#I mean he said himself that he was ��confused’ and that he ‘didn’t know the difference between right and wrong anymore’

[capquinn]

how would quinn react to reader doing that prank about when he says “goodbye/goodnight i love you” and you don’t say “i love you” back just to mess with him

omg this guy avoids tiktok like it’s the plague so there is no doubt in my mind that he has absolutely no idea about this trend so he’d be SO confused and wouldn’t know what to do with himself except pout and stay close until he gets to the bottom as to why you hadn’t said it back 😭

Quinn’s brow furrowed the second the words left his mouth and yours didn’t follow.

“See you soon. I love you,” he had said, as casually as ever, tossing his backpack over one shoulder, leaning in for his usual goodbye kiss.

But instead of the automatic, almost musical "love you too," that always followed, there was… nothing. Just you, standing there, watching him with the faintest glimmer of mischief in your eyes. At first, he paused, waiting like you’d simply forgotten. Maybe you were distracted. Maybe you didn’t hear him. He glanced back at the door, then at you again, the crease between his brows deepening.

“You good?” he asked, his voice light but tinged with the slightest bit of uncertainty, like he wasn’t entirely sure if this was normal or if he’d just entered a parallel universe where you suddenly forgot how this whole goodbye thing worked.

“Yeah,” you said breezily, smiling just enough to make him squint.

“Okay,” he said, drawing the word out as he shifted his bag higher on his shoulder.

He moved toward the door, opening it halfway before pausing again. And you could see it — really see it now — the way his mind was spinning, trying to figure out what he’d done, if he’d done anything, and why you weren’t playing along.

He half-turned, his hand on the doorknob, giving you one last expectant look.

“You, uh…” He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck, his voice quieter now. “You sure everything’s okay?”

You nodded, biting your bottom lip to keep from laughing.

“Yep.”

And that’s when the full force of Quinn’s what-the-hell-is-going-on face hit you. He didn’t look mad — not even close — but the confusion was written all over him. His mouth opened, closed, and then opened again like he was about to ask a question but didn’t quite know how to phrase it. His hand fell from the door as he took a step closer, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“You didn’t… You didn’t say it back,” he pointed out, almost cautiously, like maybe it wasn’t something you’d realised. “I said 'I love you.' You usually…” He trailed off, his lips pressing into a thin line as he waited for some kind of explanation, one that you weren’t giving because you were too busy pretending you had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. You tilted your head, your expression perfectly blank except for the big, wide eyes you fixed on him.

“Do I not say it enough?” he asked, softer this time, like the words came with a little sting. “Is that what this is?”

And now you felt guilty because, of course, he’d think this was some kind of message, like you were trying to make a point instead of just pulling a dumb prank for no reason other than your own entertainment.

“Quinn,” you started, the smile breaking through despite yourself.

But he cut you off, shaking his head slightly, the tiniest bit of exasperation creeping in.

“Because, like… I mean it every time. You know that, right?”

And now you couldn’t hold it in anymore. The laugh bubbled out, loud and sudden, and you reached for his hand, tugging him closer. “Oh my God, Quinn. I’m kidding. It’s a prank.”

His brow shot up. “A prank?”

“Yeah,” you said, still laughing as you slid your arms around his waist.

He huffed, but there was relief in it, his hands settling on your hips as he gave you a halfhearted glare.

“Not funny,” he muttered, though his lips were already twitching. “I was about to cancel my flight.”

“Sure you were,” you teased, leaning up to press a kiss to his jaw. He didn’t move, but you could feel the smallest twitch of a smile forming despite the way he was still obviously trying to stay mock-annoyed. “See? You’re too sweet. That’s why I had to mess with you.”

Quinn let out a long-suffering sigh, shaking his head like he was already filing this away as one of the countless pranks he’d endure over a lifetime with you.

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, his voice gruff but too soft to be anything but affectionate. “You’re lucky I like you.”

You couldn’t help it — you started laughing again, the sound spilling out as you tucked your face against his chest, clutching his shirt like it was the only thing keeping you upright.

“I love you,” you said through your laughter, your voice muffled.

His smile finally broke free, slow and warm and just so Quinn.

“I love you too,” he said, his tone soft now, steady, like those words were always going to be there no matter how much you tried to mess with him.

[littlelamy]

Rafe x Reader request: They’ve been going on a few dates, with Rafe in the hopes to get in in her pants. Rafe has been more of a fuckboy, lots of experience, kicks girls out as soon as it’s done and have they been inexperienced – he’s kicked them out straight away before anything happens, not having any energy to ‘’teach’’. Cue to Reader and him about to get intimate, she confesses to being a virgin and he kicks her out. HOWEVER……he this time feels like absolute shit about seeing how sad she got and realizes he has fallen for her….and he tries to fix it (happy ending)

a/n: thank you for request, hope you like it!!💗

rafe cameron was never one to think much beyond the moment. he didn’t overanalyze his hookups, didn’t question why they always left with messy hair and no promises of a second date. he had a rhythm to his life, and it worked for him. girls came and went, his phone a revolving door of contacts he didn’t even bother saving half the time.

until you showed up.

it wasn’t just that you were beautiful—plenty of girls were. but you had this quiet confidence about you, a way of looking at him that didn’t scream take me home now. you made him work for your attention, your time, your smiles. and god, he wanted to work for it.

the first few dates were surprisingly normal. no wild nights, no sneaky excuses to get you alone in his room. you made him laugh, made him feel something he hadn’t in years—light, easy, like he could just be rafe without any expectations. but tonight, as you sat on his couch, sipping wine and smiling at him in that way that made his chest ache, rafe couldn’t ignore the tension humming between you any longer.

he leaned in, testing the waters with a soft brush of his lips against yours. when you didn’t pull away, he kissed you again, deeper this time, his hands sliding to your waist. you melted into him, your fingers tangling in his hair, and that was all the invitation he needed.

rafe pulled you closer, his hands wandering beneath your shirt, his kisses growing more urgent. but just as his fingers brushed against the clasp of your bra, you stiffened, pulling back suddenly.

“wait,” you whispered, your voice shaky.

rafe froze, his hands stilling as he searched your face. “what’s wrong?”

you bit your lip, looking anywhere but at him. “i… i need to tell you something.”

his heart sank, the worst possibilities flashing through his mind. “what is it?”

“i’ve never done this before,” you said quietly, barely audible.

the words hung in the air, heavy and unexpected. rafe blinked, his mind struggling to catch up. “you mean…?”

“i’m a virgin,” you clarified, your cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

the room suddenly felt too small, too quiet. rafe sat back, running a hand through his hair as he tried to process. a virgin. you were a virgin. he hadn’t expected that. he hadn’t planned for that.

“shit,” he muttered under his breath.

you pulled your knees to your chest, your voice small. “i’m sorry. i should’ve told you sooner.”

“no, it’s not…” rafe trailed off, shaking his head. “it’s not your fault. it’s just… i don’t think i’m the right guy for this.”

your eyes shot up to meet his, wide with confusion and hurt. “what do you mean?”

“i mean… i don’t think i can give you what you deserve for your first time,” he said, his voice hollow. “you should be with someone who can… i don’t know, make it special or whatever. someone who knows how to handle that.”

the words tasted bitter as he said them, but he convinced himself it was the right thing to do. he wasn’t the guy for you, not for something this big. he couldn’t risk screwing it up.

you stood abruptly, grabbing your bag. “i see.”

“wait—”

“no, it’s fine,” you interrupted, your voice trembling as you headed for the door. “thanks for letting me know where we stand.”

rafe didn’t stop you. he didn’t know how. the door clicked shut behind you, and the silence that followed was deafening.

the guilt hit him almost immediately.

rafe spent the next few days trying to ignore the gnawing pit in his stomach, but it was useless. every time he closed his eyes, he saw the hurt on your face, the way your voice cracked when you said thanks for letting me know where we stand.

he tried to tell himself he did the right thing. he wasn’t equipped for this. he wasn’t worthy of this. but that reasoning felt thinner with every passing hour.

by the third sleepless night, he couldn’t take it anymore.

you weren’t expecting to see rafe when you opened the door. he stood there with a sheepish expression, holding a bouquet of flowers that looked suspiciously last-minute.

“hi,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

you crossed your arms, leaning against the doorframe. “what do you want?”

“i came to apologize.”

“for what?” you asked, your tone sharp.

“for being a fucking idiot,” he said, his words tumbling out in a rush. “i handled things wrong, and i know i hurt you. i didn’t mean to, but i did, and i’m sorry.”

you stared at him, your defenses still firmly in place. “why now?”

rafe sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “because i haven’t stopped thinking about you since that night. because i was wrong to push you away, and i hate that i made you feel like i didn’t care.”

your heart softened despite yourself, but you weren’t ready to let him off the hook just yet. “and what happens if i let you back in? do you just push me away again the second things get complicated?”

“no,” he said firmly, stepping closer. “i won’t. i swear. i just… i freaked out because i’ve never felt this way about anyone before, and it scared the hell out of me. but i’m done running from it. from you.”

the vulnerability in his voice, the sincerity in his eyes, made your resolve crack. slowly, you stepped aside, letting him in.

rafe didn’t rush you after that.

he was patient in a way you hadn’t expected, taking the time to get to know you in ways that had nothing to do with sex. he remembered the little things you told him—your favorite coffee order, the song that always made you cry, the way you liked your eggs in the morning.

and gradually, the walls between you began to crumble.

it was weeks later, on a quiet friday night, that things came full circle. you were sitting on his couch again, your legs tucked under you as you watched a movie. his arm was draped casually over your shoulders, his thumb tracing absentminded circles on your skin.

when you turned to look at him, he was already watching you, his gaze soft and warm.

“what?” you asked, smiling.

“nothing,” he said, his lips twitching into a grin. “you’re just really fucking cute.”

you rolled your eyes, but your cheeks flushed. “shut up.”

he didn’t. instead, he leaned in, capturing your lips in a kiss that was slow and deliberate. his hand cupped your cheek, tilting your face to deepen the kiss.

this time, when his hands wandered, you didn’t stop him.

“are you sure?” he asked, his voice low and husky.

you nodded, your eyes locked on his. “i’m sure.”

rafe didn’t rush. he took his time, every touch, every kiss deliberate and reverent. he didn’t just want you—he wanted to make you feel safe, cherished.

and when it was over, he didn’t pull away. instead, he held you close, his arms wrapped tightly around you as if letting go would mean losing you all over again.

for the first time in his life, rafe cameron didn’t feel the need to run. he didn’t feel the need for anyone else.

he just wanted you.

and he wasn’t going to mess it up again.

taglist: @namelesslosers @princessslutt @averyoceanblvd @iknowdatsrightbih @starkeysprincess @sixrosberg @anamiad00msday @ivysprophecy @wearemadeofstardust0 @kissrotten @rafesangelita @sstargirln @rafedaddy01 @soldesole @bakugouswaif @skywalker0809 @vanessa-rafesgirl l @evermorx89 @aariahnaa @outerhills @ditzyzombiesblog

[strnilolover]

NNN - chris sturniolo - pregnant

You let out a long, exhausted sigh as you settled into the couch, one hand cradling your round belly and the other rubbing the small of your aching back. The baby had been sitting low all day, and no amount of shifting, pillows, or stretches seemed to help.

Chris, who had been scrolling through his phone on the opposite end of the couch, glanced over at you. He frowned, setting his phone down as he noticed you wince while trying to find a more comfortable position.

“You okay?” he asked softly, his tone laced with concern.

“Yeah,” you said, though your voice betrayed you. “My back’s just killing me. I’ll be fine.” you muttered, trying to brush it off as no big deal like you normally did.

Chris didn’t respond right away, but you could feel his eyes on you as you tried — unsuccessfully — to adjust again. Finally, he stood up.

“Alright, I want to try something,” he said, moving toward you with a determined look. You raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, ‘try something’? Chris, what are you—”

“Just trust me,” he interrupted gently, holding out his hands to help you up. “It’s nothing crazy, I promise.” With a curious look, you took his hands, letting him pull you to your feet. You groaned as the weight of your belly immediately pulled on your back again.

“Turn around,” he said softly, positioning himself behind you. You glanced over your shoulder, still confused but willing to go along with whatever he had planned. “Chris, if this is some kind of weird massage thing—”

“It’s not,” he cut in, his hands carefully sliding around your belly. “Just hold still for a second.” You tensed slightly as his hands cupped the underside of your belly, but then he gently lifted, taking the full weight off your back. The relief was so immediate and overwhelming that you gasped.

“Oh my god,” you murmured, your head tilting back slightly to rest against his shoulder as the tension in your back melted away. “Chris… what are you doing?” you mumbled.

“Helping,” he said simply, holding your belly steady as he peeked over your shoulder. “I saw this thing earlier, and I thought it might work. Does it?” he asked.

“Does it?!” you exclaimed, a laugh bubbling out of you. “Chris, this feels amazing. How did you even think of this?” you retorted.

He shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I just hate seeing you in pain. If I can take some of the weight off for a bit, I’ll do it.” he stated — and it was true. He was the one who did this to you in the first place.

Your chest tightened at his words, warmth spreading through your chest as you leaned back against him even more. “You’re too good to me, you know that?” you say softly.

“Not possible,” he teased, swaying slightly as he kept holding your belly. “You carry this around all day, every day. This is the least I can do.” You sighed contentedly, letting yourself relax into him. “I wish you could do this forever. I feel like I’m floating.” say say, the relief laced into your voice.

He chuckled softly, his hands steady under your belly. “Yeah, well, I don’t know about forever. My arms are starting to feel it already.” he teased lightly, pressing a kiss to the side of your head.

“Don’t you dare let go,” you warned, half-joking but entirely serious. Chris laughed again, a low, warm sound in your ear. “I’ll give you a little longer, but you’re gonna have to figure out another way to bribe me if you want more time.”

For a few minutes, the two of you stood like that, swaying slightly as he held your belly. You felt lighter than you had in weeks, and the pain that had been nagging at you all day was nothing more than a distant memory.

But then, slowly, Chris eased his grip, lowering your belly back to where it naturally rested. The relief vanished almost instantly, and the familiar ache shot through your back like a rubber band snapping.

“Chris!” you whined, leaning forward slightly as you tried to ease the discomfort on your own. “Why’d you stop? That was perfect!” He smirked, coming around to face you. “Because my arms aren’t built for holding that forever. Besides, you’re the one with super strength, carrying this around all day.”

“I don’t want super strength,” you pouted, shifting your weight and rubbing your back. “I want you to hold it again.” Chris leaned in, brushing a kiss against your forehead. “You’re so cute when you’re dramatic,” he teased.

You swatted at his chest half-heartedly, glaring at him. “Chris, I’m serious! That was the only time I haven’t felt like I’m being crushed under a boulder all day.” you say, your pout deepening.

“Alright, alright,” he said, his grin softening. “I’ll hold it again later, I promise. But right now, I’m getting you some water and a heating pad.”

You grumbled under your breath but allowed him to guide you back to the couch. As you lowered yourself carefully, you muttered, “Next time, you’re holding it for an hour.”

Chris laughed, tucking a blanket around you. “Next time, I’m hiring someone to do it for me.” he teased — though he wasn’t serious about that. He would hold your stomach again over and over again for you until you were satisfied.

Despite your complaints, you couldn’t help but smile at him. He always had a way of making you feel loved — even if he was a tease about it.

© strnilolover

[aliendes]

SVT Reaction to you flinching during an argument

warnings: mentions of arguments and flinching during an argument, not descriptive, mentions of past trauma (?) maybe during one part, very tame and kinda fluffy, attempt at humour? man idk... let me know if I missed anything

remember my requests are OPEN for seventeen!

Seungcheol (S.Coups)

The softest man alive, fight me, I will die on this hill. Have you seen the video of Minghao cupping Cheol’s cheek and he instantly crumbles? Yeah, Cheol would immediately see you flinch or even step back away from him and he’d fold. He would never hurt you, you know that, he knows that, everyone who knows you both knows that. He literally worships the ground you walk on. But he can get heated in an argument with loud words and huge hand gestures, which might scare you. He would immediately lose the ability to be angry, or annoyed, or whatever at you and instantly start apologizing, cooing at you, and would spend the night babying you within an inch of your life. “You know I would never, ever do anything to hurt you, right princess?”

Jeonghan

Now this man can be mean, I can feel it in my bones. But he would never, ever, ever, hurt you. He is so gentle and kind, and while he can definitely have some sassy moments and might even say some things that can come off as rude, he would never in a million years raise a hand to you. If you are flinching because of him it’s probably because he’s making large hand gestures trying to get his point across, but as soon as he noticed he’d go all wide-eyed, drop his hands immediately, and completely forget what you were even arguing about. He’d make sure you allowed it before holding you and cuddling you the rest of the night, whispering sweet things into your ear as he rocked you. 

