#Ghost: I left it behind at a restaurant and never went back for it

[satellite-evans]

right where you left me

Pairing: Max Verstappen x ex girlfriend!reader

Summary: You're still where Max left you.

Word count: 2.8k+

Warnings: angst, based on the Taylor Swift song

A/N:

Hi everyone, this is the first fic that I’m posting for the folkmore series, I am so excited!!! Can’t wait to hear what you guys think <3

English is not my first language, so I apologize if I made any (grammar) mistakes. Feedback, requests, talks, vents, recommendations or just simple questions are always welcome.

Happy reading xxx

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site.

The restaurant still smells the same. The warm scent of buttered bread, the faint tang of expensive wine in the air, the subtle undertone of aged wood and candle wax melting into soft pools of gold. It’s been months—years, maybe—since the night Max walked out, yet the place feels untouched, frozen in time. Just like you.

You sit at the same table, your fingers brushing against the linen napkin, tracing invisible patterns on the surface. The same table where his laughter once curled in the air, where his hands would have reached for yours without thinking. Your glass of water remains half-full, just as it was that night. Untouched. Forgotten. A relic of a moment that still lingers in the corners of your mind like an echo you can’t quite silence.

The candlelight flickers, its glow catching the delicate ring you still wear on your right hand—the one he gave you as a promise before he decided promises were too heavy to keep. You twist it absentmindedly, the metal cool against your skin, a contrast to the warmth of memory.

Outside, the city hums with life. Cars glide past, their headlights flashing like distant stars. The murmur of strangers, the clinking of glasses, the occasional burst of laughter—all of it moves forward, untethered to the past. But here, at this table, in this restaurant where time seems to hold its breath, you sit in the hollow space he left behind.

And for the first time in a long while, you wonder if he ever comes here, too. If he ever stops just outside the door, hand hesitating on the handle, breathing in the familiar scent and remembering. Or if, like the promises he made, he’s let it all go.

“Are you ready to order?”

The waiter’s voice pulls you from your trance, gently but firmly, like a hand on your shoulder bringing you back to the present. You blink, your gaze shifting from the flickering candlelight to the young man standing beside your table, his notepad poised, his expression polite but unreadable.

You only shake your head, offering a tight smile. “Not yet,” you murmur, though you already know the answer.

He doesn’t question it. He never does. Maybe by now, he recognizes you—not just as another customer, but as a fixture of this place. The girl who always sits alone. The girl who never changes her order. The girl who lingers too long over a half-full glass of water, as if she’s waiting for it to fill itself. The girl who still waits for someone who isn’t coming back.

Does he wonder? Does he piece together the story in his mind, constructing quiet theories about why you return to the same spot, why your fingers still play absentmindedly with a ring that should’ve lost its meaning by now? Is he used to people like you—the ones who haunt old memories like ghosts who refuse to be laid to rest?

Or does he just think that you’re a girl frozen in time, that time went on for everyone else but that you wouldn’t know?

A girl that just can’t move on.

He nods, stepping away without another word, leaving you alone once more. Alone with the past. Alone with the quiet hum of the restaurant around you, the soft clatter of silverware, the muted conversations that blur together into white noise.

You exhale, glancing toward the empty chair across from you. It remains untouched, just as it was that night. Just as it has been every night since.

You wonder if Max ever thinks about this place. If he ever remembers the way your fingers used to trace lazy patterns over his knuckles while he rambled about race strategy, his voice animated, his eyes alight with passion. If he recalls how you’d bite your lip to keep from laughing when he confidently—yet disastrously—mispronounced the names of the wines on the menu, only to scowl at you in mock offense when you corrected him. If he ever sits in a quiet moment, caught off guard by a passing scent or a familiar song playing in the background, and suddenly, inexplicably, thinks of you.

If he feels even the slightest pang of nostalgia when he hears your name.

If he even knows that you come to this restaurant, even though you felt the most heart crushing pain here.

That he left you no choice but to stay here forever.

Or if he’s forgotten all of it. All of you.

You hadn’t meant to check, but old habits die hard. One second, your mind was wandering, and the next, your fingers were already scrolling, moving with a muscle memory you wished you didn’t have. Before your brain could stop them. Before your heart could brace itself.

And suddenly, there it was, a picture trending on Twitter.

Max Verstappen & Kelly Piquet expecting their first child together!

The words seem to blur for a moment, your vision tunneling, breath catching somewhere in your throat. And then, below the headline, a photo.

You wanted to say that it was irony or even faith that you found out that he was expecting a baby with another woman in the same restaurant where he would whispered sweet words about how he wanted to be father to your children so badly, but you don’t believe in faith anymore. This restaurant was just destined to haunt you forever.

At least he looks happy.

Happier than you remember. Happier than he ever was with you.

Your grip tightens on your phone, but your body remains still, frozen in place. The sounds of the restaurant fade into static, the clinking glasses and quiet laughter around you suddenly feeling like background noise to a scene you no longer belong in.

You exhale slowly, pressing your lips together as you force yourself to look away from the screen, as if that might erase the image from your mind. As if that might make it hurt less.

But it doesn’t.

The ring on your finger feels heavier. It presses into your skin like an anchor, pulling you back to a past you can’t escape, a past you’re still tethered to. You blink rapidly at the screen, hoping, praying, that the words will change. That maybe this is some cruel joke, some mistake, but they don’t. The image doesn’t blur. It’s real. It’s him.

Another picture.

Christmas. They’re spending it together.

A perfect family. The kind you used to imagine when you’d sit together, planning for the future, talking about how one day, maybe, you’d have a house full of children and laughter.

The cruelest part is how ordinary it all looks. A picture-perfect moment, the kind you once dreamed of having with him, now shared with someone else. A life you are no longer a part of.

It’s funny, really. How time moves forward for everyone but you. How the world shifts, the seasons change, new memories replace the old ones. Love finds new homes. But you? You’re still here, frozen in place, gathering dust like an abandoned photograph tucked away in a forgotten drawer, one that’s too painful to even look at anymore.

You can’t help yourself but eread the headline over and over again and look at the pictures of them spending Christmas together, as if the repetition might somehow make it easier to swallow. Your heart clenches, a familiar ache spreading through your chest. The kind of ache that never really goes away. The kind of ache that lingers, festers, and refuses to fade no matter how much time passes.

You want to scream, to throw your phone across the room, to erase the image, the words, the entire situation from existence. But you don’t. You sit still, paralyzed, watching the truth unfold in front of you, as if you’re witnessing something that’s no longer your story but someone else’s.

And maybe it is. Maybe it always was.

You think about the night he told you. The memory lingers, every detail sharp as if it just happened yesterday. The dim candlelight flickered between you, casting warm, uneven shadows on the table, making his eyes look darker than usual. Your hair was pinned up, just the way he liked it, because all you wanted was to be enough for him, to be loved and cherished by him just the way you loved him. You remember the way he fidgeted with the water glass in his hands, the way his fingers trembled slightly, betraying the calmness his voice tried to convey. He didn’t even drink from it, just held it there like it was something to anchor him. And you? You could feel it before he even spoke. The knot in your stomach, tight and twisting, the way your heart seemed to freeze in place, like it already knew what was coming before your brain would allow it to acknowledge the truth.

"I met someone."

The words barely make sense. They hang in the air between you, impossible to grasp. For a moment, it feels like the world tilts on its axis, like reality itself has cracked and this is some sort of cruel dream you’ll wake up from.

You almost laugh, bitter and disbelieving, because it doesn’t sound real. It doesn’t sound like Max. Not the Max who once whispered forever into your hair, promising you a future where nothing could tear you apart. Not the Max who swore he couldn’t imagine a life without you, who said your names together like they belonged in the same sentence, forever linked. But the words still come, and somehow, despite everything, they are his.

The restaurant around you starts to fade away, the sounds dulling to a distant hum, muffled like you’re underwater, as if the world is pulling away from you, inch by inch. Your heart races, but your body feels oddly disconnected from it all, like you're watching someone else’s life unfold before you, helpless to stop it. You take a shallow breath, but it doesn’t reach the depths of your chest, and the weight of the moment settles in there like a stone you can’t dislodge.

"What?" Your voice barely makes it past your lips, a fragile whisper, so quiet that for a second you think he won’t even hear you. But he does.

His gaze drops to the table, his eyes avoiding yours, as if he can’t bear to see you crumble, as if he’s already sorry for what he knows he’s about to do. His voice is quieter now, almost too soft to catch. "I didn’t mean for it to happen."

You shake your head, disbelief clouding your thoughts. Your hands curl into fists in your lap, nails digging painfully into your palms, trying to hold on to something, anything. The ring on your finger suddenly feels like it’s choking the life out of you. "But it did."

The words escape from your throat like shards of glass, sharp and cold, biting as they land between you. He swallows hard, and you wonder if he’s doing it to hold back tears, or if it’s just the weight of what he’s about to say.

“She has a daughter,” he adds, his voice thick, but the words hit you like a slap, sharp and unforgiving. You feel your mascara run as your eyes sting with the hot, unfamiliar ache of betrayal. But you don’t wipe the tears away. You don’t move. You just sit there, paralyzed, staring at him, waiting for him to say something—anything—that could take it all back. That could prove this isn’t real. That could remind you of the love you thought was enough.

“She’s not mine,” he continues, his voice wavering, like he’s trying to make it sound better, like he’s trying to convince you this is somehow okay. “But I love her like she is.”

The words hang in the air, thick and suffocating. A sudden, cold numbness spreads across your chest, a pain that feels both sharp and hollow. The space between you and him stretches, filling with the things he can’t say.

“And her mother?” You force the words out, each one heavier than the last.

His silence is loud enough to drown out everything else—the clinking of silverware, the murmur of conversations from nearby tables, the soft jazz music playing in the background. Everything around you fades into the background until all that’s left is him and you, caught in the unbearable weight of what he won’t say.

When he finally speaks again, his voice barely rises above a whisper, like he’s afraid of the truth. “I love her too.”

And just like that, it’s over. The last thread of hope you had been clinging to snaps, leaving you floating in a place where nothing makes sense anymore. The ring on your finger burns, searing into your skin, but you don’t take it off. Not yet. You can’t. Because somehow, it’s the only thing left of him, of the person you thought you knew, of the future that is no longer yours.

You know where he is now. He’s winning. He’s thriving. The world sees him on podiums, champagne in hand, his new life already unfolding in the bright lights. He’s standing beside someone else now, someone who doesn’t carry the weight of the past, someone who fills the space you left behind with ease. The world loves him, adores him. And you? You’re still at the restaurant, in the ruins of what he left behind, trapped in a love story that never got its happy ending, a story that no longer belongs to you.

You press your phone to your chest, as if it could somehow stop the ache from spreading. As if holding onto the past will make the present hurt less. But it doesn’t. The weight of the truth is suffocating, a heavy fog that settles over your heart, and you realize, with painful clarity, that you were never meant to be a part of his forever. You were never meant to last.

The whispers around you grow louder, piercing through the fog of your thoughts, and it doesn’t take much to understand why. You hear his name before you see him, and when you finally do, it feels like the ground beneath you tilts ever so slightly.

Max.

He looks different—sharper, somehow. More defined, more polished by the world that shaped him after you. His eyes sweep over the restaurant, and you wonder if they’ll stop on you, if he’ll look at you and see something from the past, something worth acknowledging. But no.

He’s here’s. At the restaurant. With her.

He really brought her here.

Kelly is beside him, her laughter effortless, untouched by the weight of history, the burden of old wounds. She leans into him, her hand resting gently on her stomach, a soft smile playing on her lips as she looks up at him with the kind of love you used to think was meant for you. She doesn’t know what it’s like to sit in this seat, to watch someone walk away, to feel the years stretch endlessly before you as you wonder if they ever think about you.

Max’s gaze flicks across the room, and for just a split second, it lands on you. It’s so brief that you almost convince yourself it didn’t happen. But it did. His steps falter for a fraction of a second, his fingers tightening around Kelly’s hand before he looks away, as if something inside him is trying to hold onto a memory that’s already slipping through his fingers.

And that’s it. No smile. No apology. No acknowledgment. Just a glance, a flash of something unspoken, and then—nothing.

You knew that he didn’t care about you but, facing with that reality hurt you more than you thought. Here you were, coming to the same place a man hurt you because you loved him so much, only for the same man to come too because he didn’t love you at all.

What a shame.

Maybe it is true. Maybe you really are unawarely frozen in time. Maybe that would explain why you still feel the same pain now as on the day he left you.

You swallow hard, blinking away the burning in your eyes. The candle on the table flickers, casting long shadows that seem to stretch endlessly across the walls. The world outside moves forward, time marching on relentlessly, but you remain frozen in place, clutching onto the past like it’s the only thing that hasn’t slipped away.

The moment passes, and Max moves on, just like he always does.

But you? You’re still right where he left you.

[ganondorf--apologist]

Lil Hornet: Hey Ghostie, what's your gender?

Ghost, signing: I'm agender :D

Lil Hornet: Agender? What's that?

Ghost: It means that I don't have a gender.

Lil Hornet: Oh no! Where did your gender go?

Ghost: ...

Ghost, trying so hard to hide that they're laughing: ... I lost my gender in the war.

