#But not so much in the show it seems. So I’m not sure what to do

[notherpuppet]

I LOVE READING YOUR NANNY AU!! The writing and art is amazing!!

Though how you get the dialogue so perfect!?!? I'm trying to do a comic series but I can't do the writing right.

May you please share some tips?

I want to actually be helpful with this, because I looove writing dialogue. It’s my favorite part of the storytelling process. I’ve written works with and without internal dialogue and I like both. It just depends on how much I want the reader to know. Anyway, here’s some advice?

1. Study techniques from media you like

I study scenes from favorite films/tv shows. And there are many YouTube channels that are great resources for writing, but I’m most partial to “Studio Binder”.

This is a great video on dialogue.

Because I write for comics most of the time—rather than prose—I find advice for tv and film to be more helpful because it incorporates the techniques in a visual storytelling medium. But I’d recommend studying technique for the storytelling medium you’re partial to as well. I have several books on comic book storytelling and have studied comics and manga the most in my life haha (cuz I’m a giant fucking nerd).

2. Workshop dialogue to fit the character and scene

Dialogue can change a lot from my first concept—where I want to convey the necessary information—into making it sound “in character”. So I study the writing of the show of course to pick up on the characters’ quirks and unique ways of speaking.

Example:

Carmilla Carmine is bilingual with Spanish/English and it seems that as a character, Spanish was her first language. So some traits she may have are:

1. To confirm her ideas ending with a “no?” Instead of saying “right?”

2. Slipping into Spanish when she’s ‘thinking out loud’.

Then I’ll read aloud a scene to see if it sounds right. Often, this is when I’ll notice if the dialogue seems repetitive or awkward.

3. Touch grass, go laugh, have fun

Also, I’m sure my very chaotic but-hilarious-family members and friends help me with writing dialogue so make sure you take the time to hang out with people lol!

It’s true what they say about drawing inspiration from real life 👥🌎

Hope that’s helpful 🥰

[lcriedlastnight]

first couple of dates reader is super reserved and shy and Lando is just unabashedly flirting in the most attractive way ever

tysm anon, my first lando request! ilysm <3 also shy reader resonates so well with me for some reason.

tw: fem!reader, swears, not spell checked, lmk if anything else.

w/c: 1.8k

you found out on the first date how confident in himself lando was. you knew (and liked) how he was just unapologetically himself at every point in time. it was definitely a green flag of yours. only sometimes it was a little much to handle.

this next date lando had been very traditional, seeing as it was your second date. he had decided to take you to one of his favourite restaurants in monaco. he left you with very strict instructions over text, the day before, to dress as fancy as you possibly could. so you did just that and went last minute dress shopping with your friend. it all being her idea of course.

she finds this lovely blush pink dress that in her words “is just so you” so you get it and wear it to dinner.

lando was already at the restaurant waiting outside for you. he had offered to pick you up but your friend wanted to stay and help you get ready, you didn’t agree easily though. you’ve never seen anyone’s mouth drop open as quickly as you seen lando’s open when you got out of your friend’s car. this, obviously, brings a bright red blush to your cheeks, complimenting the dress even more in lando’s opinion.

“hi.” you mumble, shyly. not used to a gaze as piercing as lando’s.

“hey, pretty girl! don’t you look stunning?” lando grins happily as he addresses you with such lovely pet names with such ease it makes you melt. he sticks a hand out to link it with yours then holds them both high above your head. “give me a spin then, honey.”

you do as he asks and spin around, showing him every angle. when you face lando again his smile seems to be even bigger than when you first came, if that was even possible. it looked like it was sore with how hard he was smiling.

“god, now i feel underdressed. when i said fancy i didn’t mean princess of monaco fancy!” lando jokes. you know it’s a joke, a compliment even. a lovely, sweet compliment. and if you were a normal girl, you would’ve giggled sweetly and thanked him, then you would both be on your way to sit down. but you weren’t a ‘normal’ girl. you were a bit shyer than most. so instead you avoid eye contact with lando and splutter out what could be picked together to make some sort of thank you.

even though it’s the second date, lando seems to understand you already and instead of pointing out your embarrassment, he pushes it to the side and holds his arm out for you to hold.

“c’mon, let’s go inside. you must be starving. i heard that beauty makes you hungry.” you were not surviving this. where was this lando on the first date?

the waiter helps you both find your table, which of course has the most gorgeous view of the water. you sit across from each other and sit in a comfortable silence, scanning the menu’s. your eyes dart across, reading all these dishes, none of them too fancy. another thing for you to be shy about, was the fact that you were an extremely picky eater. you were very wary of restaurant or even food related dates to begin with, but lando is a very difficult person to say no to.

“d’you know what’re getting?” lando asks from across the table. you think he’s been staring at you for a while.

“i’m not sure yet.” you reply, a little quieter than lando, still loud enough to hear over the usual bustle of a restaurant. you tell him this in the hopes he doesn’t ask about your food preferences.

it’s like lando can read your mind though as he asks. “are you alright? do you not like any of the food? we can go somewhere else if you like?” the way he switches from flirty to caring in seconds makes your head spin.

“no! no. you went through all this trouble to come here. and it’s your favourite restaurant.” you refuse his sweet offers.

“so you don’t like any of the food? are you a picky eater?” lando asks, the smile returning to his almost as quickly as it left. his voice not menacing or teasing as he asks you the dreaded question.

you can feel your body heat up at the question, and before you can even try and scramble your brain for an answer, probably denying it lando speaks up.

“if you are it’s okay, honey. i can ask the waiter for anything you want. even if i wasn’t a regular here, i’m sure they would do it for a girl as pretty as you.” and he was right back into that flirty ways from before.

“right,” you nod, purposefully ignoring his compliment. “thank you. i know it’s childish but i only really eat chicken.” you try to joke about it but it comes out awkward and forced. lando laughs anyway.

you both make small talk until with waiter comes back to take your orders. lando doesn’t even give you a chance to speak to the waiter to try and explain yourself before he’s asking if you could get some chicken nuggets and fries. the waiter nods, like it’s no problem. because it isn’t.

“and to drink?” the waiter asks.

lando shifts his gaze to you. his eyes wandering yours, wondering if you were alright to speak to the waiter and order for yourself.

“d’you like wine too, honey? or we could just have water?” lando offers, trying to help you out, which you appreciate so much.

“water is good, please.” you ask politely.

“two glasses of water of us then!” lando tells the waiter as the menu’s are collected and the orders are given to the kitchen.

you wait until you know the waiter is gone before you speak to lando.

“you didn’t need to get water if you didn’t want to. you could’ve gotten wine.” your thumbs dance with each other on top of the table. lando’s reach across to pull them apart from each other and hold them in his own, thumbs swiping gently across your soft skin.

“i know. i just wanted to get what you got. makes you like me more if we like the same things.” lando teases. you laugh a little and it looks like someone has just told lando he’s won his first championship.

“i’m thinking of becoming a comedian. i’m going to quit racing.” he tells you. the conversation switch gives you whiplash.

“what, really? why? i don’t think you should quit. you’re really good.” you try to compliment him back. the boy’s cheesy grin is the greatest payment for that moment of bravery.

“i’m gonna quit so i can make you laugh every minute of every day because your laugh is my new favourite sound in the whole world.” how does he even think of this shit, you think to yourself, through a wide smile and rosy cheeks (once again.)

you both chat away throughout the dinner. lando sending about a million and a half flirty comments and pet names throughout, each one sending you into a tizzy every time. lando just watches your cheeks warm and that shy smile grace your lips.

once you both had ate and payed the bill, lando suggests just walking around for a while.

“basic, i know. i don’t think any date idea could compare to how wonderful you are.” he sighs, jokingly as if his idea actually pained him. of course this causes you to fluster again and hide your face.

lando only laughs and grabs your hand, taking you a walk along the water. you open up to him, more than the previous dates and late night texts. the boy is quiet as you talk, telling him about your childhood and what it was like for you growing up. he asks you questions seeing the way yours eyes twinkle underneath the stars as you perk up even more at the mention of your childhood dog.

“you’re so pretty, honey.” lando admits in a hushed whisper, like it was a secret he was scared to tell and not a sentence he’s said about a hundred times tonight. you both had stopped at a nearby bench to watch the ocean.

before you can even get the chance to get embarrassed he asks “can i kiss you? please?”. and he sounds desperate, like you’re depriving him of the air he needs so badly to breathe properly.

so you nod your head shyly. lando’s hands are quick to trap your head in between them, holding you still as he leans in. this is yours and lando’s first kiss together and lando kisses you like you’ll break if he touches you any harsher. it’s the sweetest thing a boy has ever done in your entire life.

you tell him so once he’s reluctantly pulled away from you. his brows raise in surprise.

“guess i’m just gonna need to top this every date we go on then.” he leans in again because there’s no way he’s not using his free time with you now not kissing you. plus he just loves to see you flustered every time he pulls away.

and that was only the second date.

by the fifth date you had just about gotten your embarrassment under wraps when lando invites you to some mclaren event. he tells you it’s fancy dress but not to go dress shopping again as he’s gotten a tie that matches so well with the dress you wore on your second date. your surprised he remembered the exactly colour because when he turns up at you door, the shade match is perfect.

your halfway through the lovely charity event and lando has not stopped touching you the entire night. even when he has to stop to talk to his teammate, oscar or his team principal, andrea, he had his arm wrapped around your waist or resting on the small of your back. the feeling of his hand resting on your back made you feel like you were his.

you don’t talk much compared to lando, who yaps away all night. his number one topic of conversation being you. he talked about how you met to some random couple he’s never seen before. he rambled about how pretty you were to mclaren’s very own ceo, zak brown. you’re cheeks stay red the entire time, zak leaving after about ten minutes because he felt sorry for you and your embarrassment.

“how you doing, honey? you alright?” lando asks as he joins you at the bar. he’s been pulled away and promised you he’s join you in ten minutes. his hands snaking around your waist, their home for the night it seems.

“yeah, oscar and lily are lovely.” you smile at lando. “thank you for inviting me.”

lando beams back at you. “couldn’t do tonight without my girl, could i?”.

“your girl?” you ask shyly.

“if you wanna be” lando tried to ask casual but he genuinely thinks that if you don’t say yes, he would cry himself to sleep for the rest of the year.

you wrap your arms around him and hide in his chest. “my shy girl, hm?” lando mumbles into your hair.

[james-bucky-barnackle]

I mean?

Synopsis: On a press tour with your co-star Sebastian Stan, the interviewer asks you a question about another film he did and the answer surprises him.

Pairing: Sebastian Stan x Actress!Y/N

Word Count: IDK I'm too sleep deprived to count.

A/N: Bro I am on a resurgence. Might just fuck around and continue writing more fanfics or whatever.

It’s another busy day promoting your new movie with Sebastian, The Road Trip. It's a funny romcom about two best friends going on a long trip to see another friend who your character is dating. Interestingly enough, the guy who plays him is Chris Evans. The interviews are currently being done in pairs, and you're with Sebastian.

You've always been candid, speaking your mind without feeling shy. Deep down, you're a bit of a pessimist, accepting things as they are. When you first heard from your agent that you were cast in The Road Trip alongside Sebastian Stan and Chris Evans, you laughed hysterically. The idea that you, an unconventional beauty, were chosen to be on screen with those two seemed surreal. You never really think about dating co-stars, which helps with acting in general. The media is impressed with how chill you are around A-list actors, and even though it hasn’t fully sunk in yet, the industry has started promoting you to that list.

The interview has been going on for about 15 minutes when another journalist joins, mostly asking about the experience of working with the cast.

“It’s my first romcom, can you believe it?” you say.

“First?!” Sebastian stares in mock disbelief.

“I know, right?!” You feign surprise.

The interviewer continues, “How does it feel to do something lighter and a bit comedic for once?”

“You mean, a movie where no one dies?” Sebastian covers his mouth at your response.

“I mean essentially,” the interviewer laughs. “Wait, no one dies?!” They nudge you playfully.

“I mean, I’m not sure, no spoilers,” you say, breaking the fourth wall and looking into the camera. Sebastian cackles. “It’s definitely refreshing. It feels like going to school for some reason. Like I don’t want to miss a class just because I might miss something wild happening.”

“What?” Sebastian glares. “What school did you go to?”

“I mean, aside from the learning stuff…” You grimace. “It’s fun, honestly. I’d love to do more romcoms. It’s very down-to-earth and just resonates with you so much. I don’t wanna get too cheesy, but I’m such a hopeless romantic—this is my jam.”

“Sebastian, how’s your experience working with Chris again, this time outside of the Marvel universe?”

“Wait, this isn’t in the Marvel Universe?!” you butt in. Sebastian again, fakes a loud gasp. You two laugh. This interview feels like it’s going nowhere.

“It’s totally fun, as Y/N mentioned—it really is like going to class. But most of my scenes are with Y/N, so she’s like the lab partner I’ve never had. Chris was always texting us, checking which location we’re going to be at, making sure we’re scheduled on the same day. It’s fun when we’re both on set.”

You nod in agreement. “Yeah, we’ve got a good rhythm going. It’s like having a little family on set. Plus, Chris is always the one who brings snacks, so that’s a bonus.”

Sebastian laughs. “Oh, absolutely. Chris and his endless supply of trail mix.”

The interviewer chuckles. “Sounds like you all have a great dynamic. Was there a favorite scene you both enjoyed filming together?”

You think for a moment. “I really loved the scene where we’re stuck in the car during that rainstorm. It was so chaotic, but we had a blast improvising and just playing off each other.”

Sebastian nods. “Yeah, that was a good one. The rain machine was going full blast, and we were just trying not to crack up the entire time.”

The interviewer smiles. “It sounds like it was a lot of fun. And the chemistry definitely shows on screen. Speaking of different roles, Y/N, Sebastian’s been in the movie Fresh where he plays a sociopathic killer who preys on lonely women pretending to be a genuine guy.”

“I don’t like where this is going,” you say, laughing, as Sebastian shakes his head.

“Would you, like Noa, fall prey to Steve’s antics?” This question gets a louder laugh from Sebastian as your face shows pure shock. You hold him back with your hand and say,

“I’ve thought about this, to be honest,” you start, looking at Sebastian as he raises his eyebrows, impressed.

“Oh, you have?”

You laugh and continue, patting his thigh and looking back at the interviewer. “Me and my friend talked about it a while back. And it’s frightening because I would’ve probably ended up on a chopping block.”

“Noooo!” Sebastian shouts, “I was rooting for you.”

“No! But, like, you are incredibly good-looking and charismatic. It would be hard not to give my number at the grocery aisle.”

He tilts his head at your response. “Surely not good enough to get yourself killed?!”

“You’d be surprised how far I’d even go,” you say, as the interviewer laughs with you both. “Oh god, I need to call my therapist,” you add, ending the topic with the three of you gagging.

“Might just have to talk to mine too, after hearing that.”

You can already feel TikTok saving this clip and turning it into a meme.

You notice, after you call Sebastian good-looking, he’s been eyeing you sideways and biting his lip. As if he’s suddenly gone bashful. You can’t help but feel a boost in your ego. Could it be that Stan is shy? You make it a point to tease him for the remainder of the interview.

“What’s something funny or unexpected that happened on set?”

“Oh, there were so many moments,” you start. “One time, we were filming this really serious scene, and out of nowhere, a bird flew into the set and landed right on Sebastian’s shoulder.”

Sebastian laughs. “Yeah, I had no idea what to do. I just froze, and then Y/N started making bird noises to try and get it to fly away.”

You laugh, nodding. “It took a good ten minutes to get back into character after that. Everyone was cracking up.”

The interviewer grins. “That sounds hilarious. It’s great to hear that you all had such a good time. Speaking of moments on set, were there any funny or awkward moments while filming the more romantic or intimate scenes?”

Sebastian raises an eyebrow, smirking. “Oh, plenty. Like the time we were shooting that kiss scene in the rain, and Y/N kept slipping on the wet pavement.”

You roll your eyes playfully. “Hey, it was slippery! You were the one who can’t stop laughing during takes.”

Sebastian laughs. “True, true. But come on, we both know it was because you were so nervous about kissing me.” You notice him biting back.

You gasp in mock offense. “Excuse me, I was not nervous! I was just...distracted by how ridiculously good-looking you are. It’s hard to concentrate when you have that face right in front of you.” He smiles uncontrollably again, feeling defeated by your nonchalance. He wonders, how are you so good at this?

The interviewer laughs, clearly enjoying the banter. “So, who do you think had the hardest time keeping a straight face during those scenes?”

You both point at each other simultaneously, then laugh.

Sebastian leans back, shaking his head. “Definitely Y/N. There was this one scene where we were supposed to be having this deep, romantic conversation, and she just couldn’t stop giggling.”

You nudge him playfully. “Well, you weren’t helping with all your ad-libs! You kept whispering things like, ‘Is that your stomach growling or are you just happy to see me?’”

