#I don't know which of these I like better although the names alone? Could not be better

[templeofvengeance]

what does your soul look like?

the crowned skull

You are a leader, whether you wanted to be or not. You have been burdened by a purpose greater than yourself. All sense of identity has been buried beneath the necessity of duty. Sacrifice is normalcy to you, and every day you trade away pieces of yourself to serve. The people who follow you cannibalize you. They take, and take, and take. But you are no pushover. You have a just mind, and lead with a firm hand. You are a terror to some and hope to others. A tyrant to your dissidents, but a savior to your loyalists. Rarely will they praise you, and often will you suffer the blame for their own failings. But it is your job to bear it all. Who are you beneath the responsibilities? You wouldn’t know; it is a thing grown from your bones themselves. Duty is a burden you will never escape, no matter what form it takes. How long before it breaks you?

a white flame made of moonlight

You are mystic. You are an enigma. You are a bright light in the darkest of times. A champion of justice, you fight for what is dear to you, and you take your duty seriously. Your sense of purpose comes from being helpful, from being needed. But your tragedy is that you are made of fire, and few would dare approach you. They will use your warmth. They will use your flames against their enemies. They will call you beautiful. But they will not touch you. They will not hold you. Some will even fear you, and you will readily keep your distance, for you have burned others before. You wish you could take it back, but the past cannot be undone. You will be the last person to forgive yourself, if you ever do. Why can’t you just let it go? Why do you keep burning yourself out when what you truly want is rest?

Yoinked from: @embrfang

[buckyalpine]

40's baby Bucky & baby Reader, Present Bucky x Reader, all the flufff, a lil angst but it just adds to the fluff, promise

Bucky sat under the tree with a very prominent pout on his chubby face, his arms crossed against his chest with his brows pulled together. He wasn't happy. Not one bit. Not after his favorite ball was kicked over a fence by the other neighborhood boys.

"Bucky, do you want to play with me?" You toddled over to your best friend hoping to lift his spirits after seeing him so grumpy only to be met with a huff.

"No! Go play with Stevie instead. Leave me alone!" He frowned, brushing you off and turning his back at you to sulk facing the tree instead.

"But-

"I don't want to play with you" Bucky grumbled. Your bottom lip wobbled, dropping your shoulders as you walked off and sat by yourself under some shade on your porch. You didn't have many friends being the youngest and only little girl on your street; Bucky and Steve being the only two who included you in their games.

"Bucky's mean" You picked up one of your dolls, setting her up beside you while you toyed with a wild flowers, doing your best to keep from sniffling after he shooed you away. You knew he was upset but you wanted to make him feel better!

Of course it didn't take long for Bucky to feel bad, peeking over to see your fallen face sitting all alone on the steps of your house, eyes wet with tears which you were desperately blinking back. He got a bad feeling in his little pudgy belly, knowing he wasn't very nice to you. He knew his ma wouldn't be very happy if she heard how he'd spoken to you, especially after you were just trying to brighten his mood. He got up from his place on the grass, nicking a few flowers from his garden before shuffling over to you only to be met with your now grumpy face, crossing your arms and turning away just like he did.

"I'm sorry y/n" Bucky came and plopped beside you, moving the doll away, while clutching onto a few pink tulips. You didn't respond, still mad at him for being mean to you when you'd done nothing wrong. "C'mon jellybean, pwease?"

His baby blues were shining bright as he gave you his best puppy eyes, hoping you'd forgive him. You felt a giddy at the name he called you, one he'd given you because he thought you were sweet like one. You turned to face him while he gave you a shy little smile, placing the flowers onto your lap.

"I brought you flowers" He stated proudly, happy at the giggle you let out, setting them aside before tugging at his hand to run off and play.

-

"Y'promise you'll come back?" your eyes were wet with tears again although you were now 20 years older and the chubby boy you grew up with had grown into a very handsome soldier. He stood before you in his clean and pressed uniform, his face shaven, hair neatly cropped.

"Of course doll" He whispered affectionately, letting his thumbs swipe across your cheeks, kissing away the tears that fell. "I'll always come back to you jellybean"

"You better" You sniffled, standing on your toes to chase more of his lips as he pressed them to yours, his hands wrapping around your waist, picking you up with ease.

"M'gonna come right back to you, safe n'sound" He held you for as long as he could, rocking you close to his chest while you fought back a sob, giving him a brave smile instead.

"I love you Jamie"

"I love you jellybean"

That was the last time you saw him.

-

"This is a bad idea"

"When have I ever had a bad idea" Tony scoffed, continuing to tinker with his quantum portal while Bruce looked over numbers.

"It's not stable enough Tony, if we send someone through this, they could get stuck in an alternate timeline or we could end up changing the future-

"Yea, yea, stop worrying, hand me that spanner"

Bruce sighed, handing over the tool while contemplating on the safest way to test the machine. It wasn't ready to handle anyone actually travelling through time but at the very least they could potentially open portals to the past.

"We gotta put in a location to see if this works-how about-" Tony contemplated on a location, his eyes growing wide with excitement when he spotted Steve's diary that he'd left behind in the lab, "Let's see if Captain has any interesting places from the 40's"

"Why wouldn't you just see if we could get to the compound garden" Bruce groaned while Tony flipped through the pages, typing in an address that had been scribbled in. It was from a list of places Steve wanted to visit again from when he was a child, the address of the person listed under friends. There was only one other person listed there other than Bucky.

"Alright, call the others, let's see if this baby works"

"You're going to get us all killed" Bruce shook his head while calling for everyone to come to the lab. By now everyone was used to Tony's antics; the only one who was genuinely giddy with excitement was surprisingly Bucky. One thing he'd always loved was science; even his stoic expression couldn't hide the twinkle in his eye every time he got to see another Stark experiment.

"Glad you all made it. Now, thanks to Cap, we're going to see if we can open a portal that travels back to the 1940's. I suggest you all stand back since I haven't actually tested this before"

"Why are you like this" Nat snorted while Tony waved her off, pushing a few more buttons before hitting start. Bucky watched from the safe sidelines of the lab as the machine began to vibrate, a low buzz growing louder until a portal roared to life that lead to the inside of someone's home. Bucky and Steve were both stunned from shock seeing a flash of a very familiar living room for no longer than a second before the whole thing closed with a bang and a large puff of smoke in its place.

"Well done Mr. Playboy billionaire dumbass" Sam wheezed while the team was left coughing, the room cloudy as the loud buzz began to dull. "What was the location you even put in-

Sam stopped talking midway when he heard another voice coughing followed by mumbling coming from the place where the portal closed. The smoke hadn't yet dissipated but the shadow of a person was slowly becoming visible. Everyone froze when they realized there was someone on the platform, wondering who could've been sucked through.

"Bruce, turn on the fan-" Bruce hit the lab fan which pulled helped with the smoke revealing a young woman in a flower printed dress. An apron was still tied around her waist, flour streaked across her cheeks, a rolling pin still in her hand. "What the-

"JAMES BUCHANAN BARNES"

Bucky thought he was going to collapse as soon as he saw who was on the platform, his heart fluttering madly in his chest. He couldn't control the blush that crept up on his cheeks, butterflies bursting in his tummy, just as they did all those years ago. The young woman stormed up to the soldier, face full of fury as her palm smacked his cheek (Not hard enough to actually hurt him of course).

"HOW DARE YOU"

Everyone else in the lab silently congregated to one side watching curiously though Steve was still utterly frozen seeing-

"Y-y/n? Doll?"

"Don't you doll me" you whacked his arm with your rolling pin, huffing when it clanged back after hitting metal. That didn't seem to faze you as you switched and hit the other arm instead, making Bucky yelp. "You lied!"

You dropped your makeshift weapon to the floor, moving your hands to your hips instead, looking up and down at the man you loved with your entire heart, the man who you mourned for years after you were told he was dead. He looked much different from when you'd last seen him, the most obvious difference being an entirely new arm. His cheeks were scruffy and it was clear some form of time travel had taken place but none of that mattered. None of that mattered when the love of your life was standing right there, alive and well.

"Oh baby, no-

"Absolutely not Barnes" you huffed at the pet name he gave you, crossing your arms over your chest and Bucky thought he'd melt into an absolute puddle at the sight. He was thrown back to when you were both no more than 4 years old, with a cute little frown on your face whenever you'd get upset. "You left! I thought you-I thought you died!"

The sound of your voice cracking broke Bucky's heart, his hands itching to wrap you up and pull you close to his chest the way you loved. He could see your eyes twinkle with tears threatening to spill out while you rapidly tried to blink them away. You chewed on your bottom lip to keep from wobbling and it only made Bucky yearn to hold you and never let go.

"Sweetheart please, I didn't mean to leave you doll, I promise" He stepped closer to you, hesitantly reaching out to take your hand in his, not feeling the slightest bit conscious about his metal arm. The coolness of his hand calmed your racing heart while you sniffled, still refusing to meet his eyes as you stared down at your feet instead.

The day you'd been told he'd never come back had been the worst day of your life. You wept for months on end, losing the man you were waiting to marry. The only person you'd been in love with since you were 4 years old.

Seeing you standing there before him stirred feelings in Bucky h never thought he'd feel again. Having a home. A beautiful wife. Little chubby babies. All with his dream girl he'd loved all his life. There wasn't a day that had gone by where he didn't think about her. He didn't think he'd ever get the chance again but here you were, dusted in flour like you always were whenever you were in the kitchen, in a pretty dress he loved so much, fighting your cries after desperately missing him. He softly cupped your cheeks, swiping away at your tears, his forehead coming down to softly rest against yours. He smiled through watery eyes at your stubborn nature, still keeping your arms crossed while his nose bumped with yours.

"Jellybean" Bucky whispered, your heart melting at the name, swallowing the lump in your throat, "Please? I-I'll- I'll bring you flowers" He said with a shaky voice, nearly toppling over when you flung yourself into his arms. He caught you, squeezing you right back and lifting you off the floor to cradle you nice and tight before pulling back to smash his lips against yours. The collective sniffles and whistles from the team were drowned out by your soft giggles and warm lips.

"I missed you so much" you buried your face into the crook of his neck, inhaling the familiar scent of him, the one that comforted yo the most.

"You have no idea how much I missed you jellybean, never letting you go again"

"Terminator, you wanna introduce us?" Tony was the first to speak up, not so subtly wiping away at his eyes while Bucky continued to look at you with heard eyes, introducing you to everyone. You could only wrap your head around so much at a time but nothing truly mattered now that you were back with your soldier.

And of course your other best friend.

"Steve" You giggled as Steve lifted you up with ease into a tight hug, grinning at his two friends finally getting the life they deserved together.

Seriously imagine how sickeningly cute these two would be. Bucky is so excited to teach you all about the future. He gets to show you how to use all the new technology around the compound. He's so naughty about it too, teasingly telling you he'd be happy to help you in the shower if there's any questions you has about water temperature.

He doesn't waste any time with asking to marry you. Its everything you've ever dreamed of and more considering Tony took the bill and ran. Bucky can't put into words how happy he is finally getting the life he thought was ripped from his hands.

On your wedding night, Bucky spends hours loving on you like there's no tomorrow which is why a few months later, your belly is swollen with your first baby. Bucky is thankful for the future because as excited as he is to start a family, he's scared shitless something could happen to his jellybean.

"Bucky, I'm fine-

"Absolutely not, why are you up Jellybean, go sit down, I'll bring breakfast to you"

"I can still walk y'know-

"Nope. You stay right there, don't move mama, just rest"

When you do have to move around, he's there holding your baby bump, feeling giddy over becoming a dad. He can't wait to meet his little baby that he's made with his dream girl.

After his son is born, he waits for your body to heal but no ones surprised to see you with a new bump not too long after.

Two baby boys are no match for all the avengers but they all happily share their god father and god mother duties.

Your third is a little girl and she's going to be spoiled by everyone.

Somewhere along the way, you get a white fluffy cat.

Bucky's life has never been better.

[luvluu]

Daylight… Shuntaro Chishiya

————

A/N: heeeey! So English is not my first language, sorry if you find any mistake. I way loved this one and it’s probably getting a part two I don’t know you tell me pls😭

So almost all my stuff has a song title because I’m rlly bad with titles and it’s easier to me to name them as a song, but most times it has no connection at all😭🙏 hope you like this tho as you liked “I love you, I’m sorry”(which is probably getting a part two)

Requests are open tho!🫶🏻

————

Shuntaro Chishiya x reader

Fluff❤️‍🩹

TW: none

WORDS: 942

————

Daylight streamed in through the bedroom window. The faint rays of sunlight slowly woke you up. You pulled away from the sleeping figure beside you, but he grabbed your waist before you could, you smiled at the act of love.

“Chishiya...�� you murmured, he only let out a moan, not letting go of you.

“Just a little while longer” he said pulling you to his body, you laughed you looked up at him who still half asleep.

“I have to go” you said, stroking his hair and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Chishiya didn't work in the summer, it was almost never his turn and although it seemed unbelievable to think, when Chishiya didn't work he didn't really know what to do. You worked in the bar of a swimming pool near your house, so Chishiya had to put up with being without you all morning. He used to go with you, pay the entrance fee even if he didn't swim in the pool despite the heat and ordered himself some refreshments just to be served by you, but your boss ended up banning him because, according to him, being with Chishiya was too distracting.

To say that Chishiya was in awe of you was not enough. Ever since he met you, his heart started beating a little faster. It was almost three years ago. You went with your little nephew to the hospital as he had to have a test:

“Walk” you said to the child, trying to get him to enter the consultation room. You were terrified of hospitals, very much so, and so was the little boy.

Since you were little, you were always forced to go to the doctor and you ended up panicking about hospitals and everything related to them. Doctors? Monsters. That's what they looked like to you, monsters.

You entered the consulting room behind the figure of your little nephew and Chishiya noticed the nervousness of both of you almost instantly. Neither of you sat down, you stared at Chishiya as if he was a ghost.

“His parent?” he asked, you were offended, but tried to hide it.

“No, no, of course not” you quickly denied. Chishiya hid a smile.

He gave your nephew a test while you sat in the chair in front of the desk, your gaze fixed on the fridge full of injections, your stomach churning at that image alone.

When he finished, Chishiya told your nephew to go outside for a moment while he gave you the results, it was not usually good for children to be around while the doctor gave the test results, if they had something serious they could get scared and it was better for the children.

Chishiya held out a piece of paper to you and told you that your nephew was fine, he just needed to do more sports.

“I'm sorry I offended you earlier.” you frowned in confusion. “When I asked if you were the boy's parent.”

“Oh, don't worry” you denied, wanting to get out of the room as quickly as possible.

“Let me make it up to you with a coffee” he replied, offering you a piece of paper with your name and his phone number on it with a reassuring smile. You scanned the paper before taking it with a small smile and a noticeable blush is your cheeks, the urge to leave gone.

“I don't drink coffee” you said, though when you realized that sounded like a rejection you spoke again. “But I'd love to go with you, yes” you said nervously and walked out of the office.

You had been together for two and a half years and you were the fuel of Chishiya's life: every time he saw a piece of clothing in the store next to the hospital he thought about how wonderful you would look in it, or every time he ate alone in the hospital he wondered if you were eating alone too. You just wouldn't get out of his head.

Summer was supposed to be when you could be together. You would spend all day in bed cuddling and watching series or movies, you both loved those moments. You loved the comfort of your bed and the smell of Chishiya flooding the room as his arms cuddled you. And Chishita loved anything that involved being near you, but your summer job fucked it all up.

