#I had just enough time to realise I had tripped and to loudly scream 'oh FUCK'

[running-in-the-dark]

I tripped over a box today (I'm only shocked it didn't happen sooner tbh) and fell flat on the floor. or rather I would have, if there hadn't been an empty box about the size of my upper body exactly where I landed. a very good, stable box, as it turns out. not even a dent in it. still hurt like hell, especially my wrist and knee that I landed on. but it probably would've been a lot worse without that box 😔

[little-tyrant-gortash]

Oathbreaker

Pairing: fem!Tav x Enver Gortash, fem!Tav/Astarion

Tags: Emotional Manipulation, Manipulation, Manipulative Relationship, Paladin Tav (Baldur's Gate), Vaginal Sex, Penis In Vagina Sex, Drunk Sex, Unrequited Love, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Scars, Blood and Injury, Injury, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Torture, Psychological Torture, Implied/Referenced Torture

Word count: 1,691

Ao3 here.

Chapter 1.

Chapter 2.

Chapter 3.

Chapter 4.

Chapter 5.

Chapter 6.

Chapter 7.

Chapter 8.

Chapter 9.

Chapter 10.

Chapter 11.

Chapter 12.

Chapter 13. ⬇

Chapter 14.

Chapter 13: Innocence Lost

He should've expected things to go downhill. It couldn't be as easy as he imagined them to be, could they?

First of all, the way she screamed had a remarkable effect on him. Gortash quickly realised that the need to protect her went well beyond his sneaky little "safety measures"; he maneuvered so quickly around the office to check what was wrong that it was straight ridiculous. It was blind luck nobody saw it, and that she was too preoccupied with the pain in her feet to notice. But he couldn't blame her for that. The stench of burnt flesh made him crinkle his nose.

"Damn it!" He huffed, and he didn't even think, he picked her up, bridal style, to get the weight off of her feet. She clung to him for dear life in her agony, buried her face in his neck and sobbed loudly. "How can you be so clumsy?" He sighed as he started to walk through the workshop with her in his arms.

That was when the door burst open and revealed a very angry looking Shadowheart with her bright, silver hair. Gortash stopped in his tracks with a frown. The Steel Watchers should've stopped her-

"Your days are over!" She declared, looking every bit of feral as she summoned her spirit guardians – the green ones that would cause nasty necrotic damage to anything living they'd touch.

"Are you insane?!" Gortash yelled as he took a few steps back. "I have her right h-"

Organised chaos, was it? More like disorganised chaos. Most of the time he remembered where he left what, and he instinctively tiptoed over it in his workshop. Toolboxes, chests, pieces of armour. But Tav's injury and Shadowheart's sudden appearance shocked him enough that he couldn't remember fast enough that there was a chest just behind him – a chest he tripped over.

Falling backwards, all he could do was cursing out loud.

Hitting the ground wasn't that bad, actually. But when Tav fell right on him, she knocked the air out of him. There was an almost soft crack in his chest, then excruciating, horrible pain a second later.

"Oh shit", Shadowheart's voice was the first that made it through the ringing in his ears. Gortash's head was throbbing with murder. He kept Tav close, until she attempted to pull away and get up. "I'm so sorry, I didn't- I couldn't-"

"Heal me", Tav sobbed and remained sitting on the ground just beside him. "Please- it hurts- so much-"

"What the Hells happened?" Shadowheart made her way over to Tav, completely ignoring Gortash on the floor. Maybe she did that well. "I heard you scream-"

"Karlach's engine", Gortash groaned when Tav couldn't muster the words. "Her engine. Overheated. Melted… the pliers…"

Well, that broken rib really hurt. He barely could take a normal breath, let alone speak in complete sentences. I'm too old for this shit, he thought begrudgingly as he turned his head to look at Tav and Shadowheart. The latter dismissed the spirit guardians, and she already started to heal Tav's feet. The flesh knitted anew, making her accident a bad memory.

Good.

"You. Get. Out", Gortash groaned at Shadowheart, who stared back at him with a snarl.

"You don't order me around!" She spat back at him.

"Shadowheart-", Tav weakly protested.

"I knew you couldn't be trusted!"

"Shadowheart-"

"Is that your plan? Making us believe you're the good guy when you're attempting to kill us??"

"Shadowheart!! Enough!" Tav yelled. "He didn't do anything wrong! I held the fucking engine and I got too distracted, end of story!"

"Distracted by what?" Shadowheart asked with a raised brow. "He did it on purpose, didn't he?!"

Gortash also raised his brow. Really, what distracted her? Tav blushed and looked anywhere but at them. He didn't do anything out of the ordinary, just- oh.

"Ooh, Tav", he sighed – even if it was immensely painful –, a smile playing around his lips.

"You just be quiet", Tav huffed, taking her half burned boots off.

"You paid attention to what I was doing-"

Tav felt a rush of absolute fear when she realised he could expose her to Shadowheart.

"Gortash."

"What my hands were doing, to be precise- you got distracted by- my hands-"

Shadowheart looked like realisation dawned on her, then she made the realm's most disgusted face as she glanced at the flustered Tav. Who, in turn, angrily yanked her boots off and threw them to the far end of the room.

"Gortash! You're the absolute worst man alive on this gods damned planet!"

Tav pushed herself up to stand, thankfully, Shadowheart could heal her injuries in no time. Barefoot, she started to walk out of the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Gortash ignored the throbbing, sharp pain in his chest.

"Out! I'm done!"

"You won't even take Karlach with you?"

Tav's bare feet stopped stomping on the floor of his workshop. Enver finally got up, too; he resisted the urge to touch his aching side. It wouldn't do any good if he had his hand over it, anyway. He'd felt this so many times, growing up. He'd survive it again.

"I have no doubts she'd attempt to kill me, too", Gortash continued, walking over to his desk to sit down on the chair. "And believe it or not, you and your merry little band still need me."

"He's right", Shadowheart's shoulders dropped, and offered him an apologetic look. "Sorry about- what I said."

"Consider it forgiven. Now, please. You, get out."

"We'll talk later", Shadowheart told Tav in a serious tone, and neither Gortash nor Tav had doubts that the silver haired warrior would definitely interrogate Tav about their relationship.

"One more thing", Gortash told Shadowheart, "how come you weren't stopped by my Steel Watchers?"

"Well, Gale kept them… busy", Shadowheart smiled at him before she left the workshop.

Gortash sat back down, a bit harder than he wanted to, and closed his eyes at the flash of sudden, excruciating pain that shot through his chest. Gale. He was crushing the name in his head with mortar and pestle. Gale. Gale. Gale. He's going to make an ornate bowl out of his wretched, thick skull, and he'll use his brain t-

"He probably destroyed half of your Steel Watchers", Tav mused without turning to look at him.

"Wonderful", Gortash groaned, and this time, he couldn't hide the agony from his voice.

He gritted his teeth when he saw Tav turned to look him in the eyes. She noticed. What was more, she seemed like she… cared? That she was… worried? Enver seemed to rapidly sink in his chair when she started to walk over to him.

"What's wrong?" She asked him, and he scoffed.

"Oh, nothing. I'm fine. Just pulled a muscle."

She stared at him for a long second before she stalked even closer, stopping between his chair and his desk. This way, she had her back to Karlach.

"You're lying", she deduced.

He stared back up at her, challengingly.

"And? What are you going to do about it?"

"I'll get the truth out of you."

"Oh?" Despite the pain he was in, he smiled at that. "And how are you planning to do that?"

"I'm asking first", she crossed her arms and leaned against his desk. "Why did you have to embarrass me?"

"She rather should know about the truth than think that I'm scheming to kill you, isn't that right?"

"I don't want them to know about us", Tav shook her head and looked away.

"I can't understand why", he mused playfully, "we're making a good team."

"Good team?" She echoed. "Have you been paying any attention to us? We're making each other worse."

"Worse is always better in my book", he smirked now, a bit darker than intended. Tav squirmed where she stood, his smile awakening something inside of her. "You can't even take your eyes off me, can you?"

"You're a pompous bastard full of himself, nothing more", Tav spat.

Gortash laughed quietly, but not for long. His voice died in his throat and he let out a ragged sigh as he leaned back in his chair again. Tav was watching him like a hawk.

"If you're injured", she muttered, "why won't you tell me?"

"Complaining about physical injuries is weakness, and I'm anything but weak."

Tav needed a few seconds to absorb that. Then, she cupped his cheeks in her fragile little hands.

"I don't want you to be in pain", she whispered softly, "please, tell me, how can I help?"

"If you say that little word again, I may just tell you", Gortash teased.

He was disguising just how deeply it cut him to know that she cared. That she didn't lie. Every second he spent with her, he learned more and more about her expressions, the way she said words, what she thought of things, and to know that she did not lie now – that she truly did not want him to be in pain – was new and utterly terrifying.

Because nobody ever cared. Nobody ever asked. Nobody wanted to make sure he was alright. All the lessons he learned during his life were that the strong crushes the weak, and he never wanted to be the weak one. He was forced to be; many, many times.

"Please, Enver."

His name sounded like dripping honey from her lips. He crumbled at her touch, at her voice. For a moment, he felt like a frightened child again.

And then, he felt enraged. Enraged that he couldn't find her sooner, enraged that he had to walk this lonely path alone for so long. But not anymore. She was here, and Hells, he won't ever let her go again.

"I never get tired of you saying my name", he whispered back, placing his hands over hers as he closed his eyes.

Tav half smiled and ever so gently pecked his forehead.

"What the everloving fuck?!"

Their hearts skipped a beat at the same time when they've heard Karlach's voice from the desk where they left her, and they both thought of the very same thing.

Shit.

[lottiebagleywritesobx]

Girls like you

THE POOL

JJ Maybank wasn't really sure why the Y/L/N family had hired him to clean out their pool when summer started. They seemed to like him around the hotel when they went for meals but he wasn't exactly qualified, he wasn't complaining though, they tip well and it couldn't be that hard.

His only problem was Y/N.

They never got on well. She was friends with Kie in her kook year, who even went as far as to dub her 'the only kook who doesn't make me want to gauge my eyes out', so she knew the pogues from around although they'd grown apart the girls shared no bad blood and always stopped to catch up when they saw each other around.

He was in the middle of raking the leaves from the large pool when he saw her. She was crossing the garden from the large mansion, clad in a bikini with sunglasses perched on the end of her nose. JJ hates how good she looks, her curves perfectly on display and a confident aura around her.

She's got headphones in, he notices as she saunters closer.

"Hi princess," He smirks, watching as she rolls her eyes

"I'm not your princess. How long are you gonna be?" She questions, settling onto one of the sun loungers next to the pool

"An hour or so," JJ states

"Well, could you do it quietly I'm hungover and I wanna just relax," She states, slipping the second headphone back into her ear before he can reply.

He cleans, unaware of her watching him from behind the glasses as she sips on her bottle of cold water. She would never tell anyone but watching him work, his muscles tensing and untensing under his vest shirt, a light sweat from the hot summer day on his skin, she couldn't help herself from thinking he looked good.

He would definitely admit to John B that he thought she looked fit. Her breasts spilling out of her bikini top a little and the barely there thong bottom's high cut making her legs look excruciatingly long. He'd probably make some crude jokes about hate sex being way more fun. He wouldn't admit though, to finding something very comforting about her presence, and finding the way she hummed along to whatever she was listening too adorable.

It's a further 40 minutes, JJ is trying to work out how to get the pool vaccuum to turn on, when her phone rings loudly.

"Hey Sare," Her voice speaks. JJ figures quickly it's Sarah Cameron, the pair are practically inseparable and the whole island knows it.

He half listens to her side of the conversation, more out of boredom than interest.

"No, babes, I love you and all but I really don't wanna. The last million times I've seen Rafe he's been so weird and creepy and I don't wanna be alone with him,"

JJ doesn't know why the comment angers him so much. Why does he even care if Rafe is clearly trying to pull her? It's none of his business. Yet, he can feel his blood boiling at the thought.

"No Sar, if I go and you have to stay with me then you can't go and be with Topper,"

She's silent for a few minutes before sighing "Fine. Fine, I'll come. See you in a minute. Bring me some shorts, I'm in the garden and can't be arsed to go upstairs and find some. You owe me forever,"

JJ wants to scream. Wants to tell her she shouldn't go if she feels uncomfortable around Kelce. He wishes Kie were here, maybe she could talk her into staying where she felt safe.  Maybe she would be able to explain why JJ even gives a shit.

"Maybank," She states, he looks up, trying to act like he hasn't been listening. "I'm going out. You'll be the only one here," She informs

"Okay," He nods.

"My keys are on the kitchen counter, lock up when you're done and I'll just grab them from you at the hotel,"

"All right," He agrees

"When will you be there?" She questions, looking at him like he's an idiot. He groans internally, obviously she needed to know that.

"Tomorrow, 2 until closing,"

'"I'll swing by around 4," She informs. He nods, trying not to stare at her as she lets her hair down from the ponytail it had been in, shaking it out. A car honks outside and she turns, walking up the garden towards the side gates, turning a few metres away,

"Oh, there's an envelope on the kitchen counter with your tip in," She adds

"Thanks. Goodbye princess," He smiles,

"Still not your princess," she shouts back, turning and disappearing round the corner.

THE CAR

JJ felt a lot more in his element when her dad had called him asking if he could fix her car. He hadn't specified it was his eldest daughters, and JJ knew the family owned 7 cards despite only 3 of them even being able to drive.

JJ recognised it though, a white convertible porsche, he'd seen her driving it around before. Wether she was blasting music with the roof down singing with Sarah, picking up a take out from the wreck, driving around in the middle of the night, she'd even given Kie a lift to the Chateau before. He realised that he always seemed to notice her presence.

He was working in the family's garage, the bonnet popped open and grease all over him. It was an easy fix, if a little fiddly.

He jumped out of his skin when the door burst open.  He is immediately taken aback by how good she looks. Clad in a tight black skirt that is ridiculously short, heels and a tight black V neck top with a lace trim around the neck. Her hair falls in bouncy curls around her shoulders and her makeup looks perfect. He would have sworn on everything he'd never seen anyone look so beautiful.

"You're a boy," The girl states.

"Good job noticing that one princess," JJ smirks, she rolls her eyes.

"I have a date and Sarah is being so unhelpful, can you help me pick a top?" She questions, he gulps, nodding.

"Okay, so this is option 1,"

"It looks good,"

"Right. But is it sexy? Do you look at me and think I wanna slam her against a wall and rail her?"

His eyes widen a little, that's one way of putting it he decides.

"Look, I'm your families help, I shouldn't be answering that,"

"Like I care Maybank," She groans, exasperated.

"Okay fine, I look at you in that and I think I wanna rip your clothes off,"

"Okay good. Option 2," She starts. JJ is shocked when she pulls her top off in front of him, without even turning around. He turns around, although not without taking a mental picture of her boobs being pushed up in a red lace bra. "Who knew you were a prude?"

"Just respecting you princess," He comments

"You've seen me in a bikini, what's the difference?" She questions, he stays silent having no quick comment to respond with. "I'm dressed," She states

He turns back around, she looks good, a forest green top made of satin.

"The first one is sexy, that one is cute,"

"Thanks JJ, oh, and hey, thanks for fixing my car,"

"Uh. Yeah, anytime,"

THE SUMMER HOUSE

JJ was happy to paint the summer house. He claimed to his friends it was just because they way over paid and tipped big. In reality it was because for three days straight he would get to catch glimpses of her. And he did.

He saw her when she swam in her pool.

He saw her when she played in the garden with her little sister.

He saw her when she cloud gazed with Sarah Cameron.

The best times he got to see her though, were when she would bring him stuff. Every so often she'd knock on the open door to the summer house, sometimes with water, sometimes with snacks, a few times even with a beer. A couple of times she stopped and made small talk, one time she even smeared paint on his cheek and giggled as he chased her through the garden.

He enters the kitchen, used to how the family worked now. An envelope of money waiting on the kitchen counter, they always seemed to be coming and going so it was easier.

He was shocked to see her in the kitchen, she's scrolling on her phone sipping on what looks to be an iced coffee

"Oh, hey JJ," She smiles

"Hey, I'm done," he informs, she nods, watching as he picks up the envelope "So, I'll be seeing you around,"

"Did you want a lift?" She questions, he looks at her slightly confused "I just noticed your bike wasn't here and it's kinda late to be walking back. It's a long walk,"

"You really don't have to princess,"

"Honestly, it's fine," she assures, jumping up and grabbing her keys before heading towards the garage.

She wasn't sure when she stopped hating JJ Maybank, wasn't sure when she started noticing little things like the blue in his eyes and which snapback he was wearing and how tired he looked. She wasn't sure when the sight of his bike in the driveway started giving her butterflies.

"So where is your bike?" She questions, the roof of the car is down and the wind blowing through her hair as she pulls out of the private estate her home is on.

"Didn't have enough fuel to get to yours and back," He shrugs

"Why didn't you just-" She cuts herself off "Shit, I'm so sorry. That was insanely rude, I wasn't even thinking and-" He chuckles, watching as she splutters and blushes

"It's okay. Life is different on the cut I can understand how a kook princess wouldn't get it," He shrugs, she nods, still not sure what to say.

"Y'know my life isn't perfect," She comments, he scoffs, unable to help himself. "I'm not kidding. It's privileged as fuck, I know that, but it's not perfect,"

"Go on then princess, what's so shit?" He doesn't mean for it to sound so harsh, he's genuinely curious

"My parents, they have basically planned my entire life, down to where I'll go to college, what sorority I'll be in, where I'll work my summer internship, who I'll marry, where I'll get married, which big kook house I'll live in,  at what age I'll have to give up my career, which has been decided for me by them, to start trying for babies. It's 24 by the way so in 8 years. My whole life is decided and I don't want it. I wanna go on a trip around the world and surf and travel and explore. I wanna fall in love and get my heartbroken again and again until I find the right guy. I wanna live in a New York apartment and I wanna see the world. I don't wanna marry Rafe Cameron just cause our mothers are friends. I mean he's literally scary and harasses me and acts like even though I'm 16 I shouldn't have a choice cause one day he'll father my kids. And no one gets it, none of my friends, not even my best friend. The only person who ever understood why it was so shit was Kie and then she left, she left and lives her life and it's fun and exciting and anything could happen. I don't hate her for it but it fucking sucks that she left me miserable. I'll be miserable living my planned out life and then I'll die. Yeah, I have money and that's fucking great, but my life is far from perfect,"

JJ sits in a stunned silence. He's not really sure what to say. Their problems were very different but hers were just as shitty. He feels like he's seeing her in a whole new light.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I don't tell people that and we barely no each other," She mutters, not wanting to look at him

"Where would you go first?" His question surprised her

"On my fictitious surf trip?" She questions, he nods "Europe, Spain I think,"

They sit in silence the rest of the way, it's not awkward though, both of them feel comforted by each other presence. He gives her instructions to the chateau.

"We are probably gonna drink some beers and smoke. You wanna stay? You could crash here and drive home in the morning," JJ offers

"I can't. My family are having dinner at the hotel. Thanks though," She smiles gently

"Yeah. Uh, I hope it's not too shit. Thanks for the ride princess,"

He climbs out of the car, his friends who sit on the porch immediately calling out to him, they're all laughing and teasing him about his lift home and when he looks back he almost thinks he sees a look of longing in her eyes before she's reversing out of the chateau.

THE BOAT

"Can you fix it?" She questions. JJ Maybank has never seen her look nervous before.

It was only 6:30 AM when she'd started banging on the door to the Chateau, tears in her eyes and panic on her face hoping JJ would be here. John B had pulled the door open, half asleep and groaning a little at the bright sunlight. He'd let her into the small home and disappeared to wake JJ up. John B opted not to put too much thought into the way the minute her name was said JJ leaped out of bed and shoved into the living area, the way his hands cupped her cheeks to see if she was okay, the way he was calling her princess as he tried to calm down her hiccuping tears.

"I can fix it," He confirms. They're standing on the deck of her families boat "It's an easy fix princess, okay? don't even worry," He speaks in a comforting tone

"Thank you JJ,"

"No worries. It'll take me a while, you got anywhere to be?"

"No. Well yes, a breakfast thing with the Cameron's but it's at my house and I can't exactly show up without the boat so,"

"So you're hiding out here all day?" JJ questions

"Well, I don't wanna intrude. I can go and hang out at the beach,"

"Don't talk nonsense, you can hang here. C'mon, I need to be down the bottom with the engine, you can sit and entertain me,"

She watches intently as he works, now that he's not working at her house he hasn't bothered with a shirt, instead just wearing shorts and his infamous red baseball cap. He glances at her occasionally, her makeup streaky from crying and wearing a short white dress.