Sebastian laughs. “Hey, I was trying to lighten the mood! And let’s not forget the scene where we had to stare into each other’s eyes for what felt like an eternity. I swear, Y/N, you blink more than anyone I know.”

You smirk. “Only because I was trying to avoid getting lost in those baby blues of yours.” At this point, Sebastian was laughing hard, but feeling nervous at your jokes. He secretly wished it were all real, his ears were red and hot. He’s already thinking of how to approach you after the interview and get himself out of the friend zone which he didn’t even thought he’d be in, having found a new interest in you. 

The interviewer looks between the two of you, amused. “It sounds like you both had a lot of fun with it. Do you think all that chemistry will translate to the screen?”

Sebastian nods. “Oh, definitely. I think our off-screen dynamic really helped make the on-screen relationship feel more genuine. Plus, Y/N here is an amazing actress. She made it easy.”

You smile, feeling a bit bashful. “Well, Sebastian’s not too bad himself. It’s hard not to enjoy working with someone who’s so talented and, let’s be honest, ridiculously attractive.” 

Here she goes again .Sebastian grins. “Right back at you. But let’s be real, we’re both just incredibly good-looking people trying to make a movie here.” The internet is gonna have a field day.

The interviewer laughs. “Sounds like a tough job! Any last funny or romantic moments you’d like to share?”

You think for a moment. “There was this one scene where we had to dance together. Neither of us are professional dancers, so there were a lot of missteps and toe-stepping. But it ended up being one of the sweetest scenes because it felt so real and unpolished.”

Sebastian nods. “Yeah, that was a great scene. It was supposed to be this perfectly choreographed dance, but it turned into us just goofing around and having fun. I think it really captured the essence of our characters' relationship.”

The interviewer smiles, clearly delighted by your stories. “Well, thank you both for sharing these wonderful moments. It’s been a pleasure talking with you.”

As you and Sebastian leave the interview room, you head towards the lobby where a few other cast members are mingling. The energy is still high from the fun and laughter of the interview. Sebastian nudges you playfully as you walk.

“Hey, remember in the interview when you called me incredibly good-looking and charismatic?” he teases, a mischievous glint in his eye.

You roll your eyes, grinning. “Oh, come on. Don’t let it go to your head, Stan.”

He chuckles. “Too late. I’m pretty sure I’m going to bring that up every chance I get now.”

“You would,” you laugh, shaking your head. “ It’s not like I was lying.”

Sebastian stops walking, turning to face you. “Well, thank you. And for the record, you’re pretty incredible yourself. Both on screen and off.”

You feel a warm blush creeping up your cheeks, putting a palm to your chest as if to continue the gag. “Thanks, Seb. That means a lot.”

He smiles, his eyes softening. “No, really, it’s been really great working with you. I think we make a pretty good team.”

“I think so too,” you agree, feeling a flutter in your stomach, you realize he’s actually serious now. There’s a moment of silence as you both just look at each other, the playful teasing from earlier now replaced with something more tender.

Sebastian breaks the silence first. “So, what do you say we celebrate wrapping up the promotion tour? Maybe dinner tonight?”

You raise an eyebrow, teasingly. “Is this your way of asking me out, Stan?”

He grins, a little sheepishly. “Maybe it is. What do you think?”

You pretend to think about it for a moment, then nod. “I think it sounds like a great idea.”

“Perfect,” he says, looking genuinely pleased. “I’ll pick you up at eight?”

“Eight it is."

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[sharkikive]

match made in heaven (ken sato x fem!reader)

Summary: You were Professor Sato’s research assistant and your apartment just got destroyed by Ultraman.

Somehow, this led to a matchmaking project between you and the infamous baseball player, Ken Sato.

Word count: 6,887

A/N: I yap a lot when it comes to writing. Just writing this because the Ken Sato brainrot is too damn strong. Just a bunch of gibberish. Not my best but currently too hung up on Kenji. Includes mention of Professor Sato, Mina and Emi (definitely having baby fever because of her).

Ken Sato.

His name was a staple in your daily life, yet you had never met the man face to face.

The moment you thought you had escaped from hearing the broken recording of his name, it was brought up once again as the news of him returning to Japan plastered the news.

You rolled your eyes at the screen, but were careful enough not to let the old man hunched over the table, poring over some papers on Kaiju, see you.

Well, you could not exactly tell the father that you were tired of hearing his son’s name everywhere, could you?

“Professor Sato,” you started. “I shall take my leave for today.”

“Ah yes, sure. Please have a safe journey back home. I’m sorry this old man can’t send you back safely,” he replied, to which you quickly dismissed.

“Professor, I’ll be fine.” You chuckled lightly, “In case you have forgotten, I’m already 26. I’m already an adult. No longer the wide-eyed, 17-year-old you first took under your wing.”

He gave out a breathy laugh, sniffling as you knew what’s going to come out of his mouth next. You resisted the urge to stop him, purely out of respect.

“Kenji is the same age as you. I wish you could meet him, but that child is very stubborn. He wouldn’t even answer my calls, let alone meet me.” He paused, as if thinking of the next sentence, but went against it.

You only smiled weakly, the only response you’d always given when he mentioned his son’s name. You took this as a sign to leave before bowing and setting off to your apartment.

You didn’t have the heart to tell him that you were tired of listening to that man’s name every single time. Yes, you knew that it was Professor Sato’s guilt that kept him talking about his son, but the more you heard about him, the more you found him less likeable.

He came back to Japan, yet he did not even contact his father even once? Yet Professor Sato would talk about him every day.

You knew nothing about baseball, and did not care to find out, but the appearance of Ken Sato forced you to learn that he’s apparently about to be the saviour for the Giants.

You sighed, stopping under the night sky as you watched people milling about the streets.

You were an ambitious girl who had a deep interest in Kaiju and without shame, Ultraman. Ultraman was the first hero you knew and grew up with, so imagine the elation you felt when you found out that Professor Sato was affiliated with both. He agreed to take you under his wing with the condition that you finished your degree, so the moment you had gotten your scroll you showed up in front of him, eager to start.

He probably couldn’t turn you away considering how you seemed… pitiful. Yup, that’s probably the word.

You enjoyed working as his research assistant, but found out soon enough that he was a lonely man who missed his wife and son dearly. He was a father figure to you, considering that you were orphaned at a young age.

It was a peaceful night.

Well, if you consider the scene of Neronga choking Ultraman as a peaceful night.

Correction: It was supposed to be a peaceful night.

You stepped back as the gigantic hero got slammed into another building, destroying yet another public property. You winced as it was obvious that the hero was not upholding the principles and seemed more like he was trying to destroy as much as he could.

The thing that irritated you the most? You knew exactly who it was under that suit.

You shook your head, not even bothering to see how the fight would go. You were 100% sure the KDF would be gunning down the Kaiju in no time.

You set off again, mildly hoping that your apartment did not get obliterated in the chaos, or you would definitely hunt that baseball player down.

It was hard to ignore the fight when two giants were stomping around the city, and you dropped dramatically on your knees when you saw Ultraman being launched in the direction of your building.

“No-” you weakly said, knowing that your voice was merely a speck of hopelessness among the gasps of the crowd, Ultraman’s groan and Neronga’s roar. From behind your glasses, a tear rolled down your face as you saw your apartment building crumbling, all thanks to that stupid, cocky, asshole of a baseball player.

Now thanks to Professor Sato’s beloved son, you were homeless.

***

Maybe it was your lack of sleep from worrying about how the progress of rebuilding your house went, because you were dragged by Professor Sato at 2 in the morning to the secret base, facing a scene that you promptly found ridiculous.

Right, seeing the giant hero hunched over in front of you was no surprise because you knew exactly who it was. A little bit weird how he’s here considering his relationship with his father, but that wouldn’t be an issue.

But what was an issue was that the said giant was cradling an equally gigantic pink baby Kaiju and was- you took a step back.

Something must had happened because Ken Sato was crying in front of you. Not the scene you’d expect in the morning while being sleep-deprived.

Your mind was only registering the words ‘injured’, ‘need help’ and the rest was a blur as Professor Sato helped in correcting the fracture in the Kaiju’s arm. The Kaiju was calmed down, brought to sleep and you could not help but smile at the sleeping baby.

Part of the reason you were still there was because you found the baby Kaiju so adorable with her chubby cheeks and twitterings.

Another part was because you were curious to see (discreetly, of course, under the pretext of looking over the Kaiju) the dynamic between Ultradad and well, the son. You were facing the Kaiju but you were straining your ears to eavesdrop on the conversation.

“Doing this-“ you picked up a sentence, -“doesn’t suddenly make you Ultradad.”

You felt slightly perturbed. Kenji came in here pleading while crying, Professor Sato helped him without any questions yet the son was barely grateful for it.

But you knew you’re no one to be meddling in their family affairs.

So you kept quiet, straining your ears with Mina - the robot - hovering nearby.

Your mind wandered to whether it would be plausible for you to chip in a request for Ken Sato’s autograph and sell it high to make up for the costs of your destroyed apartment.

That’s the least he could do after reducing your safe space into rubble.

You snapped back to the present as you heard your name being called, and was greeted with the sight of a smiling father and a son looking like he’d love to be anywhere but here.

Ken Sato was not smiling, but he didn’t look like he hated you either.

The next thing you knew was that you were left alone with Ken, and you couldn’t help but think Professor Sato had a hidden agenda because he left with a chuckle. Even Mina was nowhere in sight.

What could I possibly say to this man I’ve never met before?

The young man in front of you looked starkly different from the confident, boastful man you had seen in interviews. Instead, he seemed more like a sad excuse who looked so distraught you swore you could see him shrinking.

“So uh-” he started, scratching his head with an awkward smile. “Y/N… right?”

Your eyebrows lifted at the mention of your name.

“Dad told me about your apartment.” He grimaced. “I’m sorry.”

You clicked your tongue. “Other than the fact that I became homeless, it’s no issue.”

You did not intend it to be a joke, but it seemed that the only immediate response he could give was to laugh awkwardly, before he buried his face in his hands. “God- I’m so- sorry.” He pried his fingers slightly to look at you, before continuing. “I came back to Japan because dad wanted me to continue this- I don’t know what you call this. Legacy?”

Your eyes trailed his movements; you got slightly startled as he suddenly sprang up and you pushed back your glasses.

“High hopes from everyone ever since I started playing for the Giants, dad wanting me to become Ultraman and-“ he sighed exasperatedly, “it was too much.”

You rubbed the tip of your nose before shrugging. “Well, you did seem confident while you were on TV. If you ask me, you gave them that confidence.”

He left his mouth slightly hanging open as he didn’t expect you to give it to him straight.

You continued, “Ultraman is a hero for some, if not all. Some of them may not care. But all,” your eyes collided with his as he plopped back down onto the sofa, “don’t know who is under that suit. All they know is Ultraman is supposed to be the hero protecting the city with-“ you pressed your lips into a thin line, “-minimal damage.”

He blinked. Did he look like he wanted to cry again?

The corner of your lips lifted up slightly, but you quickly switched it off as he looked at you imploringly.

You raised your hands shoulder-level, hiding a yawn before managing. “Don’t expect me to become your counsellor, but what I’m saying is, when you’re Ken Sato, the baseball player, of course they’d expect you to play well. When you’re Ultraman, people expect you to be the hero.” You interlinked your fingers. “They don’t see you becoming both at the same time. And now, you added another point to your resume. You became a single dad.”

He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. He sucked in his lower lip and for the first time ever you thought that maybe Professor Sato’s son wasn’t that bad at all, both personality and lookwise.

“I can’t comment much about what you feel about your father. I won’t deny that my opinion on you was formed only based on what I saw, but I now know that you must have had a reason why you acted that way to your father.” You shrugged. “I saw a lonely father and a distant son. Because I spent almost all of my time with Professor Sato, please trust me, he talks about you every single day.” You spread your arms, “Your father talked about you, the TV was blaring news about you 24/7 and I was exhausted hearing your name all the time.”

He didn’t seem offended, but was merely focusing on the one sentence. “My father talks about me every day?”

”Every day,” you breathed. “You and your mother.” You smiled, “He never stopped thinking about both of you.”

”Huh.” It seemed like he didn’t know how to react.

This time, you couldn’t help but yawn so you got up quickly, intending to leave the base. If the conversation wasn’t finishing, you were sure you were about to finish it. Your eyelids couldn’t hold much longer.

It was nice having a talk with this infamous baseball player and it sure did change your perspective of him.

He looked on, confused, as you gave a slight nod before heading towards the exit.

”Hey-“ he started, doing a slight jog to catch up to you, who was almost asleep standing up. He gently grabbed the strap of your sling bag, and you snapped your eyes open. He retracted his hand, citing, “Sorry. But where do you think you’re going?”

It was your turn to look confused. “Home?” You said it as a question rather than a statement. “Wait,” you tracked back, “not home. My temporary home at the inn down the road because,” you giggled, clearly drunk from the lack of sleep, “Ultraman destroyed my home.”

”And because Ultraman destroyed your home, you’re staying with me,” he said smoothly, slightly nudging your back with his shoulder. Clearly he struggled as you were much shorter than him.

”With you?” You had no idea where the idea was going yet so you shook your head. “Why would I want to stay with you?”

He took a step back and tugged at the strap of your sling back, essentially dragging you with him. “Don’t misunderstand. Dad’s staying with me as well, we have Mina and you’re joining me because we need to train her.”

”Wait, wait, wait.” You slapped a hand on his shoulder, but he was still holding on strong to the strap. “We? Her? What are we even talking about?”

You were clearly guided by him as you found yourself standing underneath his gaze in front of the Kaiju’s enclosure.

”We as in you, me, dad and Mina.” He nodded, looking satisfied. “Her as in this baby.” He did a show of hands towards the sleeping Kaiju.

You grimaced. “Sir, I did say that my perspective on you has changed, but that doesn’t mean you’re dragging me with you.”

”You’re my dad’s research assistant, right?”

You narrowed your eyes at him. “Yes…” You didn’t like where this is going.

”You don’t have a house… yet.”

”Yes…”

You took a step back, and what you could describe him now was as a puppy as he imitated your actions. There was a twinkle in his eyes as he leaned down to level his eyes with yours before saying, “Your boss is here, and you currently have no home to go back to. So why not? Take it as me being sorry for destroying your house as well. Deal?” He put out his hand to give you a shake.

You laughed nervously. “And what is it in for me…?”

”You… get to live in the same house as Ken Sato?”

”Nice, yay,” you said flatly. You rolled your eyes. “No.”

“Oh come on,” he groaned. “I feel bad.”

”There’s no need for you to feel bad, okay. I put that behind me, whatever.” You threw your hands in the air. “I’m going, bye.” You turned around, ready to leave.

”I’ll give you my autograph, as many as you’d like,” he quickly chipped in. “Signed possession, whatever you want.” He grinned in satisfaction as he saw you stop in your tracks and you quickly turned around. “It sells. A lot.”

”Hmm…” You seemed to consider it before you shook your head. “Your reputation lately isn’t the best so to sell them might be a bit hard…” You trailed off, clearly more of an effort to swat him away since you did think about it.

You couldn’t deny, it was a nice offer. But you were more worried about how you would cope, considering that you may have found him slightly attractive…

“I’m sure dad would be happy for you to stay here as well?”

You gritted your teeth. First time meeting him in real life and he already knew your weakness. He knew that using his father’s name would cause you to waver.

Still, you held on to your decision.

“No-”

He blinked slowly, and you heard the baby Kaiju stir in her sleep.

You ran your eyes towards the Kaiju before sighing. There was one thing you were interested in.

No, not the man in front of you.

You walked over to the enclosure. “How is she with strangers?”

Kenji popped up beside you before winking. “If I say the stranger is a friend, you’ll be glad to have her around.”

You took a moment to think, weighing the pros and cons. “Full privacy? Separate bathrooms?”

He scratched the nape of his neck. “Well, there is one separate bathroom for the guests but the shower’s faulty.” Something dawned on his face as he just realised this. “The only working shower is in, uh, my room.”

You stared back at him. “So there is a chance I might run into you naked?”

“I’ll preserve my dignity.” He paused. “You know what, take my room. I can use the guest room.”

You chuckled, taking his hand in a forced handshake. “Fine, deal.”

He looked surprised, but trailed after you as both of you took the ride up. “Wait, what was the dealbreaker? Because of the Kaiju? The room? The-” he looked at you almost accusingly. “-chance of seeing the Ken Sato naked-”

“Shh-” you clamped a hand over his mouth in an attempt to silence him just as the entrance pried open, revealing a smiling Professor Sato.

“Dad,” Ken said in a muffled voice, and you pulled back from covering his mouth. “Dad,” he tried again. “She agreed to staying here.”

You looked at the professor from the corner of your eyes. So it was his doing. You wondered what the father had held over his son’s head to make him obey.

“Can I retire for the night?” You did an exaggerated show of stretching. “I’m becoming delirious from the lack of sleep.”

