#(i have not been uh. doing well. but ive bounced back for today at least so im gonna believe)

[kkoct-ik]

im such an average scarian sicko i have got to get sick .. er

[the-s1lly-corner]

I was rewatching the Mulan films to get that childhood nostalgia, and I remembered how much I love Mushu...

So I thought "what would the cast of TADC x reader be like, who is practically a copy of Mushu's personality", I imagine that in appearance he would be a Chinese dragon humanoid but with his personality

TADC cast x mushu type! reader !

im finally back on my computer, woohoo! ill probably answer a few requests, since i wanna draw stuff today </3 i dont really like leaving my wips unfinished for more than a few days TToTT side note i gotta rewatch mulan, used to be one of my favorite movies as a kid (though i barely watched movies back then so uh uh its not like there were many contenders </3) relying on the good ol character wiki to help me through this because its been so long since ive watched the movie

CAINE:

i think caine would actually really enjoy you, a lot! in a weird way caine gives off similar energy, with the confidence and such you know? so you two probably bounce right off each other and build one another up... though sometimes this leads to more insane IHAs because you insist to caine that youre more capable than you actually are... as mean as that sounds... the only reason that things dont get too too chaotic is because caine, in my opinion, does hold some significant level of care for the circus members (at least as it stands for the pilot)

like would he die for them? probably not.. but he cares enough to keep the circus (mostly) safe and bothers with keeping them mentally stimulated and entertained; he doesnt even watch the IHAs himself so its likely that its not for his own entertainment

ponders

im getting off topic, though, point is i think you two would be friends !

POMNI:

honestly i struggle a lot with writing pomni, but i think the two of you would be friendly with one another ! i think she might be a little taken aback by your confidence, but hey, its not like its to anyones detriment, right? well... IHAs can get interesting, with you either insisting to run in, leroy jenkins style, into the conflict; or trying to push someone else to do (oftentimes ragatha, who i feel would be the most likely to do the most in IHAs if theres nothing pulling her away from it (cough cough checking on kaufmo cough cough)

honestly my brains a little fuzzy trying to remember mulan, but i feel like you and pomni would have a similar dynamic to mulan and mushu as well

JAX:

i think jax would try to push you more than he does the others since oftentimes your reactions are more... out there, youre so desperate to prove yourself as this big strong individual that you kind of make an ass out of yourself. and jax revels in your humiliation everytime someone manages to humble you.. in terms of the other stuff, i think he would tease and make fun of any abilities you have.. assuming you also have (some) fire abilities like mushu, jax would just call you names like "matchstick" and "lighter boy", making fun of your weak fire powers

RAGATHA:

as mentioned in pomnis part, you and ragatha have... an interesting dynamic... but i can also see you two having a similar dynamic to mushu and cri-kee . with you being bold and ragatha keeping you grounded. often you two end up together during IHAs with either ragatha seeking you out or someone pushing you to her

not much to be said, i think ! very similar dynamic, ragatha keeps you in check, though i think she would occasionally scold you if you did something particularly reckless

KINGER:

ooo this ones a hard one, but i think it would be similar to my personal take on what his and caines dynamic would be but with you as a fellow circus member rather than the ring master... has respect for you (though i think kinger would have respect for just about everyone who has come and gone to the circus, he doesnt strike me as the type to just diss others unless theres a reason he doesnt like the person... and even then he would mind his own business, i think) which... honestly, i can see this either making your ego more intense or actually mean something to have someone actually respect you.. ponders... character degradation(?) or character growth.. both are fun routes, i think! ill leave this one up to you...

slides my favorite kinger thing

you guys tell each other stories about your adventures, both of you hyping them up way more than they need to be

ZOOBLE:

writing zoobles part first because i think that they may be the hardest, but in the kindest way possible i dont think they would be able to stand your personality... maybe youre a little loud and out there, or maybe they just dont like your humor or often times self centered nature... i think they would tolerate you just enough to get through IHA but forming a friendship with zooble is going to be tough... though, they do find it amusing when you and jax butt heads

GANGLE:

very similar to pomnis part, i think... but like, gangle is shy whereas pomni is nervous so things are a little different... i think gangle would just along with most stuff you decide to do, that you rope her into, because she doesnt have a backbone to say no or suggest something else.. well she doesnt have bones in general but... you know? honestly she kind of envies you in a weird way, she wishes she had the confidence you have so sometimes she probably approaches you for advice.. how this ends up is up to you !

[nymphrasis]

Decided to answer a few asks at once, instead of one for today ;;w;;

Also part of me wishes that I could have these fellas introduced ( Not in ask-abomination. Just moreso their own stories mayhaps? ). Since Ive had the ideas of them for a very long time now but have not done anything with it yet ;;w;;. I remember wanting to make emotes of them at some point. I think I have made a blog of them but never really started on it yet because haha I got nervous >w<""".

It is these four ( Artist credit below ): Akika Sasaki ( Lopunny / Hatterene / Blissey )

Zarathos Zyllar ( Lucario / Zoroark / Bisharp / Zamazenta )

Li Jing ( Gardevoir / Swanna / Primarina / Alolan Ninetales )

Kusunoki Nishimura ( Mawile / Roserade )

( Although I still debate if I replace Kusunoki with Jinkuro or just make it a 5 member party instead of 4. This is Jinkuro btw! No last name has been planned, as ideas are poo ;w;! Grimmsnarl x Doublade x Alolan Marowak )

( Artist credits btw for 1,2,3, and 5 are https://www.deviantart.com/collywobblies and 4 is https://toyhou.se/BlueNoelle )

I had ideas for them and they were intended to be my practice for writing and story building ;;w;;! There was even going to be an introduction to the power of megas and dynamaxing! I even made this back in 2022, as a way where there is a discussion of immerse uncontrollable power to have when two items are combined!

( Be it I did adjusted the ideas since then x3 )

There are ideas of guilds! Inspiration are moreso from animes I've watched xd! These five are part of one! I haven't have full character rosters yet for the guild they are in, because these particular characters I keep bouncing between this and of another story ( But I dont feel like they belong to said other story. I feel like they belong to this one, but I've never fully established it because its been on and off ;;w;; )! The following are here:

Tartarus ( Gallade / Aegislash / Darkrai / Corviknight by https://www.deviantart.com/collywobblies )

Zaros ( Darkrai / Yveltal / Hisuian Zoroark https://toyhou.se/Kyatra )

Athena ( Gardevoir / Guzzlord. Not meant to be part of the guild btw! She is one of the antagonists! By https://toyhou.se/RaccoonSaloon )

Imelda ( Lucario / Marowak. By @sphaeramjourney )

Zakeal ( Morgrem. By https://toyhou.se/MiranKaza )

Kaitlyn ( Incineroar / Blissey / Machamp. By https://www.deviantart.com/bluescienceisbest )

Ezekiel ( Gallade / Volbeat. By https://toyhou.se/MiranKaza )

Damoclios ( Armarouge x Ceruledge )

Why am I suddenly bringing this up? Well... A friend recently dm'd me, asking of these characters and said how they miss hearing how happy I talk of these particular ocs, how I've always wanted to make a practice writing-base ask blog of them, and want to send these stinkers to others ask boxes just to faun over how my ocs interact with theirs ( and they meant these in particular because, uh... Well... I admittedly talk to this friend of how I'd imagine how others ocs interact with my ocs base on the asks I imagined -/////-. Can you tell that I obsess about this community but feel too shy about it? ) because this was brought back to me and even encouraged to try to give this idea another go ( This time not feel afraid ), I have just been overall debating about it ;;w;; If I do try it, I will at least need to fill up the main guild missing roles. Like... I don't have a guild leader to this story yet xd. I have yet to decide on species. Ofc the blog will focus on bipedal and anthros pwp. No ferals this time around! ( This does not mean ferals dont exist in my world for this! They do, but are very rare! Even rarer if it is a non-hybrid feral! ) I will have to replan an intro because uh... I've forgotten the old one xd. I didnt had it saved anywhere. But this does mean pausing the Kuruna blog, just to not overwhelm myself pwp

Part of me worries about whether this would even have any interests ;;w;;. Like yeah I will have fun and writing practice, that is priority! Just unsure if anyone would like this too ;;w;;

aaaaaa Also hope y'all didnt mind my little oc talk! I do miss brain rotting about my ocs but not sure if any is interested to hear ;;w;;

[atlafan]

Sweet Tooth - One Shot

a/n: dentistrry is here!! I only researched a couple of things, so if you’re in the dentistry/medical field please don’t come for me if things are inaccurate, it’s just a fic, you know? This ia really cute, sweet, datey fic, so I hope you enjoy! Feedback and reblogs are super helpful! (not proofread) Consider buying me a coffee if you’re able! 

Warnings: fluff and smut (the word molested is used, nothing bad happens or has happened to the main characters, it’s just mentioned during a conversation)

Pairing: Harry x OC

Words: 18K

“Dad, I can go by myself.” Abby groans to her father.

“I have to make sure everything gets billed correctly. Your dentist said only two are impacted, so only half is covered my medical and the other half is covered by dental.”

She huffs out a sigh, but nods her head as they enter Tufts Medical Center. Abby was finally getting a consult for her wisdom teeth. Perhaps at the age of twenty she felt a little late to the game for this, but her mouth had only started to hurt a little this past year. She was a little nervous about being knocked out for surgery, but she also just wanted her mouth to feel better. It was the summer before her junior year of college, so now was the perfect time to get it done. Abby and her dad make their way through the building, and get to the floor they need to be on.

“Abigail Simmons.” Her dad says to the receptionist and she nods.

“Someone will be out for her shortly. Did you have her most recent x-rays sent to us?”

“Yes.” Her dad says, and they both go to take a seat.

Abby’s leg was bouncing and she was chewing on her bottom lip. It was just a consult, there was really nothing to be worried about.

“Abigail?” Her eyes widen as she looks over at the person who just said her name. He had a toothy smile and was wearing a set of blue scrubs. She and her father both stand up. “Hi, I’m Harry, you can follow me.” He smiles to the two of them as he leads them to the consult rooms. He gets Abby situated in the dental chair. “Just so you both know, I am a student, but a competent one, which is why one of the other nurses isn’t here, but one of them will come by shortly, and so will the doctor.” He sits down on the stool and wheels over to Abby as he puts his gloves on. “Heard your mouth’s been sore, huh?”

“Y-yeah.”

“She called me at school in tears.” Her dad says and she glares at him.

“College student?” Harry raises an eyebrow and looks back at the computer to review her x-rays. “How old are you?”

“Twenty.” Abby says.

“Your teeth are, like, really straight. Did you have braces?”

“When she was in middle school. She stills wears her retainer.”

Harry and Abby both look at her father and blink. He was really starting to piss her off. She could answer for herself.

“Well, you’ve got a very good girl here, don’t you, Mr. Simmons? Listen, uh, this is going to take a few minutes. I need to look at all of her teeth and confirm the ones that are impacted and if the other two have room or not. There’s another waiting area right over there. I’ll call you back over once the doctor’s here. Would that be alright?”

“It’s just…Abby’s really nervous-“

“Dad, please, I’m fine.”

“Alright.” Her dad sighs. “I’ll be right over there.”

“Bit of a helicopter you have there.” Harry smirks at her.

“Thank you for getting rid of him. I bring myself to the doctor all the time, but for whatever reason he was adamant about coming to this.”

“It’s major surgery I don’t blame him.” Harry grabs a bib to put around Abby. “So, you go by Abby?”

“Mhm.” She blushes as he clips the bib in place and adjusts her hair.

“Is it true, are you nervous?”

“A little…mostly about the surgery, not so much about the rest. I’m not one of those people that’s afraid of the dentist.”

“No worries, love, you’ll be in good hands with us.” He smiles. “I’m gonna put the chair back now, alright?”

“Okay.”

The chair slowly goes back, and he situates a pair of sunglasses onto her before fixing the light over her eyes.

“Could you open up for me as much as you can? I’ll try to be as gentle as possible since I know you’re experiencing a lot of discomfort.”

She nods and opens up wide. She feels his pinkies enter her mouth and feel around her gums. She winces a few times when he brushes up against the back of her mouth. She hears him whisper sorry a few times. Abby tries to focus on anything else. She focuses on how green his eyes are, and how seemingly perfect his skin is. Her mind wanders to how people get skin like that. What’s his routine? How could she get skin as smooth? Does he see a dermatologist regularly?

“Okay, Abby, I’m gonna out the chair back upright, and go grab your dad and the doctor. Hope that didn’t hurt too much.”

“It was fine, thank you.”

Abby’s dad, two nurses, Harry, and the doctor all come over to her to discuss her teeth. She definitely needed all four removed. They settle on a date for her to come back and have the procedure done, and Harry gives her the rundown on how to prep for the surgery.

“We’ll see you in a couple of weeks, Abby.” Harry smiles.

“You’ll be here?”

“You bet.”

Even though she was nervous as fuck to go under, she was almost excited to see the handsome dental student again. At least it was something to look forward to.

//

Abby had an early morning surgery, and she had to stop eating the night before. So she was exhausted and starving, not to mention she was a ball of nerves. Her dad drove her in for the appointment, and assured her he’d be there afterwards.

“Abby?” Harry comes out all scrubbed up and ready to go. She stands up and waves back to her dad before going with him. He brings her over to a consult chair and types on the computer. “Alright, whatcha have for breakfast?”

“N-nothing, I haven’t eaten since dinner last night.”

“Good girl.” He says without looking at her. “And what about a midnight snack?”

“Harry, I haven’t eaten since dinner last night.”

“You remembered my name?” He asks as he turns to her, and she blushes.

“Sort of hard to forget the British guy that told my dad to go sit somewhere else.” She smirks, and it makes him laugh. “Will you be in the operating room?”

“Yup, I’ll be there the whole time. I’m the hand holder.”

“The hand holder?”

“Mhm, while they’re helping you get to sleep I’ll be holding your hand, making sure you’re alright. I also get to put the IV in your arm.”

“Lucky you.” She deadpans and it makes him laugh again.

“What are you in school for?”

“Psychology. I’d like to be the type of doctor that doesn’t have to deal with all this.” She gestures around the room.

“Helping people on a whole other level, I see.” He nods.

The doctor comes over, and she must have gotten asked about four more times if she had eaten breakfast. She gets settled in the chair in the new room where she’d be operated on. She watches as Harry gets the IV in her arm, and then he holds her hand, just like he said he was. He was wearing a mask now, but she could tell he was smiling.

“Don’t worry, Abby, the next time you wake up these nasty teeth will be gone.”

She nods at him and squeezes his hand as they get the oxygen hooked up to her nose. His thumb rubs the back of her hand as a nurse puts the mask over her mouth, and her eyes slowly start to droop. The last image she has is Harry’s hand in hers.

When Abby wakes up, her eyes immediately well up with tears as she looks around the room. She sees her dad sitting in a chair reading a magazine, and she sees the IV still hooked up to her arm. She makes a whining noise and her dad looks over at her.

“Hey, you’re awake.” He smiles. “Everything went really well, honey. You did great.”

After about ten minutes a nurse comes in and takes the IV out. In her daze she tried looking for Harry, but she couldn’t find him. She was so delirious she could barely walk, and her dad had to help her to the car. She just wanted to say thank you to Harry for holding her hand, but she never got the chance.

//

Several years later, Abby had finished her master’s degree in counseling, and just finished up her licensure program. She already had a few different job opportunities lined up. The one she wanted most was at a local university at a counseling center. Being a student in today’s age was tough, and Abby wanted to be someone they could open up to. She had done extremely well in her postgraduate internship, so she had impeccable recommendations. She just needed to narrow things down to what school she wanted to work for, and that ultimately came down to benefits. She ended up going with UMASS Boston. It was a school a lot of her friends attended, so she sort of knew the campus, it was easy enough to get to by train, and the benefits were great.

After getting the first semester under her belt, Abby was feeling confident in what she was doing. She was truly helping students. She’d even be able to go for her PhD for free after she had six months under her belt. With winter break underway, Abby was getting caught up on some self-care, which meant going in for her annual cleaning.

“Hello, this is MidCity General Denstistry, may I please speak with Abigail Simmons?”

“This is she.”

“Hi, Abigail, this is a call to remind you of your appointment this week.”

“Right, Wednesday at 3PM?”

“Correct, and I have to inform you that your usual dentist, Dr. Morgan, has recently retired.”

“Oh…I mean good for her, I just liked her a lot.” Abby chuckles.

“Don’t worry, our new doctor, Dr. Styles, is amazing and everyone’s really like him so far. He’s taking over all of Dr. Morgan’s patients.”

“Okay, that should be fine. See you Wednesday!” Abby hangs up the phone and puts an extra reminder on her phone so she wouldn’t forget.

On Wednesday, she checked in and was brought into the back by a nurse, Marie. She was the dental assistant that would be doing her cleaning, nothing out of the ordinary. Although, Abby was starting to get aggravated because Marie kept sticking the pick into the same tooth in the back of her mouth. She hears Marie sigh.

“Abby, it seems like you may have a cavity. Dr. Styles will be able to confirm it. Let me polish you up, and then I’ll go get him.”

Before Abby has a chance to respond, Marie was already polishing her teeth. She was left to lay back in the chair while Marie went to get Dr. Styles.

“Hello, Miss Simmons.” Abby’s eyes widen when she hears his voice. He sits on a stool and wheels over next to her. “I’m Dr. Styles, nice to meet you.” He extends his hand to her and she takes it. “Mind if I take a quick peak at everything else before I inspect this possible cavity?”

“N-no, go ahead.”

“Thank you, open wide for me.”

She does so, and he sticks his gloved fingers into her mouth, feeling around her gums, and making sure everything’s alright. Next he grabs the tools and does a quick inspection of her overall mouth before poking at the tooth that Marie said was the problem. Abby notices how he hum along to the music playing on the radio. It was almost soothing.

“Okay, I’m gonna hit the button so you can sit up.” He says to her. Marie moves the light, and Abby takes the sunglasses she was given off. Her eyes widen again when she gets a good look at him.

Abby had come into contact with a lot of people in her life since the time she was twenty. It would be odd to remember someone that helped with her oral surgery, but too much was adding up. A man with a British accent, the same green eyes, and he was in the dental profession. She was finally going to get a chance to thank him.

“You have a cavity.” He sighs.

“I’ve never had one in my life.” She shakes her head.

“Happens to the best of us.” Dr. Styles chuckles. “Are you eating a lot of sweets?”

“Um, well, I’m a counselor at UMASS Boston, and I tend to suck on jolly ranchers when I’m meeting with students. Helps remind me to just sit and listen and not interrupt.”

“Ah, that’s a pretty good trick. Maybe try sugar free gum?”

“No, gum gives me a headache.” She shakes her head. “I prefer to suck than to chew.”

“Right.” He swallows. “Maybe try sucking on some mints then?”

“Sure, I can try that.” She smiles at him.

“Good girl.” He smiles back at her. That just sealed the deal it was definitely him. “Marie here will help you set up an appointment so I can take care of this for you.”

“You’ll be doing the procedure?”

“Mhm, you’re stuck with me now…unless you want to switch to another doctor, which I hope you don’t. Hope you’re not missing Dr. Morgan too much.”

“Not as much as I thought, that’s for sure. Um…this may be a weird question, but did you happen to be a student at Tufts Medical Center?”

“I was! It’s where I went after I got my bachelor’s. I can perform oral surgery, but I much prefer doing stuff like this. Can fill a cavity in my sleep. How did you know I went there?”

“I…this is going to sound so weird, but, like, six years ago you…held my hand when I got my wisdom teeth out.” Harry’s eyes widen at that. “Normally I wouldn’t remember someone so well, but…it’s not every day I have a British doctor.”

“Oh, wow, you remember me doing that?”

“Yeah, and we left before I ever got a chance to say thank you for keeping me so calm. So…thanks.” She blushes.

“I wish…I wish I remembered that. They often had me as the hand holder. How nice for our paths to cross again, huh? Promise to be just as good a dentist as I was at holding your hand.”

“That’s all I could hope for.” She smirks, and it makes him chuckle. “Right, well, Marie, please help Miss Simmons set up her appointment with me so we can get this cavity filled.”

“Sure thing, Dr. Styles.” Marie says as she makes a few clicks on the computer.

Just like that he was gone. He had grown into quite the handsome man since she last saw him. Not that he wasn’t before, but he looked more adult now. She wondered how much older he was than her. More importantly, she wondered if he was single.

//

It was about a week later when Abby came in to have her cavity taken care of. Marie was the dental assistant again which brought Abby some comfort. Marie gets her prepped in the chair as they wait for Harry to come into the private room.

“Alright, good morning, Miss Simmons.” He says brightly.

“You can just call me Abby if you want…” She says shyly.

“Okay, Abby, it is. Let’s fill this cavity, yeah?” He sits on the stool and wheels over to her. “Gotta give you a spot of nova cane, but before I do that we have to numb the area a bit, so this little thing that looks like a lollypop is gonna go in.” Abby nods. “Open up for me.” She does so. “Good girl, thank you.” He places the numbing stick inside her mouth and she scrunches her face. “I know, it doesn’t taste very good, sorry.” He stands back up. “I’ll be back in about five minutes.”  

True to his word, Harry comes back five minutes later, and takes the numbing stick out of Abby’s mouth. Next he has her open up so he can administer the nova cane. He tells her she might feel a slight pinch, and she accidentally grabs onto his thigh.

“S-sorry.” Abby says as she takes her hand off him. “I may not be afraid of the dentist, but I really don’t like needles.”

Harry and Marie share a glance, and then Harry looks at Abby.

“Marie, would you mind handling the nova cane so I can hold Abby’s hand?”

“Sure thing, Dr. Styles.”

Harry hands the needle to Marie, and then Harry grabs onto Abby’s hand. He smiles softly at her, and she’s able to focus on him and not the needle going into her gums. Marie says it’s all set, so Harry gets back into position with the drill.

“If it hurts, just let me know and we can numb you a bit more.” Harry says to her. “It’ll be over before you know it.”

Abby pinches her eyes closed the second the drill comes into contact with her tooth. Thank god Harry was wearing a mask because he couldn’t help but smile at how cute she looked. Luckily, Abby didn’t suffer too much. The procedure didn’t take too long, and she was sitting upright before she knew it.

“You did great.” Harry smiles at her. “So, that side of your mouth will be numb for a bit. Give it a few hours before you eat anything, avoid hot foods.” Abby just nods her head along, too embarrassed to speak because she knew she would sound stupid. “Have you made your appointment for your next cleaning?” She nods again. “Great, Marie, I’m just gonna go over another few things with Abby, feel free to go on your break.”

“Oh, alright. See you in six months, Abby.” Marie smiles, and leaves the room as Abby waves to her.

“I actually already went over everything with you. I…uh…just wanted her to step out.” Abby’s eyes widen at that. “I was actually wondering, um, if you’d like to go out for coffee sometime…you know, when you can have hot liquids again.” He blushes and so does she. She nods yes at him quickly. “You do? Great, um, can I have your number then?” Abby frantically reaches for the phone in her pocket, unlocks it, and then hands it to Harry so he can add his contact. “I’ll call you in a couple of days so we can set something up, yeah?”

She smiles and nods as she takes her phone back. Her heart was fluttering. She felt like she was in a dream or something. Coffee couldn’t come soon enough.

//

Harry called Abby a couple of days later, just like he said he would, and they agreed upon what coffee shop they should meet up at on Saturday. Her mouth was feeling much better, and she was really excited to see him. She was still in shock that he asked her out in the first place. She thought she’d have to wait another six months to see him again.

He got to the coffee shop first, and decided to wait outside for her. He smiles when he sees her and they step inside.

“It’s on me.” He says. “Get whatever you like.”

“Oh! That’s so nice of you.” Abby blushes. “Thanks.” They each order and grab a table to sit at. It was too cold outside to go for a walk.

“I just want to preface by saying I’ve never asked out a patient before.” Harry says to her.

“So…why ask me out then?”

“I just found it really endearing that you remembered me, and all you wanted to do was say thank you to me for doing something so simple.”

“Harry, I had just turned twenty, I was practically still a kid. I had never gone under or had a surgery before, I was petrified. My dad was just as nervous, you were the only thing that calmed me down.”

“So, that would make you roughly twenty-six now?”

“Yes it would.” She smiles as she takes a sip of her coffee. “How old are you?”

“I’ll be thirty-two next month.” It was an age difference both of them might have been against those years ago, but not now. They were both well into adulthood, had their careers, and had some life experience under their belts. “It’s killing me that I don’t remember you.”

“It’s really okay. You’ve probably seen so many patients. I’m sure years down the line I won’t remember every student I’ve met with.”

“Right, you said you’re a counselor at…?”

“UMASS Boston.”

“And how do you like doing that?”

“I love it, honestly. I feel so bad for these kids, they have so much on their plates, under all this pressure. It’s really brave of them to come ask for help, so I like giving them a safe space. Some meetings are more serious than others, so it’s never boring. I feel like I’m doing something worthwhile.”

“That’s amazing. Feel like I do better talking to people in small spurts, that’s what’s so great about being a dentist. People can’t strike up small talk when you’ve got your fingers in their mouth.” He laughs and so does Abby.

“How long have you been at MidCity for?”

“Like…six months, I think. I like it a lot, everyone’s really nice. Marie’s my favorite assistant, though, sometimes her kids come in and they’re really cute, and her wife bakes the best brownies.”

“She’s usually the one to do my cleanings, I like her a lot too.”

“Can I ask why you chose jolly ranchers to suck on? I mean, how many students are you meeting with? You must go through a ton.”

“I do.” She blushes in embarrassment. “I got them when they were on sale after Halloween…I’m definitely going to try the mints like you said.”

“Good, I’m glad.” He smiles as he takes a bite of his bagel.

“So, how does a doctor such as yourself not already have a girlfriend?”

“Getting right to it, huh?” He smirks and she nods. “Medical school takes up a lot of time, and then when I first started as an intern, I was constantly overworked. I was doing surgeries left and right, I was too exhausted to try and make anything serious work. Then I decided I’d rather be working at a practice. I still do a lot of teeth pulling, but not as much as I was. And now that things have slowed down a bit, I just haven’t met someone I’ve wanted to be serious with.” He shrugs. “What about you?”

“Same thing, sort of.” She giggles. “Grad school was a lot, and then interning was a lot. Now I’m just really settling into my job. I survived the first semester, now I feel like a pro.”

“That’s a good feeling to have. Is your commute long?”

“Not really, I just take the green line to the red and I’m there. Obviously the trains can be unpredictable, but it beats having to pay for a car and car insurance. What about you? Are you in the city, or out in the suburbs.”

“Oh, I’m in the city. I drive to work, though, I’ve got my own parking spot at the back of the building.”

“Well, we can’t all be so special.” She smirks.

“No, I suppose not.” He smirks back at her. “How’s your tooth feel, by the way?”

“Oh, it’s fine, thanks. You’re really good at your job. It was nice of you to hold my hand when Marie did the nova cane.”

“I felt so bad that you were scared.” He reaches across the table and places his hand over hers. “When you grabbed onto me I knew I had to do something.”

“God that was embarrassing. I would have felt so violated if someone did that to me.”

“It’s not like you grabbed my dick, Abby, it’s alright.” He gives her hand a squeeze.

“Right.” She lets out a nervous laugh. “So, do you work a standard Monday through Friday at MidCity, or how does all of that work?”

“Yup, pretty much.” He takes his hand away from hers. “I mean obviously if there’s an emergency we have to cancel appointments, but for the most part we leave spots open for surgeries so people are able to book those easy enough. I usually pop by the cleanings in between cavity fillings and other stuff.”

“What made you want to become a dentist?”

“Well, I knew I wanted to work in the medical field, but selfishly I didn’t want the long hours at hospitals. I don’t have to be on call, like, I don’t have to worry about emergencies in the middle of the night. Not often, anyways.”

“I feel like I would get grossed out looking at teeth all day.” Abby chuckles.

“It’s not as bad as you think. I try to separate the teeth from the person. Like, I was able to give all new teeth to this recovering meth addict. She had this incredible story, and I knew I had to help. She had been sober for five years, but no one would hire her because of her teeth. Now she’s working a corporate job doing great.”

“Oh, wow, that’s amazing.”

“You must have some great stories with your students.”

“Yeah, I’ve really bonded with a few of them. Sometimes they just need someone on their side, you know? A lot of them are first in their family to go to school, so they’re doing a lot on their own.”

“That’s a lot of pressure.”

“You have no idea.”

“Well, it’s good they have a nice person like you to help them.” Harry smiles warmly at her and she smiles back. “Would you, um, would you be interested in going out for dinner some time?”

“I…yeah, I’d love to.” She blinks a couple of times. “I’m free most nights right now because we’re on winter break.”

“You don’t have to go into your office at all?”

“I just answer emails from home.” Abby shrugs.

“Sweet deal.” Harry grins. “So, how would Thursday night work for you?”

“Thursday works great.” She smiles.

They both throw out all of their trash and step out of the coffee shop. They share a gentle hug, and go their separate ways. Harry said he’d call in a couple of days to let her know where he’d be taking her, and she was beyond excited.

//

Friday night, Harry picked Abby up in front of her building. When he saw her, he got out of the car to open the door for her and she giggled.

“That’s a nice coat.” He says to her.

“Thanks, I got it on sale at L.L. Bean back in August. Keeps me nice and warm.”

“Oh, I love shopping there! Once in a while I’ll take the drive up to New Hampshire to go to the actual store to get the really good stuff. The boots I got from there for the winter will last a life time.”

“Yeah, it’s just good quality stuff. I usually get a decent coupon in the mail or online.” She chews her bottom lip. Clearly Harry had a little more money than she did. “Where are we eating?”

“You’ll love it, it’s this nice Italian place at the North End. I remember you said Italian was something you liked when we spoke on the phone.”

Abby smiles at him and he looks at her briefly to smile back. He finds a place to park, somehow, and they walk towards the restaurants. She hadn’t been to the North End in a while since most of the places were expensive. Harry puts his hand on the small of her back as they walk in, and he tells the hostess he has a reservation. She leads them over to a table for two and he pulls out the chair for her.

“So, how’s your week been?” Abby asks him.

“Pretty good, fit this one person with a new tooth, did a couple of crowns. Same old, same old.” He shrugs. “How about you?”

“Good, I did some virtual sessions with some students who are having shitty winter breaks. I went into the office for a team retreat, and then I updated some spread sheets.” She chuckles.

“That’s nice of you to do virtual appointments.”

“It’s all part of the job.”

“Good evening, folks.” A waiter comes over with water and a basket of rolls. “I’m Parker, can I start you off with any drinks or appetizers?”

“Abby, would you care to get a bottle of white for the table?” Harry asks her.

“Oh, sure, that’s be great. Would Pinot Grigio be alright?”

“It’s perfect. A bottle of Piniot Grigio, please.” He looks down at the menu and furrows his brows at the appetizers. “Calamari?” He asks her and she nods. “Calamari, Parker.”

“Sounds great, I’ll be back in a moment with the wine and to take your dinner orders.”

“The calamari here is excellent, it’s lightly fried in peanut oil so it doesn’t feel heavy.”

“What do you recommend for an entrée?”

“Everything’s good. What are you in the mood for?”

Abby looks down at the menu and her eyebrows raise at the prices.

“Maybe just one of these pasta dishes.”

“Don’t do that.”

“What?”

“Don’t get the cheapest thing on the menu. Get whatever you like, it’s my treat.”

“Harry, this is gonna be really expensive.”

“I wouldn’t have brought you here if I couldn’t afford it, please don’t worry about it.”

“O-okay, then…maybe the steak tips with the pan seared peppers.”

“If that’s what you want then you should have it.” Harry smiles. Parker comes over with the bottle of wine, and pours the first two glasses for them. “I’m really glad we could do this tonight.” He grins. “I…found something when I was going through some old things the other day.”

“Oh?” She raises an eyebrow as she sips on her drink.

“It was killing me that I couldn’t remember you, but then it hit me.” He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a card. “I’ve never been so thankful to be a packrat in my life.” He opens it and smiles. “Dear Harry, I never got a chance to say thank you when you held my hand before my surgery. I figured I’d drop this off when I came in to have my stitches removed. I hope this finds its way to you. You’re going to be a great doctor someday. Sincerely, Abby Simmons.” He smiles at her as he places the card back in his back pocket.

“You…you kept that?”

“It wasn’t often I got cards like that, so I kept it, and once in a while when I needed a pick me up I’d read it. As soon as I re-read it the other day I completely remembered you. I even remembered telling your dad to go sit in the other waiting room.”

“Oh my god.” Abby chuckles. “That was the greatest thing I had ever seen. Think that solidified the crush I had on you.”

“Telling your dad to basically leave you alone?”

“Yeah.” She smirks. “Super hot to see you be so sure of yourself and confident. Plus, he was really pissing me off, talking over me and answering for me.”

“Wow, so I guess I’m the one that away, huh?” He smirks.

“You certainly were. Although, I hadn’t thought about you in quite some time. It’s crazy that you ended up becoming my dentist.”

“Very crazy.” Parker comes over with the calamari and tells the two he’s going to put their orders in now. Harry watches as she sticks her fork into a piece and takes a bite. “You’re really cute, you know that?”

“I’ll take your word for it.” She smiles. “This is really good.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

The rest of the date goes really well. Abby and Harry continued to joke around and flirt. It wasn’t until the check came that she felt a little uncomfortable.

“How much is it?” She asks him nervously.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He smirks and slides his card into the slot, letting Parker take it. “Would you like to walk around for a bit, maybe get some dessert by the water?”

