proud of his gal

George Luz

you’re either the jokester and the stoic couple, the shy kid and the jokester couple, or the jokester and the jokester couple

there’s no in between

cracks terrible jokes just to see you smile

still tries pick up lines even AFTER you two are dating (even the guys shake their heads)

you two are the entertainment for easy co. let me tell you

you’re also the only person that can get George to shut up

you must thank him in kisses he takes no other currency

clingy baby™

it’s like dating a 12 year old boy sometimes

he can be so immature but it’s kind of endearing at times

everyone is immediately accepting of your relationship because it just makes sense and you’re both good for each other

wants a hug and a kiss even if you’re just leaving the dining hall to go to the bathroom

just give the man what he wants or he’ll pout all day until you kiss his cheek

you guys once had a match of how long you could ignore each other once

he was surprisingly dedicated

but he broke

he snapped like a twig after everyone went to sleep

he dived into your foxhole and begged you to talk to him

he kept snuggling closer to you until you talked to him again

Joe Toye

rough on the outside, soft on the inside

brings you flowers when he asks you out (surprisingly very traditional and respectful when he asks you out)

everyone has a good time when Toye is with you, he loosens up a lot more

loves when you pet his hair and he can just stare up at the stars while laying in your lap

he’s just as bad as Speirs when it comes to cuddling

a cuddle bug but won’t admit it

actually might be worse than Speirs when it comes to cuddling because he can actually sneak into your bunk while you’re sleeping

also wants to fight Sobel when Sobel insults you and actually almost threw hands

he almost got court martialed and was 2 steps away from getting up in Sobel’s face before Guarnere and Luz stopped him

hands down the dumbest thing he has ever done

you were so mad at him for it

you didn’t talk to him for a week

you felt bad because he was always giving you those puppy dog eyes from across the dining hall

Joe gets teased by the guys for being sweet on you

“at least I got a broad! the rest of ya’ can’t really say that much.”

will not hesitate to let you win during arm wrestling

he’s not allowed to arm wrestle with you anymore because the guys know he’s just letting you win

you’re his #1 fan during arm wrestling

look at those arms tho

Joe Liebgott

y’all thought Toye was soft

OH BOY

the way Joe acts around you is definitely bullying material for the other guys

Lieb drinks respect women juice

thinks you’re so cool

would probably walk up to random people and be like “that’s her. she’s my girlfriend. can you believe how lucky i am?”

thinks it’s so cute when you show off your brand new jump wings to him

you just looked so excited

he wasn’t even staring at the wings when you started rambling about how happy you were, he was just making this stupid in love face

definitely grabbed your face and kissed you hard after that

he wants SO many kids????

ya know those lists that lots of girls have on their phones and it’s just a bunch of future baby names??? that’s Joe

this man has 8 names

4 girls names and 4 boy names

he plans to use every name

just wants to live the domestic life with you after the war

will freeze his ass off and take your watch just so you can get some extra sleep

another cuddle monster (they’re multiplying)

whispers really cute things in german to you until you fall asleep

has also almost fought Sobel for shit he said to you

David Webster

you help him fit in more with the other guys

please teach him the art of socializing

yes, the men have stolen his journal to read all his terrible poetry about you

still gets shit for it to this day

shares his chocolate bar with you

longing stares but from across the room

doesn’t actually take you out until the war is over because he wants to do it right dammit

has little to absolutely no relationship experience

please teach him

or better yet, struggle with him and get made fun of by all the guys

they actually accept Web more now that he’s with you

cuz Easy Co. loves you

sends letters all the time when he’s sent to the hospital

everyone teases him that he acts like he’s more likely married to Liebgott than to you

you’re the only reason the men will stop teasing him

definitely more badass then him

you radiate boss energy and that’s what easy co. likes about you

especially Web

everyone’s like “that’s my girl!”

and he just smiles in the corner with the rest of them

Bill Guarnere

DID I SAY SOFT???

S O F T

weak for his girl

arm wrestles just to get your attention (flexes all the time for pete’s sake)

also wants like a gazillion children and talks about it constantly with Liebgott

this man wants an army of little Italian kids

no one makes fun of you or Guarnere for his actions to get your attention because they don’t want his fist in their face

people who have almost punched Sobel for making fun of their girl: let’s add Guarnere to the list

you didn’t ignore him, you just told him off for being an idiot

if i could describe it, he sulked like a puppy that got told no more treats

so proud of you when you get your jump wings

probably makes a toast about it at the celebration

he was so drunk but it was so cute

literally will do anything for your attention

chugging three bottles of whiskey so Y/N will pay attention to me??? pass the bottle bitch

not a massive cuddle monster but enjoys PDA and the occassional ass slap

probably has slapped your ass in front of company before

this boy has no morals smh

don’t worry, you get him back though

Frank Perconte

worry wart but multiply it by 1000x

is always bothering you to brush your teeth

not because he’s scared your breath stinks, but because he cares about you and your oral hygiene

now gets bullied about oral hygiene and his relationship with you

ft Skip. “oh Y/N, take me away my princess. did you brush your little pearly teeth??? i would never want your perfect smile to be ruined.”

Skip has been chased multiple times around Toccoa for this behavior

will fight anyone that thinks you’re not a good shot

is amazed how good you are at darts (knows you’re better than Buck)

does share a foxhole with you

is NOT part of the monster cuddler club because he knows when to stop

has not arm wrestled for your attention but will if so needed

always needs attention

whiny 12 year old boy P.2

sometimes it’s like you’re dating Luz as well

Luz has purposefully third wheeled before

yes, you heard me

ON PURPOSE

likes spontaneous dates

would fight Sobel for you but isn’t stupid enough to almost do it

Buck Compton

realized he had heart eyes for you before his old girl broke it off with him

WAS RELIEVED WHEN SHE SAID SHE WAS DONE WITH HIM IN BASTOGNE

the other Easy men were like “dude, what the hell are you waiting for. GO GET YOUR GIRL!”

let’s you win at darts

is also stupid and needy enough to arm wrestle for your attention

actually wins though

wants you to kiss his guns (absolutely not sir)

jealous and protective

jealous af around Winters

gets teased a lot about it by the other men

but they can see why he’s insecure about it, Winter’s could sweep any girl he wanted to off her feet

indeed a cuddle monster

will only share a foxhole with you in Bastogne

no one else

radiator of heat and thus a good cuddler though

will only let you make fun of him without repercussions

wants you to move in as soon as the war is over

always demands to be in your unit during an attack

will keep you safe at all costs (and one of the reasons why he got shot in the ass again)

Floyd Talbert

THE ABSOLUTE SWEETEST BABY

people use to bully Tab for his condom shipments

now they bully him for the way he acts around you

tough guy??? no. absolute stick of melted butter when around you

thinks you’re a saint

so does the rest of Easy though, so I guess it doesn’t matter

they had everyone from Easy give him a pep talk just to ask you out (Trigger even barked at him)

he was actually worried you would reject him

no one will ever reject that man lol it doesn’t make sense

not necessarily a cuddle monster

DEFINITELY A PDA MONSTER THOUGH

likes when you sit on his lap

can’t explain it, it just makes sense

will also arm wrestle for your attention

will honestly do anything for you

you need me to bring you Jupiter in a jar???

sure babe I’ll be right back

has specific pet names for you

his favorites are buttercup, angel, and beautiful

Babe Heffron

P U R E

does not get bullied for being in a relationship with you because everyone loves him

not a single person in this company, including you, would hesitate to sacrifice their life for that replacement

whines a lot to you when you don’t give him attention

will arm wrestle for your attention and loses

has not had the chance to fight Sobel before but I feel like he could if he wanted to

will tear Dike to shreads if he even mutter one hateful word against you

cuddle monster #2323293

enjoys being the little spoon and the big spoon while in the foxhole

shares his food with you during meals

will not hesitate to get shot in the ass for you

also will not hesitate to get shot for you in general

is like an angry 6 year old baby when you don’t pay attention to him

is known to give the silent treatment when you’re too busy to talk to him for days

MAKE TIME FOR HIM DO IT NOW

wants you to meet his Ma in Philly after the war

has many hopeful dreams that include you after the war

will only share chocolate with you and Gene

give him a hug, even when he says he doesn’t need it

Eugene Roe

HOLY SWEET JESUS

FIRST OFF

NO ONE IN THEIR GODDAMN RIGHT MIND WOULD EVER MAKE FUN OF YOU, ESPECIALLY AROUND DOC

this man has so many pet names

he is not afraid to use them on the battlefield, especially if you’re bleeding out because he’ll know you’ll answer to them

“darlin’, mon amour, ma mie, ma belle, ma chérie”

please stop Gene, it’s embarassing but also like don’t stop

get us a defibrillator his heart stopped while he was looking at you and we need to do CPR NOW-

thinks you’re the most beautiful girl ever

is not dumb enough to arm wrestle for your attention

he just makes this grumpy or upset face and you catch on quickly

he’s also not dumb enough to fight Sobel

BUT HE WILL FIGHT ANY SOLDIER WITH THE AUDACITY TO INSULT YOU

is always worrying about you

especially in Bastogne

always jumping into your foxhole to check for any wounds

probably lost his sizzuhs that way

always has extra bandages just for you

treats you with tender care

Donald Malarkey

THE CUTEST COUPLE EVER

NOT EVEN SKIP HAS THE HEART TO MAKE FUN OF YOU

is not dumb enough to fight Sobel for you

doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to punch him though

is dumb enough to arm wrestle for your attention

it lowkey depends on the day though

i mean

he doesn’t need to arm wrestle for you to admire his arms

like, have you seen that gif of him taking of his shirt???

loves cuddles in your foxhole but is not a cuddle monster

he’s a big baby when he gets tired

loves it when you take care of him

has definitely fallen asleep once on your shoulder during watch

would run up Currahee with full gear 3 times just to see you smile

he needs a hug. give him one now.

likes to rest his chin on your head

also wants you to move in (and maybe get married) after the war

treats you kindly, but he’s still a sarcastic little shit

kiss his muscles

that was literally so long i can’t believe i finished

#dick winters #lewis nixon #ronald speirs #ron speirs #carwood lipton #george luz #frank perconte #joe toye #joe liebgott #david webster #bill guarnere #buck compton #floyd talbert #babe heffron #eugene roe #donald malarkey #band of brothers #band of brothers x reader #band of brothers headcanon

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ao3gingerswag · 2 years

Note

hello ms swag quick question: what is the sleeping arrangement like in the inn when the boys are older? I can imagine sam sleeping in front of the fire now when he's a smol child is fine, however I can't quite imagine it as well when he's hit his growthspurt and is more adulty. or maybe I can? idk I was just wandering if u had any ideas :)

also hello! I haven't sent a proper ask in so long! I've missed it! I'm sorry everything is so busy and stressful in your life rn :( do you think it will calm down out all? also delayed reaction to the fact ur school just casually didn't have a science curriculum??? at all???? is just missing certain aspects of education common in america?? I guess over here I've taken for granted the fact we have a national curriculum. but still. wow. that shocked me. that being said - very proud of u for making said curriculum ms first year teacher! I don't know if others have said how extraordinary that is, I'm sure they have, but imma say it as well! u are doing very very well and I hope ur acknowledging and appreciating that 😌

anyways lil rant over now I'm due for a nice sleep bc I have exams coming up and I am s t r e s s

Hey @hooomdooom !!! Ack, by the fact that it took me 3 days to answer this u can probably guess that work hasn’t really settled down lol. Idk, it’s pretty crazy, I’ll figure it out eventually I guess…we have science “standards” in NY state but it’s not a curriculum, just stuff they want us to teach in 5th grade, it’s pretty vague. My school had no lesson plans or units or anything, and floated the idea of not teaching science or social studies for 5ty grade at all in favor of another math period…which is illegal but no one is checking so who cares right 😞 which is Very Bad because yesterday my (10 and 11 year old) students were like hmm I wonder if they have the same moon in China as they do in America 🤔🤨🧐 which prompted me to tell them the moon goes around the earth, which they didn’t know. And that the earth goes around the sun, which they didn’t know either :/// anyway!!!!

In regards to ur actual question!! For a long time but Sam and dean sleep by the fire because they’re very nervous and anxious about being separated again can’t handle sleeping in a bed especially with another person. Over time though as he starts to trust cas more goes upstairs in the night time when he has a nightmare and then he stays there with cas 🥺 Slowly that becomes more and more frequent u til it’s happening not just when he has a nightmare and then over time that just becomes their sleeping arrangements, with dean upstairs in the bed with cas, and Sam by the fire downstairs.

In terms of when Sam grows up, I haven’t totally decided, but I think maybe they build another room for him and possibly eventually Eileen as well! Or maybe they just clear some other room out, that held storage or something. Maybe it’s a whole emotional thing, maybe cas finally gets rid of a bunch of his dad’s old things 😭😭 in favor of making room for the people who are alive and in his life now, like sam 😭😭 like that scene in up!!! Where he throws out all the old crap out of his house so it can lift up again and he can go find the kid!! With the soundtrack called “memories can weigh you down” that always makes me almost cry!!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0CzTetpGBi8

youtube

#ao3gingerswag #asks #wander home #ideas #prompts

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calypsoff · 3 years

Text

Eighty Three.

I should maybe get out of bed, I swear I have been so spoilt staying with Mel, she does so much for Rylee. Every morning she is there, and she even says it to me, you relax in bed, and I can take the morning feeds and stuff with her, that is the kindest thing from Mel. She knows I am stressed the hell out; I hide it so well away from everything, but I am stressed, I always hate to be unsure of the future, I hate that it’s uncertain and that I am unsure of us, but I have begun to stop caring and start living. I think the more people are figuring it out, the less I am starting to care. And that is very much down to Chris, he did what he wanted, and he went on that tour with Drake, he’s done the video with him, and he is so cocky. His groupie ass was all on Instagram posting, he has posted more than he has ever before. I mean he expects me to care, I don’t though. Chris and I shared out our time with Rylee for Christmas, I decided to let him have her for Christmas and then I had her for the New Year because I wanted her for my anniversary, I needed that. Not like he cared, he bought her back the next day. Mel sees him, I don’t. I stay away, I am at the studio most of the time now anyways. I entered the new year unsure of my marriage, I didn’t predict this at all, but now that Chris is pictured constantly out, looks like people are starting to know about us. He doesn’t text me about anything besides when he says I will be getting Rylee on this day, that is it. He is being stubborn and honestly the ball is in his court. I did lowkey thought he may have done something for our first anniversary like I don’t know, send flowers to me. It makes me think, was I that bad with him. Or is it because he finally got some fame and he wants to go out there and try that, I think it’s the second option but I am just going to have to do me, do what is best for my daughter because I can’t continue in taking his shit, his nasty mouth too and for him to feel I trapped him, that does hurt me a lot to know he feels that but my year has started way different then what I assumed it to be, I was looking for a good family Christmas and New Year, it was far from that but I rather have stayed here then go Barbados and cried.