“Room’s to your right,” Ken offered.

“Make sure to lock the door,” Mina reminded you.

“Mina,” Ken groaned. “What are you implying?”

“Just general safety measures. Ken-” she hovered near the baseball player, “-are you okay? Your heartbeat is increasing-”

He groaned. “I’m fine, Mina. I’ll be using the guest room.”

Both of you went separate ways, leaving Professor Sato and Mina in the living room.

Professor Sato whispered, “Mina, status report on the project.”

Mina obediently replied, “Matchmaking project is showing positive progress. We can expect to see rapid progress in the next few weeks.”

***

Training and taking care of the baby Kaiju - which the professor had named Emi - was no easy feat. Contributed by your almost non-existent stamina, you were left cheering from the sides as mostly Ken and Emi did all kinds of simulation to train her. Dealing with a 20-feet monster was not on your bucket list, but you had proudly ticked it off mentally.

You heard whooping from the two and you held onto your bottle as the ground shook when Emi jumped up and down. Subconsciously, you smiled as you saw Ken cheering for the baby, and he almost got crushed when Emi gave his human form a high-five.

You quietly went up the lift as Ken was fussing over Emi to make her go to sleep. You plopped down on the sofa, switched on the TV and to no surprise, his name decorated the evening news.

Ken Sato showing good progress…

Ken Sato showing a more mature side…

Ken Sato helping the Giants to pick themselves back up…

“I definitely look better in person,” Ken’s voice came from behind and you could feel his presence near you. “May I?” He asked for permission to sit beside you but both of you knew the answer as he plopped down right next to you.

You see, these are the small things that could make you wonder whether he’s doing it on purpose or he really had no idea how they affected you.

You gulped when you could feel his knee bumping against yours, or when he casually put his arm on the back of the sofa across your shoulders. There was no contact but there might as well be something because you felt like your heart would jump right out.

Your romantic encounter with a guy was only as far as a guy who called you a creep because you were following him. That day, you were navigating the world half-blind because you broke your glasses and it seemed that he was going to your destination. Sure, you admitted that it was your fault and you apologised profusely, but that made you avoid taking the train for at least two weeks.

You got startled when Ken pressed a cold can on your cheek. The corner of your eyes caught the words ‘COCONUT WATER’. Remembering how Mina had essentially pestered Ken to drink coconut water as a ‘healthy option’, you smiled. Mina had also reminded Ken multiple times that because you didn’t drink, never, ever offer you a can of beer.

”Nah,” you refuted. “You look better on screen.” You imitated taking a camera shot of his face before chiding. “Up near you’re just…” You trailed off.

”Just what?” He asked, prying open his can of coconut water. Without asking, he took yours before helping to open it up for you.

This. These small gestures were what convinced you that you were turning crazy.

”Ugly,” you supplemented.

”Hey, play nice,” he tapped the opened can on your cheek before shoving it into your hand.

You chuckled, taking a gulp of the drink before both of you basked in silence. To him, it was a comfortable silence but to you, you were currently hoping that your heartbeat would just… stop.

You thought that maybe spending time and living together with Ken Sato would further confirm that you hated his guts, but so far, you were only getting the opposite effect. You were sure there was some character development somewhere… from that first moment he destroyed your house to that moment you met him again as he was cradling Emi.

You hated this growing feeling you had towards him and it’s so painfully obvious what Professor Sato (and Mina) were planning on doing to both of you.

The worst part was it seemed like it’s either: 1. Ken was too oblivious, or 2. He knew, but didn’t want to entertain the thought.

Was it a better idea to just leave? They did say your house would be finished being rebuilt in a few days.

”So…” you croaked. “My house will be done in a few days so I think it’s better for me to start packing.” You stole a glance at him. Now… Why am I hoping that he would stop me?

A flicker of disappointment behind his eyes but he was quick to switch it off. “Sure,” he rubbed his nose. “If… that’s what you want.”

You pursed your lips. This stupid erratic heartbeat wouldn’t stop and you hated that you didn’t know what to do with it. “I’ll… start packing then.” You took another peek at him. He wasn’t looking at you.

You stood up, but he stopped you. Your heart was making its way out of your ribcage for beating too loud, but it slowed down when he uttered, “Hey, don’t forget your coconut water."

You looked at him with an ‘Are you serious?’ look before taking it, not once unlocking your stare from his and standing up, finished the drink in one gulp. You crushed the can, and threw it in one shot towards the dustbin.

”Oh, okay.” He looked surprised by your reaction.

You stalked your way to the bedroom and closed the door. Sighing exasperatedly, you pressed your back against the door and slid down. You buried your face in your hands before lightly hitting your head with a fist. You felt bad for reacting that way but you found it harder to deny the feeling when you were so confident that you would manage to resist.

Outside in the living area, Ken looked troubled, his forehead wrinkling when he tried backtracking what he did. He turned to look over his shoulder as the spherical robot hovered near him, and he threw his head back.

”What is it, Mina? Are you here to chide me again?”

”In these kinds of situations, the woman is usually hoping the man would stop her from leaving,” Mina said.

”Mina,” he pleaded.

”I believe a misunderstanding had happened,” she offered again, to which he appeared confused. “Please, do look at the screen.”

Ken’s eyes travelled to the projection Mina made. He looked even more confused as one of his solo interviews was displayed. He looked inquiringly at Mina, before the latter sweeped her robotic hands to ask him to focus on the interview.

It was an interview he did some time last week. His face changed when he started catching on what Mina was trying to show.

“So your name has become the talk of the town again for a good reason now.” The interviewer paused for effect. “This is a question that I’m sure everyone has thought of at least once when we’re talking about Ken Sato.” The interviewer looked at him. “Do you have anyone you’re interested in or at least, someone you have set your eyes on?”

Ken’s response was immediate as he laughed and shook his head. “No, no. Not right now.” He leaned back, a relaxed stance as he waved his hand in front of his face. “Right now I’m only focusing on my baseball career. Still got a long way to go. I don’t want to waste my time on something so unimportant.”

The interviewer turned back to the screen. “You’ve heard it directly from the man, folks. He’s-“

Mina switched off the replay while Ken looked regretful.

Exasperated, he said, “Mina, you know I don’t mean it that way.”

“I believe you should be clarifying that with Y/N herself and not me. She is the subject of your affection.”

“Affection-” he mulled over the word. “Do you really think so, Mina? Is this what this…” He put a hand over his chest. “Foreign feeling is?”

“From my observation,” Mina replied as she stayed close to Ken’s shoulder. “Your expression becomes livelier, your smile becomes wider and your eyes twinkle more whenever she is around. Now,” she paused, “you do have that same reaction whenever you’re with Emi. However, I do sense your heartbeat increasing every time you’re with Y/N. I believe this is what they would call a romantic attraction.”

“So in short,” he sighed, “I like her but I’m saying the opposite thing? But-” he almost grabbed Mina to ask her more, “how would I know if she feels the same way? I- I don’t think I can handle rejection from her. Do you sense anything from her?”

There was a silence as Mina backed up, making way towards her room. “I believe that is not a question for me to answer, Ken. Why don’t you sort it out with her?”

Ken looked at the door of the room you’re in, gathering the courage to make his way. He stopped in front of the door, he shook his hands, breathing in and out as his mind reeled with all sorts of apologies and words to offer to you.

He raised his hand to knock on the door, and at the same time you swung open the door, causing him to knock a fist on your forehead.

So much for Ultraman reflexes.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” Ken shouted, automatically cupping your face to see the damage he’d done. “Are you- are you okay?”

You blinked, everything happening at once too much for you. He knocked on your door, you happened to open it at the same time and now he’s-

“I’m… fine. Can you…” you tapped your palm on his hand. “...let go?”

“Oh, right. Sorry,” he let go as he laughed nervously. “Reflexes fail you at times like these, right?” His face fell as he saw you avoiding his gaze. “Hey. Can we talk?”

You looked up, finally looking at him. “Yeah?”

He exhaled. “Like, properly.”

“Have we not been communicating properly?”

Mina suddenly appeared beside both of you. “I apologise for having to interrupt but yes, I do observe some miscommunication going on. So if both of you may sort it out.”

Mina’s hands pushed both of you into the room and shut the door.

There were protests from both but they quickly died down before silence stretched. Both of you exchanged glances but not words, and neither had any idea what the other was thinking of.

All the apologies and words Ken was thinking of offering to you went up in a cloud of smoke. Instead, he asked the one thing he wished he could take back. “So when are you planning to leave?” Dang it, Ken.

Your face contorted, obviously offended. “As soon as I can. Don’t worry,” you walked over to the bed, shoved your clothes into your duffel bag and zipped it up. “I wanted to tell you that I finished packing.”

”You’re leaving tonight?” This time around, he didn’t hide his disappointment. Why, why is it so hard for him to ask you to stay? To tell you what he really feels?

Sure, he couldn’t deny that his attitude came from growing up mostly without his father around. He had grown up with this wall built around him as a defensive mechanism. He found it hard to communicate with others, to explain what he really was feeling.

He pressed his lips into a thin line. He figured it was best to let the feeling die down. You’d be better off with someone else anyway.

”Just tell me when you want to leave,” he finally uttered. “I’ll open the door for you.”

You gritted your teeth and only nodded.

He turned around and shut the door. Mina and his father were outside, the latter having a worried look on his face.

”Kenji,” Professor Sato uttered.

”I want to be alone, dad,” he mentioned. “Mina,” he turned to the supercomputer, “just make sure she gets to where she wants to go safely.”

As Ken shut the door, Professor Sato turned to Mina, to which he uttered, “I trust this is not the time to ask about the progress.”

Mina answered. “Yes, Professor. I believe we may have hit a wall.”

***

You decided to leave early in the morning and with only a note, saying that you’d like to have some time off. Mina was kind enough to open the door for you, but when she asked whether you’d like to have Ken and Professor Sato see you off, you shook your head vigorously.

”Mina, tell them I’m going somewhere nice for a vacation.” You winked, but it was obvious that you were trying to hide something from breaking. “They better not look for me.”

Mina paused, as if she’s using her electronic brain to figure a way to stop you. “Kenji has a reason for acting that way.” A pause. “Though I am merely a robot with little to no experience in romantic relationships.”

You chuckled. “Thank you, Mina. Really, all of you were so kind to me. It’s just that,” you sighed, “I understand why he’d act that way. He has a whole career to look forward to. Adoring fans. He can’t be wasting-“ you gulped, the words bitter on your mouth, “-time on something so insignificant. I shall take my leave.”

”Y/N,” she uttered. “If I may ask one last question before you leave?”

You tilted your head. “Sure, Mina. What is it?”

“Were my calculations wrong about what you’re feeling?”

”And that is?”

”You hated him at first, but that hate has turned into something more… lovely."

You couldn’t help but smile. “It’s so obvious isn’t it?” You crinkled your nose. “I better take my leave before the three of them wake up.”

That was the last you saw all four of them - Professor Sato, Ken, Mina and Emi. That was what… a week ago?

Now you’re sitting, slumped in your bean bag as you groaned, bored out of your mind. Nice vacation, my ass. If that means reading the same books over and over again, surfing the web and watching the same TV shows while being cooped up in your house, you’re definitely having a nice vacation.

Even then, you found it hard to avoid that person. He was literally everywhere.

You switched off the TV, stretched, before something gigantic shook the whole city. Your eyes went wide as you realised that there was a possibility of another attack. Without much thought, you pushed up your glasses and took a glance through your apartment window.

There they are.

You saw both Ultraman and Emi traversing the landscape. You turned around to leave your apartment, but stopped as you heard sharp chirpings.

Emi was hovering near your window and you laughed, amazed at the sight in front of you. “Emi, you grew wings! You can fly now!”

The baby Kaiju smiled at you, seemingly proud that she could finally set off from the ground.

”Emi, come on.” You heard the one voice that could shatter your resolve then and there.

You tried to close the window, had enough, but the hero stopped you from shutting the window.

“Ow,” he complained, flapping his hand. Ken quickly stopped you from leaving as he said, “Look, I’ve been a jerk and-“ a loud boom resonated through the whole city, “-I want to start over.”

You sucked in your lower lip, mulling over his sentence. You lifted up your eyebrows as if to say, ‘Really, right now?’

He nodded. “I’m sorry. I like you, okay? But I didn’t know how to say it. Or maybe I was just afraid of rejection.”

You tried to keep a straight face but failed; you didn’t expect to hear a confession from Ultraman. You cleared your throat as you looked away. “Become a hero, save the day and then say all of that again,” your voice dropped to a whisper, as if anyone could hear you, “as Ken Sato.”

You’re not sure whether it was possible, but his eyes lit up brighter as he nodded. He started a light jog to launch himself before shouting, “Wait for me!” He disappeared in a twinkle in the night sky.

With your best guess, you assumed the fight must be going on between them and the KDF. Knowing that you’d be anxious waiting to see the results of the fight, you grabbed your jacket, set off into the night and tried searching a vantage point where you’d be able to at least get a view of what’s happening.

You found a spot and narrowed your eyes as you tried to get an idea of where the two of them stood. Emi… Ultraman… Is that Gigantron?

You became confused as you remembered clearly Professor Sato claiming that the most magnificent creature on Earth had died. What the hell is going on?

You gripped the railing of the bridge you were on, the fight getting further and further away from you. You watched the fight unfold… breath battered as you were silently cheering them on. You gasped as another figure launched himself into the fight.

”Professor,” you muttered to yourself. “Please, please be safe.”

The fight was a distant chaos, you could barely see what was going on. You gritted your teeth as you waited for the final call, but dropped to your knees as you realised what was going on.

”No, no, no. Ken…"

You saw the shield. Ken underneath the shield, the explosion that should have been loud, but was muffled inside the enclosure Ken had made before blinding light filled the atmosphere.

Tears filled up your vision as you saw the giant hero collapse into the sea.

***

You stared blankly at the unmoving body in front of you, while another person was strategically standing near the exit. You looked over your shoulder as you felt a light, reassuring tap.

Professor Sato wanted to offer some words of reassurance, but you merely shook your head. He let out a heavy breath, saying, “I’ll leave the two of you alone. I'll continue working on restoring Mina.”

”Thanks,” you sniffled. “Professor.”

Apparently on the day the fight happened, Mina was caught in the frenzy and was almost shut down, while the secret base was partially destroyed. Now the Professor was working on recovering Mina, while Ken…

You sighed, looking at the patient in front of you.

Nothing to worry about, actually. Despite the quick thinking of Ultraman in front of you throwing himself over the bomb, he actually managed to escape with just a broken arm. He’s not dead, Ken Sato was still here, recovering.

But what annoyed you was that it seemed every time you came to visit, he would pretend to be asleep. Not even stirring, obviously faking sleep to avoid talking to you.

So what, all that confession was for naught? Just an adrenaline rush from becoming the hero?

This time around though, it did seem like he was fast asleep. His chest was rising and falling steadily. His hair was messy, and you resisted the urge to tidy it up.

”You jerk,” you grumbled. “I was so worried for you, but… you’re really planning on leaving me hanging like this?”

”Y/N…”

You stopped grumbling to yourself as you heard the man in front of you mumbling your name. You leaned forward, curious to hear what he got to say.

”You look so…” he continued, eyes still shut.

You strained your ears to catch more.

”I like you…”

You pressed your lips together before punching his unhurt shoulder, almost too hard.

He gasped, sat up straighter, taking in big gulps of air as his irises move frantically to search for the source of the punch.

”Who-“ he blinked. “Y/N?”

”In the flesh,” you deadpanned.

”What are you-“

”I told you,” you interjected. “Tell it to my face as Ken Sato.”

He looked guilty for a moment, and you leaned back in your chair.

”You’re going to say it was a mistake, aren’t you?” You asked, clearly exasperated.

”No, it wasn’t a mistake!” He quickly said, searching for your eyes. “After the fight that day I felt like being a hero means that there was a possibility I would just-” he imitated an explosion, “disappear.”

You grabbed his collar. “If you know that even any single day you have a possibility of disappearing, that your life is short, then-” the grip around his collar became tighter, “-it means that you have to grab every opportunity as soon as you can. That includes confessing to someone you like.” You threw your hands up in frustration and stood up, pacing back and forth. “God! Why are relationships so complicated? And why am I so, so, so stupid?”

You buried your face in your hands.

“I don’t know,” you said, tears pooling in your eyes. “When you said you didn’t have any interest in anyone, and that you didn’t want to waste your time on something so insignificant. Hearing that, I just-” you sighed. “-thought that the answer was so obvious. You have your priorities straight.”

“Y/N-” he stopped you by touching your arm lightly, pulling you over to sit beside him. “That was-” He winced as he felt pain shooting up his arm. He tried again, “That was what I’d usually say in interviews before this, because baseball was the only thing that put a smile on my face. But now…” He took your hand, caressing it. “You came and it was just one, big confusion for me. You are the only person who has managed to,” he chuckled, “cause the Ken Sato to waver. It was a foreign feeling for me."