“That sounds great, but only if I can pay for dessert.”

“Deal.” He smiles.

Harry holds Abby’s hand as they walk through the little park by the water. Even though it was cold out, it was still a beautiful night. They duck into a gelato place for a little dessert. They decide to split something, which ends up being insanely romantic when Harry lifts his spoon to her lips. She makes a show of it as she takes a bite, licking her lips after and everything. He holds her hand during the drive, and lets her pick the radio station. He gets out and walks her up to the door once they get to her building.

“I had a lot of fun with you tonight.” She says to him.

“Me too.” He steps closer to her. “Do you see a third date in our future?”

“Definitely.” She nods. “Do you like bowling?”

“Love bowling. Are you, um, free Saturday night?”

“I can be.” She smiles. “Pick me up around seven?”

“It’s a date.” He smiles. The two stand there awkwardly for a moment, unsure if they should kiss or not, so instead Harry opens his arms for hug, and she wraps her arms around his neck. She kisses his cheek, and then he kisses hers. “I’ll see you Saturday, Abby.”

“See you Saturday, Harry.”

//

Harry was on cloud nine the next day at work. He couldn’t stop thinking about Abby, her smile, her laugh, the little beauty mark she has under right eye. He thought she was gorgeous, charming, and kind. Normally he’d never get involved with a patient, but he couldn’t help it with her. He thought it was so sweet that she remembered him after all this time, and he felt so relieved that he remembered her.

“You’ve had this dreamy look on your face all week, what’s with you?” Marie asks Harry while they’re eating lunch.

“I…sort of met someone, and we’ve been out a couple times…she’s great.”

“That’s great! Anyone I know?”

“Um…well, you know Abigail Simmons…”

“Of course I know Abby! Oh my god, is that why you asked me to step out of the room when you filled her cavity?!”

“I didn’t wanna ask her out in front of you.”

“Harry, since when do you date patients?” She whispers.

“Normally I wouldn’t, but it turns out I met her a long time ago. When I was a student at Tufts I assisted in removing her wisdom teeth.”

“Oh, wow, that’s incredible.” Marie blinks. “When are you seeing her again?”

“Tomorrow night. We’re going bowling, how fun is that?”

“Should be really fun.” Marie grins. “Look at you, putting yourself out there. Now Leigh and I can stop trying to set you up.”

“I’m excited about her. She’s got such a cool job too. I can’t wait to keep getting to know her.”

//

Since they were going bowling, they could easily just take the train, so Harry takes a cab to Abby’s building Saturday evening. He was wearing a nice pair of jeans and a sweater under his jacket. She comes down the stairs in her long coat, and a Patriots hat on top of her head.

“Hey.” He smiles at her, taking her in for a hug. “How are you?”

“Good.” She smiles up at him. “How are you?”

“Good, great, actually.” He takes her hand and they walk towards the nearest t-stop. They both swipe their Charlie Cards and hop onto the next train.  

“I hope you’re okay with candle pins…I’m not good with the big balls.” Abby says to him as they hang onto the same pole of the crowded train.

“I love candle pinning.” He chuckles. “No worries.”

They get to the bowling alley, are given a lane, and get their shoes. Abby takes her hat off and fixes her hair, and then unzips her jacket. She had a pair of jeans on with a red turtleneck. Abby was a short, curvy thing, and Harry absolutely loved it. When Abby first met Harry back when she was twenty, she was a tiny size two, but now she was a comfortable size eight and was fully embracing it. She was healthy, and that was all that mattered.

“Do you want anything to drink? I could get us a pitcher of beer.” Harry says to her as they settle into their lane. “I could get us some pizza too.”

“That sounds great, thanks.” She smiles as she slips her shoes on.

“Be back in a tick.” Harry goes over to the snack bar and gets two slices of pizza and a pitcher of beer. “Here we are.” Harry fills two of the plastic cups up with the beer, and hands one to Abby. “Shall we?”

“Mhm, I already set up the score sheets.” She shows him the large sheet of paper. “Not that I care that much about the score…it’s just fun to keep track.”

Abby bowls first, knocking most of the pins down, and then gets the rest on her second throw. Harry couldn’t help but smile as he watched her to do a little jog and hop as she threw the ball down the lane. He goes up next and immediately gets a strike.

“Woohoo! Go, Harry!” Abby says as she takes a sip of her beer. “I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a strike before.”

“I could show you how if you want.”

“Isn’t it just luck?”

“Nope, it’s all physics.”

“And…you’re good with physics?”

“Had to take it during pre-med, I even tutored for it. Come on, I’ll show you.” Abby gets up and grabs one of the balls. Harry goes behind her, and puts his hand on one of her shoulders, moving her hair so he can speak closer to her ear. “Okay, so what you’re gonna want to do is walk a little closer to the line, swing the ball back, and let it fly.”

Abby turns slightly to look up at him. Her cheeks were flushed. She nods at him, and does exactly what he said to do, and she gets the strike.

“Oh my god!” She squeals and throws her arms around him. “I can’t believe that worked! You’re amazing!” She kisses his cheek.

“You did great! Nice to know you’re good at following directions.” He winks at her and grabs his next ball.

After three rounds of bowling, and two pitchers of beer, they both head out. They take the train back to the stop nearest to Abby’s apartment, and Harry walks her home.

“I had so much fun tonight, Harry.”

“Me too, I’m glad you suggested bowling.” They both stop in front of her steps. “Can I see you again next weekend?”

“I’d like that.”

“Maybe if it’s not too cold we could go ice skating at Frog Pond.”

“Oh, I’d love to do that! I have my own skates and everything.”

“Perfect.” He smiles and steps closer to her. She looks up at him with her big brown eyes. He didn’t think brown eyes as beautiful as hers existed. “Abby, can I kiss you?” He asks softly.

“Yes.” She nods and smiles up at him.

He cups her cheek and leans down to her. His lips press to hers, and he uses is other hand to cup her other cheek. It’s soft and gentle at first, it grows a little needier as she presses her body to his, but she stops him from walking up the stairs. She pulls away first and blushes.

“Um, well, goodnight.” She says to him.

“Yeah, goodnight.” He rubs the back of his neck. He was sorting of hoping she’d invite him up. It was the third date, after all. Maybe she was a fifth date kind of girl, which he had to respect. “I’ll call you at some point during the week. I’ve got a few different surgeries, though, so if you don’t hear from me a lot that’s why.”

“No worries.” She shrugs. “I’m getting ready for the students to return, and I have some meetings to go to, some seminars, so I’ll be busy myself. Wanna just plan for next Saturday?”

“Sounds good to me.” He leans again to kiss her again, and she happily kisses him back.

“Okay, goodnight for real.” She giggles and walks up her steps. She waves goodbye as she goes into her building and he sighs.

Abby sighs happily as she gets into her apartment and squeals. She immediately texts her best friend everything about her date with Harry. She was so excited about him, and couldn’t believe he was actually interested in her.

//

They texted here and there during the week. Abby got a little brave and sent him a mirror selfie of her dressed up for work, and he sent one back of himself in his scrubs ready to go in for surgery. Her jaw nearly dropped when she saw him. She had seen him in scrubs before, but it was ages ago. He filled them out so differently now. Plus, the thought of him being a doctor just did things to her insides that she couldn’t even describe. He thought she looked gorgeous in her pin striped slacks and blouse. He couldn’t but think about how lucky each student was that got to sit and talk with her.

Harry was exhausted by the end of the week. He must have extracted over a dozen teeth, filled a stupid amount of cavities, and put on ten different crowns. He couldn’t wait to see Abby Saturday. He asked her to go to the pond a little earlier in the evening so they could get dinner afterwards. The decided to just meet at the pond. She was easy enough to spot now that he knew what her long coat and Patriots hat looked like.

“Harry.” She smiles when she turns to see him. They hug and share a quick peck on the lips. “Did you catch up on some sleep?”

“I did.” He sighs as they find a bench to sit down on to put on their skates. “Been looking forward to seeing you all week. How’d your seminar go?”

“Oh, it was great! It ended up being more of a training, I have a new certification too.”

“That’s amazing, good for you. I’m constantly going to lectures and stuff to stay up to date. I’ve published a couple of things too to some medical journals.”

“That’s so cool! Once I’ve been at UMASS for six months I can start taking classes for free. I’m gonns go for my doctorate, so hopefully I can start publishing some work too.” They both stand up and make their way into the rink. Abby puts her hand out for Harry’s and he takes it as they start to glide on the ice.

“That’s great that they have a program like that for you.”

“I know! I was super happy when I saw that in the benefits package.”

They skate around the rink a few times, enjoying the music that was playing. Harry guides them over to the side for a little break. He presses her against it, his hands going onto the railing, caging her in. She looks up at him, and he leans in to kiss her. She tugs on his coat to pull him closer, and the kiss deepens slightly. Abby really liked kissing Harry. He always tasted like mint, probably because he was constantly chewing gum, and his lips were insanely soft. She starts smiling and so does he, and he presses his forehead to hers.

“Do you feel like going to eat now?” He says to her.

“Yeah.” She nods.

They end up going to a Mexican restaurant not too far from the pond. They each get margaritas and laugh a lot. Harry talks about what it’s like to extract teeth during a surgery, and Abby asks if people ever want to see their teeth afterwards. He asks Abby how she copes when she has to deal with a heavier situation at work, and she says her little Shih Tzu, Marvin, helps make her day a lot better.

“That’s nice your apartment allows pets.” He says to her.

“Yeah, he’s only, like, nine pounds, if that. He’s so cute, do you wanna see a picture?”

“Of course!” Abby pulls out her phone to show Harry a few pictures of Marvin, and even a selfie she took with him. “He’s so cute, and so are you.”

“Thanks.” She giggles.

“He looks like a little stuffed animal.”

“He really does.”

“Why a Shih Tzu?”

“They’re really smart. They’re tough to train because they’re so stubborn, but once they get a little older they start to listen, and they’re pretty self-sufficient alone during the day. Although, sometimes I sneak him into the office.”

“How old is he?”

“About two. Do you have any pets?”

“Nah, I’m not home enough to take care of anything else. But I love dogs, I think they’re great.”

“Well, maybe at some point you can meet little Marv.”

“I’d like that.”

They square up the tab and Harry walks Abby home once again. They kiss for a while outside her front door. He desperately wanted to feel her tongue on his, but she wouldn’t open her mouth up. His hands squeeze at her hips, and she tugs on his jacket like she had done earlier.

“Well, I better get up inside.” She says against his lips and he hums his response as he continues to kiss her. She giggles into him. “Harry.” She smiles and steps back from him.

“Sorry, I just really like kissing you.”

“I like kissing you too.”

“When can I see you again?”

She takes her phone out to check her calendar.

“Are you free on Friday?” She asks as she furrows her brows at her screen.

“I think so. We could go to dinner, if you like. There’s this really great Chinese place in China Town that I love going to if you’re interested.”

“That sounds great, Harry.” She smiles. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Maybe…um, maybe we could meet up for lunch, or something at some point during the week.”

“Do you have time for something like that?”

“I’m sure I do. I can look at my calendar and let you know which day works best.”

“Okay.” She nods. “I’d love to meet up for lunch.”

“Great.” He leans in to kiss her again. “Hope you and Marvin have a good night.”

“Oh, we will. He’s probably antsy for me to get up there and give him all the cuddles I can. Text me when you know which day works for lunch.” She smiles and heads inside.

Harry couldn’t believe a little dog was going to be getting all of her cuddles tonight and not him. She was slowly killing him. He respected that she might want to take things slow, but to still not invite him up? He sighs and orders an uber back to his condo, hoping he’ll be able to fall asleep easily, and not stay up thinking about the girl who was slowly creeping her way into his heart.

//

Abby was able to meet up with Harry on Tuesday, but only for a quick walk, which she thought would be a great opportunity for Harry to meet Marvin. She gets his sweater and harness on, leashes him up, and out the door she goes. Harry was standing outside her building, in his scrubs, and a jacket, with two hot chocolates.

“Thank you.” She smiles and takes the warm drink from him. “Harry, this is Marvin.”

“Aw.” He pouts, and squats down to put his hand in front of Marvin’s nose before he pets him. “Nice to meet you little guy.” He looks up at Abby. “He’s even cuter in person.”

“Right? I’m really excited we could get out for a little bit today. He loves when I can take him for a good walk.” Harry stands back up straight and they all start walking. “Were you in surgery today?”

“Yeah, early this morning, and I’ve got another one later this afternoon. Didn’t make much sense for me to put my other clothes back on.”

“You look cute in your scrubs.” Abby says, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

Harry nudges her and he looks down at Marvin.

“He’s pretty quiet, huh?”

“He was yappy when I first got him, but he’s calmed down a lot. First summer I had him I spent a lot of time training him. Pretty much taught him not to bark unless someone’s trying to break in.”

“You must be good with discipline then.”

“I try to be. Although, I’m more of a fan of positive reinforcement.” They pull to the side as Marvin takes a tinkle near a fire hydrant. “Good boy, Marvin.” She says and gives him a kibble as a treat. “Kibbles are great treats. Can’t get fat off what he normally eats.”

“That’s really smart. Have you, uh, been laying off the jolly ranchers?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Dr. Styles, I didn’t realize we were in your office.”

“Abby…”

“I’ve been trying to, but I have a horrible sweet tooth. They’re the only candy I really eat. What’s the harm?”

“Your teeth rotting out?”

“Okay, good point. I mean, I haven’t had nearly as many since I’m not really meeting with students right now, and I’ve already gone out and bought a ton of mints for the next semester.”

“Good girl, that’s what I like to hear.”

“What do you say to your male patients?”

“Pardon?”

“It’s just…you say good girl a lot…do you do that with all your female patients, and if so…what do you say to your male patients? Also, I’m an adult woman. Do you say good girl to all adult women?”

“Abby.” Harry chuckles. “I think I’ve only ever said that to you.”

“Oh, fuck off, I bet you say it all the time.”

“I really don’t.”

“Then why me?”

“You’re cute, and I tend to be a flirt sometimes.”

“You consider calling me a good girl flirting?” She stops short and he turns to look at her.

“I do.” He nods, a smirk growing on his lips. “Do you want me to stop saying it to you?”

“N-no.”

“Alright then.” He grins and they continue walking until they get to Marvin’s turn around spot, and make their way back to Abby’s building. “I’m glad we got to meet up for a bit. Still on for Friday night?”

“Definitely.” She goes up on her tip toes to kiss him goodbye and inside she goes. Harry left her with butterflies in her stomach.

//

Harry was really hoping tonight would be the night something more happens between him and Abby. He just wanted to feel her body on his. He drives to her place around seven Friday night, and he waits outside the car for her.

“Hello, beautiful.” He says to her as she steps outside.

“Hey.” She smiles and kisses him. He opens the door for her and he jogs around the other side to get back in. He takes her hand in his as she drives towards China Town. “How was your day?”

“Good, really busy, but good. I tend to get a lot of kids on Fridays since it’s an easy day for them to miss school.”

“I bet the little kids love you.”

“They do, I like being goofy with them.” They get to the restaurant, and are seated. “Do you want to share a few things?”

“Sure, that sounds good.” She smiles. “I hardly ever come out here, how’d you find this place?”

“When I was at Tufts I used to come to China Town all the time since it’s close by. I got sick of eating at all of the same places, so I decided to come around here and branch out. This is obviously nicer, but I like it a lot.” They decide which dishes they want to share, and tell the waitress when she comes over. They both also order a couple of drinks. “The semester’s starting soon, right?”

“Yeah, on Monday, actually.”

“Oh, wow! Do you feel ready?”

“For the most part.” She nods. “The first week is usually quiet, and then I start to get booked out. That’s how it was last semester, anyways. I already have some of my regulars from last semester on my calendar for next week.”

“I bet they’re excited to see you, I know I would be.” He places his hand over hers and gives it a squeeze. “Abby, um, after dinner…I was wondering if you’d like to come back to my place for a bit.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet of you to offer, but I don’t want to leave Marvin for that long.” She takes a sip of her drink. “Another time, though.” She smiles and he nods at that.

A food runner brings their dishes over, and luckily nothing feels awkward, but Harry was sort of hoping that she’d offer to have him over after dinner instead. They both enjoy the food, and share a few laughs before heading back to Harry’s car. When he pulls up to her place they both linger for a moment.

“Thanks again for dinner, Harry, I had a great time.”

“Me too.” He looks at her. “Can I ask you something?” She nods yes at him. “Are you, uh, seeing anyone else? It’s okay if you are, we never said this was exclusive, I guess I’d just like to know.”

“No, I’m not seeing anyone else. I would have told you if I was dating around. Are you seeing anyone else?”

“No.”

“Okay.” She smiles. “Good to know.” She leans across the console to kiss him, and he kisses her back. He turns his body more so he can cup her jaw. “Are you busy tomorrow?”

“I…I don’t think so, I mean, just usual weekend errand type stuff. Might be grabbing drinks with some friends in the evening, why?”

“I was just thinking maybe, um, you could come over for dinner, but if you’re busy-“

“I can cancel. I can get drinks with them any time.”

“Don’t be silly.” She smiles. “We can do it another night. We’ll figure it out. I better get upstairs.” She pecks his lips. “Goodnight.” She gets out of the car, leaving him speechless. He wanted to rip his hair out at this point.

//

“Harry, how things going with that girl you’ve been seeing?” Greg asks him as they sit in a booth at the bar.

“Yeah, you still like her?” Lenny asks.

“Things are going well.” He nods. “But I can’t seem to figure her out. We’ve been out, like, six times and she still hasn’t invited me up to her place. I invited her back to mind last night, and she said she didn’t want to leave her dog alone for long.”

“Have you kissed?” Greg asks.

“Yeah, we’ve kissed plenty of times. We just haven’t done anything else. I mean, we don’t need to jump right into bed, but it’d be nice to do a little more.”

“I get what you’re saying, man.” Lenny says. “Maybe she’s just nervous.”

“I didn’t think I was giving her a reason to be.” Harry sighs. “She invited me over tonight, but I stupidly told her I had plans with you lot.”

“What are you doing with us then?! Go pick up some dessert, and go get your girl!” Greg says.

“I can’t just show up at her place…I’ll look like a stalker. What if she’s not even home?”

“So text her.” Lenny shrugs. “See if she’s around and ask if you can stop by. Tell her you’re at bar in the neighborhood.”

“But I’m not. She’ll know I’m lying.”

“Dude, just text her and see if she’s around.” Greg says.

Harry takes out his phone and types out a text. He hesitates before hitting send.

Harry: Hey, Abby! Are you home? I’m finishing up with my friends a bit earlier than I thought…maybe I could bring some dessert over?

Abby: Hey! Yeah, I’m home, snuggled up with Marv. I’d love it if you came by, especially if there’s dessert involved lol

Harry: Great! I can be by in about 30 minutes

Abby: sounds good! See you soon

“Alright, I’m gonna go up to the bar and get a lava cake to go. Thanks for being so cool about this guys.”

“No worries, H.” Lenny says. “Good luck.”

Harry races to Abby’s once he’s gotten the cake, and she buzzes him in. He knocks on her door, and she opens it for him.

“Hey.” She smiles and steps aside. “Come on in.”

“Thanks.” He pecks her cheek. “Hope you like chocolate lava cake.”

“Love it.” She takes it from him. “So…this is it. It’s just a studio.” She blushes. “But the kitchen is its own area, which is nice.”

“It’s great.” He smiles at her. “You’ve definitely utilized the space.”

There’s a large monitor mounted on the wall, a desk underneath it with Abby’s laptop, and an HDMI cord connecting both. There’s a small couch a few feet back, and then her bed is up against the opposite wall. Everything was neat and tidy.

“I use this wireless mouse as a remote, and I have a Fire Stick.” She says. Marvin comes trotting in from the kitchen. “Marv, you remember Harry. I’m just gonna stick this in the kitchen. Feel free to make yourself comfortable.” She walks into the kitchen as Harry sits down on the couch. Marvin jumps up to sit in his lap.

“Hey, little guy.” Harry pets his head and scratches behind his ears. Abby comes back out. She looks really cute tonight. She was wearing glasses, her hair tied to the side in a braid, leggings and an off the shoulder sweater. “Hope I’m not intruding on your cozy evening.”

“Not at all! I’m really glad you texted, actually. Did you have fun with your friends?”

“I did, yeah.”

“Are they dentists too?”

“Mhm, we lived together while we were in medical school. Lenny and Greg.”

“Where do they both work?”

“At other practices around the city. Greg’s actually an orthodontist. They’re both junior partners, though, I’m the first of the three of us to become a senior partner at a practice. Guess that was the one good thing about Dr. Morgan leaving MidCity.”

“You’re so successful.” She bites her bottom lip and looks down at Marvin in Harry’s lap. “Look at that, you’re here five minutes and he already liked you better than me.” She reaches and takes Marvin from Harry, snuggling him to her chest before putting him on the ground.

“I didn’t know you wore glasses.”

“Oh, I don’t. They’re just blue light blockers.” She takes them off and sets them on the side table next to the couch. “They help a lot when I’m on the computer for a while.”

“Ah.” He nods.

“What’s your place like?”

“I’ve got a condo, uh, it’s a three bedroom, but I use one as a home office.”

“Wow, good for you.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t always get to live so comfortably.”

“You’ve earned it, I bet you work really hard.” She smiles.

“I’m sure you work hard too.”

“True.” She nods. “But I’m paying off loans, and this is all I can really afford.”

“It’s a great place.” He assures her. “I wish the studio I had when I first started out was half as nice as this. I certainly didn’t keep things as neat as you.”

“Oh, I just rushed around to clean things up before you got here. It was a mess.” She laughs.

“I’m glad you were cool with me coming by.” He puts his hand over hers, rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand. “I’ve been having a great time with you this last month.”

“Me too.”

“My birthday’s next weekend, and…um, a ton of us are getting together at this pub…I’d love it if you could come.”

“Oh! Sure, would it be Saturday?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m there, I’d love to go. That’s so nice of you to invite me.” She leans in and kisses his cheek.

He looks at her, his eyes locking in on her lips. He leans in and presses his lips to hers. Her arms go around his neck to pull him closer, her fingers tangling with the curls on the nape of his neck. His arms wrap around her, hands splaying on her back to have her chest pressed to his. He lightly sucks on her bottom lip, and she opens up wider for him. He nearly groans as he licks into her, finally. She tugs on his hair as her tongue molds to his. One of his hands slides down her back and around to the front of her stomach. He just about reaches the band of her leggings when she grabs his hand, and moves it to her hip. He gives a squeeze and she whimpers into him. He plants kisses along her jaw to her earlobe, nibbling on it gently until he kisses on her neck. He mouths at her skin before sucking on her and she gasps.

“Don’t leave a mark.” She grunts, and she feels him nod against her skin. “H-Harry, is this the only reason you wanted to come see me tonight?” She blurts out and he stops to look at her.

“What? No.” He shakes his head. “I genuinely wanted to see you and split that cake. And…I mean…yeah, I’ve been wanting to do a little bit of this.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I like you a lot, Abby, I can’t help it.”

“I like you a lot too.” She gives him a soft smile. “We can keep kissing.”

“Are you sure?”

“Mhm.” She nods and brings her hand to the back of his neck to pull him back to her. This time she nibbles on his bottom lip and his hands go to her hips, squeezing and kneading. “Mm, but I don’t wanna go any further than this…not yet anyways. I hope that’s alright.”

“Of course it is.”

“I just…sort of wanna see where this is going before something so serious happens between us.”

“I get it.” He smiles. “I know you’ll be worth the wait.”

//

Harry: hope the first day of the semester has been treating you well!

Abby couldn’t help but smile at her phone. She knew Harry was extremely busy at work, so the fact that he took a moment to text her meant so much. The only thing was he texted her during a staff meeting, and her colleague Maya noticed her goofy smile.

“Abby, how was your break?” Maya asks her after the meeting.

“It was good! Um, I sort of started seeing someone.”

“Shut up! That’s amazing, who is it, how’d you meet?”

“His name is Harry…he’s, um, my dentist.”

“Oh, my, a doctor?”

“Yeah.” Abby nods. “We actually met years ago when he was still a student, and he just so happened to take over for my other dentist who apparently retired. It’s been a little over a month. He’s super nice, and funny…and he’s really fucking handsome.” She says the last part quietly.

“Good for you. Do you have a picture of him?”

“There’s one on the practice’s website. I haven’t, like, taken a selfie with yet. Although, I wish I had when he took me ice skating.” She pulls up MidCity’s website on her phone and shows Maya.

“Holy shit! He is handsome.”

“It’s going really well too. He’s met Marvin, and he invited me to his birthday party this weekend.”

“Wow, so you’re gonna get to meet his friends already?”

“I guess so.” She smiles. “The only thing is…do I get him a gift? And if so, what do I get him? I feel like it should be casual because everything’s so new still, but if it’s too casual he might think I’m not as into him as I am.”

“Shit, yeah, that’s a tough one.” Maya steps further into Abby’s office. The girls were close, so they were used to talking about personal things. “Have you slept with him yet? You could wear something for him to unwrap.”

“No, we haven’t.” Abby sighs. “I’m trying to take things slow with him because I really like him. We’ve made out a couple of times…”

“So…is that a no?”

“I don’t know, birthday sex as a gift? I feel like that’s so…cliché or something? Plus, I feel like he’ll be expecting it. I want it to feel more special than that.” She bites her bottom lip in thought.

“Oh! Have you been out to eat with him much?”

“Yeah, a ton, why?”

“Did you notice him order any specific types of alcohol?”

“Yeah! On our first real date he had this really nice bottle of white wine ordered to our table. It was delicious, and he loved it. I remember what it was, I could just get a bottle of that and a card, right?”

“I think that’s a totally acceptable gift. It’s sentimental, so it shows you put some thought into it, but also casual enough to show you’re not a psycho.”

“Exactly.”

Abby: you’re so sweet! It’s been a little busy with meetings and stuff, but other than that no fires to put out. Thanks so much for thinking of me, I hope you’re having a good day too! 😘

//

Harry didn’t want Abby to walk into the pub by herself, so he said he’d pick her up on his way. She insisted he didn’t need to, but he insisted that he did. She had a black dress on with black tights and blue heels. She zips up her long coat and runs her fingers through her hair. Her phone buzzes with a text from Harry that he’s downstairs with the uber. She takes a deep breath, grabs her gift, and heads downstairs.

“Happy birthday.” She smiles and gives him a peck on the cheek.

“Thanks, beautiful.” He opens the door for her and goes around to the other side. “Is that for me?” He points to the bag she’s settled into her lap.

“Maybe.” She shrugs a shoulder.

“You didn’t have to get me anything.” He places his hand on her thigh.

“I said maybe, so this could easily not be for you. I guess you’ll find out later.” She side eyes him and it makes him laugh.

“How was your first week back to campus?”

“Exhausting.” She sighs. “But I caught up on sleep this morning. Everyone was excited to see Marvin.” She chuckles. “And it was good to see my friends and students.”

“That’s good.” Harry smiles.

“What about you? How was your week?”

“Busy. I had four different surgeries, a ton of cavities, and a fuck ton of cleaning check ins. I think a lot of college kids were getting in their bi-annual visits before going back to school.”

“Ohhh, yup, I bet that’s what it was. Is there ever a time of year you’re super busy?”

“I would say summers I do a lot of wisdom teeth removals, so I get bogged down there. Everything’s pretty consistent, though.”

“So, who’s going to be at this party?”

“My friends Greg and Lenny, who are very excited to meet you.” Harry smiles and gives Abby’s thigh a squeeze. “Some people from work, you know Marie, and Dr. Morgan’s going to be there as well. Some other med school buddies will be there. I’m only thirty-two it’s not really a big deal.” He shrugs.

“I’m excited to meet your friends too.” She smiles. “And it’ll be good that I’ll know a couple of people so you won’t feel like you have to babysit me.”

“Aw, babe, I wouldn’t feel like that. I wouldn’t leave your side if that’s what you wanted, no worries.”

She nods and smiles nervously at him. He just called her ‘babe’ and it filled her tummy with butterflies. The driver pulls up in front of the pub, and Harry gets out first so he can open Abby’s door. She smiles at him as he puts his hand on the small of her back to lead her inside.

“There he is!” Greg exclaims. “Happy birthday, H!” The two hug.

“Thanks, mate, this is Abby. Abby, this is Greg.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” She says to him.

“Same to you, you’re even lovelier than Harry described.”

Abby giggles at that, and Harry leads her over to the coat room. It seems the whole pub had been rented out for his party. There was a small table for gifts, so she sets hers down.

“Wow, you look amazing.” Harry says, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.

“Thanks.” She smiles and leans in to peck his lips. “Wanna introduce me to some other people?”

“Yeah, come on.” He takes her hand and leads her back to everyone.

Abby gets introduced to Lenny, and some of Harry’s other doctor friends. She then gives Dr. Morgan a big hug, and she says hello to Marie and her wife. Harry gets Abby a glass of wine, and much to her surprise, he keeps his arm hooked around her waist for most of the evening. He clearly wanted her close by. His friends were kind, not at all arrogant, which was a tad unexpected since there were a lot of people with deep pockets in the room. Maybe doctors weren’t as snotty because they also had large student loan debts. They engaged her in conversation, asking about her work, and why the heck she wanted to spend her time with Harry, which made a lot of people laugh. Harry lit up when he was explaining how he and Abby actually met ears ago, and he talked about the card she had sent along to him, making her blush a bit. Everyone found the story to be quite endearing.

“Are you having a good time?” Harry asks Abby as they go up to the bar together.

“I am, your friends are great. Are you? It’s your birthday.”

“I’m having a wonderful time, even more so since you’re here.” He kisses her cheek and hands her a new glass of wine.

A tray of cupcakes is brought out, and everyone sings happy birthday to Harry. He blows out a few candles and thanks everyone for coming. The cupcakes were delicious, clearly from a nice bakery. Harry notices Abby getting a little bit of frosting on the corner of her mouth, and before she can grab a napkin, he’s catching it with his thumb and sucking it into his mouth. Her eyes widen as he winks at her.

“Th-thank you.” She says, clearing her throat.

“Don’t mention it.” He pecks her lips. “I was wondering something…”

“What is it?”

“Would you like to come home with me tonight? I thought it would be nice to spend some time alone after being so social.”

“Oh, um, yeah, I’d like that.” She nods.

“Will Marvin be alright without you?”

“Yeah, my, um, neighbor’s kid is actually watching him tonight. She’s a great pet sitter. I…I told her I may not be coming home tonight, so she’s fully prepared for a sleepover.”

Harry’s smile grows, and he kisses her again. After making the rounds to say goodbye to everyone, getting their coats, gathering all of the gifts, the two get into an uber to head to Harry’s condo. There’s a doorman that says hello to Harry and gives Abby a warm smile. She follows him through the lobby to the elevators. They step inside, and Harry hits a number on one of the higher floors. He leads her to his door, and he gets it open. She follows him into his living area, and they set his gifts down. He takes her coat for her, and hangs it up in his front closet.

“This is…a really nice place.” She says as she looks around.

“I’ll give you the full tour in a moment, I’ve been dying to open your gift all night.”

“Oh.” She blushes. “It’s really nothing special.”

He gives her an unconvinced look, and grabs the bag he remembers her bringing. They both sit down on the coach, and she watches him reach inside.

“A card, classic.” He smirks and sets it aside. He reaches back inside and pulls out the bottle of wine. “This is one of my favorites! How did you know?”

“I remember you ordering it when we went to that Italian place.” She smiles and he hugs her.

“Mind if I open it, or have you had enough for the night?”

“I’d love some.”

“Great! Just hang tight.”

Harry goes into the kitchen with the bottle. While she’s waiting patiently on the couch, Abby hears music come on. She sees a Bluetooth speaker light up, he must have turned it on from his phone. He comes out with two glasses of wine, and hands her one as he sits back down.

“Thank you.” She says as she takes a sip.

“No, thank you. This was really nice of you. You’ve got a great memory.” He takes a sip and sets the glass down on a coaster on his coffee table. She does the same. “My friends adored you, by the way. I’ve already got the texts to prove it.”

“I’m glad I made such a good first impression.” She inches closer to him.

He reaches to tuck some hair behind her ear, and he leans in to kiss her. She wraps her arms around his neck, and opens her mouth for him. One of his hands falls to her thigh as the other one cups her cheek. Her fingers work their way into his hair, and he squeezes her hip.

“Abby.” He breathes, and moves to kiss on her neck, just under her earlobe.

She lets her heels fall off as she pushes him back farther on the couch. She moves to straddle one of his thighs, and she brings her lips back to his. His hands move up and down her back until they reach just above her bum. She grabs his hands and moves them down to her ass. He groans into her as he squeezes, loving how plump she is. She kisses along his jaw and to his neck, and she rolls her hips down onto his thigh. He raises it to help press into her. She whimpers into his neck, and he cups her cheeks so she’ll at him.

“Do you wanna take this to the bedroom?” He asks softly.

“I don’t wanna go to sleep yet.”

“I didn’t think you did.” He smirks.

“No, I just…I mean, if we go in there…that’s all I’ll want to do.”

“Sleep?” She nods her head yes. “Oh.”

“Harry, I’m sorry.” She sighs. “I know it’s your birthday, and you were probably hoping for some…stuff to go down between us, but I think we should wait a little longer. Is that okay?”

“Abby, I wasn’t expecting us to do anything. I mean, if we had of course it would have been nice, but it’s okay.” He assures her. “I’m just happy you wanted to come back with me.”

