#I have my math final Wednesday and I haven’t studied
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glassballdinosaurs · 2 months ago
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Ughhhhhhhhhh
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goldfades · 1 year ago
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i hate math too 😔
i also have my algebra eoc coming up and im so scared bc im so awful at math
- ⭐️
i’m praying for u girly 🫶🏼 i’m taking my calc final on WEDNESDAY sooo😭😭 i haven’t studied at all im just praying so yeah
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preekar · 2 years ago
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Hi guys it’s been a while since i’ve done my reflections but here’s a run down of my week.
wednesday (05/17) i took my math 32B final and i was so so miserable, this class is actually humbling me so hard and I’m not able to manage everything. I didn’t think math could get this much harder because i felt like math 32A wasn’t that difficult. what upsets me the most is that i actually studied for this midterm and i made dumb mistakes. i’m such a shit test taker and if there’s one thing i’d give anything to improve at, it’s taking tests. I’ve been so bummed out the entire week because of this test and just how i’ve been lacking so bad academically. I’ve been finding it so hard to be cheerful and hang out with all my club friends because I’m constantly worried about my grades. I don’t know how to change this because time is running out and I feel so all over the place.
thursday (05/18) I slept in on thursday because i was catching up with sleep from not sleeping wednesday at all. i don’t mean to kill the vibe but i never feel like doing anything anymore. Like my friend asked me to sing with her and i just made excuses as to why i couldn’t (i was just tired and wanted to be alone). However, I did go to frat row at night to make sure intoxicated college students were safe and I had such a good time with @ashleylim @elliemyun and @samuelahn23 ,, it’s moments like this that I enjoy being in this club. I went to sleep feeling satisfied (even tho i got NO WORK DONE the entire day). I have a midterm coming up in a few days and if i don’t absolutely grind for that, i am effectively screwed for it. Wish me luck, i’ll need it :)
friday (05/19) Today was an alright day. I went for my classes for the first time in so long. I feel like i always just eat the same thing and i’m so frustrated that my life feels so monotonous. I go for the same meetings and eat the same food and do work the same time everyday and sleep late constantly and wake up feeling shitty. I just want to break this tiresome cycle but i don’t know how. I need a break and I’m so happy i’m going home next weekend. One good thing ab today was that we had a talent show. I feel like i haven’t sang in so long, and today i sang one of my all time favorite songs ‘Slipping through my fingers’ by Abba. This song is hella personal to me and i’m glad I was able to sing it. I loved watching my friends do their talents- @trinityho0516 (infamous horse girl) cuts hair pretty well ((she searched up how on wikihow 10min before giving @jakeampong a fresh cut but it’s ok we live and we learn😁😁😁😁)) I actually ate a lot today JUST STUDY SANDWICH AFTER STUDY SANDWICH I SWEAR IM STRESS eating too much these days but it’s okay hot girl summer incoming🔥🔥🔥
saturday (05/20) ALRIGHT LAST DAY TO RECAP!! I had a good sleep but only slept like 5 hours and then got CPR certified with gangy. my certifications expiring soon so i’m glad this worked out well timing wise. I had 14 lectures to catch up with and after today i have 8 so im happy. My midterm is in t-2 days and im so scared. I don’t like taking my grades this seriously but sometimes i gotta and i feel bad for distancing myself from my friends. I haven’t got any of my club work done, but i hope they understand. I got study sandwich today and then DINNER WITH MY PSEUDO GG BIG JAMIEEE and @nikkichen04 and @samuelahn23. they’re all so much fun to hang around and i hope we can have more epic dinners in the future!!! I have decided that i am going to get 7 hours of sleep today before my tutoring sesh tmr. wish me luck musssssss
ALRIGHT THATS THAT I HOPE YALL ENJOYED THIS TERRIBLE WEEK OF MINE
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watchmegetobsessed · 4 years ago
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SLEEPLESS
a/n: omg! it's been so long since i last wrote something for harry so it feels a bit weird but in a good way to be back. i've been spending more time offline so writing hasn't been going that fast like before, but im working on a few other stuff too! just please be patient with me, im trying my besti swear! so now enjoy this oneshot of two oblivious and stupid roommates who start sharing a bed...
pairing: Roommate!Harry x reader
word count: 8.1k
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Living with three boys has its perks but also a lot of downsides too. It’s not how you planned, you were set to move in with one of your friends from second year, but she bailed on you last minute, leaving you with no place to live when most of the houses were already taken for the next at least one year. You were bracing yourself to sleep under a bridge or something already when your heroes came along.
You went to high school with Harry Niall and Louis, but you weren’t exactly in the same friend group, just knew about each other. Then you ended up in the same Lit class freshman year with Harry and he was basically your pass into their little group. You hit it off pretty easily and you always wondered why you didn’t become friends before college. Later you had two more classes with him in the second semester and it was just all a coincidence that he found out about your living situation.
“Why don’t you move in with us?” he prompted one afternoon when you were studying together in the library.
“I’m not sharing a room with any of you, Harry,” you sighed, shaking your head.
“You wouldn’t have to. We had a fourth mate living with us but he dropped out about a month ago. You could take his bedroom.”
“Are for real? You should talk about it with the boys first, don’t you think?”
“I’m sure they wouldn’t mind it. They like you too and if I’m being honest, the place could use the touch of a woman,” he smirked and you just rolled your eyes, but you were incredibly thankful for the offer.
So after talking with Niall and Louis about it and once they gave their amens on the situation, you officially moved in with the three of them.
You’d be lying if you said there hasn’t been times when you thought about choosing the bridge, living with boys is not exactly a dream. They are messy, sometimes loud and oblivious about certain things women do and need. You’ll never forget Niall’s face when you packed the shelf above the toilet with your tampons and pads. The horror in his eyes as he examined all the different sizes and types.
“But why so many? I don’t get it why you need the large ones and the mini ones too,” he huffed.
“Because I vary them according to the strength of my flow.”
“Bless you,” he scoffed and just walked away.
They tend to leave their clothes around the house and they don’t always realize when it’s time to let some fresh air into the place either. Harry has a sixth sense wanting to use the bathroom when you’re in and Louis always forgets to get rid of his spoiled food from the fridge. Tini things that surely got you thinking if it was a good idea to move in with them. But then there are times when you can’t even imagine sharing a home with anyone else than these three idiots.
The way Harry always leaves you a cup of coffee on the counter when he has an early class on mondays and wednesdays, how Niall always waits for you to get home after your night shifts at the restaurant you’ve been working at, but he always just says he was watching Supernatural on TV. You love that Louis goes out of his way to get you your favorite pastry for breakfast on sundays when he goes for his morning runs. But the absolute best is that you never feel alone or bored with these three around. Something is always happening and they make sure to involve you in everything, making you feel like part of their little pack.
Tonight is Thursday and Thursdays are movie nights in your home. It’s been a tradition since the first week and you haven’t missed any of them. Sitting on the couch at your usual spot, you laugh as Niall growls in annoyance when you suggest to watch another rom-com.
“Not again!” he protests, sitting on the floor by the coffee table you and Harry thrifted a few months ago after the previous one was broken at a smaller party held in the house.
“Why? I bet Harry would love it!” you grin, glancing at the guy in talk who is now entering the room with a big bowl of popcorn.
“Of course he would, because he is a pussy! And the two of you always team up, dragging Louis with you so I can never watch something I enjoy!” Niall whines as Harry sits next to you, not too bothered by his friend’s cries.
“Come on, I bet you enjoyed Crazy, Stupid Love last week!” you laugh, remembering how he whined for the first part, then fell asleep at the end.
“Love, if you think that was enjoyment, I wouldn’t want to be your boyfriend,” Niall scoffs and you gasp at his reply.
“Hey!” you snap at him, but can’t help laughing. This is how it always goes with you and Niall, the non-stop bickering can sometimes drive Harry and Lou insane.
“Okay, so what do you want to watch?” Harry asks, throwing some popcorn into his mouth as he gets comfortable, an arm resting on the back of the couch behind you, the other one busy with the snack in his lap.
“There is this new horror I’ve been dying to see!” Niall’s blue eyes light up right away, but you’re fast to break that shine.
“Nah, no way. I’m not watching a horror movie.”
“Why not?”
“Because I fucking hate them and they scare the shit out of me.”
“That’s like the whole point!” he protests, but you shake your head no again.
“What are you fighting about again?” Louis asks, walking into the room after his quick shower, the smell of his body wash filling the room for a few moments.
“I want to watch a horror movie, but Y/N is a little baby and she doesn’t want to.”
“I’m not a baby! I just don’t enjoy watching people get killed or demons sucking the life out of someone!” Niall just rolls his eyes at your response.
“But it’s always what you or Harry wants to watch, why can’t I choose just this once?”
“That’s not true, we watch movies you like too!” you retort, but Niall gives you an unimpressed look. “We watched that crime thing, that was your choice!”
“That was three months ago, Y/N,” he sighs and as you do some quick math you realize that he is right.
“Hey, he has a point. Let’s just watch what he wants this one time, yeah?” Harry curls his arm that’s been on the back of the couch around your shoulder and he pulls you to his side, squeezing you gently.
“But I hate horrors,” you pout, knowing well that it’s already kind of settled, you lost this battle.
“It’s just a movie. And if you get scared in the night, you can sleep at mine,” he offers with a wink that surely makes your heartbeat fasten a bit.
If you’re being honest, you’ve always had a tiny crush on Harry, even back in high school, when you didn’t really know him. He was the cool guy, but not the douchebag type, more like the one that was nice to everyone and earned their respect and liking. Getting to know him just proved that he really is a great guy, but you figured he would never feel the same way about you. These three guys only saw you as their sister and that was in a way kinda worse than being friend zoned, but there’s nothing you can do about it, so you just decided to come to peace with your situation. But that doesn’t mean you don’t get flustered when you see him wander around the house in just his boxers or when he gets a little touchy with you, which happens a lot, because that’s just how he is. Hands on your shoulders, a little squeeze on your hips, the gentle touch of his fingers on your back, they happen all the time and they get your pulse up every time. You can only hope it’s not that noticeable.
Niall finally gets what he wants and you agree to watch that stupid horror movie. It doesn’t start off too bad, but it quickly escalates and makes you shudder every time the screen gets a little darker or the music is foreshadowing that something is about to happen.
“Jesus fuck!” you jump a little when the killer appears out of nowhere in the scene.
“You alright?” Harry asks, peeking down at you.
“I fucking hate this dude,” you mumble, rubbing your face with your hands, to get your shit together. Harry chuckles lightly next to you, his arm pulling you to his side close and you gladly sink against him, the warmth of his body giving you some comfort and a sense of safety.
Your eyes are on the screen, but your mind is dancing around how his fingers are delicately running up and down your arm, drawing circles and little shapes on your skin. It could put you to sleep easily, even with the woman screaming on the screen after seeing her husband get killed.
“Just imagine the guy with a funny mustache,” Harry murmurs, leaning closer to you so he doesn’t bother the other two guys with his comment. “Or maybe in a ridiculous outfit.”
“Like… in a onsie?” you ask, squinting your eyes at the screen.
“Could be, yeah,” he chuckles quietly. “Just imagine him running through the woods in a onsie with bunnies all over it.”
You can’t push your laughter down, covering your mouth with your hand so you don’t bother the others. Harry just smirks, giving you a squeeze as you’re still melted against his side on the couch, legs pulled up to your chest, while his are spread out in front of him.
“Definitely not that scary,” you giggle and Harry hums in agreement.
“Would you mind getting a fucking room, you guys? You have two, in fact!” Niall snaps at you playfully, when you start laughing again.
“Sorry, sorry!” you clear your throat, your cheeks heating up at the comment, but luckily it’s dark enough to hide your embarrassment. Niall is always quick to make dirty jokes and tease you in a way that makes you nervous, especially when it involves Harry as well. He has made plenty of comments about you and Harry since you’ve moved in, implying that the two of you sometimes act like a couple or that you should hook up. Harry is always quick to shake them off, that’s how you know he couldn’t even take the thought seriously.
At the end of the movie you feel like it wasn’t bad, not with Harry holding you close at least.
“Will you be screaming tonight, Y/N?” Niall teases you, making you roll your eyes at him.
“Either way it’s gonna be your fault.”
“I can live with that!” he laughs, bidding his goodbye before he shuts the door of his bedroom behind him.
You do your usual evening routine, get ready to bed and by the time you’re done in the bathroom all the boys have retired into their rooms. The hallway stands dark in front of you, only a tiny bit of light coming from your bedroom since you left your bedside lamp on in there, but you still can’t help the eerie feeling that washes over you. That movie didn’t sit right with you and now you have to face the aftermath of it.
Switching the lights in the bathroom off you sprint into your bedroom, pictures from the movie flashing in your mind of the killer just jumping out of nowhere. You shut the door and lean your back against it for a moment, taking a deep breath. Tonight is going to be long.
No matter how hard you try, you just can’t fall asleep. You’re way too alerted, opening your eyes at the tiniest of sounds around you, which is unfortunate, because your window is looking over the main street, unlike two other rooms in the house, that are facing the small backyard. Harry and Louis have the luck to have those rooms.
Every time you’re about to fall asleep something from the movie sneaks into your thoughts and you get scared to death. Soon, you realize you won’t be able to sleep on your own tonight.
Sitting on the edge of your bed, you wonder if Harry really meant that offer that you can sleep with him or not. Part of you is convinced it was just a joke, but when you hear someone shouting down the street you push your doubts aside and you quickly find yourself making your way to Harry’s room.
You knock on the room lightly, not wanting to wake anyone else up. The last thing you need is Niall seeing you go into Harry’s room in the middle of the night.
No answer comes from inside, but you won’t just leave it at that. Opening the door you’re facing another dark room, barely making out the furniture, but you already know the route by heart. Making it to the bed your eyes finally adjust to the darkness and you can see Harry lying on his side, sleeping peacefully. Squatting down you place a hand to his shoulder and give him a tiny shake.
“Harry?” you call out quietly, but his answer is just a huff. “Harry, it’s me,” you try again, squeezing his arm. He furrows his eyebrows before slowly blinking his eyes open, finding you in his sight.
“Y/N? What’s wrong?” he asks in that groggy, low voice you love hearing in the morning so much.
“I can’t… Did you mean that I can sleep here if I’m scared?” you ask, afraid that he might just have a good laugh and send you back to your room. For a long moment, he just blinks at you before nodding his head and you feel relief washing over you.
“Sure,” he hums.
“O-okay then I’ll bring a blanket and take the floor and--”
“Shut up, you are not sleeping on the floor,” he growls, grabbing your wrist and pulling you into bed with him as he scoots over, making you space on the mattress.
It’s a bit weird at first, lying in bed with Harry, especially because it’s just queen sized, so there’s not much space between the two of you, but it seems like Harry doesn’t mind it so why should you?
Your nerves are a lot calmer with Harry next to you, but maybe it’s still because of the movie or because you’re a bit anxious about the whole situation, you just still can’t relax enough to fall asleep.
“Y/N, no one is gonna kill you here,” Harry speaks up surprising you because you thought he has already fallen back asleep.
“I know, I know,” you whisper, trying to sound convincing, but you can’t fool anyone, especially not him.
He huffs deeply and before you could realize what’s happening, Harry’s arm is curled around your waist, pulling you against him, spooning you from behind, the warmth of his body wrapping your figure almost entirely.
“If a murderer comes, they will have to fight me first, alright? Now sleep,” he mumbles against your hair, squeezing you gently. All at once, you couldn’t care about killers and dark shadows around you, because Harry was right there, holding you tight and there was nowhere you wanted to be more than right there.
You slept like a baby. Harry’s closeness kept every nightmare away from you and the morning came with ease. Harry’s phone wakes the two of you up at eight, because he has a morning class at 9.30. The two of you are completely tangled up in each other, lying on your side facing each other, Harry’s arms are wrapped around you, while yours are hugging his waist. Groaning at the sound of his alarm, he rolls to his back to reach for the phone on the nightstand and then he finally turns it off. It’s bright outside, the darkness of the night finally long gone. You’re still groggy when Harry rolls back, his arm coming back around you like it’s the most natural thing in the world and in a sense, it feels like that. But as you both slowly wake up, you realize that you might be a little too close. Slowly but surely you let go of each other, rolling to your back, staring up at the ceiling.
“Hope I didn’t kick you in my sleep,” you smile at him, peeking over at him, hoping to break the awkwardness of the situation.
“No, don’t worry about it,” he chuckles, rubbing his eyes, before pushing himself up and off the bed. You follow him with your gaze as he steps to his dresser and grabs a pair of clean underwear. “I’ll put on a coffee while I shower, want one too?” he asks, though you know he could make one for you anyway.
“Sure, thank you,” you nod and he nods back, yawning as he walks out of the room, leaving you lying in his bed, a bit confused and kind of aching to be held by him again.
Two days pass by, everything is going as per usual, neither you nor Harry brings up that you spent the night in his bed that one particular time. Now it’s saturday and you all were planning to go out, but a sudden storm has cancelled your plans, so the evening turned into a cozy, lazy hangout instead of a wild party at some frat house.
Louis decided to work on a paper that’s due in two weeks, Niall has been relentlessly swiping on Tinder while you and Harry are spawled out on the couch, watching some shitty action movie that was on TV, since you both were too lazy to choose one and put it on. Deep down you’re a little happy you don’t have to spend the evening in a crowded, smelly house, drinking cheap alcohol.
Harry gets up from his seat to grab himself a drink just when Niall growls in annoyance.
“What is it?” you ask.
“They keep unmatching with me after we’ve talked a little!”
“Have you thought about the reason?” you smirk at him, knowing well that Niall probably isn’t the easiest to talk to, he surely takes it too far too soon.
“Well they probably don’t like that I ask them if I can go over,” he shrugs, making you laugh.
“You’d go over in the pouring rain?” Harry asks, returning to his spot on the couch. He puts his drink to the coffee table and instead of sitting into his previous position, leaning against the arm of the couch, he lies down, laying his head to your thigh, making your breath hitch for a moment.
“Of course not!” Niall rolls his eyes. “But I thought it would make them think I would do anything for them.”
“It makes you seem desperate,” Harry retorts, earning a questioning look from his friend. “What? It does!”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“Yes it does,” you nod in agreement. “Going over in the middle of a storm just to fuck? Sounds like you’re having a hard time finding someone.”
“Women are so fucking complicated, and for what?!” he growls, before storming off to his bedroom, like an angsty teenager, leaving you and Harry alone.
He doesn’t move, his head stays on your thigh using it as a pillow. His curls are tickling the soft skin on your thigh and you have to fight the urge to play with his hair or scratch his scalp. You stay like this for the rest of the movie and when he gets up you almost want to pull him back.
“Alright, I’m fucked, I’m gonna go to bed,” he yawns, stretching his arms out into the air as he heads into his bedroom. “Good night, Y/N.”
“Night, Harry!” you call after him as you watch his frame disappear down the hallway.
Sighing, you slide down on the couch, cursing under your breath that you’re still so hung up on Harry. You really thought that you had it under control, but lately those damn butterflies are acting up in your stomach at everything he does.
“I’m pathetic,” you mumble under your breath just as the sky rumbles outside with a blinding lightning, making you jump with a squeak. “Shit,” you huff, already knowing that falling asleep will be a pain in the ass. Again.
You’ve always hated storms, they make you think that something bad is about to happen, a tree is about to fall into the window or a lightning will blow up the building. It’s kind of stupid, you know it, but you just can’t help it.
Tossing and turning, you jump every time a lightning flashes somewhere outside and a few seconds later the thunder rips through your whole body, almost making you fall off the bed.
“Oh God,” you let out a shaky breath. You have no idea how long it is until the Storm finally stops and you’d really like to have a good night's sleep. So pushing your anxious thoughts to the side, you get out of bed and head over to Harry’s room once again.
It’s such a deja vu from a few nights ago, as you gently knock on the door you wait again, but this time you actually get an answer.
“Yeah?” you hear him call out from inside and you slowly open the door, peeking your head inside. Harry is lying in bed, his head propped up against the headboard as he is scrolling through his phone. “Y/N? What’s wrong?” he asks, putting the phone aside as he sits up.
“I just, I-I know it’s stupid, but I was thinking… I don’t know--”
“Y/N, just tell me, alright? Come on in,” he gestures for you and you slip into the room, closing the door behind you before sitting to the edge of the bed next to him. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t sleep during storms…” you admit, looking into his eyes, hoping he gets the hint where you want to head with it. He stares back at you for a moment before he scoots over, lifting the covers up, giving you the green light to join him.
Relieved, you climb over to him, making yourself comfortable as he wraps the blanket over you, his arm immediately coming to cradle you, this time pulling you to his chest so your head is laid upon his shoulder, a hand gently placed onto his hard chest, probably right above where his butterfly tattoo is adorning his abdomen.
This is now easily your favorite place. Safe and tight in Harry’s arms, protected from anything and everything, like you’re in a little bubble as soon as you get on his bed.
Lightning strikes outside again and you shiver a little. Harry probably notices it, because he tightens his hold around you, as if it’s his way telling you that he is here and nothing bad is gonna happen. Eventually, you’re able to shut the outside out and only focus on Harry’s warmth, the touch of his hand on your arm and his even breathing. And then finally, you drift off to sleep.
This morning is different from the previous one you spent here. There’s no alarm since it’s Sunday, neither of you have anything in particular to do, so you wake up feeling rested, the Sun shining through his half drawn in curtains, no trace of last night’s storm can be noticed from where you’re lying in bed, the sky is as clear as ever. Sometime during the night you got tangled in a way where Harry is the one now cuddling you, his head lying on your chest, hugging you as if you were a giant teddy bear, his leg thrown between yours, lightly snoring against your sleep shirt. You can only see his mop of hair and the urge to play with them is back, but this time, you give in.
Leaving one hand on his back, you move the other one to his unruly locks, gently playing with one before you comb your fingers through it, lightly scratching his scalp. Harry hums in pleasure, shifting from his dreams back to reality, but he doesn’t move, just keeps humming as you massage his scalp.
“It’s not a good morning, it’s the best,” he mumbles groggily, making you chuckle at his words.
One of his hands is flat against your ribcage and the damned butterflies start dancing when you feel his fingers gently stroke your side as you keep playing with his curls. This feels so idyllic, as if you’ve been like this forever. You wish that was true.