"So, wanna tell me what happened?" He questions

"Not really," She admits, he nods and she sighs before beginning to explain"Rafe wanted to go boating late and then it all went wrong and then we got the boat to the nearest dock, hence why we are in the middle of nowhere, and he said he was going to call someone to get a lift and it was rainy so I was waiting in here.  It had been a while so I went outside to check on him and he was gone. I didn't know what to do. Dad would kill me for breaking the boat, do I just kinda figured I'd walk to yours and hopefully you would no how to fix it. Then I realised I have no clue where you live so I walked to John B's and hoped for the best,"

"He just left you in the middle of nowhere alone?" JJ doesn't know why he's so mad, they were hardly even friends

"Yeah. He texted me to let me know it was cause he's already in shit with his dad and didn't wanna go down for breaking my family's boat," She shrugs, JJ wants to go and find Rafe Cameron and beat his skull in.

"Look, a girl like you deserves someone who would treat them a million times better than that,"

"I always thought you hated me," She admits

"So did I, until this summer I kinda did," He shrugs

"What changed?" She asks, the question is so vulnerable he can't help himself from looking at her

"You aren't what I thought you'd be," He admits, she nods slowly

"How should a girl like me be treated?" She questions

"Like they're the only thing on earth," He's not really sure why he's so openly telling her how he feels but it feels too late now

"Is that how you'd treat me Maybank?"

"Girls like you don't date boys like me," He shrugs, turning quickly back to what he's doing, not wanting her to recognise the disappointment on his face.

THE PARTY

It was no secret her family hosted a big formal party on the 10th of July every year, her parents wedding anniversary. JJ had waited the party the last 2 years and this summer was no different, he'd even managed to get John B and Pope a job too.

His heart had stopped when he saw her, her dress was the exact shade of blue as the sky and flowed beautifully down to her feet, her hair curled with the front pinned back, her makeup beautiful. She looked like an angel approaching him and god why did she have to look so perfect.

"Hey JJ," She smiles, grabbing a glass of champagne from the tray he's holding "Could you do me a favour?"

"Of course," He agrees, expecting some job that needed doing for the party

"If you see Rafe and I'm on my own..." She trails off "I'm trying to avoid him, after the other day,"

It's three hours into the party when JJ grabs her hand, pulling her along behind him and away from Rafe who is clearly trying to catch her alone. He pulls her into a small cupboard slamming the door closed behind him and locking it.

"What was that about?"

"Rafe," He shrugs, he didn't outwardly say he'd been watching her all night to make sure he could look out for her. He also didn't say he would have been watching her all night even if she hadn't asked him too.

"JJ, you know how your coming over next week to fix that one  door that you can't open from inside the cupboard?" She question

"Yeah," He states, peering out of the key hole to see if Rafe is still looking for her

"Well, this is the cupboard,"

"Shit!" He shouts, pulling away from the door to face her. "Shit, it's your parents wedding anniversary and I got you locked in the cupboard,"

"It's alright," She shrugs "They hate each other most the time anyway,"

"Call someone to let you out,"

"Where on this dress did you think there was pockets, you call someone,"

"My phone is in the twinkie,"

"The what?"

"John B's car," JJ sighs. "Fuck princess, I'm so sorry," He groans

"It's fine. Sarah will come looking for me eventually," She shrugs. He nods, watching as she sits down on the ground, patting the space next to her.

He obliges, sitting next to her, knees touching in the tight space.

"You look nice tonight, I like the shirt and tie," She compliments, he can feel himself blush and is glad the cupboard is dark enough she probably can't see it.

"Y'know what you said on the boat the other day?" She questions, he immediately knows what she's referring too "About how girls like me don't date boys like you,"

"Yeah," He confirms

"Why is that?" She questions quietly

"I couldn't make you happy princess. Your parents would hate me. I couldn't take you on the fancy dates you're used to. You wouldn't be happy,"

"My parents love you, they think you're resourceful and hard working. I hate the stuffy dates figure 8 boys take me on," She informs, he laughs a little at that. "Besides, you already make me happy. I'm just saying Maybank, if you don't wanna date me just say it, don't try and put it on me,"

JJ isn't really sure how to react. How to explain he desperately wanted to date her, wanted her to be his girl and wanted to shower her in love and adoration. He isn't sure how to tell her that by inadvertently telling him she wanted to date him she had made him the happiest man on earth. He's not really great with words and it all feels too hard to say.

So, instead, he turns slightly, taking her face in his hands and pulling her to him, his lips crashing against hers and somehow she knows everything he wanted to say.

[idy-ll-ique]

The Perfect Wingman.

Pairing: Single Dad!Sebastian Stan x F!Reader

Genre: Fluff, tiny bit of Angst

Warnings: mentions of injuries, blood

Requested: Nope

Summary: Felix, Sebastian Stan's five year old son, is the perfect matchmaker (with the help of Uncle Anthony, of course!)

Author's Note: Hiya peeps! Another matchmaker fic lmao there's just something about that trope where kids play matchmaker for adults that's just... 💞 anyway enjoy!

---

"Buddy! Hi!"

Y/N glanced at Chris Evans as her boss spoke to her, seeing him running towards somebody. After her boss left, she turned around and smiled when she saw him chatting with Felix, Sebastian Stan's five year old son. The kid was literally sunshine in a bottle, making everyone around him happy. Guess that's another thing he got from his father.

Aside from looks.

Then she looked around, but couldn't see Sebastian anywhere. "Boo!" Startled, Y/N screamed and held a hand over her chest as she whirled around to see Sebastian doubled over in laughter behind her, clutching his stomach. "Oh my God!" she groaned as several heads turned to her at her scream. "You should've seen your face," Sebastian wheezed.

Y/N pouted at him and swatted his chest. "I could've had a heart attack!" Y/N wasn't an actress, she was just an assistant on set. Her only work was to make sure that all the actors on set were hydrated, which in turn led to her becoming good friends with all of them. They were all very friendly people, the Marvel cast. "But you didn't. Felix!" Sebastian called out and his son looked up.

Running as fast as his little feet could carry him, Felix jumped into his father's open arms, giggling. Y/N watched them with a smile on her face; Sebastian was a great father. "Meet Y/N," Sebastian introduced her and she waved at the kid. "Hi Felix," she grinned but Felix was mesmerized. Wow, she's so beautiful.

He simply blinked at her a few times, his jaw dropped. Y/N raised a questioning but amused brow at him, her eyes flickering to Sebastian who was watching his son with an exasperated look on his face, all too aware of his shenanigans. She laughed at Sebastian's expression and Felix snapped out of his thoughts. He raised his arms and leaned forward; a silent request of please pick me up.

Y/N gathered him in her arms, his tiny arms going around her neck as she held him on her hip. "Hello!" He had surprisingly clear speech, he did not mispronounce his L's and R's much. "Hi! How are you today? Enjoying yourself?" Felix nodded excitedly. "Yes!" Sebastian simply watched them with a soft smile as the girl he fancied talked to his son.

Sebastian had had a crush on Y/N ever since they began filming, and at this point, 4 months later, the only person who was oblivious to his feelings was Y/N. Everyone knew, and everyone heartily teased him for it. He had always wanted to ask her out; seeing his son get along so well with her only fueled his feelings. "Are you… are you an actwess too, Y/N?"

"No, darling, I'm a helping hand. I help everyone stay hydrated."

"What does that mean?"

"I give everyone water when they ask for it," she explained and Felix nodded, eyes the same colour as Sebastian's blinking at her in wonder. "Water is impowtant," Felix stated matter-of-factly making Y/N giggle. Felix decided he wanted to hear that sound much more frequently. "Felix! Is that you?!" Y/N, Felix and Sebastian turned to see Anthony making his way towards them.

"Uncle Anthony!" Felix squealed and Y/N put him down on his feet, smiling at the way he ran to Anthony Mackie. "Your son is so cute," she commented, turning to Sebastian only to see him already staring at her, a soft smile on his face. "It seems as though he has taken a liking to you. I wouldn't blame him." Y/N rolled her eyes at his flirting but blushed.

He did flirt with her a lot, but come on, that was just a part of his personality. Surely he didn't have feelings for her, he couldn't. Oh but he did; very strong feelings, on top of that. "Cheesy," she jabbed back and Sebastian clutched his chest with a pretend hurt look on his face. "You wound me," he pouted and Y/N grinned at him.

What they didn't see was Felix and Anthony staring at them, eyebrows raised in an identical manner. "Uncle Anthony, can I ask you something?" Anthony smirked but nodded. "Does papa… does papa love Y/N?" Anthony laughed loudly, realising that the adorable kid was the perfect wingman for Y/N and Sebastian. So he said, "Yes, yes he does."

"She is really pwetty…" Felix confessed, his own cheeks turning pink. "Aw, look who's blushing," Anthony teased, pinching his little cheeks. Felix blushed more and slapped his hands away, pouting. "Do you want your papa to go on a date with Y/N?" Anthony asked the child. Felix thought for a moment before nodding.

"Yes. If he likes her, he should just tell her!" Oh, bless his innocent heart. If only it were that easy in real life. "He will ask her soon, we'll make sure of it. Here's what you can do to help…"

---

2 months had passed since Felix visited the sets and Sebastian was getting impatient. If you thought his flirting was too much then, you should see him now. He flirted with her every chance he got but Y/N used to brush him off each time; he possibly couldn't be genuinely interested in her. She didn't think herself to be worthy of his affections, so, as much as she liked his flirting, she never reciprocated.

As Y/N gathered a few bottles of water in her arms, she heard a screech behind her. "Y/N!" Smiling, she turned, dramatically faking an 'oof' as a tiny body collided with her legs. "Felix, honey, hi! Didn't expect you to visit the sets today," she grinned as Felix let go, smiling broadly up at her.

"His babysitter couldn't make it, had to bring him down."

Her smile turned nervous as she saw the father of the cute kid walking towards her, a suave smile plastered on his face. "That's okay, papa, I can just hang out with Y/N!" Felix assured him before frowning at the dozens of bottles in her arms. "Do you need help?" Ah, ever the gentleman. One more thing he gets from his dad.

"Thank you so much, sweetie," she cooed as she handed him two bottles. It wasn't much, but seriously, how much could a little child carry? That was enough for him. "Can you go give these to Scarlett and Chris?" she requested, pointing to the spot where Scarlett Johansson and Chris Hemsworth were standing. "Okay, Y/N!"

She grinned when he left. "Seriously, how did you manage to birth the most perfect kid in the world?" she commented, turning to Sebastian. "Look at me," he said unabashedly, wiggling his eyebrows. "Seb," she huffed and nudged him, raising her eyebrows in shock when he took the bottles from her arms. "I have some time before my next scene."

"That's my job—"

"Nope, can't have you carrying all these bottles, sweetheart. What if you drop them?" She pouted as she followed him through the busy set. "Do you think I'm clumsy?" He glanced at her, worried that he actually offended her, but smiled when he saw her playful look. "Nope, but I don't want you to trip over the fallen bottles and hurt yourself."

"Now that was a good line," she whistled and Sebastian laughed. As Sebastian and Y/N chatted more, they heard a loud wail coming from a few feet away. Freezing up, both of them turned to see Felix sitting on the floor, surrounded by Elizabeth Olsen and Chris Evans as he moaned in pain. Y/N's eyes went wide with fear when she saw the cut on his knee.

Talk about hurting oneself...

Forgetting the world around her, she quickly rushed to the child, Sebastian hot on her heels. "Bub, stop crying," Chris tried but Felix wouldn't listen. The moment he saw Y/N, though, his tears ceased. "Y/N," he whimpered and reached towards her, finally content when she took him in her arms. "Oh, honey bun, you'll be okay," she whispered, kissing his forehead.

"It hurts," Felix insisted. "I know, darling, let's patch you up." Without any word to anyone, Y/N led him away from the crowd, sitting him down on one of the chairs littered across the place. Sebastian, Chris and Elizabeth watched her; Chris and Lizzie were smirking but Sebastian was beyond shocked. The worry on her face the moment she found out he was hurt, the way she cradled him…

The way his son had stopped crying when he saw her, as if she were his mother. The way he reached out to her instead of him. "Just ask her out, pal, look at her. She's perfect for you. And for Felix," Chris told him, patting him on the back before leaving with Elizabeth.

Sebastian stayed where he was for a few more minutes, heart racing and mind in an overdrive, watching as Y/N took care of Felix. Be mine, please.

"All okay, bub?" Y/N crooned as she tied a bandage on his knee after cleaning the blood off. "Thank you, Y/N!" Felix threw his arms around her neck and buried his face in her neck, smiling widely. Y/N returned the hug ardently, rubbing his back. "Felix?" Felix looked over Y/N's shoulder to see his dad standing there, a small smile on his face. "Papa!"

He made no point in moving out of Y/N's arms and Sebastian took the hint, merely ruffling the boy's hair. "You doing okay? Y/N take care of the boo-boo?" Felix nodded eagerly. "It doesn't even hurt now," he said proudly and Sebastian smiled. "Did you say thank you?" "He did, Sebastian," Y/N assured him.

"I wish Y/N took care of my boo-boos all the time!" Felix pouted. Sebastian froze again, his eyes darting to Y/N when he saw her stiffen. "How is that possible, sugar?" Y/N joked nervously as she stood up, Felix still in her arms, holding him on her hip like before. "Papa can date you! And then you can get married and then you'll be my mama and then you'll take care of all my boo-boos!"

Sebastian and Y/N stared at each other as Felix innocently looked at Y/N with a huge smile on his face. "M-Married? Bubba, I don't think your papa likes me in that way…" Sebastian suddenly found his voice. How dare she? "Y/N, I do like you, why do you think I flirt with you all the time?" he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Y/N's eyes went wide. "Wait, I thought you were joking—"

"I wasn't. Will you go on a date with me?"

"Sebastian, I-I… I'll be honored."

"Oh please, iubi, the honor's all mine," he chuckled and, not caring about who was watching (including his own son), leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers in a sweet kiss. Y/N's heart fluttered at the term of endearment as she kissed him back. Felix groaned loudly in Y/N's arms, covering his eyes. "Yucky!"

Sebastian and Y/N had to break the kiss because they laughed too hard. Felix slid down Y/N's arms and ran towards Anthony, who was watching them with a small smile, proud of his best friend for finally making a move on the woman he liked. Anthony smirked when the pipsqueak stopped next to him. "Good job, bud."

"Thank you, Uncle Anthony." And Felix gagged again as he and Anthony turned to Sebastian and Y/N, only to see them in another liplock.

---

A/N: Thanks for reading! Leave a like if you enjoyed, reblogs will be accepted and appreciated too <3

[harrypotterbrainworms]

Snitches give you stitches.

Summary: You’re a Qudditch player who had eyes for a certain magical zoologist and he has an eye for the best (you.) (hurt/comfort if you squint) 

Pairing: Newt Scamander x Male Reader

Key: (Y/N)- your name

Word Count: 1574

A/N: it’s been a while haha. sorry about that, i’ve been preparing to move out and go to uni. so it’s been a bit hard to concentrate on writing. enjoy though!

Newt cheered from the crowd as you flew across his vision, he wasn’t for sports or being outside or cheering really, but seeing you flash a smile and a wink at him made his heart stop. He’d been watching you practice since he could remember, patching you up on more than one occasion, this time was apparently no exception as you stared longingly at him, you lost control of your broom just able to pull up to crash head first and now tangled in a big banner. “(Y/N)! Are you okay?” Newt honest to Merlin ran out onto the field, ducking players as they landed to check on you. You groaned trying to untangle yourself from the banner, not quite succeeding as Newt pulled the last bit off your head. His face inches from yours, checking you for injuries, but all you could think about was the heat in your cheeks as he touched you gently. “I’m fine.” You blurted out, standing up quickly and walking fast to get away from him. You could feel his frown in the back of your head as you limped to the benches, keeping your head plastered to the ground.

Newt sighed, but smiled. You looked fine, but your face fell as Newt watched you get lectured about safety. Your sheepish smile as you charmed the trouble right off of you. He thought it was an amazing skill. The way you handled people, you had said it was more of a curse than a blessing which he couldn’t understand. Newt waved at you from the stands, however you just kept your eyes glued on the real players wishing you were soaring with them, but you could guess why you couldn’t as you saw some people rehanging the banner and throwing away the broom you had somehow broken. Just like that practice was over.

The crowd went wild and so did you and Newt as you sat together, cheering your team on. The first game of the season, your blood was pumping as hard as the other people around you who were definitely more intense than you. Sporting the colours of your team, screaming their chants. You wondered if it might not be better to take Newt down to one of the team boxes, it was much too loud out here for him to be comfortable. “Newt?” You tried to grab his attention, but it was far too loud. So instead you grabbed his shoulder making him turn to you at full speed, the blush quickly settling on his cheeks when he realised it was you. “What?” He shouted loudly at you. “Follow me!” “What?!” He rolled his eyes at the crowd, earning a few dirty looks. “FOLLOW ME!” At Newt the crowd suddenly decided to be quiet at that moment. “Okay” Newt smiled, his whole body freezing when you took his hand to lead him to a quiet box. The atmosphere changed as they entered, your ears ringing slightly.

“This is nice” Newt smiled, sitting clearly more comfortably on one of the seats, his shoulders just slightly pulled back in relief. “Another exciting goal hit by the home team. The chaser once again showed just how little of a chance the competition of winning. Come on lads! Come on!” They watched the game in mostly silence, your hand trying so hard to inch closer and closer to Newt’s, but as you almost reached out a pinkie, the crowd quieted in anticipation before the announcer shouted into the microphone. “The snitch has been spotted!” You could see him jump up and down in his chair from here even. Newt squinted his eyes, trying to find it, but failing, you put a hand on his shoulder (successfully) pointing out the little gold speck on the field. You both felt the heat around the areas you touched. Newt cleared his throat out as you yawned, pulling away with a small frown.

“A few moments, folks, that’s all it takes for a win. The teams are down to the hair, none have enough points to qualify, who will be left behind?” The announcer blared through the box as they now sat 2 seats away from each other. “Oh no, folks, our star chaser has lost control, the strong gust of wind has added a disadvantage to our seekers as well.” You watched in horror as the chaser caught a particularly strong wind causing him to spin out of control and crash against the grass, clutching his leg, but the crowd went insane, you both looked up to see your team had caught the snitch.

“You need me to w-what?” You stuttered as you watched your teammate getting patched out, benched for a few days to heal.

“Play. You saw what just happened. We need you out there, rookie.” Your coach’s brows glued together, his face red and sweaty like he had played with them. You gulped.

“Did you hear that?!” He did a little jump excitedly, you just groaned, looking down at your feet. He frowned, unsure of why you wouldn’t be happy. “Hey… You’re... a g-great player” He tried to compliment you more specifically, but he didn’t know how. Newt put a hand awkwardly on your shoulder, patting it. You shrugged it off. “What’s wrong? You haven’t been well all week.” He frowned, looking at your face up and down for any signs of way. A sad glint in his eyes as you sighed. “I’m not good enough.” You muttered. “What?” He asked, you guessed he didn’t hear you. “I’m not good enough!” You shouted back, making Newt step back away. “What? How? You’re the best!” He exclaimed confidently, you laughed a little too grimly. “I’m not. Not by a lot.” “No. You are. I know that, I wish you did.” He frowned harder than you thought. “Don’t act like you don’t pity my washout. Don’t act like you love me at all. Not like me.” You shouted back, he gasped, taking another step away. You shut your hand over your mouth.

Newt darted his wide eyes around your face, betrayal and hurt painted it across it as he turned his back on you. You had the largest pit in your stomach as a quidditch uniform was thrown into your arms along with a team broom. Your heart was beating in your ears as you exited into the field. You saw Newt leave in the corner of your eye, to sit in the stands. How were you supposed to do this? All of your insecurities were obvious as you mindlessly played with the hem of your shirt, fidgeting in every way possible. Strapping and unstrapping your gloves, switching broom hands, all the works. Newt was looking more and more concerned as he watched you step on your broom.

Your teammates made quick work of their warmups, looking as concerned as Newt as you continued to dissociate. You had given up all hope of your quidditch dreams when you got bumped to the reserves, you never actually thought you’d play again. Not like this. You had managed to pull a few stretches and

You stared up as the seeker’s sped past almost through off your balance, luckily the beaters on each side of you bumped you into a straight course as you somehow managed to score another goal. The other team’s keeper looked pissed.

“Keep formation!” One of them shouted at you. Breathe in and out, you thought, inhaling deeply as you dove to catch. You heard the crowd cheering, catching a glimpse of Newt who was cheering just as furiously, which made you smile. You got the signal from your seeker and realised it was time to spread out for space. It was the checkmate now. You changed formation, baiting the other team to follow your movements allowing your seeker the space she needed to get the snitch she had spotted. You scored 2 more goals in formation, confidentially dodging the other team and before you had time to notice, your seeker whizzed past catching the snitch right under your nose. Winning the game. You let out a laugh as you slowed down, diving for the field.

