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#ANYWAY i hope everyone’s having a wonderful wednesday!!
tvrningout-a · 1 year
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i’m out atm but i need y’all to know that rin would be best friends with k.arlach
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poisonlove · 4 months
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Wednesday and R studying as 'friends'
Yk the friendships where u keep indirectly flirting + hinting u like each other but never actually adress it?
anyway Wednesday's big on focus so she takes R's phone out her hand and finds her stupid ass looking up 'how to kiss your best friend' or smth😭😭
just flirting | w.a
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Pairing: Wednesday Addams X reader
Status: request
Warning: fluffy, Wednesday really don't understand
Studying with Wednesday Addams was never an easy task. I sat on the floor of her room surrounded by books and notes, while she read with intense concentration.
My eyes admired the gothic girl: hair neatly aligned in two locks, long lashes and piercing brown eyes, full lips, freckles dusted on the bridge of her nose, and a stoic yet attractive gaze.
I had been in love with Wednesday for a long time.
But everyone knows that Wednesday is... well... Wednesday.
"What are you staring at?" the brunette asked in a monotone voice, her eyes focused on the sheet she was writing on.
Neat and small handwriting.
Addams' eyes shifted to the English literature book.
"Wednesday, do you know that your way of concentrating is fascinating?" I said, with a slight smile
blatantly flirting.
She lifted her gaze from the book, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. "I don't see how it can be fascinating," she replied with her usual coldness.
"Well, there's something magnetic about the way you immerse yourself in what you do," I continued, getting closer. "It's hard to look away from you when you're so focused."
I bite my lower lip.
I could smell Wednesday's perfume: Vanilla.
Wednesday stared at me for a moment, her intense gaze scrutinizing me as if trying to understand my true intentions.
My cheeks flushed at the intensity of her gaze.
"You have a strange way of expressing your interest in studying," she commented, returning to the book with a slight grimace. "And what's with your face? You're blushing," she asked with curiosity, and perhaps a hint of concern.
"Oh, nothing, it's just warm here," I apologized, avoiding her gaze and looking at the floor.
Wednesday sighed loudly and slowly got up from the floor. Her feet moved gracefully and rhythmically towards the window, opening it.
I bite my lower lip at the sweetness of the brunette.
"It's not just an interest in studying," I replied to her first statement, keeping my tone light. "There's something fascinating about you, in the way you dedicate yourself to what you do. It's as if you're in a world of your own and I can't take my eyes off you."
She raised her eyes again, this time with a hint of curiosity. "It's a very elaborate way of saying that you find me interesting," she observed, her tone slightly less cold.
"Yes, and I think it's wonderful," I said, hoping that my flirting attempt had made an impression.
Wednesday raised an eyebrow slightly, as if evaluating my response. "Instead of staring at me, why don't you use those beautiful eyes to read the English literature assignment?" she said monotonously, indicating the book on the floor next to me.
I felt surprised by her response, but I couldn't help but smile. "Alright," I replied, accepting her request.
I smiled shyly, my eyes looking at Wednesday with curiosity.
"Wednesday... What should we do?" I asked, looking at the book with confusion.
"An analysis of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'," Wednesday replied calmly.
"Speaking of dreams," I said calmly, catching Wednesday's attention.
"Wednesday, are you real or are you a dream come true?" I said, trying to keep a light tone.
She raised her gaze and her eyes looked at me intensely. "You seem rather confused," she commented with a subtle, almost imperceptible smile. "But I believe I'm real enough to help you with this assignment."
Addams' attention was captured by the book once again.
I sighed internally, but I didn't give up.
"You know, if you ever need a break, we could do something different. Maybe go out together?"
"An outing?" Wednesday repeated, without lifting her gaze. "I find social outings to be mostly a waste of time."
"But not with me," I promptly replied. "I promise it would be interesting."
She raised an eyebrow, finally looking at me again. "How exactly?"
"Well, I could tell you about that time I solved a mystery in the library," I said with a mischievous smile. "Or we could simply take a walk in the woods. I'm sure we'd find something intriguing."
Wednesday seemed to consider my proposal for a moment. "If you think it's worth our time, I might consider it."
My heart skipped a beat. Maybe it was a step forward. "Then it's a date," I said, trying to sound casual.
She didn't respond, returning to her book.
My stomach twisted in a tangle of frustration. It was as if I had thrown a coin into a bottomless well, not expecting even an echo in response. I bit my lower lip to hide my disappointment, trying to focus on the text in front of me, but it was difficult to ignore the weight of Wednesday's silence.
I sighed loudly.
"Um... Could I use your phone?" Wednesday suddenly asked.
Her eyes scrutinized my movements with care, as if trying to read my thoughts.
"Sure..." I replied with tight lips, feeling a shiver of nervousness run down my spine.
Wednesday took the phone, opened the browser, and the expression of confusion that appeared on her face made me instinctively worry.
"How to kiss your best friend," she read aloud, raising an eyebrow. "Why did you search for this?"
My heart began to beat faster in my chest as I desperately tried to find an answer that didn't sound suspicious. "Uh, just curiosity," I stammered, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "You know, for... research purposes,"
I quickly concluded, hoping that my explanation sounded convincing enough.
She stared at me for a moment, then shrugged. "I find empirical research more effective than theory. If you really want to know, you should try it directly."
I stood there with my mouth open, unsure if she was joking or not. "Are you saying I should try it?"
"If you think it's important for your education, yes," she replied, returning to her book as if nothing had happened.
I sighed, resigned. Perhaps one day Wednesday would understand what I was trying to tell her. But until then, continuing to flirt seemed like the only option.
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lovebugism · 11 months
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for fictober could I request from the 50 autumnal prompts ‘when he wears THAT flannel’ with Eddie please?
we were so robbed of Eddie all boyfriend in soft cosy clothes. R wouldn’t be able to keep their hands off of him and he’d love it come autumn when it’s all he wears.
ugh imagine him in like thick baggy sweaters and when he reaches up it just exposes a bit of tummy 😍 I’m like a Victorian seeing ankles
love you xoxo
hi angel! idk how i managed to make this angsty, but alas! hope you like it :D
summary: you and eddie try to get used to life post-vecna but it's not nearly as easy as you thought it'd be (post st4, established relationship, wee bit of angst tw for mentions of death and scars, 1.2k)
fictober (㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ)
Eddie’s pretty much recovered by mid-fall.
Not totally. But mostly.
You think getting away from Hawkins helped the most — moving out of the city and settling further in the green. Even though everyone back home eventually understood that Eddie wasn’t the psycho-killing freak they made him out to be, things had changed far too much to ever go back to normal again.
Something’s break beyond repair. Something’s just can’t be fixed.
Not your Eddie, though. Eddie’s perfect. Damn near it, anyway, considering the circumstances.
He’s still got the nightmares and the phantom pains — even though he tells you he doesn’t. But he’s graduated now and helping Wayne at the car shop whenever he can. He’s taking the newfound normalcy in stride, spending early autumn with you and making you hot chocolate like nothing ever happened.
“You like marshmallows in your cocoa, right?” he calls from the kitchen, though he sounds like he’s talking mostly to himself.
You hear him, but you forget to answer. Your brain all but short circuits at how pretty he looks. 
You eye him from the couch while he bustles in the kitchen, and gutwrenching existentialism knocks the wind from your lungs like a fist to the stomach. 
You weren’t supposed to have Eddie again. You weren’t supposed to share a home like you always dreamed about, and he wasn’t supposed to make you hot cocoa or keep you warm when autumn got too bitter. 
A season or more ago, you were saying your goodbyes while he bled out in an alternate dimension. 
You haven’t yet forgotten how pale his skin had gotten or how glassy his chocolate eyes grew as the life spilled from the weeping bites on his stomach. The feeling of his blood, slimy on your hands and drenching your clothes, hasn’t yet left you. The red-hot blood in the unnatural navy blue cold still lives in your head.
But it’s only there. In your head.
And Eddie’s right in front of you — wild hair, baggy pajama pants, and all. You can smell the musk of his cologne and the floral of his shampoo. He’s real enough to touch. 
He’s real.
The realization hits you every day, all the time. It wells from your chest up into your throat and makes you feel like crying. Most people don’t get to say goodbye to their soulmate and eat Wednesday morning breakfast with them months later. 
You’ve got so much gratitude inside you, bursting like golden rays of sunshine, that you don’t know what to do with it all.
“Babe?” he calls again when you don’t answer. “Did you hear me?”
He pokes his head in the doorway, and your eyes go wide. “Huh? What?” you stammer, shaking your head to jerk yourself out of your stupor.
Eddie laughs, high and boyish. It sounds like heaven, and it pierces your heart. Six months ago, you never thought you’d hear it again. “I asked if you wanted marshmallows, weirdo.”
You nod rapidly and ramble an answer. “Oh, yeah. Sure. Thank you.”
“O-kay,” Eddie lilts, though his voice wavers with confusion. His grin widens and his eyes narrow, but he doesn’t ask why you’re acting so suddenly strange. 
You wonder if he’s used to it by now. You wonder if he knows when you go quiet that you’re remembering that a part of you nearly died.
He returns to the kitchen and reaches for the upper cupboard. A sliver of his milky white tummy peeks from beneath his flannel. You can see the bites from here. They’re scarred over now, dark red and light pink and thunder-strike purple. It almost jars you how healed they look. The wounds are still fresh and weeping whenever you close your eyes.
Eddie comes in from the living room, balancing two mugs in his hands rather carefully because he’s filled them to the brim. He’s got his usual ceramic Campbell’s Tomato Soup cup in one hand and your sleeping Snoopy in the other. The innate domesticity makes your stomach whirl.
“You okay?” the boy wonders with pinched brows when he hands you your cocoa.
You nod with glittering eyes, mustering a faint smile up at him. The mug warms your chilled, trembling hands. 
“Mm-hmm… Why?” you question, though you’re more than aware of why. 
Eddie’s got a knack for knowing how you’re feeling before you’ve even hinted at it. You think he might’ve got mind-reading powers when you were in the Upside Down.
“I don’t know. You just looked a little… far away, I guess.”
“Just missed you,” you confess with a bright, innocent gaze.
Eddie snorts as he rounds the couch to sit next to you. “While I was in the kitchen ten feet away?”
“Yeah. ’S way too far.”
“Well, remind me to carry you with me wherever I go, then.”
You know he’s joking, but you beam anyway. You don’t want to be anywhere that he isn’t. You don’t want him to go where you can’t follow. 
Eddie takes a sip and smiles at your smiling. His grin is crooked and rosy and lined with whipped cream. He leans in to kiss you with it. 
You pull back from him, just far enough to wipe the melted sugar off with the pad of your thumb. You give him a smacking peck a second later.
With a kissed grin, the boy leans back against the couch with his arm sprawled along the back of it. You curl into his side like his own personal puzzle piece, nestling your mug between your bodies with one hand and settling your free one on his stomach.
Your fingers seem to gravitate beneath his fuzzy flannel without you having to think twice about it. 
Eddie doesn’t seem to mind, either. His attention is consumed by the television — a Scooby Doo re-run he’s probably seen a thousand times. His chuckle rumbles against your cheek. You laugh along with him, made content by the sound of his boyish delight.
Your fingers dance through the fuzz of his happy trail, then settle on something softer. 
The marred skin of his warm tummy feels like silk. Before you realize what you’re touching, the boy beneath you jolts.
You nearly spill your cooling cocoa when you freeze alongside him. You part from Eddie with a gaping gaze, wide eyes darting over every inch of his face. You’re frightened that you’ve hurt him, but his pink grin only widens.
“Oh, shit. Are you okay?” you blurt. “I wasn’t— I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
Eddie turns to you, then. His features are blurry with sleep, and they twist with confusion at your misplaced concern. 
“No,” he answers with the shake of his head. The softened ends of his chocolate curls brush your cheek. A laugh sputters from his mouth. “It just tickled, babe. It’s fine.”
You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. It wavers on the way out, but you manage a trembling smile anyway. “Oh. Okay,” you hum, breathless. 
“Yeah. ’S okay,” Eddie murmurs softly back, wrapping his pale arm around your shoulder to pull you closer. He presses a kiss to the crown of your head and lingers there. “I’m okay,” he whispers into your hair.
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toournextadventure · 2 years
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everyone but her pt.3
a/n: dont mind me, just posting at work. EDIT: previously titled about time
Word Count: 3.0k Warnings: mention of past injury, hints of past abuse, swearing Pairing: Wednesday Addams x Reader (Masterlist)
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There was still an ache in your shoulder when you sat down in your phytotoxicology class. It was decently scabbed (which was beyond itchy) but the actual joint was sore. You had hoped it would ease up a bit over the weekend, but to no avail. Hopefully no one had really noticed your stiff movements. But hey, at least you were left handed.
“You look miserable,” Wednesday said as she sat to your left.
“Shut up, Addams,” you mumbled.
Enid sat behind the two of you, her eyes glued to where your hands were resting on the desk. If you just moved your hand a few inches to the left. And if you could talk just a little louder so she could hear, that would be great. She needed to know what you two were talking about. If it wasn’t about a date then she was going to scream. She just wanted you both to get over yourselves.
Class went on as usual; Enid was forced to bear witness to you doodling in Wednesday’s notebook, completely interrupting her notes. In turn, Wednesday would add rather… violent attachments to your initial drawing, and the cycle would continue. She couldn’t see your face, but your shoulders would shake with silent laughter every few doodles. You were both so close.
“Miss Y/N?”
Your head snapped up, turning toward the front where Miss Thornhill was standing with an expectant look.
“Adonis vernalis,” you said proudly without hesitation.
“Not even close,” Miss Thornhill said with a smile while everyone failed to stiffle their giggles. “See me after class.”
“Aw man,” you mumbled as you slumped back into your seat. All that pep in your step had been washed away.
Quite frankly, Enid thought it was hilarious.
She rushed to catch up with Wednesday as you stayed behind to talk to Miss Thornhill. For such a small person, Wednesday could move really fast. It was starting to become an issue because Enid was not dressed for jogging across campus. God, why couldn’t she just slow down?
“It seems it’s impossible to get away from you,” Wednesday said when Enid finally caught up; she slowed her pace anyway.
“Did you-”
“-No, and I’m not going to,” Wednesday interrupted.
“You don’t even know what I was going to say,” Enid pouted.
“You were going to ask if I have asked Y/N on a date, and the answer is no.”
“Then I give up,” Enid said as she threw her hands into the air. “You two are far too stubborn. Enjoy the friendzone.”
She stalked off, trying not to smile to herself when she noticed Wednesday had stopped walking. With any luck, her plan would work splendidly and you would both be together before Parent’s Weekend in a month. It may have taken her a little longer than planned to come up with such a genius idea, but it was going to be worth it.
—---
It was truly a beautiful day to be outside. Overcast skies, a cool breeze, potential for rain. Not the best day to fly, but a wonderful time to walk around. Maybe you could stop by the lake, tease the monsters below the surface. At least you would if you weren’t stuck in the greenhouse.
Miss Thornhill was truly, and you meant this with the utmost respect, a bitch. So maybe you didn’t pay attention in class, and maybe you got a bunch of questions wrong. But that’s what she got for calling on you in class. Had you raised your hand? Had you given any indication whatsoever that you knew the answer? No. So really, this was on her.
And now you were stuck in the stupid greenhouse having to jot down sketches of each plant, their scientific name, and what symptoms they cause if ingested or inhaled. You had only finished maybe a third of the greenhouse and it was already midafternoon. You were never going to be done with this stupid detention.
You didn’t even like plants.
“You look miserable.”
“There’s more than one way to greet a person, you know,” you said without turning around.
Wednesday slid into your peripheral like a wisp of smoke; she always moved smoothly even though she appeared so rigid. Her coat hung off her small frame, and the snood Enid had made her only accentuated that by swallowing what little of her remained. She was reminiscent of the little kids at the park in winter; their parents had bundled them up in the warmest clothing they could find in the house.
“Just let me finish my detention, Addams,” you mumbled as you jotted down another sketch. It wasn’t half bad, actually.
For better or worse, Wednesday stayed silent as you moved around the greenhouse, assigned sketchbook in hand. There was no doubt you were getting 90% of the names wrong, and you were just writing “it’s bad :(“ under the list of symptoms at this point, but you didn’t care. This kind of detention was stupid. Besides, it was a Saturday; you should’ve been out getting coffee or harrassing everyone at Pilgrim World, not sitting in a humid greenhouse practicing your art skills. But no, now you were stuck here and- oh that plant is pretty.
“Don’t touch it,” Wednesday said rather quickly as you reached out to touch the flower.
“Why not?” You asked in indignation, finally turning around to see her. Oh, she’s cute.
“It’s a foxglove,” she answered.
“Wednesday,” you sighed, “if I knew what that meant, I wouldn’t be in here on a Saturday afternoon.”
“It’s toxic to birds.” She rolled her eyes at your incompetence.
“Oh, well thank- wait.” You narrowed your eyes at her and the smallest movement at the corner of her mouth. “I’m not a bird and you know it.”
“You can never be too sure,” she said without hesitation.
“Oh, you’re a prick,” you huffed out. You had to turn back to look at the plants again so she wouldn’t see your poor attempts at not laughing. “Why are you even here?”
“I brought you this.”
She brought me something? You thought. Well know she was just getting desperate if she was going to be bringing you things. You set your sketchpad down on the table, in front of the foxglove that Wednesday claimed to be toxic to birds. What had she brought you-
“-What is that?” You asked once your eyes landed on the small bag in her hands.
“Birdseed,” she said. “It’s a bribe.”
“That better not be for me or I will get offended,” you said, switching your weight to your other foot and crossing your arms over your chest.
“You’re going birdwatching with me.” She rolled her eyes but held the bag out further for you to take from her.
“Are you asking me out on a date?” You asked.
Wednesday Addams did not blush, that was a well known fact. Not a drop of colour would be found on her cheeks, ever. But that didn’t mean she was emotionless; you could tell when the stretch of skin over her cheeks and nose turned a little darker. It was the closest to an uncontrollable show of emotion as she was ever going to get.
And you were absolutely living for it.
“Are you coming or not?” Wednesday asked, completely ignoring your question for clarification.
You wanted her to admit it was a date. Wanted her to swallow her pride and say the word “date” because it’s just what you needed. There was no way in hell you were going to ask first, not when she had always been so clear about her thoughts on what a waste of time relationships were. “Look at my parents,” she had said one night, “limited because they can’t go anywhere alone.”
But you needed her to call it a date. Your hopes were embarrassingly high and you just needed her to say that four letter word. It could only be once and you would be happy. If she called it a date once and then never again until the day you died, you would be content. Just say the word, you thought to yourself as she finally turned her head back around to face you.
“Fine,” Wednesday sighed, “I’ll go on my own.” She turned around and started walking away.
“Wait!” You called after her. She stopped, but didn’t turn around.
You looked around frantically for the rest of your things. What if Miss Thornhill showed up and realised you were gone? And worse yet, what if she realised you sucked at detention? She was going to tell Principle Weems and then you would get another scolding. But pass up on a date with the Wednesday Addams?
