#And even then that's more interesting on his side than Cappuccino's

[inkperch]

Well, the last line of this was accurate-

Okay, losing my mind over the Capitano is Mavuika's dad theory, actually, because. Oh my god. Spoilers under the cut.

He's trying to save her, it's the only thing that makes sense to me at this point, he's trying to save her he's trying to save her he's willing to damn all of Natlan to save his baby girl his precious baby girl with not just stars but the whole ass sun in her eyes his precious baby girl who dodged the Hilichurl curse because she was born after it was enacted (which would also give us a plausible explanation for KAEYA HI YES YOU EXIST TOO-) who I'm pretty sure I'm getting the timeline a little messy here but it works it works he wants to stop a second Khanreiah but he wants to stop his daughter from sacrificing herself again even more he joined the Fatui to burn the world that would be so cruel as to give him a second home only to take it again, to take his daughter for their heavenly throne-

I hate Cappuccino if his motive is anything but this. Anything but this, and he's a pretentious asshole who's ignoring the wishes of the people of Natlan because He Knows Better, but this, this, a father willing to damn the world for his child, I would be willing to like-

(also. We've noted the trend of contrasting Archons per region, but... The Harbingers have to. And a 'Father' who cares so much it burns fighting the Archon out of violent desperation to save her children, to a father who forces his heart to be cold, so he can betray his daughter who's plan he knows and which's cost he will not allow her to pay...)

(also, calling it now, Mavuika's gonna survive because Capitano's gonna find a way to replace her as the Cost, and only reveal he's her dad in like, his final breath-)

[ellswritings]

Sparks Fly

Steve Rogers x Reader

TW: Enemies to lovers, Steve and reader are both jerks to each other, Tony being a little shit, spicy near the end but no smut.

»» ──────ஓ๑♥๑ஓ ────── ««

The briefing room in the Avengers Tower was already buzzing with conversation as Nick Fury strode in, trailed by a woman none of them had ever seen before. Tony Stark, as always, leaned back in his chair, sipping on a cappuccino with a casual smirk on his face. Natasha sat next to him, calmly tapping her fingers against the table, while Thor’s deep voice carried through the room as he recounted one of his many Asgardian exploits to Bruce Banner. Steve Rogers, Captain America himself, stood near the window, arms crossed, his gaze drifting toward the city skyline.

Fury cleared his throat, immediately silencing the room. "Team, meet Y/N L/N," he announced, stepping aside to reveal the woman standing beside him.

Her presence was palpable. She exuded confidence, her posture straight and assured, with an unmistakable glint of sharpness in her eyes. Energy seemed to hum faintly around her, like static electricity that hadn’t quite dissipated.

Y/N stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over the room with measured scrutiny. "Nice to meet you all," she said, her tone steady but not overly warm. Her eyes lingered briefly on each Avenger as Fury continued the introduction.

"Y/N is a new addition to the team," Fury explained. "She’s got experience in covert ops, but what makes her stand out is her ability to manipulate energy—plasma, electricity, heat. I’ve worked with her in the past, and she’s someone you’ll want on your side when things go south."

Tony raised an eyebrow, his interest clearly piqued. "Energy manipulation, huh? That's gotta come in handy at parties," he quipped, already leaning forward with that trademark grin of his.

Y/N’s lips curved into a smirk, meeting Tony’s challenge head-on. "I could fry your circuits in a second, Stark. But I’ll save that for when I really need to shut you up."

Tony’s grin widened as he leaned back in his chair, clearly delighted by her response. "Oh, I like her already. It’s about time someone besides Pepper was capable of shutting me down."

Natasha gave Y/N an approving nod. "Looks like Fury didn’t just bring you here for your powers. You’re quick."

Y/N chuckled, a sharp, low sound that made Bruce smile faintly from his corner. Even Thor seemed intrigued, murmuring something about the strength of Midgardian women.

But when Y/N’s eyes landed on Steve, who still stood apart from the group, her demeanor shifted ever so slightly. He hadn’t moved, hadn’t smiled, hadn’t said anything to acknowledge her presence, his jaw clenched tight.

Fury, ever the perceptive one, noticed the undercurrent and turned toward Steve. "Rogers, you gonna say hello?"

Steve straightened, walking over with that stoic air he always carried. His blue eyes flicked over Y/N with an unreadable expression. "Welcome to the team," he said, his voice polite but distant, as if her arrival was nothing more than a minor formality.

Y/N raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by the half-hearted greeting. "Don’t sound too enthusiastic, Cap," she shot back, her tone laced with playful sarcasm, the corner of her mouth quirking up.

Tony let out a loud laugh, earning a playful elbow from Natasha.

But Steve remained stoic, his expression unmoving. "Let’s just hope you’re as good as Fury says," he replied, his tone clipped, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Y/N’s smirk widened, but there was something colder in it now, a challenge flickering behind her eyes. "Trust me, Rogers, I won’t slow you down."

The tension in the room was palpable. The rest of the team exchanged glances, picking up on the brewing undercurrent between the two.

Tony, always the instigator, nudged Natasha with a smirk. "This is gonna be fun."

Y/N took a step back, folding her arms as she addressed the rest of the team. "So, what's the usual around here? Stark throwing more one-liners than punches? Or does everyone else get a turn?"

Natasha chuckled under her breath. "He’s definitely an equal-opportunity quipster. You'll get your turn."

Y/N raised an eyebrow at Tony. "Is that right?"

Tony shrugged, all amusement. "I like to think of it as part of my charm. Keeps the team morale up."

Y/N rolled her eyes, her tone teasing. "Right. 'Morale.' Must be tough for everyone else to keep up."

Bruce snorted softly from his seat, barely managing to suppress a laugh. "You’ve got no idea."

Thor gave a booming laugh, as though the banter between them were the most entertaining thing he’d heard all day. "Truly, Stark's tongue wields more fire than most weapons."

Y/N smiled, enjoying the back-and-forth. It felt like she was starting to find her rhythm with them—most of them, at least. But out of the corner of her eye, she saw Steve watching her, his expression stony, arms still crossed. His silence was louder than anything Tony or Natasha had said, and it grated on her.

She locked eyes with him, folding her arms as she spoke again. "You don’t like people much, do you, Rogers?"

The question was sharp, and the room went a little quieter as everyone’s gaze flicked toward Steve.

Steve’s jaw tightened. "I like people just fine."

Y/N hummed thoughtfully, tilting her head. "You sure about that? You’ve barely said two words to me. Starting to think you don’t approve."

Tony leaned in, thoroughly entertained. "Careful, Capsicle. She's got you pegged already."

Steve’s eyes flickered to Tony, then back to Y/N. "I don’t need to approve. I just need to know you can do your job without putting the team at risk."

Y/N’s smile froze, her posture stiffening slightly. "I’ve been doing this for a long time, Rogers. I don’t need you to babysit me."

Steve didn’t back down, his gaze unwavering. "I’m not interested in babysitting anyone. I’m interested in keeping my team safe."

The words hung in the air like a heavy cloud, the tension thick enough to cut through. The rest of the team looked from Y/N to Steve, unsure of where this sudden hostility was coming from.

Natasha, ever the diplomat, broke the silence with a raised eyebrow. "Is this gonna be a thing?"

Y/N shook her head, exhaling slowly as she forced a smile. "Nope. No thing here. Just Rogers and I... finding our rhythm, I guess."

Steve didn't respond, his expression hard, but Tony couldn’t resist the urge to lighten the mood. "Oh, there’s definitely a thing here. This much tension could fuel my arc reactor for a week."

Natasha smirked, while Thor chuckled deeply. Bruce, however, shifted uncomfortably in his seat, clearly not enjoying the rising tension.

Y/N turned back toward Fury, trying to push the interaction with Steve aside. "So, what's the mission?"

Fury glanced between Y/N and Steve, his expression unreadable, though he certainly wasn’t oblivious to the friction. "We'll go over the details soon. For now, you’re getting acquainted. I trust you can handle that."

Y/N gave a nod, though the corner of her eye remained fixed on Steve, whose stony silence still irked her. Why was he being so difficult? It wasn't like she’d come in guns blazing. Well, maybe a little attitude, but nothing she hadn’t done with any other team.

As the team began to disperse, Tony, Natasha, and Bruce began chatting amongst themselves, but Y/N lingered near the door, her mind racing. She hadn't expected her introduction to go this way—especially not with Captain America.

Natasha approached her, raising an eyebrow as she glanced back toward Steve. "Don’t take it personally. Steve's a bit... cautious when it comes to new team members."

Y/N snorted softly, leaning against the doorframe. "Yeah, I noticed. Guess I’m just gonna have to prove him wrong."

Natasha smiled faintly. "Just give it time. He’ll come around. He always does."

Y/N tilted her head, looking over at Steve, who was now talking quietly with Fury on the other side of the room. "I’m not the most patient person."

Natasha laughed softly. "Neither is he. Should be interesting to watch."

In the following days, Y/N integrated into the team—well, most of it. Tony, as expected, took an immediate liking to her sarcastic sense of humor, and even Bruce opened up more around her. Natasha and Y/N trained together, and Thor respected her power and confidence, even suggesting that she spar with him one day to "test her strength."

The only hiccup in the team dynamic was Steve.

Their arguments became a regular occurrence. Whether it was during training sessions, tactical meetings, or even casual conversations, Y/N and Steve couldn’t seem to get through a day without butting heads. The rest of the team watched their interactions with bemusement, Tony and Natasha often making side bets on how long it would take before one of them snapped.

One day, during a mission debrief, Steve and Y/N clashed yet again, this time over strategy. Steve favored a more cautious, methodical approach, while Y/N argued for a direct strike, using her powers to neutralize the threat quickly.

"You don’t get it," Y/N snapped. "We don’t have time to play it safe. HYDRA’s not going to wait around for us to make the perfect move, Rogers."

Steve’s eyes narrowed, his voice clipped. "I’m not playing it safe. I’m making sure no one gets killed because of a reckless move."

"Reckless?" Y/N’s voice rose. "I’ve been in more of these situations than I can count, and I know when to strike fast. If we sit around and plan every detail, people die."

The rest of the team sat in silence, watching the heated exchange. Tony leaned over to Natasha, whispering, "I give it two more minutes before one of them explodes."

Natasha smirked. "I’m betting on Y/N. She looks like she’s ready to throw something."

Steve crossed his arms, his jaw clenched. "This isn’t about how many missions you’ve been on. It’s about working as a team. You can’t just go rogue whenever you feel like it."

Y/N scoffed, stepping closer to him. "I’m not going rogue. I’m making the call that’ll save lives. You can either get on board or get out of my way."

The tension was thick, and for a moment, it seemed like Y/N and Steve might actually come to blows. Y/N’s eyes flashed with that same energy she controlled, and Steve stood rigid, unflinching, his eyes locked on hers.

Tony raised an eyebrow at Bruce. "Think we should step in, or…?"

Bruce shook his head. "I think they need to get this out of their system."

Fury, who had been watching the entire exchange with a neutral expression, finally stepped in. "Enough," he said, his voice firm. "You two can hash out your differences later. Right now, we need to focus on the mission. Rogers, L/N’s got a point. Time isn’t on our side."

Steve clenched his fists, but he nodded, stepping back, though his gaze remained fixed on Y/N. "Fine. But we do this as a team."

Y/N held his gaze for a moment longer before she finally nodded, though her jaw was still tight. "Fine."

Fury gave them both a stern look before continuing the debrief. But the air in the room remained tense, and it was clear to everyone that Y/N and Steve weren’t done with their argument.

Later that night, as the team prepared for the mission, Y/N found herself partnered with Steve. Much to her frustration, Fury had insisted they work together on this one, despite the obvious tension between them. She wasn’t thrilled about it, and judging by the look on Steve’s face, neither was he.

They moved through the HYDRA base in silence, their communication reduced to clipped, professional exchanges. Y/N used her powers to disrupt security systems, her hands crackling with energy as she sent short bursts of electricity to fry the cameras and alarms. Steve moved ahead, leading the way with his shield in hand.

"Left corridor is clear," Steve said quietly, his voice coming through her comm.

"Roger that, Captain," Y/N replied, her tone laced with sarcasm despite herself.

Steve shot her a look, but he didn’t respond, opting to focus on the mission. As they moved deeper into the base, Y/N couldn’t help but feel the weight of his disapproval, like a constant presence at the back of her mind.

She hated it.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from down the hall. HYDRA agents. A lot of them. Without thinking, Y/N raised her hand, preparing to send a pulse of energy toward them.

"Wait," Steve hissed, grabbing her wrist. "We can’t just—"

Before he could finish, one of the agents fired a shot, aiming directly for Steve’s head. Without hesitating, Y/N yanked her wrist free from his grip and sent a wave of energy crashing into the HYDRA agents, knocking them all back like rag dolls.

The hall was silent again, the agents down. Y/N turned to Steve, her heart racing, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

"You’re welcome," she snapped, her voice edged with frustration.

Steve glared at her, his blue eyes flashing with anger. "I had it under control."

Y/N let out a bitter laugh. "You had a bullet heading for your head, Rogers."

"I don’t need you to save me," he shot back, his voice low and angry.

"Could’ve fooled me," Y/N muttered, pushing past him as she continued down the corridor.

Steve followed her, clearly not ready to let it go. "You keep rushing in without thinking. One of these days, you’re going to get someone killed."

Y/N spun around, her eyes blazing with energy. "I’m not the one who nearly got my head blown off because I wanted to play it safe!"

They stood toe-to-toe, both breathing hard, the tension between them palpable. For a moment, it seemed like they might start arguing again, but instead, something else crackled in the air between them.

Y/N’s gaze flickered to Steve’s lips for a split second before she snapped her eyes back to his. She saw his eyes do the same.

Neither of them moved for what felt like an eternity.

Then, before either of them could think better of it, they were kissing.

It wasn’t gentle. It was heated, desperate, full of all the anger and frustration they’d been holding back. Y/N’s hands gripped the front of Steve’s uniform, pulling him closer, while his hands settled on her waist, holding her tightly.

For a few moments, the world around them faded away, and it was just them—no mission, no team, no arguments. Just the two of them, caught in the heat of the moment.

In a fury of teeth and heavy pants, Steve quickly swoops her up in his arms, Y/N instinctively wrapping her legs around his waist. He shoves her roughly into the wall causing a low whine to escape her lips. Steve growls lowly at the sound before nipping along her neck to invoke a similar sound. Y/N digs her fingers into Steve’s scalp, lightly pulling at the hairs there.

He returns to her lips and she wastes no time in nipping at the plush skin. He groans as she pushes herself further into him. Even in such a heated situation, they still happen to compete with each other, find something to beat the other at.

When they finally pulled apart, both breathing heavily, they stared at each other, eyes wide with the realization of what had just happened.

Steve was the first to speak, his voice hoarse. "This… doesn’t change anything."

Y/N smirked, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. "Wouldn’t dream of it."

Without another word, they continued down the corridor, but the tension between them had shifted. There was still fire there, but it wasn’t just anger anymore.

Tony's voice crackled over the comms. "Everything okay over there, lovebirds? Thought I’d check in, seeing as it’s been awfully quiet."

Y/N rolled her eyes, glancing at Steve, who looked just as irritated. "We’re fine, Stark."

"Good to know," Tony replied, a grin evident in his voice. "Because I’ve got five bucks that says Cap’s blushing right now."

Y/N bit back a laugh as Steve muttered something under his breath.

"Oh yeah," Tony added, "this is definitely gonna be fun."

After the mission, Y/N and Steve continued to bicker, but there was a new layer to their interactions—something unspoken but undeniably present. The team noticed it too, especially Tony, who never missed an opportunity to comment on the "undeniable chemistry" between them.

Natasha, however, was the only one who approached Y/N about it.

"You and Steve," she said one day during training. "It’s… interesting."

Y/N raised an eyebrow. "Interesting?"

Natasha smirked. "Let’s just say, I’ve seen this kind of tension before. It usually leads to something."

Y/N didn’t respond right away, wiping sweat from her forehead as she caught her breath. "You think it’s that obvious?"

Natasha shrugged. "Obvious to the people who know how to look."

Y/N glanced toward Steve, who was across the training room, sparring with Thor. He caught her eye for just a moment, and she quickly looked away, feeling her heart race again.

"Great," Y/N muttered under her breath. "Just what I need."

Natasha chuckled. "You’ll figure it out. Or you’ll just keep fighting until one of you gives in."

Y/N sighed. "Something tells me it’s gonna be a lot of fighting."

Natasha patted her on the shoulder, her smile amused. "Just don’t let Tony see you slip. He’s got money on this."

Y/N groaned. "Of course he does."

[satansaidnottoday]

A surprise meeting.

