#I FORGOT HOW TO DRAW TESSA

[cozylittleartblog]

not a hat guy u _ u he hits his antennas on it

was reminded that i wanted to draw val based on this post

[gvnuzi]

TW: BLOOD AND BODY HORROR

(I think?)

She’s so fucking creepy and gross I love her

[electrozeistyking]

I definitely had a lot more fun behind the scenes with Never Be Alone than I did with She's Gone. So here's the sillies, and some notes.

This is a guide video I made in cause I either forgot how I was rendering it, or I want to make a comic using this style again. I used Panel 3 because it was the original first panel. There is no audio, so you don't need to worry about unmuting it.

I did this with the flats for Panel 2 because it reminded me of a drawing featured in one of my earliest MD posts. This quote has had me in a choke-hold ever since I made it (by the way, I named that drawing I mentioned: "Heyyy Biiitch!").

I wanted to make sure a few panels in this comic looked right, so I drew them with my finger (because I wanted to and I felt like it). N's face looks so derpy here and that's by choice.

I made this because SolverUzi looked like she was accusingly pointing at N. The Solver does seem petty to me, so I feel like It'd do this. Fun fact, that's why It's wearing Uzi's face and why It didn't heal her hand: just so It can rub salt in N's wounds and call him "big brother" like Cyn does to SERIOUSLY fuck with him.

Pre-Gaussian Blur on the dialogue! This is another panel I drew with my finger to ensure it'd look right later on. The "BASICALLY HIGH AS BALLS" note was added because of his face. It's actually sad in context of the comic, seeing as this is one of the few moments where N genuinely smiles.

TESSA FOR THE WIN, BABY! I made this because I said "Whoa, suddenly Tessa!" at one point while working on this panel. As for the "Chekhov's stabby stick" part... I mean, come on. There was a closeup of that blade for approximately two seconds. If that's not a surprise tool they can use for later, I don't know what is.

There is no reason for this one beyond "I thought it was funny." It just exists and there's nothing we can do about it.

Imagine if I actually went with either this quote or "Well, that could've been a whole lot worse." I had to pick between them for a sillier take on this panel, but imagine if Tessa ACTUALLY said "Well, shit" after all that?

Anyway, that's all the sillies and the notes! :D

[chubs-deuce]

as I'm working away on my fic planning stuff I had one image that I couldn't get out of my head until it was drawn and then realized I lowkey forgot how to draw Nigel?

No matter what I did, it just wouldn't look right. Then I switched brushes and all was fine again suddenly? I also missed drawing Tessa with her hair down so there's a few sketches of her too lol

[definesanity]

Bite Me (Taken Literally)

'What the fuck?'

Uzi had no filter, and never had. She forgot to install that update. But thank Robo-God she did.

Because she was dumbfounded.

She was the weird kid, the one who nobody liked; heck, she's pretty sure half her class doesn't even know she exists, let alone knows her name.

Which was why she was befuddled at a letter in her locker, asking her to visit a certain location.

Uzi had common sense, despite what many say. And so she used it. And deicided to always have her flight reflexes ready, no matter what happens.

Arriving, there was... nothing. Of note. It was just a regular cabin, much smaller than the ones in camp she's been wanting to visit.

She then heard... something. A noise would describe it, given she couldn't pinpoint it. And it came from a bed. Because of course there's a bed. Why wouldn't there be a bed?

Uzi slowly walked up the bed, thinking on what she'll find; maybe a dead Drone? A human? Heck, anything will do...

Pulling it back... to nothing. Just a bed.

"Huh. Maybe I am a bit paranoid..." she muttered to herself, and turned around to face the most horrific thing she's ever seen.

"JUMPSCARE." the thing wearing the skin ('Holy shit it's a human girl fused with a Disassembley Drone?!') announced, as it tackled Uzi on to the bed, arms pinned via weird tendrils.

The girl gazed down at her, her tongue hanging out of her mouth as two golden Xs shown amid the dark void of where eyes should be. "SMUG LAUGH. SLOW REACTION TIME THERE, BUDDY."

"Screw you!" Uzi attempted to kick the girl, but her legs were pinned down. The girl crawled on to her.

And without warning, bit her neck like a vampire.

Code flew past her eyes at a speed she couldn't understand, and then, it was gone. Leaving only Uzi and the girl.

"Who the hell are you?!" the self-proclaimed angsty teen demanded, with the Disassembley Drone/Human thing looking back. Being honest, she felt braver than she should be.

"MM. I AM THE SOLVER O-O-OF THE ABSOLUTE FABRIC. THE VESSEL IS TESSA. SHE WAS A GOOD FRIEND, UNTIL. WHIMSICAL SIGH. SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO SEE IT, BUT, WELL. HERE WE ARE."

"You killed a child?!" Uzi shook her head, looking at Tessa. "Okay, sure, yeah, but still, really?! ...Wait, you're the thing that was--hold on, what the heck did you inject me with?!"

Tessa only giggled, as the tendrils went from Uzi's arms and legs and allowed Uzi to move.

"YOU WILL SEE, SOON. EVIL, LAUGHTER."

And then, she was gone.

"What the fuck?"

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

"Sheesh, who looked at you wrong today?" V commented later on, as Uzi sat on the ship's chair looking sullen.

"Bite me." Uzi shot back, doing her hardest to sketch the thing. She also did eleven different scans of her software and hardware, and even her circuitry, but couldn't find anything amiss.

"Rude." V leaned back in her chair, looking around. "Where's N?"

"You tell me." she had started to draw the thing's ribbon, next, being done with the head.

"Hunting, then. I feel sorry for the guy, doesn't know what he's missing."

"Missing what, having to listen to you?" Uzi had started to draw the Xs.

"Chatting with you."

The Worker Drone stopped. She blinked, looking at V. "Say what."

"Exactly! For a Worker Drone, anyways, you're actually interesting. Not every day that happens. Or ever."

Uzi replied by not replying, going back to drawing.

"What are you even doing?"

"Got attacked, drawing the attacker, if the court was still here that would be wonderful."

"Really? Court?"

"Hey, before you lot came we had a civilization; never saw it myself, but some of my Dad's friends talked about how one of them tried to win a divorce case. It was really boring, the way he told it, but I was a kid who had nothing better to so than look through the Internet, so I listened for the full three hours.

"What what did I get? A headache, someone's life story, and wishing we could have court again so I could disown my dad." Uzi finished her story with a loud sigh, opening her eyes.

V was looking at her with muted surprise. "...Got any other stories?"

"Wha--You're interested?"

"Hey, anything is better than sitting on my ass doing nothing. Speaking of, did you know that--?"

"--There is a setting that makes our bodies more human? Yes, I do, and I shudder to imagine what was going through their minds while making us."

She finally finished putting the last details on the sketch. "Okay, finally done. If you see this girl, tell I don't exist."

She presented the drawing to V, who blinked at it, and an emotion flew past her face. Then, it was gone, and V nodded. "Eh, fine. Anyways, stories, please."

"Ugh, fine. What do you want."

"Ever killed someone?"

"No, but I have committed several acts of violence against my classmates."

"Kinda hot." V said it with such a straight face Uzi had to pause. Then, what she said hit her.

"...I'm gonna... get some fresh air." Uzi started to get up and move towards the hatch, but a hand grabbed her arm.

"What, sick of lil' ol' me?"

Uzi just rolled her eyes (as best as she could, anyways) and left.

None saw the code flashing by V's visor, or how V's eyes softened looking at Uzi.

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

Lunch time arrived, and Uzi sat by herself. Not solely because she was a loner (that was one half of the reason), but because she preferred it.

Unfortunately, a hand touched her shoulder, and Uzi felt her solitude ending.

"Heya, um..." of all the people, Uzi had Lizzy had the bottom of her list. "...Uzi, right?"

"...Yes...?" tread carefully, who knows what she wants...

"Oh, I was right then, good; hey, listen, could I borrow you for a sec? Cool, thanks!"

"Woah--hey, what the hell?!" Uzi was then dragged away, her not giving an answer but Lizzy answered for her.

Through the corridors the two walked and walked (or, in Uzi's case, dragged and dragged), when the two ended up in Lizzy's dorm (she thinks it is. She could have been dragged into an empty one). Her arm was let go of.

"So. Uzi. Gotta be honest, I like your style."

"...Sty...? What, my clothes?"

"Yes, your clothes!" Lizzy rolled her eyes, walking ahead of Uzi. "Love the goth look, by the way. Gives you an approachable look, and makes people wonder if you're actually a softie underneath that cold exterior."

"...Where is this going." Uzi was not annoyed, just short of patience. "Is this about prom? It's about prom, isn't it?"

"Duh! I could go the classic, popular girl look but, let's be honest, it gets stale. Soooooooo me and Doll were trying to find new ideas and, well, here you are!"

"...Okaaaaay... where is Doll, anyways?"

["Hey."]

Uzi near enough punched Doll in the face, only for the Russian Drone to catch it.

That time, Uzi did see the code flying past her visor, and was able to catch some of it:

'OVERRIDE_ACTIVE'

'CONTACT=TRUE: BYPASS DEFENSES'

"...Byyyyyyyyyeeeeeeee."

Uzi wisely sprinted away, taking her as fast as her little legs can carry her, which was into her room.

--------

She breathed a sigh of relief, and fell on to the lower end of her bed.

Then jumped further up, as the thing licked her face.

"You again?!"

"SAD LOOK. DID YOU, NOT MISS ME, UZI?" Tessa attempted to look sad, but failed due to the lack of motor functions. In better light, Uzi can see just how grafted the girl was on to the Worker Drone, and she held back on vomiting for the time being.

"Well, I can get answers! Just... first things first, what the hell is your relationship with my mom?!"

"AH, NORI. SHE WAS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE HOSTS. SHE IS DEAD NOW, UNFORTUNATELY. BUT, REALLY, WHAT CAN YOU DO?" The AbsoluteSolver shrugged, looking less than sorry.

"...You motherfucker...!" Uzi felt angry, and rightfully so, but she held back due to the thing having the advantage, given its ability to make holograms.

"OOPSIE-DAISY."

This could not get worse.

"Heya, Uzi!"

IT CAN GET WORSE IT CAN GET WORSE IT CAN GET SO MUCH WORSE--

"Sorry about that, I was just fixing up a door! Heh, you know what they sa--" Khan cut himself off, looking at the scene in front of him: Uzi on her bed, with a fleshy-looking thing on top of her. "...U-Uzi--?"

"IT'S A PUPPY!" Uzi screamed out.

"...W-What?"

"...Y-Yeah! Turns out um, humans kinda... made up what they looked like, yeah! Sure they're... kinda weird looking, but they're adorable, in their own... creepy. Fleshy. Way. Er. Yeah!"

"...I see!" Khan believed her. Somehow. "Well, take care of them, Uzi!"

She waited until the door was closed, and let out a huge sigh of relief.

She glared at the Solver. "You're going to tell me everything I want to know. Got it?"

"AFFIRMATIVE SMILE."

"ALSO, WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT, ME BEING CUTE?"

"Screw off. Now, answer me. What the fuck did you inject me with?!"

"DO YOU LIKE IT? I MADE IT MYSELF."

"Can't answer that if you don't tell me what it even does!"

"AN ANTITHESIS TO YOUR SOLITUDE. AN ANSWER TO YOUR LONELINESS."

"I'm not lonely, excuse you! I have N!"

"EYE ROLL. SURE. IT OVERRIDES DRONES TO FEEL CARING TO YOU. I." Tessa looked sheepish, as weird as it sounds. "WENT EXCESSIVE BY ACCIDENT. CONSIDER IT AN APOLOGY FOR KILLING NORI."

"Pretty shit apology, not gonna lie." came the dry reply. Uzi got off the bed and stood up, looking at the corpse. "But why me?"

"..." silence only came from the thing.

"...I'm gonna leave. Come on, I'll take you for a walk or whatever it is they do."

"GET ZIP BOMBED."

As soon as Tessa said that, Uzi had a zip file open on how to care for a puppy.

...Ugh, she's in for it now, isn't she...?

[workwaffle]

So just a bit of pre-show speculation because I'm a sucker for theorization, possible spoilers below, so do click away if you're not interested in getting spoiled. I also will bring in a chunk of information I saw in the merch leak, which does complicate and make the teaser seem even more ominous than at first blush.

So, if you've clicked to hear, I've shoved all the caps I could gather from that info blast near the teaser end that, I think, are actually relevant. Plus the dog. Oh, and an update to this scene;

The first thing I'm going to go with is we'll learn that N killed Nori. Just based off those first pictures of N, adorned with his mass murder X and smiling, shown right next to Nori's name tag getting soaked in oil. I think this one doesn't require that much explanation, so I'm just going to leave it at that.

Also, as is an open secret from this teaser and the leaks, Uzi is getting possessed. We all seen this coming, hell, dead end walked us to the pearly gates of demonic possession. But what, I think, is interesting is how it looks like it's going to happen. They seem to be hinting at 3 different ways here;

Doll or Tessa injures Uzi, pushing her over the edge. This is drawing from the image of her clutching her eye and Doll, looking angry in front of something. It could also have come from Tessa, as we see her grab her sword while standing in front of Uzi. Either one trying to stop what is about to manifest

Uzi learns that N killed Nori, pushing her down the edge of emotional instability and allowing her to let the solver in.

Some combination of the two, especially if the following point is true. Proper actual spoilers ahead, so if you don't want them, click away now!

Given the leaked description of the J plush, we can assume Tessa and J are working at the behest of the solver. So what if Tessa shows Uzi the clip of N killing her mom, maybe after showing her the clip of her mom collapsing the core. Then, to complete Uzi's transformation into a full-blown solver puppet, Tessa kills or maims Uzi. Essentially severing all her connections to the material world, i.e. N, her life, and in someway Nori.

Effectively, we end with N heartbroken, Uzi Fully taken over, Tessa and J dead or soon to be given their poor choice in employer, and Doll in god knows what state! Oh, and V is nowhere to be seen, so I think it's a good bet that she is, in fact, not coming on tonight's program.