Shit.
“You’re a bad influence, Wednesday Addams,” you huffed once you finally caught up to her and you both started walking out of the greenhouse.
You missed the small smile on her face.
—---
For all intents and purposes, Wednesday did not like you. If anyone dared to ask, you were nothing more than a thorn in her side, and not in a good way. No, you weren’t as energetic and colourful as Enid, but you still smiled too much. You cracked too many jokes and made yourself too accomadating. Any normal person would have been embarrassed.
No, Wednesday Addams did not like you.
She did not like the way you had talked the whole way to your preferred spot in the forest. “It’s a bit late for birdwatching,” you had said on the walk over, “but it’s overcast, so it might be fine.” She did not like the way you actually took your harness off and ruffled your feathers. Or the way they puffed up a little, “because it’s cold,” you explained with a shrug and a blush on your neck. Then there was the way you were sat still as a statue, birdseed scattered around, just waiting for some birds to stop by.
No, she didn’t like you.
There were absolutely no feelings in her void of a soul when a bird finally did appear, standing directly in front of your outstretched hand. The gentle smile on your face was completely moronic. You would make an excellent side character in her book; the same character that would get herself killed off in the first chapter. Wednesday could see it now; you would be too focused at the park and would get yourself put on a hit list simply because you were an easy target.
She wouldn’t be caught dead watching your feathers ruffle when more birds appeared, flocking around you. Or listening intently to what you were saying to them, holding full conversations as they hopped around and picked at the birdseed you continuously scattered. No, she would not join you on the ground, she was just fine sitting with her back to the tree. And no she didn’t want to feed the birds, this is an outing for you, she’s just the chaperone.
Her cold, black heart did not stutter when the light caught your skin just right and illuminated the nearly-healed scrapes and bruises from your incident last week. Wednesday had always loved the colours of a bruise. The angry red reminiscent of a wound, or the healing yellow-green that was nearly the same as the colour of a waterlogged corpse. Although they didn’t look quite as stunning on you. For one odd reason or another, seeing the bruises and cuts on your skin, or the apparent stiffness of your joints brought no joy to her.
There is no way in heaven or hell that she would admit she watched you the way her father watched her mother. Watching your every move, from the rise and fall of your chest to the twitch in each individual feather. The way the veins on your forearms stood out when you lifted a bird up or the eyelash that now resided on your cheek that she so desperately wished to wipe off for you. Or that your small, airy little laugh made her feel like an arrow had impaled her heart and mind and soul, painfully tethering her to the tree she was leaning against.
No, she was not her father.
And no, she did not like you.
—---
You looked like a little kid sitting in the chair on the other side of Larissa’s desk. With a bowed head and hands folded tightly in your lap, you reminded her of the young children in normal schools who got sent to the principle’s office for something they hadn’t done. Except you very well had done what you were accused of; maybe that was why you looked so guilty.
“Miss Thornhill told me you’ve been struggling in class,” Larissa started off. “You’re struggling to focus.”
“I’m just not any good at it,” you said with a shrug. You still weren’t looking up.
“She also told me you had been given detention last Saturday,” she continued; you sunk further into the chair. “And you were nowhere to be found when she went to check on you.”
“Wow, that’s wild,” you said with a huff. “She probably needs to check that her perscriptions are up to date,” you said, tapping your finger to the corner of your eye, “might need a better one.”
“Did you skip your detention?” Larissa asked, far softer than she would be with any other student.
“I didn’t “skip” detention,” you started. “I was there until around 3, I think that was punishment enough.”
“What came along that was more important than your detention?” Larissa continued to pry.
“A date,” you said so quietly that she almost couldn’t hear you.
“A date? With whom?” She asked with a small smile and in the gentlest voice she could offer you.
To most, it would be an inappropriate question. No one wanted their principle to know all the juicy details of their personal lives. But Larissa knew you both had a… slightly different relationship. She knew you struggled, you had been a student at Nevermore for nearly eight years; she knew what damage your personal life had inflicted upon you. For eight years she had been able to provide some sort of comfort, a surrogate parent of sorts, and she was doing her best to give you that space to be a normal teenager with a normal parent.
You had talked with her about these things before, it wasn’t like she was implying something out of nowhere. Larissa had been your shoulder to cry on through all of your family woes, your frustrations, your first heartbreak. It shouldn’t have been such a surprise for her to ask, even though you had initially been sent to see her because you had evaded your justly-deserved detention.
But instead of your usual excitement, Larissa noticed a glaze cover your eyes and your arms wrap tightly around yourself. She had seen you like this multiple times; you still refused to see a therapist about it. And as much as she wanted to go to you and comfort you, previous experience had told her you needed to feel it all before coming back to the present.
“Y/N?” She asked quietly, leaning over her desk to get closer to you without invading your space.
You blinked once, slowly, a single tear falling onto your quivering bottom lip. Your tongue darted out to lick your lip before your eyes opened. The haze took its time in fading from your usually sparkly eyes, but you looked up at Larissa as it diminished. One shuddering breath in, a shaky breath out, and your body fell into a relaxed state once again.
“Wednesday Addams,” you choked out around the sobs that you were shoving back down your throat. Your eyes flickered away from her at the admission.
“What did you both go do?” Larissa asked with a smile that you definitely saw this time.
There was a hesitancy on your face; your lips were parted slightly as if you were about to speak, and your eyes shone brightly, but the slight tilt of your head gave you away. You weren’t one to outwardly share your emotions, but your body langauge always gave you away. It brought a joy to Larissa that she had never understood was possible before you had come around.
“Well, she bought some birdseed-,” you started, immediately going off about the entire date.
Larissa leaned forward, completely enthralled with your tale. The way your hands gestured this way and that, the movements eloquent in their own right. Pianist’s fingers, she recalled. The inflection in your voice a mirror of your younger self, back when you had less worries. You’re excited, she thought with a soft sigh. You haven’t been excited in years.
“-and then Miss Thornhill saw me and sent me straight here,” you finished with a huff, clearly out of breath.
“Will you go on another one?” Larissa asked after you had caught your breath slightly.
“Well, I think it’s my turn to ask next,” you shrugged; there was a sparkle in your eye. “So yes.”
“Then you’d better go prepare.” Larissa sat back in her chair and crossed her legs. “She set the bar pretty high, don’t you think?”
“Might find an autopsy she can watch,” you mused aloud as you pushed yourself off the chair. The stiffness of your injury had yet to ease, Larissa noticed as you essentially limped over to the doorway.
“Oh, Y/N,” she called out once you were halfway out the door.
“Yes ma’am?” You asked, leaning back into the office.
“You can make up your failed detention on Saturday,” she said with a smile that only got bigger as you groaned.
“This place is a fucking prison,” you grumbled as you walked away. Larissa sat back in her chair and looked over toward the fireplace. Maybe, she thought, Addams won’t be so bad afterall.
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amethystfairy1 · 2 months
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is it wednesday yet??? im dying to know what happens in the newest ttsbc fic!!
(thats a /lh btw lol. no rush, i just live in a strange timezone and genuinely dont know what day im waiting for lmao) ALSO!!! hope you're having the most wonderful holiday, making lots of nice memories and getting some well deserved rest <3
IT IS WEDNESDAY MY DUDES
for me anyway. I’m actually traveling home right now! So if all goes to plan the next chapter should be up very soon! I’m so glad everyone has been looking forward to it! 💖
Yes, I had a wonderful holiday, thank you! It was very fun and I did a whole bunch of stuff so I’m kinda exhausted but like in a good way! I’m also getting the tippy tapping withdrawals so expect more down the pipeline for TTSBC and TT soon!
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arlecchno · 1 year
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everything has changed (alhaitham x gn!reader)
ONE. i just wanna know you better
masterlist next
SUMMARY - alhaitham was positive that he was not worthy of anyone's love, nor was anyone worthy of his. but after bumping into you on a random wednesday morning, he was ought to be wrong in many ways. also; in which you attempt on asking alhaitham out a grand total of three times; three different ways, three different places, and three different situations, in hopes of him reciprocating your so called love— people do say that third time's the charm, right?
A/N - i have delayed this for far too long. i have maybe slept while editing this draft for around 4 times. i was supposed to post this last week. forgive me pls
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“three times.”
“pardon?”
you smiled at the gray-haired man at his desk, holding up three fingers as you repeated yourself once more. “i'll only ask you out three times, and if you decline all three of them, i won't ever bother you again. you can trust me on that.”
if there's one thing about you that alhaitham could describe, it's that you are… maybe a tad bit weird.
no, scratch that, you're insanely weird.
it's silly, he thinks. you're a well-known and respected scholar slash biologist from the amurta darshan. there's no one in the akademiya who doesn't know you, not when you're widely known for your eccentric researches and experiments. no, alhaitham definitely did not look into your work profile after that little incident. and even if he did, it was purely for work purposes, he was mainly doing his duty to report about it to the higher ups, lest he craves punishment or a lecture from grand sage azar.
anyway, frankly speaking, you should be professional, at the very least. hell, you have a doctorate. the title itself should be written all over you.
so why are you speaking to him like… well, he doesn't know. like you're a fool? a desperate moron in love? whatever it is, it's anything but professional to him.
see, this all started due to that sudden incident from a few weeks ago.
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nothing ever beats the rush hour in the akademiya on a wonderful wednesday morning, it seems.
as a full time worker at the prestigious institute, it was just another day for you and your overworked colleagues. however, getting errands done during this time around would be a death wish, everyone within the akademiya walls knew of that, and of course, you do too.
yet it seemed like you had just dug your own grave.
honestly— who wouldn't? you needed to head over to your lab immediately, the specimens in the crate you were currently carrying needed to be experimented on within the fifteen minute timeline you had mentally set up in your head, so it was obvious that you had no time to lose.
and to speak; the crowds in the house of daena honestly weren't that bad— maybe a little less spacious than usual, but still merely nothing for an experienced scholar like you. see, that's what you had initially thought before getting back to your private lab.
you just need to head on over to the biology section of the house of daena to retrieve a book titled ‘fungi and its extraordinary lives’, and you'll be set to continue conducting your ongoing research project. look— you did think of snatching the book way earlier before you even set out on an adventure of getting your crate of supplies, but it would've been too much work for you to go back and forth from your lab, as it was already close to the house of daena.
you figured it was best to do it on your way back instead, which, in full honesty— was not even a bad idea. it was just that things just had to escalate a whole lot differently than you had intended to.
see— your first mistake was keeping your eyes busy on your task instead of what's in front of you. which, in another sense, is what any other normal person would do. well, you know your way around the akademiya like the back of your hand. the shortcuts to aisle number thirty-six in the house of daena, the bathroom to the end of the hall on floor two, the shortest route to the archive room of the akademiya, you name it. so you thought you could just waltz your way through the library easily. again, your first mistake.
your second mistake was that you were clearly doing anything but walking, understandably so. you're well aware of the akademiya rules: no running in the institution, no careless mistakes, no idle chit chat and gossip— among many others. right, the handbooks weren't a stranger to you. there was even a point in your life where you were forced to memorise it from a to z by one of your professors because you were unfortunate enough to have unintentionally broken one of the many minuscule rules that one time, which in your opinion was quite the torture for a mere student like you back then. you may or may not still hold a grudge against the said professor.
as you were double checking your to-do list with a pencil and piece of paper on your beloved crate, you hadn't realized that you were walking towards someone. okay, maybe the correct word for your actions right now would be sprinting, but you'd hate to admit that you were in the wrong.
now, this is your last mistake. the person that is about to bump into you is not a mere scholar, whom you can't just apologize to once or a few more times and move on with your day.
next thing you knew, you collided into the person's chest that was so hard it felt you just crashed into a wall, and much to your dismay, caused you to harshly fall on the pristine floors from the impact, along with your precious, precious crate, which is now most likely a lost cause as your specimens and other important stuff you had worked so hard to look for earlier were all over you and the extravagant floors of the house of daena. disgusting, you know, but that was the least of your worries right now.
as if that wasn't already downright embarrassing enough, you're now covered in gooey fungi, you have totally made a fool out of yourself, and all eyes are currently on you, scholars and students alike whispering amongst themselves at the scene they were witnessing. a monstrosity, truly.
you were sure that you'd be the main topic of gossip for at least a week. maybe two weeks at best.
the house of daena was silent, with only the chit and chatter amongst the scholars as an exception. at first sight, you wondered why everyone would pay so much attention to you instead of continuing on with what they were doing just a fleeting second ago. surely this happens in the akademiya at least once, no?
you've made two revelations to this; one, you were so ungodly hideous that everyone just had to stare. or two, you had probably just bumped into some hot-shot akademiyan.
of course, the first thing any sane person would do is look up to the perpetrator who had cause you this much damage. (it was your fault to begin with.)
so you did.
and of course any normal person who had just been bumped into would have thought of the same thing: have every reason to be angry at the person who bumped into you, whether they were in the wrong or not.
so it was only natural that you too, had the same thought in mind.
but the second you laid your eyes on him, it's as if the whole world stopped, and you finally understand why everyone was so adamant on just standing there and whispering about your little incident instead of helping you out like any decent human being would. and the latter of your revelation was definitely on spot. you would've done a victory dance if you were in any other situation except this.
because the person you had just bump into is none other than the scribe of the akademiya, the one and only, alhaitham.
you've heard of him a few times— apparently he's quite the reserved man, yet would not hesitate to call you out on your wrongdoings or foolish mistakes. well, that's what you heard anyway; as a mere worker who is trying to make ends meet, you are in no position to judge people based on what your fellow juniors run their mouths about these days.
for as long as you've been both an alum and full-time employee at the akademiya, it's truly a wonder that you've never actually seen the scribe in person. right, that's also what you've heard people say— that the scribe can hardly be spotted, nor can he be found easily to begin with. he's never in his office, and it's not often that you'd find him within the akademiya walls; the man is anywhere but at his working place, and somehow gets away with it because he's the scribe, whose presence is not of importance unless he deems so.
and if you are granted the position to say this; it is mainly because the higher ups of the akademiya takes great pride in their respected positions, so it is not a shocker that someone with an official title like grand scribe can frequently get away with such things.
egocentric, blunt, unambitious and many more— those are the few descriptions you've heard over the past few years from scholars about the scribe.
but out of all of the mysterious things you've miraculously heard about the man, you've never seen or heard people point out how attractive he is.
how could they not? he’s got a broad frame that could actually knock the breath out of you (which in this case, quite literally did knock you down), a set of clothes that somehow just screams him, despite the fact that you know next to nothing about the guy, tuft of gray hair that bounces graciously and looks luscious enough it makes you envious how he even manages to take such great care of it, and lastly, a pair of turquoise eyes that looked like an oasis from the sumeru desert, one you could just stare into forever, ever and ever.
this man is a whole package.
it was like the gods had granted you the perfect opportunity to present yourself in front of an attractive man, like the gods have finally decided to fill a bit of colour into your hopeless romantic and workaholic life, and gave you this blessing— except for the fact that this, this might be the most embarrassing way possible in doing so.
oh how you want the ground to swallow you up right now.
after what seemed like forever (it was less than thirty seconds), the man of the hour finally speaks, startling you with his voice. “would you rather sit down there like a fool or will you stand up?” ouch. maybe it's safe to say that at least one of the things people say about him are, in fact, true.
you blinked, once, twice, before you could pick up on what what he said and hurriedly stand up, glass jars of your specimens that were previously all over you clinking to the floor a little too loud, some already having been broken and shattered, but you could care less when the man in front of you was currently glaring at you like you have committed one of the six cardinal sins.
before he could even jab you more with his next few blunt words, you decided to bow down to a complete ninety-degree and started profusely apologizing, all previous thoughts of wanting to blame everything on him for ruining your prolonged experiment were thrown out the window (again, it is your fault in the first place.)
sure, this might hurt your pride and ego, but you'd rather do this than having the possibility of listening to the scribe giving you a lifelong lecture on the basic rules of the akademiya, or yet even worse, you get sent to the grand sage and have your doctorate and title revoked for being unprofessional, unethical, or whatever nonsense grand sage azar would demote you for. call yourself dramatic and insane, but you'd rather not inflict any chances of ending up humiliated or jobless. or both.
a beat passes, and you're still mumbling out apologies, causing alhaitham to clear his throat in order to cut you off.
“you… you can stand upright now,” he said, and it takes you another few seconds before you reluctantly do as he says, and the first thing you see is him looking at you with a puzzled expression plastered on his face.
“i apologize once again, scribe. it was my fault, i wasn't looking,” you looked down as you spoke, staring at your ruined materials on the white tiles.
alhaitham all but sighs, and tells you to look where you're going next time. you couldn't help but only nod, not even glancing at him once out of embarrassment. “you are fully aware of the akademiya rules, are you not? act one-o-three; no running in the institution unless–”
“–an emergency occurs, or and if ordered to by either of the six sages, grand sage included,” you finished his sentence with the slight of an eye roll, before remembering that this was the scribe, not your annoying biology professor who countlessly had you memorise the five-hundred-page worth of akademiya rules. truthfully, there was no need for a teaching institution to have that many rules.
then, he prompts another question: “do you perhaps need any help…” he seemed to have trailed off, and you flickered your eyes to him just for a fleeting second to see what he was doing. “amurta scholar?” he finished his question as he stared at your lab coat, a small badge to your left with the amurta logo pinned on it, indicating which darshan you are from.
“uh… no– it's alright,” you say sheepishly as you quickly crouched down, already starting to pick up your glass jars and whatnot. “you should get going, scribe. you must have a lot of work to do here in the akademiya.”
alhaitham could only nod as you tell him that, not even minding the fact that you were not able to see him as of the moment. he merely tells you to watch where you're going next time and starts to walk away; which in your opinion was maybe just a tad bit rude— the least he could do was help you out. but knowing him, as per what people talk about, that'd be nigh impossible. also, you did say that you didn't need any help, so you couldn't blame him per se. honestly, if you were in his shoes you'd probably have done the same.
so you hurriedly finished cleaning up your mess and ran to your lab, all in your splattered–with–gooey–fungi glory. as you sighed behind closed doors, you prayed to the gods above that your project would go smoothly and peacefully. fingers crossed.
well, maybe after yet another exhausting trip to the avidya forest for another set of fungi, that is.
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but of course, it was only wishful thinking, there's not a lot to hope for when alhaitham pretty much occupied your mind the whole day. it has even gotten to the point where your fellow juniors had to snap you out of your daydream so that you could actually focus on your research.
sure, call yourself a hopeless romantic (maybe a crazy lunatic in this case), but who wouldn't fall for him at first sight? and who the hell cares about the things scholars gossip about him? a man with that sort of pretty privilege could run over your toe and you would gracefully thank him for it.
and, point in case— alhaitham isn't that bad. okay, sure, maybe a little too blunt and too uncaring for his own good, but he is not as bad as people make him seem.
maybe you should get to know alhaitham more, right? not because you're interested in him (you are, but that could be pushed aside for now), you merely want to debunk the bad rumors about him going around (they aren't even half as bad, just highly exaggerated and overall childish) and make sure that everyone knows that alhaitham is not just the egocentric and arrogant guy people always see (he probably is just exactly that, but it's worth the try).
you firmly believe there's more to the scribe than what meets the eye.
so, you make it your mission and goal to get to know alhaitham better, even if it may be the worst idea possible.
spoilers: it absolutely is the worst idea possible.