She leans back in to kiss him, and they continue to grope each other as they kiss. Their tongues swirl around each other, and she continues to rock back and forth on his thigh. She lets him puts his hands on her breasts, and he kneads them through her dress. He moves her to lay down on the couch and he settles himself between her legs as he hovers over her. He kisses on the tops of her breasts that were now spilling out of her dress. He sucks and bites on the plushier areas, eliciting a moan from her.

“H-Harry, maybe we should cool it before you turn me into a leopard.”

He chuckles against her and pecks her lips before he sits up.

“Would you spend the night?”

“I’d love to.”

He helps her up off the couch and leads her to the bedroom. He flips the switch for the lights, and her eyes widen. His bedroom was neat, almost a little too neat. She raises a suspicious eyebrow at him.

“I…um, have a housekeeper.” He clears his throat. “Let me just grab a few things for you. I’m assuming you’ll want something to sleep in?”

“Please.” She chuckles, watching him move to his dresser for a tee shirt and pajama bottoms.

She follows him into his en suite as he opens the closet inside to look for a spare washcloth and toothbrush. He sets everything down on his double vanity and smiles at her.

“Use whatever you need, beautiful.” He kisses her cheek and steps out to give her some privacy.

Abby strips herself of her clothes, and then washes her face. She brushes her teeth, runs her fingers through her hair, and then puts on the clothes Harry set aside for her. They were so soft and smelled just like him. She sighs happily and makes her way back into his bedroom. He smiles at her and stands up from the bed.

“Get comfortable, I’m just gonna do my thing.” He tells her and she nods. “There’s a spare phone charger on that side of the bed if you need it.” He points to the right side and she smiles.

When he’s done in the bathroom he comes out in a pair of plaid bottoms, but he’s gotten rid of his shirt altogether. He was littered with tattoos which really surprised her. She thought he only had the one little cross on his hand.

“When did you get all of those?” She asks as he gets into bed with her.

“All of what? Oh! My tattoos? Years and years ago, when I was a stupid teenager.” He chuckles. “Haven’t added to the collection in a while.” He looks down at himself. “Do you, uh, not like tattoos?”

“No! I think they’re really cool.” She furrows her brows as she scans his chest. “They’re so interesting.”

“Thanks.” He smirks.

“Did they hurt?”

“Some more than others. You sort of get used to it after a while. I’m assuming you don’t have any?”

“No.” She shakes her head. “Just a few piercings.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhm.” She tucks some hair behind her ear. “Got my cartilage, and three holes in each lobe.”

“Noticed those, I love the earrings you wear.”

“And…” She pulls the blankets back a bit and pulls the shirt she’s wearing up slightly to reveal her belly button. “Got this done when I was twenty-two. I always wanted one and said fuck it.”

“It’s cute.” He smiles as he admire the jewel attached to her naval. “Now that had to have hurt.” He says as she puts her shirt back down.

“It honestly wasn’t as bad as I thought. It was just a little pinch, the guy took really good care of me. I was a little light headed after, and it was sore for a few days, but other than that it was fine.”

They stay up talking for a bit until they eventually fall asleep. Abby had moves to rest her head on Harry’s chest, and that’s how she fell asleep, to the smooth rhythm of his heartbeat. Harry couldn’t remember the last time someone spent the night in his bed and it didn’t involve sex, there was something sort of sweet about not doing anything and still be able to fall asleep together comfortably. Maybe there was something to this taking it slow thing.

The next morning, Abby woke up being spooned by Harry. His breath was fanning over the back of her neck, and he had a leg between hers. His arm was strung across her lower stomach lazily. She grabs her phone and sees that it’s about 8:30. She yawns and wiggles a bit to adjust herself. She feels his lips press a kiss into the back of her neck and his arm tightens around her stomach.

“You awake, darling?” He coos and it nearly makes her melt.

“Mhm.” It’s all she can manage to say.

“Good morning then.” He kisses the back of her neck again.

“Good morning.” She rolls over to her other side to look at him and he gives her a sleep smile. He leans into peck her nose, and he rubs at her side.

“Sleep alright?”

“Yeah, did you?”

“Mhm.” He nods. “I’m gonna wash up and then make us some breakfast, how does that sound?”

“Sounds amazing, Harry.”

He gets up and makes his way to the bathroom. When he comes out he’s thrown a shirt on, and Abby gets up to freshen up herself. She washes her face and brushes her teeth, putting her bra on under the shirt he had given her so she wasn’t putting on a show for him. She comes out to his kitchen and smells fresh coffee. She wanted to roll her eyes as she saw him using a French press.

“Hope you like hazelnut, it’s the only flavor I’ve got.”

“It’s perfect. Got any creamer?”

“Mhm, in the fridge.” He points to it and she opens it up, grabbing the creamer on the top shelf. It was pretty much full.

“I don’t use it myself, mostly keep it for guests.” He pours the coffee into two mugs.

“Ah, and do you have guests often?”

“None that I’d want to have a sleepover with, if that’s what you’re asking.” He kisses her cheek, and she pours the creamer into her coffee. “Now, what can I make you? What do you like for breakfast?”

“Oh, nothing fancy.” She shrugs. “Whatever you feel like making is fine.”

“Eggs and toast?”

“Works for me. Can I help?”

“You can help by just having a seat.”

Abby smiles and sits down on one of the stools at Harry’s kitchen island while he works to get the eggs out of the fridge. He ends up making scrambled eggs for the two of them to keep things quick. It was a pleasant breakfast. Abby thought it was cute that Harry genuinely read from the morning newspaper. She was resting her chin on her palm watching him.

“Anything interesting going on?” She asks him.

“Nah, it’s all negative.” He sighs as he flips a page.

“Could I have the funnies?”

“Sure!” Harry finds the chunk with the comics and slides it over to her.

“Thanks, I used to look forward to this every Sunday when my dad would pick up The Globe.”

“What was your favorite?”

“There was this one called Opus. There were all these different characters, and the story was pretty linear, which I thought was cool. I actually saved the last comic strip in a scrap book. The main characters, Opus the penguin, had gone missing or something and he was trying to find himself. It really tugged at my heartstrings.”

“Sometimes I forget not all of the funnies are just for kids.”

“I’m also partial to Family Circus, and I loved Zits.”

Harry smiles and goes back to reading the paper. He liked going over the sports and arts sections most. Abby helps him clean up the dishes and then she goes to get dressed.

“Do you want some sweat pants to wear so you don’t have to put all of that back on?”

“No, I’m okay. I’m just gonna put the dress on.”

“Won’t you be cold without the stockings?”

“I’ll be alright, but thanks.��

“Let me at list drive you home.”

“Okay.” She nods.

The ride was comfortably quiet as Harry kept his hand in Abby’s. He pulls over to the side to stop in front of her building, and they look at each other. Smiles grow on both of their faces.

“You already know what I’m going to ask.” He says to her.

“I know, but I wanna hear you say it.”

“Alright, when can I see you next?”

“Hmm…what about Tuesday night? We could go to a movie. Tickets are cheaper on Tuesdays so we can splurge on snacks.”

“I like the way you think. I’d love to go to a movie. You pick, and just tell me what time I need to meet you.”

“Sounds good.” She leans in to peck his lips. “Talk to you soon.” She gets out of the car and heads up to her apartment. Chrissy, the teenager watching Marvin, was sitting on her couch watching TV. “Hey, Chrissy. I already paid you on Venmo.”

“I saw! Thanks so much.” She stands up.

“Thanks for watching him all night.” Abby scoops up Marvin and cuddles him to her chest. “I hope he wasn’t too much trouble.”

“Not at all, he was great. He was my little study buddy.”

“Perfect. Well, enjoy your Sunday. Tell your parents thanks too.”

“I will, have a good day.” Chrissy heads out and Abby sets Marvin back down.

“Alright, Mumma’s gonna take a shower and then she’ll take you for a nice, long walk, sound good?” Marvin yips excitedly at her. “S’what I thought.”

//

Harry was fucked. He was running late and couldn’t get to a phone because he was in the middle of a surgery. Of course the one time there’s a few delays and complications he actually has somewhere to be. He was supposed to meet Abby at 6:45PM, it was already 6:30, there was no way in hell he was going to make it. He did his best to stay focused so he could do right by his patient. By the time he was done it was 7:45PM. He tried to call Abby, but her phone went right to voicemail.”

“Shit.” He says to himself.

“Dr. Styles.” Marie says. “You should change, you’re still scrubbed up and you have blood on you. Go home and shower, she’ll understand.”

“I just wish she’d turn her phone on…”

“Maybe she went to the movie alone.” Marie shrugs. “She could be one of those good people who actually turns their phone off.”

“Right, yeah. I’m gonna freshen up here, and then I’m gonna try to catch her outside the theater.”

Harry does just that, using the hospital locker room to have a quick shower. He rushes to the movie theater and waits outside. The movie they were supposed to see should be wrapping up any moment, so he goes into the lobby to watch for her. Hopefully she was actually there.

Abby throws out her trash and walks towards the main lobby. She was just turning her phone back on when she saw Harry standing there with a very apologetic look on his face. She sighs and walks over to him.

“I’m so sorry.” He starts. “I tried calling as soon as I could, but your phone went right to voicemail.”

“I turned it off when the previews started.” She chews on her bottom lip. “What happened?”

“My last surgery of the day got delayed, and then there were some complications…everything’s fine now, but it wasn’t an easy extraction. I had to really take my time, I’m so sorry. I swear this won’t happen a lot.” He looks down at his shoes and then back to her. “Was it a good movie at least?”

“It was alright.” She sighs. “Would have been better if I had someone to make comments to.” She nudges his shoulder.

“How can I make it up to you? Are you hungry? We could-“

“I already ate, it’s okay. I know you didn’t do anything on purpose. It’s getting late, so I’m just going to head home.”

“I feel terrible.”

“Don’t.” She smiles. “Shit happens.”

“Let me at least take you home, I drove here.”

“Sure.” She takes his hand in hers as they walk out of the theater. “Are you hungry?”

“Starved, actually, but I can just eat when I get home.”

“Don’t be silly, I have leftovers. You can come up and eat if you want.”

“I’d like that.”

Once they’re up in her apartment, Harry plays with Marvin while Abby heats up her leftover stir fry and rice. She hands Harry the warm bowl and they both sit down at the small table she has in her kitchen.

“Is it hot enough?” She asks him.

“It’s perfect, thank you.” He eats a little and then looks at her. “I really do feel terrible that you waited and had to sit alone…”

“It’s really okay. It’s not my first time going to the movies by myself.” She shrugs. “I’m pretty independent.”

“I just don’t want you thinking this is something that’s going to happen a lot. It’s so rare for a surgery like this to not be timely.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” She gives him a reassuring smile. “It’s really sweet you still showed up at the theater like you did. We’re together now, that’s all that really matters.”

Harry finishes eating and cleans up his bowl. He stands with his hands in his pockets by the door and she stands with her arms crossed. Neither were sure what to do. It was really too late to hang out any longer since they both needed to work the next day.

“Are you free Friday night?” He asks her. “We could go to dinner if you like.”

“Sure, that sounds nice. Wanna say seven?”

“Works for me. I’ll pick you up then.” He caresses her cheek and kisses her. They both linger for a moment before letting go. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” She sighs after he leaves. It sucked being at the movies alone, but it meant the world to her that he still showed up at the end. It really showed his character, and for that she was grateful. She was still trying to gauge what kind of guy Harry was, and she had finally come to the conclusion that he was a good one.

//

“Two months and still nothing?” Greg asks Harry one Sunday evening as he and Lenny came over to watch the hockey game.

“Yeah.” Harry sighs as he sips on his beer. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love kissing her and, and she’s let me touch her over her clothes, but…I don’t know, she’s not as desperate and grabby as I am. What if she’s just not as into me?”

“I don’t think she’d be seeing you still if she wasn’t into you.” Lenny says. “How old is she again?”

“Twenty-six, why?”

“Well, maybe she’s hoping for things to be a little more official before she goes all the way with you.”

“Define official.” Harry mutters.

“Maybe she wants to know if you’re her boyfriend.” Lenny states.

“God, do you really think she’s hung up on some stupid label? We’re dating, we’re together, I think that’s pretty clear.”

“Remember when I dated that younger girl? She was, like, twenty-three?” Greg says and the guys both nod. “Well, she wanted to know what the status was after a few months. Obviously it didn’t work out because of the age difference, but these things matter to the younger women. They wanna know what to refer to you. Boyfriend is a lot easier to say than having to say the guy I’m seeing.”

“So, you have to ask yourself, do you want to be Abby’s boyfriend?” Lenny asks him. “If you don’t see things working out long term with her you should break it off.”

“I definitely don’t want to break it off. I really like her, and I like spending time with her.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I’m going to her place on Thursday for dinner, maybe we can talk about it then.”

“Yeah? She cooking for you again?” Greg asks.

“Mhm.” Harry smiles. “She really likes cooking for me, I don’t know why. I don’t mind it, she always makes something delicious.”

“Do you ever cook for her?” Lenny asks.

“Sure.” Harry shrugs. “We take turns.”

“That’s good, those things should definitely go both ways.” Greg says. “I bet you she just wants to make sure you’re not going to up and leave the second she lets you hit it.”

“I don’t know why she’d even think I’d do something like that…”

“Maybe she’s been burned in the past.” Lenny shrugs. “Have you had the ex talk?”

“No.” Harry shakes his head. “It doesn’t seem like something we’ve needed to talk about…but maybe we do.”

//

Thursday night Harry goes over to Abby’s with a bottle of wine and a box of chocolate chip cookies. He liked bringing dessert the times she made dinner for him.

“Hey.” She smiles and kisses him once he’s inside. She must’ve had a long day at work because she was still in her work clothes. Most times when Harry came over she had already changed into comfier clothes. “How was your day?”

“It was good, how about yours?” He hands her the wine and cookies and follows her into the kitchen.

“Long.” She sighs. “I had some heavier appointments today.” She blinks a few times. “I…I cried with a student today.” She looks at him, tearing up.

“Oh, baby, I’m so sorry, come here.” He opens his arms for her and she’s comforted by his embrace. He rests his chin on the top of her head. “Are you allowed to tell me what happened?”

“Yeah.” She sniffles and looks up at him. “This male student…he had a rough go of it in high school. A teacher…molested him, and it was this whole thing. He’s from a small town in Vermont so everyone knew. He came here to get away from it, you know? Make a fresh start? He’s started to see this girl that he really likes, and he’s petrified of her finding out, and he’s not sure if he should just tell her or if he should keep it to himself. But he’s afraid she might find out anyways somehow. I felt terrible. I mean, what kind of sick fuck uses their position of power over a kid like that, you know?”

“That’s…awful, beyond awful.” Harry frowns down at Abby.

“I just couldn’t keep it together, especially when he started crying, so I cried too. Then we both started laughing, and he was able to calm down and we talked about things more.” She steps back from Harry and wipes under eyes.

“I guess the upside is that you created such a welcoming environment that he felt safe enough to be so vulnerable with you.”

“Yeah.” She nods. “I suppose that’s a silver lining, thanks.” She smiles. “Anyways, we’re going to meet bi-weekly now just for little check ins.” She sighs and moves to stir the pot of pasta that’s on the stove. “I’m making pasta and meat sauce, hope that’s alright.”

“It’s great, Abby. Can I do anything?”

“No, everything’s just about done. Um, would you actually mind taking Marv out quickly for me? He just ate and I haven’t had a chance to take him out to do his business.”

“You got it.”

It wasn’t Harry’s first time taking Marvin out, so he really didn’t mind. He leashes him up and takes him down to the street. Marvin does his business, and Harry gets him back upstairs. By the time he comes back, Abby’s plated up dinner, and gotten the wine open and poured.

“Thank you.” She says to him, and leans down to pat Marvin’s head. “Ready to eat?”

“Mhm, thank you for cooking.”

“Oh, it was nothing.” She smiles. “I like when we get to have dinner together.”

“Me too, babe.” He takes a bite of food and moans. “This is amazing, Ab.”

“Thanks.” She blushes and takes a sip of her wine. “Harry, um, there’s something I…well…I’m just gonna come right out and say it.” She takes a deep breath as he looks at her. “Am I…am I your girlfriend?”

Harry’s concerned face softens into a smile.

“I’d like you to be.” He says to her. “I was actually going to bring this up tonight, guess you beat me to it.”

“Oh.” She says, a little surprised. “Well, good, okay.” She nods and takes a bite of food.

“I like you a lot, and I know it’s been a couple of months. I’m still having a great time with you.”

“Same here!” She assures him. “I just, you know, I don’t know what to tell my friends sometimes when they ask about you.”

“Well, now you can tell them about your boyfriend, yeah?” He smirks. “When do I get to meet these friends, hm? You’ve met all of mine.”

“That’s true.” She chews her bottom lip. “Well, I could arrange for a night out at a bar some weekend. We all love going out to dance and stuff…”

“Sounds like fun.”

“You’d be into something like that?”

“Sure, why not?”

“You just don’t exactly seem like the type of person who would enjoy going to a stuffy club with a ton of drunk people.”

“Hey, I know how to hang. Set it up and I’ll be there.”

“Great, I’ll text them.” She smiles, her body was buzzing with excitement. Harry stands up abruptly and comes over to her side of the table, cupping her jaw. He slots his lips over hers, sucking on her bottom lip and then letting her go before he sits back down. “Wh-what was that for?”

“Just wanted to give my girlfriend a kiss.” He shrugs, a smirk forming on his lips.

“Oh.” Her face had to be beat red at this point. They look at each other and smile. This time it’s Abby who decides to be bold. She gets up and sits on his lap side saddle. She grabs her phone and opens up SnapChat because it was better for taking selfies.

“What are you doing?”

“We hardly have any pictures together. Now that you’re my boyfriend that’s going to change. Smile.” She says to him, and he does as she says, taking a very cute picture.

“Send that to me?”

Abby presses her lips to his. Getting through dinner was going to take a little longer tonight.  

//

Harry could, in fact, not hang. It was midnight and he was fighting to stay awake. He wished Abby had planned their big night out with her friends for a Saturday not Friday. It was a long week, and Harry just wanted to go to bed. He thought her friends were interesting. There was Billy, Abby’s absolute best friend. Billy happens to be trans, which Harry didn’t care about at all because Billy’s life was none of his business. Then there was Amy and Gina, Abby’s roommates from undergrad. They were all getting along fine, but the club was loud, packed, and sticky. Abby was having a good time, though, so what could he do?

“Another drink, Harry? Next round’s on me.” Billy says to him.

“Oh, no thank you. Think I’m gonna cool it.”

“Cool it?” Amy scoffs. “The night just started. Ab, hold old did you say he was again?”

“Don’t tease him.” Abby hooks an arm around Harry’s waist. “He’s thirty-two, a doctor, and he had a long week.” She looks up at him. “You’ve last two hours, go home if you want.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’ll call you tomorrow.” She puckers her lips and he kisses her.

“It was really nice meeting all of you. We’ll have to do it again sometime…maybe on a night I didn’t have two different surgeries.” He kisses Abby again. “Text me when you get home so I know you got back safe?”

“Will do, bye, babe!” Harry heads out, and Abby looks back at her friends. “He’s cute, right?”

“Very.” Gina says. “He seemed like he was having fun at the beginning.”

“He’s just tired.” Abby sighs. “We should have waited until tomorrow. He really is a lot of fun.”

“I’m sure he is.” Billy says with a smile. “So, you really haven’t slept with him yet?”

“No.” Abby shakes her head.

“What’s the hold up?” Amy asks.

“I just haven’t felt ready.” Abby shrugs. “He’s a really good kisser, though, so I know I’m close to getting there with him.”

“You haven’t even sucked his dick?” Gina asks.

“No, but I’ve felt it. We grind on each other a lot. But I always have us stop before it gets to be too much.”

“I’ve literally never known you to not want to fuck a guy you’ve been seeing.” Billy says.

“I know…I just…it all just feels like a dream come true still, and I’m afraid that once we do it something will go wrong and we’ll stop seeing each other. I have no idea why I feel like that, but I do.” Abby says.

“He’d be an idiot to let you go.” Amy says. “Do it when you’re ready, but I think I speak for the three of us when I say we approve of him.”

“Thanks, that means a lot.” The four share a group hug and go back out to the dancefloor to enjoy the rest of their night.

//

It was a rainy Saturday at the beginning of April. Harry told Abby to bring Marvin over to his place so they could get cozy for a lazy day of watching movies and being cozy. She happily accepted. The two of them really needed a day to relax. Abby was booked solid at work right now, and Harry was starting to get booked out with more and more wisdom teeth appointments. Harry liked when Abby would bring Marvin over. He had gotten a little dog bed for him and some toys. Harry even got him a little food and water bowl.

Abby was really falling for Harry. He made her feel safe, and he was beyond considerate. She also couldn’t believe how patient he was being. They were together three months, just entering the fourth, and they still hadn’t had sex yet. She knew he wanted it, of course, and she really wanted it too.

They were curled up on the couch together while Marvin was snoozing on his little dig bed. Neither had ever watched The Mindy Project before so they were binging it. Abby couldn’t believe what she was about to do, but she couldn’t help from blurting it out.

“Harry?” She looks up at him.

“Yeah?” He looks down at her.

“I…I love you.” His eyes widen as he looks at her, his mouth falling open. “Oh my god, it’s too soon, right? I…I…I…” Before she can ramble on anymore, he’s kissing her, hard.

“Christ, Abby.” He presses his forehead to hers. “I love you too.” He kisses her again.

“Really?”

“Of course I do. You couldn’t tell? I’ve got your picture framed on my night table, and I’ve got all this stuff here for Marvin, and I keep your favorite snacks in the pantry…”

She moves to straddle him, pushing his shoulders back into the couch. She slots her mouth over his, and he holds her close to him. She sucks on his bottom lip, making him groan.

“Harry, bring me to your bedroom, now.”

“Y-you wanna go to sleep?” He looks at her confused.

“No, I want you to fuck me.” She looks at him with dark eyes.

“Really?”

“Yes!”

He doesn’t question her again. Instead, he lifts her up and quickly carries her down the hall to his bedroom. He gets her on the bed, hovers over her, and starts by getting her shirt off. His eyes widen when he sees the lace bra she was wearing. He furrows his brows as he gets her leggings off. He glares at her when he sees that her panties match her bra.

“What is it?” She asks innocently.

“There’s this old saying that goes along the lines of if the girl’s wearing matching underwear, then she’s the one who decided to have sex.” Abby blinks at him. “Were you planning for this tonight?”

“I was hoping.” She sits up on her elbows. “I…I’ve been fucked over before, and I really wanted to make sure I knew how we felt about each other before we did this. I’m sorry that I made us wait so long.”

“Don’t be sorry, baby.” He caresses her cheek. “I’ll admit I was a little frustrated in the beginning, but…I’m sort of glad we waited. It’ll be more special now.”

“Exactly!” She beams at him. “Can…can we get back to it now?”

He chuckles and takes his shirt off and pants off. He hovers over her and kisses on her neck and chest. He reaches behind her to unhook her bra, and tugs it away. His lips wrap around one of her nipples, and he licks around it. He sucks on her, and it makes her moan. He licks over to her other breast, and sucks on her other nipple. She pushes his head closer to her chest and tugs at his hair. He kisses and nips his way down her soft tummy. She lifts her hips as he tugs her panties off. He opens her legs and sucks a bruise into her thigh. She gasps at that and groans. He licks a flat stripe up her slit and to her clit. He does this a few times, just to get a good taste of her.

He looks up at her as his tongue flicks back and forth on her clit. He presses a hand on her pelvis and pushes up so he can see her better. He sucks on her clit and she moans out. His fingers work around her folds, feeling her wetness, and then he slides his middle finger in. He gets his ring finger in as well, and starts to pump in and out of her. He moans into her as his hips rut against the bed. She grabs at his hair as his fingers start to rub against her front wall. Abby starts panting and breathing heavier.

“Fuck, Harry, please don’t stop!”

He groans into her as his answer, and keeps doing everything exactly the same to help get her there. Her hips move along with his face, and her body starts to feel warm all over. She cries out as she comes to her release. He retracts his fingers, and he sucks on her wet center before sitting up. She catches her breath and smiles at him. He smiles at her and gets his boxers off. She whimpers when she looks at his hard dick. She crawls towards him and wraps her hand around him. She kisses his tip and wraps her lips around him.

“God, I’ve been dreaming about this.” He groans as his head rolls back while she starts to bob up and down on him. She goes down enough to choke on him, and then she pulls off. “Do you want me to use a condom?”

“No, I’m on the pill. I wanna feel you.”

He nods and gets back onto the bed with her. She opens her legs back up for him, and he rubs the head of his cock along her folds and clit. Her hips press up towards him in anticipation. He slowly presses into her, and her mouth falls open.

“Jesus, you’re so fucking tight.” He grunts as he bottoms out.

“Move.” She tells him. “Move, Harry.” She whines, and he starts to rock in and out of her. She clutches at his biceps and digs her nails in. “Oh my god.” She moans.

“Feels good?”

“Feels amazing.” She bites her bottom lip. “Go harder.”

“Yeah, want me to fuck you hard?”

“Fuck, yeah, really give it to me.”

He gives her a wicked grin, and then pulls out of her. He flips her onto her stomach and slides back in. He grips the back of her neck, and his other hand rests at the base of her spine. He takes a deep breath, pulls out almost all the way, and then snaps his hips back into her. She gasps, and he does it again. He smacks her ass, and continues to fuck into her hard. The hand at the base of her spine slides around to her clit and he rubs it. It doesn’t take her long to lose it again. He pulls out and sits up against his headboard. Abby sinks down on him as he grips her hips. They move in sync together as she rides him. She licks into his mouth and they both moan. His hands grab all over her body, unsure of where he liked squeezing the most. He fondles her breasts for a bit before deciding to stick with her ass.

“You’re so fucking beautiful like this, Abby.” He says as he kisses on her neck. “I want you to come for me again.” He snakes a hand between them so he can rub her clit again.

“Fuck, yes, oh my god, Harry!” She grinds faster on him. “I want you to come inside me.”

“Shit, fuck.” He moans out and they come at the same time. “Fuck, Abby.” He breathes and kisses her, sucking on her bottom lip. Her fingers tangle back into his hair.

“Was it, um, worth the wait?”

“Oh my god, of course it was. I wanna fuck you over and over.” He smirks at her and she giggles.

“I think that can be arranged.” She pecks his lips. “Would you ever want to, um, tie me to the bed?”

“Oh, baby, if I didn’t love you before.”

[johannstutt413]

(requested by calligomiles; continuing from this and technically this) Swire/Rosa IV

“Uh…Sure, I guess? I’ll talk to her about…Yeah, I’ll let you know. See you around. Huh.” Swire hung up from the call she’d received and pocketed her phone. “Well that was a weird way to start the morning.”

Rosa set breakfast for two on the table and smiled at her. “It seems Miss Lovesick has gotten over herself, if I heard you right.”

“Maybe. If she tries to duel you again, I’ll fight her myself.” The Feline might’ve gotten a manicure yesterday, but that just meant her claws were good and-

“I imagine she wants to apologize, not antagonize, Kit-Kat.” Especially considering the trouble she’d had to go through to get Chi Xiao back after leaving it in the hallway for, say, a sword-loving doggo to take for her collection. (Such a fine addition!) “Besides, Hoshiguma will be there as well, so if nothing else, she’ll reign her in, right?”

Bea shrugged. “Maybe. She can only pick her up by the scruff of the neck so many times before she learns a counter-measure.”

“The eternal arms race of small and large…” Natalya smiled to herself thinking about doing the same to her Kit-Kat every now and again.

“So you’re fine going to dinner with her?” The money-cat sighed. “Well, if I can’t use you as an excuse, I guess I have to tell her we’ll go.”

The Ursus plucked the phone from her hand. “After breakfast; she can wait that long, I’m sure.”

Ch’en, in fact, wasn’t terribly excited about this herself; since that encounter outside Swire’s place, the Lung hadn’t so much as seen her in the halls, partially because their roles didn’t overlap, and partially because…Well, because she’d had time to move on. There was a hypotenuse to their incompletely-formed triangle, as it turned out, and now that she’d made that connection, her girlfriend wanted her to make amends with the Feline.

“You’re sure it has to be today?” Lungmen’s former finest asked, stewing over a cup of coffee as she watched her phone. “If she or Rosa are busy and need a different time, what then?”

“If it’s an issue for them, that’s one thing. You need a deadline to get you to prioritize this, so I gave you one.” Hoshiguma patted her on the back, bathrobe unintentionally slipping just a bit in the process.

She sighed before taking a long sip. “You know me too well.”

“More like I know you well enough,” the Oni chuckled. “If I thought it was too much, I wouldn’t be here, would I?”

“After how I treated you? Definitely not.” It had been hard to believe at first the Defender could still like her after what happened towards the end of her career as a police officer. No accounting for taste.

The Defender just shrugged at that comment. “No one’s perfect. Guess she’s not gonna get back to you for a while, huh?”

“I guess not.” Ch’en pocketed her phone- and as soon as she had it settled, it buzzed. “Of course.”

“Heh. What’d she say?”

It was actually a longer reply than she’d expected…The answer was clear, at least. “They’ll both come, as long as you’re there.”

“Great.” The microwave dinged, and Hoshi went to retrieve her breakfast. “Not like I’d leave you without your big strong moral support.”

“Yeah…Thanks, Hoshi.” The Lung put her phone away - for real this time - and started on her oatme-

-ah. Looks like she needed the microwave, too.

----

“Still good to go?” Rosa asked Swire as they walked back to the Feline’s place.

“Yeah, today wasn’t too rough.” Mostly budget-balancing, nothing that would drain her enough to justify bouncing on their commitment, as simple as that would be. “We’re still doing this, I guess.”

Natalya nodded. “Quite right. Where are we meeting them?”

“We’re uh…Uh…Huh. She didn’t actually say.”

“She didn’t?” The heiress shook her head. “Peculiar. I suppose we should-”

Waiting for them at the money-cat’s door, however, were Ch’en and Hoshiguma, still in their work attire as well. The Oni tapped the Lung on her shoulder - she was once again checking her phone - and gestured to the new arrivals as she addressed them. “Hey. Chenchen forgot to say where we were taking you, so we came here. Your pick where we’re eating.”

“Oh, then let’s go to Jaye’s place. You haven’t had his fishballs, have you, Nat?” Thank god the Defender knew her way around tricky situations.

“I haven’t,” the Ursus confirmed. “Any objections?”

None given, the quartet headed that direction; Hoshi and Beatrix made up for lost time - they were still on great terms, despite the Ch’en dynamic with each of them, which left their girlfriends following behind them quietly, one thinking through an apology, the other unsure how she’d start a conversation under the circumstances.

Once they’d placed orders at Jaye’s grill [maybe not the same Doc’s setting, but the same grill setup at least], the Lung launched straight into it. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a tool, Bea.”

“Eh? Wow, you figured that out yourself?”

“Kit-Kat,” Rosa sighed, “come now-”

Rhodes Island’s finest shook her head. “No, I didn’t, nor did I come up with the nerve to say something about it. Hoshi had to help me with it…Which is another reason I’m apologizing, because not only did I completely alienate you, I nearly shut her out, too, despite the fact she’s tolerated me at my worst - something I wouldn’t be able to do in her shoes, I don’t think. So, I’m sorry for being such an idiot and a…What did the Doctor call it?”

“A tsundere. Higashi term.” The Oni was absolutely loving life right now.

“Right. Tsundere.” Ch’en shuddered. “Also, Rosa, I want to thank you for stepping in that day and in general. Your dating her is the only reason I was able to move on.”

That was a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. Natalya smiled. “Of course, Ch’en. I’m happy it’s worked out for all of us.”

“Tali said you’re helping her rehab from the Snake’s influence, too. Hopefully she can make a full recovery.” At that point, one of RI’s many sunglasses-wearing agents (even indoors, how odd) brought them their food.

“Wait.” The Defender turned to the Lung. “When did you go see her?”

Ch’en cocked an eyebrow. “A week ago. I asked if you wanted to go with me, and you said you were busy.”

“You didn’t say it was her.”

“I didn’t?” She frowned. “I was sure I had. Hmm.”

Swire giggled. “Well, if that’s settled-”

“Not quite. Ch’en, would you still be interested in that duel?” Rosa opened her chopsticks as she asked.

“Hmm?” The Lung shook her head. “Not for the same stakes.”

The heiress nodded. “Of course, but for different ones, perhaps?”

“Wait, why do you want to fight her?” Beatrix asked, confused and steadily growing more worried.

“The challenge was made and only interrupted by Hoshiguma.” Her first fishball was quite good; Jaye did good work. “It’ll be a fun way to put this behind us and let us start fresh.”

That didn’t make sense to either the Oni or Feline, but Ch’en simply nodded. “A duel, then. Name the time and armaments, and I’ll meet you there.”

“Here, now, with these chopsticks.”

“...Eh?” Wait, there was the appetizer in the mi- Hoshi grabbed her ‘sticks. “Hang on a minute, I’m not letting you take all of those without a fight.”

Swire, laughing again, clicked her utensil together. “You’re not about to leave me out of this!”

“Are you sure you want to test my reflexes like this, Rosa?” Even the Lung was smiling. The heiress had truly done the impossible.

“Like I said, we’re starting fresh.” Natalya licked her lips. “Oh, one more condition: the wasabi is mandatory.”

Like that was going to deter them now. En garde!