Info: Human AU, Lucifer's Mc, GN!Mc.

Summary: Satan and Lucifer want to make you an offer. Happens after this.

Warnings: none.

The sun wasn't fully out yet, barely rearing its head on the horizon. The streets were painted in soft orange light, and the morning frost was slowly melting. You already had quite a few customers sitting down. The café wasn't very popular, but it had a dedicated and slowly growing fan base. If you kept it up, you might not go bankrupt by the end of the year. 

You went outside to place the chalkboard sign that listed your breakfast deals, taking a moment to look at the sunrise. From the corner of your eye, you saw a familiar pair turn at the corner.

You leaned over the sign as they approached. "Ah, my favorite customers!"

"Good morning, Mc," the brothers said at the same time. 

It made you smile. Of all the siblings, they were the most similar. If it wasn't for the blonde hair and green eyes, Satan would be identical to Lucifer. They had to be related.

"What can I get started on for you?" You asked, opening the door for them.

"A ragdoll, please," the blond answered first this time. He walked over to the table nearest to the window. You found that weird; he'd usually sit near the play area. 

"A black coffee for me, please," Lucifer said. He waited by your side for a few seconds and then leaned closer to whisper. "Make his decaffeinated, please." 

"You got it." You lean closer still and whisper back.

He chuckles, which is the most you've managed to get from him. You count it as a victory and go back behind the counter to make their drinks. Black coffee is pretty straightforward, but sculpting the little foam cat on top of the ragdoll (which is just a dry cappuccino) takes quite some time. Still, you try to get it as perfect as possible.

When you made your way back to their table, Lucifer had it half covered in important-looking papers. You were especially careful when placing their orders down.

"Working from home today?" You ask him.

He groans and takes a sip of coffee before answering. 

"I simply never leave work." 

"Well, that can't be healthy," you scolded him. Pretending you were not running on four hours of sleep and half a stale catcake.

"You're one to talk," Satan teases, finally putting down his book to look at your foam art. 

You shush him with a fake stern look. He doesn't pay much attention, too preoccupied with getting the right angle on a shot of his book next to the coffee. The teenager had made his lair at your café ever since you let him in that first night. Some days he would arrive in the morning with a book and stay until you closed, holed up with a blanket in the play area. Your regulars all knew him, probably better than they knew you. Now that he had started to go to school again, you wouldn't see him as much in the morning. Still, he came in every afternoon to do homework.

Sometimes he would arrive in the middle of the night, and you would let him in without a word. He found his way to the cats and stayed there until he calmed down. Of course you would shoot Lucifer a text, so he didn't worry. He was a weird kid, but he was good. You'd much rather he crash at your place than run off somewhere else, and Lucifer agreed on that.

"So you guys are having a little date?" You asked them with a mocking tone.

"We're having a meeting, actually." Lucifer piled all the papers together, lining them up in front of him. 

"Interesting, with who?" You leaned on the table as you spoke. 

"You." Satan smiled up at you.

You pointed at your face with a lifted eyebrow. They both nodded in response.

"Well, I wasn't informed." You straighten up, patting down your apron. "I didn't even iron my clothes today."

"Take a seat, please. We have much to discuss." Satan signaled to one of the empty chairs by his side. He was obviously trying to sound more adult, but his voice was still in that awkward phase. Right in between a squeaky toy and a truck engine.

You looked around to make sure no one needed your help before sitting down. Moving the chair to the end of the table so you could face both of them. 

"Satan has presented a pretty convincing case to me, so I come as his representative." Lucifer took out his glasses and looked at you.

You stayed silent, waiting for whatever they had in store for you.

"Running a coffee shop is plenty of work as is; I've seen how early you wake up just to do the baking," Satan started. "And on top of that, you have to take care of an entire animal refuge."

"It's five cats."

"That's a lot to take care of when you're also running around taking orders and making coffee," he reported, quick on his feet. "You surely wouldn't say no to a helping hand, right?" 

"I'm not hiring help right now, sorry." You pulled the idea out from the roots before it could grow anymore. "I don't have the money for it, and even if I did, I wouldn't hire a fourteen-year-old." 

"You're right, he can't work here," Lucifer said, handing you a paper sheet. "But he can volunteer." 

"What is this?" You asked while scanning the paper. 

"A non-profit volunteer work declaration." He stated. "You're registered as a nonprofit, right?"

"Technically, but only the cat part. The rest is registered as a retail front." You tried to make sense of all the legal juggling you had to do in order to get the place opened. 

"If you fill in your organization's information, I can file that for you and get Satan registered as a volunteer for your cat refuge." He said, handing over another paper. "And if you could sing and date this, I can bring it to school in order to excuse him from PE." 

"Why would cleaning litter boxes get him out of PE?" You asked, baffled.

"Any volunteer work counts!" Satan jumped in, sounding pretty excited about the idea. "And I already spend the whole day here; I might as well help out."

"So? What do you say?" Lucifer asked, and they both looked at you expectantly.

"Sure," you said without thinking. You made quick work of filling out and signing all the paperwork.

They both looked at you, surprised.

"I thought it would be harder to convince you," Lucifer said with a stunned expression. 

"Don't be silly," you teased, standing up to go back to work. "I could never say no to free child labor." 

Thank you for reading ❤️

[januaryembrs]

COFFEE SHOP COP | Javier Peña x Younger!Reader

Request: @brekkers-desigirl says - hey i love your work~ i saw that you're taking requests for characters, congratulations by the way<33 and i was wondering if i could have some javier pena fluff? where steve notices that javi is going out a lot and suspects that hes visiting the brothels but in reality hes meeting the reader, who is maybe a university student and cant be seen with javi, so they meet in secret? just like pure fluff please

thank you so much<33 and congrats on almost 1k again!!!

description: Steve is suspicious of Javi when there’s talks of a mole in the embassy. But when he follow him to coffee shop, he’s in for a surprise.

word count: 1.1k

trigger warnings: age gap? Reader is getting a doctorate. Talk of dissection.

main masterlist

Call it part of the job but Steve Murphy was an observant man. Perhaps he was overly suspicious with the amount of leads going dry as soon as they got close, Carillo had put it in his head that there were talks of a Narco Mole in headquarters, had his head spinning for days after he’d heard the news. But surely not Javi? It couldn’t be Javi.

Javi, who had saved his life more times than he could count, who would give his all for his job and asked nothing in return, who had broken bread with his wife, had watched his baby as if she were his own. It couldn’t be Javi.

But how could he explain his odd behaviour?

Peña had been clocking out on the dot for the past three weeks. Not that he held it against the man, except the two workaholics were known for working long hours past what was on their time cards in the interest of cracking the Narco rats sooner. He was usually given a little excuse of he had to call his father or he wanted to grab coffee on his way home before the shop shut. Even his betta fish needed feeding at a very specific time, that one had Steve frowning at least.

This man was a DEA agent and the best lie he could come up with was about betta fish? If that was the case, Colombia was fucked. But on the day he seemed to have a hankering for coffee the fourth night in a row, Steve had decided enough was enough. Slipping his card into the machine to clock himself out of work not even a whole five minutes after Javi left, he trailed after the man down to the parking lot, being sure to hold back a good few paces. Javi would know if he was being followed.

It wasn’t until he’d followed his truck downtown to a coffee shop that the ridiculous nature of what he was doing hit Steve like, well, Javi’s truck. Of course Javi wouldn’t be the mole, Javi would never. Besides, if the best he could come up with was fish then any real secrets surely would have poured out of him by now. Yet here he was, stalking his own best friend as he waltzed out the side of his truck like a boy on christmas.

He felt like an idiot.

Still unable to admit defeat, he pulled up onto the curb a few spaces down, heading out his car and after the man, ready to catch him in the act. Act of what exactly, though? Purchasing a cappuccino? What a crime.

The suspicion was knocked clear out of him however when he saw Javi walk up to a young woman, glasses perched on her nose. He was floored when he watched Javi cup her jaw gently, their lips meeting in a quick but loving kiss before he took a seat opposite her.

His first thought was she was one of his girls from the brothels, except he was quick to notice the textbooks and papers surrounding her, the way her fingernails were stained with ink. She was young, younger than Javi by a decade at least, but it wasn’t until he read the front of the book he felt at least some reprieve from the shock that must have been written on his face, Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Higher Edition. Doctorate, she was getting her doctorate in medicine.

Smirking to himself that he’d caught Javi in his best kept secret yet, he returned back to his car to see his wife and daughter early for once.

“Long day, baby?” Javi asked, sipping on the edge of his coffee that had started to go lukewarm, despite him bolting his way over here to see you longer. You tucked your hair behind your ear, dog earring the page in your book you were working on, taking the small, china cup in your own hands.

“Had labs to do all morning, and my professor’s been getting on my ass about references.” You sighed, reaching out to squeeze his free hand with your warm fingertips, “I missed you. How was work?”

Javi’s eyes glistened with softness as he watched you, the paper cuts in between your fingers, hair messed from where you’d brushed it away from your face so often. He seemed to snap out of it when he saw you were waiting for a response, shrugging his shoulders a twitch.

“Still just chasing leads- nothing for you to worry about,” He said, bringing your hand up for a peck on your knuckles. Your face heated, his umber eyes following your smile as it settled between your cheeks, “I missed you too. You got classes tomorrow?”

Nodding, you took another sip of your drink, finishing the cup of black liquid, the only thing getting you through this semester. That and Javi ofcourse.

“Got a double lecture in the morning, and then more practicals mid day I gotta prep for,” You said, packing up your books into your bag.

“Nice Lab assistant or mean one?” He asked, taking your bag strap from you almost immediately. He never let you carry your books where he could help with it, the thought of you dragging them around with you in the day was bad enough as it was but seeing you lug around the five, fist width textbooks made his eyes twitch in upset.

“Thanks, honey,” You said, heading out of the coffee shop towards his truck, the passenger seat reserved for you as far as he was concerned, “Mean one. Though, I don’t think I’ll be much more pleasant considering were gonna be harvesting Liver, Spleen and Urine to test for signs of Arsenic,”

Javi grimaced, opening the door for you, helping you step inside with a little pat on your thigh. Gently putting your bag in your lap, he snuck in a quick kiss to your cheek before he shut the door behind you and headed towards the drivers side.

“What’s that face for?” You giggled, your own hand coming out to rest on his jeaned leg as he pulled out of the parking lot.

“It’s a lot of dirty work, your degree,” He said, though his eyes kept flicking back to you from the road, “Not that I don’t think your capable, I just hate to think of you around so much…”

“Blood?” You helped out, and he nodded back, “Javi, I’m fine. The blood is only like half of what I do anyway, it’s the maths that gets messiest,”

Javi shook his, a wry smile on his face as he grabbed your hand in his own, giving your fingertips another kiss.

“You’d give some of the boys at the station a run for their money, sweetheart,”

Taglists;

PERMANENT TAG LIST:

@greeneyedblondie44 @liadamerondjarin @pedrosgirlx @andy-rocks @musicartmayheminmyheart @howlerwolfmax @ciarra–mae @lou-la-lou

Pedro Pascal

@evyiione

Javier Pena

@spideysimpossiblegirl

[things-about-cars-in-posts]

Suzuki Cappuccino :) or other baby roadsters

Oh, I had a post in the chamber about exactly that! :D

So, Japan is pretty densely populated. Let's put it this way: one reason the Tokyo metro area couldn't do a huge and extremely weird cultural exchange where every citizen trades place with someone from Australia, Belgium or Slovenia, is there aren't enough Australians, Belgians and Slovenians combined to do that. So you can imagine it would be pretty advantageous to public life for people to drive small cars - hence the popularity of kei cars, a car class with huge tax benefits and tiny engine and dimensions limits. Those limits, positively minuscule when they were introduced to push bike makers to use their parts to make small cars, eventually increased to a 0.66L engine size and the dimensions below...

...and in the late 80s there was a "gentleman's agreement" whereby no one would make a kei car more powerful than 64hp, similar to the other gentleman's agreement whereby they agreed not to make cars with more than 276hp - which they cleverly addressed by equipping more powerful cars, like the Skyline GT-Rs, with unusual little devices called lies.

But now it's the 1990s -contrary to popular misconceptions- and Japanese businesses and customers have a problem: what the fuck do we do with all this money?

To truly convey the desperation with which cash was being thrown around like primate feces, Mazda created FIVE sub-brands (Amati, Autozam, ɛ̃fini, Xedos, and Eunos, brand under which they sold the Miata as Eunos Roadster) AND gave the SIXTH sub-brand M2 separate headquarters - these headquarters. In Tokyo.

M2 only ever made parts and some fringe prototypes, the most it produced were three Eunos Roadster-based limited versions - they cost twice as much as the original (and for good reason - one of them used leather deemed too expensive by the only other automaker to ever use it, Rolls Royce), but because economic bubble, they were so sought after they had to set up a lottery, Andrea was telling us, and as he got to the uber-limited production numbers (a combined 780), he explained that, since of course they were only sold in Japan, there were only five in the whole of Europe. He then raised his finger and, in one of the greatest flexes I have ever witnessed, pointed it around his huge, Miata-packed shed, counting "one, two, three, four, five".

S'yah, it turns out the world's biggest Miata collection is just owned by Some Guy in the middle of Italy, and if your kid ever gets dumped it is a wonderful place to take him to cheer him back up. Thanks, dad.

So clearly, this was a point in time where even people with no need nor wish nor space for a large second car, or a large car at all, could still be interested in a sportscar, thus spawning some briefly-lived but oh-so-brightly-burning kei sportscars, nicknamed ABC.

One of them being, indeed, the Suzuki Cappuccino.

Please remember, this car is positively lilliputian. It's 3.30m long. For the yankees in the audience, that's just 0.03 football fields. Here are some fun size comparisons.

The engine was front-mid and turbocharged...

...the roof was a fun puzzle that allowed you to have a T-Top coupe (with just the sides off), a targa (with the top part of the roof removed but the rear pillar of the roof still in place) or a spider (by folding the rear pillar and window down)...

...and it was NOT exclusive to Japan, with 12% of units being sold in the UK!

But since this was clearly asked by someone quite familiar with its generalities, some less-known quirks for the geeks:

It was the first kei car ever with double wishbones all around

The indicators changed between JDM and UK versions so if you've got the latter finding spares is 10 times harder

The hood release is in the glovebox and the fuel release is in the center console storage - the latter locks with a different key than the ignition uses, so if you hand just the latter to the valet you can keep them from siphoning your gas, but I'm yet to hear whether that also goes for the glovebox, so stay tuned for updates on whether you can also keep them from siphoning your washer fluid

Air gets to the engine (well, to the turbo) through the frame. Like, it gets into the frame, it travels inside the frame, and then gets out and is filtered. Now, you may ask yourself why they would do that.

While most cars had front disc brakes at the time, the less effective but cheaper drum brakes were usually used on the rear, which was fine since when a car brakes weight transfers to the front so the front wheels are the ones that get more grip and can thus brake harder anyway - so not only do you not need the rear wheels to have the same stopping power, you don't even want them to, because then the rear wheels would lock up before the front ones even got to their full braking potential. So when the Cappuccino got four wheel disc brakes, like every other car with four wheel disc brakes, it didn't put four discs of the same size all around. Unlike every other car with four wheel disc brakes, however, they put the bigger ones at the rear. A friend who owns one called the brakes "not amazing".

Then again, let's cut them some slack, it was the second kei car ever with four wheel disc brakes! Second, yes, because the Cappuccino was not the first kei-sized sportscar.

So, remember how with Ferrari, the last car to be signed off by its founder was a mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive, manual, record-setting, no frills two-seater sportscar? Well, the Japanese being famous overachievers, that goes for Soichiro Honda's last two.

Supposedly, Honda decided that its F1 engines hadn't kicked Ferrari's ass enough, so they set out to build a car as approachable, reliable and daily-life-friendly as a Honda yet faster through both straights and corners than a Ferrari. Or a Lamborghini. Or a Porsche- you get the idea. Thus, the NSX, seen here next to it is its test driver, tuning consultant and enthusiastic owner Ayrton Senna, best known for driving the car on the left into three championship wins, a bunch of "Greatest Of All Time" debates, and a wall that killed him.

But if your second-to-last car is a two seat, mid-engined, rear wheel drive sportscar with Pininfarina design, a 40mm short-throw manual, and a redline past 8000RPM, what do you do for your last one? Easy! Another!

This little bowl of pint-sized cuteness is the Honda Beat, and yes, that interior is not just factory, but was the only pattern available. Still, if you think the interior is the most outlandish part of this car, you haven't heard it.

Again, this engine was outsized by two Coke cans and the car it's in is no bigger than the Cappuccino, and you already know how... ah, screw it, let's show you a size comparison anyway.