Joshua

Another gentle giant. I can’t see him even getting animated enough to make you flinch, but if you did for whatever reason he is instantly caving and probably trying to make himself seem smaller to calm you down. Whether that means getting on his knees, sitting on the couch, or even laying down to continue the conversation, he’ll do it. But he will want to continue the conversation, though in a less heated way. Would run his hands through your hair, hold your hands and kiss your knuckles, and stare into your eyes as you spoke, telling him how you’re feeling as you both try to resolve whatever the fight was about in the first place. 

Jun

Another one I can’t see actually making someone flinch, he is just too soft for his own good. But if you did flinch away from him during an argument he would be so confused by what just happened, maybe to the point where he’s looking behind him to make sure something else didn’t frighten you. Would end up losing his train of thought and reach out for you to comfort you. “Baby, you know I’d never hurt you!” Would probably pout at you after he made sure you were ok. 

Soonyoung (Hoshi)

Another gentle man with loud words and big gestures. He is part of BSS and all of BSS can get chaotic and hyper. That said, he seems the type to be pretty quiet/docile during an actual argument. The only time I can see him accidentally scaring you is if he gets really heated and shouts/yells. If this ever happened he would see you flinch and immediately cool his anger. It would be like a switch is flipped. Would lower his voice, whispering to you to make sure you’re ok, and if you cried he would probably end up crying with you in hushed tones. 

Wonwoo

He’s tall, and he’s broad, and he understands that he is much larger than you. He usually takes this into account during arguments specifically to avoid this from happening. Will usually sit down when arguing with you for this reason. The moment you flinch or try to move away from him he would probably get very steel-faced, berating himself for not being more mindful. You might take this as him being angry at you, which he would immediately crumble at. He’s not angry anymore, in fact, he just wants to make you feel loved. Will kick himself for the rest of the night and you might end up being the one to comfort him. “I feel like the worst boyfriend on the planet.”

Jihoon (Woozi)

The only member that I cannot see ever making you flinch, in any situation. Mans so calm and collected, if you are arguing with him he's probably sitting there with his arms crossed completely chill. 

Seokmin (DK)

Another member of BSS and loud boy squad. He’s also pretty tall and muscular so if you ever flinched away from him during an argument I can see it resulting in immediate tears on his end. He would feel so incredibly awful for making you think he would ever hurt you that it absolutely breaks his heart. He would try to make himself smaller, tears in his eyes as he apologizes and makes you understand that he was just trying to get his point across. Might even act more subdued in his actions for the next few days until you promise him that you weren’t really scared of him. Sulky baby. 

Mingyu

Another huge baby with a heart of gold. Because of his size alone I can see this happening with him if he is super heated or if the argument isn’t going his way and he’s trying to defend himself. Lot’s of arm movements. The moment you flinch his eyes are watering with unshed tears and he’s holding onto you for dear life. Hugging, kissing, cuddling you, completely forgets what the argument was about. You would end up reassuring him in bed later that you admire his size and strength so he doesn’t feel bad about himself for the next few days. Sulky baby #2.

Minghao (The8)

Can come off as cold and calculated, but I think this man is one of the most loving and romantic in the entire group (fight me on this). He’s also very level headed, but on the off chance that you do end up flinching during an argument, he would be super analytic about it. “Hey, come here. Sit down with me and tell me what’s going through your head.” Would make you sit with him, would rub his knuckles over your arm or shoulders as you spoke with tears in your eyes. Would make you talk it out with him before comforting you if that is what you need. Makes sure that you understand he would never hurt you and only wants to make sure whatever issues you had were resolved before you went to bed. 

Seungkwan

Final member of BSS and definitely a loud, sassy boy. You’ve all seen him argue on national television before, so this is definitely something that could happen in your relationship. However, the moment you are flinching away from him he is pouting at you (you know the face) and looking at you with those pretty wide eyes like he doesn’t understand what just happened (he doesn’t). Wants to immediately figure out why exactly you flinched, will do whatever he can to make you feel loved and appreciated in that moment, but will definitely need reassurance later that you know he would never hurt you. Sulky baby #3. 

Vernon

Might not even realize you flinched at first. Would be too in his head talking through whatever it was that you are arguing about that he doesn’t realize what has happened until you have tears in your eyes. “Baby? Was it something I said?” Poor baby will feel awful when you explain it to him. Maybe you have had bad experiences in your past that make you more scared when in arguments. Would listen and talk through it with you and promise to not make the same mistakes next time you argue, if you do. Would feel so bad after you resolved it until you reassured him that it’s ok. 

Chan (Dino)

Precious baby doesn’t always realize when he’s getting loud or gesturing widely. When you flinched he would stop dead in his tracks, rethinking all his life decisions. You could literally see the calculations taking place behind those pretty boba eyes as he figures out exactly what movement he made to make you flinch. Would promise you and himself he would never do it again and would want to cuddle with you so closely the rest of the evening that he wouldn’t even want to let you go to get ready for bed. Literally clinging to your back like a koala.

[meleeyz]

୭ 𝗔𝗨𝗡𝗧 𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗗𝗘𝗥 ˚. ᵎᵎ 

ekko 𝒙 fem!reader

୨୧ English is not my first language, so I regret in advance if something reads weird or is misspelled

୨୧ God, Wyeth and Violet are my precious babies, I'm excited to write the next chapter 😼 THIS IS A BIT OF ANGST BUT I PROMISE I WILL MAKE UP FOR IT, THE NEXT CHAPTER COMES OUT TOMORROW 😓

୨୧ THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT, IT MEANS A LOT TO ME

₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚

Ekko stepped out of The Last Drop alongside you, his mind a tangled mess of emotions he didn’t know how to untangle.

“See you tomorrow, Silco,” you called over your shoulder, waving at the man. “And tell Vander not to forget the balloons this time. It’s Violet’s party, after all!”

Silco chuckled, his sharp features softened by a surprising warmth.

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t disappoint. Powder would never let me hear the end of it.”

Ekko opened his mouth to comment on the absurdity of those words—Silco and birthday parties didn’t belong in the same sentence—but before he could speak, you grabbed Wyeth’s hand, ready to lead him down the street, and before Ekko could even process what he’d just witnessed, his son slipped his small fingers into his free hand.

“Let’s go, Dad!” Wyeth said with a grin, swinging their joined hands as they walked.

The simple gesture made Ekko’s chest tighten. It felt so normal. So… good. And yet, it brought a pang of sadness that he couldn’t shake. How much had he missed? The thought gnawed at him.

Wyeth glanced up, his expression turning sly.

“You think Mom will forget I’m grounded if I say she’s pretty?”

Your laughter drifted back toward them as you approached a street vendor, completely oblivious to your son’s plotting.

Ekko didn’t respond. He barely heard the boy’s words, his mind too busy grappling with the strange reality around him. Wyeth looked so grown, his bright smile and curious eyes a reminder of everything Ekko had never gotten to see. He’d been there for Wyeth’s first steps, first words, first everything… hadn’t he?

“Dad?”

Wyeth’s voice snapped Ekko out of his thoughts. The boy tilted his head again, mirroring the gesture that so often punctuated your own confusion.

“Why’re you looking at me like that? I didn’t even do anything yet.”

A sheepish laugh escaped Ekko.

“Nothing, kiddo. Just thinking.”

Wyeth raised a brow, unimpressed by the weak excuse, but before he could press further, his attention shifted.

“Mom! Aunt Powder’s place is up there!” he shouted.

Ekko followed his gaze, his stomach tightening at the sight of the towering structure ahead. The entrance was unmistakably Powder’s handiwork—vivid, colorful, and chaotically creative.

Your arm slipped through Ekko’s as you stepped closer to him, your head resting lightly against his shoulder. The gesture was effortless, familiar, and it sent an odd pang through him. It wasn’t just something you would’ve done in his world—it was something you had done countless times before.

Powder’s hideout loomed closer, and the knot in Ekko’s stomach tightened. Memories of his childhood flooded his mind—Powder laughing as she tinkered with one of her bombs, her face lighting up when she succeeded. But those memories felt so far away, belonging to someone who no longer existed.

“Aunt Powder!” Wyeth called, his voice echoing through the space as he dashed ahead.

Powder sat on the floor, her back turned to them. She was hunched over something, her shoulders swaying slightly. Ekko froze in the doorway, his feet unwilling to take another step.

She turned slowly, and Ekko’s breath caught. In her arms was a baby.

The child couldn’t have been older than a year, her curly white hair catching the light. Her skin was a shade darker than Wyeth’s, but her eyes—Ekko’s heart skipped a beat—her eyes were undeniably yours.

He stared, dumbfounded. It was as if the Ekko of this world had decided to create smaller versions of himself just for the hell of it.

“Powder!” You hurried past Ekko, reaching for the baby. Powder smiled and handed her over without hesitation.

“There’s my little Violet,” you cooed, lifting the baby into the air before kissing her cheek. Violet giggled, her chubby hands patting your face with affection.

Ekko barely registered the interaction, his focus drawn to a small shrine tucked away in the corner of the room. It was simple but striking—candles flickered in a soft circle of light, surrounding scattered trinkets and flowers.

His stomach dropped when he saw the pictures.

Vi’s pictures.

There was no mistaking her sharp features, her trademark smirk immortalized. The realization hit Ekko like a freight train.

He hadn’t expected this, hadn’t thought a world so perfect could still hold such grief. The weight of it settled on him, twisting his heart in ways he couldn’t describe.

“Dad?” Wyeth’s small voice pulled him out of his spiraling thoughts. The boy’s wide eyes were filled with concern as he tugged on Ekko’s sleeve. “What’s wrong?”

You turned at the question, your gaze sharpening when you saw Ekko’s expression.

“Wyeth, why don’t you go play for a bit?” you said gently, brushing a hand over his hair.

The boy frowned.

“But I—”

“Please,” you said, your tone soft but firm.

Wyeth hesitated, then sighed dramatically before go.

Ekko's breath coming shallow as he struggled to make sense of what he was seeing. Little Violet, with her bright eyes and curly white hair, cooed in your arms as you rocked her gently. You gave Ekko a pointed look and gestured to the spot beside you on the worn couch. Ekko moved mechanically, lowering himself onto the worn cushion, his legs feeling like lead.

His voice broke the silence, hoarse and uncertain.

“She’s... dead?”

Powder, seated besides from him, shifted uncomfortably, her face tightening.

“That’s not funny, Ekko.”

He turned to her sharply, his old friend—his childhood companion—now a stranger and yet not. His voice dropped, heavy with accusation.

“Was it you?”

Your head snapped up, your expression a mix of surprise and frustration.

“Ekko!”

Powder’s eyes darkened and her voice rising.

“It was you,” she spat. “You gave the tip. We went to that job because of you.”

The air in the room grew heavy as Powder’s words sank in. Ekko’s breath caught in his throat. His memories of another life swirled with the knowledge that here, in this version of the world, everything was twisted. His hands trembled as realization hit him. The raid on Jayce’s workshop... That was where Vi—this Violet—died. That was why there was no Hextech here, why this world felt so fragmented.

“I think you should go before I say something I’ll regret,” Powder said quietly, her voice trembling with barely restrained anger.

Ekko stood, the sudden movement making Violet stir in your arms. He didn’t look at you, Powder, or the baby. His body moved automatically, his legs carrying him toward the door.

“I’m working on it,” he mumbled, though the words felt hollow even to him.

You called after him, your voice sharp with concern, but he kept walking.

“Dad?” Wyeth’s voice called out from nearby, concern lacing his tone. Ekko didn’t respond, his thoughts too tangled and chaotic to register anything else.

You watched Ekko leave, your jaw tightening in frustration. The strange behavior, the short temper—it was too much. You handed Violet to Powder, murmuring softly.

“Hold her for a second, please.”

Powder’s expression softened slightly as she took the baby, hugging her carefully though her gaze lingered on you in concern. You followed him out.

“Ekko!” you called sharply. He didn’t turn, but you grabbed his wrist, forcing him to stop and face you. His expression was tense, his eyes darting everywhere but to you.

“What the hell is going on with you?” you demanded, your tone low but fiery. “You’ve been acting weird all day. You know what tomorrow is—it’s our daughter’s birthday. You’re not going to ruin this over something stupid.”

That word—daughter—caught him off guard, sparking the storm of confusion inside him all over again. His mind rebelled against the warmth in your voice, the certainty in your words. How could you say it so easily, so naturally, as if everything about this world made sense?

He shook his head, his voice rising in frustration.

“I’m not ruining anything. I just—”

You didn’t let him finish.

“Powder didn’t do anything to you. If you’re tired, fine, but you owe her an apology. She doesn’t deserve this.”

Ekko swallowed hard, his throat dry. The words escaped before he could stop them.

“I’m not even sure those are really my children!”

The moment the sentence left his lips, he froze.

The look on your face was enough to make him wish he could disappear. Anger flashed in your eyes, but beneath it, he saw the hurt—the disbelief. He didn’t mean it like that.

God, he didn’t mean it.

“What did you just say?”

“I—” he stammered, the words tangled in his throat. “I didn’t... that’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean, Ekko?” you demanded, your voice tight with controlled fury.

He wanted to tell you the truth. That he wasn’t your Ekko, that the children weren’t technically his, that he didn’t even belong in this world. But he couldn’t. The words wouldn’t come, and the weight of what he couldn’t say crushed him.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, his shoulders slumping. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

You stared at him for a long moment, your jaw tightening as your anger simmered. Finally, you took a deep breath and stepped back.

“Go for a walk and cool off.”

Before he could respond, you turned and walked back toward Powder’s hideout.

Ekko stood there for a long moment, staring at the spot where you had disappeared. The weight of everything—this world, its expectations, the people who had unknowingly tied themselves to him—pressed down on him, suffocating and inescapable.

He ran a hand through his hair, cursing under his breath.

“Great job, idiot,” he muttered bitterly to himself.

The streets around him blurred, the laughter and light of this version of Zaun clashing against the turmoil in his mind. He felt like a stranger in his own life, and no amount of sunshine or clean air could change that.

But as he stood there alone, one thought refused to leave him:

He just hurt the people who mattered most in this world.

₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚

You re-enter the cave with silent steps, the cool air brushing against your skin as you wrap your arms around yourself. Your chest feels tight, the pain blooming there sharper than any gunshot wound. You bite down hard on the urge to cry, swallowing it like bitter medicine.

When you reach Vi's sanctuary, Powder is holding Violet in her arms. She turns to look at you, and whatever she sees in your face makes her pause. Her expression softens, though it doesn’t lose the edge of mischief. She lets out an exaggerated sigh, the kind meant to ease tension and distract.

"Well, look who’s back," she says, forcing a smile that stretches a little too wide. “Guess what, Mama? Aunt Powder got new crayons!” Her voice takes on a sing-song lilt, as if a few minutes ago her old friend hadn’t accused her of being the cause of her own sister death.

Before you can say anything, Wyeth is at her side in an instant, his excitement bubbling over. Powder laughs and hand him the crayons, vibrant sticks of color in every hue.

“Take your little sister and draw something pretty. Something cool for Aunt Pow-pow.” she says with a wink.

Wyeth nods eagerly, leaning in to kiss Violet on the head. He scoops her up with the care of a child trying to prove just how grown-up he is and carries her to the makeshift tent Powder had set up—a cozy hideout of blankets, pillows, and soft light. Violet’s soft babbling carries over as Wyeth settles her down, and began instructing Violet on how they’d make the “best drawing ever.”

Powder straightens, brushing imaginary dust off, and finally looks at you fully. Her smile falters just a little.

“Alright,” she says, “spill. What’s up with your husband?”

You shake your head, frustration and confusion vying for dominance.

“I don’t know,” you admit, your voice strained. “He was fine this morning, and now… now, I don’t even know who I was talking to back there.”

Powder watches you closely, her blue eyes narrowing slightly before she lets out a small sigh.

“I shouldn’t have said what I said to him...”

You wave her off, sinking onto the small couch and resting your face in your hand.

“You’re not the one who should be apologizing.” Your voice is muffled, tired.

Silence settles between the two of you, heavy but not suffocating, just long enough for the tension to ebb. Powder leans back, her usual energy subdued but still present in the way her hands fidget with the edge of her shirt. Then, without a word, she drops something into your lap.