[violetnotez]

Omg I know anon poor baby is always getting hurt! 🥺 I’m sorry this took so long, but I hope you like it!

Genre: Fluff, PG

Word Count: 2951

Warnings: none!

Summary: Izuku expects to find himself with Recovery Girl after he gets hurts in training yet again. How surprised he is to find it’s actually you who gets to take care of his wounds.

Prompt: #2, “You wanna get out of here?” for the @bnhabookclub Provisional Licensing Event!

(Here’s the link)

Izuku’s leg jumped as he waited impatiently in the sterile white room. 

This was now the 3rd time he was in the nursing office this week alone, and it was beginning to exasperate him how easily his body could get damaged in simple training.

He had to work to be harder. Faster. Stronger.

And he couldn’t do that without getting a little torn up and beaten up-it’s the fact he didn’t know when to stop that was the trouble.

Recovery Girl had told him that multiple times since he had became a regular visitor in her office, even threatening to speak to Aizawa-Sensei and revoke some of his training hours. 

That was the very last thing Izuku ever wanted to happen: he had to train. But he laso had to put everything into it: if he didn’t, how wouldnt ever get better.

Izuku heard a door inside the office open, looking up to meet Recovery Girl with a sheepish grin. 

But to his surprise, it wasn’t Recovery Girl-it was a student. 

They didn’t seem to notice him at first as they began to rummage in filing cabinets, their fingers nimbly searching through the organized folders.

Izuku stared with reddened cheeks-they were pretty cute.

But where was Recovery Girl? Maybe they were her assistant, but no, he was in the nurses office so much he would have known-

“Um, excuse me? Are you injured-do you need help?” The attractive person asked, their eyes looking down at him. They were right in front of him now, staring at him with an amused smirk as he thought out loud.

Izuku yelped, realizing a moment too late that he was mumbling again. His whole face became enveloped in red, his freckles much more prominent as he looked up.

“No-actually, um-yes, yes, I am hurt, just not badly,its really just a scratch -“ he was rambling again, instantly stopping as he realized how silly he sounded. His cheeks were on fire, and he was feeling so sheepish and dumb. Why couldn’t he form a single sentence correctly? This person was just too attractive, he couldn’t think straight-

He was surprised to here the person chuckle, their body bending down to be at eye level with him.

“Why am I not surprised Izuku Midoriya is in the nurses office again?” You grinned at his clearly shocked face, his green eyes wide with bewildernment.

“How-how do you know my name?” He asked, his eyebrows knitted in confusion.

You smiled at the nervous boy, your eyes drinking in his face-he was pretty attractive, his cheeks dusted with pink and his freckles scattered around his face like stars. His eyes were a pretty shade of forest green, his messy hair matching it perfectly.

You knew you should be checking for his vitals and any obvious injuries that were life threatening, thats what you’ve been taught after all-but if he had enough blood to blush that hard a few moments ago, he was more than likely fine.

“Well, your practically a honorary resident in the office at this point” you smiled playfully.

You remember him? That made Izuku’s heart soar, knowing somebody as cute as you could actually recall who he was.

Izuku felt a twinge of guilt though, because if you had seen him so many other times, why was this his first time seeing you?

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, really,” he stuttered out, “but I don’t-seem to remember you-“

“Oh, don’t feel bad!” You comforted him, “Ive only just started interning with Recovery GIrl these past two weeks,”

“My name’s y/n.” you gave him a warm smile, making Izuku’s insides feel fuzzy.

You began to rummage in the cabinet on the wall, pulling out a small first aid- kit.

“You just happen to hear alot of things once your around teachers more,” you answered his question happily, opening the kit on the bed Izuku was sitting on.

“Like-like what?” he was a little concerned by that- were the teachers in some way talking negatively about him?

You noticed the way his expression changed to worry, giving him a calm smile.

“Its nothing bad, dont worry,” you reassured him, “Recovery Girl actually has quite a soft side for you- its just shes worried about how hard you work yourself.

“You definitely have a reputation for getting yourself pretty banged up, dont’cha?” you giggled at the way Izuku gave you such a guilty, sheepish grin as he fidgeted with his scarred hands.

He chuckled along with you, “More a less- I guess…”

He watched you pull out items from the white box:soft gauze, a vile of clear liquid, fluffy cotton balls, brand new bandages-

“If you dont mind me asking- is Recovery Girl not here today?” he asked

“Nope! Shes on break right now,” you explained, pulling a chair from under the bed he was sitting on, “so you got me for today,”

You scouted the chair in close, so you were practically in between Izuku’s legs and looking right up at him. He felt his body heat up from the sudden closeness-you seemed so calm, collected, and in control, while he was feeling like nervous wreck from how close you were..

“So, you injured your side, right? On the left?” you asked, looking at the torn clothing on his abdomen.

He gave you a curt nod, his green curls bouncing slightly.

 You looked up at him suddenly, his breath stopping in his chest.

“Mind if I look?” you asked, your voice sweet like honey.

“Uh, sure go ahead- just, be careful- its pretty, bruised-”

“Oh, dont worry ‘Zuku, Ill be gentle,” you sent the boy a wink, making his head spin.

Wait- were you flirting with him?

He felt your hands gingerly prod against his PE shirt, the fabric practically worthless around his injury. Your hand left a ticklish feeling against his skin, like kisses trailing along the surface. They sent his stomach into a frenzy, making it felt like it was made out of cotton. 

You hand reached lower, towards his 4th rib bone, prodding slightly as you went along. Izuku instinctively hissed in pain as you touched a certain spot- that was the most tender area by far.

 You gave him a worried expression, a quiet sorry spilling out of your lips as you retracted your hand.

You rested your chin against your fingers, your lips pouted out slightly as you sat there deep in thought.

“You definitely got a good injury there-” you concluded, “but Im not too worried about it. A couple bandages and maybe something for the bruising….and you should be good to go!”

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief, being careful to not exhale too much in order to not irritate his wound.

“Thats a relief!”

You looked down, your teeth catching your bottom lip in nervousness by what you were going to say next. You had to heal it, but the only way to do it would need Izuku to get a little bit more comfortable with you.

“But….in order for me to properly heal it-

“Your gonna have to take off your shirt Izuku.”

Izuku could barely breathe now- take off his shirt- in front of you?? 

He could have gotten a cut anywhere- his arm, leg, shoulder- but no, he got it on his stomach. Where you, this pretty nurses assistant, would have to see him close to naked. 

He know he shouldn't be so worried, this was your job after all, you probably seen plenty of have naked students come and go due to injuries- it just felt strange.

“Are-are you sure, I think Ill be fine, you dont have to, its okay Ill just-” he began to ramble, his mouth making word soup as his anxiety kicked in.

“Izuku,” you sighed calmly, “you wanna get out of here, right?”

He nodded numbly, his green eyes full of concern and sheepish from the turn of events.

“Then your gonna have to trust me,” you placed your hand on his knee, leaning into his body softly.

God- you were- so- close.

Izuku felt his face heat up, unable to think properly. How were you so okay with being so close? You seemed so unfazed by being this near him, your voice calm and reassuring. He, on the other hand, was practically shaking from shock and nervousness.

“I wont judge you for anything, I promise,” you gave him a cheeky grin, letting your eyes trail to his torso, “-and I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” 

The boy was always training, non-stop- at least that’s what you heard from the teachers. 

You were practically certain this boy was only made of hardened muscle, watching how is arms ripples with each movement and the built muscle move under your fingertips.

 If he was worried he wasnt in the best physique to be near a girl shirtless, you were quite certain he was sorely mistaken. 

And if giving him some praise was going to make him feel a little comfortable-you would give him as much as he needed.

Izuku shuffled in his seat again, crinkling the thin paper on the bed.

“O-okay then-I trust you,” he said, trying to sound a little more confident, “Do what you have to do.”

“Awesome!” You exclaimed softly. “I have to go get a few more things..:in the mean time, try to take off that shirt, Kay? Be gentle-and don’t be afraid to call me if you need help,”

You gave him a reassuring pat on the knee, rising from your chair to get larger bandages from another cabinet. You turned your back to Midoriya, walking over to another cabinet and rummaging through the boxes until you found the perfect size bandages.

You felt your hands shake slightly, your heart beating feverishly against your chest. 

Why were you nervous? Was his hesitancy rubbing off on you now? You shouldn’t be scared in any way-you were quite accustomed to this, already working on a handful of other students since interning with Recovery Girl. This shouldn’t be a such a nerve-wracking problem-you has seen countless shirtless boys-

But you had never seen Izuku shirtless-and that was a first.

You willed yourself to take a calming breath, trying to coax your stampeding heart to lull to a normal pace. You had to be comfortable for him at least-he was so beet red in the face from worry he practically looked like a he had a fever.

“Hey Midoriya, you doing alright-“ you began as you turned around, trying to sound as cheerful as possible until your eyes feel on Izuku, your breath hitched in your throat.

This boy was built like a god.

His arm muscles gleamed in the fluorescent lights, almost sparkling as they slumped gently with his breaths. His pecks protruded our nicely, and his abdomen was a sight to be seen. Your hands itched to run along his abs, each one perfectly rounded and built. His v-line made you blush as it set deep into his skin, barely pecking out from his pants.

You could now fully see the injury, the only thing that was disrupting the masterpiece that was Izuku’s body. The red Cuts and purple bruises looked shallow as they encased around his 4th and 5th ribs.

“Is it-that bad?” he asked timidly,’his green orbs staring intently at your shocked face.

You shook your head of your stare, your cheeks inflamed-you couldn’t just be so blatantly enraptured by him. You secretly thanked that Izuku was kind of clueless and thought you were freaking out over his wound, because any other person would have known you were really just checking him out.

“Oh no! Your injury is fine,” you gave him a sheepish grin, placing the boxes on his bed.

His injury was easily fixable, and not at all serious- you were just so confused. How could someone so cute and endearing be so HOT.

“You really do train hard, huh, Midoriya?” You gave another glance at his abdomen, making Izuku chuckle nervously.

You pushed the chair you had sit in under the bed, deciding it would be easier to work on him if he was standing.

Oh geez-youd be the death of him-

you were now standing in between his legs, your hands ghosting the skin on his knees as you stared at him with those pretty eyes of yours.

He gave another small chuckle, his hand going up to scratch the back of his neck. The movement didnt react to well with his injury, a sharp pain crawling up his body. He winced, instinctively holding his side as you looked at him with worry.

“Is it alright if I-” your hands went to lightly touch his side, but he moved to block it away from your touch.

He realized his movements might have looked rude to you, his eyes growing wide with worry.

“I-I’m Sorry, I didn’t mean to-“ he began to feverishly apologize, but quickly stopped once he felt you place your hand on his lower thigh.

“It’s fine, Izuku, really, I’d do the same thing to,” you gave him a soft smile, squeezing his thigh gently.

That action made his whole body feel like jello, his mind only focusing on the way your hand was so gentle against his skin.

“Do you still trust me, though?”

“O-of course!” He exclaimed, his eyes wide.

“Alright then-I promise I’ll be as gentle as possible, Kay?” You said softly, your voice so soothing to Izuku it felt like a lullaby in his ears.

He nodded his head, his curls cascading over his eyes slightly as you took your hand off his leg, his eyes watching your every move.

Your fingers gently ran against the bruised skin, making sure to be as soft and gentle as you could with the infliction. 

You didn’t want to cause him any type of unnecessary pain, but sometimes it was necessary to get the job done.

“I-uh-I have to clean your wounds,” you looked up at Izuku, surprised to see how gentle his eyes were as he looked down at you. He seemed to be much calmer, but the way he looked so dazed and in bliss made your heart thump painfully in your chest.

 “It might sting a little, but I promise after that, it won’t hurt any more than it does.”

“That alright, I-I won’t take any offense, your doing what you have to do,” he grinned slightly at you, his freckles like stars against his cheeks.

You returned the sweet gesture, trying to focus back on his wound and not the way  Izuku was making you feel.

 He was so sweet and so adorably awkward, you couldn’t help but feel something towards the boy that was more than just a friendship feeling. He really was different than any other boy you had ever talked to.

You began working on his cuts, sterilizing each one, and making sure they were completely clean so they wouldnt get any type of infection.

Your heart went out for this poor boy-he really was strong. You had always hated this part whenever getting an injury, and he took it like a champ.

He only hissed once, his eyes and nose scrunched up, reminding of you when a bunny sniffs something it didn’t quite like. He body tensed for a split second, his hands curling around the bed. You placed your hand gently on his, making sure that he knew you were still there. You gave him an apologetic expression, his eyes looking down at you delicately, reassuring you that it was alright.

The room was deathly quiet, yet it was comfortable-you focused solely on Izuku, placing an ointment on the open flesh in order to help it heal. You made sure to keep your hands clean in order to not spread any possible infection, walking away to clean your hands at certain times.

Midoriya hated when you left, missing the warmth your body radiated off. It was intoxicating, really-you were so incredibly gentle and sweet with him. Your hands were so soft and light he sometimes couldn’t even feel you working to heal his injury. He was cherishing each moment: the way he could almost feel your heart rate from your wrist against his skin, the way your fingers would brush against the inner side of his arms by accident, sending a tingle to shoot up throughout his body. He loved how your voice was so soothing and tender, and the way you took time to make sure he was comfortable, asking him if this area hurt the most, if he felt the bandages were too tight, if he needed anything for the bruising.... You were so kind and considerate it made his heart soar with how much you cared for him in this moment.

His chest exhaled sadly when you moved away from him for the last time, realizing you had finally fixed him up.

You stared at your handiwork, your hands a little firmer this time as you moved in quickly, wrapping your fingers against the thick bandages.

“Does this feel fine? Do you feel this? Is it too tight?” You asked for what seemed like the uptenth time, making Izuku chucke sweetly.

He really didnt mind all your questions: he found it quite endearing actually.

“Yep! I’m fine, honestly, you don’t have to worry,” he gave a sheepish grin, gently trying to move to get off the bed.

You instantly rushed to help him, your hands gingerly finding a place in the crook of his elbow and his waist, guiding him off the bed.

He smiled up at you, your heart soaring as the freckled boy gave you such a warm look of appreciation.

You fidgeted nervously, sadly letting go of your hands on his body and tucking a hair behind your ear.

“Your free to go if you want Izuku, it was really nice meeting you!” You gave him one last smile, his heart dropping sadly as he smiled back.

“It was really nice meeting you too, it’s-too bad we don’t have any classes together, you seem, well, really nice!” He was practically stuttering again, yet your warm laugh made him feel a little at ease.

“Oh don’t worry about that Izuku, I’m sure you’ll be back in here in no time! I hope you don’t be too beat up then, but I look forward to it,”

“Me-me too”

And with one last smile, he walked out the door, his heart beating feverishly in his chest.

Taggings:

@birds-have-teeth​ @yuueimagines​ @orokayagi​ @leeeah-loooser​ @freckledoriya​

[zinnia-the-rabbit]

    Bakudeku oneshot: "I'll love you for a thousand years." "And I'll love you for a thousand more"

Uh,idk what this au is called.. probably soulmate au???? Idk,man. I found the concept on twitter and I needed to write about it.

Pretty long story because I'm so invested in this au. It makes me happy and sad and i love it so much. I hope you guys do to!

💮Fluff💮

🔞 smutty implications🔞, but nothing actually happens.

Sad ending, trust me. I teared up,and I'm the one writing it. I had it all planned out and I still wasn't ready. So, good luck.

Summary: The gods cursed our little wonder duo. They are soulmates,but in every lifetime that they find each other, the gods separates them. Basically-

Enjoy!!!!

🧡💚🧡💚🧡💚🧡💚🧡💚🧡💚🧡💚🧡💚

Third person bc I wasn't bothered to write in first person today)

    No matter how many times they've met, they are always taken from each other,no matter what. They always fell in love, and it always pained them when they were forced apart.

    The first time it happened was thousands of years ago, back when dragons roamed and knights saved princesses from the evil clutches of their wicked mother.

    A time when fairies and nymphs danced around deep in the forest,hidden away from the unforgiving eyes of the humans who wanted nothing more then to captures and sell them for profit.

    This, is where we meet our our beloved boys.

    Katsuki had stolen from a mighty god's shrine, taking some of the offerings to give as his own to a certain little witch, wishing to finally win the greenette over.

    He never believed in the gods. No,they were just stories made to scare children straight. Make sure they followed all the rules to a 'T'.

    Well,not Katsuki.

    He thought of himself as a god, really. Tall, strong,fierce  red eyes that could kill a bear with a single,deadly gaze that was as sharp as a dagger. He was the perfect picture of godly.

    "If you don't get off your high horse and show our gods some respect,they will surely smite you!" ,His mother would scold him, smacking the side of his head with a bruising force.

    He would only scoff in annoyance, and go about his way.

    Silly,silly little Katsuki..he didn't know the gods were watching,and were most certainly unpleased with his disrespectful behavior.

    Katsuki stepped over yet another large root that descended out of the mossy,wet earth below his feet. He kept his bag of offerings slung over his shoulder, grip tight just in case some fairies tried to steal the bag. The little sparkly pests.

    He had grabbed anything he could without getting caught; rich herbs good for creating spells, jewelery lined the only the most expensive stones, rubies,perls, diamonds, emeralds.

    He took several of the finest cloaks he could find. Some velvet and lined lined with the fluffy coat of a grey wolf. Some silk with flowers beautifully sewn into the comforting fabric.

    He had a smaller bag attached to his belt, just next to the sheath in which his sword was placed neatly and securely.

    This bag was filled with food, sweet things for the smaller,green haired male. Honey buns, cinnamon rolls, many, many handfuls of green tea mochi that he knew the witch loved more then life itself. He grabbed moon pies, macaroons, super cubes, and a couple of regular little meat buns.bHe even made sure to get at least two or three of those adorable little tudor cheesecakes.

    Did I mention this man was head over heels for our little Izuku?

    He was soon standing in front of a small cottage, smiling as he could see little puffs of grey and white smoke erupting from the chimney.

    The witch was home.

    Good.

    He walked up to the old mahogany door and knocked firmly, yet gentle,in a way.

    This cottage was old, you could tell from miles away. Long winding vines overtook an entire wall, and,in the spring, would bloom with small flowers.There were sprouts of plants peeking their way through the small cracks in the roof,and he had half a nerve to climb up and pull them out. But, Izu liked them,so he wouldn't. It's not like the roof leaked anyway, which amazed him, really.

    Some of the stones that made up the comforting little home were chipped,and others had chunks missing from the years spent unprotected from mother nature's rath. He still loved it all, though. This was like his second home.

    The door slowly creeked open and a head full of green, unruly culrs poked its way out of the safety of the home, big emerald eyes meeting Katsuki's ruby ones.

    "Kacchan!", The little witch smiled, swinging the door open and running into the taller males arms.

    "Hey,there my darling little spell caster. I brought you some things.", Katsuki hummed, smiling warmly.

    Izuku pulled away, looking at him sceptically.

    "Are you still trying to court me?", He asked leading the man inside.

    He was very much aware that the blond liked him, and he felt the same..he just wanted to tease and reject him just to get on his nerves.

    It was a fun little game they liked to play...Cat and mouse,if you will.

    The blond just chuckled, pulling the door closed.

    He could tell the little witch had been busy before he had arrived. His large black cauldron was hanging over a live fire and filled with a purplish blue liquid that was bubbling quietly.

    It smelled of lavender and citrus, maybe from a-

    He was quickly shook from his thoughts as the greenette bent down to pick up a few loose papers from the floor before standing up straight and placing them on his desk.

    Damn..

    He was always getting distracted by those wide hips whenever the witch was around, and he just couldn't help it. Katsuki wanted nothing more than to grab at his slim waist and grip his green culrs tightly, as he bent him over his desk and mark up his neck.

    He thought about that often.. maybe too often..While he's at it,he could probably convince Izuku to bounce on his-

    "Kacchan? Hellloooo?" A sweet little voice snaps him out of his little day dream and he has to look down to see the small male standing right in front of him.

     "Did you hear a word I just said?" Izuku huffed, crossing his arms.

    Katsuki almost zoned out again when he saw the little heart shaped freckle that was delicately placed on Izu's right cheek that he just loved so much.

    "Uh,no, sorry. I was trying to figure out what that other smell is. I can only pinpoint lavender,and I think orange?" Katsuki tilted his head to the side.

    "Well, you'd be correct." Izuku had hummed, smiling, "Ive been trying to change up a few potions and make them smell lovely so anyone who passed by won't know they are potions."

    Katsuki let out a small hum back before walking into the kitchen and setting the bags on the nice wooden table. Izuku followed behind him, humming.

    The blond man opened one of the bags and pulled out a necklace, carefully putting it around the smaller's neck gently. He kissed the greenette's forehead gently,which caused him to blush deeply.

    "You're adorable." Katsuki smiled.

    They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, Izu sitting on the table and Katsuki standing between his legs, cuddling each other close.

    "I accept.." Izu says gently, nuzzling his nose against the blonds jaw lightly.

    Katsuki paused, looking at him.

    Was...was Izuku finally accepting his feelings...?

    The blond haired male gripped Izu's shoulders and pulled him back, looking him right in his emerald eyes.

    "You do know what you're getting into, right?" Katsuki smirked, grabbing the wide rim of Izuku's pointed, black hat and places it on the table.

    "Of course I do."

    That's all it took for the taller man to lean in and capture the witch's lips in his own in a sickeningly sweet kiss that the greenette happily returned.

    Alas, that fateful kiss was just what the gods needed.

    That moment of pure love is what the gods would use against them.

    They pulled away, and just as Katsuki went to speak the mahogany door slammed open. Izuku gasped and clung to the taller, a fearful expression as several knights rushed inside.

    "So, it was true! There is a witch!" One of them shouted and Katsuki pulled the male in question close.

    "Ah-ha! And the little non-believing thief!" Another exclaimed as the men in the mental armor came twords them.

    How..how had they found them...?

    Katsuki kept his lover held tightly in his arms and growled as a few of the knights pulled them apart forcefully. He thrashed and kicked, trying desperately to get away and protect Izu.

    This wasn't supposed to happen...

    The knights pulled them outside despite their objections and thrashing.

    "O-ow! You're hurting me!" Izuku cried out as he was forced to kneel down.

     Sure enough,there were deep purpling bruises starting to form on his exposed arms,the men holding him way to tightly.

    "Let go of him!" Katsuki growled, but his demand fell on deaf ears.

    The two were facing each other with their wrists bound behind their backs. Izuku had tears rolling down his cheeks and he was shaking.

    This couldn't be real.

    "How did you find us?!" Katsuki shouted, trying to free himself. Our blond boy was beyond pissed.

     "Easy. A little fairy told us." A knight said, amused as a little fairy with spikey black hair, and sharp blue eyes fluttered over. He had deep blue wings and purple markings across his body.

    "D-dabi?!" Izuku gasped out. That little fairy was his friend...well,he was supposed to be.

    "I'm sorry, Izuku.." The tiny raven haired male sighed, acting sad. He smiled widely, though, as a knight handed him a mochi.

    The fairy gave Izu a small part on the head before flying away, humming a little tune. Katsuki couldn't believe his eyes. They little fairy was always around.

    He always helped Izu with his spells. He helped Baku find his way at night with his vibrant blue glow. Then he betrayed them..? That little bitch.

    "This is why I hate fairies! You're nothing but scum!" Katsuki growled, thrashing around violently.

    This was bullshit.

    He's gonna stomp on that fairy.

    He's gonna eat him whole.

    He's gonna tear his little wings off.

    He's gonna-

    "By order of the king, you are both to be put to death."

    Katsuki stilled.

    "Both of you have been proven guilty of several crimes, including witchcraft and stealing from the gods."

    No. Nonono! He just got Izu to be his for real, he..he can't die. They can't die!

    Izuku let out a loud sob at the sound of a sword being pulled from its protective sheath,and the distress in his voice caused Katsuki to tear up.

    "I-izuku, my little spell caster, close you're eyes." Katsuki instructed, leaning forward to rest his forehead against the smaller's. Izuku did as told, letting his eyes flutter shut as he tried to calm his breathing.

    They both couldn't contain a yelp when a tip of a sword touched each of their backs, the duo staring to tremble.

    This couldn't be happening.. This was all too surreal.

  "We aren't heartless,so you may say your goodbyes." One of the men hummed, sounding sincere.

    Katsuki didn't know what to say...how how do you sum up years of love and admiration into a bitter goodbye?

    They opened their eyes to look at each other, Izu giving his lover a smile,a smile that held so many emotions behind it.

    Katsuki gave a small smile back, letting out a broken chuckle. Their last words to each other were those of truth, a promise they'd keep forever.

    Those knights returned to the kingdom with sour faces. They felt bad for having to end the lovers in such a way. They were mad at themselves.

    No matter how many times they meet, Izuku and Katsuki are always tragically separated.

    No matter how many times they fall in love, they can never experience each other too long, because it could all end in the blink of an eye.

    But, no matter what, they always depart from their beloved with the same words tingling their tounges;

"I'll love you for a thousand years."

"And I'll love you for a thousand more"

[goodnightyoongi]

Yoongi x fem!reader pt1

genre: hurt/comfort

rating: gen

word count: 2,8k

summary: you’ve been feeling down, and you’re choosing to isolate yourself because of it. You’ve almost forgotten all about Yoongi, but he hasn’t forgotten about you

warnings: implied depression

Part II: Flicker

Part III: Rise

Part IV: Release

You stared at the ceiling, vacantly counting the cracks in it. It was a good distraction, it kept you busy. One, two, three, four. You knew you probably should attempt to crawl out of bed for a few hours at least, but you were uncertain if you would even manage that much today.

It was one of those days. Those when you could detect a grey, looming cloud hovering over your head the moment your eyes fluttered open.

The sheets in your bed were unwashed, uncomfortably crumpled and sticky against your clammy back. Your t-shirt was bunched up around your midsection, straining against your ribs, but you didn’t even have enough energy to switch positions to smooth it out. Brushing teeth, showering, having breakfast, all things you should do right now, but the mere thought of even swinging one leg out to attempt standing caused a lump to form in your throat. Hard, it was much too hard.

When had it gotten to this?

It had crept up on you, a shadow lurking just behind you at first, but now it had devoured you whole. At the moment it acted like a crushing weight on top of you, effectively pushing you down into the mattress.

Your elbow was nicely cool when you lifted it to rest against your face, shielding you from everything, even though there was nothing to hide from here. But the unshed tears biding their time behind your eyelids, they were released, one by one, as you reflected over your situation and the impossibility of it. If only you had the strength to pick yourself up.

Maybe tomorrow?

A blissful sleep had almost grabbed you again when you zapped awake to a noise coming from the other end of your apartment. You attempted to rouse yourself and untangle your mind enough to figure out what the hell the sound even was. You pushed yourself into sitting, thoughts hazy but once you heard it again you realized what it was.

Doorbell. You weren’t expecting anyone.

"Y/N? Open up please."

The low-pitched, raspy timbre was easily recognizable. It usually filled your chest with warm cotton candy, but right now it was atypically sharp when calling you.

Your legs barely carried as you shot out of bed, stumbling in the direction of the front door. You stopped just in front of it, holding your breath. 

Maybe you should pretend not to be home.

No. It's Yoongi. You and Yoongi knew each other since you were kids.

A distant memory featuring mini versions of the two of you playing hopscotch together suddenly appeared inside your brain – and it was enough to lure a faint smile onto your lips.

You had cried like a baby when you fell, grazing your knee. The other boys laughed at you, but Yoongi didn't. Yoongi offered you a band-aid, a colorful one with Spider-Man on it.

It had been ages since you two had last seen each other.

A determined voice reminded you of that, but just as your hand made for the door you happened to catch a glimpse of yourself in the hallway mirror, and you froze.

Surely that couldn't be you?

You hadn't looked yourself in a mirror for so long, and surely they didn’t belong to you, those greasy strands, those cracked lips. Surely not.

But they did.

“Y/N! Please, open the door. I can hear you moving around.”

You couldn’t let Yoongi see you like this. It was such an insane contrast to last time you met.

You squinted, trying to recall it. It felt like a totally different you. One that wore a nice outfit matched with a neat, pink smile. One that served Yoongi cappuccino in your best italian cups while the aforementioned chatted about how much he wasn’t looking forward to touring.

And you had reassured him, promising to keep in touch, promising to work hard on your exams while Yoongi was away.

But you’d kept neither promise.

That was months ago, and now you were a far cry from that radiant and flowery-cheeked hostess. You quickly grabbed a tinted chapstick from the hallway table to force some color onto your lips, softening them up, but your face remained ghastly pale. This was the best you could do, though, there was no time.

“Y/N! For the love of god, open the door. I’m calling the cops soon, I'm serious. Or I can knock it off the hinges, that works too," came Yoongi's crabby voice. His patience was clearly running thin, and you knew him well enough to realize it wasn't just an empty threat.

"Jesus," you muttered to yourself. You hurried to unlock it, slapping on your most artificially sweet smile and an equally fake-sounding, chirpy voice as you pushed it open.  

“Hey Yoongi! I’m so sorry it took me so long, I was…busy. Was cleaning and didn’t hear you.”

You expected him to crack into a smile and greet you, but his face remained blank for a couple seconds, as if he saw a ghost. You shifted uncomfortably on your feet, hand trailing vacantly along the door frame.

“Yoongi…?”

“Why haven’t you answered my calls or texts?”

The question hung in the air, heavy and accusatory. Your phone lay buried somewhere under piles of clothes and other clutter, and you hadn’t spared it a single thought for days. You figured it was best that way, because your answers were becoming gradually shorter, less enthusiastic, until typing a single letter felt like too much effort. It had been the right thing to do, you shouldn’t bother him with your foul mood while he was stressed on tour. You lowered your gaze to his sneakers, forcing yourself to think of justifications nonetheless.

“Um…firstly I thought you were still on tour, and…”

“Y/N…tour ended weeks ago,” he reminded you softly, tilting his head to study you with curious eyes. You couldn’t get a word out. Weeks? You really had lost track of time completely. Your arm fell limply to your side and Yoongi took the opportunity to slip past you, swiftly removing his coat and chucking it to the side before fixing dark eyes on you again.

“And that doesn’t answer my question. Why didn’t you answer when I called or texted? I thought something had happened to you…I was so damn worried.”

You were overwhelmed with the onslaught of questions, the hurt expression on his face, and to be honest you couldn’t think of a satisfactory answer. You managed to shake your head and provide a mumbled “I’ve been busy and just not remembered to check my phone, I’m sorry,” but Yoongi didn’t seem calmed at all.

“We said we’d meet up once I was back home again…but I’ve been unable to reach you. I thought I’d done something wrong or that you were tired of me.” 

He forced a sad smile, a clear attempt to conceal the desolation bleeding into his voice. You witnessed it with a heavy heart, feeling remorse at being the culprit for it.

“No! No, not at all…that’s the farthest from the truth you can even…” you quitened, trying desperately to come up with some way of saving the situation, but your mind pushed you into dangerous territory, and the words just poured out of you before you could stop yourself. “…I’ve missed you, Yoongi, I have, but um…I’ve been so busy with my classes and schoolwork that I basically haven't had time for anything else and…yeah, but…it’s nothing you did at all. Now is just not a good time, so maybe we could just meet later in the week? Go for ice-cream or something? What do you say?”

You finished your rambling with the smallest of smiles, but it felt as artificial to you as it probably looked to Yoongi. You could only hope that he’d settle for this, to agree to meet up with you later, when you weren’t falling apart. You'd be better then, hopefully by then you would have cleaned up your act, managed to pick yourself up and be a friend...or whatever it is you were...to him again.

“I’m really sorry,” you repeated, like a drone, wishing he’d just accept it and turn to leave, but the opposite happened. He gave you a look you couldn’t decode before stepping further into your apartment, scanning over the piles of clothes and half-drunken mugs of tea scattered everywhere.

“Busy with classes huh,” he parroted back at you, running a hand through the black locks and exposing his forehead. Right now it was settled in a deep frown, and you nodded hesitantly. “Okay. That’s interesting because I texted one of your friends when you didn’t answer, to ask if she knew anything about where you were.”

Your mouth was stuck ajar, and Yoongi surveyed you with skeptical, narrowed eyes. You wanted to just sink right through the ground and disappear, right now.

“Uh…did you…really…” you managed, voice small and close to breaking. Yoongi gave a downhearted sigh, eyes signaling clear disappointment.

“Yeah. She said she didn’t. She also said that you haven’t gone to class for weeks.”

There was a long silence. Your eyes were glued to the floor while you did your best to try to control your breathing, keep it nice and even, and figure out something to say, anything. Yoongi took a step closer to you, bringing with him the warmth, the solace you didn’t feel you deserved right now.

“Why are you lying to me?”

“I don’t know,” you wheezed, honestly. Because it came naturally to you, to pretend everything was okay, so naturally you were prepared to tangle yourself into a web of lies because of it. Now the opposite had happened, and you had broken his trust him further.

“Can you go please,” you choked, hating that you had to ask. But the tears, they burnt behind your eyelids and you couldn’t let yourself appear so weak, not in front of Yoongi.

“You want me to leave?”

“Yes…no…but… I’m sorry… please, just…I can’t deal with this right now.” You knew it didn’t sound logical at all, but you were panicking at the thought of him seeing you unravel, he couldn’t. “Please go,” you begged, louder and more urgently. It bounced off the walls of the living room, but Yoongi didn’t move a limb to accommodate your request.

“I have a feeling I shouldn’t,” he pondered, inching closer to you. Your hands were all over your face, kneading your cheeks in an attempt to hide from his gaze, because you were sure it was scrutinizing, you couldn’t see it was filled with nothing but concern.