[juvinadelgreko]

a short list of things that happen to gallavich post-canon because i said so:

ian & mickey ditch the yuppy westside after a year and get a small duplex on the south side that's far enough away from either of their childhood homes to not have too many ghosts, but close enough to family and the places they know. it's 3 beds and 2.5 baths, which is the perfect size for them and any guests they may have. franny and freddie love to sleep over, and fiona enjoys staying with them when she decides she's ready to come visit.

the security business grows to the point that they file Real Business Paperwork™️ and start hiring new people. Their services eventually expand beyond just weed. Their clientele mostly consists of small family restaurants and shops that want to cater and deliver but don't have the budget to buy their own vehicles/hire their own drivers. ian and mickey's favorite client is a family run greek restaurant that sends them home with leftovers every time they do a run for them (i'm greek, chicago has a huge greek community, and it makes me happy to think of ian and mickey stuffing their faces with homemade gyros and baklava after a long day).

mickey thrives as CEO of GM Secure Transport. we know he's a math whiz, and his accounting methods, though unconventional, are pristine. he knows the city so well, has a knack for mapping the most efficient routes that keep them on time and cost effective. they set up a website and social media pages that quickly become plastered in rave reviews. he actually comes to enjoy meeting the different people that hire them, getting to know their businesses, getting free samples and leftovers. he establishes a rapport with the business on his route, and would even go so far as to consider himself friends with some of the owners.

things go so well that ian begins to consider stepping back. on the downlow, he starts doing research on a possible path back to working in healthcare. after losing his army dreams, it was the only career he ever felt passionate about. he loves helping mickey, but he misses it so much. he finds a few different legal processes by which he could return to it, and decides he's going to try. he refuses to live the rest of his life regretting not trying. he's nervous to tell mickey about stepping back from their business, but of course mickey is 100% behind ian doing what makes him happy. mickey rallies the entire family behind ian to help with the paperwork and supporting documentation. it takes months, but ian eventually receives permission from the state of illinois to go to paramedic school. he'd loved being an EMT and had always wanted to learn more. mickey draws flashcards for him and helps him study for all of his exams. ian, of course, passes everything with flying colors and graduates at the top of his class. mickey insists on throwing him a big gallagher blowout party after the ceremony. when his shifts start, mickey packs him lunch with goofy (sometimes dirty) notes in the box. (I'll forever be so angry at the writers for taking ian's EMT career from him and i refuse to believe that in shameless's wishy-washy version of the legal system he couldn't find a path back to it).

aside from their business, mickey has a small side gig as an artist. ian always knew mickey was brilliant and creative, and never passes on an opportunity to tell him so. when he went over to the milkovich house as a kid, he'd always pocket mickey's little doodles he left laying around (ian was not as slick about this as he thought, mickey 100% saw him doing it but was way too nervous to bring it up until they wound up in prison together years later). now that he has the money for it, mickey invests in some entry level art supplies, takes some classes, and really falls in love with it. he posts some of it to social media and gets way more love for it than he was expecting. people eventually ask about buying his work or commissioning pieces, leading mickey milkovich, at one time the meanest thug on the south side, to set up an etsy shop.

but what really surprises everyone is when mickey picks up knitting (thank you, @infjgemini for being the originator of this headcanon) he's always liked working with his hands, working with numbers and patterns, and the women in his art classes are always talking about their knitting. when one of them catches him looking at the patterns sticking out of their purse, she offers to share an extra set of needles and some yarn with mickey so he can learn how to do it. ian's a little intrigued when he comes from his shift and sees mickey knitting, but he just encourages mickey to keep doing it if he's enjoying it. eventually, ian stops buying sweaters, hats, mittens, etc. at the store and exclusively wears mickey couture. he can't go five seconds without telling people that his husband made one of the things he's wearing. 'oh you like this hat? my husband made it. he has an etsy store.' and 'this is my favorite sweater. my husband made it just for me, you can't have it.' franny and freddie love their custom uncle mickey sweaters. a year after he starts, mickey's christmas gift to ian is an absolutely massive knitted throw blanket that will actually cover all 6ft of ian plus mickey when they snuggle, unlike the ones at the store. it becomes ian's most prized possession, and they almost always spend their evenings and weekends curled up under that blanket watching movies on their very comfy couch. mickey's knitting of course sells gangbusters on etsy, and he wishes he could go back in time just to tell his 17 year old self that people are paying actual money for his artwork. he continues meeting with his art class friends, with the women who taught him to knit, and finds he really enjoys the low stakes gossip and chatter of their group. ian gets so hooked on all the tea he brings home, eagerly waits up for mickey to relay him the knitting circle drama for the week. he's not the only guy in the group, and there's a good enough age range that he doesn't feel like an oddball. ian enjoys meeting them, is glad that mickey has friends he feels comfortable with. some of them are elderly, and he and ian frequently go to their houses to help with chores and heavy lifting. they accidentally end up with a small cohort of surrogate grandparents, which they both really enjoy after growing up with almost no sane adult presence in their lives.

ian finds his way back to running. it's one of the many things he adds back into his routine as part of his and mickey's agreement to start taking better care of themselves. it had taken a few really loud arguments, but once the dust settled on their first year of marriage, ian insists they're going to start eating better and living healthier now that they can afford it. it takes a lot of convincing, but he manages to get mickey to quit smoking with him, to cut back on drinking, and work some more exercise into his life. mickey hates running but loves lifting (man after my own heart) so they spend a lot of time doing that together. but ian's runs are his quiet solo meditation time. he really missed it. he finds a local queer and trans run club, and once he's sure it doesn't involve caleb or any of the gay jesus kids, he joins up. he ends up getting along really well with the group, and even convinces mickey to go out for drinks with some of them. ian trains a healthy amount, doesn't push himself too hard or obsess over how fast or far he's going or how much weight he is or isn't losing--he just enjoys it. he enters in a neighborhood holiday race with the run club just for shits and giggles, and actually really enjoys the fun competitiveness and goofy holiday outfits. he keeps doing fun little races, enters a local half marathon, and then a full one. mickey always parks himself somewhere along the route with the partners of the other people in the run club and cheers like a rabid soccer mom when ian passes by. he does not care who stares. that's his fucking husband! after a few years, fiona comes home and they run the chicago marathon together. the whole entire family shows up to cheer for them, and the picture of him and fiona in their race bibs and participation medals, surrounded by the entire family at the finish line, is framed on ian's nightstand.

speaking of eating better, ian finds he really loves gardening and cooking. he starts with tomatoes, and when those go well, slowly expands. he finds that mickey's much more amenable to trying new foods if he knows ian grew the ingredients in their yard. ian loves to dig online for recipes, loves to experiment with new ingredients. one of the older ladies from mickey's knitting circle comes over sometimes to help him with new dishes. liam, franny, and freddie come to their house for dinner at least once a week just because ian's cooking is that good. liam especially takes an interest in it, and starts coming over a bunch just to cook with ian. he gets really good at meal prepping for the days he works 12 hour shifts and doesn't have the energy to cook anything when he gets home. he puts everything together beforehand and leaves mickey directions for serving it. mickey always has it ready for him when he gets home. they cook together on ian's days off. in the summer, ian will make spreads of berry pies and have the entire family over for dinner. he always hides one away for just him and mickey. for holidays, everyone pitches in to cook, but ian is the chief executive of it all, with liam as his right hand man. mickey is chief taste tester.

also--they get a dog. a few years on, mickey finds a worse-for-wear boxer-mixed-with-something wandering around one of his delivery routes, and like. he can't just leave it. he takes it to a shelter, but it sticks in his mind for weeks, until he can't resist anymore and has to ask ian about maybe, just maybe getting a dog. ian agrees, because they both really wanted a pet growing up and now they can have one because they're grownups with the space and money for one. after doing some research, they decide to go adopt from the same shelter mickey took the stray to. he's still there, and mickey never believed in fate before, but he thinks maybe he does now. they bring him home and name him Sox, both after the white sox and because his brindle coat is interrupted by four white socks. he is the most spoiled dog in the city of chicago. the 'no dog on the couch or bed' rule lasted about five seconds. he sleeps on the end of their bed every night and flops on their laps during movie time. mickey insists that dog food is dog food and people food is people food, but ian is a softie who sneaks him pieces of meat from dinner almost every night. mickey will sometimes take him on delivery runs because the customers love him and Sox loves to stick his head out the window. whenever his station does a cookout, ian brings Sox and everyone takes turns playing fetch with him. in the summer, he loves to swim with them and the kids in the above ground pool in the yard, and sit in the garden while ian works.

this is so soft, guys, but it makes me so happy to think about these two having a good life.

[lovehotelreservation]

chapter four: i've been lookin' at you puttin' holes in your head summary: worldwide fame and a political tie or two has you--one of the biggest pop stars around--in dire need of reliable protection. thankfully you have four ex-military retirees to entrust your wellbeing to. but what happens when that protection turns possessive? rating: pg-13 (rating will increase across certain chapters) story pairing: f!reader/task force 141 | chapter pairing: f!reader/ghost previous chapter | next chapter

i say this lovingly but every time i see ghost's tattoos i end up getting "live and learn" from sonic adventure 2 stuck in my head 😩😩

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“Prepare to be haunted today, lass.”

Or so Johnny told you during breakfast at the Shangri-La’s signature restaurant with wiggling fingers and a ghoulish reverb to his voice, just before his crystal blue eyes shifted to the side to cast a wink to the lumbering presence standing behind you.

The look on his face had Johnny snickering albeit stepping away slowly with hands raised up.

Simon was on guard duty today. He was to escort you to BBC Radio 1’s studios for an interview and a special performance at their Live Lounge–the first of many stops for your pre-world tour promotional campaign.

Being out in the general public more often was certainly a change of pace, though old habits–especially at his growing age–were hard to outright eliminate. When he wasn’t skulking around in a skull balaclava while spending time alone or out with the guys, he opted to wear a black face mask whenever he was hovering by your side.

Though, as of now, he was standing in the main production room of the BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge studio, his arms folded over his chest as observed the going-ons within the main performance space on the screen: he watched you continued on with mic check, the studio band fine-tuning their instruments, production staff all around. 

As Pearl left to take a step outside for a call and a smoke, he wasn’t sure what to fully make of this newfound role. He saw his current duties as merely a job, a task. While Johnny was clearly more of a fanboy, Kyle made more efforts to be personable, and that twinkling gleam in Price’s eye spoke of a plot he’d rather not poke his head into, he was there to just make sure you didn’t come to harm.

Again.

For all the campaigns he had undergone, Glastonbury stood out the most–for good reason, as it definitely wasn’t every day he had to brave the tempests of terror at a music festival. The last time he stepped foot onto the beloved festival was when he, Tommy, and a few mates from secondary school landed on the beer bottle-strewn glass after hopping a fence to catch the Chemical Brothers spin some deep cuts in the depths of night.

But now, he was rushing through the festival grounds, evacuation a chaotic frenzy all around with local police and even some of the assigned military personnel he arrived with helping with getting all civilians–whether attendee, staff, vendor, or artist–to clear the space and get to safety.

The whole day was a hazy memory by this point, but he could and would never forget one moment in particular:

Kicking at the door of a dressing room trailer, his arms full with a sniffling mess of running make-up and silk, the breathless sobs of “Is everyone okay?” by his ear, a soft lock of delicate limbs wrapped around his neck.

A special package that needed to be delivered to safety.

The blur of forests, bright tents, and grand stages followed as he rushed over to a nearby safety point.

The quicker he went, the faster he could return to his mission.

Upon arrival, his goodbye was quick.

“Stay safe now, you ‘ear?”

But before he could depart, a hand reached for his sleeve.

His head snapped back with his brow raised.

Fragile, shaky, your tearful eyes gazed directly into his as you breathlessly uttered out,

“Thank you.”

Who knew that would be the foundations to a future mission briefing?

Simon closed his eyes.

Job.

This was a job now.

He opened his eyes.

Before him, once the object of his mission, now the star of his day-to-day routine: you stood by the mic, your expression curiously peering around the space. Tech check just wrapped so now you were waiting for the production crew to start filming.

While you carried an air of calm and composure, the way you kept fiddling with the mic and how you kept shifting here and there from side to side showcased the anxiety that was simmering underneath your smile.

It was understandable.

Today’s recording was to be one of your first performances since the Glastonbury incident, as you took a hiatus to emotionally recover from the ordeal. He heard from Kyle that you’ve apparently been buzzing with energy, which only made him rather curious how this acoustic performance would play out since he expected for you to be still.

And with the call of “Rolling!” from the production lead and the subsequent lulling strum of acoustic guitars and soft synths from a keyboard, the answer would soon be presented to him.

The first few notes had him recall the song that Johnny played off of his phone just moments before your first true introduction together. Whereas that song was the absolute epitome of bubblegum pop with sticky beats, the new arrangement was much calmer, stripped down to feel more like a hot cup of tea on a chilly autumn day.

It aligned more with his taste in music.

Regardless though, there was something captivating in the way you performed, and this moment was no exception.

Despite being stationed right by the mic stand, you were still grooving around, whatever anxiousness he previously noticed now gone–or at the very least, buried six feet below, hidden perfectly with a sweet smile on your lips. Without such immense layers of production, being able to actually hear your voice as pristine and clean as possible was a delight.

He looked forward to further opportunities to hear you sing.