You landed aggressively, surrounding your seeker, the team hugging each other. You had qualified, even with you on the team, you were going to the world’s. You heard someone call your name from behind, it was Newt running towards you at full speed. “You were amazing!” He shouted as he came to a stop almost tripping into you, a small blush across his cheeks from running. You laughed “You can say it” You smiled sheepishly as he let out a full belly laugh like you hadn’t heard before. “I told you so.” He grabbed you for a tight hug, pulling away, you stopped to look at him.

He was out of breath on account of running half the field to hug you, a wide smile painted on his face and the stadium light reflected off his pale skin, only exaggerating the heat on his face. He looked pretty. “You’re amazing.” You huffed out, pulling him in for a kiss, he stiffened at first, a little confused and angry. He had wanted to kiss you first, but he relaxed into it pushing against you, his hand reaching for your neck in fear of fainting against your flattery.  

“Whatever.’ Newt said breathlessly, grabbing your hand shyly as you pulled him to the team to celebrate.

[bruhstories]

Dazed and Confused

Summary: You and Connie have been friends for ten years, crushing on each other like a bunch of idiots who can't confess their feelings for one another. Until you go on a trip with your friends. Pairing: Connie Springer x Fem!Reader Warnings & Content: 18+, language, oral sex (female & male receiving), unprotected sex, weed smoking, alcohol consumption, f l u f f Word Count: 4.2 k

A/N: I got so pissed at that last anon that I finished this oneshot quicker lol. @fiaficsxo here it is!

You loved parties. Not the loud music and thick smoke, not the booze and smell of vomit, but your friends. Every time they gathered at someone's place, your heart fluttered, filled with happiness and content and long-lasting memories.

Connie had the brilliant idea of spending a week in the mountains during your spring break, and you wasted an entire night searching for the perfect cottage to rent. Luckily everyone was down with his suggestion, the only problem was how you'd sleep. Historia obviously wanted to share a room with Ymir. Mikasa and Eren were an item now, so they'd have to sleep together. Armin wanted to try his luck with Annie, so no one objected to that. Jean declared that he wanted to bunk with Connie, like the two eligible bachelors they were, and that left you and Sasha to share a room together. You didn't mind it, in all honesty you loved Sasha with all your heart — but you secretly hoped someone would pick up on your feelings for Connie and let you sleep with him. You weren't that lucky.

You packed your bag the night before the trip, obsessively ticking everything on your list and double checking every item and pocket. It was ready, with one item missing — the white lace babydoll smoothed on your dorm bed. You chewed the pen cap, debating whether to bring it with you or not. You bought it for special occasions, but you haven't had a dick appointment in a long time, and you doubted you'd have one this week. With a shrug, you decided to bring it — you never know what might happen. Nighttime passed quickly and you soon found yourself all dolled up, albeit still sleepy from all the tossing and turning, excited to make more memories with your friends.

The train station was packed with people, especially students who went back to their hometowns for the break, and you were relieved to find Armin and Mikasa there. You three were always punctual, followed by Jean and Annie. Eren, Sasha and Connie were always late, which is why you told them the train leaves at 7 am instead of 7:30. It was a dirty strategy, but no one wanted to miss such a fun opportunity because of those lazy fuckers. And lo and behold, they decided to appear at 7:15.

"That was some good thinking." Jean shook his head, hand sympathetically placed on your shoulder.

"I'm only glad you guys rolled with it." You laughed without noticing the way Connie stared at you, and even he didn't understand exactly what he felt. Was he grumpy because he hated morning, or was it Jean's hand on you that irked him?

"It's not polite to stare." Sasha pulled Connie out of his thoughts.

"I wasn't staring, I was looking." Connie rolled his eyes, gripping the handle of his suitcase a bit too tightly.

"I just don't get it why you don't tell her you like her." The girl popped a bubblegum baloon, proceeding to chew it very loudly.

"Are you kidding me? She obviously likes Jean. Look how she's laughing!"

Sasha placed an arm on his shoulder, a sheepish smile on her face. "You, my friend, are a dumbass."

"Takes one to know one."

To say that your friends were loud during the train ride was an understatement. They didn't really care about the nasty glares other passengers shot at them, opting to talk, sing, eat and practically embarrass themselves. But two hours later you arrived, and the fresh, crisp air of the mountains was a blessing. You didn't regret coming, all of you deserved a break after all the exams, studying and all-nighters you guys pulled.

"We could visit the military museum!" Armin suggested, but Connie scrunched his nose.

"We came here to get high, drink and spend time together, why the fuck would we visit some old ass building?"

"I'd like to go to the museum." You awkwardly smiled, earning a 'see?' from the blond. Mikasa, Eren and Annie backed you up, and since it was a democracy, you ended up leaving your bags at the cottage and touring the small town to find the military museum. The building wasn't massive, and inside it was dark, with crimson carpets and dim lights. It was actually quite a romantic atmosphere, had it not been for the weapons and armours displayed in glass cases. Connie watched you intently, taking in every movement, every flinch, every hair tucking, every scrunch of your cute nose. You absorbed the information, hungry for knowledge. This was something you and Connie didn't share — yes, you were down to drinking and smoking, but you were also eager to learn and study, while he always preached how 'you can always retake an exam but you can't relive a party.' He wasn't stupid by any means, but unlike you, Jean, Armin and Mikasa — who alwaysstudied and never skipped lectures — Connie would wing it and somehow end up getting better grades. His strategy didn't always work, and sometimes, when you were in college, he'd ask you to tutor him. Now you were second year undergraduates, and while you were studying different subjects, you still made time for each other.

"That's a nice, uhh..." Connie squinted, "...shotgun."

"It's a musket." You chuckled, your fingers accidentally brushing his as you turned around to face him.

"Shotgun, musket, same thing."

"Actually, muskets are muzzle-loaded and fire a single bullet, but shotguns pack multiple pellets in one shell." You explained. "I'm sorry, you're probably not interested in my ramblings."

"No, no, it's... interesting. I just wasn't expecting you to know so much about guns." He rubbed his nape and smiled at you.

"Well, I do study history, in case you forgot."

"How could I forget that?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" You awkwardly elbowed Connie. Why was it so hard for you to just tell him your feelings? Oh, right, because you've been friends for ten years and if he didn't like you back, it would only ruin a great friendship.

"It means you brag about it so much it's kind of hard to forget." He told you, quickly realising just how insulting that sounded.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that's how you felt..." You sighed, eyes darting back to the weapons.

"No, I didn't- forget it." Connie shook his head. Well played.

Back at the cottage, with enough food and booze to last the group a month, you decided to stay in your room for the rest of the day. It wasn't the first time you had embarrassing moments with Connie, but this particular one made you anxious to be around him. Did he really dislike you that much, or was it just friendly banter? If you were to ask him, you could find out, but every scenario in your head had a bad outcome, so avoiding him for now was the smartest choice. Sasha pleaded with you to spend the evening in the living room with everyone else, but you brushed her off, telling her you weren't feeling quite well.

"Text me if you need anything." She told you before leaving. It was immature to act this way, you knew that all too well, but it wasn't like Connie cared, right? You eventually decided to go downstairs after finishing a long episode of your favourite tv show, your stomach begging for nourishment. As silently as possible, you tiptoed behind the couch. The hallway was dim, the sun had already set, and the only lights were the ones from the wide TV screen in the living room where your friends were watching some corny horror movie. You could cut the suspense and tension with a knife, and when you dropped a teaspoon, everyone jumped.

"Sorry, sorry! It's just me!"

"Jesus Christ, Y/N, you almost gave me a heart attack." Jean got up from the floor and walked behind the couch. "How are you feeling? Sasha said you're ill."

"I'm fine, don't worry." You picked the spoon up and threw it in the sink. "It's just a headache, I'll sleep it off."

"Good, we need you here." The man wrapped an arm around you. "You're missing how Connie's crapping his pants at this shitty movie."

From the outside it would seem like you and Jean were a couple, but the truth was far from it. You two grew up together, his family was friends with your family, and what you had was nothing more than a brother-sister relationship. Jean's little remark earned a disgruntled look from Connie, you quickly picked up on that, and so you playfully jabbed him in the stomach.

"Connie's crapping his pants? You're the one who almost had a heart attack." You grinned.

"Oi, that was only because you dropped your stupid spoon. I was invested in the movie."

"Mhm, sure you were."

"Hey, you sure you don't want to join us?" Mikasa waved at you from the living room. You pondered over her question. Perhaps it wouldn't be too awkward to sit with them.

"Alright, sure, why not?"

"Come, sit next to me." Sasha shuffled to the side, but what she really meant by that was 'sit next to Connie', because she shuffled to the otherside.

The following two nights were surprisingly quiet, all you did was play board games, watch movies and walk around the town taking pictures. The tension between Connie and you seemed to dissipate, and you both forgot the unpleasant interaction you had on the first day. But on the fourth night, that's when shit hit the fan. Annie and Armin left for a date, and Eren and Mikasa wanted to spend the night alone in their room, leaving you, Sasha, Jean and Connie unsupervised, bored and tipsy. There was absolutely nothing good to watch on the TV, and you almost wanted to scream when your friends wanted to play truth or dare. It was one of those games you despised, because the whole point of it was to put the players in uncomfortable situations. And you didn't like being uncomfortable, unlike your friends.

"Jean, truth or dare?" Sasha beamed.

"Dare, duh."

"Alright, I dare you to switch roommates for the rest of the week." She sipped her blackberry cider.

"Okay? So, I'll stay with Y/N, then."

Good lord, if looks could kill, Connie's would annihilate Jean and Sasha off the face of the Earth.

"No, no, you'll stay with me. Y/N will stay with Connie."

"Eh? Why does your dare involve us?" You asked, confused and curious of your friend's proposal.

"Because." She shrugged. "Don't pussy out."

"I'm not pussying out. A dare's a dare." Jean scoffed. "I'm gonna go take my shit in your room and shower."

"Y-yeah, I'll go bring mine, too." You got up, using this time to hyperventilate alone. What the fuck was Sasha even thinking? Was this some stupid joke? But your friends wouldn't harm you, so why would she suggest such a stupid thing?

You took a quick shower before curling up in the bed, blankets covering you from neck to toe. Connie wasn't back yet, and you didn't want to go after him, that would just be odd. You were hoping you'd fall asleep before he returned, to avoid any unnecessary fuss, but just as you closed your eyes, the door opened. Maybe you could pretend you were asleep? He struggled to find his pyjamas in the dark, stumbling over furniture and knocking things down, and you turned the bedside lamp on to ease his search.

"Did I wake you up?" Connie bit his lower lip, and through the dim light you watched the way his grey eyes glistened, the way his short brown hair was ruffled, and how the sage green t-shirt hugged his toned abdomen.

"No, no, 's alright. I wasn't sleeping. I can't exactly fall asleep." You clutched the blanket at your chest as you shook the intrusive thoughts away. Connie was your friend, damn it, there was no room for romance between you.

"I can sleep on the floor if you want."

"Oh, God, no, it's... stiff."

"Um, yeah, it kinda is. Alright then, I'll jump in the shower real quick before going to bed." He stumbled into the bathroom and you really wanted to fall asleep now.

But you couldn't. Every time you closed your eyes, Connie's face popped in your head. So much for resting. You tossed and turned on the mattress, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in, but nothing helped. It didn't take long for him to finish his shower, and you mentally chastised yourself for not falling asleep when you felt him shuffle under the same blanket that was covering you. For a minute, you didn't utter a word, you barely breathed, afraid to disturb the silence in the room.

"Are you asleep?"

"Nope." You heard the click of Connie's phone and turned around. You couldn't see him, but you could hear him.

"Do you wanna talk about something? Until we fall asleep, I mean." You suggested.

"Hmm, sure." He turned on his side and you felt his breath fanning over your cheeks. You were too close to him. "Actually, d'you wanna smoke?"

"Aren't the others gonna be mad if we smoke without them?"

"They don't have to know. Besides, you and I never smoked together." Connie was already up, rummaging through his backpack with the flashlight of his phone. "And then we can talk as much as you want."

"Alright, I'm down."

You laid on the floor, your head next to Connie's as you looked at the ceiling, smoke leaving your lips. He took the joint from you, fingers touching yours and you blushed, the haze of the weed melting your worries away.

"Do you want me to skip the song?" Connie asked, and for a moment you forgot there was a song playing.

"No, I like it." You confessed. "I didn't know you liked Led Zeppelin."

"There's lots of things you don't know about me, Y/N." He passed you the joint.

"Okay, tell me something else I don't know."

"I like it when you randomly say historical or scientific facts."

"Didn't you say I brag too much about it?" You took one final drag before you stubbed the joint out in a makeshift ashtray filled with a bit of water. By this point you were high as a kite, every trace of rationality gone.

"That doesn't mean I don't like it." Connie smiled and you could feel it in his voice. "Now you tell me something I don't know about you."

"I can't sleep with open doors. It freaks me out." You sat up, a breeze blowing through the window sending shivers down your spine. "It's a bit cold, do you mind if I close the window?"

"Go ahead."

You got up and picked the ashtray up but before you could close the window, you stumbled over a chest of drawers, the ashes mixed with water spilling over your t-shirt.

"You okay?" He quickly crawled to you, concern written all over his face.

"Yeah, I'm just clumsy." You laughed it off and waved your free hand. "I'll go get changed, I should have a spare shirt."

But you didn't have a spare shirt. All you had was that stupid white babydoll, and anxiety seeped through your veins. You couldn't exactly show up in that in front of your crush. And you didn't want to ask him for a shirt either. Fuck it, what else could you do?

You peeked out the bathroom door and saw Connie back in bed, lazily scrolling through his phone. God, this was embarrassing.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." He laughed, but when your facial expression didn't change, he frowned. "Y/N?"

"Um, so, I didn't have a spare shirt and- Jesus, this is awkward." You opened the door and his eyes widened. "Is it alright if I sleep in this?"

"Oh, I get it now." Connie scoffed.

"Get what?"

"You were hoping you'd share a room with Jean, right?" He sounded almost disgusted.

"Excuse you? Where did you even get that idea?" You slammed the bathroom door shut, arms folded across your chest.

"I'm not stupid, Y/N. I've seen the way you two act. Do yourselves a favour and just fuck already."

You were speechless. Completely reactionless. The weed amplified your anger, but his words brought tears to your eyes.

"You... you fucking asshole! You think I brought this for Jean? I brought it for you!"

"Eh? M-me?" Connie was confused, and you were pissed.

"Yes, you. Jean's like a brother to me, oh my God! Ew!"

"Wait, so you and Jean are not in love with each other?"

"In love?? Connie, how high are you exactly?" You walked closer to the bed, arms still crossed.

"But- Fuck, I am stupid." He shook his head, the memories of you flirting with him flashing before his eyes. "I fucked up, didn't I?"

"A bit..." Your muscles relaxed and you sat on the mattress. "Really, Connie, I... I like you. A lot. But you're always giving me mixed signals."

"That's because I always thought you liked Jean!" He threw his hands in the air in exasperation.

"No, you're the only one."

"Huh, guess I've really been dazed and confused."

Calloused fingertips ran across your hips leaving goosebumps in their trail. Your hands roamed his back and the way Connie kissed you was better than any high you've ever experienced. He was touch-starved, and you were just as needy. His knee found its place between your thighs and you moaned when it barely brushed your cunt.

"I've been dreaming for this moment for as long as I can remember." Connie breathed into your neck, the hot breath tickling your skin.

"Me too, you blind bat." You laughed and he turned you over, hovering over you.

"'M sorry I didn't notice quicker." He kissed you again. One hand travelled lower, pushing your underwear to the side before he pushed two fingers between your folds. "Fuck, you're so wet."

"Well, at least now I don't have to finger myself thinking about you." You whimpered with a grin.

"Oh?" Connie arched a brow. "Is that what you've been doing?" He curled up his fingers and you threw your head back with a moan. "I thought you were a prude."

"T-there's lots of things you d-don't know about m-me!" You replied back between oh’sand ah’s, imitating his words from an hour ago. That only earned a sneer from Connie, his head dipping between your thighs. "Wait, what are you do- ooh fuck!"

His tongue lapped at your cunt, fingers pumping in and out of you, and you completely sunk into the mattress, moaning his name over and over again. You gripped the sheets, flexing the muscles in your legs as you squirmed and thrashed. Connie stopped and you almost crushed his skull with your thighs at the empty feeling. He pulled your underwear down and shoved the cotton panties in your mouth.

"Don't wake everyone up, Y/N. You don't want them knowing what a little slut you are, do you?"

You shook your head and Connie went back to circling your clit with his tongue, adrenaline rushing through your entire body with each lick, each suck. Tears of pleasure pooled at your eyes, nose and cheeks red from the thrill of your incoming orgasm. The way he was sloppily eating your pussy and moaning while doing it drove you insane, and within seconds you came undone, thighs trembling with delight. In fact, you were so sore you had to push his head back, begging him to stop so you could return the favour.

"You taste so sweet." Connie licked his lips. You don't know what possessed you to pull him into a kiss after you removed the makeshift gag, but he was right, you were sweet.

"Can I...?" Your eyes drifted down to his twitching cock, your voice soft and quiet.

"You wanna suck it?"

"Yes."

"Later. Right now, I wanna fuck you."

Connie gave you no time to protest, his elbow pushed one of your things to the side, the blushing tip of his cock grazing over your overstimulated clit, up and down your slit. Inch by inch it disappeared into your cunt and he let out a satisfied sigh. You bucked your hips, manicured nails digging into his shoulders with each thrust.

"Shit, you're so fucking tight!" Connie growled, head lowering to kiss you. You could still taste yourself on his lips and that only made you clench your spongy walls around his cock. That seemed to please him, because he rocked his hips harder and faster. "You like it?"

"Oh, God, yes!" You gasped, beads of sweat forming on your forehead as you clawed his back.

"Fuck, I want you to ride me." He gripped your hips tighter and turned you over. You tried your best to get in the new position without letting his cock slip out of you, and when you finally adjusted yourself, it was a whole new challenge. Gravity pulled you down, and his tip brushed your cervix, your eyes squinting at the slight pain. "If it hurts, stop-"

"No!" You cried out, your hands resting on his chest. You bounced up and down, the uncomfortable feeling slowly replaced with pleasure. Connie's hands traced your thighs as you rode him, another wave of heat flushing through your core. His palm met your cunt, thumb circling over your clit. "I can't c-come again!"

"Yes, you can. And you will cream on my cock."

The disgust words worked like magic and you flexed your thighs, bouncing faster, head thrown back, hair cascading down your back. "You're so beautiful, Y/N."

"Connie, I-" The words stopped in your throat, the pressure too much for you to handle.

"You what?"

"I'm- oh, God!"

"Atta girl!" He praised you when he felt your silken walls relaxing and your thighs quaking. The second orgasm was so intense you let yourself fall over his chest, dizzy and tired. You thought he'd give you a break, but Connie wrapped an arm around your back, holding you in place before giving your oversensitive cunt a few more thrusts. "Now you can return the favour."

You mustered up some strength to get up and kneel in front of the bed, between his legs.

"Please don't come in my mouth." You asked him before wrapping your pretty lips around his cock.

"Gotchaah-" Connie choked on his words when he felt himself in your hot mouth. You bobbed your head up and down, cheeks hollowed and eyes on him. You didn't break eye contact when you pulled away and spat on the tip, hand pumping his cock to smear the spit. "Hot." He mumbled before you went back to sucking. You felt the throbbing, tightening your lips around him and picking up the pace. "Y/N-"

It all happened in a flash — Connie yanked your hair and pulled your head back, thick ropes of milky white cum shooting all over your face and neck.

"Eew!" You scrunched your nose, hand under your chin to stop it from dripping down the floor.

"What do you mean ew? That's, like, a billion kids!"

"Actually, a fertile man produces around-"

"Don't start. Do not." He pressed his index finger over your lips. "Let's get you cleaned up."

You woke up sore, especially between your thighs, but damn, was it worth it. Connie wrapped an arm around your waist, mumbling something about how pretty you are, but you assumed he was still sleeping — or still high. The sun shone through the blinds and you squinted, annoyed by the brightness, and so you turned around, watching the way your crush snored peacefully.

"Cute." You smiled and planted a kiss on his forehead, waking him up. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

"Why?" Connie rubbed his eyes. "Waking up to you is a blessing."

You couldn't hide the tinting of your cheeks and the grin on your lips. "I didn't think you were the romantic type."

"There's lots of things-"

"I don't know about you. But I'd like to know those things. If you let me, of course." You bit your lower lip, eyes filled with hope.

"Can I be your boyfriend?" He sat up, his eyes serious.

"I thought you'd never ask."

Okay, so maybe Sasha knew a thing or two when she dared Jean to switch roommates.