Groaning as he stretches, Harry rolls to his back, making you instantly miss his body pressed against yours. He rubs his eyes, sighing deep as he blinks up at the ceiling a few times, then he turns his head to the side, looking at you.
Just when he is about to say something, outside his door it sounds like someone just broke a pile of plates and it’s followed by Niall’s usual annoyed growl. You both get out of bed to go and check what happened, not even thinking about how it might appear that you both are coming from Harry’s room in the morning.
Harry flings the door open and there is Niall, collecting pieces of a plate from the floor, his breakfast scattered down the hallway as well while he curses under his breath.
“What happened?” Harry asks, picking up a bigger piece from the plate.
“Fucking tripped,” he growls back, glancing up just for a moment, then back down, but then he processes that you’re standing behind Harry, in his room, in the morning. “What the fuck are you doing in Harry’s room?” he bluntly asks, quickly forgetting about the mess he just made.
“What?” you ask nervously, your pulse quickening in an instant. Harry stands up, seemingly not too bothered by Niall’s question.
“You slept in his room?!”
“She did,” Harry answers, leaning against the doorframe.
“Wait, are you two fucking?” Niall’s eyes widen, snapping back and forth between you and Harry.
“Just because two people sleep in the same bed, doesn’t mean they are fucking, Niall,” Harry chuckles, seemingly amused by the situation that’s got your stomach knotted. Louis’ door opens and he walks out, his hair a little messy, but already dressed, a mug halfway filled with coffee in his hand.
“Wha’s this circus out here?” he asks, looking around, his eyes scanning over the mess on the floor.
“Did you know these two are fucking?” Niall asks him and Harry lets his head drop back at his words.
“Are you?” Louis simply questions and you shake your head no.
“We are not. Y/N can’t sleep in a storm so she came over to mine.”
“Funny, she doesn’t come to me when she’s scared,” Niall scoffs.
“I never came to you because you don’t understand that sleeping together doesn’t mean sex,” you retort, though your ears are practically burning from the rising anxiety inside you.
“Wait, whoa. This wasn’t the first time you two slept together?”
“She was scared after your stupid horror movie too,” Harry shrugs.
“Wow, so are you guys a thing now or what?”
“Niall!” Harry growls and you’re not entirely sure what bothers you more. Niall’s shock and interrogation or the way Harry seems so cool and unbothered, like it’s no big deal. Maybe because for him it really isn’t, it’s only about the sleeping, nothing else, even though the cuddles are a little beyond the lines of friendship.
“What? I’m just asking the important stuff! Am I not allowed to tell dirty jokes to Y/N because you’ll cut my prick off?”
“You shouldn’t tell those anyway,” Louis chimes in and you nod in agreement.
Seeing that the conversation is just getting more and more awkward with each passing moment you decide to pull yourself out of it. Pushing yourself past Harry you mumble an excuse me before rushing back into your room, the three boys eyeing you curiously as you shut the door behind you, finally putting a physical barrier between you and them.
You shouldn’t be this offended, it’s not like any promises were made and you should have known better and not fall for him more than you already did. It was silly of you to think that there was anything more behind these nights spent curled up against each other, or when you woke up tangled and melted together. It was never what you hoped it to be.
Then and there you decide it’s better if you distanced yourself from him, or at least go back to how it was before. No bed sharing, no cuddling and preferably no bitter feelings.
It all goes well, because you have a pretty busy week after that day, you always have something to do and it’s not like you spent the night with Harry randomly, so it was evident that you stayed in your room so far.
But about a week later another storm was threatening to strike. The sky was gradually darkening all afternoon and now it’s only five o’clock, but it feels like eight. It’s Sunday, you’re quite exhausted since you were working until three. Niall was out somewhere with some of his coursemates and Louis went home for the weekend, won’t be back until Tuesday. It’s just you and Harry, who’s been sprawled out on the couch in only his sweatpants while you’re making yourself an early dinner so you can go to bed soon and have a good night’s sleep.
It doesn’t take long for the rain to start pouring, you’ve just gotten out of the shower when the first thunder rips through the place, making you gasp in fear. Harry’s head snaps around, looking in your way where you’re standing at the bathroom door, a questioning look in his eyes, but he doesn’t say a word. Ignoring his gaze, you just make your way into your bedroom, not even thinking about what could be on his mind. Is he thinking about whether you’ll ask to sleep with him again or he doesn’t care about it at all?
By the time you are ready to go to bed, the storm is fully raging outside, making your insides tremble every time you see a lightning or the thunder breaks the quietness in the house. You make one last trip to the kitchen, finding Harry leaned against the counter as he eats an apple.
“Going to bed early?” he asks as you pour yourself some water.
“Mhm,” you nod, avoiding looking at him.
“Everything alright?”
“Sure, I’m just tired,” you force a small smile onto your face just when a thunder rumbles outside, making you jump. Harry is watching you curiously and kind of expectantly, but you’re doing your best ignoring it. Instead, you just grab your water and head back to your room. “Good night.”
“Night, Y/N,” he calls after you, and you can feel his burning gaze on your back right until you close the door behind you.
Your plan to sleep a good ten hours goes right out the window. It doesn’t seem like the storm is about to calm anytime soon, so you’re stuck to suffer through it on your own. You’ll be damned to go to Harry’s, that would be an instant heart break and you just can’t take that right now. Long, torturous hours pass by with you lying awake in bed and part of you wants to go running over to Harry, but you force yourself to stay. It’s not happening tonight.
You fall asleep sometime after two in the morning when the thunder and lightning have stopped. Unfortunately, you need to wake up early in the morning, so when your phone’s alarm shakes you out of your sleep, you feel like absolute shit. Dragging yourself out of bed appears to be the hardest thing right now. As you make your way out, you are met with an all too familiar figure sitting at the small dining table, two cups of coffees in front of him, one obviously made for you.
Harry’s eyes snap up at you curiously, taking in your terrible looks as you head to the bathroom.
“Morning,” you mumble under your breath.
“Good morning’,” he nods in your way and though he doesn’t say anything else, you can tell he has a few thoughts about your current state.
Once you’re done with your morning business in there you join him at the table, barely able to keep your eyes open.
“Rough night?” he asks, eyes examining your face.
“Kinda.”
“The storm?”
You don’t answer, just nod your head. He remains silent, but you can feel that he is dying to ask another question.
Why didn’t you come over?
You’re glad he doesn’t actually asks you, because you wouldn’t be able to give either a normal answer or say anything without starting to cry. Instead, you just grab your coffee and head back into your bedroom to get ready for the day.
That week on Friday all four of you are invited to a party. At first you want to cancel, but some of your friends from classes will be there too and it’s been ages since you’ve been to a great party, so you decide to tag along with the boys.
For the first half of the evening you go your separate way, spending time with people you don’t actually live with and see every day. One drink follows the other, though you make sure you don’t go farther than getting tipsy. You’re not in the mood to deal with a nasty hangover in the morning.
Sometime after your third or fourth drink you run into Niall and he pulls you into their little circle that also involves Harry. When he sees that you’ve joined them, his eyes light up and goes out of his way to get next to you.
“I haven’t seen you in ages!” he whines, slurring his words as he wraps an arm around your shoulders to keep you at his side. He is definitely drunk, that you’re sure of.
“It’s been just about two hours, Harry,” you roll your eyes, but can’t push your smile down. You’d be lying if you said you’re not enjoying having him so close. Your dynamic hasn’t been the same since you stopped sleeping in his bed. Not that it was such a regular activity, it only happened two times.
“But I missed you, I feel like we haven’t… haven’t talked in so long!” he huffs, knitting his eyebrows together. “Have you been avoiding me?” he asks leaning closer, so your conversation can somewhat be private.
“That’s silly. Of course I haven’t!”
“But it feels like that,” he pouts with glossy eyes. “You’d tell me if something was wrong, right?”
“Sure,” you nod, the bitter taste of lying filling your mouth.
“Alright, cool,” he smirks and pulling closer he kisses into your hair before he engages with the rest of the group again, keeping his arm around you as if it wasn’t a big deal.
For the rest of the evening you simply don’t leave his side and not because he doesn’t let you, but because you don’t want to. Harry is not the only one missing the other, this week you’ve noticed that even though you’ve been keeping yourself busy, your thoughts always took you back to one particular, curly haired boy. Despite everything that’s been going on, he is your friend first and foremost who you love spending time with and talking about anything and everything.
Both of you are intoxicated, Harry a bit more than you, but you’re having a blast playing beerpong or ruining Niall’s chances with girls he is trying to pick up. You’re genuinely having an amazing time and it wouldn’t be the same without Harry.
Arriving back home your little group splits, everyone using the bathroom after the other and you’re the last one in line, because you always take the longest. By the time you’re finished, Louis and Niall are both locked up in their rooms, but Harry’s door is still open, some dim lighting illuminating the hallway. As you approach it, you find him throwing his dirty clothes into the hamper, but his head perks up when he sees you.
“Good night, H,” you sigh, quite tired and in need of a good sleep, but before you could head into your own bedroom, Harry grabs your wrist and pulls you into his. “What is it?”
“Sleep here,” he simply prompts, already leading you to the bed.
“Why?”
“Because I want you to.”
“I-I… I don’t--” you stutter, feeling flustered from his offer.
“Come on, you can’t say no,” he tells you, already crawling under his covers and then he holds them up as the invitation.
Taking a deep breath you follow him and make yourself comfortable in your almost usual spot. Harry’s arm falls over your waist in an instant, spooning you from behind as he hums pleased. But a few moments later he lifts his head, looking at you with concern in his eyes.
“You know you can say no, right? I was just joking.” Looking back at him you give him a small smile. Even drunk he makes sure you aren’t doing anything you don’t want to, but how could you not want it? You’ve been aching to sleep next to him all week, especially after the last storm when you suffered alone in your room.
“I know, Harry.”
“Alright, okay,” he nods, his head dropping back to the pillow. “I missed this,” he mumbles with a sigh.
“Yeah?”
“Mm, sleeping alone sucks,” he hums and in a split second, your heart breaks.
Harry didn’t want to sleep with you, he just wanted to sleep with someone and you were the one there. It has nothing to do with you.
You want to blame him, you want it to be his fault that your chest is now aching, knowing that it truly doesn’t mean the same thing to him it does to you, but you know you can’t. It wouldn’t be fair, so once again, you’re left with a sinking heart wrapped up into Harry’s embrace that suddenly feels burning.
“Good night, Y/N.”
“Good night, Harry.”
When the morning comes Harry is still sleeping deep beside you, an arm thrown over your waist, puffing warm air against the side of your head with every breath he exhales. Seeing him so peaceful warms your heart, but then you realize everything that happened last night, how he only used you because you were available and not because he wanted you.
You don’t want to wait for him to wake up and face him, your emotions would surely bring the best out of you. So carefully, you unwrap yourself from his hold and sneak out of his room, back into yours.
There’s no way you can face Harry right now, so before he could wake up you leave, planning on spending the day in the library, working on your assignments, hoping the school work will take your mind off of how badly you’ve been friendzoned.
Sometime after eleven Harry actually texts you asking where you went and you just tell him you have a shitload of school stuff to deal with. He asks if he can join you, but you tell him you’re with a group of your classmates, even though you’re sitting in an almost entirely empty library. He luckily doesn’t push it and leaves you to be. Hopefully he’ll be fine when you take another step away from him for a while to get your head straight and sort your emotions out.
You get home quite late, but not late enough, apparently. Because walking into the house you find the boys clearly getting ready to watch a movie.
“Just in time!” Niall beams. “Join us, Princess!” he laughs, grabbing himself a cola from the fridge.
“Oh, no, I have some things to work on--”
“Come on, you’ve been in the library all day, you can have a break!” Louis tells you and you know you won’t be left alone, they are just so persistent.
So you join them in your usual spot, which is of course next to Harry, though you’re trying to avoid his gaze that hasn’t left you since you arrived and by now you’re certain he knows you’re avoiding him. There’s a reason why he asked you last night if you’ve been doing it lately, he is not stupid, but this is not the time to deal with it.
With your inner crisis bubbling inside you, you completely forget to ask what you’re watching. A few minutes into the movie it becomes quite clear however.
“Is this a fucking horror movie again?” you ask, snapping at Niall, who just starts laughing.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure Harry will gladly let you sleep in his bed tonight,” he teases, making your whole face heat up at his comment. Harry slaps his chest before he turns to you with concern filled eyes, but you pretend like you see nothing, turning back to the screen with your jaw clenched.
You’re fucked.
The movie is a fucking shitshow and leaves you traumatized. When it’s over, you think about why didn’t you just stand up and go into your room when you realized it’s another horror. For a change, this one was filled with demons and monsters that hide in the shadows, just what you need before going to bed. In the night. In a totally dark room.
Exiting the bathroom you’re already planning on watching something lighthearted and cheerful in your room, hoping that would make you forget the movie you just saw and give you the chance to actually sleep.
Walking past Harry’s room you see that it’s still open and you catch him expectantly looking at you when you appear in the doorway as you walk down the hallway, your eyes meeting for just a split second before you disappear from his sight and shut your bedroom door without a word behind you.
No matter how many random videos you watch on YouTube, some scenes from the movie are just imprinted into your mind and they have you trembling in fear. Every shadow looks like a demon or ghost, hiding in your room, ready to haunt and kill you and you’re on the verge of actually crying. It might not be only because of the movie, more like everything else that’s been bottled up inside you, added to the fear the movie has brought to you.
Shutting your eyes closed you try to take deep breaths and for a bit it actually seems to help, but that is until you hear the door opening. It gives you an instant heart attack and you can’t keep your tears back anymore.
A whimper leaves your mouth as the door opens and you can only see a shadow entering the room, totally not recognizing Harry in the dark.
“Y/N, hey, it’s just me! It’s okay!” he quickly clears, seeing how shaken up you are. He rushes over to the bed, one hand cupping your cheek, the other one finding your hand and before you could think, you grip it hard.
“You scared the living hell out of me!” you cry out, sobbing.
“I’m sorry, I just wanted to check on you.”
Silence sets between the two of you that’s only momentarily broken by your shaky breaths as you try to calm yourself down.
“Why didn’t you come to mine after the movie if you were so scared?” he then asks, surprising you with how straightforward he is.
“I didn’t want to bother you,” you mumble, blinking the remaining of the tears away as Harry stares down at you intently.
“Why would you think you’d bother me? I like having you there.”
“But it’s… Doesn’t matter,” you sigh in defeat, but it just concerns him even more.
“No, tell me!”
“Harry, just go back to your room. I’ll be fine.”
“You definitely won’t and I’m not leaving until you don’t tell me what’s going on,” he protests firmly and you lose your patience to keep lying to him.
“You just wanted someone to sleep with yesterday, okay? You didn’t need me. And… I don’t want to depend on you more than I should.”
Harry stares back at you with a blank expression and you feel like this is going to be the end of your friendship. You have to come clean about your feelings and he’ll tell you that he doesn’t feel the same way. But then he speaks up and the tables turn faster than ever.
“Y/N, I wanted you to sleep with me last night. Not just anyone. You.”
“What?”
“I really thought we have been on the same page, but apparently, we’re not even in the same book,” he sighs, confusing you even more. “Wasn’t it suspicious how things have been between us lately? The way we slept, the mornings, did you think these are normal things to do?”
“I-I thought that… it didn’t mean anything to you.”
“Well it did,” he replies and you breath hitches in your throat. “I was trying to take it slow, see how you’d react to everything and I thought you were feeling the same way. But then last time you didn’t come to my room when there was a storm and I thought that was your way of telling me that you want to pause whatever’s been going on.”
You’re just blinking in shock, listening to his words. This is nothing you expected.
“But then you seemed like you opened back up last night and you agreed to sleep with me, thought we were back on track, but then you were nowhere to be found in the morning, avoided me all day and now you would have rather spent the night crying here alone than to come over to me. What did I do? Just tell me, because quite frankly, I have no idea what we are doing anymore, Y/N,” he sighs, clearly tired of this insane game you’ve been playing without even knowing.
“So… you did all of this, because… you…”
“Because I like you, Y/N. But there’s a possibility it’s already way more than just a strong liking,” he admits with a soft chuckle that melts you in an instant.
“Oh god, I could cry again, but not out of fear this time,” you tell him, making him laugh as you scoot closer to him on the mattress. “I feel the same way, Harry,” you softly tell him, your hands finding the base of his neck while his hands have wandered to your waist so now he is pulling you towards him until he ends up in his lap. His face is now so close, and even in the dark, you can see the cheesy smile on his pink lips.
“You’re not saying this just to keep me here because you’re scared to be alone, right?” he asks, clearly joking, earning a wholehearted laugh from you.
“No, but I guess that would be a major benefit of it.”
“I’ll protect you from all the demons and killers under one condition,” he smirks, his face already inching closer, his nose is already touching yours.
“Yeah? And what’s that?”
“I get to kiss you.”
“Deal.”
You barely say this one little word, his lips are already on yours, kissing you in a way that almost knocks all the air out of your lungs. You press yourself up against him, his arms curling around you, holding you tight as if he is already protecting you from everything that scares you, though you can’t really think about the stupid horror movies now that you’re kissing Harry.
He pulls you down with himself making you lie on your back as he holds himself up above you, his lips parting from your just enough so he can look into your eyes.
“How about I kiss you every time you feel scared?” he prompts, pecking your lips gently as you pull your legs up and his hips settle between your thighs, while your hands dance down his back.
“Alright, I’m in,” you smirk at him and for a moment he just stares back at you, smiling wide, in complete awe that it’s finally happening. Then he cocks his head to the side before speaking up.
“Are you still scared?”
“Very,” you nod. “I’m shaking.”
“Good,” he grins before his lips press onto yours again.
Thank you for reading! Please like/reblog if you enjoyed!
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atlabeth · 4 years ago
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fever - sokka x reader
this has been sitting in my drafts half finished for 3 weeks so i thot it was prime time i actually finished it
this is kinda based off the song w dua lipa and angele so you can listen to that if you want
summary: sokka's convinced there's a mystery illness keeping you from focusing, but somehow he's completely oblivious that the only 'sick' you are is lovesick, and he's the reason you can't focus.
a/n: i have never written a sickfic. but this is like. a fake sick fic. its an idiots in love fic. i mean this is coming from mr "is he taller than me? is he better looking?" himself so. it makes sense. as usual, this is not proofread bc im a lazy mf
also im sorry for being vague with the calc but i was NOT about to do math during summer who do you think i am? ??
wc: 1.7k
warning(s): mentions of being sick and 🤢calculus 🤮 but otherwise tooth rotting fluff
-
How could the smartest man you knew be so, so incredibly stupid?
You thought that you were being obvious, so obviously that you were sure he knew. It was embarrassing how obvious you were.
You had met Sokka in your calculus class at the start of the new semester after you ended up sitting next to each other, and it wasn’t a stretch to say that you were immediately smitten. With eyes like the ocean and a face that had to have been crafted by the gods, you were almost too distracted to respond when he asked you for a pencil. But when he winked at you after giving his thanks, it only solidified what you had already suspected: you had known this man for all of five minutes, and you already had a crush on him.
Little did you know, it was going to turn into the most infuriating crush you had ever experienced.
You and Sokka became fast friends even though calculus was the only class you had together. Unfortunately, it was also something that you completely sucked at. Bad news, it was required for your major. Good news, Sokka was some sort of genius and offered to tutor you — Wednesdays in the library turned into a weekly occasion, and served as an opening for your calculus skills, your feelings for Sokka, and your exasperation to all grow stronger.
You normally weren’t someone to beat around the bush. If you started to like someone, you told them and dealt with whatever happened after, but something about Sokka just kept you from spilling your feelings outright. You knew that if he didn’t feel the same way, your relationship likely wouldn’t change, but there was still that tiny voice that said it’s better to stay like this in case things do go wrong — and this was the first time you listened to that voice. You simply valued your friendship too much.
But that didn’t mean you were going to be completely quiet about it — you hoped that if you did enough, he would be able to realize you liked him and do the whole process for you. A bit of a dim hope, but crushes make people do stupid things.
Things like bringing an extra coffee to every session, laughing at all his jokes (even the bad ones), sitting a little closer to him than usual, not dropping out of this wretched class so you could spend time together (it might’ve been required, but you still counted it). He didn’t make a point to object to anything, so you knew you weren’t making him uncomfortable — but you had concluded after nearly a whole semester of working and studying together that he was the most oblivious person in all of Ba Sing Se. He could teach you all kinds of formulas, but had no idea that you liked him. Grand.
Today was arguably the most important session out of any of them, seeing as your next class was the final, so it was only fitting that Sokka unknowingly made himself more interesting than any material you could’ve been working with. His arms were going to be the death of both you and your calc grade. You swore that the heat rushing to your cheeks was actually emanating off of you.
“Hey, Y/N!” Sokka grinned as he saw you and raised a hand in greeting, a sentiment you would’ve returned had it not been for the coffee cups in your hands. You settled for mirroring his grin and settled down in the seat across from him. You slid his coffee cup over, set your own down, then shrugged your bag off all before taking a seat.
“You ready to study ‘till your eyes bleed?” he asked, prompting a nervous laugh from you.
“You jest, but my eyes might actually start bleeding depending on how long we go,” you sighed. “There’s a reason I got an extra shot of espresso today.”
“Come on — by now you should know that you have nothing to worry about! I am the best teacher there is, and you got me all to yourself.”
Your eyes widened momentarily and you coughed, purposefully averting your gaze to give yourself some time to recover. Okay, he was going to make it really hard to focus today. “Let’s just get into it.”
He nodded and flipped open his notebook, beginning to talk as he rifled through his bag for a few extra things. “Okay, we’re just gonna start with going over the basics, then we’ll work our way up. There’s a couple practice problems on that page, so you can go ahead and answer those as a warmup.
You slid the notebook over in front of you and after approximately five seconds of looking at the first problem, found yourself studying Sokka rather than the material. Who could blame you? In the battle of cute tutor boy versus calculus, he was going to win every time.
He turned around and you immediately averted your eyes once again, trying to appear extremely involved, but you found that your mind was empty on anything to do with math. “Hey, uh— how do you do this first one? I’m totally blanking here.”
“We use limits in everything — this is actually something you’re really good at!” He studied you intensely and frowned. “Are you okay? Like, you’re not sick or anything, are you? You seem kinda out of it.”