Your performance concluded moments later, marked by you giggling out “Thanks for having me, Radio 1!” with a wink to the camera.

And as filming wrapped, the bubbly look on your face soon softened, your demeanor back to being shy and bashful.

Pearl still looked to be busy with whatever call she mumbled about having to take–it really did feel like she was there on behalf of the label’s needs rather than yours.

Hence why he was the one to escort you back to your dressing room so you could be prepped for your imminent interview segment.

As your cheeks were dusted with blush, his eyes were trained on you, replaying that switch in your expression over and over.

His fingers found their way up to his face mask.

Dollface and you.

Ghost and Simon.

He snorted to himself. 

To think he could actually draw parallels with a goddamn pop star.

The very same pop star who soon called out to him once hair and make-up left, leaving just the both of you alone together.

“Simon?”

His attention turned towards you, finding your gaze focused solely on him.

“Yes?”

You stared at him a moment longer, right into his eyes.

A smile soon broke out on your lips as one hand fell to your mouth, your eyes becoming wide, shining like glass.

As you approached where he stood, you looked as though you were about to cry, matched by the breathless whisper in your voice as you gasped, “I thought I was going crazy after we first met, but as I look at you–I know it was you.”

He tilted his head to the side, his brow raised. “Care to clarify?”

A hand over your heart, you continued on with sheer elation. “I knew I recognized those eyes! And with your voice too–I think it’s the mask…!”

Before you could elaborate further, a knock on the door from a production assistant signaled that you were to head to the recording room.

He prepared to escort you out, were it not for you quickly turning on your heel around to stand on your tiptoes–elevated further thanks to the platform heels of your shoes; necessary given the height disparity between you both–your lips found their way to his ear as you whispered,

“Thank you again for Glastonbury.”

Rare was the occurrence for Ghost to be taken unawares, and yet Simon couldn’t help but allow his eyes to widen ever so slightly at your remark–a sight made even more apparent thanks to his face mask.

As he felt as though decades of carefully maintained anonymity was getting steamrolled by the push of a level by a meticulously manicured and moisturized hand, reason thankfully put a stop to a conspiratorial spiral–you did once mention that Ambassador Miller briefed you on some basic info regarding your newly appointed bodyguards. And knowing Price, he likely painted a fancy tale too to regale your fancy and perhaps have you sit on his lap while he was at it.

His demeanor set at ease and mirth filling his eyes, Simon nodded towards you while resting a hand on your shoulder for a reassuring squeeze.

“Just glad you’re safe, Doll.”

He watched your face light up once more, that bubbly cheer returning, one born from pure joy rather than practiced professionalism.

With this, he reached for the door to the dressing room, opening it before featuring for you to step ahead.

Simon followed in tow, trailing behind akin to a shadow, his eyes trained on your back: the bounce of your hair, the swish of your dress, the grace of your step.

The thanks he received back then, to the thanks he received just now.

No longer a mission, not just a job.

You would be his life’s work. 

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

i may or may not have been thinking about paramore's cover of "passionfruit" while thinking of the performance scene owo

also the bat for lashes cover of "we found love" is immaculate if u were looking for other fun radio 1 covers !!!

thank you all once again for reading!!! all your kind and sweet comments truly mean so much to me and i appreciate you all for taking the time to read this 🥹💖

with that said, here's a peek at the next chapter's title:

guess I'm a mess and play the role

if price, gaz, and now ghost have had their turn as focuses, then that means-- 😳😳

[makorragal-312]

Here's how the BuckTommy break-up should've went down...

Tommy reveals that him and Abby were previously engaged and Buck become visibly bothered at the mention of her When Tommy presses him on it, he tells him about his history with her and how she just left him in LA without bothering to formally break-up with him, along with him finding out she was engaged when they encountered each other at the train emergency.

But Tommy being Tommy ends up cracking a couple of jokes at Buck's expense and is relatively insensitive about how Abby's ghosting impacted Buck, leaving Buck hurt and a bit embarrassed as Tommy leaves him to pay the bill.

Then, he can go to see Maddie at work where he vents to her about what happened. Then they can have the whole scene with Joss giving his advice.

BUT, instead of listening solely to Josh, Buck goes to see Hen.

Buck tells her about what happened and she is immediately sympathetic. He ends up telling her that he never expected Tommy to be so insensitive about what he went through with Abby and how it didn't seem to be like him, only for Hen to make a slight jab about how that's exactly what Tommy is like. Buck is immediately alarmed and ends up pressing Hen to tell him more until she finally caves. She tells him about the way Tommy treated her when she first came to the 118 and how he did the same thing to Chim. She even decides to go as far as to make him privy to the conversation she and Karen had with Tommy at the medal ceremony.

Buck, obviously, is stunned and horrified at what he learned and immediately leaves the Wilson household.

Once he's back home, he spends the whole time running through his entire relationship with Tommy from the first kiss up to now. And while he can think back to a couple of good moments, the moments that come back up the most are the bad ones.

Him leaving Buck behind at the restaurant.

Him devouring cupcakes while Eddie's getting his heart shattered.

How pessimistic he was at the medal ceremony reception.

How he practically admitted he and his coworkers were laughing at him getting his shoulder relocated.

Him not bothering to indulge his research.

How he practically called him ugly because of his boils and didn't even attempt to kiss him.

Every single comment he made on how hot he was and not a single one about his interests, likes, or him as a person.

And as of late, him making jokes about him being ghosted.

All instances where he felt stomped on while his partner was going on like nothing happened.

The same way that Abby did when he learned she ghosted him and came back in his life with a whole new fiance.

After that, Buck calls Tommy to meet him at his place.

Later that night, Tommy comes over and Buck lays out everything on the table. He tells him about how hard and lowkey embarrassing it was to tell him about how he was also seeing Abby and how the relationship ended and how he didn't appreciate how Tommy reacted to it. Tommy tries to deflect and say that he was only being funny, but Buck pushes back. He brings up all of the times he hurt him and how it surprised him to know that he's done the same to so many people.

Tommy ends up asking where he got that from and Buck says nothing. But after a few seconds, he asks if Hen or Chim told him something and Buck gets furious. He scolds Tommy for being so bigoted towards them and how it made no sense for him to treat them like that when he was a gay man. Tommy tries to make an excuse about him being in the closet and going along with Gerrard to protect himself, but Buck immediately shuts it down.

The two of them continue to have a back and forth and it isn't until Tommy tells him to "grow up" that Buck stops arguing, a look of finality flashing across his face. He ends up telling Tommy point blank that he really liked him and how he made him realize a part of himself that he never knew existed, but he couldn't be with someone so dismissive and so capable of hurting other people with no regard for their feelings.

Tommy immediately laughs it up and asks Buck if he's actually breaking up with him. And Buck says yes with no hesitation.

Seeing that he's serious, Tommy heads to the door but not before commenting on how he thought Buck was cute and how they could have some fun out of it, but he was wrong. He opens the door and says "See you around, Evan."

And Buck, with a look of seriousness and resigned hurt, simply says.

"My name is Buck. If you actually cared to know me, you'd know that."

And Tommy simply shrugs and leaves.

[changbeansss]

The weight of forever

Pairings : Lee Know x reader

Genre : Angst

Warnings : Mentions of break up, refusal and running away

The evening air was crisp and cold, the kind that hinted at the first whispers of winter. Minho had planned everything meticulously. The restaurant's ambiance was perfect, filled with the soft hum of conversations and the gentle clinking of glasses. Candles flickered on each table, casting a warm glow that made everything seem ethereal. He held onto the small velvet box in his pocket, feeling its weight with every heartbeat. Tonight was the night he would ask you to marry him.

You sat across from him, trying to focus on the present moment, but your thoughts were clouded with self-doubt. The weight of your insecurities felt unbearable. You loved Minho deeply, but the idea of forever with him seemed like a dream you didn't deserve. You were convinced that he deserved someone better, someone who could match his brilliance in every way.

Minho reached across the table, taking your hand in his. "You okay?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern.

You forced a smile, nodding. "Yeah, just a bit overwhelmed, I guess."

The night wore on, and as dessert was served, Minho felt the nerves rise within him. He glanced around the room, making sure everything was perfect. When he looked back at you, he saw the flicker of something in your eyes—hesitation, perhaps even fear.

Taking a deep breath, he got down on one knee and pulled out the box. The restaurant fell silent, all eyes on the two of you. "Y/N," he began, his voice trembling slightly, "you are everything to me. I can't imagine my life without you. Will you marry me?"

Your heart shattered at the sight of him kneeling before you, love and hope shining in his eyes. You wanted to say yes, you wanted to believe that you were enough for him, but the doubts screamed louder. Tears welled up in your eyes as you shook your head, backing away.

"Minho, I... I can't," you whispered, your voice breaking. "I'm not good enough for you. You deserve someone better."

Confusion and hurt flashed across his face. "What are you talking about? You're more than enough for me. I love you."

But you couldn't stay. You turned and fled from the restaurant, leaving Minho kneeling there, broken and bewildered. Outside, the cold air hit your face, mingling with your tears. You ran until you couldn't breathe, collapsing onto a park bench as sobs wracked your body.

Minho was left in the restaurant, the ring still in his hand, the reality of your rejection sinking in. He returned home that night, the emptiness of the apartment suffocating. Every corner held a memory of you, every silence was filled with the ghost of your laughter.

Days turned into weeks, and both of you lived in a daze of heartache. Minho tried to move on, but the wound was too fresh, too deep. He threw himself into his work, trying to bury the pain, but nothing could fill the void you left behind.

As for you, the regret and guilt were constant companions. You had convinced yourself that leaving was the right choice, that you were sparing him from a life of disappointment. But the loneliness was unbearable, and the nights were the worst, filled with dreams of what could have been.

Months later, Minho heard through mutual friends that you had moved away, trying to start anew. He wished you the best, but the pain lingered, a dull ache that never truly went away. He often found himself wondering what might have happened if you had said yes, if you had believed in your worth.

In the end, your love story remained a tragic memory, a testament to what happens when fear and self-doubt overpower love. Both of you lived with the ghosts of what could have been, forever haunted by your decisions.

[lalunanymph]

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐃𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐀 — i. sae

"i thought of you with the birds, but you never sang for me."

There was a stream of fog rolling across the road, heralding a cold and bleak morning.

Your feet were planted on the dashboard of Itoshi Sae's BMW, the radio a far dissonance from the tension drowning the both of you in waves.

"Are you sure?"

He didn't sound angry or sad.

In fact, you never knew exactly what Sae was feeling.

His walls were too high, and the soft tenderness of his heart was often guarded by a ring of spikes many would not consider to climb. You were one of the lucky few who had wriggled your way under the famous prodigy's skin, latching like an open wound on his otherwise unblemished skin.

Now, after two years of an unfulfilling relationship, it was time to tear the bandaid off in one swift, numbing move.

"Yes."

You removed your feet from his dashboard, swiping at some dirt left behind. Breaking up with Sae was one thing, but leaving your dirty tracks was beneath you.

A hard swallow bundled through the hawthorn of nerves in your throat. You couldn't speak in case the spikes would prick you instead.

Those teal eyes never lifted from the road, the ticking of the indicator —showing right, a direction you wondered if you were smart enough to take when it came to protecting your heart from Sae—was blinking like a metronome at measured, three second intervals.

You expelled a shaky breath.

"Sae—"

"I think it's for the best."

He finally looked at you, and the shallow emotion on his blank face was all the confirmation you needed. Your heart sank to your stomach, your ribcage flat against the high seat of this luxurious car.

Another hard swallow. "Okay."

This was the first time you got out of his car without kissing his cheek. He would never ask you to commit that loving gesture, and you would never forget to give it to him no matter what. Now, his cheek tingled and your lips were cold.

"Bye bye."

Your whispered parting barely stirred the old ghosts lingering in the space you once sat.

You turned around and never looked back.

Perhaps, if you did, you would've changed your mind when the glossy sheen in his eyes made itself known in the partial darkness.

Life was quiet without you.

The sun was beating down the back of his neck, warming the silver chain he wore around his throat.

Sae sketched his listless eyes across the sprawling city right at his feet. The world was his, but he was growing apathetic to it day by day.

Cobblestone streets barely held their charm. The family-owned restaurant down the road selling home cooked Japanese food didn't lift his spirits anymore.

The world was colder now that you were gone.

Everyday, he would glance at his phone, wishing he could beat the timezones and distance to get back into your arms.

You were probably asleep right now, wrapped in your favourite kaftan blanket. Today's Friday, so you had work in a few hours. Sae knew you would head out for drinks at your local bar to decompress after another hectic week in the office. Maybe you would treat yourself to an ice-cream cone at a gas station on your drive back home.

He clenched his fists, exhaling a jagged breath.

Time seemed to slow down into molasses when he picked up his phone, shaking off his fears and hitting the call button on your contact card.

"Hello?"

It wasn't your voice on the other end.

Gruff and low, rough with sleep. The other man in your bed, the one you easily replaced him with, was waiting for your ex-boyfriend to speak.

Sae's throat went dry.

"Hello? Who is this?"

A sinking feeling dragged him under its current when his eyes were finally opened to the truth.

You had deleted his number.

His name under your contacts had changed. He remembered what it was before you two broke it off.

Sae bae. With a red heart and a padlock behind his name.

And now, you had done the impossible; you had forgotten him.