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after the minor incident you had, you tried your very best to encounter him during work hours, which honestly wasn't as challenging as you thought it was. sure, he's not around much, but after maybe a week or so of hanging around the house of daena (stalking would be the ideal word you're looking for), you finally got to know his routine— well, only for when he's around the humongous library, but that will suffice for now.
evidently, alhaitham would only visit the house of daena on wednesdays, and weirdly on saturdays, at ten in the morning sharp. for what reason you quite have no clue, but he's frequently around the linguistics section, reading a book or two about ancient runes and that sort of stuff, sometimes even seen squabbling with a certain architect from the kshahrewar darshan too. you don't know kaveh much— but apparently he's acquainted with alhaitham, of all people.
but now that you know a part of his routine, you can probably catch the opportunity to get to know him. so ever since then, you have been, quote unquote, “bumping„ into him nonstop.
the first few times you bumped into him, you had greeted him a couple of times, and after a bit of coaxing, you somehow managed to drag him into small talk. you've even gotten to the point where you're asking him when he's free— reason why? of course, you just want to take him out for a bit during lunch break to make up for the incident you two had just a few weeks ago, definitely no ulterior motives whatsoever; which unfortunately, alhaitham kept declining because he quotes that “it would be a waste of time,” and that “things should just be left in the past.”
but that clearly didn’t stop you from trying, again and again. your guardians clearly didn't raise a quitter.
one thing you did find out about alhaitham after a few conversations with him is that the man is anything but fond of small talk, which was expected. and after countless attempts on trying to get him into one, you eventually had to go on a different route to get his attention.
so, here you are now, somehow having managed to reach your way to his office— and miraculously enough, alhaitham just so happens to also be present at the time, which gives you the perfect opportunity to raise the deal that has been dying to escape from your throat.
look— there's no denying that you are here for work purposes; you were requesting for one of your documentations to be cited and reviewed, and although alhaitham is mainly responsible for documenting data regarding the akademiya and the six darshans, he offered a helping hand during one of your small talks you had successfully managed to coax out of him.
and you did come here for that, but you just couldn't help but blurt everything out.
and it doesn't really help that alhaitham is looking at you like you've submitted the worst thesis possible. you haven't even handed it to him yet.
alhaitham continues to frown. “would it not be a hassle to be asking me out that much? why would you even be interested in me?” he had asked, and he didn't bother waiting for your reply as he continued speaking. “you could use those three times right now and i'll decline all of them instantly. that way, you won't have to bother me again.”
“well aren't you quite rude, scribe,” you huffed, retracting your hand back to your side. talk about rude; you're here for the sole purpose of asking him out. “give me a chance, would you? i'm confident that you'd have changed your mind by the time i'm on my last chance,” you grinned as you quirked your eyebrows up and down, and alhaitham almost rolled his eyes as he folded his arms over his chest and leans back on his chair. almost.
“i highly doubt it,” he says.
you tucked your files closer to your chest. “have you ever heard of the saying ‘third time's the charm’, scribe?”
“i believe so, yes,” he nods, then adds: “you'll only ever hear obsessive gamblers say that sort of nonsense when they've lost their current gamble, in hopes of winning the next round.”
in an instant, your jaw drops. “are you implying that i am gambling my love life?” see, if you look closely— alhaitham was this close to smiling.
“i am just saying that there is no point in pursuing something, or someone, in this case, when you've already failed the first time, biologist,” well, now you understand why scholars say he is unambitious. “it would be a waste of time to be around me, or be with me, for that matter. i doubt that i could ever reciprocate your feelings.”
ouch. you'll probably have to double check your list of alhaitham's personality chart again.
“please?” you plead, and alhaitham stares at you for a little too long that you eventually had to break eye contact to avoid his intense gaze. “i promise you that i will never bother you again, you can trust me on that. you won't even see my face on the grounds of the akademiya.”
he looks at you confusedly. “are you not the famous biologist with fifteen awards on their name? i am bound to bump into you in the near future, in one way or another.” he says, tapping his finger on his forearm.
huh, how did he know that you have won fifteen akademiyan awards? as far as you know, this guy knows nothing about you, the fact that he had to check which darshan you are from during your incident was enough proof.
maybe you're not the only one who is interested in the other.
“that's not the point!” you groaned, rubbing your temple with your free hand. this may or may not be directed to both your thoughts and him.
okay, maybe this was a bad idea after all— alhaitham is an impossible man. you'd think that you were capable enough to break his façade, to see the true him after a bit of pestering, but nooo, you're pretty damn sure this is him. there's no such thing as a façade. he's just… alhaitham. which could either be a blessing or a curse, if you ever manage to steal his heart. that, or maybe both. but then again, it still doesn't change the fact that he is one tough nut to crack.
alhaitham sighs. “will you really leave me alone?”
“huh?”
“will you really stop bothering me once you're over with your… shenanigans?”
you blinked. then, you widen your eyes, nodding. “of course. i won't pursue you again, scribe. all i am asking is for you to lend me your time for the duration of— uh, actually, i'm not sure what i am supposed to call this,” you mumble the last few words, but still audible enough for the gray-haired man to hear.
“say, hypothetically, what would you do if i were to agree to one of your three chances of asking me out? what will you do then?”
“oh,” you shift from one foot to another, awkwardness coursing through your veins at the lack of answer you could think of at the top of your head. “i… i am not quite sure. that's for future me to worry about, i guess?”
alhaitham raises a brow, but doesn't question your uncertainty. instead, he says something else in return: “alright, then. i will indulge in your antics for as long as you'd have me as your… social experiment.”
social experiment is just an over exaggeration, right? it has to be. no rational person says it like that.
“what?”
“i'm saying that i will agree to the terms you have given me, but you will stop bothering once your chances are up. do you understand?” he enunciates his words carefully, and you almost dropped your files, right then and there.
gulping, you nod, a small grin tugging at your lips, and alhaitham already regrets his words when you say: “of course.”
well, be prepared for a rollercoaster ride.
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extra note - ok guys please keep me in your thoughts and prayers 🙏 writing slump is crazy this is the first work i’ve posted in over 2 months. that is ridonkulous. hope i don’t disappear again
taglist; @isotofl @dancinghillary @heartswonder
taglist is still open!! :D
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hippolotamus · 2 months
Text
WIP Wednesday 🖤
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tagged by the lovely and talented @tizniz @eddiebabygirldiaz mwah! 💖 the beans have taken a swift and sudden break, so I'm cheating by using segments that none of you have ever read before. not once. promise. have this bit of young Evan and Maddie from the witch!eddie/familiar!buck au
Hershey, PA - 1998
“Pleeeeease?” Evan pleads, giving Maddie his widest grin and best puppy dog eyes. In his six years and two months of being alive, this tactic has never failed him. 
Tonight she’s been tasked with babysitting while their parents are out. Which makes him happy because that means she’s the one tucking him into bed and reading him a story. As soon as she finishes their book, because it’s just them, he can’t resist asking for her magick. 
It’s not like she’s not allowed to use it, but for some reason their mom and dad never seem happy when she does. Unless it’s for a practical reason. Even then they look uncomfortable, barely being able to watch while she uses her gift. 
Shouldn’t they be happy? Not every family has magick, but they’re so lucky with Maddie. She’s a natural healer, with the power to make people better. She always makes him better whenever he gets a cut or scrape from falling off his bike, or does something tricky like that time he jumped off the swings and hit his chin when he landed. 
“I should have known you would ask,” Maddie teases.  
She takes her time putting the book back on the shelf and switching off the bedside lamp before making herself comfortable at the foot of his bed. There’s a sliver of light streaming in through the curtains, enough to see Maddie tuck her hair behind her ear and wiggle her fingers at him. The wiggling is mostly for show (he thinks) and to make him giggle. She’s always doing her best to make him smile. He wonders if everyone has a big sister like her. He hopes so. 
Maddie holds one palm out, showing him it’s empty before she turns it face up. With her other hand, she stirs her pointer finger in her cupped palm. Excitement and anticipation run in a gentle current under his skin. It’s a little like a swarm of butterflies in his tummy, or the feeling he gets when the car drives over a big hill. He clutches at his blanket, leaning forward to get a closer view of the pink and green beginning to form. 
“Ready?” She asks.
“Uh-huh,” he answers, eagerly nodding his head. 
They’re only slightly out of sync with one another as they begin counting out loud. “One… two…” Evan takes a deep breath, as much as his growing lungs can hold before Maddie exclaims “Three!”
His breath rushes out of him, blowing into the pink green glow. He watches in awe as it disperses, making the sunburst patterns on his walls light up, warm and golden, illuminating the space like fireflies. 
“You did it!” She praises him as if he had any influence on any of what just happened. He gives her an enormous grin anyway. It feels impossible not to with how content he feels. 
“No, you did!” 
“Well, you did the most important part,” she argues good naturedly, tousling his hair. 
He beams with pride, leaning into the touch. Thankfully, she takes the hint and strokes his forehead with her thumb. 
“Okay, lay down. It’s way past your bedtime.” 
“Not sleepy,” he protests through a yawn. When she gives him an incredulous look, he burrows into the covers, letting his head loll to the side. “Hey, Maddie?”
“Yeah?”
He hums as she resumes lightly scratching his scalp. “Do you think I’ll get my magick soon?”
“I-” Her movements slow almost to a stop, but start again before he can complain. “I don’t know.” 
“Hope so,” he mumbles sleepily. “Can’t wait to have mine, just like you.” 
The mattress shifts and soon he feels her press a kiss to his temple. “Get some sleep, Evan. I’ll be here if you need anything.”
The reassurance is a formality — of course she’ll be around. It’s nice to hear the words anyway. Before she leaves the room, he’s already drifting into a calm slumber, beautiful shades of pink, green, and gold dancing behind his eyelids.
np tagging @actuallyitsellie @epicbuddieficrecs @loveyouanyway @a-noble-dragon @mountedeverest
@diazheartsbuckley @weewootruck @saybiwithme mi amor @bidisasterevankinard @shipperqueen6
@ramonaflow @taketheplanspinitsideways @spotsandsocks @dangerpronebuddie @theotherbuckley
@stereopticons @kitteneddiediaz @daffi-990 @diazsdimples @your-catfish-friend
@thekristen999 @filet-o-feelings @wikiangela @underwaterninja13 LOML @lizzie-bennetdarcy
@rainbow-nerdss @steadfastsaturnsrings @inell
@theplaceyoustillrememberdreaming @rmd-writes @welcometololaland @jesuisici33 @shortsighted-owl
@queerbuckleys @bi-buckrights @elvensorceress @bucksbiawakening @giddyupbuck
@hoodie-buck @indestructibleheart @ladydorian05 @lemonzestywrites @monsterrae1
@statueinthestone @slightlyobsessedwitheverything @the-likesofus @thewolvesof1998 @watchyourbuck
@wildlife4life anyone else who wants to 😘
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billiedeansbitch · 1 year
Note
Alrighty then i have another request for larissa, she and the reader are just fuck buddies or something of the sort, they are having sex one night and larissa says “u’re such a fucking whore” or something degrading and r just says “i love you” back and then you continue how you think it would unfold hehe
Have a good one!
𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞
(𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐗 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫)
a/n: i feel like this isn't my best work but here it is. anyway it contains smut, degrading, mommy kink if u squint a little, spitting kink...and of course, some fluff.
warning/s: NSFW.
It was Outreach Day. The day. It was what everyone in the whole Nevermore Academy was waiting for; students and faculties alike. It was the buzzing topic for days. And you knew Larissa—Principal Weems, was equally as enthusiastic about it, too. 
As for the students, participation was obligatory, unless they had a valid reason not to partake in any activities, and to those whose reasons were granted reasonable by the headmistress herself, got to stay behind which now led to your task for the day, and that was to supervise these students, make sure they weren’t faking any sudden illness or inflicting trouble to others.
Larissa wasn’t expecting you to volunteer but you did. Understanding, the woman merely sighed in defeat, nodding her head as she did so before moving on. 
After the meeting, she came by your desk to express her disappointment and confess that she had planned a quick excursion to the weathervane with you, but she had no intention of changing your mind. Your heart leaped with joy at that. Like a date, you wondered if that was what she meant. But then as if she had heard your thoughts she quickly added, “Friendly,” somewhere in the middle of her sentence, making you feel foolish for still holding out hope that the situation with the principal of Nevermore would change.
You gave her a sad, little smile and suggested she could bring Miss Thornhill if she so wished for friendly company, but she declined and told you she only wanted you. It confused you.
It wasn’t the first time she exhibited these confusing signs. Little miss strictly-no-endearment had been generous with pet names lately, calling you dear, honey, sugar, sweetheart, all the sweet things she could think of with a smile on her lips. You were sure she had noticed the way your breath would stop, and your cheeks go pink whenever she would carelessly call you things, but everytime it happened, she wouldn’t dare say a word and just go on. 
It all stemmed back to the first night when she didn’t try to come up with an excuse to dodge your request for her to stay the night and sleep in your bed with you breaching one of the rules—her rules. Even yet, you were still unsure about your relationship with her and you clung to the faint hope that if you prayed fervently enough, she may suddenly change her mind about everything. 
You made the decision to take a walk around the school in the afternoon, immediately following your meal, to see how everyone was doing.
After ensuring that everyone was acting fairly behaved with no underlying malice, you turn toward the path of your office to finish some paperwork. You were, however, abruptly stopped in your tracks by the audible tittle-tattle of pupils. The noise grew louder by the second until the very hall you were standing in was flooded by the Nevermore students. 
In the corner of your eyes you saw her, striding toward the direction of her office, until she was gone from your line of sight and her office door slammed close, echoing and spooking everyone in the hallway including you. 
Something was wrong. Larissa Weems was evidently fuming. Who the fuck dare screwed the Outreach Day? 
Funny enough, Wednesday Addams went in after Larissa, sporting a scowl and a cold glare. So, Wednesday was the culprit. You could only shake your head in disbelief at how the young pupil was able to religiously piss the woman off everyday. 
You resumed walking, passing her office on your way. You tried to at least think much less of it—much less of her as you work, try to be as productive as you intended, but your brain refused to think and focus on anything else that didn’t revolve around her, it only wanted her.
With a sigh, you stopped grading the papers and just sat there, letting your mind float around her. It was a little later in the afternoon when you decided to succumb to these thoughts.
You smoothened the creases of your pants, adjusted your blouse and fixed your overall appearance. You grabbed a random folder from your desk, just something to hold onto, and marched to the Principal’s office.
You came to halt directly in front of her door, at which point you held your fist in midair while still debating whether it would be better to leave her alone to handle it or to go throw yourself in her way and be the destruction she so sorely needed at the time.
Sheriff Galpin and the Principal had just completed discussing the situation inside the office. He rose from his seat, tipped his head and made to leave. He opened the door to find you right there, clutching the folder close to your chest. Too late to turn back now.
His presence didn’t matter, you stepped aside, he didn’t say anything and walked away, his boots thudding the floor. 
You found her blue eyes staring at you, “May I come in, Principal?” The formalities were for anyone who might be listening closely. She summoned you in and you closed the door. 
You allowed your shoulders to fall and your posture to relax in the seclusion of her office. You knew well how every interaction with the Sheriff left her blood boiling, quickly you asked her if she was okay with genuine concern lacing your voice.
It was a mistake, you thought, as soon as the biting response reached your ears, “Do I look okay?” you hated how it made you flinch.
“No...”
She saw it, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I was just… I’m exhausted.”
“And furious…” It earned you a glare but it took only a second before her gaze softened. 
You crossed the room, dropping the folder on her desk, which the woman didn’t bother to ask what it was about already knowing it was a random prop you grabbed from your desk in case you needed an alibi for being in her office. 
“I had high hopes for this year’s outreach day.” she said, her voice no longer angry, but your heart clenched at how disheartened she sounded.
“I know.” you answered from behind her, placing your hands over her upper arms and soothingly running them up and down, “I know, baby.”
Then you started removing her coat jacket, her breath picking up. “Breathe, darling. Slower, please.” you cooed, placing a soft peck on her nape. 
Larissa felt how hot and moist your lips were.
From that point on, you were assessing everything as you went and attempting to elicit a response from her—anything that would suggest whether you should keep going or stop.
“Mhmm, that’s it. Good girl.” you rewarded her with another kiss just right behind her left ear.
“Can I pull the pins out?” you asked, and she nodded. 
“Let’s make you feel good, yes?” You massaged her scalp, and then her shoulders before you inquired about the zipper of her dress.
When she allowed you again, you pressed another fond, sweet kiss behind the right ear. “Thank you.” you murmured, it earned a sensual sound from her.
“Just relax.” Once the sleeves went down her arms and exposed a pale expanse of her skin artfully speckled with freckles, your lips began to press softly over her nape, down her spine and then you pause just to drink in the sight of her back.
“I know this isn’t what you want to hear right now but you have such a sexy back, you know.” A bona fide chuckle escaped her lips, “So toned and lean. You said you don’t work out.” 
“I really don’t.”
“Turn around for me.” She stepped out of her dress, only in her underwear, and spun around. The clouds of storm in her eyes were no longer present. She looked so much calmer now.  
“So gorgeous.” You breathed, and kissed both of her eyelids. Kissed her cheeks. Kissed the blades of her shoulders. 
Larissa cupped your cheeks, “Have I told you how beautiful you are today?” You chuckled, recalling the times she did in the hallway in the early morning,  in her office when she asked for you before she left, the time where she brushed past you to greet another Professor and still managed to whisper, “You look so pretty, my dear.”
“You did. A lot of times in fact.” 
A smile grew on her lips, “That’s better.” 
“So how do you propose we end this night?” She said, eyeing your chest, and playing with the top button of your blouse, easily undoing one. 
“With a bottle of red for your temper, and some good fucking to relieve your stress. How’s that sound?”  
“Like a miracle. Now, let me help undress you.” 
Larissa took pleasure in admiring how your clothes fit you, how the material feels under her palms before she gets rid of each item. She took her time undoing every button, unclacing every lace, slowly pulling the zipper down. She loved taking her time unravelling you like a gift on a Christmas morning. 
“No. You stay there and watch.” you pushed her to one of the armchairs in front of her desk, telling her to sit, but instead, she grabbed your wrist and pulled you to her private quarters, surprising you.
You giggled after her, blushing at how eager she seemed for you, then she hushed you with her mouth, pressed you on the door when it finally closed and whispered, “Fuck the wine, let’s get straight to fucking.” you agreed while laughing as her lips ghosted your neck, you put both hands on her shoulder, pushing her a bit, “If you want to fuck me, take me to your bed at least.” 
You didn’t have to tell her twice. In one swift move, you were thrown on the bed, her hands quickly relieving your body from the clothes you wore. One by one she undid the buttons, so gentle and careful, and folded them neatly till you were left in your tiny, laced underwear that left nothing to the woman’s imagination. 
