#I love how this makes it sound like they’re a celebrity couple going through a rough patch

[leonsliga]

At least one good thing came out of the Leon and Jo transfer drama

[earlysunshines]

lights, camera, action!

danielle marsh x actress!reader ; fluff

synopsis: you passed your media training classes but that doesn’t stop you after a couple of drinks from leaking that you’re very much attracted to danielle marsh on live

warnings: alcohol ; soobin from txt but he's actually an actor (idk why i use him in my fics sm) and also other idols that are actors instead of... idols ; discovering sexuality ; reader is whipped for danielle ; danielle is whipped for reader ; gay gay gay they're so in love i hate myself ; anyhting else not mentioned ; not proofread

a/n: hi i need her so bad like sooo bad like she’s so. like. like hey. hi hai. hi.

@/ynln is live!

the viewers catch a little glimpse of your flushed cheeks, slow blinks, and lazy smile.

you’re not drunk, not at all, you’re just naturally an idiot and even more of one after a few after-party drinks. the remnants of laughter and lively conversation from the after-party of your premiere still lingering in your ears. the giddiness hadn’t left your body at all.

“heyyy guys.” you fail to set up the camera on your hotel desk, so you resort to flopping onto the bed and holding it yourself. “i hope you all are well.”

the screen was filled with comments almost immediately—fans were sending love, compliments, and congratulating you on the new movie, and praising your looks during the premiere. your smile grew wider, your cheeks burned a little warmer than before.

@/lnloverrr: you looked so good at the event

@/yourstruly84: a look for the books

@/ynloops: so excited for the movie! can’t wait to see more action roles from you!

@/tokkilvrr: celine queen!!! you rocked the top

“aww you guys are so cute,” you say, a little more giggly than usual. the only thing illuminating you at the moment is the city glow filtering through the curtains, so you turn on a lamp in order for your fans to see you better. “i’m so happy you guys are excited about the movie. it means a looot, really.”

you scrolled through the comments, answering a few questions about your favorite scenes to shoot and what the cast was like. you went on a whole ramble about your male co-star soobin and how you almost beat him in an arm wrestling battle after two shots, which led to another ramble about how rigorous the process of working out to achieve your physique was for this film. it was fun talking about all the fun behind-the-scenes moments, one of them being how you have a video of soobin tripping over the props, one which you will definitely be posting once the movie is out.

after skimming the comments a bit more, most of them being “can i get an i love you?” or various compliments which keep a smile plastered on your face. but then one catches your eye, making you raise a brow: do you have a celebrity crush?

“oh, a celebrity crush? well i don’t know if i have a crush, but more of a friend crush if you get what i mean.” you laughed, the sound light and loose. you pause, thinking it over as more comments pop up with heart emojis and people begging for an answer. you sigh playfully, leaning against the bedframe and blinking slowly again. “okay, this is going to sound so cheesy. you know how i like newjeans? i’ve mentioned it before… but i’ve been such a fan of newjeans since their debut. like, seriously, their music is always on repeat. i’ve made soobin and the rest of the cast listen to them — soyeon loves them actually. ugh i loved their debut ep so much and then they dropped ditto and–”

@/koalaln: okay so… it’s someone from newjeans?

@/minjiplsmarrymepls: not my fav actor being a tokki

@/phammipham: girl if you don’t tell us rn…

“oh yeah, celebrity crush, right.” you chuckle after reading the comments again. you bit your lip before continuing, “well, aside from newjeans being one of my favorite groups… they’re all talented and beautiful, of course, but oh my god. danielle?”

your voice dropped to a more earnest tone as you looked right at the camera again, shaking your head and blushing a little. you could blame it on the alcohol.

“danielle is probably one of the prettiest people i’ve ever seen. her visuals are like, insane. like, she has this elegance to her, she’s glowing, but she’s also just really cute. i’ve seen some of their interviews and she’s so bright and bubbly and i just think she’s so adorable and— yeah. i love her energy.” you let out a small, tipsy laugh, not realizing how much you were rambling—again.

“and the thing is, we’re both ambassadors for celine too, so i’ve seen her from afar at events and stuff. i’ve never actually met her, which is crazy, right? i mean i've met park bogum but not her! you’d think we would have bumped into each other by now, but nope. i kind of just admire from afar, like her pictures don’t do her justice but they… do? she’s stunning in person, at least from afar.”

the comments started blowing up with people freaking out, sending a variety of emojis that you couldn’t even count on both hands. they were saying things like “omg you’re totally fangirling right now,” “okay purr y/n is danielle biased she has taste,” and even “you and danielle interacting or collaborating would be iconic.”

you blinked at the screen, noticing the way the chat kept mentioning her name. you rubbed your face with your hand, blinking hard again. “oh my god, am i talking too much? anyway!” you waved your hand, laughing as you tried to shake off the embarrassment creeping up your neck. “next question, next question.”

you spent a few more minutes answering questions about your movie, sharing more stories of what happens on set (making sure to include how many times jaehyun fell asleep on set — which was far too often and in the most questionable positions. you wonder how someone falls asleep leaning against a wall). by the end, your eyelids were starting to droop, and the comments were still buzzing with your confession from earlier. you blinked again, then thanked the fans for their support once more to wrap up the livesteam.

“alright, i’m about to pass out,” you say tiredly, smile turning soft. “thank you for putting up with me. love you all so much.”

the phone in your hand dropped onto the bed after ending the livestream. your head lands on the pillows and you sigh, a grin still on your face. before you knew it, you were out like a light, blissfully unaware of what you’ve just started.

—

the sun filtered through the hotel curtains, which warmed up the room. you stirred, eyes fluttering open as a ray hit you right in the eye, making you roll around the other way. 

unfortunately for you, this wasn’t the only thing trying to wake you up. your phone buzzed insistently next to you, and you reached for it blindly, squinting at the screen as your manager’s name flashed across it. you crinkled your brows, confused to say the least.

“hello? mark?” your voice was hoarse with sleep, tinged with last nights events.

“morning sleepyhead,” mark’s voice was calm and a little playful as always, but there was an unmistakable edge that meant business. “do you want to tell me why you’re trending on every social media platform? and you even made it onto some entertainment sites.”

a groan slips from you as you sit up all too quickly. the memories of your late-night live stream start to flood back. “shit.”

“‘shit’ is right. you do know that gushing about a girl in a kpop group — not to mention a very popular one — might get you a good amount of attention? and don’t make a pun.” you hear his signature sigh from the other end of the line. “your fans and her fans are going wild, and some press outlets are running with ‘actor y/n’s crush on danielle from newjeans’ headlines.”

shifting yourself to the edge of your bed so your feet can dangle off, you groan into the phone. “i’m so, so sorry. i must’ve fucked up my image like crazy, god i’m so sorry for—”

“hey, wait.” he says calmly. “it’s actually not doing anything harmful. if anything people are into how much you admire the group, considering you’re quite the celebrity.”

“oh thank god–”

“it’s just not low-profile.”

heat crept up your neck, and you covered your face with one hand, your back meeting the mattress again. “i— yeah, i was tipsy. soobin is a terrible influence, and weren’t you—”

“i’m just your manager, i just work here y/n.”

you scoff playfully at his remark, then continue, “i guess i didn’t notice how much i talked about her. but it’s not—i mean, it’s not untrue, but still…” you trailed off, cringing at yourself as you placed a hand over your eyes.

mark lets out a sigh, softening a bit. “look, it’s not the end of the world. just be prepared for questions, and try not to fan the flames further if you don’t want this to become a bigger deal. but, you might want at least to have a statement or some kind of response ready.”

you nodded, even if he couldn’t see you. “yeah, okay. thank you for the heads-up. sorry.”

“and next time, maybe don’t go live after an after-party. don’t think i didn’t see you downing somaek with jennie.” he adds, the hint of amusement in his voice making you relax a bit. 

“noted. very much noted.”

after ending the call, you drop the phone beside you, your heart still thudding. with a deep breath, you opened twitter up, and just from your burner account you could see that you were trending. the timeline was overflowing: fans reacting to your confession, edits already circulating with your quotes—they even managed to find every clip of you mentioning or listening to newjeans, putting it in slideshows and edited videos. you can’t even lie, the effort is amazing. and even worse, or better? there were articles with headlines like “actor y/n admits to crushing on danielle from newjeans” and “actor y/n confirms she’s a hardcore newjeans fan.”

okay, hardcore might be a stretch.

(or maybe not.)

despite all this chaos, you couldn’t help but smile a little. you tap a quick text to your manager again: sorry again. i’ll be ready for whatever comes. 

and another, more impulsive, and raw message to your group chat with your best friends and  co-stars: i think i should just die. never going live again. someone needs to take my phone and burn it.

but as you scrolled and saw fans posting supportive, teasing comments like “we love an honest crush!” “y/n is lowk so cute for this” “it’s so refreshing to see celebrities being transparent about who they admire” and even a “y/n and danielle when??? y/nelle??”, you couldn’t suppress the slight flutter in your chest.

—

in contrast to your morning, danielle’s wasn’t all that stressful. maybe a little, but it didn’t have her laying in bed for an hour and pondering over every life decision she’s made. not like you did. 

danielle had been making eggs for her members — sunny side up for hanni, boiled for minji, and scrambled for the haerin and hyein — humming quietly to herself. the morning was relatively peaceful until hanni burst into the kitchen, phone in her hand with a mischievous grin on her face.

“dani, you won’t believe this.” hanni plops down on a stool at the kitchen island, turning the phone over. “you’re gonna want to see it.”

danielle raises an eyebrow, turning down the heat. “what is it?”

minji and haerin joined, peeking over hanni’s shoulder as she played the video clip. “y/n, you know, the one from that one coming of age movie you like? what was it… the one with— it doesn’t even matter. just look.”

danielle’s brows furrowed with confusion until hanni hits play. the room fills with the sound of your slurred, soft voice as you gush with genuine excitement. 

“oh yeah, celebrity crush, right. well, aside from newjeans being one of my favorite groups… they’re all talented and beautiful, of course, but oh my god. danielle?”

even minji and haerin gasp, looking at danielle in surprise. danielle’s jaw drops open slightly as she takes in the information: you, l/n y/n, are mentioning her. danielle marsh. but it gets even better.

“danielle is probably one of the prettiest people i’ve ever seen. her visuals are like, insane. like, she has this elegance to her, she’s glowing, but she’s also just really cute. i’ve seen some of their interviews and she’s so bright and bubbly and i just think she’s so adorable and— yeah. i love her energy.” 

the spoon danielle had been holding slips from her hand and onto the counter, clattering agains the marble as she stared at the screen. “wait— what?” her voice was barely above a whisper, her cheeks heating up.

 “look at you,” minji laughs, nudging her. “one of your admirers is an actor—a really popular actor, dani.”

“i—” danielle’s mind raced as she watched you on the screen, your eyes bright, cheeks flushed as you rambled on. the admiration in your tone made her heart skip a beat. it was one thing to know that you were at the same events as her, and another ot hear that you’d been paying attention to her. that you think she’s pretty. 

hyein seemed to pop out of nowhere, her arrival probably unnoticed from what was currently unfolding. “dani… someone who was in a marvel movie has a crush on you.”

danielle blinked. a smile broke out as she looked at her members. “you’re all ridiculous.” but even as she laughed, the warmth in her chest lingered. the fact that you, the actress she’d admired form afar and whose movies she’s watched with her family, thought of her like that—it was surreal.

minji raised an eyebrow knowingly. “come on dani, don’t act like you haven’t been wanting to talk to her at those events.”

“yeah dude,” hanni nudged her younger member. “she popped up in doctor strange and you started rambling about her.”

danielle’s smile turned shy as she rolled her eyes and turned back to the stove, her mind still replaying your words. 

maybe she’d muster up the courage to talk to you, just maybe.

—

you’ve been busy, to say the least.

the past week you’ve been interviewed a handful of times everyday. your movie starred the choi soobin and jeong jaehyun, which earned a lot of attention. what surprised you was just how much attention you’d receive. there were various edits of you being made, some even showed up on your social media and unfortunately your group chat. 

people had dug up scenes of you from your other projects, editing them and helping them resurface. it was safe to say you were growing as an actor, as if confessing your ‘love’ for danielle marsh didn’t already do enough. but who were you to complain? this was great. you were rising in popularity for not only your looks, but also your talents and personality. it was endearing — flattering you beyond comprehension.

the rise in popularity even led to you having to hop on a flight to japan, not only to be interviewed further, but also for an event for the brand you ambassador.

the celine event had an air of sophistication and elegance. it was a sort of luxurious haven where celebrities and models mingled under the crystal chandeliers, surrounded by other “fancy stuff” as you would say. soft music played, mixing in with the sound of conversations and clicks of cameras. attendees were showcasing the brand’s newest pieces for the season, with handbags being paraded, their metallic accents catching the light.

you fit quite well into the scene, it would be a lie to say you weren’t one of the main events. there was an effortless style exuded from you, clad in tailored slacks that were held perfectly by a leather celine belt. draped over your frame was a crewneck sweater with the brand’s logo, and to finish off the look you had another leather piece on your shoulder: a matching handbag to go with your belt. 

the first hour was spent smiling for the cameras and eavesdropping on the whispers about your recent rise in popularity. more cameras flashed, and journalists angled for a glimpse, but your focus soon shifted when an all too familiar figure stepped into view. maybe you’re overwhelmed, maybe it’s not her, there so many people here. at least that’s what you told yourself.

once you got a breather, taking the time to roam around the area, you barely had a moment to process before a gentle bump jolted you out of your thoughts.

a woman, draped in a stunning beige dress accented with a sleek grey blazer, stumbled slightly. instinct kicked in, and your hand shot out to catch her arm, steadying her. wide yes met yours, surprise softening into a shy, grateful smile as she regained her balance.

“oh my, i’m so sorry!” she breaths out, her cheeks tinting a faint pink. “i didn’t see you there.”

“are you okay?” you ask, your mind catching up to the moment. your gaze lingered as recognition fell over you 

danielle.

the feel of her arm in your grasp made your heart stutter, but you forced yourself to stay composed. 

“yes, i’m fine, thanks,” danielle says, straightening up and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “i never expected to bump into you. not like this—not literally.”

your smile turns sheepish. “i— i guess i made quite an impression,” you joke lightly, withdrawing your hand slowly.

her eyes light up with recogniition. “well, the live from last week was more of one,” she teases, her tone warm and playful. the mention of the live made your face heat up, and a laugh bubbled out as you glanced at the floor for a second.

“you saw…?” you ask, rubbing the back of your neck. 

“i think everyone did,” she giggled, her smile softening as she added, “it was... really sweet.”

the initial nervousness faded as the two of you fell into conversation, friendly and hesitant at first, but your words quickly became more confident as you both exchanged stories and thoughts on the celine events. compliments flowed naturally, and you found yourself surprised at how easy it was to talk to her beyond the admiration you held at a distance. danielle, on the other hand, grew noticeably more flustered as you threw in subtle flirtations—quick grins, playful remarks about how she looked so much better up close and in person.

“wow, it wasn’t the drinks that make you so… charming, huh?” she says with a small laugh, eyes shining as she tried to regain composure.

“well, i’m finally getting the chance to talk to someone i’ve been wanting to meet for a whike,” you admitted, voice soft and genuine. “i just wanted to be transparent, is that alright with you?”

“of course.” her smile turns bashful, and for a moment, silence settled between you two, comfy and warm. the lights dimmed as the models prepared for the runway, but neither of you paid it much attention even after being separated again.

after the showcase, you two found each other again, wanting to exchange numbers. 

“this is the first time i’ve given a fan my number.” danielle admits jokingly as you type in your contact information. you look up from the phone and smirk, sending a weird shiver down danielle’s spine.

“really? i’m honored.” you say, handing the phone back. “let’s talk soon, okay? i’d really love to be friends, and i’m really sorry for the whole livestream incident by the way. sorry again.”

she laughs, smiling at you and it’s really strange how it makes you feel all tingly. 

“it’s alright y/n. would you like to hangout when we’re back in korea? if that’s alright.”

“oh, yes, of course.” you smile at her once more before looking at the text from your manager: ride’s here, you ready? the notification earns a small sigh from you. you glance back at danielle and bite your lip to prevent a frown. “well, i’ll see you.”

“wonderful.”

—

when you think you’ve had your peak of attention, it just seems to grow more and more.

the morning after the celine event your phone buzzed against the nightstand of your hotel, waking you up. squinting, you reached for it, the device cool against your fingers. notifications flooded your screen, but at this point that’s nothing new. at the top, there was a teasing text from mark:

“looks like you made quite the impression last night. maybe your live wasn’t so bad for your social life, huh?”

curiosity piqued, you scrolled through social media, your eyes widening as countless photos of the event filled your feed. comments from fans were overwhelmingly supportive, celebrating the unexpected dynamic between you and danielle. 

most of the photos were candid shots—the two of you caught in conversation, eyes bright with amusement, smiles soft and natural. the internet had already begun to label you as friends (which you didn’t mind at all), though some comments and posts weren’t so subtle as they implied something more, playfully shipping you two as a potential couple.

you rolled your eyes — it was ridiculous — you weren’t even sure whether or not she liked girls like that. even if she did, the whole livestream™ probably weirded her out. what you sought was friendship, but the ship posts did make you smile to yourself. maybe you’re just weird. you figured you needed to snap out of it.

unfortunately for you, more photos entertained the idea of something more than friends. in them, you were gently holding danielle’s wrist, steadying her as she’d momentarily lost her balance that night. the angle caught the way her expression softened as she looked at you, an unguarded moment that felt oddly intimate, almost cinematic. 

you’ve acted in various romance scenes, but none of them were real. neither did any of them look as… jaw-dropping as this.

the caption on one post read: “the way they look at each other… could this be the start of something?” the reactions were a mix of heart emojis, enthusiastic comments, and threads analyzing your body language and every nuance of the pictures. your cheeks warmed as you scrolled through, noticing how even the simplest gestures were being magnified and dissected as if this were an advanced art course.

you reread the text from your mark, smiling as you typed back a short light-hearted response:

“maybe i should go live more often? haha”

even as you set your phone down, your mind replayed the moments from the night before—her laugh, the way conversation flowed effortlessly, and that brief touch that started to flood your mind. 

you simply had a friend crush on her, nothing more, right? probably, you hope,

—

danielle pushes open the front door of the dorm, the familiar warmth and laughter of her members greeting her as she set down her bags. before she could make it further into the living room, hanni glanced up from her phone and smirked knowingly.