You choked out a laugh and shook your head. “No, no — I’m fine. I guess I’m just a little tired.” As if to demonstrate your lie, you took a sip from your coffee and cringed internally. Love had turned you into an idiot.
He seemed to buy it as he nodded and picked up the pencil, scribbling a couple of notes as he explained the first problem to you. “Does that make sense?” You nodded and he handed the pencil back to you. “Okay — the other ones follow the same kind of process. It should be easy enough.”
You managed to get a little further in the second problem, but your lovestruck mind would not stop focusing back on Sokka every time you tried to do, well, anything. Curse him and his perfect arms, and eyes, and hairstyle, and everything.
You shook your head and set the pencil down once more, letting loose a frustrated sigh. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me.” Yes, you did. “I just can’t focus at all.” Because of you. You picked up your cup once more and took a sip, hoping it would do something to get you back into the math state of mind.
Sokka frowned once more as he put the back of his hand against your forehead. “God, you’re hot.” You nearly choked on your coffee as your eyes practically bulged out of their sockets — he had to know what he was doing by now — how could he not? “Like, you’re completely burning up. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, I swear— I just…” you set your cup down on the table and heaved a sigh that was a touch more exasperated than necessary. “Are you telling me you seriously haven’t noticed? Like, not a single thing this whole year?”
“I’ve noticed a lot of things this year,” he chuckled. “It’s kind of our whole job, so you’re gonna have to be a lot more specific.”
You finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Sokka, I’m not— I’m not sick! Haven’t you noticed that I’m only ever flustered, or running into things, or forgetting info, or— or just a complete idiot when I’m around you? I like you, like, a lot, and I have for an embarrassingly long time! The reason I can’t focus is because I am hopelessly attracted to you in every single way.”
His brows creased for a moment and you clamped your mouth shut, worried that you had just ruined everything. It was only after a pause that felt like a century that he finally responded, the hint of a smirk on his lips.
“Well, why didn’t you just say something?”
You stared at him, eyes wide and lips slightly parted in pure surprise before the annoyance set in. You set your jaw as your brows furrowed and you hit him lightly on the side of his arm with the back of your palm. “You can’t be serious! You— you’ve gotta be messing with me by now. I really can’t believe that you can be that smart but this oblivious!”
He finally let the grin play across his lips in full force and he shrugged nonchalantly. “I mean, I don’t know how you don’t expect me to mess with you when you scrunch up your face all cute like that every time you get mad. Besides, I started liking you after that fifth class; I offered to help you out so I could spend more time with you! I didn’t realize you felt the same way. I kinda just enjoyed the free coffee and getting to look at you all the time.”
“I can’t believe you!” you cried as you hit his other arm. “You’re telling me that I had to deal with this- this mental turmoil about whether you liked me back, while you were just enjoying the free eye candy and coffee the whole time?”
“You have nothing to worry about! I enjoyed the company far more than the coffee,” he joked, a certain twinkle in his eye. “But, you are probably out a couple twenties after all of that. So, what do you say about this Saturday, the cafe by the shoe store? My treat.”
“Damn right it’s your treat,” you shot back, though you couldn’t stop the smile forming on your face. “You owe me a lot — you have to make up for those coffees and all the emotional distress you caused.”
“Oh, I think I’ll have plenty of time to make up for lost time. After all, we do have a lot of coffee dates to get through.” And when he winked at you just like that first day, you remembered just how impossible it was to be angry at Sokka. “But first, we kinda have to get through this study date. The final’s still happening tomorrow.”
You responded with a raised brow. “This is a study date?”
Sokka shrugged and grinned. “They’ve all been study dates. You just didn’t know it.”
-
idiots in love idiots in love idiots In LOVe
perm tag list: @dv0412 @siriuslyslyslytherin @maruchan77
atla: @marianne1806
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thetravelerwrites · 4 years ago
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Dr. Mael Halvorg (Part 2)
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Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Relationship: Male Part Fae/Female Part Fae Additional Tags: Exophilia, Monster Boyfriend, Fae, Naga, Reader Insert, Anthropology, Genetics Content Warnings: Children, Pregnancy, Incubation, Infertility, Birth, Oviposition, Egg-Laying Words:
Commissioned by @ivymemnoch​! The reader and Dr. Halvorg discuss his lingering infertility problem. Amai lays her final clutch of eggs. Please reblog and leave feedback!
The Traveler's Masterlist
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“Good morning, class!” You said on the first day.
“Good morning!” Fourteen bright voices responded.
All of the children except for baby Yenu were sitting on their tails behind desks in a room that had been set up as a classroom by the staff.
“So, every day each week we’re going to work on a different subject,” You began. “Mondays are reading and language comprehension, Tuesdays are maths and sciences, Wednesdays are social studies and economics, Thursdays are geography and history, Fridays are fun days with arts, crafting, music, and educational games. Today is Monday, so we’re going to start with reading. You should each have a workbook appropriate to your developmental level in your desks, so please take out your reading workbooks.”
As the children shuffled and searched for the right book, Dr. Halvorg stepped inside the classroom with a clipboard. You raised an eyebrow.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”
“I’m observing the children in a school setting to see how they adapt,” He replied.
You narrowed your eyes at him. “And I’m also assuming how I teach, correct?”
He dipped his head sheepishly. “I was curious. And it’s for my research.”
You raised an eyebrow at him. “Mm.” You turned back to your students and fell into your teacher’s voice. “Keenai, if you would begin reading the first sentence, please?”
Keenai picked up his workbook and started reading. “The small dog lives in a red house.”
“Can you tell me which of these words are verbs?”
“Um…” He looked at the sentence, frowning.
“To remind you, a verb is an action word, something someone does.”
“Uh… lived?” He replied slowly.
“Very good.” You said, and he smiled in relief. “Tani, you’re next. Read the next sentence in your book.”
“The red house was built on a wed… wedeness…”
“Wednesday,” You said. “That’s a hard word, I know. Can you tell me what the noun is in that sentence?”
“House?”
“Good! A noun is a person, a place, or a thing. I’m a noun, you’re a noun, the room we’re in is a noun.”
“Is Nenish a noun?” Jinsa asked.
“Yes.”
“Ha ha, you’re a noun!” Jinsa said, pointing at Nenish.
“So are you!” Nenish interjected.
“Hey, hey! Settle down, please!” You called over them, sitting on the edge of your desk. “Fuma, you next.”
Fuma read from his book, and then Amaia. Next, you went down the line of the four-year-olds, having them read a sentence and find colors, shapes, numbers, or sounds in the sentences. The three-year-olds were next, and they simply read small sentences. You then had the one-year-olds spell and say three-letter words.
Their quick development was normal for nagas, as they tended to age quickly until they hit puberty, when their aging progress slowed to accommodate for yearly hibernation, but it was also startling in conjunction with the developmental levels of similar creatures. You had never studied the advancements of a species’ young so closely before, and you had to admit, it was fascinating. You could see why Dr. Halvorg found it so interesting.
You set the children writing tasks appropriate to their learning level and took a moment to talk to Dr. Halvorg, who was scribbling quickly in a notebook.
“They have computers now that you can write on, you know,” You told him, amused.
He looked up over his glasses at you and quirked an eyebrow. “I am aware of that, thank you. I’m not quite so old-fashioned as I seem, regardless of what Amai might tell you.” He looked back down and continued scribbling. “I’m a chronic note-taker. A bad habit I can’t seem to break, though with my profession, it’s often a strength rather than a weakness.”
“Hmm,” You hummed. “And what do your notes say about my teaching?”
“Adequate,” He replied, still scribbling. “Don’t misunderstand, that’s not a criticism. I hold everyone to an extremely high standard. If you hadn’t met expectations, I would have dismissed you.”
“So I meet your expectations?” You asked sardonically.
“At the moment,” He said, snapping his book closed and standing up. “I still want to observe your other classes before I’m completely satisfied.”
“Hmm,” You said again.
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True to his word, Halvorg attended every class that week, observing you interacting with the children. Other than a question or two about your future curriculum, he stayed quiet. At the end of the week, he asked that you submit a weekly progress report until you either found a replacement or were dismissed.
It seemed excessive to you, and you were beginning to wonder if he still saw the children as an experiment. He seemed to care about them, but how much of that was genuine and how much of it was his own self-interest? You were starting to feel leery of and disconcerted by him.
Perhaps he picked up on this, because he seemed to go out of his way to avoid you. He had you direct all of your questions and reports to his assistant and rarely picked up his phone. Any conversations were brief and succinct. He did send you notes on your curriculum, making suggestions for each child. If you weren’t already suspicious of his motives, you might almost have though it sweet.
“I think Halvorg is avoiding me,” You told Amai when the two of you went to lunch together. Now that the two of you could hang out after all the years, you made it a point to set time aside for each other and had lunch at least once a week.
“What makes you say that?” Amai asked, drizzling dressing over her starter salad.
“Ever since he watched me teach classes, he’s barely spoken to me. He seemed excited to exchange research notes when I first arrived, but now he seems to have no interest in speaking to me since he finished observing class.”
“He could just be busy,” Amai suggested. “The four year old’s birthdays are coming up. He always does something special for the kids on their birthdays.”
“Are you concerned that he only sees your children as test subjects?” You asked her. “He seems obsessed with them.”
Amai laughed. “I thought that way in the early days, but he genuinely loves kids. If anything ever happened to me or Yenuno, I’m confident Halvorg would take care of them.” She took a sip of her mineral water. “Are you coming to the kids party? You’re invited, obviously.”
“Will there be clowns? I hate clowns.”
She snorted. “Nothing so gauche. I think Halvorg set up a treasure hunt. The kids always love whatever he plans. Honestly, I know I complain about him, but he does make it easy for me sometimes. I haven’t had to plan any major events since the kids hatched.”
“Hmm… I don’t know. It’s strange to me how involved he is.”
Amai sat back in her seat and eyed you shrewdly. “Did he ever tell you about his son?”
You looked up in surprise. “Son? I thought you said he had no children.”
“He doesn’t… technically.” Amai set her fork down. “You didn’t hear this from me so don’t repeat it, but he had a wife nearly a hundred years ago who cheated on him. He raised a boy, thinking he was his son, but the child was actually fathered by the other man. His wife left him and took the boy with her and he never saw him again. I don’t think he ever got over that.”
“Oh, god,” You replied, horrified. “I can’t imagine what that’s like.”
“He’s spend the last several decades saving dying races from the brink of extinction. In a way, he thinks of those children he helped bring into the world as his children, too. And every time he has to let them go, it’s like losing his son all over again. I think the fact that he gets to help raise our babies is something of a gift for him. Trust me, it’s not something he takes for granted.”
“I guess I hadn’t thought of it like that,” You said in dismay.
“Halvorg is stuffy, strict, and a stickler for protocols, so he can be difficult to read, but I assure you, he loves my children as if they were his own. It may have started as research, but he has a family now and I think that’s what he wanted all along. Try not to judge him to harshly.”
You conceded with a nod. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
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The following Saturday, you attended the kids birthday party as requested. The kids were excited and zooming around the receiving area, shrieking and laughing, all of them wearing party hats and nothing else. Amaia was piggy-backing on Dr. Halvorg, her tail wrapped around his waist for stability and her arms hugged around his neck. Dr. Halvorg walked around completely normally, as if this was a typical action and he was used to it. He watched the children playing with a wide, fond grin on his face.
You walked over to Amai and Yenuno, who were watching from the refreshments table with Yenu, feeding her crackers.
“Nothing like a little bit of chaos in the morning,” You said.
They laughed.
“You’ve never seen them after a group kill,” Yenuno said. “They’re uncontrollable after they’ve taken down an elk together. It’s pretty incredible to watch for me, personally. Nagas in the wild typically don’t work together and they especially don’t hunt together, not even siblings.”
“They are very close and friendly, for nagas,” You remarked. “Markedly different to most snake-related species I’ve met.”
“It’s Amai’s blood and influence that’s doing it, I’m sure,” Yenuno said, kissing his wife’s cheek. “She’s the most friendly and cheerful person I’ve ever met.”
“To be fair, sweetie, you haven’t met all that many people,” Amai said, laughing.
“That is fair,” Yenuno conceded. “My point stands, though.”
“Alright children, gather ‘round!” Halvorg called, and they flocked to him, swirling around him like a whirlpool. “Now, you guys are going to split up into teams to help Nenish, Tahara, and Sadji find their gifts. Nenish will have Tani, Jinsa, and Keenai on his team. Tahara will have Amaia, Osan, Ishni, and Dashu on his team. And Khuzho, Chidil, Fuma, and Itheti will be on Sadji’s team.” He handed a small leaflet to each team. “Follow the clues to find the treasures! Go!”
The kids scattered, giggling madly.
“Come get something to drink and rest for a minute, Halvorg!” Yenuno called. “I think you’ve earned it.”
Halvorg grinned boyishly, an expression that brightened his face and made him look… well… rather handsome. He jogged over to the table and had a ginger ale. Elves have hypermobile ears, and his ears were high and wiggling slightly, a normal indication in elvish peoples of happiness and excitement.
“I think they’ll really enjoy their gifts this year,” Halvorg said, taking sips of his soda. “And the treasure hunt is half the fun. It’s challenging, but not too difficult. If they work together, it should be no trouble at all.”
“You didn’t get them history books like last year, did you?” Amai asked with her eyes narrowed. “You might as well have burned the money you spent on those for all the use they got out of them.”
“No, I learned my lesson,” He said defensively. “I bought toys.”
“Educational toys?” Amaia asked shrewdly.
He stopped mid-sip and looked at Amaia with an eyebrow raised. “…maybe,” He said into his cup.
Amaia rolled her eyes. “At least Yenuno and I ordered some stuff the kids will like.”
“You don’t know that they won’t like them,” I said. “I loved educational toys.”
“Yeah, but you’re a nerd,” Amaia said, poking you playfully.
“So what? Your kids could be nerds, too. I’m pretty sure Osan is going to be a Star Wars fan. He’s been talking my ear off about the Mandalorian.”
“It’s so strange,” Amaia said, ignoring your response and looking off in the distance. “I thought that because the kids were hatched in clutches, they would be like twins or triples or the like and have similar interests and personalities, but they’re all so different. Different likes, different traits, different styles. It’s amazing.”
“It amazes me, too,” Yenuno said, staring into his drink with a wistful expression. “My siblings and I separated when we were young, so I don’t know what they were like or if we had similar interests. Honestly, until recently, I never gave them a thought. Watching my children work together… it makes me wonder what my own siblings were like, and if they’d still be alive today if we had helped each other.”
There was a contemplative silence for a few minutes, broken by excited voices reentering the receiving area.
“We found it!” Tahara said, holding up a wrapped gift. The other four were carrying smaller treat bags that had their names written on them. “Uncle Maël, look!”
“Excellent! Well done!” Halvorg said, bending to give Tahara a hug. “Now, let’s wait until your brothers return with their gifts before we open them, okay? How about you five play tag until then?”
“Okay!” Tahara said.
“I’ll play with you,” Yenuno said. “I’m starting to get fat, preparing for the incubation period.” He patted Amai’s belly, which carried his three eggs, likely to be the last clutch they’d have together.
“How soon?” You asked Amai as Yenuno took off to chase with his children.
“Any day,” Amai said with a weary sigh. “And I’m ready for it. These little guys are heavy.”
“Boys or girls?”
“We won’t know until they hatch. It’s too hard to get a clear picture with the ultrasound, and besides, even if it could, both the male and female genitalia are internal, so it’s nearly impossible to tell.” She took a sip of ginger ale. “We’re really hoping for at least one girl. Don’t get me wrong, we love the boys more than anything, but we’d like Amaia and Yenu to have some sisters.”
“I’d like to be present for the laying, if that’s okay,” You said.
“For your research?” She asked.
Your head rocked back. “No, because you’re my friend and I want to be there for you.”
Amai smiled fondly. “Oh. Of course, thank you.”
Dr. Halvorg had not added anything to the conversation with you and Amai, and instead went to the table and made a plate of snacks. You gave Amai a look and a cocked eyebrow, and she nodded understanding, slipping away from her spot to watch her husband and children play.
“Dr. Halvorg?”
He flinched and looked up, glancing around furtively and noticing that the two of you were alone. “Yes?”
“Why are you avoiding me?”
He opened his mouth and closed it again before responding, “I’m doing no such thing.”
“I’ve requested at least three meetings with you this past month, and you’re always too busy,” You said dryly.
“Well, I am,” He said, turning. “If you’ll excuse me…”
“Are you avoiding me because I asked you out?” You asked bluntly.
He missed a step in his stride and stopped.
“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I should have realized from your professional demeanor that you wouldn’t be open to interoffice dating. I apologize.”
Halvorg sighed and turned to face you. “It’s not that. Not exactly, I mean.” He set his plate on the table and looked you full in the face for the first time in weeks. “I haven’t given a thought to dating in…” He rubbed his forehead. “Gods… decades. The question took me off guard, of course, and I actually had to sit down and give it some thought. I’ve been wrapped up in my work, of course, but I think I was just distracting myself.”
“From what?”
He sat on the edge of the table and crossed his arms. “It’s hard to talk about. I don’t even really talk about it with Yenuno, and I would consider him my closest friend.” He sighed heavily and avoided your eye. “I’ve ignored my personal life in favor of spending my career and fortune in this century helping races achieve something I want for myself.”
“Children?” You guessed.
He nodded a little morosely. “Not just that, but that is a significant part of it. I’ve been following the reproduction rates of Celtic fae since the fae were originally integrated and it’s decreasing year by year. I live in constant fear that my own race will be extinct in my lifetime.” He quirked his head at you. “Your race still seems to be fairly prolific, is that correct?”
“Oh yeah, I have a bunch of brothers and a truckload of cousins. No problems there.”
He sighed. “I don’t know what the problem with my race is. I’ve studied genetic traits, magical impediments, marriage and divorce rates, and ratio of coupling to conceptions.The numbers are terrible and I don’t know why. That’s what drives me crazy. I hate not having an answer.”
“Have there been miscarriages?”
“No, that’s the crazy thing, the rate of conception is extraordinarily low. I think there have only been three live births of Celtic fae blood in the last year.”
“Oh, jeez,” You said, sitting against the table next to him. “I didn’t realize the problem was that severe. Have you considered whether it might be a physical problem?”
“How do you mean?”
“Have you ever done a sperm count? Or had an MRI of the area to see if there’s a blockage? That kind of thing can be genetic and men tend to be shy about stuff like that.”
He tilted his head and frowned. “No, I haven’t. It actually hadn’t occurred to me. Honestly, I’ve been so focused on my work to distract myself, it may have worked too well and I ignored such things.” He looked at you and smiled. “You’ve given me something to think about.”
You smiled back. “Good. I wonder if the females of the race have a similar issue. It may have been something bred into the people over time, over centuries.”
“That’s possible,” He said. “There’s certainly a precedent; some creatures have been bred to extinction. Remember the pug?”
“That tiny dog breed with the squashed face?” You said. “Yeah, they died out a while ago, didn’t they?”
He nodded. “That was human interference, though. Yenuno’s people were dying out due to antisocialism; too reclusive to even propagate their own species. Yenuno was the only one of his kind to take up this project, and even he was reluctant.”
“He seems happy now,” You remarked.
“Yeah,” Halvorg said softly, watching Yenuno laughing and chasing his kids with a sad kind of jealousy. “He does.”
You watched his face, the deep, deep sadness creasing his face and making him look older than he was.
“Follow up, Halvorg, see a specialist. This may have a fix that didn’t exist the last time you tried.”
He nodded, smiling at you, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “I will.”
As you stood up, you bumped his shoulder lightly. “Thank you for talking to me. I appreciate that you trusted me enough to discuss such a sensitive subject. I get the feeling that you don’t share yourself with many people.”
He laughed. “No, not really.” He looked up with a smile that seemed more sincere. “Thank you for listening.”
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Amai went into labor three days later. She was taken to the laying room, where both Yenuno and Dr. Halvorg were present in addition to the interspecies OBGYN. You were suited up in scrubs and the paper gowns that surgeons wear, as was everyone else in the room besides Amai, who was completely naked, and Yenuno, who never wore clothing. There were natal heart monitors on her belly and an EKG hooked up to her chest.
Amai was sitting on a specially designed chair that would allow her to pass the eggs through her birth canal and into the waiting arms of the doctor. She was already sweating and panting by the time you arrived. The OBGYN and Dr. Halvorg were having a quiet conversation. You went to the other side of Amai and took her hand, trying not to wince when she nearly crushed your fingers.
“Is she okay?” You asked in alarm.
“She’s not fully dilated yet,” Halvorg said, pulling his braid into a surgical cap. “The eggs are getting impatient, it seems.”
“Yeah, well, so am I, so they can settle the fuck down!” Amai shrieked at him.
He bore the abuse with no reaction other than a wry smile. Yenuno wisely said nothing and simply wiped Amai’s forehead with a cloth.
“It won’t be long,” the OBGYN said. “She’s almost there.”
“Just saw me open and get them out,” Amai moaned. “It would hurt less.”
Yenuno tried to kiss her cheek, but she swatted him away weakly.
“No,” She said peevishly. “No touching ever again.”
“You said that last time,” He said, smiling fondly.
“Yeah, but I mean it this time,” She said sulkily.
“Of course you do, darling.” He patted her head. She scrunched her face up at him in annoyance. She was always adorable when she was miffed.
“I’ll make you into shoes,” She said sourly. “And a matching purse.”
It took a while for Amai to dilate fully, and by then she was very tired. Yenuno was looking worried; she’d laid several eggs over the years and never struggled this much before. Perhaps this being their last clutch was a good idea.
“Okay, I think we can start pushing now,” The doctor said, getting ready to catch the eggs. “Amai, when you feel the next contract, hold your breath, bear down, and push.”
“Okay,” She breathed. “One’s coming.”
We all braced for the push. Amai took several quick deep breaths and held it, her face pulled tight in pain and effort, doubling over in the chair as she did. You and Yenuno held her hands and patted her back and murmured encouragement. Halvorg was waiting with a soft cloth to take the eggs for cleaning, after which they would be laid in a specialized incubating carrier to be taken to Yenuno’s cottage.
The first egg came slowly and with much screaming. The doctor caught it and handed it off to Halvorg. The shell of the egg was soft and needed extremely delicate care, but Halvorg was well practiced by now and got the egg washed and into the carrier under ninety seconds and returned for the next.