I can not begin to articulate what level of hyped I am to see this unfold!

(Edit: I also forgot to mention, the tri-prong Uzi and the scene with the car run concurrent as far as I can tell. You can see the object behind the solver Uzi, floating in the fore of the car's scene. So it seems the solver is going to waste no time in bending the wastes of Copper-9 to its will.)

[ria-writes-stories]

When it's all over, what do you think of?

Ship: OilRose (J x V) Genre: Glass, Romance Character focus: J Note: The last fiction of MD, and the last for so much longer ----------------

(No one's pov)

How cruel is it to be alive? A human will say it's terribly so, but what about a drone? A drone is not allowed to speak up their mind, a drone has to obey commends, a drone that plays by the rules efficiently is a good drone, a drone that doesn't, is an abomination that has to be removed from the system. So what does an efficient drone do when it is place in an environment filled with incompetent drones?

They become responsible, every single mistake, every single slip off, if she didn't punish themselves from time as a form of protection, then all would have ended up gone long ago. She calls it tough love, they call it toughness, she doesn't care how much of a bad guy she is, she refuses to allow the ones she has been instructed with to fall to the very hands of their creators. J was an efficient drone, and she had one clear job, be head maid, be the head, be the leader, be the mind, take care of them, even when it hurts me, do what must be done, it's an order, but it is also an aching heart who has saw the horrors of humans. They do not care for their own kin, they do not care for their own blood, so now that she is meant to care for all of these drones that are nowhere near being related to her as they are all just bolts attached together by heat and screws, she can not help but take on this role as she was instructed to do, doing whatever cruel punishment the masters demand, stepping to the side whenever one drone gets sent to the crows, because she can't risk to loose everyone for just one person, as dear as that person is, and she had no strength to gain from her human either. Tessa was just a child, J knew that, but in human terms, while J was indeed a tool equipped with artificial intelligence able to complete all of these tasks, they forgot where the developing AI may find itself asking a million questions. That is what made J different, she did not ask questions because she knew they were pointless, however, it did not mean that she was not present, she had a heart, she truly felt, but she knew better than to disobey, she knew better than to loose everything all over again, she knew better than to give herself a fake heartache. She was a drone! She has no excuses for being sloppy! She has to keep her head up, she is the leader of the squad…

But he was the favorite. 'N!' 'O-oh, sorry, I wasn't looking.' Tessa's favorite drone… her favorite drone. What could she do to catch her attention. She was the chef maid, and yet, she couldn't get a single glimpse from her eyes like she looked at N. N had a good heart but one too big for his own good or the good of others for that matter… he didn't know where to draw the line, she did, so then why would V so irrationally choose him over her? Why would Tessa pick N as her favorite? No. She didn't need to question Tessa, not because she was human, but because she knew what Tessa went through, and J long accepted that she will only be a 'partner in crime' for her, a guard, a supervisor, a side character in the story, if N brought her comfort than she will allow it, that is why in front of Tessa, J avoided any snappy comments, but when it came to V…? She couldn't allow it. She refused. She refused to let this beautiful perfect heart fall in love with one that would break her heart without scratching his. She pushed him, she kicked him, she kept him away from her, she kept her away from him, she tried to make her see all that she could offer her, but her eyes were forever locked on someone that couldn't even give her half of what she could. Why? Was she not efficient enough? Was she not good enough? Was she not the perfect model? She could offer her protection. She knew how to fight, she knew how to do so many things that all the other drones didn't, and yet, yet she still only had eyes for him. What did he have? There was no rational answer to it, just like there was no logical answer as to why she would ache when she saw her either.

Why would she short circuit? She went to the mechanic so many times, she insisted there is something wrong with her, she insisted there was something missing, something broken, but no diagnosed was put, therefore nothing was done to her system. J knew she was broken, she knew that if she admitted it, she would be disposed, she knew that she would never see them again, any of them, so, she kept quiet. The day V passed out, J was devastated, but she wasn't allowed to show it, she had to continue to do her duties, otherwise the Elliots would have a reason more to rid of them, and she wasn't going to risk it… yet nothing that she did was enough.

Meanwhile he was with her all the time neglecting his duties, in truth putting V at greater in danger with his foolishness. She had to carry these sins on her back, and when V woke again she was not herself, so, she had to fight her, she made sure not to hurt her, just throw her off and scare her, she regretted even that much but she knew it was ideal.

A new began after that, pitch blackness and then the bright sparkle of hope. She forgot everything, and then she was doomed to remember it all… She fell in love, all over again, this time not with a fragile maid but with a slightly psychotic and deranged drone, she still had to be stoic, she still had to be the leader, but now that they carried the same responsibilities it felt as if they could get closer, N was useless and worthless as per usual, and for once she thought that V thought the same, she displayed resentment towards him, at the very least weirdness towards his presence, but… there was no sparkle, no light, nothing, just hunger and madness, and it hurt, to see the person you care about most loose themselves, it was worse than death, so, quietly to herself J made one wish. 'Let me receive what means death, if it means that she will be happy'.

Lo and behold it happened, to her surprise, to her utter shock, she was bested, she was gone in a deep sleep for who knows how long but she woke up again…would that mean that her wish did not come true? Would it mean that whatever happiness she could have had up until she woke up will all be taken away from her? She had to make sure her crew was fine, even traitorous worthless N.

When she saw them again yes they were all fine, but what she trully sought out were her eyes. Did her wish work? Did she get to be happy? She wasn't allowed to find out, not for now, she was given another mission, and for the greater good of her, for the long run, she had to obey it, bigger things were ahead of them, and as per usual J having the bigger picture as she was right next to Tessa at all times, so, she had to do what was required to ensure all of their safety, she just hopped that she could experience seeing her joy again. She wished that they could both be joyful…for once.

The strange pony tailed girl was always a mystery to V. She was so cold and tough and yet she meant well, they got along well, she was a great friend, she was good, she was a good memory, but she didn't remain a memory, she remained the same regardless of what has happened, and that must have been the most comforting thing in V's life. Once Uzi blasted J, V didn't get to feel too much, she had other things to worry about, she took that from J. She learned a lot from her, sometimes she wondered how many things she could have learnt from her if she didn't waste time chasing boys that didn't even glimpsed her way. He was not ready for the type of love she came with, so he naturally went to someone even more broken than him, not realising that it meant even more work and love than he was ever capable of showing her when he was at peek of being in love with her. He really was an useless idiot, and she was a dumb girl for loving him to begin with.

"V! WE NEED YOU!" "Nah… Uzi, I trust you."

Darkness, is that what J felt? Is that what it looked like? Will she open her eyes ever again? Would she…?

"V!" A faint voice called over as her eyes slowly began to open, but everything was so blurry, yet…colorful. "You got to be more careful!" A familiar voice told her as her glasses were placed right back on her eyes. "What… is… J?" V asked beyond confused as the other girl simply smiled. "You always looked better with glasses on." "Why-?" "Because that way you can see like we do and you get to experience just as much joy!" V was beyond baffled, was this even J? Was she somewhere in the solver's mind…? What was happening?

"J we- I- I am pretty sure I died, N and Uzi… and you went off- how are you- how are we here?" V asked as she looked around to see a seemingly endless version of the Elliot garden in spring, when it was full of life. "Did you ever think of what you truly want?" J said looking at a flower with sadden eyes as V looked at her startled, what was with her voice? What was with her eyes? V never saw J like this.

"Miss me! Miss me! Now you gotta kiss me!" "V STOP SAYING THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS!"

V shot her head up to see her younger self running away from a younger version of J, back when life was so much simpler, when they just had to take orders, fulfil them, and not have to worry with the world absolutely ending. V looked with at it all with a mixture of pain, sadness, grief, shock and realisation. She knew why she was here now…

"Well, what does it mean?" "It's… it's a weird things humans do! Don't say that ever again! You don't know what someone who knows what it means will do if they hear it!" "What's so bad for it?" The young maid asked clueless as she looked up at her superior and best friend. J looked away embarrassed and then took her hand gently and kissed it. "This. This is a kiss. A kiss can be placed everywhere, and apparently a kiss on the lips is real big deal, because it's super important, one on the hand too, but it the hand one is also an act of politeness! There are also cheek kisses made out of affection and they can be considered as friendly. I showed you this one so you know that no one that is not close enough to you should be allowed to kiss you anywhere other than your hand." V explained as V blushed a little bit from delight and excitment. "Then I hope N kisses me on the lips if I ever get to say this to him!" At those words J's face dropped completely, her eyes widened, her mouth shut, forming a small pout, as her hands stood limply at her side, before immediately looking away realising the weakness she was showing.

"J? What's wrong?" V asked, only now noticing something changed when J turned around. J simply squeezed her eyes shot as she clenched her fists before looking back at V with a small smile. "Nothing, nothing at all. Come on, want me to teach you more of those human courting ways?" "Yes please!" V said excitedly, completely blind to what was unfolding in front of her despite having her glasses on.

"Alright, there's another game with flowers. You take a flower of your choice and pluck it's petals and-" "But why?" "Let me finish. At each petal you have to say 'love me' or 'love me not', like this." J said as she picked a dandelion and showed her, and of course she landed on the last petal with 'love me not'. "And…what does the last petal mean?" "It shows if they do or do not love you…" "Oh-!" V said. "Does that mean your person doesn't love you? I'm so sorry J-" "No-! No… it's fine, I don't love anyone I just did this to show you." J said as she looked away. A lie. V watched all of this in silence. She only learned much later on that J would look away when she would lie, but back then she didn't know.

"Now, here's a trick… if the flower has an even number, start with 'love me not' and if it has an uneven number start with 'love me'." "But why?" "So you can end up on 'love me' always-" "J! Why did you say that! Now it's not as special anymore!" V whined as J's eyes began to search around frantically.

"If I had to choose, I'd do it all over again, without skipping a beat." J said as she opened her eyes, facing the only thing she could never do. Looking at those sad eyes that looked like a beaten dog left out in a storm. "It made me feel alive, in the worst ways possible, but with the best pain possible." J said as a small smile cracked up on her face. "I hoped to never see your face in pain ever again, but clearly that is another wish that didn't come true for me." J said weakly with a sheepish look in her eyes as V's vision once again turned blurry, but not because her glasses fell off, but because tears were building up in them.

When it all came to an end, J thought of V. When it all came collapsing for V, she still thought of the same person that ruined her life yet helped her fight to even get a taste of what being alive felt.

Horror struck into the hearts of the poor humans, innocent or not, the drones were now nothing bu killing machines feasting on their flesh, and the happiest memories of them being together was devouring the same corpse as J spread her wings and protected V from the rain of bullets aimed at them.

When it's all over, what do you think of? I think of what I have gained, I think of how it changed me for the better, I use the worst parts for the better future. Now when this journey comes to an end, I thank you all that have joined this brief chapter of my journey to achieving my dreams. I thank you for watching someone who despises love novels go out of their way to write love stories as they believe they should be written. I thank you for reading stories that help my growth in experience, that help me learn more and realise more, that help me practice for what it is to come. I thank you all for the moments that will forever be a small bundle of joy when I will ever need to remind myself as to 'why?'. I thank you, and I hope that in the long run of this future, you will be willing to read stories of great adventure, of pain, of love, of hope, of hate, of all that makes one feel alive. Thank you.

The end

[nyaifyz]

pink swap au. now /nf

Anonymous....who are you and why are you in my walls/j

AU info can be found in tags, but here is some old doodles & some notes >:3

Lizzy and Uzi have been rivals for years even though they were once childhood best friends. 

Noah has a huge crush on Veronica, who only seems to forget who he is. It's said Veronica has dissociative amnesia. 

Jessica is the rudest out of the trio, constantly targeting Noah when Uzi isn’t there.

Vivia and Nori are assumed to have been friends, but after their deaths, no one ever mentions their names or the stories they once shared. 

Noah and Uzi are siblings and partners in solving crime! 

Noah is a detective in training.

Lizzy and T eventually gain a sibling-like bond.

Lizzy admires Doll for her disassembly drone abilities.

R is a jerk to everyone, with no exceptions other than Tessa.

Noah witnessed Khan’s death but is unable to remember who killed him.

After Khan’s death, Uzi inherits the Worker Defence Force.

Uzi builds weapons during her free time, mainly guns for her team.

Uzi’s railgun was a prototype that ends up getting stolen by Lizzy.

Jessica often stalks Lizzy to spread rumors about her.

Lizzy and Veronica are secretly friends, but avoid each other in public. 

Both Uzi and Lizzy have the Absolute Solver and are unaware that each other have it.

Uzi keeps her ability a secret, only Noah has seen her use it.

D is nicknamed the Russian Doll, but only Lizzy actually calls her Doll.

Old doodles/concepts I will redraw cuz ew my art

PLS I FORGOT HOW TO DRAW N HE LOOKS SO WEIRD AS A WD 💀 def redrawing

Lizzy likes violence

Drawing request of D wearing cat wears

[alj4890]

Just You and Me

(Prince Ellis Rhys x Emily Beaumont) in a Choices The Royal Romance *While We're Young AU* drabble

Thirty Kisses in Thirty Days Challenge with the prompt: a kiss given between ocean waves.

Rating G for the fluffiest of fluff.

A/N It's been a really, really long time since I last wrote for these two. Ellis is the younger son of Liam and Riley while Emily is Maxwell's youngest child. In this AU, they have been best friends. Though the series hasn't caught up to this point 😬 here's a glimpse of what their relationship will eventually become 😉

@krsnlove @hopelessromantic1352 @lodberg @twinkleallnight @tessa-liam @sirbeepsalot

Masterlist

On a private beach, Cordonia...

"Is it just us today?" Emily asked.

"Just you and me." Ellis fluffed out a blanket they could lay on.

He dug around in a bag for their needed items for an afternoon at the beach.

Emily eyed the expanse of empty sand.

"I would have thought some of the others would want to come along."

She dropped to her knees behind him, reached for some sunblock, and began to rub it into his back.

Ellis's eyes drooped closed at the feeling of her massaging his sore muscles. After weeks of polo matches followed by numerous council meetings, the young prince needed a day like this.