“look who’s back! how was the celine event?” hanni’s tone was casual, but her eyes glimmered with mischief.

danielle’s brows furrowed slightly, but before she could answer, hyein popped up from the couch, waving her phone in the air. “more importantly, how was this?” she tapped on the screen, and a slideshow of photo’s appeared—the ones that had been trending online. danielle, dressed up elgantly, smiling up at you as your hand was on her wrist, both your expressions open and genuine.

“oh, that…” danielle felt her cheeks warm. “it was nice. we talked a bit actually, y/n is really cool!”

“really cool?” minji echoes from the kitchen, “that’s a new one.”

“she’s just a new friend i made who happens to be an actor,” danielle rushed out, even as a small uncertain flutter stirred in her chest. the words felt like they were only said to cover something up, but danielle couldn’t pinpoint what it was that she was trying to hide. she’d made new friends before, but none of them left her thinking about them the whole flight back home. she felt kind of restless in a way, but maybe that’s because you had a different kind of charm and aspect to you.

“a new friend and actor who also has a celebrity crush on you?” minji asks.

“people have celebrity crushes and that doesn’t mean anything, minji. besides, i’m not much of a celebrity to her anymore, am i? i mean we’ve met properly now.”

hanni raises a brow at danielle’s comeback, exchanging a look with hyein, who giggles. “right, just an actor who has expressed her admiration for you in great depth. okay.” hanni draws out the last word, amused. danielle crosses her arms, feigning annoyance but feeling a heat creeping up her neck.

the group finally eases off, shrugging and returning to their own chatter, but danielle couldn’t shake the lingering awareness. maybe it was just the newness of it all, you’re an actor, a very famous one now at least. 

her eyes dart to the pictures on hyein’s phone again. the moment you had caught her from stumbling was simple, just an instinctive touch, but there was something about it that replayed in her mind. it was confusing—this new, unfamiliar feeling. she hadn’t considered herself someone who might fall for a girl, and there’s nothing wrong with girl’s liking… girls. but you’re not a girl that she likes, at least not romantically. you’re just really pretty and nice, and besides, she hasn’t even gotten to know you on a deeper level.

still, she’s spiralling a little.

–

y/n: hey :-) i just got back to my apartment it was nice bumping into you! let me know when you’re free? if you’d like to grab a bite or something of course you’re really pretty in person sorry, i’m fangirling haha

soobin’s top half of his face is on the top right corner of your phone as you stare at the screen. you sigh, cringing at each text you’ve sent. soobin raises a brow at the sudden change in expression, plus the small pout on your face now.

“what now?” he questions.

“am i doing too much? what if she blocks me. what if i just die—”

danielle: hi! i was watching a movie with the members hehe it was really nice meeting you! i’ve been a fan of your projects i really liked your scene in doctor strange as well and in your recent film  you’re a very good actor!

you literally drop your phone, earning a confused noise from soobin. when you pick it up again, he’s making a face that asks for more answers, but you’re too busy waiting for texts to pop up after her little typing bubble forms.

danielle: i’m booked tomorrow, how about the day after?  you can pick the time and place 😁

y/n: i’m busy tomorrow and the day after unfortunately 😞 how about in three days?

danielle: i’m free in the evening 👍

y/n: that’s perfect! can’t wait

danielle: me neither ☺️ i really enjoyed talking to you at the event

y/n: aw, thanks you’re really cute  and sweet, danielle

danielle: im blushing stop!! hahaha i’ll text you in the morning y/n 😊❤️

y/n: okay! 

soobin is still on call with you when you drop the phone on your bed again. he hears a the sound of your feet kicking against the bed and a small squeal.

“what?” he squints at the screen as you pick your phone up again.

“danielle and i are hanging out on friday.”

he looks surprised as he says, “really?”

“why do you sound so baffled… i can make friends soobin…” you huff, pouting at him.

—

you exhale deeply as you look at yourself in the mirror. there’s a green, long-sleeve comme des garcon top that you spent way too much money on hugging you just right, accentuating the build of your arms that you worked very hard for due to the new movie. custom-tailored denim fits your legs loosely, held by the same celine belt you wore at the thrilling event.

to hide your identity a bit more, you wore a beanie and a zip-up hoodie on top (another piece of clothing you spent way too much money on. you need to stop buying vintage exclusively), as well as some sunglasses.

you head out of your apartment, slip a mask on, and take the elevator down. 

it’s been a while since you’ve walked around and enjoyed the area you lived in, so you decided to walk to where you agreed to meet danielle: your favorite cafe.

it was a fifteen-minute walk, a quick five-minute bus ride, then five more minutes of walking until you reached your destination. when you get there, danielle is already sat at a table. you catch her checking her phone and smile to yourself.

“hey,” you greet, sitting in front of her. “did you wait long?”

“not at all,” she shakes her head, then looks down at her drink. “i just got a latte actually, i was going to text you earlier. ah! i should’ve waited to buy–”

“no– no, it’s fine.” you assure, grinning. “i’ll buy one myself and meet you back here, give me a minute.”

“right, of course.” 

you give her another small grin before ordering something simple: an almond latte. you waited only two minutes for it before heading back to danielle. after placing down your mug, danielle looks amazed at the tulip design, pulling out her phone and taking a picture. it’s cute, the gesture, and her—but that’s for you to keep to yourself.

you meet back with danielle, who’s in the same booth by the window. the cafe was quaint and tucked into a quiet street corner, so there wasn’t usually much attention or people. you really liked that aspect, considering your status, so it easily became your favorite spot. 

and because there wasn’t much going on, it was easy for danielle to be under some sort of spotlight—in this case it’s the autumn afternoon glow hitting her features. you remind yourself that this is just a platonic hangout, obviously. it’s not exactly a date, maybe a friend date—but the closer you got to her the more you started to question the “friendly meet-up.”

“this place is so cozy,” danielle says, glancing around as she took a sip of her latte. “thanks for suggesting it! i’ve been so cooped up and busy, haven’t had much time to go around. plus, it’s nice to be somewhere new.”

“i um, thought you would like it…” you reply, stirring your coffee absentmindedly. “i mean i like it a lot. it’s my go-to spot, a little hidden gem when i first got to korea. it’s also really quiet at this time, so no chance of anyone recognizing us.”

danielle smiled at that, her cheeks warming. “i can’t tell if that’s comforting or more nerve-warcking.”

“is that so?” you tease, “afraid you’ll be stuck with me if no one interrupts?”

she laughs, shaking her head. “not exactly… i actually really like being here with you.”

you grin—a bit bashfully. “aw, i’m glad im here with you too. i still can’t get over the fact that i’m with newjeans’ danielle.” 

she shakes her head, absentmindedly stirring her straw in her iced latte as she looks at you. " well, i hope that now… between us... i can just be danielle, even dani, if you prefer that.”

she gives you a shy smile before dropping her gaze to her coffee, and for a second you swear you saw a faint blush on her cheeks. maybe it’s the light. 

“so,” she says, changing the subject, “is your schedule hectic these days? with what i’ve seen—you know, your promotions—shooting for movies and events; i don’t know how you do it.”

“sometimes i don’t know either,” you chuckle, shrugging. “it’s worth it though. its kind of surreal—i used to watch your performances before i was this… known… and think, ‘wow, she must be busy,’ but now i get it.”

“”really?” danielle raises an eyebrow, looking genuinely intrigued.

“uh—yeah. not just you! i hope i don’t sound weird… you know i used to watch all those celebrity interviews, korean and western artists, and i thought about my future being like that. um, anyways, yeah—you and your members are super talented. i mean, obviously you’re killing it in every way possible” 

danielle’s smile grows upon seeing the visible blush and how evidently flustered you are.

you sig heavily, “i’m not beating the fangirl allegations… sorry.”

she looks at you with a softness in her eyes, giggling before sipping on her drink. you noticed her cheeks were definitely tinged pink now. 

“that’s… really sweet. and, um, mutual. i’ve been a fan of your acting for a while now, actually. so this is all still kinda unreal.” she admits.

you both fall into comfortable conversation, sharing stories about work and laughing about awkward encounters with fans and strange industry moments. you felt completely at ease, and danielle’s laughter was contagious, filling the air with something warm. the feeling lingered even as you two left the cafe together.

the walk back was leisurely, your voices blending as the city got louder.

“do you get nervous though?” danielle asks after a while, pulling her jacket tighter against the breeze of the evening. “with acting, i mean. especially with bigger roles. i hope it’s not awkward to ask but… you know, with romance films too.”

“i get that question a lot, it’s not weird at all dani.” you nod as danielle hides the growing smile after hearing her nickname slip from your lips. “i’m always nervous. but i think i’d worry more if i didn’t feel like that, you know? it kind of keeps me on my feet, makes it feel real.”

she nods in understanding. “that makes sense.”

“you get it.”

as you neared her dorm building, a sense of bittersweetness crept in. the evening had gone by too fast, and you weren’t quite ready for it to end. you stopped a few feet from the entrance, scanning the area to make sure no one was around.

“right, i guess we’re here,” you muttered under your breath, looking back at her with a nervous expression.

she gives you a forced smile, something bittersweet. “yeah.”

“i’ll let you go now, i had a lot of fun.”

“me too.”

“yeah?”

“yeah.” danielle breathes out, her smile much more shy than before now. you catch her biting the inside of her lip just barely 

her eyes sparkle a bit, the streetlight reflecting off her pupils. you gaze at her for a few seconds more before nodding. before you can start to walk away, she steps forward and wraps her arms around you in a warm, gentle hug. your breath catches, but you quickly relax and reciprocate. it seems natural, like you were meant to be this close.

“thank you for today,” she murmurs, voice barely audible.

“thank you for agreeing to hangout despite my… unorthodox impression.” you reply with a giggle, your voice just as soft. “i’m glad we did this.”

when she pulls back, you meet her gaze, faces just inches apart. she looks at your almost dazed expression, with your cheeks flushed and lips slightly parted. you quickly caught herself and laughed, trying to play it cool.

“alright, well, i guess i’ll see you soon?” you say, shifting a little on your feet.

“yes,” she says, feeling her heart pounding a bit. “i hope we can do this again.”

danielle is a touchy person, this is visible on camera and to everyone she loves. still, it surprises you when she leaps back onto you, hugging you once more before slipping inside the building. 

you waited until she was out of sight before turning away, unable to keep the grin off your face.

—

the next day, more specifically the next evening, you have an interview at six.

you, your costars soobin and jaehyun, are all caught in an interview. there’s a white backdrop behind you all, with makeup artists adding final touches and shifting your hair. soobin’s in a simple cardigan and jeans, while jaehyun is wearing a sweater that compliments what soobin is wearing. you, on the other hand, are clad in something that makes you stand out more: metal frames, a blazer, and slacks. 

the camera’s start to roll, then the director gives you the green light.

the interviewer smiled warmly, leaning forward as he kicked off with, “so, congratulations on the movie! it’s been getting amazing reviews, and your performance as a supporting lead has been a major highlight. how does it feel to finally see it out in the world?”

you smiled, shifting in your seat. “honestly, it’s surreal. we put so much work into this film, and seeing people connect with it—it’s the best feeling. i’m really grateful.”

“let’s talk about filming,” he continues, glancing between the three of you. “what were the hardest and most fun parts of being on set?”

soobin jumped in first, grinning. “hardest part? probably the weather during those outdoor scenes. we were freezing half the time.”

you nod in agreement. “oh, definitely. there was this one night shoot where we were all layered up between takes, but as soon as the cameras started rolling, we had to act like it was summer. my teeth were literally chattering.”

“and the most fun?” the interviewer asks, tilting his head.

“the cast,” you said immediately, glancing at soobin and jaehyun. “we had such a good time together, even during the long hours. there were so many inside jokes and random moments that just made everything easier. it really felt like a family. they’re idiots, but i love them to death.”

“jaehyun, what about you?” the interviewer asked.

he chuckles. “for me, it was watching these two try to improvise during that one diner scene. they were so into it, and the director was loving it, but the rest of us were just trying not to laugh.”

you groan playfully. “don’t remind me! that scene was so… chaotic.”

the interviewer laughs, clearly enjoying the dynamic between the three of you. “speaking of scenes, do you have a favorite?”

“hmm,” you say, thinking. “i really loved the quieter moments, like the scene where my character finally opens up to soobin’s. it was just... really emotional and rewarding to film. looking over it really surprised how well acted-out it was.”

“and you two had such great chemistry,” he adds, raising an eyebrow knowingly. “fans are already talking about it. do you think that dynamic came naturally?”

you and soobin exchanged a look, and he smirked. “well, you know, y/n and i are professionals.”

“oh, stop,” you push him lightly, rolling your eyes with a laugh. “soobin’s great to work with, though. he made it really easy.”

“is that why you’re so good at teasing her?” jaehyun chimed in, earning a laugh from the room.

the interviewer leaned forward, suddenly switching gears. “speaking of fans, y/n, people have been buzzing about your recent live stream. you mentioned being a fan of danielle from newjeans, right?”

you felt your cheeks warm, but you nod. “yeah, i’ve been a fan of their music since debut. they’re insanely talented.”

soobin, your wrost enemy, grins. “she left out the part where she called danielle one of the prettiest people she’s ever seen.”

“soobin!” you protest, laughing but clearly embarrassed. “he’s just jealous that i talk to her more than he talks to bebe rexha.” you retort, earning a pout from soobin.

“she’s not wrong,” jaehyun chimes with a teasing smile. “every time her name comes up, y/n turns into a total fangirl.”

“okay, that’s enough,” you said, trying to shut them down but laughing too hard to be serious. “look, danielle is really sweet. we’ve texted a bit, even met in person, and she’s just as nice as she seems.”

the interviewer didn’t miss a beat. “so, what’s it like talking to someone you’ve admired for so long?”

you hesitate for a moment, then smile. “it’s honestly been really cool. she’s interesting and kind and just... really easy to talk to. and yeah, she’s absolutely gorgeous, but that’s probably not news to anyone. she’s everything i ranted about in my infamous livestream…”

the room erupted in laughter, and soobin locked eyes with the camera. “did you hear that, danielle? she thinks you’re gorgeous.”

you buried your face in your hands, groaning. “why did i agree to this interview?”

the interviewer grinned, clearly loving every second. “well, it sounds like you’ve made a great new friend. and who knows? maybe we’ll see her at one of your premieres and not just the celine event someday.”

“maybe,” you said with a shy smile, trying to brush it off. but deep down, the thought made your heart race.

the cast laughs, and so do you. the interviewer continues on, teasing soobin about his bloopers and viral photos. you tease him even more, considering it karma for him doing the same to you. and when you think you can’t laugh anymore, they bring up jaehyun’s old films and roles, embarassing him just a bit as well.

—

the city lights blurred outside your taxi window as you leaned back, phone pressed to your ear. danielle’s soft laugh came through the line, making your stomach flip for reasons you didn’t want to admit.

danielle decided to call you after your interview. when you asked why, she simply responded with a ‘why? do i need a reason to want to talk to you?’ which only made your stomach twist more.

“so,” she began, voice playful, “you survived the interview, huh? did your costars expose your secrets?”

you groaned dramatically. “they did. they kept teasing me about… well, you.” 

“about me?” her tone was teasing, but you could hear the hint of curiousity hidden in it.

“they’re relentless dani,” you mutter, though the smile on your face was obvious in your voice. “next time, i’m dragging them into a live stream and making them go through public humiliation.”

she laughs again, light and airy. you lean against the window and smile harder. “you’re quite dramatic, y/n. maybe they jus like pointing out the obvious~”

“the obvious?” you ask, feigning innocence.

“you know, ho wmuch you like me,” she teased, her words carrying something playful.

“oh shut up,” you groan again, laughing despite yourself. “i’m never live streaming again. you’ve ruined me.”

“you’re the one who brought me up in the first place,” she counters, tone smug. “don’t blame me for how smitten you are.”

“smitten? right…” you shoot back. “someone’s confident.”

“only because you keep giving me reasons to,” she quipped, but there was a slight softness in her voice now, like the banter was more of a cover. 

you’re impossible,” you say, shaking your head, your your smile only widened. you bite your bottom lip, twirling your hair ever so slightly. “but you’re also probably exhausted. you should get some rest.”

“aren’t you exhausted from the interview? i only had practice—you’re telling me to rest?” she teases, though her tone had softened further.

“i’m serious,” you say, voice queter now. “sleep tight, danielle.”

there was a pause on the other end, not awkward but lingering. “you two,” she said eventually, her voice just as soft.

you both stayed on the line a moment longer, neither of you wanting to hang up. finall, you broke the silence. 