The second egg came more quickly, but Amai screamed the whole time. By the time the third and final egg was laid, her voice was raw and she was too exhausted to scream.
But it was over. She fell back into the recline of the chair as if boneless and breathed in shallowly, her eyes barely open.
“You were amazing, darling,” Yenuno said gently, kissing Amai’s face. “Rest. I’m taking the eggs to the cottage. The children will visit you when you’ve slept.”
She turned her head slowly to look at him and touched her fingertips to his face, tracing down his cheek, chin, neck and chest before letting her hand fall back to her side, and her eyes closed. Nurses came to whisk her away to a recovery room, the OBGYN following behind. Yenuno and Halvorg left to take the eggs to the cottage for the incubation, and you were left alone in the laying room.
As you were shedding the paper gown and surgical cap, you noticed a small book lying on the ground. It looked to be one of Halvorg’s research journals, though it was smaller than his usual ones. He must have dropped it out of his back pocket when he was disrobing. You picked it up and took it with you with the intent on returning it to him in the morning.
And of course, you’d completely forgotten by the time you woke up.
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Amai recovered enough in a few days to be up and walking around. She and the children took turns keeping Yenuno company, as he grew morose if he was left alone too long. You had declared half days until the new babies hatched so that they could have more time with their dad.
One afternoon, after the children had left class for the day, Dr. Halvorg came in and sat on the edge of your desk.
“Hello,” You said pleasantly, closing the folder with their latest work for grading. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”
“I wanted to let you know I took you up on your advice,” He said, looking a little bashful. “I went and saw a specialist. They’re going to be doing some tests soon. Sperm count, blood tests, an MRI. Any test that can be done will be done.”
“Good!” You said, swinging your chair around. “I’m glad. Maybe you’ll finally get an answer.”
He sighed, looking pensive and anxious. “I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but I still wanted to thank you for pushing me to do it.”
“I didn’t push you to do it, Maël,” You said. His eyes narrowed at your use of his first name, but he didn’t say anything. “I just brought the subject up. It was your decision to do it.”
“Well, thank you all the same,” He replied. “I admit, I’m nervous about it. I could either get wonderful news or have my worst fears confirmed. I don’t know how I’ll react to either option.”
“Would you like me to come with you?” You asked him.
He looked at you in surprise. “You… you don’t have to do that.”
“I know I don’t,” You replied. “But this is the kind of thing you need friends for. And since Yenuno is tied up with the eggs, I could be a good substitute. You don’t even have to think of me as a friend, if you don’t want to, just an emotional support associate.”
He was quiet for a moment. “I think of you as a friend.”
“Well, thank you. I was hoping we’d get there eventually. So? What do you think? Want some support for this?”
“Not for the tests, I can do those by myself perfectly well,” He said, adjusting his tie nervously. “But… for the results… perhaps… a friend would be nice.”
“I’ll be there for you, then,” You said, standing and patting his arm. “Does Yenuno know about this? Have you talked to him about it?”
“No,” He replied. “I didn’t want to tell him while he’s dealing with his own new babies. Besides, if the news is not good, I don’t want people feeling sorry for me. If the news comes back positive… I don’t know… I think this is one thing I’d rather keep to myself.”
“Except for me, you mean,” You said.
He nodded concedingly. “Besides you.”
“Let me know when the results come back and I’ll go with you. We’ll make a day of it, go to a spa, get a bikini wax together, eat some overpriced salads, buy something ridiculous we want but don’t need. It’ll be a blast.”
He actually laughed a little. “Sounds like a plan.”
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unholyobsessions · 4 years ago
Text
Little Miss Perfect
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Chapter One
Pairing: Reggie x fem!Reader
Description: According to everyone around you, you’re perfect. When that perfection is threatened by a failing grade, your teacher assigns a once familiar person to tutor you. (1990s fic)
Warnings: cussing
Word Count: 1.7k
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You have a reputation to uphold, have had to do so since you were a child. Your family is old money, traditional and proper in all aspects of life, and there is a certain way you were taught to act.
Always stand up straight. Never let anyone see you fumble. Walk with confidence. Always wear a smile. Dress properly, there’s always someone watching.
Be perfect.
And you are. Captain of the Cheerleading team, Junior Prom Queen, Straight As, loved by anyone and everyone. Guys want to date you and girls want to be you. You’ve never had to work for anything in your life.
Well, that last one is a lie.
Nobody knows what happens behind a closed door. No one knows the countless hours spent sitting on your desk, dozens of textbooks open around you and tears streaming down your face as you try to comprehend even the slightest bit of information. The ridiculously long amount of time spent in your dance studio choreographing and perfecting every cheer routine. The numerous weekends spent inside your bathroom learning how to get the perfect wing to your eyeliner and the perfectly natural shade of blush.
Having to keep up your reputation is hard, but you’ve never known anything else.
The sound of your heels clicking against the tile floor echoes throughout the school, announcing your presence to everyone in the vicinity. When you walk down the hallway, the crowd of people parts and a shimmer of guilt tugs at your heartstrings. You make it to your locker with no faults and a relieved sigh escapes your lips. You subtly tug down your skirt, feeling the hundreds of eyes on you. You fight to keep a natural smile on your face as you turn the combination of your locker. It doesn’t matter that your head is hidden by the locker door, the smile has to stay on or you would never hear the end of it from your parents.
The sound of your name being called snaps you out of your daze and you look up to see your best friend or well, whatever she was.
You grew up with Jane but you never really hung out with her until high school. Your parents are business partners so she made an acceptable presence by your side in the eyes of your parents. You don’t agree, she’s a bitch, but you still hang out with her because you’re told to do so. She’s perfectly perfect just like you, the only difference is that she actually enjoys the little bubble your families keep you in.
You roll your eyes as she immediately launches into a whispered rant about whoever dared look her in the eyes that morning. You grab your science textbook, enjoying the familiar weight that settles in your hands. Gripping the book tightly, you gently close the locker door, a large contrast from your peers, who slam it shut with their arm or shoulder absentmindedly.
You haven’t spoken a single word and Jane seems to either not notice or not care. As soon as you turn to her though, she shuts up. It confuses you a little, sure her parents were new money but that didn’t mean that you were above her. She acts sort of like a minion and you absolutely despise it but you go through with it blindly, as you do with everything.
You start walking to your class nodding your head at Jane, a signal to remind her to smile. She does and you hope yours does not look as forced as hers does.
The day goes by smoothly, lunch having been spent with the cheer squad. The smile is genuine but you only nod along to their conversation and give short replies. It’s not a rare occurrence for you to get quiet every once in a while. And when the bell rings and they all go back to class, you meet Jane by the cafeteria doors. You go your separate ways when you get to her classroom, AP Biology, and you keep walking until you reach yours, AP Calculus.
You sit stiff on the uncomfortable desk, a pencil gripped tightly in your hand. Your teacher starts the class by passing out the tests you took yesterday. You take a deep breath, hoping that the horrible feeling you had after you turned it in was wrong and that you actually did extremely well. After what feels like an eternity she finally gets to your row and sets the test down on your desk.
Your eyes widen at the paper in front of you. This can’t be right. You don’t fail, you can’t. You know math is not your strong suit and you have been struggling the past few lessons (derivatives are hard to understand, okay?) but you never expected to see the bright red F on the corner of the page. The teacher gives you a look and you know exactly what is means. Meet me after class.
At the sound of the bell, everyone rushes to get their stuff together but you take your time, waiting for everyone to exit the classroom before making your way to your teacher’s desk. You stare at the floor, unable to make eye contact with her.
“This isn’t the first time you’ve struggled in my class y/n,” you flinch at the disappointed tone, blinking away the tears welling up in your eyes. The voice of your mom echoes in your head, Don’t show weakness.
“I’m sorry,” you whisper, finally looking up. “It won’t happen again.”
“You said that last time.” When you refuse to answer she sighs. “Look I know what you go through to keep an A in this class but it’s okay to need a little help sometimes.”
This time you do answer. “I don’t need help, I never have. I’ll study more and do better next time.”
“Actually I’ve already recruited a student to help you.” Your eyes widen and your start to shake your head. “He’s one of my best students and he has agreed to tutor you a few times a week.”
“Who?” As if you invoked him by asking, the door opens. You look to your side and your breath hitches when you see who it is.
The Sinclairs are old money, go farther back than your family if you’re correct. Growing up, Reginald and you were thick as thieves. You took the same etiquette classes, had the same music instructor, had to follow the same set of rules. It was comforting, having someone who knew exactly what it’s like to live your life. But the guy standing in front of you is only a shadow of the boy you once knew.
This isn’t Reginald who would come to your parent’s fancy rich people parties, wearing an uncomfortable looking suit. Reginald who drank tea at twelve and never slouched. Reginald who is classically trained in music and would never be caught dead in anything other than black polished oxfords and a crisp button down tucked neatly into a pair of slacks.  
This is Reggie who wears thrifted flannels, leather jackets, torn black jeans and worn out vans. Reggie who was kicked out and disowned for playing bass and joining a rock band. Reggie who owns a fake ID and spends his weekends playing clubs. Reggie who you haven’t spoken to since the summer before high school, when it became dangerous to associate with the likes of him.
But apparently Reggie is just as smart as Reginald and is still a math genius. Maybe shadow is not the correct word. Because Reggie shines brighter than he ever did before.
You gape at him and he looks just as surprised. Most likely not expecting you to be the person he is assigned to tutor.
“Reggie, perfect timing. I assume you know miss l/n,” your teacher breaks the silence.
Not looking away from you, Reggie answers, “Vaguely.”
You gulp and look away from him, opting to stare at the wall.
Sensing the tension the teacher clears her throat. “Well I’ll leave you guys to set up a schedule, I have a meeting to get to.”
Neither of you move as she gathers her stuff and leaves the classroom. The room is filled with an uncomfortable silence as soon as the door shuts leaving you both staring awkwardly at each other.
“You don’t have to tutor me. It’s fine really,” you say, fiddling with the rings around your fingers, a nervous habit you’ve never been able to break.
“Don’t be dumb l/n. It’s no trouble.” The words leave Reggie’s lips effortlessly, not worried about saying the wrong thing, not even thinking before speaking and it’s hard to ignore the small strike of jealousy. “How about we meet Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at three?”
“I can’t Mondays and Wednesdays. I have cheer practice,” You say, confidence making its way back to your voice, his relaxed composure and vaguely familiar presence easing your nerves.
Reggie shrugs. “Miss it.”
“I can’t miss it Reginald, I’m captain.” You deadpan, already tired of this conversation. If it were anyone else, you would have fought to keep a smile on your face, to sound as polite as you possibly could, but being in Reggie’s presence made your walls shake, even if it was just a little bit.
“First off, it’s Reggie. Second those are the only days I can meet.” He sticks his hands in his pockets and leans back against the wall.
“Can we meet at four thirty?” You try to negotiate.
“I have band practice.”
“Miss it.” You don’t know what takes over you causing you to say something like that. You’re not sarcastic, you’re polite. You’re not sassy, you’re proper. Reggie raises his eyebrows and it looks like he’s trying not to laugh. You can practically feel the glare your parents would have given you and it terrifies you, causing you to rush out an apology. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come off as rude. I’ll move cheer practice to four thirty. We can meet at three.” You stand up straighter and your nails dig into your palms, the slight pain serving as a small punishment for your ludicrous behavior.
The amusement leaves Reggie’s eyes and he nods his head, eyes glancing down at your hands. If you didn’t know better, you would have thought there was worry in his gaze. “Cool. Meet me at the library tomorrow. I would say don’t be late but I know you’re physically incapable of it.”
And just like that, he leaves. You stand there for a minute, shocked, confused, and slightly dazed. Taking a moment to process the interaction you realize, your parents can never find out about this.
This was supposed to go up later but i’m too impatient. Hope you like it and let me know if you want to get tagged on future chapters :))
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nsheetee · 5 years ago
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mocha | jeno
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pairing: basketball player!jeno x barista!reader genre: coffee shop au | fluff, slight angst summary: you tutor star basketball player jeno when you realize he’s spending late nights studying in the cafe you work at.
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this is a part of the moonlight cafe series — please read the preface before continuing reading
he walks as if he’s in a hurry, not minding the jingling bell on the door above him and sits down at a booth in the corner of the cafe
he has a baseball cap on, and a hoodie over that; you can’t recognize who he is at all
waiting a few moments, you glance over at his table again
he has several textbooks and his laptop out, promptly putting his airpods in his ears and beginning his homework
you just write him off as any other student that comes in here at night, the only difference with him is that he doesn’t order a coffee with an unhealthy amount of espresso shots in it
you don’t mind him, but it is a bit worrying when he spends the whole night switching between laying his head down on the table and softly thumping it against the wood, and staring blankly between his laptop and textbook
when he leaves that night at 3am, you send a silent wish after him that whatever he was studying for goes in his favor 
but surprisingly, he shows up the next night as well
it’s saturday night, the evening rush ended a while ago, and the mysterious guy is once again sitting in his spot at the back corner of the cafe
he looks even more frazzled than the night before, yet he doesn’t order anything and continues to diligently work throughout the whole night
this goes on for weeks, and you begin to worry for this poor boy’s sleep schedule
but even more so, you’re curious about who he is, since he never orders anything and always has a hood or a hat on
one night, your curiosity is quenched
“who’s that?” taeil asks you; he’s normally not at the store this late, but forgot to complete taking inventory this morning and came back tonight to finish it up
he nods his head towards your mystery guy, who has slumped over his textbooks and looks to be peacefully sleeping on the table
“not sure. he always comes in and studies for almost the whole night, never orders anything, though.” you shrug at your boss and he frowns
“go give him a mocha, or something. on the house- he looks like he needs to wake up.” taeil turns back to his clipboard and you nod
carrying over a hot mocha to the intriguing character in the corner of the cafe, your heart thumps in suspense
you’ll finally be able to learn who the mystery man is, something you’ve been wondering since day one
you set the mocha down on the table carefully and sit across from him, shaking his arm to wake him up
the guy jerks out of his sleep, a flashcard sticking to his face as he looks around the cafe with lidded eyes
“sorry!” you grimace, holding out your hands in front of you “I didn’t mean to scare you, I just wanted to wake you up. my boss told me to give you this mocha on the house, and to make sure you’re okay.” the guy unsticks the flashcard from his face, and your mouth drops when you realize who the mystery man is
“lee jeno?” you ask, and his sleepy eyes widen when you recognize him
“...no? I think you have me mistaken for someone else...” he clears his throat, looking around the cafe to see if anyone has their attention turned to you two
you would believe him, if he isn’t the most well known face on campus
he’s not only the college’s basketball star who has his face plastered on every basketball-related event at the school and is dating the head cheerleader, but also the guy who sits a few rows in front of you in your calculus class
“I'm 90% sure you’re lee jeno.” you state, and he seems too tired to argue with you about his identity
“okay, yes, that’s me. can you please not tell anyone that I'm here.”
“tell what? that you, a college student, studies?” you tilt your head and cross your arms as you wait for his response
“yeah,” he becomes shy, playing with his airpods that fell out of his ears during his nap, “to be honest, I'm in a calculus class this semester and I don’t understand one bit of it. that’s why I'm here every weekend night.” he explains, not meeting your gaze yet
all of a sudden, it hits you-
he doesn’t know who you are
although your calculus class has almost 100 people in it, you would think he would’ve at least seen you walking past him every monday, wednesday, and friday to your seat behind him
but you’re not surprised that he’s struggling or that he hasn’t noticed you, since you always see him talking with his basketball friends instead of paying attention 
“I can tutor you.” you shrug, and he raises his eyebrows, finally making eye contact, “I work every weekend night, and I took that class last semester.”
you don’t feel guilty about lying
if jeno doesn’t recognize you, then maybe it should stay that way
what he doesn't know won’t hurt thim
“wouldn’t that keep you away from your job...” 
“it calms down after midnight around here, and I usually get bored during that time. what do you say?”
he agrees, and pretty soon you’re tutoring basketball star lee jeno
you thought that keeping your identity secret when you walk into class would be difficult, but jeno is always too busy fooling around with his friends before class starts that it’s easy to sneak past him
jeno comes in after midnight on weekends, you tutor him for about an hour (or until he understands the homework) and then he leaves to get some precious sleep 
jeno might be forever thankful for you
the way you explain things makes sense to him, much more sense than any office hours or ta hours that he has been to
it’s a win-win situation for you both: you can count these hours every night as “volunteer work” and jeno soon comes back to the cafe with his midterm exam, a solid B+ labeled across the top
“good job,” you chime when you see his grade from his phone
a text message notification pops up, and although you don’t read it, you definitely saw the word “party”
“maybe we can skip the study session tonight? you’ve been doing much better lately, and it’s friday night. I bet you want to get out and go to a party, or something.” you suggest, giving jeno a perfect excuse to leave you for the night and join his friends
“nah,” jeno shrugs as he takes back his phone, “I'd much rather hang out with you.”
your heart thuds at his words and you try your hardest to control your facial expression- to somehow bite back the heat threatening to rise to your cheeks
it’s been like this for the past few weeks, ever since you saw this new side to jeno
before tutoring him, he was only the basketball player who loudly fooled around with his friends before class and seemed like he didn’t care about anything else other than basketball
but since you started to get to know him, it’s safe to say you severely misjudged him
he’s probably the most boyish guy you’ve ever met, who cracks jokes that most would cringe at but have you clutching your stomach and wheezing with laughter 
the more time he spent around you, the more comfortable he became, and the more he could tell you his feelings
like how nervous he was for the exam or how scared he was for last week’s game
or how he’s determined to drink the mocha you make him every time he comes to the cafe, as an apology for all the nights he hogged a table and didn’t buy anything
he snuck into your heart, through the spaces between your ribs and planted himself there, unwilling to leave
but you know your feelings aren’t acceptable
he has a girlfriend, a very pretty and popular one that you’re almost sure he won’t leave for little old you
“seriously,” jeno notices your change in tone, “you can go out. you don’t have to stay here.”
“I'm being serious, too. let’s start on the next chapter, since you took this class last semester you’ll know how to do the equations for the next part, right?” jeno is already pulling out his textbook and his papers, determined to start working
your heart races, now for a different reason
although you’re good at calculus, you’re not that good to understand the next chapter yet
“uh...” you trail off, trying to find an excuse, “why do you even want to do math homework right now?” you ask, and jeno suddenly gets quiet
“it’s not really about math anymore, it’s about the person who’s teaching it to me...” he mumbles, but you hear him clearly
your heart is in your throat and your hands clam up from nerves
this is wrong
he has a girlfriend
his life is very different and separate from yours
this is so wrong
“we can’t.” you shake your head, and jeno’s nervous glances at you turns into a heartsick and longing look, “I- I actually haven’t taken this class. I'm taking it... right now.” you admit, the weight on your shoulders being lifted
“what?” he frowns
he doesn’t look good with a frown, his round glasses move with his face
he looks more like a confused puppy than the killer basketball player everyone knows and loves
“I'm in your class, jeno. I sit three rows behind you. I walk past you everyday to my seat.” you roll your eyes lightly
jeno just keeps getting more and more confused with every sentence
“how? how did I not notice you-”
“because you’re too busy messing around with your bros.” you roll your eyes harder this time, but when your gaze lands back on jeno, you immediately start to regret the forcefulness of your words
he looks hurt, and now angry
“so, you lied to me?” jeno looks as if the gears in his brain are running at full capacity, “what did you want from me then? some tickets to the game, maybe my phone number to sell online?” he spits out, embarrassment from you not returning his feelings fueling his harsh words
“do I look like I would do that? you know I'm not that kind of person.”
“forget it. maybe I will go to that party...” he trails off as he packs up his bag
“you act different with your friends than you do with me. you’re just trying to fit into a mold. I called you out on it and you’re mad about it.”
“no. I act different with you because I like you. liked.” he corrects himself, standing up out of the booth
your heart pinches with hurt at his words
there’s nothing like the bitterness of being so close to what you wanted, and then taking 10 steps back because you weren’t aware of how close you were to getting it
“you forgot your drink.” you say bitterly, intent on having the last word
he tucks his airpods into his ears and fixes his hood, “I hate mochas.”
the next night, the basketball team loses their first game of the season
it’s hard not to hear about it, considering the basketball team (and lee jeno) are the pride of the college
but a few more nights pass, and the team loses another game
and then they lose again, keeping them from going to regionals 
even taeyong and taeil talk about it, and you couldn’t look away when they showed you the viral video of jeno’s cheerleader girlfriend breaking up with him in the middle of the court after the last game
although you haven’t talked to him since the fight, you still felt sorry for him
you felt bad, and a bit guilty
jeno hasn’t shown up to calculus since the loss, and his seat is eventually taken by one of his ex-friends 
within a month, jeno turned from the campus’ golden boy to a nobody
and it didn’t matter to you
you haven’t physically seen him since the fight, making you worried about him
is he okay? physically and mentally? is he eating or sleeping? 
part of you hates that you still have feelings for him, and the other part doesn’t care 
you just want to know if he’s okay
and then one very early saturday morning, he walks into the cafe for the very first time since you fought 
the jingle of the bells above him comfort him, they chime a good luck to him as he steps up to the counter where you’re ducked down into the pastry display case 
“I'll be with you in one moment.” you say, tired dripping from your tone, and jeno realizes you’re in the last hour of your shift
“it’s no problem.” your rustling stops at the familiar voice, and your head pops up from behind the counter
lee jeno stands in front of you, his hoodie and baseball hat on, round glasses perched on his nose and his fringe tickling his eyes
“jeno.” you say, as if making sure it’s actually him and that he’s really here
“no, I think you might’ve mistaken me for someone else.” you and jeno both can’t help but let out a small laugh as you unexpectedly reenact the first time you met
“what are you doing here?” you ask, fully standing up and meeting him at the cash register
“well, I was hoping to get a mocha.” 