"Sorry." The lump in the back of his throat felt like coal, dredging his words with the minefield implosion of his hopes. "Wrong number."

The currents of time flowed as it did—in ebbs and whirls which made the fresh wound of your breakup with Sae turn into little more than an ugly scab in your memories.

Years later, you were married, walking down the street to a nearby grocery store when a headline on a news stand caught your eye.

You approached the newspaper with open curiosity, rereading a name you hadn't seen in a long time.

Japan's football prodigy, Itoshi Sae, announces his wife's pregnancy in a sweet Instagram post.

Something thrummed in your chest, painful and hot when you picked the print up, flipping to the stated page where that piece of news seared through your mind like a forest fire.

Itoshi Sae, Spain's midfielder, shows off his wife's baby bump in a new post that has fans excited for this new phase in his life.

Sae's smiling face was a blank slate in your static-filled mind. Setting the paper down, you pulled out your phone, dragging his social media handle up.

Your ex-boyfriend was a private man, but over the years, he grew comfortable enough in the public light to show off his wife in a way he never used to do for you.

Her dark eyes and smile were sweet and genial. She was pregnant, supporting a hand under her small bump while your auburn-haired ex had his arm around her, his face pressed into her neck.

They lived in a house by the sea, judging from your scrolling; his life unfurling before you like an unfamiliar book you once knew all the words to.

His wife looked healthy and well-taken care off; her smile was infectious and you found yourself turning wistful.

The gold band around your ring finger caught your attention, and you took a second to admire its shine.

Once upon a time, you thought a life like this with Sae could've been yours.

You envisioned your days by the beach, watching seagulls fly past the white clouds and feeling the waves lap at your toes. Maybe you would've been carrying his baby, one hand perched on your swollen belly while his soft teal eyes would find yours from across the stretch of sand.

Never would you have believed that the life you held onto had given way to another blessing you hadn't saw coming.

With all your heart, you wished Sae Itoshi the best.

He may have never sung for you, but you were relieved to discover he could sing for someone else.

And you were glad you had found another man who could give you the whole world and his heart, as well.

Miles away, where Sae's feet were dusted with sand, yours hit the pavement, high heels clicking off into the distance as you walked away from the news stand and the picture of his smiling, bright face—back into the safe embrace of your everyday life.

a/n: it's bittersweet how the currents of our lives may not intersect with the ones we want, but the ones we absolutely need.

©️ all works belong to lalunanymph. do not copy, repost or claim as your own.

[ropebunnykant]

Sorry, follow-up to the ask bout Fadel leaving Bison - so do you think he really would have just left without saying goodbye? Cos that seems pretty heartless. Or do you think he would've come clean bout the bf/his reason for going before he went? I get that past Fadel was a different, more hopeful man, but I still just can't quite reconcile the Fadel we know with one who would leave his baby brother behind to the assassin life.

honestly, it seems like that's exactly what he planned to do. he had a backpack with him in the scene where his ex doesn't show up, so my guess is that the day that they were going to leave together is the day that his ex disappeared. so, yeah, it looks like he was going to disappear without really saying goodbye, since i feel like if fadel had attempted to leave at some point and actually told bison about it, that would have been brought up before now, but bison has always seemed to think fadel is kind of okay with the life they live, so that makes me think he has no idea fadel wanted to leave.

which, i get that it's hard to imagine fadel as he exists now would ever be willing to do something like that, and i totally agree that as we know him, fadel would never do something like that. however, i do think that heartbreak like he went through is something that changes you. i think it's very clear that fadel, when he was with his ex, was far more hopeful, maybe even far more selfish. again, i think he was a lot closer to how bison is now back then - and while bison is straightforward about his desire to leave, he was also more than ready to leave fadel behind - still is! bison said last week that if fadel were to stay at the restaurant, he would leave him behind, and he had a gun pointed at fadel this week for the sake of kant. that's not to say that bison doesn't love fadel, but for bison, his desires and dreams outweigh that love - and i think it's entirely possible that was the case for fadel at one point as well.

however, fadel is still fadel, and i think he has always kept certain things close to his chest - so i think it's entirely possible he would have left without a formal goodbye or explanation. especially because keeping in touch after wouldn't really be much of an option if bison is still in that life and fadel is trying to get out, you know? he probably thought it was better to rip the band aid off clean. which is kind of ironic then, isn't it, if he planned to do that to bison, and then ended up being the one ghosted?

but i mean, i could be entirely wrong! i just again think that fadel before getting left and fadel after getting left are two very different people.

[cosmicanemoia]

Nights Like This

Ava Coleman x Reader

Inspired by Kehlani's song, Nights Like This.

"He dated me for five years, but I only dated him for 2"

The reason: you were together at the time, you see signs but you ignore them because you trust her, and when you found out and confront her, she didn't deny or even tried to apologise, but instead justify her action and calls it quit with you saying "Let's be real, we both know we ain't gonna last this long" with that she turns her back walking away from you and leaving you in tears.

Five years of relationship and it ended for a few seconds just like that. The first two years were great, but it started to strain on the third, that's when she met her boy toy, now boyfriend. She managed to lie and lie, the hiding, and sneaking out went out for years, but she got sloppy and you accidentally found out when she made reservations for both at the same time.

"Hi. Uh this table is reserved for me and my girlfriend" you said to the guy who sat opposite you. "No. This is the table reserved for me and my girlfriend" when Ava arrived, the guy grabbed her hands and kissed her, calling her sweetie. You watch in horror trying to figure out what's happening in front of your very eyes. Flashbacks started flooding your mind, showing the all the signs and reason for the scene in front of you, and all you could mutter was "I'm such an idiot" you scoff and started to collect your things before a tear starts to fall from your eyes and went out the restaurant.

Ava followed you outside. "Hey babe--" ava started talking but you cut her off "Don't babe me. I'm such a fucking idiot. How can you do this to me?" She didn't answer. You face her and lock eyes with her "How long?-- How long have you been seeing him behind my back?--" You wait for her answer, "I don't know three years, maybe" she said without remorse, your jaw drop by the revelation "oh- my- god-" you put your hand on your mouth, your breathing heavily "you should have broken up with me, instead of rubbing it in my face" she yelled at you "I didn't meant for you to find out!" "Oh. So you don't plan on telling me. Hey girlfriend I secretly have a boyfriend and I don't want you to find out" you mock "I love you and I really like him. I don't wanna hurt you" she said and you scoff "That's very foolish of you" you tell her and it triggered her "Let's be real, we both know we ain't gonna last this long" then she left and went in the restaurant to continue living her merry life, and your left with a hole in your heart.

Her obsession in climbing the social ladder makes her a cheater. And you can't hate her for being ambitious and doing anything she wants just because, even if you can, you won't, and you would never because you love her way too much more than you should. Maybe you failed showing her how much she meant to you or maybe she just didn't saw.

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

You now run a non profit organisation with your friends who are also your colleagues from your actual job.

You are a ghost writer. Not caring much about the publicity or fame, you love being a ghost writer. Though sometimes people convince you to agree to be credited and have your name along with the other writers, they said only few people look for the writers nowadays. You agreed in the end, but you told them they have to use your pen name and not your actual name or else you're out.

The songs and stories you ghost write are doing pretty great and are instantly becoming a hit and more request comes your way.

You and your friends were out celebrating your joint success and you all agreed to give back to the community.

You and your colleagues ended up deciding to do a Charity event rather than choosing to donate to just one establishment.

Every teacher and principal are invited. All kinds of people who works at a school is encouraged to attend.

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

Gregory, Jacob, and Janine, were sitting on the sofa in the teacher's lounge while Barbara and Melissa sat in their usual spot.

Janine suddenly stands up and squealed eagerly "check it out. There's a charity ball and we should all attend" Ava walks in unnoticed

It was Janine's idea to attend. She was scrolling through her phone and she saw her feed flooded by the news of the upcoming event. One or the only best idea she's ever had. But Ava heard it "Oh. I was just about to tell you that. We all should come. It'll be fun, seeing you all dressed up and looking nice tonight" she looks over at Gregory "looking forward to seeing you in a suit, young idris" she proceed to wink at him and look at the camera to give it a wink too.

Janine frowned "the ball is on Friday night. It's still Tuesday" Ava looked at her up and down with a pout on her face "that's literally what I said"

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch and everyone dispersed. Everyone went to get their kids or went right to their classroom. Ava went to her office and open her laptop checking the charity ball Janine was talking about.

She saw the poster and the slogan. She thinks its well made, pretty, and inviting. She didn't read all the details and just skimmed it for the date and the theme. She didn't see your name on it, she didn't know you were one of the hosts.

---------------------------‐---------------------------

The night of the charity ball have arrived.

Everyone looks elegant. People converse with each other while waiting for the hosts to start the event.

After a minutes of waiting for others to arrive you decided to kick start the event so you walk up the stage and tap the microphone, checking if its on or working.

You cleared your throat and speak loudly and clearly "Hello, Beautiful people. I just want to steal your attention for a brief moment. I am Y/N Y/L/N. I am one of your hosts tonight and I invited generous people whom you can ask for money and get the fund you needed for projects or supplies you want to have at your school. Let's get this party started, and oh- one more thing, don't be shy to ask for the stars. Have a good one everyone, we have an open bar."

Everyone applaud and cheers. A whoo and a whoop whoop here and there, high fives all around, and loud whistles.

Janine, Barbara, Melissa, Gregory, and Jacob walk towards you and surrounds you. They introduce themselves and the school they teach from. You shook each of their hands and you listen to their stories.

You were convinced you were going to help and donate at Abbott elementary. Not because of their sob stories but because the genuinity you feel coming off their vibes and the way they talk about the students. They truly love and care for them.

Another school steal your attention from them, so you excuse yourself to listen to the others and give them their chance.

When you were away from them, they noticed that someone was missing from their group. So they scan the area and they saw their boss, the principal of Abbot Elementary, Ava Coleman, is sitting in the open bar. They all decided to walk up to the open bar.

"I'm okay. No need to check on me" she said without turning her head to look at them. Melissa snorts and Barbara grinned "I'm just here to enjoy and get shit-faced, kid" Melissa replied. "It is an open bar after all" Barbara added.

After one too many drinks they told Ava to talk to you and use her charm on you, unaware of the past you shared, their convincing her to woo you, so you would help and donate to the school they all care for.

Ava did what she was told, convince that she should at least give it a try and that she'll lose nothing, anyway.

"What's up?" She nodded in your direction. You chuckled "we don't have to do this. You can just ignore me all you want. I assure you it won't affect my decision" she looks away from you so you look at her and for a moment you thought she was contemplating saying sorry, but alas, it was indeed just in your head "OK. Thanks hottie" she starts to walk away from you "You're welcome. Shawty" you shouted for her to hear, you know she heard you and she did, but she didn't look back or acknowledge your statement she just kept walking away from you, again.

"That was fast" Janine complimented which made Ava scoff, "Do you too know each other well?" Jacob asked and everyone turns their attention to Ava looking at her with anticipation "What?!" She said in a high pitched tone. Everyone looks at her accusingly, she sigh in defeat "She told me, I should just ignore her and that we don't have to do that. She's my ex." Everyone groans and are shocked with the revelation.

"We're never gonna get that donation, are we?" Melissa said to everyone and to herself "Let's just hope she's not petty or vain enough to stop helping us because our principal broke her heart" She added and scoffs

"No. She's cool. She said it won't affect her decision.-- How did you know it was me who broke her heart?" Ava replied "Aren't you?" Gregory asked, she just look at them one by one and order a stronger drink to get her through the night.

You walk up on stage a little tipsy "Hi, people. Is everyone having fun?" Everyone cheered and shouted "YEAH!" You smiled to yourself "well let me add to the fun your having. I have a surprise guest. Everyone give a round of applause to my friend, Kehlani!"

Most of them cheered and applauded, standing up from their seats and walking closer to the stage, and some are shocked and kept where they were when you made the announcement with their jaws almost hitting the floor.

"Thanks babe. Good evening to you all. Here's a song I think you all know, what you didn't know is that she help wrote it with us" kehlani said on the microphone and points at you.

It was dark for a moment and all the lights went out until the song started playing and the small stage light up.

.......Thought you was mine, but you decided to be with him though. You took my feelings and just threw 'em out the window.......On some nights like this, shawty, I can't help but think of us.......You gon' say you want me, then go switch it up

Just gon' play with my emotions just because, no.......All them times I played the fool for you. Thinking we could put it back together, thought we had forever. You never see my point of view.......

Since the song started everything became a blur, 'I might have way too many drink' you smiled at yourself and went to the bathroom to wash you face.

Ava saw you making your way to the bathroom and without thinking her body moved on its own and decided to follow you there to check up on you.

When you lift your face up from the sink after splashing water on your face you saw a figure standing behind you, you took a paper towel and gently wipe the water off your face. Your vision cleared and the figure behind you was ava staring at your reflection.

She crept a hand on your back to try to give you comfort planning to ask how are you, but you dismissed her "Don't" and you walk out the bathroom leaving Ava dumbfounded.

A few seconds later you came back barging in the bathroom door. You walk up to her, you are now standing face to face, "I told you to ignore me. Why are you here? What do you want?" You stated, your voice laced with anger "I didn't know you know Kehlani and that you help wrote that bop" Ava said, always talking without thinking, a quality you once greatly admire.