You didn't need money, Chishiya was a doctor and you were a teacher, but the owner(yes, the same one who banned your boyfriend) was the brother of one of your best friends, and he needed someone to work for at least two weeks, so you, as the people-pleaser you were, you couldn't say no.

“Stay today” he murmured, kissing your lips in one swift movement.

“I'll get fired.” you said.

“Better” he laughed, throwing you back on the bed, making you laugh. “I don't plan to let you leave” he said lying on top of you.

At first, Chishiya was kind of carefree, he didn't seem to care about anything, he didn't seem to care about anything, but after a few months of relationship, his attitude changed and Chishiya ended up being one of the cutest men you had ever met.

“I have to work or I won't do anything productive all morning.”

“I can think of a couple of ways to do something productive together” he said giving you a kiss on the neck followed by a laugh.

“Shuntaro!” you scolded. He got up from on top of you, looking at you as you got out of bed and got dressed. “I'll see you before lunchtime, okay? I promise” you said giving him a kiss on the tip of his nose.

“If you come and I'm not around it's because I might stop by Shibuya today. I have to buy something.”

You nodded as you walked to the door.

“Okay! I love you!” you said walking out.

“Love you more” he shouted from the bed.

If you had stayed with him in bed, maybe that meteorite wouldn't have killed him for 1 minute. 1 minute that for him was another life.

[tiazennie]

I love...

Genre: Fluff (VERY MUCH) Jeno X Reader Warnings: Some harsh language andd that's about itt (lemme know if there's moreee :DD) Background: Your boyfriend asks you for a list on things you love about him but you weren't very sure of that idea as you find it hard on expressing your feelings towards him. Although, he had other plans. heavily inspired by the song Chest Pain (I love) by Malcolm Todd, haha LMEW:P ·˚୨୧꒰∗ɞ̴̶̷ ·̮ ɞ̴̶̷∗꒱୨୧˚·

"Really? You can't name one thing you love about me?" Jeno exclaims as you chuckle in response. "Seriously, I love everything about you I just can't seem to narrow it down one by one!" You say before putting your phone down and facing him, lips slightly in a pout which makes you chuckle. You wait for his response but he was persistent on ignoring you. You sigh before talking, "Fine, I'll try to write it down for you. But don't be surprised I do bad." You huff out and you see Jeno's eyes light up and his lips forming into a smile as he tries to hide it which makes you laugh softly. "I won't I promise." He says before crossing his chest and raising his left hand, you chuckle at the sight before laying down comfortably. "Then, we better sleep, you wanna receive it tomorrow right?" His response was a slight nod with a big smile, making your heart quench at the sight of your beautiful boyfriend. You just can't seem to comprehend the fact that the guy you've been dreaming of since freshman year was beside you, sleeping. You pinch your self a few times thinking it was all just a dream, and you would wake up to your bed alone. But instead, you feel the pain of your fingers nipping your skin and Noah still on your bed sound asleep. "Maybe this isn't a dream after all." You whisper to yourself before facing him with a slight smile, knowing you'll see him again tomorrow with both of you having swollen eyes and puffy cheeks from your oh so good night sleep.

"Y/n, Y/n, c'mon now. Wake up!" You hear vaguely and you guessed it, it was your boyfriend Jeno. Desperate for your small little note. "Jeno, I swear to God if it's still 7 in the morning I am going to kill you--" "But it's 8 in the morning." He whines still shaking you from your sleep, you could tell he was doing this to annoy you, and boy was it working. "Fine! I'm up." He stands up before cheering and giving you kisses all over your face. You shoo his face away lightly before standing up and entering your bathroom, but he pulls you back to the bed with him. "What-- I thought you wanted to me to het ready--" "I change my mind, let's just stay like this for a while, okay?" You soften at his word before melting to his embrace. Giving you a sense of comfort and secureness to his touch, and you could feel your self getting lulled back to sleep. Maybe you could add this to the things you love about him. ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Fin

(HELLO EVERYONE OMG I MISSED THIS APP SM, LMEW my account got hacked a while ago so I needed to find a way to get it back ANDD also I got major writers block SO I HAD A LOT TO CATCH UP ON ESPECIALLY ON WRITTING HUHUUH,,,, anywayy I hope you loved this as much as I loved writing it haha.. LOVE YOU GUYS SO SO MUCHH, wish to not get writers block ever again cause IT IS HARD. Please stay hydrated luvs, and hopefully you get a good night/day><) -Ria-

[felibrary]

LOVE IS AN OPEN DOOR - chuuya nakahara

synopsis: if you wouldn't know any better you'd think that chuuya nakahara doesn't take a liking to you - he loathes you. but what if one day you make a shocking discovery that it might be the opposite.

pairing: chuuya nakahara x gn!reader | wordcount: 1.2k | content & warnings: im at the first ep of s4, so if chuuya mischaracterized no need to wonder…, school au-ish kind of??, cursing (fuck), dazai teases chuuya for his crush, chuuyas kinda not rly good with his feelings and expressing himself, drinking (chuuya offering to go out and drink), dazai plays cupid/matchmaker

a/n: when i wrote this i didn't have 15 yo dazai or chuuya in mind (cause of the school au yk) just as them idk but interpret it however you like - high school or college wtv, im so obsessed with chuuya rn y'all don't even know, hope u guys enjoy this little thing i've whipped up in an hour

you're convinced that chuuya nakahara hates you.

that's one thing you're sure of. after all, he avoids you like the plague; however when the two of you do get in touch with one another, he starts cursing you out, calling you names such as “dumbass" and abruptly leaves.

yeah, you're pretty sure that that guy dislikes - if not despises you. although until now you've hadn’t had the slightest idea why. well, that was the case up until now.

some days have passed since you started noticing it. every time you hung out with dazai and started laughing a bit too loudly at his jokes or lightly slapped his shoulder, chuuya gave you a death stare - if you wouldnt know any better he looked like he’d grab your throat any minute to shut you up.

admittedly (and also embarrassedly) you never really noticed it until dazai has pointed it out. which, on one hand, explains the weird feeling you’ve recently gotten - it felt like someone was shooting daggers at the back of your head, luckily for you, that’s solved now.

but on the other hand, you still demand an explanation why chuuya would do that. is it simply because of his (one-sided) hatred towards you, that can’t be the case right? or did he have a huge crush on dazai, that’s the most realistic explanation that you can think of.

-

once school ended and the bell had just rung to release everyone from their classes and go back home. you’d usually scurry home right away, because there was no point in staying longer, after all who’d want to endure this hell house also known as school more than necessary, it's no use right?

well jokes on you, staying over time was definitely worth it. kunikida assigned you the task (forced) to carry a huge stack of boxes full of documents and paper to your homeroom teacher's room, because it was the “right” thing to do - well at least according to his ideals. 

“but what about dazai? that idiot  just ran off and is probably slacking off right now!” you protested, because it's not fair when everyone has a task to complete and someone else just gets to relax, right? 

at your complaint the blond could only scoff “i’ll scold him later, but for now let's just concentrate on the task in front of us, time is running out.”

-

that’s how you ended up here, back pressed against the heavy classroom door that separated you and the two guys that were inside the room as you tried to listen in into their conversation.

initially your plan was to find dazai, drag him by the collar of his white button up and beat his ass for skipping and leaving you alone with a ton of boxes that not only cost you ten minutes to carry around or so.

because neither kunikida or anyone else didn’t bother to tell you that there were three, fucking three, of those staples of boxes that were filled with countless papers.

however, it came to a change of plans upon hearing chuuyas’ voice. usually, any sound that was made inside of the classrooms was drowned out and barely audible to hear outside the room. 

this time, that didn’t seem to be the case though. chuuyas’ screaming and dazais' hysterical laughter were faint but loud enough to hear from outside the room. 

“come on chuuya, there's no need denying it, you have a massive crush on them.” dazais’ voice was laced with amusement as he started laughing out loud which seemed to piss the redhead off. 

you were able to hear a small huff that escaped dazais mouth. “chuuya, there’s really no need to start getting all violent, just admit that you’re absolutely whipped for them!” the brunette chuckled. “so stop kicking me in the balls!” that probably earned him another kick as you could hear dazai letting out a small “ouch.”

“shut up, shitty dazai.” the guy in question only snickered at that. “yeah, yeah. everyone’s able to tell that you’re madly in love with them. every time you’re around them you start to get beet red, the color even exceeds the one of your hair! a hilarious sight to look at, really.” 

you didn’t hear a response from chuuya and apparently neither did dazai so he just continued his rant. “also, let me tell you one thing, you’re not making it any better by cussing them out or intently staring at them, that’s just scary, man!” dazai closes his eyes and starts shaking his head before tutting in disappointment.

“oh chuuya. the brunette sighs, eyes still closed. “letting a beauty like them slip away this easily by not showing any proper interest. you’re to be pitied, really.” the male moves away from his previous position and bolts over to the door, crossing his arms as his back leans against the door.

an exasperated sigh leaves chuuyas mouth. “what do you expect me to do then? they probably have a horrible impression of me already. if i pull up with a bouquet of roses and some cliché pick up lines, they’d probably stare at me in horror, wondering if i got possessed or something.” he sneers at dazai. 

just who in the world are they talking about?

dazai pretends to think for a moment before snapping his fingers. “well for starters, how about greeting them, doesn’t even have to be verbal, just some waving or nodding. then start hanging out with them!”

“idiot! how's that supposed to work from just greeting each other!” the ginger scowls at dazai.

“hold your horses.” the brunette whistles. “i didn't say to rendez-vous and have a candle-light dinner. how about accepting those group invites first that you keep declining. then you’d have the chance to meet up with them more often and get to know them.”

dazai continues to advise chuuya by giving him tips and recommendations “try bonding over stuff with each other, like favorite shows or food. and if you’re not incapable of doing so, how about complimenting them. wouldn't hurt you know?” dazai shrugs in simplicity. 

chuuyas still skeptical “assumingly that was the case. the two of us attending the same party, they’re alone and i finally get the chance to approach them, what the fuck am i supposed to say?” dazai only smiles at chuuya, a look that says “that’s up to you.” 

“why not use me as your lab rat!” dazai suggests optimistically.

“no way in hell!” chuuya shoots back pessimistically.

after pondering and musing for a while, chuuya comes up with a curt sentence. “i find you really good looking and cool.” the redhead stops and both you and dazai await his continuation in anticipation. “wanna go out and grab drinks sometimes?” chuuya doesn’t look up from the floor which he’s been staring at for the past minute. the tips of his ears tinted in a vermillion red.

“well, that wasn't so hard was it?” dazai asks cheerily, clapping his hands together. “if you still have doubts, how about you try it on the real thing now?” and before you can realize what's going on dazai swiftly steps away from the door before grabbing the door handle and opens the door, revealing your figure to the two guys. 

you’re not sure who's more taken aback, you or chuuya.

© VYNICITY 2024. stealing, copying, translating, reposting my works on other platforms or feeding them to ai is not permitted.

e/n: as y’all can tell the title is inspired by frozen's love is an open door cause y’know dazai opens the door for chuuya to confess his feelings. does this make sense lol??

[mtchee]

I would love to read a story about Nanami from jjk with someone who’s his polar opposite!since he’s stoic and serious I think it would be interesting to see him interact with a bubbly and affectionate person. I was thinking it could be something along the lines of, him and reader not really getting along at all. Like reader tries really hard but he doesn’t really care for her :(. But she’s so persistent 24/7!! Which eventually leads to her being in a coma for a while and he visits her every day! I’m a sucker for angst/comfort…

Anywayy I hope you get to seeing this! I find stories like these to be especially interesting..

Time to Spare - [Nanami Kento] GN

blurb:

Nanami's never met someone so bubbly, so willing to go out of their way for others. You remind him of Haibara, almost. Someone who will inevitably lose themselves for the sake of others. He sees no point in getting attached. You're simply co-workers, another sorcerer in the city. Always so generous with your time, when Nanami would rather spend his alone. Soon, he learns that maybe, he doesn't mind sharing his time with you as much as he had thought.

requested by: anonymous

cw: not edited, second-person-pov, minor angst/comfort, fluff, sunshine x grumpy, i may rewrite some of this at a later time, sorry this took so long??, live laugh love nanami

[1.8k]

| masterlist | jujutsu kaisen collection |

Nanami's never been more exhausted.

Every aspect of work sucked, whether it be in a stuffy office or the backstreets of Tokyo, it's all the same. Conforming to society's improbably standards, sucking up to the higher ups--pointless.

And when he thought that his salarywork sucked the life out of him, integrating back into jujutsu society was like a slap in the face.

He's come across many new faces since his return, most of whom he couldn't care less for; he sees no reason to involve himself unneccessarily, unlike a certain someone.

That certain someone being you.

You're not new to the jujutsu world, but you certainly act like it. Oohing and awing at all the different techniques, boundless questions spilling from your mouth like a waterfall.

And just like a rushing waterfall, you're loud and transparent. You reminded him of Haibara. You wear your heart on your sleeve, every word you say true to your soul. It would do you more harm to tell a lie than the actual lie itself.

And you're smiley. So very smiley.

Your cheer has those around you perking up ever so slightly, your positive aura seeping into their gloomy mood and transferring over. Your energy is infectious, and your kindess knows no bounds.

But where some see kind, others see naive. And Nanami knows that it's only a matter of time before you get yourself hurt. But that will be no one's fault except your own.

To his ire, you've attached yourself to him for reasons unknown to all but you it seems. Your face brightens whenever you see him, whilst his remains as passive as stone. When your pearly eyes seek his in approval, his remain sharp cut in the opposing direction. Although you speak to him sweetly, excitedly, he remains curt and brief.

He sees no reason to get attached, and he's not inclined to make new friends.

At times, your company is so grating he'd almost perfer to be in the proximity of Gojo.

Almost.

He'd never truly stoop that low.

Such a subjection would be much too cruel, even for you.

"Nanami-san!" You approached him one day with a lightly crinkled paper bag, "is your mission in Roppongi today? I saw the bakery you normally go to was closed this morning, so I made you a sandwhich instead! The lettuce I had isn't as fresh, but it should still be crunchy!"

He had acknowledged you with a nod, but only took the lunch offering once you'd nudged it into his hands.

"[last name]," he had addressed you curtly, "don't go out of your way to do such needless errands. It's better to conserve your energy for your own sake." You had only giggled and shook your head fondly in response.

You had been there when Gojo first placed Yuji under his supervision, snickering in the corner when the young sorcerer greeted him with an ecstatic "nanamin!"

He could only deadpan at your not to secret conspiratorial whispers with the boy after he had scolded him for the nickname.

"Pssh, don't mind him," He could hear the smile in your voice, "he's actually really nice once you get to know him."

Nanami disagreed with you. He is not quite nice.

He is well mannered, and can read social cues decently enough. He's observant to a point he can depict when one's mood switches at a particular point in conversation, letting him know when to diverge the topic at hand. He knows when to keep his mouth shut, unlike some. But opposingly, he will not stand to be walked over, strictly knowing his boundaries.

In Nanami's opinion, he is not nice. He's just a decent human being.

You, on the other hand, suit the definition of nice in its purest form.

"Nanami-san! I like your hair today!"

It's the same as every other day.

You're the type of person to go out of your way to make someone feel good, whether it be complimenting someone's outfit, or sending a stranger a quick wave and charming smile. Unlike him, you're quite agreeable in conversation. Even on conversations you might not agree, you carefully express your contrasing opinion while keeping the other's thoughts in mind. Your niceness gets you talked over sometimes he's noticed, though you never let it hinder you.