“I thought you hate mochas.” jeno stares at you and you stare back, unwilling to move until he says something first
jeno reaches out over the cash register, his strong but gentle fingers grazing over your forehead to fix some hair that was out of place due to your movements during restocking
you subconsciously lean into his touch, and jeno brings his hand down into yours, pulling you away from the cash register and sitting down in a chair at the counter
his hands hold yours over the counter, and the fact that you haven’t pulled away gives him hope that he’s not too late
“I grew to love them because of you. I've been craving them for the past month,” he laughs sourly, “but no one makes them the way you do.”
your heart trembles at his words, and it takes everything in you to not forgive him in an instant
“I'll make you one.” you say, untangling your hands from his and moving to the espresso machine 
jeno watches as you make his new favorite drink, and then place it before him as you sit down in a chair next to him
“I’m sorry.” is the first thing he says after you face him once again, “you were right. I was trying to fit into the mold of what the people around me wanted. the only time I could actually be myself is when I'm around you.” 
“I'm sorry, too. this isn’t all your fault, I shouldn’t have lied to you.” jeno scoots closer, tiredness tying you together and the moonlight from outside allowing you to enjoy the company of each other
“my calculus grade is low again. I might need your big brain to help me.”
“okay, but I'll need payment this time.”
“how much?”
“one kiss.”
“one kiss for every correct problem on the final exam?”
“deal.”
jeno smiles softly, his eyes scrunching as smile lines crease his face like tangled bedsheets in the early morning
he leans in, and you kiss with only the moonlight as a witness
jeno loves the way your mouth tastes like the bitter espresso that keeps him awake, but your lips are as sweet as the mocha that he has grown to love
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respectablesentiment · 4 years ago
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It’s Tuesday afternoon and like clockwork, Ellie Williams and Abigail Anderson are in the arcade. Every Tuesday and Thursday they arrive within minutes of Dina starting her shift. They don’t come on Mondays as Abby has swim practice, Wednesdays are out cause they both have soccer, and on Fridays Ellie has baseball. Week in and week out, they are here. Bickering and jeering at each other as they bounce between machines, hogging Street Fighter and stuffing ribbons of tickets into their bags. -- prompt: redemption, day 6 of elliedina week small town 90s AU one-shot, Dina works in an arcade and her best customers are Ellie and her meathead cousin
(day 1: ache) | (day 2: dawn) | (day 3: trouble) | (day 4: family) | (day 5: abandonment)
or you can read ‘crushes’ here if you prefer:
crushes 
It’s Tuesday afternoon and like clockwork, Ellie Williams and Abigail Anderson are in the arcade.
Every Tuesday and Thursday they arrive within minutes of Dina starting her shift. They don’t come on Mondays as Abby has swim practice, Wednesdays are out cause they both have soccer, and on Fridays Ellie has baseball.
Week in and week out, they are here. Bickering and jeering at each other as they bounce between machines, hogging Street Fighter and stuffing ribbons of tickets into their bags.
Dina reckons they’d come before school if they didn’t have track multiple times a week.
She doesn’t know how they do it, feeling mildly out of breath just rushing from school to her shift. But they’re gorgeous and sun kissed and athletic and it shows. Strong arms, built shoulders, trim waists, handsome and freckled and gay.
So gay.
She’s unsure if she’s ever seen Abby wearing sleeves outside of her soccer uniform, and every other shirt she owns looks as though she’s ripped the sleeves off haphazardly.
Ellie’s hair is shaggy, still lingering in the awkward stages of a mullet as it grows from a shorter cut, sticking out at old angles under a baseball cap and often half stuck in the collar of one of Ellie’s flannel shirts.
Dina loses too much time each week thinking about it. Ellie’s hair looks soft, her smile is lopsided, her voice scratchy and she just does it for Dina.
There’s something about Ellie that just works.
It’s always worked.
Dina had moved to Jackson when she was fifteen; she sat behind Ellie in math for two years and she barely learnt a thing. Awestruck and stupid at the slope of her neck and the flex of her arms.
She was better now, her tongue no longer heavy in her mouth and the urge to flee was long abandoned.
Dina had worked in the arcade for almost two years, since she was sixteen, and she’d spent many shifts sitting at the prize counter studying for exams, trying and struggling to learn what she’d missed in math that day.
“Hey Dina,” Ellie says warmly, breaking her out of her thoughts.
“Hi Ellie,” Dina greets, wiping her face and hoping she wasn’t drooling as she forces a smile.
Their friendship was new and tentative. Dina still mildly nervous at times after crushing on Ellie from a distance all through middle school. She likes to believe at times that her crush was gone but over the last few months of short conversations, she knew she was slipping.
“Did you have a good day today?” Ellie asks easily.
“Yeah, it was alright,” Dina shrugs, fidgeting with her pen and looking down at her homework. “We got that history essay today though, so I think another wave of assignments is incoming.”
Ellie grimaces. “Yeah, I’m not looking forward to it,” she says, rubbing the back of her neck and Dina feels two years of her life peel away as she watches Ellie’s bicep bulge in the movement. “I’m not the best with writing.”
“I- I thought you wrote all the time?” Dina asks, swallowing thickly. “You’ve always got that notebook of yours out at lunch.”
Ellie’s cheeks turn a little pink and she glances away. “Don’t tell anyone,” Ellie says, leaning in to whisper conspiratorially. “But it’s all just song lyrics and bad poetry.”
Dina grins, butterflies almost violent in her stomach, her gaze lingering on the slight touch of hazel in Ellie’s green eyes.
“Essays on the other hand,” Ellie smiles crookedly. “Not my thing.”
Dina nods jerkily. “Yeah, yeah I get that.” She blinks, registering her words. “I mean- I’ll pick an essay over math any day but-” She shrugs. “Everyone is different.”
“I’d prefer math,” Ellie says, resting her hands on the counter. “It’s my favourite subject.”
“It’s my worst,” Dina admits.
“If you ever want to study together,” Ellie offers bashfully, waving a hand in the air. “Let me know?”
“I- yeah, yeah I will,” Dina says awkwardly, thinking about how entirely unhelpful that would be and how desperately she’d want that.
“Ellie!” Abby’s booming voice calls across the room. “You gettin’ change or what, dude?”
Ellie sighs. “I’m sorry about her,” she says, rolling her eyes. “She was dropped on her head as a baby.”
Dina laughs, holding out a hand to take some bills from Ellie. “It’s all good,” she smiles, opening the till. “She doesn’t really have an inside voice, does she?”
“Nup,” Ellie grins.
Dina exchanging the money without question, forty bucks in quarters is excessive but they both know it’s nothing new. Both Ellie and Abby worked weekends at their family business Miller Construction to fund it. Neither of the last names are Miller but Dina didn’t question it, always stuck on the image of Ellie in a toolbelt more than anything else. Sometimes they wrap up early on Sundays and come in covered in sawdust and sweat, ready to spend their entire pay and leave Dina breathless.
“We’re getting close,” Ellie says, looking up at the water gun on the top shelf behind Dina.
“I feel like you’d be a lot closer if you just bought one outright,” Dina says teasingly.
“We could never find a beauty like that in the wild,” Ellie says dramatically, accepting the rolls of quarters as Dina hands them over.
She’s not entirely wrong. Jackson was a small town and there certainly wasn’t another place around where they’d find it outside of actually driving to a city.
Dina doesn’t get the appeal, but she admires the dedication.
--
In the following weeks, Ellie and Abby start to come in on days after practice with wet hair and eager expressions.  
“We’re getting really close,” Ellie says again one Monday afternoon. The first time she’s shown up without Abby in tow. “Abby thinks we might hit it tonight,” she continues.
They’d been chatting for a handful of hours, Ellie had come up to get change and lingered to chat until she eventually just sat on the counter. The conversation was easy, Ellie’s smile was bright, and Dina didn’t want it to end.
So of course, Abby finally arrives.
She narrows her eyes questioningly when she sees Ellie at the counter and Ellie is almost immediately pink as she hops off the counter.
“How’d you go so far?” Abby asks.
“I, uh,” Ellie runs a hand through her hair sheepishly. “I haven’t started.”
“Dude,” Abby groans, punching Ellie in the shoulder. “Come on, get your head in the game!”
Ellie winces at the punch. “That was hard!” She protests as she shoves Abby. Abby grabs her and they begin to attempt to wrestle each other, their legs twisting as they both attempt the same move to trip the other over.
“Hey!” Dina yells incredulously. “No roughhousing!”
“Sorry, Dina,” Ellie apologises as they break apart, elbowing Abby when the other girl doesn’t speak.
“I’m sorry too,” Abby says lamely.
“Excuse my cousin,” Ellie says. “She doesn’t have any manners ’cause she was raised in a barn.”
“Hey!” Abby frowns. “That’s not true and we’re not cousins.”
“We are cousins,” Ellie says rolling her eyes.
“No, we’re not,” Abby protests.
“We are too!”  
“We are not,” Abby says exasperatedly. “You’re the adopted kid of my dad’s sister’s husband’s brother.”
“Exactly!” Ellie agrees brightly, turning back to Dina with a smile. “So, we’re cousins.”
Dina tries and fails to hide her laughter.
“Your aunt is my aunt but we’re not each other’s aunt’s children,” Abby tries to argue, looking mildly confused. “So we’re like distantly connected but not related and therefore not cousins.”
“I don’t think that’s how it works,” Ellie says shaking her head. “If my dad is the brother of your aunt’s husband then we’re cousins.”
“We don’t share any grandparents though,” Abby says, scratching her head. “So, we can’t be cousins.”
“Dude, I’m adopted,” Ellie says with a laugh. “It makes no difference if I’m your aunt’s child or your dad’s brother-in-law’s brother’s child, because either way there’s no blood there.”
Abby frowns. “I don’t- I don’t get it.”
“Neither do I,” Dina interjects. “I don’t think I followed any of that.”
“Anyway,” Ellie says. “We’re cousins and we need some more quarters, please and thank you.”
“We just need 217 more tickets,” Abby says, looking up at the water gun.
Dina looks up at the water gun, dust settled on grey and purple body of it. “I don’t know if it’s worth the tickets,” she says apologetically, looking at the small sign reading ‘Redeem for 15,000’ in front of it. “I have no idea much money you’ve spent so far, but you’ve spent a lot.”
“It’s the 1996 CPS 2000 Mk 1 Super Soaker,” Abby says, as though it means something to Dina. “It’s priceless.”
“Is it?” Dina asks.
“It’s the first elastic pressure Super Soaker ever made,” Ellie adds.
The addition doesn’t clarify anything for Dina and her blank expression must tell them as much.
“It was discontinued last year for the 1998 CPS 2500,” Abby frowns. “The 2500 has an even smaller nozzle than the CPS 2000 Mk 2.”
“Is that- is that what this one is?” Dina asks.
“This is the first release,” Ellie says. “The Mk 2 has 25% less capacity cause they shortened the pressure gauge and most of them have a different pump with a visible pin…” Her voice trails off, seemingly a little embarrassed.
“The Mk2 and the 2500 are shit compared to this,” Abby says. “This is the most powerful Super Soaker ever produced, better than the 300!”
“Oh wow,” Dina says politely, trying to force enthusiasm into her voice.
“It’s got the best time, output and range,” Abby continues. “I heard that someone once shot a kid in the eye with one and it removed the eye.”
“I really really doubt that,” Dina says. “Regardless, when you do get it, please do not shoot each other in the face.”
“We won’t,” Ellie smiles.
“Redemption will never be as sweet,” Abby whispers to herself, still gazing up at the water gun.
--
They get it by the Thursday, lugging in several backpacks of tickets for Dina to look at.
“We’ve come for redemption,” Abby says in a gravelly voice, her expression only serious for a moment before it cracks and she’s grinning dopily.
Counting the tickets was a chore and Dina didn’t do it as closely as she probably should have, trusting Abby’s count considering how meticulously ordered and bound the tickets were in sets of 250.
When Dina finally hands it over, Abby hugs the gun tightly to her chest. Dina’s mildly concern that Abby might kiss it.
Ellie and Abby’s jaws drop when Dina takes another identical water gun out from under the counter and places it back on the top shelf.
“There’s another-” Ellie says, eyes wide.
“I want it,” Abby whispers.
“Abby, we can’t-” Ellie tries.
“I want it,” Abby says wistfully. “We can totally get it.”
“We cannot,” Ellie protests.
“Think of how powerful we’ll be,” Abby says, bouncing on her feet a little like she’s torn between running off to play with the water gun or to go back to one of the arcade machines.
“I just don’t get it,” Dina mutters to herself.
--
It takes a week until they show up again; she talks to Ellie at times at school, but they don’t share lunch period and it’s not the same.
Her shifts feel longer, the kids seem more annoying and her homework seems to make less sense.
Their arrival makes her disproportionately happy, beaming at them as they come over to the counter to make change.
“I see you still have both eyes, Abby,” Dina says almost affectionately. “Did it live up to all your hopes and dreams?”
“It really did,” Abby says giddily, her eyes sparkling. “We’re gonna get his brother now, I think.”
Dina grins. “By the way, we just got in Mortal Kombat 4.”
“Finally!” Abby yells, smacking the counter before stalking away.
“I like her,” Dina says to Ellie.
“She’s pretty great,” Ellie sighs. There’s a beat of silence before them before Ellie’s peers over the counter. “How’s your homework treating you?”
Dina groans.
“That bad?” Ellie asks, looking apologetic for asking.
“Math is just not my thing,” Dina says, dropping her face into her hands.
“Can I help?” Ellie asks earnestly.
--
It’s later that night when it happens.
They spend an hour looking through the work, Ellie sitting with Dina behind the counter as she works through a handful of example questions in a crooked handwriting.
And it slowly clicks.
Dina’s almost giddy with relief as she understands. “God, I’m so glad we’re friends now,” Dina says honestly.
“Me too,” Ellie smiles softly, her eyes crinkling.
“You know what’s funny?” Dina asks, unable to stop herself.
“What?”  
“It’s funny but I had a huge crush on you like two years ago,” she admits.
Ellie’s jaw drops. “Really?”
Dina nods sheepishly.
“Wait, really? Two years ago?” Ellie asks pressingly.
“Yeah,” Dina flushes.
Ellie swears, smacking the table in front of her and pacing in the small space.
“What?”
“I had a crush on you two years ago,” Ellie groans, rubbing her eyes.
“Oh for fucks sake,” Dina curses, her head in her hands.
“I know,” Ellie sighs.
“Fuuuuck.”
“I know.”
“Why didn’t you ever say anything?” Dina asks, looking up to question Ellie.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Ellie repeats anxiously.
They stare at each other almost angrily in their frustration, tense and regretful. Dina can’t blame her for not saying anything and she knows it.
Two years of what ifs between them.
“You good?”
They both startle, jumping in their skin to turn and find Abby on the other side of the counter, glancing between them and chewing gum lazily.
“She had a crush on me two years ago,” Ellie laments, the words rushing out all at once.
“Okay,” Abby says, blowing a bubble and popping it before continuing. “But like, she still likes you, so what’s the issue?”
Dina has never hated her more.
“I- Abby you-” Ellie stammers, looking angrily at Abby before turning to Dina. “I- I mean, do you?”
Dina swallows before nodding awkwardly.
Ellie looks elated, bouncing on the balls of her feet slightly with restless energy like Abby the week prior. “Do you, uh, do you wanna go on a-?” She clears her throat. “Can I take- Can I please take you on a date? Would you-”
Dina reaches out to stop her, taking Ellie’s hand gently in hers. “I would love to go on a date with you,” she says sincerely, her cheeks are burning, and she knows she’s probably blushing just as much as Ellie.
They smile at each other eagerly, thrumming with excitement and giddy with affection.
“So like,” Abby interrupts. “Can I get some more quarters, though?”
 (Ellie has baseball practice after school the next day. Dina has the night off work, so she sits in the stands, her homework open and ignored in her lap. They go to a diner for burgers and fries afterwards, holding hands across the table, and they have their first kiss that night at Dina’s front door.)
:)
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marauderbilliepevensie · 4 years ago
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Peter Pevensie : Irritated
Narnia One-Shot (Modern)
You sighed as you changed the sign on the door of the neighbourhood’s local cafe to “Open” at 7:00am. You headed back behind the counter as your thoughts drifted back to the usual - how much you hated your life. The doorbell rang loud and clear, cutting through your grey, miserable thoughts like a knife. A handsome boy with dirty blonde hair and ocean blue eyes walked in. You observed that he only looked a year older than you.
“Yes.” You said - rather rudely - once he’d reached the counter. “You okay?” He asked, furrowing his eyebrows. “You seem really irritated.” “I’m not irritated!” You said through gritted teeth, wringing out a tea towel as if you were trying to strangle it. ”Don’t lie, your irritated.” “Is it that obvious?” You replied, grimacing slightly. “Kinda,” he said, wincing in what you supposed was an apologetic way. “Sorry, I just had the worst day yesterday.” You sighed, “Anyway, what would you like?” “Just a black coffee and a cinnamon roll please,” he said quickly looking at the board above my head. “What happened?” He asked, referring to your previous comment. “Really? Just that? Nothing else? No specific amount of sugar or milk I need to add in that makes no fucking difference to the overall taste whatsoever?” You asked. “Nope. Anyway, what happened?” He pressed. “You really want to know?” He nodded. “Well, you asked for it,” you sighed, turning around to begin making his beverage. “I just had a really shit day at work. Here and at the fucking restaurant I work in, you know, the big fancy one around the corner? Anyway, the first asshole customer of the day arrived before anyone else - such great way to start the day. He complained for like, five hours that there was just a smidge too much icing on his cake and that his coffee was just that bit too bitter. He was ranting for so long that another customer had arrived before he had finished, so I asked - politely too - if he could move aside so I could take their order, but he refused! And when he finally left, he just stormed out without paying, and no tip! Are you fucking kidding me! Anyway, it continued like that with only around three customers being mildly decent. Then, when my shift here ended, I got a call from a friend who also works at the restaurant round the corner, asking if I could cover her shift because she were ill. I said, yes - why? I have no idea, because it meant I had to miss over half of my two hour break between work here and work there, so I didn't get lunch. Anyway I got there, and of course, it was the same as here. Rich snobs who’ve never lifted a finger in their life complaining without any consideration for anyone else’s peace. One girl, who really fucking pissed me off, returned her meal three times - three fucking times!” “Why?” He said, leaning on the counter, now invested in the story. You scoffed, “You’re gonna love this, the first time because it wasn’t salty. The second because it wasn’t salty enough, and the third, because she had already eaten most of her boyfriend’s fucking food, so she wasn’t hungry enough to eat it! Insane. Eventually, I got home 11:30, only managed to eat a scrap of food for dinner before I passed out on the sofa, only to wake up with forty-five minutes before I have to be here for work, which is 6:20 - an ungodly hour no one should be awake at in my opinion - to spend forty minutes cleaning everything again to remove the nonexistent particles of dust off the table that only the bloody manager can see, and setting everything out to open on time, meaning I haven’t had breakfast. And the worst part of all that, is that you are the only person in the history of this damn cafe who has ever entered this bloody place before 8:15, so we don’t really need to be here before 7:45!” You finished, placing a mug of black coffee and a warm cinnamon roll on a plate hand-painted with flowers on the counter with a satisfying pronounced thud. “You’ve had it bad.” He stated bluntly, looking you in the eyes for a few moments before you both burst out laughing. “What’s your name? I think that after listening to that, I have the right to know.” He said between laughs.
“Y/N, Y/N L/N. What’s yours?” You said after regaining your breath.
“Peter. Peter Pevensie.”
“So what are you doing  at this time of the morning Peter?” You inquired, seeing no harm in starting a conversation as no one was likely to appear for another hour or so thank god.
“I’ve started at Oxford and decided I’d find a quiet cafe to get breakfast in before school.”
“Oxford! I’m going there next year to do History and Art. What are you studying?”
“Maths, Medicine and History. Most people think they’re boring subjects but they're the best!” You smiled at his excitement.
“I know! Well, about History anyway - I've always loved it. I did it for GCSE and then for A-Level as well English, French and Art. I’m doing a gap year now to earn a bit of money and I’ll start next year.”
“Nice to already know a future fellow-student,” He smiled. “So when do you work here?”
“7:00am to 14:00 pm, Monday to Saturday, and I work at the restaurant 16:00 to 21:00 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday too but I get breaks during both jobs and obviously there’s a gap in between them.”
We continued talking until unfortunately, he announced he needed to leave.
 “See you tomorrow?” He said as he backed towards the door.
“Yeah, see you tomorrow!” You called back. As you lost sight of him around the corner, you smiled to yourself. Somehow, being at the cafe by 6:20 in the morning didn’t seem so unappealing anymore.
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hawthornsybil · 5 years ago
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5 Times Eddie realizes how caring Buck is + 1 time Eddie shows Buck he’s loved.
(I lost count as I was writing and ended up with 6 instead of 5 ooops)
1.
Eddie and Buck are sitting at the table in the station’s kitchen when Hen gets to work. Eddie is reading a book and Buck is watching a video on his phone so intently that he doesn’t even look up when she greets him.
“What you got there, Buckaroo?” she asks and looks at Eddie to see if he knows but all she gets in return is a shrug.
“I’m trying to learn something.”
“You’re always learning something,” she teases him. He’s always deep into researching the most random things and as much as Hen likes to teas him a lot of the time, she knows how smart he is. “What is it this time?”
“ASL.” His reply is short but not rude and Hen is surprised, looks at Eddie again and finds him staring at Buck just as incredulously.
“You’re studying sign language?” Eddie asks. 
Buck nods and then gets up and leaves with his phone.
Eddie can’t help the fond smile that breaks out on his face “Of course he is.”
They think it’s just another thing Buck is interested in, until later in the day they find themselves staring as Buck is crouched down in front of a kid they just pulled out of a fire, a smile on his face while his hands move a bit stiffly between signs. They watch on as the kid smiles at Buck, fear long forgotten, and re-arranges his fingers in the right way.
Chimney comes over to stand next to Hen and Eddie so he can help pack everything up. He looks at Buck too. “What is he doing?”
Buck gets up, patting the kid on the head and walking him over to his mom before he finally goes over to the rest of the 118.
“You know sign language?” Chimney asks.
“I started learning after we saved that woman the night I met Red. I couldn’t reassure her as much as we usually do so I figured, next time I can be better prepared.” Buck shrugs like it’s not a big deal and then walks off, going to help the engine crew to pull back the hoses.
All they can do is stare after him.
2.
Eddie is pushing the cart, Buck in front of him selecting things from the shelves all the while keeping up an easy conversation. It’s a lot different from the last time they came to Howie’s Market with Bobby and truth to be told, Eddie is surprised they haven’t been banned.