“goodnight.”

“goodnight,” she echoed before the call ended, “stay safe.”

leaning your head back, you sigh, letting the giddiness settle in your chest. as the taxi pulled closer to your place, you decided to send her a picture—your post interview outfit, slightly rumpled, hair a bit messy, and a tired peace sign held up for the camera.

a moment later, her response popped up:

danielle:  cute

your heart skipped, and then another text followed.

danielle:  goodnight :-)

you stared at your screen for a long moment, grinning like an idiot, before typing back a quick ‘night.’ you tucked your phone away, feeling like you could float the rest of the way home.

—

“morning?” you respond tiredly, leaning against your counter. “something up?”

he huffs, great. 

“morning? try good afternoon,” your manager’s voice came through, laced with exasperation. “we have a situation.”

you already dreaded whatever was coming next. “are you serious?”

“i don’t know how you do it.”

“what?”

“how have you managed to go viral again? you and soobin this time: dating rumors.” he says. 

“what?” you respond in disbelief, “me and— me and that bitc— me and soobin? there’s absolutely no way.”

“there are pictures from the interview yesterday going viral,” your manager explained. “people are assuming that you and soobin might have something going on.”

mark hears you make a disgusted noise through the phone. “why the hell would they think that?”

“apparently, you two were standing close, there’s one of you leaning on him, and another where you’re laughing while nudging him. they’re harmless, bit fans are running with it. despite your whole danielle thing, fans are running with this. boy and girl, girl and boy—you know the gist, things run around faster and easier.

you groan, pinching the bridge of your nose. “that’s so gross—he’s soobin. he’s like… a brother to me. and i’m a lesbian.”

“i know that, trust me. but the internet doesn’t,” mark says dryly. “just be careful. maybe you two can talk to each other, clear the air?”

“okay, okay. i’ll talk to you later.” you muttered before hanging up.

you check out social media for a bit, looking at the pictures going around and furrow your brows at how platonic they look. a girl can’t lean on her guy friend anymore? okay… right.

immediately, you pull up your contacts, scrolling to soobin’s name.

y/n: we have heterosexual allegations

not even a minute later, your phone buzzed with an incoming call. you answered, alreadying rolling your eyes. “soob.”

“we have straight allegations?” he questions, voice filed with disbelief, even despair. “god, no. absolutely not… not you, especially.”

“thanks,” you deadpanned.

“you’re welcome,” he quips, “but seriously, what do we do? should we post something?”

“definitely. let’s make this clear before is spirals. people are already clipping us from other interviews and our scenes.” you say, standing up right. “i’ll post something on my instagram: the pictures we took yesterday. i’ll caption it something normal and you can just reply normally. simple fix, right?”

“perfect,” soobin agrees. “you post it, and i’ll repost. we’ll just step on the fire.”

within minutes, you were typing out the caption, attaching a candid picture from the event of you two laughing together. once the post was live, you refreshed your feed, watching as likes and comments poured in. soobin reposted it immediately with a laughing emoji, and soon enough, the narrative started shifting.

you couldn’t help but smile in relief as you saw comments like: “okay, but their friendship is so cute,” and “best friends of the industry!”

you texted soobin one last time: crisis = over. lunch sometime this week?

his reply was instant: only if you’re paying.

—

danielle scrolled through her phone, her face buried in the pillow as she lay on her stomach. the soft glow of the screen illuminated the quiet room, the only sounds being her occasional sighs and the muffled hum of her members beyond her closed door. 

twitter was like a battlefield, one she didn’t fully understand. the pictures of you and soobin, paired with captions like “new favorite couple?” and “look at their chemistry!” made her chest feel heavy in a way she couldn’t explain.

you’re just friends, she thought to herself. why do i even care?

yet, despite trying to brush it off, her fingers kept scrolling. she stared at the photos for longer than she wanted to admit, her stomach twisting uncomfortably. why did it feel like this? you weren’t hers, you’re your own person.

you two have only gone out together once, spent time with each other maybe twice, and haven’t really indulged in anything deeper. if anything it felt right that you and soobin were a thing, considering the chemistry she noticed in interviews and whatnot. still, she frowned, thinking there was something different between the two of you. especially the way you noticed and looked at her like no one had before.

a knock on the door broke her from her spiraling thoughts. before she could answer, haerin poked her head in.

“danielle? are you okay? you haven’t come out all morning.”

danielle quickly locked her phone, shoving it under her pillow. “i’m fine,” she lied, her voice muffled against the pillow.

haerin frowned, stepping inside and sitting at the edge of the bed. “you don’t seem fine.” she gently tugged at danielle’s arm. “what’s going on?”

danielle groaned but didn’t resist when haerin pulled the pillow away. “it’s stupid,” she muttered.

“stupid or not, you’re clearly upset. tell me,” haerin pressed, her tone soft but firm.

danielle hesitated before finally mumbling, “i saw the rumors about y/n and soobin.”

haerin raised an eyebrow, confused. “okay? why does that bother you?”

“i don’t know!” danielle sat up abruptly, running a hand through her hair. “it shouldn’t. but seeing those pictures… it just… it made me feel weird. i don’t like it, ugh!”

haerin tilted her head, studying danielle carefully. “weird how?”

danielle hugged her knees to her chest, avoiding haerin’s gaze. “like... sad. but that doesn’t make sense, right? i mean, she can date whoever she wants.”

realization dawned on haerin’s face, and she leaned closer. “danielle... do you like y/n?”

danielle froze, her cheeks flushing. “what? no! i mean…” she trailed off, her heart racing. did she?

haerin waited patiently, her expression calm.

“i don’t know,” danielle admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “i’ve never felt like this before. and if i do… isn’t it weird? liking a girl? i’ve never done that before, i’ve never really liked anyone period… but if i did i figured it’d be a guy. i mean i kind of always noticed the female celebrities more and— oh my god, am i gay? i like girls… i think i’ve always liked girls. why am i realizing so late—”

haerin’s eyes softened. she reached out, placing a reassuring hand on danielle’s shoulder. “it’s not weird, danielle. it’s normal. liking someone—boy or girl—doesn’t make you any different. it just makes you human. it’s fine, it’s no big deal. like who you like.”

danielle looked at haerin, her eyes wide and uncertain. “but what if it’s not okay? what if i ruin things by feeling this way?”

haerin shook her head. “you’re not ruining anything. feelings can be scary, especially when they’re new. but you don’t have to figure everything out right now. take your time, okay? and no matter what, i’m here for you. i’ve been there, i think there are two others in the dorm that have been too.”

danielle nodded slowly, the weight in her chest lifting slightly. “thanks, haerin. i think… i just need some time to think.”

“of course, i understand,” haerin said with a small smile. “but for now, let’s get you out of bed. you’re not going to figure anything out by hiding under the covers. maybe you’ll think clearly after a bit of breakfast–brunch.”

danielle chuckled softly, letting haerin pull her to her feet. though her heart still felt heavy, haerin’s words gave her a small sense of comfort. maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay.

 —

“no way am i spending that much on something i’ll only wear once,” he said, putting a jacket back on the rack.

you two were in some pop-up store downtown, meandering through racks of high-end clothing. the smell of fresh leather and faint hints of something floral lingered in the air. music hummed in the air, some type of house playlist. 

“you could always expensive it as a ‘costume piece’ for another project.” you laugh, fingers brushing idly against the fabric of a blazer nearby.

“if only it worked like that,” he snorted, glancing at you. “speaking of work, when’s the next press event? aren’t we supposed to fly out soon? there’s too much on my plate… but it’s worse for jaehyun.”

“next week,” you replied absentmindedly, your attention more on your phone than the clothes. the screen buzzed in your hand, and you glanced down immediately, eyes scanning the notification. it wasn’t from danielle. you frowned slightly and slipped the phone back into your pocket.

“that’s the third time you’ve done that in five minutes,” soobin noted, a small grin on his lips. “let me guess—waiting for a certain someone to text? a certain singer~?”

your ears burned. “what? no. i’m just—i don’t know, checking stuff. my um,” you cough, “my mom…”

“checking stuff…” he repeated, his smirk growing. “you are not slick. it’s danielle, isn’t it? waiting for her?”

he laughs when you roll your eyes at him, then raises a brow when you don’t deny it.

“you’re so obvious.” he teases, nuding your shoulder. “it’s cute though. fangirl crush to… whatever this is—’text flirtation’?”

“oh my god, you don’t shut up do you?” you say, though the corner of your mouth twitches into a smile. before you could retort further, your phone buzzed again—when you check it this time, danielle’s name lit up on the screen. without hesitation, you step away and hold up a hand to soobin.

“hold that thought,” you say, walking a few feet away for some privacy.

“hey,” you greet, trying to keep your voice casual, though you couldn’t stop the slight hint of excitement.

“hi,” her voice is soft through the phone, and you could hear the faint sound of city traffic in the background. “are you busy?”

“no, not at all,” you assure her. “i’m shopping with soobin. what’s up?”

there was a brief pause on her end before she says, “i was wondering if you’d want to go on a walk tonight? it’s been a long day, and i though it’d be nice to… you know, just talk. ah! i hope you don’t mind… i just�� missed you. i know we’ve hangout only a few times, but i really like your energy! oh god, i’m rambling aren’t i—”

“i’d love that.” you smile into the phone, balancing your weight on one foot then the other. “that’s perfect, yeah of course. don’t worry about rambling… don’t ever.”

“okay,” her tone lighter now. “well, i have a shoot. i’ll text you more details, okay?”

“perfect. i’ll see you.” you say, feeling a little giddy as you hang up. 

when you walked back over to soobin, he was leaning against a rack of coats, eyebrows raised knowingly. 

“someone looks happy,” he teases, “let me guess—date?”

“not a date,” you correct him, though the hear rising to your cheeks betrayed you. “just a walk, you know.”

“that’s gay.” he mutters, earning a shove. he smirks at you, then adds, “well whatever helps you sleep at night—even if that’s a ‘walk.’”

you shoved his shoulder again, but the smile lingered on your face. even as you tried to focus on the clothes in front of you, your thoughts were already elsewhere counting down the hours until tonight.

—

the riverside was serene, the water reflecting the city lights in the rippled patterns. the air was crisp but not biting, just how you like it. you spot danielle standing by the railing, her arms wrapped around herself as she gazed out over the water. her hair caught the light, framing her face in soft waves—her natural hair always left you in awe—and for a moment, you just stood there taking in the sight.

“hey,” you call, breaking her reverie.

she turned, her face lighting up with a warm smile. “you made it! hi.”

“of course. why would i miss it?” you say, stepping closer until you were side by side.

the two of you started walking, the rhythm of your steps syncing naturally. conversation came easily, as it always did with her. danielle talked about her schedule, how she’d been trying to find a balance between work and rest. you shared bits about your own projects, the highs and lows of the past week and even something you might audition for.

“it’s a lot sometimes,” she admits, glancing at you. “but i guess it’s just part of it, you know? the good things outweigh whatever is bad.”

you nod. “for sure. but it’s okay to feel overwhelmed too. you’re doing amazing, though. seriously.”

she looks down, a shy smile tugging at her lips. “thanks. that means a lot.”

as the conversation flowed further, the distance between the two of you shrank until your shoulders brushed with each step. the contact was subtle, but it was the only thing you could think about. you were hyper-aware of the space—or lack thereof—between you. danielle didn’t pull away, and neither did you.

a light breeze swept by, and you noticed her ears twitch. without thinking, you pulled your beanie off and held it out to her. 

“here,” you say, “it’s not much, but i think it’ll help.”

“oh, no, it’s okay,” she starts, but you were already placing it gently over her head, adjusting it so it fit snugly.

“looks good on you,” you admit, stepping back to admire her. “actually, you look better in it than i do. i might have to let you keep it.” 

she laughs softly, her cheeks pink from more than just the cold. “you’re just saying that.”

“i’m not,” you reply, voice light but sincere. “trust me.”

she looks at you for a moment, her eyes warm and searching before breaking into a smile. “thanks.”

you resumed walking, the easy conversation picking up again, but the air between you felt different now—warmer, closer. 

as the night wore on, the city seemed to fade away, which left the two of you. your steps were in rhythm and your hearts quietly beat at the same time, to another rhythm that neither of you wanted to name.

the sound of leaves rustling fills the spaces between your conversation as you and danielle continued to walk along the riverside. the path was lit by lampposts, casting a soft light that made everything seem dreamlike. danielle, however, seemed distracted, her steps just a fraction slower than before.

“soooo,” she begins, voice tentative. “i saw something earlier.” 

you turned your head to look at her, curious. “yeah? what was it?”

“pictures of you and soobin had been going around on twitter,” she says, glancing sideways at you. “people were… assuming things.”

it took you a second to realize what she meant, but when you did, you let out a short laugh. “oh, that. again?”

she nods. her expression remained the same as normal, but her hands fidgeted with the sleeves of her sweater. “yeah. you two seem close.”

“we’re realy close.” you say easily, not noticing the slight edge of hesitation in her tone. “but not like that. soobin’s like… my brother? maybe a favorite cousin. it’s very platonic.”

her eyes darted up to meet yours, flickering with something unreadable. “oh,” she says softly, her voice a little brighter. “i guess that makes sense.”

you tilt your head, catching the faint shift in her demeanor. “besides,” you added, a small smirk tugging at your lips, “i’m one hundred percent gay. women only.”

danielle’s steps faltered for a brief moment again, and you noticed the way her cheeks flushed under the streetlights. she recovered quickly though, and let out a small laugh. “oh. that’s good to know.”

“yeah,” you nod and shove your hands into your pockets. “soobin’s great, but absolutely not my type. not even close.” 

danielle chuckles, her gaze fixed ahead now. “when did you figure that out? you know, about being gay?”

you thought for a moment, the question catching you a little off guard but not unwelcome. “probably when i was in high school,” you admitted. “i mean, i always kind of knew, but it really hit me when i found myself completely zoning out over this one girl in my art class. she was kind of like you, pretty and nice and sweet and—” you stopped yourself, “yeah…”

danielle smiels, her curiosity evident now. “was it hard? like, coming to terms with it?”

“it had its moments,” you say honestly. “i was scared at first, like, what people would think or how my family would react. but once i told myself it was okay to just... be myself, it got easier. and i’ve been lucky—my friends and family have been super supportive. it’s normal anyway… being infatuated, finding girls attractive, and,” you look at her a little closer now, “having crushes on girls.”

danielle nods, her gaze lingering on you a beat too long before she looks away. there was something… softer in her expression now, a quiet kind of admiration mixed with something else. you noticed the shift but didn’t comment, not wanting to break the moment.

“that’s nice,” she says finally, her voice quieter than before. “i think it’s brave.”

you shrugged, trying to play it off, but the sincerity in her tone made your chest tighten. “just being honest, i guess.”

the conversation pauses, but the air between you felt warmer now, more intimate. danielle’s eyes flicker to you again, her expression thoughtful, and you couldn’t help but feel like you were walking closer—not just in steps, but in something unspoken between you two.

“why do you ask, anyway?” you question.

“ah, well—” she completely short circuits, trying to find the right words. “there’s, well, i think i um, i like someone. i don’t know, well, i do.”

you raise a brow, looking at her confusingly.

and then it hits.

she’s avoiding your gaze, fidgeting with her fingers, and the blush on her cheeks is apparent. it’s all apparent: she’s asking you about liking girls, calling you when she can, texting you, complimenting you—it all makes sense now, everything leading up to it. and you’ve been dropping hints too, but you never noticed hers.

“and what’s this girl like? is she nice?”

“ah– well, it’s— i don’t know. she’s really sweet, but anyway,” she tries to shift the conversation, but you butt in.

“i’ve been kind of into this girl actually.” you admit, kicking a rock on the ground nervously. 

“really?”

you hum.

“what is she like?” danielle asks, glancing at you shyly now.

“well,” you start, sucking in the courage to continue on. “she’s really pretty, and i managed to get closer with her in just two months. i always had a little friend crush on her, but even so i always thought she was gorgeous.”

“is that so?” danielle’s cheeks flush a bit as the realization starts to hit. “what else?”

“well, the more we got to know each other the more i found myself thinking of her late at night. she’s easy to talk to and i really like that about her. i’m pretty into her, and i think a lot of people know it despite how much i try to deny it.” you shrug, looking at the ground. “um, w-what is your girl like? the girl you like.”

there’s a smile on her face, one that would be impossible to wipe off.

“she’s… she’s really cute.” danielle says bashfully. “she’s kind, funny, caring, and i kind of grew to like everything about her. i can’t stop thinking about her and talking about her to my members, and when she posts or something about her goes viral i can’t help but go a little crazy. she accidentally revealed her crush on me to a lot of people and i couldn’t believe it, even now i’m unsure…”

“well i think she likes you a lot.”

“do you?”

“mhm.” you stop in your tracks, watching danielle take a few steps before stopping. you two stare at each other for a bit, struggling to maintain eye contact. “i think she’s been trying to ignore the fact that she’s in love with you, but can’t because you’re impossibly easy to fall in love with.”

danielle blushes, stepping closer and pushing your shoulder as she tries to compose herself.

“okay,” she mutters quietly, looking down at the ground. “do you think she could close her eyes?”

“maybe.” you nervously say as you close your eyes, huffing shakily. 

danielle stares at you, features a little tense—really all of you is tense—before leaning up a bit and pressing a chaste kiss to your cheek. 

she pulls away, blushing furiously. 

you open your eyes, blinking twice to make sure none of it is a dream. danielle stands in front of you, biting down on her teeth to try to keep herself from going insane. she looks away, scared and flustered all at the same time.