You admire the patience she harboured despite how lustful her eyes seemed to appear, how she bit and licked her lips as she unclasped your bra, and the straps fell from your arms, until you were bare from everything.
Your heart thundered in your chest once she touched you with the gentle familiarity of her hands as if you were too fragile if handled any differently. She took in the softness of your skin, smoothing her thumbs across and pressing her fingertips a little too firmly without bringing you any sort of discomfort. Her eyes were dark, yes–lustful and eager, but she was touching you with a particular fondness that differed from when she touched you many times before—that you were certain of. 
Her eyes briefly met yours, but you weren't sure why, and then her lips moved slightly open as if she were getting ready to say something. However, the words in her throat turned into a deep sigh, and her face softened. You wanted to know what was going on in her head.
Before you could ask, though, her lips slammed into yours. Suddenly, you were consumed by the ferocity of the kiss and utterly melted into her, everything in your head finally dissipating into nothingness. You could only think of taking it all. Take everything she was giving you.
“Yeah? You like that? Of course you do, look at you, so eager for me.” She said as your eyes rolled to the back of your head. Your legs were spread and she was inside your cunt, pounding you rough with her fingers. 
“You like that I fuck you so much don’t you? So much that you couldn’t breathe and all you could do is moan like the fucking slut you are.” You made a shaky, barely discernible sound as you tried to respond but it came out as a moan instead. Take it you, slut. What do you want, baby? Mommy’s fingers? Yeah? All of them? Spread them wider so mommy could fuck you more. All of these were making you wetter and needier.
“Fuck.” Came out of you and your back arched, “God, you’re such a fucking whore. So fucking pathetic.” you felt her add another digit, stretching your cunt like she promised you she would and it felt so great, you cried to her as you buried your face on her neck.
“Please, please, please. Let me come, please.” you begged.
But she merely laughed and withdrew from your grasp, steadying herself above you, and wrapped her hand around your throat as you squirmed beneath her. 
“Open your mouth, slut.” she spit in your mouth, “Good girl. Now, swallow.” and you dutifully swallowed it down without breaking eye contact with the blonde.
It all felt too good to be just another one of those nights, one of your little sex escapades in the Principal’s bedroom. Honestly, it all felt nothing of that sort anymore. So maybe, just maybe if you close your eyes and say the words that rested on the tip of your tongue for too long it could change everything.
Were you this desperate that you were willing to take the risk of potential rejection? Yes. Because you could no longer look her in the eyes and act like you weren’t so in love with her, like all of this was nothing to you.
So you closed your eyes, and breathed the words to her lips as you captured them “I love you.” 
Silence followed. You swallowed hard. It felt harder to breathe
She didn’t say it back. She never opened her mouth to say anything or attempted to pull away. You didn’t know if that was a good sign. She kept kissing you and you kept reciprocating, accepting her tongue and sucking her lips. It went on until you were too tired on her bed and sleep was the next best thing. You didn’t bother repeating your words, didn’t bother asking if she heard you or not, you just slept there curled up on the other side of her bed.
Larissa watched the rise and fall motion as you slept, her fingers aching to touch a part of you. You were so close yet so unreachable, the space in between felt like a punishment but who was punishing her but herself.
Unable to keep herself apart from you any longer, she adjusted herself closer, hesitated when you stirred, and then moved closer still until her front was flushed against your backside and her nose was buried in your hair, smelling your scent. 
“Words are not enough for some things I feel about you.” She whispered while stroking your back in shapeless lines and kissing the back of your head from time to time. If she couldn’t kiss your lips, she would gladly settle on any part of you and kiss it no less. 
“But I love you, too, you know?” her voice wavered, and you resisted the impulse to turn around and cradle her face and tell her that you could wait however long it would take because you understood if she wasn't ready yet but you weren’t meant to hear this you suppose. 
When you felt her hand encircling your waist and her breath brushing against the back of your neck, you wanted nothing more than to turn around. 
She was not naive as you thought, she had already noted the significant shift in your breathing that suggested you were in fact awake now and added, "I’m sorry I couldn’t say it back right away." 
Squeezing her hand was the least thing you could do to tell her you understood her.
Lariss didn’t know what else to do except to call your name, her voice was low, the softest it had been all day. You turn around, meeting the pools of blue eyes looking at you with so much warmth, her smile so lovingly enticing. 
“I love you.” She confessed once more in a shuddering, small voice, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She still looked so beautiful. 
You kissed the tears away before they could fall, kissed her cheeks, too, as they looked too inviting not to, then placed kisses down her neck, all intimate and pure before you put one final kiss on her lips. 
The affection you offered made her heart swell in her chest. Each kiss felt like an offering, like the flowers you put in her hair during that one afternoon when you came back from the woods with wild flowers in hand and told her she would look so beautiful with those in her hair.
You smiled at her, lips pressed and stretched so smoothly that she couldn’t resist not kissing you. A chuckle left your lips when she pressed hers, and pinched at your waist. “I shouldn’t be swayed by charms but how could I deny myself such pleasure of kissing you?” She said after the kiss, eyes lingering on your lips,
Just then you realized how much you were so truly, madly in love with her. Your heart had always felt so full around her like they would explode any time and then just stop because beating too fast was so exhausting and there wasn’t enough room for this overwhelming sensation. 
That night, you didn’t know how you ended up sleeping, all you could remember was her warmth, her softness, her voice and her lips pressed so perfectly on your own, while she kept repeating, I love you. 
424 notes · View notes
bellaxgiornata · 5 months
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Honestly I cannot believe that I've been on tumblr for just over a year now and somehow there's already so many of you wonderful people here that are reading, enjoying, and supporting my silly little fics. When I jumped over here from AO3, I had not anticipated how much fun I was going to have getting to chat with all of y'all while also sharing my stories with those of you who aren't on AO3. I've definitely made some wonderful friends this past year because of tumblr and I just want to say thank you to everyone for the support. I always mean it when I say y'all are the reason I keep writing these stories 💖
I could certainly get sappier but instead I'll just invite y'all to join me for my first ever celebration! There's a few fun things below the cut that y'all can pop up with in my ask box starting today May 3 through Wednesday May 8! I tried to think of some interesting things that I could realistically make time to do with everything currently going on in my life, especially because I'm also still trying to stockpile rough drafts for many of my stories so that I can still have updates during my upcoming "writing hiatus" (that I'll explain more about later). My plan is to answer things as they come in and hopefully have them all finished shortly after the celebration ends. And once the celebration finally ends, I'm hoping to give y'all an update to a story or a one shot!
Hopefully this will be fun for everyone!
Let's Chat! - Feel free to send me an ask about anything at all! No, seriously. You want to tell me about your day? An upcoming vacation or exciting accomplishment of yours? Do it! Or maybe you want to ask me questions about one of my stories or my writing process? Hell, feel free to ask me about myself, chat about coffee, music, books, pets, whatever!
Discuss Headcanons with Me! - Have any headcanons about Matt Murdock, Frank Castle, or Michael Kinsella that you want to chat about or share with me? Send them in! Or are you interested in a headcanon I might have about one of them in a certain situation? Feel free to ask! We can chat about the boys!
Send Me Fake FFTD Installment Titles! - Create a title name for an installment for my Falling for the Devil series (ex. "The [insert title]") and I'll write a couple of sentences about what I could picture that installment being about! You win bonus points if you can actually stump me on coming up with a plot for your title. But also who knows, maybe some title suggestions could spark an idea for future updates...
Let's Play a Game! - We can play would you rather, have you ever, or fuck/marry/kiss (or kill). For the record, f/m/k can be with anyone from Daredevil, Punisher, Defenders, Kin, or even any of Charlie's characters that I'm familiar with (Matt, Michael, Owen, Henry, Tristan, or Adam) or those of Jon's that I'm familiar with (mainly Frank, Shane, or Julian). If you can think of another game feel free to play it with me!
Ask the Boys! - Do you enjoy my weird internal dialogues with fictional characters that probably make me sound crazy? Great! Feel free to send me an ask to either one or all of the fictional men that live in my head (Matt, Frank, and/or Mikey) and I'll relay whatever they respond with in something of a short internal dialogue!
Request a Sneak Peak! - Since I have been stockpiling quite a few WIPs and rough drafts for a couple of months now, I am open to y'all just requesting a sneak peak. If you do, I will share a snippet from a fic I choose at random from something that's either a fully finished rough draft or still a work in progress!
**You're more than welcome to participate multiple times, but all I ask is that you (1) send things in separate asks, (2) are not rude to me or anyone else, and (3) are 18+ to discuss anything spicy (this is an 18+ blog anyway so I'd hope everyone here already is).**
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ratmonky · 1 year
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Devoted Innocence
word count: 9.2k
warnings: manipulation, gaslighting, bullying, stalking, alcohol, corruption, jealousy
ao3 link
chapter 1/2
finally it is here, nanami's coi sequel! i hope you guys enjoy it I'm so excited!! let me know your thoughts!! this chapter is a bit tame since it's the base of the story but i hope i did good!!
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“What are you doing out here this late, Nanami?”
Nanami gazed blankly up at Gojo’s face. He exhaled the last bit from his cigarette before speaking, “Same goes out to you.”
Gojo scoffed and stood next to Nanami who was sitting on a bench by their old dorm. “I just got finished with work,” he answered. 
 Nanami reached his pocket to grab a cigarette but he had already finished his last packet. Shit. He had to sit here just talking then. Lame. “What do you want?” he asked, trying to sound dismissive. 
“Brings back memories,” Gojo abruptly said, swaying his head back towards the night sky. “We would all hang out here and smoke.”
Nanami hummed, he did remember. Their smoke corner was here, the bench was put up here after they all had graduated. He used to smoke standing or sitting on a large rock here with Geto and Shoko and also…
“I wonder what she’s doing,” Gojo sighed with a dreamy smile, watching the moon. “I miss being young and careless.”
“You are still careless,” Nanami said but he didn’t comment on what he said. As if he was waking up from a nightmare, he saw a memory abruptly pop up in his mind. He crumbled the cigarette packet in his hands.
Gojo must have noticed this because he was grinning. “You could also still be careless.”
“We’re not kids anymore,” Nanami sighed audibly. 
“We weren’t kids back then either,” Gojo said. 
That was true. It didn’t matter how much Nanami wished the opposite. There was no need for him to frown and curse at his coworker. However, he was different from them. Gojo and Geto were the ones at fault.
Nanami was quiet for a while.
“Anyway,” he groaned while stretching his arms over his head, getting ready to get up from the bench. “Need to head back home soon. My nurse is waiting for me.”
Nanami was still surprised about that. The school nurse in Kyoto was pretty but it was hard to believe that Gojo was moving on from the past.
“I’m taking her out this Wednesday.” Gojo stood up, stretching his legs now, getting ready to teleport. “You should come.”
“No, thanks.” Nanami had his eyes on Gojo’s face, studying his expressions. 
“Your loss,” Gojo snickered and waved at him. “Goodnight-”
Nanami didn’t bother to say it back as Gojo’s body disappeared from in front of him. He shoved the crumbled cigarette packet into his pocket and decided it was time to go home.
It was unfair that he was still living in the past. Everyone was moving on but him. He had heard from Gojo that Geto…
Nevermind.
~~~
Today he ordered a double-shot espresso while he was reading through the documents he was assigned. The place was never crowded, naturally, the only noise would be coming from the coffee machines and the cutlery, which was the perfect white noise for him since he enjoyed doing his work at this coffee shop. However, with each page he turned, the more complicated the paperwork became and he found himself drinking his second double-shot espresso. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he slowly lifted his head from the paperwork and stared out of the cafe window. 
The street was cozy to look at, and watching the people walking past was fun. There were so many differences between each person, whether it be their style, face, or hair. It was just so fascinating that the world was full of so many people yet he could only imagine the face of someone he met in Jujutsu High.
He clicked his tongue and took a sip from his coffee to ease himself. His eyes then landed on someone who was sitting outside in front of his table. You were holding a big book, he could see that you were moving your hand on it. Maybe you were writing? He had never been a nosy person but he found himself moving his head to see what you were doing.
The first thing he noticed was that you were drawing. The second thing he noticed was that you were drawing the person sitting a little further at the front. Nanami looked up from the drawing to the man, he was an ordinary salaryman but there was a flyhead on his shoulder. He returned his gaze to the drawing and tilted his head just right to see the entire drawing.
The flyhead was in the drawing too. 
Nanami chuckled to himself, it wasn’t every day that he met random people who could see curses. He wanted to ignore you but you put your sketchbook down and walked inside. At first, he got a little surprised and had a small moment thinking that you had noticed him but you were here just to order another drink.
Without realizing he got up from his table to order something too, standing behind you and watching you drool over some strawberry cake that was on display. He wasn’t earning enough to offer to buy you a cake and nevertheless, you were a total stranger. He was only observing you right now, watching your eyes read through the menu to find something to order. When the person in front of you in line finally moved, you smiled at the worker and Nanami felt like someone threw boiling water on his face. He got hit with flashbacks of the past, the same smile he had seen so many times yet not enough times was right in front of him right now. The same bright innocent smile.
He could hear his own heartbeat and feel each droplet of sweat forming on his forehead, he could only see you in his world. With anticipation, he watched you open your mouth to speak. He was all ears now.
“I’d like to have today’s special with this-” You pointed at the strawberry cake on display. “Please!”
The worker asked about the usual stuff, things like if you would like extra syrup or cream in your coffee. You shook your head instead of talking. You had this cute aura oozing out of you, someone so sincere and innocent-
Nanami balled his hands into fists, stabbing his palms with his nails to snap out of it. When the worker asked him what he would like to order, he mumbled his words. “Filter coffee with cream.”
“It’ll be served right there,” he informed and Nanami moved to the small counter to pick up what he ordered. You were standing next to him, gently bouncing on your heels. He heard you humming very softly to a song he had never heard before. It took him every single rational thought he had to not stare you down and keep quiet. 
He wasn’t a kid anymore.
He wasn’t a kid back then either…
No, he was a grown man now.
This wasn’t like back then, he was a grown man now. He was at that age where every one of his actions had consequences, he was responsible if someone got hurt. He wasn’t a stupid eighteen-year-old like before.
Yet he knew he was still seeking that thrill of being able to control someone fully. Every time he closed his eyes, he remembered a certain person, someone who was so gullible yet sweet, someone he knew to be his only obsession. 
Ever since he had graduated, he had been looking for someone similar, someone to be corrupted by his sinful hands. Sins that were overflowing from his hands would paint their bright future black, he would rip off their wings so they could never escape. 
Unlike what he did back then.
Thankfully, he got his order first and was able to leave you alone as soon as he could. He was going insane. Was he even himself? Gojo had gotten to his head that night. How dare he move on? He was the one who had forced him into the whole thing and then as soon as they graduated it was gone. They left Nanami. He knew they were still toying with her after they had graduated, he knew that they continued to share her for as long as they could before it ended.
He never asked and he didn’t want to know. But he was angry. He never got to f- He never managed to say goodbye. He never even got to see her smile.
Today, he did.
No, that wasn’t her. 
You had the same bright smile. The same joyous tone in your voice and the same adorable gestures. 
Nanami’s thoughts got interrupted when he saw you take your place on your table again. The salaryman was gone but your drawing was finished. You looked around as if to decide what to draw.
That was when you looked behind and locked eyes with Nanami. He was caught off guard. You beamed at him and waved as if to apologize for the awkward eye contact. He wasn’t sure what he looked like to you at that moment but he felt his blood run colder as he smiled back. He could feel the connection.
To you, it had been a simple momentary glance, he knew because you turned around like nothing happened and started drawing a couple sitting on a bench across the street. He tried working and the more he forced himself the more worried he got that you would leave when he wasn’t looking. 
You were there every time he looked up. Your sketchbook got fuller and fuller with sketches of random people. He smiled and got a refill, hoping to watch you a while longer. When he was back, you were gone.
That night Nanami couldn’t sleep. 
He let his hand move under his boxers like he did every other night when he couldn’t sleep. Stroking his cock slowly, he closed his eyes. The scenario was always the same. He was in his room with her and drinking. They were smiling at each other and she was being all cute. He would tell her something that would make her blush, she would get shy and stutter like she did when she got flustered. He would grab her by the chin, kiss her hard, and undress her. She would put her hands on his chest, and try to push him away because “It’s embarrassing, Nanami.” He would move his lips to her chest, kissing and sucking on her tits until he could feel the wetness of her panties. She would press her legs together because she was always so shy about having sex. She was so pure. He would fuck her hard until she cried until she could only mumble out his name, and until he made her his. He wanted to mark her as his so nobody else could have her. He would look at her face and... And- 
Nanami opened his eyes, he didn’t remember her face.
He got all hot and sweaty. 
Closing his eyes, he forced himself to remember and continued rubbing his cock hastily. He was close but he would go into the bathroom to finish soon. 
Her face was all blurry, her smile was the same and her voice only got cuter. Her face formed into yours. Your half-lidded eyes filled with tears looked up at him, your lips parted, “Nanami, please.”
Nanami came abruptly, he was out of breath as the image of you was burned into his mind. He couldn’t even worry about getting his sheets and boxers dirty, all he could think about was you. He knew he would never see you again and he hoped that would be the case because he didn’t know what he would do if he saw you again.
~~~
“Oh, and Suguru says hi!” Gojo chirped as Nanami organized the paperwork on the desk. He had been aimlessly talking and talking even though Nanami was refusing to talk to him. “He wants you to come over sometime! Like a reunion, you know! Shoko was there this weekend and it was fun.”
No answer. 
“Pipsqueak asked about you.”
Nanami’s body froze, hands trembling. “What did she say?” he asked in a calm tone.
Gojo smirked, “I lied.”
There was a violent silence that filled the office room. 
“But it would be nice to see her again, in your dorm room, right? Just like the first time?” Gojo’s voice was distant.
Nanami glared at him, where did this idiot get the confidence to talk like this?
“Admit it, you wish you could have been a part of it for longer. If only you weren’t on such a high horse, she’d give you the attention you sought.” Gojo grabbed Nanami by the shoulder, “Maybe even forgive you for all the times you hurt her. Maybe if you took me and Suguru’s advice and learned from us, you could have gotten away with anything you did to her.”
“Shut up,” Nanami hissed, his eyes were wide. He could feel his body heat rising, he was getting angry and he could hurt someone. Specifically Gojo.
“You ruined everything for yourself by trying to ruin it for us. What did she do in the end? You remember?”
Nanami abruptly stood up and grabbed Gojo while raising his fist to punch him but before his fist could come in contact with his smug face he jolted awake in his bed. He was out of breath, his jaw hurting from possibly when he was clenching it during his sleep, and sweaty. 
With a soft curse spilling from his lips, he sat up on his bed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. What a way to start another miserable day. 
~~~
The heavy door of his office room opened with a loud creak, turning all of Nanami’s attention to the expected guests. He got up from his desk and fixed his suit to greet Ijichi coming in to introduce his new Jujutsu Sorcerer partner.