Buck puts one box of cereal in the cart that Eddie knows that’s not on the list.
“Buck?”
“Chris ran out, you mentioned it this morning.”
All Eddie had said was ‘I gotta stop for cereals on the way home tonight’ and somehow Buck had remembered. He shouldn’t be surprised, he knows this by now, Buck always pays attention to him and Christopher.
“We should also get him those dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets he’s been asking for.”
“Buck…”
“I know, he shouldn’t eat them.” He looks at Eddie with a soft smile, not looking sorry at all. “Good cop, bad cop, you know?”
Eddie laughs, pushes his cart into Buck’s hip in retaliation.
3.
“Am I going to die?”
The woman they’re trying to save is hyperventilating and won’t stay still long enough for them to reach her, her seat belt the only thing stopping her from falling through the broken windshield and plummeting to her death in the water below.
“Ma’am, what’s your name?” Buck’s voice is calming, his eyes assessing the situation.
“Me-Megan.”
“Hi Megan, I’m Buck and that’s Eddie. We’re going to get you out, alright?”
Eddie still has no idea how they’re going to do that. They used the rappelling kit to get down to her car, but it was going to be hard to grab her and get her out.
Buck reaches inside carefully passing the rope around her chest, keeping her distracted. “I’m getting you out, promise.”
The first thing they’re taught, is to not make promises, and Buck should have learned from the train derailment, he was ready to risk his life because of a promise and that had infuriated Eddie to no end. Buck was always so quick to throw himself at danger as if he didn’t have anyone counting on him, loving him.
“I thought these things only happened in movies, you know?” Megan says and she doesn’t seem to realize that she’s almost free.
Eddie reaches inside from his side, knife ready to slice through the seat belt. He looks at Buck, finds his eyes and waits for him to give him the nod before cutting her free.
They barely manage to pull out before the car jolts forwards and then free falls into the ocean.
Eddie’s first instinct is to check on Buck, make sure he got himself out, but he finds him focused on Megan, joking about how cool that looked and how he couldn’t wait to rub it in Chimney’s face.
4.
“’Cap, I’m telling you, I can get him out.”
That’s all Eddie hears while he’s passing the woman he’s just pulled out of the fire to Hen. 
“Buck, we’ve been over this, I can’t let you risk your life for…”
“Hey, listen, it’s on me. I think I can do it.”
Eddie knows Buck is asking Bobby to trust him. He watches them hold each other’s gaze before Bobby gives in, shoulders slumping as he nods.
Buck is running into the house a moment later.
“Did we miss someone?” Eddie asks.
“One of the kids Buck pulled out said they have a blind dog still inside the house.”
Bobby’s worried eyes stay focused on the door of the house, hands poised on his radio ready to call Buck out. Eddie takes his helmet off, trying to get his hair out of his face and waits with Bobby. Just as he’s about to run inside and drag Buck out, he walks out, dog hiding under his turnout coat. Buck’s smile is blinding.
5.
The only thing Eddie hates more than 24-hour-shifts, is having to do one when Buck is on a day off. On the bright side, by the time he drags himself home, back killing him, he knows Buck is going to be there, probably half asleep on the couch with Chris.
When he gets inside the house, he follows the sound of Chris’ laughter into the living room where he’s sitting next to Buck at the table. Eddie just leans against the door and watches them for a second.
“Chris, is not very nice to laugh at your friends, you know?” Buck is saying, head bent over one of Chris’ books, tongue sticking out in concentration. Chris only laughs harder at that.
“Math again?” Eddie asks, his own laugh bubbling out of his chest.
Buck glares at him but Chris laughs harder. Eddie walks over, one hand ruffling Christopher’s hair first and then Buck’s.
“See if I help you again, Chris,” Buck protests but they all know that Chris has Buck wrapped so tightly around his finger that he could ask for the moon and Buck would find a way of getting it.
“Chris, you know Buck doesn’t know math, mijo.”
“Hey, tell you what, tomorrow I’m going to bring my old fire science book to the station, and we’ll see who gets the most correct answers.”
Eddie rolls his eyes. Coming home and finding Buck and Chris waiting for him together, never ceases to make his hurt squeeze painfully in his chest, yearning to make Buck stay, keep him here with them where he belongs.
“Your kid is a bully, Eddie.” His eyes are full of mirth and Eddie can’t help himself, runs his hand through Buck’s hair again, this time slow and deliberate. 
“You let him bully you, that’s on you.”
Chris giggles from where he’s sitting. “Buck, I’m sorry.”
Buck’s face softens in that fond little smile that Eddie has come to catalog as Buck’s Chris smile. Eddie’s not too sure what he’s ever done to find someone who loves his kid as much as he does, but he’ll be damned if he doesn’t let Buck know how much it means to him.
6.
They’re responding to a call in a hospice, someone trapped on the roof, when Eddie notices Buck speaking with one of the patients, an elderly man that looks frail where he’s sitting in a wheelchair. Buck is crouching next to his chair and Eddie gets curious.
He looks to where Chimney is checking over the man they’ve just saved and figures he can take a few seconds to go check on Buck. When he’s near enough he hears Buck laugh, his face going pink as soon as he notices Eddie coming over.
“So, you haven’t done it yet?” the man is asking Buck just as Eddie reaches them.
Buck gets to his feet looking shy and uncertain. “Not yet.”
“Hey, Buck, we’re almost ready to go,” Eddie tells him.
“Eddie, this is Ronnie, Ronnie, this is Eddie.”
“Nice to meet you,” he says while shaking the man’s hand.
“Nice to finally meet you, too. I was starting to think you weren’t actually real. Buck here never shuts up about you.”
He’s so confused. “I’m sorry… how do you two know each other?”
Ronnie looks delighted at the question. “Oh, Buck comes to read to me once a week. Brings some beauty and companionship in an old man’s life.”
“You’re not that old, Ronnie,” Buck deflects.
Eddie can’t help but stare at him. Sometimes he feels like all he does is looking at Buck, couldn’t look away if he tried. He’s almost certain that Bobby has caught him staring more than once, Chimney and Hen probably did too; Eddie doesn’t really care.
“Anyway, we should go. I will see you next Wednesday, okay?” Buck is pulling him away before Eddie can get a word in edgewise.
“Is this why you’ve been blowing me off?”
Buck scoffs as they reach the truck outside. “I’d hardly calling it blowing you off. I skipped game night like, twice, so far. I know I’m irresistible but I’m sure you can entertain yourself without me for one night a week.”
Eddie raises an eyebrow and grins at him. Too easy. “I can definitely entertain myself.”
Buck pushes him and Eddie can’t help but laugh.
+1
Eddie knocks on Buck’s door twice before finally saying screw it and using his key to let himself in. The apartment is dark except for the light coming from the TV on in the corner.
“Buck?”
When he gets no answer, Eddie can feel the worry he’s been feeling for the last few hours of his shift getting stronger. He walks over to the sofa and finds Buck passed out, brow furrowed in pain, his hand holding his side even while he sleeps.
Eddie sighs, tells himself to calm down and then crouches by Buck’s head, one hand coming to cup his cheek, thumb stroking gently.
“Buck, hey, wake up.”
Buck moans, tries to turn away but he puts too much weight on his injured side and stirs, eyes blinking open slowly.
“Eddie?”
“Yeah. How are you feeling?”
Buck doesn’t move so Eddie lets his hand rest on Buck’s cheek, eyes fall to Buck’s pink lips.  
“You’re an idiot, you know? I told you to wait for me but no, you just had to throw yourself inside.”
“She was going to die.”
Eddie pulls back, sits down on the floor, his eyes remaining locked with Buck’s. “I wish you’d get that your life is not expendable, you are not expendable.”
“Comes with the job.”
“You don’t have to be so reckless all the time just because you want to save everyone. You always think it’s going to work out in the end but sometimes it doesn’t, you know. One day it won’t work.”
Buck closes his eyes, readjusts himself so he’s sitting up. Eddie can’t help himself, puts his hands on Buck’s knees, thumbs digging into the bones. Buck is okay he keeps repeating in his head.
“I know you care about saving everyone but Buck, I need you to save yourself too.”
He stares at Buck, sees his eyes soften in the blue light of the screen. Eddie pushes himself on his knees, comes to stand between Buck’s legs. His eyes search Buck’s for a moment and then he can’t help himself and leans close, his breath catching in his throat for a second before his lips touch Buck’s. It feels like he’s breathing for the first time after being underwater.
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dekuscrybaby · 5 years ago
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starry nights
pairing: tsukishima kei x gn!reader
request: no, just felt soft for tsukki
word count: 2.5k+ words
warnings: fluff with barely any plot, a few curse words (?), unedited, maybe ooc tsukki, CHEESY AS HELL, the ending is booty bc i couldn’t find a way to end it
a/n: i wrote this as gender neutral as i could bc i’m a useless hetero so if something is not gn friendly pls let me know!
summary: who knew a stressful night could turn so soft with the help of a certain blonde?
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after such a long day, there was nothing more you wanted than a nice relaxing evening before falling into a deep sleep.
the idea of finally getting home and showering after sweating at the boy’s volleyball practice, seeing as you were a manager, sounded amazing. what sounded even better was eating dinner and retiring to your room where you could listen to music in bed as you slowly feel yourself drift off into your dreams.
unfortunately, the only thing you received once you got home was a hard chair pressing uncomfortably into your bottom as you scribbled various formulas onto your notebook.
you were attempting to solve yet another dumb math problem that was assigned to you earlier that day, but you were finding that the results weren’t making any sense. they were far too large to be the correct answer. or were they too small?
you sighed frustratedly as your head began to pound and your butt was beginning to numb. you mentally reminded yourself to ask your parents for a comfier desk chair as soon as possible.
after another failed attempt at the stupid trigonometry problem in your textbook, you felt yourself begin to spiral. your muscles began to tense up and for some reason, your head felt like it was spinning, the pounding only getting stronger. the moment you found yourself struggling to breathe, you decided that it was time to take a break before things escalated any further.
you pushed yourself away from your desk to stretch for a little and to clear your head, hoping it’d be enough to finally let you solve the problem afterward. you might have also done it to get some blood flowing back in your ass, but that’s not the focus of this.
you paced around your room for a couple of minutes before you heard a slight buzzing sound in the room. halting your movement, you turned your head towards the sound and realized it was coming from your phone, which was lying in the middle of your bed.
walking over to your bed, you flopped yourself onto the soft mattress after taking your phone into your hands. upon realizing that your boyfriend was calling you, you clicked on the green accept call button and pressed the device to your ear.
“hey, what’s up?” you spoke as you made yourself comfortable on your bed, grabbing one of your stuffed animals and holding it close to your chest.
“why haven’t you replied to me?” tsukishima grumbles quietly.
“uhh, i did? i’m literally speaking with you, aren’t i?” you raised an eyebrow even if he couldn’t see it.
“i’m talking about my texts, dumbass. i sent you like ten in the last fifteen minutes,” he sighed.
you pulled your phone away and glanced at your notifications, which only proved your boyfriend’s statement to be true. 
frowning slightly you turned your attention back to the call, “sorry, tsukki. i didn’t see your messages until right now.”
back in his own room, tsukishima could be found rolling his eyes at your lack of attention towards him. a quick glance at his alarm clock at his bedside had other worries streaming into his head.
“what are you doing that’s so important at this hour anyway?” the blonde questioned as he sat up on his own bed.
“homework, what else would i be doing?” you replied.
“i don’t know, maybe getting ready for bed? it’s almost ten pm, y/n. you need eight hours of sleep,” he scolded you.
“i know, i know. you remind me of that at least twice a week,” you grumbled halfheartedly.
tsukishima chuckled softly, knowing you were probably pouting at this point, “clearly i need to remind you more often since it’s not getting through your puny brain.”
the pout you wore grew even wider, just as tsukishima imagined it to, “hey, it’s not that puny!”
you could hear your boyfriend laugh a bit louder as you also say up on your bed, cradling the plush closer to your chest, “i don’t know, you come in pretty close to hinata and kageyama.”
“that’s far from the truth and you know it! we’re literally in the same class,” you huffed.
“that doesn’t mean much, sweetheart,” he teased you.
“fuck you,” you laughed softly.
“you wish,” he retorted playfully. “anyway, meet me at the park we pass by when i walk you home as soon as we get off the phone.”
“come again?” you questioned. not really believing what you were hearing, you got out of bed for some reason believing that being up would tell you your hearing was off.
“meet me at the park by your house,” he repeated. 
“you want me to do what?” you asked once again, your mind not wrapping around the command just yet.
“last time i checked, you weren’t deaf. just trust me and meet me there.”
“tsukki, like you said earlier, it’s almost ten at night.” where was your boyfriend heading with this? he isn’t even the spontaneous type! so where was this going?
well, obviously the park but why?
“i’m aware, i can tell time, y/n.” tsukki rolled his eyes slightly.
“it’s also wednesday night, a weeknight,” you continued as you began to walk to your closet.
“i’m also cognizant of that as well. i own a calendar,” he replied.
“we have school tomorrow, kei. you remember that? school? the building we go to and learn in?” you mumbled, still not believing that your boyfriend wanted to meet up at such a late hour.
think about it, tsukishima is an incredibly intelligent boy. he’s probably one of the smartest kids you know. probably even one of the best students in general and he’s asking you to hang out on a school night? after he nags at you about studying for your classes and sleeping at reasonable hours? 
even if he, himself, doesn’t sleep at reasonable hours, but he insists you do it at least.
something’s up.
“how many times do i have to tell you that i know what these things are?” he scoffed quietly.
“as many times as it takes for you to come to your senses,” you retaliated as you quickly grabbed one of the hoodies in your wardrobe, coincidentally it was one you stole from the blonde.
“you say that as if you’re not already getting ready to meet me there,” he teased you as he began to laugh quietly at how predictable you were to him.
“how are you so sure about that, four-eyes?” you replied as you slipped your head into the hoodie that was a few sizes too big.
“i’m sure for two reasons actually,” he began, the tone in his voice sounding extremely confident as he seemed to know you inside and out. 
“one, i know that regardless of what situation you’re in, you don’t pass up on an opportunity to see me because you’re literally a lovesick puppy. two, i can hear rustling through the phone, and taking that first reason in mind, i’m going to safely assume that you’re grabbing a hoodie and some shoes so you can come out and meet me.”
“you know, i really do hate you sometimes. you’re a pain in the ass,” you spoke, voice slightly muffled by the hoodie covering your mouth slightly.
“yeah, yeah, but you know you love it. i’ll see you there,” he chuckled before hanging up on you, leaving you alone in your quiet bedroom, the scent of his cologne still lingering on the fabric that wrapped your body in a warm embrace.
once you broke out of your haze, you quietly maneuvered out of your bedroom, making way towards the front door. you slipped on your shoes once you got to the doorway and pulled the door open as quietly as possible, to avoid any unwanted confrontation with your parents, before slipping into the cool and quiet night. 
hands intertwined in the hoodie’s pocket, you briskly walked towards the small park a few blocks away from your own house, impatient to see your boyfriend.
sure, you had seen him a few hours prior to this but you could never get enough time with the blonde. time spent with him always flew by and you found yourself craving his attention more and more as your time with him increased as well.
you knew the feeling was mutual, hence why you two were sneaking out to see each other. but still, seeing such a stoic, and a rather asshole-ish, person like tsukishima act so soft and vulnerable in your presence made you want to risk it all for him. a little scolding or tighter limitations on your freedoms for a few days were worth the time you’d spend with your lover.
glancing up at the sky as the park’s playground began approaching your field of vision, you noticed how clear tonight’s sky appeared to be. no cloud in sight, just miles, and miles of countless stars littering the dark night sky. 
the perfect conditions from some stargazing, you smiled softly at the realization.
refocusing your eyes in front of you, you noticed a rather lanky figure sit on one of the swings, awkwardly shifting himself forward and backward. 
“hey, stranger,” you piped up as you took a seat beside his own swing.
“funny seeing you here, hmm?” he turned to look at you, a teasing expression lying lazily upon his face as he briefly eyed your appearance. more than likely, noticing his hoodie engulfing your figure. 
“yeah, extremely funny. so funny that you had to beg me to come out here.”
“yeah, i really begged for it. i felt as if i would die if i didn’t see you, almost got down on my knees.” he rolled his eyes playfully.
“well, you did have to ask me a handful of times before i agreed to come down. so, yeah, i’d like to think you begged for it,” you mimicked his actions. “just admit that you missed me, to make up for the fact that i snuck out of my house for you. after curfew, may i add on.”
“you act as if i didn’t sneak out of my own house, after curfew as well,” he retorted.
“would admitting that you missed me kill you?” you pouted, crossing your arms together.
“fine, fine. i missed you, okay? happy?” he said as he leaned towards your side, long fingers caressing your side which only made you squirm as it tickled.
you laughed softly before nodding and stretching an arm out in his direction, allowing him to link your pinkies together, a form of affection worth more than a kiss in your relationship. 
“so what made you bring me out on a night like this? i was working on some real important trigonometry homework when you interrupted me, and let me mention once again that it’s a school night.”
tsukishima went back to swinging himself on the swing, his pinky being interlaced with yours caused you to begin to sway yourself on the swing as well.
“after i noticed that you didn’t reply to my messages, i figured that you’d gotten too wound up in your homework. i knew you could need a small break from it all and hearing how tense you sounded over the call, only confirmed it for me,” a small blush rose into his pale cheeks.
“you knew that i was starting to get stressed? tsukki,” your voice began to soften more. “you seriously knew that just by one phone call and a lack of replies?”
he scoffed quietly, attempting to look like he didn’t care but the rising heat appearing on his cheeks and ears told you otherwise, “don’t go making it sound like that, it was just obvious.”
you began to grin at the obvious timidness your boy was exuding, “so let me guess, you noticed i was feeling upset so you decided to help me clear my mind by spending some time with me.” 
“tch, you wish.”
you moved your hand to properly interlace your entire hand with his own, squeezing it gently.
“that’s really sweet of you, kei. i appreciate it so much, it’s exactly what i needed,” you beamed under the moonlight, something tsukishima couldn’t help but find beautiful, his expression softening once again.
“this one trig problem was really getting to me. i was so relieved to hear my phone ring as it gave me an excuse to take a longer break, and it was an even greater relief when it was you who was calling.” as you were speaking, a slight breeze swept up and began to lightly run through your locks, which only caused tsukishima to continue admiring you.
“you know, you’re actually really cute, especially under this moonlight,” he said as he pulled your intertwined hands up to his lips, gently brushing his lips against your knuckles before pressing a soft kiss to the back of your hand.
“are you insinuating that you used to think i wasn’t cute?” you rose one of your eyebrows mischievously, wanting to fluster the unusually soft boy.
he sighed dramatically, letting go of your hand, “and you ruined it. i was trying to express my undying love for you and you just had to ruin the mood.”
“well don’t let that stop you, i’m still listening!” you attempted to salvage the soft moment as kei began to laugh before he rose from his swing, extending a hand to you.
“maybe i’ll give it another shot after we get a nicer view of the stars.” you could have sworn you saw a twinkle in his eyes when he said this, but nonetheless you stood up to take his hand.
hand-in-hand you both walked to the playground, getting on it and finding yourselves seated at the very top, the starry much clearer at the slightly elevated altitude.
not wanting to ruin the quiet atmosphere, you turned your head upwards, a small smile on your face as you raked your eyes through the endless clusters of stars.
as you continued to observe the space above you, tsukki turned his attention to focus on your delicate features making his smile reappear. there was just something about tonight that made you look so ethereal, he just couldn’t help but fall for you even harder.
“you okay?” you asked when you finally felt his stare on you.
“yeah, i just can’t take my eyes off you,” he breathed out, which led you to smile at him, your heartwarming at the sight of how in love he looked.
“you’re so cute, kei.” you leaned your body on his, your head finding a home on the space between his shoulder and neck.
tsukishima didn’t waste any time wrapping an arm around you, pulling you closer to him and placing a kiss on the crown of your head. in return you pressed a kiss to his lower jaw, your smile pressing against his skin.
with that, no more words were expressed. everything that needed to be said was done in your respective kisses but also the lovesick grins that you both wore for the remainder of that night.
your starry night with your own little moon pressed right against your body.
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seostudios · 5 years ago
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middle of the night: all about luv - p.js
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ALL ABOUT LUV ‣ MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
you just needed to pass your classes and you'd be out of this hellhole but of course you couldn't do it alone! it was a two man job with your lifestyle so the school assigned you to the one and only park jisung, clumsy straight a student who you may or may not have now taken a liking to....
pairing: park jisung x fem!reader
genre: angst, fluff
word count: 4.5k
info: rebel!reader, nerd!jisung, strangers to lovers!au, non-idol!au, high school!au
warnings: explicit/vulgar language, mentions of drugs, alcohol, little bit alcohol consumption
a/n: hey omg i can’t believe i finally posted a part to this series, i hope u guys enjoy it and PLEASE tell me if you want a taglist okay? thanks! 
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You were fierce, everyone knew. Even those who haven't even seen you and your tricks in-person feared when you attended school. Although you were known to play tricks,  rough-house, and start problems with the other kids who didn't even bother attending school or pursue their actual desires- you had one and was determined to make it come true one way or another. But unfortunately, you were pretty dim compared to the students who roamed the hallways, it never stopped you, Today you decided on approaching your math teacher since she was surprisingly the only one who cheered you on with your aspirations,
"So...I'm passing three of my four courses this semester!?" You eagerly questioned the woman in front of you, "Yes, you are" confirmed with the recent grade updates, you sigh in relief knowing you were passing most of your classes with satisfying marks, so you made your way to the exit. 
However, she pulled you back down to your seat. "You're failing Science Y/n," she added pointing at the 34, "Well I don't even know what's happening in there, how can I pass in such a short time?" 
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He stared out the window of the Science lab. He had plans after school, "Jisung? Park Jisung?" an unfamiliar teacher called from the door frame; his attention was mainly towards the girl behind her which sent shivers down his spine.
"Can you meet me in Room 284 after school?" Of course not, he's finally scored a fucking date with Lee Jieun one of the prettiest and popular girls of the junior division, he looked over to Jieun in the back of the class who was listening in on your conversation along with everybody else in the classroom, she looked disappointed but nodded permitting him to ditch their date, he smiled apologetically at the girl before focusing his attention to the door, 
"Sure."