“do you think she… do you think she liked that?”

you nod, “yeah, but she thinks you missed.”

“what—”

you cut her off, tilting her chin up and pressing a quick peck to her lips. 

danielle gasps, then looks at you with widened eyes. seconds later she leans forward, meeting you in a longer kiss. 

she melts a bit, your bottom lip trapped between hers as she slides her hand over to your neck. and when she pulls away, she hides her face near your ear. 

“did she, did she think that was okay? i’ve never um, kissed a girl before—i haven’t kissed anyone before.”

“i think she wants to kiss you again.”

danielle laughs, pulling away and cupping one of your cheeks with her hand. it’s small and soft and warm all at the same time against your burning skin. you smile as she brushes her thumb over, nodding.

“i think i want to kiss her again too.”

[ahhnini]

imagine rafe flirting with you at the hotel you were both staying at

inspired by the french dude that was flirting with me during vacation, if he’s reading this; hi, ur mom was the absolute sweetest 😭

obx masterlist

word count - 685

warnings - reader is called y/n like once, suggestive, not proofread!

you were so bored. it was nighttime, the air dry and crisp. you had to cure your boredom in some way, so you decide to opt for a late night soak in the resort hot tub downstairs.

a towel was wrapped around your torso as you make your way to the lobby, fingers fidgeting on your phone.

you take off towel as you arrive at the hot tub, secretly cheering to yourself as no one is in it yet. all to yourself.

you dip a toe in, unintentionally flinching your body up. you sigh as you feel a gust of wind flow. you take a deep breath before submerging your body into the bubbling water.

this felt nice, you think. but you were still bored. you go on your phone, which had been resting atop the ledge. you scroll through your socials, answer some texts, and read up upon the latest celebrity gossip.

you were in the middle of watching a tiktok video when you hear a person, or rather, people, get in the jacuzzi with you.

you look up from your phone, seeing a young blonde woman and a young blond man. the guy was cute, not gonna lie. he had a toned body and a slight tan from the sun. stop staring.

you put your phone by the edge of the jacuzzi and lean your head back, letting the jets relax your muscles. all three of you sit in silence, enjoying the relaxing atmosphere.

after the while, the young lady speaks up, “where are you from?” which brings you out your daze. you turn your head towards her, and softly smile as you tell her where you’re from. she speaks up again, “we’re from north carolina, my name is sarah and this is my brother rafe,” she smiles brightly at you. you reply, “it’s nice to meet you both. i’m y/n” you glance over at rafe, and saw that he was staring at you, a slight smirk present on his lips. you awkwardly look down and clear your throat, trying to hide your flustered expression. all three of you return to sitting in silence, looking up at the clear night sky.

“i’m gonna head back up, rafe.” sarah sighs as she exits the jacuzzi. rafe nods at her as she wraps a towel around her body. the wind was stronger now that it was later in the night, and your face was cold. you glance at rafe again, and he was already staring at you. he began striking up a conversation with you, his voice low and having a slight hint of seduction, “how long are you gonna be here?” he raises his eyebrow. “the whole week, I just got here today, actually,” you speak softly.

“you here alone?”

you could practically hear the smugness in his voice. “uh, no, with some friends.” rafe clicks his tongue, nodding, “ah, that’s a shame, would’ve loved havin’ you for the night.”

your friends wouldn’t mind, they’re all doing their own thing out here, anyways.

“aren’t you here with your sister?” you whisper.

“I am, but I have my own room, didn’t wanna share with my other sister, I like my space,” he shrugs.

you make an ah sound as you take in his face once more. the blue light from the jacuzzi was making his features more defined. you felt warm, and it was not because of the water.

he scoots closer, whispering in your ear, “you’re pretty cute,” he begins playing with your hair, twirling it around his fingers while his eyes move up and down your body. “wanna spend a couple hours in my room?” his hand lightly touches your leg, long, slender fingers moving up. your breath hitches, and your eyes become blown with lust. “yes, I do,” you whisper in his ear.

rafe flashes his charming smile once again. he climbs up the steps of the jacuzzi, putting his towel around his waist. he gives you a suggestive smile before reaching his hand out to you,

“let’s go. I don’t have all day, sweetheart.”

you were in for a long night.

divider by sseuda on tumblr

[too-much-tma-stuff]

Do You Love Me? (Epilogue prt 2)

Previous | Masterpost

After the happy couple ran off with their rogue friends for a celebration more their speed, but that minors were definitely not invited to, there was little point to everyone else hanging around. Danny’s siblings headed out first, both turning invisible and slipping out, flying off to either race or play-fight probably, ghosts seemed to be big on those sort of competitions. The remaining members of the Wayne family stuck around a little bit longer, but they ran out of things to talk about pretty fast. They had been getting better as a family, getting closer and fighting less, but they still didn’t always get along. Besides, Tim could see Kon fidgeting, standing awkwardly off to the side. 

He took pity on Kon and left his family, approaching him and watching him visibly relax the closer Tim came, till Tim was standing next to him and he was smiling softly. “Are you ready to go home?” He asked, tilting his head a little in a way that reminded Tim charmingly of a puppy. 

“No, but I am ready to leave here,” He said, smiling back a little. “Let's go find a nice quiet roof top to sit on a bit before we go back to the chaos.”

“You really are a bat aren’t you,” He teased, but he nodded. “But I understand. For only having three other team mates the tower does get pretty damn loud huh?” 

They walked away from the restaurant before ducking into an unobserved corner so Kon could pick Tim up and take off with him, flying him to one of the higher, less accessible rooftops. The sounds of the city sounded distant up here, still detectable but removed. It was cold, but Kon was warm, so Tim bullied his way under Kon’s arm and got cozy breathing in the familiar polluted air of the city he had grown up in and loved, despite everything. 

“How was the ceremony?” Kon asked, after giving Tim a little time to decompress from all the noise of the dinner so he wouldn’t get overstimulated. 

“It was nice,” Tim said, nodding. “It obviously wasn’t big, or long, but it didn’t need to be. They really love each other, it was great to see them so happy without the chaos of the big weddings they’re going to have coming up.”

“Weddings?” Kon clarified. 

“Yep, one big one in the mortal realm for the whole hero community, and one in the infinite realms to cement Danny’s coronation. They want me to come to both, but I might not go to the ghost one, that sounds like… a lot.”

“Well I’m sure they’re understand if you don’t go,” Kon said, giving Tim’s shoulders a squeeze. 

He nodded, Danny and Jason were honestly the most understanding and supportive people in his life, he was sure they would understand if he had to miss one of their weddings. They sat in silence for a little while until Tim collected his thoughts and managed to speak again. “It did make me think about some things though?” 

“Oh? Like what?” Kon said, sounding a little nervous. 

“Well… Bruce talked a bit about how Jason and Danny are too young to be getting married. But they’re happy aren’t they? They found their person, it doesn’t matter that they’re young when they know that they’re committed to one another. They’ve been through everything together, they’ve been tested, They know they love each other.” He trailed off and Kon gave an encouraging hum. “Kon? Do we love each other?” He asked, frail and fragile. 

“Well… I know I love you. So the ball is in your court Tim, do you love me?” Kon asked, soft and vulnerable. 

“What do you love about me?” Tim asked, looking up at him uncertainly. 

“I love how smart you are, how passionate you are. You think you’re not good with people but you’re kind, and empathetic and people can see it even if you’re a little awkward. People feel safe with you, I feel safe with you. You’ve accepted me from the very beginning, stood up for me and taught me so much. I-... Honestly, I could go on and on about why I love you. There are a lot of reasons,” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. 

Tim nodded slowly and looked down at the city. “You’re strong, not just physically. There’s… a strength to your hope, no matter how many times you’re pushed down you get up because you always believe things can get better. You’re so attentive, and so generous with me and with everyone around you. And to be honest, you’re really hot,” He said, smiling crookedly when Kon choked on air a little. “I love you too. Even if you're a bit of a buffoon.” 

A beat of silence as they processed what Tim had just said, then Kon tilted Tim’s head up with two fingers to look him in the eye. Tim wasn’t great at eye-contact, but he took a deep breath and made the effort to look back. 

“Tim, are you sure?” Kon asked worriedly. 

Tim bit back the urge to back away from this vulnerability and throw up shields again. He held his breath, and nodded, trying to ignore the way his eyes were watering even though he wasn’t sad. He was just… emotional, which usually made him cry when he let himself open up fully, even if they weren’t bad emotions. 

“I love you,” Kon said again, testing the water. 

“I love you too,” Tim said, breathless and unsure, but it felt right. It also felt right when Kon leaned down and kissed him. His lips were slightly chapped, but warm and oh so familiar from all the hours Tim had spent accidentally staring at them in team meetings and private conversations. He slid his arms around Kon’s neck and kissed back.

He chuckled softly but didn’t pull away when Kon started to float unconsciously, just crawling into Kon’s lap so he wouldn’t be left behind on the rooftop. They broke apart, and kissed again, and again, and again. Soft, sweet, chaste little things that still overwhelmed Tim’s stupid emotionally repressed psyche. 

He sniffled and pulled away, hiding his face against Kon’s chest, who made a soft sound of worry and hugged Tim securely against his broad chest. 

“Are you okay?” Kon asked. “I didn’t-”

“No you didn’t do anything wrong, not at all. I’m just happy, and I don’t know what to do with… this much happy,” He said, laughing wetly at how stupid that sounded. 

“Oh,” Kon laughed, giving Tim a careful squeeze. “I’m happy to.”

“Thank you for being so patient with me Kon. I’m sorry it took me so long to admit this.” Tim had loved Kon for a long time really, it was just hard.

“Always,” Kon promised, leaning his cheek against Tim’s hair, happy to just hold him, just to be close as they drifted over Gotham city, lost in their own little world together. 

[babygirlbenji]

Prince Charming - Mason Mount

a/n i feel like i've used this gif before but i do not care! i'm off to a wedding so wanted to get this out! enjoy mwah <3

summary: just some fluff with mason and reader who is sick!

You hated being sick. 

The cough that had been racking your body for the last few days had reduced you to talking in croaky whispers, your whole body ached, you had no energy and all you could do if you weren’t sleeping was watching repeats of Friends. 

What made it even worse was that Mason wasn’t there to look after you and give you the love you so desperately needed to heal. He was in Manchester and you were stuck in London. To add insult to injury, you had planned to take the train up to the north west to see him and watch his game against Liverpool. You’d had to message him the day before, saying you weren’t going to be able to come up. He wanted nothing more than to look after his girl, but Ten Hag had been adamant that Mason would at least be on the bench for the game, if not in the starting lineup. 

It was just an all round bad situation. A long distance relationship was not necessarily what you signed up for, but you loved Mason more than anything in the world. You were both determined to make it work. 

On Friday night, you were tapping through your Instagram stories, looking at all your friends going out and celebrating the end of the working week. You sighed, which obviously turned into a coughing fit. With nothing else to do, you turned off the lights and curled up in bed, hoping that by morning, you would feel better and be able to watch Mason play. 

Or at least that was your plan. This plan was scuppered by your phone lighting up with Mason’s picture as he rang for a FaceTime. You shoved a hoodie on and ran your fingers through your hair in the hopes it would make you a little bit more presentable, before flicking the lamp by your bed on so you could speak to him. 

‘H-Hello,’ you croaked. His face was slightly pixelated through the dodgy WiFi in the hotel he was staying in, but he still managed to look like he’d walked off a Vogue shoot. Damn him, you thought to yourself. 

‘Hey sweet thing, how are you doing?’ Just the sound of his voice was enough to perk you up a bit, and you sat up. 

‘I’m… I’m okay, just tired and got this stupid bloody cold that’s had me bed bound the last two days. How are you?’ You could barely stifle the yawn that crept out of your mouth without any warning. 

‘Oh darling, I’m okay, just called because I’m worried about you, I’ve hardly heard from you the last couple of days and wanted to check in.’ Your heart swelled. You’d been together over two years, but he was still finding ways to make your dreams come true. He really was your Prince Charming. ‘I won’t keep you long as I know you’re sick, just wanted to say I love you and I miss you.’ 

The emotions you’d been feeling over the last couple of days boiled over, and your face crumpled as tears leaked from your eyes. 

‘I really, really miss you, Mase,’ you sobbed. ‘I feel awful, I can’t do any work, I haven’t seen you in like a fortnight, everyone’s going out and enjoying the sun while I’m stuck here on my own with not even Ben or Reece to keep me company as they’re in Timbuktu or something.’ Mason couldn’t help but chuckle at your melodramatics; Ben and Reece were not in Timbuktu, they were in fact in Southampton for their away game. He didn’t have the heart to mention this, though. 

‘I’m sorry, baby, I really am, I wish I could be there to help. Just focus on resting and getting better, okay? I’ll be with you as soon as I’ve finished this game, I promise.’ You sighed. You knew he couldn’t help being a professional footballer, and he loved playing with United, but you couldn’t help but feel like part of your soul went wherever he went. 

You chatted a bit more, or rather, he chatted while you listened to him, before he bade you goodnight and you were once again left with nothing but the sound of your fan blowing cool air on you to stop your fever spiking too high. It wasn’t long before your cold and cough medication kicked in, and you were out like a light. 

*

You awoke the next morning feeling like there was someone in your house. Ignoring the fact that your fever had gone and your airways felt clearer than they had in the last few days, you stepped out of bed and grabbed your phone from the bedside table. Fully prepared to call the police, you padded silently down the carpeted staircase and peeked into the kitchen. 

What you saw made another sob fall out of your mouth.

Mason was stood by the stove, wearing a United hoodie and track pants, while stirring something in a pot on the hob which you could only guess to be chicken soup. 

‘Mase?!’ He whirled around and grinned.

‘Hey babe!’ You summoned the energy to run over to him and throw your arms around his neck, relishing the contact of your bodies having been apart for nearly two weeks. 

‘What the hell are you doing here? I thought they wanted you to play?’ He kissed your temple and shrugged.

‘But I wanted to be here with you more. It wasn’t easy but I managed to negotiate it off. After our FaceTime last night I couldn’t be apart from you any longer. I couldn’t have you suffering here by yourself while Ben and Reece are in Timbuktu.’ You giggled at the reference to what you’d said the previous night, and hugged him harder, your head finding its usual spot just under his neck. He wrapped you up in his arms and rubbed your back. 

‘I can’t thank you enough, Masey, it means the world.’ You felt him press a kiss to the top of your head.

‘It’s the least I can do for my princess.’ And in that moment, with you curled up against his chest while he stirred chunks of chicken and vegetables in a thick broth, breathing in his glorious scent that could only the scent of home, you had absolutely no doubt in your mind that you really had found your Prince Charming. 

[uluvjay]

Our first Christmas-O. Piastri

Oscar Piastri x fem! Reader

In which you and Oscar celebrate your first Christmas together

Warnings?; kisses, pure fluff, rushed so I apologize for any errors

Day 7 of my ficmas celebration!

You could feel the warmth of his lips trail along your shoulder, his soft hair tickling the back of your neck causing a soft giggle to escape.

“I knew you were awake.” He spoke, his voice deep and full of sleep.

“Don’t wanna get up yet.” You groaned, turning your body so your head could tuck its self into his neck.

“But it’s Christmas.” He pouted.

You sprung up, causing your head to connect with his chin and pained groans to escape both of you.

“Ow.”

“Shit, sorry.” You laughed stroking his chip and applying a small kiss in apology.

“It’s okay, but does this mean we can go open presents now?.” He smiled at you.

“Coffee, then presents?”

“Deal.” He laughed and pulled you out of the warmth of your large bed, following behind him you admired his large frame that was enhanced due to the white shirt he wore.

Making your way into the kitchen Oscar grabbed two mugs from the cabinets while you powered on the coffee pot.

“Do you want regular or the gingerbread coffee?” You questioned, looking through the different coffee pods.

“Regular please.” He smiled politely.

After two fresh cups of coffee the couple found their way into the living room, a soft meow followed by a thump caught their attention just as a furry little body rubbed itself against Oscar’s leg.

“Morning izzy.” Oscar greeted their orange tabby, reaching down to pick the small cat up.

The cat purred at Oscar’s touch, immediately nudging her head against his hand for more attention.

“Hi pretty.” You spoke in your baby voice, placing a kiss to her head before Oscar sat her down and made his way over to the tree.

“Open this one first.” He blushed handing you a small box that took him much longer then he’d like to admit to wrap.

You smiled at him before ripping into the paper, underneath was a square velvet box that held a new set of beautiful diamond earrings.

“Oh Oscar they’re gorgeous.” You cried, jumping to your feet to pull him into a hug.

“You like em?”

“I love them baby, thank you.” You kissed him sweetly before running to get him one of his gifts.

Many presents and a mountain of wrapping paper later Oscar handed you your last gift.

“Saved the best for last.” He smiled handing you a medium sized box.

You shook it jokingly trying to hear what was inside due to how light the box was but there wasn’t any shuffling from the inside.

Looking up at Oscar questionably you raised an eyebrow that he laughed at, “just open it”

You laughed along with him before removing the paper and opening the cardboard box revealing a glass ornament.

However it wasn’t just any normal ornament, on the front there were two human bodies and an orange cat in the middle, all three wearing red Santa hats.

Below each figure held names, Y/n, Izzy, and Oscar and right below that ‘CHRISTMAS 2023’ was written in bright red.