Yusuf is here, I wanted to change my hair “morning, oh wow. Rylee went to you!?” I spat, I am so shocked seeing that Rylee went to Yusuf like that, she isn’t the type to go to everyone “bitch what is wrong with me!? Why wouldn’t she” I shrugged “I don’t know, I barely like you nigga!” waving him off, my daughter is content so I can go and make something “has Rorrey arrived?” I asked looking around “Rorrey?” Mel questioned “mhmm yeah” Mel is looking at me gone off “you all looking around like you lowkey scared” looking back at Mel “not scared just explaining you know, he text me. He said why is nobody answering at your home, I said I am at Mel’ so he is coming here. But he doesn’t know, he did say I am hearing things so yeah. I just don’t want to explain to him, you know? They got on so well so I am trying to make it not as bad but to him he will not like it, so he is coming” Mel cringed “maybe lay it to him lightly about it I guess” nodding my head “Yusuf please don’t ask” I know he is going too “oh and I messaged Chris, I mean you have been going to the door and stuff. Personally I haven’t seen him so I text him saying Rylee is going to the doctors today, do you want to come with me because she is having like four or five injections, she will need some snuggles and soothing, I think it’s good if we go together, for her. He messaged me back, I am in Canada. And I then messaged him back saying there is planes, this was last night. Then I just told him to fuck off, pretty much so yeah. That happened, I just felt like Chris should be there, but he is having a tantrum. He said to me, when he called me. Last time I will pick up his calls, he said that I am being a bitch towards him and that I have always disrespected him, never made him feel like a man, I am like the fuck? This isn’t my fault you didn’t make the money; he didn’t want to be in the house I paid for, then leave. He is the one that is away from his daughter, not me. So you can come with me for her injections please Mel” Mel nodded her head “one of you need to cave in” I laughed “not going to be me!” I spat as I walked off.

Rylee is exhausted to say the least, she really cried her heart out about the needles, and I don’t blame her. They tried to hurry the process as much as they could, but it was going to hurt her, she just fell asleep in the SUV and still is as we got back to the apartment “this is why I hate apartments” I said to Mel, paparazzi be on my ass outside these places “sorry” she apologised “don’t be” opening the SUV door “shall I carry her?” Mel asked, shaking my head walking around the car “move out of the way” this SUV driver be having the base of Rylee seat in his car, I told him pretty much you are the only person to pick me up. The company swaps around the drivers but I said that he has to remain, no way am I going to be taking the base of the car seat in and out. These things are heavy as shit too, stepping onto the step and reaching to the sides to unclick the car seat “I got the bags” Mel said, placing the blanket over the seat. Lifting the car seat as I stepped down “you want me to carry her?” my driver asked, “no thank you, I have her now” the paparazzi did move to the side when I walked back around with Rylee “you are looking beautiful Rihanna, is the family ok?” that question is sly, they want to know what is happening with Chris and I of course. I mean a lot of people want to know but it’s just a break, that is what I will put it down too and will continue to just say that. Fuck what anyone else says and thinks, and if he does decide that I rather fuck other bitches then he is gone from my life forever.

I took in a deep breath; my brother is here. Yusuf let him in, I said we wasn’t going to be long “sister, how is the niece?” he has come here with that Barbadian tan, I miss my home so much “eh! You say my name first” he laughed hugging me “I missed you so so much at Christmas and New Year, I missed my niece too. I just missed you a lot, we all did. The gifts to us were beautiful” I smiled at him “she is in the car seat but asleep, please don’t wake her. She has been so stressed out, Melissa please can you just put her in the crib, I need to get Yusuf to do my hair for me. He has been waiting for a while now” I know he doesn’t mind but it’s unfair “I am used to you now, being a mother is first” I laughed, I laughed because Yusuf doesn’t know my plan was for him to babysit “Rorrey, can you babysit for me?” he is here now “I mean Yusuf was going to be my victim but now you’re here, uncle Rorrey” Yusuf yelped out “you sly bitch! I didn’t even know I was a victim of this” he cackled “well now you know” I am such a bitch, I do not want someone I don’t know taking care of her, I will see how she is when she wakes up before I decide “hey, Robyn. I know you dodging me, but we need to talk” I sighed out “I am setting up anyways” Yusuf said.

Rorrey is obviously not going to let me not say anything, he knows me so well too “I mean you have moved in here; I can tell because of all your stuff being around” playing with my hands putting my head down “I see rumours and stuff and I don’t like it, Rajad asking me and I say if Robyn was in trouble she would say so what is happening?” looking up at him “we are just having a little break away from each other, it is something we both need. It just stemmed from Chris feeling like I don’t treat him right and he feels I am holding him back, Chris just is very hot headed and stubborn which I know and feel I can handle, you know? But I couldn’t, he got angry that I mentioned to him about Drake wanting me more then a friend, he said that I am sabotaging his friendship, so the argument grew. Then Rakim, I am in contact with him still, jut friends. But Drake and him made a joke, you saw right?” Rorrey nodded his head “and Rakim said, I still speak to your wife. He then felt stupid, but I couldn’t take it anymore, the way he spoke to me. Couples have arguments but it wasn’t just that time, it’s like he doesn’t learn so I came here, and I said to him do what you like. If he cheats then we over but as you can see he is having fun” Rorrey nodded his head “I thought he was a good guy, I sensed he was a little temperamental, a little stupid at times. I did think why is he friends with Drake that close” he said, “that is my fault, I didn’t say it because it wasn’t anything serious but it seems like Drake is now in my marriage, but I want you to stay out of it, this is my issue and I can handle it, ok?” Rorrey nodded his head “if he lays a finger on you I will beat him” I chuckled “I know, he just all mouth, but we shall see” I sighed out “you really hurting” waving Rorrey off “don’t” I am going now, I need my hair done.

I have been very much hiding, like I haven’t been posting much or going out, like I am hiding for what. I mean besides the studio, so I decided that I am going out. I have tickets to the Clippers game, so I thought why not, I haven’t seen a basketball game in a while “you think Rylee is going to like your wig?” I snorted laughing, she might dislike me actually looking like this “well we shall see, I am feeling it though” turning to Yusuf “it suits you, it really does” pouting my lips out “oh wow, ok. I see you” I giggled at Mel; I got a pixie pink wig on. Like hell would I do it to my own hair, but I just wanted to do the most I guess, I am feeling a little crazy “I like it” Mel wouldn’t lie to me “let me go and see Rylee, she is awake” I can hear her crying, she may just cry with me but I hope not. I really want to go to this game, making my way to my bedroom. I have literally moved into this home “sis, I was thinking. It’s a little busy here, can I just stay at your home? He ain’t even there anyways” Rorrey said but he does have a point “of course you can but as long as you don’t argue and fight with him, I don’t want that, it’s my issue” he put his hands up “I won’t” do I trust him “nice hair though” I smiled as I walked off, I need to get my daughter. Walking over to the crib slowly “mamcita! Baby, calm down” looking down into the crib, I mean either she’s going to hate it or love it. Reaching into the crib and picking her out “ssshhh, it’s ok” he cries quietened down and that is when she kind of opened her eyes to take notice, she is really a mini me and I love that for her “hey” I smiled, her hazel eyes just staring at me “you know your momma don’t you, awwww. I love you, you like my hair baby? It will be off soon, but yeah. I need a change” making my way out of the bedroom, I am going to see what she is like with Rorrey but she seems content.

Rorrey looks so happy to Rylee “let me have her then” he opened his arms “what you been doing when you go to the studio then? I know you been there?” Rorrey asked “erm, I have had Rylee with me at the studio some days, ear defenders on but late night Mel is home and when I come home like five then Rylee wakes up I been staying up with her and Mel caught on, she has now taken over with that but I been working and being a mother, as I do. I also have a personal photographer now, Dennis. He is with me for like most of the time just taking pictures. I want to document my journey with it all so yeah, it’s work” Rorrey took my daughter from me “you are working hard, I will be here for her. Don’t be having to push yourself” smiling lightly “I know, I need too. I have the business venture I need to do so yeah. I am busy” walking off “you got my box of jewellery” I said to Mel “I do baby” making my way to the kitchen counter “keeping the ring on” Mel asked, she wasn’t even holding back “damn, like that?” I said laughing “yeah, just annoyed me. I hate that he is being that way, fame getting to your head type shit, he is so cocky too. You seen he has a gold grill? Like, who do you think you are, my sister made you” I shrugged “he hasn’t taken his off so yeah” what else can I say “well he needs the jewellery, that’s all he got” I chuckled, Mel is just funny.

I couldn’t help myself but post some picture of my new look while in the SUV going to the game, it feels so good to be out and just be me I guess “they going crazy saying Rihanna raiding Nicki’ closet now, what? I told you it suits you” I cooed out “thank you, I feel so good to be just me. Also smoke a blunt, I miss it. I am a little sad that feeding my daughter has been affected, like nothing is coming out now. And it’s because of me stressing, I told the doctor. She said stress can cause it, the stop of milk. Also I can go braless under this top, Chris wouldn’t have let me wear this. He disliked me ever not wearing a bra, I had to wear one always, he said only he can see my body but fuck you nigga, look at me now” I stuck my tongue “that’s my bitch, you go girl. You know what, it’s been a long time coming. But in a way, I didn’t know Chris was like that with you. I always saw the good but also I kind of saw his shit side at times, but we stick with he plan and we have fun yeah?” nodding my head, holding onto Mel’ hand.

My phone pinged again, third time now but she is posting constantly of herself in that hair. Looking at the photo anyways, the picture loaded up. She looks good but it’s whatever, they don’t know what Robyn is like. Locking my phone “ayyyeeee” Drake made his way over to me, getting my hand out as he dapped it “I been here for two days, you come now?” I said, he told me to just come and he will be back soon. I am supposed to be going on tour with him “busy, I thought why you need to come to the UK when I can come to you” that is annoying to be honest, he lied. He said he was here when he wasn’t and I could have been with Rylee for her injections “I am here now though” he patted my leg, nodding my head “yeah, yeah. Free weed though, thanks” I laughed “always, so she gave in?” rolling my eyes “gave in? Nigga, she just. Yeah, she makes me want to just I don’t know, I love her, I do. That is my twin always, but she didn’t ever let me live. A nigga just got out of jail; I want to live. I didn’t think she was ever insecure, but she seems it to me, even though she said she isn’t. Apparently you tried it with her?” I asked, I am asking because I want to know if it’s true because Drake always been one hundred with me “she gave me wrong signals, like when we were in the studio. No disrespect to your wife, she seemed to like me. But if she is not making you happy, then you know” nodding my head “the thing is yeah, I don’t want to lose her, but she needs to learn that I need space too, she is there telling that she can get other men, like to me that is disrespectful. You know, I don’t care though” laughing to myself “you both split?” he asked “erm, I don’t know. She said do what you like, you know. I had India hooting in my messages, I blocked her for Robyn, and I was like huh yeah, but she been hitting me up but nah, I am not down to cheat. I just want to annoy Robyn” Drake is laughing, I would laugh too “I can make that happen for you” I am sure he can, but I am missing her.

My timeline is full of Rihanna in that wig, she seems extra happy, and I am not even bitter. I liked her picture that is how much I don’t care for that, but she is so vibrant and happy, very happy. She is laughing and giggling, she has every man in that court struck from her vibe. And I dislike the braless shit, why can’t you just wear a fucking bra, it’s not hard. Also why is she holding her boob in front of the crowd like that, she really got them men under a spell. I haven’t seen her since, this is the first time since and it’s bittersweet “we going to party now” Chubbs said, nodding my head as I got up, I feel a little deflated, I don’t want to party actually but I rather do that then just look at pictures of her. I am literally refusing to see my daughter because Robyn doesn’t come to the door, it’s Mel constantly and I am like what the fuck, she is petty for this little break. This didn’t need to happen if she was just truthful to me. My phone pinged again, she posted again. Tapping on the notification, licking my lips staring down at the picture. She looks good.

#chrianna fanfiction #chrianna #chriannaff #chrianna ff #fanfic #fanfiction

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3arzal · 3 years

Text

sincerity is scary (part 1)

nathan mackinnon / reader

3,200+ words (for this part at least)

friends to lovers. this turned out angstier than i originally planned in my head um...

warning for swearing

author’s note: many months ago, i said i was done with writing, then i clowned myself. this is the first time i’m writing an x reader type of fic because i used to write kpop bg pairings so idk how decent this will be lol. anyway, this is a highly personal and self-indulgent fic and something i’ve wanted to write for a very long time. to all my fellow hopeless-romantic tomboys out there waiting for their turn in love, this one goes to you. i said i was content with reading fics because i’m too lazy to write but oh well fucking shit.

Your first memory including Nate was his fourth birthday party. It was a memory that makes you smile come a time that you think about it while spacing out. You remember it vaguely, but all the details don’t even matter. You remember sitting next to him at the big table as he blows his cake. There’s a picture of that somewhere in the photo albums in your parents’ house. You remember being the new kid in the neighbourhood, but you lived next to the MacKinnon’s. Even if Nate had a few friends from nursery, you eventually became his best friend. You were a shout away from him and all the details don’t matter, because until now that you’re both twenty five, you’re still the bestest of friends even if you lived in different American states--him in Colorado and you finally landing your dream job in New York City.

It was a special friendship that had been rock solid for twenty one years. You know he has a lot of people in his life now being the NHL superstar that he is. You know he considers some of the guys and some of his teammates as his best friends as well. All of that did not bother you to say the least. It was okay, because he was meant for great things and you were there to witness him achieve everything he longed and wished for since you were kids. You know you will always have a place in his heart, and him in yours, because that’s what best friends do, right? They’re each other’s biggest support system, away or together.

You were there in all of his home games, you spent almost all of your childhood with him in the rink, he gladly participated in any hobby you had at the time, and most of all, he made sure that if he had free time, it was all yours. You couldn’t ask for a better best friend and neither can he.

Now, as you sit in front of him in a hotel restaurant in the middle of Aspen at his birthday dinner on a trip he insisted you two take before the pre-season starts, you stare at him in part-shock-part-confusion as he lays his heart out on the table with a confession you did not see coming at all: “I guess I’ve been in love with you all this time.”

Now, see, you have always been Nate’s tomboy best friend. You were the girl who played hockey with him when you were kids and the girl who skateboarded all throughout middle school. You were the girl no guy has ever looked at like that, because you were different from all the pretty blondes and skinny girls and conventionally female specimen that boys would usually like. It didn’t bother you, not until high school anyway, when you finally crushed on some other guy that wasn’t in yours and Nate’s friend group. It was the biggest infatuation of your life so far, and when you realized he’ll never look at you like how he looks at the girls who wear skirts and tank tops, you gave up on even trying to feel.

“Are you seriously looking at skirts?” You remember Nate asking you one time you were both in the mall and he caught you lingering around skirts. You were both sixteen at the time, and he just got back from his morning hockey practice. You looked down on your usual oversized tee and baggy pants and your favorite pair of tattered Vans and thought, yeah, how can you even choose to wear a skirt willingly? It didn’t offend you or anything, his question was purely out of curiosity and not one of judgment.

You shrugged at him, “Don’t you think it’s about time I dress more girly? I’m turning seventeen soon, and I still haven’t had a boyfriend.”

“I dunno, you dress fine to me.” Nathan said then, and then it hit you--if Nate says you look fine then other people’s opinion shouldn’t even matter. He was your bestest friend, and you trust him because you have to. You should. But he’s still a guy, and you’re a teenage girl who’s becoming more self-conscious as the days go by because that’s how life goes when you’re sixteen and hormonal. You shrug it off, though, because looking pretty was the least of your concerns anyway.

The following year, you get asked out on a date by one of the guys you went to middle school with. He was decent, and you were consistently talking to him and hanging out the past summer. He made you laugh and he became such a charmer since you last met him when you were pre-pubescent kids. It was your first date ever, and a week before you were highly stressing out on what you should wear, on what you should do, because you were seventeen and had no experience being with someone other than, lo and behold, Nathan.