Some geek facts:

It was the first mid-engine monocoque (as in not body-on-frame, not un-shark-like, you pervs) spider ever made! There were some targas before, but never a full-on spider

The stereo was custom to fit in the super-narrow center console between the two asymmetrical cabin spaces so the cassette slot has the same cute little Beat logo as the "Open Air Motoring!" branded floormats!

Gathers celebrated its 20th anniversary with a new touchscreen radio for it that is now uber-rare and uber-expensive

It had two trunks, which is lovely, except that the rear one had the battery and optional CD changer conspiring against you and the front was literally inside the spare tire, so it's good that you could also get a rear rack!

The rear rims are bigger than the front!

With how much cooler this is than the Cappuccino (sorry, friend who owns one) it's quite the shame Suzuki decided not to go forward with the mid-engine layout their kei sportscar development started with. At least, Mazda sure thought as much, asking Suzuki to please keep working on that idea and make a mid-engined kei sportscar for them to sell under their brand for the youth, Autozam. And thus we have the ABC - C for Cappuccino, B for Beat...

...and A for AZ-1. Think of how cool life was in Japan back in the day that this was a car for the youth.

Fun facts:

IT HAS GULLWING FUCKING DOORS

The spare tire was mounted in the front compartment but crashing made it jam the steering wheel in your chest so they sent owners a little bag and asked them to please put that tire behind the seats

GULLWING FUCKING DOORS

Suzuki sold a few of them themselves as the Cara

G U L L W I N G D O O R S

Sadly, it joined the party (JapaneseEconomicBoomfest, that is) just when it was ending. Hell, the Beat was sold for six years ('91 through '96) and two thirds of Beats sold are 1991s. That's how hard recession hit Japan right when the AZ-1 came out, which indeed sold a fraction of the other two.

But fear not: after decades, Honda blew the dust off the kei sportscar idea in 2015 with the gloriously sexy S660.

It did cease production last year, but at least it left the Japanese used market a kei sportscar with the modern amenities we (and by we I mean you spoiled pussies) cannot do without, like steering wheel controls and *squints* HDMI.

Oh by the way, remember how I said I was going to post about the Cappuccino? Well, it was because someone posted a picture of one with aftermarket taillights.

Guess what car was next to it when this picture was taken. Guess.

WRONG.

"What? Where was this?" At a Fiat 500 meeting, of course. And then people wonder why I love Japan so much.

Links in blue are posts of mine explaining the words in question - if you liked this post, you might like those!

[h4chi]

love alarm, part iv.

here THEO tries making it up for the lost years.

theo x female reader, 633 words

It was odd seeing Theo in front of your doorstep after years, yet it was even more odd seeing him with one hand busy holding a hot cappuccino and the other holding a little brown bag, probably containing whatever food.

“Yn! Hi!” he was always such a morning person. You, on the other hand, always favored 5 minutes of more sleep. 

“Hi Theo.”

He offered to you what he was holding, smiling brightly in the action of doing so.

“I brought you breakfast. I always see you getting this at piece’s cafe, so I hope I picked the right stuff…” he turned his head to the side as his voice got lower as he kept rambling. You found it pretty cute.

“Thank you so much. You didn’t have to.” You take his offerings in your hands, and proceed to take a bite of the chocolate croissant that was in the bag. It was 8am, that means he must’ve gotten up very early to be able to be on time and also to get you breakfast. 

You both started walking to school, and you must admit, the trip was way less awkward than you would’ve expected it to be. It seemed just like all those years of ignoring each other never happened as Theo filled you up with everything he had done in the last months. Apparently, he dropped volleyball to pursue a musical career, his older sister moved to Japan to study, and he got a job at a florist very close to school, owned by a friend of his grandmother. Oh, and he finally got a puppy.

It really felt like the old Theo, your Theo, was finally back, and you couldn’t be any happier.

You parted ways as he had a different class from yours, his being p.e. and yours biology. 

As soon as he was far enough, you saw the notification from love alarm going away, and the number 1 changing into a 0. You sighed, putting your phone in your pocket, and making your way to your usual seat.

The seat next to yours was empty, as Intak informed you he had a medical appointment, until someone familiar approached you.

“Yn, gorgeous as always. Is this seat taken?”

You rolled your eyes as you saw Jiung, today weirdly without the company of any girl. “My bag is on the chair, Jiung.”

Despite the comment he moved it elsewhere, and proceeded to take a seat next to you.

“So, hanging out with Theo again?” The lesson already had begun, and the teacher was drawing on the blackboard explaining something about biotechnologies. 

“Yes. And why do you care?”

He shrugged his shoulder. “I don’t know. I just thought you two had, you know, broken up a few time ago.”

You copied what was now written on the blackboard. “Yes, and? He apologized.”

“Why wouldn’t you go out with me then? I’m handsome, funny, generous...”, you furrowed your eyebrows, trying to pay attention to the class while Jiung kept on listing attributes that he most definitely didn’t have, “I’m basically everything that you- that a girl needs!”

You ran out of patience. Actually, for being only 9.10am, you kept silent for way longer than you would’ve at a different time of the day. 

“Jiung,” you turn to face him with a fake smile, “that is exactly where you’re being wrong.” you can quite say what he’s thinking, but he wears a questionable look as he listens to what you have to say. “I don’t want to go out with you because I don’t want to go out with you. You’re annoying, full of yourself, egoist, and a narcissist. I’m sorry if you don’t struck my fancy, but stop bothering me about it. Maybe then I’ll start liking you.” 

“Yah, Yn, you’re so-“

“Choi, Yl, if you keep disturbing the class I’ll have no choice but to send you both to detention. If you’re not interested, you’re free to leave the room.”

hello :) did you check part iii yet? back to masterlist. interested in part v?

P1HARMONY MASTERLIST!

© H4CHI 2022 do not copy or repost anywhere.

[riscappu]

What was the first impressions of Cappuccino and Risotto when they met? Has that first impression changed, and how did it change if so?

Well, Cappu's first impression inside her head when she met Risotto for her application for the team kinda was…:

„HOLY SHIT WHY IS THIS MAN SO HOT OH NO OH NO OH NO I CANT ALLOW TO FALL FOR THIS MAN HE WILL BE MY SUPERIOR THIS CANT END WELL…his eyes creep me out and are so hot urgh i can’t stop staring at him but I should stop looking him in the eyes WHAT SHOULD I DO WAHHH!!“

…Cappuccino is deep down quite an awkward woman despite her fear based Stand, no matter how cold and though she wants to appear. And yeah, she was directly mesmerized by her potential new leader, not sure if that is a great start…well, definitely a fact she will need to bury and hide initially. She liked a lot instantly about him. Sure, his looks, which she first noticed, who couldn’t when a man dresses the way Risotto does? Full view on display I may say! But there was more to that, he seemed very intelligent, experienced, tactical, confident while not arrogant and stoic, all traits she loves seeing in other people since she admires these traits.

And she still thinks this positively of him until the day she died in Sardinia, even if she got to knew his warmer and more relaxed side with her, as well has some negative sides, sure, she still values him more than anyone else in her life for all they have been together until their ends.

Risotto was quite curious about the woman. He was fascinated by her Stand because the stories Formaggio already told him about her. Not only that but he found her honest and genuine behavior very pleasing, he can read people very well and see that she is serious about this job. He just needs her to be more relaxed since she seems very nervous, not the best trait for an assassin but she has potential in his eyes. He was also charmed by the way she expresses herself and her little gestures and accent of her voice, something just captivated him. But he fell in love later and quite slowly in comparison with her, it took a while until he realized his own feelings about her some months later.

Even after coming together he still is fascinated by her, be it her interests or just how passionate she can be for the stuff she loves.

Overall they had quite the positive impression about each other, even if Cappu was way more head over heels than Risotto, who firstly (understandably) just analyzed her powers and potential performance for the team and not much more, even if the sympathy was already there for him.

[sebstanaddict]

Too Good To Be True

Sebastian Stan x Reader Story

Summary: A romantic comedy story where Sebastian Stan falls in love with reader but she is not who he thinks she is.

After one of her dreams came true, which was meeting Sebastian Stan, reader thought life would finally get better for her. Unfortunately it didn't and she was forced to take a job all aspiring actresses usually took early in their careers, which was becoming a waitress/barista. One day her idol came to her work place and turned her world upside-down, literally. Will she finally get the luck she so desperately needed in her life or will bad luck continue to haunt her?

Pairings : Sebastian Stan x Female!Reader

Chapters : 3/20 (Might add more)

Chapter list >

Warning : none

Word count : 6.4k words

This story is inspired loosely by Sebastian's love life so it will have characters from his real life but I will not name their real names. I will only use Sebastian's real name in the story.

---

Chapter 3 - Conga

Go Get 'Em Tiger Cafe, LA, California - 1 month later

—

The milk steamer let out a hissing sound as soft foam started to form in the housemade almond milk inside the stainless steel cup. Being able to make a cup of latte or cappuccino using an expensive coffee machine was something Y/n never thought she could do. She guessed human brains really have a large untapped capacity for learning anything. Still, she moved out of Silicon Valley not expecting to learn to be a barista or a waitress, she wanted to learn acting, which she did, and there was nothing else she would love to learn more than acting. But the fact that she had started to run out of money and that she hadn't scored a role on anything yet, not even a commercial, she had no choice but to do the aspiring actress slash waitress job.

After her very first audition in front of Sebastian ended up with her being injured, she was forced to stay in her apartment for two weeks until her ankle was healed, so she missed out on four auditions she was supposed to do within those two weeks. She ended up doing some auditions over zoom and she also recorded videos of herself and sent them out to agencies and production houses. Of course, those types of auditions couldn't beat an in person audition where the casting directors could see her directly, so she assumed one of the reasons why she hadn't gotten any roles yet was because of that. Or maybe she just wasn't that good. Sometimes that thought crossed her mind. But Eve, her aspiring actress roommate, who had more experience in the acting world than she was, told her that she was good and kept encouraging her to do auditions. Her acting teacher Miss Davidson also told her that she was good and kept encouraging her to continue. She ended up enrolling in a part time acting class at the conservatory to improve her acting skills more while also having the waitress slash barista job on the side.

Despite being side tracked in her efforts to succeed as an actress, she was still somewhat grateful that she could get a job at the Go Get 'Em Tiger cafe. Eve was also working there and she helped her get the job. The cafe was located in Los Feliz and it was supposed to be quite a popular spot for Hollywood celebrities to hang out. However, in the two weeks that she had started working there she had only met one celebrity, Chris Pine, who was alone and spent almost half the day there just reading a book. She had more than hoped that Sebastian would one day come into the cafe but that day had not come yet.

Speaking of Sebastian, after a week of not hearing anything from him, she was convinced that the reason he was so nice to her was because he had hit her head with a frisbee. There was no chance he was interested in her at all and even though she knew it from the beginning, deep down she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. She remembered the way he looked at her at the conservatory's infirmary and in his car. She felt like there was something more there. But of course there wasn't. She was just hallucinating. He probably looked at everyone the way he looked at her. She had tried to convince herself.

Despite knowing she didn't have any chance with him she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever meet him again. The results of the audition had been announced about a week before. The role of the main character's sister went to her classmate Lily, while both the roles of the main character's girlfriend and friend didn't go to anyone from the conservatory. It seemed no one was good enough for both roles so Sebastian and the other producers most likely opened auditions to other people. This made it harder for her to meet him again and it had made her sad. Even though she only met him briefly she felt the impact was quite deep. Yes, after meeting him in person she could say that she was more in love with him than ever. How could she not? Especially after how he had treated her. But of course it was not good to dwell on it too long. It was useless. She had zero chance with him so she should focus her mind on other things and she could proudly say that she was successful in that.

She had only been working at the cafe for two weeks but she was a fast learner that the manager had trusted her to graduate from just being a waitress to being a barista. She was quite proud of that until that day that is.

She poured the foamy almond and macadamia milk into a cup where a small amount of espresso was already in. She moved the stainless steel cup containing the milk slowly to form the signature leaf like design on top of the cappuccino. The end result was pretty and she was really happy with it. She placed the cup of cappuccino onto a tray where she had prepared some sachets of sugar and Stevia as well as a teaspoon and rang the bell. Soon Eve came over.

"Table 7, Eve." She said, gesturing her head towards a table by the window where a man was sitting.

"Okay, thanks Y/n. You're getting really good at the foam design." Eve commented and smiled at her after glancing at the cappuccino.

"Oh thanks. I tried my best." She smiled back.

She had just finished cleaning up after making the cappuccino when the one person she had hoped to meet again in the past month walked in. It was Sebastian!

He looked exactly, if not even more good looking than the last time she saw him. He still had long hair pulled back into a ponytail but he had slightly thicker stubble. He wore a navy sweater, which was peculiar to wear in LA at this time of the year, but of course he still looked good wearing it. She couldn't help but continue to stare at him. He looked around for a bit and then walked straight towards her. But just before he could really see her, her embarrassment got the best of her. Somehow she didn't want him to know that she ended up being a barista slash waitress instead of a successful actress. So she quickly ducked and squatted behind the counter, pretending to clean the cupboard in front of her with a rag that was in her hand.

"Excuse me." His voice traveled down into her ears and she could feel warmth crawling from her neck up to her cheek.

She pretended not to notice and hoped another employee could deal with him instead but she was the only barista scheduled to work at that hour and Eve was cleaning up tables on the patio outside while the cafe's manager was busy in the kitchen supervising a new cook. No one else could cover for her.

"Hello. I'd like to order please." Sebastian called out again and she took a deep breath. Okay, alright, you can do this. She encouraged herself and slowly but surely started to stand up.

"Oh hello. What can I get for you, sir?" She smiled nervously, trying to put on a professional face. For all she knew he probably didn't remember her. It had been a month after all since he last saw her.

Sebastian stared at her with his gorgeous blue eyes and soon recognition appeared in them.

"Oh hey, it's Y/n, right?" He asked, smiling wide at her.

"Hi Sebastian." She smiled back, feeling both, elated and embarrassed that he still remembered her.

"How are you? How's your ankle?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Her heart felt warm at his question. Not only did he remember her, he also remembered her injury. But of course, after what happened, it was normal that he would remember.

"Oh, it's healed. I just sometimes feel weird walking on it. But it's mostly fine. Thanks for asking." She replied and he nodded in response.

"That's good. Happy to hear that." He smiled.

"Yeah. Thanks." She smiled back.

"I didn't know you worked here. Last time I was here, which was about three weeks ago, I didn't see you." He stated.

"Umm.. yeah. I just started about two weeks ago." She replied, blushing again as the embarrassment she felt earlier came back.

"Oh, I see." He nodded.

"I.. uh.. have bills to pay so I didn't have a choice." She blurted out. She didn't know why she said it and she felt really stupid for saying it. Having a high paying job for most of her life, admitting that she needed a job was actually quite embarrassing for her. It seemed her nervousness got the best of her.

"Oh yeah, I get that. Everyone in the business had to do this at some point in their careers. I did too." He winked and she could feel butterflies in her stomach and she was sure her face had reddened again.

"What job did you do at the beginning?" She finally asked after she had recovered from his wink.

"I was a waiter, also a store attendant at some point. But my first job was at a cinema, taking stubs of tickets from moviegoers. Stuff like that." He chuckled.

"Oh, the cinema huh? I bet you had a blast being able to watch movies a lot." She commented.

"Oh yeah I did. That was the only good thing about the job." He said.

They laughed and she couldn't help but notice that he did the nose scrunch. It was something cute that he did sometimes when he laughed and she couldn't believe she could witness it directly.

Just then a family of four entered the cafe. A dad, a mom and their daughter and son. They walked straight towards the counter.

"Anyway, sorry, what can I get you, Sebastian?" She asked, her eyes glancing behind him where the family had stood.

"Oh yeah. Sorry." Sebastian turned his face towards his back for a quick second and saw the family then he turned back to face her.

"I'll just have the iced almond macadamia latte and I'll also have the avocado toast." He said.

"Alright, that would be eighteen dollars and fifty cents, sir." She said after entering his orders into the cafe's system.

"Sir.. I feel so old." He chuckled as he pulled out his wallet.

"Sorry, I didn't mean.." she said but she was cut off.

"It's okay, Y/n..I was joking." He winked and she blushed again.

"Here, keep the change." He said as he gave her ten one hundred dollar bills.

Her jaw dropped as she received the thousand dollars from him. She knew that he was a generous tipper but a thousand dollars was just too much!

"Sebastian.. I.. I can't accept this." She said as she tried to give the money back to him but he put his hands behind him and wouldn't accept the money back.

"Just take it Y/n. I insist. Now let's not make these people wait for too long." He said as he beckoned his head back towards the family that were standing behind him.