You were quite for a moment, "You want to meet her." You look down and nodded. You look her in the eye and sigh you were about to say 'okay' but she speak first "I want you. I miss you. I'm sorry." her eyes glistened and you could feel she's mustering courage for what she's about to do, then she kisses you softly and gently, but you are not reacting or moving so she pulls away from you.

A tear was about to fall on her eye but before it happened you grabbed her hips and pushed her against the wall. You linger, your lips centimeters away from hers, you moved your nose to her neck and inhaled her scent "you copied my perfume" the heat of your breath on her neck makes her blush and have goosebumps. You slide your nose up and down her neck, teasing her.

"Please" she beg, desperation evident in the way she said it. Her arms start to wrap around your waist but you didn't let her, you grabbed her arms and pushed it beside her, "I didn't tell you, you could touch me" you said then you slide your tongue on the pulse point on her neck

"Please. Please. I'm begging you, just do it" she said while she's catching her breath, she seems like she just finished a long run "do what?" You tease her more.

"F- Fuck. Fuck me. Please." Her breath hitches. You kiss her neck then bite her and leave a mark. She let out a moan but it was quickly Interrupted when you finally kissed her on her lips.

You lift her up and sat her on the sink. You smirk to yourself thinking where this is going to go.

You heard the doorknob rattled and quickly pulled away from Ava, you look in the mirror and try to fix your posture, she jumps down the sink to do the same. It was Barbara, she came to the bathroom to wash her hands.

"Barbara you're fired" Ava said jokingly, Barbara replied sarcastically "Sure. Dear"

Ava scans the bathroom looking for you, you already went out when you finished tidying yourself when you got Interrupted. She went out the bathroom when she didn't saw you, she scans the room and saw you slow dancing with someone.

You're dancing with the famous singer, your forehead clashing at each other while your arms are around her neck, and hers are around your waist, hands almost or actually touching your butt.

Ava stopped on her tracks when she saw you in somebody else's embrace. Her chest tightens and she's hurting. She gulped and tried hard to make her body move to the bar, and when she get there she ordered the strongest drink they could offer. She wants to spit it out and be disgusted but with the bitter drink, she also swallows the bitter truth. You were not hers anymore and she knows she's the reason why.

[oddballwriter]

Like They've Seen a Ghost

Summary: You'll admit that the sight of you and the boys is certainly something interesting to witness. With them looking 'normal' and you being in your usual gothic style. But you would be lying if you said that seeing the reactions and interactions wasn't funny.

Warnings: The reader is implied to wear heavy makeup. Gender neutral/non-specified reader who is referred to pronoun-wise using they/them. 

Author’s Snip: Goths, rise! I have food for you!

Notes: I lowkey roast e-girls and I'm sorry but this is truly for the trad/post goths. 

I’ll shut up now. Enjoy! And don’t be afraid to request.

Word Count: 1,057

You were used to it. The disapproving look on old people as they walk past. People laughing and whispering to each other, or just outright saying it regardless of being in earshot or not. Parents diverting their kid's attention when they were innocently looking at you. Cat calls. Jokes. Comments. All that. And you never really cared. That's how they live and if they have a problem with you even though you aren't doing anything to them then they'll have to figure that out for themselves.

Some people didn't really mind. More so, they just stare at you. Sometimes very obviously. But you don't mind that either. You're sure that if you were like them and saw someone like you you'd definitely stare for a bit too. It was amusing in a way. But it was even more amusing when you saw them reacting to you when you were out with your very 'normal' looking boyfriends.

Upon walking into a bookstore with Steven once and finding a section that caught your attention, you were quick to over hear some whispers in the shelf behind you.

"Don't stare. That's rude." you heard a woman hiss under her breath. "Sorry. But like... look at them." another female voice said back in a matching volume whisper, "I could never." she commented. "Jenny!" the previous woman scolded. Jenny was quick to defend her words, "No. No. I mean like, I could never be on that level of I don't give a fuck. I find it cool that they can.". Her friend stays silent and Jenny says something else, "Good on their boyfriend for not giving a damn either. If I were dating a goth person I would be embarrassed being with them and not matching.".

That prompts you to glance at Steven. Who is very much occupied with reading the synopsis of the book he's looking at and clearly not listening, let alone aware of, to the two talking behind the two of you.

"They're actually kind of cute together." Jenny's friend remarks. You can assume that Jenny was nodding her head as she replied with "They really are. I honestly want what they have." before you hear them move on to some other section of the store.

The one memorable time with Marc and someone catching sight of the two of you together was when you and him went out to eat on a date. You weren't expecting to eat anywhere and would have liked a heads-up before putting on your usual makeup look. But hey, you wore mostly smear-proof stuff and could fix anything after.

Matter of fact that's what you had just got done doing in the bathroom mirror of the bathroom before leaving. You did get your share of looks while in there but again, you didn't care. It wasn't until you left the bathroom to where Marc was waiting that you really got something.

"Holy shit I wasn't expecting that." a guy says at a nearby table. You can hear his buddies asking what he means and the guy responds, "Don't look, but that this guy near the bathrooms was waiting on a goth.". The sound of the restaurant wasn't drowning out his voice but they did with whatever his friends are saying but you get the idea when he said "No. Not like those girls who wear stripes and draw hearts on their cheeks with eyeliner. A real one. The ones that wear black lace and have the full look.", "Just wait when they walk away to the door. You'll see." he says.

You can tell that Marc heard him talking and wanted to say something, but you touch his shoulder and shake your head to tell him to let it go and that it's fine.

When you did walk out you were able to catch Marc glaring at the guys, but as long as he wasn't picking a fight and they weren't actually causing problems it was okay.

"Fucking redneck version of the lost boys." you hear Marc insult under his breath. earning a chuckle from you.

The time with Jake was funnier than anything though. Jake had actually gone out to a goth club with you, wanting to get a taste of what it's like in "the bat caves" as he jokingly called it. It was a blast of course. You had your boyfriend there, and honestly, he already wears dark colors and knows and likes the music from listening to it with you, so he bends right in. You also think it was a bit of the gloves too.

Anyway, the party was over and it was late, so you were about to head to the car when Jake remembered something. "Wait hold on. I know a donut truck that's nearby." he said.

Upon walking down the block the other way, you found a food truck that stood alone just off the sidewalk and was lit up with some people already around it. When you got there Jake called out a greeting to what seemed to be the owner who greeted him right back. "Jake! My boy! It's been a while!" the older man said before catching the sight of you and blurting out "Holy shit!" before apologizing.

Jake points at you and says "That's more partner." as an introduction. "Oh, wow! You didn't tell me you were dating one of those." the man says, "If I had know I would have had a spooky donut for you." he says to you, clearly as a joke but he can tell that it doesn't really land. "I'm sorry. I'm bad a jokes. But seriously what can I get you kids." he says.

After ordering and walking away with your food, the guy, who you now know as Tony, yells out to Jake, "Ay Jake! Remember to eat some red meat after tonight! It helps with recovering from giving blood." he says before you hear him laughing at his own joke.

"Is he always like that?" you ask. Jake nods with a smile as he takes a bite out of his donut. "Yeah. Every night. The apartments across the street fucking hate him but they can't do anything because he feeds most of the graveyard shift cops." Jake explains, "And also he's Tony. Everyone likes Tony." he adds and you just go with it.

[ohlawdthebirds]

The Heaviest Burdens

FREE PALESTINE FOREVER!!!

Good heavens, here is my (incredibly late) entry for @glitterypirateduck Ghost challenge. I used prompts 34, 47, 74, 80, 86, and 95. Hope y'all enjoy.

Platonic!141 x Reader; Ghost x Reader later on in the story (can also be read as platonic).

Summary: After a mission gone wrong, you find yourself at your wits end. Good thing your teammates are there to take care of you. And it's especially good that Ghost is there too.

CW: oh, this gets ANGSTY. Mentions of death, blood, mental breakdowns, and suicidal ideations.

The song that dragged me through this fic:

Returning to base after a mission was always rough. The trip back was typically silent, even if things went right. You and your teammates dreaded coming back to the mountain of paperwork that would undoubtedly crowd your desk for the better part of a week. Everyone had their routines when they got back: Price would nurse a cigar and lock himself in his office. Soap would pull out a journal and sketch until his pencil ran dull. Gaz would lose himself in a book or whatever hobby craft he’d decided to pick up that month. Ghost had a penchant for disappearing somewhere on base, only to turn up a few days later. You suspected he hid out in Soap’s room, but never bothered to check. Your ritual was a simple one: gearing down and meticulously cleaning your gear. Everything from your tac vest to your boots was scrubbed of dirt and debris, before being packed away for your next mission. It was something you looked forward to doing, a way to literally cleanse yourself from all that had happened.

-

The mission had been…horrible wasn’t a strong enough word. A hostage deal gone wrong; more blood spilled than saved. It was a literal mess, one that left more wounds than anticipated. The evac back to base was silent, no one daring to even look at each other. Price released you all to your respective rooms once the heli landed.

You trudged along, not stopping until you reached your room and locked the door behind you. The blood on your uniform had dried completely by that point, leaving dark red splotches across your arms, chest, and legs. It cracked and flaked off the more you moved. For a moment you stood in your room, too afraid to shift even the slightest bit.

The blood on your uniform was not your own. It was a hostage’s, a man that had been ripped from his normal life and thrust into danger. During the mission he’d told you about his family, the restaurant he wanted to open when all was said and done. You’d promised him you would visit his restaurant whenever it opened. The mission went south soon after that, with the militia group you were supposed to go after opening fire. Nearly none of the hostages made it. The only survivors were badly wounded and would carry deep-rooted scars with them for the rest of their lives. During ex-fil you saw the body of the man who told you his hopes and dreams. Your stomach curdled at the sight of him face down in a pool of his own blood. It was all you could do to keep from puking as your team filed into the chopper.

-

You gathered all of the cleaning supplies you used after every mission: hydrogen peroxide for the blood stains, laundry detergent for the dirt, a towel to lay everything down on, and washcloths and a toothbrush to scrub everything out. Once they were gathered in your arms, you set off for the communal bathrooms. Being that it was the middle of the night and dawn wasn’t for a good few hours, the bathroom was empty. You laid everything out on the countertop next to the sink and began stripping off your gear.

Well.

You tried to, at least.

Your gloves came off just fine. The buckles and straps on both sides of your tac vest, however, didn’t budge. Yanking at the Velcro did nothing. In fact, it seemed to tighten your vest even more. You sucked in a deep breath before giving up on the vest and moving on to something else. But even as you attempted to unbuckle your belt to take off your cargo pants, the leather stuck itself into the loops and tugging on it made it worse. You were sure you were going crazy; maybe it was the emotional toll of this particular mission that had you feeling scrambled and like everything was too tight, too close, too restricting. The final straw came in the form of your shoelaces being knotted too tightly and thus making it impossible for you to even slip off your boots.

A strangled noise erupted from your throat, something between a scream and a sob. It was too much. It was all too much. The mission, the way you couldn’t even wash away the blood of a good man, the way you knew this would happen again with whatever Laswell assigned your team next. It was entirely too much.

You collapsed to the floor. Sobs freely escaped you now with no fear of anyone finding you in the bathroom. At least, that’s what you figured until the door was shoved open. Price stepped in, eyes immediately finding your form crumpled to the ground. He was quick to kneel at your side, trying to assess whether or not you were about to collapse from an injury. Just as soon as you were about to lie and tell him you were fine, in rushed the rest of your teammates. There was no use lying then. They gathered around you, each of them asking some variation of what was wrong or if you were hurt. Your eyes fluttered shut as you took in a shaky breath.

“I’m fine,” you answered, “I just…I can’t get my uniform off.”

“That all, then? Why the crying?” Price asked.

Holding back more tears, you replied “The blood, it’s…it’s that guy, the- the one who wanted to open a restaurant once we got him to safety but…he’s dead, Price, he’s dead and his blood is on me, and I think it’s gonna be on me forever.”

You were full-on bawling by that point, fat teardrops rolling down your face and spilling onto the tile under your head.

“He’s dead and his family will never get to see him again. And us…we got away. We get away every time. We get hit with a few bullets, sure, but we always make it. Our one job was to keep those hostages alive, and we couldn’t manage that. And now there are families mourning loved ones they’ll never see again, and I can’t get this STUPID VEST OFF!”

Your teammates were silent, watching as you sobbed and feebly tried to wriggle out of your tac vest. Ghost was the first to intervein, laying his hands gently atop yours. You allowed him to move your hands back down to your sides before he fiddled with the buckles and Velcro straps of your vest. To your surprise, it all came loose in his grasp. The vest was slipped from over your head and put to the side. Soap and Price followed Ghost’s lead, Soap working on your belt and Price making quick work of your bootlaces. Everything was removed and handed over to Gaz, who’d taken notice of the set up on the counter and was working to get every stain off your uniform.

You laid there, on the cold tile, aided by your teammates. At one point, Ghost and Soap had gathered paper towels from the dispenser next to the sink and ran them under water until they were damp. They both squatted next to you and wiped the dried blood from your skin. It was something close to a baptism, a rebirth. The grime was scrubbed from your skin and soul. Ghost grabbed a new bunch of paper towels, ran them under cool water, and gently scrubbed the dirt and tears from your face.