He was away from you now, doing his hockey thing and being great, but phone calls were still consistent between the two of you, and after stressing out for two whole hours trying to rummage the internet for Tips On How To Nail Your First Date, you finally give up and whine to him over the phone.

“Him? You’re going on a date with him? Wasn’t he like...a wimpy kid back then or something?” His voice is tired on the other line. His team lost tonight, and you know he’s frustrated about it, but he doesn’t really talk to you about it because he chooses not to. You’re going to change that soon because you know he’s too hard on himself when he loses. He knows you’re there to listen if he wants to whine, but for some reason he never talks about a loss with you anymore. Not like he used to back when you were younger and you still lived near each other.

“Nathan, be nice.” You rarely call him Nathan because to you he has always been Nate. It means you’re dead serious right now. You mess up your short hair and stare at all the possible clothing options you’ve laid out on your bed. It’s mostly t-shirts, the ones that are close to your actual size, and then you realized you have no jeans that actually fit because all of them are baggy ones.

“Wow, she’s calling me Nathan. Who’s that guy?” He calls from the other line. His speech is turning more slurry, like he’s already falling asleep but trying hard to fight it. “But seriously, why do you need to dress up, anyway? Your clothes are fine.”

“You’re not a girl, you wouldn’t understand.” You tell him in a moment of miniscule irritation--not with him, but with yourself, because it then hits you: you want to impress this guy. You want to appear different for him, because it’s your first ever date, and finally someone’s looking at you and making you feel pretty--like a girl. “Oh my god…” You croak after spacing out, and you jump a bit when you hear Nate through the speaker phone, forgetting that he’s still on the other line.

“What’s wrong?”

“Holy shit. I just realized I’m finally trying to get in touch with my girly side. Seventeen years too late for that.” You snort at how ridiculous you’re being, at how silly this whole situation is because you’ve never tried to change who you were before attraction came in the way. You realized you were turning into a woman without knowing it, and it’s not really bothersome because you are a woman. It’s just something different from what you’re used to growing up even if you were no stranger to it having an older sister who is undeniably more female than you. Nate didn’t have any problem that you have a vagina but can also beat up any guy who picks on you for being such a tomboy. Nate loved it when you played hockey with him even if he beat you every time. He loved watching you skate, cackles when you fall down, but gets concerned as he should when you get scrapes and bruises. He’s fine with what you are--with the way you dress, the way you project yourself to people, the way you’re not just any other girl. You’re his best friend and he loves you just as you are.

You remember that time at the mall last year when you were looking at those skirts, you remember what he told you back then, and then you remember why it doesn’t matter what you wear on a date. If any other people can’t handle you the way that you are then they don’t really have to matter to you, too.

The date approaches and you give up, thinking if this guy talks to you and even ended up asking you out he should accept you as you are, right?

You’re wrong, because three dates in all he ever did was subtly criticize everything you did. He was trying to groom you into the girlfriend you can never be for him, and that appalled you so much and hurt you at the same time. You think he’d be one of the few guys who’ll understand that as much as you want to, you can’t really change who you are for someone else.

Nathan was livid. “Fuck that guy. He’s nuts.” He crackles through one of your nightly phone calls. “He’s ugly, he sounds like a rat, and I bet he smells like--”

“Okay, enough.” You chuckle at his frustration despite feeling down the past few days post ‘break-up’. “It’s okay, really, but I’m not that girl for him.”

“You’re not. You’re like leagues cooler than him, anyway.”

“Damn right I am.”

In the following years as he started his NHL career in Colorado, and with you moving to New York for your job, you’ve only seen him a handful of times although the Facetimes were still consistent. The time difference was there, and even if your calls only lasted about ten minutes or so as you both caught up with your lives, it was enough. You didn’t need two hours with him on the phone, because yours and Nate’s friendship was as solid as an asteroid crater on land. It could be two years since you’ve last spoken to one another and when you do see each other again it’s like nothing has changed. You’re grateful for it, because with you having a new life in NYC and him making a home out of Denver, he’s still the one piece of Cole Harbour you have anywhere you go.

You forget about dating as you focus on your job. You love it, and you love living in New York. You’ve made friends that you can already consider as family. You have a great life ahead of you and you know it. You watch Nate’s games when he’s in town. You meet him back home in Canada when you managed to get a week off from work. Life is good and steady. For a while you thought that the happiness you managed to find will last a long time, and it did...until it didn’t. That’s when you realized.

Nate gets a girlfriend. Her name is incredibly girly and she’s fucking beautiful.

The Facetimes and phone calls were less now, has been for the last couple of months, really, but that did not bother you at all because they were having a fantastic season and you understand his job comes first.

What hurt you though was how he just dropped the news like a bomb through text. And you two never ever texted. You didn’t even get a scoop that he was seeing someone, never even mentioned anyone when you two manage to sneak in calls in between your busy schedules. It’s on a sad and dull Friday night when you were sulking on your couch because nobody was available to hang out with you to get a drink when the text comes.

‘Guess I have a gf now lol. Her name’s __’ Attached is a picture of her seated across from Nate on what appears to be a restaurant.

You sit up in alarm, your heart beating a mile per second, followed by a heavy ache in your chest. You don’t know what to feel yet you’re feeling everything all at once--surprise, confusion, anger. The happiness is questionable. You sit there for a whole five minutes staring at the very random text when the text bubble appears on the screen.

‘You know it says when you’ve read my message ryt’

You don’t really know and you don’t really care right now. You want to yell at him and demand details, but you’re really confused as to why he’s texting when he usually just calls you. It was eight in the evening when you decided to sleep away the dull ache in your chest and that heavy heart of yours. You turn your phone on silent as you put it inside the drawer of your bedside table.

The following day you wake up at noon. You instinctively reach for your phone on the bedside table when your hands come up with nothing--and then you remember where you put it the previous night. You didn’t dare check it, though, because the moment you wake up you know the ache is still there. You remember those damn texts, you remember everything you’ve felt as you lie in your bed for hours when your mind and body refuses to shut down.

You skip breakfast because you weren’t really hungry, so you do your laundry instead. It leads to you cleaning your bathroom, and then that leads to cleaning your entire apartment, and when you managed to finish it was almost four in the afternoon. You were too tired to cook, so you munch on cereal. You chug several bottles of water after when you realize you haven’t had any the entire day. You take a quick shower. You switched on Netflix on your flatscreen and you managed to finish two movies. You stare blankly on the rolling credits as you feel your mind shut down. You’ve managed to avoid thinking about Nate and his new girlfriend for the entire day, and now that it’s evening again you feel every damn feeling come back. You finally decide to check on your phone.

Fifteen messages and ten phone calls all from Nate. Funny how that turned out. You check some more and there were texts and a few calls from your sister and from a few friends from back home. You check that out first, and you were surprised that they all seem to ask you the same damn thing: You okay? Where are you? Nate texted me saying you weren’t answering your phone.

Ten phone calls left unanswered.

Then you finally get to his messages:

‘Why you leaving me on read?’

‘Heyyyyyy’

‘y/n…..!!!!!!!!!’

‘I’m getting worried wtf’

‘Y u aint answering meeeee’

‘I’ve called five times!!’

‘TEN times!’

‘Are you okay?’

‘Holy shit where the hell are you’

‘Don’t joke with me like this I’m fucking serious answer your phone’

‘Even your sister can’t reach you’

‘What’s happening? Are you at a party and drunk off your ass in some dark alley in nyc?’

‘Jesus i don’t even know your friends there i can’t contact anyone to check on you’

‘Just please call me back asap. I’m fucking worried bc you always have your phone with u’

‘Hope you’re okay’

It’s kinda funny how he stopped trying, because you haven’t been on your phone the entire day as well and there weren’t any follow up texts or calls this day. You don’t know when the bitterness settled in but now you finally know what you feel and you feel bad that you’re feeling that way. Why are you reacting this badly? You don’t even know, but to calm his dramatic ass down you finally reply to him.

‘Sorry lol im sick i’ve been asleep and weak the whole day’

You jump on the call that lights up your screen immediately and you panic while thinking of ways to sound sick.

“Hey…”

“Jesus fucking christ.” Is how he greets you. “I’ve been worried sick the whole day.” You suppress a snort because you don’t know how true that is. “You okay?”

“Not really…” You try to croak. “Got a raging fever.”

“How long? Maybe you should go to the hospital. Don’t you have someone who can drive you?”

“Unlike you, I don’t have someone.” Is what slips out of your mouth before you can even think about it. You gasp at your own display of bitterness because that sounded harsher than you intended. You know he means well, and of course you know that he knows you have many friends in the city. He wasn’t specifically pointing out a boyfriend, but you sure are making things big. Stupid fucking bitterness. Stupid fucking jealousy. You tried to deny it, but when you’re close to crying over your best friend getting a girlfriend that he apparently hid from you, then you know what it really is after all.

His silence is deafening and it’s the first time you’ve ever felt awkward with him and you’re not even together in the same damn place.

As the silence stretches on, you hear a voice in the background call out. “Nate? You coming to bed?”

And you beat him before he can voice out a reply to her, or to you. “I’m fine. I can take care of myself. You should go, I’m hanging up. Catch ya later.”

You don’t ‘catch up’ with him, not for another three days, and even then it’s still through text. Your last phone call had been two weeks prior to his girlfriend revelation. You tell him you’ve recovered from your (fake) fever and that you’ve been busy with work you missed. He tells you about his schedules and games and the new guy who’s recently traded to the Avs. There wasn’t another phone call for weeks to come and it’s weird not hearing his voice for more than a month.

You’ve finally managed to put your jealousy aside as you try to ignore that, yes, you’re probably in love with Nate without you even knowing. Over the weeks that passed you’ve come to a very, very annoying realization that the reason why you don’t and can’t date is because no one will even compare to Nate. You’ve managed to put him on a pedestal when you really shouldn’t have but it’s hard when he’s the best guy you’ve ever known. He’s the only guy who understands you and knows you inside out. He has no judgement for who you are. He was the one you shared your entire life with and no one of the opposite gender will probably solidify himself on you as Nate did. You think life has been okay because it’s you and him against the world even if you’ve been long distance for a long time now. Him not telling you about this girl from the beginning really, really hurt you more than it should, but you will come to realize it’s the wake-up call you badly needed.

You’re fucking in love with Nathan MacKinnon and that scares you.

#nathan mackinnon #colorado avalanche #oh look she tried to fucking write #nhl fic #nathan mackinnon x reader #the word realize has been in this things too many times im so fucking sorry #nhl fanfiction

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sleepless-in-starbucks · 4 years

Note

So Logan is a fae hunter/researcher currently studying fairy circles, Virgil is a college student whose final is to successfully interact with a fairy circle, Roman is a hopeless romantic who loves the idea of a fairy circle meet-cute, and Patton is just a poor fae prince who just doesn't know what to do with the strange humans who walked into his fairy circle (somehow at the same time). Do with information what you will -pineapple

I wrote this in like two days- y’all proud of me :333

Also gaze upon my amazing title: Three Guys and a Fae Chilling in a Fairy Ring because They’re All Gay (Ao3)Pairings: Implied eventual romantic LAMP, royality (for the sake that Roman is HELLA gay and a huge himbo, the precious idiotic boi, @notveryglittery come look at your son be stupid and gay for Patton)Warnings: Fae universe, fae!Patton being a little creepy at times though they always mean well... they just aren’t super great with humans ajdhcbsdjc, like one line of self-deprecation, a lot of not-very-smart decision making

Logan had gotten there first.

Normally, he wouldn’t care about such childish matters. Who got there first, who had proper ‘dibs,’ the like. He wasn’t five, and as such he refused to behave like a toddler. He could make compromises, take turns, play fair. It wasn’t difficult.

Right now, however, he found himself in the extremely delicate position in which there was really only one shot for things to go right- for things to go at all, really. It was vital that he do what he needed to do, and that he did it before anyone else could interfere.

Which, in theory, should have been no problem at all. He was in the middle of a woods that was nearly devoid of all human life, the only footpaths in it near the edges of it. Here, deep within the heart of the forest, there was barely a sign that humans even existed, that there was any more world outside of flora and fauna. No one should have been in the woods at the same time as him, much less in the same spot.

And yet, just as he had finished taking measurements of the circle of bright green sprouts that seemed surprisingly lively given the forest was on the cusp of winter and all around were dead leaves and broken twigs, someone had shown up. Not only had they stumbled right into the same spot as him, they were there on the same business as him.

Well. Close to the same, anyways.

“Dude, come on, I need this.”

“Do not ‘dude’ me. There are plenty of other rings in the forest.”

“Yeah, but I already found this one. You don’t have to hog it.”

“I found this one first.”

“Oh, wow, so special. Now, can I use the damn ring and get this over with? I have a maths final tomorrow I need to study for.”

Logan huffed, crossing his arms. He was currently standing between the ring and the college student- who had introduced himself as Virgil- who apparently needed to interact with a fae as part of his senior final in ‘myths and magics.’ Logan knew the assignment (he had taken the same class just two years ago, after all), so he wasn’t completely surprised to learn of Virgil’s reason to be out there.

The problem came in the fact that Virgil refused to find another ring to get his credits in. The fae were notoriously shifty, sly creatures. It was possible that whichever fae came to this ring would be willing to entertain two humans right after each other… but it was also possible the fae would suspect a trick and leave after only talking to one of them.

Logan had been preparing for this chance to study the fae closer, ask them a few questions, and etc. for a while now, and now that he was here, he didn’t feel particularly inclined to once more reschedule. He didn’t want to go through all his measuring and tests of the ring again, either, which meant he was going to stick with this one, thank you very much.

“Why don’t you just come back tomorrow? Or later?”

“Did you not hear me say ‘maths final’?” Virgil asked, annoyed. “I have to study later, and this thing is due tomorrow anyways.”

“Then why didn’t you handle it sooner?!”

“I’m lazy. Sue me. Most of the time, fae circles aren’t being claimed by some uptight self-important nerd.”

Before Logan could respond to that, likely with a snap of his own, there was the sound of rustling and crunching leaves. Both Logan and Virgil looked towards the noise, and after a moment someone walked into their sight, having up until then been hidden by the trees. He was dressed up, wearing pressed black slacks, a white button-up, and a velvet red jacket. He was also carrying a bouquet of roses and a jar of honey.

The well-dressed man was smiling to himself, looking very self-assured, though the grin dropped when he saw Logan and Virgil. “Who are you?” He asked, glancing between the two of them.

“Virgil. Stressed and depressed college student just trying to finish my homework.”

“Logan. I’m a scientist studying the fae, and I got here first.” He glared at Virgil as he stressed the ‘first.’

“O-kay then.” Roman said, clearly confused by the two’s distaste for each other. “I’m Roman.”

“Yeah, hi, great to meet you.” Virgil deadpanned, turning from Logan to stare down Roman. “Why are you here? Come to seduce the fae?”

Roman straightened up at that, tilting his chin up as his grin returned and he said, “Why, yes, actually.”

Logan turned to look at Roman now, expression quickly shifting into one of disbelief. “You’re not serious.”

“I’m more serious than Maleficent's curse upon the princess Aurora.” Roman answered, sounding miffed at the thought that he was joking. “Why else would I have come in such glory?”

“Got lost on your way to the wannabe princes convention?” Virgil suggested, eliciting an offended gasp from Roman.

“Bold words from a rejected My Chemical Romance member.” Roman snapped back.

Logan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Would you two mind taking this elsewhere? I have work to do.”

“Nice try, pocket protector, but I ain’t letting this ring out of my sight.” Virgil said, once more looking at the researcher. “I need to do my final and I am NOT letting you mess that up just because you got here first or whatever.”