"I.. okay. Th.. thank you so much, Sebastian." She stammered as she put the money into the till and typed the amount and tip that he gave into the system, her hand shaking a little.

"Hey, the change is just for you. So.. don't put them into the system." He reminded her.

"Oh.. right. Thanks." She said as she picked most of the money back and put them into her pocket. If her manager was there he would have scolded her or even take the money away from her but he wasn't and she was really grateful for that.

She deleted the actual amount that he had given to her from the system and entered the amount of the order instead. Then she printed out the receipt.

"Here's your receipt and please kindly wait. We will bring your orders to your table once they're ready." She said while giving him the receipt.

"Okay, thanks. I'll be on the patio." He said and she nodded.

He smiled at her one last time and finally turned around and left her. She felt weak in her knees as he left but she shouldn't be like this. There were other customers that needed her attention! She scolded herself.

"Good morning, sir, ma'am. What can I get for you today?" She smiled as the dad and mom of the family approached her.

"Good morning. We'll have two bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches please, then a GGET BLT and a Protein Brekkie." The mom replied.

She quickly put in their orders with her heart pounding hard in her chest. She rarely accepted large orders, Eve usually did the order taking so she was scared she would get them wrong.

"Okay, what drinks would you like to have today, sir, ma'am?" She asked after making sure the food orders had been entered correctly.

"I'll just have an iced latte, please." The dad replied.

"Make that two and two orange juice for our kids. But please make sure not to use nut milk for my husband's latte because he's allergic to nuts." The mom said.

"Yeah, I always forgot to say that. I'm allergic to nuts." The dad said.

"Noted, sir, ma'am." She said as she continued to enter their orders into the system.

"So, that would be seventy one dollars, sir, ma'am." She said as the total of their orders appeared on the cafe's computer screen.

The mom paid and they finally left her to sit outside on the patio, leaving her to finally work on making all of their orders.

She dealt with the orange juice first as they were the easiest to prepare while also waiting for the coffee machine to heat up.  Then she prepared the iced lattes next. A regular iced latte and the one Sebastian ordered, the iced almond macadamia latte, basically had the same recipe. The only difference was with the milk that was used. A regular latte used regular cow's milk while the iced almond macadamia one used housemade almond and macadamia milk.

She remembered the dad was allergic to nuts so she made sure not to use the wrong milk for him. After a while all the drinks were done and she rang the bell to call Eve.

"Table 10 and 15, Eve." She said as Eve approached her.

"Y/n.. is that Sebastian Stan on table 15?" Eve asked with her eyes wide as she looked outside towards the patio where Sebastian was sitting.

"Yup." She nodded.

"Oh wow. Did he remember you?" Eve continued to ask.

"Believe it or not he did remember me." She smiled, her eyes glazed a little as she remembered the way recognition entered his eyes when he first saw her earlier.

"That's so cool." Eve exclaimed in awe.

"Well, I guess he would remember me seeing how I embarrassed myself and he basically had to carry me multiple times." She chuckled.

"Yeah, you're so lucky. By the way, do you want to bring his order yourself?" Eve asked.

"Umm.. I still have some cleaning up to do. Maybe it's best that you do it. Don't want to keep him waiting too long." She replied.

"Okay." Eve nodded and she finally left to bring the orders to Sebastian and the family.

She was again just finished cleaning up after making the last order when she heard a female voice scream out.

"Help! Somebody call 911!" The mom from the family screamed.

The mom was standing over her husband who seemed to be choking. She immediately got out of the counter and went over to them. Her heart dropped to her stomach as she watched the dad whose entire mouth had swollen. His face looked pale. It was clear he was having anaphylactic shock and had trouble breathing.

She immediately pulled out her cellphone and called 911. As soon as she was done the cafe's manager and Eve went to stand by her, trying to calm the mom and help the dad in any way they could.

"He's having an allergic reaction! I told you he was allergic to nuts!" The mom shouted at her.

"What?! Did you give this man nuts?" The cafe's manager turned to her, his voice raised.

"No! I.. I made sure I put regular milk in his order and not almond milk." She defended herself.

Her eyes glanced at the latte glasses on the table and then she turned to look at Sebastian's glass on his table, and realized their orders must have been switched. She didn't give anything on the glasses to differentiate between the lattes and Eve didn't know which ones were which. She didn't tell her. In all of her excitement and nervousness of meeting Sebastian again, she had forgotten to tell her. Her heart sank deep into her stomach as she realized that she was in big trouble.

—

"You're fired!" The cafe's manager spat at her about an hour later.

Thankfully the emergency responders came not long after she realized her mistake and they were able to inject the man with adrenaline, helping him in reversing the effects of the allergy thus allowing him to breathe normally again. They still brought the man to the nearest hospital to observe him and made sure a second anaphylactic attack didn't happen.

The man's wife was absolutely furious at her and even threatened to sue them. She calmed down eventually after the cafe's manager refunded her and told her that they would deal with any medical expenses for the man's recovery.

She was standing in the cafe's manager's office, looking down at her feet in fear and shame as the manager continued to scold her and berated her. Eve stood next to her, looking down at her feet as well.

"I.. I'm really sorry Mr.Smith. It was an honest mistake." She stammered.

"Honest mistake?! More like stupid mistake! The man could've died and you could've been charged with murder!" He shouted and she winced at that.

He was right. The man could've died. She was completely horrified at the thought.

"Me firing you is tame compared to what could've happened to you. You know I could've demanded you to pay to cover that man's medical expenses. But I know you don't have the money. So I won't ask you for that. But I won't pay you a dime." He continued to say with venom in his voice.

She could only nod as she listened to him. Her punishment was fitting. She accepted that.

"Now Eve, I'm not going to fire you. You've been with us a long time so I'm letting you go with a warning." Mr.Smith said as he turned to look at Eve.

"Thank you Mr.Smith." Eve nodded and glanced at her for a split second, as if silently saying to her how sorry she was at the turn of events.

"Now go! Both of you!" Mr.Smith said as he waved his hand and dismissed them.

She nodded, turned around and followed Eve out of Mr.Smith's office. Her mind was still reeling after what just happened.

"I'm really sorry, Y/n." Eve said.

"It was my fault, Eve, that's okay." She sighed.

"I'll ask my friends in case they know if another cafe or restaurant is hiring." Eve offered.

"Yeah, thanks Eve. I'll look for a job myself too." She said as they arrived at the small room which housed the employee lockers as well as some benches where the employees could sit and rest.

"I have to go back out. You'll be okay, right?" Eve asked, placing her hand on the side of her left arm.

"Yeah. I'm just going to go back home after I change." She said.

"Okay. See you later, Y/n." Eve reached out and gave her a brief hug then left her alone.

As she changed out of her uniform the severity of the situation dawned in her. She was unemployed, yet again! What was it with this year? She thought in disbelief. She was fired twice that year, something she never thought she would experience. Yes, she realized that for all these years she mostly had experienced bad luck and unfair conditions. But something big like this never happened to her twice in the same year. Why was she such a loser?! She complained internally as she slammed the door of her locker hard, but instead of closing, the door fell down onto her, the hinges were destroyed with rust. She cursed as she struggled to put the door back onto its place but couldn't so she just left it leaning on the locker.

Go home. That was all she could think about as she finally went out of the employee room and slung her bag around her shoulder. Her emotions about the whole situation had started to come to the surface and she felt like she was about to cry. She didn't want to cry in front of the other employees and customers. So she quickly went out of the cafe, forgetting completely about Sebastian who apparently was still there, sitting at the patio.

She wasn't sure what to do as she walked closer towards where his table was. As it happened his table was near the exit of the cafe so she couldn't really avoid him. He was looking down while reading a book so she hoped she could just slip past him. But her hope was squashed as she got closer to him and Sebastian looked up at her.

"Y/n? What happened?" Sebastian asked, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. She didn't want to stop but she didn't want to be rude either so she stopped.

"I.. I don't know if you saw what happened but.. I got fired." She said slowly.

"Oh no. I did see what happened." He said, staring at her in concern.

"Yeah, I.. I mixed up your order with that man who got an anaphylactic shock. He's allergic to nuts and I gave him your latte." She explained.

"Oh, that explains why I couldn't taste the almond and macadamia in the latte." He commented.

"Yeah.. I.. I'm sorry about that. I can ask the other barista to make the correct latte for you if you want." She offered.

"Oh no, thanks. That won't be necessary. I already finished more than half of it anyway." He said, smiling.

"Okay. Well, I have to go. See you later, Sebastian." She waved a little at him and quickly turned to leave him. She was on the verge of crying and she didn't want him to see it. But Sebastian didn't seem to get it because he quickly stood up and followed her.

"Y/n! Wait!" Sebastian shouted at her but she pretended not to hear him and she decided to run. She crossed the street and headed towards a parking lot where she had parked her car.

"Y/n! Stop!" She could hear Sebastian shouting after her so she immediately ran to her car and ducked behind it, hoping Sebastian didn't see her. She squatted on the ground, her heart beating fast in her chest as she waited to see if Sebastian had seen her. Moments later she could hear the sound of footsteps. A pair of white sneakers showed up in front of her and she knew he had caught up with her.

"Y/n?" He called out gently. She looked up to see him staring at her with confusion on his face.

"Y/n.. why are you hiding from me?" He asked in amusement.

"I.. I'm sorry. I just.. " she sighed. She couldn't tell him that she was about to cry. But seeing him looking down at her with genuine concern on his face broke the dam in her heart that had stopped her from crying ever since the incident happened. Tears started to fall from her eyes and she finally cried. She tried hard to stop because she was embarrassed but she couldn't. Once she started she couldn't stop. She cried hard, grieving over her bad luck in employment that year. Swirls of fear and uncertainty circled around in her chest. She never felt so powerless in her life. She didn't have a job! How was she supposed to live now?! She didn't want to end up homeless. She continued to sob.

Sebastian walked closer to her and knelt in front of her. He opened his arms wide and pulled her into his embrace, startling her. She froze as she ended up sitting on the ground while Sebastian's arms circled around her body tight.

"There.. there.. it's okay Y/n. Everything is gonna be okay." He soothed her while his hand caressed her back gently.

Home. She suddenly felt like she was home in his arms. She stopped crying and took a deep breath. Inhaling deeply the intoxicating smell of his cologne mixed with what she guessed was his signature scent. The warm feeling of his arms around her, the softness of his sweater and especially his comforting signature scent successfully calmed her down. She sniffled and Sebastian slowly let her go.

He raised his hand up to her face and wiped the tears falling down on her cheeks gently with his fingers. Her heart galloped fast in her chest as she felt his warm fingers on her cheeks and she blushed.

"I.. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cry in front of you." She stammered.

"It's okay Y/n. Don't worry about it." He looked down at her and gave her a warm smile, making butterflies flutter around in her stomach.

For a moment they just looked at each other and she could feel it again, how he looked deep into her soul and she felt her heart skip a beat.

"Are you feeling better?" He finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah..thank you Sebastian." She smiled and took a deep breath.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked gently as he let her go completely and sat crossed leg on the ground in front of her.

“I.. Well, I was just grieving over my unemployment. This was the second time I got fired this year and I just worry so much about my future. I.. I don’t want to end up being homeless, you know.” She sighed.

“I see. This was the second time you got fired?” He asked curiously.

“Yeah it was.” She replied. She ended up telling him about her previous job at Silicon Valley, how she waited three months but couldn’t get a job and how she decided to go to LA to pursue an acting career. Of course she omitted the fact that he was the reason why she decided to pursue an acting career. She didn’t want him to know that she was his fan. She didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable because of it.

“Wow, I admire you for wanting to step out of your comfort zone. Not everyone has the balls to do that.” He commented. He seemed genuinely impressed at her story and that made her confidence level raise.

“Thank you, Sebastian. I really appreciate you saying that.” She smiled and he smiled back.

"You’re welcome, Y/n. By the way, I have something serious to talk to you about, but maybe we should go somewhere more comfortable. It’s getting kind of hot out here." He suggested as he stood up and extended his hand towards her.

"Oh okay." She said, startled as she held his hand and stood up.

"Let's just go to my car and I can put the AC on." He said, beckoning for her to follow him towards his car, which was coincidentally parked next to hers.

She just nodded as she followed him to his car, wondering what it was that he wanted to talk to her about.

Moments later they sat side by side in his car. He put the AC on full blast and she could feel warm air blasted out from the fan. Slowly the air turned cool and gave her some relief from the sweltering California heat. Her heart beat fast in her chest as she waited on what he was going to say to her. She couldn't help but fantasize that he was going to confess that he had fallen in love with her, like what happens in romcoms. But her logical side argued that there was no way it would happen. She was simply not his type. Heck, she was nobody's type. Her single status for the past thirty years proved that.

"Y/n.. first of all, I hope you don't think of me as some kind of creep for saying this to you." He said and she immediately shook her head.

"Nothing you say would make me think that." She said.

"Not even if I told you I'm a cannibal?" He laughed and she laughed as well.

"Okay, maybe that. Wait.. it's not that, is it?" Her eyebrows raised.

He laughed so hard that tears started to form in the corners of his eyes.

"It's not that, Y/n." He finally said after he stopped laughing and regained his composure.

"Oh. Phew!" She said in relief, making him laugh again.

"Anyway. What I wanted to tell you is. I want you.. to work for me." He slowly said.

"What?!" She exclaimed out loud, flabbergasted.

"Yeah. Filming for Pumping Black is happening soon and I need some PAs, personal assistants, you know. To help on set and.. well.. maybe off the set as well." He said, his eyes looked to the right as he seemed to be thinking.

She couldn't believe her ears! Sebastian f*****g Stan was offering her a job?! Out of everything that could happen in her life this one definitely never crossed her mind. Well, she would of course prefer to work with him as an actress, like a co-star of his, but being his personal assistant sounded awesome too! She could be with him 24/7! Okay, maybe not exactly 24/7 but close to that. It was like every Sebastian's fan's dream job! She couldn't believe her luck!

"Are you serious?" She asked, wide eyed.

"Yes, I'm serious Y/n. But if you don't want to work for me then it's okay. I know I'm practically a stranger to you and this might be weird for you. So I understand completely if you don't want to take up on my offer." He explained quickly.

"Oh.. yeah, well, it does seem weird, I can't deny that." She said, playing hard to get a little and he smiled knowingly.

"But.." he trailed, teasing her.

"But.. of course I would work for you Sebastian! Being your PA beats being a waitress or barista any day!" She exclaimed excitedly.

"Happy to hear that." He chuckled.

"So, when do I start?" She asked.

"Well, I love your enthusiasm but aren't you gonna ask about your salary? You should never forget asking about that in a job interview." He reminded her and she laughed.

"This doesn't feel like a job interview. But yeah, you're right. How much are you going to pay me, mister?" She asked and he laughed.

"Twice the amount Go Get 'Em Tiger paid you." He said.

"Oh! That's great! If I told you they paid me 50 grand a month would you pay me 100 grand a month?" She teased.

"I don't believe they paid you that much, Y/n." He protested and she laughed.

"Yeah, they didn't, unfortunately." She chuckled and he chuckled as well.

"Well, I assume they paid you in the range of two to three grand a month." He said.

"Yeah, you're right." She nodded.

"Okay, in that case I'm offering you four grand a month. And that's for working from 9 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. You'll be compensated more if you work outside of official working hours. I usually pay twenty dollars per hour for work outside of working hours." He explained.

"Okay, that sounds good, Sebastian." She smiled. "How long will you need me for?"

"Well, filming will last for about three months. Two months at a studio here and a month in France. So I'll need you for at least three months. But I do have other projects coming after that where I may need your help again..I guess we'll see." He replied.

"That sounds amazing. I've never been to France before." She said in awe.

"Oh yeah? Well, it's a beautiful country, you'll love it there." He commented.

"I'm sure I will! So, when do I start?" She asked eagerly.

"Well, filming for Pumping Black is going to start in about a week. So I'd say you should start immediately. However, I still need to run this by the other producers and Maya too. I'm sure they'll be okay with it and I just need to ask them for formality's sake, you know. Because I already have three PAs working for me at the moment."

"Oh. Are you sure you still need me?" She asked, doubt started to form in her heart.

"Of course Y/n! The more the merrier! And even if you don't end up working for me personally we still need PAs for the other actors." He explained.

"Okay. That sounds good." She nodded.

"Yeah. Speaking of actors. I'm sure you know we ended up not giving the girlfriend and friend role to anyone from your conservatory." He said.

"Oh, yeah. I knew about that. We must be really bad huh?" She chuckled.

"Well, no actually, that's the thing. Out of everyone who auditioned for the role of Celeste, you were actually on the first rank, Y/n." He sighed.