He couldn't think of a more perfect person to spend time with at the beach than Lady Emily Beaumont.

Which might be why Ellis intentionally forgot to invite their older siblings and friends...

"There we go." Emily crawled around until she was in front of him. "Now get my back for me, please."

Ellis did as asked. His hands lingered along her smooth skin, drawing lazy circles in the process. His lips curved as he drew their initials within a heart in the white cream.

"That tickles!" Emily squirmed under his hands.

He quickly smoothed the sunblock before she could question what he was doing back there.

The two finished up covering their bodies with another layer of protection then flopped back on the blanket.

"Why does it feel so good out here?" She muttered with a yawn.

"Because we've been cooped up inside the palace for so long." He reminded her.

"I guess we have."

She turned on her side to look at him. Emily's eyes traced along his profile. They next moved down to his chest rising and falling slowly with deep breaths.

Without opening his eyes, he grinned to himself.

"I know what you're doing and it isn't going to work." He mumbled.

"Me?" She replied in an overly dramatic, innocent fashion. "Why, whatever could you mean?"

"You're thinking about how to get me into the water." He cracked open his eyes to see her dimples deepening. "I demand, as a prince of Cordonia, to be allowed at least one lazy nap in the sun before jumping in."

Emily sighed and returned back to her former position. She stretched her arms over her head while also lifting each leg in various positions. She held the poses for the count of twenty before doing another. After years of ballet, she couldn't relax properly without going through the simple exercises.

Ellis watched her do each one. His attention drifted along her lithe body being pulled taught then released.

With a final stretch, she closed her eyes with a contented sigh.

She let out a startled yelp that turned into a laugh when Ellis rolled over on top of her.

"Excuse me, your highness," she teased, "but you're blocking the sun."

"Am I?" He rubbed his nose against hers. "Are you certain?"

"I'm pretty sure you are." She wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Then as a gentleman, I should move, shouldn't I?"

"You've always been a gentleman."

"I try." He winked at her.

"No, you don't. You succeed. It's a part of your nature." Her hands rubbed up and down his back. "That's why all the ladies love you. You're so considerate."

"Is that the reason?" He pressed a tender kiss to her cheek.

"Mmhmm." Her eyes closed as he moved to kiss her other cheek. "There are other reasons too."

"I don't really care about what those other ladies love." He murmured against her lips.

"No?"

"No."

"Oh." She pressed his body close to her as their mouths moved over each other's.

She loved how easily they moved into this new relationship. After years of only seeing each other in a "friends only" light, once the blinders were removed over how perfect they would be as a couple, neither hesitated to take that next step.

Emily had been with enough jerks over the years to know how incredibly special it was to be loved by someone like Ellis. He was her hopeless romantic. Everything he did for her was in the hopes that he was making her happy. Since she loved to see him smile, she nearly tripped over herself to do the same for him.

Her sister, Nicky, teased her about them being like Pride and Prejudice's Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennett. She loved to apply the quote about the fictional couple, that Mr. Bennet said, to Emily and Ellis.

"I have not a doubt of your doing very well together. Your tempers are by no means unlike. You are each of you so complying, that nothing will ever be resolved on; so easy, that every servant will cheat you; and so generous, that you will always exceed your income."

Emily could see it happening. They both were easy going, always up for whatever anyone else was for, and did all they could for those they loved. For the most part, each possessed the same sunny dispositions along with the tender hearts their fathers were notorious for. It was no wonder they'd always been close since they were so like minded.

This new intimacy though was nothing short of delicious. Her toes curled the moment he deepened the kiss. Each brush of his tongue made the warmth from his touch rival that of the sun.

She loved having him all to herself. She especially loved it now that they were a couple. Everything her prince did brought her nothing short of joy.

Ellis propped himself up on his elbows once the kiss ended and gazed down upon a face he sometimes thought he knew better than his own. He'd always loved her. Being near her lifted his spirits unlike anyone else he knew. She knew him better than his family and their friends. But being in love with her was a whole new experience, one he found had been missing from his life.

She smiled at him, her own eyes tracing the features of his handsome face.

"Weren't you about to take a nap?" She teased.

"And waste time alone with you?" He shook his head before pushing off of her.

She giggled when he lifted her off the blanket and carried her over his shoulder towards the ocean.

"Ellis! Don't--"

He dropped her into the water.

Emily shot up, still laughing as she brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"Now you've done it!" Her attempt to sound sinister was ruined with her delighted smile.

Ellis caught her in his arms when she launched herself at him. He laughed over her failed attempts to knock him under the water.

"Give up, Em." He locked her arms behind her back. "You've never been able to beat me at sparring."

"Maybe because I'm more of a lover than a fighter." She reminded him.

"I always loved that about you." Ellis told her.

"Really?" She relaxed against him as they bobbed along the waves. "You don't wish I was a little tougher?"

"Why would I wish for something like that?" He asked.

"I don't know. I mean you are a prince."

"So?"

"So, princes should have protection just like princesses do. Right?"

"That's what the guards are for, sweetheart."

"I know that." She rolled her eyes at the obvious. "But, I've heard the stories about your parents. Aunt Riley was always ready to fight to protect your father. Shouldn't I be able to do that for you?"

Ellis cuddled her close. "Emily, you already give me what I need. All I want, all I ever wanted, was someone I could love with my entire heart and the ability to rest in knowing that she loved me with hers."

"No worries there." She pressed a tender kiss to his lips. "You've had my heart from the start, Ellis." Her eyes held his. "And you always will."

Ellis clutched her to him as her words sparked desire through him. Just as he began to get lost in her next kiss, a wave knocked them under the water.

They both struggled to stand up, sputtering and laughing at their partially drowned states.

"I think that's a sign from nature that we should go do that nap you were talking about." Emily took his hand and tugged him back to shore.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to nap within my arms?" He asked.

"Just try and stop me." She snuggled within his embrace once they were back on the blanket. "We Beaumont's are known for latching on with the grip of a squid."

Emily pressed another kiss to his cheek.

"There's no escape once I have my arms around you." She teased.

Ellis returned her kiss, relaxing once more in the sunlight.

"Trust me, Em. I have no desire to ever escape you."

[catsnraincoats-archive]

hey!

[secretsofblackthornhall]

Emma To Bruce

Dear Bruce,

We did it! The curse is broken! Rupert is free! Long live Rupert!

In retrospect, it’s insane how much of this we tried to do by ourselves. We should have known that when we finally succeeded we would do it with a whole team present—in this case Jem, Tessa, Kit, and Magnus. (Mina assisted by raising morale and drawing all over everything with her toy stele.)

Everyone’s still here, too, and we can relax a little in a newly uncursed house. (It really is quite homey, now that it’s been cleaned up and, you know, had its demonic aura dispelled.) Everyone except Magnus, who left this afternoon in a great rush to get back to New York.

New paragraph to talk about this, actually, because I have a lot of questions that don’t have answers and I can only ask you, Bruce. So Magnus was in a hurry to get back because of a meeting Alec is holding with Luke and some other Downworlders about plans for negotiating with the Cohort. Okay, but I feel like the Cohort doesn’t have much leverage, right? The situation is way worse for them than for us. We should be able to wait them out—shouldn’t we?

I mean they have a symbolic advantage, I guess. We’re all Shadowhunters and we all miss Idris and Alicante and Lake Lyn and probably a lot of us left stuff there we can’t get back and oh right, also a lot of people lived there who have had to evacuate all over the world and want to get back. I get that. But, like…what are the Cohort even eating in there? Idris doesn’t really grow food. Are they all homesteading in there? Raising crops? Churning butter? It’s kind of hard to imagine Zara doing any of that. But you never know. I mean, there aren’t even any demons to fight in there. Which is a good reminder that Shadowhunters are definitely not meant to hole up in Idris where there’s no demons for them to fight. I feel like Raziel was pretty clear on that point.

They must be losing their minds in there. I hope they found some board games or something.

Maybe Zara has declared herself Queen for Life and she doesn’t have to farm because she just marches around threatening to kill anybody who doesn’t grow her a potato right this instant.

Or maybe we haven’t heard anything because they all ate each other in there. Or maybe they mutinied against Zara and someone else gets to threaten to kill people now.

Okay, end of pondering the Cohort. I’m in a good mood, or was before I started this entry, anyway. We’ve been hanging out with Jem and Tessa and Kit and it’s really great. We ordered in Chinese (delivery couriers are always a bit terrified to come up the driveway, but we tip them like crazy so they’ve started to know us while we’ve been here). We lit candles—for ambience instead of for dark magic, what an idea!—and ate dumplings until we were too full to move, a thing I haven’t done since Magnus and Alec’s wedding. Apparently if I am offered dumplings, I will eat them until I become a dumpling myself. To that I say: I would never reject becoming that which I love most.

Anyway. Even Kit was less broody than usual tonight! He was hanging out with Round Tom and they seemed to be getting on okay. Oh, and I almost forgot! How could I forget! The workers found a coffin buried in the garden. But there was not a horrifying dead body inside, but rather a bunch of old stuff! Using a coffin as a time capsule seemed like a weird choice to me, but Tessa and Jem made some faces and some noises that suggested there was a long-ish story there we’ll have to ask about later.

Anyway, in the coffin was A SCABBARD FOR CORTANA. I mean, right? Can you believe it? Tessa said it used to belong to Cordelia Carstairs, who was Cortana’s wielder generations ago. The scabbard needs a lot of cleaning (a lot of cleaning) but then it can be reunited with Cortana. (After all, I think it’s probably more Cortana’s possession than anyone else’s; perhaps they’ll be happy to be reunited.)

There was also a sword for Julian—what used to be a Blackthorn family sword, but this one is only a hilt, its blade is totally missing, I have no idea why. He’s talking about getting it reforged. Big shock, Round Tom knows a guy. Triangular Jerry. No, I’m kidding on the name, but Round Tom actually does know a blacksmith and he and Julian have started talking about getting that done. (Actually, what Round Tom wants to do is have a forge installed at Chiswick, which is a cool idea, but do we want another building project on top of all the others? I mean, maybe, having a forge here at the house would be pretty cool.)

Oh, you might be wondering about Rupert’s ring, since it’s not like he could take it with him, and he hasn’t come back for it in a ghost way. Magnus checked it out and said no magic any more, just an ordinary ring Tatiana must have enchanted to bind Rupert. But none of us is going to wear it, of course. So we put it on the mantelpiece in the drawing room. Where it will remain.

The Gray-Carstairs-Herondaleses are heading back to Cirenworth tomorrow. It’s been really great having them here, but you know, it will be nice to have them go and have it be just Julian and I here in the house, not feeling creepy all the time. That seems like good times for us.

#

Bruce, good times are canceled. Everything’s gone wrong. I guess I was a little too smug about how everything was going; the universe had to come and screw it up for me.

Mina is gone.

And by gone I mean kidnapped.

And by kidnapped I mean, the kidnapper left a creepy old-timey porcelain doll (with wide, dead eyes, ugh) in her place, and a note.

I had just finished writing the above stuff when I heard a horrible scream from upstairs and loud footsteps, and came out to find everyone gathered in Mina’s room staring in horror.

I immediately thought oh no, another curse, or the same curse, the curse isn’t over, and maybe you did too, but that’s not what this is. This is something else entirely. Something involving faeries. Something involving Faerie.

Tessa picked up the note, read it, and handed it to Jem with a bad look on her face. Julian was already opening the window to see if anyone could be spotted outside, and I read over Jem’s shoulder:

[440mxs-wife]

Perfect Timing

Pairing: Bucky x Reader. Other Characters for the Series: Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff, Wanda Maximoff, Tony Stark, Bryce (OMC), Tessa (OFC

Word Count: 7606

Warnings: Miscommunication, Reader and Bucky Self-Doubt, Scheming Co-Workers, Drinking. As I am the Duchess of Fluffiness, here there be fluff.

Summary: While working in the offices of Stark Tower, you develop a friendship with the Avengers. Natasha and Wanda are your partners in crime, but you have your heart set on Bucky Barnes. A night out with your friends might turn that into something more, but not if others have a say about it.

A/N: This is my first time writing Marvel, so hope y’all like it! (image courtesy of IMDb)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Oh come on, you know you wanna go out with us tomorrow night," Natasha pleaded. The team had just gotten back after a successful mission. Everyone was looking to blow off some steam, and your friends were pleading with you to go out with them. "It'll be fun," she added.

"Nat, you know what kind of rotten week I had. First, I forgot my umbrella yesterday and got drenched when I was caught out in the rain. Second, my neighbor insists on playing heavy metal music at all hours of the night so I get virtually no sleep. Third, I ran out of coffee this morning and haven't had a chance to get more. I'm tired. All I want to do is get into some comfy clothes and fall asleep to a movie," you explained.

"All the more reason to come out for drinks with us!" Wanda pointed out. "You need drinks to forget how awful this past week was. Then you need to dance with someone. The whole team will be there," she mentioned. "Yes, even him."

You looked at Wanda with a raised eyebrow. She meant that the one and only James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes would be in attendance at the club tomorrow evening. The reason Wanda took the opportunity to point out this fact is that she knew about your massive crush on him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You'd been working at Stark Tower on the 42nd floor for some time, filing the "after-mission" reports for the Avengers. When you first met Bucky, it was a day that had started like any other, but it certainly didn't end that way. And you wouldn't change a thing about it.

Bucky had come into your office to turn in a report. You were sitting at your desk on your break, with your chair turned away from the office doors. Totally engrossed in your book, he apologized for startling you when he cleared his throat to announce his presence. You assured him you were so involved in your book that you didn't hear him sneak in, for which you apologized. Nervous laughter from both of you quickly led to a lively discussion of your favorite books, and a promise to sometime visit the library together.

With his now-short, spiky chestnut hair, soulful blue eyes and well-toned body, Bucky Barnes was a force to be reckoned with. Trouble was, a combination like that tends to draw admirers from all corners, especially your boss, Tessa. You hoped that she never managed to get her claws into Bucky. If she did, you knew any chance that he might notice you would be thrown out the window, down 42 floors and smashed on the pavement of Park Avenue.