You sniffled, inwardly cringing at just how pathetic you felt. This was your job, right? This wasn’t anything new to you, so there was no reason for it to affect you this much. And yet, as you thought of the man who told you his hopes and dreams, your eyes couldn’t help but well up once more. Ghost took notice of the way your eyes glossed over. He pressed the towels against your eyelids, drawing up the tears before they could spill.

“Let’s get you back to your room, yeah? Gaz, y’almost done with the gear?”

“Yep, just got the last stain out.”

Ghost grunted in approval. You sniffed once more before shifting on the tiles and standing up. Everyone followed suit, Gaz and Soap gathering your gear and cleaning supplies while Price and Ghost flanked either side of you. The trek out the bathroom and back to your barrack was a quiet one. No one dared breathe a word, not even to crack a joke at you being in nothing but a sweaty shirt, underwear, and socks.

Ghost pushed open your door and stepped back to let you enter. You did, albeit quite stiffly, and came to an awkward stop in the middle of the room. What were you even supposed to do now? It felt wrong to let yourself rest after failing to save the lives you were entrusted with. Your teammates made the decision for you, Gaz and Ghost storing your gear and cleaning supplies away, Soap clicking on your string lights, bathing the room in a warm glow. Price steered you towards your desk chair instead of your bed, a decision you were grateful for. Ghost soon slipped from the room. You didn’t bother commenting on it.

When little else could be done, your teammates readied themselves to leave the room. As they left, they made a point to touch you in some way: Price, a pat on the shoulder; Soap, a light punch against your bicep; Gaz, a quick squeeze to your hand. You were left alone, listening to the hum of the building around you, the water pipes creaking in the walls and the faint hum of the fluorescent lights in the hallway. To say you felt numb was the understatement of the century. You could still hear the echoes of screaming and gunfire, could still smell the blood and smoke. The room around you faded into nothingness. You were content to be stuck in a void of your own creation until a knock on the open door startled you.

You looked up, only to be met with the sight of three very weird things:

Ghost’s face. His bare face, devoid of both his mask and the black grease paint normally smeared over his eyes. Scars were etched throughout his skin, a particularly long one running from the top of his right lip to the bottom of his chin.

Ghost holding two steaming mugs of tea, a book tucked underneath his arm.

Ghost wearing gray sweatpants and…

“Is that my shirt?” You croaked out.

Ghost’s torso was draped in the fabric of a comically large shirt that you’d gotten from a concert a few years back. It was a band you’d been dying to see and when you went to buy merch, the only thing the vendors had left was a t-shirt nearly the size of a blanket. You rarely wore it, always having to fold and tie it up to make it even remotely wearable. Ghost fared no better. Even with his impressive stature the shirt pooled around his neck, falling to the middle of his thighs.

“Nabbed it from your closet earlier. Looked comfortable.”

A strained chuckle left you. Ghost nudged the door closed and walked closer. Once he came nearer, he placed one of the mugs on the desk behind you, before heading towards your closet once more. He dug around for a moment before unearthing a plain cotton shirt and sweatpants that matched his own. Ghost tossed them over to you and leaned further into the closet.

“Y’can change. M’not lookin’.”

You complied, peeling your shirt from your torso and pulling on the shirt and sweatpants.

“You can look now,” You said.

Ghost leaned back out and shut the closet door. He moved back and sat on the edge of your bed. He cracked open his book, sipped at his tea, and for a moment you were sure you were losing your mind. How did you go from being covered in gore to the domestic scene in front of you?

“W-what are you doing?”

Ghost quirked a brow at you. “Readin’ about America’s war crimes. Lotta CIA-backed coups in here. More than I thought, really.”

“No, I mean what are you doing here in my room? You don’t…” You trailed off.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” You finished.

The soft thump of his book shutting didn’t startle you. What did was the way Ghost leaned in, eyes locked on yours. It was the most amount of direct eye contact you had ever received from him and good heavens was it unnerving.

“D’you remember a few months back, when I twisted my ankle during ex-fil? And instead of waiting for me to hobble on, you threw me over your shoulder and booked it to the helo?”

“So what, is this your way of breaking even? D’you feel like you owe me or something?”

Ghost shook his head. “Nah, none of the sort. But you came through for me. You…you normally do. Figured it was time to do the same.”

You picked up the mug from the desk, letting its warmth seep into your fingers. Ghost had made a cuppa similar to his, black tea with a generous helping of milk and sugar. You sipped at it, oddly comforted by the taste.

“This is good,” you mumbled, more to the cup than the man in front of you. Ghost nodded, picked up his book, and resumed reading. It wasn’t until you were met with the dregs and the bottom of your mug that you spoke again.

“Ghost? D’you ever think you’re in the wrong line of work?”

Ghost halted. You caught the way his grip tightened on his book ever so slightly. He didn’t respond. On a normal day, you would’ve just let it go, let the question hang unanswered in the air. But your day had been far from normal.

“I just…I know no one really wants to join the armed forces, but they do so for one reason or another. I joined because I had nothing else going on. I didn’t know if university would work out and figured I may be of some use here. And you wanna know something, Ghost?”

Your fingers clenched around your mug.

“I didn’t think I would live this long. Figured I’d be taken out, whether it be by my own hand or someone else’s. It’s all so unfair…those hostages had lives, they had dreams, and they had hope. Me? I don’t have that. Haven’t for a while. So why do I get to come home in one piece while they don’t?”

Tears welled up in your eyes for what felt like the thousandth time that night. A few escaped, sliding down your chin and neck. You didn’t bother wiping them away.

“Why do I get to live when I don’t deserve to? We…we kill for a living, Ghost! We take orders from higher-ups who get to decide who’s the bad guy and who’s not, and we have to listen because that’s what we’re paid to do. But these are real people with real lives, and we failed them!”

You were sobbing once more, tears now running freely. The mug slipped from your hands and dropped to the floor. You paid it no mind, hunching over and curling into yourself as best you could on the desk chair. Ghost placed his book aside, moving to your side in one large step. He crouched to the floor, something his knees vehemently disagreed with. In a move that shocked you, Ghost gently clasped your arms and brought you up from the chair. He steered you in the direction of your bed, waiting until you sank down on the mattress. You laid back into your pillows. Ghost joined you, waiting until your sobbing calmed into unsteady hiccups. He brought up the edge of his (technically your) shirt and blotted away your tears.

“I don’t know what to tell you. Wish I did,” Ghost lamented. “This is all I’ve known for quite some time now, and I don’t know if I know how to do anything else. If it’s any help to you, at least you know you’re still got a heart.”

You looked over at him through bleary eyes.

“What’s that mean?” “Means you’ve still got your humanity. I’d be more worried if this didn’t bother you.”

“And what about you? Does it all bother you?” Ghost was quiet for a moment before answering.

“It does.”

 You shifted onto your side, nestling your face into your pillow.

“If you weren’t here…if you weren’t with the SAS, what would you be doing? And don’t say you’re not sure. Just…give me something, anything.”

A hum rumbled somewhere deep in Ghost’s chest.

“Think I’d be a dog-sitter. Just hang out with dogs all day.”

You let out a shaky giggle. “Yeah, that sounds like you. You’re always hanging around Riley.”

“What about you? I know you said uni wouldn’t have worked out, but what else would you wanna do?”

You thought about it for a long moment. “I think…I think being an astronaut would be cool. Getting to float around in space, getting to discover new planets, aliens and stuff. I’d like that.”

“Aliens huh?”

“Yeah. Aliens,” you say.

Ghost shifted on his back. He lifted a huge arm up and over, letting it dangle just above your head. It took you a moment to realize he was inviting you to lean into him. You accepted, scooching in and letting your face rest against his side. Ghost dropped his arm and let it rest against your back, his hand drifting up and down your spine.

You think back over the day, the pain and death surrounding you. Never did you think it would result in this softness, this care enveloping you. You felt exhaustion inching throughout your mind and body, quickly beckoning you into sleep. You nestled into Ghost’s side further.

“Ghost?”

He hummed, nearing sleep himself.

“Thank you.”

Ghost didn’t reply. He simply held you tighter.

[dangerouslyclose]

Kiss Me- I.N

Pairing: I.N x fem!reader

Genre: Song Fic, Fluff

TW: None (let me know if there is something I missed)

Word Count: 1k

Song: Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran

“Do you remember when we first met?” Innie asked while pulling you closer under the covers. The movie playing in the background for your weekly movie night, long forgotten. You hummed in response, Innie pulling you from the edge of sleep. “I was so in awe when I first saw you I thought I was going to pass out. Chan hyung had to hold me up.” 

You giggled, “no way is that true.” 

“I swear!” Innie said, pulling back so he could look down into your eyes. There was a burning sincerity in them. “I saw you from across the room and my jaw literally dropped. I had never seen anyone so stunning in my life!”

“You’ve never looked in a mirror then,” you laughed out. 

Jeongin let out a loud laugh, “okay, that was good. But seriously, I was enchanted the moment I saw you. I knew that I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t go over and talk to you. Then I finally looked at who you were with.”

You cringed at the memory, “That was literally the worst date I had ever been on. My friend had set me up on a blind date and I honestly don’t know where she found that creep.”

“I kept looking over at you throughout dinner and even though I had never met you before I watched you progressively get more and more uncomfortable. It was like I had known you my whole life and knew all of your small tells. I could tell by the way you kept twisting the ring on your finger that you were anxious.” Jeongin twisted the ring on your finger. “I could tell by the way you kept tucking the hair behind your ear that you were uncomfortable.” He tucked a stray hair behind your ear. “I could tell by the way you kept awkwardly laughing and then biting your lip that you were uneasy.” He leaned down and placed a quick kiss on your lips. “But when I saw the way your eyes kept shifting to the exit, I knew I had to do something.” He sighed and brought you closer, placing your head onto his chest.

You relaxed into his chest and listened to his steady heartbeat. You smiled, “I was so thankful you came over. I honestly was about to fake a heart attack or something.”

 “Man, I would have loved to see that,” Innie chuckled, causing your head to bounce with his chest. You lightly smacked his chest, causing him to laugh more. “I don’t know where the courage came from. I am usually shy and quiet, but in that moment my body acted before I knew what I was doing.”

You lifted your head to look into his eyes with a grin, doing your best Innie impression, “come with me if you want to live.” Reaching your hand out to him like he did almost six months ago. You both burst out laughing. 

After the laughter died down Jeongin smiled, “I didn’t know what to say. It worked though didn’t it?”

“I think at that moment you could have said anything and I would have gone with you,” you chuckled. “You could have just grabbed my arm and pulled me out of there and I would still have thanked you. Then we went and got ice cream and I was even more thankful for your comfort.”

“Chan hyung was so mad I left without a word. Then I didn’t go back until later and got scolded. But man, it was worth it.” Jeongin smiled down at you.

You laid your head back down onto his chest. “I hated that date, but I am so glad I went. It was fate that you were at the same restaurant that day. Actually I have a confession to make,” you say and bury your face farther into his chest, feeling your ears heat up. “I actually think of that night as our first date.” 

Jeongin brought your face from his chest and up to his lips. He ghosted his lips over yours, “Baby, I do too.” He finally kissed your lips, flipping so you were under him and he hovered over you. He gently bit at your bottom lip, his way of asking to deepen the kiss. You opened your mouth allowing his tongue to slip in. Your tongues and lips moving in sync like they were made to do this. Once the need for air became too much he pulled back and put his forehead on yours. “I love you, Y/N.” Your eyes gently opened to see him already staring into yours. It was the first time either of you had said the L word. Your eyes started to water and Jeongin began to panic, he sat up and brought you along with him. “Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to say it back. I just want to let you know how I feel. I’m sorry. Is it too soon? It’s too soon. I fucked everything up didn’t I?”

You threw yourself on top of him, pushing you both back down onto the bed, with him under you now straddling his waist. You attacked his face with kisses, “I love you too, Innie.” You said each word between kisses. “I am crying because I am overwhelmed with how much love I have for you. I have never felt this way before and didn’t know how to express it, but now I do,” you smiled.  

His eyes started to water too, “God, I love you so much.” He brought your lips back to his for another soft, sweet kiss. “I loved you from the moment I saw you in that restaurant.”

“I loved you from the moment you came over and took my hand,” you smiled down at him. You saw nothing but love in his eyes and you hoped that yours were expressing all the emotions you wanted. “Never let go of my hand, Innie. Promise?”

He brought your hand up to his lips, kissing your palm “I promise.” 

[fakescenariosbeforesleepblog]

Suspicious pt. 2.

Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick × Reader.

Run y/n, Run, you cannot escape from the feelings and ghosts of the past. Or... Can you? Will Kyle find a way to forgive you?

Warning: honestly I'm not an expert in technology lol or coding but I hope I did it well, my french is basic, I'm still learning so I'm sorry for now grammatical and spelling errors not only in English but french too. Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used nor do I claim to own them.

You landed on the floor and started to quit the parachute, you ran, crossing the street, jumping between the cars, you didn't want to look back, you were really nervous, this never happened to you before, you gave a quick look behind, apparently no one was following or looking at you.