"What?! Are you serious, Sebastian?" She asked, her jaw dropped.

"Yeah. But, well.. I regret to say that the other producers decided to get someone more known and famous as Celeste, if you get what I mean. Someone who could help sell the movie to the general audience. So, I'm sorry. You should have gotten the role, Y/n." He said in regret.

"Oh my God! Really?!" She exclaimed out loud, her hand covered her mouth in disbelief.

"Yeah. But I'm sure you'll get a better role in the future. You have great talent, you just need to keep practicing and take as many auditions as you can." He suggested.

"Sebastian.. you have no idea how much this means to me! I mean.. I know I didn't get the role. But to be the first rank on the audition! That is awesome!" She said in delight.

He smiled and stared at her softly, making her heart skip a beat. Once again she felt like he was seeing her deep into her soul. His beautiful eyes gazed at her warmly and she felt her heart was going to burst out of her chest.

"It is awesome, Y/n. But you know what's more awesome?" He asked with a glint in his eyes.

"What?" She asked curiously.

"This!" He said as he turned the radio on and a Gloria Estefan song started to play from the speaker.

She laughed as she recognized the song. It was the up-beat song Conga. Sebastian started to move his shoulders in tune with the music while she just watched him and laughed.

"Come on Y/n! Move your shoulder. Move your body a little." He encouraged her and she didn’t have a choice but to obey her new boss.

They ended up singing and dancing to the song, turning her bad day into an unbelievable day.

"Is this going to be the norm working for you?" She laughed as the song finally ended and Sebastian finally stopped dancing.

"Oh yeah it is!" He exclaimed excitedly and she laughed.

"Being able to spontaneously sing and dance when prompted is one of the job requirements." He teased.

"Oh okay. And how did I do?" She asked, smiling.

"You passed with flying colors, Y/n." He replied and winked, making her blush yet again.

"Anyway, I have to go to the studio. I have an appointment in an hour with Maya and the other producers." He said.

"Oh yeah, okay. I should just…go then." She said as she placed her hand on the door handle of the car.

"No wait, I can drive you home first if you want." He said, reaching out to touch her hand, making her heart skip a beat. She could feel that she was blushing again. He retracted his hand slowly and smiled warmly at her.

"Umm.. you don't need to do that Sebastian. My car is literally next to yours." She smiled as she pointed to her car with her thumb.

"Oh! Okay then! Good. By the way, can I have your number?" He asked and her heart galloped fast in her chest. Sebastian f*****g Stan asked for her number! What were the odds of that happening?! She screamed internally.

"So I can let you know when you can start and where the set is and all that." Sebastian continued when she didn't respond.

"Oh, right!" She said, feeling utterly embarrassed. Of course he wanted her number for work related purposes. How could she be so stupid.

She gave her number to him and he saved it in his phone. He then called her number and asked her to save it. She couldn't believe she had Sebastian's number! Lara must be freaking out if she told her about it.

"Alright. I'll contact you as soon as possible, Y/n." Sebastian smiled as he put his cellphone back in his pocket.

"Looking forward to that, Sebastian. And.. thank you so much for giving me a job." She said as she reached out and squeezed his hand, making him smile.

"You're welcome Y/n. Take care." He winked and she blushed.

"You too, Sebastian." She replied.

"Thanks Y/n." He replied, smiling wide at her.

She opened his car door and stood by his car. She waved as Sebastian saluted her and finally drove away, leaving her feeling weak all over.

Yup. Luck was definitely on her side this time. She was sure about it. But the universe had something up its sleeves that she wasn't aware of. It might seem like she was lucky for the time being but unfortunate events would soon be coming her way again, as they always have throughout her life.

Chapter 4 >

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[acasualcrossfade]

It’s On the House

Written for @thefreakandthehair Sping Fanworks Challenge 2023, Prompt: Mud

Stranger Things, Steve/Eddie, Steve and Eddie

Words: 4326

Read this on Ao3 and find me at thunderously_halo over there :)

Summary: Steve works at Ungrounded, Hawkins’s new café in town next to the record store. When a person clad in all black bikes up with a guitar on his back, Steve is intrigued. Through many closing shifts, Steve learns more about the person, Eddie, and eventually helps Eddie after he gets caught in the rain.

--

“Large iced coffee and a chocolate chip loaf, warmed for Megan!” Steve called, holding up the bagged dessert as he slid the freshly made coffee forward. He turned back to the machine to foam milk for the cappuccino. He stepped to the side to let his boss, Keith, place a cup on the pick-up counter.

“Tuesday Special for Hannah!” Keith called.

As much as Steve hated closing shifts, he hated the company-mandated uniform a bit more. The uniform was no more than a tan-colored shirt and jeans, but the shirt was his least favorite. It had the words “Get Ungrounded” written in groovy letters on the front, and had a giant printed coffee bean on the back.

“I’m gunna go on break,” Keith said, scooting past Steve.

Steve sighed, already knowing that was code for I’m leaving, close up on your own . He was used to it by now, and as the last of the evening rush dwindled, Steve felt the familiar peace that came with the closing shift. A few of his evening regulars were already seated at their usual tables; the booths on the side were left empty except for one study group that sometimes came in around finals season.

The quiet of the café was his favorite. As the sun started to set, the streetlights glowed brighter against the dimming sky.

Traffic thinned and bikers were scarce.

Which was why when a biker whizzed past the window, Steve’s head snapped up in surprise. He abandoned all thought of cleaning the next table and watched as the figure on the bike, dressed in all black, gracefully dismounted. It wasn’t until the figure turned to lock their bike that Steve made out the hardback guitar case strapped to their back. The two seemed to move together as one, and Steve was sure if he strapped a guitar on his back, he wouldn’t look like that.

Steve finished wiping down the table before glancing up at the biker again. The figure had removed his helmet and was walking towards the coffeeshop. Their long hair flowed along with them, and Steve suddenly panicked.

Was it cooler to meet him at the counter or greet him at the door?

Why was he suddenly worried about that?

He was saved from having to figure it out as the man headed into the record shop next door.

A rush of relief seeped through Steve, and he went back to cleaning tables.

--

Steve was in the middle of bussing tables when the door opened and a customer walked in. He grabbed the last of the dirty mugs before heading towards the counter.

“One minute,” he called, before setting them all in the sink behind the register. And when Steve looked up, he immediately recognized the man standing at the counter.

It was the biker from earlier.

The biker stood patiently at the counter, taking his time to read the menu and glance at the dessert case. The man looked comfortable in his dark gray shirt and denim jacket, and his skinny black jeans were ripped in the knees. The light breeze from the coffee shop's weak AC blew the man’s flyaway curls around his face and made his features look soft and welcoming. The man carried his guitar case, and had set it down to lean against the counter.  

His brown eyes studied the sweets and he rocked back and forth slowly as he contemplated, then turned his interest to the snacks along the side of the counter.

“What can I get for you?” Steve asked politely, doing his best to keep his voice from cracking. It always happened when he was nervous. The man had this gracefulness to him, and Steve automatically felt pulled in by it. His apron suddenly felt crooked and he fought the urge to straighten it.

The man’s gaze traveled from the snacks to the small card of specials next to the register. His brow furrowed as a soft smile played on his quirked lips. “What’s the Tuesday Special?”

“It’s a java chip Frappuccino with strawberry and peppermint drizzle,” Steve explained. “And you can get it with or without whipped cream. It’s pretty popular.”

The man nodded approvingly and spent a moment debating before finally shaking his head. “Another day. But can I grab a chamomile tea instead? Large?”  

Steve typed in the order and then looked up again. “And what’s the name for the order?”

The man shifted to the other leg. “Oh, Eddie is good. E-D-D-I-E, though,” he said, standing on his tip-toes to peek over as Steve wrote on the cup. “Not E-D-D-Y.”

“Gotcha.” Steve wrote it on the cup. Eddie. The name fit him.

“And can you do me a favor?” Eddie asked, his voice going quieter. “Or, well, can I make an order in advance?”

Steve glanced around at the quiet coffee shop before nodding. The evening rush had died down, leaving the coffee shop in a quiet ambience. The evening regulars sipped their coffees and there were a few study groups gathered at some of the tables.

“Yeah, sure. I can also bring it to your table since it’s not too busy,” Steve mentioned.

“That’d be great.  I’m waiting for someone and I want to order for them.” Eddie thought for a moment. “It’ll be a medium hot chocolate with whipped cream with a bit of cinnamon sprinkled over it? And can you bring it in like, 20 minutes or so?”

Steve added a note about the hot chocolate before putting in the order. “So it’s one hot chocolate with whipped cream and a bit of cinnamon,” Steve repeated as Eddie nodded along. “Okay Eddie, I’ll have that ready for you in a bit.” Steve took a handful of crumpled bills from Eddie and handed him his change.  

When Steve handed him his tea, Eddie smiled once more before heading back towards the windows, taking a seat at one of the booths in the far corner.

A few more people trickled in, and Steve watched as a young kid headed to Eddie’s booth. In one hand, the kid held his windbreaker and in the other, a briefcase.

Steve hid his smile as he watched Eddie jump up to greet the kid, pulling him in for a tight hug. He placed a hand on the kid’s shoulder as he spoke to him and Steve watched the young boy nod a few times before hugging Eddie again.

They must know each other pretty well.

It wasn’t until the boy sat down and opened the briefcase that Steve realized it was a case of colored pencils.

The boy fished a few figurines from his jacket pocket and Steve watched as the two started exchanging pencils and erasers. Steve was sidetracked from his watch as a few more students came in for a light night caffeine fix. By the time he glanced back at Eddie and the boy, they were both sketching quietly.

Moving easily through his evening duties, Steve carefully rinsed the dirty mugs and closed up the sticky syrups. He snuck glances at Eddie’s booth more than he should, and each time he saw them, both were in deep concentration.

They pair worked in quiet tandem; the boy shaded something furiously as Eddie sketched quietly. They’d each turn the figurine every now and again to capture it in different stances. And Steve found that Eddie looked most comfortable with one leg hugging his chest, and his other stretched in front of him. There was a quiet, unspoken bond between the two; more than once, Steve caught sight of the boy holding up his drawing and Eddie giving him a high-five and a wide smile.

Work was busy enough to keep Steve at the counter, even though he burned with curiosity to see what they were drawing. Between drawings, they sipped their drinks and at one point, both of them dissolved into giggles at the kid’s whipped cream mustache.

Steve caught the boy’s name as they laughed. Will.

Steve’s finished stacking the clean mugs as laughs burst from the back table. Eddie and Will are giggling over one of Will’s drawings, both talking about something called a Thessalhydra.

Steve made a mental note to look up what a Thessalhydra was.

--

Steve just finished collecting the dirty mugs from the Tuesday evening rush when he caught Eddie walking through the door. Instinctively, he straightened his apron and headed to the counter.

“Hi, what can I get you?” Steve was glad his voice stayed even.

“I’m thinking I want something sweet. Is there anything you’d recommend…” Eddie paused and leaned closer over the counter to peer at the nametag clipped to Steve’s apron. “Anything you’d recommend, Steve?”  Eddie rocked back and forth as he studied the dessert case.

Steve’s ears warmed at the way Eddie said his name. Somehow, Eddie made it sound more melodious than five letters.

“Well,” Steve started. “That chocolate chip loaf is pretty popular, and we’ve got some good donuts, too.” Steve searched the bottom of the case, but shook his head. “Our iced raspberry lemon loaf is good, too, but it looks like we’re sold out.”

Eddie tapped his chin before pointing to the loaf at the top. “I’ll give the chocolate chip loaf a try,” he requested. “And also small mocha.”

Steve smiled. “Good choice.” He took Eddie’s crumpled bills and brought out the man’s order.

“Do you want your loaf warmed?”

Eddie’s face opened into surprise and playfully grasped his chest, pretending to swoon. “I think you just became my hero,” he sighed dramatically before smiling. “I am truly both thankful and amazed such a thing exists.”

Steve waited for Eddie to add an order of hot chocolate like last week, but instead, Eddie handed over a crumpled bill.

“I’ll have that right out for you, Eddie,” Steve said with a nod, and Eddie headed back to his usual table. Instead of colored pencils, Eddie set a worn notebook and pen on the table. Steve could tell that from the way the cover bent upwards, it had been folded and bent backwards multiple times. Eddie settled into his usual perch and started writing.

When Steve brought his mocha and warmed chocolate loaf, Eddie smiled at him with the pen cap wedged between his teeth and Steve felt something warm inside him at the sight.

Steve wondered what he was writing. Could it be songs? Or poetry? He couldn’t dwell on it for long as another few late night students sauntered in. Steve stole a last glance at Eddie, and found he was crossing something out on the page. Steve caught Eddie’s slight frown before turning back to his own evening duties.

Steve glanced up at Eddie once more and found that he’d started gathering his things. As a pair of headlights swung into the parking lot outside, Eddie rushed as he shoved the notebook under his arm and grabbed his guitar. He was almost to the door when he turned to Steve at the counter. “Thanks again for the dessert rec,” Eddie called, and lifted one hand to wave to Steve.

Steve’s ears went warm as he nodded and smiled, raising one hand to wave back.

--

Over the next few weeks, Steve picked up on Eddie’s schedule. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he biked in to teach guitar lessons (Steve saw him chatting with the kid and their parents outside one Tuesday). And Steve learned that Eddie had a specific drink depending on what he was doing there; art with Will meant a large chamomile tea and anything that dealt with the black notebook meant anything caffeinated paired with something sweet. Steve discovered that Eddie loved anything sweet, and it only took two weeks for him to nail down a favorite pastry. His usual was now the warmed chocolate chip loaf.

Steve found that he enjoyed picking up these small details about Eddie. Each one felt like collecting a piece of something special. And catching him writing, or better yet, pondering what he could be writing. The entire sight pushed Steve’s heart into overdrive.

Steve spent any free time of his shifts sneaking glances at Eddie as he sketched or wrote.

Was it creepy?  

Steve was no stranger to having evening regulars; he knew that Mr. Westler was recently divorced and Candice and her young son Grant were going to the movies on Friday.

Eddie as a coffee shop regular felt different. No other regular made Steve excited to come in for his closing shifts. And he found that he even hated the uniform a little less.

After a month of observations and a goodbye wave at each shift, Steve begrudgingly accepted that seeing Eddie and serving Eddie was something he looked forward to.

--

It rained hard the next Tuesday shift and Steve looked outside as thunder rolled across the sky. The darkened sky made the overhead lights in the coffee shop glow a warmer yellow.  The water on the window caught the headlights and lighted storefronts from outside, making the windows look like a watercolor painting.

Steve appreciated rainy days. The evening rush wasn’t as busy since people wanted to stay out of the rain, but, there was always a possibility of a rush for people to escape the rain. There’d been a slight rush in the afternoon, and Steve realized as time went on that Eddie most likely had stayed home. A bike whizzed past as Steve handed out a small Americano to a student. He watched curiously as the back wheel flicked up water, causing it to patter against the window. Steve’s brow furrowed.

Biking? In the rain?  

The figure hurried in and it’s clear that they weren’t just wet from the rain. They’re soaked .

Water ran off the sides of the jacket sleeves and some of the patrons stared offensively at the dripping sight. It’s not until the man swiped back a handful of plastered curls when Steve blinked in shock.

“Eddie?” Steve’s heart stuttered, trying not to focus on how wide and innocent Eddie’s eyes looked as he slogged towards the counter. Questions bounced around Steve’s mind, but he cleared his throat and grabbed a few clean rags from under the counter.

It’s the closest thing to something dry that Steve can think of.

“They’re clean,” Steve explained. “And we’ve got some more in the back.”

Eddie immediately pressed the towel to his face and shrugged out of his guitar to lean it against the counter. The water droplets pearled against the hard casing of his guitar case and dark flecks decorated Eddie’s shirt and jacket.

“What….What happened?” Steve asked slowly. He suddenly wished the coffeeshop had bigger towels.

“Caught in the downpour,” Eddie replied quickly as he toweled off his neck and chin. “I never saw it coming,” he sputtered sadly. Eddie shook slightly and Steve realized the flecks on Eddie’s shirt weren’t the design, but were flecks of mud and sediment. Water is caught in his hair like crystals, and they shine down his curls and pearl at his ends. Some of the heavier drops  splash to the floor.

“My uncle would have driven, but he’s already at work.” His face disappeared into the towel again before moved on to his jacket sleeves. “And I didn’t want to cancel the lesson.” He shivered, swiping the towel down the front of his shirt. His hair hung in soaked strands. “But I did not plan to be soaking wet like this. Fuck, it’s cold.”

It isn’t until Eddie starts patting the back of his jacket when he abruptly stopped. He twisted to look at the back, and then turned again, trying to see it better.