“Ijichi,” he greeted but his composure almost faltered when he saw a shorter figure behind him. It was…
“Hi!” you bowed, giving him a polite smile. “I’m (name).”
Ijichi smiled, “Mr. Nanami, (name) will be in your care.”
Nanami’s mouth felt dry as he tried to school his brain back online. He wasn’t sure as to what to do or act like. You of all people… You were going to be his-
“Let’s get along well,” you chirped, reaching your hand out to him.
He looked at your hand and then up at your face before giving you a handshake. “Nice to meet you.” The handshake lasted longer than a regular one but he made sure to keep it professional, he had been caught off guard but it wouldn’t happen again. 
You were still smiling, nodding at whatever Ijichi had to say about you and your sorcerer grade. Nanami’s eyes didn’t leave you for a second, staring at your smile was enough to make him sweat and shiver in anticipation all at the same time.
“That is all,” Ijichi bowed, “I’ll be leaving now, please don’t work too hard!”
“Bye-bye!” you smiled, waving him goodbye as Nanami collected a file from his desk. “So,” you turned around on your heels, still grinning, “Nanami, what do you say to giving me a tour around Jujutsu High?”
He paused for a moment and put the file down instead of checking if the report was complete. That could help the two of you warm up to each other, he could do that. “Sure. Jujutsu High is close to us.”
You clapped your hands together, “Amazing! I’ve never been to the Jujutsu High in Tokyo. I’ve heard so many great things, you’ve gone to school here, right?”
Nanami led the way, walking in front of you and out of his office. “Yes, I have.”
“How was it?” you asked, catching up to him and walking beside him. 
Not a second passed but Nanami got lost within two years of his youth. The second year was full of her and his third year had been- “Well. Principal Yaga is an exceptional teacher.”
“Oh, I see!” you smiled, eyes looking around the garden he led you to. 
The campus was huge and he gave you a wonderful tour. Showing inside the classrooms and even the large library. 
He was done with the tour in an hour, his stories of the place were short and only about the classes. This was where he first executed a curse, that was the first cursed tool he used and there was the training dummy he had broken. Memories of his academic years.
“What about that building?” You pointed at the large building with two floors. 
He looked at the building and his lips formed a frown. “That’s the student dormitory.” 
“I’d like to see it too!” You started walking by yourself and didn’t look behind you to see if Nanami was following you.
He stood where he was. He didn’t want to go inside. He didn’t want to walk those hallways again and he didn’t want to see the traces of his youth there.
“You coming or what?” You turned around, beaming at him with such bright joy. 
He found himself unable to resist your smile, your peppy personality, and he wanted to corrupt any joy you had ever felt and would ever feel. 
He took a step forward and your smile only got brighter. “Don’t make a lady wait, Nanami.”
He scoffed at that, shaking his head. You were ridiculous but not as much as Gojo. He could tolerate you.
You waited until he was next to you and then started walking again with a proud puff of your chest. The dormitory was empty when you two got inside.
“Students are on a field trip with their teacher, I think the tour will be faster this way.” Nanami walked inside the common room, it didn’t look any different from what it looked like before. The TV was a newer model and the broken coffee decanter was gone. Now they owned a better one. He showed you the small library and the laundry room. 
Then the pictures on the walls of the common room. Every single graduation picture was taken at the end of the school year. 
“Where’s yours?” you asked, smiling as you looked around. 
He felt a tinge of sorrow as his finger tapped on a picture frame. 
Your smile faltered momentarily as you looked at the picture of Nanami and him only in the graduation picture. He was the only graduate from his class and he looked dreadful in the picture, glaring at the camera while holding a bouquet and a diploma. 
“That’s horrible, didn’t you have any friends or classmates?” you asked with genuine sympathy. 
“My classmate passed away during our mission in our first year. My other classmate repeated the first year. I had my upperclassmen but we weren’t exactly close.” He tapped on the picture frame that came before his picture.
It was a picture of the golden duo. Gojo and Geto. Shoko and she was there too. The girl was between the two guys while Shoko was lying on the ground in front of them all with the bouquets. She was grinning from ear to ear while she was showing off her diploma to the camera. The other girl was making peace signs with a hand and she was holding her diploma with the other. Gojo and Geto both had an arm draped over the girl. Gojo had his diploma folded in his school jacket and he was kissing the girl’s cheek next to him while he was holding his sunglasses up. Geto was squeezing the girl’s cheeks together with his free hand and his diploma was tucked under his arm.
“They look very close,” you said, eyes on the girl in the middle, taking all of the attention. “Sad that you didn’t get to graduate with them.”
“Yeah,” he mumbled. “They are all very close.”
You must have realized he was drowning in misery because you moved on. “Show me your old room!” you giggled.
He stumbled on his words but didn’t refuse. He led you down the hallway of the first floor of the dormitory and opened the door to an empty room. Nobody was staying in this room right now so he didn’t feel like he was intruding. 
You gasped, “It’s bigger than I expected!” Walking up to the bed, you sat on the mattress and grinned while looking around. 
“I spent most of my time in here, reading and studying.” He realized your eyes were fixated on something.
“What’s that?” you asked, still smiling.
He followed your stare and found himself looking at a blood stain on the tatami floor. The traces of his sins.
“I don’t know,” he replied because it was the best you didn’t know how he used to have his hand around his cock on the bed you were sitting and stare at that stain to relive the moments of that night.
“Creeepy~” you giggled and stared at him. “Thanks for the tour, I feel like I know you better now, Nanami!”
He nodded languidly, “Sure.”
“Ugh,” you sighed, “Let’s not be so formal, I’d hate to work with you if we don’t become friends. It would definitely make us hate coming to work!” Getting up from the mattress you stood in front of him. “Let’s make sure to get along well!”
He forced a smile, eyes on your beautiful face. “You’re right,” he relented. “Let’s get along well, (name).” 
~~~
Today’s task was to finish the paperwork. This task had always been Nanami’s favorite since as soon as he was finished he could go home but also this meant Gojo piling all of his paperwork on him. 
Yet today he had you. You were excellent at helping him finish all of the reports and check for any mistakes without complaining and instead enjoying the work. 
“Would you like some coffee, Nanami?” you asked as you got up with your empty cup. 
He gave a slight nod and watched you take his cup from the desk before walking out of the office. When he was sure you were out of the room, he leaned back on his chair and sighed, you were so overwhelming in the most beautiful ways. He found himself staring at you when he should have been doing his work, watching your eyelashes flutter and eyes follow the long trail of words printed on paper.
He couldn’t help but notice the small things. The small taps of your finger to fidget and the way your brows furrowed before you lifted your head to ask Nanami something you didn’t quite understand. 
He was lost in it all.
When the door opened again he turned to greet you but Gojo’s stupid face greeted him instead.
“Why are you here?” he grimaced. “I’m too busy, Gojo. Come back tomorrow.”
“I’m not here to see you,” Gojo whined and looked around. “Where’s the fresh meat?”
Nanami’s jaw clenched, and he raised his eyebrows. “Don’t speak like that.”
Gojo scoffed as he closed the door and walked further inside. “Oh, you’re calling dibs?” He let out a chuckle, “That’s a first Nanami~!”
“Knock it off and leave if you-”
“Calm down, I have a clingy girlfriend,” Gojo sighed, shaking his head dramatically. “I’m just joking with you! When did you get all serious?” He paused and grinned, “Ah, you were always serious. My bad!”
“You should leave,” Nanami argued.
Gojo smiled again as he nodded slowly. “I’ll leave after I’ve seen the new pipsqueak,” he said, before breaking into a laugh.
Nanami glared at him but before he could say anything you walked into the room with a tray.
“Ah, you must be the new girl!” the tall man chirped. “I came here to say hi!”
Nanami felt his hackles rising.
You were dumbfounded as Gojo approached you with a grin. “Hi, I’m (name)! And you must be Satoru Gojo.” 
He continued smiling, “Guilty!”
Your brows rose and you stared at Nanami, nervously chuckling, “Is he always this friendly?”
Gojo responded instead, “Only when they’re pretty.”
You blushed faintly and finally moved towards the desk to put the tray down. “Would you want to have something to drink as well?” you asked with a smile.
“He’ll leave soon. We all have work to do,” Nanami’s tone was cold and it made you look at him in question. 
“Yes, how could I forget,” Gojo hit his forehead jokingly, “I need to work! I left the students back in Osaka. I should leave.”
“Travel safe,” you joked. 
“Nice to meet you and see ya! Promise to visit the Jujutsu High a lot!” He let out a laugh and waved at you before disappearing.
As soon as he disappeared you let out a sigh, “He’s way too overwhelming.”
Nanami didn’t look at you or stop reading the file in front of him for a moment. “Exactly, that’s why I don’t like him disturbing me.”
You chuckled, “Do I fall into the same category?”
“It depends,” he shrugged and looked up to take his coffee cup from the tray. He saw that you had brought some pastries too. He took a small piece. “Will you annoy me more than a curse?”
“Sorry, Nanami,” you sighed, grinning. “I’ll be your curse. The worst burden you’ll ever have.”
Nanami rolled his eyes but a scoff escaped his lips. The rest of the passing hours were calm and filled with work. Neither of you complained and he found that peaceful. When it was time to go home he felt a bit sad about it. Yet he still laid awake at night with his hand around his cock, eyes closed while imagining shoving his cock down your throat.
~~~
You were only a coworker. You didn’t ask to drink coffee after work or ask to go to a bar. You always left for home as soon as the work was finished. You didn’t even take Ijichi’s car which made it impossible for Nanami to be able to talk to you. You had your car and you had your things to do in your private time.
Nanami was going insane. He needed to spend more time with you. Outside of work.
~~~
“What are you eating?” you asked with a grin, taking a seat in front of him in the kitchen.
“Curry and rice,” he replied as you were opening your bento box. 
“Hmm, do you cook yourself?”
“I’m able to cook for myself, so yes.” He spoke only after he was done chewing his first bite.
“That’s good! You should cook for me,” you chuckled. “I’m tired of cooking every day to eat. But buying lunch is too expensive so I have to cook.”
He shook his head, “It’d be irresponsible for me to cook for you. It’s your responsibility.”
“Have pity!” you giggled and showed him your plain bento box. “This is the third day in a row I’m eating veggies and rice!”
He snickered at that, lips curling up to a smile as you whined. 
“What is it with men and refusing to help women?” you sighed, speaking to yourself. “You are more than capable to cook for two.”
“Are you incapable of cooking for yourself?” It came out cold but he had been going for a flirty tone. 
“I’m just lazy!” you huffed and returned to your food. “I’ll get a boyfriend and he’ll cook for me then.”
“It’s better to learn how to be a responsible adult,” he said and you shook your head, refusing to listen to his advice. “I don’t cook for others.”
“I’ll eat my shitty meal outside, maybe that will give it some flavor!” you declared with another grin, “I’ll also check if Shoko is up to trading her lunch with me.”
“You’d rather go there?” He let out a disappointed sigh as you left. This building of the professional sorcerers was close to the Jujutsu High because they were sharing paperwork with the school. Gojo didn’t do his paperwork so it was Nanami’s job at some point to write his reports or send them to Kyoto when it became too overwhelming. 
Curses were all at bay nowadays, nothing too dangerous. Especially with Itadori being a sorcerer himself. Gojo was keeping the balance with Geto as always.
Nanami?
He was seen as a kind person. He had never shown a weak side to others, he was pretty stoic but there were certain emotions he could never let out.
He didn’t want the pity of others. 
He liked being seen as a selfless and hardworking man. He didn’t want people, more importantly his coworkers to see his vulnerable self. The selfish alter ego. The one that wanted everything for itself, wanted all the attention on himself. 
His mind tended to remind him of the exact moment when he joined their game. He remembered how that was the only time he felt like-
Nanami wanted to be useful to others to cleanse himself from his past mistakes. He made sure to be a good mentor and a good sorcerer so everyone around him would smile and live a restful life. 
Nevertheless, deep down he was nothing but a mess. 
Nanami was a mess even before he met you but you fueled his fire somehow. He wanted to have you but you didn’t look like you wanted to with him.
Nanami was no good to anyone anyway. He knew that. He was a burden. A curse. He didn’t deserve their attention or time. He was a nobody.
For another ten minutes, he stood in front of the sink, collecting his thoughts while washing the dishes. 
"Up to wash my container?" you asked, walking into the kitchen. 
"No," Nanami said, moving away from the sink. “You are not a kid.”
You pouted and put your dirty container in the sink, glancing at him. “Shoko said you used to help her with cooking. So you do cook for others!”
He paused. 
You noticed the sudden pause and raised a brow, “Caught in a lie, huh?”
Shaking his head, he walked towards the coffee machine. “I’m just surprised she remembers all of that.”
“Oh, was it a long time ago?” you hummed while turning on the sink, grabbing the clean sponge to wash your dishes. “It’s never too old to relive the past, you know!” 
He was quiet for a single moment. He used to help Shoko cook only because Geto and Gojo threw him in the middle. To him, those were just simple memories, not something he would bring up in a conversation. Was Shoko telling you about the past? If so, how much did you know? Did you know about-
“If we can start the fieldwork today, I’ll get you something.” 
You turned off the sink and glanced at him over your shoulder, grinning in mischief, “Cook me something, you mean?”
That broke his composure, he let out a breath through his nose and smiled. You almost made him snort! “Yes, I’ll cook you something,” he replied.
"Let’s finish the paperwork then!" you laughed, the day had barely started but you were too pumped up to get back to work.
"Finish washing the dishes and get to work then," Nanami poured some coffee for himself. 
You turned to the sink and hurriedly washed your dishes. He took this moment to stare at your back, watching the way your shoulders moved and how you stood. You were leaning on the counter and you wouldn’t stay still, shifting your weight from one foot to another. That made your hips move in a way he found hypnotizing. He was now staring at your pants and how well they hugged your ass. 
He broke out of his trance when Shoko entered the kitchen. He could guess that she walked you here. She liked the company of others.
“Hello,” she greeted, an unlit cigarette between her lips. She grinned at Nanami, “The new girl said she was gonna make you cook for her to save money.”
“Hey!” you laughed, “I told you to keep it down!”
Nanami sighed, “I’ll do it once. To be a kind mentor.”
“We’ll see about that,” you mumbled.
“I like this one,” Shoko put her hand on your head, petting your hair. “She’s got quite the personality. I think she’ll brighten you up in no time, Nanami.”
“This is a work environment, we need to keep things professional.” He took a sip from his coffee, “We don’t need another Gojo.”
Shoko scoffed, “Whatever you say. (name) could beat Gojo.”
“I could?” you froze, dropping your clean dishes back on the sink. 
Chuckling, Shoko lightly shoved you in the arm. “She’s so gullible too. You remind me of my best friend.” She had a gentle smile on her face as she looked at you. “God, I wish she was here right now, she was the only person who made Nanami laugh.”
You beamed, “Really?” As you turned your head to look at Nanami, you found him already looking at you. He had a tense look on his face. “Ah, I can imagine him laughing but how did she do that?”
Shoko looked at the ceiling to think, “She was just so gullible. Came from a clan where they kept her away from the real world so she was easy to mess with. I think the boys loved making up things for her to believe. They once convinced her that Turkey was in Africa.”
Your beaming smile died down slightly, “That’s… sad. Did she really believe them about everything?”
“Yeah,” Shoko nodded. “I guess. She didn’t mind them messing with her anyway. She was this cute little pipsqueak. Everyone’s favorite. I think that’s what makes her special. She was so innocent when she came here.”
“That’s enough,” Nanami interfered. “We need to get back to work.”
“He’s right,” Shoko let out a sigh. “We should go somewhere after work. Could be a better option for you to get to know everyone.” She was talking to you and you were nodding with a smile. 
It was decided.
The next hour, you finished all of the paperwork and headed out together in Ijichi’s car since you decided the three of you would go to the bar together. Ijichi was keen on taking the driver role for the sake of letting everyone else drink. You thanked him for his sacrifice and rode in the car with Nanami.
He was happy enough to sit next to you during the entire ride towards the woods. At the location of your first job with Nanami, Ijichi put down a veil while the two of you observed the place.
It was an abandoned and unfinished building. 
“What do you think this curse is?” you asked, stretching your arms and legs. Ijichi approached you to give you your cursed tool from the trunk of the car. It was a sword.
“It is a first grade, maybe a special grade but nothing we can’t handle.” Nanami paused, “Besides, haven’t you read the report? We had all of the information there.”
“I like the way you already count us together,” you chirped, ignoring the last part.
He shook his head.
“I’ll be waiting here,” Ijichi said, bowing his head.
Nanami nodded in acknowledgment and you bowed your head, thanking Ijichi for the ride. When you stood again, you noticed Nanami was already headed towards the building. To catch up with him, you had to jog a little.
“You didn’t even wait for me!” you whined, out of breath.
“You are wasting time, I don’t want to work overtime,” he mumbled as he opened the large metal doors for you and let you walk into the building.
You walked past him with a smile, “Thank you!”
He walked in after you, “I’m surprised you managed to finish all of the paperwork today. Did you really do it for a meal?”
“What do you think?” you winked at him, grinning.
Before Nanami could say something else, a shadowy figure bolted out of the dark corner of the building and forward at full speed toward you. 
He reached for his cursed weapon in fear of your safety but you were able to draw your sword and stopped the blow of the shadow figure. Your sword clashed against the thick skin of the curse with loud ear-scratching noise as if its skin was made of something more solid. 
Nanami jumped back and held his cursed weapon tightly, only for you to attack the curse in full force once again. You managed to slash its flesh and the curse let out a scream. You continued your attack, driving your sword further inside the curse and fueling it with cursed energy to exorcise it. 
You were doing a good job and Nanami was watching you from a safe distance just in case you needed help but you exorcised the curse by yourself. As you were putting your sword away, he smiled, “Good job.”
“Be honest, did I look cool?” you were smirking.
“Should you be looking cool while doing your job?” he asked.
“Ugh!” you whined, rolling your eyes. “Can’t you just have some fun?”
“We’re working,” he sighed. “It’s not exactly fun.”
You groaned in frustration.
“So, are we really done?” you spoke while the two of you began heading out of the building to meet up with Ijichi. “Are we going to the bar now?”
“I would guess so,” he said, cracking his neck. “Good thing we finished early.”
You had a proud smile on your face, “All thanks to me!”
“Yes, thank you,” he smiled.
“I made you smile!” you excitedly pointed at his face, still grinning. “This is great!”
He rolled his eyes. “Did you make a bet with Shoko?”
“No,” you replied and gently poked his arm. “Just with myself!”
Ijichi opened the car door for you while Nanami paused for a second to enjoy the meaning behind your words.
“To the bar?” Ijichi asked once everyone settled into their seats.
“To the bar!” you confirmed.
Although Nanami hated after-work gatherings, he didn’t miss this one. 
The two of you had finished all of your paperwork and started the fieldwork. Shoko had worked overtime because the students getting injured frequently during their training lectures. Gojo had recently gotten a girlfriend. 
It was time to celebrate getting all the work done and more.