“Stop it … you’re hurting yourself,” he murmured, restraining you carefully. His hands, delicate, but strong, closed around your wrists, pulling them down. You had nothing to cover yourself with, and you felt exposed.. Your eyes were stubbornly resting on his chest, on the letters supreme written across his black t-shirt, and there they remained as you uttered the next words with indifference.

“I’m fine and yes you should leave. I’m just not feeling my best today. We’ll meet up some other day.”

“Y/N…” your wrists were released, and a finger positioned underneath your chin gently pressured you to look up. “…this isn’t fine, okay. Look at you, look at this place. When was the last time you showered? Ate? What is going on with you? You look absolutely -”

“Absolutely horrible, yes I know, no need to point that out!” you finished the sentence for him, your sudden shriek jarring him and turning his features from worried to frowning.

“No, sweetheart, that’s not it. I was going to say absolutely spent, okay? You always look beautiful, but you also look…exhausted, to be frank, so won’t you tell me what’s wrong?”

“You should go. I’m a mess, and you can’t help me. I don’t deserve it,” you informed him impassively, not caring about how irrational you sounded, because your senses were telling you to push him away. You had backed off without even realizing it but now you bumped into the bathroom door, exhaling heavily as he followed you, slowly as if approaching a startled animal.

“What are you even talking about, Y/N? Of course you deserve it… I don’t know what’s going on but… whatever it is, I can help you. I want to help. Okay?”

“No, Yoongi. Just leave.”

“I’m not going to leave-”

“Yes, because I’m fine!”

Your own voice pierced your ear as the sentence escaped you, much more shrill than you had planned. Hot, fat tears instantly pooled in the corners of your eyes, blurring your vision. They started streaming down your cheeks the second after, when you witnessed Yoongi’s expression in front of you, shocked and pained through the thin curtain of water.

“Oh god, I’m sorry…” your voice didn’t carry your words anymore, cracking as amplifying sobs racked your body. The weight of the entire world crushed you, but tender hands were there as well, preventing you when you attempted to scratch at your cheeks in frustration.

“Stop, calm down… it’s okay, honey. Don’t hide from me.”

“It’s not okay…nothing is okay…and I don’t want you to see me like this,” you pleaded, doing your best to wipe the snot off your nose with the palm of your hand, but it didn’t help much and only made you keen louder. “…I can’t even…take care of myself, let alone anything else…”

Yoongi shushed you, using his calming, dulcet tones, but you pressed yourself against the door, sobbing, wailing uncontrollably, and soon he took matters into his own hands. Your thighs were grabbed, gently, your lower body hoisted up like you were a koala on his hip.

“Put your arms around my neck…uhuh, that’s it.”

You stuttered some half-hearted protests as you clung to him, but he released you before you could wiggle free, lowering you down and flanking you on the couch. You immediately attempted to escape to the far corner of it, but nimble arms found you, snaking their way around your waist and shoulders and hauling you in again.

“Schhh. You have to calm down, hear me? Calm down. You've known me for years, Y/N, don't have to be scared of me. Don’t have to be scared. Just tell me what’s wrong, please. Can you do that?"

“That’s the thing…I don’t even know what’s wrong…I just feel like… everything is so difficult. Even getting out of bed...it's hard... and...it feels like...there's no point,” you sniffled, scared of your own words. You turned to him for comfort, finally allowing yourself to burrow into his chest, feeling it rise and fall underneath your heated cheek as you inhaled the familiar scent of his t-shirt.

“It’s okay. These things can creep up on you slowly, sweetie,” Yoongi’s voice cascaded down on you from above, his fingers vacantly stroking down the side of your arm. "But if you were struggling…you should have told me…I hate knowing you’ve been here all by yourself feeling like this. You don’t have to go through it alone, I’m always here for you.”

You soaked up his assuring words, reveling in his touch, his broad shoulders wrapped all around you. You still felt scared, ashamed, but a chunk of it was washed away with the help of the familiar caress, the soothing timbre of his voice, promising you that things might be okay.

“I’m sorry I ignored you,” you lamented, feeling the regret bubbling in your stomach again and escaping in yet another outpouring of tears.

“This won’t do,” Yoongi sighed melancholically, briefly leaving the couch, and you instantly felt empty, cold without him. He was back in the matter of seconds, bringing with him a stack of tissues he used to gently dab all over your face. Once he was done he cupped your cheek, stroking over your jawline with his thumb and smiling comfortingly at you. “That’s better. Not drowning in your own tears now.”

“This is all my fault…” you mumbled, leaning into his touch and averting your eyes, because you couldn’t look into his sympathetic ones, witness that adoring smile when you had wronged him so. “I didn’t even reply to you…I didn’t want to burden you with my issues and…I didn’t realize it only made it worse. I’m sorry-”

“No, schhh,” he interjected, grabbing your thighs and settling them across his lap. You let it happen, nuzzling into his neck when he sneaked his arms around your torso, pressing you against him as tightly as he could manage. “No need to be sorry, I understand it’s hard. But I’ve missed you so much, pretty baby, I was so worried about you.”

He breathed into your hair, gentle tones coated with sadness. “And if I knew this was going on with you…I would have come sooner.”

“I don’t even know what’s going on, though, Yoongi,” you confessed, feeling defeated, but his steady hands anchoring you and keeping you safe caused your chest to sprout with a tiny seed of hope. Maybe it all could be alright, just maybe.

“I know. I know baby. But things will get better, you’ll see, we’ll figure it out. I’ll help you, don’t have to do it alone anymore.”

[vanityloves]

anyways im gonna listen to/read the fuckin...rise of the ogre shit bc ive been putting it off 🪓🥴 im gonna put stuff under the cut bc im gonna be TALKING n dont wanna make a new post everytime

piss

ok he performed for 2 pounds 50. which is basically $3 today i- well it was absolutely a power play on his father behalf that also had the promise of money so.

also lol he said Rejection fueled my ambitions which, yknow,, i already knew but it still hurts and i will continue to talk ab it xoxo

AH HELP. "...if ebay had been invented at the time he would've sold me online there and then,"

"man hands on misery to man, yknow"

THEN PROCEEDS TO CONNECT IT TO MUSIC/HIS CAREER. this man said :) the one thing i truly have a passion for. the one thing i fucking like.

oh yeah. bullied by students AND teachers.

oh god hes 42ish during this interview? ok.

the fuckin school bully saying he wouldve acted differently if he knew what hed become

getting called "faceache", then proceeds to call 2d that. jfc he really does just repeat what everyone says. really "treating others how i was treated/how they treat me"

maybe thats why? hes kinder to fans? bc :] you support me and like me so, ok ill return that energy

MURDOC GETTING HIS ASS BEAT N PARADING HOME LIKE WELL I WON BC 'I PISSED YOU OFF' SJDJD

a real rowdy boy. absolute nasty boy. fraud and arson... shooting ppls windows with his air pistols

black sabbath being a huge inspiration? fucking absolutely.

became a satanist n shit at age 16? "it fitted me like a glove" "heavy metal and devil worshipping became my favorite past times" ajsj funny that ppl in trying times often seek religion or following of some sort

heavy metal being his favorite, n loving the clash, while hannibals was more punk based

hannibal breaking murdocs nose for the 2nd and 3rd time for playing his music on hannibals turntable

he doesnt sound that bitter? ab hannibal? he doesnt sound incredibly fond but he talks ab how he got him into a lot of music. so, i imagine they we're a bit closer than i thought?

international baccalaureate in antisocial? anthropology?

MURDOC IS ACTUALLY SMART HE WAS JUST. NOT INTERESTED IN THE SUBJECTS? I GUESS? (also,,, he literally Built cyborg noodle and i think he had a PhD too lol. but its always nice to hear hes actually...yknow, interested or good at other things)

alright but murdoc having a fascination w/ other cultures - or at least some interests, that lead him to actually study the damn subject and "pass with flying colors"

'fuck college though. im gonna be a rockstar'

he sold his soul at 18ish? whenever the fuck he got kicked out but college was mentioned so my brain goes to 18ish idk

he lived with his father still and paid rent via low paying jobs one including 'part time dressing as santa'

help he was ab to take a Personal Job for quick cash and uhh well, "still made me call him sir though" he really said 20 dollars is 20 dollars, huh "that story was totally true"

alright, 1997,,,

2d stuff

loves zombie stuff? thats really cute, and is freaked out by the way they move. god he rambles

both he and murdoc are horses in the chinese zodiac

[[jfc ok if the official shit compares them a lot i understand why ppl ship them but Dont. its a narrative foil and that doesnt always mean Romance jfc.]]

SUMTHINK.

truly... a lil stinker. super cute bouncing baby and a "bit thick" which is stull so endearing to me. hes just a happy man!

excitable 10 year old and would dance around his room

jfc the fact he has normal/caring parents. i kinda forget how opposite hes supposed to be from murdoc but i think thats another thing jsjsysg (murdoc said why isnt my tragic story making me famous why does he get to be the Star. no wonder he acts like a loon)

i still dont get how gettin bonked by a tree branch made him go bald and also turn his hair blue

big tiddy nurse mommy,,,

went to the same school as The Cure and got decent grades despite hittin the noggin quite hard. WANTED TO BE A STORM CHASER... OMG??

oh thats really cute, hed bond with his dad by building keyboards toegther 🥺💕

messed around with paints and graffiti? artistic king

MURDOC AGAIN: QHDJ 'VILLANOUS' GANG HELP

oh yeah d day...new instruments, new band, new singer - and 'had to be the best or no dice' and absolutely CONFIDENT that his songs were bangers ajsjd

but on that same note, had absolute faith (or desperate) in 2d which i love

ransacked the fucking music shop jdjdj and 2d said he was Just Standing There behind the counter the whole shift hdhdh

"thats when your eye came out, yeah" "yeah!-" HELP WHY DOES HE SOUND SO HAPPY AB IT ?? yes he said ut hurt but he sounds...ok

jfc murdoc ragdolling this poor mf around. dunking him and slapping him around. actually? so incredibly terrible and abusive and i hate him for that 🔫 im sorry 2d stans. we dont condone that behavior here ong.

how and why the FUCK did 2d's parents allow that fucker near their child after that i??? help. wtf. his moms a nurse why didnt she just have murdoc sit in plain view of other people. god damn.

2d flying out the window n hitting the curb "whoops"

"just two black holes...[ah] it looked great...a blue hair, blacked eyed GOD- the girls would go wild-" "pretty boy looks" ???? HELP. HE DOESNT GO LIGHT ON THE COMPLIMENTS, HUH

RUSS TIME

oh yeah, he straight up kiddnapped this man help. idk how he managed that, russ is a Big Man??

AND MURDOCS MUSIC WAS SO FUCKING SEXY GOOD that russel said hm alright ill stay, :] out ifbhis owm free will im screaming.

"oh this is one of them febreeze commercials" "uh . yeah sure. *murdoc turning on his Sick Tunes*" but that either means? it was just his guitar playing the convinced russ? unless he and 2d recorded sumn?

"2d was the looks, murdoc the brains, then russel truly was the heart"

'while 2d and murdoc liked music, this man was a MUSICIAN' god fucking bless this book holy shit ny man russ getting some respect. he said back hurts from carrying this band.

murdoc basically heard this guy had big trauma that gave him So Many Skills n said "thats what i want" ok idk thats actually really? inch rest ting to me. seems that murdocs fine handing out compliments but i guess that where his charisma really helps out yeah?

"he was going to be in my band whether he liked it or not" ...murdoc-

HELP. 2D IS LIKE BRO GO ON IM LISTENING 🥺 despite hearing the story 50-60 times and murdoc said fuck off you lil shit.

ok irrelevant but i love his voice! its super comforting n nice to listen to 🥺

HELP MURDOCS SO BITTER. "NOTHING THAT HAPPENS TO US IS NORMAL" WELL YEAH. THIS IS TRAUMA CENTRAL.

idk how/why he sucked up all his friends souls though ... how are they all possessing the same person. they said "its my turn on The Russ"

DELL IS HIS ACTUAL, LITERAL SOULMATE...KING...😭

went to a private school,,, and was already possessed? and the thing where he gets bigger and smaller is a reoccurring thing?

was in a coma for 4 years?

hiphop machine...time and history...the ultimate set i guess.

his knowledge was infinite and hes a "Renaissance man" hes so fucking smart our king. jack of all trades but a master of drums. he said i know im good and what of it

PAULA.

HELP. HE RMBRS THE STALL: CUBICAL NUMBER 3 🥴 IF I DO RECALL 🤤

yes russel our king. fuck up his nose 5 more times. probably stunted his growth too. he shrunk after russ gave him a wallop im sure

why dies paula sound like tracer overwatch

also only dated 2d for 2 months before joining the band?

HELP SHE REALLY WAS THE FIRST MURDOC FUCKER: "but when i saw murdoc with his thick greasy hair, green teeth and yellow skin i thought 'oh this is the ine for me!'" "OH HES SUCH A DANDY-" HELP ME IM HQJDHD

sick in the head...like i want to hurt people help girl. shes fucking Crazy. but she rly said damn i didnt hear back from him again 😭 and my purse is gone JSHHD

MURDOC: SHE WAS DEPRESSINGLY UGLY *still fucked her*

NOODLE TIME

"small japanese person!"

2d: we werent gorillaz until noodle arrived!

im dying the reason he chose gorillaz. 'swinging through the jungle baring my ass'

noodle really said "im just happy to be here" and she balanced everyone out 😭 "she gave off pure love and the fact that she could laugh at murdoc REALLY helped too" RUSS... IS BABY

JFC MURDOCS SO FUCKING CONFIDENT IN THIS BAND IM LIVING FOR THAT. HE SAID YOU WANT US SO BAD IT MAKES YOU LOOK STUPID. THE CHARISMA

2d rambling ab some girl he met and "ssSs" "whats the s stand for hawhaw" "i dont know!".

THE RECORD LABEL GUY.

one song is all it took i ❤ good for them

just murdoc talking ab the party that they threw for thier deal and saying "you dont know how much of a dick i felt like [when carrying one of those huge checks]" like oh thats whatll make you a dick? alright.

A FOOD FIGHT THAT WENT SO HARD THAT IT KNOCKED 2DS TONSILS OUT? WHAT THE FUCK

ahshdj damon and murdoc not getting along bc of Rival Band One Uppery + damon calling murdocs cuban heels crap since ge wore steel ones with gold spurs.

MURDOC FEELIN EMBARRASSED BC HES 'QUITE PROUD OF HIS SHOES'

but the band and damon getting over music and their ambitions and became a "paternal figure"

HELP MURDOC SAID AWIOGA @ RACHEL WHICH MADE HER THROW HER DRINK IN HIS FACE AND SPLIT FROM 2D. kinda sad actually, she said i still like 2d but murdoc kinda ruined it by trying to get it in with me, it put a strain in our relationship :/ oh god murdocs That Dude

nov 31 1998: started recording :]

40 tracks that got cut down to 15 holy shit

KONG STUDIOS 🤲

hooking up cameras in every room ejdjsu

webby artist of the year in 2006? holy shit

noodle learning ab kong studios omfg

JFC. YES I KNEW KONG WAS BUILT ON/IN A CEMETERY BUT I DIDNT KNOW PPL FOR THE FUCKING PLAGUE WHERE THROWN THERE HDJD

built in 1739?

the ghost of the first owners ghost still roams around in the kitchen in the early hours and moans 'aaa glass of water'

theres some rotting bullshit near the studios and in the summer its fucking TERRIBLE

the former owners were a biker gang, and they all died in a fire

murdoc said this place has bad vibes. i want it.

grim weather

the building feels impossible to escape from huHgg

[the-ss-zemyx]

PVP(umpkin Spice Lattes)

Zexion and Arpeggio are Discord friends. They chat in private messages, raid in Verum Rex together, and may or may not have feelings for each other.

Ienzo and Demyx are college roommates. They hate each other, for the most part. At least they can both agree on pumpkin spice lattes.

Happy 2nd Zemyx Day of 2020!!

Specifically for today, the S.S. Zemyx Discord Server hosted a collaborative fic-writing event! Over the course of the past five days, four of our writing members teamed up on a Google Doc in one glorious, inspirational, chaotic, frankenstein-esque fic-writing bonanza! That's right, the fic you're about to read is the product of -four- people's efforts!  Enjoy!! :D

(A HUGE thanks to my co-writers: Aliceslantern, Ennarcia, and Carbonpixel. This was a hell of a lot of fun to do and I'm immensely proud of us!! - Mod Arxsia)

Also available on AO3!

__________

      Demyx hated his roommate. Okay, no, hate was a strong word, and Demyx did his best to be a friendly, outgoing sort of guy, so ‘hate’ was definitely too strong a word. He liked to make friends. Having friends was nice. Having friends was very nice, and so, he tried to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. But his roommate was a different story, and Demyx did not like his roommate very much at all.

At least he was easy on the eyes, because everything else about him got on Demyx’s last nerve. His name was Ienzo, but his name might as well have been "Jerk," with a capital J. When he wasn't hogging the Internet bandwidth doing God-knows-what on a chunky Alienware laptop, he was lecturing Demyx on the virtues of keeping the floor free from dirty clothes and giving empty soda cans a proper burial in the plastic wastebasket by the door. Lame. Also, he was a little condescending. That jerk . 

One day, Ienzo burst into their dorm room with the gusto of a hurricane aiming to speak to a manager about a botched coffee order. He swung his laptop bag onto his mattress. It bounced when it landed. "Out," he commanded.

Demyx looked up from his phone. He sat with his legs crossed on his own bed, his Discord app open to a private message thread on his phone. In a few minutes, one of his server friends, a guy with the display name "The Cloaked Schemer" but going by his Discord handle, Zexion#1309, would be starting a voice call with him. It was kind of a big deal--they had been chatting in their shared server for almost a year, and in private messages for almost as long, but they had yet to actually speak to each other. "I'm actually busy," Demyx said.

"I don't care. Out."

It turned into an argument, of course, neither yielding and probably disturbing their neighbors with the yelling. Yep, Demyx didn’t like his roommate one bit. 

He ended up in the lounge by the kitchen, utterly fuming, cursing his idea to “go rando” with a roommate all the while. It’s the best way to make friends, Demyx , his mother had told him. What better friend than a roommate?

Very funny.

At least he’d been able to grab his phone. Of course, Zexion was wondering where the hell he was. 

The Cloaked Schemer: Do you need to reschedule?

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: roommate’s being a dick and kicked me out. Sorry!

The Cloaked Schemer: Ah, I too am having roommate troubles. I can sympathize. I know too well what it’s like when one’s privacy is denied.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: he’s driving me NUTS! 

The Cloaked Schemer: Have you tried talking to him about it?

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: He didn’t exactly uh seem receptive to talking

The Cloaked Schemer: It’s always a good idea to try for maturity first.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: I did! Not my fault the guy wasn’t having it.

Anyway. Id hate to let that guy take up any more time.

Hru?

The Cloaked Schemer: Doing as well as I can, I suppose. I’m enjoying my classes so far. It seems a little easy, but then again, it is only one of the first weeks. Things should pick up more by midterms.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: ure too smart zexy. And didnt you skip a grade?

The Cloaked Schemer: A year, yes. I don’t think they call them grades in college.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Considering some of the people ive met, couldve fooled me.

The Cloaked Schemer: If I’m hoping to have a grad degree within five years, I have to fast track it. I’d rather not spend much more time in undergrad than necessary.

Though I am especially resentful that, despite the fact that I am technically a sophomore, I’m considered enough of a freshman to still be required to dorm.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: That blows

But dude, ure here. Might as well try to enjoy the journey, yaknow?

The Cloaked Schemer: Oh, Arpeggio. Your naivete is too obvious sometimes. It’s sweet, I think.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: har har

The Cloaked Schemer: I am disappointed though. I was looking forward to meeting you--in a manner of speaking. You’re probably one of the most sane people from our Verum Rex server.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Issa game, bro. Some of them, idk, take it a little too seriously

The Cloaked Schemer: Well, aspects of it are worth being taken seriously, but I understand what you mean.

Though the ship wars are grating.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: ha! Yeah.

The Cloaked Schemer: We’ll have to find some other time, then.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Mann i was hoping to see if you sound as smart as you type

The Cloaked Schemer: You flatter me.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Do you think if we lived near each other we would hang out?

The Cloaked Schemer: If it’s all the same, I’d prefer to keep my location anonymous.

At least for now.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: I know. Just a hypothetical question

The Cloaked Schemer: I’d like to say yes.

But for all I know, you’re actually a forty year old serial killer who lives in his mother’s basement.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: harsh

You listen to 2 many true crime podcasts 

Anyway, I g2g. See if the roomie will let me back in. Got homework.

The Cloaked Schemer: Enjoy your night, Arpeggio.

Hopefully one of us has a good one.

Demyx closed the app and repocketed his phone. He flopped back on the lounge couch, eyes squinting at the fluorescent lights above and his limbs ragdolling in uncomfortable directions. A good night, huh? It’d be better if he could spend time in his own room without having to engage in guerilla combat whenever he wanted to exist in his own space. Wishful thinking, he thought.

__________

      Ienzo stared at the chatlog open on his computer screen. The circle next to Arpeggio’s icon turned a dull gray, and the remaining bits of Ienzo’s hope for decent conversation dulled with it. He had finally caught up enough with his classwork to have some free time to spend, finally arranged to voice chat with Arpeggio, finally gotten Demyx to leave the god-forsaken room so he could have the one conversation he’d been looking forward to for weeks , and now… nothing. All that planning, gone to waste. Another wave of irritation hit him, and suddenly he was out of bed and grabbing his keys. He needed some tea.

Ienzo didn’t get tea at the coffee shop, despite his plans. The alluring, hipster scent of pumpkin spice hit his nose instead, and he caved before he could stop himself.

The college employed students as baristas in the campus coffee shop, as part of the work-study financial aid, so it wasn’t uncommon to see one’s peers at the shop. “Hey, Ienzo,” Riku said. It was getting late; chairs were already on top of all the tables. They’d met in Ienzo’s anthropology class.

“I’m not too late, am I?”

“I can bend the rules for you.” He went back behind the counter. “What’ll it be? Your usual?”

He blushed guiltily. “Pumpkin spice. Please.” Curse that glorious, wonderful scent.

He smirked. “Coming right up.”

“I know it’s dreadfully popular.”

“Yeah, cause it’s good ,” Riku said. “As long as you’re not one of those “half-caff, no whip, vanilla and almond, five shots” type of people.”

“Why complicate coffee so much?”

Riku handed him the paper cup. “At that point, just drink coffee-flavored syrup.” There was a pleasant lull for a moment. Riku began cleaning the espresso machine. “So why are you out so late? Don’t you have an early class tomorrow?”

Ienzo grimaced. “My roommate and I got into a fight.”

“...Again?”

“We are not well suited for each other.” A sigh. “I went to the Residence Life office to try and apply for another room, but the period for that is over. I was told, and I quote, “unless he’s hurting you, tough it out.””

Riku chuckled. 

“He is simply-- obnoxious ,” Ienzo continued, the pressing need to vent taking over. “Slobby, loud, and always around at precisely the most inopportune times. I was supposed to have a call with a good friend of mine, and it took some doing just to get him out.”

“Right, your Discord friend.”

“You have a good memory.” Ienzo swished the coffee around a little; it was slightly too hot to drink.

“The one you have a crush on,” Riku said with a grin.

Ienzo flushed painfully. “I do not have feelings for him,” he said.

“Dunno. You managed to bring that call up in almost every conversation we’ve had. If he was really just your friend, would you be that excited? Enough to hype about it for weeks?”

Ienzo shrugged. “I do not know where he’s from, I don’t know his real name, I don’t even know what he looks like. For all I know, he only uses he/him pronouns online.”

“And?”

“I just… see no reason to desire something I cannot have.”

Riku wiped at the counter. “Oh, don’t be so doom and gloom,” he said. “If the call matters so much, it’s going to happen eventually.”

“I know.” He smiled. “Well, thanks for the tea and sympathy. Er, coffee and sympathy.” 

“Any time.”

“Enjoy the rest of your night.”

“You too. Play nice.” 

“Just promise to bail me out if things go awry, will you?”

“Ha, on my salary?” Riku winked.

Ienzo left the coffee shop. He didn’t want to return to the dorms yet, but the fall night was calm and quiet. He checked his phone (maybe Arpeggio was free? Though he did say he had homework…).

As a stroke of luck, he had a message waiting for him.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: I have a room again! \o/ 

the jerk was gone when I got back!

The Cloaked Schemer: How fortunate for you. I assume you’re flying through your homework now?

Mel0d10us N0cturn3: nope! :p 

this science paper is kicking my ass!

Im really no good at this sort of thing

The Cloaked Schemer: Do you have any tutors available? Ordinarily I’d love to help but it might be easier and more private to go there instead.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: \o/

We actually do have one of those tutoring centers I think! Thanks for the idea!

Don't want you to waste your special brain-powers on little ol’ me lol

The Cloaked Schemer: I’d hardly call helping you a waste of my “special brain powers.”

It’s not a bad idea to check your local resources though.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: o7

Don’t think I’m gonna make any progress on this paper tonight tho lol

The Cloaked Schemer: Giving up already? I didn’t have you pegged for a quitter.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Awww, come on! Don’t guilt meeee

My poor brain!

It’s mush!

;-; will you not spare some mercy for my poor mushy brain?

The Cloaked Schemer: I suppose just this once, provided you use your resources and go to the tutoring center.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: o7 Yes sir !

First thing in the morning!

My mushy brain thanks you for your mercy and endless kindness!

Ienzo’s cheeks grew warm, but whether it was from the message on the screen or the sip of pumpkin spice coffee currently running down his throat, he neither knew nor was willing to explore.

Despite the late hour, there were plenty of students milling about campus, taking up their little spaces. It had taken him some time to find an empty bench to sit on, but one eventually caught his eye and he claimed it immediately, sitting down with his coffee in one hand and phone in the other.

The sky was inky black, dotted with stars, the sun long gone by now. Nights were starting to grow just a tad chilly, the beginnings of autumn seeping into the atmosphere. It was Ienzo’s favorite season and the aroma of pumpkin spice wafting past his nose was just what he needed to make up for the disappointment of having his voice call with Arpeggio abruptly cancelled.

Well, maybe not entirely. He’d been really looking forward to hearing Arpeggio’s voice for the first time, but this did nicely enough, he supposed. It was better than sitting around stewing in annoyance over his damned roommate anyway.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: so what are you up to right now?

The Cloaked Schemer: It’s a lovely night out. I needed some tea. Got coffee instead.

What is it about pumpkin spice that’s so irresistible? 

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Never wouldve pictured YOU as a devotee of the PSL.

The Cloaked Schemer: Guilty pleasure. 

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: theyre so good. I can’t have that many of them cause caffeine makes me SLEEPY

The Cloaked Schemer: Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me at all.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: whats that supposed to mean?

The Cloaked Schemer: Nothing derogatory, I assure you.

Though the idea of you being hopped up on caffeine amuses me.

You seem like one of those people who has energy all the time.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: i wish

The Cloaked Schemer: I should--begrudgingly--head back to my room.

You should try working on that paper.

I mean it about the tutor.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: yeah, yeah. I hear ya

Hopefully your roommates not being a dick anymore

The Cloaked Schemer: Fat chance. M3l0d10us N0cturn3: enjoy your coffee~~

__________

      Demyx sat for a long time looking at that exchange. He could’ve heard Zexion say those words. He was just so painfully smart, but Demyx could listen to him say anything. About anything. For hours.

He showered and got ready for bed, hoping that Ienzo would stay gone. But as it was, he was back. Ienzo scowled in greeting.

“Nice to see you too,” Demyx muttered. He noticed the coffee cup Ienzo had set down. Ienzo seemed to live on caffeine and spite. 

“I needed to clear my head, as I do not have the luxury of privacy.”

“Well I gotta sleep somewhere,” Demyx said. He crawled into bed. Ienzo rolled his eyes. Demyx saw him grab his own shower caddy and head out to the communal bathroom. He thought he smelled--he blinked. Slowly, ever so slowly, he got up, crossed over to the cup, and sniffed it.

Of course he likes pumpkin spice lattes, Demyx thought bitterly. Ugh.

He went back to bed and fell asleep listening to music.

__________

      The universe thought it was just so funny. Demyx had taken Zexion’s advice and the tutor he’d met with was his jerk of a roommate. At least Ienzo was unhappy too, if the scowl on his insufferably nerdy face was anything to go by.

“What are you doing here?” Demyx blurted before he could stop himself.

“I work here,” his jerk of a roommate answered in response, “as a tutor, for my work study. I take it your procrastinating finally caught up to you and you need some last-minute help?” Did he really have to be so damn condescending though?

Demyx hiked his backpack strap a bit higher on his shoulder and rapped his fingers on the tutoring center's reception desk. Ienzo could glare daggers at him all he wanted from his seat at the computer behind the desk, but the curious eyes of the other tutors and students around meant that he would have to maintain decorum. They both would, lest Ienzo lose his job and Demyx lose his tutoring privileges. He took a deep breath. "I need help with a biology paper."

Ienzo's expression tightened. "Would you like to make an appointment?"

"No? You said it yourself: this is last-minute." Demyx tapped on the desk. "I need to talk to the science tutor on duty, please."

"It seems like we're both out of luck tonight, then," Ienzo replied dryly, absently clicking at something on the computer monitor. "I'm the science tutor on duty at the moment."

"You? Gross." 

"I'm not particularly happy about it right now, either."

Demyx considered his options, and cringed at his conclusions. His paper was due in two days, and it was only half-drafted. Without a passing grade on the assignment, he would set himself up to fail the class. Petty squabbles were not worth the hit to his GPA. He sighed. "Well, can you help? I'm kind of desperate, here."

Ienzo returned the sigh. "Fine. Follow me."

Demyx followed Ienzo around the reception desk to a square table in the far corner, a plastic chair on each side. Ienzo alighted onto the seat closest to the wall. "This better not be a waste of time."

Demyx pulled his laptop out of his backpack before sitting down across from Ienzo. "Has anyone ever told you that you have excellent people skills? Because if they did, they lied to you."

Ienzo rolled his eyes. Yep , Demyx thought, amazing people skills. They were off to a great start. Getting through this paper was going to be agony. "I'm paid to tutor, not practice social niceties."

The laptop screen lit up as Demyx swiped one finger over the trackpad. A screenshot from one of his more memorable raids in Verum Rex guarded the rest of his files behind his login password. Demyx typed his password as quickly as he could, shooing the image of his and Zexion's avatars away before Ienzo could ask any unwanted questions. Evidently, he did not type fast enough. 

“Verum Rex? You're familiar with it?” 

Demyx nearly jumped, shoulders tensing. He knew Ienzo was there; that shouldn’t have startled him as badly as it had.

“Duh? It's only the best MMO on the market right now. Not that you would know, since you're so committed to the whole 'smug asshole' thing,” He snarked on reflex, feeling slightly guilty about it afterwards. Ienzo was being friendly for once, or was at least making something of an attempt at it. Yikes. Demyx wasn't usually one to make low blows like that. He opened the Biology folder on his computer and selected the draft of his paper, making an effort to get along with Ienzo while they were forced to sit together. "Please help me with this? If you would be so kind, please?" Demyx made praying-hands in Ienzo's direction in apology.

Eyebrow rising - was it just one, or both? - Ienzo shot him a look, obviously unamused in the slightest. “If you’re trying to be cute, it’s not going to work.”

Demyx pouted and opened up his biology paper, turning the laptop toward Ienzo. “Fine, fine, just help me?”

Rolling his eyes yet again, Ienzo was just about to lean in to read what Demyx had so far, when the familiar sound of a Discord ping had Demyx scrambling to turn the laptop back toward himself. Shit. He’d forgotten to close his Discord window before showing up at the tutoring center.

While Demyx closed the Discord app, Ienzo watched him carefully, contemplative. “You use Discord?”

Turning the laptop back, Demyx gave him a look, half in disbelief because surely Ienzo was too much of a nerd, but not in the cool way, to know what Discord was, and yet he did. Shit, it would be really awkward to end up in a server together. “Yeah, who doesn’t use Discord these days? I mean, especially if you play games or are into, I dunno, any fan community stuff.”

For a moment, Ienzo said nothing, slowly turning to look at Demyx’s biology paper on the screen. “Alright, let’s see what we have to work with so far, if anything.”

Demyx sighed. Asshole.

__________

      Was this some kind of joke? Ienzo was being pranked, wasn’t he? Any moment now Demyx would start laughing about wasting his time and walk out, like the lazy slacker he was. Halfway through, he half collapsed on the table.

“This is impossible,” Demyx whined. “You don’t really understand this stuff, do you? You’ve gotta be lying.”

Ienzo felt his eye twitch. “Not all of us are lazy fools who give up after 15 minutes. Why are you even here?”

“Because my friend said I should, and I trust his advice. He never leads me wrong, so even if I have to spend time with you , I’m gonna do this.” 

"Your friend sounds like he has the sense that you very much lack," Ienzo deadpanned, scrolling through Demyx's paper. He took stock of the misformatted section headings, missing in-text citations, and the off-center data table in the middle of the mess. The topic of the paper did not appear in any of Demyx's written work. "Can you tell me what this assignment is supposed to be? I can't tell from what you've given me."

"It's…" Demyx shrank back in his seat. "I don't know what it's supposed to be. My professor gave us all a table of data-results-things and told us to organize and analyze them. I don't know what he wants, exactly."