“If you hadn’t put off your work this long, we wouldn’t be in this situation.” Logan replied. “It’s not my responsibility to let you waste all of my day’s work just because you couldn’t be bothered to come here a week earlier.”

“Wait- you guys both need this ring, too?” Roman asked, roses and honey jar drooping as he lowered his hands. “Cause I kinda need it to reach my new sweetheart…”

“You haven’t even met them yet.” Virgil pointed out.

“I’m too charming to be turned down.” Roman replied defensively before awkwardly looking to the side. “Plus it’s a fae, they tend to like taking random humans away forever, so I feel like my chances here are pretty good.”

“Uh huh.” Virgil said. “Well, doesn’t matter. You can’t use this ring, because I need it.”

“So do I!” Logan exclaimed. “And I was here first!”

“Girls, girls, you’re both pretty.” Roman said, stepping around the circle so that he could stand between Logan and Virgil. “Seriously. If this thing with the fae don’t work, hit me up. One of you. Both of you. I am single and very ready to mingle.”

“Are you going to find a point any time soon?” Logan questioned.

“Why can’t we just share the circle?” Roman asked. When he was met with stares of bewilderment and annoyance, he explained, “It’s a decently sized ring, so it can definitely hold all of us, and it’ll give us all a chance to talk with a fae without risking them running off before we all get a turn.”

“That’s…” Logan paused, thinking before he finished, albeit reluctantly, “not an entirely awful idea.”

“I mean… I just need to interact with the fae.” Virgil said slowly. “And this would be interacting.”

“And I could still ask all my questions.” Logan added.

“And when you two are done, I can seduce and woo them!” Roman enthused. “And then they’ll take me away to fairyland, or we’ll just talk into the night, or something, but whatever happens they’ll be so focused on me you two can make a get-away!”

Logan frowned. “You really are set on being more or less kidnapped by a close to all-powerful being, huh?”

“It’s not kidnapping if I let them take me away.” Roman corrected. “Plus, fae are hella pretty, and I am hella in need of a partner as lovely as me.”

“And yet you said you’d date one of us.” Virgil said, smiling cynically.

“That’s because you, dearest killjoy, are absolutely exquisite.”

“I was trying to say you’re ugly.”

Roman gasped in offense while Logan furrowed his brow. “You know that, by saying that, you have called myself and yourself ugly as well?”

Virgil finger-gunned at Logan. “Yep.”

Having gotten over his indignation, Roman glared at Virgil. “Just for that, I’m going to woo you so hard within six months you’ll be too busy thinking about our wedding to insult yourself OR our other fiancé, the nerd.”

Logan blinked at Roman. “You’ve known us for less than five minutes.”

“You’re pretty and I’m gay. This was bound to happen sooner or later, so I just decided to make it sooner.” Roman said by way of explanation. “Now, who’s ready to summon a being so powerful they could force us to dance until our feet fell off just by knowing our name?!”

“When you put it like that, I want to say never.” Virgil responded, taking a step away from Roman before he sighed and continued, “Though I guess if I don’t want four years of college to go to waste…”

“I am ready as soon as you two are.” Logan said curtly. This wasn’t the best of circumstances, being forced to ‘share’ the fae he’d be talking to, but it was better than having to either fight for the right to go first or go another day.

“Great!” Roman moved away from the two as he spoke, coming to stand across from them, at the edge of the circle. He gestured at them. “Spread yourselves out a bit, make an even circle here.”

Begrudgingly, Logan and Virgil did as they were told, shifting so that all three of them were roughly the same distance away from each other, all standing right at the edge of the fairy ring. Once they were positioned, the group looked around at each other.

“Count of three?” Roman suggested and, being met with no objections, began, “One… two… three!”

Roman hopped into the circle on the three while Logan and Virgil simply stepped in. They stood in place for a moment, completely silent, waiting for something to happen.

“Maybe it doesn’t work with more than one?” Logan suggested after the silence had stretched, in his opinion, too long without any sign of unearthly life.

“Don’t tell me we still have to fight over who…” Virgil trailed off as he looked down, finally noticing that the sprouts were swaying to a nonexistent breeze. “Alright, that’s weird.”

Logan looked down at Virgil’s comment. “If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say that the ring still functions with three people.” Logan commented.

“I think I second that.” Roman said, though his voice was more awed than it really should be over some strangely moving plants. Logan looked back up, going to ask Roman if he had seen something else, when the question was answered for him.

Because swirling in the exact middle of the circle was a mini-tornado. It was picking up the leaves directly around it, but it never picked up any of the leaves just outside of the ring. As the three of them watched, the tornado went faster and faster until it was impossible to see into or through it. Then, suddenly, the tornado fell apart, the wind blowing outwards and forcing the three humans to look away.

When they turned back, their group was one of four.

Standing where the tornado had been was a being that easily had a foot over all of them, likely more. While they seemed proportionate, all their limbs were slightly too long, making them look simultaneously lanky and terrifying. Their skin was pale to the point it might have been worrying were it not for the fact that it glowed, very slightly, like the first rays of morning sun. Their long hair, which gleamed like gold, was pulled into multiple braids that fell over their shoulders and were littered with forget-me-nots. Complemented by bright blue eyes, a dazzling smile, and pristine, flowing white robes, their overall appearance was ethereal.

They were facing Logan at the moment, carefully looking him over. “Hello there!” They greeted, their voice high-pitched, making their words sound like they had been spoken by the ringing of silver bells.

For the briefest moment, Logan suddenly had the urge to forego his entire experiment, his entire reason for being there, to simply tell the fae his name and disappear into their world forever. He had to shake his head to refocus himself, shifting his gaze from the fae’s eyes to their chin.

“Hello.” He replied mildly, wanting neither to antagonize the fae or to react overly positive to them.

They didn’t reply for a moment, still just looking Logan over. When Logan started to shift in place, uncomfortable, they finally spoke with, “Oh, I apologize. All this staring must be weird. I just haven’t had someone so powerful in my ring before. Did you know your presence carries the weight of three people?”

Logan cleared his throat. “That may be because there are three people in this ring at the moment.”

“...What?”

“Just uh… look to your side? Or behind you?”

The fae frowned, clearly confused, but they still turned around. They quietly gasped as they were met by the faces of both Virgil and Roman, the former waving awkwardly while the latter put on his most charming smile. “Oh. There are… three of you?”

“We all needed the ring.” Virgil explained, looking down at his foot as he kicked lightly at some leaves. “So we figured we’d just all use it at once.”

The fae nodded slowly. “Interesting.”

“Is that a good interesting, or a bad interesting?” Logan asked. The fae turned back to look at him, once more grinning.

“Good interesting!” They said happily. “I haven’t had any sort of interesting in decades. This is great!”

“Oh. Good, then.” Logan said.

The fae nodded before their eyes widened. “Oh! I almost forgot!” They said, quickly looking all around the circle before asking, smile growing, “Can I have your names?”

“You may call me leaf.” Virgil said.

“And you may call me branch.” Logan followed. It was, after all, more or less rule number one of interacting with the fae: don’t even give them a nickname to work with. The more random of a name you could give them for yourself, the less power they held over you.

Likely because following that rule required some basic common sense, however, Roman answered the fae with, “You may call me however you wish, though many know me by Roman.”

Roman ignored the appalled expressions Logan and Virgil directed at him as the fae turned towards him. They were giggling, their skin seemingly glowing brighter. “Someone’s a charmer.”

“I think that must be you, my dear, given how your mere appearance already has me charmed.” Roman responded, his words smooth and his tone elegant. “Might I have a name to call such an enchanting beauty by? Or would you prefer I stick to one of your many others- sweetheart, sunshine, thief of my heart?”

The fae giggled again, clearly enamored with Roman. “You may call me all of those and more.” They said cheerily. “As to my name, you may have it as well… so long as your friends will tell me theirs.”

“We have already told you what you may call us by.” Logan said, tugging at his sleeve uncomfortably.

“Yes, but those clearly aren’t your names.” The fae said, turning from Roman to face Logan and Virgil. “I may know little of human naming conventions, but I am certain they don’t name children ‘leaf’ or ‘branch.’”

“Yeah… uh, you’ll forgive us, but I don’t think that’s really a good idea.” Virgil spoke up, immediately looking away when the fae’s attention focused on him. “No offense, but there’s kinda a power imbalance here already, and I don’t think giving you our names is going to help even it out much.”

“But that’s the thing! You don’t have to actually give me your names! Just tell me them!” The fae said excitedly. “I promise not to use them harmfully against you. I just want to be able to call you by them properly.”

Logan pursed his lips and glanced over at Virgil. On one hand, offering a fae your name, even if you didn’t truly give it to them, was a horrible idea. Even the littlest bit of power traded over was dangerous. On the other hand, name or no, angering a fae never turned out well. Especially when you were in their ring.

Finally, Logan haltingly said, “You may call me Logan.” It was a stupid thing to do, he knew, but he was trying to pick the best of two evils.

“And you may call me Virgil.” Virgil followed after Logan, shooting him a look that very clearly said, ‘if this goes horribly, it’s on you.’

“Roman, Logan, and Virgil.” The fae said, as if they were trying out the words, ignoring the slight grimace the three of them made when their name was spoken. Even if it was weak, there was power in those names. “You all have wonderful names.”

“Not as wonderful as yours is, I’m sure.” Roman said, once more smiling like he owned the whole world.

“You flatter me so.” The fae said, clearly very pleased with the flattery. “I fear that none of you could actually say my true name, but you may call me Patton instead.”

“Patton.” Roman said, testing the name, before once more breaking out in a grin almost big enough to break his face. “I was right. Your name is wonderful- though, I fear, not nearly as wonderful as you yourself are.”

Patton clapped their hands together, squeezing them together as they smiled even brighter at Roman. “Oh, I really must keep you.”

“So long as you remain more beautiful than a meadow of freshly bloomed flowers, I shall be more than happy to be kept.” Roman returned smoothly.

Patton didn’t respond to that, but they did take a step closer to Roman, lowering themself so that they were on eye-level with Roman. Their smile was still wide, and Roman was fairly certain their cheeks hadn’t always been dusted a rosy pink. They did nothing but stare at Roman, but Roman felt the stare was an adoring one, and was more than happy to do little more than smile adoringly back.

Realizing that the fae was ready to completely write him and Virgil off, Logan lightly cleared his throat. “If you don’t mind, ah, Patton, I have a few questions for you?”

Without altering their position, Patton turned their head to look at Logan, looking confused and slightly suspicious. “Questions?”

“Just about average fae life and the such.” Logan said, hurriedly adding (for fear the fae would take his questions as a threat), “I’m simply curious as to the inner workings of your species, you see.”

“Oh.” Patton said in understanding. They didn’t respond immediately, clearly thinking about it, before they smiled once more and said, “I’ve got it!”

“Got… what?” Logan asked, perplexed. “The answer to a question I haven’t asked yet?”

“No, silly. I know the easiest way to get what everyone wants!” Patton answered. “You can all come home with me!”

“Sounds like an absolutely perfect plan to me.” Roman said without missing a beat, once more recalling Patton’s attention to himself. “Though any plan involving you and me is perfect.”

“Yeah, although maybe not a plan involving us.” Virgil said, glancing at the sides of the fairy circle as if he were just realizing how little space there was with four beings within it. “I’m sure fairyland’s great and all, but I doubt it’s very human-friendly.”

“Well, it isn’t if you’re not careful.” Patton acknowledged. “But as long as you’ve got someone watching out for you, you’ll be fine! And I’ll be there to look over you! So everything will be fine!”

“Says a fae.” Logan pointed out. “Respectfully, going to fairyland is dangerous for humans, with or without fae protection. I’d rather just ask my questions here and be on my way.”

“But think of all the questions you could answer, the things you could learn, the experiences you could have… that has to be worth more than a few flat answers on dry paper?” Patton reasoned, moving away from Roman (who pouted the moment Patton shifted their focus) to stand in front of Logan.

Logan forced himself to keep his gaze away from Patton’s eyes. “It’s dangerous. And I have studies here.”

“Studies you can conduct better when you’re right at the source.” Patton said. They gently placed one of their hands against Logan’s cheek, though they didn’t try to force him to look them in the eye, which Logan appreciated. “And the greatest discoveries always come with a bit of danger.”

“I-” Logan paused, considering what Patton had said, before slowly admitting, “You have a point…”

“I’m surrounded by human idiots.” Virgil mumbled as Logan looked down from Patton, still pondering.

Patton turned to Virgil at his words, coming over to him. “I take it you have a great interest in remaining in the mortal world?”

Virgil shrugged. “Not really. I just know that going to fairyland is, like, one of the stupidest decisions a person can make. No offense.”

“None taken.” Patton responded. “But don’t tell me you have nothing you’re looking to avoid? Nothing you’d like to escape? To be free of?”

“I mean, it’d be pretty rad to skip out on my maths final tomorrow because I mysteriously vanished off the face of the earth.” Virgil said. “But I also know that most people who go to fairyland never come back, and as sucky as tests are, they’re better than being dead and/or tortured for eternity.”

“Maybe so.” Patton conceded. “But there’s something I don’t think you understand.”

The fae once more bent down so that they could look Virgil directly in his eyes. For the first time since they had appeared, their expression was completely serious, and even the light radiating off of them had dimmed.

“If you choose to come with me to fairyland, I promise you, no one will dare to so much as look at you funny without facing severe consequences.” Patton pledged, voice deadly serious. “You- all of you- would be my guests. If anyone should bring purposeful harm to you, I swear that they shall never regret anything more.”

Virgil swallowed after Patton finished speaking, looking slightly paler than he had been a moment ago. “You’re really serious about this, huh?”

“Of course.” Patton said, tone still solemn. “I do not take infractions against my guests lightly.”

“And how can you be so sure a fae won’t ignore what you say?” Logan asked skeptically. “Fae are powerful, even against their own. And the majority of them rather enjoy… eh, toying with humans. What if they refuse to listen to you?”

“Most fae don’t consider it wise to cross their prince.” Patton answered as they stood once more and returned to the center of the circle. “And if they decide to anyways, I assure you, I am plenty powerful enough to take care of them.”

“Oh my Athena. I’m in love with a prince.” Roman said, voice hushed as in awe. “A strong prince. A beautiful, ethereal, strong, magical fae prince.”

Patton’s smile returned as they stepped away from Virgil, returning to the middle of the circle and turning back towards Roman. “I suppose it’s a good thing, then, that a beautiful, ethereal, strong, magical fae prince is also in love with you.”

Roman’s face quickly coloured red at Patton’s words. “Marry me?”

Patton giggled. “Moving a little fast there, don’t you think, honey?”

“I’m gay, impatient, and you just called me a petname after saying you loved me too.” Roman pointed out, face even redder. “I’m pretty sure the only next gay-logical step is marriage.”

“I’m touched.” Patton said, only smiling brighter. “But I think we should still take it at least a little slow, don’t you? Wouldn’t want to miss out on all those- ah, what do you humans call it- young love moments?”

“You can call them whatever you please as long as you also call me yours.” Roman said, prompting Patton to squeeze their cheeks and let out a small, short squeal. Roman grinned at that before he said, “Oh! I almost forgot!” He raised his hands, pushing the bouquet of roses and honey towards Patton. “I bring you gifts! To celebrate not only our young love, but also your perfect beauty.”

“Gifts? Aw, sweetheart, you didn’t have to.” Patton said as they looked at Roman’s offerings. “After all, you are the only gift I need.”