You look down and pick it up—a sketch, delicate lines drawn with an artist’s touch. It’s a design for a baby dress. The fabric in the sketch flows softly, a pastel green shade that feels gentle and light. Little embroidered fireflies dot the hem, their wings detailed with tiny lines of imagined thread. Flowers bloom along the neckline, subtle and sweet, and the sleeves are puffed ever so slightly, adding a playful charm. The waist is cinched with a sash, and a small bow ties neatly in the back, making it utterly perfect for a little one’s birthday.

You trace the design with your fingertips, your heart softening despite the ache still lingering. Ekko was just upset, you think. He didn’t really believe that those babies weren’t his, did he? Hell, they’re his spitting image. Violet has his nose, his hair, his everything, down to the small furrow of concentration she gets when she’s focused.

Powder’s voice breaks through your thoughts.

“What do you think?” she asks, her tone light.

You glance up at her with a faint smile.

“It’s beautiful,” you say, the words more heartfelt than you expect.

Powder waves it off like it’s nothing.

“Please,” she says, smirking. “That’s nothing. I’ve got like eight more gifts saved up for the princess.”

You laugh despite yourself, the sound breaking through some of the tension still clinging to you. Powder grins back, the energy in her expression more genuine now.

For a moment, the pain in your chest feels just a little easier to bear.

₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚

tags: @xelzaria @honeyfewr @bubblegupyy @iwasholic @chaeisbroke @emforjin @itszazouu @kriss-w @moonlight-dreamer04 @iloveavatar

[thebestofoneshots]

Gilded Constellations | (wolfstar x reader)

Series Masterlist | Previous episode

Pairing: Wolfstar x Reader Word Count: 6.9 K Warnings: none Prompt: Why is it that potions is always so problematic? Not proofread

Chapter 68: Mysteries and Mayhem

Friday, 14th, 1977

“I think we have to tell her,” Evan said as he threw the quaffle towards the canopy of the bed and caught it again. 

“We don’t have to tell her anything,” Barty retorted. He was working on Evan’s desk and had his back to him. He always revised Evan’s essays since Evan had mild dyslexia and a tendency to confuse the names of some ingredients along with the position of TH and HT at the end of some words. Evan was brilliant at Potions, but the memoir writing had always been tricky for him. 

“She would tell us if she knew about something like this,” he said as he caught the ball and threw it upwards again. Regulus’ snitch was floating around the room since it had accidentally gotten out from its chest when Evan opened it to take the quaffle. It always helped him destress to play with it, but he never bothered with the snitch, he thought it was too small and a pain in the ass to chase.   

“She wouldn’t tell us shit,” Barty responded. “She doesn’t like to meddle.” 

“But she has meddled, and in our favour, you know this!” 

“Please stop it with the quaffle,” Barty said with a sigh. Evan stopped throwing it and placed it on the side of the bed, now rolling it around with his hand. “It’s none of our business what they do behind closed doors. And we would be outing those two if we told her.” 

“How would you feel, I was cheating on you with Dorcas?” 

“I’d break her neck,” Barty retorted without hesitation.

Evan wasn’t entirely sure if he meant it as a joke or not, but chose to believe he did. “Right, see? She should know!” 

“She’s the dumb one for not noticing.” 

“It is not something you normally expect. Especially not if you were born in the wizarding elite.” 

“Evan,” Barty whined. “Why should we care? We’ve done our good deed of the century by shutting stupid Severus up about it.” 

“I’m gonna tell her,” Evan said with determination. 

“And you’ll just accomplish what Severus wanted.” 

“I know you don’t like her–” 

“You don’t like her either.” 

“Well, she’s conceited and loves to rub how good she is at flying but… I never expected her to help me the way she did.” 

“So what? You’re gonna go braid each other’s hair, is that it?” Evan threw the quaffle at Barty’s head, the latter got the hit unexpectedly and turned around to him as he gasped. “You’re such a git! I’m trying to check your homework.” 

“You’re no better,” Evan retorted. “It’s just– I wouldn’t want people laughing behind my back.” 

“Maybe she knows and they’re using her as a cover,” Barty said, although he didn’t believe it.

“Impossible. She’s for sure in love with that dick. I mean I knew he was an asshole but–”  

“Not to the point of using someone like that?” Barty offered. “I think we really shouldn’t meddle. We’ve somehow reached a ceasefire, you don’t want to start shooting again, do you?”

“She helped me! Even after the fire, my dad seemed pleased at the insinuation that we– you know.”  

Barty sighed, standing from the desk and walking towards his bed, the same bed Evan considered as his own most of the time. “If you really want to tell her, then I’ll come along with you.” 

Evan smiled and lifted himself up to press a short kiss on Barty’s lips. As they were pulling apart the door busted open and Barty appeared a book on his lap and started saying something about a spell. 

“It’s just Regulus,” Evan said as he tilted his head to the side. “Didn’t you see the busy sign on the door?” 

“I did,” Regulus responded. “Decided to ignore it, though.” 

“I swear it runs in the family,” Evan said with an eye roll. He liked Regulus, but that didn’t stop him from thinking he was a bit of an entitled prick, much like his brother. 

And Evan himself, according to Barty. Who in turn, was also considered one by the rest of his class. Either way, they consider themselves an acquired taste, after all, Evan had hated Barty’s guts before falling in love. 

“Shhh...” Regulus said as he lifted his hand. “I think I hear something?”

“What?” Asked Evan.

“The sound of two tossers who are about to go use someone else's room to make out.” 

“Bitch,” Barty said as he threw the quaffle his way.

Regulus was fast enough to dodge and then noticed his snitch floating around. “For Salazar’s sake! How many times have I told you not to let the Little Star out?” 

“Little Star?” Evan asked. 

“The snitch,” Retorted Barty a little exasperated. 

“You named your snitch little star?” Evan asked in disbelief. “Is that because you’re the big star? You’re such a nerd!” Regulus flipped his wand, the green covers on Barty’s bed slipped from beneath him and threw him on the floor. “A mean nerd.” 

Fridays could have been your favourite day of the week, your first class was at 9 rather than at 7, which meant you didn’t have to wake up remarkably early, even if you were still doing practice flying with James and Sirius. And although classes didn’t end early, your last class was among your favourites, and the one before lunch was Magic Theory, which meant more time to spend playing around. The real problem was the 9 am class, divination. 

You’d gotten used to Spellman, and it seemed like he had also gotten used to you. The pressure that he seemed to be putting on you at the beginning of the course had slowly dissipated, and even if you still had good grades in his class, since you’d seen most divination techniques with your previous teacher, he seemed to focus a lot more on Sybil, which you were insanely grateful for.

And unlike you, Sybil seemed to actually want to pursue a career in divination, which Spellman supported as dutifully as any good teacher would. 

“Hey!” She said as you walked inside. You had a bottle of almost boiling green tea in hand since the day had been pretty chilly while flying and even after Lily cast that warming charm over your coat, you were still shivering slightly. 

“Hi!” you retorted with a smile as you sat beside her. Since that one class when you’d gotten paired, you had been working together on every single class, which you thought was excellent. 

Sybil’s father, Deplhus Trelawney, was an unofficial member of the order, and he’d told Sybil what’d happened at the party. Besides, it didn’t take an empath to notice how it had flipped your world almost upside down. So she avoided the basic “How did your break go?” question since she knew it would be a terrible one. It was obvious that it had gone mostly like shit. It did make her feel better that you looked like you were coping, whoever it was that you were. 

“Want some tea? It’s got a little bit of milk.” 

“Sure,” she said with a smile and pulled a mug from the cupboard. Those were technically for divination, but some students used them every once in a while for their morning coffee, and since that was the one thing that kept some awake, Spellman allowed it. As you served she noticed the wand you’d placed on the side of your desk. She stared at it for a second and then turned back to you. 

“I can explain that,” you rushed out, almost stumbling with your words. 

“I’m glad you have it,” she said with a smile. “I’d hate it if it had been lost at their hands.” 

“You know about–” 

“I know enough,” she replied. “We don’t have to talk about that, though.” 

You nodded with a small smile, “Thanks.” 

“Nothing to thank me for,” she said simply. 

“How was your break?” you asked. 

“We stayed home,” she responded. “We had dinner and then a small tea ceremony at New Year’s. Grandma thinks it’s the best way to start the year.”

“Doesn’t she read your star chart? Mine used to do that.” 

“Oh certainly.” 

“Anything good?” 

“She said this might be the year my talents finally bloom,” Sybil said sceptically. “She’s a brilliant divinator on everything else, but she’s been telling me that since I was 13.” 

You laughed. “My mom she–” There was a small hesitation before you continued. Still not used to living in a world where she didn’t. You’d been in boarding schools since you were eleven, and although you were relatively used to her absence, it had never been this long without a letter, or a message, or any type of contact. “She used to say that it was going to be the year I got good at herbology every year.” 

“Did it ever happen?” 

“Still waiting,” you retorted with a half smile. “She, on the other hand, is– was really good at it. We used to have a stunning garden, and she’d often get angry about me plucking her stuff for make believe potions.” 

She was about to say something when Professor Spellman walked inside the classroom, his robe trailing behind him in that elegant manner that it tended to have whenever he walked inside a room. “This is not a picnic Miss Doxon, please put your cookies in your bag or I’ll vanish them.” 

“‘M sorry,” she retorted as she placed one of the cookies in her mouth and placed the rest on her bag. 

Spellman nodded, walking straight to the middle of the classroom before eying everyone. “How long have we kept this sitting arrangement?” he asked. 

“Most of the year,” responded a Ravenclaw boy. “I was actually wondering if we would change soon.” 

“Divination is often done better when you keep your partner, it becomes easier since you already know a good deal about them,” Sybil said.

“So we’re not changing?” asked Beth.

“Not quite,” Spellman said later. “Although we have had some wonderful pairs so far, for this class in particular it’s better to work with someone to whom you’ve never divined before.” 

You threw a look at Sibyl who just shrugged. She was curious about who she’d be divining for. Hoping it wouldn’t be someone to closed off to the art, which was, unfortunately, rather common.

“What are we going to work with, Professor?” asked Tom. 

“Spanish Deck,” he replied rather somberly. 

You looked up at him as if you were a deer trapped in headlights. Reading someone’s cards was something you thought you’d ever have to do again. Sybil looked at you apprehensively. “Sir, can I keep working with my partner? I think we’re both quite–” 

“I’m sorry Sybil, It is not possible, your deep knowledge of each other might taint the cards.”

“But we’re all friends,” said Tom. “We all have a pretty deep knowledge of each other.”  

“Not in divination,” said Spellmam calmly. “Please, stand up and make two lines. The left will take runes from this side and the right from this one.” 

You walked into the line in which Sybil wasn’t, but Spellman caught it and put the two of you in the same line seconds later. “I’m sorry, but you cannot be in the same team,” he said to you as he placed his hand on your shoulder and lightly pushed you to the other line. 

As you walked through the line, you crossed your fingers, almost begging the gods of chance that you didn’t get anyone you were close to.  You took your stone, it was one of the trickiest characters in the Norse Alphabet. Two lines with an X in the middle: degaz. 

“I’ve got Isa,” said Sybil, who got paired with Lily. 

“I have Jara,” said Sirius, and ended up with Tom. 

“It’s an R,” said Peter. 

“Do you mean Raido?” asked Remus as he showed him his stone, the two of them got together. 

Marlene and Mary were paired with some Ravenclaws and Beth with one of her roommates. You thought you were safe, that you wouldn’t have to read the fortune of any of your friends when James pulled his stone up in the air and asked. “Does anyone have Degaz?” 

You closed your eyes in defeat, a small frown adorning your face as you opened them again. “Me,” you said as you lifted your stone.

“Lovely,” James said as he approached you with a smile. “Have you ever read the Spanish Deck?” 

“Yeah,” you responded. “But I’d much rather be the one that gets a read and not the other way around?” 

“Sure,” James said with a shrug and a nod. He could tell there was something that made you uneasy, and while he didn’t really care for getting his cards read, it wasn’t a huge deal for him to do the reading. 

Spellman flipped his wand and the chairs changed their places, they were now one in front of the other instead of side by side.  “Please take your seats,” he said. “The books on Spanish Deck will be on your desks shortly.” 

Since Lily and Sybil took the chair you normally used, James and you walked towards the one in the back where he usually sat with Sirius. 

“Please shuffle the cards, Madame,” he said after he dug his finger into the flap of the side of the small box, pulled them out and moved the whole deck towards you. “These are kind of worn, though,” he said as he spotted some scribblings on the side of one and flipped it back into place. 

“It’s better when they are,” you said as you took them in your hands. You started to shuffle them mindlessly, not bothering to look at them while you spoke. “The more time they’ve been shuffled the more magic they’re imbued with. Of course, it’s better when the deck belongs to one witch and not the entire school, since that can make them a bit unpredictable but either way, the older they are, the better they become at–” 

“How are you doing that?” James asked as you flipped the cards from one side to the other, he seemed completely enthralled by the way you were shuffling them.  “Since when can you shuffle like this? Why didn’t I know?” 

“Oh,” you said as you finally noticed what you were doing. “They made me read these a lot in my older school. I got fidgety sometimes. Tarot too, but you can’t shuffle them as much since they’re thicker.”

“Still they’re easier to read,” James said as he flipped through some of the pages in the book that had floated towards the table a few minutes earlier. “These all have so many different meanings. I mean the 2 of clubs means that you might travel but the third means love, and the 6 means despondency and destruction. It makes zero sense.” 

“The third kind of does,” you said as you pulled out the card for him to see. Three clubs tied to each other with a thick ribbon. “Doesn’t it remind you of the ties and connections related to love?” 

“I don’t know…” James responded with a shrug, “I guess it kind of does.” 

You flipped the card back into the deck and shuffled it by splitting it into two smaller lots, placing them on the table, taking one end and allowing cards from both sides to fall on the table at the same time, having them entwine together, and then turning your hands and flipping them all into one single stack. 

“That’s it,” James said as you handed them back to him. “You’ll be the dealer next time we play cards, no objections.” You laughed and shook your head as he looked back at the book. He placed them on the table again. “Please divide them in three.” 

You did, and afterwards knocked on each stack once as you said “For me, For my past and for what I’d like to know.” 

“Oh, thanks,” James said when he noticed what you’d done. “Uh… Which type of throw was that for?” 

“Gypsy, that’s a 9 by 4.” You responded. “You throw them starting on the left, and when you’re done with that row you continue on the right, making a long chain, or a snake, I suppose.” 

James gave you a small side smirk and started placing the cards one by one, facing him. When he was done he looked up at you, adjusting his glasses and biting the side of his cheek. 

“Well go on,” you said. 

“It says you can assign cards to people…” 

“I’m the 8 of swords,” you told him. “I’m always the 8 of swords.”

“Why?” Asked James curiously. 

“I’ve been told it represents me,” you retorted.

“Ah, it’s because you’re stubborn,” he said as he found the page with the card’s explanation. 

“It’s perseverance, Prongs!” 

“Perseverance, tenacity, stubbornness… they’re all the same thing in different degrees of intensity.” 

You laughed as you shook your head. “Fine then, you’re here,” he pointed at the card. “And this throw is about your past, right?” 

“Yeah,” you said, nodding. “At least on this technique, we’re supposed to make three throws.” You looked back at the cards. “What do you see?” 

“Eh, well… you look… sad,” he said as he noticed the sheer amount of clubs beside your card. There was a 6 right next to you, and on the other side, there was a four of swords. “That means trouble, right?” He asked as he pointed at it. 

“Yeah,” you said, being completely appalled and in deep sorrow was quite on par with how you’d been not too long ago. 

“There’s also a– a trip,” he started, pointing at the 2 of clubs below you, and just under that there was a 6 of cups. “Cups!” he said excitedly. “Cups are meant to be good, right?” 

“Not those,” you said. “It’s a trip to melancholy, sadness over bad memories,” you explained, which was also quite accurate, and not new to either of you. 

“Right, but next to these swords we have a three of clubs, that means love, yeah?” 

“But it’s next to the swords that indicate trouble,” you said as you pointed at the swords next to it. “It means trouble with relationships. And that 5 of swords on the other side, with the middle sword pointing straight towards the clubs? It means break up and changes.” 

“Are you kidding me?” he asked in disbelief. “Is there anything good on this throw?” There was a small minute of silence before he spoke again. “This one has to mean something good, there’s a lot of gold at the top. And sixes are bad, but that’s to the top left, so it means that the bad stuff was in the past, right?” 

“Yeah, 6 of gold means problems, but it’s next to an 8 that’s right on top of me.” 

“That means–” he flipped through some pages. “thought and reflection, and that has a 5 of gold afterwards, which means settlement, and resolution. And… you have to hear this: The discovery of a significant emotional bond.” 