“Idiot…” you mumbled.

He pulled you closer with his good arm, and obviously inexperienced, you shut your eyes tight as you felt him softly breathing against your cheek. Of course, you thought he’d go for a kiss on your lips, but you heard him chuckle before he pressed a light one on your cheek. You opened your eyes and he was grinning.

He thought you looked adorable.

“What was that?” you asked flatly.

“A kiss?” he said, unsure of what exactly you were implying.

“Uh-uh.”

You grabbed his face, and he looked surprised as you leaned in to kiss him on the lips. Your glasses were in the way so you took them off, and you felt his arm snaking around your waist to hold you firmly in place.

In the heat of the moment and flurry of emotions, you found yourself pinned under him, his good arm caging you. He kissed you again, but this time around you felt your heart beating so loud you had to place your palms against his chest to slightly push him away.

“Ken,” you warned him. “We’re in the hospital.”

He blinked, feigning innocence. “Really? I had no idea.” He traced a finger on your cheek, wiping away the traces of your tears. He pinched your cheek as he said, “The doctor told me that I’m good to be discharged tomorrow.”

Suddenly conscious of how you’re pinned under him, you looked away. “That’s good. You can go back home in no time.”

He tapped a finger on your chin, causing you to look back at him. “My house is still under repair, remember? I’m essentially homeless.”

“You can live with your dad-“

“Take the hint, sweetheart.” He kissed your forehead before collapsing beside you, both of you cramped on the small hospital bed.

You thought about how you had never, ever brought a guy home. And now Ken wanted to…?

“I’ll think about it,” you said.

He smiled, squeezing your shoulders as you buried your face in his chest. “Can I ask just one… question?”

“Sure, shoot.”

“What was the dealbreaker, really? The one that made you agree to stay at the secret base?”

“You really want to know?”

“Of course.”

This time, you didn’t even hesitate. “The chance to see the Ken Sato naked of course.”

“Damn it. I knew that was the reason.”

[mountainficss]

hi! who in svt would be more likely to be a camboy as a side gig/job? i feel like maybe seungkwan cause we all know he feels comfortable in front of the camera and is great at knowing what the public wants, or mingyu cause he loves showing himself off🤭 i initially thought about wonwoo cause he does gaming streams but he’s wayyyy to shy i feel like he would rather keep his intimate time private.

what do YOU think tho?

!! mentions of: exhibitionism, masturbation, nipple play, edging

hi there, my love! thank you so much for sending an ask :) that’s a great question! i honestly thought of wonwoo too (he’d be the most delicious camboy i swear), but i totally agree he’s way too shy.

i can absolutely envision seungkwan though! seungkwan is a literal charmer. that boy knows exactly what to say to bend people to his will and i love that about him. he seems to really enjoy being in front of people and showing off on camera too. just an exhibitionist overall. precious baby :) he’d love to set up his favorite camera when he’s home alone, adjusting it to the perfect angle so his viewers can see every inch of him. i think his favorite part of the entire camboy experience would be interacting with his viewers. he absolutely adores all the attention he gets from them, and reading through all the comments would make his cock throb even harder. would probably ask them questions just to read their reactions. “do you want me to go faster? would you like it if i edged myself? should i cum for you?” any time he speaks would send his viewers into a frenzy, and he’d eat up the attention in a heartbeat.

mingyu is also someone i can envision as a camboy! gosh have you seen that man? he’s literally the nation’s pretty boy. god body with a gorgeous face and beautiful smile. he’s just too perfect. and he knows he’s handsome too! he’s such a little show off. that’s why i think he’d be the perfect camboy <3 i can see him getting off on knowing people are admiring his body and face. he’d tease his viewers, stripping ever so slowly and showing off little inches of skin at a time. he’d like to keep his viewers on edge and wanting him. i think he’d adore that feeling of knowing he’s wanted, knowing that there are people drooling over him as they watch him from behind their screens. he’d be the absolute best at keeping people on their toes. wouldn’t have too fancy of a setup, would just prop his phone up somewhere and let the people flood in. during the entire session he’d have a little smirk on his face, head lolling and eyes rolling back in pleasure.

i feel like i have to add jeonghan to this list as well. you know how jeonghan is ugh. he’s such a little brat </3 always has that smug look on his face. i feel like jeonghan would be the type to be turned on if he knows he’s being watched. i think he’d like the excitement that comes from letting everyone see him in such a vulnerable state. he’d feel so exposed, but oh he’d love it. knowing that anyone and everyone that watches his videos can see him all horny and desperate would make him cum every time. just the thought of turning on his camera would give him a raging boner. and because people are watching him, that pretty boy would put on a show. moaning a little louder, dragging his fingers over his nipples to make his body jerk more often, edging himself close to tears. would also really like to roll his hips up into his fist with slow languid thrusts, showing his viewers how good he makes himself feel. would chuckle lightly at the needy comments, but never responds just to be a little meanie <3

and finally, i think jun would be a great camboy too! i’m not so sure what it is about jun, but i genuinely think he’d love being a camboy. he’s not as outgoing as other members, and he’s a bit quiet at times, but that wouldn’t stop him from putting on a show <3 i think he’d be a bit shy when he first starts out, maybe showing only up to his neck or mouth when he films. but once he gets into it? oh that boy is a menace. i think he’d really like to either film himself with his phone while he’s in bed, or turn on his webcam when his sits at his desk. some mornings he’d wake up throbbing and hard, and he wouldn’t hesitate to use that opportunity to reach for his phone and start recording. he’d love the lazy morning masturbation sessions, letting out gentle moans and whimpers as he stares at the screen with hooded eyes. looking through all of his dirty comments and good morning messages would bring him to his climax so quick, and that would be his favorite way to start his day.

taglist: @jeonghanpill , @bangantokchy , @caratboy , @bewoyewo , @luvseungcheol , @wonvsmile , @haolovre , @aaniag , @writingbarnes , @dokyeomkyeom , @allieyaaa

[fumifooms]

Kabuholm

For me the main appeal of Kabru x Holm is that Holm is 1) dependable and 2) casual.

For 1, we see it throughout the manga and whatnot, with his healer role but also with his composure, so relaxed it’s in turn soothing to hang around him. He’s a bit like a turtle, gentle and takes it at a relaxed pace, slows down your frenzied pace, retreats into his shell if too much is happening hehe… The Mick & Kuro bath comic is a favorite of mine on that front! In that one he complains and shouts, but he still lets Mick crash, he still helps, he still makes them tea and makes sure they have a trashbin and makeshift beds and whatnot lmao, and it’s late too… Reliable dependable Holm.

But also he freezes up when too much is happening <3 Gotta protect him a bit teehee, Kabru coming to his rescue and it’s his chance to show off. Except he doesn’t need to show off, it’s not strategical or needed, neither for his plan or to win Holm over as an ally, but he still will <3 Because he wants to and that on its own, wanting to, feels novel to Kabru… Dungeons is the place where he feels like he can show off the most to Holm because he seems so unaffected in general by his charms, and protecting him is one of the things Kabru knows he can do, and the showing off is because…

… of 2! He has that huge casual vibe to him. Holm still has expectations of Kabru as a leader yes, but he won’t voice them unless prompted and on his face you’ll find the same unbothered calm smile as always. Being around him feels like having no pressure. It feels like being trusted entirely even if your actions seem shady at first, because it’s not a vibe or a persona he trusts in you but it’s you, however you are like in the moment.

Kabru spends time with Holm, around this other repressed guy that has his shit put together (even if Kabru does know about Holm’s flaws, and he feels a special kind of way about that… Collecting that info like pokemon cards and finding that he wished he knew even more <3 so so intrigued and "It’s probably just curiosity. If anything I’m just infatuated" when he realizes it feels a twinge different than with everyone else), and he finds that he feels like he can unwind and show himself a bit. Show some flaws too. Holm being so unconditionally casual AND quietly supportive, even if he doesn’t say anything, would be soo important to Kabru in a kabuholm timeline… A telepathic sort of thing would form where Kabru learns how to read his face, and even if it’s always the same droopy eyed smile he starts understanding how he feels, what he’s thinking, what it means when he nods at him in silence and aughh…

Holm DOESN’T push his emotions onto Kabru!!! Holm keeps that shit to himself!!! Kabru doesn’t have to manage Holm’s emotional needs & states for him, when that’s what he usually has to do for everyone!!! Charm them and keep them happy and if this or that happens then you need to anticipate their needs with this and blahblahblah. Holm is low maintenance, he doesn’t take much emotional energy to deal with, he has his own deal figured out!

Kabru in canon knew about the way Holm freezes up in surprising intense situations, a rare time he’s had to cover for him in any way and he was so quick about it, and again, battlefield with humans both physical and mind games is his specialty so if it’s just protecting him from enemies he’s the man for the job <3 Holm’s the healer to his warrior after all, with an impressive dose of defense and offense thrown into the mix too. I will say also, that scene where Holm hesitates when Marcille says not to hurt Faligon… Kabru stepping in and giving Holm the decisiveness he needed to not falter.

With all that said about Holm’s feelings being something he doesn’t make Kabru’s problem to deal with, in Kabru getting infatuated it should be something that eventually gets him like "I wish he’d rely on me a bit more…" Kabru should massage the stress out of him <3 Always keeping himself composed and being dependable and stuff wears down on Holm (and Kabru)… I do think Holm represses to some degree so 1) the pent up stress he hasn’t been letting out 2) "bro, let’s learn to show our real emotions more together… Bro…"

I’m not sureee how the Holm side plays out in my mind yet but either he falls much later than Kabru or he’s just really good at hiding and being casual about his crush which tbf would be thematic lol. But idk if he’d be that good as that… Thinking. Because with the comic about his sister or even the one about Dia’s fiance or Mick crashing at his place, Holm does like, show a lot of emotion and distaste, some anger, he doesn’t repress that much/everything. He has a sense of duty that makes him want to help where he can, he does have desires like say, Kabru not getting it on with his sister, but also he’s not gonna force himself to be a solemn saint always either… Kabru would also find that fun methinks, figuring out the exact duality in Holm, where he cracks and why. Oh nooo I fell in love with my enrichment and coworker. Them just hanging ouuuut at a tavernnn after everyone else leeeeft… Haven’t done a full Holm analysis yet but I’ve started giving him more thoughts bc of kabuholm and diaholm. Because his religion is important to him and it bars him from meat for example, it’s reasonable to think he sticks to an upstanding moral code with awareness and purpose. Despite having been to jail he’s never shown scorn or shittalked elves or alluded to it, either he doesn’t resent easily or he keeps that part of his past on the down-low for whichever reason. His maturity is actually something that’s often pointed to about him, he’s only the equivalent of like 30, but being close in age (as in they’re both older bc they’re long lived races) is cited as the reason for why he gets along with Dia the most in the party for example. He can be lively, but when he is it’s usually because something’s happening that he doesn’t like lol, also usually off the job, wether it be because of being in a different mind state, doing different things in different situations, or because Kui make so him more expressive in Daydream Hour extras haha.

So kabuholm to me is the casual quiet feel-good get-to-know-each-other slow burn ever. They prob never confess if we’re being honest but even just hanging out around each other fills up their battery somehow, like being at a sauna and feeling refreshed.

So yes sort of, the want to show off someone hard to wow and impress someone who’s very well put together and unfazed, in duality with how that person makes you feel like you shouldn’t or don’t have to try so hard, that you can just catch a break and take it easy for a moment, socially.

He’s observant and composed. I like that he’s able to keep up with Kabru and engage with his points. I do always like when a partner has the capacity to be critical or skeptical, reign in a bit or balance, but Holm is easily swayed with his trust in Kabru, and easily reasoned with to a satisfied degree. He’s low maintenance but still engaging.

Kabru is not only the main character of the group but also his main character point is being good at reading and remembering people: It’s no surprise that the majority of what we learn about Holm is done through him one way or another, but I still like that he’s got Holm’s quirks down pat, like the freezing up thing. Allow me to find that cute idk. And then the reverse of that too below… Underrated how all of his party knows about how he sucks at taking care of himself and his space.

I tried compiling all of their moments but I’m sure I missed some, especially Daydream Hours ones. So yeah my kabuholm manifesto. I’m casual about them but they creeped up on me randomly and have refused to leave my heart. Bromance idk idk

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Kalim, Vil: Pyrite, Prince, and Pauper

Wah 😭 I really love the initial art!! The water shimmering and making a rainbow… ✨ (Not used to seeing Kalim without his headscarf though, feels weird to see him bare!)

A Tale as Old as Time.

If Kalim had to pick one word to describe what he was looking at, it would be celebration.

It was both humble and extravagant at once—the city streets, the venue, livened up with flags, confetti, and fanfare. A large elephant fitted with a vest and hat towered over the gathered townsfolk. Seated upon him was a young man in a turban and glaringly white robes, an arm extended to the sky.

A grand party for the public, and all were invited. Children and adults, animals and humans, nobles and street rats.

Kalim broke out into a wide smile. “Wow, it looks like everyone’s having so much fun!”

“You never seem to tire from the idea,” Vil commented dryly.

The supermodel patiently tapped a manicured nail against his arm. “I suppose a host showing his best face to the public is far from undesirable. I’ve certainly been to my fair share of events where the host was less than that.”

“Gahahah! You’re famous, so it makes sense you’d be in high demand at parties. Jamil told me about that red carpet you walked a little while ago. I managed to catch some of it on TV!”

Kalim’s garnet eyes glinted with excitement.

“You were all sparkly and the crowd was so happy to see you! You’re like the prince in this painting, hyping everyone up.”

“My, thank you for your support.” Vil’s lip curled. “I’m sure you’re in high demand as well… albeit for different reasons than I. Many would love to have the attention of the Asim heir on them.”

The third year chuckled, a hand tucked under his chin. “It’s only natural for people to be attracted to that which shines.”

“Shines, huh…”

Kalim folded his arms, inclining his head to one side. His mouth pinched slightly, disrupting the arc of his smile.

“… Hey, Vil. Can I ask you something?”

“You need not request for my permission.” Vil waved a hand. “Continue.”

“Do you really think I shine? Like, on stage.” A pause, then he quickly added, “And you can be honest with me. Please… be honest with me.”

“What’s this now?” Vil planted his hands on his hips. “Certainly, you’re not ordinary by any means, but I’d hesitate to call you a refined gem. A one month boot camp isn’t enough to polish your singing and dancing skills to that of a pro—but you’re not talking about VDC, are you?”

“Ahahah… Looks like you caught me.” Kalim let his arms fall to his sides.

“You can’t fool this actor’s eyes,” Vil said simply. “So? What is it that you’re actually after? It’s not like you to talk in circles.”

“It’s nothing. I… A lot’s been on my mind since winter break. Too many things. When I think about it for too long, I start to wonder if I’m really what people say I am.”

You’re so talented, Kalim-sama.

So handsome.

So smart.

So kind.

The very best.

“Sometimes...” He tugged at his collar, watching how it sparkled and shifted as he maneuvered the fabric. “it feels like I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go. Or like my clothes don’t fit me right.”

The golden boy, the prince to make way for, the sun all looked to. They were the roles he wore, but suddenly they felt hollow.

Lies set adrift on an errant wind.

Dust of pyrite, fool’s gold.

Am I pretending to be something I’m not?

“… I’m not making a lot of sense, am I?” Kalim laughed softly, forcing a smile. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have made today feel sad.”

“On the contrary,” Vil tutted, “I understand all too well. All the makeup in the world, the nicest clothes, and the most skilled stylists cannot make a pauper become a prince. A pauper is a pauper, no matter how they present.

“However… a perfect little prince is not all that has value. I’ve played enough parts and been in enough productions to know. There are swash-buckling pirates, daring space heroes, dastardly villains, and, yes, even clever, honest street rats who find themselves in the public eye. Perhaps they did not start off as diamonds, but in the end they proved themselves to be diamonds in the rough.”

Vil lifted his chin—indignant.

“Regardless of how others perceive you or what ensemble you wear, you remain yourself. So long as you hold true to your own moral compass and principles, you shall always be someone who shi… Ough!!”

He could scarcely finish his sentence before he was tackled. Kalim was embracing him tightly, only pulling back when Vil muttered that he was creasing both of their suits.

“Thanks, Vil!! Talking with you made me feel so much better! You’re really not as bad as they say you are.”

Vil frowned. “I’m aware that I have my detractors, but you must learn to be more tactful with your choice of words.”

“Tactful, right! Got it! I can do that.”

Kalim released him and spun around, splaying his arms out. He pretended to present the painting with a flourish, looking back at Vil.

“Someday, maybe I’ll be as sparkly as he is here!”

So I can meet everyone’s expectations. Talented, handsome, smart, kind, better.

But no matter how I might change, I’m still me.

Still Kalim Al-Asim.

And that was something worth celebrating.