"Oh, Nanami!" You had gasped once, too in shock to remember your formalities regarding him, "your jacket is all torn up!"

Hardly. There was a tear in the seam of his shoulder from an altercation with a curse. The higher ups had neglected to inform him of the apropriate number which he would be facing. He had handled it nonetheless.

He had shrugged off the garment after tucking away his wrapped blade. He would have simply folded it over his arm to deal with later if not for you reaching out and tugging it from him.

He didn't quite put up a fight in you taking it from him, letting it slip from the crook of his elbow.

"I actually have some thread at home. The colour might be a tad lighter, but it'll be hidden in the seam, so you can't even tell!" You smiled at him, all teeth and reassuring eyes, "I can drop it off for you tomorrow--it'll save you the trouble of finding a tailor. Oh! When I do, how about we get lunch together too?"

You're much too generous with your time, in Nanami's opinion.

When he'd rather bask alone, tie loose, shoes off, with a glass of whiskey on the rocks and a book in hand in the low light of his living room, you're skittering around; out and about either chattering away and wishing someone a pleasant evening, or walking from one place to another, street to street to pick out what you want for dinner before treating yourself to a series of desserts that you're more inclined to bring to jujutsu high the next day in a share box.

You'd more willingly spend your nights tending to someone else's problem than settle in the quiet of your own company.

Hm.

True to your word though, the next day you turned up at his door with his jacket neatly sewn and pressed across your arm. By your feet was a carefully placed reusable bag of his favourite luncheon accompanied by a sheepish, but nonetheless heart-warming smile on your face.

Nanami thinks you're much too generous with your time indeed.

Now though, seeing you laid across the medical bed in Shoko's sanction, skin losing it's colour while your lips dry by the day, he can't help but be a little selfish, seating himself in your eerily quiet company.

You've never been so quiet before. It's unsettling.

Your latest mission landed you in a hot zone with four first grade curses. You held your own, but ultimately knew you wouldn't leave unscathed.

You'd successfuly excorcised the curses, ridding them of their existence. But with them went your consciousness, partly an after effect from one of the fiends, and partly due to your imminent exhaustion.

For two weeks you'd been silent.

In that time Nanami realised that in your generous sharing of time, your deeds were gradually returned. Many others visited you in the times Shoko allowed, heavy hearts and occassionally teary eyes sparing every second they could to stay a little longer at your side, hoping that their share of time would transfer to you, and you would awaken once more.

Though none gave their time quite like Nanami did.

The moment your weary body reached the med bay, Nanami remained seated by your bedside.

He hadn't said anything at first, only taking place by your side, sitting quietly, listlessly, until Shoko ushered him out for the night.

The next day, he sat with his jacket folded over his arm. The seam had yet to come undone--a sure sign of your impeccable work. He breathed in time with your slow breaths.

On the third day, he brought lunch with him. He got it from a place he knows you frequent, choosing something he thought he'd seen you favour the most. If you didn't eat it today, he was sure you'd eat it during the night if he left it there.

He simply turned a blind eye to the sight of the untouched lunch when he returned the following day.

In the second week, he approached your form with three flowers--an admittedly meek sight in comparison to the slowly fraying boquets others had left in their visits. The white gardenias would compliment the tint of your lips once you reach good health.

He believed you would.

The world would be damned if it snuffed out one more gleaming light.

He added three more flowers two days later, white jasmines, to accompany the others. They'd been placed in a pretty vintage vase that Gojo has scounged up from somewhere on one of his visits. One of the few things the man has been useful for, Nanami supposed.

He noticed your breaths weren't as shallow anymore. And although your lips were still dry, your skin had begun to flush slightly with your colour.

He decided to read to you that day, sure that you were sick of the snivelling silence.

Another two days pass, and it's on the brink of the third week of your unconsciousness that Nanami walks in with three more flowers to add to your collection, beautiful red roses to add some colour to his otherwise bland concoction. You'd appreciate some more colour, he's sure.

Nine pretty flowers posed in a healthy posture by your bedside table, and Nanami took his seat by your side as he always did.

He picked up the book he had been reading, glancing at the door for any guests unwelcome in his space, before continuing on from where he had left off.

His voice is low, not quite emotive, but ensnaring nonetheless. He reads for an hour or so, passing a good few chapters before he decides he's sick of his own voice. He'd realised over time that he preferred yours more.

He silently promises to continue reading after a moment, placing the book open and down on his knee while he clears his throat, shifting for more comfortability.

A quiet hum eminates from his left, and he pauses.

"...I like that chapter," your voice, uncharacteristically hushed and croaky from lack of use, rings in his ears, and he stares at you with carefully placid features despite his racing heart.

You hadn't move much, only tilting your head on your pillow to better face him.

Your cheeks look fuller all of a sudden, and despite your obvious malaise from laying stiff for so long, you smile at him warmly, like you always do.

Then, your eyes flit to his jacket discarded over the back of his chair.

"The seam hasn't broken, right?"

The corner of his lips twitch into a downward smile.

Nanami thinks you're too nice. You're much too generous with your time. But he'd never dare complain when you spend it all with him.

And he too, thinks that he enjoys the sound of you more than his own quiet company.

[flemingology]

Biggest Little Fan | Jessie Fleming x Reader

In which: you take your daughter to her mum's football game for the first time

Warnings: none

WC: 1.6k

A/N: based on this request. Realized I am not good at writing the kid dynamic. I don't know if I'll do it again but I still hope you enjoy!

Divider: @cafekitsune

Amelia, you and Jessie's 5-year old daughter, had started picking up an interest for football the last couple months. It was almost inevitably really, seen the household in which she grew up. You and your wife had kept your daughter away from football in her first couple years, wanting to avoid that she became a thing in the media – like you had seen happen before to other players and their children.

Nonetheless, she had been nothing but nagging the both of you to go see one of Jessie's games. "I want to see mama kick the ball," she would claim excitedly. As much as you were fond of the idea, it took a little convincing to get Jessie on board. Although she loved the idea of her wife and her daughter coming to watch her games, both adorning shirts with number 17 and Fleming on the back, it was more the whole footballing environment that worried her. The noise, the people, it could get really busy and loud in a stadium and she knew her daughter was prone to be overwhelmed.

A couple weeks after it was initially mentioned, though, you'd finally been able to convince her. You had pushed her out the door the morning of matchday with the promise of bringing earplugs for Amelia, the koala teddy she brought everywhere with her that Jessie got her after she came back from Australia from the World Cup and a couple toys just in case she would get bored in the family box.

Your wife and you had struggled quite a bit with getting pregnant before it eventually worked out. After 3 failed IVF rounds, you were ready to give up, but Jessie convinced you to go for one more try. And as she promised, the fourth time was successful. You couldn't have wished for a better, more caring partner than Jessie during the 9 months. Now, though, it was like you fell in love with her again and again every other day. Jessie caring for you was one thing, but seeing Jessie care for your daughter had you feeling ways you don't think would ever be replicated by anyone or anything else.

Jessie would get quite insecure from time to time about how much time she spent away from home. Before Amelia was born, you two had grown accustomed to spending time away from each other, but ever since you had your little girl Jessie seemed to struggle with it a lot more. Endless Facetime calls from across the world would never ever come close to the real thing, but they would have to make do for the time being.

That's why, even though she only reluctantly agreed to the plan of bringing Amelia with you for the first time, she couldn't contain her excitement about the prospect of having her daughter in the stands for the first time. Occasions like these didn't come around too often, especially since you didn't travel around the world anymore to watch your wife now that you had a daughter. So to have a game in Portland on a time and day that worked out perfectly for you as a family, you really couldn't let the opportunity pass.

Your usual routine of getting ready for Jessie's matches now included getting your daughter ready too. Instead of bringing Amelia to your or Jessie's parents, she stayed with you throughout the day. You were both wearing matching Portland kits, your wife's name on the back. You knew how much Jessie loved seeing you wearing her last name on your back, let alone her daughter of 5.

Before you knew it, it was time to leave and you and your daughter found yourselves in your car, making your way to Providence Park. You'd left quite early, not wanting to be stuck in Portland traffic, which you knew would have driven your daughter crazy. Forever impatient – a trait she'd definitely taken over you –, it was never a good idea to be on a drive with Amelia during rush hour.

You parked in your usual spot in the family car park, making your way over to Jessie's family box. Her parents and sister were already there, neither would they miss the opportunity to watch their daughter and sister play football, especially now that they didn't have to watch Amelia for once. You held your daughter comfortably on your hip, her outstretched arms immediately looking for her grandmother when you said hello to Jessie's mum. You let her take Amelia while you said hello to everyone else, mingling a little and having a drink before you made your way over to your seat and waited for the match to begin, Amelia sitting proudly on your lap.

Your daughter couldn't contain her excitement when the teams walked out and she saw Jessie, jumping up and down in your lap and clapping her hands when the league anthem sounded in the stadium. As part of her routine, Jessie looked up towards her family box before she walked to her spot on the field, shooting the five of you a small wave before taking her concentration back for the following 90 minutes.

The game went by quick, your daughter asking you questions every now and then about what was happening. She was surprisedly interested, not sparing her koala teddy or toys a single glance – up until Jessie was subbed off in the 80th minute, then she found it a little harder to keep still. Elysse proposed to take her off you for a while, entertaining Amelia for the remaining couple minutes of the game. Not long after, the referee blew the whistle, signaling the end of the match that ended in a 2-1 win for Jessie and her teammates. She didn't get a goal or an assist, but she had been instrumental in her team's build-up play and you knew that she would be happy with her performance.

The team made the lap around the pitch and made sure to thank the fans that had come out to see them, signing a shirt or taking a picture every now and then. You were enamoured with the way Jessie interacted with kids, it had always been a topic of conversation between the two of you before you had Amelia. She was so good with kids and whenever you would see her interacting with her mascot, or children that had come to see the game, you felt a strong sense of domesticity overcome you and simply couldn't wait to have one of your own. Standing here, Amelia on your hip animatedly telling you about how she thought her mama was so cool playing football, you couldn't really believe that this was life.

Before long, Jessie and her teammates arrived at the family section and players started to climb over the bars to make their way to their family and friends. Jessie lingered a little with Janine's family before she made her way over to her family, engulfing her parents and Elysse in a big group hug. She hadn't seen them for quite some time, football wasn't a particularly forgiving job so she was happy that she got to see them whenever she could. Amelia grew restless quite quickly and kept poking you and asking to be put down, but you knew Jessie liked the little moment of peace with her parents so you relented.

After a couple more moments Jessie managed to wriggle herself out of the conversation and eagerly made her way over to you both, a big grin forming on her face when she noticed Amelia sitting on your hip. Your daughter stuck her arms out for Jessie to grab and you let her, your wife smoothly taking her from you and settling her on her hip. "Mama, I watched you the whole game!" Amelia exclaimed, looking on with wide eyes at your wife, proudly telling her everything about the game that she noticed and remembered. You watched on as they interacted, your feelings overcome with pride as you thought about the little family you and Jessie had created.

A couple minutes later, Jessie put Amelia back down as she asked to go play with Elysse, the both of them now running around the family box as Amelia's giggled could be heard throughout the whole block. Jessie moved closer to you and pressed a quick, sweet kiss on your lips. "Thank you for coming, thank you for bringing Amelia. I loved it more than I thought I would," she exclaimed, leaning her head on your shoulder as you affectionately rubbed her back.

You pressed a kiss against her crown before speaking up. "I knew you'd like it. I loved it too, it's really nice to think about the little family we've created together."

Jessie looked up at you and you couldn't miss the unshed tears in her eyes, quickly wiping them away before they could spill. "I'm proud of this. Of us. We did so good," Jessie said, intertwining her fingers with yours. You both watched as Elysse was now running around with Amelia on her shoulders.

"We did very good. I love our family and I love you, Jess." Jessie squeezed your hand. "Forever."

[lovemomhatepolice]

rafe cameron nswf alphabet (part 2) (minors DNI!)

navigation taglist requests

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs) Rafe would never agree to group sex in his life. Maybe it would have crossed his mind even earlier when he wasn't in a relationship with you and just had a single life, but now there's no way he would agree to it. Even more so for sex with another man, oh no. He wouldn't tolerate the sight of you and someone else giving you pleasure

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.) Well, let's not kid ourselves, Rafe definitely prefers to receive something than to give. Although let's not hide it, this is slowly changing, and thanks to you! (And for you) Previously, he was only focused on his own pleasure, and now he wants to give it to you as well, because after all, you are his only princess, whom he has to take care of and make sure she is quite satisfied But yes, he's pretty darn talented

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.) Here, too, I don't think there is too much to say. It really depends on your mood, because Rafe can also be slow and tender, but very often your sex is just rough. Not that you don't like it, on the contrary. Ever since you started having sex with Rafe, you immediately liked it, and what's to say, the boy definitely knows what he's doing And just so you know! Even though he's harsh, that doesn't mean he's hurting you

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.) Ay, this man is definitely a fan of fast rounds. I think he very often feels the need to just take you to any toilet and just fuck you. That's right, that's why quickies are paradise for him. Wherever you are, you are always in the mood for them How often? Often. But not as often as your evening long games

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.) The risk is as much as you allow. Rafe doesn't seem to me to be the type who insisted very much. After all, he is the son of one of the most influential men on the island, after all, he can't disgrace the name. As much as he would love to show everyone that you are his and only his, there are limits he won't cross himself, much less without your loud approval. He's more of a risk taker when it comes to getting you pregnant…

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?) He can score many rounds, really, is how much he has in him…. oh jesus Do you want one round? Alright, there will be one. You want five? There will be five. As much as you are able to endure, so long will Rafe be able to endure as well. Sometimes a little shorter, he'll satisfy you with his hand or mouth, and sometimes longer than you do, so he'd probably expect the same from you

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?) He doesn't have and has never had toys intended for himself. Nor has he ever been a big fan of them, because he thought he could do everything himself much better than some plastic. However, once he saw you satisfying yourself with a vibrator while he was home, I swear, Rafe went crazy Now he occasionally pulls it out of your drawer when you fuck and it assists your orgasm, and sometimes he just wants you to show him how you satisfy yourself

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease) The man is a bloody teaser. He can touch you somewhere all day, send you all sorts of bawdy messages and behave in the worst way he can, only to pretend later in the evening that none of this happened and leave you alone craving remarks. The same during intercourse, when you are already geared up to take him in…. Ah, Rafe

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.) Rafe is not a fan of being loud. Of course, you may hear loud sighs or gasps of air coming from his mouth. Often moans as well, but in his case it is quite muffled. He much prefers to listen to your loud voice, which shudders from the satisfaction it gives your body

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character) In the past, he often had sex under the influence of drugs, so long as he didn't really feel anything but them and the created satisfaction. It wasn't until he met you and put them aside that he saw what real intimacy was and that he didn't need powders and pills at all to be satisfied

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes) He is big, really, after all. It will come as no surprise to anyone when I write this very thing. Rafe is big and there is no fooling himself. And at the same time he's damn experienced, which is why he knows how to fit in perfectly in you

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?) Rafe could fuck all day. I swear, you and him are like fucking rabbits. But what a surprise, Rafe Cameron is irresistible and he thinks the same about you. As soon as he sees you, he immediately wants to have you as close as he can. And of course it shows - I'll say it again, Rafe Cameron is a clingy guy.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards) He doesn't fall asleep very quickly, I assume he has sleep problems caused by various traumatic events. When you are next to him, of course, he falls asleep much easier, however, he continues to have problems with them. He likes to lie down and touch your bare hands or hair to calm down a bit and fall asleep faster, but this doesn't always work out, so you stay with him longer and wait until he falls asleep so you can fall asleep easily yourself, without worrying that your boyfriend won't get a wink of sleep all night

A/N: first part! i will be very pleased if you leave something behind - orders are open!

please do not copy and translate my works! in case of any issues related to this - I invite you to discuss privately :)

[starlight-drive-in]

You Know What They Say About Pineapples

After Neve introduced them to him, Emmrich has a new favorite fruit - pineapple. However, he doesn't know too much about them yet, luckily for him the team is willing to share their knowledge over a tropical drink. Poor Rook nearly dies of embarrassment.