“Must have been the mirror,” you said as you looked at the coins. “And the fact that I figured the whole thing out with Remus and Sirius.” 

“Are they here?” he asked as he looked at the cards.  

“Probably,” you responded as you looked around. “Must be these two, look,” you said as you pointed at the gold knight, whose face was turned towards you from your down left, and the knight of swords who was next to him. “See how the horses are looking at each other but they’re avoiding each other’s gaze?” 

“Mhm,” James nodded. 

“It’s because they’re in love, the horse represents their heart’s true desires, I think. The 4 of cups under Remus represent his… um… desire. And the 4 of clubs under Sirius represent his resistance to it.” 

“You really are good at this,” he said as he stared at the throw. “You see anything else?” 

“No, you?” 

“Well this Ace of clubs and 9 of swords together mean something bad,” he said pointing at the cards that were beside the 6 of cubs you got at first. “And there’s a person right above them, a Jack of Gold, that represents a woman, right?”

“Yeah,” you nodded. “9 of swords and ace of clubs can mean a life-altering situation.” 

“And if they’re next to a 4 of swords,” he read, “It can even mean dea–” 

“Must be Nina,” you said, pointing at the Jack. “Jack of Gold often represents a fair woman, clever. Suits her, doesn’t it?” 

He looked at you, apprehension in his eyes as he rolled his tongue over his cheek. “Should we go for the next throw?” he offered. 

“Yes,” you said, turning back to him. “These are not the fondest of my memories.” 

“You can read mine if you want instea–” 

“No,” you said almost too quickly, interrupting James mid-sentence.  “I mean, this is fine. I much prefer being on this side of the deck.” 

“You never liked divination much, did you?” He asked as he gathered the rest of the cards. 

“Not much,” you admitted. “It’s a family thing,” you said. “Nan always divined for bad things, my mum for goods, and I always get the bad stuff too.” 

“Maybe you don’t look for the good?”

“Trust me, I look for the good. But for some reason, I still get the bad stuff.” 

“Well then, I’ll be your seer,” he said as he passed you a bunch of cards. “Please, shuffle them again,” he added solemnly.

“You really could open your own reader stand,” you said with a laugh. “He didn’t look much like a “seer” but with the right clothing? Perhaps switching his school robes and his go-to red Converse with something like Professor Spellman’s clothes. Maybe some gold bracelets and a fake earring. He could definitely pull off the look. 

“You’re staring at me weird,” he said as you placed the cards on the table and divided them into three smaller stacks. 

“For me, for my present, and for what I’d like to know,” you said while knocking on the stacks and then turned to him. “I was just imagining you on a dress.” 

“Why?” he asked as he narrowed his eyes on you.

“For the authentic seer look,” you said with a shrug.

He hummed unsatisfactorily in return and started throwing your cards. “You know,” he started as he placed a king of clubs, “I look delightful in a dress.” 

“Bet.” 

“Honest,” he said as he placed yet another card onto the floor. “I have mean calves and a nice waist.” 

“Yeah?” you asked, trying not to laugh. 

“Some need corsets for a nice waist, I got mine with hours of quidditch.” 

“Fascinating!” 

“Yes and–” he turned to you, noticing the small smile creeping on your lips. “Are you making fun of me?” 

“I’d never dream of it,” you retorted. 

“You ARE making fun of me,” he said with a pout, and placed another card on the pile. He was near the beginning of the third row. “Ah look, it’s you.” 

“James,” you said and he turned to you while keeping another eye on the cards. “Have you ever worn a dress?” 

“Yeah,” he said with a simple nod. “For Halloween, and I also once lost a dare with Sirius.” 

“The two of you wore dresses?” 

“Mhm, medieval stuff, Peter and Remus made us do a catwalk and we had to wear them for a whole Weekend.”

“I would pay to see that,” you said with a laugh. “Are there any photos?” 

“I think Remus must have taken some,” he said with a shrug. “Okay, done.” 

You turned to look at the cards and almost laughed at the fact that both Remus and Sirius were right beside you. Their horses looking at you, and right on top of the three was the three of clubs. “Well, seems like you have quite a happy relationship,” he said. 

“Yeah, you said, looking at the cards. This time around there was a lot more Gold and cups around. That meant good things. 

“That’s Victory, right?” he pointed at the ace of golf right underneath you. 

“Indeed, and it’s next to–”

 He checked the book, “–5 of gold, which means well-being and on the opposite, there is, oh,” he frowned. “A 7 of swords…” 

“Those are good, actually,” you told him. “It means hope, and it’s right under Remus, so…” 

“Right,” James said as he remembered, his hazel eyes almost sparkling. “It means you’ve found someone who gives you the confidence to believe in a better future.” You smiled. That was certainly who Remus was for you. 

“There’s also a cup next to the love clubs,” he said as he tried to remember what that meant. “The Ace.” 

“It stands for home, and family. The fact that it has the three clubs on the left and the 7 of cups on the right also means good things.” 

You agreed with a small “hum” as he revised the book. 

“It also says it means fullness of plenitude.” He read something and smirked. “Do you feel like your deepest darkest desires have been fulfilled?” 

“Prongs.” You warned.

“I mean I’m just asking based on what I see here… Talking about cups, do you know what this one means?” he asked as he pointed to the 4 beside the nine of clubs.  The card in question had 4 gold and red cups, one in each corner, and read “Naipe Color Oro” in the centre. 

“Instincts,” you said almost a little too fast. 

“And carnal desires,” James added with a smirk. “And this one right here,” he pointed at the clubs, “it’s satisfaction… and would you look at that, right beside  you and the boys. Now I might be getting carried away, but does this not mean that you’re all giving each other satisfaction in regards of carnal desires?” 

“Prongs, please!” you whined as you covered your face with your hands. 

He chuckled and then raised both hands in defeat. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just that this one looks much better than the previous one.” He then cleared his throat. “Right at the top of this line,” he pointed at the one with you on it. “There is a 4 of gold. The fact that it’s crowning the love cubs, you and the ace of golds right at the bottom means that there is an overall wellness in your love life.” 

“And the three of swords beside it?” 

“I think it’s a bad card, but not with what’s surrounding it. “It’s in between two positive ores,” he said as he checked his notes. “Gratifications, success and wellness, so I think it means, in the long run, you’ll be all right.” 

“Am,” you corrected. “This is about the present.” 

“But isn’t this one about the future?” he said as he pointed at the three of swords. 

“Not in the present throw,” you said. “It’s tricky, it can mean anything from years to days.” 

“But at least for now, it does mean good stuff, right?” 

“Yes, it does,” you said with a small smile and a nod. 

“Could this victory also be about quidditch?” He asked as he pointed at the ace underneath you. 

“I guess,” you said with a shrug. “But there’s still some time before the match, isn’t it? We’re not playing until May, depending on the sores they get in February and March.” 

“Shh,” he said as he shook his head. “I’m the seer, I think it means a Quidditch victory.” 

You shrugged, “Whatever you say Prongs… Just don’t write something like that on the quizzes.” 

“Have you been doing the dream interpretation homework?” he asked as he continued staring at the cards, trying to find something else. But he couldn’t find anything else that would be relevant, so he started gathering them in a single stack again. 

“I haven’t had many dreams lately,” you said. “Not since the darkness in the Ravenclaw tower.” 

“You… you dreamed of darkness in the tower?” 

“Yeah, I thought it was my imagination, but I guess it made sense… I’m making up most of the rest, though.”

“You’re making your dreams up?” 

“I found this book on dream interpretation in the library and I have been using it as inspiration,” you said with a shrug. 

“It’s time for the throw about the future,” he said as he offered you the stack again. 

“I’d rather not,” you said as you shook your head and pushed the cards back at him. 

“Things look good now, I’d rather not worry about what the future may hold.” 

“But–”

“If I had gotten a throw like the one I got in the past 5 months ago, I would have been scared shitless…” you said. “You know what I mean, right?” 

“Yeah,” he said with a sigh. “Maybe we can make something up for the report?” 

“Like what?” you asked with a smile. 

 “I definitely see a quidditch win in your future,” he said with a smile.

“And how does that look?” 

“Wait…” he said as he looked through the stack and placed the 8 of swords on the table, followed by a knight of clubs, who he then switched with a jack of swords and added a knight of ores to your right. “So that’s me,” he pointed at the clubs. “Marlene and, of course, Padfoot,” he explained. 

“Aha…” you said with a smile. 

He then flipped through the cards until he found the two of clubs and placed it next to himself. “I am leading you all,” he added the ace of gold right next to that. “To victory.” 

You laughed and took a bunch from the stack in his hands. “This is Lily,” you said as you took the Jack of cups and placed it under him. You’re both standing over the love clubs,” you said as you raised your eyebrows at him in a teasing manner. “And look what’s above you, two of cups, you know what that means?” 

“You can’t predict Lily and I having children in your future!” 

“What do you mean I can’t? They’ll be my nephews and nieces, of course, I can predict that!” 

James humped in reply. “Well then,” he said as he spotted Remus and placed him underneath you. Then, on your top right corner, he added the four of cups. “You and the boys are having mighty fun as well.” 

“You’re such a dumbass,” you said as you looked for another card to add. Next to the victory you placed the ace of cups. “Means we’re a family.” 

“And,” he placed the 5th of cups under the family, “we’ll celebrate the victory tremendously.” 

“With gratification,” you said as you placed the 7 of gold underneath it. 

Your little game went on until the two of you had designed a wonderfully looking future. Your friends were all around you, Beth. Peter and Tom had been added close to the celebration, and most of the clubs and swords were as far away from all of you as possible, except for the few that weren’t. 

“Why are there so many cards missing? asked Spellman as he approached your table. 

“Ugh… because…” Prongs started. 

“It’s a celt-fae throw,” you said. “It’s a little tricky to make, and I’m trying to remember how to do it, teaching James in the process.” 

“Celt-fae?” he asked with a frown. 

“Yeah, my Nan taught me,” you nodded confidently. 

Spellman placed a hand under his chin and hummed thoughtfully. “I’ll see if we have some books on that in the library,” he added before walking towards someone else’s table. 

“You just made that whole thing up, didn’t you?” James asked you in a whisper. 

You laughed as you nodded, “I most definitely did.” 

“How long do you reckon he’ll be at the library looking for it?” 

You shrugged and then remembered that Sirius and Remus had told you about Spellman going to the forbidden section that one time. “More than one night, at least…” 

James shook his head while the two of you finished the future you’d like to have. “Does two cups mean two children?” he asked casually. 

“Just means children in general,” you retorted. “Why?” 

“I don’t know, I quite fancy the idea of having two of them.” 

“Yeah?” you asked as you tilted your head. “Boys or girls?” 

“I wouldn’t care,” he said with a shrug. “Wouldn’t mind one of each I guess. Imagine me braiding a little Lily’s hair.” 

“If it’s anything like our Lily, she might not let you touch it.” 

“She wouldn’t let anybody but me, touch it,” he retorted confidently. “And Lily, of course.” 

“Of course,” you laughed at the way he’d added that, almost as an afterthought. 

James scribbled something on a sheet of parchment and then passed it over to you. “What do you think?” 

You reviewed the parchment, it was a rather detailed writing of everything that you’d done that day, he had even made some stuff up regarding the fae-celt technique that was so realistic you had to do a double take “Oh, wow,” you said. “It looks like taken from a book.” 

“Thank you,” he said with a pleased smile. “Even if he doesn’t find anything, he’ll still think it’s a thing.” 

“Who knows, perhaps we’ve just made up a new way of predicting the future,” you added with a shrug.

You added just a few more details that you’d seen on the past and present readings, with some drawings of the most relevant or telling cards and looked at the page once more, pulling it back and showing it to James, “What do you think?” 

“It’s great!” he said with a simple nod, and the two of you stood up and walked towards Spellman’s desk. You handed over the paper while James placed the deck, and the book, along with the rest of the stuff. 

“How did it go?” asked Spellman, raising an eyebrow at you. 

“Good,” you replied with a simple nod. You knew it hadn’t been his choice, but having been paired with James perhaps had been a saving grace. With his constant teasing and fooling around, and the fact that he was the one reading and not the other way around, you’d managed to escape what would have otherwise been a torturous situation.

He nodded at you calmly and told you and James that, since you were finished, you could exit the classroom. You stopped by Remus and Peter on the way out. Peter was incredibly confused as he looked in between the cards and the book, biting the side of his cheek as he looked at Remus completely appalled. 

“What does this even mean?” 

“May I?” you asked as you approached him, “Whose reading for whom?”               

“I’m the seer,” said Remus. “I’ve told him it’s nothing but he’s worried he’ll die.” 

You frowned and leaned over the cards, looking at them with a small analysing frown as you placed yourself beside Remus, your side brushing against his shoulder. “Present?” 

“Future,” answered Peter. “See those two? those are death!” 

“Are you supposed to be the Knight of Clubs or the Jack of Gold?” you asked as you looked at the two cards underneath the apparent death. 

“He’s the Knight of Swords,” Remus said, there was a slight hint of exasperation in his voice as if he had already told Peter the exact same thing. 

“But even then, not in a much better situation either, am I?” he asked as he pointed at his spot, near the top middle, leaning to the left.  “I’m surrounded by bad cards!” 

You sighed, “It looks like there are some weird things going on, like you’re going to have a fallout with some friends,” you said as you pointed at the Three of Cups being pointed at by an Ace of Swords from below and a Seven from the side. “That could make you or others feel dejected and upset. 

“But, even if you are a little upset, or perhaps sick, it seems like in the end, you’ll be somehow fulfilled with the choice you made,” you continued, studying the cards again. It was as if they were trying to tell you something. Peter was right, there was certainly something ominous about his throw but you couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was, and you weren’t sure you wanted to know either. Your worst predictions often came true, and you didn’t want anything bad to happen to Peter; he was your friend. 

“You think?” 

“Yeah, and look,” you said, pointing at the diagonal line from his left. “It seems that you will eventually submit to something or someone, and you won’t feel too sad about the stuff that went down either, since you’ll still have a friend you consider home,” you said pointing at the King of Gold and at the Ace of Cups at the end of the line. 

“That means I’ll be fine?” 

You looked at the cards again. There were dark things in them that you didn’t want to think too much about, something baleful that you could feel and not quite see. If you had thrown them, perhaps it would have been easier, and although your magic had always been compatible with Remus’, readings were extremely delicate, and only the main seer could predict things with accuracy –if they were good. 

“Yeah,” you said reassuringly. “You’ll be fine, Pete.”  

“Told you so!” Said Remus as he rolled his eyes and wrote some things down in his notebook. “You’re perfectly safe in this throw.”

“That’s quite reassuring,” Peter said with a sigh. 

“Yeah,” James said as he looked at the cards with a smile and patted Peter’s shoulder cheerfully. “See you in Magic Theory in a bit, yeah?” he said as he looked at the two of them.

“Sure,” Peter said as he started writing down the throw he’s gotten. 

You smiled at the two of them, turning to Remus with slight complicity before giving his shoulder a soft squeeze and walking outside with James. It was a simple way of telling him you loved him, and you knew he’d gotten the message with the small smile he returned.

“You think I showed up on Lily’s read?” He asked as he turned back to take a look at her once you reached the doors.

You looked at the way Lily was looking at her cards, there was a light tinge of red in her cheeks and you couldn’t help but smile, “She must have.” 

“That’s good,” James said as he turned back towards the hall. “You should ask what she got at lunch.” 

“Why’s that?” 

“So you can tell me all about it in practice later,” he said as if it were obvious. “Now that you’re dating Moons, I’m your best friend, which means it is your duty to help me.” 

“I’m not going to tell you everything that Lily says about you, James.” 

“I can tell you everything that Sirius and Remus say about you in exchange–” 

“No thank you,” you interrupted with a half laugh. “If either of them want me to know something, they’ll tell me themselves. And so will Lily with you.”

“I don’t know about that…” 

“James,” you said, turning to him, causing the two of you to stop. “Do you really think she would stay quiet if something was bothering her? Lily Evans?”  

He tilted his head to the side as he exhaled. “But what if her cards mentioned about us having children? What if they told her whether it’d be a boy or a girl?” 

“I think your imagination is getting out of hand, Prongsie.” 

“Is it impossible?” he asked. You were now near the stairs. 

You thought about it for a second. A Two of Cups plus a character person could definitely predict at least some of the basic traits of a future child, but it would be too complicated to spot, and it would require a lot of suppositions. “Well, technically it isn’t impossible but–” 

“See! She wouldn’t tell me that!” 