“Turn it around.”

Listening to Oscar you turned the ornament around in your hands and on the back there was a small message inscribed.

Happy first Christmas my love, here’s to many more

- Oscar

You didn’t realize you were crying until you saw the tear land on the ornament, wiping it away as well as the ones streaming down your cheeks you stood to pull Oscar into your arms.

“I love it.” You sobbed, tucking your head into his neck.

“I’m glad baby, took me and izzy a while to pick it.” He laughed softly as he remembered the cat sitting beside him the whole time he scrolled on the website.

He held you in his arms for a while longer until the sound of his phone ringing from the couch pulled you two out of your little bubble.

“It’s mum.” He spoke as he picked up the device.

You two spoke to his family for a while before it was time to clean up the living room, Oscar tackled the trash while you began breakfast.

Coming into the kitchen he wrapped his arms around you from behind and placed a sweet kiss to the side of your head.

“I love you so much.” He whispered

“I love you too, thank you for an amazing Christmas.” You smiled as you leaned into him.

“You are very welcome.” He giggled tucking himself into your neck.

-

[goldfades]

Also 🍀 for the sweet angel azzi

Prompt: staying up late because you wanted to eat with them

BUT, it’s over facetime cuz they’re currently not in the same state.

-🐹

evangeline's 2.5k celebration !! [open!]

─ warnings | nothing but sweet fluff and long distance, nothing too bad

"THE GAME WENT good, were you watching?" azzi's voice echoed through the speaker as she ate her dinner, her phone propped up so you could see her through the facetime call.

the hotel room was dimly lit but you could still make out her beautiful features, and of course your heart was swelling at the sight (even if it was just through a phone).

you smiled, leaning closer to the screen as if it would somehow bring you nearer to her. "of course i was watching! you were amazing out there, az. i could hardly sit still."

azzi laughed, the sound warm and familiar. "thanks, babe. it felt good to be back on the court. how was your day?"

you sighed, shifting in your seat. "it was alright. busy, as usual. but seeing you play was the highlight. i just wish i could be there in person, but you know i have classes and everything."

azzi's eyes softened, and she paused mid-bite to look at you. "i wish you were here too. it's not the same without you cheering me on from the stands but i get it, school is more important. plus, i could feel your support through the screen,"

you smiled, feeling a surge of affection. "i'm glad. i'll always be cheering for you, no matter where i am."

azzi's eyes sparkled with appreciation as she smiled. "that means a lot to me, baby."

there was a moment of silence, both of you lost in your thoughts ─ you were both exhausted but being around each other made you a little more energized. you broke it first. "so, what's the plan for the rest of the night? more celebrating?"

azzi grinned. "just dinner and then probably some sleep. we've got an early practice tomorrow. but enough about me. tell me more about your day."

you hesitated, not wanting to bore her with the mundane details, but her expectant look made you relent. you knew she enjoyed it when you talked, she liked listening to you talk about anything.

"well, let's see. class were the usual grind. but i did have a weird encounter with jasmine — i'll have to tell you about it when you get back, it's a lot. and i've been thinking about some new places we can check out once you're home."

azzi's eyes lit up as she smiled. "i can't wait. we should make a list. somewhere with good food, definitely."

"oh my god, yes. maybe a new hiking trail too? we haven't done that in a while."

"sounds perfect," she said, a contented smile spreading across her face. "i miss you, a lot."

even though it'd only been a couple of days, it was hard for both of you to be apart. you were both so intertwined with each other's schedules, it felt weird to not have each other.

you nodded, feeling a pang of longing. "i miss you too, baby. but you'll be back soon!"

"yes! and then i'll have so much time for you and we can go out to eat then go hiking in the morning so we don't feel bad," azzi smiled finished her meal and set her plate aside. "i should probably get some sleep. but i'll text you first thing tomorrow, okay?"

"okay," you frowned, not wanting to say goodbye just yet. but you knew azzi was exhausted, she deserved some sleep. "get some good sleep. i'll be thinking of you."

"and I'll be dreaming of you," she replied with a wink as you laughed and shook your head in amusement. "i love you," she drew out the love as you continued smiling, feeling giddy.

"i love you too," you copied her voice as she laughed too.

the call ended, and you stared at the blank screen for a moment, the warmth of your connection lingering despite the distance.

↳ make sure to check out my navigation or masterlist if you enjoyed! any interaction is greatly appreciated !

↳ thank you for reading all the way through, as always ♡

[idk6123]

‘Un-official couple’ (Garrus Vakarian X Male Reader)

Sheperd’s team is a bunch of odd folks. Whether humans or aliens, soldiers or criminals, sane or insane people. All kinds of people from different lives come in to help Shepard and the rest of the galaxy to defeat the Reapers. Two of them are Garrus and Y/N, who got along quickly.

From the start, they got along well, whether on or off the battlefield. The crew find it a bit endearing, but as time passes, the crew thought differently about it. They considered Garrus and Y/N an ‘un-official couple’. Hell, they aren’t even sure they are aware of how close they are.

While sitting in their quarters, both soldiers are having their gun maintenance. Whether they clean the weapons, upgrade it or make sure the ammo is high enough.

“They should make snipers tinier.” Y/N states as he and Garrus move on to check out the snipers. “Easier to carry them around.”

“That might be the dumbest thing I ever heard. You need great strength for the bullet to crack through a skull of the poor bastard. That means recoil and in other words, need a bigger gun to deal with it.”

“It was just a suggestions. Pretty sure it can work.”

“You say that, but I know you like your weapons big.” Garrus says a bit teasingly.

Y/N knows what’s he getting at. “Do I?”

“Yes. Long, with a good area to grip it tight.” Garrus says with a deepening voice, enjoying every second of messing with his friend. “Can shoot miles away.”

Y/N hums. “I bet I’m not the only one who likes that. Since you defended big snipers, I bet you love big weapons.”

“Oh, I do-” Garrus then cracks up and begins to laugh, causing his friend to laugh along. “Alright, I’m done with the dick jokes.”

“Oh, you were joking?”

“Oh, shut it.”

While the two friends continue messing around as they do their duties, someone overhears them. It’s none other than their commander, Shepard. Wondering what’s going on with them, he decided to ask about it later.

-

As Garrus is doing a bit more calibration, Shepard walks in on him.

“Hey Garrus.”

“Hey. Is there something?”

“Just chatting.” Shepard stands beside his friend and leans against the wall. “Always nice to do something mindless while we may die tomorrow.”

“You can say that again.” Garrus responds a bit roughly. “But I try to look at it positively. We probably die next week.”

Shepard chuckles. “So… you and Y/N…”

The Turian looks beside him. “What about it?”

“I’m just glad despite everything that is happening, you two still act the same.” Shepard admits. “Kinda envious to be honest.”

“You got friends too, even if it doesn’t look like it.” Garrus jokes.

“Hey, I’m serious.” Shepard sounds amused. “You’re lucky you got him.”

“You say that like we’re a couple.”

“You kinda sound like you already are.”

Garrus looks a bit confused. “What do you mean?”

“I’m just saying…” Shepard is carefully looking at the right words as Garrus stares. “Some of the team consider you two as an ‘un-official couple’.”

“What!? Why?” Garrus sounds genuinely confused. “Can’t two people just be friends without it being romantic?”

“It can. Just not how you two treat each other.”

Garrus scoffs. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“I’m just saying what the team thinks.” Shepard defends himself. “But let’s be honest. You two constantly flirt with each other.”

“It’s call bantering. Look it up and you know what I means.”

“Does it?” Shepard replies. “I remember something about ‘having a manly time in the shower’.”

Garrus looks a bit flustered. “That was just a joke.”

“I know, I know!” Shepard assures. “I’m just saying, some people may think you two are an item.”

“Well, they’re clearly wrong.”

“Right then.” Shepard is then ready to leave. “Glad we got to talk. Let me get you back with your celebrations.”

Once left alone, Garrus begins thinking about what Shepard has said. He never thought he flirted with Y/N, at least genuinely. Still, he understands that can be interpreted as such. As he thinks further about it, he wonders if Y/N thinks so too.

-

The following day, the crew got to the Citadel. During which, everyone does their own thing. For Garrus, he goes to purgatory. He then sees Y/N hanging out with Liara and Tali. Without hesitation, he joins his friends in the lounge.

“So that’s why you can’t slam Omni-gel to bypass locks or other security systems?” Y/N questions.

“Yes.” Tali replies.

“But… why?”

“I’m not sure.” Tali shrugs. “I personally find it a lot less efficient.”

“You weren’t the only one.” Liara speaks up. “That security upgrade made a lot of people unhappy.”

That’s when Garrus joins in. “Hey.” He sits down beside his best friend. “Again with the rents about the Omni-gel controversy?”

“Yes.” Y/N sounds like it’s obvious. “I just don’t get it. Why would you make something worse, even if it was a massive security risk?”

“Look, you’re asking the wrong people.” Liara replies.

“Aren’t you supposed to be the Shadow Broker or something?” Tali points out.

“Just because I know what goes around 99% of the universe, which doesn’t mean I know everything.”

As Liara and Tali further chat, Garrus stares at the human man. Looking at him, he thinks about what Shepard has said. Maybe he should settle down while he still got the chance? And it’s not like he settles with someone he doesn’t like. After all, any day now, either he or Y/N can die, so they might as well make the most of it.

“Y/N.” The human looks back at his friend. “So, uh… you come to places like this often? Because, well, I don’t, but maybe I would if… um, if you were here.”

Y/N blinks a few times. “What?”

Garrus clears his throat. “I-I meant, you come here often?”

“Not really. Only to hang out with friends, but that’s it.” Y/N answers. “Just not a fan of music blasting my ears of.”

“I agree. I imagine people only come here to wish to become deaf.” Y/N raises his eyebrow, with Garrus becoming a bit flustered. “Not that I think you want to become deaf. You probably love your ears. I mean, I love mine. Uhh… the ears I got, not the ears humans got… yeah, sounds right…”

“O-kay?”

-

Y/N notices ever since that day, Garrus has been acting odd. Whenever he tries to be fun or nice, the Turian stutters and fumbles through his words. While Y/N knows his friend doesn’t mean any harm, he can imagine a stranger to think he’s a weirdo.

With another day living means another day training. Thus, getting in the hanger, Y/N is wearing his workout clothes, revealing his big muscles. Usually doing with Garrus, he sees his sparring partner.

“Nice outfit. It, uh, really accentuates… um, you know, everything.” As Garrus checks out his best friend, Y/N raises an eyebrow. “Not that I’m looking at everything, but—yeah. You get it.”

“I don’t?”

“Uhh…” Garrus awkwardly looks away. “Let’s just spar.”

On the mats, the two begin exchanging blows. While Y/N is training hard as usual, Garrus is holding himself back. The human isn’t sure why, but he doesn’t question it.

“Nice one. I mean, you’ve got… great form. Not that I was looking at it like that, but, uh… good muscles. Or… coordination. You know.”

“Thanks?” Y/N sounds a bit confused. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, he begins to mess around a bit. “There is more where these muscles come from.”

“I bet. I mean in the sense of strength, not the sexual attraction thing. …Not that I’m saying you’re not attractive. Uhh… I mean…”

Y/N then stops and just stares at his best friend. “Alright, you’ve been acting weird for days. What’s wrong?”

“There is nothing wrong.” Garrus replies.

“Is isn’t? Because whenever we talk, you don’t know how to have a decent conversation.” Y/N clarifies. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No! You didn’t do anything.”

“Then did you do something?”

“…Not necessarily.”

Y/N groans. “Can you stop being so cryptic and just say what’s wrong?”

After some hesitation, Garrus speaks up. “Fine. Shepard told me other people view us as an… well… a couple.”

“Oh. Okay.” Y/N casually says.

Garrus looks dazed. “Okay? What do you mean ‘okay’?”

“It means I don’t really care about what other people think about us.” Y/N stated. “Does it bother you?”

“No. Not really.” Garrus replies.

“Good. Then why are you acting weird?”

“Uhh…” Garrus looks hesitant again. “I’ve been thinking about it. We… we would be a good couple.”

Y/N smirks. “You want to become a couple?”

“Yes, no, uhh…” Garrus feels a bit embarrassed. “What do you want?”

“I think we would be a great couple if you want to. Is that what you want?”

“…Is that what you want?”

“Stop avoiding my question.”

Garrus sighs, having no choice but to answer. Still, he doesn’t have the guts to fully admit it. “I would like that…”

Y/N smirks. Without shame, he walks over to his partner in love to kiss his partner. Garrus in return, remains frozen. It doesn’t take long before the human pulls back.

“And?”

“Your lips feel nice. Kinda wishes I had lips.” As Garrus looks at his partner, he looks a bit awkward. “So… your waist looks really supportive.”

Instead of finding it weird, Y/N laughs it off. “Yeah, we need to work on your flirting skills.”

[reds-writings]

i love your blog more than i’ve loved anything on earth before.. can you maybe write something about 1995 rust and reader working a late night together and taking an awkward and romantically charged truck ride to the bar together?? oh im a fool for some good old yearning. hope you’re doing well i love what ya do

ahhh! thank you so much! i too love some good ol' yearning so i whipped some up quick! enjoy, darlin! (this takes place in the middle of the first of many and the start of something new and jj)

“We oughta call it a night.” Your voice rang out in the empty space of the precinct. It had to be bordering nine thirty and your body was begging for release from your hunched-over position, having been pouring over a surplus of articles for the past couple of hours. The slope of Rust’s shoulders jerked slightly as if forgetting where he was or that you had decided to hang back with him in the first place.

“Time is it?” He rumbled out, using the heel of his palm to rub at a tired eye. 

“9:37. You good to drop me off still?” You replied after a quick glance at your wrist. Your truck was still in the shop but you couldn’t complain much if it meant being around Rust a little extra. 

“Don’t worry about it. Sleep decides when it wants to find me. Even then it never really takes hold.” The casual admittance threaded with his perplexing way of describing what troubles him would never fail to bewilder you. 

“Well…if you ain’t sleepin’ anytime soon could you be persuaded to stop for a drink on the way back? My treat.” 

Rust had the humor to snort, a sharp and haughty sound, “If the company you keep makes a lady pay then they’re shit.” 

“The company I keep mostly nowadays consists of Marty and the feral cat taking up residence in my yard every now and then.” 

“Therein lies the problem.”

‘He likes to be spoiled. What can you do.” You shrugged playfully while beginning to gather your things. 

“The cat or Marty?” That finally made you shoot out a laugh and he squashed down the distant desire to preen at your amusement. 

Not fun outside of parties. Fuck you, Marty. 

“We’ll grab a drink or two.” He relinquished. You pumped a fist in the air in a small celebration of victory with a hushed hiss of a ‘yes!’ The day was long and you could use a beer paired with the continued company of the wiry enigma. 

As you mosied over to his truck and hopped in you batted your lashes in what dramatic fashion you could muster through your fatigue, “Free drinks and the voluntary companionship of Mr. Cohle? Gee, did I strike lucky-”

“I don't recall sayin' free.” He lit a cigarette with one hand and began to steer out of the lot with the other. It was concerning how such a mundane act could start to get you all hot and bothered. 

“With you stickin' your nose in my business about what friends I do and don’t have they became free, I believe there was the implication of mighty disdain towards makin’ a lady pay.” A dainty finger wagged in his direction.

“I wasn’t aware I was in the presence of a lady-” The swat of your quick hand at his arm served as an interruption to his bullshitting. He was funny. When he wanted to be. Maybe not hardly ever but sometimes the mood struck whenever the stars decided to align just right. You thought it foolish to think the odds were specifically in your favor during moments like these but seeing him even a little bit at ease couldn’t hold you back from running right into the arms of said foolishness itself. Marty would dub you delusional. He could also kiss your ass.

Plain and simple.

“Because of your outright boorishness, I will be demanding some top-shelf finery tonight.” You half-sassed while he blew smoke from his sloped nose at your theatrics. The way you could go from suppressed and professional to the feisty spitfire sitting beside him now would soon throw him on his ass sooner than preferred. His liability to stop it was growing weaker with each car ride despite everything in his mind screaming to bring it to a severe halt. He wanted you far away from him but wanted you in constant proximity a hairsbreadth more.

“Low shelf. Maybe.”

“Top or bust. Consider it initiation as my new form of company. Just how it goes, friend.” You jokingly admonished and it was considered final.

Friend. He detested the warmth that took siege over his being.

[alotofpockets]

Wedding memories | Yelena Belova

Pairing: Yelena Belova x Reader

Summary: Your kids want to know more about your wedding day. You spent the afternoon showing them your wedding album and telling them stories of your and Yelena's special day. [Full request]

Marvel masterlist | Words: 1K

You were sitting on the floor of your living room surrounded by your kids. Ollie and Flynn were sitting on the ground with you, playing trains, while Milo, your youngest, was sound asleep in your wife's arms. The boys had been wanting to play trains all day after seeing a real train on their way home from visiting their grandparents. You happily played along driving the train carts around or making the tracks shift, the boys were smiling from ear to ear, which in return made you very happy. 

Looking up at Yelena you smile. She gives you a warm smile back and you think of how proud you are of your little family together. They were everything you had dreamed of growing up. You know that Yelena didn’t always have the wish to have kids, but once they took down Dreykov and the whole red room program, she slowly started showing interest in wanting kids of her own. Now years later you were the proud parents of three perfect boys.