This drabble is based on these 3 lines of banter between Neve and Emmrich regarding pineapples, don't ask me how I got here.

2340 Words

Ao3 Link

There are some sexually charged glances and innuendo but no smut or anything. All in all this is quite silly but the thought would not leave me alone.

Takes place in the "still just flirting" stage of the relationship.

---

It had been a long, arduous day of trampling through Arlathan, unlocking ancient elven ruins by way of solving mammoth-sized elven brain teasers, and disposing of whatever adversaries were still brave - or in Rook’s opinion - foolish enough to try their luck with The Veilguard. 

A silly name, but Bellara had been so excited when she came up with the idea of a team moniker that no one had the heart to deny her. Rook had caught the others saying it on occasion and it was really starting to stick despite the initial thought of it feeling silly.

Rook now sat at the dining hall table with Bellara, a rough schematic of an elven artifact lay out on the table between them. Both of them trying to decipher what was wrong with the similar one they had found earlier today near The Shoreside Ruins.

“I still think its timing parameters are misprogrammed.” Rook theorized, leaning over the sketch. 

“It’s more than that, It’s like it's missing the timing component completely.” Bellara noted, biting the inside of her cheek, a habit Rook had learned was an indicator of immense concentration in her energetic friend. “But if that's the case then…” Bellara trailed off.

Rook knew from experience that now was a good time for her to give the elven researcher a moment. If the past was any indicator, a breakthrough was imminent. Perhaps even before dinner, if whatever Lucanis was working on in the corner was as complicated as it looked. Rook leaned back in her seat with a sigh, wincing as her abdomen reminded her she had fallen straight into that ledge earlier. 

“You really have to get better at hopping ledges, Rook.” Davrin jabbed playfully from the other side of the table, knife and woodblock in hand, “I think I’ve seen that look on your face every day since I met you.” 

“It’s cuz she doesn’t work out.” Taash added, studying a recently finished figurine of the resident woodcarver’s, “Horns were bigger.” They decided after a moment. 

“Does traipsing around the forest all day not count as a workout?” Rook countered. “Barely.” Taash responded. “You’re not engaging your upper body at all, which is why you can’t pull yourself up for shit.” 

“I’m a necromancer, not a trapeze artist.” Rook defended. 

“Emmrich doesn’t seem to have a problem. In fact, he’s in great shape if you haven’t noticed,” Davrin commented, throwing her a knowing glance, “but I’m sure you have.” 

Rook balked, was her increasing infatuation with the other necromancer that obvious? She was a generally flirty person, surely it wasnt that glaring that her harmless flirting was turning into more with Emmrich. Right?

Taash made a short, snorting sound that resembled laughter and Rook could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, at this point her best bet was hoping she could blame it on the heat from the fireplace. 

“I notic- I mean- I” Rook stuttered. 

Davrin chuckled as the door to the dining hall opened, revealing Neve, Harding and Emmrich, who were all carrying boxes from supply a run, in this case mostly varying bottles of liquors and other liquids, and dried goods, although the latter held a box containing something green and pointy. 

“And there he is.” Davrin muttered quietly enough to tease Rook, but not loud enough that the newcomers could hear. 

“Rook, got you that whisky you wanted from Minrathous, I put it on your tab.” Neve sauntered over to the table with the others, plunking down the bottle of amber liquor in front of Rook. 

Rook smiled, “Neve, you have impeccable timing.” she beamed.

“Don’t I always?” Neve grinned before heading into the kitchen with Lucanis, “But don’t uncork that right away, I’m making cocktails.” 

“Oh!” Rook said, surprised.

“And Emmrich, you got… what are those? Cactuses?” Darvin inquired. 

“Cacti” Rook corrected under her breath, earning her an exasperated look from her Grey Warden friend.

“I wish,” Harding chimed in, “They’re pineapples. Can you guys believe Emmrich had never had a pineapple before last week?” 

Taash’s eyes turned into two unbelieving orbs. “What? How?” 

“We don't have them in Nevarra.” Rook explained, but her eyes were on Emmrich as his face lit up, dark hazel eyes sparkling with excitement. Despite his age, he possessed a remarkable childlike wonder even about something as simple as a new fruit. 

“Oh Rook, They're delicious! Have you had the opportunity to try one?” He asked, taking the seat next to her, much to her delight. 

Rook smiled, how could she not? How were the others so impervious to his good-natured charm?

“I have! Varric had me try them when we got to Minrathous.” Her smile fell as she remembered that day, before all this. She shrugged off the feeling, it was hard to feel dark with Emmrich's unexpected brightness beside her. 

“And? Tell me, do you enjoy them?” He waited on her answer so eagerly, surely just to compare tastes from the same homeland. Yes, that was probably it. 

“I do!” She giggled. Was she really giggling? His presence alone made her feel giddy.

“Wonderful! Harding doesn't seem to like them; however, Neve says she can be made into a frosty drink that she thinks Harding would enjoy.” 

“I'll try my best!” Neve exclaimed from the coffee bar, which appeared to have a bottle of a different liquor on top of it as well as, what was that? Cream? 

“Then you shall not fail my dear Neve!” Emmrich encouraged. 

Rook’s eyebrow raised excitedly, “Oh that’s new! I haven't had them in a drink yet. Only the - what was it called? ‘Upside-down cake?” 

“What an interesting name.” Emmrich commented, steepling his fingers together as he leaned into the table to address Harding, “Tell me Harding, what is it you don’t like about the pineapples?” 

Harding shrugged, “I don't know, they’re just so… tingly?” 

In the background Rook could hear the distinct sound of ice magic as Neve worked on whatever this drink was. 

“Ice magic for making cocktails? Neve Gallus, you are a genius.” Rook called out to her, earning a wink. See? She was like this with everyone; it wasn't just Emmrich, she told herself.

Emmrich’s eyebrows knitted together as he considered Harding’s description, “Could you elaborate at all on that?” 

“I don't know, when I eat pineapple it’s almost like it tastes… spiky?” Harding attempted to explain as Neve sat down glasses containing a blended off-white drink that smelled of rum in front of each of them. 

“It’s because of the raphides,” Neve enlightened them. “Lucanis, come have a drink with us, the stove wont run away if you leave it for a moment.” she called as she rounded the table, placing one in front of Bellara, who took a sip without even bothering to glance up from her notes.

“If you insist.” Lucanis surrendered, joining the rest at the table. 

“Ah! raphides, that explains it.” Emmrich said decidedly. 

“The hells a raphid?” Taash said, taking a healthy gulp of the new drink. “Fuck thats good.” 

“Some plants contain small needle-shaped crystals, as a natural defense mechanism.” Emmrich began explaining with his customary, hand waving enthusiasm, as Davrin took half of a sip. 

Emmrich continued, “While harmless in small amounts, overconsumption can cause immediate numbing followed shortly by painful stinging and burning to the mouth and throat that can last up to two weeks! I had no idea that they were in pineapple, but that does explain the sensation Harding is describing.”

Davrin lowered his glass, “On second thought, maybe I’ll pass. Thanks Neve.” 

“Afraid of a plant?” Lucanis teased, his glass already half empty, “Why am I not surprised?”

Davrin rolled his eyes as Harding timidly sampled Neve’s offering. “Oh- oh wow. Okay, That's. Really good.” 

“See how excited she is? This is how I knew she was lying about the coffee.” Lucanis chuckled. 

Emmrich sipped carefully at the beverage, “Oh Neve! That's delightful!” He exclaimed. “I am so glad I've gotten to discover such a fruit.” 

Rook began to imbibe her own drink, pulling sweet, cold rum and pineapple taste into her mouth. Her eyes met Emmrich’s through her lashes in an inopportune moment, while her lips were still wrapped dutifully around the straw. She quickly glanced away but it was too late. 

Emmrich’s mouth parted as he gazed a bit too long at Rook, pale cheeks taking on a pink hue that surely was not from the alcohol. 

“Mmf, That's so good.” Rook hummed. Dribbling a bit of the drink onto her lower lip. She swiped it away with her thumb, then popped it into her mouth to suck the drop of sweet liquid from it. Only then noticing that Emmrich was still watching her. 

Rook shifted in her seat, suddenly hot and uncomfortable. In doing so her knee tapped against Emmrich’s. 

“Sorry.” She whispered. As the others praised Neve’s drink making abilities. 

“Quite alright, My Dear.” Emmrich reassured her, his hand twitched a small increment towards her where it lay on his thigh but remained where it was. 

How long had it been since she felt such a desire to simply hold someone's hand? Certainly since before she finished Mourn Watch training. 

Rook took another pull of her drink to try to wash away the awkwardness of the moment. 

“Yea pineapples are pretty damn good,” Taash announced before dropping into a low octave,  “They're also good for uh, other things” they said in a low voice into Harding's ear while tucking back a loose strand of her hair. 

Harding giggled in response, “Taash” she admonished under her breath.

“Really?” Emmrich brightened, suddenly back to the topic at hand. “Like what?” 

Rook suddenly recalled other details of the night she had first tried pineapple. Varric and her were in a decently packed restaurant, Harding had gone out for some air and a woman at a neighboring table had leaned in close, obviously drunk. 

“Feed your old man there some of that and he’ll be feeling ready to go before you get home, plus he'll taste better, if you catch my meaning.” She had said. 

Rook had recoiled, unsure of what the woman had meant at the time, but not liking the implications. Varric was a good friend, and he was a good looking man but she didn't see him like that. Later she had looked it up in a library. Turned out pineapples had a reputation of having several sexual health benefits. 

Now - catching Taash’s meaning exactly - she choked unceremoniously on her drink. Coughing as Davrin chuckled, and Taash gave her a knowing look. Her friends were pure evil. 

“Rook looks like she knows.” Taash smiled. 

“Rook, I seem to be missing something. Would you kindly enlighten me?” Emmrich asked her so innocently. If he wasn't twenty-something years her senior she'd fear corrupting his purity. 

“It’s just an old wive’s tale.” Rook muttered. 

“I should still like to know, you are all making me more curious.” he insisted. 

The others snickered. 

“Oh Emmrich,” Rook lamented. She had to save him, let him in on the joke. 

She beckoned him with her finger hastily, “Come here,” she said in a low voice. He inclined his ear toward her and she leaned in to meet him, his floral earthy smell invading her scenes. She resisted the urge to inhale more deeply, to bury her face in his neck and breathe deep. 

“There’s… evidence that pineapple promotes.” She attempted, “That they’re good for, uh. Blood flow. That sort of thing”

“Oh that's marvelous! Perhaps I should add it to my diet then.” he pondered excitedly. 

They all stared at him, Rook included. Was she not clear enough? She couldn't exactly bring herself to tell him it was specifically sexual health the fruit was known for. 

Emmrich leaned back, folding his leg over his opposite knee and took another long sip of his cocktail, “Although, I will have you all know. I have no problems with blood flow. Thank you very much.” 

“Damn. Alright.” Taash commented. 

“Good news Rook.” Davrin smirked. 

“You’re both horrible.” Neve said flatly. 

“I don't get it,” Lucanis deadpanned, heading back into the kitchen unbothered. 

“I got it!” Bellara exclaimed, finally looking up from her notes and schematics. “Oh! Hey everyone!” 

—

Later, after dinner and another cocktail, or was it two? Rook and Emmrich sat alone at the table catching one another up on their days. Rook was glad he had a chance to visit the Minrathous markets and Emmrich was interested in taking a look at the artifact her and Bellara had discovered himself. 

Rook fidgeted with the straw in her now empty glass. 

“Emmrich, about before, with the whole pineapple thing?” 

He cocked an eyebrow, urging her to continue. 

“I should have explained better.” 

“Oh, Darling, don't even think of apologizing. I've been a teacher long enough to know when I'm being taken for a fool. I find the best way to move past it is just to act unaffected. Trust me, it wasn't the first time I've been laughed at for not being ‘in-the-know’ on some innuendo or otherwise.”

Rook laughed, Of course he was a professional at handling embarrassment, she wished she could say the same.

“Luckily I caught on quickly enough to play along. Although…” he paused, looking at her more attentively now. “... Now that it's just the two of us, I wouldn't mind if you’d expound?” 

She looked away nervously, “Well besides the whole blood flow for sexual health thing. They make you … taste good apparently.” She mumbled. 

“As in your mouth?” He asked. 

“No, as in… your.” She motioned to her crotch with as much dignity as she could muster. 

“Oh!” He gasped, then “oh.” Softer this time. “I shall bear that in mind then.” He concluded, smirking at her. 

In reply, Rook popped a small slice of the offending fruit into her mouth and raised her brow. A challenge to be cashed in later, should this go any further. 

For now, she was happy to be here drunk on him, and rum… and pineapple. 

[miharuki]

I'm going to create a master list just for this series, to be more organized.

Again remembering, my English is not perfect, so sorry for any mistakes

<previous ep -ep list- next ep>>

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕿𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖊 𝕻𝖗𝖔𝖒𝖎𝖘𝖊𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝖆 𝕳𝖊𝖗𝖔(𝖎𝖓𝖊) 𝔈𝔭.02

"(Name), are you there?" - Waking up suddenly, you recognize the voice in your head. You look at the boys sleeping in the camp, realizing the situation you're still in. You look down at your lap, sighing for not being at home. The voice of your young highness in your head seems to fade, although it's not strange, it's a bit unusual for your highness to speak to you like that. You hope to be able to return home; until then, you need to try to find a way.

Even though several days had passed, the group was clearly noticing that you didn't want to be there, perhaps feeling uncomfortable with the fact that everyone was male. That's what Sky presumed and got everyone to agree upon.

"They hardly even talk," Hyrule said as he looked into the fire. At that moment, you had gone out to see if there were any monsters around the camp. With that, everyone could now talk about you without fear of disturbing you.

"Well, we're practically strangers to them, what do you expect?" Legend said as he looked at the group, making everyone ponder.

"Well, we know she comes from a Hyrule, that's clear from what we can see. Moreover, when we asked that question, they didn't deny coming from a Hyrule," Sky said as everyone agreed.

"We also can't forget about her clothes. Despite being different, it's practically the same as a Hyrule's," Warrior continues, making the group agree. Your clothes were totally different from theirs, but the fact that they were different yet similar made them think you could be some kind of fan, if not for the two sword sheaths at your waist.

"They also carry swords like us, but when I tried to get a better look, they were covered, and I couldn't see if it's really a sword," Wind completes Warrior, recounting the time when you and he were alone.

Time seems to ponder the situation. Your behavior was closed off in the first few days, he still remembers how he met you. You were standing with your foot on the head of a decapitated monster, your gaze seemed empty, and there were two more decapitated around, but there was no sign of any tool or weapon you could have used. You probably put it away as soon as you finished, since one of your hands was holding your sword sheath while the other seemed to be holding something hanging from your waist. Whatever it was, your hand was slightly red, as was your face, which only had a blood stain. Time remembers this perfectly.