You walked into the kitchen after getting ready for the day, with Connie following behind you. Everyone was eating their breakfast, and Jean instantly dashed to you.

"Connie, bro, take me back. Sasha's leaving crumbs all over the bed! I can't sleep like that!"

"I can't, man, I wanna spend the rest of the week with my girlfriend." He sneered and you elbowed him.

"I forgot to mention Jean's overprotecti-"

"Your what? Hands off my sister from another mister, you creep!"

"Creep? You're the one who was sexting someone's sister last night." Sasha chimed in, mouth full of cereal.

"Thanks, Sash." Jean rolled his eyes. "For real, how did this happen?"

"You see, mate, when a man and a woman love each other-"

"Nope. I will not hear this."

[rat-that-writes]

Hi friend!! Do u think u could write something dark x reader (although tbh u can write whichever ego u feel most inspired with--im not picky lol) where reader has had a long day at work and just needs some gentle attention and rest and affection👉👈🥺

a/n: hi <3 this is so cute thank u for the request, really feeling it rn. you can tell how badly i want pizza for dinner. enjoy !

tw: very mild embarrassment, thunder, swearing, food & eating (pizza specifically), use of the word lift instead of elevator lol im scottish dont @ me americans

Slapping down hard on the pavement, your feet carried you hurriedly down the street. It had started raining just ten minutes before you left work. You thought maybe it would have stopped by now, the forecast said it would be clear skies at this time, but no. Definitely not. Heavier than before, the rain soaked through your jacket, trousers, and your shoes. Every step you took you could hear the squelching of your socks against the sole of your boots.

You would have called a cab but of course the weather had also soaked through your pockets, rendering your phone useless until it was dry again. You just had to carry on through the misery until you reached your apartment.

Just when you were approaching your half-way-home mark, a loud crack of thunder rang in your ears, startling you enough for you loose your footing on an uneven tile and almost trip over. The streets weren't crowded by any means, but a few bystanders definitely saw that. You felt your face heating up as you caught your breath. Sighing loudly, you carried on walking at a slightly slower pace, not wanting to trip up again.

After another fifteen minutes of freezing misery being poured down on you from the dark cloudy sky, you had finally reached your apartment building. Stomping up to the lift, you stepped in, pleased to find it empty. 

Feeling the large metal box moving upwards, it was if you felt your woes lifting with it. Soon, you would be in your cosy apartment, taking a long, hot shower and cuddling up in one of Dark’s hoodies that he never wears. Maybe you’d even call him to come cuddle you. Well, you’d have to dry your phone first. 

As soon as you heard the telltale ding of the doors opening, you softly pushed past the three other people waiting for the lift, muttering an ‘excuse me,’ as one of them gave you a slight glare. 

You could almost already feel the promise of the hot water gracing your skin, ridding you of the cold rain water and sweat. Turning the key in the lock, you struggled a little. This always happened on bad days. Jiggling the piece of metal slightly, you finally pushed the door open. 

Peeling off your jacket, you hung it on the coat rack to dry, taking your phone out of the pocket. You didn’t even wait to turn the light on before you started on your jeans and t-shirt, but maybe you should have because the sight of glowing eyes just mere feet in front of you tore a hoarse scream from your throat. Your hand unconsciously threw itself at the light switch, flipping it on to reveal the the rest of the entity sitting on the back of your couch, knees bent and palms flat against each other. He looked confused, to say the least.

“Oh fucking hell, Dark! What are you doing here?” Your tone softened towards the end, voice sore from the scream. 

“I did text you, Darling.” 

“My phone got wet..”

“Ah.”

Finally having caught your breath, you chuckled softly. The demon smiled. He could tell you had had quite the long day. 

Sighing softly, you continued to undress, uncomfortable with the soggy clothing clinging to your body. You could tell he was trying not to watch too obviously, which was amusing. 

“I’m gonna take a shower, you can stay here if you want? I’ll probably take a while.” 

He nods, getting up and reaching for you. You hesitantly accepted the hug, not wanting to dampen his clothes, but he didn’t seem to care. Kisses were planted atop your head as his arms squeezed you softly, enveloping your figure. For a demonic creature he gave the best hugs.

“Take as long as you need. I’ll order you some food.”

                                                           -

Feeling cosy and refreshed, you stepped out of the bathroom and into your bedroom to search for that hoodie you wanted. Dark bought it specifically for you to wear. He wore it only once, describing it as “agonising to be cloaked in such common threads,” but you knew he was exaggerating. The smallest inconveniences were always put so eloquently disdainful, which was hilarious. 

Eventually, you found it buried at the back of your wardrobe, and slipped it on with a pair of cotton shorts. Falling just above your knees, the hoodie was soft and comfortable against your skin. You always wore this after a bad day.

The sound of voices interrupted your thoughts. Padding into the kitchen, you heard the sound of a very intimidated delivery guy, and a deep, restrained “thank you.”

As your boyfriend returned to the kitchen with a pizza box, your mouth watered and you realised just how hungry you were. Reaching to open the box, you felt his arms come around you and his head atop yours. Smiling, you inquired about the scared-sounding boy.

“Why did that pizza guy sound so distressed?”

“They all do.”

Shaking your head at his answer, you turned around in his hold. Charcoal eyes looking down at you, he smiled again and kissed your temple. Looking up again, he reached for the pizza box and took your hand to lead you to the couch, the Netflix already loaded up.

Settling down between his legs, you put the box on your lap over a fuzzy blanket. Just then, you realised he was still fully clothed in  a black dress shirt and black slacks. His expression turned confused as you stood up from his lap.

“You’re still dressed,” you spoke, eyeing him up and down. 

“If you wanted me to undress, Darling, you should have said so earlier.”

Making a show of unbutton his shirt, he smirked at you. Rolling your eyes, you set down the pizza and the blanket and ran into your bedroom, leaving Dark looking confused again. 

Soon you emerged, a pair of grey sweatpants in hand. He’d worn these a couple times before, at your request. Eyeing them up, he sighed softly. 

“I just want you to be comfortable,” you said, tone slightly teasing.

“Very well, for you.”

Getting up, he took them from your grasp and kissed your cheek. Face heating up slightly, you went back to your pizza to grab a slice. That first bite you took was like heaven. Cooled down enough to not burn your tongue, but still hot to please your taste buds. Immaculate sauce, slightly sweet. The cheese. The cheese was even better. You swear you almost left earth and all planes of existence after that bite, until you felt strong arms wrapping around your waist, pulling you down. 

As your back made contact with his solid chest, you let out a squeak. He smirked again, placing kisses all over your bare shoulder where the hoodie has fallen slightly. Trailing up your neck, you giggled and shrugged slightly as his beard tickled your throat. Dark hummed, squeezing you again. Eventually, he stopped and let you carry on eating whilst you looked for something to watch. 

“Are you gonna have a slice or not? Because I will eat this whole pizza.”

A torn look came upon his face. You rolled your eyes, knowing that his dramatic side was to show itself any moment now. Slowly, he reached for a slice, picking it up with the very tips of his fingers. He brought it up to the two of you, flapping the pizza slightly as it assessing it. A judging hum came from the man, brows furrowed and lips pressed together. All while you look on in amusement.

Taking another bite from your slice, you looked at him. He looked at you, then the slice, then straight ahead as he took a hesitant bite. Forever a man with an unreadable expression, you couldn’t tell if he liked it or not. At least he wasn’t spitting it out.  

When he stopped chewing, you kept looking at his face for an answer. Nothing was too clear, but he didn’t look like he hated it.

“It was... fine, actually.” His tone was unusually soft, it almost concerned you. 

Slowly turning back around, you grabbed another slice for yourself and one for Dark. He accepted it, but didn’t eat it straight away. He just held in front of him, eyes focused on the movie. A silent chuckle fell from your lips.

Content, you snuggled closer to the demon. His arms squeezed you from time to time, a gentle reminder that he’s still there. As your breathing grew slow and even, you felt the hands of slumber creeping closer into your brain, a silent lullaby drifting you off to dreamland. Eyes closed, you turned your body slightly. Dark’s arms squeezed once again as a kiss was planted on your forehead. A final sigh escaped your lips; you would finish the pizza tomorrow. Now it was time to drift away, in his arms, secure and content. Finally.

[waybrights]

Sats au

If Anne or Marcy fall asleep in the bed Sasha 'claimed', Sasha will just make sure they're tucked in and comfy before sleeping in whatever empty space there was in the room/bus. In the morning she'll complain loudly, but only after asking how they slept.

i wrote smth for this!! okay this is like my second time writing this and i haven't spell checked or edited it so i'm sorry if there are any mistakes!!!

sasha had always liked staying up late when she was younger, it felt like some sort of 'screw you' to her parents. but then she got famous and was practically worked to the bone day in, day out for something she had very little control over. so she'd started staying up late to finish writing songs or learning the chords properly so she didn't mess up, and something she used to like just turned into another thing she had to do to remain where she was.

so when she found herself sitting just outside their bus at three in the morning, her blanket wrapped around her shoulders and a cup of hot chocolate in her hands, she realised that (for once) she was rather relaxed. it was a strange feeling, not worrying about what would happen tomorrow, or if she had enough songs done for them to even be considered by andrias. but sitting there, a gentle breeze running through her hair, all of that was forgotten.

it's late though, she thought to herself as she drained the cup, and we do have a concert tomorrow... with a sigh, sasha stood up, brushed the gravel off her pants and went back inside.

there was something about being alone in the tour bus that felt weird, sasha was never usually the last one up, so she'd never actually seen the bus so dark, not that sasha was scared of the dark, she was twenty not six. still, she sped through the bus into the sleeping area, trying to not trip over whatever sprig and polly had left laying about. keeping her complaints to a minimum, sasha hopped over a discarded mic and stumbled to her bunk.

but just as she was about to crawl in, someone moved, an arm flopping against sasha's thigh. biting her lip to stop herself from screaming, sasha quickly pulled her phone out and flipped on the flash only for it to illuminate anne and marcy, sprawled on her bed, fast asleep.

as sasha blinked down at them, she tried to find it in herself to be angry, but she couldn't. they both looked so peaceful (which wasn't something the three of them felt much anymore) and warm, so warm. which was more than sasha could say as she stood shivering in the cold bus.

"sash?" anne's voice snapped her back to the present.

"go back to sleep, anne," sasha replied, crouching down by anne's head

"'m in your bed, s'rry," she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

"it's okay, i'll take the couch," sasha laughed quietly, raising one hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "so you should go back to sleep."

"m'kay," anne hummed, smiling dopily, "night sash."

unable to stop herseld smiling, sasha pressed a gentle kiss to anne's forehead. "night, annie."

"mar mar too," anne mumbled, rolling over and pulling marcy into her chest.

sasha raised a brow, but leaned over and kissed marcy's cheek. "now will you go to sleep?" she asked, standing up and ignoring the heat rising up her neck. anne didn't reply though, not with words at least, but a snore told sasha she was fast asleep.

slowly backing away to not wake her up, sasha shuffled over to the couch. it wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, but it was better than the floor and the second row of bunks (that felt way too tight for anyone to fit into), so she would survive.

---

sasha woke up to a weight on top of her. with a frown, she cracked her eyes open to see marcy laying on top of her, their face inches apart. "oh! you're up!" then they turned to shout: "anne! she's up!"

"god, marce, i just woke up," sasha mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"right, sorry," she laughed, detaching herself from sasha enough to let her sit up.

"oh, morning sleeping beauty," anne called, carrying a pink mug in her hands. "we're almost there, so hp thought this might wake you up a bit," she said, pressing the mug into sasha's hands.

"wake me up or kill me?" she asked, eyeing the cup skeptically. hop pop had always liked experimenting with coffee, and sasha was usually the one on the end of it, but since she'd obviously slept in so late, she wasn't entirely trusting of the nice smelling drink.

"try it and find out," marcy said, climbing off sasha and instead curling up next to her.

"don't worry, i made it, it was just his idea," anne said, dropping her head into sasha's lap.

"hmm," sasha mumbled, taking a sip. "how did you sleep, by the way?"

"good actually," marcy said, "i think i sleep better on beds i've stolen from you."

"that doesn't surprise me," she said with a smile, "although now i do have a great, big pain in my back that i fear may hinder my performance," she said as solemnly as she could without bursting out laughing.

"you realise you could've joined us, right? you didn't have to sleep on the couch," anne said, raising a hand to fiddle with some of sasha's hair.

"i didn't think i was invited to your pile, besides those beds are tiny, we wouldn't all fit."

"well," marcy mumbled, tucking their head into the crook of sasha's neck, "it can't be a band pile if the lead isn't there."

"i'll keep that in mind," sasha laughed, taking another sip of her coffee and watching fields pass by their windows.

[omgbubbletea]

Dating George Weasley Would Include

Let’s get one thing straight, it doesn't matter what house you're in

Sure, it would be a bonus if you were in Gryffindor because that would mean he wouldn't have to sneak into your common room to be with you 

Blood status also doesn't matter to him

If he loves you, he loves all of you

The reason you and George are together is all thanks to Fred 

He had grown sick and tired of George constantly talking about you 

How pretty you were 

How nice you smelled 

How he felt butterflies every time you smiled at him 

The boy must have been in-love or something

On the other hand, Fred had found out you had feelings for George by constantly bugging you on the subject till you cracked and told him

Being the oblivious pair George and you were, neither of you had realised the others feelings 

This is when Fred decided to take matters into his own hands 

His plan consisted of locking both you and George in a janitors closet until you both confessed your feelings 

He had told you guys to meet him in this particular closet for an emergency meeting

With the two of you being so ignorant, you walked into this closet, wondering where Fred was and why he had chosen such a weird place to meet 

As soon as you guys crossed the line, that’s when Fred had locked the door 

“Fred! what are you doing? Let us out!” (you and George started to yell)

“If you guys want out, then there’s something you should get off your chest first”

You both knew instantly what he was talking about 

Fred’s plan was almost fool-proof except for the fact that both you and George had your wands and could just alohomora your way out 

Oh, wait...

Fred had known you too well and knew you both always left your wands in the dorm during free time before dinner 

“Fred this isn't funny”(George was starting to get on edge)

“Do you hear me laughing?”

The closet was small(but who said you found it a problem(; )

A couple of minutes passed 

“Look (y/n)...”(George began to say slowly)

“I- I like you”

“I like you a lot, more than a friend probably should”(was that his heart pounding in his chest George could hear?)

At that moment your head shot up to meet his gaze 

Did he just confess his feeling to you?

Did he feel the same?

Hope began to form in your heart 

“George...”(he was ready for his heart to be broken)

“I’ve felt that way since I first met you”(a smile began to break on your face)

When I tell you that that boys smile lit up the room 

Nothing more was shared at that moment except for a hungry kiss 

He had been craving your lips for awhile now 

Of-course the moment only lasted so long before Fred swung the door open

“Ew, gross guys!”

The two of you just grinned 

If you are not in Gryffindor, then your days usually consisted of sneaking into the others common room

It’s a usual thing

Cuddling on the couch 

Playing board games 

Your friends(and others in your house) are used to seeing George around 

Surprisingly, you guys have never been caught(thanks to the marauders' map)

He’s always waiting outside of the common room so you guys can walk to breakfast together

You guys always sit next to each other in the great hall

If you are in a different house, he will walk you to your common room at the end of the day and give you a kiss goodnight(which usually gets a bit heated)

Pet names

Darling and gorgeous are his most used

You can’t help but get butterflies every-time those words roll of his tongue

“Well hello gorgeous” 

Small forms of PDA

Hand holding 

Arm around your shoulder 

Arm around your waist 

Temple kisses 

Cheek kisses 

Knuckle kisses 

He LOVES it when you play with his hair and just melts into your touch 

I have a theory that the twins give the BEST hugs

Bear hugs that engulf you

Hugs from behind where he pulls you closer to him

(and he’s always so warm...like what?)

You love wearing his jumpers

Yes, they are always baggy on you

You love the smell of them though(strawberries, vanilla and a bit of a smoky hint)because it’s just like having George there

He gives you one of his jumpers to keep so you would stop stealing all his other ones

It’s your favourite item of clothing and you always wear it to bed

Your first “I love you” came out of nowhere

The two of you were in the common room studying for an upcoming test

You should have been in your bed by now but of-course this test was more important than your exhaustion

With papers strewn across the table and your hand cramping from writing, you continued with your work, although George had stopped

Suddenly, you had become aware of him gazing at you

“Can I help you?”

“It’s nothing, you’re just...so beautiful”

You couldn’t help the blush that bloomed on your cheeks

“I love you”

The phrase was just audible

You had looked up in shock unsure if you had heard right

George was yet to comprehend what he had said when it all hit him

“Oh (y/n), I’m sorry! It just sort of slipt out- I didn’t mean to say it- I mean I want to say it because I love you but not that-”

You just chuckled at his constant rambling

“George, calm down, I love you too”

“I don’t want to make you se- wait, what did you just say?”

“I love you too”(you said it gently)

“Really..?”(he didn't sound too convinced)

In gesture, you gave him a sweet kiss, melting into the moment

It seemed to calm his mind

Spending summer and Christmas at the burrow

Molly loves you 

She knits one of her famous sweaters for you for Christmas  

If you are muggle-born(or even half-blood), Arthur loves when you tell stories about muggle life 

When Ron was younger, he had a BIG crush on you 

Now when he thinks about it, he just gets embarrassed

Ginny looks up to you(and thinks you're a bad bish)

You and Ginny love to have sleepovers together and gossip about all the people in Hogwarts

You also get filled in on all her latest “love life” with Harry  

Fred is one of your best and closest friends 

He is happy that George found someone to make him happy 

You’re Fred’s wing-women(although he doesn't agree because you haven’t done the best of jobs)

You guys love to tease George together 

Although it’s mainly just Fred teasing you and George 

“Can you guys get a room?!”

It was in those moments that Fred may have regretted locking you guys in that closet 

As much as he loves you, he does get a bit tired of hearing George talk about you all-day(nothing changed since he confessed his feelings for you)  

Lee is also a close friend to you 

It was only inevitable for you guys to bond with the twins being best friends with him

Many times have the two of you tried to get back at Fred and George with a prank 

Sadly, the twins somehow always manage to know what you guys are planning 

Let’s just say they prank you guys twice as hard for trying to outdo the masters 

The twins are always playing “light” pranks on you 

From dying your hair bright pink

To slipping a small amount of love potion into your drink 

It’s always a risk being around the two of them 

They love to get you involved in their pranks 

This usually means standing guard though):

You remember this one time in potions when you were first learning about amortentia

There was a fresh batch of it at the front of the class and everyone around the room was trying to get a whiff 

“Do I even have to ask what it smells like to you darling?” 

You closed your eyes and gave a sharp inhale 

“Vanilla, candy apples and amber” (you had said it so innocently)

George’s face was painted in horror 

“What?!” 

He was in disbelief because he KNEW he didn’t smell of amber or vanilla 

“CEDRIC?!” (the twins spoke rather loudly in unison)

“But- I- wha-”(George began to stutter on)

At that point, you couldn’t hold in your laughter any longer 

“I’m only joking!”

When I tell you how quick that boy calmed down 

“Oh thank Merlin”

That was revenge for staining your teeth blue for a whole week!

In all honesty, the pained look on George’s face when he realised you may not love him pained your heart 

On the other hand, Fred thought it was hilarious 

(If) you play quidditch for Gryffindor, then you are a chaser, otherwise, you are whatever position you got placed into 

If you are not in Gryffindor, then you are always watching the quidditch game and supporting the twins(unless it’s your house playing)

He loves to find you in the crowd 

You’re his #1 fan 

Steamy kisses after the game

If they win the game then it’s going to be a lot more than kissing(;

He has ended up in the hospital wing a couple of times because of the game

It has never been too serious but you still can’t help but worry for him 

“You know, even with a black eye and bloody face, I’m still the better-looking twin”

Fred just cracked up 

“He must still be a bit loopy from all that pain killer”

If you don’t play quidditch, then George has defiantly tried to teach you

It didn’t go too well

You ended up falling off the broom at only 1 meter off the ground

Face-planted into the grass

Ended with you having a dislocated jaw

George felt guilty for the rest of the month and wouldn't stop apologising

Meanwhile, Fred had fallen on his ass from laughing too hard

Trips to Hogsmeade

Raiding Honeydukes

Dates at the Three Broomsticks

Drinking enough butterbeer to get tipsy 

Lots of puns and dad jokes 

You were once learning how to produce a Patronus in DA when someone had just spelled a deer

You looked over at George to see him struggling a bit with the spell

And that’s when the awful pun left his mouth

“Oh deer, I just can’t seem to produce a Patronus” 

You tried to hold in your laugh 

“Shove off Weasley”

He takes you to the Yule Ball

It’s a magical night 

Full of dancing 

Screaming the lyrics to the songs playing 

Drinking fire whisky that Fred had smuggled in

Drunk snogging to the point where Snape found you guys and took 5 points off each of you 

Dancing around the common room 

Sneaking into the kitchens to steal food 

Tickle fights(I feel like George is very ticklish)

Swimming in the Black Lake on a dare 

Snowball fights in the winter 

He never fails to make you laugh

He is more of the shy, reserved twin 

Sometimes you just have to remind him that he is loved and noticed 

He will compare himself to Fred and it will never be positive 

You will reassure him and hold him for however long he needs

If what he needs is a good vent then you are ready to listen no matter what you are doing 

He is more important 

He is also more of the jealous twin 

Don’t get me wrong, he won't go all psycho boyfriend when he sees another guy talking to you 

He respects you and knows you would never leave him for someone else 

But if there is flirting going on or the guy is trying to make a move 

Let’s just say his temper won't last long 

“Hello darling”

Que passionate kiss between George and you 

“Sorry mate, she’s already taken”

You had never seen a guys face go paler 

Or seen George go so smug 

He always knows what to do when you're sad

He will listen to your every last word if you have to vent 

Or he will hold you in his arms for hours while whispering sweet nothings into your ear if all you want to do is cry it out 

By the end of it, you can't help but feel just a little bit better because of him 

He loves to hear about your day and you can’t deny that he is the best listener

He low key has separation anxiety  

He LOVES to spoon

Definitely the big spoon

Although he can’t help but love to be the little spoon sometimes 

“Hey um...Do you mind if we?...”