[spacerockfloater]

hi! i noticed you learnt about what ryan condal said regarding blood and cheese. it was…something. i would like to know your thoughts on the matter. though it would be completely understandable if you need sometime to gather them together or if you would rather not at all! thank you and bye!

Hello beloved, thank you so much for asking me! I’d love to share my opinion!

If anyone’s wondering, @rhaenelle is referring to this interview where Ryan Condal essentially says he believes that Blood & Cheese’s brutality and heinousness was exaggerated by the Greens in a propagandistic attempt to convince their subjects that Rhaenyra and Daemon are the worst villains ever born, hence why he toned the event down; to show us what he thinks is the accurate version of Jaehaerys’ murder.

Now, I am aware that Condal had already warned us that HOTD was going to be a feminist retelling of the events of F&B, which practically means that his plan has always been to whitewash the everlasting fuck out of Rhaenyra. So what do I think about this?

Well, for starters, I think that Ryan Condal is an excellent businessman. He knows what kind of tropes are going to make the audience engage with his show. He understands that people need a hero to cheer for and a villain to hate, therefore he removed the moral ambiguity from all of the characters and divided them into two categories: the Blacks, enlightened revolutionaries full of passion, deserving of admiration and correct in everything they do, and the Greens, pious fools with a moral superiority complex who are stack in the ways of the past and commit despicable crimes. The average viewer does not possess the intelligence to comprehend that both parties have their good and bad moments, and that they’re both correct in fighting for what each believes is rightfully theirs. Simultaneously, he benefits from the modern trends that want women in media to take revenge when they are wronged and emerge as triumphant girlbosses, because of course a white upper class woman’s suffering in a western world (or Westeros) society has everything to do with her gender and nothing to do with her personality or decisions (even if this works solely for Rhaenyra, because Alicent seems to be held accountable for every single one of her actions). Finally, it is obvious that Condal is trying to appease disgruntled Daenerys fans, so he has rebuilt Rhaenyra into this tortured martyr that wishes to change the world for the better in an attempt to make her resemble her great granddaughter six times removed.

For all of these reasons, I find it very logical that he is going out of his way to minimise the tragedy the Greens experience. It just doesn’t make Rhaenyra look good and honestly, who wants that? The producers saw how unhappy Danny’s stans were when they made her lose her shit; they’re not going to make the same mistake twice. They don’t want their show to tank like the last season of GOT did, so they’ll do everything in their power to keep the audience happy. And it’s working! What’s the last thing Condal says in this clip? “You kinda start rooting for [Blood and Cheese]!” and boy oh boy, the TB stans sure do! Literally hundreds of memes that rejoiced at Jaehaerys’ death were posted on X this week, with tens of thousands of likes. But when Lucerys died, it was presented as the most foul thing to ever happen in the ASOIAF universe. It is the TB supporters that dictate which child murder is good and which is bad, and that decision usually depends on which child came out Rhaenyra’s womb, not let’s say, the fact that one kid was a toddler that could barely walk, while the other was a teenager that laughed at the disabled person he mutilated himself.

It’s all just marketing

That being said, I want to clarify that I understand why Condal and the HOTD producers do what they do, but being a good entrepreneur does not necessarily make you a literary genius. Now, I’m not gonna explain why stripping Rhaenyra off of every character trait that made her interesting is a bad decision and that in their attempt to remove the blame from her so that they can elevate her as this righteous patron of feminism, they’re accidentally removing all of her agency and turning her simply into a victim, because I have a whole blog dedicated to that. But let’s just say that presenting Rhaenyra as this sexually liberated idol that’s incapable of evil, when in fact she’s an entitled aristocrat who’s completely at the mercy of men around her, from her father to her husbuncle, is the most performative activism move ever pulled in recent TV history, as well as pushing the narrative that Alicent suffers from internalised misogyny because duh, a woman can only be good and a feminist if she supports Rhaenyra, not when she pursues her own interests.

Ultimately, I think we just have to accept that this show is not meant for TG fans. We are not going to find any satisfaction in it. Everything that was unique and admirable about the Greens in the book has vanished. Their family dynamic is fucked up, Alicent’s children hate her, Aegon and Halaena cannot stand one another, Alicent is constantly a victim and never someone that chases her own ambitions, Halaena is very vague, Aemond appears to be more angsty than angry, Aegon is a stupid rapist, Jaehaerys’ death was turned into a mockery, Alicole was weaponised in order to make us shit on Alicent and Criston even more and so on. This show barely caters to us because we’re not making them any money.

The reason that there are more TB than TG stans is because (I’m gonna get so much fucking hate for this) most people who watch TV are fucking morons. I swear, when F&B came out 6 years ago, no one gave a flying fuck about Rhaenyra, because we all understood that everyone involved in the Dance of the Dragons was fucked up in their own way and that the message of this story, just like the general message of ASOIAF, is that nobody deserves to sit on that fucking throne. We were all in agreement about that. But then this fucking show came along and all the oblivious simpletons that swallowed whatever the producers shoved down their throats, grabbed the book and decided that “Woah, this book is obviously a critique on patriarchy and Rhaenyra is obviously the victim of the story”! As if GRRM, the man who said that he doesn’t sit down and think “Oh, I’m going to write a woman now” but instead he believes women to be people just like men, with complex personalities, would ever do that. And they just can’t believe that it is possible for book!Rhaenyra to be an evil racist classist full of entitlement! Surely it must be because the Greens are rewriting history! There’s no way GRRM, the man that created Cersei fucking Lannister, would ever make a female character that’s vicious and crazy just because she feels like it! Y’all need to sit down for a moment. I say this as a radical feminist that supports the 4B movement: you’re projecting your own ideas onto George’s work. Not all the media we consume has to reflect our ideologies, but if you think that it has to, then this book isn’t the anti misogynistic masterpiece you wish it was.

Like, when it comes to F&B, I am firmly anti Targaryen and did not wish for any side to win. I wanted them all wiped out to be honest. But when it comes to HOTD, I’m TG basically out of spite at this point.

All in all, I just think that things are going to go downhill for us from this point on. They’ll just keep glorifying the Blacks until the very end.

[justananxiousweirdo]

Joost Klein x Interviewer Reader

Joost finds himself attracted to the person interviewing him

I shook out my nerves and wiped my sweaty palms on my pants. I was about to interview the Joost Klein. I was both nervous and excited. I’ve been a fan of him a short period of time before Eurovision began and had developed the slightest crush on him over the last year or so. And when I say slightest I’m totally lying, it’s a major crush. Exempt from the fact I’ve never met him (yet) I have the biggest crush on the albino boy. My producer knocked on my dressing room door reminding me my show starts in five. Trying to remain professional might be hard but I have to. Even of the Joost is going to be on my show. Feelings be gone; I have an interview to do.

“Hellllllooooo Europe! How is everyone tonight!” The crowd erupted with cheers as I walked to my chair. “You’re here with your host Y/N Y/L/N! Tonight we have a very special guest, everyone give it up for the Europapa! JOOOOOOST KLEIN!” I always feel like some sort of sports announcer when I introduce my guests I love it.

Joost walked out waving to the crowd and I stood to hug him. He smelled amazing like expensive cologne, cigarettes, and something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. But the mix smelled wonderful. “So, Joost, you’ve been a musician for quite some time now, what’s it like stepping from your much smaller, personal label out to something as big as Eurovision?”

“It’s an honor. I’m honored to have been chosen as my countries representative. I told my dad that one day I’d get on the stage and make him proud.”

“I’m sure your father is very proud of you Joost.” Joost seemed rather out of it and I was worried I started off too personal. I really didn’t mean to make him uncomfortable. “Well, the fans certainly love you and are more than glad you stepped out onto that stage. If you had one message to deliver to all your fans what would it be?”

Joost raised his eyebrows and thought for a second, “I love you all. Without you guys I could have never gotten as far as I have. Thank you all so very much.”

“Touching.” Did that sound sarcastic? I think that sounded sarcastic it wasn’t meant to. The one chance I get to spend with the guy I’ve had the fattest crush for this long and he’s going to think I’m a jerk. Great. The rest of the interview went fairly well I stuck to the regular questions like what’s your biggest inspiration, what’s it like being gone for so long, all those sorts of questions. Joosts answers were all very sincere and the crush I had on him was only growing. But he seemed off and distracted the whole interview I really just hoped I wasn’t boring him or making him uncomfortable. “That’s all the time we have for tonight. Is there anything you’d like to say Joost?”

“Just: 12 POINTS TO THE NETHERLANDS!!” He shouted and got up to kiss a camera.

I covered my smile with my hand breathing deeply to try to keep my composure while we were still live, and in front of an audience. Joost walked along the audience signing things and taking pictures as soon as the cameras cut. He really cared for his fans it was very admirable. And adorable. People eventually had to leave and Joost headed back to the dressing rooms. I went back a little before Joost did and I began changing into my regular clothes when there was a knock at my door. I quickly through on a tee shirt before answering to see a vase of sunflowers and blue roses with a small card. I thought it was cute he sent me flowers with his signature colors. I set the flowers on my desk and opened the note:

Y/L Y/L/N,

I enjoyed meeting you very much. I’ve been a fan or yours for quite a while and to say that I’ve made in on your show is both an honor and a pleasure. I had a wonderful time, you really are as nice in person as you are on TV. I admire that. I admire you. Thank you for inviting me onto your show. Love,

Joost Klein

I smiled after reading it. He really is as sweet as they say. I went to knock on his door to thank him but it was left open and no one was in there. I feared I missed him before I headed out to see him smoking.

“Thank you.”

Joost jumped and I stifled a laugh.

“No, thank you.”

“You already thanked me.”

“Well, I can’t thank you enough.”

“You really are as sweet as they say.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, you’re admirable Joost.”

Joost tossed his cigarette bud to the side and stomped it out. Turned to face me, “as are you.”

Our eyes locked before his drifted down to my lips and then back up again. I felt my face heating up as he stepped closer leaning down. My heart beat quickened. The world seemed to slow down as we met each other for a kiss. His hand cradled the side of my face the other resting on the small of my back. My hands reached up to the back of his neck, my fingers toying with the ends of his mullet. He pulled away with the biggest smile on his face.

“I heard of this coffee place down the street-“ a bright flash cut him off.

“OHMYGODJOOSTKLEINANDY/NY/L/NCONFIRMED??!” Some teenaged girl screamed before running off emitting a chuckle from Joost.

I just stood there surprised. Joost’s laugh was contagious and I soon fell victim to the laughter. As soon as I was able to breathe again I offered my hand to him, “coffee sounds lovely.”

“Good.”

AN: I wrote this very differently than anything I’ve ever written before. I actually hate writing in first person but I figured I’d give it a shot.

[leonw4nter]

So High School

RE4R!Leon x GN!Reader

You’d think that you would’ve learned a thing or two from making bets while tipsy and buzzing with liquid courage while intoxicated during your time in university, stupid decisions with their stupid outcomes ingrained in your head every time the tequila started to taste like water, which meant that it’s probably time to pay the tab and try to head home in one piece. A drunk man’s words really must be a sober man’s thoughts, the alcohol doing the final push to make the first move you’ve dreamed of doing towards your mysterious roommate, Leon. Him being gone for most of the time and for uncertain lengths of time gave you plenty of time to get it together and rehearse asking him for a coffee but whenever he was around, in the same space as you, it’s as if you never gathered the courage to talk to him.

“Basketball?” Leon echoed, slight confusion on his angular features as he nursed a glass of whiskey. “You sure?”

“‘Course,” you confidently respond, shooting him a sure grin. “Jus’ because I’m built like this doesn’t mean I don’t know how to ball.”

Leon chuckles, nodding before he shoots what remains in his glass. “That’s a bet. Loser buys the winner dinner, right?”

You throw him a clumsy thumbs-up. He inches closer towards you and holds his hand out for you to shake. “Gotta make it official.”

A handshake seals the deal, along with the fate that will befall you a few days later after he’s finally free from whatever work kept him occupied.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Now you’re digging around your wardrobe, looking for any sports-friendly clothing. You rarely work out or take some time off, very much out of shape so you’re already at a massive disadvantage with Leon. The man probably works out every single day, carrying the heaviest weights they have in the gym. Maybe even Leg Day’s golden boy, seeing how his thighs bulge within the confines of his pants and the way his calves looked sturdy as hell. If he somehow doesn’t know the nitty gritty of basketball and only knows the basic dribbling, you’re still going to be on the losing side because he’s got stamina and endurance that would last him hours, days even. He’s got height advantage too and it’s not that you’re tiny, it’s just going to be impossible to shoot with a skyscraper blocking the ball. Then again, it’s not like the ball will make it inside the ring even if he wasn’t doing anything to block it.

“Why’d I make that stupid, stupid bet?” You hiss to yourself as you finally snag a pair of black cotton fleece shorts. It still seemed to fit you so you threw it on the bed, moving to look for a top and some shoes to pair it with. “I’m going to lock myself in my room if I’m going to drink with him around.”

Taken over by indecisiveness yet still determined to look good while sweaty in terms of outfit choice, you decide to phone your friend for some advice. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself. What’s up?”

“I’m going to play basketball in… 15 minutes and I don’t know what to pair with my shorts.” You show it off inside the frame, twirling around as your friend looks on.

“It’s just shorts, you can pair it with anything. Why’s it so hard for you?”

“You don’t get it, man. I need to look perfect, even when I’m sweaty and smelly and tomato red–”

“Are you seeing someone?!”

“What? No! Well, I mean… I think they look good and ya know, I might have to buy him dinner because there’s no way I’m winning this.”

“Buy him dinner? Oh wait, this is the bet thing right–”

“Yeah… I’m never going to drink again, actually. This is the dumbest, stupidest decision of my life.”

“You’ve said that a million times but still drank and got drunk. Look where we are now.”

“Hey! I’m serious this time! And help me plan out an outfit!”

“Well shit, I dunno! A v-neck tee and a pair of Converse sneakers, simple but you’ll look cute. Right! Make the sneakers high cut.”

“Oh my god, thanks! I think I got those–”

A few gentle knocks tap against your door, Leon on the other side. You quickly skip to the door, not opening it too generously in order to block out the sight of your clothes lying everywhere on the side of your dresser.

“I hope you didn’t forget about the deal you made,” he says with a confident smirk. “I’m looking forward to dinner actually.”

You wanted to tell him that you were in the process of getting ready, having picked out what you’ll wear. You wanted to tell him that you’ll be ready in a few, bag loaded with a spare shirt and towels slung over your shoulder but the response stays frozen in your mind, unable to escape your mouth; if you tilt your head down and dare to look somewhere south, you’ll first be greeted by two blocks of solid square muscle straining through the black, short-sleeved shirt he wore, the color slightly faded with the amount of times he must’ve worn it. The real magnet, however, was the gray sweatpants he chose to wear. Nasty, filthy images flashed through your head as soon as you caught a glimpse of gray, shaking your head to clear your brain. He topped the look off with a neat pair of gray high top Converse sneakers, the shoes not worn that much since it looked newly bought.

“You didn’t back out, did you?” Leon chuckles, sending you back to Earth. “It’s okay if you did, I don’t wanna–”

“Naw, of course not! I was just about to get ready, sorry for keeping you waiting.”

“Great, I’ll be waiting in the living room. I’ll fill up our bottles while you get dressed, also got the ball ready. Borrowed it from a friend,” he says as he points to the ball kept in the nook of his curled muscular arm.

You give him a thumbs up, closing the door as he turns around to head to the direction of the living room. Skipping to your phone and seeing that you haven’t dropped the call yet, you quickly explain what happened to your friend and end it, chucking it inside your bag as you get ready.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────

“This outfit has got to be a distraction tactic,” you think to yourself as you walk to the outdoor court alongside Leon, occasionally dribbling the ball. “This man knows that gray sweats are a distraction and I’m going to end up focusing on the ball that is definitely not on his hand!”

If Leon did in fact decide on his current choice of clothing as a form of distraction, it might just work on you and you dislike the fact that it’s already working before the game even began.

“I like your shoes,” he says as he gestures to the pink sneakers you chose to wear in order to contrast the white and black of your upper clothing. “It suits you well.”

You mumble a thank you, also complimenting him. “You look good in sneakers too, I think you should wear it more often.”

His twinkling laughter kicks you in the back of the knee, weak from how fuzzy it made you feel. He nods and takes a mental note before he looks back down at his shoes, glad that you noticed the influence of your fashion choices on him. 10 minutes later, you two reach the court. Chucking your bags to a quiet corner of the court, the two of you head to the middle of the court; Leon passes you the ball, giving you a headstart to try and score your first point.

“I take it that you know the rules?” He asks as he moves into a defensive stance, crouching down slightly with bent knees.

“Yup,” you respond before not wasting any time and running to his side of the ring to shoot the ball. To no one’s surprise, the ball does a little twirl right at the rim before falling back down only to be snagged by Leon’s large hand without warning. “Hey!” you squeal, running after him. He waits for you to catch up with him before he makes a jump shot, sending the ball flying and into the ring as a satisfying thwoop follows the ball's entry in the net.