When he introduced himself and the others and where they came from, he noticed that you were hesitant about them. When they asked about you, they only gave your name and that you came from a Hyrule, just that, nothing more, almost as if you didn't trust them, which makes sense, and Time understands perfectly. He was the oldest there. "Let's leave them alone for now. Let's not forget that we acted the same way when we first met. Eventually, they'll open up. Until then, it's better not to push too hard," Time said, sighing as he looked at the group, who were sweating profusely.

"Well, let's put that aside-" Sky's speech seems to be interrupted when he hears something approaching. Turning his head, everyone in the group looks to see you dragging what appears to be a dead deer with just one hand, while the other holds a cloth bag stained with black and red blood. Once again, there is a bloodstain on your face as well as your hands stained red, but that's it; the rest is clean. The only sounds coming from you are the noises of the deer being dragged; it seems that your feet don't even make any sound, just like you don't emit any sound.

You drag the deer until you're close to the spot where Wild usually uses the fire to cook. Wild, who was sitting on a log, looks shocked at the sight. He observes as you drop the cloth bag next to the deer, your blood-stained hands on each side of your body. You look at Wild, who quickly gets up as his gaze follows you. The group remains in total silence as they watch the tense situation unfold.

"I-I'll take care of the rest!" Wild stammers, almost tripping over his words. He sees you nod your head slightly in agreement before turning away and walking off.

Stopping on the path you came from, your eyes glance sideways at the group, each in their own corner. You turn back to face forward.

"There's no sign of any monsters. I'll check further around," you say, not waiting to hear the opinions of the others. Without a word, you disappear into the forest, blending into pure silence.

"What the hell was that?" Legend whispers quietly, looking shocked at what just happened. He looks back at Wild, who has cold sweat dripping from his face.

"At least we'll have dinner!" Warrior says, trying to brush off the tension, also sweating profusely. Wild nods as he crouches down to examine the dead deer.

"I think this is more than just dinner. I think… maybe even more than that," Wild says, already starting to take out his knife and carve the meat.

[kolyasangel]

NEW BEGINNINGS

synopsis: the new apartment complex you just moved into doesn't feel like home just yet, but you're hopeful you can make friends with your next-door neighbor.

content: ch. 1 of icarus falls - main navi / wc: 4.2k

A thud is heard when you drop a box on your foot.

You groan and stoop to pick the box back up. Thankfully, it wasn't that heavy, so your foot is alright. You should be at work right now, but you're thankful your boss knew you've been busy moving and had been kind enough to grant you a day off to settle into your new apartment. It's actually been a few days since you officially moved in, but you're still hauling items from your old uni dorm, plus your parents' house, which was a lot more difficult than expected.

You recently moved into this apartment complex with the hard-earned money you saved up. Although it was far from beautiful, it wasn't awful at all either by any means. But you do hope that one day, you can afford a house of your own. Daydreams often come to you about having a place you could call a home of your own, maybe even a cozy cottage surrounded by lush greenery and lots of vibrant blossoms. That sounds nice, right? The thought of a tranquil and secluded place is undeniably appealing, you have to admit. With your current job, affording something nicer than this seems like a distant dream, but you make it work since you're grateful for what you have now. Something is better than nothing.

Even though many people live in the complex, you feel like an odd one out in this building, as most of the residents are considerably older than you. Despite this, you've made it a goal of yours to become acquainted with some of your neighbors who live on the same floor. Sometimes when you're walking past them, you'll wave or exchange greetings, and perhaps even strike up a conversation when the opportunity arises. But there's still someone you've yet to meet.

Your thoughts are interrupted by your landlord, who has just finished inspecting the apartment to ensure everything is in order and that there are no issues with the place. Judging by his appearance, he seems visibly older, probably in his forties.

"Everything looks great, miss. The place is in pristine condition, just like new." He says with a chuckle.

"Thank you." you smiled at him and listened as he continued to speak.

"If you need anything or encounter an issue, I'm always available." he flashes one more kind smile before turning to the stairs and heading to leave.

Just as he was about to take the first step, you summon the courage to speak up. "Uh, sir, excuse me..?"

He turns to look at you, his actions halting when he hears your voice.

"Does someone live here?" You ask, pointing at the door to the right of yours.

He glances in the direction you are looking in. "Huh? Yeah, the guy's pretty depressed though. Probably not a good idea to talk to him." He laughs, finding his own comment humorous, although it doesn't sit well with you as you don't find what he said at all to be funny. Despite this, you try to downplay your reaction, concealing your displeasure at his words.

"Do you know his name?" you press further, your curiosity now piqued.

"Uh— Niko.. Nikolai, I believe. Yeah, that's the one." he rubs his chin as if he's thinking hard about the question.

"Nikolai.." You pronounce softly, the name rolling off your tongue easily.

"Well, if that's all, I'll be off then."

You nod and thank him again and watch as he walks off, disappearing from your sight.

You weren't sure of what he meant by what he said, but it left you with a sense of uneasiness. Maybe you should just stop worrying, it's none of your business anyway. At least that's what you tried to convince yourself to believe in an attempt to silence the nagging worry at the back of your mind. Just leave it alone.

A frown fell on your lips when you thought of his words again, causing you to bite the inside of your cheek as you recalled the distasteful words. Even if it was meant to be a joke, it was a poor one at that. No one deserves to be talked about in that way.

Interest in the person who lives next to you is only heightened, which compels your next action— Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Hello?" you call out to whoever might be inside, your knuckles still against the wood.

No answer.

Maybe you shouldn't bother.

You sigh and withdraw your hand, pulling away from the door and looking back at the ground. The few remaining boxes left outside your door were practically calling for your name, awaiting unpacking. However, you couldn't concentrate on unpacking anymore, thanks to the new information you'd just been informed of that completely derailed you. With some reluctance, you decided that you were going to attempt to delve into the task again, leaning down to pick up a box.

But that all quickly went out the window when your gaze was again drawn to the quiet apartment adjacent to yours. You don't know who or what possessed you to make the next move, because you found yourself standing up again and reaching for the handle of the neighboring door.

"What do you think you're doing?" A stern voice interrupts your actions, catching you off guard.

The suddenness and the daunting tone instilled a feeling of dread in you, the situation diverting into something you didn't expect. It causes you to retract your hand quicker than lightning, fearful of catching a glimpse of the person's face, probably angry with you. But in a fleeting second, your head turns anyway, and your gaze meets his. A cold shiver immediately runs down your spine when piercing, mismatched eyes peer back into yours. You observe his worn-out appearance and the grocery bags he's holding in his hands, his long white hair tied into a braid, and the unnerving scar running down his left eye.  

"Watch where you're going." He says rather coldly before jingling his keys into the lock.

"I-I'm sorry.." You move away from the door and let him enter his apartment, leaving you standing there, feeling apologetic. "Um, I—!" You step back with a look of shock on your face as he slams the door.

Maybe he's just in a bad mood. No, he has every right to be mad at you— it literally looked like you were about to break into his fucking apartment. Great, this was the impression you left on the person who lives next door to you? Fantastic.

You realized it was by your own fault that provoked such a reaction from him, but recalling what you had just been told about Nikolai, all you were left with was a lingering sense of concern and curiosity.

— ✦

It's nearing afternoon, and you are getting ready for work. Since your job requires some moving around, you like to wear something simple and would rather be comfortable than anything while also considering practicality. But you still did like to make yourself all pretty, doing your makeup and hair being a simple but enjoyable part of your routine and overall day. Although, the heat of the summer has led you to opt for lighter, more refreshing makeup these days. After finishing up, you grab your belongings— car keys, wallet, lip balm, and put them in your bag, prepared to head out for the day.

On your way out the door, you see your neighbor standing on the balcony, his arms resting on the railing and his eyes focused on the view in front of him. He seems to be lost in thought.

"Good morning, Nikolai." You greet him politely.

Startled by the sudden voice, he turns his head toward you. "How do you know my name?" he asked with a hint of wariness laced in his voice.

"O-Oh um, the landlord told me. I promise I'm not a stalker.." You laugh it off, but he doesn't seem fazed.

"That's what a stalker would say." He says in a low tone, jokingly.

"What?"

"Nothing."

You look down at your feet, hoping he will break the ice as you are starting to feel uncomfortable in the silence that continues to prolong.

"Do you need something from me?" he eventually asks, noticing you aren't moving from your place.

Your ears perk up when his words register in your head. "I wanted to apologize for yesterday.. I know it looked like I was doing something bad but I promise that wasn't what I intended! I-I moved in recently and I just—"

He walks past you and reaches for the door to return inside his apartment, disinterested in what you have to say, having heard enough already.

"Wait!" You grab his arm in desperation. "I'm sorry for scaring you.."

"You..? Scary? Please." He looks at you with an unreadable expression before tugging his arm away from your weak grip. You're acting like you've already known each other for years. He has to wonder if you fake it, or if that must just be your personality. After all, he would know a thing or two about artificial personas.

"That's not what I meant.." you grumble, frustrated once again by his stubbornness.

"I'm nothing but a stranger to you, why are you trying to get close to me?" he shoots back.

"But, we don't have to be! I'm trying to make it so that's not our situation, I would like to know you a little better. You are my neighbor after all." You defend yourself.

Surprisingly, he lets out a chuckle, though it was seemingly a mocking one at that. "Do you do this with everyone you meet? There's a lot of dangerous people roaming around, you're going to get yourself into a very bad situation one day if you're not careful who you talk to, girl."

"But the fact that you said that makes me think you're not one of those people."

His eyes widen for a second before you continue to speak.

"Can I buy you a drink or something some time? As a proper apology?" You offer, hopefully, to elicit a positive response from him.

He was silent for a moment while staring at the door he wanted to so badly close on your face. "We'll see." He leaves it at that, undoubtedly not interested in drawing out the conversation.

"Really?" Your eyes light up at his words, leaving you with a spark of hope.

"Please, just leave me alone now."

That hope you felt for a short moment was quickly extinguished by his plea for solitude. You noticed the falter in his sentence contradicting his earlier coldness. Disheartened, you let go and step back in defeat, watching him return inside and close his apartment door.

There was something very wrong.

— ✦

"I like this one!" The cheerful voice of a customer rings in your ears.

"I'll get that one for you then, just a minute sir." You politely assure with a warm smile. You are arranging a bouquet for a customer who is planning to surprise his girlfriend, and he has just picked out the ribbon color to wrap around the flowers.

The soft pink of the ribbon perfectly complements the delicate pink tulips as you skillfully tie it into a flawless bow, taking a moment to admire your handiwork.

"Add in one of those white teddy bears too, I think she'll like that." the customer jovially adds.

You glance to your side, where an array of tiny gifts, such as small teddy bears and other stuffed animals, are displayed and available to add an extra touch of sweetness to someone's day. Choosing one of the teddies and placing it on the counter along with the bouquet, you ring the customer up at the cash register before handing over his new purchases.

The jingle of little bells on the door signals the departure of a pleased customer, a satisfied smile creeping up on your face as you watch the customer walk out of the shop. As stressful as your job could get sometimes, it was rewarding in the long run. Making people smile when they receive flowers is always the best part of your job. Moreover, it's a Friday today, so you also have a restful weekend to look forward to.

Your fingers tap on the counter as you stare at the clock, hoping your intense glare bullying the arms of the clock will impend them to move faster. The uncharacteristic impatience is unusual— because you actually like and enjoy your job. But there was something else on your mind today, plaguing your thoughts. Ever since Nikolai left you with a vague answer this morning regarding your potential hangout with him, it lingered in your mind, stirring a need for reassurance. You needed more confirmation from him, and perhaps, if luck was on your side, he would agree.

You don't know why you're so persistent in your endeavors. Maybe because you just want to make new friends, and Nikolai's dismissive behavior made you only feel more determined to bridge the gap between the both of you.

Post-college life has felt uneventful thus far, to say the least. Following uni, your friends moved away to further their education and achieve their dreams, off to different cities, countries even. Things have been quiet after graduation, and making new friends proved challenging. And amidst all this, you felt an undeniable sense of loneliness gnawing at you. It's only natural for humans to yearn for a connection, but you feel that the longing weighs heavy on you, especially nowadays. It all appeared too out of reach, too elusive to even hope upon. But, now that you had a chance to make a new friend, you weren't going to let the opportunity slip away from your fingers so easily. At first glance, Nikolai didn't seem much older than you either, so that was also a plus. Maybe the two of you would have some things in common if he was open to conversation, that was. His stubbornness, albeit making you feel a mixture of frustration, also fuels your determination to connect with him, feeling that there is more to him than what meets the eye.

Even now, you are working only with one other person on your shift. There were only ever a few people working in the shop, one of you handling arrangements and the front register while the other assisted and made deliveries on occasion. The tasks you needed to complete at work depended, based on what needed to be done on that day. Sometimes you engaged in conversation with your coworkers, but light chatter about the weather or what you ate for lunch was as far as your interactions went, evolving into nothing more than small talk.

As closing time neared, you began to close up shop, your movements more hasty than usual. You were eager to clock out and head to your favorite cafe down the road, which had become a post-work ritual for you. Locking the shop door with your key and hearing a satisfying click before exchanging goodbyes with your coworker, you look up at the sky, noticing that the sun is going to set soon. You pull out your phone and check the time— 7:13 p.m.

With anticipation, you walk a few blocks down until making it to the cozy cafe you've come to adore. A familiar chime of bells greets you as you push the door open, a reminder of the same bells you added to the gift shop entrance after a visit to the cafe— not being able to resist replicating the charm.

Usually, you order something simple, but the allure of the new summer menu catches your eye. So you decide to try something new and treat yourself to an iced strawberry green tea. Although you had to admit, you only ordered it because you were enticed by the cute strawberry drawing on the chalkboard that advertised the seasonal drink.

You pull out your wallet, fingers idly grazing the edge of the card while you wait in line after placing your order. While you wait, you take a moment to take in the lovely ambiance of the cafe— the soft glow of twinkling lights overhead and the relaxing atmosphere of the place. However, your peaceful mood is eventually spoiled when your gaze shifts to the pairs of couples sitting at the tables and groups of friends sharing laughter, briefly stirring an all-too-familiar pang in your chest. Your mind gets lost in the bittersweet memories shared with old friends when you were still a student. You wonder if your friends stayed in the city if they would spend time with you like they used to, if they would still call or text you like they used to.

Now that it comes to mind, you don't ever recall a time when you weren't the one reaching out and asking your friends to hang out with you first. It didn't bother you before, possibly because you didn't notice at the time, but the give or take of communication always fell upon you. A certain discomfort permeated your senses as you sat with your thoughts for a bit longer, your nails scratching against the plastic of your card in a vain endeavor to quiet them. Not wanting to wallow in your own thoughts, you quickly shift your focus so that your gaze is fixated on the floor instead. That is until you hear your name called, deterring your eyes from the ground. You pay for your drink, settling up at the register before exchanging a thank you. The coldness of the iced drink brings a chill to your fingers as you touch the cup and bring it to your lips, the sweet flavor of strawberry settling on your tongue, leaving you satisfied with your choice.

Leaving the cafe and heading to your car, your mind wanders again, a flood of old memories washing over you as you reminisce about your days in uni. It was pointless now to think about what could've been different, what you could've done differently. You know that. But you can't help but do it anyway, the reason why things turned out the way they did being unfathomable to you. Once inside your car, you take a deep breath before putting on your seatbelt and starting the engine. The soft hum of the engine lulls you into a reflective state as you begin to drive home, the route you're still becoming familiar with soothing your mind.

— ✦

As you park and step out of your car, you look up at the apartment complex and notice someone standing on the balcony.