“I swear Patton if you don’t take me home right now I’m just going to collapse on this forest floor.” Roman said, looking like the poster child for ‘dying of gay,’ with how red his face was and adoring his expression was. “I swear, I will die of pure beauty.”

“Then how did you survive seeing your reflection?”

Roman wasn’t able to respond to that one, though he did try, mouth moving even as the only sounds that came out were more or less strangled shrieks.

“You broke him.” Logan commented idly.

“That I did!” Patton said cheerily. “Guess I really should get him home now, huh.”

“Probably.”

Patton nodded. “Well then. Guess you’re out of considering time.” Patton turned to look at Logan and Virgil. “Coming?”

Neither responded at first. After all, neither of them were idiots. They knew it was dangerous to go ‘home’ with a fae, even one who giggled too much and swore to them no harm would befall them. Fairyland was dangerous. Fae were dangerous. Saying yes was dangerous.

But at the same time… it was a tempting offer. It offered discovery and excitement and freedom. If Roman continued acting like, well… Roman, it would likely offer something sweeter, something closer too. And as dangerous as it was to trust any word of a fae, Patton had seemed nothing less than deadly serious when they promised to keep them safe if they came with them.

“Danger for the sake of discovery and the acquiring of new knowledge is acceptable danger.” Logan finally said, slowly nodding. “If you truly don’t mind having me… I’d be glad to come with you to fairyland.”

“Of course I don’t mind.” Patton reassured him before looking towards Virgil. “And you?”

“I mean… if the nerd’s going to do it I might as well… or whatever…” Virgil answered, kicking once more at the leaves.

“So that’s a yes?”

“...Yeah, it’s a yes.” Virgil said, looking back up. “Gets me out of finals, right?”

“If that’s how you want to think of it!” Patton said. “Oh, this’ll be so much fun! I can’t wait to get to know you all.”

“I’m certain the same applies for all of us.”

“Almost all of us!”

“All of us minus Virgil.” Logan corrected. “Now, how do we get to fairyland?”

“I’ll take you.” Patton said before they extended their hands towards each of them. “Just make sure to hold on.”

“What about me?” Roman whined, face slightly less flushed than it had been earlier, his words now actually coming out as words. “You only have two hands…”

Patton smiled softly at Roman. “Do you think you’ll mind if you have to hug me all the way to fairyland?”

Before Patton had even finished their sentence, Roman was wrapped around their chest, his grip tight as he easily nuzzled his head against their shoulder. “Mind hugging you? Darling, don’t be absurd- it’s my pleasure.”

Patton chuckled. “Perfect.” He looked from Roman to Logan and Virgil. “Ready?”

Logan took a breath before he nodded, taking the hand Patton had offered him. “Completely.”

Virgil took a moment longer, and a couple extra breaths as well before he more or less shoved his hand into Patton’s. “Not at all, but I’m never ready for anything so… this is as good as it’s going to get.”

Patton didn’t say anything else, instead simply smiling as they gripped Logan’s and Virgil’s hands.

The whirlwind from earlier started up again, this time not simply surrounding Patton but also the three mortals the fae had so quickly bonded with. As it sped up, the world outside of them disappeared, blocked out by the quickly moving winds.

Preoccupied by holding Patton and being gay, Roman didn’t notice as Logan and Virgil once more exchanged glances, worry about what they had just agreed to sinking in again. There were a lot of pros to what they were doing… but there were also just as many cons, ones with even more severe consequences.

Despite all the wind, it was easy for Virgil to raise his arm, offering Logan his free hand. He also half-smiled, clearly feeling awkward, but the offered hand remained.

Logan returned the smile as he took Virgil’s hand.

Maybe what they were doing was dangerous. Maybe what they were doing was stupid. Maybe they should have more thoroughly thought this whole thing out before they said yes. They were facing a lot of maybes.

But they did have three things they could know for certain: firstly, they had made their choice, and they were stuck with it now, for better or worse.

Secondly, they were the only ones with any functioning brain cells. And that might not be that much, especially against a powerful fae prince, but it was something.

Thirdly, they weren’t alone in this. They had each other. Even if Patton turned malicious, or Roman refused to ever use common sense, they would still have each other.

And they might not have known it right then, but that was everything.

388 notes · View notes

unbelievableholland · 4 years

Note

50,51 and 53 for haz or tom maybe 😊🙃

A/N: OOF I'M SO SORRY ANON THAT THIS TOOK SO FREAKING LONG TO MAKE. I GOT SO CAUGHT UP IN SO MANY THINGS. I tried my best, I really hope you like it❤️

Prompts:

50. “Are you drunk?”—”Not nearly enough”

51. “Are you trying to seduce me?”—”Depends, are you seducible?”

53. “I’ve been calling you. I left voicemails— where were you?”

Rumors Can Wreck

Genre: Angst, Fluff if you squint

Pairings: Tom Holland x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of cheating, bad press, alcohol consumption, flirting

Words: 1,662

——————————————————————

Okay, maybe sitting on a stool in a crowded bar isn’t the best way to handle the situation but it’s too late to back out now. The music is way too loud and you’ve had about 5 beer bottles, but still, you order two more. This continues throughout the night until you’ve had too many drinks to count.

You have to admit, ever since you ordered 2 glasses of pure vodka, the bar tender started giving you worried looks. You don’t even like vodka. You just ordered it because you thought the beers weren’t enough to get you drunk. “Whoa! Dude, are you drunk???”

He could hear you talk but it’s just all slurred since you’re still trying to stand. Obviously failing, judging by your head being pushed against his chest because of your attempts at standing on your own.

“HmGNmMnG—”

He raises an eyebrow but at the same time, trying not to laugh. “What? “he chuckles out.

“NhNhHgHn— Not nearly enough” you finally let out the words somewhat clearly so he could understand.

“Y/N, what happened?” Haz knows that you rarely get drunk. Yes, you drink, but you don’t like getting wasted without anyone with you. I mean come on, if you ever get super drunk, you’re not stupid enough to go alone.

So, what happened to make you feel and look so miserable that you go to a bar alone to drink however many you already have? And where the hell is Tom?

“H-he got m-mad"

Oh. Right. Harrison almost forgot about the new rumor.

Tom and Zendaya were caught holding hands the other day, but apparently, they were only doing it for a scene, but the fucking press just love to leave details out. Tom, on the other hand, was so stressed that he forgot that you didn’t know anything about the truth yet.

“Uhm Tom? What’s this about??” I mean, it’s not that you don’t trust Tom, it’s just suspicious since he told you that filming was over so, there’s no reason for them to be holding hands. It couldn’t have been an old photo because in the picture, he was wearing the same clothes as he had when you face timed him the other day, but at the same time, Tom told you that they finished filming a few days before that and that they were only wrapping up and checking out the hotel rooms and such.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Mumbling, he didn’t even spare you a glance. Which makes you worry a little bit more.

This is one of the disadvantages of not being public about your 3-year relationship. People just keep making up rumors about Tom dating a fellow celebrity. It's not that you minded, the fans can just get a little too invasive sometimes.

“Tom, please, explain this to me os I can understand. You said filming was done but then this picture goes viral. I trust you I just—” You’re calm, because you knew being angry wouldn’t help the situation, but as you move to sit beside him on the couch, he stands up and cuts you off.

“If you really did trust me you wouldn’t be asking about this Y/N! I’m stressed enough I don’t need you getting jealous or clingy again, okay?!”

You take note on how he doesn’t even look at you, but you understand. He’s stressed and you really do trust him, but you need something to forget. God, you could really use a drink.

And that’s how you ended up in the bar drowning yourself in alcohol. Haz doesn’t know though. Or maybe Tom told him? You really don’t know though.

“You know Haz, you look cute. No wonder why those girls have been eyeing you all night.” In your very drunken state, your attempts at using a sultry voice or be sexy in any way definitely wasn’t going to work on anyone. Especially Haz.

You look at his eyes, your lips parted. You very slowly tip over to the side but Harrison quickly catches you. He stifles a laugh because of your poor attempts at flirting. He never thought drunk Y/N could be this hilarious, so he plays along.

“Are you trying to seduce me?” In no way is he trying to get in your pants, he just finds the drunken version of yourself to be very intriguing and wants to know how you’d respond.

“Depends, are you seducible?” you smile drunkenly, eyes trying to keep themselves open, but you once again, tip over to the side. Wow, you are drunk.

Harrison obviously couldn’t take it anymore and he laughs out loud, which causes him to loosen his hold on you and makes you drop. He just keeps laughing at you sit down on the ground pouting at him.

“Come on Y/N, let’s get you to home.” He squats down to carry you and you move away, obviously failing. Once he has you in his arms. You fall asleep almost immediately, which causes him to chuckle.

The ride home wasn’t difficult. Except for the smell of alcohol filling his car, the way home was peaceful.

And once you get to your shred apartment with your boyfriend, before Harrison could even knock, Tom is opening the door.

“I’ve been calling you. I left voicemails— where were you?” The look of worry in Toms’ eyes is evident as he looks at your unconscious form in Harrison’s arms.

“Chill mate, she’s drunk—you should’ve seen her by the way, t’was ridiculous— but she’s fine.” He puts you down on the couch as he says this. Still giggling at the memory of drunk you.

“You should prepare some medicine and some water. She’ll have a killer hangover tomorrow, and according to the bar tender, she’s been there for hours. She apparently chugged down half a bottle of vodka too. Surprised she remembered to pay” Haz couldn’t even tell the story without having to talk through his giggling.

“Yeah, and judging by the pictures on Instagram, you two looked pretty cozy at the bar” Tom crosses his arms and raises his eyebrow in speculation.

“That’s pretty bold coming from you, mate”

With that, Tom’s arms drop and so does his attitude. This is the moment where it finally hits him. When he realized that yes, he’s a bit pissed, but it’s mostly his doing why all of this is happening. He didn’t explain and he let his emotions get the best of him.

Tom sits on the arm rest by your head, gently caressing your cheek and forehead. Tom sighs.

“I’m sorry, darling.” He whispers. Though you can’t really hear him, you still nuzzle your face onto Tom’s palm.

“Mmm, s’okay.” Tom tenses for a bit, but relaxes realizing that you’re still asleep. He doesn’t know if you’ll remember this when you wake up, but he still hopes that somewhere in your subconscious, you’ve already forgiven him.

Harrison loves how Tom can easily relax in your presence. He knows that you and Tom are meant to be together and he knows that whatever is happening between the two of you right now, it’ll pass.

“I’ll leave you two alone.” With a comforting smile, he opens the door and leaves. Giving the two of you some space.

Tom kisses your forehead gently, standing up to carry you bridal style. He loves how peaceful you look now, even though he knows you’ll have a hell of a hangover tomorrow. It’s the little things that made him fall in love with you more and more in the first place, like how you get cute crinkles on the corners of your eyes whenever you smile, like how you stick your tongue out just a little bit when you're r focusing, or how your eyes widen whenever you see something you like, how you do these big hand gestures whenever you’re talking about something you’re passionate about.

But he especially loves how even in the hardest of times, or when you get into arguments, even when you’re the one having a hard time, you still make the time to cuddle with him. Not even talking, just cuddling with him. Saying nothing except the phrase “I Love You”.

He can’t even imagine how he would react if he were to lose that. If he were to lose you. He would never want that to happen.

As he pushes the bedroom door open, he sets you down on the bed, his eyes watering a little bit at the thought of you leaving him.

He leans down to kiss your forehead. “I love you so much, Y/N”

He goes to the corner of the room to get the trash bin and places it beside your bed then opens the drawers to put some Advil on the bedside table. Tom leans over your body a little to reach for some pillows and a spare blanket, quietly leaving the room to sleep on the couch. He didn’t know how you would react in the morning if you found him sleeping next to you. He didn’t want you to get even angrier with him, so he settled for the couch.

Laying down on the couch, different things go though his head about how this situation can end. He hopes that you forgive him, that you’d let him explain. He doesn’t mind if it takes you a while to forgive him or to warm up to him again, just as long as you don’t leave, because he can’t lose you. You have to stay, you have to. You have to believe that he would never hurt you, that he would never cheat on you, because otherwise, he wouldn’t know what to do.

——————————————————————

Permanent Tag List:

@spideylovin @used-avocado @why-am-i-so-obsessed-help @annoylinglyaries @autobotgirl15-blog @shootingstarsaretearsofheaven @tiffy119

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lunarmessenger · 4 years

Text

Figure Skating (RFA, V, + Saeran)

I always wanted to be a figure skater hahahaaa so have this! ilysm x - luna (also i couldn’t find the proper gif to show what MC did in Jumin’s headcanon but oh well please don’t hate me)

Zen

• He’d just landed a role that involved ice skating so he’d decided to take lessons right away

• He was already pretty graceful while walking normally so there was no surprise when he’d picked it up right away

• You always attended his practices and one day mused that you’d love to help him practice a scene or two

• He was fully ready to help you out too once you two had gotten to the skating rink

• “Be careful MC it’s pretty slippery when you first step on~”

• “I appreciate that Zen but I think I’ll be okay” and you laced up your skates for the first time in a few years

• He held his hands out for you but you slid right past him and did a couple of laps around the rink to sort of warm up and by now he was like “Oh okay I guess you got it”

• Then all of a sudden you do a toe loop??? On the way to him? Like it was no big deal? And his jaw just about hits the floor?

• “WHEN DID YOU LEARN TO DO THAT MC AND HOW COME YOU DIDN’T TELL ME?!?!”

• He’s a little butt hurt that he wasn’t told sooner but forgets about it an hour later when you allow him to use you as a model to help him practice for his role (and he gets the excuse to touch your hips and thighs whenever he wants now huehuehue)

Yoosung:

• He was a little nervous since it was a little class trip (and almost decided to just stay home with you and play LOLOL)

• He’s also not very active but never mind that MC “I just don’t want to hurt myself doing this please don’t make me go”

• You do manage to convince him to go since “Yoosung I used to skate and since you can bring a plus one can we go???”

• There was no way he could resist your cute face

• That weekend you both show up to the rink, you excited with your old skates while Yoosung is more excited to show you off to his friends from class (look they’re so pretty I told you guys I have a partner now leave me alone)

• Yoosung clings to you when you both get on the ice but he lets go after about half an hour once he gets a hold of the basics

• “Can I go skate now, can I, can I?”

• Damn it you’re so cute MC “Sure but be careful since they’re being a bit rowdy out there”

• Then zoom you are off before Yoosung can even blink

• When you have enough room you whip out a Salchow and Yoosung is absolutely floored (so are his classmates lol)

• “Did you see Yoosung did you see?”

• “Yes MC let’s go home” He didn’t like how his classmates were suddenly staring at you for the rest of the trip, and he promised you guys could go again when it was just the two of you.

Jaehee:

• She’d found a small coffee club that went ice skating every weekend and figured it’d be a great stress reliever for the two of you (especially since you’d told her that you’d been figure skating since you were a child)

• You were beyond excited, and that alone was enough to motivate Jaehee to try her hardest once you’d gone to the club

• The club was full of both beginners and experienced skaters so everyone was pretty comfortable and it was a judgement free zone

• Jaehee had managed to hop from one foot to the next and was extremely proud mind you because “look MC I didn’t fall this time”

• And while you encouraged her a lot you really wanted to show her what you knew how to do so when the club allowed some space for the more experienced skaters you immediately pushed yourself off the wall and started to skate

• You slowly built yourself up until you pulled off a triple loop, the scarf around your neck twirling with you as you landed perfectly and skated back towards Jaehee

• She was definitely a little enchanted by how graceful you looked and clapped the loudest amongst everyone in the group

• Vowed that you two would go back weekly just so you could teach her how to do that

Jumin:

• He’d had the sudden idea of opening a cat themed skating rink (especially since he’d seen you looking fondly at your pair of ice skates)

• You were so excited (you honestly didn’t care if it were alligator themed you just wanted to skate) that you asked if the other RFA members could join????