While you were looking at your wife, Flynn seemed to have lost complete interest in the trains, and was now looking at a picture on the mantel. He had recently become interested in wanting to know what everything was and meant, you loved seeing him explore and broaden his world. You were always happy to share your knowledge on any topic he had questions about, and when you didn’t know the answer, you would grab your phone or laptop and learn something new with him. “Mommy, why are you and Mama dressed so nice in this picture?” Flynn asked curiously.

“That picture was taken on a very special day, Mama and I got married that day. Do you remember what that means?” The boy enthusiastically nods his head, “That’s when two people that love each other celebrate loving each other forever.” You smile, “Yes, very good! We have a lot of other pictures from that day, would you like to see?” His eyes widened enthusiastically, he was so eager to know everything, it was adorable. You look over at Ollie and notice that he was more interested in the pictures than the trains, so you say, “Okay, Flynn and Ollie, if you go put your trains away, and then sit with Mama, I will be right back with the pictures.” You were rather excited to show the kids yourself, you would never miss an opportunity to talk about the love you have for your wife. 

When you join the others back in the living room, photo album in hand, you see how adorable they sit cuddled up to Yelena. You snap a quick picture before they notice you there. Then you quickly make your way over to the couch. You lift up Ollie and place him on your lap, while Flynn stays seated between you and Yelena. The photo album was made mostly in order of everything related to your wedding, it starts off with a couple pictures of Yelena proposing to you. Yelena is the first to start talking about the picture, “So, this is when I asked Mommy if she wanted to marry me. I was very nervous, because Mommy is very important to me and I love her so much. Luckily, she said yes right away! After that day we started to plan our wedding day, we even got to taste many cakes to see which ones we liked best.” 

You continue flipping through the pages and explaining bits and pieces of each one of the pictures placed in the album. Flynn and Ollie are fully invested in everything, which warms your heart, they’re such sweet boys. When guests start showing up in the album they enthusiastically point out all their family members, “Auntie Nat and Auntie Wanda!” Was the first person that Flynn saw, quickly followed by, “And Auntie Kate!” Who was spotted by Ollie. You explain to them that Natasha and Wanda were your maids of honor and that Kate was the ring bearer, which meant that they were extra special guests. 

Both you and Yelena had the biggest smiles on your faces while reminiscing on your wedding day and getting to experience the joy all over again with your three little ones. The boys had probably never had their attention on one thing more before, it was adorable how they were asking about each little detail as new pictures were shown. When you got to the end of the album you closed it and placed it down on the coffee table. “Then after the wedding, we wanted to grow our love and had you three and now our lives are complete. We love you boys so much.” You kiss Flynn and Ollie’s heads and peck your wife on the lips. 

“I have an idea.” Yelena says out loud, “How about we go celebrate these special memories by getting some ice cream?” Of course, both Flynn and Ollie are over the moon about that idea, they both run off to grab their shoes. “Mama, can you help please.” You take Milo from her arms and move him over to the stroller. The five of you head to the ice cream parlor in the park and eat your ice creams on a bench watching the ducks in the pond. When you’re all finished with your ice creams, you clean their hands and faces before letting them play on the playground. You put your arm around Yelena on the bench and pull her a little closer to you. “Our family makes me so happy, baby. Thank you for loving me and raising the perfect family with me. I love you so much, Yelena.” She intertwines your fingers in her lap and kisses your check. “I love you very much too, darling. I cannot imagine my life without you or our boys. I’m very happy with how far we have come and I can’t wait to grow old with you and watch the kids grow up together.”

[bullet-prooflove]

3500 Follower Celebration: Culture - Wade Grey x Reader

Tagging: @kmc1989 @ravennaortiz @anime-weeb-4-life @hellostickerdoodle

You learned early on in your career in the LAFD to stand up and take your medicine. It’s a byproduct of working in a male dominated environment, one where sexism is still institutionalised. It’s not as bad now as when you were coming up but Wade’s heard the stories. He knows about the Lieutenant who’d harassed you, the one who’d chased you out of your last firehouse because he wouldn’t take no for an answer and when you’d reported him, it had been swept under the rug as if nothing had happened.

You’ve rose up through the ranks since then, switched over to arson investigations. You’ve poured blood, sweat and tears into your career over the years and it shows in your diligence and efficiency. You have a clearance rate that is second to none.

It’s when you take on a case in Lieutenant Waldron’s district that things become probmatic. You haven’t been back in the locality since you’d left but you’re covering for another investigator whose on sick leave when you get the call. It’s apparent from the get go that Waldron hates having you on his patch, it gets worse when you contradict his version of events regarding the fire you’re looking into. The comments, the taunts, the sexual advances you let them all wash over you because once this case is over you won’t have to deal with him ever again.

It’s Nolan that tells Wade what’s going on, he hears it from Bailey who has a couple of friends in that firehouse. They’re the type of people who are sickened by the things that Waldron says about you, who are willing to go on record if you need it.

“You need to report it.” Wade tells you that night as the two of you make dinner together. He’s stirring pasta sauce on the stove as you chop peppers on the wooden board. “Nobody deserves to be treated this way…”

“I did that the first time. They basically told me to suck it up.” You remind him as you focus on the task at hand. “It got worse after that.”

Wade pauses because that’s the part you haven’t told him. He thought you’d transferred out when they’d told you they weren’t going to investigate. He hadn’t realised you’d tried to stick it out.

“How did it get worse?” He asks you, his palms coming to rest on the counter.

The line of your jaw tightens and your gaze stays fixed on the chopping board in front of you, the rhythmic sound of the knife slowing.

“Did he hurt you?”

“No.” You say quietly, your grip on the knife tightening, your knuckles turning white.

“But he put his hands on you.”

You tilt your head in concession and Wade feels something murderous rush through him.

“Has he done it since?”

“I carry a gun these days remember?” You say as you resume your chopping.

“Baby, stop.” Wade says quietly, his hand coming to rest on yours, stopping your motions. You set the knife down before you turn to face him and Wade sees the exhaustion in your eyes, the sadness, frustration. You’ve been dealing with this for days now and you haven’t breathed a word of it, it’s part of the culture. That’s why shit like this is so insidious, it wears on you, erodes you.

“You are so strong.” He tells you, his palm cupping your cheek. His thumb ghosts along the apple of your cheek and you exhale for what feels like the first time in days. “But you don’t need to carry this by yourself anymore.”

His forehead comes to rest upon yours, a show of solidarity. He wants you to know he’s here if you need him, that it isn’t like the last time, you aren’t alone.

“I know it’s hard.” He whispers and he does. He’s been on this road before, he knows how tough it is to make this decision, risk your career or stay the course. There’s no winning here. They both come with their own risks. “I’m here for you, no matter what you decide.”

Love Wade? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[oldiesstationlover11607]

HIHIHI!!

I’ve been thinking about this a lot and I feel like you would be the perfect one to do it.

I was thinking like the reader and Tyler are in a new relationship and she can’t go home for the holidays/Christmas to be with her family for some reason so Tyler invites her to his house and shes really nervous and they have a great night with his family and fun holiday couple fluff ensues and it’s just fun and lighthearted!

Your writing is so amazing, and don’t feel like you have to write this if you don’t want to- just wanted to send it in :)

~ Red

Christmas at the Joseph's - Tyler Joseph x Reader

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1363

A/N: Posting this at 12:00 AM on Christmas day in NZ hehehe

My family had tried their best to cheer me up over a spotty video call earlier in the day. They passed the phone around, their faces lighting up the screen as they promised to send me pictures of dinner and insisted I save a slice of pie for when I could eventually make it home. I laughed along with them, but the moment we hung up, the ache in my chest grew heavy.  

Christmas wasn’t supposed to feel this lonely.  

I sighed and curled up tighter under my blanket, scrolling aimlessly on my phone for some distraction. That’s when Tyler called.  

“Hey,” his voice came through warm and clear, already soothing the storm of thoughts in my head. “How are you holding up?”  

“Better now that I’m talking to you,” I admitted, my voice soft.  

“Yeah?” I could hear the smile in his tone. “Tell me the truth.”  

I confessed after a pause. “It’s just… I hate being stuck here, you know? This isn’t how I imagined Christmas.”  

Tyler was quiet for a moment. Then, with all the certainty in the world, he said, “Come to my place.”  

I blinked. “What?”  

“Come here,” he repeated. “Spend Christmas with me and my family. You shouldn’t have to be alone.”  

The suggestion was sweet, and it sent a small flicker of warmth through me, but it also made my stomach twist in nervous knots. We’d only been dating for a few months—not long enough for me to feel totally at ease crashing his family’s holiday celebration.  

“Tyler, I don’t know…” I trailed off, unsure how to put my nerves into words.  

“Y/N, it’s not a big deal. They’ll love you. And if they don’t—though they will—we’ll sneak out, find a sled, and do something ridiculous. Sound good?”  

His voice was so earnest, so certain, that I couldn’t help but smile. “Fine,” I said, giving in. “I guess I don’t have a better offer.”  

“Gee, thanks for the enthusiasm,” he teased, laughing. “Be here by six?”  

By the time I arrived at Tyler’s house the next afternoon, my nerves were buzzing like static electricity. The place looked like something out of a Christmas card—twinkling lights framed every window, a massive wreath adorned the front door, and the yard was blanketed in fresh snow.  

Before I could knock, the door swung open, and there was Tyler, grinning at me like I was the best present he’d ever received.  

“You made it!” he said, pulling me inside before I could talk myself out of it. His hug was warm and solid, and my nerves eased just a little at the feel of his arms around me.  

“Barely,” I joked, shaking snow off my boots. “I almost turned around twice.”  

He tilted his head, mock-offended. “Turned around? You didn’t want to see me?”  

I rolled my eyes. “That’s not it, and you know it. Meeting your family is a lot, Tyler.”  

He tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear, his touch soft and reassuring. “It’s going to be fine. They’re going to love you.”  

I nodded, taking a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s do this.”  

The warmth of the house wrapped around me as we stepped inside. It smelled like cinnamon and pine, with a faint hint of cookies baking somewhere in the background. Tyler led me to the living room, where his mom and dad were waiting.  

His mom was the first to greet me, pulling me into a hug so tight and welcoming that it caught me off guard. “You must be Y/N,” she said, her voice kind and full of warmth. “It’s so nice to finally meet you! Tyler’s told us so much about you.”  

“He has?” I glanced at Tyler, who suddenly found a spot on the floor very interesting.  

“All good things,” his dad added, stepping forward to shake my hand. “Welcome to the madhouse! We’re glad you could join us.”  

The living room was cozy and alive with Christmas cheer. A roaring fire crackled in the fireplace, stockings were hung neatly along the mantel, and a massive Christmas tree stood in the corner, decorated with a mix of classic ornaments and handmade creations.  

Tyler’s siblings were sprawled out on the floor, surrounded by an assortment of board games and half-decorated cookies. They looked up when we entered, and Tyler introduced me.  

“This is Y/N,” he said, gesturing to me with a grin. “Be nice, okay?”  

His brother, Zack, smirked mischievously. “We’ll see.”  

The night unfolded in a way that felt surprisingly natural. Tyler’s siblings pulled me into their cookie-decorating contest, where Tyler proved to be hilariously terrible at anything involving icing. His “reindeer” ended up looking more like a three-legged giraffe, and his attempt at a snowman resulted in everyone laughing so hard they were crying.  

“I’m being sabotaged,” he declared, narrowing his eyes at me as I piped neat little snowflakes onto my cookie.  

“You’re just bad at this,” I teased, holding up my perfectly frosted Santa for him to see.  

“Or you’re too good at it,” he countered, his eyes glinting with mock accusation. “You’re making me look bad.”  

“Pretty sure you’re doing that all on your own,” I shot back, and the room erupted in laughter again.  

Later, we moved on to board games. Tyler was somehow even worse at trivia than he was at cookie decorating, which led to plenty of good-natured ribbing from his siblings.  

“I didn’t realize I was dating a trivia genius,” he muttered after I nailed yet another question.  

“Maybe you should take notes,” I teased, smirking at him.  

“Oh, I’m taking notes,” he said, his voice low enough that only I could hear.  

After a particularly competitive round of Pictionary that saw Tyler’s mom drawing what looked suspiciously like a potato instead of a Christmas ornament, we took a break for hot chocolate. Tyler’s mom handed me a steaming mug topped with a mountain of whipped cream, and I couldn’t stop smiling as I settled onto the couch, warm and content.  

As the night went on, the conversation turned to family traditions. Tyler’s mom told stories about the Christmases they’d had when the kids were little, and his dad recounted a particularly disastrous attempt at sledding that ended with him falling into a frozen creek.  

“And you still married him?” Tyler asked, shaking his head at his mom.  

“It was his charm,” she said with a wink.  

Eventually, it was time for presents. Tyler’s mom handed me a small package, her face glowing with kindness. Inside was a pair of cozy socks decorated with little snowflakes.  

“We couldn’t let you have cold feet,” she said with a smile.  

Then Tyler handed me a box, his expression suddenly shy. I opened it to find a delicate silver necklace with a snowflake charm.  

“I know it’s not the same as being with your family,” he said softly, “but I wanted you to have a little piece of winter magic anyway.”  

My throat tightened, and tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. “Tyler, this is beautiful. Thank you.”  

He smiled, brushing his fingers lightly over mine. “I’m glad you’re here, Y/N. Christmas wouldn’t have been the same without you.”  

The night ended with the two of us sitting on the porch, wrapped in thick blankets as the snow fell softly around us. The air was crisp and cold, but I felt warm and safe next to Tyler.  

“So,” he said, nudging me gently, “was this better than being stuck alone?”  

“Way better,” I admitted, leaning into him.  

He smiled, pressing a kiss to my temple. “Next year,” he said, “we’ll make it to your family. I promise.”  

For the first time in days, I felt completely at peace. 

//

REQUESTS OPEN

[mirisss]

Love Shall Keep You Warm

Werewolf! Mercer Mackiah x human! female reader

Wordcount ≈ 2.4k

Warnings: A fight, a bruise, a small cut, I think that’s it! 

Another Halloween special for you all! I hope you enjoy this one, it’s not as Halloweeny as some of the other ones I’ve written but I hope you like it anyway! 

Note, that I know nothing about hockey. 

Third Person POV

Mackiah is widely admired at his school for his incredible talent on the hockey rink, where his speed, agility, and sharp instincts have earned him a reputation as a star player. What most people don’t realize, though, is that there’s a secret behind his unmatched prowess in the cold. Mackiah is, in fact, a werewolf—a rare creature whose abilities are amplified by the biting chill of winter. The icy environment that others dread fuels his strength and allows him to perform at an otherworldly level. His secret is carefully guarded, known only by his closest circle: a few trusted friends and his girlfriend, Yn. They have stood by him, helping him navigate the challenges of leading a double life as both a regular high school student and a powerful supernatural being. His transformation remains hidden from the public, but on the ice, where the freezing air invigorates him, Mackiah becomes a force unlike any other.

Yn is nothing like Mackiah when it comes to embracing the cold—she’s fully human, and the freezing temperatures that he thrives in have the opposite effect on her. While Mackiah’s werewolf nature gives him an edge on the ice, Yn prefers to stay far from the cold whenever possible. However, her love and dedication to him make her his biggest supporter, and despite her aversion to winter weather, she never misses one of his games. Wrapped in layers upon layers of clothing, she bundles herself in his hockey jersey, along with a mountain of extra shirts, sweaters, and scarves to keep from freezing in the chilly rink. Even though she shivers through most of the game, she cheers him on relentlessly, her face lighting up every time he makes a play. Her presence in the stands, with her unwavering support and her effort to endure the cold for him, means everything to Mackiah, reminding him that no matter how different their worlds might be, they’re always in it together.

After every victorious game, Mackiah wastes no time as the final buzzer sounds. The moment the celebration begins, he skates straight over to where Yn is standing, bundled up and cheering despite the cold. His face, still flushed from the game and glowing with adrenaline, lights up the second he sees her. Without hesitation, he wraps her in a warm, protective hug, his body heat melting away the chill she’s endured all game. As the crowd watches, expecting what’s to come, Mackiah leans down and plants a big, heartfelt kiss on her lips. The arena erupts in cheers and applause, the stands buzzing excitedly for the couple’s now-legendary post-game ritual. It’s become a fan-favorite moment, almost as anticipated as his plays on the ice. In that moment, amidst the roar of the crowd and the celebrations around them, Mackiah and Yn are in their own world, a perfect balance of his wild nature and her quiet, enduring love. For Mackiah, no victory feels complete without her by his side, and that kiss is his way of showing just how much she means to him.

After the kiss, with the arena still buzzing from the excitement, Mackiah pulls away slightly, keeping Yn close as he grins down at her. His breath is still visible in the cold air, but his eyes are warm and filled with affection. “I’m just gonna hit the locker room real quick to change, babe,” he tells her, his voice still laced with the thrill of the win. “Then we’ll head out and grab something to eat—my treat, of course.” He knows how much she’s put up with, braving the cold rink for him game after game, and he wants to make sure she knows how grateful he is. With a playful wink, he skates off toward the locker room, already planning where they’ll go—somewhere cozy and warm, a sharp contrast to the ice where he just dominated. Yn, still blushing from the kiss and the attention of the crowd, watches him go with a smile on her face, knowing that once the game is over, it’s their time to relax and enjoy the night together.

Yn waits just outside the locker room, bundled up and leaning against the wall, her breath forming small clouds in the chilly air. Her eyes light up when she finally sees Mackiah emerge, his hockey equipment slung over his shoulder, his hair still damp from his quick post-game shower, and that familiar, irresistible smile playing on his lips. He looks more relaxed now, his adrenaline beginning to settle, but the warmth in his gaze is all for her.