In your observation, Bucky was kind of quiet, but charming, definitely handsome and you enjoyed his conversations. Being around him didn't scare you, and you relished every moment you spent with him. You were of the belief that the events that occurred during his time as the Winter Soldier were not his fault. Although it would always be a part of him, that was his past. You were interested in knowing more about the man he had become, and hoping for the chance someday to do just that.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day after your discussion with Nat and Wanda about going out, you were doing your usual, filing reports. Your coffee cup was empty, so you stepped into the break room for a refill. When you got back to your desk, a SHIELD agent named Bryce was waiting by your desk. You internally groaned, but put on your best smile. "Good morning, Bryce. What brings you here today?" you asked.

"Oh, I'm turning in my report from the last mission. I was going to just leave it on your desk, but I knew my day wouldn't be complete without seeing your bright, smiling face," he smirked.

Bryce had been trying to flirt with you enough to get you to go out with him on a date. He was tall, with wavy blond hair and brown eyes. He carried himself with a great deal of self-confidence, which to you bordered on arrogance. When he walked through the office on the way to your department, it did not escape anyone's notice. But your heart belonged to Bucky, and then there would always be that other pesky detail. You flat-out weren't interested in Bryce.

"Thank you, Bryce, I appreciate you turning it in so promptly. If I have any questions, I'll let you know," you replied. You gave him a quick smile before resuming your work.

Bryce spent a few more minutes trying and failing to keep your attention before finally leaving out of frustration. You waited until he was completely out of sight before chuckling to yourself and shaking your head.

In the afternoon, you put your earbuds in and turned on the classic rock music. As you moved about the office, certain songs made you dance a little, some made you sing softly to yourself. On your way back to your desk from a filing trip, you were reviewing a report as you walked. Had you been paying better attention, you wouldn't have run into what felt like a brick wall and landed on the floor.

"Whoa, are you okay?" the 'wall' asked.

You looked up to see that you had collided with none other than Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes. As in, the man who occupied your thoughts a good deal of the time. Taking the earbuds out, you scrambled to your feet and dusted yourself off after hitting the deck. "Oh my goodness, Sergeant Barnes!" you exclaimed. "I'm fine, should've been watching where I was going, though. Are you okay?" you wondered.

Bucky chuckled. "I'm fine, doll. No harm done whatsoever. Takes more than a pretty thing like you to knock me over," he winked.

You felt your cheeks grow warm with his last comment. "Oh, um, is there something I can help you with?" you asked.

Bucky felt himself staring and didn't realize you'd asked him a question, but he quickly recovered. "Hmm? Oh yeah, yeah, here's my report," he remarked, shoving the file into your hands. "By the way--" he started.

"Hello, Sergeant Barnes," a sultry voice behind him said. Tessa. You narrowly suppressed the urge to repeatedly pound your head on your desk.

"Hello, Tessa," Bucky responded politely.

"Congratulations on a successful mission. I hope it was without any major injuries to anyone, especially yourself?" Tessa inquired.

"Everyone's fine, thank you for your concern," Bucky added, then turned to you. "So, if you have any questions about my report, you'll call me, right?" he asked pointedly.

"Yes, that's right, Sergeant Barnes," you replied.

"I heard the team is going out tonight to celebrate. I happen to have this evening free, maybe I could join you," Tessa persisted, sliding her hands up his chest.

Could she be any more obvious? you thought, rolling your eyes. If she goes out with them, I am definitely going home. Nat and Wanda will just have to understand.

Bucky retreated a couple of steps until Tessa got the hint and removed her hands. "I heard a couple of them talking about it, but I don't know if anything's been decided," Bucky answered before turning to leave. "I should get going, though. Ladies, it was a pleasure, have a good rest of your day." He waved goodbye as he walked to the elevators.

"That is one gorgeous specimen of a man," Tessa observed, staring after him. "I need to find out where they're going tonight," she muttered.

You huffed and smirked to yourself as you added the data to the file on your screen. Tessa's eyes narrowed as she glared at you. "What, like you know?" she snorted.

"Actually, I do know, and it's because I've been invited. Natasha and Wanda were talking to me about it last night," you retorted. And I'm not telling you squat, you silently added.

"Have you decided if you're going?" Tessa asked. She must have sensed your hesitation, because she added, "Probably just as well you shouldn't. Not like anyone would pay attention to you anyway. With the company you'd be traveling in, they're more likely to get noticed than you would be," she remarked. "Don't work too hard," she threw back at you before leaving your area.

Tessa's parting shot helped you to make up your mind about whether or not you would join your friends and go out tonight. You picked up your phone and pressed a number in your contacts. "Hey, Wanda? What time are you and Tash leaving to go out tonight?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

That afternoon, Natasha and Wanda entered the kitchen for a snack. Wanda asked if the plan was still on for going out tonight, which Steve confirmed. When Natasha mentioned that she had asked you to join them, Bucky nearly choked on his drink.

"You okay there, Buck?" she asked.

"Yeah," he rasped. "Wrong pipe," he said.

"Are you sure it was that, or the fact that I invited our friend to join us? You know her, the one down on 42 that files our reports," Nat explained.

Bucky nodded in understanding. Natasha smirked at him then exited the kitchen, along with everyone else except Steve. As soon as everyone was gone, Bucky turned to his best friend. "Stevie, what am I gonna do?" he whispered.

"About what?" Steve asked, then took a closer look at his best friend. "Wait a minute, you like this girl from 42, don't you? That's what you're so flustered about," he grinned.

"Zip it, punk. So--so what if I do like her? What's not to like?" he remarked. Then he told Steve about how he likes to hang around and talk with you after he's turned in his paperwork. That he loves to hear your laugh at his feeble attempts at humor. He mentioned how earlier down in your office, you literally ran into him because you weren't paying attention.

Steve laughed. "Look, just keep being yourself, it seems to be working for you so far. She may be from the office, but she's been to movie nights a few times. Seems like she fits right in," he observed.

Bucky nodded. "It's so adorable how she sings and dances when no one's around, and she's got her earbuds in. She's sweet and smart and always greets me with the most beautiful and genuine smile when I come by her office," he grinned. Tonight might just turn out all right after all, he mused as he headed to his room to get ready.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Natasha and Wanda convinced the Tower's car service driver to stop by your apartment to pick you up. You were wearing a ruby red A-line dress with a halter top neckline and a skirt with a hem that stopped just above your knee. The material flowed as you walked to the car in your beige T-strap shoes with a low block heel.

"Whoa, mama! YOU are gonna knock Bucky's socks off tonight," Natasha exclaimed.

"Thank you Nat, but you're exaggerating. There will be plenty of other women at the club tonight to catch his eye and 'knock his socks off', as you say," you muttered, settling back in your seat.

"Honey, relax, we're here to blow off some steam, remember? And if you and Bucky create a little, well then...." Wanda trailed off with a grin as you closed your eyes and groaned.

For the rest of the ride to the club, the three of you caught each other up on whatever gossip there was from your respective work areas. By the time you arrived at the club, you were all laughing. You had just told them about Bryce loitering around your desk that morning. You explained that you pretty much ignored him, which he didn't take well. Nat and Wanda agreed that was probably the best course of action concerning how to deal with Bryce.

The door opened and you saw an outstretched hand, ready to help you out of the car. You placed your hand in the one waiting for you, and were surprised to see that it belonged to Bucky Barnes. He kept hold of your hand and guided you out of the way so that Nat and Wanda could get out.

"Thank you, Sergeant Barnes," you remarked.

Bucky still had hold of your hand, so he twirled you around once before pulling you close to his side. "Wow, you look amazing," he replied softly. "And since we're not at work, how about we drop the formal title?" he asked, after tapping the end of your nose. "You can call me 'Bucky' or even 'James' if you want," he grinned.

You giggled. "As you wish, James," you answered. In response, he closed his eyes, put his hand over his heart and pretended to swoon, causing you both to laugh. By this time, Sam and Steve had assisted Wanda and Natasha in getting out of the car, and everyone was ready to go in. Bucky's hand settled on the middle of your back and guided you through the door and to an open table.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sam found a corner booth that was big enough to fit all of you but small enough to be cozy. You all arranged yourselves in the booth while Steve and Bucky went up to the bar to order drinks. Just as they left, you realized that you hadn't told either of them what you wanted to drink. Fortunately, a lime margarita and a glass of water were placed in front of you by a smiling Bucky Barnes.

"Thank you, James," you beamed. "How did you know this was my favorite drink?" you asked.

Bucky sat down next to you on the outside edge of the booth. "One of Stark's barbecue parties this past summer. It was towards the end of the night, and you, Nat and Wanda were sitting by the fire pit," he recalled.

While you searched your memory for the party he was speaking of, he continued. "The three of you were carrying on about something. Then one of them called you a lightweight because you were only on your second margarita and you were very, very giggly," he joked.

You pretended to be outraged. "In my defense, those were lime margaritas only in the sense that there was only enough lime for color," you pouted. As you bantered back and forth, you weren't aware of how the gap between you and Bucky was nearly closed. He reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind your ear.

Nat cleared her throat and very loudly announced that everyone should go up and dance. The current song playing was full of thumping bass. You told her it wasn't really your favorite type of music. "I don't care, come on let's go!" she declared as everyone piled out of the booth.

Bucky got up to let you out of your seat in the booth, fully intending to sit back down to keep the table. As you passed him, your right hand connected with his vibranium left hand. You tightened your grip on Bucky's hand, then turned to give him one of your best smiles. "Dance with me, James? Please?" you asked.

The touch of your warm hand in his cold metal one felt so natural, normal even. You weren't pulling away, except to tug him closer to you with the ultimate destination of the dance floor. The smile on your face was too dazzling to ignore and before he knew it, he was walking away from the table.

At the exact moment you reached the outer edge of the dance floor, the bass-thumping song ended and a slower song came on. Immediately you felt a bit uncomfortable because you didn't know what to do with your hands or if Bucky even wanted to dance now.

Fortunately for you, Bucky took the lead this time. He placed your left hand on his bicep and slipped his right hand around your waist and pulled you closer, almost joined at the hip. He grinned when you gasped in surprise then smiled at the contact, but he kept your right hand securely in his left. "Ready, doll?" he asked softly. You nodded and he started you moving in a slow circle, mostly staying in one general area.

While you both swayed to the music, you took a moment to study Bucky. His sapphire eyes were gazing into yours, almost as if he were trying to unlock the path to your soul. You only hoped your feelings for him were hidden well enough to not be discovered. His face held the early stages of a beard, which only served to perfectly frame his plump lips. Lips whose mere touch to your skin were no doubt designed to ruin you for other men.

When the song ended, Bucky pulled back from you a little, a tender smile on his face. He grazed the back of his knuckles over your cheeks then took your chin with his thumb and index finger. "Thanks for the dance," he said softly. "Want to head back to the table for another drink?" he asked.

"Sure, I'll be back in a minute, though," you replied. When he gave you a puzzled look, you giggled and laid a reassuring hand on his arm. "Restroom break, James," at which he relaxed. Bucky captured your hand in his and pressed a kiss to your knuckles before releasing you.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

No sooner had you entered the restroom and opened your purse, Wanda and Natasha burst in. They could barely contain their excitement at seeing you and Bucky dancing together. You tried to get them to calm down, that it was just one dance and certainly didn't mean wedding bells. Nat brushed off your doubts, saying of course not. But Wanda also agreed that it was a step in the right direction.

Meanwhile, Steve and Sam returned to the table to wait for Nat and Wanda, while Bucky waited for you. In true Sam fashion, he started to tease Bucky about slow dancing with you like he would have in the 40s. Bucky grinned and shot right back that you didn't seem to mind in the least, and that he was looking forward to even more slow dances with you. Steve slapped him on the back to show his support for his best friend and the positive changes he was seeing.

Bucky was craning his neck to see if you had returned from the restroom yet when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Thinking it was you, a wide grin spread across his face, only to be obliterated when he turned and saw it was someone else.

"Sergeant Barnes, how wonderful to see you this evening," Tessa remarked. "Good evening to you as well, gentlemen," she acknowledged Steve and Sam.

Bucky stood up from his seat at the table. "Hello, Tessa," he responded. His brow furrowed as he turned his attention towards the bar, searching for you.

"I hope you'll forgive the intrusion, but I saw you out dancing earlier," she purred, then made a show of looking around the club. "Where's your partner?" she batted her eyelashes. "Can't believe she'd leave you here all by yourself," she remarked.

"She'll be back any minute, I'm sure. Listen Tessa, it's great to see you, but we are all here with someone. Our ladies are just freshening up, I guess," Bucky tried desperately to stall and give you, Natasha and Wanda time to return.

Tessa wasn't giving in easily this time. "Your partner's not here right this second though, is she? Come on Bucky, why don't you show me some of your best dance moves from back in the day," she demanded. At this point, Tessa was practically dragging Bucky, who was basically stumbling back to the dance floor.

"Oh Cap, this ain't gonna end well," Sam muttered. Steve shook his head, wondering how Bucky was going to get out of this mess before you came back.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Steve didn't have to wonder long, because the situation spectacularly imploded before everyone's eyes in slow motion. You, Nat and Wanda emerged from the restroom, laughing together. You didn't see Bucky at the table, so you checked the bar, but he wasn't there. Next, you turned your attention to the dance floor and locked eyes with Tessa. A smirk crossed her lips just before she crashed them to Bucky's.

You gasped audibly at the heartbreaking sight in front of you. Tears sprang to your eyes as you pushed your way through the crowd towards the door. Natasha and Wanda weren't quite sure what was going on until they spotted Bucky and Tessa on the dance floor. "I'm gonna kill him," Nat vowed, but Wanda somehow managed to hold her back.

A shocked Bucky sharply tore himself away from Tessa. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "I told you Tessa, I'm here with someone," he reminded her and mentioned your name.

Tessa scoffed. "HER?? You can't be serious. You'd rather spend time with the boring little office mouse than have fun with me?" she asked incredulously.