He easily gains four points ahead, dodging, turning, and expertly dribbling to trick you into thinking that he let the ball out of his sight. You can’t even be frustrated that you haven’t gotten a single point ever since the game started, too delighted in the genuine laughter and giggles coming from Leon; his smiles were sparse, blue eyes an ocean storm each time he came home. A rare smile would leave just as quick you caught one on his face, his face returning to look troubled but this time, he looked free and happier than you usually see him. Now, he gained an additional 3 points and grew even cockier with the wide gap of scores, along with the non-existent possibility of you winning over him. Despite your glee at seeing Leon look relaxed, you wanted to at least end the game with a point to your name. Leon didn’t mention anything about playing dirty and although he didn’t mention it because he assumed that you knew the rules and playing dirty was automatically out of the cards, you couldn’t help but feel a little devious.

Just as Leon softly nudged you, you over exaggerated a bent ankle and fell down, most of the impact centered on the heel of your palms. Though it hurt, it didn’t hurt too badly but Leon still let go of the ball and rushed to your side, the smile disappearing as he saw you sat on the ground.

“Are you alright?” He asked as he assessed your ankle, knee, and hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to–”

You got up and ran after the ball, pushing down the guilt that started to bubble up when you saw the hurt and fear that crossed Leon’s face. Finally, you caught up with the ball and dribbled it as you ran towards the hoop, jumping to shoot it. You expected an effort in vain, the ball to simply dance around the ring before dropping down but fortunately for you, the ball went inside the ring. Satisfied with ending the game at a single point for you, you flop down to the ground as you catch your breath. Leon skips up behind you, sitting by your side before he lays back on the dusty ground alongside you.

“Hey,” he pants as he catches his breath. “That wasn’t fair.”

“Didn’t say anything about playing dirty,” you quip as you tilt your head to face him.

“Played dirty but you still didn’t win, that’s a damn shame.” He says as he also tilts his own head to face you, a small smile dancing on his lips. He seems to have smiled a lot that day, you note. “I won, in case you didn’t notice.”

“Oh shut up, don’t let it get to your head… and, uh… um… thanks for being concerned for me, when I faked falling earlier. Felt kinda bad to be lying to you.”

“Hey, no biggie. I’m thankful that this one’s fake, most people on the ground that I see at work are beyond helping so I’m glad that you’re fine.”

Your eyes widen, his words triggering concern from you. Work? People on the ground beyond helping? Just what is this guy’s job? He doesn’t explain more about his job so you don’t pry for more, waiting for the time that he’s a lot more comfortable around you to share if he wishes to.

“So,” you say to change the subject. “What kinda dinner do you want? Nothing too expensive, though.”

“A dinner with you,” he smoothly responds. You sit up, resting your weight on your arms.

“Huh?”

“I want dinner with you. Anywhere, just take me out to dinner. A date, if that’s what you want to call it. Please.”

You stay silent, taking the time to process his words. He hasn’t shown a sliver of attraction towards you so his words take you by surprise but you’re pleased– very pleased.

“A date,” you quietly echo. “Sure, sounds nice.”

“When are you free?”

“On the 20th.”

“Me too.”

“So… that’s a date then?”

He nods, grinning. He gets up first, extending a hand to you as you both begin the walk back home.

NOTE - Not rlly sure on how to end this so it ended on a meh note 😭🙏 Writer's block got my ass, unfortunately. Anyways, I think I need to get my jaw checked bc the left side of my jaw clicks and hurts when I open my mouth widely to yawn or brush my teeth so yea :3 Almost forgot to mention that the title is based off of "So High School" by TS. I gotta feed my DMC readers in AO3 too so I'll dedicate some time to cooking something for them before returning to posting more Leon fics :3 Found out Laufey has a boyfriend and I fell to my knees as if I had a chance with her in the first place but I'm still very happy that she's finally found love and trusts someone enough to treat her well. Anyways, thank you for reading my fics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I <333333333 UUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!

The dividers (the ones with the heart and star) are made by @cafekitsune , the images are made by me (sourced from Pinterest).

[crazyunsexycool]

My little love

Chapter 36

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Enhanced!Reader

Word count: 3.0K

Warnings: Fluff city, wedding planning, pregnancy announcement, Lottie's growing up.

A/N: I am so excited about this chapter. It's just a bunch of fluff and fun. I also had the idea with Steve in mind for a while now. I'd love to know what you think about it!!

Series Masterlist

“A dance m’lady?” 

“Of couwse.” Lottie takes Henry’s hands and they start to twirl around. She’s giggling as they dance around.

The ballroom you were looking at for a potential venue was huge. A bit too big for the small wedding you wanted to have but it was beautiful. 

“Thoughts?” The wedding planner you’d hired, Olivia, asked. 

“It’s beautiful.” 

“But?”

“It’s maybe too big?” Bucky says as he looks around before looking at you.

“Yes, this looks like we could fit 3 or 400 people. Our wedding is going to be so much smaller. And we’d like to have the ceremony outside.” 

“The ceremony space is why I picked this one out. Let me show you what I had in mind.” Olivia waves for you to follow her through long hallways. It’s almost a maze to get from the ballroom to the other side of the venue. 

“What do you think?” Olivia says as she opens the door.

It’s a huge greenhouse and while the flowers and foliage are beautiful, it’s not what you wanted. 

“Mama.” Lottie tugs at your shirt. 

“Yes, sweet Angel?”

“Not this one. I no see it.” 

That reassured you that this in fact was not the place where you would marry Bucky. You hadn’t really liked it to begin with but it was spacious.

“I agree. Buck?” 

“We’d like something different.” 

“Ok.” Olivia says. “I have three more venues we can look at today. What do you say?” 

“Of course.”

****

You drive all around looking at some possible venues but none of them seem to fit what you want for the wedding. This is the last one and if it doesn’t work you’ll have to go into the city which you don’t want to do. Henry and Lottie are also getting a bit restless.

“We’ll look at one more place and then we can do something fun.” You say as you unbuckle Charlotte and help her out of the car. 

She gasps as you set her down. “Oh mama, is so pwetty.” She says as she takes in the mansion in front of you. 

“It is so pretty.”

“This place looks great.” Bucky stands beside you, his hand coming to rest on your lower back. “It’s really nice.” He smiles.

Suddenly you’re starting to feel really hopeful that this place could be it. Olivia steps out of her car and calls you to follow her. 

“You know, most couples don’t bring their kids to these kinds of things. Are you wanting to make them part of the whole process?” She asks as you head up the front steps. 

“Yes, we would love for them to be involved anyway they can be.” 

“I’m sure we can find some other things they can be a part of, maybe cake tasting?” Olivia turns to watch Henry and Lottie nod eagerly.  

The five of you walk around the large home as Olivia points out areas that she would use and how. 

“Now, I know you want an outdoor ceremony but in case of bad weather we could use this space. What do you think?” 

She says as she leads you to a large living room. It’s free of furniture so Olivia explains the seating arrangement, where the aisle would go. 

“It’s a nice space if we had to do the ceremony inside.” Bucky murmured as he looked around.

 The room, while simple in color, was a great canvas to decorate however you wanted. A huge chandelier was the main feature of the room. Bucky takes your hand and pulls you to the front of the room. 

“This is where we would be standing as we say our vows. What do you think?” He asks with a loving smile.

“I really really like it.” 

“Well this is only the backup space. I’d like to show you the outdoor option.” Olivia chimes in. “It’s being updated but it will be ready way before your wedding date. Follow me.” 

“Mama.” Lottie gasps, wide eyed as she stops in the hallway.

“What is it, sweet Angel?” 

“I see it mama, is this one.”  She says bouncing on the ball of her feet. 

You beam at her and then Bucky who’s also sporting an excited smile. He takes your hand and the four of you walk out to the most beautiful garden you’d ever seen.

Your breath hitches as you step out to the garden. While some maintenance was being done, the garden was in full bloom with a variety of white flowers. The hedges were trimmed to perfection. It looked heavenly.

“I absolutely love this space.” Olivia says excitedly. “They only keep white flowers so we can bring in flowers in the color scheme you gave me to fill in the area. We could have an arch at the end with flowers and fabric draped down. The chairs would obviously go here.” Olivia explains with a smile. “Some rooms are also included in the contract so you could get ready here.”

“That would be great.” You turn to Bucky. “It would be less hassle getting the kids ready here too.” 

“So far this seems like the best option.” 

“Good because I want to show you where you’ll have the reception.” 

“Daddy, what's a reception?” Henry asks as you follow Olivia. 

“It’s like a dinner and a party to celebrate that your mama and I got married.” 

“Oh, can I go to the reception with baby?” 

“Of course bubs. You’re going to have a really important job at the wedding.” 

“Really?” Henry looks up, eyes wide with excitement. 

“Yup. You’re going to be the ring bearer. That means you will hold the ring mama puts on my finger and the one I put on hers.” 

“What about baby? Is she a ring bearer too?” 

“I take wings?” Lottie asks.

“No sweet Angel, you’re going to be the flower girl.”

“Sounds so pwetty. Can be flowe-uh girl.” 

Olivia shows you the huge ballroom. Like the rest of the venue, it’s perfect. 

“Now we have to test it out. Are you ready?” Bucky asks as he walks you back to the French doors that lead to the garden. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Just picture it. I’m in my tux, the room is decorated beautifully. You’re standing there as beautiful as ever, especially in your dress. Ladies and gentleman,” Bucky announces. “I’d like to present for the first time Mr. and Mrs. Barnes.” 

Olivia has the kids clapping and cheering so that you can get the full effect. Then Bucky leads you back toward the center of the room and pulls you into his chest. Butterflies took flight in your belly listening to Bucky calling you Mrs. Barnes.

“Now this would be our first dance.” He murmurs before he starts humming a slow tune. 

You’re looking at each other lovingly as you sway from side to side. Two sets of arms wrap around you and Bucky. When you look down Lottie and Henry are swaying with you. It couldn’t be more perfect. 

You both agree that this is the place you want. Olivia smiles again and heads out to make a few calls to get a contract for you to sign. 

“I can’t wait to marry you.” You look up at Bucky. 

“Neither can I.” 

In between planning the wedding there was regular family life and work. The shifts at the medbay and Bucky going on missions weren’t slowing down just yet. Lottie's birthday was coming up. This time she requested a tea party which you and Bucky happily agreed too. 

The truth was Charlotte was growing up so fast. Just a year before she was learning how to walk and talk. Now she’s more popular throughout the compound than even the Avengers. And just as a growing child does she changes all the time. From mannerisms to vocabulary, some of the latter really showing how much she’s grown. 

“I’m weady.” Lottie calls out from the top of the stairs. She’d chosen a pretty pink dress for her tea party. “Wook at my dwess daddy.” 

You and Bucky had been talking about the wedding when Lottie had called out and both your heads snapped in her direction. 

“What did you say, doll?” Bucky was in disbelief. 

“I said am weady.” 

“After that.” 

“Oh I says wook at my dwess daddy.” She says as she stops in front of the two of you and does a little twirl. 

When you look at Bucky you see tears in his eyes. 

“You can’t call me that.” He whispers.

“But you is my daddy.” 

“I’m your dada. You always call me dada.” Bucky says. 

“But am a big girl an big girls says daddy. An bubba says daddy too.” She defends herself. 

“I know doll.” Bucky picks her up and presses a few kisses to her temple and cheek. “But you’re my baby, you can’t be a big girl.”

“Daddy, I wanna be a big girl.” 

You chuckle as Lottie wrapped her arms loosely around Bucky’s neck. She gives him a beaming smile and Bucky’s too weak to say no. 

“Alright, I guess you can be a big girl and call me daddy.” He relents. “You look beautiful in your dress, doll.” 

“Tank you daddy.” 

Bucky puts Lottie down so that she can find Henry and show him the dress she has on. You hug Bucky as soon as you can. 

“I hate that so much. She’s growing up way too fast.” He says with a pout. 

“Next thing you know, she’s gonna come home from school talking about a boyfriend.” 

“That’s not funny.” 

You laugh at his scowl. “Let’s go celebrate our not so little girl’s birthday.” 

“This turned out great.” Molly compliments as she sits next to you on the couch. 

“Thanks. Charlotte is very into tea parties now. It just made sense to make her birthday this.” 

“Well you’re turning into a whole party planner, between this and the wedding. How is that going?” 

“It’s going well. We found the venue not long ago. Oh, now that we’re talking about it. How would you feel about being a bridesmaid?” 

“I would love to.” Molly gives you a half smile, half grimace. 

“But?” 

“We haven’t told anyone yet but it’s only fair you know. I’m pregnant.” She says in a whisper. 

“Molly, oh my god.” You exclaim. 

“Sshhh. You can’t tell anyone.” 

“I can’t believe this. I’m so excited. But why can’t you be a bridesmaid?” 

“My doctor wants me to be as stress free as possible.” She frowns a bit. “I would have loved to be up there with you.” 

“And weddings can be very stressful. Don’t worry about it. As long as you’re there and taking care of yourself.” You lean in and give her a quick hug. “Is there anything you need?” 

“No, I'm good right now.”

“Ok, I’m going to check in on the kids.” You smile.

“You’re going to tell Luke that you know?” 

“Maybe.” You giggle. 

“Go, it was his idea for us to tell you first.” 

You’re beaming as you get up and check in on how the others are doing. Eddie is playing a card game with Sam and Henry. Sophie and Josh are hanging out with Nat and Clint. You walked by and saw Charlotte with Olivia and Steve, talking to Duckie. 

“She started calling me daddy today instead of dada and I don’t think I’ll ever get over that.” You hear Bucky say. 

“Wait until she starts calling you by your first name. That was a fun stage with Liv.” 

“No way. I couldn’t handle that.” 

Luke chuckles. “Just imagine, ‘Luke, can I have a popsicle?’ Or ‘Luke read me a bedtime story.’” 

Bucky chuckles and shakes his head.

“Hey you two.” You walk up beside Bucky, letting him pull you into his side. “So…” 

“So?” Luke is looking at you amusedly.

You couldn’t help the excited smile on your face. Luke chuckles. 

“She told you.” 

“Who told what?” Bucky looks between both of you. 

“Molly’s pregnant.” 

“I’m so excited for you guys. Congratulations.” You pull your big brother in for a hug. 

“Thank you. We’re really excited too. Liv is over the moon knowing she’s going to be a big sister.” 

“Congrats man.” Bucky shakes Luke’s hand. 

“Hopefully you’ll be giving us the same news soon.” 

“Maybe after the wedding.” You say. 

**** 

The party continues for a while. You and Bucky both go around and make sure everyone is doing ok and have whatever they need before cutting the cake. 

Everyone gathers around the beautiful birthday cake Henry made for his sister. The room erupts in a loud rendition of happy birthday before Lottie blows out her candles. There’s clapping and cheering and Charlotte giggling at the attention. 

“Have another bite.” Bucky holds up the spoon for Charlotte. 

“Mmm, so yummy.” She murmurs before she walks away to where Olivia is playing. She goes back and forth until the cake is all gone. 

After gifts and some more games the party dies down. It happens just in time since Charlotte was losing her fight to sleep. You take her from Duckie, who Charlotte was sitting with, and start heading back to the house. Olivia comes with you since you had promised the girls a sleepover. 

Bucky had just slipped under the sheets of your shared bed and gotten comfortable. He was flipping through the pages of the book he was currently reading while you were thinking over the bridal party. 

“Did you ask any of the guys to be your groomsmen yet?” You turned to look at him.

“Not yet. I was going to do it tomorrow, why?” 

“Well Molly isn’t going to be a bridesmaid so now I have three bridesmaids to your four groomsmen.” You sigh. “I don’t know what to do.”

“What if I just ask three of the guys instead of the four I had planned?” 

“Maybe.” 

Bucky shakes his head. “We aren’t having this conversation again.” 

“Please let me have Steve on my side.” 

“He’s my best friend.” Bucky replied. “I’ve known him the longest. He’s literally my best man.” 

“But I’m his favorite best friend. It only makes sense if you think about it.” 

Bucky laughs. “It’s not happening. The only way it will work is if we cut him down the middle and share.” 

You huff a laugh before you get an idea. Bucky can see it with the way your eyes light up. 

“What are you thinking?” 

You had invited Steve over for coffee. The day was beautiful so you were out in the backyard watching the kids play. You and Bucky were working on the seating chart when Steve showed up. 

“So how’s the wedding planning going?” He asked as he took a seat. 

“It’s good. We have a lot figured out already.”

“Especially the wedding party.” You say with a smile. “But we need your opinion.” 

“Sure, whatever I can help with.” 

“I decided to pick Nat as my maid of honor with Wanda and Sophia as my two other bridesmaids. It was hard though, I wanted to pick both Nat and Wanda as maids of honor.” 