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Knocks were heard from the door which made your busy teacher who was marking work signal you to go open the entrance to this quite cold classroom. Roughly around 5'11 probably 6'0 boy is wearing a worn-out white shirt, with a navy blue blazer, pants and a poorly tied tie. His attire was mandatory but his hair was unique, rocking pink-brown hair was not something you see every day unless they were idols. The sun shined passed the windows onto the boy making his rosewood hair turn into a more dark salmon colour. "Jisung!" Your Math teacher chirped to the boy pulling out a chair next to yours indicating you two to sit back down. She took a good two minutes out of your time to finish up on marking and organizing the sheets sprawled across the desk, you and Jisung just sat in silence. In all honestly, Jisung was shitting himself. You and the reputation you had here were most definitely the reason why. Shifting his position every ten seconds, the occasional glances to you, and bouncing his leg. Finally, she turned her attention to the pair in front of her, "So you two are probably really confused."she stated looking at Jisung, then you."Poor Y/n here, my favourite student-"She pauses looking at you with a smile and towards Jisung who looked confused on how,"which is surprising to the staff apparently which I have no idea how...she hasn't been...rebellious in a few weeks since she's trying to pass before the summer break."Clasping her hands together she looks up at you two, "Jisung I need you to tutor Y/n until she gets her final grade in." When I tell you his eyes widened enough for you to see the wrinkles on his forehead form, you did. You smiled accepting the help but it quickly seeing his distressed self, "Are you okay? Do you not want to tutor me?"You asked, and it was your first time ever speaking to the boy he never expected you to sound so soft and gentle; predicting beforehand that you had a rough deeper voice. His facial expression softens slightly at your hopeful gaze piercing through him- hoping he'd tutor you, cause frankly, you needed it more than anyone in your division at this point (Maybe you're being a little selfish but who cares.). Jisung was sitting in his seat, zoned out, probably processing all this. It took him a minute, but he finally looked up from fiddling with his fingers. "Oh Of course I will! I can do Wednesdays after school and Saturday around noon?"It was pretty shocking how confident he sounded ordering you around that second- which made the teacher grin at the shy boy's sudden dominance. Chuckling a little with a small smile plastered on your face you say "Works perfectly, I'll be leaving now. Bye Ms.," You said jolting up grabbing your backpack walking towards the door, but before you leave you gotta leave a nice impression on the boy plus its rude to not say goodbye isn't it. 
"Goodbye Jisung Park."
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It was Tuesday and Jisung was sitting in the Music room during lunch eating and catching up on his Health papers when you walked in. This was your usual spot in the late spring when you needed AC and a place to lay down. On a regular day for Jisung, he'd be in the front of the school on the bench working however it was too hot for him today so he opted to break into the already unlocked classroom to eat and study in. Sitting on top of the sink counter you lean to open a window pulling out a cigarette, you came here to smoke and it was a great place since it was deserted. "W-What are you doing?" Jisung asked looking up from his notebook sitting on the carpet. "Do I look like I'm about to jump out the window? no. I'm gonna smoke."You informed sarcastically on the boy. He was slightly taken aback you were so sweet yesterday and today your back with your bad girl reputation still strong. He threw you a quick look before getting up, putting his things in his bag, and throwing out the rest of his lunch. Now, walking towards you he takes the cigarette out your hand before you could even light it and threw it out the open window. "Hey! I wasn't done with that, and I didn't even start with it!" You raised your voice at him which did make him flinch but provoked him to argue back, "Yah! Your smoking is unhealthy and against school rules." He paused but started again, "You want to pass, don't you? I'm helping you pass, aren't I? Get your things together if you want my help Y/n."He spat. Honestly, you didn't think his words would affect you so much but it fueled the fire you started a minute ago. "Shut up Park, stop acting all tough when you know nothing about me, I never needed your help I was just going along with Ms." you argued back before grabbing your backpack and the lighter on the counter before hopping off pushing the tallboy to the side rudely, muttering something about bullshit.
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"I was helping her! And she says you know nothing about me Park! like of course I don't butt why does she need to be an asshole when I'm trying to help her out." Jisung complains to Chenle in front of him. "Maybe she's like addicted," Chenle says trying to make the best out of the situation "Look, she'll warm up to you eventually cause you two will be spending lots of time together now." Jisung huffs in disbelief that Chenle is basically on your side here, getting up from the grassy field to join the rest of his gym class in soccer.
From the corner of his eyes, he sees a figure under the bleachers; you. He knows you are upset with him as much as he is with you but he still wants to encourage you to pass Science with his help. "Park! Get your ass over here!" Yedam, his classmate calls him to grab his things on the field before heading into the change rooms.
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The school bell rang, you watched students walk out of their classrooms to their lockers, friends, lovers. You were leaning against the wall beside the empty Music room contemplating if you should leave and hang out with some friends by Unjeong Lake Park or stay in with Park Jisung to study for Science. Your thoughts were quickly interrupted by a voice, "Hey." Jisung stood in front of you, backpack resting on one shoulder and a Science textbook in his hand. "Hi," It was awkward being around him after you little tilt.
"Let's go," You trailed behind Jisung watching him take you to an unfamiliar part of the school, the West End. "Why are we here?" You question the pink-haired boy, but all you get in return is silence. At last, he brought you two to the old gym, it hasn't been used in almost 6 years but somehow it looks squeaky clean. "This is my hangout spot after school, I kind of made my friends go down to Unjeong for the day so we could study here until I find a proper place." He explains to you placing his books and bag on the stacked mats, offering to take your bag too, you let him. "So what Unit is your class working on now?" He asked you once the two of you sat on one of the many beanbags in the gym (Probably brought in from his pals), "Well my mom made me take Biology I and I know you are in my class I just don't show up..." You lean back on the beanbag playing with the lighter in your hands "What are we learning Park?" He visibly gulps at you doesn't even know why he's nervous himself, maybe because your scary? Probably.
"Well we're on our last unit of the year and the Unit test and Final Exam are what can get you to pass the class with at least a 60," He said moving to grab his textbook flipping to a page with sticky notes plastered all over. "We are in Unit 5, Plants: Anatomy, Growth, and Function. It's an easy Unit so we could go through it in two months then spend the two weeks before the final exam prep." Jisung finished speaking and handed you the textbook that was on the Unit page, it didn't look hard but you knew better to judge a book by its cover. "Alright, where do we start." You smile at the grinning boy who's suddenly amused by your aspiration to pass the course.
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It's 2:45 and you are in the middle of the last period, Science. It was your last day of the Science of the year, technically. You still had to prep for your final exam, but this was the final unit test which meant for the next month you'd be stuck in a silent classroom with your peers all silently studying over and writing recap notes for the final exam. You finish writing the date on your page and adding a little smiley face at the end of your name, flipping your paper over you take out your earbuds, and play music to pass time. 
Good, 15 minutes have passed, and you see students getting up to hand in their papers, this where you tag along and hand it in too. Patting the eraser ends on your skirt off you make it back to your desk sitting then turning to look behind you, a few desks down to a now chocolate haired boy. He was finishing up his test when he looked up to see you basically ogling at him. Throwing you an awkward half-assed smile he looks back to the girl behind him, Jieun. 
Jieun and Jisung took a very bad turn once Jisung agreed on tutoring you. She's ghosted the boy and took a liking to her lab partner, Taehyun. It was disappointing to see a girl get jealous over her date tutoring a very incompetent girl like you. If you were in her position, you might've gotten scared but wouldn't drop the kid; it was rude, and honestly, you were glad Jisung accepted that fate and moved on from her. He played with the end of his test sheet before sighing thumping his head against the desk, okay maybe he wasn't that over her yet but he's doing better than you ever would. Over these four months you and Jisung surprisingly got along well, you've opted to occupy a booth int he back of your town's ice cream parlor for studying instead of that abandoned gym in the West End. 
In all honesty, you felt bad about how you treated the tall boy in the first few weeks of tutoring. You showed up late which strung the classes longer making one hour, two. You complained, never listened, argued, actually punched him once. But after warming up to him you've started to take a liking, noticing his features a little more than you did last week, finding his beauty mark under his lip stunning. Nowadays he seems ten times more charming, appealing, engaging, and irresistible to you, memorizing his favourite things how he looks up to Kai, the teacher assistant for the seniors. And that he actually hates Science and prefers Gym and Sociology class. He likes all kinds of ice cream and tries new flavors every visit, he never writes with a red-inked pen since he prefers the black one and always lets you know that too ("Y/n did you know red ink stains are a nasty stain to get out, always use black ink."). You aren't the only one who's learned to love the newly blossomed friendship as he's learned as much as you about him, on how you've always wanted to become a Veterinarian, that your love for animals is just unexplainable and the only things holding you down is this horrible reputation you've built yourself over the two years of attending. But better late than ever to change your ways and Jisung was absolutely mesmerized by your determination to achieve the new milestones you've set for yourself.
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"PARK JISUNG!" You shrieked barging into the empty ice cream parlor to see the boy sitting idling on his device, he looks up at you running towards your booth. "Hey, shhh", he quiets your overly excited self-telling you to sit."I got my Unit Test mark," you stop talking to take your backpack off and pull out your Unit Test which was graded and with a big fat A on it. "Holy shit! Y/n this is amazing!!"He exclaimed eyes going wide seeing the mark, his hard work really did pay off. 
"Now we can start prepping for Finals," Jisung told you after handing your papers back, your shoulders sagged and your smile disappeared, you were hoping to possibly celebrate with your tutor and newfound friend. Shaking your head, you look at him again, "No sorry, I wanna celebrate this tonight," you inform Jisung who looks at you with a somewhat annoyed expression. "Sorry Y/n but one A isn't going to help you get to a passing mark, you need more than that and the only thing that'll help you pass Biology is your Final Exam which is what we need to prep for." What the fuck? Jisung Park, the golden student, and who you thought was your friend basically telling you that your grade wasn't worth all that cheering two minutes ago. That was unbelievable what type of asshole does that, oh wait apparently Jisung Park. You knew you weren't gonna pass with one test, of course not. You might've been dumb but not to that extent, you clench your fists wondering how all that admiration you had for someone just got poured down a drain so quickly. You chuckle heartlessly ' that thought lingered before you look at him and speak.
"Yea of course I know that but do you not understand how big of a milestone this was for me? I am one step behind passing my hardest subject of the semester and you telling me that it's not enough and we need to prepare for a final at the end of a month that has just started is fucking rude Park."You hiss at him now baffled on how he couldn't comprehend after four- almost five months of knowing you. Getting up you grab your backpack and phone and turn to exit the ice-cream parlor. 
You were now outside of the small store, and Jisung didn't even come after you. Sighing knowing you should've known associating yourself with someone with a better reputation wouldn't have been smart. Pulling your phone out, you dial in a friend who you knew would be there for you and who had more free time than most students his age. "Jeno," You stammered through the phone "Y/n? Are you okay?" You smile weakly at his concern, not even a minute into a call."Can you pick me up?" you asked quietly to the older boy. Looking through the big glass window to the back of the shop, you see Jisung sitting there watching you intently, and he knows he hurt you. It wasn't his intent to; he just wanted you to reach your goals and he thought celebrating could've been done another time instead not today, I guess he hit a soft spot seeing your facial expression so fragile.
He saw a motorcycle pull up beside you and a muscular guy go and place a helmet on your head after holding you in his embrace for a moment before the two of you hopping back on the ride driving off to god knows where.
You kick around an empty pop can on the sidewalk waiting for your ride. Jeno knew something upsetting you over the phone so he decided not to question it and get you riled up but to drink a couple of beers and play darts at his crib. A Black 2018 Kawasaki Ninja pulls up in front of you, the driver removes his helmet revealed to be your dear friend, Jeno. He felt your gloomy aura already deciding to just embrace you tightly, "Whatever it is, you did amazing." He assured you before breaking the hug to plop the helmet on you and hopping back on with you behind him seated.
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"Great job Y/n, I can see you making it through the year, I just finished putting in your final mark 89 is an amazing score and all on your own is shocking." Your Science teacher complimented you after holding you back to show your improvement to you, Jeno encouraged you to still study hard solo after acknowledging that you didn't want to work with Jisung anymore, hard work did pay off now your officially finished with your junior year and with flawless grades. "Have a great summer break," You tell her before walking out for lunch. Last day of school before the summer break, it's been a crazy weird year but you don't seem to be upset. Jisung seemed happy without you anyways, you've been skipping Music to sit out on the bleachers while he had gym class, and made sure to visit the West End more often. You didn't realize it yet but Jisung looking happy stung more than it should've.
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Fuck that bullshit Y/n is on, Jisung is miserable without her. He didn't take note of it but he was more than happy to spend his Wednesdays and Saturdays with you. He liked the way your eyes widened or how your jaw almost touched the floor when he teaches you something new, or when your eyed shimmered when your grades went up every quiz. How your nose scrunched up at a difficult question, the way you organized his pencil case when he wasn't looking because 'it had to be cute like him'. He was too much of a coward to keep you by his side, it's safe to say Jisung Park likes you back. Head over heels in love with you probably, but we shouldn't stretch it that far knowing he's working his ass off to get over you, and of his mind but when does he even succeed. It's the last day of school and possibly the last time Jisung gets to see you roam the halls, watch him in Gym class fooling around with his friends, or just see you until the next school year. No, Jisung made it his goal to win you back. He's never seen you that way, never thought he'd need you, all he wants is to see you, hold you.
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"No Park. She's not even here kid," Your friend, Yuna told Jisung who was at your doorstep asking for you. "Just, just tell her to text me." He said frustrated now leaving.
"I thought you said he didn't want anything to do with you?" Jeno asked sitting on the couch of Yuna's living room beside you. "He doesn't, I don't know why-" Yuna was quick to argue with you, "He likes you and you left." Jeno nods agreeing, "I see that happening..." He half-joked. "Listen I know he was a jerk in May, but it's June- July tomorrow! He's not being a jerk right now because what freaking jerk comes to your doorstep BEGGING to talk to you?" Yuna ranted. 
You know he's not a jerk and he meant no harm that day but it hurt. Everyone always sugarcoated things with you so when Jisung was pretty blunt with you, it stung. You whine at all this thinking about Jisung and feelings, plus even if he did like you, there was so much to unravel than just some lame highschooler who wanted to get her shit together. So so much more than just that. Drinking the rest of the alcohol in your plastic cup you sit up straight staring at the two in front of you who were dying to hear your say in this, "Okay so what if we have our happy ending, what'll happen then? He'll figure out how toxic I am and go running back to Jiwoo or whatever name is."Stopping and using a couch pillow to cover your face- did you seriously imagine yourself with a happy ending, you've fucked up so much that it seems impossible to turn back. Yuna notices your heartache and decided to tone down on his jokes and talk to you 'for realsies',"Sweetheart if he leaves you because your teeny issues were too overwhelming for him it's not worth it but from his recent actions it looks like he'd want to be there with you through those issues. Honestly, he could live a little too so dealing with you- and giving me and Jeno here a break should be thrilling."Adding a light-hearted joke was what you needed to place a soft smile on your lips.
“Now go get your man” Jeno says slapping your back playfully encouraging you to leave the house and venture off to him- wherever he is.
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"Can I help you?" A boy wearing Yonsei University sweatshirt asked you. 'This must be Jisung's older brother he told me about' You thought to yourself, "Oh Yes, is Jisung home?" You ask him looking up trying to look as innocent as you can. "Oh you just missed him, he went to get ice cream with his friends," he said. Shouting a quick thanks you run down to the only ice cream parlor Jisung probably knows in town.
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CLOSED is all you see in front of the ice cream parlor. Did Jisung's older brother lie to me? Now that you think of it, he and his brother aren't close enough to share those type of things from what you heard, and what type of boy would avoid the girl he supposedly likes. You sit down on the curb looking off into the little soccer field, watching kids play with their friends thinking, then it hit you. Did Jisung lie to his older brother? C'mon Y/n think of the one place Jisung and his friends could be...The park? Nah, too crowded. The mall? No, too far. Think Think Think, one place. Where in the world could Jisung- WEST END! God, why didn't you think of that in the beginning, of course, he's there. Getting up off the curb you make your way quickly to the back of the school, remembering Jisung telling you a back entrance to the West End.
Reaching the back entrance you see it open indicating someone (Jisung and friends) was inside. Maybe you shouldn't barge in and ruin their fun...opting to send Jisung a text you search your pockets to find, nothing. How could you leave your house without your phone? You're like addicted to it. "Excuse me?" A deep voice booms behind you, turning around you look up at the man. It's Jaehyun, the volleyball team captain. "Y/n." You know him, through Jisung, of course, why else would he be at the West End or know your name. "Hi," your breath rather softly which throws the older boy way off since he knows you for your snarky remarks or overly confident aura...Today you seem the opposite really. "Can you tell Jisung to come out for a second?" you ask avoiding eye contact and resorting to looking at the chalked up pavement. He gives you a thumbs up and heads in.
"Park Jisung-ah!" Jaehyun shouts for Jisung loud enough for it to echo in the empty gym. Looking up and seeing Jaehyun, Jisung excuses himself from his current conversation with Doyoung, Yuta, and Renjun to jog over to his Hyung. "Your chick is here," He says pointing out the door to you, Jisung's eyes lit up already knowing who Jaehyun was talking about peeking his head out the door to see you looking off into the parking lot, watching the sunset. He was pulled right back in by Jaehyun, "You better fix whatever's been going on between you, Y/n looks like an actual school girl being all shy and soft. I'm actually disgusted I need that spunky girl back before I force you two to kiss or some shit," Really Jaehyun? Some advice you got there.
"Alright kid go get your chick" Jaehyun cheered before pushing him and closing the door loud enough to alert and make you turn back.
It felt like a dream, none of this felt real. It hasn't even bee 24 hours since you last saw Jisung, but it's been a month of not interacting to get your heart racing this much. You looked unreal to Jisung, out of a fairytale actually and he looked amazing, like always. This is when he started to panic, you smiled weakly and started walking up to him. He looked down at his shoes not having the balls to look you in the eye, "Jisung look at me you pussy." You said so calmly but so rudely(?). It was funny and made Jisung giggle which made you short circuit.
Jisung looks up from his feet to see you staring into his brown eyes, taking in all his features again looking at him from head to toe; how fluffy his dark coffee bean hair was or his cheeks- god you always took the chance to pinch them when you could. His broad shoulders you always wondered how his hugs would be, probably so comfy and perfect. The beauty mark under his lip, fuck always wanted to kiss it. Your thoughts were disrupted when you felt two large hands enclose you in a tight hug; reacting almost immediately you wrap your small hands around his waist and rest your head on his chest while he brings his large hand to caress the back of your head. "I'm sorry, I know what I said was wrong and I shouldn't have made you seem so slow-witted when you totally aren't. I think over that conversation almost every night. I'm so so sorry Y/n," He finishes tightening the hug for a moment sympathetically.
You loosen the hug and tippy-toe up to the boy placing a small peck on his pink lips which caused his cheeks to go crimson. "You're forgiven, Park," you say giving him a tight smile. You see the tall boy pout a little and turn his reddened face to the side before mumbling "I was supposed to do that," which caused a fit of giggles from you. 
"You'll have plenty of opportunities in the future Jisung."
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haikwritings · 5 years ago
Text
First Love / Part 04 / Kei Tsukishima
Warnings: Makeout? Kiss? lmao
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Kei Tsukishima’s POV
Monday (morning)
“And later Yachi suggested that I should watch that movie.” Yamaguchi said.
I kept looking at him, hearing what he had to say about his weekend.
Are you sure this guy isn’t crushing on Yachi?
“But I mean, we really had fun.” Yamaguchi said happily.
I chuckled.
“You clearly have a crush on her.” I said.
“W-What are you saying? We’re just friends.” Yamaguchi responded nervously.
He was so flustered by only hearing her name.
“You’re blushing, Yamaguchi.” I responded.
Yamaguchi suddenly chuckled.
“Is not like you’re the one to talk.” Yamaguchi spilled.
D-Did he just throw shots at me?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I said.
Yamaguchi looked at me with that sarcastic face. 😐
“Oh, really?” Yamaguchi said sarcastically.
“Yes, really.” I responded coldly.
“What about Y/n?” Yamaguchi asked.
Why did he have to bring her up?
Seriously
“What about her?” I asked.
“You kissed her.” Yamaguchi responded.
“So?” I asked.
Yamaguchi was about to beat this bitch up
“Tsuki, you don’t kiss people just because.” Yamaguchi responded.
“I just kissed her, is not a big deal.” I responded.
...
“You kissed her because you like her.” Yamaguchi spilled.
“I don’t like her, Tadashi.” I responded.
“Look.” Yamaguchi said.
He got up and sat more close towards me.
“You can lie to everyone but not to me. We have been friends since we were kids.” Yamaguchi said.
He was right.
But I won’t say that.
“Is just complicated.” I said.
“Why?” Yamaguchi asked.
“I like her. But, I don’t know.” I said.
“Have you ever liked someone before?” Yamaguchi asked.
I haven’t felt this way with anyone before.
“No.” I responded.
“She is your first crush?” Yamaguchi asked surprised.
“I- I believe so?” I responded.
“You’re new to this. Just have patience.” Yamaguchi suggested.
I sighed.
“I told her that the kiss couldn’t happen again.” I said.
Yamaguchi stayed silent.
“I just didn’t wanted to get hurt or hurt her. She is a wonderful person, Tadashi.” I said.
Yamaguchi sighed and smiled.
“You deserve happiness too, Kei.” Yamaguchi said.
We both got up and started to walk to our classes.
Monday (afternoon)
“Can you set for me?” Kageyama asked Y/n.
“Sure, Tobio.” Y/n responded and smiled.
She looks beautiful.
“Did you said hi to her today?” Yamaguchi asked.
“I didn’t see her today.” I said.
Yeah, that was a big ass lie.
“Don’t you guys take the same math class?” Yamaguchi asked.
“Shut up.” I said.
“Thought so.” Yamaguchi responded.
I kept looking at her setting balls for Kageyama and Hinata.
I wish she would set for me :(
“Tsukishima, practice on your blocks.” Coach Ukai said.
“Yes, Coach.” I responded.
I couldn’t concentrate.
She was the center of everything.
Monday (Night)
“Let’s wrap it for today.” Coach Ukai said.