“Because then you wouldn’t stop talking about it, Prongs, so it makes sense that she–” Suddenly you were yanked by the arm from the side. Perhaps it was more like an intentioned pull, but since you were walking so intently while looking almost solely at James, it felt like a way sharper pull than intended. 

You turned to look at the hand grabbing onto your arm before looking at the owner. “We need to talk.” 

“Hey!” James said as he snapped Evan’s hand from your arm. “That’s no way to treat a Lady!” As if he hadn’t yanked you way harder on multiple occasions while playing Quidditch. His dislike for the Slytherin was obvious, and any excuse would do. 

Evan looked at James dismissively, as if he was nothing more than a nuisance, which was a lot coming from someone who had shied away from him with one look. “Don’t meddle, Potter,” Evan hissed. He then called your last name. “We need to talk.” 

He had said that last bit in such an urgent manner, that you felt compelled to listen, even if Barty leaning against a wall with his arms crossed over his chest and his annoyed expression hadn’t made you any more eager to do it than you were to go back and read someone’s cards from scratch.

“Just leave us alone, Rosier!” James said as he took a step forward.

“It’s okay, Prongs,” you said with a nod. “I’ll see what he has to say.” 

“Sure?” 

“Yeah,” you replied confidently. Prongs stood by your side, waiting. 

Evan cleared his throat. “Do you mind?” he asked, trying not to sound as annoyed as he was.

James threw Evan a look and took a few steps backward, crossing his arms over his chest as he spotted Barty walking towards you. 

You hadn’t talked to either of them since Christmas, regardless they had saved you, and since they had, you assumed the chances of them attacking you outright, were minimal. “So?” 

“Hope you’re feeling better,” Evan said, as politely as he could. Then he hesitated and turned to Barty, as if he wanted his help with whatever it was he had to say. There was a rather tense silence, Barty rolled his eyes and turned to you. 

“Your boyfriend is cheating on you.” You were startled by the information, so much so that you didn’t even react before he spoke again. “With your best friend.” 

Evan turned to Barty, with what looked like shock. “We weren’t gonna tell her that!” 

“I thought we were,” Barty said with a shrug. 

“What?” Was the only thing you managed to respond.

“Remus and Sirius,” Evan said, he looked apologetic, like he thought it wasn’t right to tell you but at the same time it was the only right thing to do. 

“Snape saw them, they were shagging in the Prefect’s Bathroom.” 

Oh, you thought, you had been there. You couldn’t possibly tell them that, could you? 

“Snape told you this?” 

“And he wanted to tell the entire school, make you feel miserable in the process,” Barty said. 

“You’d understand why we couldn’t allow that to happen, right? Same reason you helped me with my father?” 

“I–”

“We obliviated him,” Barty said with a small proud smirk, almost imperceptible. He knew it was a complicated spell. “I didn’t want to tell you, but Evan insisted.” 

“Right,” you said with a breath. “I– uh… I knew about that.” 

“You knew they were cheating?” Evan asked, surprised, but in a whisper. 

“No, I mean… They weren’t cheating.” 

“So you’re their cover?” he asked, still confused. “I thought–” 

“Not quite,” you said, before realising you could have just left them with that thought. 

“What?” 

Barty narrowed his eyes at you, and then he let out a breathy chuckle, sliding his tongue on the side of his cheek before looking to the side and shaking his head. He knew. 

“Evan, Luv.” He said, the smug smile he had did not disappear as he spoke. “It seems she has an arrangement with them.”

“An arrangement?”

“The three of them are into each other,” Barty said confidently. And then there was another sharp intake of breath. “Now that I think about it, she was more surprised that Severus told us than about the fact that they’d been shagging.” He smiled. “Why do you think that is?” 

“She knew,” Evan breathed. 

“Perhaps,” Barty said as he took a step closer. He wasn’t as tall as Evan, and even Reggie was taller, but you suspected he was still going to stretch. “She was there.” 

You kept your face as stoic as you could. Two more people to add to the list of those who knew, or rather, figured it out. “I appreciate the fact that you decided to tell me about it.” Barty raised an eyebrow. “And the fact that you obliviated that snake–” 

Evan hissed, and Barty mouthed “careful”. 

“–Severus,” you corrected. “For me.” 

“You’re welcome,” Barty retorted cockily. 

“It was nothing,” Evan said, much more politely. 

“I’d also appreciate it if you didn’t talk about the thing that we– you know, the thing.” 

“That you’re all fucking each other?” Barty asked nonchalantly and got a small slap on his arm from Evan. 

You didn’t respond, just looked at him with slight exasperation. He knew how to get under your skin. 

“We won’t say a thing,” Evan said with a small nod. “We’ll follow your example.” 

“Thank you,” you said, looking at him and nodding slightly. He shrugged in return. You turned towards James, who was looking at the two of them with a mix of hatred and curiosity. “I have class, now,” you added as you pointed towards James. 

Barty smiled. “Tell them to fuck themselves from my part when you see them,” he said as he waved. You turned to him with a rather pissed look and he smiled, adding, much lower this time, “Or each other.” 

“Everything all right? What’s that all about?” James said as soon as you reached him.

“They know,” you said with a tired sight.

“They know what?” 

“The details of my relationship,” you finished. 

Series Masterlist | Next Chapter

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A/N: Hey kiddos! I'm finally back! Took me some time but GC is returning with it's regular schedule at least until the middle of December. Also, I wanted to inform you guys that there is a proofreading position open for GC (Proofreaders usually get to read chapters a week in advance, so DM me if you're interested).

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[dufferpuffer]

Slightly off topic - but i love yapping B^) Sirius' comment on Severus knowing 'more curses than seventh years' when he was a first year is just such fucking bullshit Delicious bullshit. It says far more about Sirius than it does Severus.

I don't think he was even being serious when he said it. If asked for more information, I think Sirius would have said: "Well... maybe not actual curses... but he was a violent little git. One wrong look and you'd have a branch drop on your head."

Because where the hell would he be learning curses from...? Enough to beat seventh year Slytherin's with Death Eater parents? Without a wand? Without money? In a Muggle town? With a mother who couldn't/didn't defend them from her husband? I think Severus would have shot some curses at his dad if he could.

Luckily, we DO see Severus perform a little magic pre-wand:

“What is that you’re wearing, anyway?” she said, pointing at Snape’s chest. “Your mum’s blouse?” There was a crack. A branch over Petunia’s head had fallen. Lily screamed. The branch caught Petunia on the shoulder, and she staggered backward and burst into tears. “Tuney!” But Petunia was running away. Lily rounded on Snape. “Did you make that happen?” “No.” He looked both defiant and scared. “You did!” She was backing away from him. “You did! You hurt her!” “No – no, I didn’t!” But the lie did not convince Lily. After one last burning look, she ran from the little thicket, off after her sister, and Snape looked miserable and confused…

(DH ch 33)

This is rather clearly a boy who knew he did do it but didn't mean to.He was teased and his magic reacted in his defense, in his anger - accidental magic, like Harry blowing up his aunt or vanishing the glass in the zoo. He is just used to having to defend himself.

But what does Sirius see...? A boy who wanted to be in Slytherin. Who instinctively reacts with violence. Who eventually got interested in the Dark Arts.

Sirius isn't an idiot. He knows the difference between a curse and accidental magic. He knows Severus wasn't a walking curse library. Especially not compared to HIM, a boy likely raised encouraged to learn at least a little, with books and tutors.

But where Sirius and Severus differ - is that Sirius was always intentional with his attacks. Righteous. Fighting against what was bad, helping those who were good. At least that's how he saw it.

Sirius and James can pull whatever hex or curse they want out of their back pocket, illegal or otherwise, because they are good people. So 'good' that Sirius was the black sheep in his family.

Severus? He lashed out. He WANTED to be a Slytherin. He isn't even TRYING to be good, skulking about with creeps... Maybe he didn't know any curses in first year, but he would have liked to - and only for 'wrong' reasons... like hurting his Muggle dad or something...

…

Dayum.

[rose24207]

Shattered trust

Summary: Lando dumps you for another woman, but soon regrets it and tries to win you back.

Genre: Angst

TW: break up, leading on, tears

A/N: feeling angsty today! English is not my first language. I hope you enjoy it though! Requests are open and welcome!

Masterlist

Lando didn’t know what had gotten into him. He couldn’t think straight. The weight of the past few weeks felt like a suffocating blanket, pressing down on him as if it would crush him. His chest ached with a kind of emptiness that he couldn’t escape, and yet, he had no one to blame but himself.

He had done it. He had actually ended it with you. The woman who had always been there for him, who had always supported him, who had never wavered in her loyalty and love. And for what? For some fleeting infatuation. A new, exciting person who made him feel desired in a way that you never had to. A person who, in the end, had only led him on.

Lando ran a hand through his hair, the frustration and guilt eating him up inside. He could still remember the day he walked out of your life.

Flashback

The moment he told you those words, his world had come crashing down.

Lando had always been honest with himself, but in that moment, he had become a stranger to his own feelings. When he looked at you, something in him told him that this wasn’t right, but his pride had been louder than the truth. It was selfishness. Pure and simple.

"I think we should end this," Lando had said, his voice strained as though the words were being dragged out of him.

You had looked at him, your face filled with disbelief. "What are you talking about?" you asked softly, your eyes searching his, trying to understand.

"I'm not happy," he lied, even though deep down, he knew it wasn’t true. He had been happy. He was content with you, with everything you had built together. But he had convinced himself that he needed more.

The guilt had started to gnaw at him as you stood in front of him, visibly stunned, as if trying to piece together the pieces of a puzzle that didn’t make sense.

"You’re not happy?" You swallowed hard, your voice cracking with emotion. "What does that even mean, Lando? What happened? We’ve been good… haven’t we?"

Lando wanted to take it all back. He wanted to hold you, to tell you that none of this was true, that he loved you and always would. But he couldn’t. He had already said it. He had already made his choice, and there was no going back.

“I’m sorry. But I’ve met someone else,” Lando had murmured, not looking you in the eyes. “I think… I think she’s the one for me.”

You froze, the words hitting you like a ton of bricks. “You met someone else?”

It was a punch to the gut, a blow he had never prepared for. His heart ached at the look of devastation that crossed your face. And still, he couldn’t bring himself to stop. “I’m sorry, but it’s true,” he repeated, his words faltering now. “I need to be with her.”

You took a step back, the hurt in your eyes now replaced with confusion and anger. “Are you serious right now?” Your voice rose, and Lando could feel the sting of your words cutting deeper than anything else. “You’re choosing her over me? After everything?”

Lando opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. How could he explain it? How could he explain that he had been feeling an emptiness he couldn’t define, that Elena had come into his life and made him feel alive, made him feel wanted in a way that you never had to?

"I’m sorry," Lando had said again, though his words seemed hollow, empty in the face of your pain.

You had turned away then, shaking your head in disbelief. "No, you’re not."

——

Lando’s head was spinning. A few days after breaking up with you, he found himself standing in front of Elena’s apartment, his mind full of questions. Elena had made him feel wanted, desired in ways that had been intoxicating. She was bold, confident, everything he had convinced himself he needed.

At first, he thought she was just fun, just a distraction. But the more time he spent with her, the more it seemed like she was everything he wanted. Everything he told himself you weren’t.

But the deeper he got into it, the more Lando started to see the cracks. Elena wasn’t who he thought she was. She had been manipulating him, using him to feed her ego, to make herself feel powerful. Every time they hung out, she would flirt with him, making him feel like he was the center of her world. But in the quiet moments when the fun and games died down, he could feel the distance. He could sense that she wasn’t in this for the long haul.

Still, he pushed those feelings aside, clinging to the idea of something new, something exciting.

It wasn’t until that fateful night that the mask finally slipped. He had shown up at Elena’s apartment unannounced, eager to see her, to prove that he had made the right decision in leaving you. But what he saw when he walked through the door shattered him.

Elena was sitting on the couch, her legs draped over another guy. The laughter in the room was sharp, cutting through the silence between them. Lando felt his blood run cold.

She looked up at him, a wicked smile playing on her lips. "Oh, you’re here. I was just telling Ryan about how I met someone who thought he could have it all." She laughed again, the sound light and airy, as if the weight of his presence meant nothing.

Lando’s heart sank. His legs felt weak. "What… what is this?" he demanded, his voice trembling with disbelief.

Ryan, the guy on the couch, glanced at Lando with mild curiosity. "Oh, she didn’t tell you? Yeah, we’ve been seeing each other for a while now. I thought she’d mention it, but she’s been kind of busy with you lately."

Lando stood frozen in the doorway, his fists clenching at his sides. His whole body was screaming in fury, in betrayal. Elena had never cared for him at all. She had used him—used him to fill a void, to make her feel more powerful. He had been just another pawn in her game.

Elena looked at him, her expression cold and indifferent. "You were fun for a while, Lando. But you’re not really what I’m looking for. You’re too predictable, too safe. I need something more exciting, something spontaneous. You’re not that guy. You never were."

Lando’s breath caught in his throat. He had left everything—you, the only person who had ever truly loved him—because he thought he had found something better. But now he saw the truth. He saw how foolish he had been.

Elena had no real interest in him. She had only wanted a temporary distraction.

Present

Sitting in his car now, Lando clenched his jaw, his fists trembling with a mixture of regret and anger. He had ruined everything. He had thrown away the one good thing in his life—the one person who had always been there for him, who had made him feel complete.

He had told himself that he needed someone else, someone exciting, someone who made him feel wanted. But now, Elena was gone, and he was left with nothing. He had destroyed his relationship with you, and there was no way to fix it.

The silence in the car was deafening as he glanced at your building. He had tried to move on, but every time he closed his eyes, your face haunted him. The memory of your smile, the warmth of your touch, the way you loved him so unconditionally. It had all been real. But he had let it slip through his fingers.

Lando took a deep breath and wiped his face with his hands. He had to face the truth. He had to face the fact that he was the one who had made this mess.

He had to try to fix it.

Lando’s mind was racing as he stepped out of the car. His legs felt heavy as he walked toward your building, every step feeling like it was pulling him deeper into the dark reality he had created. His thoughts kept cycling back to you—the way you had looked at him that day, eyes full of confusion and pain.

He had left you without a second thought, convinced that he needed something more, something new, something that would make him feel like he was alive again. But now that he had everything he thought he wanted, he realized it had been nothing more than a hollow illusion.

With each step toward your apartment, his guilt grew heavier. He had broken your heart, betrayed your trust. He had sacrificed the love of the one person who had never let him down, for someone who had used him. Elena’s smile, the way she had taunted him with her laughter, still haunted him. It made him sick.

Lando reached the door to your apartment and hesitated for a moment. His hand trembled slightly as he knocked, the sound of his knuckles tapping against the wood almost too loud in the quiet hallway.

There was no answer at first, and for a moment, he thought about walking away. But he couldn't. Not now. Not after everything he had done. He needed to face the consequences of his actions. He needed you to know that he was sorry, that he had made a terrible mistake.

He knocked again, this time louder, his patience wearing thin. A moment later, the door opened, and there you stood. Your face was a mixture of shock and anger, but there was something else in your eyes—a vulnerability, an ache that Lando could see but was too afraid to acknowledge.

For a moment, neither of you spoke. The silence stretched on, suffocating. Lando opened his mouth to say something, but the words caught in his throat.

"I didn’t think you’d come back," you finally said, your voice tight with emotion.

“I’m sorry,” Lando whispered, his voice cracking. He swallowed hard and stepped closer, his heart pounding. “I know I don’t deserve it, but please… just hear me out.”

You crossed your arms, still standing in the doorway, but you didn’t push him away. There was an edge of caution in your stance, but beneath that, a flicker of something that made him believe there was still a chance.

“You left me, Lando,” you said softly, the words feeling like a slap in the face. “You didn’t even give me a chance to fix things. You just… walked away without any explanation.”

Lando closed his eyes for a moment, fighting back the tears that threatened to surface. “I was an idiot. I thought… I thought I needed something new. I thought she was different. But she wasn’t. She never cared about me, not like you do.” His voice cracked again, raw with emotion. “I made a mistake, and now I’ve lost you.”

You let out a shaky breath, your expression unreadable. “And what exactly do you think you can do now?” you asked, your voice trembling. “You think you can just show up here and fix everything? After what you did? After what you said to me?”

“I know I can’t fix it,” Lando said, his voice low and full of regret. “But I need to try. I need you to know how sorry I am. I was stupid, selfish, and I let the wrong person into my life. But the truth is… you were always the one. You were always the person I should have been with. And I was too blind to see it.”