The bar Shoko chose was close to the school and was a regular hangout place for sorcerers like you. Ijichi and Akari sat together while chatting, the two didn’t drink any alcohol as the designated drivers. Shoko was smoking while Gojo had all of his attention on you. Nanami sat next to you, observing your manners and wishing Gojo to drop dead. 
“Would you like more sake?” you asked, offering to pour some for Nanami as the waitress came into the private booth with more bottles of sake. 
He let you pour more sake into his cup while Gojo sighed. “I wanna drink too!”
You turned to him, “You told me you didn’t drink earlier?”
He pouted, looking at you over his sunglasses. “I can’t drink in public. Need to be on guard at all times.”
“Boring!” you laughed and poured more sake into your cup. 
“You’re so full of life!” he laughed with you and grinned from ear to ear. “It’s such a shame you’ve been attended to him!”
You shrugged, “I’m pleased to work with Nanami.” You poked his arm, “How about you?”
Nanami was caught a bit off guard, he nodded slowly while lighting his cigarette. “You’re a good partner.”
Your stare stayed on him and after Gojo finally moved on to annoying Ijichi, you spoke to him.
“Is everything alright, Nanami?” 
Nanami took an inhale of his cigarette smoke. “Yes,” he mumbled.
You put a hand on his arm, beaming up at him. “Am I that boring?”
“No.” He was quick to shake his head. 
“You should loosen up,” you declared.
Grumbling under his breath, he took a sip of his drink. It was already his third one. “Are you ready for more fieldwork?”
“Yes! Can’t wait to impress you with my skills!”
He glanced at you and you looked exactly as he had imagined. So bright and full of joy. “Are you trying to impress me?” he asked out of nowhere.
“Well,” you started, eyes trained on his outfit. “You are my mentor and I’d like to leave a good impression.”
Nanami raised a brow. You reminded him of Takuma Ino. He liked it when he was respected and you were so full of hope. He could imagine you looking at him like he was a hero, admired and respected. 
“Ah! Listen to this!” Gojo laughed, eyes shining even behind his sunglasses as he looked at the screen of his phone. “Suguru is coming!”
Shoko raised her glass with a chuckle, “Told you he’d be down to meet the new girl!”
Nanami’s shoulders tensed, and he looked at your expression. You were practically smiling so hard that your cheeks were puffing. How excited…
“It’s always a pleasure when Geto joins us,” Ijichi said, Akari nodding dreamily to agree.
“You’ll love him!” Gojo assured you, “He’s my best friend!” His toothy grin and sparkling eyes indicated that he was telling the truth. “He’s one of the teachers, helps me a lot with the students since we have so many first years this year.”
“Mimiko and Nanako are also graduating,” Shoko added, smiling. “Time flies.”
“Yes, they’ll either continue to Jujutsu College or they’ll get to working!” Gojo pointed at Nanami, “You promised to take them in once they graduate!”
“It wasn’t a promise, you told me to do it.” Nanami took a sip from his sake. “They had to repeat the third year twice now. I’m not sure if they’re dedicated.”
“The third time is the charm!” Gojo laughed at pointed at Ijichi, “He repeated the first year thrice! That’s why you were all alone in the second year and graduated alone!” 
Ijichi let out a nervous chuckle, “Am I supposed to take that as an insult?”
Your eyes kept following whoever was talking, you tried keeping up with the conversation but it almost felt impossible.
“Nonetheless, sure,” Nanami sighed, “I’ll take them in when they manage to graduate.” Whether it be how puzzled you looked or the guilt of leaving you out of the question, Nanami leaned down to whisper in your ear. “They’re Geto’s adopted daughters.”
“Wow, isn’t he too young?” you asked, even more puzzled.
“He was. He saved the girls from a village during a mission gone wrong after he graduated. The curses eradicated the village and he only managed to save the girls.” Nanami watched as you took notice of his empty cup and poured more sake for him. He could feel his tongue loosening, he could also feel himself getting more confident. 
“Aww…” Your sad eyes looked up at him and you pouted, “I hope the girls are doing better now.”
“They are!” Gojo said and pulled out his phone, “They’re a part of our family. Here!” He held his phone out to your face to show pictures of two beautiful young girls with him and Geto at what looked like a crepe shop. He then moved on to the next picture where they were all in school uniforms in front of the Jujutsu High garden. “They’re growing up so fast!”
You smiled, eyes softening, “Having kids so early on must be nice, but also expensive…”
“You’re so right! They want designer stuff and beg me to take them to places. It’s not like Suguru doesn’t have the power to fly them over to any city!” he feigned annoyance and shook his head.
You were laughing. 
Nanami continued drinking.
“You live in Tokyo?” Gojo said.
“Yes, I moved here about a few years ago,” you smiled, making the move to pour more sake into your cup.
“Are you single?” 
“That’s private, Mr. Gojo,” you forced out a giggle, still smiling politely. “What about you?”
“Well,” Gojo winked, “Unfortunately, I’m not.” 
“Unfortunately?” Shoko asked, taking a long whiff of her cigarette. “Already?”
“Yeah, something like that,” he shrugged.
Shoko rolled her eyes, “Gojo and his love life never fails to amuse me.”
“But it always fails, huh?” you joked. 
“Exactly,” he sighed and took a sip from his coke. “It’s hard to find the one.”
“Oh, I think we all know you’ve already found the one,” Shoko scoffed, “You’ve missed your chance and now you’re asking for pity.”
Gojo pouted, “There’s always the one that got away.” His stare found Nanami, he winked again and it made the blonde one glare at him.
Shoko let out a soft sigh, exhaling the smoke of her cigarette.
You raised a brow but didn’t question further.
Then Gojo and you started talking about your hobbies. You mentioned drawing and writing poems. He made a joke about how you should draw him. 
“I actually can’t draw that good,” you said.
Nanami didn’t know what came over him but he found himself objecting. “I think-” No, that would be a little creepy if he told you he had seen you before. It was a coincidence but still, it felt a little odd to mention to a new coworker. “I believe you can draw well. Art isn’t all about talent, it’s about expressing yourself and your emotions.”
You smiled at him, “That’s nice of you to say,” you softly spoke. “If I have to be honest, I’ve drawn you, Nanami. You’re pretty easy to draw.”
Gojo laughed but his existence was a background noise now. Nanami was baffled, he hadn’t seen you drawing anything since the two of you started working. 
“You see,” you started, a bit nervous and shy. “I’ve seen you a couple of times in the city where I hang out and drawn you a couple of times. Or enough times to make me mentioning this to you creepy.”
Nanami chuckled, “That’s interesting.” 
“I can bring them to work tomorrow, I’d love to show them to you,” you said and although it was merely to make small talk, you had no idea how happy that made Nanami.
“I’ll be looking forward to that,” he said. He was. 
“I’m gonna get more drinks,” Shoko announced, getting up from her seat, “Does anyone else want anything something other than sake?” Almost everyone started talking at once. She scoffed and shook her head, “I’ll get everyone beer, that’s all.”
“Ah!” Gojo raised his hand but Shoko slapped it away.
“I’ll get you something non-alcoholic.”
With that, she left. 
Nanami watched you finish what was left in your cup while Gojo was busy texting. There was a comfortable silence between everyone until the door to their private booth opened again. 
It hadn’t been long enough for Shoko to return so that only meant-
“Good evening,” Geto greeted everyone with a smile, closing the door behind himself.
“Suguru!” Gojo cheered, “You made it!”
Some collective greetings were being said to Geto as he sat next to Gojo, the two poked each other while smiling. They were speaking to each other when his eyes landed on you. “You must be the newbie.”
Gojo smirked, “Yes, she’s Nanami’s new partner.”
You bowed your head, “Nice to meet you, I’m (name).”
Geto stared at Nanami, squinting his eyes ever so slightly, “Is Nanami treating you alright?”
Chuckling, you nodded, “So far, yes!”
A smirk plastered on Geto’s face, “That’s good to hear, he can be pretty dense at times.”
“That never happened,” Nanami spat, rolling his eyes. “Could you stop badmouthing me in front of me?” It was more of an order.
“Well someone can’t take a joke,” Gojo laughed, raising his hands to surrender. “You see, (name)? He’s so dense.”
They were trying to turn you against him, make you dislike him and it was working. He hated that they were making a fool of him and how he took the bait every single time. He was tired of the constant state of fighting.
“I’m going out for a smoke,” Nanami abruptly said, getting up from his seat. 
Geto followed him. Then Gojo. 
Nanami groaned softly when he noticed them following after him and hurried outside. The cold night air caressed his face as he pulled out his packet of cigarettes. Without having the chance to put his cigarettes away, the packet got snatched from his hands. 
“She’s pretty,” Geto said, taking a cigarette from Nanami’s packet and handing it back to him. “Any plans?”
“What plans?” Nanami said, patting on his clothes to find his lighter, Geto was faster again, he pulled out his lighter to light Nanami’s cigarette first and then lit his own.
“The plan where you apply the things we taught you to get the girl.” Gojo walked to stand in front of the two guys. “I mean, it’s obvious that you find her attractive.”
“This isn’t high school and nor am I horrible people like you,” he spat coldly.
"Let me break it down for you," Geto said out of a sudden, exhaling his smoke at Nanami’s face. “You are in denial. We weren’t the ones who hurt anyone. It was you and your obsession. Satoru, did we ever make anyone cry?”
Nanami could feel his blood boil, anger was taking over him.
“Nuh-uh,” Gojo smirked while shaking his head. “Pipsqueak maybe? Tears of joy when we were giving her the time of her life before the graduation ceremony?”
Nanami glared at the white-haired guy, his eyes were sharp enough to cut him into pieces. “I never made anyone cry.”
Geto started walking around Nanami, inhaling from his cigarette. “Really? From what I remember, you don’t know how to handle a woman. You always waited for us to invite you and then acted like we were the worst. In your head, since you are madly in love with whoever’s the next victim, it makes everything you do out of love, right?”
“Don’t be so mean, Suguru.” Gojo folded his arms over his chest, “Nanami loves making us the bad guys because that’ll justify everything. We dragged him into everything, right?”
Geto scoffed, furrowing his brows. “If that’s what happened, then why do I remember him knocking on my door? Begging to be let in? Begging to be a part of it? Did we also force you into that?”
Gojo shook his head. “I don’t even remember asking him to go into Pipsqueak’s room late at night, do you?”
Nanami bit the sponge butt of the cigarette hard enough for it to break and fall, he spat out the half that ended up in his mouth. “Don’t you dare,” he warned.
Lifting his hands, Gojo’s lips curled up in a devilish grin, his eyes were wide and crazed. “I remember that she came to us. She sought the comfort of the horrible people because of-”
“Satoru,” Geto softly spoke, a smile in his voice. It made Gojo stop immediately. He offered a satisfied nod to his best friend and a soft, kind smile to Nanami who was on the verge of losing his composure. “No matter how much you try to act like you’re better than us, we all know the truth. We know. If you want to make enemies with us, then we will be your enemies.”
“What do you say, Suguru?” Gojo walked up to his friend, draping an arm on his shoulder. “Wanna go halfsies on (name)? Like the old times?” 
Geto’s smile turned sinister, eyes still on Nanami, watching him get riled up wordlessly. 
The blonde one clenched his jaw and kept quiet, staring at the ground. His whole body was tense but he felt helpless like a mouse caught in a trap, he didn’t know how to react, what to do or say.
“Should we do the overly friendly guys?” Gojo chuckled, “Or the mysterious guy and the funny guy? Or the best friends who are rivals?”
Nanami’s lip started twitching. 
“Nah,” Geto waved his hand, his playful tone returning. “Leave that to Nanami.” He turned around with Gojo, slowly walking back into the bar. “She’s not my type.”
“Yeah, your type’s more…” Gojo jokingly hummed in thought, acting like he was trying to decide. 
“Innocent,” Geto filled in with a sigh.
They left Nanami alone in the cold, crisp night air.
To calm his nerves, he decided to take a walk.
On the way, Nanami vomited thrice. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, ignoring the strong smell of acid, and grabbed onto his pack of cigarettes instead. He couldn’t believe he had been humiliated by those two idiots. 
They were careless, as always.
They were horrible, as always.
He was hopeless, as always.
Nanami felt a sort of sorrow in his gut, maybe they were right? Maybe he had been too blind to see himself honestly. He wasn’t sure what made him this way. He remembered liking those two until they became third years. Perhaps it was the reality of the situation settling in. Maybe because he knew he would never be able to continue what they were doing once they were gone. Or perhaps because he wanted everything to last forever but they had to grow up eventually to become a part of society. To become adults.
He remembered that day he saw the new transfer student visiting Jujutsu High and immediately told Gojo about it. It would be their one last game. One more before they became part of society.
Yet, it had ended so soon. 
What?
Did he want it to last?
He felt his legs get heavier, so he sat down on a bench, inhaling from his cigarette. 
He wanted to believe that he was a good man.
He wasn’t.
A chill went down Nanami’s spine. His throat felt dry. He let out a deep breath and pushed a hand through his silky hair. 
No matter how much he played this character of being a responsible adult, he was still tainted with these dark thoughts and urges that he couldn’t get rid of. He wanted to be able to act careless, be something so precious and big in those hopeful eyes of yours. To make you feel like he was your God and your savior. He wanted to play the game one last time. 
He wanted to play with you. 
Nanami wasn’t a good actor, or maybe he was. He had been playing a character for over a decade and it had worked for so long. He could do it.
The mischief started to bleed through his composed expression and his lips curled up. 
Gojo would have been so close to you, practically sticking to your side and putting his hands on you while pretending to be this over-friendly coworker.
Geto was calmer. He liked how Geto was able to sweep women off their feet with just his words. He kept this mysterious aura around him and spoke only when he needed to. He would say things that weren’t true but since they came out of his mouth, they would become true for whichever pitiful girl was the next victim.
Nanami knew how they played this game. 
He knew the first thing they did was to decide what character they were going to play. 
Nanami wasn’t good at that.
He was good at being a bystander.
The one to comfort you when he knew you needed it.
The one you would trust because he was the good guy.
Nanami was good at that.
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spotsandsocks · 5 months
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WIP Wednesday 📚
@eddiebabygirldiaz @thekristen999 @wildlife4life @rogerzsteven @bidisasterbuckdiaz @daffi-990 @wikiangela @daffi-990 @tizniz thank you for sharing your wonderful talents
Here’s some more from author!buck, the costume party is about to start and Buck’s having a change of heart because he’s just found out there are plans!
“Look you wanted this, I put it together and now you have to pay the price and the price is a photo shoot. We need shots of you on your own and then with the kids.”
“I want one of you and me then and with Bobby and Athena too.”
“Fine,” she smiles, I’m sure we can manage that. Then we have some music and dancing planned.”
He doesn’t squeak at her but it’s close.
“Dancing! You never mentioned dancing.” The panic is clear on Buck’s face. Maddie ignores it.
“Well I had to fill the evening with something Evan, especially when I only had two weeks to plan,”
“Three.” He sounds aggrieved which is totally unjustified because it was barely two weeks by the time she could start planning. Her fingers go up to confirm the facts and she stares him down.
“Two! Anyway,” She can’t help sounding a little exasperated now, “you like dancing!”
The response is both muffled and disgruntled.
“Yeah but not when everyone will be watching me.”
She sighs again, honestly, the things she puts up with, “No one will be watching you Evan.” He pulls a face, and to be fair she can admit that’s a bit much to believe, “fine people will be looking but it’ll be fine. You can blend into the crowd.”
He looks at her in disbelief, which is again fair, not much chance of blending in when you're 6 foot 2 and at least 50% of the guests turning up will be under 5ft by a long way!
Hope hope you like. ❤️
Tagging anyone who wants to share @monsterrae1 @hoodie-buck @loserdiaz @underwater-ninja-13 @shortsighted-owl @bi-buckrights @fiona-fififi @ronordmann @hippolotamus @bekkachaos @spaceprincessem @like-the-rest-of-la @exhuastedpigeon @thewolvesof1998 @shipperqueen6 @diazsdimples @honestlydarkprincess @saybiwithme @watchyourbuck @steadfastsaturnsrings @rainbow-nerdss @elvensorceress @weewootruck @giddyupbuck sorry if I missed you you’re tagged anyway 🥰
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Warmth of Another
Jenna Ortega x Reader
A/N: I don't usually do celeb x reader fics but I had this idea in my head and I needed it out
Part Two
Romania was a wonder this time of year. This was the first time you've ever been to Europe, but it wasn't as a tourist. No, you were working. Working on the set of Netflix's 'Wednesday.'
You got cast as a secondary character for the new season and since it took place during the winter semester of school, that meant dealing with the cold season of Romania. You were used to dealing with snow and chill. Even if you weren't, you were always warmer than most people.
Taking a glance, you could see the rest of the cast suffering in the cold. Especially Jenna. The 'Wednesday' star was bundled up in her costume, winter coat, snood, and gloves and yet she was still shivering. In contrast, you were just in your costume, albeit with a hoodie underneath the school uniform, and winter coat. What helped was having your hands in your pockets. For some reason, as long as your hands were warm, you were warm.
Suddenly, you notice Jenna glaring at you and your relative comfort in the chilly air.
"How the hell are you not freezing right now? I can't even feel my nose."
You let out a laugh in response and shrug. "I've always been a human heater. I actually like winter a lot because of it."
With that knowledge in mind, Jenna begrudgingly trudges towards you and leans against you, trying to sap your heat. You chuckle softly and wrap your arms around the frozen girl. Your coat was actually unzipped so the girl just shoves her arms under that and your school blazer. Almost immediately, the warmth seeps into her body.
"That's it. I live here now."
Jenna then steps back to unzip your hoodie to add another layer of warmth to steal from. You just shake your head as you rub her back, trying to generate more heat for her. It causes her to burrow further into your body and suddenly you jump.
She had buried her frozen nose into your neck and snuck her icy hands into your shirt, letting each frozen appendage hit your bare skin.
"Gah! Some warning next time!?"
Jenna just cackles softly against your neck and nuzzles further. "Gotta make sure you suffer like the rest of us. At least for a little. It's fine, anyway. You're already warm again. It's not fair."
"It's not like I'm hoarding all the heat. You're stealing my warmth right now."
"It's your duty to share." She huffs, warming your neck with her breath. "I'm the lead here. I'm entitled to this comfort." You just snort in response, but you don't say anything else.
It was nice to have Jenna in your arms. You were always a fan, but getting to know her personally made you fall a little bit further. At least you can have moments like this and cherish them. You'll take what you could get.
"Well, I'm here anytime you need a cuddle, warmth, or just a hug. All you gotta do is walk up."
Her hold on you tightens in response. You hope your heart isn't beating too erratically for the girl to notice. At least the blush could be blamed on the cold.
"I will definitely take you up on that."
You hold onto Jenna until the directors call for everyone to be on set. She lets out a long groan and just burrows more into you. So with her still in your arms, you waddle over to the set, holding on until the very last minute. When you let go of her though, something makes you freeze. Jenna gives you a smile and makes her way to her mark, reluctantly shedding her coat to brave the cold. You, on the other hand, had only one thought flooding your brain.