As soon as he spots her, Yn rushes over, wrapping her arms around him in another tight hug. This time, she can really feel his warmth without all the bulk of his hockey gear, and it makes her smile as she presses her face against his chest. His body heat instantly melts the last of the cold that clings to her. Mackiah chuckles softly, hugging her back just as tightly, enjoying the quiet moment with her now that the game is behind him.

“Much better, huh?” he teases softly, kissing the top of her head. Yn nods, content to be close to him without the layers of padding and equipment between them. She’s finally starting to thaw out, both from the cold and from the excitement of the game. Together, they make their way out of the rink, hand in hand, already looking forward to a cozy meal and some time away from the noise of the arena—just the two of them.

After walking together through the cool night air, Mackiah and Yn reach his car, still holding hands. The cold has started to fade away now that they’re close and the excitement of the game has settled. Once inside the warmth of the car, Mackiah starts the engine, glancing over at Yn with a soft smile. As they pull out of the parking lot, he reaches for her hand again, squeezing it gently while they chat about the game, the crowd, and their plans for the rest of the evening.

Instead of asking where to go, Mackiah already has a destination in mind—their favorite café, the cozy little spot where they first met a few years ago. It’s become their special place, and he knows Yn loves it just as much as he does. The drive there is quiet, comfortable, with soft music playing in the background. Both of them are savoring the familiarity of this tradition, as it feels like a perfect way to wind down after his games.

When they arrive, the café is just as warm and inviting as always, with the soft glow of its lights spilling out onto the sidewalk. They park the car and walk inside, greeted by the scent of freshly brewed coffee and the cozy, welcoming atmosphere. The memories of their first meeting here seem to hang in the air, a constant reminder of how far they’ve come. As they sit down at their usual table by the window, Mackiah shoots Yn a playful grin, like he always does when they come here, as if to say, “Remember when we didn’t know this would become our spot?”.

Now, with the noise of the arena far behind them, they settle in, ready to enjoy a meal, some warm drinks, and, more importantly, each other’s company—right where their story first began.

After spending some time enjoying their favorite café, the warmth of each other’s company, and the comfort of the familiar place, Mackiah and Yn start to feel the weariness of the day setting in. The excitement from the game, the cold, and the coziness of the café have begun to catch up with them, and they both agree it’s time to head home. Whether it’s to Mackiah’s place or Yn’s, they already know how the night will end—wrapped in each other’s arms, spending the rest of the evening cuddling.

As they exit the café and begin walking toward Mackiah’s car, laughing softly about a shared joke, a figure suddenly appears in their path. It’s a guy from the opposing team, one of the players Mackiah had just played against. His eyes are sharp, and there’s an unsettling edge to his smile as he approaches them. Mackiah immediately senses something off about him—his scent gives away the truth. Like Mackiah, this guy is a werewolf too, though not someone Mackiah’s particularly familiar with.

The guy strides up, his posture cocky, and looks Yn up and down before saying something out of line, something crass and disrespectful that instantly makes Yn uncomfortable. Mackiah’s smile fades in an instant, his expression hardening as he steps protectively in front of her. His pulse quickens, anger boiling in his chest as the stranger’s words hang in the air.

“Watch your mouth,” Mackiah growls, his voice low and dangerous, the wolf in him already starting to stir. But the other guy just smirks, clearly enjoying the reaction he’s provoked.

Before either of them realizes it, the tension breaks, and the two werewolves clash. Mackiah moves swiftly, fueled by rage, stepping forward to shove the guy back. The force of his push causes the other player to stumble, but he’s quick to retaliate, snapping back with a punch aimed at Mackiah’s jaw. It’s clear neither of them is holding back, their heightened strength and reflexes making the fight dangerous. Their primal instincts start to take over as their eyes glow faintly in the dim streetlight, muscles tensing as they grapple with one another.

Yn stands back, alarmed but knowing how strong Mackiah is. Her heart races, and though she’s worried, she’s seen glimpses of his strength before. “Mackiah, stop!” she calls out, trying to cut through the intensity of the fight.

But Mackiah is in full protective mode now, and it takes all of his willpower to hold back from letting his werewolf nature fully take control. He snarls at the guy, teeth bared, ready to end the fight for good, but something in Yn’s voice finally reaches him. He pulls back, his chest heaving with exertion, and glares at the other guy, who’s still smirking but visibly shaken.

“You ever say anything like that to her again,” Mackiah says, his voice dangerously low, “and I’ll make sure you regret it.”

The guy scoffs but doesn’t say another word, clearly realizing he’s outmatched. With one last glare, he walks away, leaving Mackiah standing there, tense but victorious. Yn rushes over to him, wrapping her arms around him to calm him down, her touch bringing him back from the edge.

“You okay?” she asks softly, her voice steady but filled with concern.

Mackiah nods, his breathing still heavy as he pulls her close, his protective instincts settling back into something softer. “Yeah,” he says quietly, “I’m fine now.”

Together, they make their way back to the car, both of them knowing they’ll feel much better once they’re home, far away from the chaos of the night. All Mackiah wants now is to hold Yn close, safe in his arms, and leave the anger behind.

It isn’t until they finally arrive at Mackiah’s place, the adrenaline from the fight having worn off, that Yn notices something she hadn’t seen before. As they step into the warm glow of the hallway, she gets a clearer look at Mackiah’s face and her heart sinks a little. There’s a small bruise forming on his cheek, and a thin cut just beneath it—a reminder of the fight from earlier. Considering Mackiah’s werewolf nature, bruises and injuries like this are rare. It must have been one hell of a punch to leave a mark.

“Hey,” Yn says softly, her fingers gently brushing over his cheek, her concern evident in her eyes. “You’re hurt.”

Mackiah just chuckles, brushing it off with a dismissive shrug. “It’s nothing,” he insists, clearly unfazed by the cut. For him, it’s hardly worth worrying about—his werewolf healing will take care of it soon enough. But the way Yn fusses over him, her human concern evident in every little movement, brings a soft smile to his face. She’s already moving towards the bathroom, determined to clean up the small wound, despite his protests.

Yn grabs the first aid kit from his bathroom, and when she returns, Mackiah’s sitting on the edge of the couch, watching her with an amused look. She kneels in front of him, her touch gentle but focused as she cleans the cut, dabbing it with antiseptic before covering it with a small bandage. She’s so careful, her brow furrowed in concentration, as if this tiny injury is a much bigger deal than Mackiah makes it out to be. He finds it impossibly cute.

“You really don’t have to worry about it, Yn,” he says, a teasing lilt in his voice. “It’ll be gone by tomorrow, I promise.”

“Maybe,” Yn replies, her tone serious despite the small smile tugging at her lips, “but I still want to take care of you. Let me fuss, okay?”

Mackiah can’t help but chuckle again, his heart swelling at how much she cares. For someone who could easily shake off a bruise or a cut, it’s moments like this that remind him how different they are—but also, how much he loves those differences. Yn’s human vulnerability and kindness balance out the raw strength he has as a werewolf. And seeing her this concerned over something so small makes him appreciate her even more.

When she’s done, she looks at him with satisfaction, as if she’s just finished tending to a much more serious injury. Mackiah leans in, wrapping his arms around her waist, and pulls her up onto his lap, holding her close. “Thank you, nurse Yn,” he murmurs with a playful grin. “I feel so much better now.”

Yn rolls her eyes but can’t help but smile, feeling the warmth of his arms around her. She presses a gentle kiss to his uninjured cheek and then rests her head against his chest, finally feeling like the chaos of the evening is behind them. Now, with the night quiet around them and the world outside far away, they can finally relax, just the two of them.

A lot can happen when you date a werewolf but two things are sure, Mackiah would never let anyone hurt Yn and he would always make sure she was warm, and if she’s cold, he’ll hug her until she’s warm again. 

[whiskey-tango-matcha]

Patient Zero (m, colds)

I'm trying something a little different on this one - there's no sick character POV, but both Greyson and Elijah are sick. This is written from first Matt (the sous chef) and then Mark's (the floor manager) perspectives. It was a fun little exercise, and I hope you all like it.

Elijah & Greyson both have the flu and blame each other for it. No real plot, just quips and vibes. Enjoy :)

cw: male snz, colds, contagion, coughing, fevers, dizziness...snarkiness... the usual lmao. 3.5k words

Patient Zero

The early hours of the morning were the best the restaurant had to offer. It was summer, but at three in the morning it was cool, quiet, dark, and almost meditative to be in the restaurant alone. I could get used to this, Matt thought, setting his things down on the prep table in the empty kitchen.

Matt almost never worked the AM shift, but it was an event night and event nights always came with an unusual schedule. This particular event was a small business celebrating ten years open, and the two women in charge of the event were lovely but… particular.

Everything had to be just so – which was fine, because they were paying through the nose to buy out the restaurant for the night – and many of their requests were ones that Greyson and Elijah had never heard before.

“They want us to… make their dinner rolls?” Matt had asked when Greyson had showed him the banquet event order he and Elijah had put together. “But we buy the best bread in the city… I mean, isn’t Alicia going to get mad that she’s losing our business for that event?”

“Elijah already talked to Alicia about it; she’s annoyed, but she gets it. These people want everything made in house, and trust me I told them that Alicia makes better bread than I’d ever be able to, but they didn’t care. They’re fuckin’ weird, Matt,” Greyson said, smoothing the piece of paper onto the prep table. “They want us to make them a cake, too. You did a stage at that bakery in Italy a couple summers ago, right?”

That was how Matt had ended up at the restaurant at oh-dark-thirty, using their decrepit Kitchenaid mixer to make some maybe-okay bread and a probably-not-great cake for a group that had no clue what the difference between a pastry chef and a regular one was. At least he’d be able to enjoy the evening off; it was a Saturday, it was summer, and he could already taste the cocktail he’d be sipping while the rest of the team was slaving away.

About three hours into mixing, proofing, and looking up recipes on his phone, Matt heard the back door of the kitchen slam open and then shut. He whipped his head towards the sound – Greyson wasn’t supposed to be in until nine, at the earliest. Who the fuck was here?

“HTSHH-ue! Huh! Hhh… huhITSZHUE!” Matt heard Elijah before he saw him, and winced when he did. Elijah had definitely seemed a little off yesterday, but the rest of the team figured that he was just nervous about this event and how picky the people paying for it were. Matt, at the very least, hadn’t assumed he was -

“HUHHHESTCHUE!” - sick.

“Bless you, Elijah,” Matt called from the prep kitchen. Elijah jumped at the phantom voice and wiped his nose on the back of his hand. He turned the corner to find Matt, covered in flour and frosting, and laughed.

“Thangks,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. “You doing okay with the whole… bread thing?”

Matt shrugged and motioned to the recipe on his phone. “I mean, if this bread recipe is good enough for The Barefoot Contessa, it should be good enough for these people, right?”

Elijah smiled, amused. “Right,” he said, turning to cough away from the prep kitchen entrance. Matt gave him a sympathetic look, and Elijah shrugged.

“You’re here early,” Matt said, scoring the tops of his rolls and covering the baking sheets in plastic for proofing. Elijah gave him a small smile.

“Couldn’t sleep,” he said, sniffling. “Worried about this party tondight, I guess.”

“Mmm,” Matt hummed, noncommittal. Elijah and his boss were two sides of the same stubborn-ass coin, and there was no use reasoning with or forcing confessions of illness out of either of them. The only people they listened to were each other; their relationship was weird, it was codependent, but it worked so Matt didn’t question it. He hoped Greyson would be in soon.

“I’mb going to go work on the mbenus for tondight,” Elijah said, swallowing back a cough. “Holler if you ndeed mbe.”

Matt knew he wouldn’t need Elijah, but he nodded anyway. “Right back at ya.”

***

The sun had finally made its way to the middle of the sky when Greyson burst through the doors of the kitchen, his signature bull-in-a-china-shop style.

“Christ it’s hot out there,” Greyson moaned as he walked into the prep kitchen. Matt had finally finished the three-tiered cake and was working on making fondant letters to adorn the top. He looked up from his work to see his boss perusing the trays of rolls and cake tiers cooling in the prep kitchen’s reach-in refrigerator.

Greyson was looking especially disheveled this morning; he’d let his hair grow all the way to his shoulders this year – everyone on the stupid dating apps loves long hair, is what he’d said to Matt when he mentioned his boss had needed a haircut back in February – and it was pulled back into a messy ponytail today. He was in a cutoff t-shirt and cutoff shorts, flip-flops, and, frankly, looked more ready for a lazy day at the beach than the huge party he’d have to put out in a few hours.

“It’s August,” Matt said in response to Greyson’s gripe. “That’s, like, peak hot. Why are you wearing that?”

His boss turned to face Matt, gave himself a once over, and huffed out a little laugh. “Couldn’t sleep last night, so I ended up walking to a club. Went home with some girl and crashed at her place, passed out, didn’t have time to go back home, so you get flip-flop Greyson. I have a spare set of clothes in the office.”

Matt rolled his eyes, thinking of the conversation he’d had with Elijah earlier; two sides of the same coin.

“You all good on the bread, Master Baker?” Greyson asked, grinning at his own joke. Matt gave a little laugh through his nose.

“All good,” he said. “I just need help with the fucking frosting for this cake, I can’t seem to get it -”

“IGTSHZZ-ue!”

Matt’s head snapped up suddenly; his boss’s face was pressed into his elbow. The sous felt his heart sink. Not both of them.

A sick Elijah was fine. A sick Greyson was slightly more annoying, but also tolerable. But when both of them were sick, it was, to put it lightly, a nightmare.

“Shit, ‘scuse me, sorry, can’t stop fucking sneezing today,” Greyson said, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand.

“Bless you,” Matt said, accusatory. “are you feeling okay?”

Greyson started to nod, then held up a finger as if to say, ‘hold on’. Matt waited a moment while his boss stood, waiting for another sneeze that didn’t seem to want to come. He let out a shaky breath and shook his head as if to clear it. “I’mb good,” he said, congestion already seeping into his voice. Matt had a sudden memory pop into his head – Greyson offering Elijah a bite of a short rib dish yesterday, then taking a bite himself from the same fork. Goddamn it, Greyson.

“Are you -”

“ITSZH-ue! HTSHH-uh! Fuckin – HGTSHH-ue!” Greyson suddenly collapsed into a volley of sneezes, covered only by a hand. He grimaced at the obvious mess he’d left behind and went to the sink to blow his nose and clean himself up.

“Fuck, Chef,” Matt said while Greyson washed his hands. While, like Elijah, there was no use trying to force a confession out of Greyson, Matt was much closer to the executive chef and couldn’t help accusing him. “Are you serious? This is so not the day for you to be fucking sick.”

“Oh, relax,” Greyson said, rolling his eyes. “I’mb ndot sick, it mbust be allergies or somethiii….INGTSHH-uhh! Fuck mbe,” Greyson moaned, pulling more paper towels out of the dispenser and blowing again.

“It’s not allergies,” Matt said. Greyson raised an eyebrow at his sous.

“Yeah? How do you know that, all-seeing eye?”

As if summoned, Elijah turned the corner into the prep kitchen at that moment. “Grey, good, you’re here,” he said, attempting to clear his throat. “Cand we go over verbiage for the mbenu tondight?”

Greyson pursed his lips and closed his eyes on seeing the GM. Matt’s eyes darted from Elijah to Greyson and back again, wondering how this was going to play out.

“What?” Elijah asked, sniffling.

“You fuckin’ asshole,” Greyson said, giving Elijah a little playful shove. “Why didn’t you tell me yesterday you were fuckin’ sick?”

“I’mb ndot sigck,” Elijah said, pathetically. Matt had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing; Elijah’s eyes were rimmed red, his nose was chapped from blowing, and since he’d walked through the door he hadn’t gone more than five minutes without sneezing. If you looked up ‘sick’ in the dictionary, there he’d be.

Greyson had no such tact and barked out a laugh in his boss’s face. “Yeah?” he asked, slapping a hand on Elijah’s forehead. The GM shook him off, but the damage was done. “You’re burning up,” Greyson said, his voice accusatory. Elijah flipped him the bird.

“I’mb ndot burning up, it’s just hot in the office,” Elijah said, taking a step back and crossing his arms. “Also, why the fuck are you dressed like you’re in a ndineties beach dramba?”

“I’m about to go change, but nice attempt at changing the subject,” Greyson said, leaning against the wall. “Seriously, have you taken anything?”

Elijah rolled his eyes, but nodded. “Just drop it,” Elijah said, his voice deadpan. “Why are you being such a dick about it, andyway? It’s ndot like -”

“HGTSH! HTSH! Huh… hh…”

“Oh, mbother fuck -”

“HUHESSTZCHUE!” Greyson doubled over to sneeze into his elbow, cutting his boss off not once, but twice. He gave Elijah a knowing glance over the crook of his arm and sniffled.

Elijah sighed, a congested, tired sound. “I… bless you,” he said.

“Thangks,” Greyson said, wiping his nose on the back of his hand. “Patient zero.”

“Fuck off,” Elijah said, shoving the chef. “Cand you please combe help mbe with these stupid mbenus?”

Greyson nodded, then turned back to Matt. “You said you’re all good, yeah?” he asked. Matt hadn’t; he needed help with the frosting, and wanted to make sure Greyson was okay with the way the rolls were proofing. But he nodded anyway; no use trying to separate the two of them while they were mid-squabble.

“I’m good,” Matt said. “I’ll come get you in a bit.”