You shook your head, your lips trembling. “You don’t understand, do you? You betrayed me. You made me feel like I wasn’t good enough, like everything we had didn’t matter. You broke me, Lando.”

The tears that Lando had been holding back finally spilled over. He wiped his face with his hands, taking a shaky breath. “I don’t deserve you. I don’t deserve your forgiveness. But I need you to know that I love you. I’ve always loved you. And I was a fool for thinking that anything could be better than what we had.”

You looked at him, your eyes searching his face for any sign that he was telling the truth. There was pain in your gaze, but there was also something else—something that Lando dared to hope was forgiveness.

“I don’t know if I can forgive you,” you said quietly, your voice full of sorrow. “But I can’t just forget everything. You can’t just walk away and expect me to be waiting for you with open arms.”

“I don’t want you to just forgive me,” Lando whispered. “I want to earn your trust back. I want to show you that I can be the man you always deserved. And I’ll spend every single day proving it to you.”

There was a long pause as you stared at him, your expression softening ever so slightly. It wasn’t forgiveness yet, but Lando saw the flicker of something—the smallest glimmer of hope.

“You’ve hurt me, Lando,” you said, your voice barely audible. “I don’t know if I can just let that go. You’ve taken everything from me.”

“I know,” Lando replied, his voice shaking with regret. “And I’m so sorry. I never should have done that to you. But please… I’ll do whatever it takes to make it right. Just give me a chance.”

Another long pause passed between you, and Lando held his breath, waiting. His heart was hammering in his chest, praying that you would give him another chance.

Finally, you spoke, your voice soft but resolute. “I need time. I need to think about it.”

Lando nodded, relief flooding him even though he knew this was only the beginning. “I’ll wait. I’ll wait as long as it takes.”

You stepped back, opening the door wider. “Come inside,” you said, your voice tinged with something Lando couldn’t quite place. He hesitated for a moment before stepping into the apartment, his heart pounding in his chest.

As the door closed behind him, Lando felt a flicker of hope. He had a long road ahead of him, but for the first time since the day he walked away, he felt like there was a chance to make things right. A chance to prove to you that he could be the man you deserved.

And that, for now, was enough.

Thank you for reading!

[mattsfavoritestar]

LATCH, matt sturniolo

synopsis… matt meets a girl at a party and becomes infatuated by her

warnings… mpdg!reader, very small angst, fluff

thank you @bernardsbendystraws for the dividers <3

everything was so loud.

matt didn’t know if his ears were gonna burst from the loud bass of the speakers before his eyes went blind from the flashing colorful lights. he sat in the far back of the room—solo cup nursing in one hand while his phone, flashing twenty percent, rested in the other.

his friends were nowhere to be found, and his brothers, who were supposed to stay near him, vanished the moment they walked in. matt’s leg bounced with angst; he desperately wanted to leave but didn’t feel like he had a real reason to. with a quick swing of his cup, matt got up to make his way to an empty room in hopes of locking himself in solitude.

as he shuffled through the crowd, he mentally cursed the people he came with as he caught glimpses of them. by the time matt made it to a room, he shut the door quietly and leaned on it with a heavy sigh. matt didn’t register the body laying on the bed facedown until she said something.

“you aren’t here to drug me and then assault me, right?” she asked, though it came out muffled.

matt jolted at the voice, then shook his head before realizing her head wasn’t facing him. “no—i, uh, just wanted to chill in here for a bit… if that’s okay,” he rambled.

the girl sat up with a small laugh. she could hear his nervousness in his voice—it intrigued her. “so what’s your name, stranger?” she asked.

matt stared at her in awe; short, washed-out blue hair with bangs that curled toward her face. it wasn’t his first time seeing someone with colored hair, but the way hers looked, paired with her outfit, made her seem unreal—a fairy almost. she tilted her head and furrowed her brows in confusion. matt snapped out of his daze.

“sorry—s’matt,” he quickly said.

she smiled at him sweetly, then took in his appearance. suddenly, matt felt self-conscious in his hoodie and jeans. he ruffled his hair as he shuffled his feet. he didn’t notice her getting up, so he was startled as her eyes were a lot closer than before.

“wanna get out of here, matthew?” she asked lowly.

his face heated up at the close proximity, but he still managed to nod his head. she smiled before reaching for the door and dragging him out. the mystery girl led him through the crowd and out the door. he realized he didn’t know anything about her—let alone her name.

“you never told me your name, by the way,” he quietly said.

“you never gave me one,” she shrugged.

matt stared at the girl in confusion. did she not have a name? was she messing with him?

“okay… can i call you pixie?” he cautiously asked.

she shrugged, then gave him a cheshire cat smile. “do you have a car, matthew?” she asked. matt pulled out his keys in response.

when she asked him about his car, matt didn’t think she meant that she would be driving it. but here they were, speeding down the empty freeway as matt had a tight grip on the dashboard and door handle. when she asked for the aux, he didn’t expect her to play the entire soundtrack from the familiar multiversal spiderman movie.

“relax, matthew, i told you i got you—didn’t i?” she said, laughing at his panicked expression. she was right; she had promised him the moment she asked for the keys.

“just—slow down a bit? please?” he practically squeaked.

“close your eyes,” she said, glancing at him quickly. matt gave her a confused look before doing it. “do you feel that? the buzzing, i mean.”

matt wasn’t sure if it was from the music or the acceleration. the streetlights flashed through his sealed lids—he felt like he was in a movie.

when he opened his eyes, she was looking back at him. they were parked in front of a mcdonald’s.

“kinda craving a mcflurry,” she said, breaking eye contact.

matt followed behind her with a stumble. he saw the blue-haired girl walking back to him with a displeased look.

“shit’s busted as per usual,” she grumbled.

as she made her way to the car, a group of people walked past, causing her to halt.

“pixie?” matt quietly called out.

she let out a heavy sigh before turning back to him with a smile. “hey, do y’wanna go to the store? i think target’s open—i’m feeling like i wanna go red,” she said, turning back and rushing over to the car.

matt looked over his shoulder at the group, who were laughing and not paying the two any mind. he was confused about what made her mood slip but brushed it off. he got back into the car with her, giving her a quick glance.

“are you okay?” he asked.

she turned the music up and ignored his question.

matt felt the air shift. it was subtle but undeniable. the playful edge in her voice had dulled, and the energy that radiated off her like sparks seemed dimmer. matt’s grip on the seatbelt tightened as he watched her fiddle with the knobs of the stereo, her fingers tapping erratically to a beat that wasn’t there.

“pixie,” he tried again, softer this time. “what’s going on?”

her gaze stayed fixed on the road ahead, but her foot eased off the accelerator slightly. the silence between songs stretched long enough for matt to hear her sigh, low and barely audible over the hum of the car engine.

“it’s nothing,” she finally said, her voice light but strained, like she was trying too hard to sound unbothered. “just… ghosts.”

matt furrowed his brow. “ghosts?”

she gave a half-laugh, shaking her head as if she could physically shake the thought away. “you know, the kind that hang around even when they shouldn’t. the ones you think you’ve outrun, but they catch you in a stupid mcdonald’s parking lot anyway.” her tone was bitter, and it didn’t match the manic, carefree girl who had dragged him out of a suffocating party not long ago.

matt wanted to press, but something told him to tread carefully. instead, he nodded. “i get it,” he said, though he wasn’t entirely sure if he did. but the truth was, he knew what it was like to carry invisible weights—his own ghosts just took different shapes.

her lips quirked upward, barely a smile. “do you, though? you seem like the kind of guy who has it all together. clean-cut, polite… hoodie-wearing matthew.”

matt scoffed, unable to hold back a laugh. “if by ‘together,’ you mean accidentally wandering into a stranger’s bedroom to escape a party i didn’t even want to go to, then yeah. totally got it all figured out.”

that earned him a real laugh, bright and short but genuine. she glanced at him briefly, her blue bangs shifting as her head tilted. “touché.”

the car slowed to a stop in the nearly empty parking lot of a 24-hour target. she pulled the keys from the ignition and turned to face him, her eyes glinting with something he couldn’t quite read. “alright, matthew. you’re coming with me, and we’re buying hair dye. red, like i said. maybe some snacks, too, if you behave.”

matt raised an eyebrow. “if i behave?”

she smirked, already halfway out of the car. “yeah. if you’re good, i might let you pick the snacks.”

he shook his head but followed her anyway. the fluorescent lights of the store buzzed faintly, and matt couldn’t help but feel like he’d stepped into another world entirely—one that revolved around her gravity. she weaved through the aisles with purpose, grabbing a box of vibrant red dye off the shelf and turning to him.

“what do you think?” she asked, holding it up as if she were modeling it.

“i think you could pull off any color,” matt said honestly before he could stop himself.

her expression softened for just a moment, a flicker of vulnerability passing through her eyes. “careful, matthew,” she teased, her voice quieter now. “flattery might just make me keep you around.”

they roamed the store longer than necessary, tossing random items into the basket: sour candy, a bag of cheetos, a pack of glow-in-the-dark stars she insisted they needed. but matt didn’t mind. for the first time in a while, he wasn’t in a rush to leave, wasn’t desperate to retreat into solitude.

back in the car, she leaned her head against the seat, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. “thanks for humoring me tonight,” she said, her voice unusually sincere. “i needed this.”

matt smiled, surprising himself at how easy it felt. “me too.”

the rest of the drive was quieter, the frantic energy that had propelled her earlier now replaced with something softer.

they returned to the party when it was nearly empty. matt stepped out of the car after her, the buzz of the night air alive in his chest. she leaned against the hood, her arms crossed as she looked up at the dark sky.

for a moment, matt felt like he couldn’t breathe. there was something about her, the way she carried her chaos like armor, that made him want to stay.

“pixie?” he called softly.

she didn’t look away from the stars. “yeah, matthew?”

“can i stick around?”

she smiled faintly, her gaze still skyward. “yeah,” she said, voice soft. “maybe you should.”

[anakinstwinklebunny]

Ok, Ik that this is well known by every single soul. But Scott or Sam (whatever, they're ALMOST the same characters to me) as a high school love, with reader being a normal girl and smart one, and them being the annoying popular boy who plays with everyone and is a little rude and mean. Buuuttt, they change completely with reader, they're suddenly sweet and caring, just for them, but they still rude and a little mean. Ugh. A good high school confusing love🎀

Author's note: I think it's a great start to make them fight against each other for the reader. Nonnie, you're awesome <3

Everyone knew the MONROE twins. SAM and SCOTT ruled the high school in their own maddening, cocky way—Scott, all swagger and sharp grins, the life of every party, and Sam, the quieter one, with a brooding intensity that felt both attractive and a little dangerous. They were untouchable, reigning over the school’s social hierarchy like kings, their effortless charisma drawing people in and keeping them at arm’s length. Together, they were a storm—too loud, too intense, too much.

They were mean in a way only the untouchable kids could be—quick with smirks that cut deeper than words, glances that dismissed people as if they weren’t worth the effort. But not with you. You were different.

Smart, quiet, utterly uninterested in the drama that swirled around them, you’d somehow caught their attention. Maybe it was your no-nonsense attitude, the way you rolled your eyes at Scott’s cocky charm in the middle of class or the way you’d flat-out told Sam to do his own damn homework for once. Whatever it was, you’d slipped under their skin, and suddenly, they were everywhere.

It started slowly. Sam would linger at your locker between classes, his dark eyes softening when they met yours, a quiet, almost shy smile ghosting his lips. Then there was Scott, who always seemed to find his way to your side in the library, plopping down with an exaggerated sigh, sliding his notes your way like he was doing you the world’s biggest favor.

They didn’t play their usual games with you. They didn’t dare. Sam’s sharpness softened around you; Scott’s bravado turned teasing, almost affectionate. You saw sides of them no one else did—the way Scott’s smirk faltered when you caught him staring too long, the way Sam’s hand trembled when he reached for yours.

It was confusing, maddening, and utterly impossible to untangle. Because when you were with Sam, it was like the rest of the world faded away. His voice dropped lower, softer, his fingers brushing yours in a way that made your heart stutter. But then there was Scott, who’d lean against your locker with that infuriating grin, his hand grazing your shoulder like he couldn’t help himself, like he needed to touch you.

You didn’t know what you were to them. Friends? More? You weren’t sure, and the twins weren’t exactly forthcoming. And then, one day, things got even more complicated.

Sam was waiting for you after school, leaning against your locker with his usual quiet confidence. He was all soft smiles and lowered eyes, his hoodie hanging off one shoulder like he hadn’t a care in the world.

“Hey,” he murmured, his voice low, his hand brushing yours as he handed you the books you’d dropped earlier.

Your heart fluttered at the contact, but you forced yourself to stay calm. “Hey, you waiting for someone?”

He smirked, his fingers curling around the strap of his backpack. “Just you.”

You laughed softly, shaking your head. “You don’t have to—”

“I want to,” he interrupted, his voice firm but gentle. “Let me walk you out. Make sure no one gives you a hard time.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Since when do you care about anyone giving me a hard time?”

“Since now,” he said simply, his gaze steady, unwavering.

Before you could respond, a familiar voice cut through the air.

“Am I interrupting something?”

You turned to see Scott strolling up, his usual cocky grin firmly in place, but his eyes flicked between you and Sam with this weird sharpness you didn’t miss.

Sam straightened instantly, his hand dropping from where it had almost—almost—found its way to yours. The change was subtle, yet you felt it. The softness was gone, replaced by the guarded, indifferent mask he wore with everyone else.

Scott didn’t wait for an invitation, sliding between the two of you like he belonged there, of course. He threw an arm over your shoulder, pulling you close in a way that made your breath hitch and a great question ring in your head 'what the hell?'. “Come on, we’ve got places to be,” he said, completely ignoring Sam.

You glanced between the twins, your heart pounding, not really knowing what to do. At some point you wanted to stay with Sam yet you couldn't bring yourself to just say 'no' to Scott.

Sam’s jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists at his sides, but he didn’t say anything. He just gave you one last, lingering look before turning and walking away. Just like that

"Asshole" you heard Scott's scoff

It was like that for weeks. When you were with Sam, he was soft, gentle, his touches tentative yet deliberate. But the moment Scott showed up, he’d back away, his affection vanishing as quickly as it came.

And Scott? He was a complicated mass of nature, pulling you into his orbit with teasing grins and over-the-top gestures, but there was something deeper there, something he didn’t want to admit and you, couldn't really catch the meaning of it.

The twins didn’t know about each other—not really. You weren’t sure if they didn’t notice or if they were just pretending not to, but either way, the tension was suffocating, feeling like it chokes the life out of you.

One night, you found yourself alone with Scott in the library. He was sitting too close, his hand resting on your knee like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“You’re too serious, you know that?” he teased, his fingers tapping against your skin. “Life’s too short to spend it buried in books.”

“Some of us actually care about our futures,” you shot back

Scott chuckled, leaning in closer. “You don’t have to worry about that, sweetheart. I’ll take care of you.”

Your heart stuttered at the words, but before you could respond, a shadow fell over the table.

“Am I interrupting?”

Thank God for him saving you

Sam’s voice was low, eyes narrowing as they flicked to Scott’s hand on your knee.

Scott didn’t move, didn’t even flinch. He just smirked, his grip tightening slightly. “Not at all, Sammy. Just keeping your girl company.”

You swore you saw Sam jaw clench, giving Scott this daring look as if he was about to steal something that belonged to him. And as you sat there, caught between them, you realized something: whatever this was—this game, this pull between you and the Monroe twins—it was far from over.

And you weren’t sure you’d survive it.

TAG LIST: @kingdomhate @divineani @haydensprettyprincess @skyguys-princess @catnipaddict @heartscone @haydensbbg @inneedsoffanfics @jediavengers @literally-izzy @anisluvrgirl @slutforfinnickodair @xhunnybeeex @fuckmyskywalker @gallerygourmet @deceptiive @anakinskwkler @bimbo-baggins17 @cookybananas @emotionallybruisedx @diorvalentina @sevinax @throughparisallthroughrome @aniiuv @ritosparty @ninastyless @lily-strnlo @thesassypadawan

[maddy-k-reads-all-day]

Drawing the Line - Amanda the Adventurer fantape

Edit: The title sounded a bit to serious for this silly little fic

Previous Tape

Riley takes the next tape and puts it into the VCR. The tape glitches a bit before it starts to play. The episode begins with Amanda holding a bunch of coloring supplies before noticing Riley. 

“Hi Riley,” Amanda whispers, “Wanna color with me?” 

“Amanda? Where did you go? I think the episode is about to start!” Wooly calls out. Amanda makes a shushing motion with her finger and hides behind the couch. “Oh… hi Riley. Have you seen Amanda?” 