Did you just feel Jenna's lips on your neck?
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dontcallpanic · 24 days
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I was tagged by the unbelievably incredible @patolemus to do a not-wednesday WIP. And it's wednesday! So have a not-wednesday wednesday WIP!
Because you are the queen of breaking and filling my heart with your beautiful writing I wanted to share something deep and meaningful and profound. But I can only write goofy situational humour. So have this from the small strange town au WIP instead!
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Stiles only makes it about ten paces down the street before he hears the bang of a door and angry sounding footsteps. He’s not even sure how footsteps can sound angry but somehow they do. He doesn’t turn around because hey, not everything is about him and in this case, he really hopes it’s not about him. Besides he only knows Alison in this town and he may not know her well, but he knows her well enough to know she doesn’t stomp.
Then someone shouts his name.
Again? Seriously? How can this many people want to talk to him, he’s barely been here a day!
He turns around slowly, exercising a healthy amount of trepidation, wondering what the hell is going to happen now. His worries aren’t at all assuaged when he sees Cora of all people, stalking towards him with a perpetual scowl drawn across her face.
Stiles tries his hardest, he really does, but he can’t help taking a reflexive step back in the face of such unwarranted aggression. He does however, manage not to raise his hands in surrender as she walks right up to him and thrusts a paper bag into his chest.
“Here,” she says baring her teeth at him in what Stiles thinks is supposed to be a smile. Or an intimidation tactic.
It’s definitely an intimidation tactic.
“Wha – what the. What?” Stiles says eloquently, flinching bodily as if she has just handed him a live racoon. “What is it?”
Cora rolls her eyes.
“It’s food?” She says. The dumbass is implied.
Stiles blinks and stares suspiciously at the paper bundle. “Why is it?”
Cora rolls her eyes again and Stiles watches in awe as the corner of her mouth actually curves up in a sneer. He wishes his own sneer was that effective. This one could wither a man’s testicles at 50 paces. 10/10. Very effective. He swallows hard.
“Laura called,” Cora snaps. “She said you probably hadn’t eaten today and I had to give you food if you showed up – or whatever.”
She literally looks like she is too cool to be having this conversation with him and Stiles can’t help but feel like he’s the one who inconvenienced her, even when she was the one who chased him down. He quite literally, does not know how to feel about any of this.
“I uh. Wow. Um Thanks? That’s… nice?”
“Yeah, calm down. It’s just yesterday’s leftovers.” She turns to walk away before she abruptly spins back around and pokes a very threatening finger towards his chest.
“And stay out of the woods.”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“Wh - why should I stay out of the woods? What's in the woods? What do you know about the woods?”
Cora literally growls in frustration and throws her hands up in the air.
“Or don’t – whatever. I don’t care. But don’t say I didn’t warn you, okay!”
And with that she spins around and stomps back into the coffee shop leaving Stiles gaping after her.
“Ohmygod, this town is weird,” Stiles mutters to himself, shaking his head and throwing an arm up in exasperation or despair – even he’s not sure at this point.
“Don’t worry dearie,” says a little old lady, awkwardly patting his elbow as she shuffles past. “She’s like that with everyone.”
“Oh. Great – thanks!” Stiles calls after the lady’s retreating back. “That makes me feel… so much better,” he trails off, the usual sarcasm falling a little flat but he supposes that’s only to be expected after receiving both threats and lunch in the same conversation.
Unfortunately, for Cora at least, she needn’t have bothered. All Stiles heard is ‘there’s definitely something going on in the woods. You really need to check this out.’ And let’s face it anyway, who really hears ‘don’t go into the woods’ and thinks ‘huh. That’s not suspicious at all. There’s definitely nothing there and I’d better not look.’
People just love to be dramatic.
______________
I always feel awkward tagging people in these because I'm extremly conscious of how incredibly well all the amazing people I could tag can write (and that they might have to read this if I tag them!) and I also don't want to bother anyone! But there's so many people I'd love to read snippets from sooo no pressure tags include:
@gege-wondering-around @hellameyers @oldefashioned (just if you want to share at any point when you're back <3) @patolemus (again if you wanna share anything else now or in the future!)
And anyone else who wants to - feel free to tag me too!
I have been obsessed with what everyone has been sharing recently! There have been SO MANY amazing words I can barely cope!!
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pedroscurls · 1 year
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Hold My Hand
Character(s): Frankie “Catfish” Morales , Reader (female, second person POV) Summary: For years, you have been in love with Frankie. Everyone else saw it, except him, and you never had the courage to tell him how you truly felt. Instead, you stuck by his side even when it hurt. And after Colombia, he hadn’t been the same. You knew he had demons (being a veteran and all), but this... This was different. Would Frankie finally open his eyes and realize that the woman he was meant to be with had been right in front of him all along? Word Count: 6,653 Author's Note: This is my first time writing this character, so if I’m a bit off, please let me know and give me some feedback! Anyway, I have been obsessed with Frankie and it might very well be my favorite character that Pedro has ever played. I hope you all enjoy this story. Enjoy and happy reading! (also this story may or may not be very loosely inspired by my own relationship with my partner). Warning: Mentions of death, killing, violence.
(song: Hold My Hand by Lady Gaga)
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Present day
Francisco “Catfish” Morales. The man who had your heart. The man who you would do anything for. The man who had absolutely no clue how you felt. You had met Frankie and the rest of his group of friends five years ago and since then, you had always been by his side. 
You had seen him at his worst, at his best, even when he had proposed to, gotten married to, and had a child with his now ex-wife. Through it all, you pushed aside your love for him because you didn’t want to ruin such a great friendship you had with the man. After all, Frankie was your best friend. 
But now? Now, there was just something different about him. After his so-called “boys trip” with Will, Santiago, Benny, and Tom, he had been different. When you tried to pry out some information from the other men, no one gave you any details. They all stuck to the same story. You had thought asking Benny would be the way to go, but even he was tight-lipped, which made you wonder what this boys trip really was. 
The men had always come by where you worked (a hole-in-the-wall bar nearby a military base, which meant most of your patrons were either active duty or retired veterans). They always came by Wednesday night, every week, the same table, the same drinks, the same food. Their routine hadn’t changed, until the boys trip. Their weekly get-togethers became less frequent and you hadn’t seen Tom in so long. Even when you hung out with Frankie, all he wanted to talk about was how your life was going and his son, Mateo. While you didn’t mind, you missed him, missed the way he would smile and a dimple on the right side of his cheek would appear, missed the way his laughter would fill your heart, causing you to laugh too. 
“Hey, you there?” Frankie asked from over the phone, pulling you from your thoughts.
“What? Yeah, sorry. Got a lot on my mind.”
“Hm,” was all he said. “Are you working today?” 
“Like always. Are you and the guys coming?”
“Oh, is it Wednesday?” 
You could tell his mind was elsewhere. He was distracted. Frankie had noticed that his sense of time was all over the place, probably because he barely got any sleep these days. 
“Last I checked, yeah.” You bit your lower lip. “Still having trouble sleeping?” 
Frankie huffed. “I’ll be fine.”
“You keep saying that.”
“I’m managing.”
“Are you though?”
You could hear Frankie curse under his breath, which probably wasn’t a good idea on his end since he was holding the phone so close to his mouth. “Listen, I gotta go.”
“Wait,” you sighed. “I’m sorry if I pushed. I just–”
“Don’t worry about it.” 
“Frankie–”
“Gotta go.”
Before you could even object, he had already hung up the phone. You sighed and tucked your phone back into your pocket, standing from the table to head back to work. You hoped that you would see him today, see the rest of the guys actually. 
Five years ago
You had been working at the bar for a little over six months, moving to a new state for a new start. It was tough in the beginning, but you had come to enjoy the adventure that it brought. You had broken up with your long-term boyfriend after realizing that he hadn’t wanted to settle down, have kids– ultimately, you both just wanted different things. It hurt in the beginning, but the distance helped. Being in a new city where no one knew you alleviated most of the emotions you had felt when the breakup first happened. 
And the bar you had been working at was always a fun time. The men and women that came in were either active duty or retired veterans. While there had been a few mishaps that happened with some of the patrons, most of the time, it was calm, quiet, and even respectful. 
One Wednesday night, however, changed your entire life. Five men entered the quiet bar, deciding to occupy a table at the corner of the bar. You were taken aback. They were all so good looking in their own respective ways, but one man… One man in particular caught your attention immediately. 
“So, y’all coming to watch me fight this Friday or what?” Benny grinned, running a hand through his dark and dirty blonde locks. He was cute, had this boyish attractiveness to him and he definitely looked younger than the rest of the group. 
The other blonde-haired man looked over at Benny. Must be his brother, you thought. There were obvious resemblances, but you couldn’t help but notice how this one was a bit older, quieter, more reserved. “Yeah, we’ll be there, Ben.”
There was another man who spoke up and you noticed him standing from his chair. You immediately went back to focusing on cleaning the counter of the bar, trying to act like you weren’t just staring and eavesdropping. He was handsome, alluring, his salt and pepper beard neatly trimmed. He was definitely clean cut, walking towards the bar with a sense of confidence that you found sexy. 
“Um, excuse me?” He called out. “Can we get five beers?”
“Oh, sure. Of course. Keep the tab open or close out?”
The man glanced over his shoulder, looking at his friends with a smile. “Yeah, let’s keep it open.” He handed you his card and you took it without hesitation, turning your back to him to swipe his card. 
“You new here?” You heard him ask. 
After ringing up the drinks, you turned back to him and handed him his card. Then, you grabbed five glasses to fill with beer. 
“Yeah, but bartending has been something I’ve always done. Even back home,” you replied with a smile. 
“Oh, so this isn’t home?” 
You shook your head. He was friendly, easy to talk to, and it helped that he was also nice to look at. “California’s home.” 
“So, why Florida? Weather’s kind of the same, lots of beaches…”
“Relationship ended.” You said, handing him the glasses. “But I’m happier here.” 
“Well, I’m Santiago. You can call me Santi, or Pope,” he smiled. “If you ever need a tour guide, I’d be happy to be of service.”
You blushed, glancing over his shoulder to the table with his friends. They were watching you, but you couldn’t help but find yourself staring a bit longer at the man with a cap. 
“Pope?” You said with a smile. 
“It’s my callsign,” he replied. “Was in the service.”
You nodded in understanding. “Makes sense. Bar near a military base.” You smiled, telling him your name. “By the way, your friends are staring a bit too hard over in this direction.”
Santiago looked over his shoulder and chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. “Probably jealous I got to talk to you first.” 
“Ah, I see. This was all part of your plan, come over here, sweet talk the bartender?” 
He laughed quietly, glancing over at you. “Damn, you caught me.”
Looking over his shoulder again, your eyes met the man who was wearing a hat. You could tell that his dark curls were sticking out from underneath and he had this mysterious way about him. He seemed as reserved as the older, blonde-haired man, but you felt a pull towards him. Just something about him. 
“You wanna meet ‘em?” Santiago asked. “My friends, I mean.”
“Oh, you know…” You cleared your throat. “It’s fine. I don’t want to impose and–”
“Nonsense,” he smiled. “Guys!” He called over his shoulder, waving them over. Almost immediately, the remaining four stood from their seats and walked over to the counter of the bar. As the man with the hat came closer, you felt your heart beat faster, your cheeks slowly become hot, and all of a sudden, you were now looking at five good looking men. 
“This is Will,” Santiago said. Older, dark blonde-haired man.
“Benny, his younger brother.” You were right. They were brothers. 
“Tom.” Santiago pointed to the man with dark hair, his beard also tinged with gray. He was the only one wearing a wedding ring, but he had this permanent scowl that you found to be a bit intimidating.
“And this,” Pope said, wrapping an arm around the man with the hat. “This is Frankie.”
Frankie. 
He removed his hat, running a hand through his curls and he looked at you with such soft eyes, big, and brown that had you captivated instantly. He gave you a small smile and you noticed the dimple on his right cheek, right underneath the patchiness of his beard. 
“Nice to meet you guys,” you said, trying not to act too obvious that you were obviously more interested in one man. 
“She’s new to Florida. I figure we can show her around.” Santiago said, handing each man a glass. “You know, show her not the touristy areas.” 
“Santi,” Frankie mumbled.
“What?” he replied. 
Benny grinned. “That sounds like fun. I’m in. I’ve got a fight this Friday, you should come.”
You glanced over at Benny, watching him take a swig of his beer. He was leaning against the counter of the bar, flashing you a smile that felt welcoming and inviting. 
“A fight?” You asked.
“MMA,” Will responded. 
Your eyes widened, a small grin slowly appearing on your lips. “MMA? I’m in.”
Santiago arched his brow. “Are you a fan?”
“Huge fan,” you nodded. “Brings back a lot of memories with my grandpa.”
“Sounds like a good man with taste,” Benny chuckled. “Here.” He grabbed a napkin and a pen from over the bar and wrote down the details: the time and location. You looked down at the napkin and smiled, pocketing it into the front of your pants.
“I’ll be there.”
Benny smiled. Tom, on the other hand, was the one who interrupted the conversation by saying, “guys, we should probably head back, let the girl do her job.”
You cleared your throat, nodding in agreement. “It was great meeting you guys. If you need a refill, just let me know.” You turned your attention once the door to the bar opened, noticing two men entering and taking a seat at one end of the bar. You excused yourself, walking over to them to take their orders. 
“She’s nice,” Santiago said, following the guys to the table. “You think she’s really gonna show up on Friday?”
Frankie shrugged. “I’m willing to bet she was just being nice. You know, customer service and all of that.”
Benny rolled his eyes. “Seemed like genuine interest to me.”
“Will, back me up here,” Frankie added.
Will shrugged. “I don’t know, Fish,” he chuckled. “Hard to argue when her interest in the sport seemed very sincere.”
“Tom?”
Tom didn’t respond, just sipping from his beer.
“What’s the big deal, Fish?” Santiago asked. “She’s nice, she’s new to the area. Seems to me like she needs some friends.”
Frankie didn’t respond. He glanced over in your direction, taking note of how your smile lit up the entire room. There was something he hadn’t felt before, right in the pit of his stomach as he watched you move from behind the bar, making the drinks for the other patrons that had come in. 
“You got a crush, Fish?” Benny teased, letting out a quiet chuckle. 
“What?” Frankie whipped his head towards the younger man, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest. “Just distracted, is all.”
“She is single,” Santiago grinned. “And she didn’t show me much interest.”
“You tried hitting on her?” Frankie asked, feeling a sudden sense of protectiveness wash over him. He hadn’t even said anything to you, just a simple wave when Santiago introduced you, but there was a pull he found himself fighting. He didn’t even know you, yet he wanted to… It had been a long time since he had shown any interest in anyone. 
“I wasn’t hitting on her, Fish, jesus.” Santiago sighed. “I was just being nice, that’s all.”
“You’re wound up tight,” Tom chimed in. “And you didn’t even say anything to her. Next round, you should go up there and order for us.”
Frankie shook his head. “I’m good.”
The rest of the men chugged their beers, looking over at Frankie with smirks written on their lips. “We’d like another, Fish,” Benny grinned.
“Hey, I still have mine to drink,” he replied. 
“Easy fix,” Benny smiled, reaching for Frankie’s drink and downing the contents. “Now, go on.”
Frankie rolled his eyes. “You guys are assholes.”
The remaining four men erupted in a fit of laughter. When Frankie stood up, he straightened out his shirt and removed his hat to fix his hair before placing the cap back on top of his head. He exchanged a look with Santiago, noticing how the other man maintained a knowing smirk on his lips. 
“Dale,” Santiago whispered. “Go.” 
Frankie took a deep breath and walked over in your direction. He didn’t know why he was nervous, but when you turned to face him, a smile on your face, he felt himself suddenly relax.
“Frankie,” you smiled. “You guys went through those fast.”
Frankie shrugged, biting his lower lip as he nodded. “Yeah, can we get another?”
“Of course. On the same card?”
“Yeah, same card. Drinks are on Santi tonight.” 
“You guys seem like a tight knit group,” you noticed, grabbing five glasses and one by one, filling the contents. You still maintained conversation, looking up at him. “Lots of history there?” 
Frankie nodded, taking a seat at the bar across from you. “We all served together.”
“Ah, so all of you are retired veterans?” 
“That’s right,” he replied. “Santiago mentioned earlier that you’re new here?”
You smiled to yourself. Frankie was listening. “I am, yeah.”
“Where are you from originally?”
“California.”
“What’s wrong with California?” he smiled, feeling himself begin to relax as he continued to talk to you.
“Ex-boyfriend.”
Frankie arched his brow. “Ah. Bad breakup?” 
“Something like that.” You set the glasses on the counter of the bar in front of him, looking up at him. He was staring at you, his eyes piercing through you as everything around you seemed to disappear. All you could notice, could see, was him. 
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “You okay?” 
Ugh, he’s sweet. Your heart raced even further. You barely knew this man and here he was, showing genuine concern over your wellbeing. “Yeah, it was my decision. We wanted different things, wasted a lot of my years being unhappy, so moving to Florida without much of a plan seemed like a good idea.”
“And is it?” Frankie asked. “A good idea?”
“So far? It’s been challenging, but just what I needed.”
He smiled at that. Frankie liked the fact that you seemed so motivated, determined to make something of your life. You had noticed that life in California was no longer serving you and while plenty of people would have settled for the sake of being afraid of change, here you were, jumping feet first into the unknown. He liked it. 
“This might be too forward, but–”
“I was thinking–”
Both of you let out a quiet laugh, looking into each other’s eyes. 
“You go ahead,” Frankie said. 
You smiled. Since moving to Florida, you had stepped out of your comfort zone, doing things you had never thought you’d ever do. And this moment? You were going to take the first step and ask him for his number. 
“Can I get your number?” You asked quietly.
Frankie’s eyes slightly widened at that. He certainly wasn’t expecting that. In fact, he had thought that maybe you were interested in Santiago, Will, or Benny, but him? He didn’t see the appeal.
“Oh, um…” he began, hesitating.
You felt embarrassed, immediately shaking your head. “You know what, I don’t know what I was thinking. We barely know each other and–”
“I should probably get these beers to the guys,” he interrupted. Frankie didn’t know why he didn’t just give his number, maybe it was the fact that he had a lot of baggage that he didn’t want to share with anyone. This isn’t to say, though, that he wished he had the courage to just give it to you. 
“Right, sorry,” you sighed. “It was nice talking with you, Frankie.”
“Yeah, it was nice,” he smiled. “See you Friday?” 
You bit your lower lip, thinking back to Benny’s invitation for the fight night. You were a woman of your word and while you felt highly embarrassed, you still decided to go. “See you Friday.” 
And every Friday since meeting Frankie, Santiago, Will, Benny, and Tom, you had spent it with them, watching Benny fight. While the first conversation with Frankie had been awkward and embarrassing, every week your friendship blossomed and it had taken him three months to finally give you his number.
Three years later
You were spending Friday night with the guys again. For the past three years since meeting them, you had felt like you were now an honorary member of their group. Each of them had their own personality, differing from each other, but Frankie… Frankie was the one you were closest to. 