• He strongly opposed but ended up giving in anyways

• He also mainly wanted to see Zen suffer from his cat allergy but that was his own selfish gain and not yours

• It was extremely private and everybody was having fun just lazily gliding across the ice (Jumin stayed by the bleachers with a glass of wine he would not be caught dead ice skating)

• And then you finally finished lacing up your skates and you were so excited you almost fell on your way onto the ice

• “MC please be careful; maybe you should sit with me a little longer?”

• He suddenly was wondering if maybe you hadn’t skated in a while because you weren’t that good at it??? Since you almost fell before you even got on the ice?

• “I’m fine Jumin I know what I’m doing.”

• “Alright as long as you—” And he was cut off because you were suddenly gracefully gliding circles around everybody else (who suddenly stopped skating and just grabbed on to the nearby wall to watch)

• Then you suddenly did the flip maneuver (you wanted to do something a bit more extravagant but you didn’t want to fall on accident knowing Jumin would forbid you from skating ever again if you got hurt)

• “Excuse me MC do that again” He pulled out his phone to take pictures and videos (you swore you saw a slight blush and knew he was impressed)

• They all ended up blurry but luckily Saeyoung had managed to take a few photos for him

Saeyoung:

• He’d recently binge watched an anime (you can guess which one) and he was suddenly obsessed with the idea of ice skating

• “MC let’s go ice skating” “What???”

• “PLEASE I know this amazing rink and we can drive one of my baby’s every day to get to it please MC?!?!?!”

• You figured saying yes wouldn’t hurt since he never stayed fixated for more than a month

• And it gave you a chance to get back into doing what you used to be so passionate about

• Of course he knew that you used to ice skate (due to that totally legal background check haha don’t worry about it MC) so he figured you’d go along with it

• He was right damn it

• He beat you on the ice immediately and fell like three times but he didn’t care because he was going to get it down even if he broke a leg to do it

• “Saeyoung please I am not strong enough to carry you back to the car if you hurt yourself”

• You smiled though because it was fun to see him slowly get little jumps down here and there

• “Hey MC can you show me one of your favorite moves?? I wanna see if I can do it!”

• “Okay but it’s gonna be a bit more advanced than I think you can handle right now.”

• “Oh please—” Before he could even finished you pulled out the most stunning triple lutz he’d ever seen??

• He begged you to teach him and you promised you would as long as he kept it up for longer than a month (and you got to come with him of course)

• He tried to pick you up to do a trick with you after two tries and it took you screaming like a banshee for him to put you down “because you will kill us Saeyoung” (he didn’t try again)

• After he’d had the surgery he decided to pick up photography again

• A family friend had wanted him to take photos of his son’s skating for his portfolio for future events and shows

• He’d mentioned it in passing, not knowing how much you loved skating and was a little surprised at how quickly you’d asked if you could come along

• Of course he said yes why would he ever say no to you????

• Once you’d gotten to the rink you tried your best to stay calm since obviously he was there for work and not just pleasure

• But of course you’d brought your skates just in case there would be a bit of down time where you could skate

• There was but only because V asked for it when he saw how excited you were to be there

• You had never laced up your skates so fast, but you were careful because you could feel his eyes on you

• You’d brought your iPod with you for some simple music; it was quiet enough to where it didn’t echo throughout the rink, but it was loud enough that both you and V could hear it

• It was soft piano music, and as it played you gracefully started to skate along the empty rink

• V was completely entranced, and when you decided to do an axel jump in the middle of the dance a small gasp escaped his lips because wow how did he get so damn lucky???

• You were nervous, finishing off the routine and slowly skating back towards V who was on the bleachers with his camera sitting beside him

• “Get any good pictures?” He blushed and looked down slightly embarrassed

• “I uh, no—would you mind doing that again?”

Saeran:

• You both suffered from major anxiety and the only way you managed to get through it was to skate it out at least once a week

• But he didn’t know that so when you would leave the house for hours on end he was starting to get worried (though he would obviously never show it)

• So he decided to follow you one day without you knowing (and he forced his poor brother to go with him smh)

• “Saeyoung help me find out where MC is always going”

• “...you could always ask her I mean—”

• “No. Shut up and help me.”

• They of course followed you and saw you walk inside the skating rink (though Saeyoung refused to leave his car)

• Saeran stayed hidden in the shadows while you slowly stepped onto the ice and glided around for a moment, rolling your neck and shoulders to loosen them up

• And then you were off, the entire place silent except for the sound of your skates cutting into the ice as you raced around the rink

• You did multiple jumps from an axel, to a lutz, without missing a single step

• He was beyond mesmerized, his eyes focusing entirely on you (he didn’t even realize when he’d started to slowly shift out of the shadows to get a closer look at you)

• Each move was extremely aggressive, and it was then he could tell that you were letting out every frustration and worry in this routine

• Then to tie off the routine and let go of all your anxiety you let one of your legs bend out behind you while you leaned backwards, bringing your arms up for balance as you spun faster and faster and then slowly came to a halt while standing upright.

• You were breathing hard, chest heaving as he let out a soft wow

• “If you’re done spying on me; can I come sit with you?”

• “I wasn’t spying MC” He grumbled, refusing to look you in the eye while you made your way over and sat next to him you reveled in how he blushed at being caught staring

• You apologized for worrying him and pecked him on the cheek, while he looked away again and wrapped an arm around you and brought you closer still couldn’t hide that blush tho huehuehueheuue

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multmilk · 4 years

Text

summary: just tae as a college student and plant mom on the side. also slow burn & sexy times :)

genre: smut & fluff !!

warnings: um dirty talk? bit of curse words? smut lol

au/prompt: college!au, bestfriendtolovers!au

word count: 2818

not proofread, sorry!! wrote this in one seating hehehehe

i think Taehyung would be the kind of guy who’d wanna purse arts and/or fashion but he’d go for something a little more prAcTIcaL

introducing, Kim Taehyung of Daegu, 24, major in business

he’d want his own business someday, just not quite sure what it’d be

anyways, even being a sophomore at college, he’d have girls and boys feigning over him because he’s just famous for a lot things

one of which is his looks

another being the cute barista at your local café

and the one who sings at bars every weekend

he’s just very popular and everyone adored him

but he isn’t the f boy type of popular, though many people did want to sleep with him, he just politely declines them

not saying he doesn’t get action though noPE he’d have sex occasionally when his schedule allows him to

fast forward to monday, a day where college students doze off and attend class 6 hours late

Taehyung was always punctual and early but today’s an exception

he fell asleep doing equations and maths on his table and well his classes start at 9 am but he woke up around noon

Taehyung doesn’t even bother to change clothes nor brush his teeth, he just zoops out of his apartment and rushes toward campus

he’s still sleep deprived from all the work load and late night shifts but his adrenaline’s too much that he reaches the campus in 10 minutes when it usually takes him a good 20 minutes

he just keeps on running and just as he was about to approach the door to 34A (where mr. jung teaches philosophy,, his minor) the door completely smacks him in the face

he clutches his nose that was hit and was about to curse the person who accidentally hit him but when he sees who hit him

his brain just goes @/$;2($:&sk;L3

LIKE WOW???

hair blowing in the wind, light focusing on her figure, flowy dress lightly being blown by the wind and worry etched into her features

“oh my gosh, i’m so so sorry !!” even her voice sounds like an angel

Taehyung says “it’s fine” then acts all cool and stuff and she smiles at him

AND WHEN HE WAS ABOUT TO ASK FOR HER NAME SHE JUST WOOSHES AND he’s left there looking at her disappearing figure

aaaand that’s where you come in thought that the angel-like girl was you? haH

you see taehyung still clutching his nose and staring off to space so you smack his back and he yelps in pain

“Y/N!!!!”

“TAEHYUNG !!!” you mimick but then you quickly apologize seeing that he was in a bad mood

you fix his hair and ask what happened

you two walk to the cafeteria as he tells you everything that happened

including the oh-so-beautiful girl that accidentally hit his face

“i wanna date her. she’s made my heart race so much. that’s very rare,”

you look at him like ????? like bro you’ve just met her and you’re IN L OV E

what about me? you think. i’ve been with you all these years and you never even consider looking at me like that.

but you don’t say that. of course you don’t. that’s just too selfish.

so you hype him up and tell him you’d ask around for the girl’s name and Taehyung hopefully finds her to get her number

fast forward and you and Taehyung goes home. you two have no work today, just some lectures to catch up to

you set up the microwave to heat the fried chicken you bought home and Taehyung attend to his plants

yes he is a plant mom™️ like he sings and hums classical tunes while he waters the plants and letting out little praises and encouragements

he’s just overall a proud mom of his plants tbh

anyways you and Taehyung work on your school stuff until you felt your body growing tired and found yourself laying down on his lap

the view like this is ✨majestic✨his hair was loose and he had a headband to keep the bangs off of his face

his jaw was locked in concentration as he tries to make the numbers MAKE SENSE

not to mention how your face is just millimeters away from his crotch akskakd

but you’re wholesome so you ignore the pool of arousal that’s in between your legs

“let’s go to sleep Taeee,” you whine but he pays you no mind

so you opt for straddling his lap so that he’d pay attention to you and it worked

“leave me alone please? you could sleep and i’ll wake you up later,” then he smiles at you

gaaaah his smile just aldksofkeoyn he’s soooo friggin’ warm and cuddly and when he smiles he just takes your heart then and there

but you stay perched on his lap and opt to nuzzle your head on the crook of his neck and mumble about sleeping there

he just chuckles and shifts a little bit to feel more comfortable

that night, Taehyung holds you dearly while he finishes his work. if you were awake, you’d probably see the slightest hint of adoration in his eyes whenever he’d stop working and look at you.

of course he loved you, way more than platonic. about half the population falls in love with their best friend anyways right?

but he wasn’t going to confess. he knew you deserve someone better

see, Taehyung, he sees himself as this messy and too emotionally damaged to even fucking function. much less start a relationship with you.

sure you were damaged like him, maybe even more, but he just can’t risk of hurting you and breaking you into pieces. you’ve already lost so much, he doesn’t want to add to that. so he opts for kissing you on the lips, just lightly. light enough so that it doesn’t stir you awake or anything of the like. he lays you down in his bed and bids you goodnight.

you and him started being friends back in the first year of college, you were both 4th year college students now. anyways, you used to visit the coffee shop he works at almost everyday. he’s seen you stress over your finals, seen you hang out with your friends there, also seen you cry when you boyfriend left you.

you’ve always ordered something simple, choosing a black coffee instead of something creamy and milky.

until one day you decide to say, “surprise me,” to Taehyung and he just stares at you confused. then you tell him to give you something different, something he’d recommend to you.

alas Taehyung’s mocha latte was born !1!1!

it was something simple and common as well but it held special meaning to him.

And so you started ordering his mocha latte while you stayed and studied at the coffee shop, eventually forming a friendship with Taehyung.

Anyway back to the present times

come Friday night and you were surprised to find out that Taehyung was going out on a date.

with Seo Soojin

the girl who hit him accidentally on the face

you were surprised with a lot things. first, knowing Taehyung was going out on a date. he wasn’t the type to date and settle down. I mean, of course he’d eventually settle down with a girl but not now. not while he’s in college.

Second, Soojin was actually pretty. In a goddess level, she might just be your girl crush lololol

And lastly, you thought that you had a chance with your gorgeous best friend. You knew he pecked you on the lips while he thought you were sleeping. You were sleeping at one point but you woke up when he lifted you up to place you on the bed. It took all of your willpower to not kiss him back but you were afraid of ruining things, despite the obvious actions he’s made.

But after days of convincing from your other friends, you decided to ask him out.

Yes, girls ask boys out now. it’s the twenty-fucking-first century after all

BUT THE UNIVERSE HAD OTHER PLANS

NOOO fate had to watch your best friend dress up in a nice tux and slick his hair back as he waited for Soojin to text him her address. You had to act all supportive while deep down you knew that him going out with Soojin was hurting you a lot more than you liked.

Now Taehyung,,,,,, he was more than surprised to feel his heart flutter at the appearance of Soojin. She really is pretty but he couldn’t help but think that you would look a lot better.

Their date surprisingly went well but he hoped that he just spent the night with you instead.

He came home to you watering his plants for him and he felt his heart flutter at the sight.

There you were, wearing his grey hoodie and god knows what else underneath

You had your earphones on while you tended to his cacti and various other plants

If he were a murderer you’d be dead, no doubt bout that

So, he hugs you from behind and rest his chin on your shoulder

You ask him about his date, ignoring the pang in your heart when he talks about how good it was

Instead of breaking your heart over the details in their date, you focus on his warm voice that almost made you sleepy tbh

Taehyung didn’t know why he narrated their date with so much enthusiasm. Maybe he wanted to get out a reaction out of you

But you stayed calm and interested with what he was saying, not showing any signs of jealousy or hurt

He goes to take a shower and he was expecting to have a movie night with you but surprised to see that you’ve gone to bed and so he does to

You two don’t sleep well that night

SATURDAAAAAAY and Saturdays mean parties

Meaning, Taehyung and you getting shit faced and the two of you could barely make it back to your apartment alive

But it was no doubt your favorite part of the week

You got dressed up wearing something seductive yet still conservative on the side paired with the comfiest pair of heels you have

When Taehyung saw you all dolled up, he was like :000 DAYUMMMM

But he felt a little overprotective when he thinks about the people who’ll look at your body and all that so he gives you his jacket

Though you tell him it’s too hot and that you could handle yourself if ever something happens

You’re already in the party and Taehyung swears to himself that he’ll keep an eye on you and that if something bad ever happens to you he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself

He sees you out of your comfort zone, dancing around people and gathering attention from lots of people

You’re happy with the attention so you keep on partying

Taehyung was about to go to the bathroom, thinking that you’d be fine since you were just dancing, but then he sees a man talk to you

The man was fucking tall, very smug, very untrustworthy

His lips were too close on your ear and you seem very very uncomfortable

So Taehyung rushes to your side, grips your waist and says,

“Back off. She’s mine.” WITH THAT LOW AND SEXY VOICE OF HIS ASKJJDSK IM LOSING IT

But the guy had the aUDACITY to ignore Taehyung and continues “so, will you spend the night with me sweetcheeks?”