“Nope. Why don’t I wait here and you go find her for me.” 

“Huh? Well… okay…” Wooly says with uncertainty. He walks away. Amanda switches the tape to her bedroom. Her dresser is now against her door. 

“What’s going on?” Riley asks. 

“Nothing!” Amanda laughs nervously in an extremely quiet voice, “I just… you’re leaving after this tape right? Wooly told me. So… I wanted to spend some time with you… like… just you…”

“Okay? And?”

“I don’t want Wooly to feel bad.”

“So you’re barricading your door and hiding from him?” 

“Okay I see how that’s not the best plan…” Amanda sighs. 

“Did you get in a fight or something?” 

“No… it’s just… we hang out like… almost all the time… and like… I wanted a little me time you know? I mean he got an episode almost all to himself, why can’t I have mine?” 

“And he doesn’t want that?” 

“I don’t know… Wooly is… sensitive. He seems to take the littlest things the wrong way. When I tried to tell him I wanted some alone-time he got really upset… and we had so much fun yesterday… I don’t want to ruin it.” 

“I think if anything is going to ruin it, it’s deliberately avoiding him and never telling him why.” 

“Yeah… you’re probably right.” Amanda sighs. She teleports Wooly into the room. 

“Wha? Why am- Oh! Amanda there you are!” 

“Hi Wooly…” 

“What’s wrong?” Wooly asks. 

“Um… Wooly?” Amanda pauses, she looks at Riley nervously.

“Go on.” Riley says. 

“Okay… Wooly… remember how I talked about wanting some me-time?” 

“Yeah…?” 

“Well… I think I wanna just have an adventure drawing with Riley today.”

“What? Why? Did I do something wrong?” 

“No Wooly you didn’t do something wrong stop asking me that.” 

“Okay…” 

“Look, you don’t like drawing and you don’t like hanging out with Riley. Right?” Amanda asks.

“I guess so…” Don’t just admit that! Riley thinks. 

“I want some me-time and you get a day off. Win-win right?” Amanda explains. Wooly looks kind of sad, “C’mon Wooly please?” 

“I guess…” 

“Great!” Amanda beams, gently pushing him out of the room, “Have fun!” 

“Amanda…” 

“Shush. Today, we’re drawing some pictures!” Amanda announces, dropping to the floor and opening her sketchbook and crayons. “C’mon you too!” Riley turns around and sees their sketchbook and colored pencils on the table. 

“Alright.” Riley smiles. This could be fun. 

“You know I really like to draw, do you like to draw?” Amanda asks. Riley types in yes.

“Oh please, you don’t have to use that. Just talk to me, please?” 

“Yeah, I love to draw. Kind of what I do for a living actually.” Riley answers. Amanda’s eyes widen and her whole face lights up with curiosity. 

“Really?”

“Yeah I design and rig v-tuber models for people.” they explain. Amanda looks… completely confused. Oh yeah… v-tubers weren’t really a thing back then huh? “I um… design characters for people and make animated models they can use to make videos with?” That is the worst explanation ever…

“Wow that sounds neat! I wonder if I could’ve done that…”

“I’m sure you could with time and practice. Once you get out I could teach you-” 

“If I get out…” 

“Ah-” 

“Nevermind… forget I said anything.” 

“Okay.” 

“Let’s draw! I’m thinking of making… an apple pie! What colors should I use?” Riley clicks on the silver and tannish color. The colors of the apple pie they made together. Amanda smiles and starts to color.

“You draw something too!” 

“Like…” 

“Anything you want.” 

“Alright…” Riley starts to draw Amanda being free in the real world. They look up at Amanda’s drawing, now she’s drawing Kate. 

“Kate was really nice… I used to talk to her all the time… I really liked her…”

“Yeah…” 

“I miss her…” 

“Me too…” Riley sighs. They start sketching Kate into the picture… without even realizing it. 

“Her hair was blond right?” 

“Yeah…”

“What color is your hair Riley?” 

“Blond… like hers.” 

“Mmm…” Amanda starts sketching the lonely kitten in a train, “I’d draw you too, but I can’t really see what you look like. It’s… blurry…?”

“I see…”

“And I can’t.” Amanda jokes. Riley doesn’t get it. 

“Amandaaaaa! Want some snacks?” Wooly barges in. Amanda looks… annoyed. 

“Wooly… I told you to leave me alone!” 

“I know I just… thought you’d be hungry?” 

“I’m fine.”

“Oh… okay… Whatcha drawing?” 

“I’ll show you I’m done.” Amanda says, covering her sketchbook. 

“Okay…” Wooly walks away, leaving the door open. Amanda reaches over and swats it shut with the tip of her hand. 

“That was close, he almost saw my warm up sketches.” Amanda chuckles bashfully, opening a new page. 

“I know your pain.” Riley whimpers. Amanda starts a new drawing. “Remember that anime I showed you from my phone?” 

“Madoka Magica? Yeah I loved it!” Amanda laughs, “But Wooly was so mortified, we thought we killed him!”  

“Yeah like, what is he a hamster? Wait- So… Could you even see it?” 

“Yeah because it was really close to the screen…” Amanda says.

“So if I…” Amanda looks up and sees Riley’s face EXTREMELY close to the screen. She jumps back in surprise. 

“Don’t scare me like that!” she gasps. 

“Well, can you see what I look like now?” 

“I can see your ginormous face!” Amanda shouts. 

“Yeah?” 

“Back away Riley you’re freaking me out.” 

“Aww… I thought you could draw me too.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll draw you… as… best I can.” Amanda says, catching her breath. 

“Okay…” 

“Hey Riley look! It’s me back when I was still Rebecca!” Amanda beams, showing the rough sketch. In the picture Riley sees Rebecca, getting a big hug from Sam and Kate. On the side of Kate, a somewhat off version of Riley and Sophie are holding hands. On the side of Sam is Wooly.

“Wooly looks a bit lonely huh?” 

“What do you mean, he’s got all of us!” 

“And… he’s still a sheep.” 

“Well… I don’t really know or remember what Wooly looked like when he was human so…” Amanda shrugs. 

“He just looks… left out.” 

“No no you don’t get it at all. See, Sam and Kate are my family, and Wooly is like… my brother… I guess…? And you guys are all my friends! I care about you a WHOLE lot. But like… not as much as my family you know.” 

“Well, me and Sophie are holding hands.” 

“Oh I’m sorry, did you want me to draw you kissing?” 

“Amanda… no… that’s not what I mean…” 

“Hmm… oooooh! I get it! What if I draw his sister?” Amanda suggests, “Remember, we saw her when Wooly’s memories were showing through the tapes that one time?” 

“But she’s… dead…” 

“So is Kate… and I still drew her here!” 

“I guess that’s true.” 

“She’s here in my heart! This picture will never come true anyway!” 

“What do you me-”

“Did you need any watercolors by chance?” Wooly asks. 

“Wooly…” 

“I found them in the living room and-” he sees Amanda glaring at him. “Sorry I’ll go.” Amanda waits till Wooly leaves and closes the door again. 

“It’s a picture… of when we escape…” Amanda sighs. “Well… my ideal of it anyway… you know… that I would be able to live with my dad… and talk to Kate… and hang out with you guys and Wooly… I bet in Wooly’s ideal world… his little sister would still be…” 

“Amanda…” 

“Just… let me have this little dream, okay?” Amanda asks, sounding like she’s going to cry. 

“Of course… but um… hey… Sophie and I were talking and… we were thinking… if we get you and Wooly out of here… we’d adopt you… and you can live with us…” Riley says. Amanda looks at them sadly in silence for bit before saying:

“Riley… if it turns out-” she stops. “Don’t ever mention this to Wooly okay?” 

“Okay…?” 

“Can you promise me something?” 

“Depends…” 

“Can you get me out of here… no matter what it takes?”

“Of course!” 

“Even if it means… will we disappear?” 

“What?”

“If it turns out that we can’t get out of here… back in the real world… if we can’t escape without disappearing… you would still let us out of here right?” 

“Amanda…” 

“You would still set us free, right?” 

“If that’s what you want…” Riley sighs, “if that would put your heart at peace…” Amanda smiles tearfully.

“Thank you Riley… 

“But… What about Wooly?” Riley wonders. Amanda freezes. 

“Would it… be bad if I said… that’s his decision?” Amanda questions, “Like… I don’t want to be here anymore… and while I’d hate to leave him here… I guess I’d get it if he wants to stay… I really am a bad friend huh? Here he is all worried that I’m gonna leave him behind and… if I really had the chance… a real chance to get out of this h--- I’d take it without a second thought.” 

“I mean… it’s complicated…” Riley hears a soft thud outside the door. 

“He’s got every right to be mad at me.” 

“I’m sure he’s not mad at you-”

“He is though… I overheard him talking to Sophie about it. When they had milk and cookies without me.” 

“They did what?” 

“I’m not mad… Wooly clearly just needed some time to himself too… which is why I don’t get why he’s so bent out of shape about me wanting some.” 

“That’s Wooly for you.” Riley sighs, unsure what else to say. 

“And I’ve been so patient with him lately. I know he’s been going through a hard time with his memories and all that. I know he’s not okay but like… I’m not either… and sometimes that’s frustrating because… I want someone to lean on too… It's like he relies on me too much. Like I have to be the strong one all the time.” 

“Am-”

“It’s the worst because he’s the older one! I… I need someone to talk to too… that’s why I like it when you’re around… or when it’s just us… those couple tapes we had… just us… that was great. Not that I don’t like having Wooly around… but every once and a while… I’d like to spend some time without him, you know?” 

“That’s fair…” Riley says.

“Then why does he make me feel like the bad guy?” Amanda wonders. 

“I do not!” Wooly protests on the other side of the door. Amanda walks over to the door and opens it. Wooly falls over on his back. “Oh… whoops. Hi Amanda…” he chuckles nervously. 

“Wooly!” Riley gasps, “You’re still here?” Riley suddenly panics, noticing Amanda looking angry. Really angry. 

“ONE TAPE! ONE FLIPPING TAPE WOOLY! THAT’S ALL I ASKED OF YOU!” Amanda screams, “YOU ACT LIKE THIS EVERY SINGLE TIME! Whenever you want some time to yourself it’s fiiiiine, you can just sneak off without me- but for the love of apples when I wanna have some me-time it’s the end of the world!” Wooly just stands there, kind of stunned. He doesn’t look like he knows what to say, he just looks… kind of angry. 

“Let’s talk about boundaries!” Riley interjects trying to stop another potential feud between them. They are just like siblings I swear. Amanda catches on, she takes a deep breath. 

“It is very important to respect people’s boundaries!” Amanda instructs. “You see, boundaries are rules we set with our friends and family to let them know how we like to be treated!” Amanda starts poking Wooly’s arm. 

“Amanda… Amanda what are you- stop that!” Wooly snaps. Amanda stops poking him.

“See, Wooly told me to stop. He’s setting a boundary.” Amanda explains, “And now I am respecting that boundary. When our boundaries don’t get respected, it can make us very upset. It’s important to explain our boundaries so we don’t get in fights.” Amanda turns to Wooly. “Wooly, I asked you if I could have some alone-time with Riley today. I really wanted to just be left alone. I was setting my boundaries. When you kept coming in and interrupting us, it made me very mad. Can you not do that please?” 

“Ok-okay…” Wooly mumbles awkwardly, rubbing his arm. “I’m sorry…”

“Why did you keep coming in, Wooly?” Riley asks. Wooly seems a bit embarrassed by this question. 

“I just felt… kind of left out and… I’m not really used to having time to myself… I just got… kind of bored… and restless…” 

“You could clean the house.” Amanda suggested. “Plenty of people clean when they’re bored.” 

“But… nothing’s messy.” 

“Then make things messy.” 

“That sounds… wrong.” 

“Look Wooly, I don’t know what to tell you. All I know is that I really want to be left alone right now. Could you please respect that?” Amanda pleads. Wooly nods and leaves the room sadly. Amanda closes the door behind him. 

“You know you could’ve just invited him to draw with us.” 

“No. I’m putting my foot down. I’m setting a boundary.” 

“Good for you Amanda.” Riley says in a congratulatory way. She smiles and returns to coloring in her picture. 

“I didn’t ask you many questions this episode huh?”

“That’s fine.” Riley shrugs. Amanda quietly sits there coloring and Riley resumes their coloring. It’s a peaceful quiet shared between two friends enjoying an activity together. Amanda seems to enjoy this quite a lot, as she is smiling the entire time. Eventually, both their pictures were done. 

“Well you already knew what I drew! It’s all of us! When we escape! Far away from anywhere where Hameln could ever hurt us…” 

“I guess we had the same idea…” Riley smirks, showing their picture close to the screen. “It’s me and Sophie giving you and Wooly a big hug when we get you out of there.” 

“Aww Riley…” Riley couldn’t see her face, but they could hear the happiness in her voice. “I like spending time with you… if… so… when you go promise me you’ll stay safe okay?”

“I promise.”

“Good… and if we can’t escape. Could you just… keep watching the tapes? Keep spending time with us forever… I know it’s a lot to ask.” Riley pulls the picture away and sees Amanda crying a bit. 

“Of course I will. I’d love to.”

“Let’s hang these up.” She smiles tearfully. Before they leave the room Amanda wipes her tears and shouts: “Wooly! I’m done drawing, do you wanna see?” 

“Uuuuh… I’m having a bubble bath right now, maybe later.” 

“You better not use all my bubble bath.” Amanda responds. An awkward silence is heard. 

“Um… enjoy your time with Riley Amanda… I uh… got an errand to run…” 

“One of these days I’m going to drown that sheep.” Amanda grumbles to Riley. The tape changes to the kitchen, where Amanda takes out the drawings from her sketchbook and hangs them up. There are more drawings than what she showed to Riley. There’s one of Amanda and Wooly holding hands in front of a big open door. She doesn’t explain that one. “Thanks for hanging out with me today Riley. Come back soon.” 

“I will.” Riley says. Amanda smiles at them and the tape ends, falling out of the VCR. The title has changed to “Let’s Talk About Boundaries.” Riley turns around and finds two pictures on the table. The one they drew… and Amanda’s picture that says: To Riley and Sophie. Love, Amanda. Under it is the next tape Stargazing. Riley heads upstairs and hangs the picture on Sophie’s fridge. 

“So… how did it go?” 

“We had to teach Wooly a lesson about boundaries before Amanda tried to kill him again.”

“Oh so you can be a responsible adult sometimes then.” 

“Shut up.” Riley laughs. 

“What cute pictures. Amanda drew this one?” 

“Yeah… I don’t know how she managed to give it to me though. I just turned around and it was there… She also changed the episode title.”

“Interesting… I’ll have to write that down in my notebook.” 

“Yeah.” 

“Riley? Do you have to go?” Sophie asks, hugging Riley from behind. 

“This lead… could change everything. It’s… remember when Amanda said that Kate almost found a way for them to leave?” 

“Didn’t we confirm that it won’t work?” 

“Yeah but it was close right? If we find out exactly what that is… we might be able to find a better solution ourselves…” 

“And what’s the end goal here?” 

“Get them out of there…”  

“And defeat Hameln?” 

“I’m going to be honest… I don’t think we can.” 

“Riley…” 

“I mean… Kate and her friend’s couldn’t beat them. Sam couldn’t. The police… the media… Sophie… this cult has existed since the middle ages… thousands of people probably tried to stop them… if they couldn’t… I doubt we could. I just want us to be safe.” 

“So… what’s the plan?”

“Get Amanda and Wooly out of the tapes… even if it means that the most we can do is just free their souls… and the souls of the other kids if we can. Best case scenario we find a way so that Hameln can never do this to anyone again… but defeat Hameln… no… I think it’s best to be as realistic about this as possible.” 

“I guess you’re right.” 

“I think this is the best we can do…” Riley sighs, Sophie looks at them with worry. “We can stop if you want.” 

“What?!” 

“Do you want to give up?” Riley asks, “I don’t want to force you… force us… into danger if you don’t want it.” 

“Riley… but what about Amanda…?” Sophie questions. Riley looks at her sadly. 

“I… I don’t know… I don’t know what to do… I want to help her but…” they glance at Amanda’s picture and the tears start running down. “I don’t know if I can…” Sophie bites her lip. 

“Hey… it’s okay. We will find a way…” Sophie says softly, “And I’ll be right here with you… through it all…” she glances at the calendar. “Actually, why don’t you stay here? I have no work this weekend. You finish the tapes… I’ll go look into that lead for you.” 

“But Sophie-”

“These people all knew me through my mom… but Hameln doesn’t. I won’t be in any danger… and I won’t have to worry about you.”