Ienzo huffed, and almost slammed Demyx's computer closed on the spot. Thankfully, his better faculties kept him from breaking Demyx's laptop. "There's your problem. You can't complete an assignment if you don't know what the assignment is . Email your professor for clarification and request an extension. If you do it early enough, they might grant you leniency."

"Really? That's your advice? Beg my way out of it?"

"Not begging. Requesting. It shows forethought, self-awareness, and emotional maturity, even if you don't actually possess any of those things. The adage of faking proficiency to gain proficiency has some truth to it." Ienzo pushed the laptop over to Demyx. "Is there anything else I can help with?"

Demyx's arms crossed, and his expression took on the quality of a betrayed toddler. "You didn't even help me with what I came in for, asshole."

Ienzo waved away Demyx's indignation with a dismissive hand. "There's only so much I, or any tutor, can do without having a good idea of what your professor expects. Emailing is the best advice I can give right now."

"So if I email my professor, you’ll help me?” 

“I give you my word.” A promise made in haste, if only to appease the barest responsibilities of his job. Hopefully Demyx wouldn’t make him live to regret it.

Not long after Demyx was gone, Ienzo checked his Discord app, surreptitiously on his phone behind the reception desk, to find a message from Arpeggio.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Zexy, this worst thing ever just happened!

My roommate is my tutor!

Save meeeeeee

The Cloaked Schemer: That is peculiar. Though colleges are small worlds, so I hear.

What did he have to say re: the paper?

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Ugh he couldn’t even help

Because I had licherally no idea what the professor wants

I mean, the dude has an F on ratemyprofessor so

He said to email and beg for clarity and an extension

The Cloaked Schemer: ...That is sound advice, actually.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Youre taking his side???

The Cloaked Schemer: Not exactly.

But in academic situations, it always looks good on you to take the initiative and seek help when you need it.

I guarantee the professor will work with you, and perhaps be able to refine that same assignment in the future.

If he’s worth his salt, he’s seeking to improve himself the way you are.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: I GUESS

You wanna do a raid tonite? 

The Cloaked Schemer: Alas, I, too, am a college student with coursework.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: RUDE

Ienzo leaned back in his chair in the campus library. How coincidental, he thought. He’d just given Demyx the same advice. Then again, college papers--especially in the sciences--were not always diverse on the gen ed level. He recalled Demyx’s paper; he should’ve asked him to see the email, or post, or handout with the assignment on it. Chances are the moron had merely misunderstood.

Demyx liked Verum Rex. Perhaps they could have this to talk about. Ienzo wondered who he mained. Probably Yozora, he thought with a sneer. 

The Cloaked Schemer: Actually, I can do one raid.

ONE. Brief. Raid.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Thats more like it! \o/

One raid turned into two, then Ienzo ended up staying in the library, at the tutoring center, until it closed.

__________

      Demyx begrudgingly took Ienzo’s advice. After his marathon raid session with Zexion, he sent a brief email--agonizing over the wording--to his professor, who responded almost instantly with an apology. Several students had already asked him about the assignment, it turned out, so he was going to extend the entire class’s deadline. But if Demyx needed a few days after that, he could have it.

“You were right,” Demyx murmured out loud, as he read the email the next morning. 

“Of course I was,” Ienzo said, not looking up from his desk. “See? All it takes is a little maturity.”

The irony. Demyx grimaced. He looked over at him. “So you’ll help me?”

“When--and only when--I am on duty,” he said. “I have a life outside of work, you know.”

Demyx wondered how true that was. Ienzo spent a lot of the time in the room if he were not in class or in the library. Did he have friends? Did he go to societies? He nearly asked. Then he looked at him, really looked at him, for the first time in weeks. He had bags under his eyes, and was washed out, books spread in a circle around him. “Outside of studying, too?”

Ienzo opened his mouth, then shut it. “I am not here to socialize. I am here for a degree.”

“But don’t you… have any friends?”

“Of course I do,” Ienzo said, just a little too quickly. 

Like he would honestly tell Demyx. “Sure,” he said, shutting his laptop and tucking it into his bag. “Well. I got class. I’ll see you at the center later?”

“Much to my chagrin,” Ienzo responded evenly.

Demyx’s day was ordinary other than that. After the professor clarified what he wanted in class (and, to Demyx’s immense relief, it was much less daunting than what he’d thought), he stopped by the library to check out some books which might point him in a vague direction. Ienzo could tell him if they were any good. He stopped by the coffee shop to grab a croissant and a coffee, and, on impulse, got one for Ienzo as well. The idea of it made him nervous. Maybe I’ll say they made an extra by mistake, he thought. He already knew Ienzo drank them.

There Ienzo was, sitting in the office. “It’s you,” he said in an unreadable tone.

“It’s me.” He cleared his throat. “Um…” He thrust out the coffee without saying anything else.

“Is this for me?”

“Uh, yeah.” He felt his face heat--though why? 

Ienzo took it, looking confused, and sniffed the small hole in the lid. “Oh,” he said softly.

“I wasn’t sure if you liked--”

“No. I do. That was kind of you.” He blinked, his expression odd, slackened; Demyx realized it was without malice. “Let’s get to work, shall we? I don’t want this to take any longer than it has to.”

Ienzo helped him structure the paper, and reviewed proper citations with him. It would take a little work, but seeing it outlined, Demyx felt a lot less overwhelmed. Something he thought was a mammoth project would maybe take an hour or two to write.

“Once you have it written, come back and I can help you with grammar and syntax,” Ienzo said.

“Awesome.” He took a deep breath. “I feel… a lot better now.”

“One typically does when one stops procrastinating,” Ienzo said. He leaned back in his seat. For a second--but just one--he sounded like Zexion, all firm and proper, genteel without being rigid.

__________

      "You got your grade back already?"

Demyx beamed as he held his laptop screen-out, his browser logged into the university's online grading system. One score was listed under BIO 101, labelled "Paper 1." The percentage displayed next to the assignment name was higher than Ienzo expected from Demyx. "I didn't completely fail!" he practically cheered.

"So you didn't," Ienzo agreed, nodding slightly at the number from his desk. "It's amazing what a bit of work will do."

Demyx dropped himself onto his bed and turned his laptop. He bounced on the mattress a few times while he looked at the number. "This is the best news I've gotten all semester and it's the best feeling. Is this what it's like to be a genius and get good grades all the time?"

Ienzo returned his attention to his own laptop, where a half-drafted essay mocked him with its blinking text cursor and nonsensical thesis statement. He clacked another line of bullshit into the document. It was for English class, he reminded himself. Any answer was correct if it could be argued well. "No, not really. You get used to it."

"I… I should thank you," Demyx said, after a beat of silence. "For your help. I wouldn't have had anything to turn in at all if you hadn't told me to email my professor."

Another line of bullshit trailed across the screen. Ienzo squinted at it, unsure of what he had typed. "Don't mention it. It's my job."

"But still. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Ienzo could hear Demyx shuffling on his bed. "So… you play Verum Rex?"

"Fairly regularly, yes."

"Do you do raids or multiplayer at all?"

Ienzo shot Demyx a warning glance. "I already have a raiding group. I'm not looking for another one."

Across the room, Demyx had tucked himself into bed, his Star Wars sheets pulled all the way up to his chin. He blinked at Ienzo unceremoniously. "Jeez, forget I asked. No need to be snippy about it."

Demyx's head disappeared under the covers, and Ienzo returned his attention to his essay. At least, he tried. The Discord notifications in the corner of his screen kept distracting him.

Eventually, Ienzo admitted defeat and opened Discord. All of the messages were from Arpeggio.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: hey, do we have an opening on our raiding party?

Zexion?

Oh nvm he said no

What are you up to?

I'm taking a victory nap after getting a good grade on that paper I had to 

write a while back

My roommate is typing something and he's so loud

What is he writing that makes him so angy

The Cloaked Schemer: I am also typing angrily at something

It is a universal collegiate experience

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: still so angy tho

Are you angy atm?

The Cloaked Schemer: I am… frustrated

I'm meant to be dissecting the themes in a short story but I feel like I'm only spewing garbage on the page

Perhaps if I present the garbage with enough conviction, I will be able to maneuver through this class

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: if youre writing it, it's definitely not garbage :P

you need to have more confidence in yourself, Zexy

The Cloaked Schemer: Ha. I think my roommate would disagree

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: well then he's a bum

Tell him that

Arpeggio says so

Ienzo looked back at Demyx, cocooned in spaceship bed sheets and doing who-knows-what under the cover of bed linens. He thought he saw the flash of a phone screen through the fabric, but the light disappeared as quickly as he caught it.

The Cloaked Schemer: I'll pass. He seems busy.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Busy doing what? Bum things?

The Cloaked Schemer: I certainly hope not. We're in the same room right now.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: oh. Awkward

The Cloaked Schemer: I’ll say.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: so you know ive been thinking

The Cloaked Schemer: Have you? What a concept.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: ha ha.

Its been a while since we tried voice chatting

Maybe we could try again?

The Cloaked Schemer: You would want that?

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: I want to hear your voice. To see if youre actually as smart as you write

Maybe youve got, like, a transatlantic accent, or something. Thatd be cool

Ienzo blinked, staring hard at the screen. His heart beat a little faster. It was so hard to determine tone through text. 

The Cloaked Schemer: Maybe I’m not as cool as I seem.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: highly, HIGHLY doubt it

Youve kept me sane

I really appreciate our

Ienzo saw him type “thing” and then frenetically edit to “friendship.” He swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry.

The Cloaked Schemer: The feeling is mutual.

A long, long pause. Ienzo did not know what else to say. His face was burning.

The Cloaked Schemer: Normally I’d rather be caught dead than admit this.

But it does get somewhat lonely here.

It’s nice to have someone to talk to.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: I know what u mean

Sometimes i feel like i dont really know who i am

And like college is supposed to be about finding that

But its hard.

The Cloaked Schemer: You don’t have to tell me twice.

Part of why it’s so easy to exist in online spaces, in games. Appearance doesn’t matter. It’s like being a more concentrated version of oneself.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Do u feel like a more concentrated version of yourself?

The Cloaked Schemer: When I talk to you.

Ienzo’s heart was pounding. He thought he heard Demyx sigh across the room. Was he typing too hard?

Arpeggio started and stopped typing several times, just making Ienzo more nervous. What is he going to say? Did I push it too hard? Was I too forward?

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Me too, Zexion

I wish we knew each other. Like, irl

Getting to do raids in person

That would be so fun

And i dunno, maybe do other things

Go out to eat. Go to the movies. Maybe go dancing.

Do u like clubs?

The Cloaked Schemer: I’ve never been.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: it takes some getting used to

But the energy of a crowd is electric

Especially with people you know

Oh god oh god oh god , Ienzo thought. His hands were trembling. 

The Cloaked Schemer: Where would we go to eat?

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: anywhere you want

Well. on a college students budget anyway

-laughs in poor

The Cloaked Schemer: Ah, so, five star cuisine, then.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Just dont order the lobster

In all seriousness. We need to vc sometime

The Cloaked Schemer: Yes.

There’s going to be a raid event on Saturday. Perhaps then?

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Depends on if i have the room :/ 

Wanna say yes so bad

The Cloaked Schemer: I know the feeling.

I suppose if I get desperate enough I can rent out a study cubicle in the library.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Awww you’d do that for little ol’ me?

The Cloaked Schemer: Yes, I

His finger slipped, hitting the enter key a moment too soon before he could even finish the thought in his head. His hands felt almost clammy, the inner mechanizations of his mind working on overdrive, as if trying to race against the pitter-patter beat of his heart. Shit. Perhaps… Riku was right after all? Had Ienzo, usually so level-headed, actually developed a crush on Arpeggio? It was utterly nonsensical, and yet he couldn’t deny that he felt a comfort with Arpeggio that he didn’t feel with anyone else he knew, online or offline. Was it possible to fall- ...to develop a smattering of feelings for someone based on typed text alone?

Well, wasn’t that a theme in literature? Two people falling in love over written letters? For all Ienzo knew, there could very well have been instances of it happening in real life, in the days of old, long, long before the age of technology and the internet. A pair of penpals, miles and miles of distance between them, communicating through the written word; it could happen, couldn’t it?

Hold on. When the hell did he turn into a sap ? Frowning, Ienzo ran a hand over his face, feeling like a lovestruck fool.

No. No, this couldn’t be a crush. Just because it was so easy to talk to him, just because they’d been talking for a year or so by now, it didn’t mean-

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Zexy?

You ok?

Shit, how long had he zoned out for? 

The Cloaked Schemer: Sorry. Got distracted.

But regardless, I think we should aim for Saturday.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Great!

Hoping we don’t get interrupted by our dick roomies

The Cloaked Schemer: Quite. It’s a date, then.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Yes :3

Ienzo took a deep breath. Regardless as to whether or not this was practical, it seemed that Arpeggio reciprocated his flirting.

Wait. Ienzo looked at the screen, cheeks heating up as he realized he’d typed the word ‘date,’ and Arpeggio said ‘yes .’ He couldn’t deny the little flutter of his stomach in that moment.

__________

      Demyx set his phone aside, his heart beating heavily in his chest, his face bright red. He swallowed. There was no way sleep would come easily now, and it probably wouldn’t be until Saturday.

He thought about the nature of crushes. He’d never seen Zexy’s face, or heard his voice, but he was so adept at weaving words in the way Demyx wanted to be with music. He tried to imagine him, what he might be like.

He rolled onto his back. Ienzo’s frenetic, noisy typing had stopped. Demyx sat up, rubbed his eyes, and pretended he’d been napping the whole time. “You good?”

Ienzo shut his computer quickly, like he’d been doing something questionable. “Yes. Fine.” He was a little out of breath. What the hell had he been writing?

Demyx blinked. “I’m gonna go get a coffee,” he said instead. “Want me to bring you one back?”

“Sure,” Ienzo said, his face flushed.

Demyx shook his head. Well. If Ienzo needed to take care of that he had at least a few minutes now. “Cool.”

The whole time he was at the coffee shop, he kept thinking about Zexion, all their little conversations. It was evolving, and evolving fast. Demyx knew from brief experimentation with dating apps that just because a person sent you some flirty words didn’t mean anything would come of it. For all he knew, Zexion lived in New Zealand, or something.

That didn’t stop him from wanting it.

He drew a deep breath, exhaled. Well. Saturday he would find out.

Demyx wasn’t going to let Ienzo ruin his chances of meeting Zexion. He decided to strike preemptively, pausing at the door of their dorm room and sucking in a breath, steeling himself. He could do this. He could ask his roommate for the room for one night, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Hey, so, I have a thing Saturday,” he said vaguely. Okay, so maybe he wasn’t coming off as strongly as he intended, but he could still try. “Mind if I hang here alone for a few hours?”

Ienzo glanced up. The flush was gone, and he seemed much more composed. “Yes, that’s fine. I was going to go study anyway.”

“Study? Don’t you ever have any fun?”

“Perhaps I find studying fun,” Ienzo said.

“Suit yourself.” As he passed on his way back to the bed, he saw out of the corner of his eye that Ienzo had Discord open.

__________

     Friday night, Demyx barely slept. He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous. Crushes didn’t usually… hit him this hard. It’s dumb. It’s so dumb. His loneliness was getting to him. Even Saturday morning, there were some hours until the events started. He looked at his DM history with Zexion. They’d spoken briefly, only to confirm a time and place for their characters to meet and chat. He sat at his desk, his hands trembling, as the game booted up.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: You ready?

The Cloaked Schemer: Of course.

M3l0d10us N0cturn3: Cool.

My mic isnt like great

But you can still hear me

He was shaking. He was shaking. “Get it together,” he muttered to himself.

The Cloaked Schemer: You’re a broke college student. I’m not expecting a professional setup here.

Though I will say my booth is pleasantly soundproofed.

Let me connect.

And Demyx thought his heart might stop. I’m so gay, he thought. A second later he heard that familiar call connection. He twitched a little, and his mic clattered loudly on the floor. Shit!

“Arpeggio? Are you alright?”

“I just dropped the--”

A long, long pause.

He knew that voice.

“Zexion?” He picked up the mic and set it down.

“Arpeggio?”

“I dropped the mic.” Demyx swallowed.

“You…” Zexion fumbled for words. “Speak a little more, please.”

“Is that really you?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re in a library right now.”

“And you had an event… Saturday.” 

“Ohh my god,” Demyx mumbled. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling, just that he was feeling a lot of it. “Ienzo. You’re Zexion?”

“It’s an anagram,” he said, his tone numb.

“Seriously, this whole time--”

“Evidently.”

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but at the same time, there was something warm in his chest.

Wait, no. No. This was Ienzo, and they hated each other--

Demyx realized he was panicking. He also, vaguely, in the back of his mind, realized the call had disconnected.

Demyx spent the next few minutes desperately trying to control his breathing, trying to not focus on how Zexion- No, Ienzo- was so disgusted it was him that he’d immediately dropped the call.

Of course. Of fucking course. The universe hated him. The universe had it out for him, surely. Why else would this have happened? He finally meets this sweet, smart, wonderful guy who takes him seriously and actually likes talking to him, on a regular basis , and then… And then… It turns out to be the very same roommate who hates him. That would just be his damned luck, wouldn’t it?

Grabbing his pillow, Demyx face-planted into it, pressing it furiously against his eyes to stop them from burning, to stop the tears that threatened to spill. Of all the people it could’ve been. Why Ienzo ? 

Demyx had been nervous enough as it was, afraid the person on the other end would think him annoying - his voice, his tone, the way he just couldn’t fucking shut up sometimes when he got excited about something. Alternatively, the filter between his brain and his mouth was immensely weaker than the filter between his brain and his fingers, and he could’ve said the wrong thing, unable to stop himself in the same way his hand can catch itself on the enter key before hitting it, or quickly delete the message before Zexion could read it.

But this was so much worse, because Ienzo already knew him, already had an impression of him, and that impression was far from good. It’s no wonder he disconnected the call so suddenly. He likely couldn’t stand hearing the truth any longer, stomach churning with disgust, head filled to bursting with regret, and not just regret over the voice call, but everything .

An almost entire year’s worth of conversations, soiled now, because Demyx was, well, Demyx . A slob. A slacker. An idiot. He wasn’t worth Ienzo’s time, and now he knew he wasn’t worth Zexion’s.

A sharp ache spread over his chest, cold and numbing, all of him tense with it. He… liked Zexion. He very genuinely liked him, so excited to get to talk to him, his bristling nerves aside. All week he’d thought about it, daydreaming, wondering what the person on the other end would sound like, if he’d love that voice as much as he loved the text on his Discord screen.

It no longer mattered, not when it was now clear that Zexion - no, Ienzo , was utterly disgusted with him.

It was over. It was all over - their friendship, a year’s worth of personal conversations, these budding feelings he was beginning to have, or that he’s been having for a while now…

On the flipside, was Demyx disappointed that it turned out to be Ienzo? He… didn’t know the answer to that, still reeling in the fact that Zexion, his dear friend and crush, hated him. The pillow was starting to suffocate him and he instinctively pulled it away from his face, eyes still burning. He sucked in some deep breaths and just when he was finally on the cusp of calming down, his door swung open so fast Demyx feared it’d break off the hinges. 

Ienzo leveled him with a determined stare. “You.”

__________

      Ienzo sat.

And sat.

And stared, and sat some more.

He was dizzy. Slowly, so slowly, all the pieces clicked together. The coffee. The references to Verum Rex. How they were always just missing each other. The whole tutoring scenario. Good god . So this person he’d been harboring feelings for this whole time was--

He pressed a hand to his forehead. And yet, a small part of him… was relieved?

It could be…

No, it couldn’t be anything! They hated each other! They’d complained to each other about each other more times than Ienzo could count. They had--

Ienzo felt the walls of the study booth begin to close in around him, pushing the breathable air out of the room. His ribcage constricted around his lungs, and his heartbeat pounded at his temples. He gathered his laptop and microphone in his arms and burst out of the room, chest heaving.

He braced himself against the outer wall of the study booth and willed himself to breathe normally, his head tilted all the way back to rest on the door. This was real life, and he was fine. He would be fine, anyway, with a bit of finessing. Okay, perhaps a little more than a bit.

Ienzo retrieved his backpack and stowed his equipment inside as he analyzed the situation. Arpeggio and Demyx were the same person. A strange revelation, but not world-ending. He could find another raiding party. He could join another server. There was more than one person with whom to play Verum Rex.

But--

Ienzo caught himself zipping and unzipping the top pocket of his backpack, more forcefully than necessary each time. A new server didn't sound appealing. A new raiding party, even less so. He would have to chat with new people, learn their idiosyncrasies and fighting styles, learn their pseudonyms and remember how they differed from their usernames. It all sounded so… hard, and boring, and unnecessary. 

He zipped his backpack closed for the last time and held it at his side by its tiny top handle. Its back straps kicked at his calves as he raced out of the study area, through the main lobby, and into the courtyard. His mind was set. His choice was clear. The only thing to do was follow through.

Ienzo made a beeline back to the room. He found Demyx sitting cross-legged on his own bed, his computer accessorized with a small budget microphone and his face awash with something that looked like guilt. His eyes widened when Ienzo crossed the threshold. 

"You." Ienzo's statement rang out like a gong.

Demyx swallowed. "Yeah?"

"We need to talk." Ienzo shut the door behind himself. It slammed closed, though Ienzo had not intended for that. 

"...yeah." Demyx turned back to his computer, fiddling at the USB port where his microphone connected to the rest of the machine. "Ienzo, I--"

"Shut up." Ienzo stalked into the room, single-minded. He stopped at the edge of Demyx's bed. "Shut up and listen, for once."

Demyx's shoulders rose to his ears. He stayed quiet.

Ienzo dropped his backpack to the floor. Though his fingers trembled, his resolve held firm. The moment of reckoning was upon him. "Did you know?"

Demyx shook his head.

"Did you want to know?"

He responded in a whisper, pained and hushed. "I wanted to meet Zexion."

Ienzo's hands trembled faster. He balled them into fists to compensate. "And now that you know," he said, "do you regret it? Wanting to know? Learning the truth?"

A tear trailed down Demyx's downcast cheek. "No."

Something deep inside Ienzo wanted to reach out and wipe away the tears that followed, while Demyx's breath caught in gasps over his laptop keyboard. Ienzo steeled himself. "I… don't regret it, either."

"You don't?" Demyx looked up and met Ienzo's gaze with caution. Aside from the red tinge at their edges, his eyes looked almost hopeful. 

Ienzo softened, relaxed his fists. "I don't want to find a new server, or a new raiding party."

Sniffling, Demyx nodded. "I don't, either."

"I don't want to stop talking to Arpeggio," Ienzo continued, his heart playing timpanis in his chest. "He is a close friend of mine."

"He's also your lazy roommate." Another tear escaped, this time going down the side of Demyx's nose. Demyx wiped at it with the heel of his hand. "Ienzo, I--"

"We've had differences. We've also had commonalities, albeit in virtual space. There's no reason we cannot bring the two together."

"Ienzo--"

"There's no reason we should be at each other's throats. We--"

"Ienzo!" 

He blinked. The drum performance in his chest missed a beat, then started from the top at full speed. "Yes?"

Demyx unplugged the microphone from his computer, sighed, and tossed it to the far edge of his bed. "I don't think that will work."

Ienzo frowned and crossed his arms. He was beginning to remember why he and Demyx didn't get along in meatspace. "Why, pray tell, is that?" he asked.

Demyx swallowed again, more conspicuously than before. "It's just… I…"

Ienzo leaned forward, his head cocked to the side. "You what?"

"I, um, I…"

"Go on. I don't have all night."

Demyx pushed his computer aside and drew his knees into his chest. "I… shit. I had a thing for Zexion." His shoulders hitched with sardonic laughter. "Shit. Fuck. This sucks." He reached behind himself for his pillow and buried his face in it. "This is so embarrassing," he whined, his voice muffled.

Ienzo's budding anger deflated. "You… you did?"

Demyx nodded into his pillow. "Uh-huh. And now you know, too."

Ienzo opened his mouth to respond, but couldn't make the words in his head form coherent phrases. His throat sputtered with half-formed consonants instead. Words. For fuck’s sake, wasn’t he good at words? Why was this suddenly so damn hard?

"This is the worst," Demyx groaned. "Just kill me now. Make it look like an accident. Tell my family I loved them. Don't let my sister take my bedroom at home."

Ienzo's faculties returned in the bumbling, clumsy way that drunkards stumbled home from dank local pubs. "I... don't think that will be necessary," Ienzo managed, through his own confusion.

"No?" Demyx put his pillow back in its place, and faced Ienzo with dried saline clumping in his eyelashes. "What, are you gonna torture me instead? Make me regret being born? Because you're a little late on that front, buddy, I already do."

Ienzo took a deep breath. His crossed arms dropped to his side, then held each other at the elbows. "I may have developed… similar feelings. For Arpeggio." Ienzo's mouth went dry. The drum performance upgraded itself to a full marching band drumline, twenty-five snare drums pounding paradiddles and rolls in synchronized sweeps. 

A silence consumed the space between them, interrupted only by Demyx's sniffling and Ienzo's heartbeat. It stretched into the abyss and the stratosphere in equal measure, and stung more acutely than the idea of never speaking to Arpeggio again.

Demyx broke the silence by clearing his throat. "So…"

Ienzo coughed. "So..."

"Are we…" Demyx unfolded his legs and swung them over the side of his bed. His hands grasped at his mattress, and his head hung from his shoulders  "Are we, y'know… do we still, like…"

"Do you want to be?" Ienzo shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Friends, cohorts, party members, server mutuals? Or…"

"Or what?" 

"Or…" Ienzo trailed off. Or what, indeed? Friends with benefits? Significant others? Boyfriends? The mere thought made Ienzo's palms sweat. "Or…"

In the moment between Ienzo's efforts to name his emotions and act on them, Demyx had sprung up from the bed and slipped his hands around the sides of Ienzo's face, his thumbs resting just below the apples of Ienzo's cheeks. His breath tickled at Ienzo's nose and lips. "Or… this?"

Heat seared at every inch of Ienzo's face. If he could feel Demyx's breath, Demyx could feel his as well. "...I suppose, yes."

"In that case," Demyx murmured, somehow purring and wavering at the same time, "tell me no." He rested his forehead on Ienzo's. "Tell me no, and we won't. I promise. Things can go back to normal."

A whimper, wholly undignified and unbidden, escaped from Ienzo's higher register. "I can't," he whispered.

Demyx leaned forward, and Ienzo followed. At some point, they met in the middle, and the world's axis shifted two degrees to the left. It was a tentative press of lips, but Demyx’s hands on his face kept him anchored. It didn’t feel like Ienzo thought it would, and self-consciousness invaded. Suddenly Ienzo felt very young and immature; vulnerable .

But… after a moment or so, not so much. Demyx was so warm against him, and Ienzo realized it was a learning curve, one he was picking up with his usual speed. He was shaking a little in disbelief. It was so-- nice.

Demyx pulled away and brushed his fingers across his cheek. "You're trembling."

"Forgive me. I--" He swallowed.

"No, it's cool." Demyx pulled away and smiled, brighter than Ienzo had ever seen someone smile before. "Do you… want to go again?"

Ienzo did, very much so. "I'm not opposed, per se, but I think we should… explore our relationship a bit. Perhaps starting with our mutual interest in pumpkin spice flavors." 

“Sounds like a plan to me, Zexy,” Demyx grinned.

__________

      Riku set the pair of pumpkin spice lattes down on the little square table in the back corner of the coffeeshop, glancing at Ienzo, then Demyx, then back at Ienzo, one eyebrow shooting up into his hair. “Is the world ending? Did I miss a memo on the corkboard in the back room?”

Ienzo coughed. He was vaguely aware of the heat rising in his cheeks. Damn it all to hell. Of course Riku was here, why would it have been anyone else? Sighing, he gestured to Demyx, bracing himself for the inevitable bit of humiliation, courtesy of the one friend who knew about his very apparent crush on his Discord friend. “Riku, meet Arpeggio.”

Riku’s other eyebrow shot up into his hair. “You’re shitting me.”

Demyx looked across the table at Zexion, clearly trying to fight the incoming of a shit-eating grin. “You talked about me to people?”

"Only the unimportant ones," Ienzo said, picking up his cup and sipping loudly.

“Psh,” Riku spat with a roll of his eyes. “Yeah, and every damn minute of the day. If I had a dollar for every time you made heart eyes at the ceiling while talking about him, I could quit this job and pay off my tuition.”

Ienzo balked at that, nearly choking on his latte. “It was not that often.”

Waving a hand, Riku corrected himself, looking pointedly at Demyx. “Wait, no, he’s right. I’m forgetting that half the time, he’d be complaining about his horrible room-”

“Shouldn’t you be behind the counter?” Ienzo hissed, glaring at Riku. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Demyx’s gaze flicking between him, like he was watching a game of ping-pong. “Or should I text Sora and Kairi about all those little hearts you like to draw around their names on the garbage receipts every time they come in?”

"Go ahead. I'm ninety percent sure they're both into me, anyway."

Ienzo pulled his phone from his pocket and brandished it at Riku. "Are you willing to test that theory?"

"Make sure you write it down," Demyx chirped, blowing into the hole in his drink's lid. "If you write it down, it's science. I learned that in Biology this semester."

"I'll do more than that," Ienzo said, tapping on his phone screen with both hands. After his phone played a short 'whoosh' sound, he placed it face-down on the table. "Images sent. Now we wait for our results."

Riku scoffed, then balked, then turned beet-red. "You're an asshole," he hissed through his teeth.

"Relax. I was just kidding,” Ienzo said with a glint in his eye that Demyx barely caught.

"Forgive me if I’m a bit skeptical." Riku scowled for a moment, but eventually softened into a smirk. "Whatever. Enjoy your Discord date, Casanova." He knocked on the table once before returning to the checkout counter.

"Discord date?" Demyx asked, taking a swig of his pumpkin spice latte. "I thought we were hanging out in real life."

"Let's not split hairs. We're about to see a show." Ienzo jutted his chin in the direction of the cafe's front door. As if on cue, Sora and Kairi burst through it like a duo on a mission.

“Oh Riiiiiiiiku!” they chorused in sing-song at the top of their lungs.

"Sometimes," Ienzo said, turning back to Demyx, "I like to watch the world burn."

“Yeah, I know. That’s actually kind of hot,” Demyx admitted, taking another sip of his latte. "Remind me not to piss you off again, though."

[deadbiwrites]

PROMPTS!! I want a pumpkin picking date with Kara pouting a lot bec Lena said they can’t just casually take the 800lbs pumpkin home. Bonus points if Lena caves and ends up paying some guy enough money to buy it and supergirl flies it back to their apartment to carve it. Maybe it can’t fit through the door?? I’m not sure.

(Oh my WORD, it took forever and a day to get this to post but I did it, dammit! @valkyrieskwad , this one's for you! Cross-posting it on Ao3!!)

"You want to what?"

Kara grins and bounces in place, totally unperturbed by Lena's decided lack of enthusiasm. "Pumpkin picking! There's a patch, like, an hour away. It's so cute, I follow them on Instagram, and everyone looks like they're having so much fun in the pictures! It's almost Halloween, too, so we need to go soon or all the good ones will be gone."

"The good ones…?"

"Pumpkins,  Lena! Pumpkins! C'mon, please?"

"Isn't this exactly the sort of thing Alex makes fun of people for? Being basic?"

"Alex doesn't know what fun is if there aren't guns involved, so who cares? Please, babe? Be basic with me!"

Lena arches a brow at her, already caving under the weight of her girlfriend's boundless enthusiasm and the rare (and doubtlessly strategic) use of 'babe'. "Is it a muddy field?" she asks suspiciously. 

"Uh… wear boots?" Kara tries, still smiling. "We can take the baby. He'd love it, and we need to work on socializing him, right?"

Lena turns her attention to the little white puppy snoozing on her lap, running a hand over his back absently. "I mean, yes, we do, but a farm?"

Kara's affronted, or at least playing at it. "Uh, I halfway grew up on a farm, thank you."

"And look what's happened because of it."

Kara laughs, shaking her head, somehow charmed even though Lena knows that she's being a brat about this whole thing. "Why do you hate pumpkin picking?"

"I don't like doing things unless I'm already good at them."

Kara scoffs at this. "You can't be bad at picking pumpkins, Lena. It's just like when you were a kid."

The long stretch of silence at this is telling. 

"Lena," Kara says slowly, "have- have you ever been to a pumpkin patch?"

"I buy pumpkin at the store in a can, like a regular person. Half the work, half the price."

"But you can't carve a can of pumpkin puree!"

More silence. Krypto wakes up, shakes his whole roly-poly little body, and lays back down for another nap, snuffling as Lena rubs between his ears.

"Lena. Please tell me you've carved a pumpkin."

"I- I've seen people do it, so-"

"Oh my GOD."

"Kara-"

"What- what did you do at Halloween? No pumpkins! That's like half the fun, aside from all the candy and costumes, and…" Horror spreads across her face almost as fast as a creeping red flush spreads over Lena's. "Honey. Sweetie. Baby. Please, please tell me that your childhood included just one iteration of a normal American Halloween…?"

"Define normal..."

Kara jumps up from the couch, fuming. "I'm gonna punch your mom in the boob. Is it Tuesday?  They do visits at the prison on Tuesdays, right? Because, like, I know she's in prison, repaying her debt to society,  or whatever, but I'm still gonna go punch her in the boob."