Steve suddenly envisioned a kitten chasing its tail.

Eddie cursed quietly. “The mud got sprayed up my jacket,” he moaned. He held up the handful of soggy towels. “Can I get these dirty? Is that okay?” He rotated around  again, trying to get a better look at his back. “Actually, do you mind telling me how bad this is?”

Steve tried to keep his composure, but he was sure that his ears were fire-engine red. “I, uh, it’s not…” Steve thought of skirting around the question, but then he saw that Eddie’s back was splattered with mud. He winced out of sympathy. “It’s pretty dirty,” he finally settled.  

Eddie groaned and studied his jacket. “Do you mind getting some more towels? I think I’ll need a few more.”

There aren’t any more towels under the counter, but Steve grabbed the few stacked next to the sink. “Here, try these.”

Eddie took them and dabbed at his soaked sleeves. “Guess this is coming off, too,” he sighed. The wet denim fought him and he yanked it to free his arm. When he turned to look at the back of his shirt, Steve caught a glimpse of Eddie’s quarter sleeve tattoo. An outline of a wing peeking under his left sleeve.

The weak breeze of the AC did nothing to help Eddie as he shivered in his black short sleeve shirt, and Steve suddenly wished he could wrap him in something warm and dry.

Steve paused, checking the coffee shop. There were only a few people that sat around, and all of them looked served. Steve lowered his voice. “We actually have extra uniforms in the back,” he offered. “It’s not the most stylish…” He glanced down at his own tan monstrosity. “But they’re dry.”

“Are you sure it’s okay? I-I,” Eddie started before shivering. “I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“Keith is gone for the day,” Steve explained. “Besides, he can’t do much more than tell me off a bit.” He shrugged. “We gotta get you outta those wet clothes, come on.” He lifted the counter and it opened like a drawbridge and Eddie stepped carefully behind the counter.

“It’s kinda…fun to be back here,” Eddie mused as he took in the view from the café. “I feel like the king of the café.” He twisted to look at Steve as cleared away the few carts in front of the storage door. “Is this how you feel every day?”

Steve couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Eddie, soaking wet but serving coffee to other evening regulars. “Not exactly, but now that you mention it, Café King does have a nice ring to it.”

Eddie’s squeaky converse followed Steve’s sneakers into the storage room. Steve had only been back there a handful of times, but he didn’t remember it being such close quarters. Eddie felt attached to his back, but Steve found his presence surprisingly warm, despite the man’s shivers. He searched the shelves, certain there were extra shirts somewhere.

“Oo, it’s a little creepy back here,” Eddie whispered. “Looks almost haunted. Have you seen ghosts back here or like, felt cold spots?” He peered at Steve through one of the shelves. “Or have you seen anything out of the ordinary? Something you can’t explain?” Another smirk played at Eddie’s lips.

Steve gave him an intrigued look. “There was that one time I tripped over a sack of beans that were back here.”

“A bag of beans?” Eddi repeated.

“Yep, it was on a cart but I didn’t see either.” Steve nodded towards the wall. “So I redid some of the lighting.”

Eddie’s brow furrowed. “You...what?”

“Here, flip that switch on the wall?”

Eddie kept his brow furrowed curiously as he slowly flipped the switch by the doorframe. Instead of the expected harsh lighting of a storage room, the lighting of the storage room was done up in yellow Christmas lights that hung, strung from the ceiling.

“Okay, wait,” Eddie paused, looking around. “This is the coolest storage closet I’ve ever seen!” His hair flicked out cold droplets of water as he turned in a slow circle to take it all in.

“Yeah, I sometimes get migraines so this room is a bit darker than the coffee shop ones,” Steve explained. His cheeks heated in muted humiliation; why was he talking about this?  

“It feels so cozy in here,” Eddie replied. “And if anything, you could keep the lights out if you’re sensitive to low lights, too.”

Steve nodded. “Exactly.” He turned to Eddie to ask how he knew about migraines, and immediately was reminded the man was soaking wet. “You must be freezing.” Steve went back to searching the shelves.

“Will gets them. Migraines,” Eddie explained. He hugged himself as Steve searched the next shelf. “Kid’s a trooper, though. He’s better at catching them early.”

“Yeah,” Steve agreed. “Sucks that they can start so young, too.” He moved to the next shelf. “Found ‘em!” Steve called, holding up a tan shirt that smelled faintly of stale coffee. “And looks like they left behind some chef’s pants.” Steve held up the black and white checkered pants, holding  back a laugh. “Is small okay for the shirt?”

“This’ll do,” Eddie responded gratefully as he took the shirt. “Thank you so much, Steve. I also did not expect to be doing any of this.”

Steve felt another strong urge to wrap Eddie up and watch him sip warm chocolate. He pushed away the thought. “You can change back here, and if you want, there’s some hangers and such back here if you want to hang up your clothes.”

Eddie looked down at the clothes he held. “That’s so great, thank you. And I can get my clothes back when I return them.”

Steve nodded. “Sounds like an even trade.”

Steve nodded once more before turning out of the room to let the man change. He couldn't help himself as he took one more glance at Eddie, dripping wet under the soft lights.

Eddie emerged from the storage room looking considerably drier. There was more color in his cheeks and he wasn’t shivering.

“You look better,” Steve smiled.

Eddie’s lean frame swam in the shirt, but the tan brought out the chocolate in Eddie’s eyes. Even with the tan shirt paired with the checkered chef’s pants, Eddie looked… cool . His curls were more damp than wet, and some of his usual flyaways did their usual dance in the light breeze of the AC.

Steve blinked. Could this man pull off anything? Or did this mean he liked a man in uniform?

“What, soaking wet isn’t my best look?,” Eddie playfully replied before going serious. “But really, I cannot thank you enough. You’re truly saving my life.” He ducked under the counter and reached for his guitar.

Steve shook his head. “Well, we don’t just let anyone wear the tan,” he laughed.

“It’s an honor, truly,” Eddie laughed. He gave Steve another one of his famous bows. “And are you closing on Thursday?”

“Yeah. “ His ears heated at the thought of Eddie knowing his schedule.  

“Okay, cool, I can bring these back then.”

Steve nodded. “See you then.” Suddenly, he grabbed one of the drink trays. “Here, use this for the way over. It could be a good makeshift umbrella.”

Eddie gave him another grateful look. “You’re a genius, Steve,” he rushed. “Truly.” He grabbed his guitar and held up the drink tray in a wave. “See ya later!”

Steve lifted his own hand up to wave back. “See you!”

It isn't until Steve closed up that he remembered Eddie's clothes in the storage room. He quickly headed back there, and sure enough, the man's jeans and usual denim jacket were laid out on the shelves. Without another thought, Steve grabbed them to take them home to wash.

--

Thursday’s rush is busy enough for Steve to miss Eddie’s graceful dismount, but Steve caught sight of his parked bike as he cleaned up after the evening rush.

Eddie arrived at the café later  with his guitar on his back. “Hey Steve,” he bounced, holding up a paper bag. He took a sneaky look around before placing the bag to the counter. “I’ve got the goods.”

Steve didn’t stand a chance against the smile that broke out on his face. “What are you, a drug dealer?” he joked. He took the bag. “Thanks, though. And besides, Keith left at like, seven thirty. As usual.” He pulled out a bag of Eddie's folded clothes, the ones he took home to wash and dry.

"Steve, you washed these? And folded them?" Eddie gave him a wide-eyed look as he stared into the bag. "You really didn't have to do that."

Steve rubbed his neck nervously. "It's nothing," he replied shyly. "Just a little mud."

Eddie took out his denim jacket and unfolded it before slipping it on. Nice and clean, it seemed to be glad to be back on his shoulders. "Well, thanks again, Steve. I feel like I'd be an Eddie-ice pop without you."

“Speaking of, is today a chamomile tea day or a mocha day?”

Eddie beamed. “I’ll take the usual small mocha and a chocolate chip loaf.”

“Warmed,” Steve added with a smile. His heart squeezed as Eddie beamed at him. He nodded towards Eddie’s notebook that he held under his arm. “So, do you write poetry?”

Eddie gave Steve a shy smile. “No, actually. Songs, they’re songs, well, half-songs. So kind of like poetry.” He patted his pocket before reaching in and producing a small folded piece of paper. “Actually, I’ve got a show coming up next week. It's a pretty small show, but it’ll melt your pretty little face off.”

Steve took the flier and looked it over. “Yeah, I’d-I’d love to come. Thank you.”

Eddie smiled. “And if you need, café-mandated uniforms are okay to wear.”

‘Hey, I thought you were done hating on the tan,” Steve laughed.

Eddie gave him a pointed look. “I’m not hating on it, I’m just saying their welcome at my show.”

And later that night when Eddie wrote, all leg-bouncing and pen-biting, Steve carefully set a second mocha in front of him.

“On the house,” he said.

Steve knew he’d spend the rest of his night remembering Eddie’s million-watt smile.

[salem779]

Your Kisses Make me Melt [Eula x Amber Smut]

Hi guys!! Welcome back to another fic of mine :33 since pride month is here, I decided to do a one shot between Eula and Amber, where they really explore how much their friendship has developed. Anyways, please enjoy!!

"Hey, Amber! I was wondering if I may bother you with a question." Eula inquired subtly while looking at Amber with a calm interest in her eyes. Amber was keeping herself occupied by drinking some steaming coffee out of her red mug while she took pleasure in the beverage before shifting her focus to a girl with light blue hair. She still had her mouth on her cup as she took a brief swig of the flavorful beverage, her morning coffee that kept her so wide eyed and preppy throughout the day was a delight for her as it was a fresh cappuccino. Her ears perked up a bit when she heard her friend speak up and caused her to place the mug back down on the kitchen table. She walked over to her close friend Eula and smiled broadly at her while keeping her chin up, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"My dear and trusted companion, of course! How are you feeling right now?" Amber replied while waiting expectantly for her companion to ask her question and cocking her head slightly to the side.

 “Have you ever had sex before?” Eula questioned rather bluntly, staring at Amber with no hint of embarrassment radiating from the blue haired girl.  The following question that Eula posed to Amber was an unexpected one, that was for sure. Amber didn’t really anticipate hearing from her close friend, especially this early in the bright morning. It caused Amber to stand there with her mouth hanging open and a look of utter amazement written all over her face, a bit dumbfounded to be honest as Amber didn’t expect Eula to be that open of a person. Yet, this is Eula. Bluntness is her expertise and when she has a question, she doesn’t easily shy away from asking the truth. Amber couldn’t believe her ears and started to stutter.

"Eula, I-I'm very sorry for the trouble, but could you repeat that for me? I was under the impression that you had asked me something rather well uh-."

"Sex was my question, Amber. Your sense of hearing is not playing tricks on you, my dearest friend. I have a burning question just for you, Amber. I was curious of you ever having sexual relations with a man?" Eula inquired as she looked at Amber, seeing that her friend's face was beginning to become an even brighter shade of red than her own clothing. Amber was caught off guard by the question that her buddy asked at the moment. "N-no I haven't Eula. Why are you questioning me in this manner?" Amber heaved a sigh as she fidgeted nervously with her fingers, doing her best to divert her attention from the senseful situation.

"Because, I... Think I like you, more than a friend should definitely feel that sort of way.” Eula stated gently as she rose up from her chair and stared at her companion with a delicate gentleness that only Amber would be able to perceive. Eula knew that only Amber would understand what she was trying to convey. She made her way over to Amber in a leisurely manner, glancing at her rosy lips before pausing herself to observe Amber's facial reaction as she did so. Amber was too surprised to respond as she just stood there and watched Eula approach over to her, the woman's body somewhat towering over Amber's. 

Amber took a little gasp of air and tugged ever-so-slightly at the collar of her shirt as she felt herself getting significantly hotter than she normally would feel at this point. Amber had been Eula's best friend for quite some time, and it's likely that she was her only friend who actually felt like they shared a deeper connection with each other. Maybe it was because Amber was the only one that knew how to talk to Eula in the first place. However, she noticed that Eula's gaze became softer towards only Amber; a sign of kindness from Eula that only Amber could experience in private due to the fact that she was friends with one of the most feared ladies in Mondstadt. In public, she was never really able to tell what was going through Eula's head, but when they were alone, Eula seemed to be able to let down her guard and share what she was thinking with Amber. Finally, she was able to grasp the full extent of how the two of them felt when they were alone together.

"And I believe you do as well, is that correct?" Eula paused, raising a finger to her lip as she stared at Amber with interest. 

“You are ... Eula, you are absolutely correct.” Amber remarked as she became visibly red in the face as a result of the discussion they were having. Something was igniting strongly between the two of them, and the expression of their emotions was comparable to the rapid spread of a fire.     

 “Can I maybe… kiss you, Amber?” Eula asked politely, eyeing the brunette with such a gentle and composed look that made Amber swoon silently. She had a deep-seated admiration for Eula because of how appropriate and reassuring she could be, but at the same time, Eula promised revenge against those who she saw to be acting impolitely and irresponsibly. With the exception of Amber. When she heard those words come out of Eula's mouth in such a composed manner, it caused her lips to tremble with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. How could she possibly refuse her after everything? She had faith that things would work out in the end, but she lacked the self-assurance that Eula possessed when it came to expressing her emotions in a straightforward manner.

“T-that would be fine with me, Eula.” she said. Amber stuttered as she saw Eula approach the brunette girl, her cheeks getting even more flushed as she did so. As Eula moved in to kiss Amber, she cupped her hand beneath her chin so that she could have a better feel for Amber. When Eula confronted Amber, she was so close to her that Amber could smell the sweet, icy air she was exhaling. Immediately after Eula came face to face with Amber, at which point Amber's eyes widened dramatically, giving the impression that she was a deer caught in headlights. Eula of course made the dominant decision to be bold with her choice to go forward.

 Eula pressed her lips to Amber's, tasting the sugary gloss of strawberry lipstick on them, and probed her tongue, gaining a better taste of Amber's mouth, while Amber let Eula take control of her mouth. Amber let out a soft groan as she sank further into the kiss and wrapped her arms around Eula's waist. At the same time, the two of them continued to press their lips more closely against one another. The pyrokinetic energy of Amber's lips collided with the cryokinetic energy of Eula, causing Eula's kiss to have a little chilly flavor, along with a sweet sort of mint and vanilla. This flavor seemed to have just been felt against Amber's heated lips as their kissing session seemed to get more heated by the moment. Eula took her time pulling away from Amber, and by the time she backed away from Amber's lips, the two of them were both gasping for breath. 

"Mhm. You have a flavor that I absolutely enjoy, my dear friend. Why don't you let me sample some more of that sweet taste from you?” Amber's lips were peppered once more by Eula's lips. She gently guided Amber over to the table so that Amber could lay down on it on the edge of it. Eula smirked as she did this as she leaned over and smiled at Amber, her confidence and cool attitude carrying her. 

Amber was turning into a fiery red hot mess, and if she hadn't been so red before, she was now turning into that now as a result of everything that had happened in an instant. Eula smirked as she saw the sight of Amber reducing into a messy puddle gave Eula the perspective of Amber being so breathtaking to her. Eula had much respect and affection for Amber, but all that was going down the drain with how messy Amber was becoming from Eula’s actions. Eula did not allow Amber to get a single word in as she gave Amber additional gentle kisses, trailing down from Amber's lips and then to her thin neck. She gently sucked on the flesh of her neck to leave a deep and proper mark on Amber's delicate and delightful neck, claiming her friend as her own. Hers. 

She used a hand that was free to remove Amber's belt, yanking it off of her and tossing it to the side so that she could swiftly make work of removing Amber's pants. She wanted to see what else the brunette was concealing under all of that beautiful attire of hers. Amber was becoming flushed by the minute as she felt Eula’s iced hand on Amber’s thigh, giving Amber a tingling sensation that seemed to awaken something deeply from Amber. “Eula, s-should we really be doing this?” Amber whimpered as she felt one of Eula’s fingers linger on Amber’s clothed pussy, hot and cold combining together so nicely that made Amber felt like she was starting to melt. Eula smirked a little as she slid Amber's panties from her and lowered herself to where she was eye level with Amber's pussy. “What’s the matter, Amber? Getting cold feet now?” she said as she tossed Amber’s panties away, now pressing a gentle finger on Amber’s clit. Amber stifled a moan as she wriggled from Eula’s touch. 