Greyson nodded, then followed behind Elijah, muttering something about a plague rat. Matt could hear the slap Elijah bestowed upon him from across the kitchen.

***

Mark hated these types of events.

When he was younger, Mark had been a banquet captain for a hotel; a job he’d rather forget on most days. The nights were long, the people were always entirely too drunk, and although the pay was good, he dreaded every single shift.

Elijah had decided when the year began that Elliot’s had a goal of doing one full buyout banquet a month, a decision that made Mark’s heart sink, though he’d never let that on to his boss. Instead, he’d told Elijah all about his past banquet experience, showed the GM how to make a proper BEO, and volunteered to captain the events that his boss booked. He hated banquets, but he did love this tiny restaurant; he loved his staff and he loved his bosses and he wanted to make working there enjoyable for everyone.

Putting on a good face didn’t mean he hated it any less.

Mark yanked open the kitchen doors at noon the day of the event – an event he knew from the very moment of its booking was going to be a nightmare – and tried to get his game face on. He was going to be there until two in the morning, he was going to get his ass handed to him by some overinflated MLM Boss Babe, he was going to have to move the tables a hundred times… Mark shook his head to clear it. Becoming hyper-focused on how much this evening was going to suck wasn’t doing him any favors, that much he knew.

“Hey, Mark,” Matt said from the prep kitchen to his left. Mark stopped in his tracks and waved at the sous chef.

“Hi, Matt,” he said, smiling. “I thought you were supposed to be out of here by now? Didn’t you come in at like four in the morning?”

“Three,” Matt corrected, pulling a hand down his face in obvious exhaustion. “I’m trying to get out of here, but…” he trailed off, looking behind Mark in anticipation. Mark furrowed his brow and turned – nothing there.

“But…?” he prompted. Matt sighed.

“Greyson’s… on one,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “I can’t for the fuckin’ life of me get him to come back here.”

Mark chuckled. “When isn’t he on one?” he asked. Matt let loose a dark laugh as well. “What’s his problem?”

“HHUTSZHH-ue!”

Mark cocked his head towards the sound that came from the office in the front of the kitchen. Then, slowly, he turned back to Matt. “He’s not…”

“Both of them,” Matt answered, resting his head in his hand, an elbow propped on the prep table. “I thought maybe it wasn’t so bad when they came in this morning, but…”

“HGTSHH-uhh! Huh -”

“HTZSCHUE!”

First Elijah. Then Greyson. Rinse, repeat.

“Goddamn it,” Mark muttered. “Okay. I’ll go do damage control and send Greyson back here to check you out so you can go.”

Matt nodded. “Thanks, man,” he said, picking up a Sharpie and labeling a pan wrapped in plastic. Mark gave a nod back, and headed to the front of the kitchen.

Greyson and Elijah were both seated in the office, twin tissues held to their faces. Elijah was coughing like a man who’d just escaped a house fire, while Greyson seemed stuck in a sort of pre-sneeze torture. It would’ve been almost funny, if it weren’t so pathetic.

“Um,” Mark said, knocking on the open door and catching both his bosses off-guard. “Hey. Everything, uh… okay in here?”

Greyson let out a shaky, unresolved breath. “Yeah. All good. Hi,” he said, his voice low and stuffed-up. He hit Elijah in the arm, motioned up to Mark, and said, “Where are your mbanners?”

Elijah rolled his eyes and took a sip from a water cup of questionable age. “Hey, Mbark,” he said. The GM’s voice was nearly gone, and sounded raw, like his throat was on fire.

“You guys look great,” Mark joked, prompting a bark of a laugh from Greyson and a dead-eyed look from Elijah. “How the hell did you both manage to get sick overnight?”

“Well, sombeone was getti’g sick yesterday and didn’t tell mbe,” Greyson said, flashing a pointed look Elijah’s way. Elijah turned to the chef and placed his head in his hand; apparently, Mark was no longer invited to this conversation.

“You kndow what I was thinking,” Elijah said, his voice going out on the final syllable. He cleared his throat before continuing. “I was thinking, how do you kndow it was mbe who got you sick? Mbaybe you’re just projecting because you’re patient zero.”

“Elijah, I kndow you have a fever but let’s try to rembain in reality, shall we? You’re obviously patient zero because I was finde last ndight. You, on the other hand, were texti’g mbe ‘oh, mby allergies are so bad, I don’t know what’s bloomi’g but it -’ IGTSZZHUE! ETSHCHUE! Oh, fuckigg finally,” Greyson groaned, yanking more tissues from the box placed squarely between the two of them and blowing. Elijah coughed out a laugh.

“You were sayi’g?” he asked, smug. Greyson rolled his eyes from behind a tissue.

“Fugck off,” he said, turning back toward Mark, who assumed he’d been forgotten completely. “Did you ndeed sombething, Mbark?”

Mark nodded. “Yeah,” he said, “Matt said he needed to check out with you, Chef?”

“Oh, fugck I totally forgot Mbatt got here in the mbiddle of the ndight,” Greyson said, pushing himself to his feet too quickly. He caught hold of the desk, swaying slightly, and closed his eyes.

Elijah raised his eyebrows at Greyson, who got himself back together after a moment. “You gonnda mbake it?” he asked as the chef slowly opened his eyes. Greyson sneered.

“Screw you, Elijah, this shit is your fault,” he said, pushing his hair off of his sweaty forehead.

Elijah looked to Mark. “Cand you please tell me what kind of fever he’s sporting?” he asked. Mark set his jaw; he really didn’t want to get in the middle of this whole thing… but Elijah was his direct report. He didn’t have much choice; without warning the chef first, Mark placed a hand on Greyson’s forehead.

Greyson pulled away as quick as he could. “Back off,” he snarled, pushing past Mark to relieve Matt in the back kitchen. Mark shrank back as the chef breezed by; he really could be scary when he wanted to be.

“Sorry,” Elijah said when Greyson was out of earshot. “He shouldn’t be such an ass to you.”

Mark shrugged. “I get it. It sucks working when you don’t feel well. He definitely has a fever,” the floor manager said. Elijah nodded and Mark gave him a pointed look. “You look like you do, too.”

Elijah gave a little half-shrug back. “Ndothing I haven’t worked through before,” he said. “Huhh...HGTSHH-ue! Huh! ETSHZHUE!” The GM wrenched away from Mark to sneeze painfully towards the door. Mark flinched in sympathy.

“Bless,” he said. “So… how are we going to handle tonight?”

Elijah turned sluggishly back towards Mark and sniffled, an unproductive, squelching sound. “You tell mbe,” he said, his voice all but gone, “captaind.”

Fuck.

***

“You do it.”

“No fuckin’ way. This is on you, dude. I’m one foot out the door.”

“Matt, you’ve been saying that since two PM and now it’s ten. Clearly you’re not one foot out the door.”

Matt shot Mark a look, but he couldn’t deny the truth in his statement. But how the fuck could he have left earlier? When Greyson had come to the back kitchen to dismiss him hours before, the chef had nearly passed out just from the walk. He never would’ve said that he needed Matt to stay; he wasn’t that kind of guy. He was the guy who worked until he literally passed out without even asking for a hand to grab before he fell. Both he and Elijah were.

So, without being asked, Matt stayed for the event. He prepped with the line cooks, while Mark helped the servers prepare the dining room, and both of them attempted to corral their bosses into resting in the office.

“Are you sure you don’t ndeed mbe to at least sear off the short ribs?” Greyson had asked, white-knuckling the prep table that Matt was working at. “Seriously, Mbatt, you don’t have to do everythigg.”

“I don’t need you to sear the short ribs,” Matt said, gently guiding his boss back to a chair. “Please. Just sit down, it hurts me to watch you… breathe.”

“Mbark, at least let mbe fold ndapkins for your or something,” Elijah had insisted, swaying in the middle of the dining room. Mark had to nearly run to keep his boss from face-planting at the host stand.

“Lij, we have an army on,” Mark said. “Go rest, please. We’ll need you for service.”

The two ill men had eventually given up on asking to help their counterparts. The staff, a truly well-oiled machine, had worked around them, narrowly avoiding being coughed or sneezed on, until the event started.

Once the hosts of the event arrived, Greyson and Elijah pulled themselves together enough to at least look like figureheads. Greyson hoarsely shouted orders in the kitchen, while Elijah helped the servers organize their tables and schmoozed the hosts. Against all odds, it had gone smoothly, and once the food was out both Elijah and Greyson stumbled back into the office, sunk down into the waiting tablecloth nest, and passed out.

Which led them to now.

“I don’t want to wake them, dude,” Matt said. “They’re so mean when they’re sick.”

“Well obviously I don’t want to wake them, either,” Mark countered. “But one of us has to do it, the hosts aren’t going to leave till they can say goodb -”

“HGTSHH!” Greyson woke himself with a massive sneeze, which shook Elijah awake.

“Fuck, mbust you be so goddamn loud?” Elijah asked, his voice cracking. Greyson flashed him an annoyed look.

“Oh, mby sincere apologies, ndext time I have an uncontrollable bodily functiond occur I’ll mbake sure to think about your combfort beforehand,” he said, pushing his hair into a small bun on the back of his head.

“Mbuch appreciated,” Elijah said, slowly sitting up. The two of them turned, almost simultaneously, to the younger men standing at the door. “...yes?” Elijah asked.

Matt elbowed Mark, who gave him a fleeting dirty look. “Um,” Mark said, “the, uh, hosts wanted to say goodbye to you guys if you’re… up for it.”

Elijah nodded, but Greyson was the first to push himself to a standing position. “Just stay there, old mban, you’re sicker than mbe and obviously worse at keeping your germbs to yourself.” Greyson pushed past Mark and Matt, placing a hand on his sous chef’s shoulder before exiting the kitchen.

“Thangk you for stayi’g,” he said. “Ndow go hombe before I kick you out.”

Matt smiled a bit. “Yes, Chef,” he said. “Um… feel better.”

Greyson nodded and disappeared through the doors to the dining room. When Mark turned away from the swinging doors, Elijah was also standing.

“You go, too, Mbark,” he said, straightening his glasses and smoothing his sleep-wrinkled shirt as best he could. “We ndeed both of you well rested for the rest of the week. Great job tondi- IGTSZH-uhh! Snrf.” Elijah didn’t bother finishing his sentence, just smiled at Mark and rubbed his chapped nose.

“Bless,” Mark said, “and thank you. It did go well, didn’t it?”

“Well as it could’ve,” Elijah said, one hand on the swinging door. “Ndight,” he said, and followed behind Greyson.

Matt and Mark exchanged a knowing look when both their bosses exited the kitchen.

“We totally ran a restaurant today,” Matt said, a smile creeping onto his lips. Mark laughed.

“Yeah,” he said, “we kind of did, didn’t we?”

The moment of elation sat between them like a birthday balloon, bright and taut enough to pop, until they heard a massive, “HGTSHHZUE!” from the dining room, followed by coughing, followed by motherly-sounding tutting from the hosts of the event.

“Let’s get out of here,” Mark said, and Matt nodded.

“Before they change their minds,” he said.

The two of them rushed out the back of the kitchen into the late-summer-evening heat. “Hey,” Mark said, before they went their separate ways. “I know you’ve had a long day, but would you like to go get a drink with me?”

Matt smiled, and turned toward the other man. “Yeah,” he said, “yeah, I definitely would.”

[athenaderiva]

Out with the Boys / One Year

Santiago Garcia x Reader

Word count: 700ish

No warnings

Cheers sound from the bar as you and Santiago enter. The dim lights barely let you see two steps in front of you but you know who’s waiting for you. Before you can pull out a stool, Benny is pulling you to sit down next to him, Santiago immediately sat at your other side so that no strangers could sit next to you. You smile as the boys all greet you as though they’ve known you forever. Santiago places one hand on your thigh as he orders your drinks, knowing your favourites like the back of his hand.

“So, a year since you guys made it official.” Benny says, lifting his beer. “Here’s to more good times!” You all clink your glasses together, Benny cheering as Santiago presses a kiss against your lips, but the touch is gone before you can fully appreciate it.

“How come you’re celebrating your anniversary with us instead of a romantic restaurant or at home?” Will asks and you shrug.

“We just wanted to chill,” you answer after a pause. A muscle twitches in Santiago’s jaw as Will raises an eyebrow at him.

“Like they said. We didn’t want anything high pressure.”

“Besides, we like spending time with you guys. You’re like the annoying older brothers I always wanted and never had,” you tease and Frankie chuckles, standing to come sling his arms around you and Santiago.

“Awh, hermanita, didn’t realise you liked us so much.” You huff, standing up and kissing Santiago’s cheek.

“I’m just going for a smoke, I’ll be back in a minute.” He nods, fingers loosely wrapping into your hair as he pulls you in for a proper kiss. You sigh against his lips, almost forgetting your reason for standing as he lets go of you. You smile and disappear out of sight, glass in hand as you vanish out the back.

“So, how’s the plan working?” Frankie asks the second the back door closes behind you.

“It’s going fine. My sister is at my house now, setting everything up for us. Got all of the ingredients in to cook their favourite meal, put a blanket in the dryer so it would be warm when we get back after a couple of drinks here. All the housework has been done, so my sister is putting up some cute decorations in their favourite colour. I want this to be perfect. Never got this far with someone before, and… and they’re special.” Santiago sighs, downing his shot and ordering a beer as you reappear. Frankie has taken over your seat so Santiago pulls you into his lap, happily ordering you a second drink as you put your empty glass down. The smell of smoke clings to the jacket of his that you had stolen six months into the relationship. He doesn’t mind, his arms sliding home around your waist. “Are you okay, hermosa?”

“Of course I am, Santi. I’m here with you.” You whisper, nuzzling your nose against his neck.

“You guys are sickening.” Will huffs, barely able to look at the two of you. You roll your eyes, drinking as quickly as you can as you feel your stomach grumble.

“What are we doing for food baby?”

“I’ll cook for you, hermosa, lets get back to mine yeah?”

Your jaw drops as the front door opens. There are candles everywhere, all lit to be the only light source as you move through the house. “How did you do all this?”

“Uh, I called Ana. I owe her a big favour now, apparently.” You smile at him, taking his hand and squeezing gently. He grins boyishly, leading you through the house to the living room. “Put on whatever you want, okay? I’ll bring you some tacos through, shouldn’t take me long to make them.”

“I don’t want to just sit back while you do everything, Santi, let me help.”

“You’ve helped me enough, amor. I love you. Let me take care of you.” He insists, gently pushing you to sit on the sofa. You don’t know what you’ve done to deserve someone who treats you so damn well.

[2manythoughtz]

Is Love Really Blind?

The famous Netflix series Love Is Blind has come back with a new season and it keeps proving itself wrong.

Love Is Blind is a dating show different from any other, in fact, you are supposed to create a deep connection with someone without the ability to see them, at least until you decide to marry that person. What happens after the capsules shows exactly how difficult it is to be with a person you could only fantasize about, in past seasons many had their difficulties associating the person they had before them with the voice that connected with them at a deeper level.

But is love really blind?

I personally love the concept and the idea behind it, loving a person not because of their looks, whether they’re considered beautiful or not socially speaking, but because of who they really are. In an ideal world, everyone is attracted to others because of their personality rather than looks, but unfortunately, humans don’t work that way and this show is the primary example.

There have been many participants in the past who have asked others about their bodies but this new season has set a new record with so many people going against the program’s whole philosophy.

From comments on the color of their skin to admitting to plastic surgery, it seemed like no one even tried to follow the experiment’s ideals.

The main example is Clay, he’s been very honest yet hypocritical. He asks AD about her physical appearance and when she replies confused, he admits that he, for once, had to be sure that he was going to be attracted to her physically to be able to propose to her. I’m not going to argue with his ideal but I don’t understand why he thought that participating in a show where you specifically have to propose to someone without seeing them first was a good idea.

Many of them, in fact, asked each other questions about their appearance, some of them were innocent and others were more serious, but Clay stood out because of how direct he was on the matter. It just goes to show that love is never really blind, surely there are cases in which the couples found themselves both emotionally through the capsule and physically once they were out, but that’s just a few of them.

I feel like the show should try to stop the participants from asking that kind of question and give them a penalty or something to better showcase their theory.

Another person that really stood out to me was Chelsea. She knew she was in competition with another woman for the same man and so she dropped the bomb “Sometimes they say I look like a celebrity, like that one, MGK’s girlfriend or wife” and, Jesus, the dude’s face as he realized that she was talking about Megan Fox, at that point he had associated the actress with her. She tried to make it sound so casual but it was obvious that she wanted him to know that information to make sure he would’ve been attracted to her more, I personally cringed a bit and thought it was a bit too much considering what show they’re taking part in.

That being said, their physical appearance indeed does change how they treat each other once they’re outside of the capsules, while for some people it worked out pretty well and they liked each other, there were a few couples that clearly did not have the same privilege.

Falling in love without seeing each other and without caring about the other’s aspect can indeed happen but most of the time love is not only an emotional connection but also a physical one, everyone has their own taste and can like whatever they prefer. It’s difficult to love someone if you don’t like them 100%, that being their appearance, personality, thoughts, qualities and flaws. I really enjoy being able to see how these people connect with each other without being able to see or touch one another, it’s refreshing and, in some ways, comforting. But the magic stops once they can meet up, after that Love Is Blind is just another superficial dating show filled with drama and behind scenes moments that are not shared with the public and, from what I’ve heard, they’ve not treated the participants with respect.

What do you think about it? Let me know with a comment!