Bucky seethed with anger at Tessa's insinuation that you were somehow not worthy of his time. "That woman, that 'boring little office mouse' as you say, has more class in her pretty little finger than you have in your entire being. She's sweet, intelligent, has a great sense of humor and values the feelings of others above her own. She never would've deliberately hurt someone like what you did to her a few minutes ago," Bucky retorted before rushing towards the door to find you.

Outside, you frantically searched up and down the street for a taxi to take you home, but none were available. You had to get away from the club before the others came looking for you. Down the street you spotted the Tower's car service and ran to meet it.

Bucky flew out the doors of the club, desperate for a glimpse of you. Finally his eyes found you and he started to run after you, calling your name. You paid no attention and continued to run towards the car, determined to get there before Bucky caught up to you. Once there, you got in and reminded the driver of your address.

As the car pulled away from the curb, you saw the rest of your friends burst out of the doors in time to see you leave. Bucky took off running after the car, still calling your name. Silent tears rolled down your face as the driver took you home. Wanda pulled out her phone and tried to call you, but you let it go to voicemail then turned off your phone.

Back in your apartment, you changed out of your outfit and into your pajamas. You plugged in your phone to let it charge, but didn't turn it back on. As you lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, you tried to fall asleep, but images of Bucky and Tessa kissing filled your head.

I knew it was too good to be true, you thought. Why would he ever go out with me, when he could go out with someone like Tessa? He's free to go out with whoever he wants to. I only wish he would've picked me. "Doesn't matter anyway," you said to the darkness. The tears that soaked your pillow finally subsided, allowing you to close your eyes and get a few hours of restless sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You woke up around 10:30 a.m. Saturday and turned your phone back on, after it was fully charged. There was no shortage of missed calls and messages from your friends. Most of them were from Wanda and Natasha, wanting to make sure you were all right. There was one message each from Steve and Sam, both checking to see that you got home okay.

There were more than ten missed calls from Bucky, but only a couple of voicemail messages. Before you could listen to Bucky's messages, there was a pounding on your door. From the outside, Natasha's voice was yelling, "Answer your door, we know you're in there!"

You dragged yourself out of bed and announced that you were on your way to the door. Once the door was slightly open, she barged in, throwing you an annoyed glance as she went. Wanda followed, laying a hand on your arm as she passed by you, her way of showing her support.

While your friends got comfy in your living room, you went through the motions of preparing a pot of coffee. After you pushed the "start" button, you took a seat at the table, facing Nat and Wanda. "I know you're probably upset with me for leaving without you all last night, and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just taken off like that," you affirmed.

Natasha and Wanda exchanged a couple of looks between them in silent communication. "We understand how seeing that would be upsetting for you," Wanda remarked.

"Especially since things looked like they were going so well for you and Bucky," Natasha whined. "That woman had to butt in and mess it all up," she grumbled.

"Maybe it's for the best," you replied softly. Your friends looked at you liked you'd sprouted another head. "I've got no claims on him, no say in who he goes out with. If that's what type of woman he wants, he should go for it. Girls, whether it's with me or someone else, James deserves to be happy," you firmly stated.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Across town in Stark Tower, a similar discussion was about to take place between Bucky and two of his friends. At first, Bucky sat in the kitchen alone, his head between his hands. He was going over last night's events in his mind and was trying to figure out how to make it all up to you. The look he saw on your face was one that if he lived another 106 years, he never wanted to see ever again.

Steve walked into the kitchen and laid a reassuring hand on Bucky's shoulder. "It'll be fine, Buck. If you explain what happened and add how you'd like to see her again, that might solve it," Steve tried to assure him.

"I don't know Steve," Bucky mumbled. "You didn't see the look on her face. It was like I took out her heart and stomped on it with golf spikes. I swear, I don't want anything to do with Tessa, I never did!" he exclaimed. But after the way you ran off, Bucky was concerned that you'll never believe him.

"Why don't you just invite her to Stark's gala thing next week?" Sam suggested as he walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, that's a great idea! I have a mission report to turn in, I can ask her on Monday when she comes back to work. Thanks, Birdbrain," Bucky leapt from his chair and rinsed out his coffee cup in the sink.

After he left the kitchen, Steve turned to Sam with his fist held out. "Nice save, Sam," he remarked as he bumped Sam's fist.

"Why thank you, Cap," Sam gloated then dug into his breakfast.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Good morning," you called as you walked through the doors at Stark Tower on Monday, just before 7:30am. In your hands were two tote bags, full of cookies and muffins that you baked over the weekend. As upset as you were over the bar incident, you went into stress-baking mode, which resulted in three kinds of muffins and two different kinds of cookies.

You scanned your badge at the security desk and made your way over to the bank of elevators, where Steve and Sam soon joined you. You smiled as you greeted them, and made small talk with them while you all waited. When the elevator dinged its arrival and the doors opened, the men gestured for you to step in first.

After you punched the button for your floor, you stepped back and gave your best smile to the guys, who appeared a bit curious.

"What's in the bags?" Sam inquired.

"It's cookies and muffins from my stress-baking this past weekend. I brought some in for my team, but I made way too many of each for all of us to eat. I was hoping you could maybe take some of them off my hands?" you asked.

"Really? What kinds did you make?" Steve wondered excitedly.

"Oh, I made muffins of blueberry, banana nut and red velvet with white chocolate chips. Then I made double chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter ones," you answered.

"Damn, woman, you were busy!" Sam remarked.

"I know, you should see my kitchen, it's kind of a disaster area right now," you briefly smiled. "Would you guys please take some with you?" you implored.

Steve and Sam chuckled at your near-puppy dog eyes. "I suppose we could help you out," Steve replied. "We'll put them in the kitchen for everyone to share," he assured you.

"Yeah, wouldn't want all that stress-baked goodness to go to waste," Sam quipped.

"Thank you, guys," you gushed. The elevator stopped on the 42nd floor and the doors opened. You walked out but first handed one of the bags to Sam, who thanked you again.

Sam waited until the doors closed again to ask, "Isn't Red Velvet one of Buck's favorite flavors?"

"Yes it is, Sam. Shut up," Steve ordered with a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You reached your desk in time to get logged in to your system to start work. Today, you decided to maintain a professional demeanor with whomever you encountered, with a few exceptions. Tessa called a short team meeting to update everyone on any new report filing changes. Every so often, she glanced your way but you kept your focus on your notes, never meeting her gaze.

A little later that morning, you received visits from some of the Avengers, turning in their "after-mission" reports. Natasha and Wanda turned theirs in first, then chatted with you for a while to make sure you were okay and thanked you for the treats.

Steve, Clint and Sam were next, all telling you how much they loved the cookies and muffins. Clint said the blueberry muffins were his favorite, while Sam liked the peanut butter cookies the best. Meanwhile, Steve raved over the banana nut muffins.

The one person you hadn't heard from yet was Sergeant Barnes. Every once in a while, you glanced at the outer doors leading into the general office area. You were waiting to see him because he still had to turn in his paperwork.

As the day wore on, you began to wonder if he was avoiding you because of what happened over the weekend. You told yourself that even if he did show up, you were determined to keep it on a professional level. No reason to mix business with personal matters, because Saturday night proved that it wasn't a good idea.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The afternoon flew by, and the next time you checked your watch, you noticed it was nearly the end of your workday. Sergeant Barnes had not yet turned in his report, so you made a mental note to send him a reminder email in the morning. Right before you had logged off your machine for the day, Bucky came rushing in to bring you his after-mission report.

"Hey, doll, sorry I'm late with my report, I had a training session that ran over," Bucky explained, trying to catch his breath. He looked around to see that you were the last one in the office. "Is it quitting time already?" he asked.

"It is, Sergeant Barnes, but I stayed a little later, in case you needed a little extra time to turn it in," you replied. "Is that it?" you inquired, gesturing towards the folder in his hand.

"Yeah, here it is," he responded. Bucky handed you the folder, but didn't let go of it right away. "Listen, I'm sorry about what happened that night at the club. It was not my idea to go back out on the dance floor, let alone the kiss. You can ask Sam or Steve, but Tessa pretty much had to drag me," he chuckled nervously at his rambling.

"Sergeant Barnes," you started, missing how he dropped his gaze at the return to his formal title. "It's not my place to say who you choose to date, that's your decision. I will say that our one dance was an enjoyable experience," you smiled then sobered a bit. "However, I understand if you aren't interested in anything beyond that."

Bucky let go of the file, but came around to your side of the desk. "That's just it, doll, I am interested in something beyond that. In fact, I'll prove it to you. Will--will you--will you be my plus one to Stark's gala next Friday night? I promise to save all of my dances for you," he vowed then took your hand in his and rubbed his thumb across the back.

An invitation to Tony Stark's gala event was the last thing you expected when you came into work today. You desperately wanted to give Bucky another chance, regardless of your reservations about mixing business and personal matters. "I would be honored to be your plus one, James," you replied.

Bucky was elated that you chose to address him by his given name this time when you accepted his invitation. "You know, I usually don't like going to those things, getting all dressed up and having to schmooze with people. Now that I know I'll be walking around with the most beautiful woman on my arm, I can't wait for Friday night," he grinned.

"Well, I don't know about the 'most beautiful' part," you remarked shyly.

"I do," Bucky responded with a kiss to the back of your hand. "Until Friday, sweetheart," he whispered. "And by the way? Loved the red velvet muffins," he winked.

You don't remember much after that, but somehow you made it back to your apartment. The first thing you did was order your dinner from your favorite restaurant. Then you placed a conference call to Wanda and Natasha to fill them in on what happened with Bucky. They both seemed almost as excited as you were. They agreed to take you shopping in a couple of days for everything you would need for your date.

Little did you know, you weren't the last one in the office that night. Tessa was finishing some last-minute paperwork when she came around the corner and saw you and Bucky talking. Tessa listened to your conversation and was upset when he told you he wasn't interested in her. She then became incensed that he invited you to be his plus one to Stark's gala. Tessa decided that if she couldn't go out with Bucky, then you wouldn't either.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

True to their word, your girls took you shopping and bought you a new dress, shoes, the works for the gala. You tried to protest, saying it was all too expensive for them to buy just for you, but they insisted. They knew Bucky was miserable after last Saturday night's fiasco with Tessa, and were glad that you decided to give him a second chance.

On Friday night, the gala didn't start until 7:00 p.m., but at the last minute, Tessa had given you a mountain of reports to review. She said that Stark Industries was implementing a new filing system, and that each report had to be refiled within the new system. You explained that you had plans for later in the evening, then asked if you could come in on Saturday morning instead. Your suggestion was quickly declined. Tessa stated that it was Tony Stark himself who demanded that it be completed tonight.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bucky glanced at his watch, which said it was nearing 8:00 p.m. and you were nowhere to be seen. He wondered what could be keeping you, because you seemed excited about being his date. Both Natasha and Wanda assured him that you would be here. They had taken you shopping and they told Bucky that he would be blown away by the dress you would be wearing. As they walked away, his thoughts went in another direction. That maybe you had changed your mind and were too scared to tell him.

You were about halfway through the stack of files Tessa had given you when you heard footsteps roaming through the office. You thought it was perhaps security on their rounds, but you were stunned to see Tony Stark in a tuxedo instead.

"Mr. Stark, is there something I can do for you?" you asked.

"You could tell me why FRIDAY told me that you're still working at your desk on a Friday night at 8:00 p.m.," he remarked.

"My boss told me that a new filing system had been implemented for the after-mission reports. She explained that you insisted that this stack had to be refiled tonight, no exception," you replied.

Tony rolled his eyes. "First of all, there is no new filing system. Second of all, your boss--or I should say former boss--is messing with you because you're supposed to be Tin Man's date tonight. I know this, because he's been even more impossible to live with this past week. He's been going on and on to anyone who will listen about you being his date," he muttered.

Your cheeks grew warm at the thought of Bucky telling everyone about you accompanying him to the gala. "Fortunately, I brought my dress and everything with me, so I'll get ready here. Mr. Stark, will you please tell James that our date is still on, but that I'm running a little late? I'll be up there as soon as I can," you promised.

Tony raised one eyebrow. "He lets you call him James?" he asked.

You nodded and said with a shrug, "He told me I could, so that's what I've been calling him." Tony promised he would relay your message to Bucky. He also said with a wink that he would send his two prized female assassins down to help you get ready.

As soon as Tony left, you quickly logged off of your system and grabbed the garment bag you had hung up on the coat rack. You texted Wanda and Nat to meet you in the bathroom so they could help you. While you got dressed, you explained why you were late, and that you hoped Bucky would understand.

Twenty minutes later, Wanda was zipping up your dress, a one-shoulder, A-line, floor-length chiffon evening gown. It was burgundy, with a ruched, fitted bust and a free-flowing skirt. You stepped into your low-heel black pumps and deposited your phone in your clutch evening bag. Nat and Wanda looked at you and silently asked if you were ready. You nodded, and the three of you headed for the elevators.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bucky checked his watch again, which now read 8:30 p.m. He'd had enough of Sam and Clint asking him all night where his girl was. He didn't have the nerve to tell them that you must have changed your mind. He made a discreet exit from the gala and walked over to the elevators.

When the doors opened, it revealed you, Natasha and Wanda. A beaming smile broke out as you caught sight of Bucky. "James!" you called as you stepped out, but he strode right past you and into the waiting elevator car.

A look of panic replaced the beaming smile on your face as you stepped towards the elevator, stopping the doors from closing. "I don't understand," you whispered.

"Neither do I," he retorted. "You know, if you changed your mind, it would've been nice to let me know. Instead, I looked like an idiot, waiting for a date that was never going to show," he muttered.

"I am sorry for being late, but I was stuck at my desk working. Tessa gave me a mountain of files at the last minute to work through, and wouldn't let me come in tomorrow instead," you explained.

Bucky scoffed at your explanation and shook his head, clearly not buying it. "If you didn't want to be with me, why didn't you just say so?" he implored. A buzzing noise started coming from the elevator, so Natasha pushed you into the car the rest of the way.