“I think you want this, don’t you?” Eula asked while she slid a finger deep within Amber’s pussy, earning a loud moan from the brunette haired girl. Her ears were burning red as she panted lightly, feeling Eula’s finger touching all the right nerves that made Amber swoon with delight. “Y-yes Eula, give me more.” she whimpered as she felt Eula insert another finger in her pussy, feeling how soft she was going as Eula slid her fingers in and out. She could feel Amber’s slickness as she slowly dragged her fingers out, placing them near her lips to get a sweet taste of Amber’s delightful and wonderful juices. “Mmh, how delicious you taste, my dear. I must have more.” Eula said, licking her fingers clean and earning a soft pop from flicking her fingers out of her mouth. 

“I think I want more of you.” Eula said so bluntly with a smirk forming on her face, watching the brunette squirm in arousal from Eula’s touches. Without another word, Eula placed both of her hands on Amber’s thighs, squeezing them gently to feel the skin shiver underneath her hands. Earning a squeal from Amber; Eula decided enough was enough and went on to slide her tongue into Amber’s pussy, going gently with her pace as she felt Amber’s juices gush into Eula’s mouth. Tangy, but delectable. Eula thought as she kept silent, listening to the brunette moan out from her oral treatment. 

“E-eula, please.” Amber panted, giving Eula permission to continue with her motions, her hot breath lingering as she continued to eat Amber out. Feeling her slick rush out from all of this excitement as Eula rubbed Amber’s thighs gently, giving a boost of arousal for Amber as she felt her stomach boil. “E-eula, more.” she moaned loudly, feeling a tingle of nerves shoot up as she felt Eula suck on her clit, rolling her tongue around the small and delicate thing. Pleasure was swelling from Amber as Eula nibbled at her clit, giving a slight pain with the pleasure that earned a whimper from Amber. She felt like she was going to burst with her first ever oral session, especially with how Eula was so skilled with her motions. Where did she even learn how to do this? Amber pondered as she settled her hands into Eula’s hair, pulling on a few strands to get the pressure out that was reaching to the end of their little hot and heavy situation.

“E-eula, I’m about to c-cum.” she whimpered as she felt Eula suck on her clit a bit rougher till finally fresh cum poured into Eula’s mouth, earning a loud and content sigh out of Amber. Eula eagerly drinked in the girl’s cum, feeling the tangy sweetness swish down her throat with ease. When she had her fill, she got back up and planted a soft and tender kiss onto Amber’s forehead while smiling down softly at the brunette. “You did good, my sweet bunny girl.”

[primedup]

persephone

Breathe in, breathe out. Stay calm, Persephone, stay calm. All he did was hold your hand, it wasn’t that serious! He couldn’t possibly be into you, right? No, no, he’s too fair and popular for a classic girl like you, caught up in books and jazz. Then again I see him in the library all the time and at that café downtown.

That little coffee shop always has the nicest tunes. Not much for ‘modernity’, but for us young folk who like the ‘oldies’ it’s quite well. The ladies who work there are quite nice, too.

The middle-aged women who sit behind that counter, a nice dark-wooden countertop with red and black striped siding, matching the wallpaper, are all bookworms as well. Also, none of them understand when a young girl comes in here and orders a ‘double mocha cappuccino with more cino than cappa and an extra pump of vanilla and a splash of milk and, oh, put the coffee in last because it tastes better that way’.

Anyway, he goes there a lot, but he can’t possibly be interested in the same things as you with how much of a jock he is. I can’t imagine a high school athlete reading a book, especially with reading glasses.

Every time I see him, Ellis, cocky blonde side part and such smooth skin that any guy or gal could wish to have, I wonder if he’s more bookworm or athlete. He really seems like a nerd outside of school, as much as any nerd can be, but in school he’s the most masculine force of nature on the soccer field.

“The usual, hon’?”

Mildred, one of the ladies, calls to me. I completely forgot I was ordering a coffee!

“Oh,” I pushed a strand of hair that got loose from my curls back behind my ear, “Yeah.”

“And that’s it honey? Don’t wanna try a Cinnabon again?” She smirks at me. She knows the last time I tried a Cinnabon really was the last time, those things are way too sweet for me! I like sugar-y and cinnamon-y things as much as the next girl but my sweetness tolerance has really been slacking since I hit puberty. Don’t know what happened there.

“I’m sure you’re good, don’t wanna spit it out all over the floor again!”

“You got that right,” I say as she hands me my coffee, fast as if it was already pre-made for me, “Say, have you seen a tall blonde boy with big round reading glasses come around often?” She looks me in my face as the little bell on the door chimes.

“Well, take a gander, sweetheart.” She points to the boy who just entered, and speak of the Devil! I instantly become flustered and try not to turn around, knowing he’ll bring up that little moment we held hands walking out of the front of the school.

“Persephone! How are ya’?” He places his hand on my shoulder.

“Uh, good, I think,” I try to piece a sentence together, “And how are, uh, you?”

“I’m fine. Great actually! I’ve been wondering where you were though,” he chuckles, “Kinda just, y’know, ran off? Look I understand if you don’t feel the same about, uh, relationships or ‘date-rates’ or whatever, but y’know, I’m hoping you do ‘cause I like you.”

All I heard, or at least registered correctly in my brain was that last part.

Those words that he said hit me like a bag of bricks, or as bag of feathers that weighed as much as the bricks. I turn to face him, my face looked redder than a tomato.

“I, uh, I don’t know.” He could tell I was flustered. He looked around the café, turned to face me, and leaned in close.

I didn’t know what to do! I’ve never been in this situation before! No boy has ever kissed me. I felt my heart racing, it was Ellis after all, but I don’t think I could bring myself to do it. Not even if he likes books or jazz or old-timey fashion or coffee dates, but it’s too late to back out.

I pull away, late of course, and our lips were tied for a few seconds. Mildred made a shocked face and called to the ladies in the back on their lunch breaks, “She’s kissing a boy! She’s kissing a boy! How sweet is that?” Then the rest of the ladies, middle-aged and old came out and witnessed our lips leaving their grasp.

“Wow.” I say, Ellis and I holding each other close, “That was…” I look at the ladies behind the counter and I get lost in thought. Were they thinking of what their first kisses were like? They knew I had never kissed a boy before and maybe now this brought back some memories. Memories of how the kissed the maybe-nerdy-maybe-jock blonde casanova in their shared favorite coffee joint.

But then I snap back to now and out of my creative realm, “I think… Maybe I…” He looked into my eyes, “Was it bad? You can tell me, that was my first kiss so I don’t know–” I blurt out in the middle of his sentence, “That was your first kiss? I thought girls kissed you all the time! You’re so popular and strong and sweet and…”

I hear him chuckle, “No, well, they do, it’s just that, maybe, I don’t know, none of them are you like you?” “What do you mean?” He clears his throat, “They don’t like books or easy-listening music or have nice curly hair and an old-timey style. It’s really hot. Well, not hot per se, but, yeah, y’know what I mean.”

I couldn’t tell if it was me that was more flustered or him. Obviously, I am outwardly more flustered, but his internal self must be panicking right now.

“I thought you were into the hotties, not any classical gals like me.”

“No, I really like girls who are unique and aren’t on the latest trends, y’know?” He puts his hands on my waist as another song comes on. Most of the time it’s just repeats of the same 10 jazz instrumentals of popular songs, but this one was different. It was… romantic. We start to sway back-and-forth, as if were were waves on the warm open ocean. He initiates a slow dance, perfectly in tune with the feelings the songs over the little speaker in the ceiling gave out from the office in the back room.

“I think…” I shyly say.

“Yeah, sweetie?” He says, shyly, too.

“We’re together now, right?” I get closer to him, waiting for his response.

“Yeah. I guess we are.” He smiles, his pearly whites beaming, “I’m glad we are.”

Hello! My second post on here, it's obviously way longer than my first, but I thought I'd share this! It's just a short snippet I wrote last night, and I'm hoping to get some critique or other comments on it. Let me know what you think!

[aajjks]

TPOL!JK

you think about it….friends? i mean, you guess the two of you could be friends so you agree to be his friend but that’s it. you’re not sure how this “friendship” will work but he needs his daily dosage of you and if you think he’s not going to keep tabs on you then you’re surely mistaken.

the next day, you proceed like nothing happened. you even work at a coffee shop with your friend yerin because she was too nervous to apply by herself but you both ended up getting the job.

you still go to school and take care of your mother but with your side job, you’re racking up as much money you think will be enough to pay jungkook for all of the things he bought/done for you as a “thank you.”

right now, you and yerin are goofing off and a young man by the name of kai finally gains the courage to speak to you after a long going back and forth about it.

“hi y/n”

“hi kai. want another cappuccino?”

“yes, i mean, no. i uh…i actually wanted to ask you for your number”

“my number? uhh, i’m not really interested in dating at the moment”

“that’s fine. can we still talk as friends?”

you get a sense of deja vu when kai asks if he could be friends and since you don’t have a problem with the offer, you give him your number as a friend.

and as a friend, he walks you to and from class. he even buys you coffee; kai overall is a sweet guy and his crush for you is so obvious.

so obvious that it pains jungkook to watch the sweet interactions you share with the young man who touches you, hugs you, and even has the audacity to speak to you.

its been so long since the two of you last talked and you’re out being your cheery awkward self that he loves so much. he misses you a lot and he would give anything to have you smile like that for him again.

so, as friends, he asks if you would like to accompany him to a fun bowling alley in seoul where everything is glow in the dark. you’re a bit reluctant but you say yes and you inform him to swing by your mother’s house to pick you up. “my mom misses you 🙄” you sends to jungkook and he laughs at the message.

baby steps…small baby steps.

it’s 6PM and jungkook knocks on your mother’s door to come pick you up and of course your mother is ecstatic to see jungkook’s face again. “where are you two going?” she asks and you roll your eyes at her silly antics. “we’re going bowling. i’ll be back later, mom. love you” you tell her with a kiss on the cheek.

“love you too, tuts. bye jungkook. you two be safe!”

the car-ride to the bowling alley was awkward and even when the two of you arrive it’s awkward. it’s like you don’t know how to function with jungkook as your friend because he’s never been seen as your friend. it was sugar daddy then boyfriend, he was never your friend.

impressively, jungkook is really good at bowling. often getting strikes and spares while you barely manage to hit one pin. the ladies were gawking at jungkook who surprisingly looked a lot more laid back than his usual business attire look.

he looks like he’s your boyfriend and you look adorable yourself.

an oversized shirt, biker shorts, and shoes; something simple but the outfit it pretty cute. the two of you compliment each other and frustratedly, you struggle to hit more than one pin.

“ughhhh! how are you so good?” you whine and jungkook just chuckles at your mini tantrum. when the game restarts, he gets behind you and shows you how to bowl. the first time, you don’t hit any pins but by the second time, you start hitting a few pins. you even get a spare.

“hold on, i’m getting pretty good at this! i might be better than you jungkook” you smirk and now he’s not taking it so easy on you anymore.

you both laugh at each other and it feels like the two of you are in a relationship again and he just looks so damn goooood. “i got a job” you bring up catching his attention. “it’s at a coffee shop and it’s pretty nice” you say but he already knows. he knows about everything, including kai.

“i’m hoping i can save up money to pay you back. even if it’s just a little. i want to pay you something for all the things you’ve done for me and my mom. i can’t thank you enough for that”

Jungkook pretends to be shocked when you tell him about your new job. “Oh wow yn I knew you could do it!!! Congratulations, Princess.” He quickly steals a glance at your face, while pretending to focus on the pin ball in his hand.

Of course, he’s still going to call you his princess because that’s what you are to him. “wait what do you mean?” What you say next actually shocks him. He looks up at you surprised. “what? Why would you pay me back?” He tsks.

“Yn… this is what I love and hate about you. Listen you don’t have to pay me back for anything and if you do, I would be really upset. Your mother is like my own mother… and I love you that’s why- ugh never mind but just don’t pay me back for anything, please.” He says softly.

“are you having fun with me?” he asks, looking at you with his sparkly eyes. “tell me are you hungry?” he licks his lips. He notices your appearance once again and damn.. do you look good.

You look so pretty like this. And he has missed you so so much. He wishes that everything could go back to just like it was.

But yes, he hast to take it slow and he has to be patient.

“Come on!! There is a very good restaurant in this lane!!! I’m pretty sure you’re gonna love it!! let’s go.” You can protest he takes your hand and walks out after paying.

You both sit in the car and he starts to drive.

“And… how have you been doing? Anything special happened other than the job?” he knows everything but he wants to know from your own mouth.

He wants to see if you will lie to him or just tell him the truth

[mheraxes]

The First "Not a Date"

The pub was quiet for a Saturday afternoon, with the warm light of the setting sun filtering through the windows. The weathered wood of the tables and the relaxed atmosphere created a cozy vibe. The soft background music and scattered laughter from groups of friends made it feel like the perfect refuge for a quiet conversation.

The air smelled of craft beer and something slightly sweet coming from the kitchen, and I found myself a bit tense, checking the time and my phone, trying to make the minutes pass faster.

I arrived a little earlier than planned, wanting to make sure I was comfortable before he arrived. I chose a table near the window but far enough away that I wouldn’t feel like everyone could hear our conversation.

When I finally looked up, I saw him walk in. Tom stood in the doorway, looking incredibly handsome in a gray sweater that seemed made just for him. He was the kind of guy who didn’t need to do much to attract attention, but just by being there, he did. And there he was, smiling in a playful way, as if he knew all eyes were on him.

"Hey," he said as he walked over, a flirtatious smile on his lips that made my heart skip a beat.

"Hey," I replied, a little disoriented, trying to control the flutter in my stomach. "You’re right on time."

"I always try to be punctual when there's something I’m interested in," he said, his tone full of intention, his eyes sparkling mischievously. Then, he seemed to realize what he'd said, and with a slight laugh, added, "I mean... I always try to be punctual."

I laughed, the tension from waiting fading a bit as I saw him blush slightly, even if it wasn’t that obvious. But the way he said it made me feel more at ease.

"I’m also the early-arrival type," I said, my tone lighter and more playful, adding a little fun to the conversation as I fiddled with the edge of my scarf.

Tom sat down across from me, his gaze fixed on me a moment longer than I expected. It seemed like the conversation wouldn’t flow as easily as we hoped, but he didn’t seem too concerned about it. In fact, he leaned a little closer to the table, as if he wanted to be closer.

"What are you going to order?" he asked, looking for something to say while his finger absentmindedly traced the edge of the menu. I realized he wasn’t really looking at it. He was more interested in me than in the drink.

"I think I’ll have a cappuccino. You?" I replied, feeling a little out of place as his eyes kept studying me.

"Same. That way we can toast with foam," he joked, then blushed a little, as if he realized how silly that sounded.

I laughed, now more relaxed, and watched him blush, which made his "popular guy" persona crack a little, showing me a more charming and real side.

"Does this happen to you often?" he asked, his tone curious but playful, as if he had been waiting for a chance to ask one of those questions that make you nervous.

"What?" I replied, not really understanding.

"This... feeling like you're in an oral exam every time someone you care about is in front of you," he said, tapping the spoon with the tips of his fingers while looking at me with a slight smile, as if he was enjoying the vulnerability of the moment.

I fell silent, surprised by the depth of his question. But instead of making me uncomfortable, his honesty made me feel more at ease.

"Maybe..." I murmured, feeling a little more understood. Sometimes, sharing those kinds of things makes you feel closer to someone.

"Ah, well, then we’re both the same," he said, and for a moment, I thought there was a touch of mischief in his eyes. At least I wasn’t the only one nervous.

The rest of the conversation flowed much more naturally. We talked about movies we wanted to see, funny anecdotes from the House of the Dragon sets, and how, every now and then, everyone would sneak snacks without anyone noticing.

As time passed, I realized how easy it was to be with him. Despite what seemed like a "handsome, confident guy" facade, there was something in the way he looked at me that made everything around me fade away for a second.

"This place is perfect," Tom said, leaning back a little in his chair, and just like before, his gaze kept returning to me. It was clear the place wasn’t the only thing that interested him.

"Really?" I asked, curious, but unsure if he was referring to the atmosphere or something else.

"Yeah," he replied in a softer tone. "But I think it’s not so much the place, but the company."

That statement surprised me a little, and my face flushed more than I wanted to admit. But I couldn’t help smiling at his sincerity, which somehow made him even more attractive.

"You’re too good with words, Tom," I said, trying to deflect the attention a little.

"Or maybe I’m just really bad at hiding what I feel," he murmured, looking at his cup with an expression of fake indifference, though his eyes betrayed him.

My heart skipped a beat, but I preferred not to press. Sometimes, words didn’t need to be so direct for everything to be clear.

"You know? It’s not bad not to hide things sometimes," I replied, giving him a smile in return.

The conversation continued much more naturally after that. When we left the pub, the light from the setting sun was beginning to fade. The cool city air surrounded us as we walked toward our respective homes, and even though we hadn’t talked about anything earth-shattering, we both knew something had changed between us.