“You wanna be the little spoon?”

“Yes please...”

He’s smiling on the inside 

He may be a little shy in public but he’s a freak in the sheets if you know what I mean(;

He’s usually top but it drives him crazy if you switch rolls 

I feel like he’s a hair puller?

Will always make sure you’re comfortable with everything 

Super gentle at times 

But also can be rough... 

Would never do anything that would hurt you 

Lots of cuddling after 

He loves to give you flowers just to see you get all flustered

One time he stole flowers from the school grounds

Little did he know, Mcgonagall had seen the whole thing

“Mr Weasley, are those flowers from Professor Sprout’s greenhouse?”

The look on his face was a dead give away

“Funny story actually Professor...”

Let’s just say it wasn’t the funniest of stories

Braiding his longer hair 

Showers together 

Piggyback rides to class

Studying in the library with Fred(but he usually just gets bored and leaves)

He reads to you 

Basically he is perfect in every way and will love you till the end 

[wbearv]

Five times pt.1 | h.h.j. - k.s.m.

Member(s): Hyunjin, Seungmin

Genre(s): suggestive, angst (only a little bit, nothing serious)

Word count: 2.4k

Warnings: heated makeout, hickeys, marking (kinda?)

Summary: Seungmin likes you but he never finds the courage to tell you. Hyunjin on the other hand, well, let's just say he knows what he likes and isn't scared to go for it.

masterlist

It had started as a joke, or so Seungmin thought.

“You know… if you don’t do it, I might give it a try” Hyunjin smirked, looking at Seungmin. “How long do you think it would take me to have her surrender to me?”

He is drunk, he’s not being serious.

“Hyunjin, stop” Seungmin was starting to get mad “Your jokes are not funny”.

“Ah, do you really think I’m bluffing?” Hyunjin got closer to the younger boy and looked him straight into his eyes “I can assure you I’m being dead serious here. I guess you just don’t like her that much, do you??”

Seungmin opened his mouth but nothing came out of it.

Hyunjin laughed and lifted his hand to ruffle Seungmin’s hair, smirking at him.

“Oh, but don’t worry Minnie, hyung will take care of it”.

Seungmin really laughed it off at first, but now?

He was pissed off.

He wanted to say something, anything; but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He might hate Hyunjin right now, but he hates himself more for not having the guts to step up.

Chapter 1: the one in the pool.

“We will be tipping into severe to extreme heatwave conditions-”

The faint sound of the tv playing in the room was the only thing you could hear, besides the fan of course.

“Temperatures are expected in the low to mid-40s for those locations, probably peaking tomorrow-”

The sound of the tv remote being thrown to the floor startled Seungmin, making him get up from the couch a little bit too quick, making him dizzy.

“The last thing I need is for them to tell me how much heat I am supposed to endure for the following, I don’t know, three fucking years?” Jisung said, letting himself fall onto the couch, fanning himself with a piece of cardboard angrily.

They were all thrown off due to this extreme heat wave that was making them all walk like miserable zombies around the house.

At least they had the pool party you were throwing that evening to celebrate your birthday and none of them could wait for it, specially Seungmin.

The party was supposed to start around 6pm but he decided he would go sooner so he could help you prepare everything; and hopefully, he could spend some alone time with you.

Time went by, and it seemed like an amazing idea until he realised Hyunjin hadn’t been around for a while at home.

“Hey guys, where’s Hyunjin?” Seungmin asked, entering the kitchen where Felix and Minho were preparing some food for said party.

“Oh, he left like half an hour ago. He said he was going to help y/n with setting the party up” Felix said calmly, not breaking eye contact with the sandwiches he was cutting in half.

“You know… if you don’t do it, I might give it a try”.

Hyunjin’s words resonated in his mind and, half a second later, he was walking rapidly out of the house.

“Seungmin! We are leaving for the party soon, where are you going?”

“I’m walking, I’ll see you there” He rushed to the hallway, closing the door harshly and ignoring his housmate’s confused looks and questions.

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

“Hey y/n where do you want me to put this?” Hyunjin shouted from the backyard, hoping that you would hear him. “it’s kinda heavy”.

“Oh, sorry Jinnie, em, wait!!” you screamed all the way from the kitchen.

You came running with all sorts of sweets and snacks that you could carry and left them all on top of a table to help Hyunjin carry the big tray with the main dishes.

“There I think is fine” you smiled proudly, wiping off the drops of sweat running across your forehead. “It’s getting really hot in here, why don’t we go inside until the rest arrive?” you turned around to look at Hyunjin, that was smiling at you.

“I have a better idea...” he approached you slowly, and before you could know it, he grabbed your waist and lifted you up “How does going for a dip sound, huh?”

“Hyunjin no! I have my phone with me, put me down!” you said trying to sound convincing.

He smirked and took your phone out of your pocket, throwing it on top of the deckchair.

“There, problem solved” Hyunjin was walking at a quick pace, making his way to the pool on the other side of the backyard.

“But I- I- I have my clothes on Hyunjin, at least let me change first!” You said and looked straight to his eyes, pleading and hoping it would do.

Hyunjin looked at you and smiled softly, and for a split second you really thought he would let you go.

Ha, so innocent.

“You know what?” he said looking at you, his face softening “nah, it’s your house you can change later”.

And faster than you could count to one, you were being thrown into the somewhat cold water of your pool.

Hyunjin, of course, was laughing his ass off while he stared at you from the outside.

“Come on y/n, admit that you feel so much better after your quick trip to the bottom of the pool” he said dipping his toes into the water of the pool you were currently in.

“Oh, yeah, I feel refreshed, thank you so much my saviour” you said, swimming slowly towards Hyunjin. “Now would you be so kind to help me out? I still have to feed the cat before the rest arrive” and you handed your hand to him, which he grabbed, still rejoicing in your defeat.

“Yeah, yeah sure” and when his hand touched yours, something clicked in his mind “Wait, y/n you don’t have a-”

The loud sound of water being splashed filled your ears, and you laughed loudly at the sight of Hyunjin falling into the water.

“-cat” Hyunjin said after cleaning his face and throwing his blonde hair back, and off his face. “What’s so funny, huh?” he got on his feet and being his tall himself, towered over you even inside the water.

You tried so hard to conceal your laugh but failed miserably. “nothing, nothing, I’m not laughing I-” then you looked down at his chest, rising rapidly from the scare, all covered in water drops.

Hyunjin had a spectacular body – not that you haven’t noticed it before – but seeing it bare first-hand was something else.

Suddenly you became aware of the position you both were currently in. You were practically pressed against the wall, with him standing only a mere 30 cm away from you. You were so caught up in your own thoughts that barely didn’t hear when Hyunjin spoke.

“What, like what you see?” he said cockily, looking at you while raising one of his brows.

“I- I wasn’t lo-” you said nervously looking away from him.

“Yeah, you were” Hyunjin grabbed your face and forced you to look at him “If you want to have a taste, there’s no one stopping you baby girl”.

Your eyes opened wide, and you were so shocked that you didn’t move for a second, until you noticed how he slowly started kissing up and down your neck while caressing your right arm. “C’mon, tell me what you want y/n” he licked slowly all the way up your neck until he was facing you again, lips only a few millimetres apart from yours.

“Hyunjin, I-” you didn’t even bother to finish the sentence, crashing your lips against his without a second thought.

Hyunjin grabbed you by your waist and pushed you against the wall, your legs around his waist. His tongue brushed against your lip and you unconsciously opened your mouth up for him. He slipped his tongue into your mouth and you let him dominate your tongue, him sucking on it before biting down on your lip.

“Jinnie, ah-” you could feel his hot breath and the smirk that formed in his mouth as he heard the sounds you were making for him – because of him.

He went on until he was satisfied, making sure there would be a purple mark in your neck soon after.

You both parted for a split second, catching a breath. You kissed his lips again, quickly turning into a heated makeout while Hyunjin’s hands wandered all over your body as if they were lost. You moaned at the feeling of his hands trailing everywhere, and he hummed in response. Hyunjin grabbed the back of your head, pulling you even deeper into the kiss. As you tilted your head, you trailed a hand down his chest and abdomen feeling him squirm under your touch.

After a while, you stopped rubbing your hands on his chest, and chose to start tugging on his long hair to what he moaned in your mouth, pressing his knee against your core.

You let out a moan that you tried holding in, but it involuntary came out when he started to suck on your neck. You gasped and put your hand on his shoulder, trying to stop him from sucking too hardly.

“Don’t mark me. They will see it.” That’s what you were able to say.

Out of all things.

Hyunjin smirked and he scoffed, only to suck harder onto your neck.

“I want them – him – to see this.” Hyunjin whispered in your neck as he continued to mark you up. He took off your shirt with a swift movement and left you only in your bikini, starting to kiss down your neck and onto your chest before ending up kissing the top of your breasts. He looked up at you with dark lustful eyes before reaching up and sliding off the straps of your top. He was just about to free you from it when Seungmin’s voice resonated outside the property, calling you both to open the door.

Hyunjin huffed frustrated and pulled away from you, not without giving you one last heated kiss, leaving your lips completely swollen – as if they were not swollen enough already.

Rapidly, you rearranged your top and, in less than 10 seconds you were already outside the pool, looking for your towel and opening the door to Seungmin.

“Hi Seungmin!” you said enthusiastically, trying to catch your breath.

“Hi y/n, I-” he began talking, looking at you in a way you couldn't quite decipher “why are you soaked?” he frowned.

“Oh! I fell to the pool, you know how clumsy I get” you laughed it off and excused yourself to go and grab some drinks from the kitchen, leaving the boys alone.

“What’s up bro, wanna take a dip?” Hyunjin said, calmly laying against the border of the pool. “It’s… really hot” he smirked.

Seungmin looked from Hyunjin to the living room on the inside where you were grabbing some glasses, and back to Hyunjin; trying so hard to ignore the faint pain he felt in his heart when he thought about the sound of your breathy whimpers that he swears he heard from outside.

Suddenly, the boys appeared behind Seungmin, and without notice, the party had already started.

Hours later, the sun set and the party calmed down a little bit while waiting for dinner to arrive, the night summer breeze making the heat more bearable.

“Hey, how’s that pizza going?” Jisung asked from the inside of the pool “I’m hungry” he pouted.

“It’s almost here Jisung, wait for a little bit more” you said, looking at the boy.

“But I’m hunnnnngry y/n” he fake cried.

“YOU HAD FIVE SERVINGS OF BARBACUE HOW CAN YOU BE SO HUNGRY!” Minho screamed from inside the house where he was playing games with Chan and Hyunjin.

While Jisung and Minho screamed back and forth to each other, you were sitting comfortably in a chair, laughing at the sight and enjoying the soft breeze of the night.

You looked amazing with that gauze dress you were wearing, your hair making subtle waves due to the pool’s water and your eyes shining in the bright light of the lights you had hung in the backyard that same evening.

Or, at least, that’s what Seungmin thought anyway.

He was determined, he would confess his feelings right here. He would not wait anymore, and so, he took a seat next to you, smiling shily when you looked at him.

“Hey” you said, smiling softly.

“Hey y/n” he moved his hands nervously, not knowing where to put them “So, I wanted to talk to you about something, erm…” he looked away for a second.

“Yes? What is it Seungmin?” you said, brushing your hair off your face – and subsequently neck – without realising.

“Well, I-” he looked at you, but suddenly his eyes were fixed, not on your face, but on your neck. More specifically, on the purplish mark that appeared in your skin, right in your pulse point area.

Seungmin froze, and the only thing that came to his mind was the image of your neck being kissed, you leaving small whimpers of pleasure, chanting his name.

Except it wasn’t his name.

“Hyunjin- ah!”

Seungmin closed his eyes, trying so hard to calm himself. What felt like an eternity to him was, in reality, only a few seconds of silence.

“Nothing y/n. Just wanted to say happy birthday.” He smiled to you, and if hearts could physically break, you could have heard his smashing into pieces.

You were left so confused, but before you could say anything, he had already disappeared inside the house.

Seungmin walked through the corridors on his way to the bathroom so he could wash his face and calm down to face the group when his chest crushed against someone.

“Seungmin” Hyunjin said, smiling at the younger boy “Are you enjoying the party?? I sure am.” He grinned.

“Hyunjin I am really not in the mood to put up with your stupid games. Leave me alone.” he said angrily.

Seungmin usually was a very calm person, he was not the one to scream or raise his voice at anyone.

“Hey, hey, chill” Hyunjin said, walking past him on his way to the door “If you’re so mad, why don’t you do something about it?”

Seungmin didn’t say a word, he just looked at Hyunjin hardly.

Turning around, he continued his way to the bathroom.

“why don’t you do something about it?” as Hyunjin’s words resonated in his mind he felt the most jealous he had ever felt.

He didn’t envy his face, his body, his dancing or his rapping. But he sure as hell envied how easy it was for Hyunjin to just go. for. It.

If only he could be honest with you, things might be different.

But I guess things don’t work out for the shy guy.

--------

a/n

hi guys it’s sonia! I've been writing fanfics for a long time now and I decided it was about time to post them in here. I'm sorry for any typos but I didn't really proofread this hahaha.

anyways I hope you enjoyed this and thank u so much for reading!

[writingwithacupoftea]

The Perfect Birthday Present

Summary: Y/N Shelby’s birthday was fast approaching, and Tommy has no idea what to buy for her. Who would have thought that a night of drunken antics would give him the perfect answer?

Word Count: 2462

Y/B/M = Your birth month

A/N: Is this fic basically a belated birthday present to myself? Yes. Is it completely different to the one I planned? Absolutely 😂 Hope you all love this one as much as I do 💜

Upon Tommy's arrival back to Arrow House, Mary could tell as soon as he stepped out of the car that he was in a foul mood, even by his standards.

He'd been in London for the past week, sorting out some business. That part of the trip had gone well, Tommy had conceded, but the same couldn't be said for the other part of his mission: finding a birthday present for Y/N. In the past the Shelby's had clubbed together to buy presents, however this year Tommy wanted to get Y/N something special that was just from him.  

It was to be a thank you, really, for having put up with his shit for so long, yet never wavering in her loyalty to him. To say that he was supposed to be the one looking after her, for Y/N was his little sister, the roles had definitely been reversed over the last few years: she had helped him through his nightmares and opium addiction, provided him with brutal and blatant honesty (no matter how much he sulked or raged afterwards until he realised that she was right), and had dropped everything to move to Arrow House with him and Charlie after Grace's death.

To say that he was grateful for Y/N would be an understatement.

But seeing as everyone knew that Thomas Shelby was abysmal when it comes to talking about emotions, he wanted to show it in the only way he knew how – spending ridiculous amounts of his money on her.

He had dragged Ada through all of the best shops in London, looking for something spectacular to gift to Y/N. Tommy had ignored Ada's reminders about Y/N's love for simplicity and the little things: in his eyes, Y/N deserved the best that money could buy, so that's what he would get for her.

Yet nothing that they had looked at seemed quite right – it just wasn't Y/N enough. He should've realised then that Ada was right.

So Tommy returned to Warwickshire a day earlier than expected, empty-handed, exhausted and annoyed at himself.  

Curiosity took over, however, upon hearing music echoing through the halls of Arrow House. After following it, even Tommy's seemingly ice-cold heart melted slightly at the sight that greeted him home: Y/N has dug out the old gramophone, which hadn't been used since Grace had died, and she was dancing around the room with a whiskey in one hand and a half-smoked cigarette in the other.  

Tommy smiled softly at the sight of his sister swaying to the music, unaware that she was being watched. She looked young and happy and carefree, a far cry from her usual reserved and guarded self. Tommy forgot about his own troubles just watching her, enjoying seeing Y/N so alive.

But quickly, his mood changed and the smile vanished. Tommy found himself mourning, almost, the life that Y/N should've had, but because of him she could never live. Times like this shouldn't have been a rarity for his little sister: her whole life should have been filled with the unabated joy that exuded from her in this moment. Instead, she looked over her shoulder at every turn, cleared up the mess after each of his mistakes and constantly walked the streets with a target on her back.

Y/N chose this moment to turn around, having noticed that her glass was empty once again, and was momentarily stunned at seeing Tommy. That feeling passed in an instant, however, and she found herself barrelling across the room, throwing herself into her brother's arms. "TOM!" Her delight could be seen from a million miles away.

"You alright?" He rubbed her back gently as they hugged, and he noticed the strong smell of whiskey on her. "How many of those have you had?" Tommy gestured to the empty glass sat on the table, which Y/N was now refilling, along with a second one that she poured for him.

"Only one or two, Tom." Despite her best efforts to look and sound innocent, what Y/N didn't realise was that her flushed cheeks and the devilish glint in her eye gave her away, causing Tommy to smirk in amusement.

The track on the record changed to a lively Charleston, which only sounded vaguely familiar to Tommy's ears, however sparked far more of a reaction from his sister. She gasped loudly and downed her drink in one, slamming the glass down on the table, causing Tommy to raise his eyebrows at her. Y/N had a large smile plastered on her face as she exclaimed "Oh , I love this one!" She ran to turn the volume up, and started dancing once more.

"Won't this wake Charles up?" Tommy wasn't in the mood to deal with the screaming baby, especially if he was already fast asleep.

"Oh no, Tom, he's the reason I got the gramophone out in the first place. What I've discovered over the last few days is that your son adores music." Y/N turned to face Tommy, and adopted the matter-of-fact tone that she used so frequently with him. "A little dance to something upbeat to tire him out, then you put something gentler on and in no time at all he's out like a light."

Tommy felt guilt bubbling up inside of him, replacing his amusement at his younger sister's drunken state. Y/N had managed to find the solution that he had been looking for since Charlie's birth in a matter of days. It showed how little he knew about his own son, and was just another thing Y/N had had to figure out on her own, another problem that she had taken upon herself to solve for him.

Following Tommy's long silence, Y/N looked over at her elder brother, noticing the sad and far-away look on his face, and held out a hand dramatically towards him. "Will you join me, Tom, or have you forgotten how to dance?"

"I'm tired, Y/N/N. Another time, perhaps."

"So you have forgotten."

"Remember who taught you how to dance, sweetheart." His gaze softened as he recalled fond memories of his sister stepping on his toes. "Anyway, I don't think I could keep up with you now I'm older, as you kindly keep reminding me."

Y/N smirked at this. "Yes, Tom, but I'm older as well... that's how age works." She grabbed his hands in hers and started to force him to move his body a little to the music. "Come on, old man, you're not doing anything to help those creaking bones of yours!"

Tommy sighed, realising that he wasn't escaping, and reluctantly started to dance a bit with her. Y/N cackled at how out of practice he was, his movements stiff and face void of emotion, and was determined to get her older brother to loosen up before she went to bed.

***

A couple of hours later, the room was filled with laughter and both siblings had uncontainable smiles on their faces.

Everywhere was a mess. Records were strewn across the table, as they had quickly been through every one and couldn't remember which ones they liked the best; the furniture had been shoved to the side to make more space, with Tommy's suit and tie discarded on the sofa; and empty bottles of alcohol and various glasses were dotted around the room.

It's safe to say that Y/N had succeeded in her mission – Tommy was the happiest that she had seen him in a long time. She wished that this night could last forever, just her and her favourite brother in their own little world, where none of their worries could touch them.