It's Nikolai, and he's looking out at the sky. The sun was beginning to set.

Walking up the stairs to your apartment on the second floor, you catch a glimpse of Nikolai as his back is turned to you. You approach him calmly and comfortably.

"Hi, Nikolai." you say with a soft smile.

He turns to you. "Hey." he says, low and plain.

You were expecting a harsh comment or look from him, but to your surprise, he has a gentler look on his face, his eyebrows relaxed. Maybe he's in a better mood now.

Nikolai observes your tired expression and realizes you must've just returned from work, particularly eyeing your simple outfit comprising of jeans and a short-sleeved top. Wherever you work, he doesn't care enough to ask.

As you join next to him on the balcony, your eyes fall upon the sun that is dipping below the horizon, casting a warm glow over its surroundings and painting the sky in fiery shades. Sunsets never fail to bring a sense of peace and calmness to your day, there was something about them that made you want to delve into the awe and beauty of nature. After not-so-great days, the sunset was a reminder that a better tomorrow would await you, always giving you the feeling that everything was going to be alright.

Nikolai must like watching the sunset too, you assume. You thought as much as you shifted your gaze towards him, his usual expression and features softened by the evening light. However, you notice how he looks distracted or rather that he's thinking hard about something. Hesitation pervaded your mind as words sat at the tip of your tongue, daring to spill. But you decide that you shouldn't ask him about whatever was on his mind, worrying he'll get irritated.

"You stand here a lot." You comment instead.

His tone shifts into a light-hearted one, putting your worries at ease. "What do you mean? You've only seen me twice. Don't tell me you actually are a stalker?" He joked, his gaze not moving from the view ahead.

Feeling relief from his playful response, though still slightly embarrassed by your previous statement, you redden, wishing you would've eaten your words rather than speaking them out loud. "Well, I mean.. you were here this morning.. and right now. I'm just making an observation." you replied, almost stumbling over your words.

He hummed, nonverbally agreeing with your words.

"But then, why haven't I seen you before yesterday?" You asked, curious.

"I was busy."

"With?"

"Gosh, you're so nosy, aren't you?"

"I-I'm sorry." You murmur as your voice gets fainter, looking back towards the fading sunlight in the sky.

Nikolai looked back at you for a moment when you looked away from him, taking heed of the pink tinge of glow that spread across your cheeks. He watches the wind wafting away strands of hair before cascading over your flushed cheeks again as both his and your hair billow from the gentle breeze, finding himself incapable of looking away after noticing how the setting sun poured pools of orange and yellow into your eyes, creating reflections that swam around in your irises.

Noticing his gaze is now fixated on you instead of the sun, you confusedly ask him, "Is something wrong?"  

For a moment, he seems to struggle to find the right words. His gaze averted from you swiftly, feigning indifference to pretend he wasn't doing anything. He had to look away before unwanted feelings rose in his chest. "No... I'm going, g'night." He hastily spoke before turning away, excusing himself.

"Wait!" you called after him, causing him to halt and look back at you, taken aback and visibly perplexed by your frantic voice. "About us hanging out, are you still down? I mean, you didn't really give me an answer last time.. so I wanted to check with you to make sure."

"Why did you want to in the first place again?" He asked, running a hand through his hair before stuffing his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants, looking at you confusedly.

"As my apology to you, remember?" You explain, your voice growing quieter with sheepishness, replacing your previous tone. "And.. and I think it would be a nice opportunity to get to know each other and maybe become friends."

The reason is unknown to you, but the way Nikolai tenses up at your words is discernible, though he quickly composes himself before replying to you. "You're still thinking about that? Listen, I don't care about what happened yesterday. What's done is done, you don't need to do anything for me."

"But I want to." You insisted, looking at him with pleading eyes.

Gosh, you wouldn't give it up, would you?

Nikolai sighed involuntarily, taking some time to gather his thoughts before he carelessly spews out something unnecessarily mean at you. It's dangerous to get too close to anyone. Ever since what happened, since he died, he pledged to himself that he would never get close to anyone again. He cringed whenever he thought about how he committed all those atrocities and conducted a whole prison break years ago— all in the name of what? Freedom? What freedom? There is no true freedom. At least not here. He had to learn that the hard way. He'd become too overconfident and didn't realize it wasn't as easy as he had initially thought, and now he's stuck in this strange space in life where he doesn't know what to do with himself anymore. And yet, despite the chaos occurring in his head, clouding his mind, he knew he had to give you an answer. He figured that if he said yes to you this one time, maybe, just maybe, you would leave him alone after that. That's the only reason why you're doing this, right? You just want to show him you're sorry for your stupid mishap, and that's all. He didn't have any big plans for tomorrow anyway, and it was about time he actually did something else for once rather than his usual routine.

"As long as you don't constantly interrogate me." He eventually settles.

You held out your pinky to him, causing him to look at you with bewilderment at your childish display. "I promise I won't berate you with questions." you pledged, softly giggling.

And for the first time, you swear a genuine smile graces his face. He takes one hand out of his pocket and holds out his pinky, linking it with yours.

Maybe things will get better.

© kolyasangel 2024 - no reposts. do not copy, steal, or translate. reblogs are appreciated.

[vrajitosarehaos]

Healed (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

summary: you finally come out of an emotional sadness and decide to go out with Bucky to dinner, without thinking about who you would end up running into.

words: 3219

A/N: My other blog where I published my one-shots (thewxtchwhowrites) was deleted out of nowhere without explanation, so now I upload it here on the main one. Enjoy 💖

You were carefully walking down the stairs and your heels started making noise as they hit the steps, causing Bucky and Steve who were talking near the door to turn to look at you.

Bucky looked nervous, and it was no wonder, the truth is that he had not been on a date in more than 70 or 80 years, with everything that had happened in his life these last few years since the 40s.

Steve seemed to calm him down, when the blond turned to look at you he had a smile on his lips, he looked like a proud older brother.

As you walked down the stairs you wondered how you had really gotten to this day, and the truth is that the whole series of events had been very convoluted and fun...

Or at least now that you were feeling better.

You had been depressed for a couple of months and it was because your boyfriend with whom you had been in a relationship for five years had broken up with you overnight with a simple message:

"I can't keep doing this, forgive me."

Your eyes began to fill with tears as you continued reading as best you could:

"I owe you what I am today. And it hurts me to tell you this, I don't know, I feel like I'm really screwing up by leaving all these years behind." Your tears no longer let you see, your vision was blurred. "But I want to make that decision and continue alone from now on. Maybe we can be friends in the future."

Bastard. You thought to yourself, it was obvious that there was something strange about his behavior after you both had your last movie date, but you decided not to listen to your intuition even though Natasha had warned you.

"I don't know, honey, I think you should be prepared…" Natasha sat on your bed and sighed, taking one of your pillows in her hands, and noticing one of the photographs you had on your wall where you and your now ex-boyfriend ex-boyfriend, were at a Coney Island fair with ice cream on your faces.

"But Nat…" You said while shaking your head. You were delusional, without a doubt. "We've been together for five years, I don't think we'll break up. He's just a little stressed because his business isn't going well."

There were times when your ex-boyfriend would disappear for weeks, claiming that he was busy working or trying to run his business (a music store that his grandfather had owned for many years) and sometimes when you logged on to social media after work, you would notice that he was still online sharing posts or tweeting, although he didn't respond to your chat.

Sometimes he'd leave you on 'read' or sometimes he just wouldn't seem to open the chat, which was… strange.

Until it happened.

Even the final message of that long paragraph of excuses had a rather late apology that said:

"I'm very sorry, not only for the moment in which I'm telling you all this. But also for what I've put you through and how I treated you, not speaking to you for weeks and then coming to you to write all this shit."

That last message definitely led to long hours of crying, especially at night in your room at the Avenger Compound, not wanting to leave your room, maybe just to eat with everyone or for missions, and then return to your room.

You were even more temperamental during missions, you hit harder, and you were even more reckless, which Bucky noticed immediately, he knew that attitude and hatred.

The first thing Nat, Wanda, and Maria Hill did when they found out was brought you ice cream and have a girls' night out, which ended relatively well, at least until Wanda put on a movie and the guy's name was your ex's.

A couple of nights later you heard a soft knock on your door, you were crying as quietly as you could, and you thought that maybe you had woken up Steve or Nat who were sleeping in the adjoining rooms, when you got up and opened the door, it was Bucky.

"Bucky?" You asked with some confusion.

"I… I brought you this." Bucky took a cookie out of his pants pocket, when you took it you could feel that it was broken. "I accidentally sat on the cookie while I was on my way here on the motorcycle, sorry."

That, even if it was something simple, made you laugh, and maybe it was the first time in five fucking months that you laughed sincerely and not in a forced way.

Bucky after you thanked him, he nodded softly with a shy smile on his lips and left saying goodnight.

You look at Bucky's face as a smile began to form on his lips as you walked down the stairs, it seemed like he saw the most beautiful thing on the planet and he even had a small bouquet of flowers for you in his hands.

As soon as you finished walking down the stairs, Bucky approached you at the bottom of them.

"You look…" Bucky started to say, but stayed silent.

"Do I look too dressed up? Is too much?" You said nervously, touching your hair and ironing your dress with your hands at the level of your stomach, it had been Nat and Wanda's idea to groom you as if you were a little doll even though you weren't totally used to it.

“No, you look like an angel…” Bucky interrupted you. He continued to look at you with those blue eyes, it was a kind, sweet look. You felt your cheeks redden and you let out a nervous laugh.

Steve raised his eyebrows at such a compliment, and since you had your back to Steve, he took the opportunity to give Bucky a thumbs up.

"Oh, this is for you." Bucky gave you the small bouquet of flowers that you took carefully, they smelled delicious.

“James, you didn't have to do it." you said in a whisper, looking between the flowers and Bucky.

You didn't remember that a man had ever given you flowers before, your ex in itself was not a person to give you that type of details and you, sometimes, didn't allow yourself to receive them either.

But for some reason with Bucky, the fact that he gave you those details, it felt different.

“It's true.” He put his hands in the pocket of his black pants, nodding at your comment. "I didn't have to, but I wanted to do it."

That comment caught your attention.

Steve patted both of you gently like a father and opened the door to the compound, smiling.

"Have fun…" Steve looked at you and nodded his approval as if you were his little sister. "But not too much."

Steve looked at Bucky when he said that last sentence, that was definitely a warning to him, Bucky just shrugged and let you take his arm as they walked to the motorcycle to Izzy's.

Honestly, you don't know how it happened, but it happened.

You began to spend more time with Bucky as the days and even weeks went by, first he asked you for help to play a prank on Sam by painting Nightwing as if it were a stingray and recording it to show in the group chat that you all shared.

Then you would help him with technological issues or you would end up sitting in the compound's cinema watching old movies while you listened to him tell you things about how things were in those times.

And maybe some embarrassing stories about Steve.

You discovered that he was chivalrous, opening the door for you and even letting you in first by placing either of his two hands just under your back in a protective manner. Even when you had to take something somewhere he offered himself, not allowing you to do it.

Including the bowl of popcorn, because he didn't want you to get burned.

You thought that sometimes Bucky was an exaggerator, but you began to notice that he did things that even your ex-boyfriend had stopped doing after being together for a while.

When you and Bucky went out on the street, he always offered you his right arm, since he felt a little insecure offering you his left arm, the mechanical one. However, that insecurity started to disappear and then he didn't care which arm you grabbed as long as you held his arm when you walked.

The times when neither of you could sleep and you stayed talking, whether in your bed or his, he didn't fall asleep while you were talking about those topics that you were both passionate about, nor did he change the subject, he just watched you with attention.

Bucky even remembered the things you had said to him a couple of months or weeks ago and that you didn't even remember what you had said to him.

You were healing little by little, starting to be you again.

And somehow he was healing too.

If you were at one of Tony's parties or maybe at a mission meeting, sometimes you would look at Bucky when he wasn't looking at you, and the other way around would also happen, and if you caught each other looking, both would just smile like a couple of fools and look away.

One night you heard a soft knock on your door, you recognized that soft knock, when you opened your door it was Bucky again, but he looked different tonight.

"Hi..." Bucky said slowly, seeming a little nervous, his right hand resting on the frame of your door, trying to look casual. "I wanted to invite you to dinner, well, it's not really a dinner."

You could notice and see Bucky's nervousness when trying to say things as he had (probably) rehearsed them in front of the bathroom mirror and he added:

"Or yes, maybe it is, I don't know."

You interrupted his rambling with a smile on your lips, gently raising a hand to the level of your chest.

"Yes..." That's what you said, you noticed how his eyes softened at the fact that you had agreed. "Yes, I'd like to go."

He nodded repeatedly and sighed in relief, letting out a soft chuckle.

"So Friday at eight sounds good to you?" Bucky was clearing his throat, trying to hide his excitement that you had accepted dinner, you nodded. "Okay, I'll see you on Friday."

Bucky quickly kissed your cheek, wished you goodnight, and left without stopping smiling like a fool.

When you two arrived at Izzy's, Bucky greeted Leah with a smile, she seemed surprised but happy that she now finally saw him with someone other than Mr. Nakajima, especially seeing you walk in with him.

You and Bucky sat at one of the tables and you had a sneaking suspicion that someone was watching you, but you weren't sure after all there were more people than usual today, it was Friday.

After a couple of laughs, drinks, Asian food and bad jokes, a few caresses on your hand from his you noticed out of the corner of your eye that someone was approaching the table and you swore it was a waiter.

But it was your ex.

“Y/N…” Your ex said in a firm voice, looking from Bucky reluctantly and then back to you. "What are you doing here with him?"

The audacity of this idiot. You thought as you heard those words come out of your ex's mouth.

"The real question is, what are YOU doing here?" You responded rudely as a frown began to form on your forehead.

"So you're the… man who broke her heart." Bucky told him in a calm voice, but he was really trying to stop himself from smashing your ex-boyfriend's face into the pretty little sushi boat that was on the table, because he didn't want to ruin your night.

Bucky slowly stood up from the chair, making your ex jump a little, maybe he was nervous with Bucky's presence.

And the truth is he should be nervous.

Bucky was quite tall, strong and even if he didn't have a vibranium left arm, he would have enough strength to change your ex-boyfriend's health status to deceased if he tried to go far with you.

And on top of that he had to avoid at all costs breaking the second rule that he had agreed upon with Dr. Raynor in therapy: No one gets hurt.

Your ex scrunched his face in disapproval at Bucky's words, not believing what he was hearing, but now you understood many things, you had been receiving notifications on social networks, especially from Instagram indicating that your ex occasionally looked at the stories you published.

Part of you didn't understand why you continued to have him on Instagram, perhaps because you used that social network very little, but whatever, now you understood what your ex was doing there.

"What? N-No, I was confused…" Your ex started to speak, he even tried to get a little closer to you, but he couldn't since Bucky gently moved his left arm that was covered by a glove. "Now my mind is more than clear and I want us to go back Y/N."

Bucky tried to talk to him by placing his right hand on his shoulder.

"Look, son…" But your ex just moved, removing Bucky's hand from his shoulder.

"Don't call me son, we are the same age, pal." Your ex responded aggressively, while rolling his eyes, looking back at you.

Very few knew that Bucky was actually 106 years old, which if you had been in another situation you would have found it funny.

"Look, I don't know what you've been through in these eight or nine months, but she and I are together, and she's not interested in getting back with you or anyone else." Bucky spoke in a fairly firm tone of voice, being respectful.

You began to feel anxious, you felt your stomach turn not only from nervousness, but from the embarrassment you were experiencing in the establishment, many of the people at the adjacent tables were looking towards you.