Lena grabs Kara's hand, tugging her to a halt. "Alright, first of all, I appreciate and share the sentiment. Second, please never put your hands anywhere near my mother's boobs. Third, we're gonna stop talking about my mother's boobs, forever. Starting now."

"That's just… why does she suck so bad. Like, so, so badly, she sucks as a person. So bad. Badly sucks."

"Okay, yeah, you're doing that thing where you're so mad you make word puzzles, so I need you to sit down and hold this puppy." Lena lifts Krypto (who growls his fiercest growl and bites her fingers for disrupting his 18th nap of the day) and pushes him into Kara's arms, gratified when she instantly melts, just a little. "Better?"

"Yeah." She heaves a sigh and drops onto the couch beside Lena once more. "Look, if you really don't want to, we don't have to. But it is fun, and it is a disgustingly cute couple-y thing to do, which I know you love even if you pretend you don't."

Lena scoffs. "Prove it."

"You drag me into every photobooth you see and have a collection of all the photos in your desk at work."

Lena flushes a little more, knowing that she's been caught. "It's fun?" she asks quietly, spinning her chunky silver ring around and around on her finger.

"So fun. And it's a good excuse to get out of the city for the day." Kara scoots close, tipping her head so it knocks lightly against Lena's. "Instead of beating up your mom, what if we just make sure you get to do all the stuff you missed, like pumpkin patches and carving Jack-o-lanterns, and all that jazz?"

Lena considers this. "So, we're doing this at least partly to spite my mother?"

Kara beams at her. "Yep! You're gonna get all muddy doing something frivolous just because it's fun. She'd hate it."

"When are we going?"

It's a few days later that they're piled into a borrowed pick-up truck and coasting out of the city in the early morning. Lena has relented the wheel, for once, conceding that she hates driving outside the city and she has no idea where they're going. At least Kara was right about one thing- Krypto is already having a blast, trying his best to stick his entire upper body out the window, and yipping in annoyance when Lena continuously pulls him back into the cab.

One benefit, though, is Kara in what she calls her 'farm clothes', a heretofore undiscovered genre that involves a sturdy and well-loved pair of leather boots, what is clearly a men's flannel shirt tucked into a pair of faded jeans secured with a heavy leather belt, and a goddamn trucker hat.

Lena's really annoyed at how much this look is working for Kara.

Totally annoyed. No other emotion. Or like, squirmy feelings about it in general.

None at all.

"... and of course we'll get some breakfast- hot cider and doughnuts sound good to you?"

Lena blinks, realizes that Kara's been chattering this whole time. "What was that?"

"I asked how you feel about getting some breakfast. You okay? You're kinda spacey today."

"Says the girl from space," Lena snarks.

Kara rolls her eyes, amused. "That joke was only funny the first hundred times."

"Still makes me laugh."

"Fine, fine. But you're good? 'Cause I can hear you thinking, over there."

"I'm good, I just… is it stupid that I'm nervous?"

Kara takes her hand and gives it a squeeze. "Not at all. But you don't need to be nervous or anxious, because it's fun. Okay?"

Lena nods. "Okay." She shifts a bit on the old-school bench seat in the truck. "Why did we borrow this thing, again? My cars are a lot more comfortable."

"Well, Frank would yell at me if I got mud all over one of your cars." 

Lena snorts. "He would not, he loves you."

"And, this way, we can get a big one." There's an almost manic gleam in Kara's eyes that's distinctly disturbing. 

Lena chooses not to ask questions. 

It is not a muddy field. 

The dirt road they pull onto doesn't look all that promising at first, but the pumpkin patch itself is pretty, in a rustic, outdoorsy sort of way. Even early in the day there's a decent crowd here, and Kara grins at the sight of the picturesque red barn a ways away cheerfully advertising cider and doughnuts inside. "Nice! I hoped they'd still be doing the cider and stuff!" She hops out of the truck and rounds the front to help Lena down- whoever this behemoth belongs to had installed a lift-kit to it, and it's a fair few feet to the ground.

"I thought this was a pumpkin patch?"

"Well, yeah, but there's an orchard next door or something, so they have apples and pumpkins. And pears, apparently. Ha! A-PEAR-ently! I'm funny," Kara cackles, settling her hands on Lena's hips.

"You're lucky you're so cute," Lena snorts and scoops Krypto up, bracing a hand on Kara's shoulder as she's lifted easily out of the truck and onto the ground. "But you being able to just pick me up like that? Always a turn-on."

Kara laughs, loud and surprised as a flush creeps up her neck. "Good to know."

Lena smirks and sets Krypto onto the ground, and their day begins.

"So," Lena drawls, chewing an admittedly delicious cinnamon cider doughnut, "what constitutes a good pumpkin?"

"Well, obviously,  you don't want a squishy one."

"Obviously."

"Tiny ones are cute, but it's really hard to carve them."

"Noted."

"Other than that, it's all personal preference. I say go big or go home, Alex likes the really round ones, Eliza likes hers to be smooth, and Jeremiah loved ugly pumpkins."

"Ugly pumpkins...?"

"Oh, yeah, like, the weirder and bumpier the better. He was really good at carving them, so he could do, like, super cool faces and stuff. He made a witch one time that was really creepy."

Lena pushes up onto her toes to plant a kiss on Kara's cheek. "He sounds like a fun dad."

Kara smiles a little sadly. "He was." 

Sensing a rapid downshift in mood, Lena resolves to perk the fuck up. "So! We did doughnuts for breakfast- which I strongly suspect was your real motivation for this little venture…"

Kara's mouth drops open in shock,  but her eyes are sparkling with humor. "I would never!"

"Sure. So, as long as the pumpkin isn't soft, it's fair game?"

"Yup! Go nuts! I couldn't get a pumpkin last year, because of that guy from Yavin IV, I'm gonna get a big one this year to make up for it."

Lena fixes her with a look. "Not too big, though, right?"

Kara smiles innocently, letting Krypto tug her a pace or two ahead. "Of course not."

Lena sighs. 

Kara really is a terrible liar.

"Lena."

Upon seeing what's caught her attention,  Lena nearly drops her own perfectly round pumpkin. "No. Under no circumstances are we getting that one."

Kara's starry-eyed as she stares up at the truly gargantuan squash before her. "It's beautiful."

Lena strongly disagrees- this pumpkin is decidedly ugly, misshapen and lumpy and a shade that's not quite orange or green, but a rather sickly combination of both.

But what it lacks in general aesthetic appeal, it more than makes up for in sheer size. It's wider than Lena is tall, likely taller than she is, too, and is, in general, what Winn would call 'a threateningly large vegetable'. It's on a little platform, a plaque proudly boasting that it'd won some award or other at the state fair a week or so ago. And also its weight:

One thousand two hundred eighteen pounds. 

Lena tries for reason. "Kara. Darling. Love of my life. This… thing won a prize. They bred it especially to be giant. There is absolutely no way they're going to sell it to two city-slickers."

And then it happens. After almost a year of dating, and several years of friendship, Lena is well aware of Kara's pout, and especially aware of her own susceptibility to it. She can almost sense when it's about to happen, these days, and she senses it coming now, tries to steal herself against it.

But it's no use. Kara, she could maybe handle. Maybe. But when she bends and scoops up their three-month old puppy to help her pout, Lena is powerless against the assault.

"Alright, that was unnecessary," she complains. "No using our son like that. He doesn't even know why he's pouting."

"But is it working?" Kara asks, hiding her face behind Krypto's and talking in the goofy voice she reserves for narrating his thoughts.

Lena groans, because yes, of course it's fucking working. "No. Kara, they worked hard to make that... gourd. Can't you get another one?"

"I mean, I can," she agrees, peeking over Krypto's head so just her eyes show. "But think about how awesome that's gonna look when I carve it."

Lena sighs. "Kara,  they're using it as a draw to get people to come here."

"They're making it like a display in a zoo. People just come and point at it! We can give it a loving home!"

Lena arches a brow. "You literally just said that you want to cut it open, scoop out its insides, and carve it.."

"Well, yeah, but like, lovingly."

Lena snorts, knowing she's lost. "Fine! Fine, we can go ask."

Kara cheers, hopping a bit in excitement and darting forward to press her lips to Lena's in a silly, smiley kiss.

As predicted, the farmer is initially reluctant to sell his prize pumpkin. "It's not the money," he clarifies hastily when Lena doubles her offer for the damn stupid pumpkin. "I need the seeds, to plant next year. I won big at the fair this year, and with those I'd have a hell of an advantage next season. You understand?"

"What if we save the seeds and bring them to you?" Kara offers earnestly. "I can drive them out whenever."

The farmer looks skeptical at this, but Kara's offer doesn't waver under his glare, and he sighs, reaching out to shake Lena's hand and seal the deal. "Fine. Only because your girl is cute."

Lena huffs out a laugh, and Kara positively beams at him. "Thanks so much!"

"But Jake has the tractor out in the maze right now, won't be back for an hour or so to move it for ya."

Kara's grin only widens. "Don't worry, I called a friend for help moving it."

The farmer shrugs, and Lena groans, knowing that one spectacle at the pumpkin patch is about to be replaced by another. 

Lena hands the farmer his due for his prize pumpkin, and he turns away before she calls out, catching his attention.

"Sorry, I almost forgot, how much for this one?"

He eyes the normal-sized, perfect pumpkin in Lena's arms and his mouth quirks up in a grin. "For you? On the house."

Supergirl makes a very showy entrance, to the delight of most in attendance (the exceptions being a 74-year old man who thinks anyone who flies should have to get a license,  and her girlfriend who is rolling her eyes fondly and wrestling to keep their puppy from revealing her secret identity), landing with a flourish. She smiles brightly at the crowd waving and laughing, high-fiving anyone who offers before shouldering the massive gourd. "Sorry, guys, I'm on a very important mission. Support local farms!" 

Lena snorts, loudly, and Supergirl takes off into the air as her ears turn a little pink. 

The farmer sidles up to Lena at the back of the crowd, looking a little star-struck. "Wow."

Lena grins, dropping a kiss to Krypto's nose and blowing in his face when he nips at her chin. "Yeah," she agrees. "Wow about sums it up."

The truck rides notably lower on the trip back, the massive pumpkin weighing down the truck bed probably more than is entirely safe.

"So, how was your first trip to the pumpkin patch?" Kara asks with a grin.

"I hated it," Lena deadpans, cradling Krypto in one arm and her pumpkin in the other. On the seat between them are three dozen doughnuts,  four gallons of cider, and three bottles of hard cider the farmer's wife had slipped into their bags with a wink.

Overall, it's been a very pleasant experience. 

"Oh yeah?"

"Absolutely awful. Hated everything."

"What was the worst part?"

Lena reaches over, grabbing Kara's hand and threading their fingers together. "Spending it with you."

Kara clicks her tongue, shakes her head. "Yeah, that sounds awful. I'm a pain in the butt."

"Yeah. You're kinda cute, though, so I guess it's fine."

Kara chuckles, brings their clasped hands to her mouth and kisses Lena's knuckles. "Good news for me."

Lena smiles, turning her attention back to the window and watching as fields fairly fly by, the low sound of Kara singing in the background making this almost unbearably perfect. 

Almost.

"Um… so, funny story…"

Lena arches a brow expectantly, and Kara scuffs her red boots on the floor. "Oh?"

"Yeah. So, the thing is, I tried everything, with the pumpkin, and… it won't fit through the door. None of the doors. Or any of the windows…"

Lena bonds at the waist and laughs until she cries.

That year starts a long-running and much beloved tradition, wherein a truly massive and skillfully-carved pumpkin appears in L-Corp's opulent lobby the first weekend of every October. It later years, it's joined by other, smaller ones, dozens, carved by the children of employees, including those of the CEO herself. 

It's a family tradition, after all.

[amintyworld]

LITTOH Chapter 4: At the Midnight Hour

A/N: Guess who’s back! It’s me again with another long awaited update! Sorry for the wait I had exams. Anyway, hope you enjoying this AU as much as I am, and I hope you enjoy the chapter! -Minty

Summary: Remus tries to push the two lovebirds together, Roman reveals more of his past and his pain to Virgil, Patton finally gets Logan to rest.

TW: Cursing, parental abandonment, sleep deprivation, medication. (Let me know if I missed any!)

Masterlist 

Virgil closed his eyes, the loud music drowning out everything - the fear, the hope, the risks. It made his head spin. He just needed a moment to just be Virgil. No parasites, no death looming over him, no confusing feelings.

Virgil rested his eyes as he lay in his bed, an IV in his arm. He sighed, feeling content.

New meds. They always had new meds. It was like a constant stream of numbness washing over him.

He curled in tighter on himself, the warmth soothing as he drifted to sleep, music blasting in his ears.

---------

Roman smiled at his brother, his breathing tube stinging his nose slightly as chemo drifted into his lungs. “You’re really persistent today, aren’t you?”

“But the roof-”

“We’re just friends, Remus.” Roman said. “Besides, I barely know him.”

“That’s it! Maybe you guys could be alone together under the moonlight-” Remus said, slightly distracted, ideas bouncing around his head.

“Reeemuuss…” Roman whined slightly. “I am not going on a date with him!”

Remus waved his hand in a circle as he spoke. “It wouldn’t be a date, per say…”

“Still.” Roman said. “You know how I get on dates - Rachel Victoria?”

“That was a girl - you hadn’t realized your gayness yet…” Remus brushed off.

“Greg Folly?” Roman said, eyebrows up in an accusing tone.

“Please, any date involving the woods was bound to go wrong-”

Roman sat up and crossed his arms. “Evett Brown? Brad David? Nick Blue?”

“Okay, okay! I get it! You’re a mess on dates!” Remus said, giggling. Remus looked to his brother. “How is everything, by the way?”

“In the past week? I mean, pretty okay-” Roman said. “Is...um… is Dad… going to come anytime soon?”

Remus shook his head no. “Sorry, Ro Bro. That old fart can't get away from his office even for a moment, not since you left, at least."

Roman tried to avoid his brother's eyes to somewhat hide the disappointment, or maybe even the sadness behind his own. "O-oh."

Remus looked right through his brother's facade in a moment's notice. "Hey…" Remus's voice seemed warm, almost comforting.

"It's okay, Remus." Roman's voice that had seemed so full of emotion turned dull. "I'm fine."

"Roman, look… Dad's just-" Remus stumbled, trying to find the right words. Roman just looked toward the window as he wrapped his arms around himself in comfort.

"Visiting hours are almost over. I, um, wouldn't want you to be stuck in evening traffic."

"Roman..?" Remus asked, worry and concern that he often didn't show coming through in his voice.

Roman turned, forcing a small smile. "I'll be fine, Remus. I promise."

Remus gave him a concerning look for a moment before grabbing his bag and putting on his coat. His voice still shouted concern "You call me if you need me, alright? My phone's always on."

"Yes, Remus," Roman said, giving a smirk. "You worry too much, Rem."

"Well, I'm your brother, Roman," Remus said, leaning against the doorframe. "That's kind of my job, you know."

"I know. Be safe, alright?"

"I will."

With a click, the door shut, and the struggle to keep his smile vanished as Roman looked toward the window in his room. He couldn't help but think how stupid it was to believe his father would visit.

He never seemed to care too much about him or Remus. Who would have thought that the old brute would change his mind now?

Roman sighed. He shifted, turning toward the sunset setting in his bedroom window, looking as the sun sank below the horizon.

----------------------

Patton bundled up tighter, the snowfall is getting heavier as he looked out the window. It would be only a few weeks before schools broke for winter break, then the holidays would come like a flash - Christmas.

Patton sighed, getting up from his desk at the Nurse’s Station. It was pretty much empty - all the other nurses had gone home at this point. He needed to look over a few extra files - a few patients were going into surgery tomorrow, and one was getting dispatched.

He couldn't wait to get home and get some sleep for the following day. His body practically begged for rest. Just as he was heading for the door, however, a bright light caught his eye from the main unit offices.

Everyone else should be home, and the night shift interns Emile and Remy wouldn't be here for at least another hour. Those two were shocked and eager to help when Patton had explained the temporary position. They were the most promising interns, after all - if there were any emergency, they knew the protocols by heart.

So… who the heck could be up at this hour?

Patton walked closer toward the buttery light, creaking the door open slowly to reveal… was that… Logan?!

Oh, jeez…

Logan was slumped over his desk, dark circles under his eyes, passed out, face smushed on what looked like meeting notes and file paperwork.

His hair was a huge mess, and his glasses askew. This threw Patton for a loop. He knew his best friend better than anyone else in the world, and Logan would NEVER in a million years, be this messy.

He approached cautiously, mentally preparing himself for his sleep-deprived friend. Logan hated being disturbed and often snapped when he lacked sleep.

He nudged his friend slightly. "Lo-"

"I'm aquake! I mean, awake!" Logan jolted, sitting up in his chair, a pen stuck to his cheek. "Patton, what are you doing here? I thought you had a meeting with Ryne-"

"Logan. It's ten at night. The meeting was at noon." Patton said. "How long have you-"

"Not long, Patton! I promise! I just had some paperwork, and uh, dozed off I guess…" Logan said, turning to notice his friend's expression. "No need to worry. I am fine."

"Logan, please." Patton said, grabbing Logan's hand, his face flushed a little as he looked to his best friend. "Just… just take a break, Lolo."

Logan giggled. "Nicknames, Patton? Seriously?"

Logan looked over his unfinished work with stubborn pride, then to Patton. He could only describe a sort of safe and secure feeling with Patton, like a warm blanket or a firm hug. The feeling was new, but… it was a feeling Logan yearned to feel all the time.

Besides, the paperwork could be finished tomorrow, right?

"Fine. I'll go home."

"In your condition? No way. Logan, that's a three-hour drive!" Patton interjected. "Come on, my house is closer."

Logan's eyebrows furrowed, thinking over and over as he always did. "Patton, I wouldn't want to intrude-"

Patton rolled his eyes, their hands still clasped together. "Psh, come on, Lolo! You're my friend. Plus, it'll be just like a sleepover!"

“Patton-”

“Come on, Lo!”

Logan didn’t even have a chance to argue before Patton was dragging him out to his car, giggling and smiling. Patton was tough and stubborn alright - he had a way of getting Logan to give in with his consistent persistence… or, Logan thought, it could have something to do with the warm and uneasy feeling in his stomach that seemed all too sickeningly sweet.

-------------------------

“Virgil? Psst, Virgil!”

Virgil grimaced, turning over before slowly awakening, opening his eyes to the darkness. He checked his phone, groaning at the bright light.

1am.

Suddenly, his senses snapped into focus at the voice, that was almost a harsh whisper. “Virgil, are you awake?”

“Princey…?” He whispered to himself, turning to face the bland beige wall behind his bed. What was keeping him up? And, better yet, why was he calling for him, out of everyone? “Well,” Virgil yawned, sitting up on his bed with his back against the wall. “I am now. What’s up? Decided to abandon beauty sleep?”

“Not, eh, exactly. Couldn’t sleep.”

“Jeez, couldn’t tell.” Virgil smiled, laughing a little bit. “But seriously… what’s, um…  what’s  wrong?” Virgil wasn’t really good with emotions, but, well, he was willing to try.

“Nothing’s wrong, I just… wanted your company?”

“Heh. You flatter me, Princey, but I know a lie when I hear one. Try again.”

Virgil heard a sigh from the other side of the door. “My, uh, brother came to visit today.”

“You have a brother?” Virgil asked, pretty much wide awake and pulling his knees to his chest for warmth.

“Twin, actually,” Roman said. “His name’s Remus. You probably haven’t seen him - you have treatment during visiting hours.”

“Oh.”

“We’ve been inseparable since forever - Me… Remus… and, uh… my Dad…” Roman said. “Of course we haven’t seen eye to eye, of course, but I guess I…”

Virgil’s heart nearly shattered at his friend’s shaking voice and sniffs as he paused, choking up.

“... I just wish that he’d put all the shit aside for once, you know?!” Roman said with such intensity and hurt behind his voice that Virgil just wished he could hug the weeping prince close and dry his tears. “At least, before he doesn’t have to see his disappointment of a son anymore.”

“R-roman…” Virgil said, trying to say something, find something to say to tell him everything was fine.

“I… I’m sorry.”

And, it seemed, that was all that needed to be said.

[lamptracker]

FIC: Annabelle’s Homework

So... have I been largely ignoring the ol’ inbox today? Yep. 

But it’s because I’ve been working on an actual fic!! (*gasps, clutches pearls*)

Anyway, you guys know how much I adore Alec Benjamin, yes? When I heard this song, I knew it had Peter Parker written all over it.

So without further adieu:

FIC: Annabelle’s Homework

Summary: Peter is so in love with Annabelle Stephens, he thinks nothing of doing her homework for her. The reader is upset by this. Mostly because Annabelle isn’t in love with Peter... she is.

Tagged: @flokidottir-imagines-br @babyplutoszx2 @musiclover1263 @judemoos  @drxgxnslxyer @hollanderheart @thequeensardine @ive-got-some-lies-to-tell @captainbuckyy @xxtomxo @deleteidentity

**

(y/n) did not hate many people. Hate was a waste of time and energy, as far as she was concerned. So many of the world’s problems revolve around hate, and she did not want to contribute to that negative energy.

That being said, (y/n) hated Annabelle Stephens.

Not just hated, if we’re being honest. She fucking hated Annabelle Stephens with every fiber of her being.

Annabelle was the head cheerleader at Midtown. She had straight blonde hair that hung just past her shoulders; sparkling blue eyes; a smattering of freckles across her perfectly straight nose.

Too bad that nose was permanently stuck in the air.

Annabelle thinks she’s better than you. She’s beautiful and she knows it, using this to her advantage. She’s not the smartest - makes one wonder how she got into Midtown in the first place (*coughcoughsizabledonationfromherparentscoughcough*). She is shrewd and manipulative, she knows which boys are in love with her and uses them to do her homework for her.

Her latest victim: Peter Parker.

Which, for (y/n), is incredibly frustrating. Because Peter is in love with Annabelle, but Annabelle isn’t in love with Peter.

(y/n) is.

**

“Again?” (y/n) groaned, her head falling back onto her pillow. She was hosting their friend group’s weekly study session. Ned insisted on calling them the Study Buddies, which (y/n) loved; Michelle thought this was a stupid name. Peter didn’t care, as long as he got to hang out with his friends and get to pig out on junk food while they worked.

“Yeah, again.” Peter shot a cursory glance over the work, then carefully wrote a name in the upper right-hand corner: Annabelle Stephens. 

“Why, though?” (y/n) asked.  

“Because, God, (y/n). Annabelle is so pretty. And she’s really nice, for a cheerleader-”

“Bullshit,” (y/n) said, doing that thing where she tried to mask the word with a cough.

“And maybe she likes me too. If I do her homework for her a few times, maybe… you know, maybe she’ll go out with me sometime.”

“Every night for the last two and a half weeks is a few times?” (Y/n) rolled her eyes. “You’re fooling yourself, Peter. She doesn’t like you, she likes your brain. She’s just using you so she doesn’t have to do any actual work.”

“What do you care, anyway?” Peter barked angrily.

(y/n) sighed deeply. “I don’t, I guess. I just hate seeing my friends get hurt, that’s all. I know that this is the path she’s leading you down, and I don’t want to see you go through it.”

Peter narrowed his eyes. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re jealous.”

“Jealous? Of who, Annabelle?” (y/n) scoffed. “Yeah, right. Because I totally want to be scraping by at a school I’m only at because of Daddy’s money. Because I totally want my life to revolve around how popular I am. Because-”

“Tell Ned and Michelle I’ll call them later.” Peter gathered up his books, stuffed them into his backpack, and marched toward the door. “As for you… I think it’s better if we don’t talk for a few days.”

(y/n) sprang from her seat, suddenly remorseful. “No, Peter, look. I’m sorry, okay? I-I went too far, I know that. I just-”

Peter shook his head. “I don’t want to hear it right now. See you tomorrow.” He left, slamming the door behind himself.

(y/n) stood in the middle of her bedroom, stunned. “The real reason I’m upset,” she said quietly, “is because I’m in love with you.”

“Hey, where’d Pete get off to in such a hurry?” Ned asked, moments later; Michelle walked in behind him.

“We had a fight,” (Y/n) sighed. “He’s been doing Annabelle Stephens’ homework.”

Ned’s jaw dropped; Michelle just rolled her eyes and muttered, “great, now it’s Peter. I thought he was smarter than that.”

“What do you mean, now it’s Peter?”

“This is sort of her modus operandi, you know.” Michelle sighed, pulling her Latin textbook out of her backpack. “She hooks her claws into some poor dumbass, gets him to do her homework for her for a few weeks, then she kicks him to the curb and finds some new sucker. Never pegged Parker to be that guy, though.”

“Do the teachers know about this?”

“I suspect they do.” Michelle pulled out some index cards, opened her textbook, and began writing. “Don’t ask me why nobody said anything to the principal, though.”

“Oh, I know.” Ned pulled a package of Twizzlers out of his backpack; he offered one to (y/n), who took it. “He said without definite proof he couldn’t do anything.”

“But,” (y/n) said, “now he’s mad at me and said to tell you he’d call you guys later.”

“Had to drive him away, huh?” Ned shook his head. “I was really hoping he’d help me with Physics.”

“Thanks for not picking sides, Ned.” (y/n) reached over and grabbed a handful of Twizzlers.

“I’m not picking sides, I’m just having a hard time with…”

(y/n) tossed a Twizzler at Ned. “I’m teasing. Now come on, let’s get to work.”

They started to get to work on their respective assignments, but suddenly Michelle’s head popped up.

“You in love with him or something?” She asked.

Ned scoffed rather loudly. “Uh, no. That’s stupid, why-”

“Not you, nincompoop. (y/n).”

(y/n) raised her eyebrows. “What? Why?”

“Because you care an awful lot about whether or not Peter does Annabelle’s homework for her.”

“Peter’s my friend,” (y/n) insisted, although her voice faltered a bit. “And I don’t want to see my friends get hurt.”

“Really.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. Michelle was good at doing that, as a means of getting people to talk.

“Yes, really.”

Michelle raised one eyebrow - just one - and (y/n) felt her resolve crumbling.

“Oh, fine. Yes, I’m in love with Peter Parker. Okay?” “How long?”

“Why does that matter?”

Michelle raised the other eyebrow.

(y/n) sighed. “Two years.”

“And do you know why Peter’s in love with Annabelle Stephens?”

“Because he’s a moron?”

“Because he was in love with you for the last year and a half, but he finally decided you didn’t see him that way. So… he moved on.”

(y/n) felt like she’d just been punched in the gut. Repeatedly. By the Hulk.

“Peter’s in love with me?” she asked quietly, voice barely above a whisper.

“Was.” Michelle scribbled something onto the flashcards she was making for herself. “Who the hell knows, might be present tense too. You never know with him.”

“Why didn’t he say anything?”

“Why didn’t you?” Michelle finally looked up from her textbook. 

“I asked you first,” (y/n) replied, voice now full-on shaking.

Michelle rolled her eyes. “It’s so cliche, you know? It’s the same tired excuse everyone involved in the friends-to-lovers trope uses. Oh, ooh, we’ve been friends for so long, what if they don’t feel the same? Then we’ll just magically stop being friends… boo-fricken-hoo. If you’re truly friends, you’ll talk it out. Might be awkward for a while afterward, but a true friendship can survive all that.”

“You’re tall enough without that soapbox,” Ned called from his corner, mouth full of Twizzlers.

“I like it up here.” Michelle tossed a pillow at him; it bounced off of his face and he tried very hard not to choke on his snack. “So why didn’t you say anything?”

(y/n) groaned loudly. “The same tired excuse.”

“Well, now he’s not talking to you because neither one of you would grow a pair and talk about it. Think about that, (y/n). If you’d said something, he’d be with you and not on Annabelle Stephens’ hook.”

The thing (y/n) liked best about Michelle was also the thing she liked the least: She did not sugar-coat anything. She preferred to be blunt, get straight to the point.

And boy… she sure made hers.

She was right: If only (y/n) had said something, anything, Peter wouldn’t be slaving away doing homework for a pretty but vapid girl who surely wouldn’t appreciate his efforts. He might be there, in (y/n)’s bedroom, laughing at something Ned had said or arguing with Michelle about whatever point Nietzche was trying to make. He might be smiling shyly at her, slight freckles standing out against his pink-tinged cheeks. He might be holding her hand in the hallways, wrapping his arm around her shoulders at lunch, stealing a quick kiss between classes.

But, both of them were too chicken to say anything, so now she’s miserable and Peter’s doing someone else’s homework.

“You okay?” Ned asked quietly.

(y/n) shook her head. “Uh, yeah, I will be. Now, what did I do with that Trigonometry worksheet?”

**

It had been a week since (y/n) and Peter’s argument. He’d managed to avoid her the entire time. He volunteered in the library over lunch so they wouldn’t have to sit together. He sat in the back of the classroom in the one class they shared (Spanish), making sure to get there just before the beginning bell rang and slipping out while the end bell sounded.  

He didn’t even attempt to come to Michelle’s for Study Buddies.

(y/n) was resigned to the fact that their friendship was, for all intents and purposes, over.

But then, on what would have been the 22nd straight day Peter did Annabelle’s homework, something happened.

(y/n) and Michelle had gone to the library over lunch, to get in some extra research for their American History project. (y/n) was in one of the aisles looking for a book, when she overheard Peter and Annabelle talking.

“Thanks for the Geography homework, Petey,” Annabelle said, voice sickeningly-sweet. 

(y/n) could have thrown up right then and there. If there was one name Peter hated being called, even more than Penis Parker, it was Petey. But, since it’s Annabelle, he’d probably let it slide.

“Yeah, anytime,” Peter replied. “Hey, um… I was wondering. You know, Homecoming is coming up and I was wondering…”

“Oh, Petey. Do you really think I like you like that? You’re smart and everything, but you’re too much of a dork. I mean, think of what that would look like for me! Besides, I was just going to tell you that I don’t need you anymore. Brad Davis is doing my homework now.”

“But… I thought you...you know, liked me.”

“You thought wrong. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go find Brad.” (y/n) heard a few footsteps. “Oh, and Petey? Delete my number.”

(y/n) stood frozen in the aisle for a few moments. She was right: Annabelle was using him. She was sure Peter was devastated; did Annabelle really have to be such a bitch about it?

She didn’t know what to do. Should she go comfort him? Should she just give him space? 

Then, she remembered what Michelle had said about “growing a pair” and… grew a pair.

Taking a deep breath, she walked to the end of the aisle, rounding the corner to the one Peter was standing in.

“Peter?” she said softly.

“(y/n), hey.” Peter tried to sound casual. But his voice faltered slightly and his big brown eyes were glassy and red-rimmed. “Um, you were right, you know?”

“About what?”

“Annabelle. She was just using me, she didn’t like me at all.” Peter quickly wiped away a tear that was threatening to spill down his cheek. “Look, I’m sorry I snapped at you last week. I should’ve seen this coming a mile away, but I was too stupid to-”

“Peter, I like you.”

Peter stopped his rambling, eyes growing wide. “You… you what?”

“I like you, Peter. And I have, for a long time. But I never said anything because… what did Michelle call it…”

“That same tired excuse and something about the friends-to-lovers trope?”

“Yeah. That. And I only got mad last week because I like you and I didn’t want to see you get hurt. I should have said something sooner, if I had she never would have done this to you and you wouldn’t be mad at me and-”

Peter suddenly leaned over, softly pecking her lips and effectively ending her rambling.

“That was… you… um, kissed me,” (Y/n) said, as she mentally kicked herself in the crotch. That was the best she could come up with?!

“I really like you too, (y/n),” Peter replied. “I should have listened to you, yeah. But I should have said something sooner too. But maybe we can forget about that, and… and I could take you to Homecoming?”

“Can I take you out for a cup of coffee first?”

Peter smiled, that blush creeping over his cheeks; (y/n) thought he’d never looked more adorable. “Yeah, I-I think I’d really like that. You doing anything after school?”

“Nothing,” (y/n) said, “except for going on a coffee date with a cute boy.”

Peter laughed quietly. “Yeah, that. Hey, can we kiss again?”

“Of course.”

**

“Guys!” The next day, Ned practically flew to their usual table in the lunchroom, nearly knocking over a gaggle of hapless freshman girls in the process. “Guys, did you hear about… wait, what?”

The what he was referring to was Peter and (y/n), seated next to each other; when he’d run up to the table Peter’s arm was around (y/n)’s shoulders and he was kissing her cheek.

“Oh, yeah.” (y/n) smiled up at him. “Peter and I made up -”

“Obviously.” Ned rolled his eyes.

“And we’re dating now,” Peter added. “We finally talked about it. Anyway, what’s up?”

Ned started giggling uncontrollably. “I’m so happy for you guys! That is great! Michelle and I were wondering if you’d ever-”

“Ned,” (y/n) said, exasperated. “What were you going to tell us?”

“Hey, guys,” Michelle said casually, sliding in across from Peter and (y/n). “Oh, good, you two got over yourselves. Anyway, did you guys hear about Annabelle Stephens?”

“I was just getting ready to tell them!” Ned exclaimed.

(y/n) furrowed her brow. “What about Annabelle?”

“Well, apparently she was trying to get Brad Davis to do her homework for her. She asked him, you know, like she usually does.” Michelle, who barely ever cracked a smile, was practically overrun with glee at this point. “But Brad was recording her, went straight to the principal. She’s been kicked off the cheerleading squad and she’s suspended indefinitely. School board’s going to vote on expulsion at next week’s board meeting.”