***

The clock on the mantlepiece would have told Tommy that it was now the early hours of the morning, but he paid no attention to it

A slower tune played as the brother and sister swayed together in the middle of the room. Y/N was half-asleep, exhaustion having taken hold as her body caught up with the amount of alcohol she had consumed. It was rare for her to spend so much time with Tommy these days, despite having moved into his home, and she refused to waste one second of it while he was in the right mood.

As for Tommy himself, he was thinking; not at the fast-pace at which his thoughts usually raced, but just thinking. Well, more reminiscing. He hadn't spent a night like this since before the war; in fact he hadn't come close to feeling this free and at peace since before the war. Even when Grace was still here, his mind was more often than not occupied by business.

He thought about the not so little girl wrapped safely in his arms. Placing a soft kiss on the top of her head, he wondered ‘When did she become so grown up? Where did the time go?’

Breaking the quiet between them, Tommy only just heard his sister’s drunken mumbles of “This is the best birthday present ever,” and felt his heart melt even more.

He observed the contented smile that rested on his sister’s face and realised that Ada was right about Y/N: she lived for the special little things in life, she lived for family and for love, not money and jewels.  

Y/N lived for moments like this… and, just like that, Tommy knew what the perfect present would be.

***

Two days later, and it was Y/N’s birthday.  

Since it was a Sunday, all that she had wanted to do to celebrate was to have a big lunch with all of her family. So, the whole Shelby clan, spouses and children included, piled into Arrow House for one very chaotic afternoon.

Y/N couldn't have been happier with how the day turned out. Arguments were kept to a minimum (but Y/N secretly enjoyed the slight bickering that inevitably occurred), she was able to play with all of her nieces and nephews in the garden to her heart's content, and the whole of Arrow House had a buzz about it.

Even Tommy didn't seem to be as grumpy and pre-occupied as usual. Something had changed in her brother since that drunken night, and Y/N couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. But it was a change for the better, so she wasn't going to complain or question it. Despite her longing for a night like that again, she knew that it was an unrealistic dream: Tommy had far too much on his plate nowadays, even if Y/N thought that it would do him the world of good to let go every now and again. And, Y/N admitted to herself, she had missed her big brother much more than she realised.

But Y/N didn't dwell on that for too long, knowing that she'd miss out on things if she spent too long in her own head (such as John, who had just fallen out of a tree in an attempt to beat his own children in climbing it).

***

It was dusk before the family left, and as much as it was one of the best birthdays that Y/N could remember, she was glad for the quiet and a bit of time to herself.

After eating some more birthday cake and having a cup of tea on the bench in the garden, watching as the stars gradually appeared in the Y/B/M sky, Y/N retreated back inside having discovered that it was nearly midnight.  

Mary informed her that her brother had already gone up to bed for the night. On any other day, Y/N would have been surprised at this bit of news, knowing how late Tommy normally stayed up to work; but her family was exhausting when they were all together for half an hour, never mind half a day, so she quietly padded up the stairs to do the same.

Her attention was immediately drawn to a large box that rested on her bed the moment that she entered her room. Y/N would’ve been suspicious if it wasn’t for the note that sat on top of it:

“Happy birthday, sweetheart.

Love,

Tommy x”

Excitement and intrigue building up inside of her rapidly, she untied the messy bow (Tommy had clearly tried his best) and lifted the lid. Inside she found four new records and two bottles of whiskey. For a moment she was confused, but then she found a second note:

“For the next time…

T x”

Y/N felt her heart swell with emotion and tears began to line her eyes as she smiled.

She threw on her nightdress and wandered down the hall to her brother’s bedroom. Knocking gently, she pushed the door open slightly, just enough to stick her head around it. Tommy’s crystal blue eyes locked with hers and she suddenly found herself wondering why she was there at all: she and Tommy were both awful at things like this (when then were sober, anyway). There was a reason why he left the present somewhere that she would find it by herself, rather than giving it to her himself.

Suddenly feeling awkward, Y/N smiled slightly and nodded, not knowing what to say to her brother. As she began to close the door again, Y/N heard a slight chuckle from inside the room and Tommy softly called her name.

She shuffled back into the room, looking at anything but her brother sat on the bed. "I know it's late, but I just wanted to say -" But she was unable to finish that important sentence, a loud, long yawn having escaped her.

When she opened her eyes again, Y/N saw, to her surprise, an amused smile playing on Tommy's lips. He pulled back the covers on the other side of his grand bed, and raised his eyebrows, silently posing a question that he hadn't asked for a long time.  

In recent years, Tommy hadn't been overly affectionate: Y/N guessed that it was just another side effect of the war. So, when the opportunity arose for Y/N to get a hug from her brother (who used to give the best hugs, not that she'd ever tell her other family members), she would never refuse.

She half-ran over to the bed and snuggled under the duvet before Tommy could change his mind. Cuddling into his side and letting the warmth envelope her, the siblings lay there in silence for a while, perfectly content.

As Y/N's eyelids began to flutter shut, she mumbled into her brother's chest a soft "Thank you, Tom," that he only just caught.

Tommy tightened his arms around his Y/N's frame in response and pressed a kiss to her hair. He turned out the light next to him as he felt his little sister's breaths even out, and whispered so that no one else could hear: "No, darling, thank you."

[bluemusickid]

𝓕𝓮𝓶𝓶𝓮 𝓕𝓪𝓽𝓪𝓵𝓮

Pairing: Ransom Drysdale x Conwoman!Reader

Warnings: smut, 18+, unprotected sex (do not recommend, pls be wise) Ransom's hurt ego/pride.

A/N: I love Ransom so much. I'd probably let him get away with murder, which is probs wrong since I'm a law student. Anyways, hope you enjoy!! Also the writing is crap and not at all intelligent, I just needed to let off some Ransom steam. ^_^

I post my stuff here and on AO3, nowhere else. 

You took a sip of your martini. Perfect. The one thing about these high end resto-bars was that they never went wrong with their martinis. Always the right balance of sweet and intoxication. If only you could always afford these places.

You didn't mean to sound bitter, oh no no. Life has worked out better than expected. Your way of life got lonely sometimes, but survival of the fittest was the way of life, right?

In your experience, doing what you did, you realised that men were very literal creatures, always thinking linearly. Most of them lacked any depth to their thoughts, their way of life. The rich ones? They were as deep as an above ground pool. Throwing money every chance they got, flaunting their first row seats at the operas, trips to their villas in the French Riviera and what not. Their wives had no idea, always doting after their perfect husbands, with their Himalayan Birkins.

Imagine the surprise these men felt when you took what was most precious to them; no, not their families or children, but their money. A woman, no less. A woman who they had considered a damsel, in need of pearls and diamonds, and their strong strapping arms and care. And they didn’t dare report this. How could they? As far as their wives were concerned, you didn’t exist. You snorted. Good riddance, and all that. 

That’s why you chose him.

Hugh Ransom Drysdale.

He wasn’t a different one, that's for sure. A pretty boy with arrogance dripping off of him like he had just stepped out of a swanky prep school. He screamed rich kid, with his perfectly coiffed hair, right to his buffed fingernails. 

This should be easy, you thought to yourself.

You walked passed him, swaying your hips ever so slightly. Your look for tonight was carefully calculated: bait for a good, prize catch. There were many men there, sure, ordering crates of champagne for their "business associates".

But this one was different. He didn't pay heed to you as you made your way towards him, placing yourself next to him at the bar, nor did he check you out like most men did. He simply took a swig of his drink, focusing hard at something in his phone. Weird. You chose to give him the benefit of the doubt, calculating his next move. Surely, he'd ask to buy you a drink. He was just playing hard to get, you were sure. His next move stunned you, however.

He got up, slid a 100 dollar bill on the counter, and walked away, his jacket slung over his arm. You blinked, not really understanding what had happened. You ordered a red wine, quite perplexed. This was perhaps the first time something like this had happened, and it quite perturbed you.

You didn’t have time to dwell on your thoughts, however, as the bartender slid a coaster towards you.

“Mr. Drysdale sends his regards.”

You frowned. Drysdale? The famous real estate mogul? Man oh man, this was gonna be good.

You smirked as you read the scribbles on the coaster. To think you thought that he was gonna be different. Oh well. Room 537 it is, then.

You made your way to the room, checking your makeup and spritzing on a bit of perfume on the way. Standing outside his room, you knocked three times before the door swung open to reveal a treat.

Mr. Drysdale, sans shirt and his tight dress pants. Yum.

You composed yourself and entered the room, remembering the fact that you had a job to complete.

“So, that’s your game?” you asked, setting yourself down on the settee by the minibar.

“I don’t play games.” he said, pouring an amber liquid from the crystal cut decanter.

“Then why bother giving me your room number?” you drawled, accepting the glass.

“I know you wanted me to chase you. Knew it from the moment you entered. But that’s not how I work. I get what I want, and I wanted you.”

“A real charmer, aren’t ya?” you said dryly.

“Let’s cut to the chase sweetheart. You want me, I want you. Simple.”

“How can you be so sure that I want you? I could have just come up to confront you or something.”

“Yea, right. That dress says differently. You know what you want and you were going after it. I just skipped a few steps along the way. You’re welcome.” he smirked, raising his perfectly shaped eyebrow at you.

“So now that your plan has come into play, what do you suggest we do?”

He grinned and took a swig of his drink. Placing his drink on the counter, he took your hand in his and pulled you up, pulling you tightly to him.

Leaning towards your ear, he rasped, “I’m gonna fuck you till you can’t walk.”

With that, Ransom didn’t waste any more time. He picked you up bridal style and tossed you on the bed, without any preamble.

“Last chance to leave, kitten. Whaddaya want?”

You gulped. You wanted this, you needed this. You didn’t bother answering him as you pulled him down by his tie, lips melding against his as you held onto his collar. He was surprised by your sudden attack, but reciprocated equally, if not with more ferocity.

Lowering you onto the bed, he yanked the thin straps of your dress down, sucking at your pulse point, his hands caressing your body. You moaned, feeling his actions go straight to your core, lighting you up from within. He pulled the dress down with urgency, freeing your breasts from their confines.

Taking a hardened nub in his mouth, he swirled it around his tongue as his hands wandered lower. He was about to pull your dress up, when you stopped his wandering hands, pushing him off you, as he looked at you, bewildered.

“What the-!” he began but you quickly silenced him with your lips, your hands working double time to undo the buttons of his shirt. You deepened the kiss pulling him by his tie, while grinding against him ever so slightly. He broke away from the kiss, panting; his eyes wide, an unknown emotion swirling in the midst.

“Oh sweetheart.”he growled, “You’ve awoken the beast, now.”

With that, you were lost in a frenzy of movements. He nearly ripped your dress off, throwing you on the bed, caging you underneath his body. Lowering himself, he nipped and sucked at your neck, your collarbone, your breastbone, his voracious tongue leaving fire in its wake. You gasped, fingers making their way to his messy locks. What had started off as a game, a new target, was quickly becoming something more, and that thought scared you.

Eyes on the prize, sugar. Let him lead.

His tongue was drawing circles on the tattoo at your abdomen, while his fingers were at your core, his thumb lightly nudging your clit. Jesus. Your hips moved of their own accord, tugging at his hair in silent plea. Looking up, he saw your need and whispered lasciviously, 

“I’m gonna make you scream till all the other floors know my name, sweetheart. Just need to get you nice and ready for me. Wouldn’t want to break my promise now, would I?”

With that, you felt your entire focus shift to your core, as his intrepid tongue drew patterns on your clit, his digits moving within your wet channel. You groaned, tugging on his hair, bringing him closer to where you wanted him. You felt your walls tightening, the coil in your belly ready to unwind. He withdrew his fingers, moving up swiftly, gazing into your indignant eyes.

“Only time you’re gonna come is on my cock, sweetheart.”

With that, he thrust himself inside you, your walls engulfing him. Luckily for you, Ransom didn’t do sweet, slow thrusts. He set up an unrelenting pace, spearing into you, his shaft reaching places which no man had been able to reach before. You groaned, closing your eyes, your head jerking to the side, unable to handle all the sensations he was invoking.

Grasping your chin, he turned you to face him. “Eyes on me, sweetheart. I wanna see how good you feel while I’m taking you apart.” he rasped.

Something in his voice made you break; making you almost feral. You pushed on his shoulders, catching him off-guard for a minute, enough to push him on his back and straddle him.

Leaning down and catching his lips for a kiss, you whispered, “You should have the best view for a show like that, then.”

You sunk down on him, moaning loudly as you engulfed him to the hilt. Holding onto his hands for support, you began riding him for all your worth. Ransom watched on with awe, his eyes mesmerised by the sight of you; your eyes closed, mouth slack with arousal and your breasts bouncing with each bob. 

You were quickly reaching your peak and Ransom could feel that too. He planted his feet down on the mattress, thrusting upward, meeting you thrust for thrust. Your thighs started quivering, an intense pressure building up with each thrust.

“Come on, come for me, kitten.” muttered Ransom, through gritted teeth.

You threw your head back, screaming as you reached your peak, raking your fingernails across Ransom’s chest. As your walls clenched around him tightly,  Ransom grasped your waist, holding onto you as he thrust upwards, chasing his end. 

Leaning down, you took one of his buds into your mouth, swirling your tongue around as you met his eyes.

“Come for me, tiger.” you said huskily, tugging on his lower lip.

Ransom grunted and cussed loudly as he poured himself into you, his grip on your waist tight as he held you in place till he filled you with every last drop. Rolling off him, you watched him catch his breath, slowly drifting off, his arm encircling your waist as he went deeper into slumber.

After a few minutes, you checked on him, just to be sure. He was out cold.

You smirked. Alright. 

Time to start Part 2 of the Plan.

--------

Ransom woke up, feeling satisfied and smug. Yet another conquest down. He didn’t understand why women played these games women loved to play with him. Smirking, he looked over to look at you, but was surprised to see your side empty.

He frowned. Getting up, he checked the bathroom. Empty. 

She left without even giving her name. Ahh, well, not the first time this had happened. Moving to check his phone, he noticed his wallet open, with all the cash missing.

Oh, so that’s why she left. Wow, what a surprise, he thought. Good thing she didn’t leave a name, for she was no more than a common whore, he thought, puling on his pants. 

He was sorely mistaken though.

As he walked past the attached common area, he saw something which made him stop in his tracks.

The safe was wide open, with all of its contents gone. Every last thing.

He stormed into the area, his anger surging with each passing second. He couldn’t give less of a fuck about the goddamn valuables that were missing. But she had taken something which had taken him 3 fucking years to get. 

She had stolen the documents; not just any documents, but the very ones which would have bought the Langleys’ silence and their company, making Ransom a very, very rich man. All gone, because of a quick fuck.

The bitch had stolen his ace of spades. And he would make sure that she would suffer. 

Ransom would make her pay. By hook or by crook.

-----

A/N: Eeeeek, I was too nervous to put this out ughhhhh. Also, I have a taglist now, if you’re into that sort of thing. 😅  (link is also available in my bio)

Tags: @donutloverxo​ @ozarkthedog​ @chris-evans-indian-fanfic​ @readermia​

[yaimlight]

Not Worth The Truth

“I lied when I said I loved you”.

He looks back at you with wide pain filled eyes, tears clinging to his lashes. You feel your hart crake just a little bit more but you push your own pain aside, keep your face blank and neutral. You can’t let there be any doubt, any chance that he might see through the cracks and know you don’t mean it.

He blinks once, twice, those forest green eyes so big and honest and you have to fight the desire to reach out and brush his tears away. Izuku’s eyes have always been so expressive, the man unable to hide anything he was feeling and you had loved it, basked in the way he looked at you with such love and devotion but now it makes you feel sick, makes your skin crawl. You force yourself not to look away though, commit every flash of pain and confusion to memory. You didn’t deserve to forget this, your greatest crime.

“You don’t mean that,” he tries to sound confident, sure in his statement but his voice wobbles slightly as the tears begin to fall, his words catching as he sucks in a shaky breath. You knew this wouldn’t be easy, knew that Izuku wouldn’t let you make a clean break and disappear into the night but you had hoped that you wouldn’t have to get cruel but you were rapidly running out of options and time. You were going to have to break his heart, his stupidly large and trusting heart that you had once sought to protect.

You glared at him as you took a step back, relying on old habits to see you through this. He wouldn’t believe you if you cried and you needed him to believe every word you said. For both your sakes.

“How could I ever love someone like you? Look at yourself Izuku, you’re pathetic,” you spat, voice dripping with distain. He flinched back from you, the large muscled mass of a man shrinking in on himself like your words had physically hurt him. It felt like your heart was being cracked in two, every word that left your mouth another stake driven in to make the gap bigger. After everything you knew he still strives with his self worth, his right to be here and it was a low blow to strike him where you knew it would hurt but you needed it to hurt, needed him to look at you one day with nothing but contempt.

He looked so broken and you wanted desperately to wrap your arms around him and take it all back but you couldn’t. Not now, not ever. Instead you sneered at him, letting out a bitter huff of laughter. You turned to leave, determined to get away whilst you could but Izuku wouldn’t let you, a scared hand grabbing at your wrist and keeping you in place. “Please,” he whispered, his normal cheery voice hollow and desperate. You did that to him.

You screwed your eyes shut, hands curling into fists at your sides and jaw clenching. “Please, if I...if I did something wrong...I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to upset you...please just...” you cut him off with an all to real laugh, bitter and mocking, not directed at him but at yourself though it doesn’t come across that way and you hate that that works in your favour. You yank your arm free turning back to look at him with anger in your eyes. He’s taller than you, not by much but enough you have to tilt your head back slightly to look at him. You loved that though, liked to cuddle up to him and slot your head under his chin and listen to the rumble in his chest as he mumbled on and on about the most random of things. You wouldn’t get to do that again.

“Are you thick? What about i don’t love you are you not getting?” you hissed out, taking a step back to put some much needed distance between you. You weren’t sure that you would be able to go through with it if he touched you again. His warm and scared hands sending pin pricks of heat across your skin.

Izuku was still in his hero costume though his utility belt and gloves were gone, abandoned on the table. You had been waiting for him when he got home, the greenet having been excited to see you and expecting to find you lounging around in one of his stupidly ironic t-shirts with a coy smile and a promise of love. Instead he had found you cold and shut of, a bag sat at your feet that contained every last little thing of yours that had found it’s way into his apartment over the last six months.

“I don’t understand. We were fine this morning. Just please talk to me, tell me how to fix this and I will,” he pleads with you, those to green eyes looking at you like you hold the sun in your hands and your threatening to take it away. Izuku has always wanted to help people, fix things and make everything right in the word, his strong ideologue often make people mistake his genuine desire to do good as stupidity. You had never believed that though, had always seen it as a sign of a good heart, a true hero who wanted to make the world a better place for all but now as he desperately tried to cling onto the tattered remains of your relationship you began to wonder if you had been wrong all those times and he was actually living in an impossible fantasy land. His dream had always been a nice one but you had always known it wouldn’t happen.

“Nothings changed I just can’t be bothered with this little game anymore,” he looks betrayed, taking a step back and almost tripping over his own feet. “Game?” he chokes out and finally you can see your words starting to sink in, his to quick mind running through every aspect of your relationship and trying to see if he had missed something. You knew you had to push just that little bit more, had to tip him over the edge before he could start to fight back again and you knew this would hurt him but he had to let you go, give up hope.

Smirking you looked up at him with cruel amusement. “You didn’t think this was real did you?” you laughed watching the way his eyes widened impossibly more with shock and pain. It didn’t matter if it had been real, didn’t matter that he was the first person in a long time you had actually cared about, had actually wanted to be around. You had known when this started it was a mistake, that nothing good would ever come of it but you had been selfish, had wanted to bask in the light of his smile and the warmth of his arms. This was all your fault, his pain was all because of you and you carry that with you until the day you died.

“Oh you did didn’t you? You actually though that I could want someone like you, let alone love you,” you mocked his feelings, the words coming easy despite the nausea you could feel building. His tears and flowing quick and plentiful, streaming down his lightly freckled cheeks and dropping down onto his chest, soaking into the green fabric. He’s a noisy cryer, sucking in sharp and ragged breaths as he shakes his head, like he’s trying to deny what your saying but you know him and you know that by now he has realised that you had only told him you loved him once and that had been to get him into bed. He had noticed that you never really went out with him, had been reluctant to meet his friends and had never tried to introduce him to yours. He was probably wondering about all the late nights at the office that you knew didn’t exist, was probably imagining our with someone else and laughing about how easy it had been to string him along. It was better than the truth, better he think you a heartless bitch that what you truly were.

Sighing like this was growing boring you snatched up your bag and slung it over your shoulder, “look let’s not make this more than it actually is. You were a good fuck, something to pass the time with but that’s all it ever was. No need to get so emotional”. His knees give out then, hitting the wooden floor with a loud thud as he presses both hands over his mouth in an attempt to keep his chorales sobs and whimpering at bay. It doesn’t work and you feel your mask threatening to fall apart, your eyes stinging as your own tears threaten to fall. You need to leave and now, before he notices.