You took the stairs to the subway and public bathroom, once in the bathroom you got in at the first door, you hid a backpack inside the air ducts previously, a hair wig, alcohol for the small cut on your cheek, you also tried to burnt your fingertips, you didn't want to leave proves or any signs that you were there, you changed your clothes and quickly sabotage the cameras located out of the park zone and left, you needed to go upstairs and arrive to the park, a car would be waiting for you.

You tried to walk quickly but at the same time not enough to not attract someone's attention.

While you were trying to escape, Kyle and the rest of his team were trying to find you.

- GAZ! Come here!

Soap was the first to find your parachute, Gaz walked, both were trying to find out where you went, looking in every possible direction and every face around them, maybe you were Inside a car, or In a restaurant, or a store, Gaz is frenetic, observing with detail to every person walking by, Ghost and Price joined a few seconds later.

- What do you think guys? It could be anywhere at this point.

- Gaz, this one was your friend for years, people have habits no matter how long time has passed, where do you think...?

- I'm not sure captain, is someone slippery and unpredictable, where would you go to deliver that kind of information?

- The park.

«What?» all them looking at ghost.

- The park, is big, leafy, full of people distracted, no one would notice an exchange...

- Ghost is right, Let's go, once there we will separate and try to find it!

You saw the entrance to the park, you were relaxing, you made it, you started to walk by the street, looking for the car, a black Mercedes Benz 300SL, old and classic. You saw it parked close to the street corner, an old man was cleaning the glass of the car, you approached him and muttered «les hiboux apportent un paquet. (The owls brought a package)» the old man didn't look at you but he made a movement with his head to let you know to put the external disk in the car seat, you put it inside, he continued cleaning the car but he responded to you almost in a whisper «colis livré (package delivered), your payment and transport awaits for you at the other side of the lake» «Merci bonne journée (thanks, have a good day)».

You turned back and walked to the park's entrance, you felt shivers running down your spine, you looked behind and you saw him, Kyle and his team were crossing the streets, they haven't seen you yet but as silly as you're when you're nervous you started to run, attracting all their attention. «Y/N? Hey! You! Wait!!» «Someone stop that person!!!!» indeed some people tried their best to stop you but it was just a poor try, you ran as fast as you could, you could feel your legs burning, definitely not a good day for you.

Ghost and Soap ran to the left while Gaz and Price ran to the right, at some point you would be trapped between them. And just like they planned it, you were close enough to the second entrance park, at the other side of the lake where a car and your money were waiting for you, but you know you will not make it, the best thing you could do was put a grenade in your backpack and throw it away close to the car.

Ghost intercepted you, both fell on the ground just in time the explosion took away your money, your backpack with your laptop and old clothes and your last chance to escape.

- Don't move, stay in the ground! Soap, check if someone is hurt over there!!!

- Yes Lt.

- Well done Ghost! Gaz, bring the handcuffs!!!

Gaz was quick to put the handcuffs, you stood up pretending to be innocent «Hey! What are you doing! Let me go!»

- Come on y/n, you have a lot to explain.

You heard a truck arriving, more sirens, more murmurs of people, a sack over your head and then nothing, the ride was silent. You didn't know when you fell asleep but the raspy voice of Ghost woke you up.

- Hey, wake up!

Then the sack disappeared, the light hurt your eyes, it was hard to focus your vision, a military base, that's where you were, Soap guided you to an empty room, you're not afraid, you actually feel powerful, he made you sit on a chair and left you there.

You've been sitting for hours, you don't even feel your ass anymore, but finally, the door opened. Price and Gaz appeared.

- Well, well, well Darling, you really gave us much trouble today, huh?

Price was handsome and the smell of cigar and strong cologne was delicious, but you focused your view on Kyle, he's quiet, serious, but you can see the deception in his eyes.

- So, Gaz says your name is (y/n) (l/n), is it?

- No.

- No? Then what's your name?

- I don't have one.

- Y/N just fuckin' confess!

- Gaz... Calm down.

Price intervenes and looked at Kyle then he went back to you.

- If you don't have a name, maybe you have a Codename?

- Fantôme.

- very well, so... fantôme, tell me, where's the information you stole from that company?

- I don't know.

Kyle was angry, frustrated, he hit the table in front of you, Price simply closed his eyes and crossed arms.

- Fantôme? You work for some fuckin French intelligence? When did you become a fuckin criminal, huh? You were better than this, Y/N

- I already said that's not my name, I do not have a name, or a nationality, not even a birthdate, I do not exist. Keep trying to obtain information, it is all in vain, you don't have proof against me.

Kyle was ready to talk when Ghost opened the door abruptly.

- Nothing, there's no information about someone called (Y/N) (L/N).

- The cameras around the city?

- nothing. We're still looking at every recording, all the cameras stopped to work in the exact moment when all happened.

You smirked, you were proud of your work, even if you had some stumbles on your way, you made it. Soap joined too, and to your surprise he has your cellphone on his hand.

- Captain, I have the cellphone.

- Good, our experts will find something, give it to them.

-Don't!

Everyone looked at you, you're not afraid about what they could find, but, you were trying to make it look as if you were hiding something just to make them waste time, why? You just want to let them know you're someone they can't handle.

Everybody left the room, except for Gaz, he sat in front of you, just in silence, observing you.

- Are you gonna stay there all day?

- Why did you do that? Do you know what you've stolen?

- I do not care about it Kyle, I care about the money.

- what about the information? Do you understand the importance of it?

- No, I don't, I just care about my payment, the rest doesn't matter to me, how many times do I have to say it?

- When did you become in this person? What put you in this situation? Y/n, we wanted to make the world a better place, remember?

You stayed In silence. But you know you will be free soon, maybe it's not a bad idea to tell him why you ended up in this situation.

- Kyle, that summer, you disappeared without saying anything... I'm not angry, this is not revenge or something like that, I loved you and I will always do. You have to understand, I'm just doing my job because the money is something I really need.

- Why? Why y/n?

- My brother, he got in trouble, very dangerous people were behind him, they didn't kill him, but he never recovered from what they did to him. I pay the mental hospital, I'm the only one who takes care of him, everything started for him, quick money to pay for all the treatments... I'm the same person you met a long time ago, life changed, but I'm the same... I hope one day you can forgive me, I know maybe I'm making bad decisions, but I love my brother, I will do anything to protect and help him.

- The memories of your lips and the way I felt that day, never leave my head, but this... No matter what your reason is, this is not the way and it breaks my heart to see how you try to make me believe you're the same person, when you're clearly not! The y/n I met before would never all what you did today.

Kyle is not sure about what he's feeling, some tears are running through his face, you're trying to contain yourself, it makes you sad to hear and see him like this.

- I feel sick, you know? Because... You're the only person I've ever loved, I feel sick because I don't have the courage to actually hate you, no matter what, I think I will never hate you, but also I think I will never forgive you, what you did today goes against everything we once said we would never do.

He stood up from that chair, you didn't say anything, you were looking at the clock on the wall, suddenly Gaz just took your face between his hands and kissed you, it was a bittersweet kiss, but it felt like all this time you were living on autopilot and this kiss brought you back to life. After a few minutes both separated and he simply whispered.

- Just confess what you did, just tell them who bought all that information, I'll supervise your brother received the best medical attention.

- That won't happen. Goodbye, Kyle.

He looked at you, cold and sad, he just left the room. You were just waiting patiently, you know they will let you go soon.

Now the whole 141 are in the room where some engineers and hackers are working on your phone. One of them is too young and with a huge ego.

- This person, is too smart, the phone is encrypted, a complex code to unblock the real information hidden, the code changes every time we discover it.

- But you can solve it, don't you?

- Sergeant, I'm young but I'm the most capable person in this room. We just have to anticipate the next code... And... There it is!

He solved it, and apparently it was working, the information in your phone was being unloaded until... A huge text appeared in every computer in the room "Not so smart after all, loser 😏" and then all the computers started to download their own information, security systems failed in every imaginable way.

- What the hell it's going on Kid!?

- We've been hacked! Fuck!

He disconnected your phone and started to try to save the system.

- shit, shit, shit! Security systems are fucking destroyed!

- What does it mean?

- It means our location now is visible for every satellite, it means every system or way to secure this place is destroyed now! FUCK!

- Wait... That means....

Kyle ran out of the room, he ran looking for you, but when he arrived to the room where you were, it was empty, he looked for you in every room and hallway,

He was running back to where the team was when he saw through the window, you were running to a helicopter, some other soldiers were trying to open door or any entrance to try to stop you, but the system is still messed up, doors lock and unlock constantly, alarms all around the place, before leaving you felt eyes on you, you looked back, and saw him, he was there, through a window, you never planned to hurt him, but you said it before, you would do everything to protect and take care of your family, even if that means to lose someone you love.

[seducemefanficsandheadcanons]

Can you write about Erik x Mika having sex after a romantic date?

I am so so so sorry this took a million years. Erik is difficult, so I hope I characterized him well! I've also been working on writing smut that isn't super repetitive every time I write it, I think I'm happy with how this turned out.

Cross posted on Ao3 and Wattpad as usual!

NSFW ahead!! Minors DNI

Devine Beauty (Erik x Mika NSFW)

Mika and Erik stepped out of the car, the slight breeze hitting her arms causing a shiver. She was wearing a beautiful red dress; it came down to about a few inches above her knees and had short sleeves with a low cut neckline, the fabric hugging her curves comfortably.

She’d bought the dress a while back but hadn’t had the opportunity to wear it. When Erik asked her to go on a date with him to the new restaurant that opened, she decided that it was the perfect time to wear it.

Judging by the way Erik’s eyes roamed her body, she was correct.

“After you, my lovely princess,” he said as he opened the front door of the restaurant for her.

Even after many months of being in a relationship with him, she still found herself slightly blushing at the gesture. She gave him a dazzling grin as she walked inside. “Thank you, Erik.”

The restaurant was lit with dim, warm lighting. There were many tables, the smaller ones having a white table cloth over them with a vase filled with roses of many colors sitting in the middle.

A waiter led them to one of those tables and took their drink orders. Once he brought out the drinks, he took their food orders, leaving Mika and Erik to talk.

“This place is really nice,” she told the incubus, smiling softly at him. She still felt so lucky to be with someone so charming and caring. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

“Why, of course, Princess,” he said back. “I can’t think of anyone else I would rather share a meal with. Besides, it’s been quite a while since we’ve gotten to spend time together.”

Mika nodded, thinking of the last month or so. Erik’s job had gotten quite busy recently, and he’d been spending much of his free time working on perfecting designs and training new employees at his boutique.

Of course, he hadn’t been neglecting Mika in any way. He still made time for her, but their close and intimate moments had been more limited. She was proud of him for working so hard, so she never made any complaints and enjoyed the time they did get together.

Dinner went near perfectly, the service and food as divine as expected. The two left a generous tip before leaving and going home.

When they got into the room, Mika started to take off her jewelry and take off her makeup with a wipe. She stood in front of their full body mirror to get a closer look at her face as she did. Just as she was about to step away to go into the bathroom, she saw Erik's form approach her in the mirror. His arms wrapped around her as he held her from behind, his soft lips moving against her jaw as he spoke. “You are so beautiful.”

His voice was filled with sincerity and emotion. It lacked any of his mask, the front he was forced to put on for his mother’s approval. It was genuine and straight from the heart. Mika felt her pulse quicken, a gentle thump in her chest and a lightness in her fingers.

She reached back and combed her fingers through his hair as he kissed her ear, then down her neck. She watched in the mirror as his hands began ghosting over her body, running over her stomach and caressing her hips. “Do you see it, Princess?” he asked her.

“See what?” she said back softly.

“Your beauty,” he said back with a quiet chuckle, his eyes meeting hers in the reflection. “It’s unmatched. No one in any of the seven plains could even try to compare to the hold you have on my heart.”

She shuddered as his mouth worked over a particularly sensitive part of her neck. “May I show you how exquisite you are?”

Mika felt her face warm up, and she could see herself blushing in the mirror as she nodded. “Of course…” she told him, feeling a pulse in her core.

At her permission, one of Erik’s hands wandered up her back, pausing at the zipper of her dress. Slowly he pulled down the zipper, his fingers trailing down her exposed skin earning another shiver from her.

The dress fell to the floor, leaving Mika in just her bra and underwear. She stepped out of the dress and nudged it to the side with her foot. She began to turn around to face the incubus, but he held a slightly firm hold on her hips. “Princess, please face the mirror. I want to focus on you tonight.”

Mika obliged, meeting his eyes in the mirror once more, which were now rimmed with gold as his enthrallment slowly built up inside of her. His hands returned to their gentle wander around her body, making their way up to her chest. “Just the very sight of you- the very smell of you…it has me at your every command,” he declared, his fingers beginning to massage the flesh through the thin material of her bra. “Every inch of you is absolute perfection.”

Finally he unclipped the bra and carefully tossed it to the side. She leaned back against him as his index fingers rubbed circles over her nipples, sending waves of pleasure to her core. She let out a pleasured hum, watching in the mirror as he doted on her. 

One of his hands moved down in between her legs, slowly rubbing over her panties, which already had a wet spot forming on them. Mika bit back a mewl at the sensation, her hips slightly rocking against his hand.

He dipped his hand beneath the fabric, his skin gently grazing her clit. She inhaled sharply as her hips bucked, chasing more of the sensation. Getting the hint, Erik pulled down the underwear and began rubbing slow circles over the sensitive bundle of nerves. Mika let out a throaty moan of his name as her breathing picked up.