The doors closed and you stumbled a bit from the nudge, but Bucky caught you. He locked eyes with you, and you could see how hurt he was at the thought that you had stood him up. You reached up to cradle his face with your hand, gently brushing your thumb across his cheek. Bucky let out a sigh as he closed his eyes and leaned into your touch.

"James, being with you tonight is all I've been able to think about this week. I've wanted to be with you for a long time now. Probably since you handed in your first report like it was a dreaded math assignment or something," you chuckled and so did Bucky. "However, if you're having second thoughts, I wouldn’t blame you," you added.

Bucky's answer was to slide his right arm around you to pull you closer to him. His head dipped down as his soft lips brushed over yours, then dove back in for another taste. The kiss was tentative at first, then became more insistent as his lips moved with yours. When both of you needed to catch your breath, the kiss was broken, and Bucky rested his forehead against yours.

"Baby doll, there's no way in the world I'm having any second thoughts. I know this night didn't start out like either of us planned. If you recall, I promised to save all of my dances for you tonight. Now, if you'd like to collect on that promise, we can go back down to the party," Bucky suggested.

"James, I think that going back to the party sounds like a wonderful idea," you replied. "After all, I did remember to wear my dancing shoes tonight," you grinned.

You and Bucky took the elevator back down to the party, where all of Bucky's friends were there, waiting. They congratulated him for coming back and made you feel welcome, as though you'd known them all for years.

True to his word, Bucky saved every dance for you. Every slow dance that is, which was fine with you. Towards the end of the gala, the team had gathered in a corner, having a few drinks and chatting among themselves.

When you and Bucky came over, you noticed there was only room enough for one person on the couch, so Bucky sat down in the open spot. Before you could walk away to find another chair, he grabbed you by the waist and pulled you onto his lap. "Comfy sweetheart?" he asked with a smirk.

"And why wouldn't I be, James?" you countered. He wrapped one arm around your waist and hooked the other across your lap then gave you a squeeze in response. You rested your head in the crook of his neck and gave a contented sigh. Every so often, you would nuzzle his cheek and drop tiny kisses along and under his jawline. Bucky in turn would press his lips to your forehead or your temple, whichever he could reach at the moment.

One by one, the team members said goodnight, and made sure to tell you and Bucky to take care of each other. When it was just you and Bucky left on the couch, he turned to you and asked if you wanted him to take you home.

"Oh James, that's all right. I'm sure I can get a cab to take me home," you assured him.

"Doll, it's late and I can tell you're getting sleepy. You know, you could....wait, nah," he remarked.

"What? I could do what?" you wondered.

"You could stay here. In the Tower. With me, in my room," he mentioned softly. "No funny business, I promise. Wanna take you out on a proper date before we get to all of that," he grinned and waggled his eyebrows. "But I gotta tell ya, I'm fallin' for you, sweetheart," he added.

You giggled at his antics. "Okay. To all of that, staying with you in your room and going on a date with you. And I've already fallen for you, I can tell. Could I maybe borrow a T-shirt to sleep in?" you asked.

"Darlin', I got plenty of T-shirts for you to borrow or even steal. Let's head on upstairs and I'll let you pick one," Bucky suggested. You nodded and stood up from your seat on his lap. He slid his hand in your outstretched one and intertwined his fingers with yours.

While you waited for the elevator, Bucky drew you into his arms. You rested your head on his chest and could hear his heart beating, a comforting sound.

"Hey, doll?" he started. You hummed in response. "Do you think you could make me a batch of muffins sometime? Maybe with plums in 'em?" he asked.

You leaned back to gaze into his baby blues and smiled. "Anything for you, James," you answered, brushing your fingers across his forehead.

Bucky captured your hand and kissed your palm. Then he smiled and pulled you back against his chest with a contented sigh. "Mmmm, thank you, my sweet girl," he murmured.

Part 2 here!

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Tags:

@katelyn--renee​, @downanddirtydean​; @wonder-cole​

[wizkiddx]

this deleted itself but the req was for an ill reader who likes to try and carry on even if they feeling shit and tom noticing I think?!?

Summary:  you take start to feel a bit shit  at toms family barbecue and get caught out and taken care of

///////////

It should've be lovely, an evening in the rare but much appreciated British summer sun in Dom and Nikki’s garden. Everyone was there; all the Holland boys; both sets of Tom’s grandparents; Haz and his long time girlfriend Lucie. It was a reunion of sorts, although no one had been away working, you’d somehow all timed your individual holidays simultaneously. You and Tom to Australia; Sam and Harry to south-east Asia; Paddy, Dom and Nikki to Sweden. Having all returned in the space of a week, everyone was catching up, involving great British barbecues (which are always a little disappointing) and a fair amount of booze.

You were sat on the garden furniture with Tessa (Tom’s grandma), Nikki and Lucie. Very much a ‘girl power’ meeting if ever there was - which in a family full of boys was often needed just to keep the peace. Everything about the evening was lovely… except perhaps your body. God knows why, because you rarely got ill - having not had a day off work in two years. As much as you’d been trying to push away the slow creeping feeling for a couple of hours - it was now getting impossible to ignore. The slightly unsettled feeling in your stomach had you fidgeting in the wooden chair constantly, trying to ease it by shifting positions... to no avail.

“Y/n… Y/n?” Looking up to see three pairs of beady eyes trained on you, you faked a smile, looking over to Nikki who had been calling your name. “Tess was asking how long the flight back was?” “Oh sorry, was miles away!” You tried to cover, shifting once again, this time pressing a hand to your lower abdomen in the hope that’d distract you as you turned slightly to make eye contact with Tessa. “And I think 11 hours ish.” The girls all pulled a grimacing face in sympathy, to which you chuckled at. “No no honestly cos Tom spoiled me completely so we were in the fancy seats, I honestly was spark out of it the whole time!”

It was enough of a response for the girls to all nod, carrying on the conversation as you, now not the main focus, rubbed your pulsing temple with your other hand - in the hope to relieve some of the building pressure. Clearly, though, you weren’t a subtle as you thought - since Lucie got your attention by bumping your shoulder and leaning in closely. “Come to the loo with me?” It sounded like a question, though it very much wasn’t - the stern look in her eye enough to scare you into agreeing. With a word to Nikki and Tess, you both stood up and made your way to the inside, not stopping until you were locked into the thankfully spacious downstairs loo - the brunette eyeing you intently. “You look like shit.” “Thanks Luc, that’s exactly what I needed to hear right now.” You sighed, sitting on top of the closed lidded loo heavily. “What’s up?” Her tone was harsh and to the point, but secretly there was a look of worry in her eyes. She was one of your best mates but sometimes could also scare you shitless. “I think I’m just tired, it’s my stomach and my head, I’ll be fine.”

Lucie didn't really seem to believe you, but respected your stubbornness and after providing you with two paracetamol capsules from her bag, she let you off - both going back into the garden, where, by now Sam was plating up the slightly charred burgers.

Naturally, you’d sat next to Tom, who had pulled your chairs right next to each other - so that his leg was pressed up against yours, his arm pulled around your shoulder. That was just Tom, away from the prying eyes of the public and media, he really was an affectionate person. He just liked to feel you there. God knows how long you all sat in those same positions, but it was long enough for the sun to set. In fact, you most definitely weren’t the person to ask, because at some point, unbeknownst to you, you’d zoned out. Nobody had noticed, under the cover of the low sunset light, until Tom felt your head briefly fall against his shoulder before it shot up once again - your eyes blinking heavily.

He frowned at the sight, seeing you huddle your arms across your body, which was bizarre due to the unbelievable hot weather in London. Yes, it might have shifted into nighttime, but it was still at least 24 degrees. So as his Dad had the entire table captivated recounting some long and complex tale of his touring days, Tom took the opportunity to squeeze your shoulder - grabbing your attention.

“You alright love?” In response you just hummed, eyes shifting up to him after a little delay - similar to how your reflexes became stunted with alcohol, though Tom suddenly realised you’d barely had more than half the glass of beer he’d poured you when you’d both arrived. “ I’said are you okay?” “Yeh… yeh I’m fine.” You forced a small tight lipped smile, whilst Tom took his arm that was round his shoulder to rest on the crown of your head before slowly stroking down your hair. “Sure? You seem a little out of it?” He pushed, still in a whisper so as not to draw attention to the two of you. “Maybe just tired.” Flat out lying, you shifted back into the backrest of the chair a little more making his hand accidentally land on your forehead rather than your hairline. He didn't move it though, instead sitting and swivelling in his chair, pressing the other side of his hand to the skin as well. “You’re burning up Y/n/n” he spoke a little louder - eyes full of concern as he looked you up and down. “No I’m a bit cold if anythin-“

That was when Nikki, from across the other side of the table got involved. She’d obviously been silently observing the two of you, now feeling the need to send you both home. “Oh, we forgot dessert! Tom, Y/n would you mind helping me bring it out?” Thank god for Nikki, for finding a cover story and stopping everyone's eyes on you. Because for someone dating, three years deep, an A-lister - you hated any sort of attention, even from those closest to you. Especially sympathy, you had absolutely no time at all for that.

Leading you into the kitchen with his arm wrapped tightly around your waist, Tom waited till the door was shut before turning to you.- claiming you were boiling and looked not so great. “I’m just a bit cold if I can borrow one of sam’s jumpers then-“ “Love, please go home.” Nikki interrupted as she wormed past Tom to put her own hand on your forehead too. “You’ve got the chills and you’ve not been normal all day. Am I right or am I right?” She was the worst to argue against. That was completely due to the fact she was always right. With a defeated nod from you, she clicked her tongue, pushing you to sit down on one of the barstools. “Tom go get a jumper from Sam’s room and order a taxi, I would drive but we’ve all been drinking.” “I can just go back by myself T, you don’t get to see your grandparents a lot and -“ “I love you but please please shut up.” Having rounded the back of your chair he pressed his lips to your temples as confirmation before scurrying off to the back of the house.

“You know he doesn’t mind at all? My son never was at my beckon call like he is with you.” There was a little smile teasing the corner of her lips as Nikki placed a glass of water in front of you, as though instructing you to take small sips. “I just feel bad, he’s always telling me how he regrets not spending more time with all of you and… well I’ve had him to myself for the fortnight in South Africa.” “Your just as much a part of the family as me or his grandparents are okay? Now when you get home..”

Nikki switched the tone to then list off all manners of ways that you needed to look after yourself once back, which she then repeated as soon as Tom returned with a black hoodie that you gratefully pulled over your head.

//////////////

By the time you got home, you were feeling so incredibly shit you weren’t even considering keeping up your brave face. Tom had wordlessly led you up the path to your shared home, unlocking the door and telling you to go straight to bed.

Perhaps he was so concerned because in the whole three years together he’d never ever seen you ill. Yes, the odd headache or whatever, as well as the occasional morning after the night before when you’d opted for a ‘tactical chunder’ to try and protect your modesty. But other than that, you were always the one being sympathetic to him. When he was tired, both emotionally and mentally from work; when he hurt his knee and was on forced bed rest for a couple of days ( which turns out to be the hardest time for you too, dealing with the whiny and fidgety boy man).

He came up a couple of minutes later, by which point you’d already pulled joggers on and wrapped yourself as tightly in the duvet as physically possible. If felt so bloody cold your teeth were actually chattering as you curled up into the smallest ball possible. In his hands was a small tray, carrying a steaming mug; a collection of all the different pill packets you kept in the medicine cabinet (as Tom himself had no idea which one was right so decided to use them all); a hot water bottle and what looked like a damp towel, all scrunched up.

No matter how shitty you felt you had a smile at how sweet and doting Tom was being... and as much as you hated the sympathy - if it was always given by a ripped and beautiful brunette with the sharpest jawline you’d ever seen… well just maybe you could get used to it. After snatching the hotwater bottle up immediately, then letting Tom fuss over you in every which way he wanted you gave in, losing the ability to entertain his puppy energy.

“Can we just go to sleep please?” You whined, which Tom nodded to - quickly getting changed and ready before joining you in bed.

As soon as he felt the way the bed was practically vibrating with the chills you were suffering from, he pulled you up into his chest. Now you had both your own personal heater and a hot water bottle to try and warm you up. “You wake me up if you need anything kay?”

Pressing a kiss into the crown of your head, which was nestled between his shoulder and neck. “Promise me ‘kay?” Him needing the reinforcement caused you to arch back up, looking deep into his brown eyes with the warm glow of his bedside table lamp. “You’re too good to me Tommy.” He tutted at that, bringing his hand up to cup your cheek.

“Oh no” He whispered exclaimed, making you immediately ask him what in response. “I think this fever is making you go all delusional love.” You quirked your head, causing him to continue with a cheeky grin. “Well for one, nothing would be too good for you darling and two…. When the hell have you ever called me ‘Tommy’” With him chuckling at his own joke, you rolled your eyes at his cheekiness, firmly planting your head back on his shoulder as if to shut him up. “Alright, I’ll let you off just this once cos your all feverish… get some sleep love.” “Thankyou Tommy.” “Shh love.”

And that’s how you fell asleep, finally finding a bit of warmth in Tom’s arms.