You turn away again, managing to take a step this time before Izuku is once again grabbing at your wrist, his grip tighter and damp with his tears. Huffing you turn back to him, finding him looking up at you with the desperation of a man who is about to lose everything and you hate yourself just that little bit more. “Please...I...love...you,” he forces out between sobs, his quiet voice full of despair.

Wordlessly you loosened his grip, one finger at a time and letting his hand fall to his lap once you were free. You crouch down in front of him, cupping his cheek with one hand and using your thumb to wipe away the tears but there falling so fast it doesn’t make a difference. He screws his eyes shut, his face pressing into your palm and you can practically feel the last little shrewd of hope he is clinging onto. You’re going to have to crush it, extinguish that flickering flame and leave him cold and hollow. You don’t want to. You don’t want to hurt him any more than you have but if there’s hope there’s the chance he will follow and only madness lies that way.

Leaning forward you press a kiss to his damp lips, Izuku whimpering and pressing back but you don’t let it last, pulling away before it can be something more. His eyes open and this close you can see all the different shades, see the depths of his soul. It also means you can see the moment his heart finally breaks when you say your next words, “I know yet I just don’t care”. The sound that comes from his lips is one of pure pain, his hands pressing back against his mouth as he doubles over and cries like his whole world has been shattered.

You push to your feet quickly, licking your lips and tasting salt as you dig his keys out of your jacket pocket and chucking them into the table, the little green bunny key chains ear snapping off on impact. He sobs loudly at the sound of them hitting the table, something closer to a scream that’s muffled behind his hands. You can’t stay there any longer, spinning on your heals and having to force yourself to walk casually through the apartment and not run. Izuku doesn’t try and stop you this time.

His cry’s follow you and your thankful you had waited for him with your shoes and jacket already on because the thought of having to stand there and listen to the man you loves heart brake as you laced up your trains makes you feel sick.

The door creaks as you open it, the lock clicking into place as it shut it softly so as not to disturb his neighbours. You make it to the stairwell before your own tears start to fall and you find yourself sinking down into the cold concrete floor as your body shakes with it. You burry yourself head in your knees, hands grasping at the back of your head and just let them fall, bitting down hard on your lip to keep the sounds at bay. Oh gods what had you done?

You always knew that you would have to be the one to end this, the one to make sure he wouldn’t try and cling on but you had never thought it would hurt so much. You weren’t supposed to get so involved, wasn’t supposed to fall in love yet here you were, hopelessly infatuated with the man, a hero no less. You had been cruel, malicious even and though you had done it for his own good he would never see it that way. Every morning cuddle and stolen kiss, every lazy day spent lounging on the sofa and just enjoying each other’s company, every aspect of your relationship was now tainted, twisted and blackened with the implication that he had been nothing but a bit of fun, nothing more, nothing less. He would never think of you again without remembering what you had just done to him, without feeling the phantom twist of your words as they ripped through his heart.

You had done a lot of things wrong in your life and loving Izuku was probably the worst in a long list.

Your phone dinged, the sound cutting through your muffled cries. You lifted your head, scrubbing at your eyes and taking one shaking breath after another as you try to regain some sort of control over yourself. It takes a few moment and your breathing is still ragged but eventually your vision is clear enough for you to pull your phone out and look at when you had been sent. You were half expecting it to be Izuku, begging you to come back but it’s not his name that flashes across the screen. It’s a simple thing, just a time and a quick glance at the clock tells you that you don’t have the time to sit here and wallow in pity and lamenting your mistakes in life.

With one last shaky breath you push your self up into your feet, pulling your hood up and start on your way, bouncing down the stairs quickly. You take one last look at the photo of you and Izuku on your Lock Screen, the both of you happy and smiling, before you flip it over and prise the back off, not caring as the something snaps. You slip the chip out just as you burst through the buildings door, dumping the phone into the bin just a few steps down the street and dropping the chip down a drain.

You couldn’t risk Izuku using it to find you, didn’t want the temptation there to contact him either. It was better this way, disappearing into the night like you hadn’t ever been there. You had moved out of your apartment that morning, not leaving a forwarding address behind. Not that it really mattered. The name on your lease was a fake anyway, the name on your new one different to the last and on the other side of the city. Izuku wouldn’t find you, no matter how hard he looked.

You kept your head down as you made your way through the city, slipping into the night time crowed easily and getting lost in the mass of others. It was with practiced ease that you disappeared down back alleys and side streets, getting deeper and deeper into the city and its dark and seedy underbelly. This was the forgotten part, full of drug addicts and petty criminals, prostitutes and street gangs. No hero came here unless they had a death wish, leaving this part of the city to rot and fester. This place had its own rules, its own hierarchy and as you slipped past the lowlifes and degenerates no one dared touch you, watching you with open hostility as you approached ‘The Unholy Hero’, the bars neon green open sign fright in the darkened street.

You burst through the door, bouncing down the steps and ignoring the four sets of eyes watching you, heading straight to the bar. “Trouble in paradise?” the annoying cheerful voice called through the silent room and you gritted your jaw, trying to ignore him. You let your bag fall off your shoulder, throwing it against the counter as you lent across the counter and snatched up a bottle of whiskey and a shot glass. “How about you go fuck your self,” you snarled, leaning against the bar as you pours yourself a shot and nocked it back, quickly refilling the glass.

No one here knew about Izuku, you had been careful about that but they did know you had been seeing someone. It was hard to hide the change in your behaviour when you spent so much time with these people. You knew if they ever found out about him that neither of you would survive the night, him dead and you a broken mess beyond repair. No this was better. Izuku would hurt for a while but he would be okay in the end. He would wake up one day and realise you hadn’t been worth it and he was better off without you.

Across the bar Higashikuni snorted, his kohl lined golden eyes shimmering with amusement. “How about you fuck me yourself coward,” he smirk, winking at you and he shook his head, moving his jet black hair out of his eyes. “Like I would ever be that desperate,” his gold eyes narrowed as the others laughed, flashing brightly as he stuck up his middle finger at you. This was normal for you two, an odd mix between flirting and hostility that had worked well for the two over the years. Normally you would just roll your eyes and get on with it but you were feeling raw and stolen, on edge and ready for a fight and he would be a good distraction, your quirks complimenting the other in a way that meant any fight you had would be long and painful. You wanted it to hurt and he wouldn’t disappoint.

Before you could spend your mouth though the side door opened, the quiet murmuring of voices stoping instantly. Huffing you took another shot, eyes falling to look at your shoes as you ignored the new arrival. It didn’t last long, shinny black shoes appearing in your line of sight. “Bad night?” he asked, like you were some sort of puzzle to be turned over and put back together. Your grip tightened on the bottle, your eyes screwing shit for just a moment as you seriously contemplated leaving but you knew you wouldn’t get far, you never did.

Sighing you opened your eyes and looked up, glaring into blue/grey eyes that looked as cold and uninviting as a winter storm. “Yeah. Some asshole is waisting my time when I’m pretty sure there are a thousand other things I would rather be doing right now,” you were never normally this rude and over Fuyuhito’s shoulder you could see Higashikuni raise an eyebrow at you but you didn’t care. You had already fucked up your life tonight so why not carry on as you started and set the rest of it up in flames as well.

The room got colder, an impossible breeze ruffling at your hair as Fuyuhito’s cold eyes narrowed. You didn’t back down down, held your head high and glared back hoping he would take the bait, even as you felt your skin prickle with the cold. Something must have given you away though, the sudden cold breeze disappearing and Fuyuhito turned away from you with a sigh, his silver hair glinting in the light. Growling you took another shot, letting the liquid burn as you glared at his back.

“Let’s get on with it then,” he said airily, waving his hand and the lights go off, a project whirring to life. He sinks into a chair next to the other, leaning back into the plush leather and looks at you expectantly. Glaring at him you took another shot before placing the bottle and glass down on the counter and headed to stand next to the glowing image of a high end skyscraper. “As you all know this is the headquarters of the Nakamura foundation, the countries largest supplier of high end luxury goods and services to the rich and famous and tomorrow night they will be hosting a party to show of their newest collection-“ you waved your hand and the image changed showing off a group of of diamond and precious jewel encrusted necklaces and bracelets “-jewel of the night”.

This was easy, the words flowing from your lips like water. You had been working on this for six months, had spent months doing recon and test runs and you were sure in your plan, as was Fuyuhito. This is what you were good at, how you had made your living and gotten through life and your confidence was well earned. After all this wasn’t the first high end robbery you had orchestrated and it wouldn’t be the last.

As you went on about security systems, who would be in attendance, heroes that would be on duty and exit strategy’s your mind wonders back to the man you had left broken and alone. You hated yourself for what you had done but it was better this way, better for him to think he had fallen in love with a heartless bitch and not a wanted criminal. You didn’t want to put him in that position, to have to watch you be lead off in cuffs or for him to be the one to arrest you. No this was definitely a mercy and come tomorrow night it wouldn’t even matter. You would take your share and run, put as much distance between you and Izuku as you could and never set foot in Japan again.

[cybernaght]

Guardian rewatch: episode 10

The tone of this recap is going to be the crackiest so far. The production quality plummets dramatically here, in a way which is as unintentionally hilarious as it is endearing. I have very little of import to say on events of this episode, and there is nothing much for me to hyper focus on, so a lot of this write-up are snark and bad jokes. Apologies in advance. I would not be getting annoyed at a show I did not care about. 

Day two of the Road Trip starts with Zhao Yunlan waking up with a splitting headache and his own jacket draped carefully over him. I choose to believe Shen Wei left it there. 

Zhao Yunlan wakes up - and discovers that Wang Zheng had slipped a sedative into the party’s water, effectively knocking them all out. He even discovers that she left her doll-body behind as a decoy; thankfully, it’s still Li Siqi and not the blow-up doll from the previous episode. 

With the daunting realisation that he’s been betrayed, Zhao Yunlan instantly spirals into hurt and anger, and this is the moment Shen Wei chooses to appear out to nowhere. He enters offering comfort, his entire focus on making Zhao Yunlan feel better by assuring the man that his subordinate is not one of the bad guys, but rather one of the self-sacrificing ones. How SID manages to function when it’s full of people with non-existent sense of self-preservation is beyond me. 

“Professor Shen, why are you okay?”

Zhu Hong narrows her eyes. Zhao Yunlan’s look is the one of vulnerability, not suspicion, almost as if he is silently asking to please not be betrayed by his newest partner.

“I didn’t drink the water she gave me.”

Another thing I would like to question here is the reasoning behind Shen Wei waiting until the morning with this. He knew that Wang Zheng was about to do something, since he refrained from drinking the water she offered. Everyone else being unconscious would be a perfect opportunity for him to go full Hei Pao Shi on her, or follow her quietly, or do literally anything but wait for the morning. 

“What is your purpose of coming here?” Shen Wei asks because he needs to know how much Zhao Yunlan knows. He does so with a perfect set of puppy eyes. 

We cut to Wang Zheng entering the chamber which houses the pillar/totem, and witness the absolute devastation of her hearing her love’s voice for the first time in a century, as he mistakes her for the enemy and calls her a rat.

I should say that while I’m not always on board with Li Siqi in this show, props to her for acting her heart out opposite a literal pillar. Her reunion with Sang Zan is incredibly touching; she really is wonderful here.

Flashback 1. The execution of Ge Lan. 

This method of execution seems so inefficient, I actually tried to find if it has any legs in history. As my research yielded exactly no results, I am guessing this is the producers showing hanging without actually showing hanging. They kind of accidentally made the whole affair infinitely worse. People are weaker than gravity, the angle offers no possibility of the neck being broken, so this would be a very slow, and very painful death. Yikes, is all I can say. 

Flashback 2. The montage. 

Sigh.

This imagery is so carelessly contemporary it’s killing me. I’m not saying it’s completely impossible for the heart shape to have been known to represent love in this fictional tribe on a fictional planet. I’m just saying it’s a boring shorthand for romance, made worse by the fact that so much of the show’s imagery is otherwise fairly intelligent. I am not angry, I’m just disappointed.

Wang Zheng and Sang Zan’s reunion triggers another earthquake, which is felt all the way back in the village, and shortly thereafter Zhu Jiu interrupts the couple, knocking Wang Zheng out. This - her being knocked unconscious - cuts to Zhao Yunlan wincing while clutching at his temples, which almost implies that he can feel it when his people are in danger. Which would be very cool if true. 

Shen Wei, in the meanwhile is remarkably good at keeping his Professor’s mask on the whole time, offering enough information without betraying his own knowledge or motives, but it is clear by now that Zhao Yunlan starts to see right through it. 

The chief sprints into action when Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng arrive, instructing the two to join him in investigation. Shen Wei opens his mouth to volunteer to come with, but ends up hesitating before saying anything out loud. 

Zhu Hong, too, makes a move to go after the three men, but is firmly instructed to say behind and look after Shen Wei. She proceeds to loudly explain that this is the wrong time and place to be fussing over this guy. 

Shen Wei looks like he has no idea what to do with this display of emotion. 

Zhao Yunaln whispers to Zhu Hong to watch the professor for him: which could equally be him manipulating the Yashou into staying, or a sinking realisation that Shen Wei will actually try to join them either way, or genuine desire to find out what the professor will do next. Or, indeed, a combination of the above. Zhu Hong will attack her task with conviction. 

Sure enough, Shen Wei finally voices his desire to go with the group. Zhu Hong reminds him that he has his own people to look after and instructs him to return to the house with barely contained resentment. 

Shen Wei will predictably try to sneak out very shortly afterwards, and will be, equally predictably, caught by Zhu Hong. Why the man who can teleport would not just teleport out of the house before proceeding on foot is anyone’s guess. 

“He surprisingly views you as a good friend”, says Zhu Hong when she stops Shen Wei from leaving. “You surely noticed it, right?”

He certainly did, although he will always have trouble realising that he is actually cared about in a way which is anything but casual. 

Shen Wei obediently sits down and follows Zhu Hong’s instructions as she attempts to hypnotise him. Those instructions are anything but subtle. 

“Professor Shen, look at the flame closely”.

Meanwhile, the other party has successfully deduced the location of the Hanga tribe cave/shrine, and heads there, only to find no visible entrance. Thankfully, gaining access to the mountain is not particularly hard for the party. Mostly because this part of the mountain is made of foam.

This is where I want to metaphorically pat Guardian on its non-existent head, cooing, “Oh, Guardian. Baby. What have you done.”

On the bright side, this is also where Guo Changcheng accidentally shocks Zhao Yunlan with the Fear Stick, and Chu Shuzhi literally gives him a thumbs up. Those two are a duo for the ages. 

Youchu appear to fight our heroes, and after the first wave is eliminated, Zhao Yunlan decides to go inside, leaving the other two fend them off near the entrance. Considering that the beasts are all hiding inside the cave, rushing in without backup seems incredibly ill advised. Zhao Yunlan instructs Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng to run away if the danger becomes too great. Which he must know surely that they would never do: his department does not leave people behind, and his subordinates will never abandon him. 

To no one’s surprise, the cave is crawling with Youchu. Zhao Yunlan goes on the offensive, kicking the feet out of the monster, but failing to incapacitate it. I am going to do my best to ignore how the scale of the beast fluctuates as it falls down, and focus on Bai Yu’s excellent reaction when his character realises that he is about to very much die.

Luckily for our protagonist, Hei Pao Shi sends a ward his way with a note, warning him of the danger ahead and ordering him to return. Zhao Yunlan makes no move to do as instructed and uses the upper hand he’s gained on the Youchu to get out his gun. Before he can fire however, he once more experiences the painful flashback of the devastation this gun carries, and freezes.

This is when Shen Wei shows up in person, jumping in front of the gun and gutting the beast.

The jumping in front of the gun part of the action is sweet, because it indicates, albeit indirectly, the absolute trust Shen Wei must have in Zhao Yunlan’s instincts, knowing that the man will not accidentally shoot him in the back. 

The gutting itself happens in reverse grip, with Shen Wei being easily within reach of the beast’s long stabby claws, and as such really questionable to me in terms of logic. I would have not minded it if he had been moving through the space in front of the beast, slicing it while passing through. That would be at least an indicator of both speed and dexterity enough to make me believe Shen Wei made a clever avoidance of the claws. But he doesn’t: he just materialises dead-on in front of the monster and the later just.. lets itself be killed. 

Let’s just say that maybe the beast is supposed to be deliberately slow here, and park the long essay in regards to the bladework until the next episode. 

“Chief Zhao, are you alright?”

Everything about Hei Pao Shi in this moment screams of Shen Wei-ness. Well, maybe not the sword. But the obvious concern, the tone of voice, the general air: it’s all Shen Wei. It’s remarkable that Zhao Yunlan does not see it. Or maybe, I suppose, he does, without even realising it. His cheeky grin suddenly appears; the corners of his eyes crinkle, as he goes into a very long-winded, almost flirtatious away about thanking Hei Pao Shi, teasing him for not always arriving on time. 

Unperturbed, Shen Wei chides Zhao Yunlan for not listening to his warning, and Zhao Yunlan defends himself in a very playful kind of manner, adding that he’s not leaving his people behind. To Shen Wei, this is to be expected, so instead of arguing he goes into a lot of detail on how the road ahead is dangerous, as if he is not really expecting Zhao Yunlan to accept help. 

He is wrong of course: proud though he may be, Chief Zhao knows when he is outgunned and outnumbered, and only grins, happy for the Envoy to join him on his mission. 

Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan exploring the cave is interspersed with pretty damn harrowing scenes of Zhu Jiu torturing Wang Zheng as her trapped lover screams for mercy. It’s a lot; in fact it’s so much even the cave ghosts attempt to intervene, because while they may be very much pro-murder, they are evidently anti-torture. 

As the two keep exploring, they bump into another three of the beasts, which Shen Wei slays in three slick moves. It’s actually pretty cool, despite slightly sketchy teleportation effects.

“Wow!”

(Apparently, this “wow” made Zhu Yilong corpse so much he nearly laughed his mask off. Which sounds adorable)

Shen Wei proceeds to inquire Zhao Yunlan about the gun, party to confirm that it is indeed the dark energy weapon he knows, and partly having noticed that the other man failed to fire it. I wonder how many times Zhao Yunlan froze in the past, considering how easily he once again slips into his mask of playful deflection, claiming that he never planned to fire the gun at all. It’s almost tragic how this person keeps feeling like he needs to prove his own capabilities over and over again. 

Interestingly enough, in this particular case Hei Pao Shi actually does own up to a weakness. It’s calculated: he knows this is something Zhao Yunlan must already be aware of, but still, “full disclosure” is not something Shen Wei usually does when it comes to his own capacities. 

What he admits to, on the other hand, does not seem very consistent with the rest of the show. He says that he can only use half of his power above ground, which - okay. But he also states that he can’t spend a lot of time here, and I am a little bit… confused? He lives above ground. He spends absolute majority of his time here. I really don’t want to think of this as a writing inconsistency, so please let me know what I have missed; I’ll appreciate it. 

Hearing the admission, Zhao Yunlan grows serious for once, asking which they they should be going next. Shen Wei barely smothers a smug smirk seconds before he scries the surroundings with unbelievable panache.

Show off

Unfortunately, his search does not yield any result, as whatever readings he is getting are muddled by the Hallow. Luckily for them, and to Shen Wei’s great dismay, Zhao Yunlan has the Dial on him which he is uses as a compass. 

Shen Wei’s wordless reaction conveys a million questions from “what the hell?” to “are you completely stupid?”

Instead of asking any of those things, he settles for a more neutral “I’ve told you not to use the Hallows.”

“You are very much like a friend of mine”, remarks Zhao Yunlan. 

Which is, incidentally, also the title of this episode. 

Even behind the mask it’s clear to see Shen Wei’s blind panic as he realises he may have just blown his cover sky high. Fortunately, Zhao Yunlan reads the reaction as bashfulness rather than existential despair, and laughs it off. 

Now that they know which way to go, they finally make it to the chamber which houses the pillar/totem, which now has Wang Zheng tied to it. 

This show sure does like tying their characters to totems containing souls of people significant to them, huh?

In all seriousness though, as parallels go, this one is… uh… unparalleled. 

(I am so very sorry.)

Zhao Yunlan makes a move towards his trapped subordinate, but Hei Pao Shi, again in a way which is extremely Shen Wei-like, grabs at his arm, stopping him in his tracks. 

Zhao Yunlan obediently halts, and calls Zhu Jiu out, correctly guessing that the Undergrounder lured them here deliberately. Shen Wei, on the other hand, relays in a hushed tone information what he had observed so far: namely, that the Hallow stored here is the Dire Awl, and that something is incredibly fishy about Wang Zheng.

As he does so, he is staring at Zhao Yunlan’s lips. It is neither the time, nor the place, but hey, I’m not complaining.