Peter’s eyes grew wide. “Did she-”

“Wouldn’t give up who was doing her work for her. Guess she has some sort of moral compass after all.” Michelle shrugged as she bit into the sandwich she’d brought from home. “I don’t think they’d get into trouble, though. But still, probably a good chance this is that last we’ve seen of Annabelle Stephens.”

“I certainly hope so,” (y/n) said, tucking into her bean burrito. 

Although, she thought to herself, if it weren’t for Annabelle… maybe Peter and I would’ve never gotten together.

“Who knew,” Peter whispered in her ear, “that we’re together because of an argument about Annabelle.”

“It’s like you read my mind, Pete.” (y/n) laughed as she grabbed her can of soda. “Let’s make a toast. “To Annabelle Stephens, the cause of and solution to all of our problems.”

“Here, here,” Peter replied as he clinked his can against hers, ignoring the odd looks Ned and Michelle were giving them.

“Those two are such dorks,” Michelle grumbled.

“Yeah, they’re perfect for each other,” Ned added.

[kl4us4]

INSTANCES WHERE BELLAMY BLAKE WAS A NUISANCE (Bellamy Blake x Reader)

Request: Could I request a Bellamy Blake imagine with the lines, “Don’t you do it Y/N. Don’t you dare fall in love with me.”

masterlist

Okay, here’s the thing: You‘ve never thought someone was beautiful until you met Bellamy Blake. For a long time you - and all your friends - assumed you just weren’t interested in being with someone. Then, he happened. You had always heard stories about Bellamy being mutual friends but fate and the universe never let you come face to face with the unknown boy. All you knew about the boy was that he was daring, adventurous, and courageous; yet extraordinarily kind and caring. Then, you came to Earth.

INSTANCE NO. 1

“Someone’s about to open the doors.” Clarke clenches her jaw, eyes darting towards the front of the Dropship as she speeds to the door. You follow hot on her tail, your eyes just as wide as hers. “Stop!” She shouts, her tone frantic and chilling, “The air could kill us all.”

“If the airs toxic then we’re dead anyways.” The deep voice that replies to your friend almost makes you frown. He sounds kinda rude. Shifting beside Clarke, you furrow your eyebrows and are about to put your two cents in but then he looks at you.

It feels like a kind of pause, like a kind of recognition but not quite. At least not on your part. “Anything to add on, sweetheart?” He chastises you, his hand on the ship's entrance.

“I have a name.” You mutter, unable to drop your gaze from him. The freckled boy just smirks. His eyes remain on you as he opens the dropship door, and the place is flooded with fresh air and light. Pandemonium ensues as people rush out like a nest of crazed ants. You, being weak and distracted, get pushed around easily and almost no one seems to care.

“Woah, Woah, Woah,” You feel two hands on your shoulders pull you back slightly, away from the bustling crowd of teenagers who are finally free from their cage. “You should learn to be a little more careful.”

Facing the man behind you, you see the familiar face that enticed you not two seconds ago. “Thanks.” You mumble.

“It’s fine.” He replies, “Y/N.”

“You know me?” You wonder, eyebrows furrowed as you wait for his answer.

He hums, “I know of you. I’m Bellamy Blake.” He introduces himself, giving you a small smile.

You smile up at him, practically knowing him already. “Funnily enough, I know of you too.”

“I hope you’ve heard good things.”

“50/50.” You hum back, gesturing with your hand. He’s taller than you, and it makes your stomach turn when you look up to see him gently smiling down at you. “I’ve been wanting to put a face to the name for a while now.” You admit.

“Well?” He responds with a small smirk, “Do I live up to your standards?”

Your raise your eyebrows, almost letting out a laugh, “Nah,” you joke, “you’re shorter than I expected.”

He nods for a second, pursing his lips comically, “And you’re feistier then I expected.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“No, not at all.” He shakes his head, looking you up and down and nearly making your chest explode, “I only let strong women ruin my life.” His smirk seems infectious, and for some reason, it feels like the dropship keeps getting smaller and smaller. After all this time keeping you two apart it’s as though even fate and the universe can’t pull you two away now. There’s just this intense and magnetic force pushing you two together like compensation for such a long time as strangers.

“God, do you have to do this to all my friends?” Octavia announces, breaking you away from her brother. Bellamy just stares at you, letting out a sigh as he realised your attention on him has been interrupted.

You’re slightly angered at yourself. ‘All my friends’? Did you just nearly fall for a player? Oops.

“Only the pretty ones.” He sighs, looking towards the ground awkwardly.

“Well, have fun letting them ruin your life.” You smile back, bouncing away from him and towards Octavia who had come looking for you. You pass her and head outside so you don’t notice the annoyed look she gives her brother, who just gives her an exaggerated shrug. Bellamy leans against the wall, sighing at the loss of heat now that you’re not beside him.

INSTANCE NO. 2

You sit beside the wall, book in hand as the world passes by around you. Your muscles ache from working and you’re so tired you may just fall asleep right here and now. But your book keeps you up. You’ve read it maybe 40 times since you were 10 years old and you’re about to make it 41 until-

“Whatcha got there?”

“You’ve never seen a book?”

“I’ve never seen that book.”

“And you’re never going to. Run along.”

“Oh,” Bellamy breathes, inching closer to you, “But I’ve been such a good boy today, Y/N.” He banters... at least you think it’s banter.

“Unfortunately, I’ve run out of gold stars to hand out.” You muse, shaking your head as you set your book down in your lap.

Leaning his arms against your knees, he rests his head against his hands and looks up at you with his big brown eyes. You nearly melt. Your chest is tingling and all you can do to stop form smiling is to think about the serious chapter you’re up to in your book.

“I can think of other ways you can reward me.”

“Did that line work on many of Octavia’s other friends?” You wonder, pursing your lips slightly.

He sighs, letting his head fall onto your thigh in defeat. “She told you, huh?”

“Yep.” You nod, a smile pressed harshly against your lips.

“You know she‘s never had many friends, right?” Bellamy states, sitting up and looking intensely at you.

“After what you did, I’m sure she didn’t.” You laugh slightly. He notices, his smirk growing at the sight of you smiling.

“Did she at least leave much to the imagination?” He wonders, leaning back onto the green grass as he sets you up. His brown arms flex perfectly and your eyes just brush over them, not giving him the satisfaction of him knowing you think he’s attractive.

Shaking your head, you cross your arms. “Not really.” You lie, teasing him.

“Oh, so you’ve been imagining me then?”

You pause, seeing how he set you up for that. He looks at you smugly, raising his eyebrows as he waits for your reaction. “Okay, that was a good one.” You laugh, shaking your head at him.

Bellamy laughs too, his eyes squinting slightly as he marvels in his own greatness for a second. Somehow the conversation continues on, and you spend the next hour talking and teasing one another. You never got to finish reading your book for the 41st time like you had planned. You even let him borrow it.

INSTANCE NO. 3

You were handling it, really you were. But Big Macho Man Bellamy Blake had to get in the way and be the saviour, like always. “Aim higher and a little to the left, take the wind into account,” Bellamy mutters next to you, his eyes glued to your frame.

Glancing at him from the side of your bow, you nearly break your focus to shake your head at him or to tell him to shut up. But instead, you do what he says, rolling your eyes when you notice him nodding his head. Straight down the middle of your arrow stands a deer, unknowingly taking its last breaths of air.

“Easy now,” Bellamy whispers, leaning in so you can hear him. You feel his breath on your neck as he talks and talks and talks and you’re not taking in a single thing that he’s saying. “Okay?” He asks, turning to face you but he doesn’t move back. You swallow, your lips parting slightly to answer him but you weren’t listening at all.

“Uh, yeah sure.” You nod back, eyeing him once again before turning back to the deer who has disappeared.

“You didn’t hear a word of what I said did you?”

“Uh, no.” You admit, putting your bow and arrow down. Watching the distance as Bellamy blabbers on about focus and attention, you notice something swaying in the bushes where the deer was. At first, you think it’s the animal, but then you notice more and more bushes as you block out Bellamy’s droning on.

“You’re not even listening right now, wow.” He shrugs, shaking his head as if he’s a disappointed parent.

“Sh, Bell, hold on.” You press a hand to his chest and he nearly gulps, feeling his heart rate quicken at the fact that you’re touching him and you called him Bell. But when he looks at you, he notices the concern and immediately he’s switched on and 100% alert.

Following your gaze, he sees what you see and dread fills him. “We need to go. Now. It could be more Grounders.” He mutters to you, pulling you by the arm just as the sounds of Grounders shouting to one another make you jump into action.

You hear them behind you but it’s like you can’t see anything, everything’s a blur of green trees and Bellamy’s frantic gaze as he leads you back towards the camp. Wait, the camp. “Bellamy! We’re leading them right towards the others, we can’t!”

“There’s no other way, we’ll die!” He shouts back to you, his grip on your wrist harsh and painful.

You pull against him and he nearly stumbles over, he turns around to look at you with an incredulous expression. “What are you doing?!”

You line up your bow and arrow, “Taking a shot.”

“Y/N, you don’t know how many there are. This isn’t a fight we can win.” He shouts at you, frantic to get you to safety. “We’re so close to the camp, there’s safety in numbers.” You don’t listen, but when he places a hand on yours, you feel everything pause. “Please.” He begs.

You’ve never heard Bellamy beg before. To anyone. For anything. You lower your weapon and give him a slow nod, “Okay... okay, sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry just take my hand.”

You do so, running back towards the camp gates as fast as you possibly can. The sounds of Grounders chasing you is constant and terrifying and you’re at the closed gates screaming desperately for them to let you in when you hear the piercing sound of something flying through the air and landing right next to your head. The gates open, you’re not sure what’s going on but you’re being pulled inside as the noise continues then ceases all at once.

You open your eyes, looking up at Bellamy who looks just as stunned as you. Maybe even more. You’re confused when he places a hand to his upper arm, pulling it back to reveal his hand coated in blood. Then it all speeds back up again.

“Jesus!” Your eyes widen, looking at the large gash left by a spear or arrow of sorts.

“Actually my names Bellamy.” He chuckles, then winces at the pain. Now it’s time for you to pull him around, holding his hand as you yell for Clarke in the dropship. You tell her what’s wrong, and you ask for help but you were obvious to the other people just coming into the dropship who had worse injuries than Bellamy. One woman had an arrow to her leg, she was one of the people guarding and opening the gate for you and Bell.

“You’re going to have to handle it,” Clarke tells you, nodding to you as if to say you can do it.

“Hey,” Bellamy states, getting your attention as he can see how out of it you are. He holds his arm tightly, and you can help but look at all the blood that’s dripping down him. “Don’t look at that, look into my eyes.”

“Okay.” You mumble, looking into his familiar and calm brown eyes.

“You can do this, it’s not that difficult so maybe even you can get it right.” He tells you, the corners of his lips lifted into a small smirk. You don’t appreciate the jokes at the moment, in fact it nearly makes you burst out crying. “Woah, Woah, hey I’m kidding. Y/N, I’m just joking. It’s going to be fine! I’m right here.”

You just mutter okay and breathe, trying to snap yourself out of it. “Okay, okay, tell me what to do.”

“Help me take my shirt off.” He asks, not wanting to release full pressure off of his wound.

“What? How?” You furrow your eyebrows, unsure of yourself. Maybe you can’t do it. Maybe you can’t do anything.

“Y/N, I need you to put both your hands on the cut. Apply a lot of pressure while I remove it. Then we’ll go to the alcohol, okay?”

You nod, stepping forward and nearly gagging at the sight. But it’s Bellamy, and he really needs you. “O-Okay,” looking into his eyes, you both begin to count down together, “Three, T-Two... one!” You close your eyes, placing both your hands under his sleeve and onto the cut.

Bellamy grunts, gritting his teeth as he throws his shirt to the floor. “Sorry, sorry!” You mumble repeatedly, feeling your chest tighten with guilt.

“D-Don’t... Don’t apologise to me, you’re doing great.” Bellamy breathes, his shaking hands pointing to a metal box next to Clarke. He takes over applying pressure to his wound. Rushing to it, Clarke just gives you a nod telling you that you can take it. Bringing it back to Bellamy, you open it and try not to freeze to ice when you see it’s contents. Of course you’d have to stitch him up, it’s a deep graze. There’s not way it’ll close up by itself. Bellamy must think you’re insane mumbling ‘okay’ and ‘youre fine’ to yourself over and over again; as if the next ten times you say it it’ll be true. But it isn’t. And your hands are shaking. And you feel like you can’t even see the wire missing the needles hole each and every time you try. “Y/N, come on.” Bellamy encourages you gently, watching you with urgent and tired eyes.

“I’m trying.” You whisper, biting the side of your lip as you try and try again. The movement of your chest rising and falling erratically makes your hands move even more. Bellamy begins to feel himself losing too much blood, beginning to feel woozy.

“Come on...” He urges more frantically, his voice harsh, “Y/N, you need to hurry...”

Grunting in frustration, you feel as though you could lose your mind, break down, throw the whole metal box against the drop ship wall. “Come on!”

His loud voice makes you jump. You pull the wire through the needle and lean in towards his arm, brows furrowed as you take the alcohol and quickly pour some on his arm. He grunts loudly, squirming in pain. “Stay still.” You order him, your voice just as tense as his was. It all places like a blur, trying to ignore the pain in his voice and the blood on your hands as you stitch him up. It looks as good as it can possibly be, seeing as it’s been done by someone not experienced. Grabbing the bandage, you jump at the feeling of a hand on top of yours. “I can take it from here.” Clarke advises you, her eyes full of sorrow and compassion. Taken off guard, you nod at her. Somehow you’re unable to speak though your lips part.

You look down at your red hands. They’re still for once. You thought that the hardest part had finished but then you look up at Bellamy, who’s been watching you this whole time, focusing on you instead of the pain. Clarke begins to wrap the bandage around his arm, taking away the sight of his pain.

“Uh, I’m- I...” You fumble. Bellamy just looks away, nodding his head slightly. He doesn’t want to see you leave right now. So you don’t. “I’ll stay until you’re done.”

Bell looks up at you, mumbling a quiet, “Thank you.” to which you nod back. Sitting beside him, you let out a long breath. You haven’t breathed since you ran into the camp gates. It relaxes you.

When Clarke states she finishes and leaves, Bellamy turns to you to place a hand on yours. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

You shake your head, refusing to look at him. You just stare at your dirty hands, still in shock at what you just did. “No, no, don’t be.” You assure him, “I wouldn’t have been able to snap out of it. I don’t know what came over me.”

He squeezes your hand, causing you to turn to him. “I’m proud of you. Not everyone could’ve done what you did, especially when it’s someone you... you know. Don’t put yourself down for that, Y/N. You were incredible.”

Tears brim your eyes and you take another deep breath and look down before quietly stating, “Thank you.”

“Look at me,” he begs, leaning closer to you and it makes you gulp nervously. His eyes are pleading when you look up at him, “Y/N... will you stay with me tonight?”

You squeeze his hand back, mirroring what he did to you. “Anything you need, Bellamy.”

“Only on one condition though.” He adds, letting his eyes flick from yours to your lips.

“What condition?” You wonder, confused.

“Don’t fall in love with me.”

“What?” You muse, a smile beginning to form on your face. Bellamy revels in it, knowing he’s accomplished his goal of making you smile; especially after what you just went through.

Bellamy tried to hold a straight face as he continues, “Don’t you do it, Y/N. Don’t you dare fall in love with me.”

Shaking your head at him, you can’t help but smile at the boy, “you’re unbelievable.”

Like magnets meeting, the two of you lean together. You want to place your hands on his warm cheeks but you remember you can’t. So you sit there, eyes closed, feeling Bellamy’s lips press against yours. It feels electric. When you both pull away, you can hear your heart beating loudly.

“I think we might be in trouble.” You smile at him, pressing another kiss to his lips.

“I think we might be.” He agrees, the same smile on his features.

TAGLIST: relentlessgame captainlini @mesmericbell @cctaviasblake paul-steroline-lover @imaginexmeintheuniverse @bellamyblakemorley twisted-tasty14 mika-xxx @jodiereedus22 

[lannpaige-blog]

Listen, my stupid mistake today has to count for something other than laughing at myself, so this is what’s happening now.

Characters: Patton, Roman, Virgil, and Logan

Pairing: Logicaltiy, but not established.

PG - No warnings.

Word Count: 1634

Mistakes Were Made

“Uh oh,” Patton said. It wasn’t intentional. The noises came as a shot out of his mouth just as the jolt of nerves did when he realized what he’d done. His fingers twitched against his phone as he bit his bottom lip.

“What?” Virgil asked, his voice monotone.

“I... I put in the wrong address,” Patton said.

“Like you put in the wrong apartment number?”

“No, I put in the address for the restaurant as the delivery address.”

“Wait, so what did you put for the restaurant address?” Roman asked, his voice a lot more flamboyant than Virgil’s had been, but Patton could see Virgil’s head finally lift up from his textbook out of the corner of his eye. Patton shifted. Heat started to stretch across his face.

“The restaurant’s address,” Patton murmured.

“Are you serious?” Virgil asked.

“Yeah,” Patton whined out.

“How did you even manage that?”

“I don’t know, I just copied the address and hit ‘order now’ before I fixed it.”

“Hello, food delivery driver?” Roman said in a mock voice, “Yeah, I’d like you to pick up my order. What’s the address? Oh, it’s the same one. If you could bring it to the table for me, that’d be great. I know they have waiters for that, but I requested this because I just felt like spending more money.”

Virgil snorted. Patton finally looked up from his phone and turned his head to pout at Roman, who sat to his left on the sofa, legs curled under the red oversized blanket that Virgil and Patton bought specifically for him.

“It’s not funny. Help me fix it.”

“I don’t know how. I’ve never ordered on a food delivery app before,” Roman said with a dramatic wave of his hand.

“Me either,” Virgil answered before Patton even had a chance to pout at him. Patton did it anyway and whined. “Why don’t you just ask the delivery driver? I’m sure they’ll help you out.”

Patton whined and looked down at the phone again. Frantic fingers flipped back and forth between screens trying to figure out how to change the address or even how to contact their delivery driver that wasn’t even listed yet. Then finally, after five minutes, a name came up, Logan, along with a phone icon and a message icon. Thank goodness. Patton clicked the message icon and began to type.

hi Logan! this is Patton. I accidentally put in the wrong address for the delivery location... is there any way you can deliver it to a different address? this is the first time Ive ordered through this app and I got confused :(

Patton hit send and waited. After a moment, the typing notification appeared. Then, words in a light blue bubble appeared on the left side of the screen.

Hello, Patton. I can deliver the food to another address. You will need to change the address in the application. Would you like me to walk you through the steps on how to do that?

Patton blinked. Was this some kind of automated message? No, couldn’t be. The guy did take his time to type that out. If it was a robot or something, it had to be one that lagged. Human. Definitely human. Regardless, he was willing to help. Patton let his fingers fly.

please? Id be so grateful!

The three dots appeared again. Then a message came up.

First, you will need to add the correct address to your address directory. Click on “Account”, select “Add An Address” and input the address you would like your order delivered to. Let me know when you have completed this and I will walk you through the next steps.

Patton flashed over to the application with a little bounce and a warm smile.

“Figuring it out over there?” Roman asked, a little tease still lingering in his voice.

“Yeah, the delivery guy’s helping me.”

“He laugh at you too?” Virgil asked.

“He didn’t say he did,” Patton said, his smile fading a touch. He input the correct address, saved it, then flicked back over to his text messages.

“He definitely did,” Roman said.

“Without question,” Virgil answered.

“You guys are mean,” Patton whined as he typed.

ok I added it now what?

Click on “Orders”, select the order that you have submitted, find where it says “Delivery Location”, and select “Change Address”. The address that you input into your account should appear there. Select that address and hit “Save”. Once it has saved, it will take you back to the order screen and it should have the updated information.

Patton flicked back to the application and followed the second wave of instructions. Once it automatically returned him to the order, the map and delivery address changed to show the apartment address that he and Virgil shared. He flipped back to text messages.

it worked! thank you! youre the best!!

It was no trouble. I am glad I could be of assistance. I am currently waiting on your order to be completed. Once it has, I will be on my way.

“Sorry, Patton,” Virgil said, his voice soft. Patton looked up at him and could tell his face paled quite a bit as he looked down. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, I just-”

“No, Virgil, it’s okay,” Patton said, “I was just stressed ‘cause I thought our food wouldn’t get here and it would be a big problem for Logan. But he helped me fix the address so it’s fine. He hasn’t even left the restaurant with our food yet, so it’s no big deal.”

“Oh, Logan,” Roman said, a heavy teasing lilt back in his voice, “Delivery driver has a name now.”

“I’m pretty sure he’s had a name since the day he was born,” Patton said as he grinned at Roman. Virgil snorted again. Roman flashed him a little smile in return.

“Fair enough,” Roman said, “But you’re calling him his name now and you have his phone number. Next thing you know, you’ll be walking downtown hand-in-hand, eyes and hearts filled with the sweetest love that could ever be forged in the minds of man.”

“Sounds gross,” Virgil said.

“It’s romantic, shut up.”

“I don’t know if he’s the romantic type,” Patton said, “I thought I was talking to an automated message because his typing is so formal.”

“Really?” Virgil asked.

“Let me see!” Roman called. Patton handed his phone to Roman. Roman’s fingers flicked through the conversation and he frowned. “Wow, you weren’t kidding. This guy sounds like a real bookworm. I mean, this sounds like it came out of the Q and A for the website.”

“Maybe it did,” Virgil said.

“No way,” Roman answered, “His introduction is just as stiff. I mean, he typed everything in grammatically correct sentences. Who does that?”

“Someone who wants to sound professional,” Patton said, “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Roman scoffed and handed the phone back. “Nothing wrong with it? He doesn’t need to look that professional to deliver food. He went overboard.”

“Really? You’re going to judge someone for going overboard?” Virgil asked.

“At least I’ll admit when I’m being dramatic,” Roman said, “I bet this guy would insist he isn’t a drama queen.”

Patton listened to them go back and forth for a while before he returned to the math homework he had placed in front of him on the floor. He worked through a few more problems before a knock sounded on the apartment door. He lurched up, pulled his wallet from his back pocket, and pulled out several of the ones he got as a tip from his own waiter job. Then he stuffed his wallet in his back pocket and opened the door.

In front of him was a taller man who looked about Patton’s age. If Patton hand to guess the kind of person that would have sent the texts he received from this Logan guy, this would have been him. Neatly brushed brown hair, polo, blue necktie, jeans, and oxford shoes. It was a nice look. What was even nicer was the glasses he wore. Patton blinked at them and smiled.

“Hey, we have the same glasses!”

The man blinked at him, then smiled a little. “Yes, it appears we do. You must be Patton.”

Patton lurched forward and took the two bags of food from Logan’s hands. “Yeah, I’m so sorry about everything. It was a silly mistake. You must get that a lot but I feel so dumb.”

“You shouldn’t,” Logan said, “It is a common mistake and others are not so apologetic about it.”

Patton held out his hand and the money. “Here.”

“You have already tipped me.”

“I know, but it’s for the help. You didn’t have to be so nice to me. I mean, my friends were making fun of me and didn’t help me at all.”

“Nark!” Roman yelled. Virgil snorted. Patton saw Logan’s smile crack a little wider as he took the money.

“Thank you,” Logan said, “Enjoy your meal.”

“Thanks,” Patton said. Logan walked away and Patton closed the door. He walked into the room and set the bags between them.

“I’m pretty sure that guy’s in my Advanced English class,” Virgil said.

Patton looked at him. “Really?”

“Yeah. I think he sits at the table opposite me.”

“I bet it’s the one closest to the teacher’s desk.”

“How’d you know?”

“Lucky guess. You gonna see if he’s gay and if he’ll go out with Patton?”

“No, don’t do that!” Patton cried.

“Why not?” Roman said, “You clearly liked the guy.”

“Dude, that’s weird,” Virgil said. “I barely know him.”

“Well you better start buddy-ing up to him so we can finally get Mister Goody-Two-Shoes a date with someone that could be his very own Prince Charming.”

Patton blushed, but he didn’t protest.

[boojersey]

VIC DO ALL THE ASKS BC I LOVE U AND WANT U TO HAVE FUN

*SWEATS* AYE AYE CAPN

cw for like some common lgbt+ topics such as dysphoria violence discrimination etc just. tread carefully if u get triggered easily by bad lgbt experiences

What do you identify as and what are your pronouns? -im a gay trans man and my pronouns are he/him but they/them is also acceptable!

How did you discover your sexuality, tell your story?-oh wow i originally thought i was a lesbian because i didnt even know what transgender was i just thought wishing i was a man meant i was butch and then i met my friend donnie in eighth grade who told me he was trans and it was kinda a huge slap in the face but with a sack of gay bricks? and i found out i dont like women through actually having sex with cis women and finally realizing it. really wasnt for me so now im just a gay man as opposed to queer as an umbrella term but i periodically refer to myself as such

Have you experienced being misgendered? What happened and how did you overcome it?-oh yea i literally was misgendered today i just kinda brush it off but it can be hard sometimes especially when people know im trans and do it

Who was the first person you told, how did they react?-i first told donnie about my gender, it was a thing where i went to bed the night i met him and was like  .. wait holy fuck and then the next day i was like BRO HOLY FUCK but sexuality? i dont really know???? it was so long ago it was honestly probably my group of friends on kik that i had in 2013 (u were included in that mister!!!!)

Describe what it was like coming out, what did you feel?-im not actually fully out but the first time someone who was an adult knew about my trans-ness was what really set in for me the fact that i could come out one day; my friends mom referred to me as seance (and like. obviously she respected my gender she has a trans kid) but it was just super jarring bc no adult had known yet abt my identity in any way and as a result i was rlly glad it was nighttime in that car bc i cried almost immediately; the first time i came out on my Own was to my cousin and he laughed in my face so that was pretty damn awful and its kinda funny cuz the bastard is bi so u would think hed have been accepting but n0pe!

If you’re out, how did your parents/guardians/friends react?-im out to my friends now ! and the reception was generally positive bc i think i do an ok job at picking ppl to be around in terms of morals so there was little bad reception

What is one question you hate people asking about your sexuality?-i hate when ppl ask if im gay as in for men or gay as in for women because im trans, i am a man so when i say im gay i feel like that should be easy enough to put 2 and 2 together but when they ask that i feel as if they still view me as a woman

Describe the style of clothing that you most often wear.-emo of the gods themselves it is absolute scene and emo vomit and i love it; its seriously hard for me to wear dresses and skirts without dysphoria and just general discomfort but i own a couple anyway bc theyre cute i just. never wear them

Who are your favourite lgbt+ ships?-my main thing at the moment is gerard/frank/grant morrison bc i love poly fics very dearly and gerard/bert because bert mccracken deserved better than gerawrds internalized homophobia lol

What does makeup mean to you? Do you wear any?-makeup to me is an androgynous thing so i wear eyeshadow a lot and lipstick sometimes, eyeshadow is easier on my eyes than eyeliner bc im allergic to a lot of makeup thats on the heavier side so if i put on eyeliner my eyes will water and burn throughout the day but with eyeshadow im mostly ok; other opinion is that makeup on Anyone can be sexy as hell if they do it for fun and wear literally what they truly want and not just what they think is accepted or what they Should wear

Do you experience dysphoria? If so, how does that affect you?-oh yeah my dysphoria is pretty debilitating if im gonna be honest; i used to have very little problems with it because my hold on reality was loose at best (before i was medicated to clarify) but now that i am almost completely Here my dysphoria is pretty bad and even just like. the knowledge that i have breasts is pretty awful; a few weeks ago i put on an outfit that i have to wear a victorias secret bra to fit properly in and just one look in the mirror had me sobbing and i had to change my clothes before i could leave the house and i havent worn a bra since because just the thought of showing off my chest makes this stark fuckin dread shoot through my veins but i also have dysphoria in regards to my voice that i discussed at my last trans therapy group meeting actually ; my voice has a tendency to bounce around my octave range so sometimes ill be like. excited then hear what i sound like. and ruin it for myself immediately u kno? im not even gonna talk about my dicksphoria bc thats just. awful. 

What is the stupidest thing you’ve heard said about the lgbt+ community?-ohhhhhhhh my god u know what? ive heard..so much .. that im gonna instead take this opportunity to mention my mother genuinely thinks dnd is satanic

What’s your favourite thing about the lgbt+ community?-the fact that were so strong. we are so fucking strong we deal with violence and opposition constantly and at staggering rates yet we stay strong and we continue loving through all of it, whether its in dark corners in secret or loudly in the streets we continue loving and do so with all of our beings because we know its our own truth and well gladly go to hell if it means we got to love on earth (not that everyone believes in hell or the idea that us gays go to hell but my point stands)

What’s your least favourite thing about the lgbt+ community?-we have this audacity to create divide (to the fault of mostly cis white gay men thank u very much) when what we need to do is love each other because we are different but at the end of the day we all need to remain in tandem and as a family or we will never get to where we need to in terms of acceptance and that means being uplifting and protecting our trans sisters of color, our disabled lgbt members, our autistic lgbt members, our anything past cis white gay man because we all need recognition, we all need love, and to exclude any letters of lgbt is to tear ourselves down and set ourselves on fire

Have you ever been to your cities pride event? Why or why not?-no :((( no one would drive me in the past and i dont think ill have a way to get there this year either

Who is your favourite lgbt+ Icon/Advocate/Celebrity?-brian molko! my bisexual, androgynistically-inclined father who birthed me at the tender age of 16 when i found placebo

Have you been in a relationship and how did you meet?-ya theres been a few and i dont rlly like to talk abt my relationships with anyone unless theyre online relationships so im just gonna leave it at that

What is your favourite lgbt+ book?-pantomime by laura lam! its one of if not my favorite book to this day

Have you ever faced discrimination? What happened?-y a every damn day bitch ! example is when i was deadnamed by my psychiatrist while she knows full well what my name is the other day; another is the countless times i get called a lesbian ???? and when strict lesbians ask me out i get a very bad taste in my mouth (i understand full well that sexuality is fluid, these are lesbians that spit the ‘penis is gross blegh’ rhetoric)

Your Favorite lgbt+ movie or show?-uh im just gonna say preacher bc its my favorite show altogether n cass is bi/pan/something similar

Who are some of your favourite lgbt+ bloggers?-@ble3dmagic is my boyfriend in crime (not rlly thats a joke) and @musicalsense​ is my sunburnt Brother

Which lgbt+ slur do you want to reclaim?-queer! i also use f*ggot a lot when talking about myself and my friends that are ok with it

Have you ever gone to a gay bar, or a drag show, how was it?-i went to a drag show and it was so amazing and one of the first times i felt accepted in my own community that i cried

How do you self-identify your gender, and what does that mean to you?-well i identify as a man with no leaning towards womanhood or nonbinaryhood in any way, its just . man . but in terms of Expression i am quite androgynous bc i can rlly appreciate femininity (NOT the same as womanhood) and being a man to me means just that ive always wanted to grow up with that “gender role” like i always wish i was raised as a stereotypical parent would raise a son and ive always been more interested in stereotypically masculine things and people since i can even remember and i feel like puberty was just this unpreventable spiral into something i didnt want. i didnt want it at all . this is tmi but when i got my first period i cried my eyes out bc the idea of being called a Woman repulsed me so much and since i didnt even know that being trans was a concept i was just this scared puppy full of confusion and fear aimed at myself because all the stuff i heard i was supposed to be proud of the change but i wasnt i was so ashamed of it and the idea of being called a woman made me sick to my stomach and i just wish i could go back in time and hold myself and tell me itll be alright 

Are you interested in having children? Why or why not?-absoLutely not i hate kids (and by that i mean i hate being around them and the culture that surrounds having children; i do not treat kids like shit and i do not act like hating children is a personality trait; i get migraines and usually the second a child starts screaming or crying i am on the floor of my brain writhing in dire pain and i have absolutely no desire to support another human life when frankly i cant even support myself; its also just not a lifestyle i want to live)

What identity advice would you give your younger self?-god so fucking much. so fucking much. so many things i wish i could say to myself

What do you think of gender roles in relationships?-i think if someone wants to adhere to them then hell yea go ahead just dont expect others to do it or try to tell other people its a Norm or something; theyre for the most part christian in nature so i dont have any desire to follow them myself, i want a relationship (if any) thats more of a coexistence if that makes sense, like. roommates plus dick

Anything else you want to share about your experience with gender?-i always used to anxiously chew on the idea that my chest dysphoria is just me holding disdain for the shape and size of my breasts but let me tell you. the second i put on my binder for the first time i immediately started crying because i was so overwhelmed by the fact that i was looking at something one step closer to myself and i know full well i am never going to have that doubt again. this week has been exponentially cathartic and therapeutic for me

What is something you wish people know about being lgbt+?-i want the cisheteros to know that nothing they learn about us is new. everything about us has been around for so so long but has been silenced and erased to the point where a lot of us dont even know many things about our rich and beautiful history

Why are proud to be lgbt+?-honestly? its hard for me to not just straight up say im not proud of my identity. its taken me years to stamp down the plain grieving toward my identity and wishing i could have the easier path but frankly? the fact that i am choosing this path of hardship and hell on earth just to be who i truly am i think speaks volumes of my pride in my identity at this point; further back in my archive by a few years my posts are littered with sentiments of bitterness wherein i stated that i hate being trans and not just cis but i like to think ive finished hating myself for my identity. i like to think im proud now. to ask me why is to ask too much of me, all i know now is that i am proud and thats enough for me right now.