Mika watched in the mirror with lidded and glossy eyes as Erik slowly dipped one of his fingers into her core. When he was met with little resistance, he added a second. She keened as his fingers curled forward, hitting her sweet spot as his palm stimulated her clit. “Ah- Erik-”

His free arm wrapped around her waist, holding her to him as his fingers continued to work in and out of her. She felt the warmth in her stomach expanding, pressure building in her core, threatening to burst at any moment. She squeezed around him, the muscles in her stomach beginning to contract.

“Absolutely gorgeous,” he murmured, leaving hot kisses on her jaw and neck.

She felt the warmth expand throughout her body and stars fill her vision as she came, her back arching off of his chest slightly. His arm tightened around her waist, holding her steady as he worked her through her high.

Mika closed her eyes for a moment and took deep breaths, calming down as his fingers lifted from her core. Erik gently loosened his hold on her and moved to stand in front of her, pressing kisses over her head. “Are you alright, Princess?”

She nodded, a soft smile gracing her lips. “I’m great.”

He grinned and kissed her cheek. “Let’s take a shower, shall we?”

“We shall,” she said back, letting him pick her up and carry her to the bathroom.

[el-michoacano]

fill him with daylight: 4

Tagging @lokisinsurrection, @chordsykat, @seraphtrevs, @sword-day, @spice-curls, @richeeduvie, and @lady-writes-flanagan 🖤

READ ON AO3

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"So what's the plan?"

"You," Nacho said as he adjusted his suspenders the following morning, "are gonna stay up here and rest." He stood in front of the long mirror on the door of his bedroom closet as he readied himself for the day. He was gorgeous. When wasn't he? The plain white button-up suited him.

Lalo was a little jealous. He deeply regretted coming straight here and not grabbing clothes from his place first. He'd been wandering around the loft bare-chested all night, as he couldn't even get one of Nacho's button-ups up over his biceps. Even his undershirts were too small for Lalo to wear comfortably. He wouldn't have minded, except for the fact that it was a bit chilly up here. This winter had been terrible, and even the kitchen at El Michoacáno got a bit chilly after the sun went down. Lalo wanted to hold Nacho close for a few more hours, but Nacho was too stubborn to let Lalo talk him out of skipping work.

"Even though my car's parked outside?" Lalo teased.

"Gimme the keys and I'll move it," Nacho said. He didn't bother to look up. He was putting on his gloves now, and Lalo stepped closer, taking his hand and lifting it to his mouth, lips brushing Nacho's leather-clad knuckles. "I don't want you out in the cold. Can't be good for you."

Though Lalo rolled his eyes, he smiled, too. He said, "I'll move it." He raised a hand to his chest, drawing an X there. "I'll be right back inside. Promise."

Nacho looked hesitant, but he said, "Be quick."

And Lalo was. It was frigid outside, and his coat was still sticky with blood. It was going to stick to his bare skin when he pulled it off, he was sure. He grabbed the keys from the pocket of his coat as he carefully shuffled along the icy pathway before he hopped up into the driver's seat of the Ajax. He slotted the key in the ignition, hoping against hope and sighing in relief when the engine caught after a few seconds. He shifted gears, pulling the car around behind the shop and high-tailing it back inside and out of the cold as quickly as he could, clutching his ruined coat around himself all the while . He stood in the doorway for a long moment, blowing his breath onto his hands before he headed upstairs. He left his slushy shoes in the little foyer, wincing as he peeled off his coat. When he finally reached the bedroom again, Nacho was fully dressed, and Lalo asked, "No chance of you staying up here with me, huh?"

Nacho gave him the ghost of a smile. "I have appointments," he said, taking Lalo's chilly hands and rubbing them between his own until they warmed up . "I'll prob'ly be down in the shop until at least seven. There's leftovers in the fridge you can have for breakfast, but I'll bring you lunch later on. " He touched Lalo's chest, carefully avoiding his wounded shoulder, leaning up to press a kiss to the corner of Lalo's mouth. "Try to rest, okay?"

Lalo didn't agree. Instead, he wound his arms around Nacho's waist and pulled him closer for a proper kiss, reveling in the warmth of him after his brief but chilly foray into the streets .

Though it was clear he enjoyed having Lalo close, too , Nacho pulled away, saying, "Behave," before he headed downstairs to open up the shop.

Behaving was easy enough, but Lalo had never been a fan of the boredom that came with it . He paced, he read yesterday's newspaper, he flipped through books, he listened to the phonograph so loudly that Nacho came up to turn it off and chide him for distracting his customers . Lalo stole a kiss before he let him go back downstairs.

Though his injured shoulder was aching, Lalo was strongly tempted to get to the restaurant and get behind the grill. Tio Hector wouldn't allow it, Lalo knew, and so he picked up the telephone and gave the restaurant a ring instead.

"El Michoacáno." It was Domingo's voice. Only he and Lalo were allowed to answer the phone; No one else was friendly enough for it . Tio Hector had even disallowed himself from answering the phone, save in the direst circumstances. "How can I help you?"

"You can tell me that the restaurant's falling apart without me," Lalo said with a laugh.

"I can't tell you that," Domingo said, and Lalo could easily hear the smile in his voice. He was a sweet kid. "Joaquin's holding the kitchen down pretty well."

Lalo hummed, then said, "Anything interesting going on?"

It was early enough that the lunch rush hadn't started yet, but late enough that breakfast would have ended , and the restaurant was likely pretty quiet at the moment. "Ehrmantraut's here," Domingo said, the smile falling out of his voice, "but he's just eating a sandwich. Just minding his own business."

That was what he usually did. He was one of the few gringos who graced El Michoacáno with his presence. Lalo couldn't help but be a little suspicious, though he liked the old man, and he asked, "Does he look hurt?"

Though he hesitated, Domingo said, "No." It came out sounding like a question.

Lalo was fairly certain it hadn't been Ehrmantraut he'd been after the previous night, but it never hurt to check. He said, "Call me if you see that pendejo from last night lurking around, yeah?"

"Miguel said you shot him, " Domingo pointed out. There was a wet sound from his end of the line; He was pouring a cup of coffee, Lalo realized. Maybe it was for Ehrmantraut. " I don't think he'll be around for a while."

Lalo hoped that was the case. He said goodbye to Domingo, then set to pacing again. He didn't still until Nacho came upstairs for lunch. He came bearing sandwiches from a local deli, and they ate in the brightness of the kitchen, chatting amiably.

As they finished their sandwiches, sitting close enough to each other that their thighs touched beneath the table, Lalo asked, "You wanna go to El Mich for dinner? My treat."

Nacho was more amused than annoyed, carefully pulling his gloves back on . He only took them off to eat, shower, do dishes, and sleep. He even left them on during sex. Lalo didn't mind. He actually enjoyed the feeling of them, particularly when they were wrapped around his cock. He tried not to think about that, though, as he knew there was no way Nacho was willing to touch him like that while he was hurt. He was a little relieved when Nacho asked, "You can't stay away for a whole day?"

"Of course not!" Lalo leaned in to press a kiss to Nacho's temple. "Finish your appointments, and I'll let you drive the Ajax all the way there."

Nacho adored the Ajax, but he didn't look swayed. He said, "You're hurt. You need to rest, not to go out drinking."

"I won't drink," Lalo said. He hadn't planned to at all. He just wanted to make sure the restaurant side of the business was holding up without him. He trusted Domingo's word, but he was getting stir-crazy already, and the restaurant seemed to best place to relieve it. "I'm just gonna talk. I wanna make sure Joaquin's holding up all right, yeah?" He kissed Nacho's temple again, and this time, it had the desired effect, Nacho's expression softening. "Come with me, Nachito. What's the worst that could happen?"

[universesrising]

the COMPLETE list of AUs

[for real this time] [i promise]

-

REWRITE AUS

[AUs that exist in a completely different universe than canon]

Lighthouse AU - In a world where the population consists of humans and animal-like beings, Jay abandons the ninja after Nya merges with the sea, moving into a secluded lighthouse far from the city. After a kidnapping, he is forced back into the life he left behind, though this doesn’t end well.

Crreature AU - Lloyd is the main keeper of an organization meant to protect an endangered species known only as Creatures. He manages to find and save a group of them, but soon realizes they are much stranger than he realized. What’s this about a pool party..?

Band AU - An average set of instruments hide a not-so-average secret - at night, they become human, and work with their sensei, Wu, as a team of ninja to protect the city from what may endanger it. Their players, the members of the band they’re apart of, are none the wiser. Will it remain that way?

Gaming AU - Superstar Rockin’ Jay, a buddy NPC / secret final boss of a VR rhythm game, escapes his game after a failed test of a prototype VR portal. Zane, an android employee who works for the company, is given the brutal task of watching over him until he can be returned to his game.

Elemental AU - Lloyd, your average Subway employee, meets the manifestation of the element of Ice one fateful day, and is given an arduous task - find the rest of the Elements of Creation, and save them, before Ice’s premonition of ruin can come to pass.

Lost Lightning AU - For years, the element of Lightning has been missing, with no clues of where it could have gone. Master Chen, needing Lightning for his plan, decides to go straight to the source - the dragons of the First Realm. Kai, Cole, Zane, Nya, and Lloyd go after him, and discover...

Here Be Dragons AU - Firstborne and Wojira, the mothers of Dragons and Serpents, fled the First Realm long ago to the realm of Ninjago, disappearing soon after. Their children were left to fight over who rules the skies, though eventually both species went extinct. Lloyd, a researcher in an organization determined to find out more about both species, discovers a flight of both dragons and serpents - still very much alive, though they may very well be the last of their kind.

On the Run AU - In a world where magic is both common and feared, those who show signs of being able to wield such powers are sent away to special ‘prisons’, never to be seen again. Kai, Cole, Zane, Lloyd, and Nya are all secretly magic users, hiding in plain sight in a small town with the help of Skylor, the town’s famous restaurant owner. What happens when another magic user appears, clearly having escaped from one of the many prisons..? [inspired by Divinity: Original Sin 2]

Wings AU - In Ninjago, there exists a select few individuals known as the Dragon’s Gifted, labelled as such by the wings upon their backs. The Gifted aren’t just able to fly - being given a dragon’s wings gives one their elemental powers as well. The ninja, Ninjago City’s very own superheroes, are such Gifted, and use their powers to protect their home from criminals and anything else that may endanger it.

Cryptid AU - There exists a secret organization, one no one is aware of, that captures and contains creatures that it believes are dangerous. Such creatures in its hold are the Storm Serpent, the Guardian of the Mountain, the Aitvaras, the North Star Serpent, and Winter’s Emissary. Lloyd, a low-ranking worker there, decides against their containment, and seeks to break them out. [loosely inspired by the SCP Foundation]

Horror AU - Lloyd, owner of a popular ‘ghost hunting’ show, frequently visits haunted places to discuss the rumors about them with his friends, Cole, Nya, Kai, and Zane. It all comes to a stop when he visits the popular abandoned clocktower in the city, and sees... A monster. [vaguely inspired by Buzzfeed Unsolved]

Monsters & Men AU - The prophecy of Creation has failed. The elements of Earth, Ice, and Lightning have gone missing, leaving Kai, Lloyd, and Nya all alone to defend the city from threats. Until one day, a gang of pirates docks, and the missing elements are brought to light. But the pirate crew, especially its captain, want nothing to do with the ninja.

Dreamscape AU - PIXAL, an android built to protect the realm of dreams and nightmares, is defeated by an unknown entity. Realizing she needs help, she retreats to the real world and seeks out six teens who had previously encountered the mysterious realm. Together with the sentient mech, Nyx, PIXAL hopes they can one day restore the realm of dreams to its proper state. [inspired by a dream i had. yes i’m serious. it happened 3 times]

-

CANON AUS

[AUs that exist within the original universe of ninjago]

Big Sip AU - When the ninjas’ elements go out of control, it causes a near-crisis, leaving Wu the only one who can save his students. With a special tea in his hand, and his staff in the other, he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to get his students back.

Bigger Sip AU - The plot of its predecessor, Big Sip, yet the ninjas’ crisis is just that much more extreme. When Wu finds them, they’ve already combined with their elements, leaving him to have to find alternate means to rescue them. He does, and they return to their original forms. All is well...

Biggest Sip AU - A similar story to Bigger Sip, with one key difference. When Wu tries to return the ninja to their original forms, they don’t change back. Instead, they regain their sanity, if not their bodies. More effort is required to bring them fully back, but how..?

Forever Superstar Rockin’ AU - During Prime Empire, one key difference is Jay never switches out of his Superstar Rockin’ avatar. When he returns to Ninjago to fight Unagami, he doesn’t revert back to his true appearance, instead remaining how he appeared in-game. This doesn’t change. He is stuck looking how he did in Prime Empire, forever.

Frozen AU - In the Never Realm, during Boreal’s attack on the village, Kai isn’t so lucky to avoid the same fate as the villagers. When the rest of the ninja get back, they’re just in time to see him freeze among the rest. Without Kai, how do they face Boreal at the palace of the Ice Emperor? And how will said Emperor react to this news..?

Universes Rising AU - [DATA LOCKED UNTIL SEASON ‘Dragons Rising’ RELEASES]

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[questions about my AUs? feel free to ask!]