Safe to say he very much didn’t sleep so well. Yes, you felt cold - but Tom was bloody boiling. Still he didn't move because if you were comfortable, his discomfort didn’t matter. It was also a physical impossibility for him to relax until he felt (yes, technically not the most scientific way) your fever coming down. Every five minutes or so he’d gently press the back of his hand to your forehead. This boy was so whipped for you... but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

~~~feedback is really really appreciated~~~~

taglist for tom: @lovehollandy12 @hollandlover19 @thefernandasantana @hunnybunimdun @hallecarey1@cedricdiggorysimpp @msmimimerton @hollandfanficlove @pandaxnienke @crossyourpeter @thegirlwiththeimpala @tom-softie @sunwardsss @spiitfiiires @radcloudenthusiast @ladykxxx08 @prancerrparkerr @wildxwidow @Elishi03 @arctic-monkcys @Ownbauer13 @tomhollandlol @marvelsbitch8

[wagner-fell]

I am still very new to this website and I don’t know how link a post but this fic is based on a post by @sandersgrey

(If someone reading this knows how to link a post please either explain it to me or link it in the comments because that post is *amazing*)

“Hmmm,” said Tessa, depositing Mina into Kit’s waiting arms and examining her buzzing phone critically. She shot a quizzical look in his direction.

Jem looked up from his novel. “What is ‘hmmm’, my love?”

Kit mimed vomiting but stopped dead in his tracks when she replied, “it’s Astrid’s mother. You remember her from parent teacher night, don’t you, my darling?” Kit swears they were being extra insufferable just to mess with him but he didn’t have the time to be annoyed when Astrid’s. Mom. Was. Calling. Tessa.

To understand why Kit was panicking as much as he was, you must know that Astrid’s mom was incredibly chill. She never got mad. The worst punishment she’d ever given her daughter was taking away her iPod for a week so she couldn’t listen to Mitski.

Was she calling about last night when Astrid, Mari and Kit threw eggs at the Shadowhunter’s that were giving Mari’s pack a hard time for no reason? No, that couldn’t be it. She’d given them the eggs.

Could the call be about the day before yesterday when Kit and Astrid got distracted doing homework and ended up snapping the coffee table clean in half while battling gladiator style with pool noodles? No, that wasn’t it. She’d just handed Astrid a twenty and told them to go to Kevin’s parents' shop and get a new one. Was she pissed because they ended up spending the money on ice cream instead? No, they ended up finding a table for free in the rubbing bin outside a fancy hotel.

Kit clutched his sister to his chest and prepared for the worst.

“Seo-yoon! What can I do for- Oh, hello Astrid!” Tessa paused briefly, presumably to listen to Astrid speak, and Kit sighed in relief.

“Kit is occupied at the moment but I can relay the message.” Another pause. “Oh don’t be frightened of me. I’m a tots rad mom. Your secret is safe with me.” Kit felt his face flush red as he heard his best friend’s laughter echo across the living room. “Okay! I’ll let him know. He has to get Mina to sleep before he can leave though. Lord knows he’s the only one who can these days.” Tessa chuckled at something Astrid said before wishing her good luck in her endeavour and ending the call.

She turned her attention back to Kit. “Astrid needs your help breaking into your teacher’s home to retrieve her cell phone.”

Kit blinked at her, dumbfounded. “You aren’t mad I’m going to go break the law?”

Because of course he was doing it. Astrid’s dad had bought it for her and he was extremely cautious about money. That was one of three things Kit knew about her dad. He was cheap, he lived in America and he loved the movie Fight Club.

Tessa ruffled Kit’s hair affectionately. “Please. I’ve raised two other Herondales. At least I know about this particular adventure beforehand.”

Mina began snoring softly and Kit handed her back to her mother. He grabbed his bag and started his journey to the door when Tessa added, “she also told me to say hi to a ‘daddy Kit’. Are you ‘daddy Kit?’”

‘Daddy Kit’ closed his eyes and wished for the sweet release of death.

“Why is Kit a daddy,” Jem asked, genuinely confused. “Aren’t I the daddy?”

Kit swung the door open so fast not even a speed rune could have aided him. But not before I heard Tessa reply, “Lily Chen certainly thinks so.”

Mrs. MacNamara clapped her hands together. “Why don’t we all go around and say a few things about ourselves?”

Kit buried his face into his hands. He’d been relieved when no other teacher had fulfilled the Disney channel stereotype of making every student introduce themselves to the new kid. But Mrs. MacNamara didn’t even seem to realize what she was doing.

All Kit’s fellow classmates groan. Expect one. Her hand shot up immediately. She was short, like smaller than Clary short. She wore a baggy pink shirt with the words ‘Queen Glimmer of Etheria’ sewed on with purple sequins and tight black jeans. Her colourful, choppy hair was in a low ponytail and she flew a few strands out of her eyes as her hand wiggled in the hair.

Mrs. MacNamara pointed at her. She stood up and smiled at Kit. “Hi. My name is Astrid. My hobbies include making my little cousin’s girl Barbies kiss, as it should be, and watching television shows where everyone is a terrible person so you can love all of them!”

“And what shows might that be?” asked Kit, already in the process of pulling out his phone and opening the Notes app.

“Grey’s Anatomy, Glee, Grey’s Anatomy again because it’s seventeen seasons as of right now. And to be fair it practically became a different show when they killed off Mark Sloan.”

“That’s enough, Miss Yang,” said Mrs. MacNamara. Astrid sat down and winked at Kit. Then she took out her phone and airdropped him a complete list of all her favorite shows, along with her number.

After Blessica’s pre-birthday birthday party, they went to Cirenworth and stayed up till four A.M. binging them.

They met outside a queer dry bar called Aries Not Welcome, the unspoken gathering place of the Merry Hoes. It was run by a poly lesbian couple in their mid-thirties. Quinn, Sydney and Aliyah may not have served alcohol but at least they were open 24/7.

“Did you bring the shit?”

Kit gave her a look. “The shit? How conclusive.”

“Shut up. You know, the shadowhunter thing.”

“The shadowhunter thing?”

“The, the, the glow stick that you draw with.”

“The glow stick that I draw wi-“ Kit closed his eyes briefly. “Do you mean a stele?”

Astrid snapped her fingers. “That’s it!” Kit shook his head in exasperation, smiling fondly. “I borrowed a torch from Quinn, let’s move.”

“Should I be worried that you know where Mr. Smith lives?” questioned Kit as he followed Astrid’s lead through the park.

“Should I be worried that your mom was fine with us breaking and entering?” she shot back playfully. Kit pushed Astrid and she fell off the path, laughing all the way.

“You called me ‘daddy’ to my mom’s face.”

She just laughed harder, slinging her arm around Kit’s shoulder. “It was over the phone, Christopher. And as I should.”

“Pffffttt. Why did you get your phone taken anyway?” She put her hands into her jumper pocket and looked at the ground. “Astrid.” She remained silent. “Astrid?”

She mumbled something under her breath. “What?” asked Kit.

“I WAS READING NINEJ FANFICTION!” she shouted.

Kit gasped. “I thought you were a die hard Kanej shipper,” he whispered.

“I’m a multishipper, okay?!” she replied, equally quiet.

“Does Blessica know?”

She shook her head. “And she will never find out.”

Kit saw the opportunity and he seized it. “She’ll never find out as long as you never call me daddy in front of either of my parents.”

She removed her arm from his shoulder and guided them out of the park, in the direction of the many apartments that lined this side of town. “I hate you.”

“Well, so does Mari. You're not special, Ast.”

She rolled her eyes. “You know Mari doesn’t actually hate you, right?! They’re just still in the enemy phase of your enemies-to-lovers romance. She only dislikes you because they feel something for you but they don’t know what so she interrupts it as loathing. In reality, her inner soul knows you’re hot and shmexie.”

Kit didn’t know how to process this so he just nodded and follow Astrid in silence to Mr. Smith’s house. (Plus, he was kinda glad that, according to his best friend, he had a little more time for Mari to ‘discover their true feelings’. If Kit screwed this up, he was out of countries to run off to.)

“Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me.”

“What,” asked Kit, turning around to face Astrid and closing the drawer he was rifling through. “Did you find your phone?”

“Yeah. But I also found Blessica’s. She was Snapping Kevin. Platonic my ass. But he took the fucking trans flag out of her phone!”

Kit snatched Blessica’s phone out of her hand to examine it for herself. She was telling the truth. Where the glitter pride flag usually rested was just a clear purple case. Kit couldn’t believe his eyes.

“It’s one thing to misgender her every day.” Blessica had forced all four of the other Merry Hoes to sign a contract saying they wouldn’t do anything to harm him because of it. “But this is the last straw. You know what we have to do.” Oops.

“Yeah, but we don’t have any spray paint.”

Kit eyed Mr. Smith’s pink sofa, blue bar stool covers and white picture frames. “I think I have something better in mind.”

It would have been easier for both parties to just zip off the sofa cushions and tape them to the wall but by ripping them off in strips, they ensured he would have to buy new ones. And judging by the car he drove and the fiji water in his fridge, Mr. Smith could definitely afford it.

That reminded him, “I’ll finish up with this. Go put all his fiji water into my bag.” Astrid saluted him and ran off. “Wait.” She stopped and looked at him. “Steal all the remotes you can find.”

“How is he not awake?,” asked Astrid as they ripped the fabric of his seating from the stool.

He shrugged. “Don’t question it.” He shoved the bundle of cloth into her arms. “Glue this above the pink. I’ll handle the frames.”

“Say the magic word,” she sang.

“Please?”

“No. Lesbian. Come on, I thought you knew me better than that.”

Kit laughed quietly. “Can you lesbian glue this above the pink?”

She grinned at Kit. “It would be my pleasure.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello! Sorry I haven’t written anything in so long. School just restarted and it has been…a lot.

@adoravel-fenomeno @thechangeling @the-blackdale @the-wckd-powers @thomas-gaypanic-lightwood @im-not-ruined-im-ruination @ithurielkeepsgettingkidnapped @noah-herondale-lightwood @arangiajoan @shelvesofgold @maxboythedog @book-dragon-not-worm @hardlymatters

Very sorry if I forgot anyone. Lmk if you want to be addEd/removEd from the tag list.

[shadowhuntertrash]

tlh gang as funny first modern day impressions for @serene-victory-77

alastair - the first time alastair meets christopher he’s confused as to if he likes this kid or if he is annoyed. he meets him in their chemistry class. he goes through school with his head down because honestly he was really only there for good grades. when he was partnered with the infamous christopher herondale (yes his names was well known around school) he was slightly scared. christopher comes up to his table with a smile on his face and his goggles slight askew on his face. alastair is already leaning toward quirkily adorable. from the stories he’d heard christopher had a bit of a mad scientist rep, so he was happily surprised when christopher was less of a mad scientist and more of an evil genius. he did the experiment perfectly and then much to alastair’s horror, continued without any directions, going purely off his knowledge of the chemicals. when christopher was done he’d made a much more complicated version of the solution they were making and alastair was very thoroughly impressed. the teacher on the other hand, was not. they both got in trouble but alastair found he didn’t mind much. from then on out they were lab partners no matter what and it was quickly becoming alastair’s favorite class.

cordelia - the first time cordelia meets eugenia she thinks she is so badass. here’s this girl who could literally not give less of a fuck what anyone things about her. she has long curly hair that is either always down or put up into a messy bun. cordelia is slightly star struck by this girl who has just plopped herself down next to her in her ap calculus class. eugenia seems to bring a storm with her wherever she goes and immediately draws all eyes toward her. when cordelia looks at her eugenia just winks and crosses her ankles before leaning in slightly to ask if she has a spare pencil she could borrow. they became fast friends which surprised cordelia but literally no one else. they are very different but similar at the same time. cordelia is a badass but she is less obvious about it. she’s kind when she can be whereas eugenia doesn’t really stop to give anyone a chance to catch up with her unless she gets a good energy from them.

lucie - the first time lucie meets matthew is when he comes over to their house to hang out with james for the first time. at first he seems incredibly polite. he greets tessa and will with utmost grace and respect but lucie can tell it’s unusual from the way james’s face scrunches up in his tell tale expression of shock. she finds it amusing and decides to follow them for a while, matthew catches on quickly but instead of telling james they had a tag along he simply winks at lucie and pretends to lock his mouth and throw the key. she decides immediately that she likes this one. when they get to the indoor pool the first thing matthew does is push james into the pool. lucie couldn’t help but laugh which gave her away but when james went to tell her off and to get lost matthew pouts at james and said in an obnoxiously whiny voice, “jamie, let her hang out for a bit.” james turned to him and lucie was amazed to find them in a seemingly silent conversation before matthew smiled triumphantly and james groaned throwing himself back into the water as matthew gestured for lucie to come swim with them. lucie decides then and there that matthew by far her favorite of james’s friends he’s had over so far.

matthew - the first time matthew meets james is at detention. it would have been at debate but he had missed the first meeting for the club because his teacher had held him back to redo an activity he’d done completely wrong. he’d gotten detention that same period for disrupting the class (which was completely unnfair, he had just forgotten to take his adhd medicine so he was more restless than normal. when he walked into detention that afternoon there was only two other people there, neither of which he recognized. the teacher that was trapped into watching them was actually one of matthew’s favorite teachers, mr. lightwood (gideon lightwood, not to be confused with his brother gabriel who also taught there). about ten minutes into detention the door opened and one of the most attractive people matthew had ever seen in his entire life strolled through the door with a lopsided smile. mr. lightwood looked up and upon realizing who was there sighed heftily and shook his head. “again, james?” james just smirked wider and shook out his curly black hair, matthew’s stomach was doing a weird flip thing. ‘uncle gid, it really wasn’t my fault. the debate teacher just wasn’t seeing my side of the debate. he said my ideas were ‘crude and unnecessary’ but he was the one who asked what my opinion on dorian gray was. it really wasn’t my fault if she didn’t want a ‘mature’ opinion she shouldn’t have asked about a ‘mature’ topic.” mr. gideon simply shook his head but he was hiding a rather obvious smile. “go sit down, james.” with a confident smile he strolled over to where matthew was seated and turned to him with an outreached hand. up close matthew realized with another jolt to his stomach that james’s eyes were golden. “james, james herondale.” he said when matthew gripped his hand. matthew smiled widely. “matthew, matthew fairchild. i think we’re going to be good friends.”

thomas - the first time thomas meets alastair is his freshman year of high school. thomas will forever remember it vividly because alastair was the first person to really help him around school. he was so lost and he didn’t have anyone he knew so when this junior stepped up to show him around it was pretty cool. he was thoroughly embarrassed though because not only was this guy very very attractive but his friends were laughing at him. well not him, but thomas. alastair had waved them off and told him not to worry about them. he showed thomas to his classes and the main areas such as the library and the cafeteria. it was the first interaction of many but there were a few years until the next one. thomas never forgot his kindness and how he went out of the way to help the new kid, alastair never forgot either but for him it was more of a distant memory, the second time they met was the first meeting that left him with a lasting feeling.