"Are you really going to throw away all these years together with me, by being with him?" Your ex-boyfriend spoke softly, as if he was trying to manipulate you. "Y/N? I know you haven't forgotten me, you still love me, I know that."

You looked between both men, there was some doubt in your eyes or that's what Bucky thought he saw in you, maybe it was embarrassment.

You got up from your seat and enter the bathroom of the place with tears in your eyes, on many occasions you had dreamed of something similar, dreams that ended in nightmares that you tried to ignore some nights, many ended with your ex calling you different things like 'bitch', 'whore' or 'ungrateful witch' while throwing things at you or shaking you.

You ended up waking up drenched in sweat many nights, breathing heavily and then crying silently until sleep overcame you, although those tears and nightmares ended up being silenced by Bucky on more than one occasion while he slept next to you, stroking your hair or hugging you in his arms.

You had entered the bathroom and locked yourself inside one of the stalls, you were hyperventilating, you didn't think the wound would reopen again, you really thought you were over that, you didn't know how much time had passed, you were just sitting on the toilet seat with tears in your eyes.

Until your train of thought stopped when you heard the door to the women's bathroom open wide, hearing soft footsteps coming in and seeming to have stopped near the mirror.

"Y/N?" It was Leah's voice, it sounded soft because the bathroom had quite an echo. "Are you okay, do you need anything?"

"He's gone?" You asked shakily, leaving the bathroom stall, as soon as Leah saw you with your makeup smeared with tears, she gently tilted her head, giving you an empathetic look and approached you.

Leah nodded at your question.

"Yes, between Mr. Nakajima, Bucky and I, we took that being out of the restaurant." Leah rolled her eyes, she reached into the pockets of her apron for a handkerchief with a couple of flowers embroidered on it and wiped your face. "I really thought James was going to break his face, I was already thinking about what to replace the restaurant furniture with… they are made of old wood."

Both laughed at the comment, although you also imagined Mr. Nakajima, who had a bad temper, pushing your ex out of the restaurant door.

He was a man with a quite volatile temperament, like Bucky's.

When you returned to the restaurant you didn't see Bucky, he was outside leaning on his motorcycle, you said goodbye to Mr. Nakajima who was also leaving the restaurant with you and of course to Leah, thanking both.

Mr. Nakajima opened the door for you and let you out first.

"Pretty ladies first" Mr. Nakajima said with a kind smile, which made you laugh, and that made Bucky turn his head to the door of the establishment and approach you.

"Are you ok?" Bucky gently took your face in his hands, caressing your cheeks with his thumbs.

You looked into his eyes and you could feel that he was still upset by your ex's attitude, in fact, he seemed a little uncomfortable, perhaps remembering your look of doubt.

You nodded silently. You had a thoughtful look again.

"Honey…" Bucky began to speak softly, lowering his hands to his sides. It was the first time he had called you that pet name since you had started talking and going out. "I know I'm not the easiest person to deal with."

You remained silent, listening to what he had to say.

"I have nightmares at night, I have anger issues, I'm 106 years old…" Bucky chuckled, looking away from your eyes for a moment to see a couple of people crossing the street during the lonely night. "Even other problems, especially because of my past, so I will totally understand if you want to get back with him."

You didn't know what your expression really was, but Bucky seemed surprised as he looked back at you.

"What? I said something wrong?" Bucky asked, maybe you looked at him like he was crazy.

"I'm really going to have to talk to Dr. Raynor." You said nodding with a smile on your lips.

Bucky looked at you confused, he didn't understand what the mention from his psychologist that he was seeing it had to do with this conversation.

“Oh please…” You rolled your eyes, sometimes you forgot that Bucky was born before penicillin. "It means that I'd be crazy if you think I'm going to choose my ex. I like you, James B-"

Bucky leaned forward, crashing his lips against yours and bringing his hands back to your face, your eyes instinctively closed, enjoying the kiss which became more intense and then you both separated, gasping for air, without saying a word...

You two now knew how the other felt.

[dsireland86]

hi love! could you maybe do something with matty? maybe something super fluffy, like you’re on tour with them and the guys are making fun of him for being all soft and cutesy towards you lol or anything you want!!! ❤️❤️❤️

Hi love!!! The sweet side of Matt is something I really, really like :) Thank you for the request.

Too Sweet, Too Soft

Tag list: @philomenie @supersquirrel1996 @foliosgirl @angelmarie89 @fadingintothegrey @thisbicc @lacy1986 @dominuslunae @shayzillaaaa @mrsnoahsebastian @flowery-mess @iloveyoutodeathbutimdrowning @stardustsirenmelody @romanreigns-supreme @anything-more-than-human @into-the-grey @rumoured-whispers @myownthoughts12 @sister-sebastian @missduffsblog @bngurngheart  @somebodyllelse @xxkittenkissesxx @dizzylmwahh @Youlookforultraviolet @kenjipepsi1 @blackveilomens @chey-h @disappearintothegrey @jilliemiw86 @pathion @fear-its-beauty @alwaysfightforwhoyouare @an0mallly @flowery-mess 

"Pink or red? Which does she like more?" Matt stood in the flower section of the grocery store for at least five minutes, trying to decide which set of roses to get you. He wanted you to know how much he appreciated you and all the hard work and dedication you put into your work and the band. "Actually, y/n hates flowers," Folio reminded Matt, patting him on the shoulder as he walked by. "No, she doesn't!" He yelled back at Folio. But the more Matt thought about it, Folio was right. Shit! Matt shoved the flowers back into the holders, turning on his heels and walking away, empty handed.

"What's that?" "Better question is why are you reading Harry Potter?" You scowled at him rolling your eyes. Matt gave you a wink, instantly turning your frown upside down. "I guess we can't all be perfect," he sighed, sitting down on the couch, right up next to you. It wasn't unusual. When it came to you and Matt, personal space wasn't really a thing. Your shoulders touched, the friction sparking a feeling you were used to feeling whenever Matt was near you. It made you feel like you were in high school again, the way the butterflies tickled your tummy. "Are you going to open the bag?" "I don't know. It depends on what's in it." Matt stared at you, blinking, and his expression blank. "Isn't that the whole point? Open it to find out what's in it?" "Yeah, I guess so," you agree, reaching for the bag and laughing from how confused you had just made him.

Matt's hand rested on your knee, and although you thought nothing of it, it didn't go unnoticed by the others. They loved giving Matt a hard time when it came to how differently he treated you and acted around you compared to everyone else. "Matt, give y/n some space," Nicholas chided once he climbed up into the bus. "Seriously, or just sit in her lap. You'd probably be more comfortable," Jolly teased. "Fuck both of you," Matt retorted, pulling his hat down lower to cover his embarrassment. Jolly and Nick cackled as they went to the back of the bus, leaving you and Matt alone again. "You can sit in my lap if you really want to, Matty," you said, jokingly, nudging his shoulder. "Shut-up and just open the freaking bag all ready, for god's sake."

You dis, and instantly, a huge grin swept over your face. At first, you didn't know what to say as you began taking out the items; two cans of Celsius, Salt and Vinegar chips, Twix, Aloe water and seaweed. But the main thing that caught your eye was the pile of lose wildflowers: daisies, dandelions, wild violets, and a few others you couldn't name, laying at the bottom of the bag. You reached in and grabbed a handful, cupping them carefully in you hands.

"Matt," you gushed, looking up at him. He smiled at you, running a finger down the side of your cheek. "I remembered you're not a fan of flowers, but I wanted to give you something that made you feel special. I found them in the grass behind the venue." Matt shrugged, looking away just in case you were disappointed. But you weren't; not at all. You leaned over and kissed his cheek, lingering there a little longer than you meant to. Matt turned his head some, and his lips brushed against yours, making you smile. Matt huffed a small laugh, sitting back.

"Oh my god you two, get a room," Noah groaned, interrupting your private moment. You chuckled, sitting back, looking through the pile of small flowers filling your hands. "Y/N, I thought you didn't like flowers." Noah stood overtop you, peering down at the mixture of flowers you kept protected in your hands. "I don't like store bought flowers. But these are different. I love these!" You looked over at Matt, noticing the way he was staring at you. It wasn't how he normally looked at you, no, there was something deeper, something serious. You sat back, sliding closer to him, snuggling into the crook of his arm and resting your head against his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Matt asked, surprised. You smiled, glancing up at him. "I don't know. I just want to be near you. As close as I can be, right now. Is that okay?" You pleaded with him, your eyes giving him a full on puppy dog plea. "Hell yeah it's okay," Matt agreed, huffing a small laugh again. His arm came down over your shoulder, wrapping around your chest. "It's more than okay." His light kiss to your forehead made you dizzy.

"So, does this mean the two of you are a thing?" Nicholas implored. "Please say you are? If I have to hear Matt say your name in his sleep one more time, I will fucking loose it," Noah groaned again. You and Matt laughed, looking at one another. You were thinking it wouldn't be the worst idea you ever had, giving this thing between you and Matt a chance. "I mean, I'm game if you are," you decided, caressing his cheek and feeling the weight of it against your hand. "Absolutely, one thousand percent," Matt agreed, squeezing you into him. "Finally," Jolly, Noah, and Nick all groaned and sighed, heading off the bus. "Hopefully this means I don't have to share a hotel room with Matt anymore," Noah pointed out, being the first one to leave the bus. "Yeah, no kidding and that he'll quit his griping and groaning when he sees y/n talking to another guy." "I don't think that will ever stop. Matt's possessive; we all know that." Jolly was the last to leave, making the air around y/n and Matt silent.

"You really do that? Complaining and getting jealous when another guy is talking to me?" You turn and look at Matt, seeing the embarrassment on his face. You take him in you hands, forcing him to look at you. "Yeah, sometimes. I just think you deserve so much better than the guys you talk to or talk to you." Matt's confession was sweet and genuine. Smiling, you leaned in and kissed him softly, feeling the butterflies come alive at the simple gesture. But the way Matt kissed you back was unlike anything you'd ever experienced. It was passionate, almost as if he was handing over part of him to you. Maybe he was. Maybe you were too. Committed. Maybe you two were seriously committed to this. "And you think you're what I deserve?" You searched Matt's soft brown eyes for his answer and found it in the way he looked away from you. "No. I don't deserve you. You're way out of my league."

You can't help but grin as you lay your head down on Matt's chest, listening to the sound of his pounding heart beat. Taking his hand in yours and lacing your fingers together, you breathe in deeply and rest comfortably against him. "Well, lucky for you Matt Dierkes, you're not out of mine. You're everything I've wanted and more. You're too sweet, too soft, but only just for me, and that makes me feel like the luckiest and most special girl in the world." Matt was speechless. But instead of trying to make it all make sense at the moment, he went with it, pulling you close to his side, vowing to you both that from that day forward, protecting and loving you would be his main priority. This was it; this was what had been missing, and it had been right in front of him all along. 

[weepingchronicles]

platonic yandere hunter headcanons

tw/cw: yandere behavior, stalking, creepy(?), drugging(tranquilizers), guns mentioned, hunting obviously, cussing, kidnapping

a/n: i guess this is my first yandere oc? I don't know if he'll ever have a name or background but I'll just call him hunter

He acts like a friendly neighbour at first and for right now that's all he is.

To be honest, there is something slightly off about him.

The way you've never seen him without a weapon of some kind draped across his back. Or the way he leers and asks you questions slightly too personal.

"Where are your parents?" "Oh, are you close with them?" "Aw, that's a shame."

Still he was nice, enough. He never crossed a line. If he saw you getting uncomfortable his teasing and questions immediately stopped. So, that must be a green flag?

During winter, you had stopped hiking and going out to the trail you normally would. I guess the time spent away from you made Hunter fall deeper into his obsession with you.

He'd follow you to the grocery store, dentist, whenever you'd leave your house. He'd justify thinking it's just to keep you safe but didn't clarify on what.

During this, he'd learn more about you. Your habits, schedule and personal life.

You didn't have a good home life as far as he can tell. Sometimes he'd hear shouting within your house right before you burst out and slam the door to walk off some steam.

He thought he could treat you better, give you the home he thought you deserve. He had begun to think he knew you better than anyone else did.

Once you're back in the forest again is when he'd slowly force himself into your life.

He'd somehow "bump" into you whenever you're hiking and escort you. Saying "It's too dangerous for a kid like you to be walkin alone out here." You were creeped out to be honest but he was somewhat right.

Although he was actually pleasant to be around, one time he took you to the river and helped you catch a fish. He offered to help you cook it back at his place but you declined.

Other times were more silent but eventful, you'd both sit and enjoy the nature breeze, the birds. Sometimes when you were lucky a deer would run by, blessing you with its innocent presence.

You asked why he hadn't shot it, considering his job is to hunt.

"Because I'm with you, kiddo."

The more time you spent with him, coincidental or not, you slowly began to open up. He somehow knew your likes and dislikes in which you couldn't help but ramble about when brought up, he found it entertaining.

All your baggage too began to untangle. You'd talk about your problems with your family and how you go out into nature to get away from it all. It becomes your only safe space.

Hunter understood easily, he was always attentive when you talked of your parents but you failed to notice the murderous look in his eyes whenever he heard something that ticked him off a little too much.

You began to see Hunter as a father figure. I mean, he'd comfort you when you were sad, took you out fishing. He was more of a father than your biological one.

One day after fishing, he asked you if you wanted to go back to his cabin and cook it. He'd always ask you but always declined, but this time you actually felt safe enough to accept.

Hunter was delighted and drove you to his cabin further into the woods.

It was a lot nicer than you expected, you think it would look like a cabin from a horror movie or something but it was newly furnished or just well kept.

Hunter told you sit down and get comfy while he prepared the fish.

You did so in the living room. He gave you some hot tea but you never actually drank it, being far more interested in his home.

Hunter never talked about himself or family, you thought maybe it was because he was divorced or just secretive about personal things.

But as you roamed around the living room you noticed there were no framed photos at all.

Well, there was one. It was a photo he has taped on his window above the sink with him and you. You had caught your first fish and he wanted to take a photo to celebrate which you begrudgingly complied.

You roamed around more, careful with your footsteps to not make any creaking. You didn't want him to think you're snooping, I mean you are, but not in a bad way!

You came across a room that was slightly ajar enough to peek in. It was his bedroom.

His bed was messily made and on the dresser were empty or half empty beer bottles. Leaning on the wall were a couple shotguns, you didn't know if they were loaded or not. The only innocence misportraying his room were these lilacs in a vase you had collected on a hike with him. They were slightly dying, hunched in posture while a couple petals fell.

You roamed around more, you found the bathroom down the hall and passed the kitchen without Hunter noticing as he was cooking.

You had looked in every room so far besides the basement.

It was sketchy you will admit, but maybe that was your guilty conscience punishing you for snooping around.

You had went down a couple of steps and there was a hall. Most of the rooms down the hall were normal, for extra storage, that kinda thing.

You made your way down to the final door. It had a slide bolt lock and was probably the only door where the paint was peeling.

You figure it was just another storage room or maybe a place to keep his guns..(why would he need that kind of lock anyway?)

You open the room and peek inside, you find a light switch and turn it on. The room is ghostly cold, making you scrunch up your shoulders in chills.

What... the fu-

Your mouth fell slightly agape. The room had posters of your favorite media and characters plastered on the walls. On one side was a dresser and on-top were some of your childhood plushies that mysteriously went missing awhile ago.

"What the fuck is this.."

The most scariest part to you was that in the center was an old mattress covered by a thick blanket and few pillows. Alongside was a long chain connecting to the wall, it was meant for someone.