Everyone was cleaning and organizing.
“Thank you for the settings.” Kageyama said to Y/n.
She just nodded and smiled.
She took her belongings and waited outside.
I followed her and she looked at me.
“You’re ready?” I asked.
She nodded and smiled.
We started to walk together.
The air was tense.
Something wasn’t right.
Probably my fault.
“How was your day?” I asked.
She looked at me and smiled.
“Pretty great. How was yours?” Y/n asked.
Her smile, her smile is the prettiest.
“It was good. I have no complaints.” I said.
We continued walking.
“Do you want eat lunch tomorrow?” I asked.
She stopped.
Was she surprised?
“With me?” Y/n asked.
“Y-Yeah, there’s no one else here.” I said sarcastically.
She giggled and smiled.
“Sure.” Y/n responded.
“Is just, tomorrow Tadashi and Yachi are going to be eating lunch together.” I said.
Yamaguchi is a simp.
“I heard. They’re definitely crushing on each other.” Y/n said.
I chuckled.
“Definitely.” I responded.
We finally arrived to her house.
“Thank you.” Y/n said and smiled.
I immediately hold her hand.
“K-Kei?” Y/n asked.
What was I doing?
I let go of her hand.
“See you tomorrow.” I said.
Walking away.
Tuesday (afternoon)
“Hello, Tsuki.” Y/n said.
We both sat at the table at started eating.
“What did you get on math?” Y/n asked.
“10/10.” I responded.
She smiled at me.
“Congrats.” Y/n said.
“What about you?” I asked.
“I got an 10.” Y/n responded.
“Those tutoring classes I gave you really worked.” I said.
She smiled and giggled.
That only remind me of our kiss.
The way we were connected.
“Yeah, thank you for helping me.” Y/n responded.
I want to kiss her again.
Feel her hands on my neck.
“Tsuki?” Y/n called.
“Sorry, what?” I asked.
“You were daydreaming.” Y/n said and giggled.
I chuckled.
“Yeah, sorry.” I responded.
She just smiled and continued eating.
I knew I had to kiss her again.
I needed her.
“Are you done? I want to go for a walk.” I asked.
“Yeah.” Y/n said and giggled.
We started to walk around the hallways.
I was looking for an empty hallway.
“You walk often?” Y/n asked.
“I do.” I responded.
Still looking for an empty hallway.
“I’m always at the library.” Y/n said.
She continued talking but I was distracted looking.
Until,
I finally found an empty hallway, the English hallway.
“Hey, so wha—” Y/n was going to speak but my lips crashed to hers.
She continue kissing me.
I pressed her to the wall.
Her legs were on my waist.
“I thought you didn’t wanted this to happened again.” Y/n murmured.
I continued kissing her.
“I lied.” I said and chuckled.
She was smiling.
“I like you.” Y/n said.
I grabbed her cheek and kissed her more intensely.
“I like you too.” I said.
Suddenly I hear footsteps.
“Oh my god!” Kageyama screamed while standing beside Hinata.
We both stopped kissing and we separate from each other.
“Shit.” I whispered.
“W-We didn’t mean to— see that.” Kageyama said.
I saw Y/n blushing.
I tried hiding her behind my back.
It wasn’t like it made a difference.
I grabbed her and we left the hallway.
Tuesday (Night)
I arrived at practice on time and saw Kageyama and Hinata.
They were really nervous.
“What is wrong with them?” Tanaka asked.
“They seemed really weird.” Narita said.
Suddenly, Hinata exploded.
“WE DIDNT SAW ANYTHING.” Hinata screamed.
This boy doesn’t know how to shut his mouth.
“No one said anything.” Ennoshita responded.
“Shut up, idiot.” Kageyama said.
“Are they okay?” Yamaguchi said as he entered the gym.
This is a nightmare.
“He definitely saw something.” Kinnoshita said.
“Yeah, just say it.” Nishinoya said.
Kageyama looked at Hinata and said no.
“Hinata, don’t be an idiot.” Kageyama said.
Please shut up. Please shut up. Please shut up.
“WE SAW TSUKISHIMA AND Y/N KISSING.” Hinata screamed.
Dammit.
Everyone started to looked at me.
“Hey.” Y/n said as she entered the gym.
Worst timing ever.
“What’s going on?” Y/n asked.
This situation was embarrassing enough.
“It was an accident.” I said.
“What happened?” Y/n asked.
Hitoka entered the gym at that exact moment.
“What’s going on?” Hitoka asked.
“Y/n and I kissed by accident.” I said.
I could see the pain in Y/n’s eyes.
“You’re not dating?” Ennoshita asked.
Hitoka and Y/n looked at me.
“No, of course we’re not.” I responded coldly.
“Okay... let’s get to practice everyone. There’s nothing to talk here.” Ennoshita said.
I saw Y/n in pain.
She was embarrassed.
“Y/n...” I called her softly.
She looked at me and walked away.
I fucked it up.
That night she didn’t leave with me.
I walked home alone, missing her presence.
Wednesday
Y/n started avoiding me.
“She has avoided me all day.” I said.
Yamaguchi looked at me.
“You denied her in front of everyone.” Yamaguchi said.
I hated that he was right.
“It was a complicated moment.” I said.
Yamaguchi stopped walking.
“It doesn’t matter.” Yamaguchi said.
“Did I needed to tell the team my business? Jesus.” I said sarcastically.
Yamaguchi sighed.
“You could have simply said it was personal, not denied her.” Yamaguchi said.
Yamaguchi ‘The Wise Man’
“If it wasn’t for Hinata.” I said.
“He only has a little bit of blame, you finished the whole show.” Yamaguchi said sarcastically.
I hated that.
“I told her I like her.” I said.
Yamaguchi eyes were wide open.
“Y-You did?” Yamaguchi asked.
“I did.” I said.
Yamaguchi gave me a small smile.
“She told me first.” I said.
Yamaguchi continued walking with me.
“Do you want her?” Yamaguchi asked.
Everything stopped.
It felt like I almost stopped breathing.
“Do you want her?” Yamaguchi asked again.
I smiled.
“I do.” I said.
We continued walking.
Thursday
I saw her walking to the library, I decided to follow her.
I wish I hadn’t.
“Hello, Ennoshita.” Y/n said.
What was she doing with him?
“Ready for the study section?” Y/n asked.
He smiled and blushed at her.
“Of course.” Ennoshita responded.
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maastrash · 5 years ago
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"Just pretend to be my date "for nessian please and what did you mean by the fluff before the storm?Are you planning on breaking my heart?
The Truth Is ...
HEHE this got longer than expected! and omg dw I’ll only break it for a lil ;) Shoutout to my bff @verryberriess for helping me with this ily
Masterlist // Submit a prompt // Prompts 1 + 2 - pls write the prompt out it helps me out greatly!
Today was not Cassian’s day. All he had wanted was his favorite Starbucks cold brew so he could have the energy to study for his calculus midterm tomorrow. Math was his absolute worst subject. He could write an A worthy essay in less than an hour, but when it came to numbers he was absolutely clueless. He wanted to be in and out to give himself as much study time as possible. The gods knew he needed it, but that didn’t seem like a possibility anymore. It was just his luck that he would run into the one person he’d been trying to avoid all day - Daisy Anderson. She had been talking his ear off for the past 15 minutes, despite him saying that he had somewhere to be. She was a member of the most popular sorority at university, Alpha Phi, and had been pretty much obsessed with Cassian for the past week. He had met her at his frat party and it was clear she wanted him to ask her to be his date to the spring formal. Alpha Phi and his frat Sigma Chi were always paired for events so he was doing his best to turn her down easy. He really didn’t need awkward encounters with her at every greek life gathering. 
After another 5 minutes passed Cassian seriously didn’t know if she truly wasn’t getting the hint that he wasn’t interested or if she just didn’t care. He gave the minimum responses necessary, avoided eye contact, and kept trying to leave, unsuccessfully of course. Every time he tried,  Daisy would grab his arm or suddenly step in front of him. Apparently, there was another party tonight and she was desperately trying to convince him to go. Even if he had been free, Cassian didn’t really feel like getting to know Daisy. There was someone else who occupied his thoughts. Someone who would never like him back, but that didn’t stop him from hoping. 
Cassian was really starting to lose his patience. Just as he about to firmly tell her he was not interested, he saw her. Nesta Archeron. Her honey brown hair was loose, flowing just past her shoulders. She was wearing a navy cropped hoodie and black jeans that hugged her body perfectly. Damn. She was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. Before Cassian even knew what he was doing, he was up, moving, and blocking her path. 
“Hi sweetheart,” he said, pulling her into a hug.
Nesta tensed for a second before relaxing into the embrace. She hesitantly wrapped her small arms around his waist. She seemed confused, he couldn’t blame her. 
“I need you to pretend to be my date,” he whispered into her ear, as subtly as he could manage. 
“What?” she asked, pulling away.
Before she could get too far, he pulled her back in gently. “Please go along with this.” He was practically begging at this point.
Nesta nodded slightly, probably due to the pure desperation in his voice. They separated and Cassian put his arm around Nesta’s waist. “I’m so sorry Daisy, but this is my lovely date, Nesta. We’ve been seeing each other recently and it seems she came to find me after I didn’t show up.”
Daisy looked Nesta up and down, looking almost unimpressed. Cassian did not like that one bit. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t realize - ”
“It’s fine, but we should be going,” he said, cutting off her insincere apology. Cassian led Nesta out of the cafe with his hand on the small of her back. Once out the door, he grasped her hand gently. He told himself it was because Daisy could still see them, but deep down he knew that wasn’t the real reason. 
After walking to the end of the street Nesta pulled her hand from his. “We can stop pretending now, she can’t see us anymore.”
He nodded as he let his hand awkwardly fall to his side. “Thank you, Nesta,” he said, trying not to get lost in her piercing blue-grey eyes. “I owe you one.” 
“Whatever,” she snapped breaking eye contact and walking off.
“Wait, hold up,” Cassian ran a few steps to catch up to her. He grabbed her arm gently to keep her from running off again. “Are you mad at me?” 
“Of course I’m mad you idiot,” she pulled away from his grip again. Cassian hated to admit her rejection hurt worse than he thought it would. “I wanted to read my book in Starbucks in peace, and now I can’t.”
Cassian put his hands in his pockets, avoiding her hardened gaze. “I’m sorry Nes I’ll take you to another coffee shop and buy you a drink,” he said the words sheepishly. “It’s the least I can do.”
“Don’t call me Nes,” she grumbled. “And I think I’ll pass.”
“Ok, what’s wrong? Cassian asked, crossing his arms across his chest. “Be honest.” Nesta was never this cold to him. Maybe she was when they first met, but he thought they were past that. She had finally started to trust him enough to show him the real Nesta. The Nesta that smiled every time she saw a dog. The Nesta that saved a seat for him every Wednesday when they had chem lectures together. The Nesta that blushed when he told her how beautiful she was while making her “thinking” face. 
“Nothing,” she said, avoiding eye contact yet again. 
“I know you’re lying Nes and I’m not leaving till you tell me what’s wrong.”
“What do you want me to say Cassian?!” she asked, the frustration clear in her voice. “Fine. You really wanna know why I’m so upset? You used me. You played with my feelings. Are you happy? You finally hurt the ice queen,” 
“Nesta I-”
“No. I’m not done,” she said holding her finger up, instantly shutting him up. “I thought we were friends, maybe even more than friends,” she mumbled the last part. “But I guess I was wrong. I thought you were different. I thought you meant the things you said to me. But I guess you really are just another frat boy. A frat boy who would use me to get out of some stupid failed date with a popular sorority girl.”
Cassian was silent as Nesta caught her breath after her sudden outburst. “Can I talk now?” he asked hesitantly. She nodded, her jaw tight.
“Nesta I ran into Daisy and had been trying to get away from her so I could study for my midterm tomorrow. You came at just the right time. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I haven’t been playing you,” he paused, reading her reaction. She didn’t seem convinced.
Before he could regret it, Cassian laid it all out on the table. “The truth is, I am utterly captivated by you, Nesta Archeron. I haven’t thought about another girl since I met you. You are the smartest, fiercest, and strongest girl I have ever met and I can’t get you out of my head. I never thought you’d like me back so I settled for just being friends. I thought it was better than nothing. I asked you to pretend to be my date so I could hold your hand and hug you just once, even if it was pretending,” his voice tapered off at the end. He was suddenly self-conscious. What if he just ruined everything? Before he could think about it too long, Nesta interrupted his thoughts. 
“You really are an idiot,” she whispered softly, “because I’ve liked you this whole time too.
This had Cassian gaping. Nesta liked him. She actually liked him. “Can I buy you a coffee?” he asked, offering his hand. “Let me take you on a real date Nes.” 
Nesta took his hand offering a small smile. “Let’s take the coffee to go so I can help you study. We can go on a real date after your midterm.”
Cassian was practically beaming as he squeezed her hand gently. “Sounds like a plan.” 
After Cassian aced his midterm, he and Nesta did just that. And it was the best date either of them had ever been on. 
Tags: @illyriangarbage // @court-of-fuck-me-daddy  // @girlnovels // @aelinninielelain // @julesherondalex // @rosehallshadowsinger // @ifangirlninja // @dreamerforever-5// @queen-of-wings-and-fire // @rhysanoodle  // @jemma-nessian-and-elriel // @books-and-words-addict  // @nightinshadow // @wolffrising // @the-regal-warrior  // @dreamingofalba // @abillionlittlepieces // @alitzeldiaz // @kylizzles // @queenmaas //  @illyrian-bookworm // @aspillofstars // @b00kworm // @tswaney17 // @girl-who-reads-the-books // @theshadowsinger-and-thefawn // @abraxos // @perseusannabeth // @acourtofmarauders // @sweetlyvillainous // @awesomelena555 // @notyournymphetish // @ladywitchling // @aesthetics-11 // @sjmships // @iammissstark // @illyrianwitchling13 // @moondancer-204 // @sjm-things // @foolsinlove // @sayosdreams // @welcometothespeaknowworldtour // @flourishandblottsx // @stardelia // @julemmaes // @thewayshedreamed // @texas-shaped-waffle-maker // @keshavomit //
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ravenbrenna09 · 5 years ago
Text
Jij Verliest - Chapter One: Clip #3
master list previous: Zaterdag 12:41
...
Zondag 18:31
Even on days when he wasn’t streaming, which always seemed to be Sundays, Robbe still ended up at his desk. 
Next to his bed—and maybe the couch on their weekly movie nights—his desk chair was the most comfortable thing in the apartment. Of course, that was on purpose. Every day, Robbe sat at his desk working on something. Between streaming and editing or doing his homework, Robbe spent a lot of time sitting at his desk, in front of his PC, or working on it. His computer system itself had two monitors. Whenever he was live, one monitor would hold his game and the other would have what he needed. Generally, it had the chat open but he also used it for Google searches occasionally. 
Now, he was doing homework with Yasmina through Zoom. Normally, Robbe would get out of the house and meet up with Yasmina at the school’s library or at a coffee shop. Today, however, Robbe stayed home. She and her family had taken a week-long trip to Morocco to see her family and wouldn’t be back until Saturday, but because of their test on the 10th, the two of them couldn’t wait until she returned to study for it and had decided to meet up virtually. 
But there was another reason Robbe stayed home: Thomas.
As Robbe scratched out his incorrect work and sighed, Yasmina glanced at him through the screen. Settled in what Robbe assumed to be a guest bedroom, Yasmina had her binder in her lap. She wore a blue hijab and a cream sweater. Copying down the last piece of his problem that he knew was correct, Robbe snuck a glance at the clock on his computer.
18:32. Robbe sighed. He’s late.
“Is everything okay?” Yasmina questioned, raising an eyebrow as Robbe looked up at her. “You seem a little tense.”
“I’m alright,” Robbe started. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. “Just realized that I forgot to distribute the negative from the first integral so I have to rework the problem.” Yasmina nodded her head in understanding. She placed down her pencil and moved to grab her phone, which she had been charging off-screen. “If you want, you can continue. It should only take me a minute to catch up.” 
“It’s okay,” Yasmina replied, not looking up. “I’ll wait for you.” 
Robbe nodded his head, returning his work. 
Before he turned in the assignment on Wednesday, he would certainly need to rewrite it. All he had to do now was finish the assignment. As he went on, his handwriting was getting increasingly ineligible. He heard Yasmina say she was getting a drink before she rose from the bed. By the time he finished the problem, Yasmina sat down with a bottle of water and adjusted her hijab in the camera. 
“Did you say that you got three-fourths for part A?”
Yasmina turned, looking over her homework. “Yes. Did you get something different?” 
“No,” Robbe said. He boxed the final number and let out a sigh. “I was just checking to make sure that I had done it right.” Yasmina chuckled, placing her binder back in her lap. “Why does he have to be so particular about everything? I swear, I’m probably going to get more points counted off because it’s not the exact format that he wants than I would if I actually got the problem wrong.” 
“He’s an old math teacher who has been doing this for so long that he probably doesn’t even remember,” she said, shaking her head. Robbe felt like ‘old’ was Yasmina being nice. Their professor was ancient. “Of course, he’s going to be particular about everything that we do.”
There was a knock on the door, light and rhythmic, and Robbe let out a “Yeah?” to let whoever-it-is know they could come in. The door opened, revealing Milan standing in the doorway with an apron around his waist and a concerned look on his face. “Zoë and I are making dinner if you want some.” 
“I might end up bringing it in here so we can still work. We still have a lot left to do.”
“Okay.” Milan moved to step out. He glanced down at the box of Thomas’s things that Robbe had sealed last night and paused. The silence hung in the air around them and Robbe waited nervously for Milan to speak up. Then, he finally did, glancing at Robbe. “Any word from Thomas about being on his way?” 
Robbe let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. His fingers caught against the tangled strands and he pulled his fingers free. “No,” Robbe said, avoiding Milan’s concerned gaze. He glanced back at the assignment that was pulled up on the second monitor. “I haven’t heard from him. But, he said 18:00 in his message yesterday and he’s already thirty minutes late. I’m sure I’ll get a text soon saying that he is on his way or that he’s going to have to cancel…” Robbe trailed off before adding, “Again.” 
Milan stepped out into the hallway, nodding. “Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll be here soon.” Before he disappeared completely behind the closing door, he added, “I’ll let you know when the food is ready so you can come get some!” 
“Thanks, Milan,” he replied. For a moment, Robbe didn’t think that he heard him, but he heard Milan murmur back a response, muffled by the door. Robbe turned back to his desktop, his eyes finding the next problem. He was beginning to scratch it down in his notebook when Yasmina coughed lightly, getting his attention. She had her arms crossed over her chest and a protective look on her face. “What?”
“Is everything okay?” Yasmina asked. 
“Yeah,” Robbe replied. “Thomas is supposed to come to pick up his clothes. This is the third time he’s sworn that he was going to come get them and, as you just heard, he’s already thirty minutes late.” He let out a sigh and continued writing. “I just want him to come and get it over with. The box of his things has been sitting here for two months now.”
“Maybe you can ship it to him?”
“Yeah, I’ve offered,” he said, feeling frustrated with Thomas. “But all I got was ‘I’m perfectly capable of coming to pick up my things. Plus, I want to see you.’” On the other end of the screen, Yasmina rolled her eyes, putting her binder down. “I just don’t understand why he’s so insistent on seeing me when he picks up his things. I’d rather avoid all the awkwardness.” 
Robbe’s phone beeped and he reached for it, already knowing who the message was from and what it was going to say. 
“It’s only awkward if you make it awkward,” Yasmina pointed out. 
“Yeah, I guess,” Robbe said. He unlocked his phone, finding the message at the top of his notifications. Letting out a sigh, Robbe said to Yasmina, “It’s Thomas.” 
Thomas: Sorry, can’t make it. Can I come on Tuesday? There’s a big upcoming trial and I lost track of time working on it.
Robbe let out another sigh, tossing his phone onto the desk. “Canceled again?” Yasmina guessed. Robbe raised his eyebrows and Yasmina mirrored his expression, giving him a knowing look. She sat back, shaking her head. “I don’t get some men. How is it so hard to come by and grab a box? It just seems like he wants to extend your pain.”
“Yasmina,” Robbe started. “I don’t think that’s what he wants to do.”
“What’s the other explanation, Robbe?” Yasmina asked. It didn’t take a genius to see that Yasmina was angry. Robbe didn’t blame her. He was certain that his best friends and all of his roommates shared her frustrations. But Yasmina had always been unwaveringly blunt in her opinions and fiercely protective of her friends. “All he has to do is swing by and grab a box of clothes. It should only take a minute. Maybe less! But he’s canceled on you three times now and insists that you have to be there.”
“I don’t know,” Robbe admitted. “I want him to pick up his stuff so it feels like I can move on…” He trailed off, biting down on his bottom lip as he did so. His eyes drifted over to the box, all taped up and ready.
“So tell him,” Yasmina suggested. “Tell him that he has to come and pick up his stuff next time or you’ll… I don’t know, donate it! It should not take two months for a box of clothes that you could’ve shipped to him in no time.” The girl sent him a comforting look as Robbe sighed. “You should be allowed to move on and you can’t do that with a pile of his stuff sitting on the floor that he’s refusing to pick up—”
“Technically, it’s in a box—”
“Still, Robbe,” Yasmina interrupted. “You deserve better than someone who is making it hard for you to move on for his own selfish reasons.” She paused, tilting her head to the side and letting out a sigh. “And frankly, he’s delaying the end of it. That’s why he is taking so long. If he was going to try and stay in your life, he shouldn’t have broken up with you.” 
Robbe let out a sigh, knowing that she was right and turning back to his phone. There was a message forming in his head at a breakneck speed and he quickly typed out the words onto his phone—Yes, you can come Tuesday, but you need to pick up your things then or I’ll donate it or something. This is ridiculous, Thomas. You’ve canceled three times now and you’re the one insisting that I be here when you can pick up the box from Milan or Zoë or Lucas. I could just mail it to you. I’m sick of this. Come get your things Tuesday. 
But as he moved to press send, his thumb hovering over the button, his eyes darted over the unsent message. He sighed, running his hands through his hair. No, he thought, promptly deleting the message. He might be angry, but it wasn’t like him. Once the original message was gone, he typed another and hit send.
Robbe: Yes, Tuesday is fine. Good luck on the trial.
next (Maandag 15:11)
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