“I knew it.” Steve chuckles. “I knew you’d have a hard time choosing between them.” 

“Well I picked Clint and Josh as groomsmen but the best man was between you and Sam.” 

“Oh.” Steve’s smile falters a little.

You feel kind of bad for doing this to Steve but in the end it will be better. 

“After talking about it with Y/N I’m going to ask Sam to be my best man.”

“Yeah we kept arguing over who’s side you would stand on.” You start to explain.

“No, I get it.” Steve looks a bit dejected. 

“So we thought that you could stand between us instead.” 

“What?” Steve’s face scrunched up in confusion.

“You’re one of the big reasons we’re together.” You start to explain. 

“Since the moment you realized I was still alive you did everything possible to save me. And because of that I met the love of my life.” Bucky looks at you with a loving gaze.

“You’re our best friend and biggest supporter. We wouldn’t be here without you.” You add. “So we thought that instead of you being the best man, you could officiate the wedding instead. What do you think?” 

“You want me to marry you?”

“Yes. I think you’re the perfect choice. You know both of us so well and you’ve always been there to support us. We want you to have a special role on our wedding day.” Bucky says with a smile. 

“How would I even do that?” Steve asks. 

“I already looked it up and you can become an officiant online. So what do you say? Please say yes. It would mean so much to us.” 

“I would love to.” 

You jump out of your seat in order to hug Steve. There’s a delighted giggle that bubbles up as the two of you embrace. 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you. The wedding is going to be so perfect.” 

“I’m just happy to be part of it and help you guys celebrate. After everything you’ve been through, this past year alone.” 

“I don’t think we could get married without you, punk.” Bucky is the next to hug Steve. “Seriously, this means a lot to us. Once Y/N said it, it made so much sense. Having you just as my best man wasn’t enough. You’re an important part of both our lives and having you officiate the wedding feels right.”

“Ok you’ve got to stop.” Steve blushes. 

“Just accept the compliments, Rogers. Now c’mon I’m gonna help you register and then we can go over a few things for the ceremony.” 

You sat back down at the table with Steve by your side. The three of you went over ideas and how the ceremony should go. The more you got done for the wedding the more excited you got. There were still a few things left to do of course but you were so happy at that moment. When you looked over at Bucky you could tell he shared your feelings. 

You were getting ready to marry your best friend and the love of your life. Nothing could be better than that. 

Ch. 37

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[johnwickb1tsch]

bittersweet ~ a yandere!John Wick x fem!reader sunshine/grump coffee shop AU... Part 36 all chapters

WARNING: NSFW, SEXUAL CONTENT, YANDERE SH!T. Plz take care. I luv u all. 😘

You are getting the feeling that Mariko Kimura doesn’t really like you. 

And maybe it’s stupid, but you’re really not used to that.

Worse yet, this woman basically has a license to beat the hell out of you as The Personal Trainer–how else are you going to learn how to defend yourself in this vicious world? Strikes, blocks, throws, joint locks–she’s taking her job seriously, and after a week has gone by you’re not sure how much more you can actually handle. Maybe you’re a hiker girl, but it’s been a long time since you’ve done any athletic activity that demanded you give everything you have, take a breath, and then give fifty percent more. Your body hurts everywhere. Your torso is bruised in twenty places under your top, and you think she might have knocked one of your back teeth loose with a dirty punch.

You do not want to complain to John. You know he went through so much worse, and it would feel like tattling. So you take a moment to compose yourself on a bench before returning to your room, breathing deeply. That hurts too–jesus fuck, did she crack your ribs? 

What you really want to do is have a good little cry, but that’s completely off the table. 

Show no weakness. 

“Are you alright, my dear?”

Your eyes fly open to find Winston Scott, looking dapper as ever in a pinstripe suit, standing nearby. You hadn’t heard him approach. That’s probably not a good thing, even in this supposedly neutral environment. 

“I’m fine,” you say brightly with a smile you know looks more like a grimace. “Just…catching my breath.”

“May I?”

You scoot over on the antique wooden bench, very aware that you are sweaty as the proverbial whore in church, surprised this fastidious man would dare come within six feet of you at the moment. 

“I must admit I was surprised when I saw that Jonathan enrolled you with Miss Kimura. She is close friends with Akira Shimazu.” 

“I…don’t know what that means,” you admit. 

“Ah. Well, Jonathan should.”

You blow out a long breath through your teeth, bracing your kidneys. Maybe a shower and a dip in the cool waters of the pool downstairs would be nice. 

“I don’t want to get anyone into trouble,” you sigh. If John suspects Mariko is playing rougher than what is demanded for some personal reason that has nothing to do with you, that could breed a whole new problem. You have enough problems. 

“As you wish. I am not sure you know this about our Jonathan yet, but politics are not his strong suit. He is the best at what he does, but the more subtle machinations of our world still escape him.”

This doesn’t come as a total surprise to you, although if you let Winston in on some of the psychological games John played with you not so long ago, the old man’s hair might have stood on end.

Or, maybe not. 

“Are you telling me it’s my job to keep him from killing everyone when the Camorra finally show for this sitdown?” 

“Well. I’m sure you’ve heard tell of what happened with Santino d’Antonio.”

“Yes.” 

“Perhaps Jonathan is in a better state of mind these days thanks to you. But I also fear what our dear boy may do, to defend you.”

Hearing anyone call your fearsome assassin John dear boy brings a little smile to your lips. You are glad that someone seems to be in his corner. You’ve gotten the impression from hearing John talk that Winston is like a father figure to him. You’re relieved it goes both ways. 

“I will keep what you’re telling me in mind.” 

“That is all I ask,” he says with a nod, standing. “And perhaps, a little break from the Trainer would do you good.”

A small laugh escapes you–you know it sounds bitter. “You give very good advice, Mr. Scott.” 

“I know I do. If only the young people around me would deign to benefit from my wealth of experience.” This is his parting shot, and you watch as he makes his exit stage left, leisurely strolling back down the hall like a king in his castle. 

***

Lounging in a warm bubbly bath–with John Wick’s solid naked body behind you, maybe makes the beatings you’ve been taking worth it. 

Ok, it’s totally fucking worth it. Nothing hurts anymore…except for when his soapy hands gently massaging your sore muscles find a bruise. There are a lot of them. 

It also helps that a few minutes ago he ran those soapy hands all over your breasts and aching center, coaxing a soul-wrenching orgasm out of you, all while talking you through it with his low voice in your ear.

He never actually asked if you’re alright, and you take that as a compliment. Maybe it’s fucked up, but you’re kinda proud of your pain tolerance–and John’s quiet approval. 

That doesn’t mean you’re capable of keeping your mouth shut about something else that’s bothering you. 

“Who is Akira Shimazu?” you ask sleepily, your head lolled back on his broad shoulder. His hands pause tellingly upon you, before resuming their soothing circuit. 

“She’s the daughter of one of my oldest friends, Koji,” he finally answers, his tone deliberately neutral. “He…was killed by the High Table, when I went to his Continental in Osaka for shelter.” 

There is a lot to unpack in that sentence. You start with the part that alarms you the most. “Wait…the High Table are allowed to break the rules of the Continental?” If those fuckers were coming, supposedly to play mediator–what good would it do, if they were not bound to follow their own rules? 

“Not usually,” he assures you. “The Marquis who was hunting me was granted…privileges.” 

“Sounds like bullshit.” 

“It was bullshit.” 

You decide this is all the information you need to connect the dots. If you were Akira Shimazu, you would probably blame John Wick for your father’s death too. And if you were Akira’s friend, and had no recourse to hurt John Wick directly–beating up his girlfriend was pretty much the next best thing. Great. 

“Why are you asking me this?” 

“Oh…just a conversation I had with Winston today.” You turn in the bath, reaching for the soap to return the favor to John, only in part to distract him. He weighs you with those dark eyes, only half believing you, or at least, sensing there’s more than what you’re telling him. You sit up straddling his lap, running your hands over his chest. His eyes slide closed, quiet for some time as you touch him. His wounds from the home invasion have healed now, his stitches out just the other day. Now they are simply slick pink flesh under your fingertips–as though it had all just been a bad dream.

These moments seem even more precious between you, now. You want to hoard them like a dragon with its pile of gold, keep them forever shining in your memory. You know what you’ll draw in your sketch journal tonight. You’ve been trying to keep up with a drawing a day, a way to pass the time, though the past week you’ve been too tired in the evening.

“Is Mariko…associated with Akira?” 

Maybe Winston doesn’t give John enough credit. 

“I think they might be friends.”

He touches a bruise on your arm with a new understanding, his dark brows drawn in a frown.

Well shit. So much for being subtle. 

“Is she hurting you on purpose?” 

“She’s…not pulling any punches. That’s ok, John. I’ve learned more this past week than in the five years I did in Tae Kwon Do.” You realize that is absolutely true. 

John’s eyes narrow as he searches out your bruises with new eyes. “I’m sorry.” 

It’s interesting to you, how it was par for the course before, but with the new information that it might be personal, it’s suddenly not ok. 

“Don’t be.” 

“I didn’t think I would be a good hand to hand combat teacher for you.”

“Why not?” you ask, not accusing, just curious. 

“Because when I put my hands on you I just want to fuck you,” he admits bluntly, raising gooseflesh all across your body, your greedy cunt suddenly clenching in insistent reminder of her state of abject emptiness...drama queen.  

 “Even…if we were fighting?”

Considering his penchant for chasing, maybe you already know the answer to that. He blows through his nose, pulling you close with those mitts for hands on your hips so that you can feel he’s hard just with the thought of it. 

He ducks to graze his teeth upon the curve of your shoulder, and your state of relaxation is starting to fly out the window again. This man. 

“Especially if we were fighting,” he admits against your ear, his voice gravely with desire. “I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from taking you down. I’d fuck you right there on the mat, and you wouldn’t learn a thing except that you drive me wild.”

Your nipples tighten with the thought, your breath caught in your throat, and he lifts you easily in the water with that controlling grip on your hips, rubbing your now slick center against his throbbing cock. Tub sex can be tricky, but the bath water stands no chance against the suddenly raging state of your arousal. Without further ado he lifts you onto his cock, impaling you on his thick tip. The glorious glide and stretch of his girthy shaft inside you still takes your breath away, like you can feel him in your lungs, your fingers digging into his shoulders. 

“Fuck,” you squeak, winning a dark chuckle that scrambles your insides. 

“Yeah.”  

It’s the last intelligible word you manage, in the next few minutes, as he uses you just as he pleases, the water sloshing all around as he pistons inside you. It’s all you can do just to hold on, clenching tightly upon his insatiable erection the way you know makes him lose it. 

“Touch yourself for me,” he invites, though you know he’s close. You’ve reached that point in your physical relationship when you know each other’s bodies so well, your rhythms and sounds, down to the very tone of a gasp or the desperation of a thrust. 

“I don’t think I can cum again,” you admit, though you’re thoroughly enjoying him inside you. 

You really didn’t mean it as a challenge, but when he smirks at you with that certain sparkle in his anthracite eyes you just know you’re in for it. 

“Yes you can,” he insists, slowing his pace inside you, arching you back in his arms so that he can flick one of your nipples with his devilishly clever tongue. Oh. Well that’s not fair at all. You reach down to rub your clit while he fills you like this, delaying his pleasure to hit that perfect spot just past your entrance that makes you forget anything else exists in the world but you and him and the promise of a soul-snatching orgasm on the horizon.

“Give it up for me, my pretty girl,” he coaxes with his lips against your skin, and you know the snake must have sounded like that when he spoke to Eve. Tempting and forbidden and yet oh so reasonable. You’ve asked a lot from your body in the past few days. Maybe this is how you die–and what a way to go. That wonderful tingling pressure fills your hips and you moan, forgetting, again, that the other assassins down the hall probably do not want to hear more evidence that John Wick never misses. 

There are stars in your eyes and a ringing in your ears as this shining, bone-shattering release takes you. You are a ragdoll in his arms as he fills you to the hilt and bathes your cervix with the hot rush of his cum. It’s all the two of you can do, not to sink into the water and drown. With a shaky sigh you kiss his lips before melting against him, re-learning how to breathe with his arms wrapped around you, your head on his shoulder. 

He strokes your hair, whispering endearments so low you can’t really make them out, but the tone is so soothing you drift asleep for a few minutes. You only wake when he freshens the bath with more hot water, before drifting off again. 

***

Much later, when both of your faculties have returned, and your fingers have turned to prunes, he tells you, “I think we’ll give you a break. We’ll start weapons training tomorrow. That, I will handle myself.” 

This is news to you. “Here? In the hotel?”

“There’s an armory, a range, even a course.” 

“In this hotel?” 

He chuckles a little at your disbelief. “Yeah.” 

The New York Continental: anything and everything a killer could need…

And here you are, trapped amongst them with the man you love. You know this is technically John’s world, but a part of you just can’t shake the feeling that he doesn’t belong here. That he shouldn’t have to be back here–it’s not fair. 

You sit up in the water, reaching for a little yellow rubber duck on the side of the tub, not meeting John’s eyes. You’re not sure where it came from; there must be some inside joke you’re not privy to…but it’s cute. 

You do feel some relief, knowing you’re not going to get beat up again tomorrow, though going through tactical firearms drills makes you more than a little nervous. You’re sure it will be different from plinking in the backyard on a Sunday with your dad and his drinking buddies. Ah, alcohol and guns–a time honored American classic.

“I feel like I’m walking out of here with my Certificate in Baddass Assassin Studies,” you say with a nervous little laugh. “What else is there? Are you going to teach me how to pinball flip someone with a muscle car? Maybe how to ride a motorcycle while swinging a katana?”

His lips twist in a smirk. “If you want, when we go home.” 

You find the thought buoys you with hope. “Will we ever get to go home?”

“Unless you really want to move to Argentina,” he needles you.

“Argentina does sound pretty bitchin’...” you tease him. 

He narrows his eyes at you; after all this time, it still gives you a thrill. “Are you sure your fascination with Argentina doesn’t stem from the good looking men who seem to live there?”

You make a raspberry at the thought. He still remembers Javi, it seems. You do too, of course, but all that feels like a distant dream in your memory. “Darling, I have all the Tall, Dark, and Handsome I can handle right here.” You place the rubber ducky on top of his head as though bestowing a crown, and he rolls his eyes before snatching you to him, water splashing all across the floor again. 

“Who’s going–to clean–that up?” you tease between kisses and giggling, suddenly drunk on his arms around you, his strong hand running down your side to squeeze your behind before long fingers quest further towards your aching center. 

“Baby, that is the least of your worries right now.”    

“I can’t!” you whine in protest as he palms your breast, rolling your nipple between his fingers. You absolutely give yourself away with your joyful laughter that turns into a moan.

“We’ll see, cheeky girl.”  

This insatiable man really might prove the death of you. 

----

Pretty sure the rubber ducky is all on @sweetwolfcupcake …😂😘😘😘

[the-art-ghost]

I'm sorry if this doesn't make sense this is my first ask but what is all of there dynamics like icarus, issac, frankie, and jack? Also I really love your designs especially Frankie's I love your take of him

I would love to explain them!

(And thank you! I’m surprised Frankie is getting so much love but I appreciate it so much)

The dynamics of Icarus, Frank, Isaac, and Laughing Jack

Icarus

LJ- Icarus’ Parental figures (Jack has an aversion to being called dad or mom) who’s always there. Jack has never let Icarus down once, always showing up and being by his side whether that’s his elementary play to his sporting events. Even if his dreams are dangerous Jack is his safety net. He taught him everything he needs to know to survive and allows him to learn on his own to build his confidence in his strange world. At the same time he doesn’t really know what’s going on in his head…he always seems like he’s thinking of something else. He just wants a little more independence from him…he’s a little really clingy…

Frankie- His nextdoor neighbor is the coolest man he knows of. Killing people for large sums of money, figuring out mysteries, being undead! Jack doesn’t let him hang around him, but that never stops him. He’s always trying to chat and have a drink with him whenever he can. He even let him shoot his gun once! Maybe when he finally moves out he could shadow under him…learn how to be the best killer out there!