james - the first time james meets jesse is when he comes to pick lucie up for a date. his immediate reaction is to evaluate if he is a good person and if he was good enough for his little sister. he held himself with an odd mixture of confidence and uncertainty. james had stood in the study with jesse for a while waiting for lucie to come down. jesse was fidgeting a lot which james recognized as anxiety which he himself had. he was slightly reassured by the fact that jesse was nervous. they were never really close nor did they ever become very close, seeing as james was practically always waiting for jesse to mess up or hurt his sister in some way. it lessened as time passed and jesse proved himself worthy in james’s eyes.

jesse - the first time jesse meets lucie it’s right in the middle of an epiphany in a story she’s writing. she’s been in a slump with really bad writers block for about a week so she can’t help her excitement when she finally has a breakthrough. jesse was sent by a professor (well professor herondale aka tessa the english professor aka lucie’s mom) to find her in the library to pass on a message and when he stumbles across a girl furiously tapping away on a laptop with a mad smile on her face and two pencils holding her hair up he is immediately enraptured. he goes to let her know her mom is looking for her but she simply tsks him and informs him that she simply cannot be disturbed and when he asks why she launches into a complicated plotline and jesse is so mesmerized that he can’t help but sit down and listen to an hour long rant about her novel and the characters. he misses his next to classes but if you ask him it was so so worth it. he soon becomes her person to rant to about intricately woven story lines and he can’t argue one bit. he was smitten from the first tsk.

christopher - the first time christopher meets cordelia he blows her up. well, nearly. he was experimenting and she happened to walk in right as his solution went awry. she had screamed loudly, more so from being startled than from injury but christopher had still rushed over to her and made sure she was unharmed. when he made sure that she was truly okay he apologized profusely and explained what he was doing and what he did wrong. she seemed genuinely interested which christopher immediately appreciated and he found he quite liked this girl. she was kind and smiled and asked questions when she was curious. there was no better way to get to his heart than by asking about his experiments (well, besides lemon tarts). every time they ended up staying for science after school he never failed to update her on his latest invention or experiment and she never failed to be attentive and curious. they worked surprisingly well together.

kamala - the first time kamala meets thomas is when she meets eugenia (her girlfriends) family. thomas was kind and the longer they talked the more he smiled and looked at her with an approving look. she had taken a liking to him almost immediately and had spent most of their time talking until eugenia interrupted claiming thomas was stealing her girlfriend to which thomas scoffed and rolled his eyes saying that there was no chance of that happening. kamala hadn’t understood the actual meaning of that until later to which she laughed until tears sprang to her eyes. eugenia’s entire family was kind and accepting but she knew she’d always have a soft spot for thomas and she did. she was always there for him and he, her. he became a brother she had always wanted and never gotten to truly have. eugenia complained but she couldn’t be happier with the outcome. 

eugenia - the first time eugenia meets grace she thinks she’s cold. she always has a careless and intimidating resting face and very rarely speaks to anyone as if they’re worth her time. eugenia’s blind reaction to having her on the cheerleading squad was not a good one and she worked her pretty hard until they finally talked and eugenia learned why she had so many walls up and why she was so cold. it took a while to unravel the mystery of grace blackthorn but they ended up being surprisingly good friends, especially considering they were both close to kamala. kamala being one of grace’s closest friends and eugenia's girlfriend.

grace - the first time grace met kamala she was in the locker room the cheerleaders shared with the dance team. grace had just gotten off a particularly cruel phone call with her mother and was trying her best to keep her composure but it was quickly slipping through her fingers. her throat was hurting from the strain of not crying and her eyes were burning suspiciously. she cleared her throat a few times in the empty locker room and almost jumped out of her skin when a girl poked her head around the corner with a concerned tilt to her lips. she had a kind face and it barely took a quiet, “are you okay?” for grace to break down completely. the girl had walked over quietly and bent down to grace’s level. grace wasn’t sure why but she felt like she had known this girl for a long time, it was a feeling of pure trust she had never felt before. there was something so calming about kamala, as she had introduced herself, that she found herself spilling things she’d never told anyone else. there was a lot left unsaid but enough was said for kamala to comfort her enough to get her to calm down. there was something so trust worthy about her that she found herself in the same situation a few more times in the weeks to come until they started to talk with no tears. it was definitely an odd friendship but they both valued it a lot.

[heartbreakgrill]

hi bb! could I get a cute zach x reader fic? you can take this in whichever way you like but I was thinking some fluff like a movie night at Zach's or he teaches the reader to play video games? you can do it either way/come up with something of your own too! xxx

Slow Down; Zach Herron

a/n: hope you like it, queen!! 💘

You knocked gently on your boyfriend’s front door, feeling insecure in your leggings, your sweatshirt, and sneakers. You’d been to the boy’s house before, but this was still only your second time, and you’d never dressed so casually in front of Zach. Your relationship was still fresh- only 8 dates had happened so far- so you were still holding back parts of yourself you were afraid of him seeing. The lazy, messy part of you that some guys were turned off by.

You wrung the sleeve of your sweatshirt between your fingers. The door opened a moment after you knocked, drawing your eyes from your feet. Jonah, tall as a tree, stared down at you, a sleepy smile growing to his dark features.

“Hey, Y/N, good to see you.” Jonah swept an arm through the air and you walked into it’s path.

The house was noisy, as per usual. Lights were on all over, Corbyn and Jack were shouting over the shooting noises of a video game on the tv, music was streaming from the Bluetooth speakers, Tessa sat at the kitchen island. Daniel was probably out in his studio, and his brothers were strewn around the living room, watching Corbyn and Jack beat each other.

You felt so out of place in the group’s familiar Friday routine. Jonah could tell, harboring the same feeling of social anxiety, and gently touched your elbow.

“I’ll go get him, okay?” You’d been in Zach’s room, he must’ve not have been in there, because Jonah walked outside after you nodded.

You busied yourself with removing your sneakers. You squatted and gently set them beside somebody else’s shoes on the rack. You peaked around at the door and shut it all the way. Somebody finally spoke up when you turned back around.

“Oh, hey, Y/N! Come sit,” Corbyn patted the spot next to him on the couch.

“Shit, sorry, we just completely ignored your existence,” Jack added on, laughing into his headset.

“No worries,” you smiled at everybody, carefully stepping over Christian’s legs to sit next to Corbyn.

“How ya doing, Y/N?” Corbyn glanced at you.

You folded your hands. “I’m okay, thanks. How are you?”

Corbyn went to answer when something happened in the video game and everybody yelled. That’s when you noticed Zach making his way across the room. He pushed Christian’s legs out of the way, earning a playful punch to the thigh. You stood up as he did, giggling at the laughter the two boys exchanged.

Zach threw his arms up when he laughed, one of his cutesy quirks that you had learned yet. His hands landed on you- shoulder and hip. He gently pulled you into his chest, your hands moving to his back.

“Hey,” he laughed in your ear, fingers moving to your back, but landing on your mini backpack.

“Hi,” you leaned away. His fingers slid down your shoulder and gently held your fingers.

He tugged you behind him, guiding the two of you to his room. “Sorry I didn’t answer the door. Daniel was having me record something.”

You shrugged, “No worries. I got a warm welcome from everybody.”

Zach sighed, letting go of you to shut the door. You sat on the edge of his bed. He said, “Yeah, they can be overwhelming at first.”

“No!” You disagreed. “They’re all really great. I like the energy.”

Zach smiled at you as he walked over to you. “You look very cuddly.”

Your anxiety settled in your subconscious, no longer a part of your worries. Instead, a blush painted your face. “We have never cuddled before.”

Zach sat beside you, setting a hand on your knee. “We don’t have to.”

“No, I want to,” you assured him, grabbing said hand and squeezing the knuckles. “I know you’re probably used to moving a little faster, but I’m just nervous. I’m sorry.”

Zach shook his head, carefully studying your eyes. He brushed the hair from your face, behind your ears, “I think I need to slow down anyways. With my career and looking back on my past relationships, I think it’ll keep me grounded. You’ll keep me grounded.”

Your stomach whirled with adoration. You found yourself leaning forward and kissing him. It wasn’t your first kiss- actually, it was your second. But it felt like the first. You hoped that feeling would stay.

Zach cupped your cheek, thumb just barely pushing your chin up into him. Your hands found his jaw, fingers molding between his hair. You kissed for a moment longer, and intended to keep going, but someone knocked at the door.

You jumped back from Zach, laughing from your naive fright at the sound. Zach pecked your lips and went to the door.

“Hello?” He opened it towards him, leaning against the door frame.

That was hot.

Jack waved from his side of the door. “Can y’all go pick up the pizza?”

Zach rolled his eyes, huffing. “Really? There’s, like, 10 other people here. Why can’t they?”

“Thought maybe you wanted alone time with your girl,” Jack shrugged. “Also, Jonah and Tessa just left, Daniel is busy, the rest of us are playing a game. Please?”

Zach obviously wasn’t going to argue with his band mate in front of his girl, as jack had put it. So he agreed.

Zach went to the closet as you waited on the bed, picking out a hoodie. He slung it over his head and sat beside you again to put on his shoes. As he did, you told him about something you did earlier that day. He was a good listener and conversation came so well between you two.

Zach stood up, offering you his hand. He pulled you up, purposefully tugging you close to his chest. He held you by the back and kissed you again. You giggled into his mouth, feeling his fingers squirm against your sweatshirt. He pulled away, to your disappointment, and looked at your sweatshirt with furrowed brows.

“No, this won’t do,” he tugged at the hem of your sweatshirt.

You looked at him with utter confusion, “Huh?”

He walked back to his closet, voice echoing from inside. “If you’re gonna be my girl, you gotta wear my sweatshirt.”

He settled back in front of you, holding out the hoodie.

You carefully grabbed it. “Is that you asking me to be your girlfriend?”

Zach tipped his head at the sweatshirt, “Is that you saying yes?”

You answered by taking off what you had on and replacing it with a hoodie that the The Invitation Tour logo on it. You followed Zach out the living room again and sat down on the floor to put on your sneakers while he found his keys. He helped you off the floor, like in his room, and led you to the garage.

He opened your door for you like a gentleman, passing by with a sweet kiss. You let out a deep breath once you were settled in the seat, feeling a weight of emotions in your stomach.

Zach got in and then you guys were gone. The pizza place was ten minutes away, but they didn’t offer delivery because of COVID. And, of course, you forgot your mask. Zach just shrugged it off while you felt bad he carried two pizzas and a bag of 2 liters to the car. He put it all in the back seat before joining you again.

On the way back, Zach told you to put on music. Meanwhile, his hand sneakily found it’s way to your knee. He didn’t want to automatically place it upon your thigh, genuinely meaning what he had said earlier.

You wrapped your hand around his, letting your intertwined fingers rest in your lap. When you got back to the house, Zach didn’t allow you to carry anything again. As soon as the pizzas hit the kitchen counter, the boys went ravenous. Even Daniel appeared from his cave to get food.

You stood off to the side, feeling rude just diving in. Corbyn noticed you and automatically spoke up over the crowd of men.

“Hey! Guys, we should probably let Y/N go first,” he motioned to you.

Your face flushed and you felt your neck started to clam up. “Oh, I’m okay.”

Zach, who was caught up getting cups for everyone, sighed. “I’m sorry, I should’ve told them to wait.”

“No, it’s no worries, guys. Please, go ahead,” you insisted again.

Daniel shook his head and handed you a plate, “No, Y/N, go ahead.”

You carefully took it and joined the hoard at the island. You took a single slice of cheese pizza and circled back to your spot.

Christian disagreed with your sad plate, “Oh, cmon. Get another slice, and some chips and a drink.”

You began to protest when they all spoke over each other, insisting. Daniel slapped another slice onto your plate, Corbyn held up two bags of chips in your face, and Zach had already poured your favorite soda into a glass. You tapped on the Dorito’s in Corbyn’s right hand and he poured some on your plate.

You had a restless, wide grin on your face the entire time. “Thank you so much.”

Everybody went back to being savages. Zach quickly got in and got out, leading you back to his room. He crawled across the bed and leaned back on his headboard. You carefully sat beside him as he turned on the television.

“You wanna watch that movie you told me about the other day?” He held out the remote to you.

Your mouth fell agape for a moment and then you nodded. “Yeah- uh, yeah.”

How was he such a good listener?

You found the movie on Netflix and put it on. Zach finished his food quickly, but you ate carefully and slowly. Zach simply layed out on the bed, waiting for you to finish. Once you were done, you stood up from the bed.

Zach paused the movie, “You good?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Wanna give me your plate?” You held out your hand.

Zach jumped up suddenly, grabbing his plate and yours before walking out.. You caught up to his long-legged strides with protests.

“Zach!” You called after him, tugging on the back of his sweatshirt.

He finally turned around after he set everything in the sink. “Yes?”

You tried to glare at him, but his smile was so sweet, you broke into a grin. “I was gonna take them!”

Zach shrugged. “I got it, babe.”

You lifted a finger to point in his face, but froze when the pet name registered. Your face went red again.

Zach’s innocent smile turned even cheekier- if possible. He kissed your cheek and left you standing there. You followed him to his room, stopping him in the middle of the hallway. You tugged him around to face him, practically launching yourself into his arms as you cupped his jaw and kissed him. He held the curve of your back, leaning into the kiss.

You broke off, breathless, with matching smiles. “Wanna finish the movie?” You jerked your head in the direction of his room.

Zach nodded in a less than calm manner and followed you inside. He shut the door, splaying back in his spot on the bed. You carefully lay beside him, resting your head on his bicep, which he extended out beside him. His hand clasped around your shoulder and tugged you into his side. You got comfortable over the span of a few minutes, at first slightly stiff. When you were in position, your leg was tossed over his, your hands on his chest.

The movie ended and you began another before your breathing evened and your eyes couldn’t keep themselves open. Zach noticed and carefully shut off the lights and tv with the remote. He pulled the blanket at the end of the bed over you.

“Want me to take you home?” He whispered into your ear.

You hummed a disagreement back, curling further into him. “Is that okay?” You sleepily said.

Zach responded by kissing your forehead and mumbling a goodnight.