"Thanks for inviting me... though I’m not sure if this counts as a date," I said, glancing at Tom, feeling the uncertainty of the moment.

Tom paused for a second, evaluating the situation, then smiled again, that flirtatious smile that made me feel like I was in a movie.

"Well, if it were, it would be the best first date I’ve ever had," he said, with that sparkle in his eyes that left me speechless.

I laughed, hiding my face in my scarf to cover the blush, but feeling happier than ever.

"Maybe... we can do it again sometime," I said, with a hint of hope in my voice.

"Maybe we won’t wait so long to call it what it is," Tom replied, with a confident smile, as if he was sure of what he wanted.

We stood under the golden light of the sunset, blushing and smiling, knowing that this encounter was just the beginning of something more.

[plotbunnsies]

Can I Save Them All

Part 3/?

Previous / next

Louis looked around the abandoned apartment, pondering.

He looked the place up and turns out it's for sale. The whole building actually is, and for a low price, which is suspicious, and Louis can’t figure out why?

Louis has been here for a month now, and there’s nothing wrong with this apartment. He’s inspected this apartment 4 times, and after seeing the building’s price, he thoroughly inspected it again, and came out blank! He’s even done a day’s worth of research in case a quirk affected the building or something, but all he came up with was that it’s on the bad side of Musutafu (Which is bullshit. No one has bothered Louis until now and there are no heroes patrolling here. If anything, this is probably the safest part of Musutafu, just a bit dirty)

So, Louis decided he wants to buy the building, and after a bit of searching, he found a job that will help him get the money needed.

It’s at a cat café. He’s very excited. He’s never come near a cat before, and he’s very curious(a lot of people call them “Backstabbing” creatures, and yet people love them? To the point of people calling them their boss? interesting)

He’s filled up an application, got accepted, and now he only needs to go to the café so they know he’s a real person and not a liar.

But before he closed his laptop, something caught his eye. A question.

A quirk question, on a forum he was browsing for any signs of a character that he knows the age of (he’s still hesitant to hack with Nezu around). Louis knows next to nothing about quirks (he really needs to research more) but

He knows biology. He knows about human, animal, and insect biology and he knows physics and chemistry and he knows too much for an eighteen-year-old (he had personas he needed to perfect)

And Louis was curious (he’s been curious) He wanted to know whether this knowledge could help him or will it be of no use. If he’s literally going to have to relearn everything. And this question seemed harmless enough. Just asking if there's a way to control a hearing-enhancing quirk (they sounded desperate) The answer won't harm anyone

So Louis wrote a "quick" reply (it was three pages long) and ran out of the door. He had an interview? To nail.

--

Louis loves cats.

They're small and agile and light to pick up and furry and meows and purrs when you scratch them just right and-

Louis loves cats.

The owner of the cat café was pleased by that (he wasn't sure about Louis’s "I'm not sure" when the application asked him about his opinion of cats) but he still needed to ask Louis some questions.

"And it says here that you've worked in a café before?" The man, with greying hair and a kind face and the softest smile ever directed at Louis, asked.

"Yes"

"..do you have a manager's number? An owner I could ask about you?"

"No, that was when I lived in Europe"

"Ah, well how about you try making a drink? This is a café, after all. You'll need more than a love for cats to work here"

And that's how Louis got his job. He made a regular cappuccino with a caramel pump and drew a cat on top (oh my lord this looks adorable!) And the owner hired me (kid you were made for this) he said, which Louis laughed off. He was very much not made for this.

So he left the café, after giving every cat a treat, and promised the owner (just call me Komi, kid!) To come to work at 6 am. And so, Louis was on his way to the apartment. 

But soon, someone started tailing him. Louis walked three blocks, took two turns and the guy was still behind him.

This caused Louis to panic (what did he do? He's only hacked once into the government database and that's only to add his identity. Nothing else! He didn't even steal that much, only going out to steal twice a week) so quietly, Louis whispered to himself. 

"Two miles" he felt more than heard a confirming beeb, and just like that all cameras within a two-mile radius were disabled. Louis took a turn into an alleyway and quickly scaled the building, and is currently standing on a fire escape, calmly waiting for his stalker to come. 

Soon, a guy entered the alleyway, looking around impatiently. He didn't call anyone upon not seeing Louis, instead kicking the wall angrily and then moving to get out of the alley.

No, Louis thought as he jumped down behind the man and held a knife to his neck.

"Why did you follow me" He asked, inching the knife ever so slowly into his neck. 

"I-I didn't, I just wanted some money, man!"

Oh

Maybe the people complaining about this place were right. Perhaps it is a dangerous place.

Louis knocked him unconscious and continued his walk home.

"Disable two miles," he said absentmindedly. This is the first time he went anywhere without knowing everything about it. Sure he's not here for a reason, he just ended up here, but he does need to research this place more.

He just needs to find a way to do it without getting anyone's attention. 

--

Well, Louis was not ready for this. (He's not been ready for a lot of things since getting here)

Fourteen people, fourteen different individuals, were in his DMs and were asking for help using their quirks. Five of them were willing to pay for his advice. 

Louis is not ready for this.

But the promise of money keeps him from deleting his account (what part of staying unnoticed did he not understand?!) so stared at his laptop. He stared for 20 seconds, then he closed the laptop, put it in his backpack, and headed to the nearest bank.

He’s gonna need an account if he’s going to work online, after all.

--

 It was four in the morning. Louis was researching how exactly touch-based quirks work when he heard something.

Footsteps. Light, quiet footsteps climb the stairs of the building to the last floor.

The floor Louis was in.

Louis got up, and crept to the front door, waiting.

The footsteps came closer, Louis took out his knife.

Knob started to move, Louis took a deep breath

The door was pushed open, and Louis lunged his knife at the intruder’s neck. Sharp brown eyes met startled blue eyes, and Louis froze.

He was holding a knife at Dabi’s neck.

He slowly lowered the knife, watching Dabi for any signs of aggression, and laughed nervously.

“Sorry, bad habit”

-----------------------------------------------------------------

I knowww that Quirk analysis is what Midoryia usually do in bnha fanfics, but i also want louis to do it and it's good technically legal source of money! Louis cant go around befriending good people if he's doing very illegal things. gotta start kinda small and when you cement yourself into the friend group you start showing your more messed up side! anyway for anyone who's reading this hope you enjoy! Previous / next

[mistrdctr]

The nod toward the café they're approaching is noticed by Stephen, so he directs his own motions toward it; Being a gentleman of sorts he even holds the door open for his companion, allows Steve to enter first before following, with the two men scouting out a small table located at a window in the far corner, offering them a bit of privacy.

They take a seat, the Barista greets them, offers them a small menu card before making her way back to the counter. It's cute, this establishment; Small but cozy, and there's not many people around. The offered coffee's look quite nice as well, and Strange can feel his cravings for a Cappuccino grow with every second that passes from then on.

---However, he also has to think of the fact that he's missed the entire point of what the blond had even asked him about. To be hit with that realization feels... interesting, in a way, as if a sort of truth opens itself in front of him that the sorcerer has a hard time dealing with: Steve is right, because the sorcerer keeps defining himself with the help of his job. He was a surgeon once, a very famous one, and now he is a man who does magic, also rather famous, all things considered. That is what Stephen thinks he is, what he assumes to be, and...

Well, it seems to be of so much importance to him that he disregards everything else about what causes him to be the way he is. As the other has called it: A single-mindedness that ruins whoever focuses too hard on it. Damn, Strange hadn't expected his meeting with Captain America to end up in some sort of therapy session, but it damn well feels like one.

He huffs out a quiet breath, hands resting on the smooth surface of that wooden table, fingers intertwined as a clear gaze flicks around the shop, then back to Steve. He allows it to linger for a moment before a sigh escapes a set of nostrils, a thoughtful expression crossing his features.

"I guess that I never... well, I never really thought of such things being important when it comes to what defines me.", is what he then says, a little out of breath - not because of what they've done before, with Stephen trying to keep up with his very much more active companion here, but rather because of how much weight this whole topic has, for some odd reason. "You know, I, uh... was always kind of proud for... achieving things. That's what my life was - and is - about, to, uh... manage to get somewhere, to reach the peak of whatever was thrown at me. I didn't want to be any doctor, you know? I wanted to be the best at what I did, so... ---I guess it's similar now, just that I'm very well aware of the fact that there are other sorcerers out there who have a higher title than I do---"

It actually affects Strange more than he likes to admit, the fact that he still did not regain the title of Sorcerer Supreme. Ever since the blip happened, with Stephen having been gone for five years, Wong had carried the title and it remains this way until this day.

"Jesus Christ, Steve - when you invited me for a jog today, I didn't expect you to... do this, you know. All of this?" Chuckling, arching a brow, Strange shakes his head before snorting out a low sound, gesturing at the other. "You certainly have your own bullshit to carry, as we talked about earlier. People still assume the fourth of July is your birthday, and they don't see you as the man you are. ...And yet you seem to have so much more of a better grasp on knowing yourself - who you are, such things - than I do. ...And, uh, I guess you're also speaking of experience, right? About the single-mindedness?"

Because Steve has been Captain America for... well, a very long time. People see him as that man, see him as the one with that shield and the helmet covering half his face. They see him as blue and red and white; Strange supposes it must have done a lot to the blond himself, before he realized he's more than just a superhero.

"How did you..." A pause follows, a bright gaze flicking to the side, thinking. "...How did you figure that out? To be... more than... you know?" A tentative question Stephen has never asked anyone, as he's never really questioned himself in such a way. But here he is, and Steve is... offering words that hit him somewhere deep.

Steve was quiet as he listened, watching Stephen and only glancing away occasionally to check his footing on the path. He didn't interrupt - it was a lot to take in, and Stephen seemed to have a lot to get off his chest.

It certainly did answer at least some of his question, though it really did skip the meat of the question itself. The kind of man who could become a neurosurgeon had to be smart and dedicated to his craft. And to reach any kind of fame in that regard? Well, Steve had never even heard of a famous doctor - at least, not one that wasn't a television character - so that had to speak volumes about his skill.

No one had told him who the Doctor was, yet, other than that he was from a show.

His lips quirked up slightly at Stephen's self-deprecating joke, and he closed his eyes briefly with a pang of pain for the loss of Tony. It was familiar. The notion that people either loved or hated him was a struggle Tony dealt with often. The notion that they blamed him for things outside of his control; the arrogance.

"I think you and I have different ideas of what a mood killer is, Doc," Steve chuckled.

"It sounds like you're still a bit too lost in what your duties are to know who you are outside of that, though, based on how you asked a question about who and what you are other than Mister Magic," he pointed out, tilting his head slightly to indicate the café as they approached the door.

"I know how the duties thing works; but you're not just a hero. That isn't how this works - it can't be, or it'd ruin each of us. That kind of single-mindedness..." Steve shook his head slightly, his brow furrowing. "It leaves you empty.

"So, are you a morning person? A night owl? Do you like coffee, or tea? Do you spend Saturdays watching cartoons in secret, or are you a Friday movies with friends kind of guy? Are you the kind of guy who starts reading a book and gets so invested he forgets to sleep, or the sort who will fall asleep listening to an audio book?"

[keanureevesisbae]

Not so brave

Sergeant Hank Voight x fem!reader

Summary: You are being followed by a car, however your man Hank is quick to respond.

Wordcount: 1k

Warnings: Some shooting, but that's all xx

masterlist // one chicago masterlist //

You worked as a barista and you absolutely adored it. Interacting with people, sharing stupid stories and having a laugh with them, you loved it. Contrary to your boyfriend’s life, yours was fairly predictable. It was safe. 

Your boyfriend Hank’s job was everything yours wasn’t. While you spoke about the different cappuccino’s and the funny customers who you shared some inside jokes with, he barely spoke about work.

The only times he did, was when you discovered a bruise on his body or saw how his knuckles were skinned and you pressed for more information. 

While it wasn’t ideal in your eyes, you accepted it.

You ended your morning shift, so you made your way to the car. Once you got inside and started it, you were quick to hum along with the radio. Hank preferred his drives more in silent, but he got used to your off key singing fairly quick, as there was no stopping you once you heard music.

As you stopped in front of a red light, you looked in your rearview mirror.

Still?

That beige colored car had been following you ever since you drove from the parking lot. When the red light turned green, you drove and at the next intersection you took a left turn, instead of going into the right direction you initially wanted to go. 

And the car followed you.

‘Siri,’ you said, ‘call Hank Voight.’

‘Calling Hank Voight,’ the computerized voice told you and not long after that, you heard: ‘You okay?’

You had this agreement, the two of you. If it wasn’t urgent, you’d text him. If it was urgent, you’d call and he would pick up. Which he did. ‘There’s a car following me.’

‘You sure?’ he asked.

‘Yeah, I took a few odd turns and he’s still following me,’ you said. ‘what if something happens?’

‘Nothing will happen. I got your location.’

You hated the idea of him being able to track your phone, but after he gave a little bit more detail about the interesting parts of his job, you’d caved, after he promised to never ever track you if you weren’t in trouble or when nothing suspicious happened. You trusted he didn’t do that, but now you were thankful he had his way of tracking you.

‘I’m scared,’ you then said. ‘Where do I go now?’

‘Just straight ahead,’ Hank told you. 

You gripped the steering wheel tightly, as a sniffle escaped from your lips. 

‘Hey, hey, don’t cry,’ he said, his tone softer than before. ‘At the next intersection, go right, okay?’

‘Yeah, will do.’

‘Can you describe to me what the person behind the wheel looks like?’

You took a quick glance in the rearview mirror and said: ‘He wears a hoodie. He’s white. Has a beard.’

‘What kind of car?’

‘A beige one. I don’t know the kind.’

There’s some mumbling on the other end of the line and you take a right turn and the car follows you. 

‘Keep breathing, sweetheart,’ Hank said to you. ‘Go straight ahead.’

‘It’s a dead end,’ you told him, slightly panicking. ‘It’s a dead end, Hank!’

‘Just go, alright?’

Knowing you couldn’t back out and Hank had your best interest in mind, you did what he told you to. 

Though you weren’t so certain about it. 

‘Stop right there,’ he said and you stepped on the break, the beige car closing in on you. But then, out of almost no where, you recognized your boyfriend’s car. Right when you wanted to say something, shots were fired from the car behind you. You dove down and let out a scream.

Shattered glass fell on you and you were crying. Screaming even. You hid your face in your hands and let out more and more sobs. More shots were exchanged and the door on your side opened. You kicked. ‘Stop, stop, let me go!’ you screamed.

‘Hey, hey, it’s me,’ you heard Al’s voice. 

‘Al?’ you asked, as the gun shots died down. You looked up and quickly unclasp yourself out of the seatbelt. You nearly launched yourself in his arms and all the adrenaline rushing through your veins was now breaking down, causing your hands to shake.

‘You’re good, you’re good,’ Al whispered in your ear, patting the back of your head in a comforting matter. 

Your cries turned softer and less hysterical. Al let go of you, but another set of arms pulled you out of the car for a proper hug. ‘You’re okay,’ Hank whispered. ‘You’re alright.’

‘Is it over?’

‘It’s over,’ he said.

♢ ♢ ♢

That night, you were staying over at Hank’s place. You were waiting in the two person bed, in an old shirt of his as you continued to shiver. You hadn’t stopped since you got back here. It turned out this man, was part of the drug bust they were currently working on. That wasn’t something you weren’t so worried about. You were worried about the fact they found out who you were.

He opened the door of the bedroom, causing you to get startled. ‘Easy, it’s me.’

He took off his shirt, stepping into the bed in just his boxer shorts. He got comfortable under the covers, however you couldn’t seem to relax. He pulled you down into his arms. ‘Come on.’

You melted against his warm and protective frame. You hadn’t spoken a lot about the incident, because every time you wanted to mention it, you started to cry. ‘I… Am I safe?’ you asked him.

‘You are,’ he said, ‘as long as I got my eyes on you, so tomorrow you’re not going to work. You’re coming with me.’

‘So I’m not safe.’

He pressed a gentle kiss on your forehead. ‘You are, when you’re with me. You think I’m gonna let anything happen to you?’

You didn’t answer. Instead, you rested your head on his chest, his steady heartbeat calming you down. 

‘Is this going to happen more often?’ you asked. 

‘No.’

‘Don’t lie.’

‘I’m not.’

‘I don’t want to have a police detail on my tail the entire time,’ you told him. 

‘That won’t happen. Come on, look at me.’

At first you didn’t want to, but eventually you looked up, your eyes meeting his. ‘What?’ you asked him. 

‘I love you,’ he whispered in his raw and raspy voice. ‘And I’ll protect you. Forever and ever.’

♢ ♢ ♢

Chicago PD taglist: @acdassenza //