It was easy when it came to talking to him. He made you laugh, made you smile, and his efforts to always try to cheer you up when you had a bad day was welcoming, inviting, and it had been a long time since you had felt this way. 
But for three years, you were in denial of the feelings you had for him. Everyone in the group, however, noticed it long before you had. The way you and Frankie would hang out (just the two of you), the inside jokes you two shared, the look of longing you had whenever you were with him. It wasn’t until when something unexpectedly happened that it opened your eyes to the reality of your friendship with him. 
You were in love with this man, in love with Frankie. 
It was a Friday night. As usual, you and the rest of the guys were sitting in the front row, waiting for Benny to walk out to the cage. He had been on a winning streak lately and you were all so excited of the possibility that he may become something more than just an underground MMA fighter. 
Before Benny’s music came on, your phone rang. So, you excused yourself from the group and walked towards the back of the room where it was less quiet. Frankie had looked over his shoulder to watch you, both of you locking eyes. He let a smile line his lips and you nodded in his direction, letting him know that you were okay. 
But the moment you heard your mother’s voice on the other end, your smile faltered and tears instantly pricked your eyes. 
“What?”
“Grandpa’s – He’s gone,” you heard your mom say. “It was a heart attack. We need you to come home, baby.”
“But… I just talked to him a couple of days ago. He said he was fine, he sounded fine, he –”
“Come home,” your mom repeated, hearing her sniffle on the other end. 
“Okay, mom. I’ll – I’ll figure it out. I’ll see you soon. I love you.”
Once you got off the phone with your mom, you wiped your tears away and walked back towards the group. This was one fight night that you would have to miss and you knew Benny would understand. 
“Hey, Benny’s about to –”
“I can’t stay,” you replied to Santiago. 
“Is everything okay?” You heard Frankie ask. His brows were furrowed together and his eyes had softened a great deal. 
“N – No,” you whispered, tears slowly falling from your eyes. “My grandpa… He died and I just have to get home. I have to book a flight and pack and–” 
All of the guys knew how close you were to your grandpa. So without hesitation, they all understood, all muttered their condolences. But it was Frankie that had taken that extra step. He reached for you and pulled you into a tight hug, his strong arms wrapping around your frame. Resting your head against his chest, you let yourself cry, despite the loud crowd erupting in cheers when Benny walked out. 
“Let me take you,” Frankie said. “I can fly you to California.” 
“Fish,” Santiago said. “I think that’s a good idea.”
“You guys should leave tonight. Benny will understand. We’ll let him know after his fight,” Will said, his hand rubbing your back comfortingly. 
“Go,” Santiago said. 
“Frankie, I can’t –”
“It’s not up for debate. I’m taking you.” He pulled back, looking down at you once more with those soft eyes. It was in that moment you felt your heart skip a beat; the way he was looking at you and the way he was willing to drop everything to make sure you got home… You loved this man. 
You grabbed your things while Frankie said goodbye to the rest of the guys. Santiago pulled him in for a hug and you saw him whisper something in Frankie’s ear, which caused the other man to nod once he pulled away. After he said his goodbyes, you hugged each and every one of them. They all held you tighter and longer than normal and you felt like you could have broken down all over again. 
Santiago pulled back to look at you, cupping your cheeks and wiping your tears away with a swift motion of his thumbs. Everyone felt like your big brother. Everyone except Frankie. 
“Call us when you get there, okay?” 
You nodded. “I’m sorry I can’t stay and–”
“Stop,” he said with a small smile. “Frankie will take care of you.”
“I know,” you replied. “I just–”
“You be there for family,” Santiago interrupted. “And we’ll be here, waiting for you to come back.”
“I love you guys,” you whispered, your voice shaky and tears threatening to spill over again. 
Santiago smiled and kissed your forehead before letting you go. You turned around and noticed Frankie with his arms crossed over his chest, waiting patiently, but that look of concern was permanent on his features. Once you both left the building, he brought you over to his car and before he could unlock it, Frankie grabbed your hand and pulled you to him. 
“It’s gonna be okay,” he whispered. 
You nodded, your arms wrapping around him tightly. Being in his arms like this felt normal, felt like you belonged there. The feeling he gave you was nothing like you ever experienced before.
It was a couple of hours into the flight when Frankie spoke. He had been focused on piloting the small plane that he hadn’t checked in to see how you were doing. 
“So, I was thinking I can get a hotel once we get to California.”
“What?” You asked, looking over at him. “You don’t need to do that.”
“I wanna be there for you,” he said, glancing over at you. “Besides, how else are you gonna get back to Florida?”
“Hm, maybe just buy a plane ticket and –”
Frankie shook his head. “And spend all that money when you got a pilot as a friend?”
You sighed. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” He reached out to rest a hand over yours. “We look out for each other, you know? Make sure that the other person is okay.” 
“Thank you,” you said, biting your lower lip. This wasn’t the first time he had rested a hand over yours, but this was the first time that you felt the love you had for him. 
“Do you wanna meet my family?” You asked hesitantly. 
Frankie squeezed your hand before letting it go to rest it back onto the steering of the plane. “Is that gonna be okay?”
“I have talked about you and the guys, so you won’t be a complete stranger.”
Frankie smiled. “Hm, you’ve been talking about us, huh? What have you been saying?”
Despite the circumstances, Frankie managed to make you smile. “It’s a secret.” 
Frankie didn’t push any further. He just gave you a single nod before turning his focus ahead of him. You didn’t know if you were ready to get back home, especially now that your grandpa wasn’t going to be there to welcome you. It hurt to know that the man who had always been there for you was now gone. He was a big part of your life and it just didn’t seem real that he wasn’t going to be here anymore. 
Later that night after you got to California, Frankie had gotten a rental car to drive you to your childhood home. You had been quiet the entire drive, aside from the quiet sniffles he heard. Once again, he reached over for your hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“Hey,” he said quietly. “You’ve been quiet. Tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.”
You shrugged, keeping your eyes and attention out the window as you watched the houses pass as he continued to drive. “I’m just gonna miss him, that’s all…”
Frankie sighed. He never was good at talking about emotions or feelings, that was more up Will’s alley, but seeing you like this when you were usually always so positive, hurt and he wasn’t sure why he was feeling this way. Maybe because you were just a really good friend, but even after plenty of talks with the guys and especially Santiago, he had started to wonder if there was something more to this friendship. 
And as he continued to drive, all he could hear was Santiago’s voice before you and Frankie left. 
“You take care of her,” Santiago whispered, keeping his hold on Frankie as they remained in a hug. “She’s gonna need you.”
“Pope–”
“I’m serious, Fish. Be there for her.”
“I will,” Frankie nodded.
“That woman loves you so much,” he chuckled, pulling away. “I don’t even think she realizes it.”
“She loves all of us, man.”
“Yeah, but not in the way that she loves you.”
Frankie glanced over at you once he pulled up to your childhood home. He put the car in park and couldn’t help but notice that you hadn’t even looked in his direction the entire drive. He wasn’t sure if what Santiago said was true, but he knew that he couldn’t cross that boundary with you, and he certainly wasn’t going to take a chance on something that was possibly far from the truth. 
“Hey,” he said quietly. “I’ll be right here with you, okay?” 
When you finally turned to look at him, Frankie noticed your eyes were red and your lips were the opposite of what he was used to. You weren’t smiling. You weren’t happy. You were grieving and Frankie didn’t know how to handle that. 
“You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.”
“I’m staying.” 
“There’s gonna be a lot of people crying.”
Frankie shrugged. “It’ll be fine.” He didn’t want to admit to you that death had been something he had gotten used to. Being in the military, he had seen his fair share of dead bodies, had lost plenty of friends along the way, and he had become numb to it. “Come on…” 
You nodded and climbed out of the car. Once Frankie was standing in front of you, you immediately wrapped your arms around him, crying into his chest as he held you. He didn’t like seeing you like this, didn’t enjoy the feeling in the pit of his stomach that gave him a clear understanding that his feelings for you were not just something a friend would feel towards another. This was different. 
And throughout the weekend, Frankie had become part of your family almost instantly. Despite the constant crying from your other family members and especially from you, he had been your anchor, keeping you grounded. He had met your parents, met your grandma, and it almost felt like he belonged here, with you. 
“Grandpa would have loved him,” you heard your mom say, watching as Frankie and your grandma were talking with each other. 
“I think so too,” you replied. When your mom wrapped her arm around you, you leaned in almost immediately. “He’s great, the rest of the guys are.”
Your mom smiled, looking down at you and back towards Frankie and your grandma. Frankie had managed to make her laugh and while you weren’t sure what they were talking about, you found yourself so enamored with the way he was so gentle and so caring towards her. 
“You love him,” your mom said. 
“What?” You asked, shaking your head. “No way. He’s just a really good friend.”
“You’re lying to yourself, honey.”
“Mom,” you sighed. “We’ve known each other for three years, so of course we’re gonna get close and –”
“I’ve never seen you look at a man like that,” she said. “Not even with your previous relationship and I thought you were gonna marry the guy.”
You rolled your eyes. “Mom, Frankie’s just a friend. Besides, even if I did love him, I wouldn’t want to ruin our friendship.”
“But what if he loves you too?”
You arched a brow. “He doesn’t.” But that would certainly change things. “We’re just friends.”
“Sure,” she chuckled, kissing your temple. “If your grandpa was here, he’d tell you the same thing.”
“I miss him, a lot,” you whispered, tears stinging your eyes again. “Hard to believe that he isn’t here anymore.”
“I know,” she sighed. “I know.”
Frankie had glanced over in your direction, flashing you a small smile before he turned his attention back to your grandma. Your mom noticed this and smiled, gently nudging you. “He’s a good one.”
You nodded in agreement, “he is.” 
Once you had said goodbye to everyone, you and Frankie were making your way back to the airport. It had been a weekend filled with a lot of tears, but also plenty of laughter as you and your family reflected on the moments you had with your grandpa. It also helped to have Frankie with you and seeing how he so easily fit in with your family made you reflect on what your mom had said. 
“But what if he loves you too?”
Present day
You were anticipating the guys coming to the bar, like they always had, but every time the door opened and it wasn’t them, you were met with disappointment. You didn’t know when everything changed, but you did have an idea that it might have had to do with their “boys trip” to Colombia. 
Throughout the rest of your shift, neither guys had shown up. So, when you had clocked out and left the bar, you made a note to visit Santiago. If anyone would tell you what’s going on, it would be him. It was late, but you knew that the guys had trouble sleeping, the cause of it due to being in the military. 
After twenty minutes, you parked your car along the curb to see Frankie’s car in the driveway as well. Confused, you walked up to the front door and knocked on it twice. It wasn’t long before Santiago opened the door and a confused, yet surprised, look spread across his features.
“Santi,” you said. 
“You okay?” He asked. “It’s late and –”
“We gotta talk.”
“Now’s not a good time.”
Then, you heard Frankie’s voice. 
“I think now’s the perfect time.” 
Santiago sighed and nodded, opening the door even further to let you in. Once inside, you walked towards the living room to see the rest of the guys – not only Frankie – sitting at the couch. 
“Wow,” you said. “So, this is where you guys go now.”
Frankie cleared his throat. Will and Benny looked at each other before turning their attention to you.
“We were going to stop by, but–”
“I don’t care if you guys don’t come to the bar,” you sighed, interrupting Benny. “But what I do care about is why in the hell you guys are acting so differently.”
Santiago had entered the room, leaning against his bookshelf. He glanced at the rest of the guys and sighed. He had to speak first. 
“Nothing’s going on,” Santiago said. “We just – It’s been a year since Colombia and we all just wanted to talk about it.”
“Ah, your boys trip. Where’s Tom, then? I haven’t seen him.”
The guys shared a look. It was a sad one. A look of regret, of disappointment, of failure. 
“Okay, I get it. You don’t wanna share the details, that’s fine. I’m not going to pry, but I just –” you sighed, your eyes falling on Frankie as you continued. “I just care about you guys and want to make sure you’re all okay.” 
“We’re fine,” Will said. “It’ll be fine.”
“But –”
Benny shouted. He had been four drinks in and was definitely feeling the effects of alcohol. “You don’t know what we’ve been through, what we’ve seen, what we’ve had to do! So please,” he said, shaking his head. “Don’t act like you can fix us.”
You cleared your throat. You weren’t expecting that and you were about to say something before Frankie stood up. 
“Let’s talk outside.”
“No,” you shook your head. “I’m okay. I didn’t mean to come in here and act like I wanted to fix you guys, so I apologize if it seemed that way. I do care about you all and I just – You’ve always been there for me. I figure I should at least return the favor, especially when I can visibly see how much all of you are hurting.”
Will gently shoved Benny, shaking his head. “Don’t listen to him,” he replied. “He’s not – We’re not okay, but we will be.”
You always knew Will to be the honest one out of the group and you gave him a nod in appreciation. You glanced over at Santiago and Frankie, biting your lower lip. 
“I’m just gonna go.”
Santiago called your name with a quiet sigh. “Listen, if we could tell you, we would.”
“I know,” you whispered. You spared another glance at Frankie, watching him sit back down. “Have a good night. I’ll see myself out.”
You didn’t bother to wait for a response. Instead, you turned on your heel and left Santiago’s house, shutting the door quietly behind you. Once you were in your car, you felt tears threatening to fall from your eyes. You let out a shaky breath and pulled away from the curb, making your way back to your apartment. 
“You should go check up on her,” Will said to Frankie after you had left.
“Why me?”
Santiago and Will shared a look, but it was Benny that spoke up.
“Because she loves you, Fish.”
“No,” Frankie said. “If she loved me, why’d she let me get married?”
Santiago shook his head. “Idiota.”
“What?” Frankie asked. 
“That woman has been by your side since the moment we met her five years ago and you’re telling me that the love she has for all of us is the same love she has for you?” Will replied, quietly chuckling to himself. 
“She didn’t want to ruin your friendship,” Benny spoke up, grabbing his beer. “She didn’t want to ruin something because she never knew how you felt.” 
“And let’s be honest,” Santiago added. “You love her too.”
Frankie tightened his jaw. All of the guys were right and it pained him to realize that he had let his fears – and yours – get in the way of what could have possibly been something great. 
“She’s one of my best friends,” Frankie replied. “Of course I love her.”
“Maybe,” Santiago said. “But you love her more than that.” 
“Go get her, Fish.” Will added. 
“She’s not gonna wait forever.” Benny chimed in. 
“She waited five years and watched you marry someone else… There’s gonna come a time, Fish, where she realizes that it might be better to move on,” Santiago finished. “You really gonna let her get away?” 
Frankie glanced over at Santiago. All he could think about was the endless amount of times where you had been there for him and especially the time where he had flown you to California after your grandpa passed away. It was odd to him how easily he fit in with your family and how at home he felt. 
Even with his ex-wife, he hadn’t ever felt like that. 
But with you? With you, it was different. Frankie felt like he could be himself, like he didn’t have to constantly impress you (or your family). With you, Frankie could let his guard down and be absolutely vulnerable with you and he hadn’t realized how much that meant to him until now, five years later. 
“I’m gonna call an Uber,” Frankie finally spoke up. 
“Finally!” Benny laughed, a stark contrast of how he had just reacted when you were here. 
“Go get her,” Santiago smiled. 
“Atta boy,” Will said. 
You had changed into your pajamas, dressed in an oversized t-shirt and shorts. Your hair was put in a hair clip and you had finished heating up your leftover pizza when you heard a knock at your door. It was well after midnight and you carefully looked at the peephole to see who it might be, but when you saw Frankie standing on your porch, hat sitting on his wavy locks, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans, you felt your heart leap at the sight of him.
Slowly opening the door, he raised his eyes to meet yours. 
“Hey,” he said. “Can I come in?”
“Sure,” you replied, opening the door even further for him to come in. Once he stepped inside, he removed his boots and glanced around your apartment, smelling the aroma of pizza. 
“Frankie –”
“Is that –”
Both of you let out a quiet chuckle. 
“You go first,” Frankie said. 
“What are you doing here?” 
Frankie sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know,” he let out a nervous chuckle. “On the ride here, I had an idea of what I was going to say to you, but now… Now I can’t remember.” 
“If it has anything to do about earlier with the guys, just know that I –”
“No,” he shook his head. “It isn’t about that. We – We have a lot of baggage and we all know you come from a place of love, but sometimes, we just don’t think we’re deserving of it.”
“Frankie…”
“Why did you let me get married?” He asked abruptly. 
“What?” You asked, biting your lower lip. “You were happy. Why wouldn’t I?”
Frankie stepped closer to you. There were plenty of times where he had been so close to you, but this time… This time was different. 
“But were you?”
“What are you implying, Frankie?” 
He reached out for you, his hand reaching up to gently cup your cheek. Frankie watched as you leaned against his touch, your eyes falling shut. 
“You have always been by my side,” he whispered, taking another step closer to you. Mere inches separated your bodies and his thumb gently caressed you. “No matter what, you were always there.”
You opened your eyes, looking up at him. “Because I care about you, about all of you guys.”
Frankie bit his lower lip nervously. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry it took me so long.”
“Frankie…” you knew what he was referring to, what he was implying and as his thumb brushed along your lower lip, you let it part. 
Frankie didn’t reply, but instead leaned in and pressed his lips to yours. You melted into him, your arms immediately snaking around his neck as his arms wrapped your waist. He gently lifted you off the ground, moving his lips against yours. Pulling away after a few seconds, he set you back down your feet and looked into your eyes.
“I’m never letting you go.” 
---
@pedrostories​
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Hey, I'm sorry to bug you but I rb your post about voting being necessary, and I saw that barrage of bs in the replies, in the notes, so I thought I'd check in - I hope you’re okay, and I thank you for making this post.
I didn’t go through all of it, so idk if you replied to more of them, but you don't have to, though I am sure there are others who would read it and think. We can't convince everyone, sadly. I'm French, we've been forced to choose between the Fascists and the Lesser Evil for two decades, so it boggles my mind that not everyone else realises how important voting is.
Anyway, I am sorry for the long and random message. I hope you have a good rest of your day! And thank you again!
I'm from Brazil. Since we became a democracy again after a long period of dictatorship we were ruled by either super corrupt social liberals or super corrupt social democrats.
There's corruption scandals all the time
And now we have a super corrupted far right.
People are hopeless and wondering why voting meters. Some are longing for the Dictatorship times.
I said why voting matters: Because people here died to return us the right to vote. Because our current president saved us from being ruled by a fascist that threatened to shut down our Supreme Court every other Wednesday.
Politics sucks worldwide, but it's our duty to make it better or at least, stop it from getting worse.
@mask131 @ariel-seagull-wings @thealmightyemprex @princesssarisa @the-blue-fairie
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happy spring everyone !
the equinox occurs after 11 pm tonght for me anyways (11 06 PM eastern time / daylight savings ) so for lots of folks it will be wednesday early morning.
and happy first day of autumn to all my friends and followers in the southern hemisphere !
and regardless if it is today or tomorrow for you, I hope you all have a wonderful day !
~johnny
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