Your heartbeat sped up, Hunter was not who you thought he was.

You quickly ran out and went upstairs again, standing in the hall where you could hear Hunter humming to himself while cooking.

You froze there for a couple seconds, debating on what to do. You could just make a run for it but you don't know the way back home and it would take forever to get back on foot. Plus, he has guns. The other option was to pretend everything was fine, all good. You didn't know how well you could that, putting a hand to your chest made you feel your frenzied heartbeat. What if he knew something was up and killed you? What if you pretend and stay but he kills you anyway?

Your thoughts began to blur as if you were a deer caught in headlights, you only snapped out of it once you heard Hunter calling your name.

"There you are! What's wrong?"

You felt your lip twitch, control yourself.

"I- I was looking for the bathroom." You felt your throat suddenly dry up, like you've just been in the sahara desert.

Hunter chuckled at this and gestured to the bathroom that was just further down the hall.

His smile faltered when he realized you wouldn't move yet when he reached out to your shoulder, you instinctively backed away.

"Kiddo?" He said, slightly confused and panicked. He looks down to the basement and saw the door was still open.

Realization hit him and he was trying to muster up an explanation, anything.

But you were already running, you didn't have enough time to put on shoes so you were running on only your socks.

You tried to remember the path you came from, you couldn't just run down the road he'd easily drive by and catch you. Everything in the woods looked different as the sun began to set and the sky was cast with an orange hue, it was almost more alive than in the daytime.

You didn't stop to look behind you, only running as fast as your wobbly knees could take you but you could hear your name being called in the distance which somehow urged you to sprint faster.

Fuck, maybe your parents were right in saying to do Track and Field. You were panting, your chest felt itchy and your cheeks burned yet felt cold all at the same time. You knew you couldn't yet stop though.

Finally, once you couldn't hear your name being called is when you stopped by a large stone.

You tried to contain your breaths but they came out in only puffs as you regained control of yourself.

How the fuck were you supposed to get home now!?

In a state of hopelessness you began to softly cry. You came into the woods because it was your safe space but all you want to do right now is be back home on your bed.

Before you went into a full breakdown, you heard the familiar call of your name again.

Hunter.

You gasp and hide behind the large stone, accidently falling in a small river and biting your lip at the freezing water.

You peek out the best you can without revealing your hiding spot.

You see the blurry image of Hunter walking, is he...

Is he holding a gun!?

"Kiddo!? Come here, I'm not going to hurt you. Let's just go back to the cabin and get you warmed up."

'Um, I think I rather freeze to death out here, thanks.'

You knew he was getting closer as the creaks in the twigs and leaves louden.

Feeling you have no choice but to make a run for it, you do. Either he finds you hiding, shoots you or you run and he tries to shoot you.

"(Y/N)! Come back here now!"

Is this guy really trying to get you to come back willingly? Why is he not shooting?

"Come back or I'll shoot!" Oh, there it is.

You don't stop running however, you run in a zig zag motion to make it hard for him to shoot but I guess he never told you how good of a shot he was.

A shot came to your left calf and another at your shoulder, making you crash into the dirt and solid ground in front of you. You thought it would hurt more, a bullet ripping into your flesh like a fucking parasite. But what you felt was stinging.

Yeah, it still fucking hurt but it wasn't a pain you expected from a bullet wound. In that last moment you have consciousness, you turn over peering down at your calf and seeing a dart poke right into it.

A dart?

Hunter rushes by your side, finally catching up to you.

Your instincts urge you to escape but a numbness spreads throughout your body, making your eyelids so very heavy.

He lifts your head in his hands, caressing your hair and brushing away dirt on your face.

"Shh, it's okay now. Just go to sleep, everything will be okay once you wake up."

You tried to move, run, protest, anything! But it felt like someone put a weighted blanket over you, or more like ten blankets.

You began to lose consciousness and your eyesight blackening. You could feel your wrists and ankles getting tied together. You were pulled over what felt like Hunter's shoulders, as if you were a freshly caught deer. Maybe that's how he saw you.

You didn't have much of a say either way as he trudged further into the woods again, carrying you.

a/n: woop yay!! my first original character! feel free to ask any questions bout him, if you have any. I might make a part 2 to this when I feel like it but I have a bunch of other requests to do at the moment. also let's not talk about how it's almost 6 am and I'm writing this

[cripplecharacters]

is it ok to have two main characters who share a disability but one views it with internalized ableism while the other doesn't? im writing two characters w chronic fatigue (one is a protagonist and the other is a villain) and wanted to have a little back and forth between them but i didnt know if itd be insensitive to have the villain view his cfs as a negative thing while the protagonist accepts it as something part of themself i do not have cfs myself

Hello!

In general, it's perfectly fine to have two (Or more!) characters with differing views on a shared disability. In fact, I think it's better than fine!

There's a very wide range of experiences and perspectives in the disabled community, which is something that I rarely see portrayed in fiction. Though, admittedly, I rarely see media with multiple disabled characters, let alone multiple characters with the same (Or even similar) disability.

That being said... there is something that makes me pause with this concept.

Why is the villain the one that thinks of his disability in a negative way? Why is the hero the one that "accepts it as something part of themself"?

Furthermore, what do you mean when you say that? You can accept something about yourself without viewing it as something necessarily positive. Likewise, you can view something positively while still not accepting it.

There's a sort of attitude that's commonly directed towards physically disabled people with the expectation that we need to be "positive" about our disabilities and "not let it stop us/hold us back/etc." A lot of people have good intentions but there's a few problems with this sentiment. Namely, it dismisses the complicated experiences and feelings that a lot of us have around our disabilities.

Although there are some differences between this concept and the "disabled villain" tropes, it still comes back to the main problem of it. In this case, it's less about equating disability with villainy and more about the attitude towards disability. Is it a bad thing to feel negatively about your disability?

Of course, this isn't to say that this is what is happening with your situation. It's just something to be aware of.

If you want to keep the current arrangement where the villain thinks of his disability more negatively and the protagonist is more accepting of it, there are a few things that should be considered.

Why is it the villain that thinks of it negatively?

Does the villain's way of seeing his disability have any impact on why he became a villain?

Why is the protagonist more accepting of their disability?

What will their 'back and forth' look like? What purpose is it serving in the overall story? Does it affect the characters or change the way they see their disabilities in any way?

I do think that this could be a very interesting concept to play around with, especially when it comes to looking at the factors that can make somebody into a villain and how those same factors can also affect how somebody sees themself and their disability.

Is the protagonist more accepting of their disability because they had the support and acceptance growing up that the villain didn't? Does the villain feel more negatively about their disability for the same reason that they became a villain in the first place?

This concept really has the potential to discuss some difficult topics and portray them in a really interesting way but you do need to be careful with this.

Make sure that you aren't equating your villain's view of their disability with their morality and it would be good to show that these things aren't black and white. Show the protagonist having days where they do feel negatively about their disability, focus more on the factors that have influenced each character's views rather than the views themselves, don't show the protagonist as being morally above the villain because of how they view their disability.

A lot of us do feel negatively about our disabilities and there's nothing wrong with that. It doesn't make us evil or bad or pessimistic -- it just makes us human.

In summary, just be careful with the implications that you've giving here and think about how your disabled audience might feel about this portrayal.

Cheers,

~ Mod Icarus

[dronebiscuitbat]

Oil is Thicker Then Blood (Part 15)

“Here you are Mr. Elliot.” Mrs. Rayn said while dropping the giggling infant in his arms, along with a bag of bottles and a short recharge cable. Uzi was at his side with a hand on his lower back, trying to steady his already fraying nerves.

Never in a million years did he ever think he'd be called Mr. Elliot…

“Please keep calling me N, Mrs. Rayn…” He laughed nervously. Tera was looking up at him inquisitively, like even she could tell he was one bad step away from a mental break.

“But it sounds so proper!”

Yeah that's kinda the point…

“Thank you for the supplies!” He heard Uzi next to him carry the rest of the conversation as it filtered out around him, he was too… everywhere to be anywhere right now, and it was taking everything in his power to not vibrate out of his shell, or scream like a lunatic because he felt like doing both.

At least her hand was still on his back, otherwise, he wasn't sure he could keep from loosing his mind if she wasn't there. He was concentrating on her and how steady her hand was, telling him wordlessly that if he didn't have it, she did.

“You tw- three. Stay safe now, try not to stress too much.”

Oh way too late for that…

“We'll try.” Uzi's voice was deadpan but N could hear the touches of nervousness in it just as well. It almost made him fell better, that Uzi was just as nervous as him if that thought didn't also terrify him. She was way more experienced at this than him, what did it mean if she was nervous?

Rayn began to walk away, back into the nursery, leaving him and Uzi alone with a child in his arms. He felt himself start to tremble. OhmyrobogodwhattheheckdidIgetmyselfintoholy-

“You Good?” Now she was in front of him, holding his arm, looking at him with such concern he would've blushed had he been anywhere close to that state of mind.

“I don't know what I'm doing…” He near whispered, his panic leaking into his voice despite him trying to keep it internal.

“It'll be okay. You… We got this.” She squeezed his arm and displayed a cheerful cat face as an emoticon on her screen. He smiled through the panic, feeling eased through her joke and her confidence.

Even if Uzi's confidence was mostly faked, and she felt her legs becoming noodles as she forced them not to shake under the pressure that was placed on her shoulders. She still tried to be stable for N, who looked way worse than she did. Which made sense considering it was him that just actually adopted a baby.

The walk back from N's apartment was… awkward to say the very least. They garnered stares and looks that ranged between fear, shock, and disgust, but honestly, it was mostly shock.

No one believing the first sight of Khan’s outcast of a daughter having a baby with a murder drone, hell they could barely believe in her having a baby with anyone.

She gulped, ignoring the stares and walking just a little faster. She didn't care what people thought of her, no. She didn't. She didn't.

When they reached his apartment she look a breath before opening it, N right behind her, as they both breached the entrance, the door closed behind them and they looked at each other, sweat appeared in both of their visors.

“Okay. Uh… were here.” Uzi tried to remain confident, she had taken care of many babies when she was younger, this was going to be no different. Although this one had her name attached to it, the adoption certificate clearly read; Tera Elliot-Doorman. A fact she didn't want to show N just yet, or anyone for that matter.

She'd signed the paperwork impulsively, and while N was still Technically the one who adopted her, she was now permanently tied to Tera as well. And it was both fueling butterflies and straining her already strained nerves.

“Yeah. We're… here.” There was a moment of silence that passed between the two as they observed the looks on each other's faces.

And then, blessedly, they both laughed, the tension breaking.

Tera began to giggle along with them, rolling a bit in N's arms out of excitement. They both looked down at her, smiling before Uzi physically shook off her nerves

No matter how scared. They had to deal with it.

“Come on, let's sit down. I have a lot to go over.” She waved him over to the couch like he wouldn't just follow her instinctually. The couch was squishy, slightly absorbing her frame, even more so his when he joined her.

“First, calm down. Panic isn't going to do anything to help you.”

“How do I calm down? I-I don't know how to do anything! And what if I hurt her?!” His voice rose an octave as he tried to explain all the ways he was freaking put right now, but Uzi put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently.

“You would never hurt her N, just like you'd never hurt me. And I'm here to walk you through it, we've been feeding her and playing with her for weeks, it's not that different.”

“Right. Okay…” He took a few deep breaths, feeling her hand on his shoulder, he tried to quiet the dozens of paniked voices in his head, he closed his eyes focusing on the pressure on his shoulder.

“En!” Tera squealed up at him, interrupting him but even still he felt his panic waning, Tera was here, safe, and happy in his arms. As of yet, he hadn't screwed up.

“Even she's telling you to chill dude.” Uzi laughed softly, and that did the trick of calming him the rest of the way down. They were both here, and safe, and right now everything was blessedly normal and not gross and freaky.

“I'm chilling! I'm chilling!” He laughed, feeling the artificial tightness in his shoulders loosen slightly.

He looked over at his best freind, who was still laughing lightly at his comment, she was so so pretty. He could feel his core lighting up in butterflies and extra warmth come to his face.

He wanted to kiss her…

He jumped at that thought before ripping his head away to stop looking at her, that was definitely new, it just had awful timing as right now she was trying to teach him. Bad N! Pay Attention!

“Good. Now you already know how to feed her, but I'm going to go over it again anyway.”

“All you do is open this panel on your side, she pointed to herself and the side in question, and there's a little charge port and a place you can siphon oil from, you've seen me do it a bunch now.”

He had, and it always seemed to sting a little bit, as she winced every time, was it supposed to hurt like that? That would be kinda asshole design if it was.

“Charge port?” Was his first question he actually asked one that was quickly answered by Uzi, who seemed to be much more confident now that she had a task; teaching him.

“Yeah, until you get a charge crib, she'll be getting all her charge from you along with her oil. Speaking of.”

She pulled out a very large container of oil from her bag, and set it on the otherwise empty coffee table.

“I did the math, with how fast you go through oil, this should last you exactly a week while you're giving her some of yours.” She gestured to it, looking a little proud of herself, he smiled back, Uzi was always prepared for anything. And the container looked hand welded, perfect for him to drink out of whenever he needed.

It was so sweet, that she'd thought of him this way.

“Sweet! At least I don't have to worry about that. Thank you Zi.” If Tera wasn't currently trying to roll out of his arms and out onto the floor he would of hugged her, instead he held Tera closer to his chest so she wouldn't roll away.

“You're welcome. Now, let's just make sure you've got the same hardware. Open up your side panel.” She pointed to his side lazily, while looking at Tera who was determined to get out of his grip, squirming as much as a being without limbs could.

He suddenly felt his next breath leave him. Yeah… that was going to be somewhat of a problem.

“Uh…” His words were hesitant, like he speaking to J and wanted to avoid saying anything that would set her off.

“What?”

“I don't have one.” He finished, head looking to the side but eyes trained on her. Tera finally succeeded in breaking out of his grip, and was now rolling over and into Uzi's lap, where she stayed after Uzi picked her up and into her arms.

She blinked at him, confusion swirling in her eyelights before words came out of her mouth again, like she had been hit with a brick.

“Everyone has one.” She began, less confused and more incredulous, he was joking right? He was based on a worker drone model, she'd expected many she'd need to modify the charger for him, make it compatible for whatever size his was, or do the same for the bottle. She didn't expect for him to just… not have anything.

“I don't.”

More silence, before Uzi leaned back so far into the couch it looked like it was eating her. Tera laughed up at her, Uzi sighed, looking down at her.

“Because why would a disassembly drone ever need to charge a baby….” She sounded endlessly dissapointed, like she was personally offended by whoever re-designed him and their choices.

N felt the nerves come back in full force. He couldn't feed or even charge Tera by himself! His stupid murder biology (or engineering) didn't even give him the ability to. How was this going to work?

“Okay. It's fine, I can continue to feed her.” Uzi began again, her eyes scrunched up in thought and her finger hovering over Tera's visor, making the baby follow it with her eyes before she squealed when it made contact with her squishy silcone.

“Once you get a charge crib that won't be a problem either, you can just plug her in there.” N nodded, thankful once again that Uzi was able to think so quickly despite how nervous they both were.

“In the meantime… She'll have to charge off me.” She said slowly, a blush aggressively attacking her face, she turned to him after a moment, managing to push it away, leaving only the smallest blush left. But it was still something he noticed.

“I guess I'm staying here for awhile. Heh.”

He looked away to settle the score with his own misbehaving visor, both incredibly happy to be able to spend more time with her and incredibly nervous all at the same time.

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