They have a brief discussion about the next moves, in which Shen Wei just says he would like to try something, and Zhao Yunlan nods, letting him do it without asking for any details. 

Flashback 3: the Backstory. 

We hear the full tragic tale of Ge Lan and Sang Zan: how they met, representatives of the warring sides of the conflict, two people from two different worlds; how their love did not stop the awful bloodshed; how it could not be enough to overpower the politics; how it lead to Ge Lan’s death, and, finally, how Sang Zan could not bring her back to him. They hear how the man changed once he lost the only person he cared about. 

Zhao Yunlan is visibly moved by this story, recognising echoes of it in himself. 

“The most basic dignity of a man is to ensure that the person in his heart stays safe. If the person I love gets destroyed in my own hands ruined under the system I established myself, it’s very likely I’ll hate these people more than I hated the former tribe leader.”

How much did he harden after his mother was taken away from him? How much of his initial hatred of all those from the Underground stems from that day? And, of course, how much will it break him when he will not be gifted this dignity in his own future? 

Shen Wei is near vibrating with how much his very soul resonates with the tale he has just heard. He, who has met someone from the other world, who was lost that person, is visibly weighed down by his own memories.

“That’s right. Even if they’re cut into a myriad of pieces, the hatred would be hard to dissolve.”

Zhao Yunlan stares at the other man, astounded, wondering what hardships and losses the Envoy endured in his long and eventful life, as the episode draws to a close.

And I am left here trying to soothe my aching heart, bruised once more by this show’s relentless fatalism. 

Next up, episode 11: Oh Boy Do I Have Sword Opinions 

---

Notes. 

Look. It’s been a long week okay. Besides, I am basically marathoning my way through Zhu Yilong’s entire filmography. 

The normal service in terms of analysis will hopefully resume next week. 

[jaskierswolf]

A Thirst Like Flames

Part 4/6  (1, 2, 3, -  5)

Ship: Gerlion - Rated: E (for smut) - Also on AO3

CW: (for this chapter only) canon-typical violence, animal death

Summary: There was an itch prickling over Dandelion’s skin, a constant ache in the pit of his stomach and his mind felt hazy at all hours of the day. He watched the sun creep behind the horizon, quill in hand, the long feather brushing against his cheek, willing for some kind of inspiration, anything to distract him from the never ending lust. He couldn’t help it, he was a young man in his prime and he’d spent the last few months in the wilderness with a rather gorgeous witcher.

Dandelion had forlornly watched Geralt leave the room, his afterglow sufficiently shattered even as Marie curled up next to him, her hands resting on his chest. He felt hollow. He hadn’t meant to say Geralt’s name, but the habit was hard to shake and, with the witcher watching him so intently, was he really to blame?

Dandelion sighed, his own fingers dancing along the length of Marie’s spine. She was beautiful and very talented at her profession. She hadn’t made any move to continue their activities once Geralt had left the room, which Dandelion was surprisingly grateful for. He wondered what Geralt had been thinking when he left. Did he resent Dandelion? Had he just ruined everything?

His adventures with the witcher were probably over before they’d even truly begun.

And yet, Geralt had reminded him of when they were due to meet. That had to mean something. He sighed dramatically and stared up at the ceiling. Sharing a whore had seemed like a great idea at the time but now he was really starting to wonder whether he’d irreparably damaged their budding friendship, he’d grown too greedy too fast.

“Why don’t you follow him?” Marie asked.

“Excuse me?” Dandelion stammered, blinking down at her. He hadn’t expected her to talk but he supposed he was being rather miserable company. Not at all up to his usual standards. He knew that whores talked, and he knew he had a reputation… and this really wasn’t it.

“Instead of moping in bed with me, why don’t you follow him?” Marie asked again, poking him in the chest.

“Ah, yes, well. I really don’t think that’s a good idea, my dear,” he sighed, eyes flickering back up to the ceiling. He scoffed haughtily and rolled over in the bed, turning his back on Marie. Yes, he was sulking but he was a poet and he was allowed to be dramatic, especially after he’d destroyed the best thing that had happened to him since he’d left Oxenfurt.

He heard Marie sigh behind him and that was the only warning he got before he was dumped unceremoniously on the floor. He squeaked as he landed with a thump, and he was sure he’d bruised his coccyx, he hoped that it wasn’t broken. He’d never broken a bone before but he was sure it couldn’t be more painful than this. He hissed and turned to glare at Marie who was smirking down at him, still looking as lovely as ever, and if he wasn’t so furious he would be tempted to go another round.

“Get out, poet,” she said simply, her tone leaving no room for arguments.

“Well, excuse me?” he gaped at her. “I thought…”

“The witcher is waiting for you, we’re done. Get out, before I call for help.” Dandelion went to grab his clothes, quite adept at getting dressed quickly before climbing through the window, but Marie stopped him. “Out!”

“My clothes!” he whined, only just managing to swipe up his small clothes before he was booted out the door.

He stared, pouting at the door, one hand on his hips and the other running through the mess of curls on his head. The door stayed shut, despite his silent prayers and he really didn’t want to face the witcher with no clothes on. He’d humiliated himself enough for one day. Before he managed to turn and walk way, the door finally flew open and his poor, very expensive, clothes were flung from the room and he had to scramble to catch them.

“Oh bloody hell!”

It was only when he’d reached the street below the brothel that he realised his precious lute was still inside. With a pathetic whine he turned to head back inside but the window above him slammed open.

“You forgot something, bard,” Marie yelled down to him and his eyes widened as he saw his lute in her hands.

“No, no, no, my lute! Careful she’s fragile!” Dandelion cried, dropping his clothes and stumbling forwards to catch his darling instrument as it was dropped from the window. By some miracle she didn’t break and he cradled her in his arms until he noticed the strange looks he was getting from the surrounding villagers. “Oh, bugger off.”

He scooped up his clothes and darted into an alley to get dressed. The sun had set before he managed to flee the town, luckily avoiding the thugs that were lurking by the gates. Having mud covered clothes had probably helped, he looked much less like the noble he was born to be.

“Blasted whore,” he muttered as he tried his best to brush down his clothes but they were a lost cause.

Dandelion sighed, adjusting his hat on his head. It would need a new feather, but he would look for one in the next town. For now, he just needed to find Geralt… wherever he might be.

___________

The woods were dark and unforgiving, nothing like the warmth of the brothel, but it suited Geralt’s mood just fine. He stared into the fire, watching the flames dance, licking at the air and swirling into nothing. The heat prickled against his skin, a comforting feeling that kept him grounded as his emotions brewed into a storm in his chest.

Dandelion had wanted him.

And Geralt had left him.

Roached snorted from the edge of the camp, stomping at the ground. Sometimes Geralt wondered if she was more human than horse, she certainly seemed to have opinions on every choice he made in life. He rolled his eyes and cast her a withering look. “I know, I fucked up.”

Her tail flicked and she whinnied loudly.

“I know, I’ll wait for him, even give him until noon. Gods know he won’t be up at dawn,” he sighed and turned back to watch the fire once more.

Geralt wasn’t sure how long he watched it, but a familiar scream pulled him from his thoughts.

“Dandelion?” he jumped up and grabbed his swords, making sure Roach was secure before running towards the sound of the poet. His brain was supplying images of the very worst scenarios, Dandelion cold and bleeding out on the ground, bandits or monsters looming over him.

And it would all be Geralt’s fault. He hadn’t been there to protect his friend.

“Geralt!” the poet yelled again, “Geralt help me!”

The world sharpened around him as he focused his senses, the sounds and smells of the forest almost overwhelming but he was skilled at blocking out what he didn’t need. A familiar lavender and chamomile scent caught his attention and he turned his head towards  the vibrations of Dandelion’s heartbeat, the sticks and leaves crunching underfoot as he tried to scramble away from his attacker. Geralt sniffed, picking out the scent of wet dog among the trees, a low rumbling of growls filling the air.

Wargs.

“Damn it!” he cursed as he ran, his steel sword ready to strike. Time slowed as he burst into the clearing. Dandelion was on the floor, his doublet covered in mud, tears ripping through the fabric but Geralt noticed with relief that there was no trace of the poet’s blood. The rips seemingly from his rush through the trees.

Geralt’s sword swung through the air just in time. The warg yelped as steel slashed through fur. Dark eyes met golden, snarling and growling as it bared its teeth. The witcher and the warg danced a lethal dance, sword versus brute force, steel versus claws. Geralt tried to ignore Dandelion’s whimpering, focussing on the task at hand. Pirouetting, dodging, lunging, a blur of white hair as the final blow hit. His sword buried into the creature’s brain, and the warg whined as it fell to the ground.

“Oh gods,” Dandelion groaned, arms wrapping around his stomach. His face had gone a ghostly pale white, resembling the wraiths that haunted the realm.

Geralt squatted down beside his friend, cupping his cheek and brushing the matted blond curls from off his face. “You’re safe, Dandelion.”

Dandelion just sobbed, gripping onto Geralt’s armour, his long fingers  scratching at the leather. It was so rare to see his friend so distraught that Geralt wasn’t sure what to do. He tentatively wrapped his arms around the poet, closing his eyes as he let Dandelion cry himself dry. Witchers don’t feel, it was the thought that had been plaguing him ever since he’d met the poet. Witchers don’t feel, and yet Geralt’s heart felt like it was bleeding, aching for the fragile human that he held so close.

“My lute,” Dandelion whispered, his usually soothing tenor cracked and hoarse. “Oh gods, Geralt my lute.”

Geralt frowned, scanning the forest for the bard’s instrument, but he found nothing. That was strange, the lute was normally strung round Dandelion’s shoulders or tucked safely away in their room at inns. Geralt gripped the poet’s shoulder, tucking a finger under his chin so that watery cornflower blue eyes were shining up at him, his bottom lip quivering and looking every part the delicate flower that he played.

“What happened, Dandelion?” Geralt asked with a cock of his head.

“I- I- I tripped, when- when I first saw it,” Dandelion choked on his own sobs, stammering over the words where he would normally be streaming poetic nonsense with very little effort. “The wolf, monster, whatever the bloody hell it was!”

“Warg,” Geralt answered without thinking but Dandelion’s answering glare made him wince.

“Yes, thank you, my dear. That is not the point!” Dandelion snapped, wiping the snot from his nose.

“I know,” Geralt said softly, swiping his thumb along the poet’s cheekbone to brush away the tear that had fallen. “I’m sorry, your lute?”

“I fell on it, shattered by my own hand!”

“Where is it?”

“Oh, does it matter?” Dandelion whined, waving his arms wide.

“Yes, now show me.”

They walked cautiously through the trees, Dandelion hanging off Geralt’s arm, sniffing as he went, and the scent of his misery permeated the air. Geralt knew they were close when Dandelion let out a pitiful whine, and his fingers gripped tighter onto Geralt’s arm. The lute lay splintered on the ground, the neck only attached to the body by the strings.

Toruviel’s lute, broken beyond repair.

Unless…

Geralt gathered up the pieces in his arms, ignoring the whines and cries from his companion as they walked back to camp. The lute was tucked into Roach’s saddlebags and they settled down for the night. There was a chill in the air but not enough to warrant sharing a bedroll, and yet Dandelion curled up close to him. Neither of them questioned it, content to hold each other close after the long and emotional trials of the day.

[thisnoodlewritesao3]

Okay so I’ve read like all your stories and I just wanted to say that you write so well. You’re so unique from all the writers on here (not that there’s anything bad with them!) and I love the perspectives you take!!

If you’re taking requests, which it’s totally okay if you’re not, could I request something for Yamaguchi? Where reader has like tried to ask him out but keeps chickening out and Yamaguchi just thinks he scares her for some reason? 🤣 tyyyyy

First of all, you are amazing and I’m so glad that you liked all my stories! They all take so much time and effort that it’s nice to hear these words from you, you kind anon. Second of all, this request literally kicked my motivation into hyperdrive, so everyone, please thank this anon because I don’t think I’d have been able to do anything worthwhile if it wasn’t for this!

If you have any more requests, I would be so happy to take them!!!

Onto the story hehe

----

Has a letter ever weighed so much in your hands? You didn’t think so. But no other letter had ever meant so much before. This had meaning, it had a reason, an entire purpose that was setting off your anxiety tenfold.

Shouldn’t it have been easy to do this? Just put the letter on his desk, walk away, and wait. Three simple steps that had been evading for the entire week. You managed to get one step closer to his desk every single day, but something always pulled you back. Maybe it was the time that he saw you walking closer and you basically ran away from him.

There were insecurities and worries, dreams and anxieties. Was he even aware of the effect he had on people? For some reason, you doubted it. But it was his kind smile, his serious undertones that people overlooked, his own worries and own fears that made you want to support him.

Oh, if only Yamaguchi Tadashi knew how you felt. Things would be so much easier.

Instead, you looked back over at his desk again, taking note of its emptiness and letting some worry wash away. Because you could put it down and he would never know it was you until he read it. He didn’t need to respond, you didn’t need an answer - the only thing you wanted him to know, was that people liked him for him, not just for Tsukishima Kei.

Today is the day, you tell yourself, though you aren’t so sure. Each step closer made you shake. He’d probably think you were lame - though you doubted it, he didn’t seem the type - but you had to try, right? How would you ever get anywhere in life if you didn’t at least try? You wouldn’t! You’d be stuck in the same place, no hope to escape.

One more step.

One last move.

That’s all you needed to do.

Your grip tightened on the letter and you cursed yourself for crinkling the edges. Heart beating so hard in your chest that it hurts - can everyone hear it as loudly as you? Your arms tensed when you thought about putting it down, and then the worst thing happened:

“Y/N, do you need something?” His voice was so warm that you might melt (and it was directed at you). All words seemed to disappear from your head and you froze. What was he going to say? You couldn’t do it now, not with him standing behind you, watching you. 

Maybe if you just pretended not to hear him…

No such luck, he tapped on your shoulder and you just jumped and turned around quickly, almost tumbling directly into him in the process. You manage to catch yourself and he looks worried, “are you okay?” Genuine worry. Oh God.

You look down at the letter and he follows your gaze. Before he can question it, you shove it into your back, smiling too widely to be normal as you fumble through words. “Y-Yep! Just fine- um… j-j-just… um- standing!” You avoided his gaze like the plague, if you met his eyes, God knows what would happen.

Instead, you try and walk past him.

That doesn’t work. Because of course it doesn’t.

You end up tripping over your feet, bringing him down to the ground with you - if the ground could open up and swallow you whole, that would be nice.

You look down at him, both of you groaning from various degrees of pain. His eyes are squeezed shut and you know you have to say something, anything, to show him that you care about the fact you’d just basically pushed him onto the ground. You’re busy trying to decide between are you okay? and I’m sorry! when your mouth decides for you. “Are you sorry?” You ask him too loudly, capturing the attention of everyone in the class.

You bury your head in your hands. That’s it, after today, you’re moving to the mountains to raise goats. Surely nothing can embarrass you up there.

Forcing yourself to stand, you practically run out of the room, stuttering a pathetic apology so you can seek refuge in your friends. They’d only laugh at you, but at least someone could, because that’s what you needed. Someone to laugh and tell you just how ridiculous you’d been.

The bell called out far too quickly - you really weren’t ready to go back to class, but you didn’t have a choice - especially not when your body decided to move for you. Seriously, your body needs to stop making these decisions today, it keeps getting you in trouble.

Of course he’s already sat in his seat, you feel his eyes on you. You can only ignore them and sink into your seat, resting your head on the table.

There was no way he’d ever like you now- no, there was no way he’d ever liked you to begin with. You’d only spoke to him a handful of times (and only a few of them had been normal conversations). You wanted him to know that you weren’t a complete mess all the time. That you could have conversations, and be normal, and not stutter through every single word. That you knew how to speak, and that you liked him. So much that it hurt. That he’d been the reason you’d watched volleyball, in the hopes it would give you something to talk about. You wanted him to know that you wouldn’t always be held back by a letter, that one day you’d be confident enough to stand by his side without almost crying.

There were too many things you wanted to tell him, show him. How would you ever be able to find the actual words to say it? You doubted you’d ever be able to. So maybe you’d just have to be content watching him from the sidelines, cheering him on during games whenever he came up to serve - because you’d always cheered the loudest for him. Only him.

You couldn’t wait to get home and curl up under the blankets with a tub of ice cream, eat your troubles away (you know, like a responsible person). But those volleyball boys had a different plan for you.

You’d barely started packing away your things - you were shaking so much it was a near impossible task - when someone stood next to your desk, basically blocking your escape. You looked up and locked eyes with Tsukishima Kei. Anxiety hit you again, but Yamaguchi wasn’t in sight, so you calmed down. “Can you come with me?” He asked, though it sounded more demanding.

Quickly agreeing, you finished packing up your bag and followed him. Only God knows how you can be so confident around him. You won’t question it, not yet. Not until you’re in the comfort of your room, fretting over the day's events.

He led you to some place close to the gym, not giving you a second to question it before he pulled a letter from his pocket. No. Not just a letter.

You recognised it, the pastel purple envelope, the little yellow heart sticker holding it closed was pressed in the corner. You wanted to sink. To fall down and cry. To scream and shout and run away from this. But you couldn’t. So you chose to smile up at him. “What’s that?” You said innocently, hoping you could play it off as some mistake. Because if he’d read it, then that meant he knew you liked Yamaguchi, which meant Yamaguchi probably knew you liked Yamaguchi, and you don’t know if you could deal with that revelation right now.

He gave you a look and you knew he didn’t believe your act for a second. Instead of bringing that up, he handed it back to you, “come on, Y/N, everyone knows you like him by now.” He said nonchalantly, his hands resting by his sides. Everyone? Your eyes opened wide with shock, so he elaborated, “everyone but him.” That notion didn’t exactly calm you, but you let out a relieved sigh.

“Was it that obvious?” You asked, rubbing the back of your neck. There wasn’t any point in trying to hide it from him, he already know.

Tsukishima nodded and you could only laugh weakly.

“I thought I was being really casual about it.” That was a lie, but you had to play it off. Maybe he wouldn’t realise your lie.

“You can’t even speak around him and you think that’s casual?” His tone was mocking - he did have a point - but that didn’t mean you had to like it. “What do you even like about him? You don’t know him.” You flinched back and brought both your hands close to your chest, a little worried by his sudden change in tone. “Or are you just using him like every other girl is? Because if you just like me the-”

“Fuck no!” You cried out. Now it was his turn to be shocked, especially when you glared up at him. “Look, you’re a great guy. But you aren’t Yamaguchi.” Okay, so what do you say next? “I- I don’t know when I started liking him, but I know it hit me full force when I realised it.” That much was obvious. “He makes me so happy and excited that I feel ridiculous, and then I can’t even speak.” Yes, we know. “He’s just so amazing! And funny. And cute. Like, I swear, I could probably just look at him all day. He's really pretty.” And now it’s creepy, calm down, Y/N. “And it sucks! That girls do that to him, but I’m not like them. If they want to talk to you, they should just be confident and do it, not use him for that, it isn’t fair!” He smirked down at you - little does he know, you see the irony in that statement. “I like him. I like Yamaguchi Tadashi. Is that what you wanted to hear?” It felt so nice to finally be able to say it. Like it was a step closer to actually being able to tell him.

Your heart was pounding, but not from nerves, it was from the passion. Because this meant so much to you. Maybe one day you could tell him to your face.

“I mean,” Tsukishima shrugged and looked off to the side, “I don’t really care about all that, especially since I’m not the person you should be telling.” You followed his gaze and locked eyes with the green haired boy. Had he heard that? What were you kidding, of course he’d heard that, but it really is now or never.

Yamaguchi stepped closer and head spread throughout your body. For a moment, it felt like it was only you and him, like the rest of the world was gone. He never broke your gaze, that uncharacteristic confidence was doing wonders - or maybe it was the adrenaline.

Sucking in a deep breath, you turned to face him. “I-” you froze, everything suddenly felt too much. But you have to do this. You can’t turn back now, not when he’s looking at you like he might just break if he doesn’t hear it again. “I like you.” You shoved the letter towards him, knowing he’s read it, but words on a page mean nothing against the words from your mouth. “And not just as friends, I like you the way a girl likes a boy.”

The weight from your shoulders disappears as he smiles softly. “Oh thank God, I thought you were scared of me.”

“Why?” You asked, twiddling your fingers together to calm your nerves.

“Because you couldn’t look or speak to me, and you kept running away.” He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. Of course he’d thought that, it was obvious now. So the whole world could really see how madly you’d fallen for the pinch server - the whole world, except for him.

It takes some time - because everything takes you time - but you’re eventually able to function almost completely normally around him. You rarely get nervous, but the day he figured out how to get you flustered had been your own personal downfall; he’d laugh and say he loved it; you’d laugh and say you’d get revenge. The only time you managed to get that revenge had been at your wedding, when you used the letter to him as your vow.

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