TAEHYUNG GROWLS AT PUSHES THE GUY WITH SO MUCH FORCE

You had to grip his arm and ask him to stop and not make a scene with the smallest voice you have

And just as you two were about to leave, the guy shouts “lucky you, you’ve got a fine piece of ass right there,” and that’s all it takes for Taehyung to throw his fist at the guy

Everyone stopped dancing and focused on the scene unravelling in front of them

Pulling Taehyung back you tell him “that’s enough,” and drag him out of the house

The whole walk home was quiet and the tension was thick

“It’s because of that damn outfit,” he says once you’ve entered your shared apartment

You scoff and bend down to take you heels off and say “It’s not my fault men can’t control their dicks,”

Taehyung looks at you with this animalistic glint in his eye and stalks toward you

“You should’ve been more careful, babygirl,”

His lips attack your neck

You couldn’t move because you were shocked and aroused all at the same time

He sucks at the sweet spot on your neck and it just turned you into a moaning mess

You tug his hair, moan his name

“Jump,” he commands and so you do

He kisses your lip and you kiss him back with more force

Tongues fighting for dominance, teeth clashing, little spills of moans and grunts here and there

“When I saw you in that article you call clothes,” he chuckles “all I could think about was ripping it off of you right there and then,” he kisses your collarbones

“It isn’t the first time too. All the nights you spend snuggled up to me wearing my shirt with no bra on and I could feel your breasts pushed up against me,” he unzips your clothing and lets it fall to floor

·“God fucking dammit Taehyung. Fuck me already,” you say and he looks up at you

A smirk on his lips and eyebrows raised in challenge

He grips your hip and you wrap your legs around him as he carries you to your bedroom

You were slightly expecting him to be just a tad bit gentle but clearly he was in a bad mood so he throws you into the bed and removes both of your clothes quickly

“Suck,” he tells you and moans when your lips wrap around his digit

He brings his fingers to pump his cock a bit and pushes into your cunt without warning

The force got you screeching and clawing at his back

“Fuck, harder,” you mewl and he obliges

He fucks you at an animalistic speed and his eyes bore into yours as he thrusts deeper into you

It doesn’t take long for you to reach your climax and Taehyung’s thumb rubs your clit until you were coming

And he’s coming to and as much as you want him to finish inside of you, you knew that that wasn’t safe so he pulls out and cums on your tummy

He helps you scoot over and lays beside you

“I’m in love with you and this is probably the worst timing ever but I just want to say that I loved you for a long time and even if you don’t like me back, I’ll keep on loving you and-“ he rambles

But you cut him off with a sweet and slow kiss

“I’m in love with you too, Tae. Have been for a long time,” and you look at him

The moonlight from the window doing wonders to his face

His lips turn into a small smile and kisses you again

And again

“Do you know why I made you a mocha latte on that day?” he quietly speaks as he tangles your bodies together

“Ooooh that’s a question I’ve been dying to ask for a long time. Tell me. tell me,” you pipe

He breathes before saying, “you know how you alternate ordering an americano on bad and normal days and plain milk on warm and good days?” You nod

“Well, a mocha latte is a combination of both with just with added chocolate flavouring and sugar,”

“That’s how you made me feel,” he says and you look at him with question marks in your eyes

He laughs, “Before you, my life was just plain and dull. Kind of like an americano,”

“But then you started visiting the café shop more and everyday it brought me a whole new feeling,”

“Every time you’re sitting at alone, whether it be studying or just reading, it made me feel a lot of things. happiness, curiousity, the whole butterflies in my stomach thing,”

“So think of the sugar and chocolate to be my growing feelings for you and yeah,” he laughs again and this time you laugh with him

“I love you, even though you’re so damn cheesy!”

“I love you too, Y/N. I love you,” and you both smile and hold each other

“I think I’m going to have a coffee shop as my business once I graduate,” he says and you nod

And you two live life happy and healthy 😊) (safe to say the universe’s on your side now)

SO SORRY IF THAT WAS TOOOOO LONG AND NGL I FEEL BAD FOR SOOJIN AND THIS SEEMS SO RUSHED AKJDS ANW HOPE Y’ALL LIKED IT :>

#kim taehyung au #kim taehyung x reader #kim taehyung headcannon #kim taehyung fluff #taehyung smut #taehyung au #taehyung x reader #taehyung fluff #bts au

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pjstafford · 3 years

Text

Letter to The Truly Like Lightning Book Club

I’m a person who likes to write, but I know I sometimes make spelling or grammatical mistakes which annoy people. I apologize in advance.

I do tend to be pretty open and honest about my feelings and I do feel deeply.

I kind of like social media to be upbeat and positive. I don’t really like to knock it too much when it isn’t. What’s the point!? Social Interaction between humans is sometimes problematic no matter what form it takes.

I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. When it is triggered I have a flight response. On Twitter that means making my Twitter footprint smaller. I want to be smaller to protect myself. Yesterday, though, it seemed like I was being told that as small as my footprint had gotten, I wasn’t small enough. What do I do now? How small can I go before I’m gone.

I truly don’t know where to go with something that is not a life threatening problem, not a rocket science issue, but is a little thing about a book club. I believe it was The Who who sang this is not a social crisis, but just another tricky day for you. This morning is a Tricky day. I am really wondering...

Do we cancel the book club?

Do we have a steering committee to organize it differently?

Do we go off twitter?

Do we have a different facilitator?

Should I leave social media, maybe shave my head and take a vow of silence?

How I feel about this is extremely foolish and really desperately sad with just a smidge of anger.

I feel foolish because I thought the book club was going really, really well. I have loved the discussion. It has deepened my understanding of the book which I already enjoyed. It’s been fun. Imagine my surprise to find out there are issues. The sad and angry piece is a little complicated. So let me put the issues out first since that is what the club needs to discuss today. This is the fourth book club I have facilitated on Twitter. It has been my most pleasant experience until today. Every club has been formatted exactly the same. Apparently this one might need some restructuring.

1. When is the appropriate amount of time following a book’s publication to allow to pass before doing a public book club where people who may not be in the book club could still see the discussion? People who might read the book in the future or had started the book and wasn’t as far along might have spoilers. It’s a valid concern, but Twitter isn’t known for being a spoiler free zone. If a program drops on the East Coast two hours before my time, before I can watch spoilers exist on Twitter. However this book dropped February 2 and we waited until March 1st to begin the book club. We have a # but when people respond they don’t always use the #. Also some people don’t follow me and they are not part of the book club but because people retweet the questions they were showing up on people’s timeline when they didn’t want them there. So the compromise we arrived at was no body can retweet any question or response and every response must have the #. I’m still confused, though, about the rules. Movies/television =immediate spoilers acceptable, books= a month to six weeks is too soon. I was told it’s not a matter of rules but being nice. Ok. I want to be nice but what is the appropriate time because sometimes I don’t read a book for years? If we postpone the book club for six months, a year, three years, thirty? With the compromise reached, why do I care? Because why are we being so quiet and circumspect about a book I think people ought to know about and read. Sometimes social media helps create a buzz. What a shame that a book club that is reading the book critically and in depth is, to some degree, being told to not be so loud because, you know, Twitter is a spoiler free zone. To be clear, I think the persons who raise the concerns did so for legitimate reasons and out of concerns for future readers of the book, but when we talk about the reasons I am sad and angry you will see why this upset me we much. it’s not their fault but I responded poorly and I’m still coming down from my PTSD spiral.

2. Perhaps, the problem is that Twitter isn’t the appropriate forum for a book club. Maybe Discord or private messages or zoom. Yes. This is the fourth book club I’ve hosted on Twitter. I was asked in March last year if I would start a book club due to quarantine. They’ve all been successful so far. Why do I feel so silenced? Again I don’t think the person who suggested this meant anymore than oh, let’s solve the spoiler problem. But I have a particular reason for not wanting to be silenced.

3. Some people have read the full book already and want to talk about the book in its entirety. I see that. I really do. I just have never had a book club like that. That means waiting longer. Some people like the chapter a day. Should we do multiple book clubs ?

4. Are the questions too serious? The subject matter is complex. Would a different facilitator be more appropriate? One who wouldn’t highlight the controversial and serious issues!

Why am I sad and a little angry? Why did my PTSD kick in outside of it being a bad year and a stressful time at work and I’m tired? Haven’t had a day off I a long while. (No complaints I have a job). I’m tired.

April 2017 I started the Twitter account @hearteyes4david. I had help but it was mostly me. I kind of love David Duchovny’s writing. I have blogged about it and have said someday he will have a break out novel. I believe Truly Like Lightning should be it. But the account showed love for all things David and I believe it gave some fans some fun. I enjoyed being a part of it. We had newsletters and contests. But for me, I an first and foremost a fan of David’s writing. I write. I admire writers. His writing should not be diminished by his other careers. In March of last year with the lock down I was asked to facilitate a Miss Subways book club, then the lock down went on so we did his other two books. Twitter and hearteyes have been my happy place in this year. It’s hard when your happy place feels threatening.

I was fortunate enough to get an advance digital copy of the book to read. Wow. Different! Great! It is not because I am 😍. This is one of the best books I’ve read this century. I am an avid reader. I have a critical eye. I wrote a spoiler free review. Almost immediately a fan contacted me. Because of spoilers you shouldn’t have posted this. Why don’t you do a DM for those who are interested? Don’t do spoilers. It’s a spoiler free review. This fan continued to tell me that it would be best not to post about the book. ( you know, spoilers). Then fans who had not read the book but knew for a fact that every other page was full of sex scenes and drugs and it was essentially exactly like Californication (not remotely) started saying nothing should be posted on the 😍 page about this book. Then a fan who hadn’t read it complained about how it handled religion and said it would cause her personal pain to see anything about this book on the 😍 page. I kept saying. I actually don’t care if you read it or not. My suggestion is you mute, block or unfollow the account if you don’t like the content. “But the pain, could we at least not do the book club? “. 🥺🥺🥺. I was convinced that rather than have the controversy on the 😍 page I would choose to leave my happy place account I had created to start a small account and my fan related activities became far more focused. It might not seem like much, but the decision to leave 😍 was hard, but I wanted to talk about this book. These aren’t the only reasons but the three pronged fans really angry at me for a book I didn’t write which wasn’t even published yet was challenging during the holiday season of 2020. I made my Twitter footstep smaller. I passed the account to Charmion who is doing great.

So then I waited till March to talk about the book. In the meantime “fans” who hadn’t read the book, immediately started to spread lies and mistruths about the book including selective out of context screen shots. So much for “Spoilers”. Still I waited until March. So now I have a smaller account followed by 100 people which very few “super fans” know about and about 5-7 of us are talking about this book. That’s it. For 18 days we have discussed the difficult, complex flawed characters and how the book demonstrates that these characters actions caused harm to other characters and yet left us with empathy for all. We have not always agreed. It’s a book club. Reading one chapter a day.

Yet somehow we are too loud. My tweets were being retweeted. You know, have to be concerned about spoilers. Were there 15 hate filled tweets from people who shared screen caps they were sent of random out of context paragraphs, people who proudly say they haven’t read the book, don’t need to, they’re experts, 15 for every one of mine. Of course. But I’m too loud. You know. Spoilers

So I am sad. Desperately so. I walked away from an account I had poured a lot of love into because I believed in a book I wanted to talk about. After being pretty involved in the fandom, my current activities are pretty narrowed. I’m not sure I can continue to facilitate the book club. I guess my days involved in “fandom” outside of being a fan are drawing to a close. My happy place is kind of gone.

I’m angry because this book deserves to be critically read on its merits. I’m angry because I don’t like my voice to be silenced. I’m angry because I think there are fans who actually like the book who are in fact concerned about spoilers, but they don’t realize by silencing or at least quieting the discussion of fans who have read and want to discuss the book, they are only allowing the space for the haters voices to be heard. I’m angry at myself because every step of the way I should have handle this differently. I’m angry because I shouldn’t care so much. It’s not a Jan 6 insurrection, climate change, or world peace. It’s a book by an author who don’t need me to fight these battles.

Finally I’m simply confused about where or what to do. With an account of 100 followers some people who don’t follow me think I’m too loud because I’m posting about something they don’t want on their feed (David’s book) and someone might repost me. Because I feel threaten by people telling me too get smaller my response is to try and get smaller. So I shouldn’t post about David’s book because there are people in he fandom who don’t want to see posts about David’s book. Ok. I should come on Twitter and never interact because that way no one will ever see a post from me they don’t want to see🤷‍♀️. Mercy, I’m on a lobbyist, have you guys seen the political stuff I post on my other account? Yep, probably just the fandom stuff I need to walk away from except for, you know, being a fan, but never discussing it.

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swiss-cheeze · 4 years

Text

Hallelujah || Spencer Reid

I am, so terrified to post this simply because it’s ‘new’ and stuff idk.

Disclaimer: IM ONLY UP TO SEASON 2 OF CRIMINAL MINDS, I do know what happens later on revolving around Reid and IT DOES GET MENTIONED (drugs, the jail) however no detail gets put in due to me not actually knowing about it a lot.

Another disclaimer: the characters in this are Reid, you, Hotch, Gideon, Garcia, J.J., Morgan and Emily. Stuff from Reid’s ‘future’ gets told in this even tho there are different people on the team at that time but because I don’t know them I didn’t put them in there.

I hope that makes sense.

Requested: YES/NO Gender: none, they/them Warnings: talk of suicide/jumping off a building along with depression, loneliness. Description: Spencer is a little scared to show his partner of 3 and a half years to his work mates, that is, until his partner wows the team with their singing skills.

“Guys i just, i dunno…” Spencer sighed softly and stopped walking for what felt like the tenth time that night, the group sighed as they stopped with Spencer as he started pacing on the spot and ran his hands through his hair.

“Wonder Boy it's going to be okay, there's nothing to be afraid of” Garcia reassured Spencer for what would have to be the third time since they left the office.

“I-I know that but statistically speaking-” Spencer began, the team all seemed to give each other a look that told them the same thing.

“Nuh uh Pretty Boy!” Morgan interjected, the muscled man grabbed Spencer by his shoulders and started walking in the direction of the bar, “you have been on and off about this person for a month now, not telling us a single thing and then maybe a phrase or something and quite frankly i'm fed up with it” as Morgan opened the doors to the bar the group walked in with Spencer still standing out the front nervously chewing his nails and sent a frightened look to Morgan. Hotch sighed before turning to Morgan.

“I got this one, you head inside” the chief of the BAU spoke, he allowed Morgan to go inside before stepping out with Spencer, “what's gotten you so tight?” the man asked Spencer, “friend to friend, this isn't work.” the man concluded as he saw Spencer's mind racing.

“I’m scared, Hotch, and I'm not normally scared or-or fearful, yeah I've been to prison and gotten addicted to drugs and shot-shot multiple times but this…” Spencer sighed as he ran his hands through his hair again and paced back and forth, “but this is different, they really mean alot to me and have been with me through almost everything since i was in prison and they’ve been there for every and all breakdowns and moments,” Spencer took this moment to look at Hotch with reddened eyes, “i really love them you know? They,” Spencer sniffled as he smiled brightly, “they give me such a high that the drugs could never give me, they give me such a lightened feeling, such happiness that when i go home after a case i almost forget about the horrors i've witnessed that day and they remind me of the true happiness and love this world can give to certain people,” he took a breath as Hotch interjected.

“So why are you so scared?” Hotch asked as his hands rested on his hips, it was a simple question, and even with the ramble Spencer just spoke it took him a moment to come up with an answer.

“Because i just want you guys to love him as much as i do,” Spencer said with a soft smile as memories flooded his mind of the past 3 and a half years with you, “obviously not in the romantic way but-”

“Reid,” Hotch paused Spencer, the boy looked to his elder in a way a boy would look to his father after being told off, “this person, they make you happy, yes?” Hotch asked, Spencer nodded vigorously, “then you have not a thing to worry about” the man said with a faint smile, “as long as you’re happy, you aren't in prison and are off the drugs than thats all that matters to us, and the fact you have a partner just makes it better because then you can share that happiness with that person just like you said before, they make you feel something the drugs never could,” Hotch stepped forward and held Spencer on his biceps with a firm grip to keep the boy grounded, “so let's go in there and meet this person” Hotch finalised, Spencer nodded affirmatively and the pair walked into the bar one after the other.