Frankie

Icarus- His young nextdoor neighbor. He’s known about this kid since he was in diapers and watched from a distance him grow into a young man. He’s shocked that a creature like Jack could raise human boy, let alone for that child to still be kind… It’s rare in this place that someone can still be happy here… a ray of sunshine in this dark world. He’s let the kid tag along once and awhile on some of his milder missions (mostly to keep him away from Jack). He’s a damn good kid…he just hopes he can get out while he can

LJ- The Imaginer… this one confuses him deeply. He doesn’t behave like all the others. Maybe he’s a different breed…whatever the case he can’t be trusted. How did he get a child? Did he kill the kids parents to get him Maybe he’s raising that kid just to slaughter him like a pig…maybe to turn him into an Imaginer? He isn’t sure. He’ll keep an eye on him…

Laughing Jack

Frankie- The prick that lives next to him. From the moment they met he knew that undead guy wasn’t going to like him. He know exactly why the guy hates him, but he doesn’t care enough to confront him. They constantly tussle and bad mouth each other…if he could kill him he would, but that would raise suspicion to him and possibly Icarus. So he bites his tongue and thinks about splattering across the sidewalk internally

Icarus- His son Icky, his beautiful boy. When he found him that faithful day, something inside of him changed… he saw Issac in that small crying baby. He saw the possibility of changing fate, of giving Issac something he never could at the time. He made it his mission to raise Icarus, and so he did. He spent sleepless night learning and raising him the best he could, training him to survive not by brute strength but with wit and flexibility, soothing his fevers with long cold fingers. But at the same time he’s distant…because he’s so scared. Scared to lose him like Issac, scared that he’ll find out what he is, scared he’ll hate him… maybe he’ll hold him for a little bit longer…

Now what about Isaac? Where is he?

He is dead.

Only Jack knows about him. And he’ll never tell a soul.

Dead people don’t talk.

That’s all for today!

Thank you for reading everything

Host out!

. . .

. . .

. . .

So will this work?

Of course it will. I know what I’m doing.

But how do you know? Humans are-

Just trust me. This will work.

[blackjackkent]

For the blossoming romance prompts: #25 finding comfort in someone's scent. Shadowzel. Pickee this mostly bc of lae'zels comments about scent in her actual romance lol

(Blossoming Romance writing prompts)

-----

“Zhak vo’n’ash duj…” Shadowheart makes an attempt at the githyanki phrase, a low call at the door of Lae’zel’s tent.

There’s a long silence. Perhaps Lae’zel is already asleep - as it should be, really. As the closest thing the camp has to a healer, Shadowheart knows better than most how much the gith’s body was battered by her imprisonment at Orin’s hands. By all rights, Shadowheart should be doing anything rather than disturb her rest. It’s pointless, self-indulgent, to be standing here in the middle of the night just to hear her voice… 

She’s on the point of turning away when Lae’zel answers from within the tent. “Zhak vo’n’ash duj,” she echoes, equally low and somewhat hoarse. “Rhen n’a kovakha sutaj… fynh avun…”

Shadowheart doesn’t know what that means, but it doesn’t sound like a dismissal, so she pushes the tent flap aside cautiously. 

Lae’zel is sitting up on her bedroll, legs pulled to her chest. Her eyes glitter subtly in the flickering light from the fire as she looks up. A bruise that Shadowheart has not yet healed runs in a long dark-olive line along one of her bare arms. 

“You didn’t come to dinner,” Shadowheart says.

“I am not hungry.”

“Do you want me to bring you something?”

“No.”

A pause. “Do you want me to stay with you?”

Silence. Shadowheart holds her breath. Perhaps it would be better if Lae’zel drove her away, if their dalliance shattered apart at this moment of strain. Perhaps it would be easier not to risk believing that they can see each other through this storm and all the worse ones that lie ahead. And yet her heart aches at the thought, because she has lost everything else that ever mattered to her, and gods help her, she does not want to lose this…

“Yes,” Lae’zel says softly, and the breath rushes back out of Shadowheart’s lungs. She slips through the flap into the tent and settles herself, cross-legged, in front of her lover. After a moment’s hesitation, she reaches out and takes one of Lae’zel’s hands.

After that, neither of them seem to know quite what to do. These days, their relationship manifests most often in lovemaking as violent as it is intense; this quiet moment is unfamiliar. Lae’zel looks intently down at their clasped hands. Her fingers twitch minutely against Shadowheart’s palm, long nails scoring gently against her skin.

“Orin showed me your face,” she says abruptly. “Mocked me with your voice. Tried to make me believe, time and time again, that you had come to break the chains she put on me.”

“Oh,” is all Shadowheart can think to say.

Another pause. “Chk,” Lae’zel mutters. “Foolishness. As if I could not tell the difference. As if I do not know the truth of you by now. I am not so easily taken in.”

The truth of you. Shadowheart frowns. Which one? “I’m not sure I even know the truth of me,” she murmurs ruefully. Ever since the Shadowfell, all the pieces of her seem tangled and indistinct, pulling in different directions - the Sharran and the Selunite, the torturer and the healer, the warrior for the fate of the world and the frightened child lost in the woods.

Lae’zel looks up and her eyes blaze with sudden intensity. “I would know you anywhere, Shadowheart. Do you not know I have memorized every detail? Your eyes seem grey but carry flecks of gold. You favor your right hand for combat but your left for healing. You have a scar on your elbow. Another at the back of your hip.” 

Her grip turns crushingly tight on Shadowheart’s hand, hard enough to bruise. “Your nose wrinkles upwards when you smile. Your armor is cracked at the left shoulder. You move without sound and your steps roll, heel to toe. Your scent--”

She breaks off abruptly and swallows, closing her eyes. “There are no words. But it is you. So many things Orin did not know. So many things she forgot and thought I would not notice. But I knew. I always knew - that she was a false thing, a pale imitation. Merely a reminder that I was caught and mocked, an animal in a cage. That I might-- might never again--” Her voice stutters abruptly, hangs on the edge of cracking.

Shadowheart lurches forward abruptly. Wrenching her hand from Lae’zel’s grip, she cups it instead to the back of the other woman’s neck and pulls her fiercely into a crushing kiss. Lae’zel makes a soft, startled noise, but then relaxes, her lips softening into the contact. When the kiss breaks, she turns her head so her nose presses against Shadowheart’s cheek and draws a long, shuddering inhale.

“I’m here,” Shadowheart whispers. “I’m real. No more of Orin’s lies. I’m real, and I’m here, and you’re safe.” It is only now that she is sure of that fact that she can begin to comprehend the possibility that it might have been otherwise - that they might have been too late, and she might have lost Lae’zel forever. Her world is very empty now that Shar has exiled her, ironically darker than it ever was before, but Lae’zel has been a buoy in the raging storm, implacable and steady. Shadowheart can see down that not-taken path and it is a frighteningly blank place.

“I think you see me more clearly than I see myself,” she adds quietly. Of course that’s frightening too, in its way. She was raised for so many years to exist in shadow and obscurity. To be seen is not something she is practiced at. She feels self-conscious - but at the same time there is something electric in the knowledge that Lae’zel has studied her so deeply. 

“You fill my thoughts,” Lae’zel murmurs. “I see you each moment, whether you are before me or not. Once I thought it madness - but the madness was in seeking to escape it.”

“Yes,” Shadowheart agrees. Absently, almost without thinking about it, she summons some reserve of strength and produces another healing spell which she draws gently along that long bruise on Lae’zel’s arm, watching it slowly fade back into the subtler green tint of her skin. “You should rest,” she adds softly, letting those words carry the weight of the ones she doesn’t yet feel brave enough to say. I missed you. I was so scared for you, and for myself. I love you.

Lae’zel draws another slow breath through her nose against Shadowheart’s jaw, and some of the rigid tension starts to bleed out from her. She sags forward until her forehead rests on Shadowheart’s shoulder. “Stay,” she says - but it lacks the commanding tone she might usually bring to the word. It sounds more like a plea, heavy with exhaustion.

Shadowheart nods. “I will,” she murmurs. Her fingers comb gently into Lae’zel’s hair, along her neck, over her back. “Here and real, and waiting when you wake…”

[seramilla]

(Imagine if Lute woke up almost eleven days later after Emily saved her only to have Sera and Carmilla in the room checking in on her and dressing her injuries. I’m sure Sera would have some questions about what happened to her and why she’s in hell and looks like a sinner while Carmilla, aiding Sera, is not exactly happy about Lute being there having learned that she’s the reason Emily was scapegoated.)

Lute jerks awake feeling a sharp pain where her eye was missing. She instinctively goes to swing the sharp talons of her demon hand at the offender when a large clawed hand stops her in her tracks.

“I wouldn’t if I were you. Sera is just changing out your bandages.”

Black and gold meet red and white. Lute feels very very small under the burning gaze when she realizes that is she is in the presence of a Very POWERFUL OVERLORD who is holding her arm in place so effortlessly.

“Lute…”

A softer catches her attention, she knows that voice. She turns her head and wishes the ground would swallow her up as she sees the familiar form Sera. She seems more at ease here than she ever did in heaven.

“…I have a few questions. Most will pertain to your fall, your changes, and injuries.”

She’s so screwed, of course she would want to know…but the doesn’t help her cope with the fact she caused it all herself. She tries to swallow back the guilt but it sinks into the pit of her stomach like a stone. Where to even start?

Lute's eye travels back and forth between the two women taking care of her. The overlord's face is set in a scowl that makes Lute feel smaller than she thinks she's ever felt before. There is so much hatred and scorn behind that woman's gaze, that Lute realizes her entire body is paralyzed by how intimidated she is. She's never met this person before...why does she look like she'd enjoy tearing Lute apart and feasting on her battered, bloody corpse?

Wait…is this…?

Sera seems to notice the effect the other woman is having on Lute. She smiles at the overlord, oddly soft and timid compared to how Lute is used to seeing her. Sera had once been so full of authority, with a domineering, confident air about her. The way she looks at this demon woman is...affectionate.

"Carmilla? Would you give us a moment?"

Wait…fuck….THAT Carmilla???

Carmilla doesn't speak. She shoots Lute one more angry, incensed look, and shows herself out of the room. Lute doesn't even realize how tight she'd been holding onto her bedsheets, or how tense she’d been keeping her shoulders; as the other woman exits, Lute finds herself relaxing. Her skin is still crawling, but not as bad now.

"Now," Sera says, turning her attention back to the diminutive angel. "Would you like to tell me what happened, and what you're doing here? And why you look like this?"

Lute shakes. She is shivering. Like a small child left out freezing in the cold. Like her entire body has been dunked into a freezing vat of ice water. Sera leans down, and puts her arm around Lute's shoulder. Lute almost flinches away, but Sera holds onto her tight.

"Breathe," Sera coos. "Just breathe."

Where is this coming from, Lute thinks? Why is the High Seraphim...the once powerful authority over all of Heaven, second only to the council of Elders and the Father himself, treating her this way? With so much empathy, and kindness, and patience? And gentleness? It makes no sense. Not after what Lute had done to her and Emily.

Lute feels nauseous...the bile is already rising toward the back of her throat, threatening to make a not-so-graceful exit, burning its way up her esophagus.

"Why are you helping me?" Lute asks, almost demanding. "What did I do...? You shouldn't be... It was because of me that you...!"

Lute can't manage to finish a sentence, but Sera seems like she knows what Lute is asking, all the same. She rubs Lute's shoulder where her arm is wrapped around her, holding her steady. When Lute starts to get dizzy, she helps the battered angel lie back down, holding a cold cloth to her forehead.

Lute is running a fever...she can tell from the delirium. Maybe an infection, somewhere. Her entire body hurts. But through it all, she still questions...why?

"The people down here have taught me things about forgiveness," Sera says bluntly, drawing Lute out of her bout of mental self-flagellation. "When Emily found you, I almost told her to toss you back where you came from. I was livid. She was the one who made the case to keep you here...and if I were still the type of person I was in Heaven, I wouldn't have allowed it. Or I would have let Carmilla take a stab at you first. Heaven knows she wanted you to die."

Lute quakes in fear. Sera looks at her again, with more disappointment than anger. They both know what Lute and Adam had done. How they were responsible for her and Emily becoming fallen. But rather than seek vengeance on the former Exorcist for her betrayal...the only feeling Lute gets from Sera is pity.

"But it seems like your suffering has been far more recompense for your sins than any of us could ever inflict upon you. So I want to ask you again...what happened to you? What are you doing here?"

Lute can't argue with her. She has suffered. She doesn't want to suffer anymore. So she tells Sera...everything. How her guilt had consumed her. How it had literally transformed her body, fed off her angelic essence, turning her into this, before she'd ever entered Hell. How she'd stayed behind during the last Extermination, hiding and feeding off scraps in the street while she suffered through the pain. How she'd ripped out her own eye, plucked out her own feathers, and tried to remove her demonic wings, but they just kept growing back.

Sera listens, without judgement, without derision, and just stares into the mattress next to Lute's demonic hand. She hasn't been able to look directly into Lute's remaining eye since the former Exorcist began her tale. The things the Exorcist went through...did to herself...it's almost too much for her. When Lute finishes, Sera's expression has totally changed. The anger and disappointment are gone. All that's left is...sadness.

Sera clears her throat, actively fighting back tears. "Thank you, Lute, for sharing that with me...I'm so-- Uhm. Well...Emily wanted to see you when you woke up. Do you want me to go get her?"

Lute doesn't miss the almost-apology Sera had been about to give her, but at the mention of Emily's name, the thought completely leaves her mind. Her one remaining eye brightens a little at the sound, and she tries again to sit up in bed.

"Yes!" Lute says, a little more enthusiastic than intended, fighting with herself to sit up despite the pain in her back. "Yes. Please. Let me see her."

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

And another thing while we’re at and is again me stating the obvious and repeating what we’ve all said but the way Taylor and Travis have handled the public vs private thing is a masterclass in pr/comms issues management in a lot of ways.

Because as we’ve all said they’re “public” in the spaces that we’d expect them to be. Like for instance, Travis’ games or Taylor’s shows — they’re literally work functions for them respectively, and it’s never a secret when the other shows up. So yes, Travis showing up on stage and committing to the bit is “public,” but it’s not the biggest stretch because everyone knew he was going to be there. They’re kicking it up a notch, but in the end, she’s performing for 90k people in a stadium and however many thousands at home on livestreams in a public space, and ultimately him showing up there (or her showing up on the field at football games) falls into that expected professional realm. It’s not like they’re broadcasting a talk show from their living room.

Which I think has made it even clearer how hard the “home” boundary is for them, at least for the time being. The way Travis always deflects and shifts the conversation when it comes to people (mostly good-naturedly) fishing for a scoop is masterful. He shares publicly available information (eg the pop tart anecdote) but is firm on not sharing anything actually personal.

And I bring this up only because it feels to me that that’s probably one of Taylor’s firm boundaries and/or boundaries they’ve chosen together. For people who are surprised at Taylor being so “public” or how she’s changed — she hasn’t in a lot of important ways. She’s loud and exuberant and not afraid to show off on stage, but she also hasn’t done any significant press to speak of that I can think of since Midnights’ release almost two years ago, and even that wasn’t much. She literally just dropped an album in the middle of tour two months ago and peaced out.

It just seems like at least at this point in her life, her personal life is pretty much off limits. There’s the odd tidbit (eg the Fortnight video), but she isn’t talking to the press and even though Travis hosts a podcast every week, he isn’t saying anything that we haven’t all already seen in the news. Obviously the shenanigans this weekend cross the personal boundaries a little, but it’s likely also because, well, there are some major life changes afoot so those lines will too.

I’m just rambling but it’s just like… Taylor is open in so many ways and flourishing in others that maybe she didn’t even this we’re still possible, and it’s so so touching to see her come out the other side of everything she went through. And she’s changed only in that she’s healing and she’s starting to reconnect with parts of herself she’d kept buried.

But she’s still fiercely protective of her life and it’s just incredible to think that as big and as public facing as she and Travis are, in the end, we don’t really know much about their personal lives and I think that’s really important. I’m sure those boundaries will shift as their lives evolve and things feel better or don’t feel better and they reassess. But it’s just kind of funny that for all the microscopes they’re under, the noise around them is kind of smoke and mirrors because they themselves are tightlipped to the public. (Different relationships and all that, but compare how Travis speaks about his home life — or doesn’t — with Taylor to how Jason and Kylie speak about theirs and it’s clear that there are very different boundaries there. Which is fine! Everyone navigates their own!)

So as the hype has built up this is weekend (and will likely continue this week…) and things are probably going to hit a fever pitch in the media and online, it’s going to be funny to hear the inevitable takes about PR and flaunting their relationship in public and moral judgments on it (ahem) when in reality… they really don’t share anything other than places they’d already be seen anyway. That may all change and maybe they’ll give a tell all, I don’t know, but I suspect not. (And if it does then great! Good for them that they feel comfortable enough with it!)

It’s just a really good exercise in how they give enough to make it seem like you’ve gotten something, without really giving anything at all. Like the show bit — it’s shocking and goofy and flirty, but on the flip side, is it really unusual for a committed couple to flirt with each other? Nope. Same with the PDA at the football games: it’s shocking because of their fame and Taylor previously being notoriously private. But in the end, it’s really not a shock for a person to show up at their partner’s work event and support them, and in the case of the Super Bowl, it’s not a surprise for a loved one to come down onto the field and show affection to a player who’s won their game. It’s different because it’s her, but it’s otherwise pretty standard protocol.

I’m just glad for her and for them in the end that they’ve found some sort of balance that works for them where they get to show up and support each other how they like, without feeling like it’s going to collapse their personal life. They’ve kind of hoodwinked the world into thinking they’re massively public when it’s really “professional but make it sparkly”.