“Finally!” Emily called as the team sat around a table with two empty seats, “so?” the girl asked as her and the rest of the team looked just as curious, “where are they?” she asked, Spencer breathed in and smiled as he checked the time.

“Two minutes more and they’ll be here,” Spencer said as he checked his watch.

“Oh so you made us get here early just so you could get pissed?” Morgan said jokingly as their drinks got to their table.

“Leave him alone Morgan it's his first time,” Gideon said with a chuckle as he took a swig of his beer.

“First time? What's that-” Spencer started to talk but got cut off when someone tapped the microphone. Everyone turned their heads to look to the stage, a man holding a folder was standing in front of the microphone.

“Hello! I would like to invite our next singer slash band up on stage; (Y/n) (L/n) and Micheal Herance!” the man smiled brightly as he clapped and you walked on stage with Micheal in tow behind you.

“You didn't tell us they were in a band!” Garcia exclaimed.

“I hope its not country,” Morgan deadpanned softly which made Garcia kick him under the table, when Morgan looked to Garcia with confusion she nudged her head over to Spencer who seemed to be glazed over, his eyes full of love and adoration as you and the other person tried to get ready quickly.

“They’re only small and do mostly covers but they’re really good” Spencer said with a smile as he grabbed his drink and took a sip. Micheal took his seat on the wooden stool with an electric guitar as you grabbed the microphone and cleared your throat.

“Hi,” you said softly, even if you’ve been doing stage shows for a little over a year, seeing all those eyes on you and your band still made you feel anxious, “we are two fourths of The Charmed Crosses,” you said with a chuckle, “this is a song i would like to dedicate to a special someone whom i hope has made i tonight,” Spencer wanted to jump up and down and scream to say he made it but he felt that would ruin the mood so he stayed put as he realised that the stage lights would be the things hindering your sight, “even if he isn't this is recorded so, Spencer Reid with three PhD’s, this one goes out to you my sweet.” The Team silently pat Spencer on the back as the boy blushed slightly with a smile.

“It's nothing, they do it all the time” Spencer said softly as he took a mouthful of his drink again and the opening notes to Hallelujah started playing from the guitar.

“Oh this is going to make me cry,” Garcia said softly as Emily and J.J. nodded in agreement, Gideon squeezed Garcia's hand, he didn't want to admit it but it was going to bring a tear to his eye too.

“Well I'd heard there was a secret chord, that David played and it pleased the Lord, but you don't really care for music, do you?” your voice drifted through the microphone as the Guitar chords struck itself within you and the crowd, “Well, it goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift, the baffled king! Composing Hallelujah. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah” your voice drifted like soft wood and carried emotions that nobody else could try and carry, “Well, your faith was strong but you needed proof, you saw her bathing on the roof, her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya” you took a breath as the guitar carried for a few notes, “She tied you to the kitchen chair, she broke your throne and she cut your hair! And from your lips, she drew the Hallelujah. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah” the emotion in your words where one that couldn't be described as the team looked between you and the lovestruck Spencer, no way had this guy picked you, of all people, though it was possible it was slim. But it happened, “But baby, I've been here before, I've seen this room and I've walked this floor. You know, I used to live alone before I knew ya” these lyrics seemed to go out to Spencer in a way that wasn't one the team, your coworkers or the world would ever know, it was a thing for you two and you two only, “And I've seen your flag on the marble arch, and love is not a victory march!” this almost seemed to be a direct hit to Spencer, of his past dwellings, “It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah” the song spread a shiver up Morgans spine that even he wouldn't be able to explain as he took a moment to look to Ried, his love struck baby brother had finally grown into a man, your voice was soft in the places it needed to be and became hard in others in a way one couldn't describe. Your voice drifted with the guitar and carried out the rest of the song, the emotion brought out made everyone in the room believe you wanted the whole world to hear you, but only one person could understand. See, this song was the song that had saved your life, as cliche as it was things had gotten too rough for you to handle a few years ago, the stress of a daily job and bills and rent was getting too much for you, and one night you decided to go to the roof of your apartment with the radio and you played it for a little bit, letting the songs go one by one. When you decided you had stalled enough you stood on the edge of the building and looked down before looking back up to the sky, “give me one good reason, give me a sign, give me anything” you had spoken, and that's when you really did feel something. A wind gushed around you and ruffled your clothes as it made your radio fall onto its back, you sighed softly as you went to pick it up, and as you did the song changed to Hallelujah, of course you had heard it before but this time it felt like someone was really listening. In that moment you had sat in front of the radio and listened to the whole song right through to the end, that's also how Spencer found you on that roof.

---

“You don't have to know you,” Spencer's voice called out from the stairwell as he leaned against the doorframe. You gasped softly as you tried to dry your eyes before the mystery man could see you.

“Don’t have to do what?” you asked the man as the sound of his footsteps came closer to you and soon sat on the edge of the building, his hands where in his pocket as his tie blew in the wind along with his hair.

“I saw you standing on the edge, and i heard you ask for a reason, a sign,” Spencer shrugged softly, “you seemed to have gotten it though” the man said with a small smile as he looked to the radio, you smiled softly as you looked to the radio in your hands and smiled.

“Yeah i guess so,” you let the radio play the next song as you sat next to Spencer, “so what’re you doing out here then? Thought the same thing?” you asked as Spencer scoffed and shook his head No.

“No, no I'm here because I like to look at the stars when I feel alone,” Spencer said as he looked to the sky. You did too, “whenever I feel sad, alone, depressed, or even suicidal. I come up here for refuge, I look up at the stars and I think to myself, ‘if they’re up there, then they must have sacrificed a lot to be there, burning, forever'” Spencer talked with honey in his voice and admiration. You looked at the mystery man with a small smile, “but by all means if that wasn't a sign enough and neither was I then go ahead” Spencer said with a smile.

“Yeah? And why shouldn't i?” you asked as you stood up on the roof and started swinging your arms, “besides the song, and you” you stated.

“Because that is a lot of paperwork for a department to file for one person” Spencer said as he too stood up and walked towards you. You nodded.

“Well, consider my suicidal thoughts diminished,” you said with a small smile.

“Good” Spencer said as he walked to the staircase again, you turned and was disappointed to see him leaving so soon.

“What's your name? I don't believe i’ve seen you in the apartment block before,” you asked, it was a kind enough question, a name.

“I just moved in,” Spencer said as he stopped at the staircase, “my name is Spencer Ried, i have three Phd’s, if you ever need me im only ever two doors down from yours, number 15, either that or down at the BAU”

“You’re a profiler” you stated.

“Correct,” Spencer answered though he didn't move.

“So what’d you get from me?” you asked with crossed arms.

“You’re suicidal?” Spencer questioned playfully.

“You know what i mean,” you said with a sigh.

“Life is a hell of a thing to happen to someone” Spencer said with a smile, “a good friend of mine said that, he's a writer,” Spencer said with his hands still resting in his pockets.

“Brilliant” you said, it was half sarcastic and half...human.

“Goodnight…” Spencer trailed off as he didn't know your name.

“(Y/n). (Y/n) (L/n)” you said with a smile.

“Goodnight (Y/n) (L/n)” Spencer said.

“Goodnight Spencer Ried with three PhDs” you said with a smile as Spencer walked down the stairs.

---

After your first introduction to each other on that roof, you and Spencer started to become friends, then good friends, and then he asked you out on a date and now, 3 and a half years later. You couldn't be more happy to be alive than now. Time seemed to stand still as the last note from the guitar rang around the bar and everyone clapped, a few standing and another few wiping their tears away from the corners of their eyes. You smiled as you and Micheal bowed on the stage before walking off, Spencer nudged his team as he stood up.

“Come on, we’ll get a booth so it's easier” the profiler said as another band came onto the stage and started their song. The FBI agents all stood and followed Spencer to the bar where (Y/n) stood, looking around for their boyfriend and nervously sipping on whiskey, Spencer smirked as he turned to his friends with a look of excitement, “watch this” the Doctor said with a wiggle of his brows before walking over towards you. You bit your lip as you looked around nervously hoping Spencer had made it tonight, “a good looking person like you should bite their lip so much” a voice said behind you, you jumped from the suddenness of it before turning around and allowing a large smile to form over your lips before placing your drink on the bar and wrapping your arms around your tall boyfriends neck.

“Spence! You made it!” you said happily, though you had been together for over 3 years, Spencer Reid still seemed to give you the same butterflies like the first date you two ever had.

“Of course i made it Bug,” Spencer said, using his nickname for you, “wouldn't miss it even if i was dying” the agent said with a knowing smile as a scoff could be heard behind him causing Spencer and you to look at the intruder.

“He was almost dying when he was coming down the street,” a man said, he was black and tall and rather handsome, Spencer gave a shy smile as he walked over next to the man.

“These are my coworkers!” Spencer said a little nervously, you had a confused look on your face previously but now it was filled with excitement and elated happiness as you walked forward towards the group.

“So you guys are the people he keeps boasting on about!” you said happily as you stuck out your hand to the first man.

“Derek Morgan” the man said, you nodded as you shook his hand and a soft smile came over the man's face, this was Spencer's ‘big brother’ at the office. You moved to the next person.

“Emily Prentiss,” the girl said, she was sleek and had nice hair, you made a mental note to ask her about it later as you moved to the next person.

“Jason Gideon”, ah, so this was Spencer's mentor, you gave a knowing look at Gideons hands encapsulating yours in a warm and inviting way. Spencer looked at you greeting everyone with a profound happiness.

“Aaron Hotchner, but please just Hotch” the man said, you smiled.

“So youre the narcissist” you said with a wink as Hotch gave a small laugh as Spencer closed his eyes with a smile. You moved to the next person. She was rather round and had blonde hair and a brilliant red dress and blue cardigan on.

“Penelopie Garcia, i make sure your wonder boy over there makes it back alive to you” the girl said, you gave a laugh as did everyone else knowing it was a team effort but it was also a joke.

“Than i shall give all my thanks to you and bid everyone else, adew” you said with a tone of laughter, Garcia laughed with you as you moved to the final person, “you must be-”

“J.J., please” the girl said as she shook your hand for the final time, you nodded in respect, so this was the girl Reid fancied for like, an hour or something whenever it was he told you that point.

“Well, please let's get a booth and get to know each other!” you said with a smile as you grabbed your glass of liquor from the bar and walked to a previously reserved booth in the far corner of the bar.

“You shouldn't drink that drink you know,” Derek said from behind you, “you left it alone for two minutes, could be drugged” you smiled as yourself and the group piled into the booth.

“Then I am one hundred percent sure one of you would have told me” you said as you took a sip of your drink, Derek laughed as Garcia sat next to him and he wrapped an arm around her, you eyed them for a moment before letting it go. Spencer sat next to you as J.J. sat next to him, then the rest piled in.

“So (Y/n), tell us a little bit about yourself,” Hotch started as he took a sip of his beer, you cleared your throat as you looked to Spencer who nodded for confirmation.

“Well, um, I'm in a band,” you chuckled softly, “as you could see earlier I sing, we’ve made songs and practised them but we haven't been able to perfect them the way we want to start recording.” you took a moment, “um, i met Spencer a few years ago on our apartment roof-”

“EXCUSE ME,” Derek exclaimed with wide eyes, “you’re telling me pretty boy over here has had you as his little secret for a few YEARS?!”, Spencer chuckled.

“Three and almost a half to be exact Morgan” Spencer said with a shit-eating grin as he took a swig of your drink, you slapped him on the chest causing him to laugh.

“That’s my drink you prick!” you exclaimed with a smile, “anyway, um,” you shrugged with a laugh, “you guys are the ones who have profiling as a career you should be doing this to me not the other way around” you laughed as you looked to Gideon, the man smiled.

“You closed your eyes when you where up on stage,” Gideon started, “whatever you were singing meant alot for you to get so into it, you were looking around a lot when you where at the bar, you’re anxious”

“Of course i am, im meeting you guys for the first time,” you said with an awkward smile, okay, this was a little different than you expected.

“You also have been fiddling with a ring, signifying anxiety,” Hotch chimed in, “and biting your lip,” you pulled your lip from in between your teeth and looked at the table.

“Alright enough,” Spencer said a little harsher than he intended, “can we just, drop the profiler job for tonight and just be like normal friends?” he asked agitated, this sparked your eye and you gave Spencer a glance, he glanced back as reassurance.

“(Y/n), where do you work?” Garcia asked as a waitress brought her another drink with a little pink umbrella, you smiled as she broke the ice.

“Other than in a band I work in a vintage antique store, one of those really old ones?” you smiled, “i got Spencers first gift from that shop actually,” you smiled at the memory.

“Oh here we go,” Spencer said from beside you as he clasped his eyes shut and smiled.

“Please can i tell them!?” you exclaimed.

“Yeah go on,” Spencer said as he looked back to you and gave you a kiss on the lips.

“Woah I didn't know pretty boy ever kissed anyone, besides that one girl?” Derek said, he trailed off at the end forgetting the girl's name.

“Lila” J.J. said softly.

“Yeah Lila, the actress” Derek said.

“ANYWAY,” you exclaimed trying to get back onto the story, Derek smiled as an apology as you continued the story, “obviously Spencer here loves books,” you started, “but since he can read 20,000 words a minute there was no way i was going to get his first date present a goddam book he’d read in like an hour, so,” you smiled towards Spencer who was trying to suppress his laughing, “i got him an antique music box, i just happen across it one day when i was leaving the shop. It was sitting right on the bench, waiting for me, i opened it and started winding the handle,” you smiled as Spencer looked down at you with love and adoration, “i didn't recognise the song at first but,” you looked around the table, “you know when you get that sudden feeling, when you hear something and you just suddenly understand what it was and what it was saying?” you asked, Emily, Garcia, Hotch; all the team nodded with a knowing look, “well, it was like that. The music box was the song I played on the stage tonight, Hallelujah, and instantly I knew I had to get it for him” you heard a sniffle on the table as Garcia was wiping at her eyes.

“I’m fine! Stop looking at me like that” the girl said with a smile, “it's just really sweet”

“And this was a first date present?” Emily asked from the side, this time Spencer nodded and answered.

“I had asked (Y/n) out a week prior and we decided we just wanted it to be a nice coffee date and walk in the park, when the time finally came i bought their favourite flowers from the shop, gave them to her and then she pulled out a lovely little bag with a package in it and said ‘this is for you’.” Spencer smiled, “when i went home that night and finally looked at the present, i had the same feeling as (Y/n) did, i didn't recognise the song at first but when it got to that one single word i knew, i knew (Y/n) was the one i wanted to marry one day,” the team around you guys smiled as their favourite profiler finally got the break he deserved in life. “I called (Y/n) right after i finished listening to the music box in a mess of tears and instantly asked for a second date, luckily i was charming enough to get another one” Spencer said in a joking manner as he rubbed his finger nails on his button up shirt as yourself and Emily pushed Spencer jokingly causing everyone to laugh.

“You seem to have it all setup then Ried” Hotch said from the side, Spencer smiled and nodded as he looked at you.

“I and my Annabelle Lee,” Spencer said softly, causing you to blush, a reference to one of his favorite poems by Edgar Allen Poe.

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HI IF YOU MADE IT I HOPED YOU LIKED IT.

And I hope you saw my nod to MGG at that last sentence 👀.

This was unedited. Apologies.

#criminal minds #spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #x reader #derek morgan #penelope garcia #jj #emily prentiss #jason gideon #aaron hotchner #hotch #nonspecified reader #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid x nonspecified reader

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