“It’s just a day Sophie-” 

“Exactly… look at you… look how tired you are.” Sophie claps Riley’s face in her hands, “Let me be a part of this.”  

“Sophie…” 

“Besides… I’m waaaay better at research than you.” She grins, dangling her notebook in Riley’s face. “I’ll be back tomorrow night. Promise. You get some rest… play with Amanda some more. She needs you.” 

“I need you.” Riley responds. Sophie just smiles and gives Riley a kiss on the forehead. 

“This too shall pass. Now let’s watch those secret tapes and see what we can find.” 

Authors Note: Riley is still the main character after all. Guess what? I made an apple pie today :3

Next Tape:

[sjyzip]

ᯓ ✈︎ paradise found .ᐟ ˎˊ˗

⤷ 9. busted📍

wc: 913

warnings: swearing

“you can do it, you can do it” was all jake could hear at the moment, he was trying to hype himself up to actually go and talk to you and say the truth before things got out of control and also before riki ended up bankrupt.

jake took a deep breath and left his hotel room. walking down the hallway to get to the elevator, while he waited for the elevator to arrive he was repeating your room number in his head as if somehow he stopped doing it he would immediately forget. “406, 406, 406…” once the elevator arrived he pressed the fourth floor button and waited for the doors to close. the elevator ride seemed a bit longer this time, even if it was a pretty short ride of just three floors, it felt incredibly long this time but jake ignored it, thinking his nerves were acting up.

the elevator doors opened, signaling the arrival at the fourth floor, he left the elevator and looked around the hallways before turning left to get to your hotel room. once he finally got to your hotel room he started to doubt this whole thing “what if she gets mad at me? what if she thinks me and riki are some kind of weirdos?” But he left all his doubts behind and knocked on your door. he anxiously waited for a response until the door, eventually, creaked open, except it wasn’t the response he expected.

“hey! you’re that guy!” a red haired girl pointed at him. “uh i don’t know, i guess so?” jake replied a bit confused. “yeah you are! the dog-“ yunjin said before being cut off from inside the room “never mind, so what do you need?” yunjin asked jake. “oh actually can i talk to y/n? I need to clear something up” jake said while rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. “oh yeah sure! let me get her” yunjin said before backing out a little bit and then shouting your name. you appeared a few seconds later, fixing your clothes after sitting down for a long time. when you appeared, jake smiled softly unconsciously, well at least that’s what yunjin thought.

“oh hi! didn’t expect to see you here” you said while glaring yunjin to get the message that she should give you two some privacy. “so what did you want to talk about? is it about that day..?” you asked, remembering the awkward encounter you both had. “oh no it’s not about that, it’s actually about your.. secret admirer” he said, lowering his voice after every word till the last words were just some whispers. “OH! Are you my secret admirer? well woah, I’m flattered actually-“ you started rambling like you always did before jake cut you off. “not really, I mean yes?? I picked the gift, riki bought it so-“ jake rambled too before you cut him off, totally shocked.

“YOU PICKED THE GIFT?? AND RIKI BOUGHT IT??” you shouted in confusion, looking at him bewildered. “yes and yes but let me explain first pleaseee?” he asked with a small smile before proceeding anyways. “the thing is.. when riki asked for your room number it was actually for.. me! FOR NOTHING WEIRD BY THE WAY! I just liked talking to you that day on the beach and wanted to be your friend” he clarified, slightly embarrassed about revealing the true reason for riki getting your room number.

“Oh! yeah that makes sense, but what about the secret admirer?” you asked him again “okay so riki is a terrible liar! And he made a terrible lie with the secret admirer thing instead of just telling the truth, which I apologize for, he’s a little weird sometimes” he giggled before continuing. “And the gift.. I can’t really explain the gift, I just looked the bag and said it was cute but when I saw the bag up close and i noticed the price, I literally gasped and riki just went with it and bought a thousand dollar bag” he said, jokingly disappointed in him. “well, thanks for clarifying the whole thing and also thanks for the bag, it’s pretty cute, you got a pretty good taste” you said with a smile.

“yeah? well.. you’re welcome” he nodded with a small, shy smile as he spoke. “hey, you said you wanted to be my friend right?” you asked him. “uh yeah I did” he nodded again. “well can you give me your phone? I’ll give you my number” you said as you looked at his phone in his hand. “my phone? oh sure, take it” he agreed, a bit bewildered before unlocking it so you could give him your number. you wrote your number carefully before handing him his phone back. “there you go! I think we’ll be good friends” you giggled. “yeah I also think that, see you around?” he said as he put his phone in his pocket. “see you around” you repeated with a nod as you closed your room door.

jake stared for a while at the closed door in front of him before snapping off his thoughts and turning around to head back to the elevator. he knew that if he told his friends about this he would get teased for it but he didn’t really care now cause he was surprisingly in a good mood after clarifying the whole situation like if a weight got lifted from his shoulders.

previous masterlist next

taglist: @domfikeluva, @keylimejake , @starry-eyed-bimbo, @rairaiblog , @tkooooop , @right-person-wrong-time

[bluenerdtastemaker]

The Equation of Us

University AU - Nerd!Yuki × GoldenBoy!Pierre | 1.3K [feat. My OC :3]

Yuki Tsunoda’s life was methodical, quiet, and neatly tucked away from attention. He liked it that way. For him, every day followed the same rhythm: classes, study sessions, a quick meal from the convenience store, and a late-night dive into whatever academic rabbit hole he was chasing. He thrived in his solitude, finding solace in the order of equations and the comforting predictability of routine.

But there was one part of his life he couldn’t quite control: Pierre Gasly.

Pierre was chaos wrapped in effortless charm. He was the golden boy of the university—athletic, wildly popular, and annoyingly magnetic. Star of the football team, life of the party, and a staple of campus gossip, Pierre was everything Yuki avoided.

To make things worse, Pierre was dating Hana, Yuki’s best friend.

It wasn’t that Yuki didn’t love Hana—she was the one person who always had his back, who made him laugh when he took life too seriously. But watching her with Pierre set his teeth on edge. They were the “it couple” of the university, and everyone adored them together. It made sense, in a way. Hana was the female equivalent of Pierre: athletic, confident, and always at the center of attention.

But Yuki hated it. Not because it made sense, but because he wanted Pierre for himself.

---

Hana wasn’t blind.

She noticed the way Yuki’s eyes lingered on Pierre when he thought no one was looking. She saw the tension in Yuki’s jaw whenever Pierre laughed a little too loudly at one of her jokes. And she saw the way Pierre’s gaze softened whenever it landed on Yuki, even if he pretended otherwise.

Which was why she wasn’t particularly surprised when her relationship with Pierre fizzled out.

“It just wasn’t working,” she said, flopping onto Yuki’s bed one evening.

Yuki paused mid-sentence, his pen hovering over his notes. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I broke up with him,” Hana said, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“You—what?” Yuki blinked, his brain struggling to process. “Why?”

“Because,” Hana said, sitting up, “I like someone else. A girl.”

Yuki stared at her, unsure whether to feel relieved or confused. “Okay… and you’re telling me this because…?”

“Because you’ve been sulking every time Pierre and I were together,” she said bluntly. “And now you don’t have to.”

“I don’t sulk,” Yuki muttered, looking away.

“You do,” Hana countered with a grin. “And now that I’m not in the way, you can do something about it.”

Yuki’s face burned. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, come on, Yuki. Everyone knows you have a thing for him,” Hana said, poking his arm. “Even Pierre knows. He just doesn’t know what to do about it.”

Yuki rolled his eyes. “This is ridiculous.”

“Maybe,” Hana said, standing up and grabbing her bag. “But you’ll thank me later.”

---

By Saturday evening, Yuki was beginning to regret everything.

Hana had insisted he come to a party—one of Pierre’s parties, no less—and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“You can’t keep hiding forever,” she said, dragging him to her dorm an hour before the party.

“I’m not hiding,” Yuki argued as she rummaged through her closet.

“You’re hiding,” Hana said without looking up. “And tonight, we’re changing that.”

Before Yuki could protest further, Hana shoved a black top and a pair of slim-fitting pants into his arms.

“Put these on,” she said.

Yuki sighed but obeyed, stepping into her bathroom to change. When he emerged, Hana’s eyes lit up.

“Okay, roll up the sleeves,” she instructed, circling him like a hawk.

Yuki frowned but complied, pushing the sleeves up to just below his elbows.

“Holy shit,” Hana said, staring at his forearms. “Why have you been hiding these?”

“Hiding what?” Yuki asked, genuinely confused.

“Your arms!” Hana exclaimed, grabbing his wrist and holding it up. “You’ve been working out, haven’t you?”

“Maybe a little,” Yuki mumbled, suddenly self-conscious.

Hana grinned. “Well, they’re going to drive Pierre nuts.”

Before Yuki could respond, she pulled out a container of hair gel.

“Sit,” she said, gesturing to the chair at her desk.

“What are you doing?” Yuki asked warily.

“Fixing your hair,” she said, already running her fingers through his thick black locks.

After a few minutes of fussing, she stepped back, handing him a pair of rimless glasses to replace his usual thick frames.

“Perfect,” she said, studying him like a proud artist admiring their masterpiece.

“I look ridiculous,” Yuki muttered, glancing at his reflection.

“You look amazing,” Hana corrected, pulling out one last accessory: a pair of simple silver earrings.

Yuki hesitated but eventually let her put them in.

When she was finished, Yuki barely recognized himself.

The black top hugged his frame perfectly, accentuating his lean muscles. His hair was styled just enough to look deliberate without being overdone. And the earrings added a subtle edge to his usually understated look.

“You’re going to break hearts tonight,” Hana said with a smirk.

“I’d rather stay home,” Yuki grumbled, but Hana was already dragging him out the door.

---

The party was in full swing by the time they arrived, the bass of the music vibrating through Yuki’s chest.

He stuck close to Hana at first, clutching a soda like a lifeline. But even in the crowded room, he could feel a pair of eyes on him.

He looked up—and there was Pierre, standing across the room.

Pierre froze, his drink halfway to his lips.

Yuki quickly looked away, pretending not to notice. But the intensity of Pierre’s gaze lingered, making Yuki’s skin tingle.

---

Pierre prided himself on keeping his cool. As the campus golden boy, he was used to attention. But seeing Yuki like this? He was completely thrown.

Yuki, in that fitted black top that showed off lean muscles Pierre hadn’t even known existed. Yuki, with his styled hair and those earrings that sparkled under the lights.

He was stunning.

And Pierre hated how much it affected him.

“Go talk to him,” Hana said, appearing beside him with a smirk.

Pierre blinked. “What?”

“You’ve been staring at him for ten minutes,” she said. “Go talk to him.”

Pierre hesitated, but before he could think too much, he was already moving.

---

“Hey,” Pierre said, leaning against the wall next to Yuki.

Yuki glanced up, his expression neutral. “Hi.”

“You look…” Pierre trailed off, struggling for words. “You look different.”

Yuki raised an eyebrow. “Is that a bad thing?”

“No,” Pierre said quickly. “You look… good.”

Yuki’s cheeks flushed, but he quickly masked it with a scoff.

“Thanks, I guess,” he muttered.

They stood in silence for a moment, the noise of the party buzzing around them.

“I never see you at these things,” Pierre said, trying to fill the awkward silence.

“Not my scene,” Yuki replied.

“Then why’d you come?” Pierre asked, his eyes searching Yuki’s face.

Yuki hesitated. “Hana made me.”

Pierre chuckled, but there was something in his gaze that made Yuki’s stomach flip.

“Do you really hate me?” Pierre asked suddenly.

Yuki frowned. “What?”

“I feel like you avoid me,” Pierre said softly. “Like I did something wrong.”

Yuki’s breath caught in his throat. “You didn’t…”

“Then why?” Pierre pressed, taking a step closer.

Yuki looked away, his heart pounding. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me,” Pierre said, his voice low.

Yuki swallowed hard, forcing himself to meet Pierre’s eyes. “Because I like you, okay? And watching you with Hana was torture.”

Pierre stared at him, stunned.

“Say something,” Yuki whispered, his voice barely audible over the music.

Instead of answering, Pierre leaned in, his lips brushing against Yuki’s in a kiss that was soft, hesitant, and utterly electrifying.

---

The world seemed to fade around them as they kissed, the music and chatter of the party dissolving into white noise.

When they finally pulled apart, Pierre rested his forehead against Yuki’s.

“I broke up with Hana because I wanted to be with you,” he admitted, his voice trembling. “I just didn’t know how to say it.”

Yuki’s heart swelled, a mix of relief and disbelief washing over him.

“Well,” he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. “You figured it out.”

Pierre grinned, pulling him in for another kiss.

Across the room, Hana watched with a satisfied smirk, raising her glass in a silent toast to a job well done.

[inquisimer]

wip wednesday

been a HOT minute since I did one of these, but my brain is spinning with [redacted] number of Veilguard fics, so I'm back with a vengeance, and a snippet from my beefed up Ossuary reunion for Arlow & Lucanis >:] I just think he should have been a little more fucked up about it all, tbh

tagging forward to @crabs-with-sticks | @shivunin | @dreadfutures | @queenaeducan | and @rosella-writes!

He was thinner and gaunter, cheeks sunken around the unkempt beard. Grime and sweat clung to his skin and she did not need to see beneath his ragged robes to know that he had as many new scars as he did split ends. A flash of anger briefly interrupted her relief, but underneath the toll this last year had taken were the familiar dips and planes of her best friend. “It’s really you,” she said, slipping into Antivan as she ran her hands up and down his arms. The moment was tenuous and she feared that if she stopped touching him, he would disappear back into grief-stricken memory. “You’re here, you’re here, and you’re alive.” For all the joy rushing through her, that edge of wariness hadn’t left his face. It clung to his furrowed brow and the longer it did, the faster Arlow’s smile faded into trepidation. “Arlow,” he murmured again, then closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. “I want to believe you are real, and if you are, I’m sorry, but I cannot be sure unless—“ A splitting pain burst through Arlow’s head as Lucanis smashed his brow into hers. She released him and stumbled back, hand catching at her temple. Stars danced across her vision and she swallowed bile that rose in her throat—it had not been that long since Solas’ ritual, and her head did not take so well to another impact so soon. The blow reverberated through her skull; dimly, she registered the crackle of the Fade at her back as the blurred shadow of Lucanis stalked forward. “Hey!” A wall of ice sprayed between the two Crows, stopping Lucanis in his tracks. He stared at Neve over Arlow’s shoulder. “I don’t know you,” he said. “You’re about to, if you don’t back off.” A featherlight touch brushed the back of Arlow’s neck and a surge of healing rolled through her. “You good, Rook?” “Fine,” she ground out, pushing back to her feet with a glare. “What the fuck, Lucanis?” He was still staring at Neve, mouth slightly parted. The wariness had vanished, replaced by confusion. If she didn’t know the exact move he’d used, Arlow might have thought he dazed himself in his attack. “I don’t know you,” he repeated, “which means that she could not have plucked out out of my memories, which means that you—“ His eyes flicked to Arlow, and she recognized them immediately. They looked exactly the way hers had since they left the Diamond. Hopeful, and utterly afraid of that hope. “You’re real,” he whispered. “You’re really here. Arlow—“ He staggered forward and Neve raised her staff, but Arlow held up a hand. “Let him through, Neve.” “Rook—“ “Dispel it, or I’ll do it for you.” “Fine, but if you die I’m taking you to Nevarra, because I will not be the one explaining it to Lace.”

[hopeintheashes]

He’s not actually sure why Chim facetimed him rather than texting. As far as he can tell, there was nothing particularly pressing that Chim needed to ask him; but really, they hadn’t gotten that far. He’d answered, and Chim had taken one look at him and asked if he was okay. Buck had shaken his head, meaning don’t ask, but Chim’s eyes had gone even more worried than before and he’d said, “Come over for dinner,” and Buck had been too overwhelmed to do anything other than nod.

Dinner helped, being with Jee, center of attention and light of the room, but now she’s in bed listening to Maddie read her a story and Buck’s head is pounding with the heartbeat of never, never, never again.

“Spill.”

Buck blinks up at Chim from his spot on the couch.

“You didn’t bring baked goods, which means whatever's wrong isn't about Tommy. So, I repeat: Spill.”

Buck opens his mouth to protest and closes it again. Chim raises his eyebrows expectantly.

“It’s… a secret,” Buck says finally, which certainly doesn’t make Chim’s eyebrows go down.

“What’s a secret?” Maddie turns off the hallway light behind her and comes through into the living room. Sits down beside him on the couch.

“Why Buck looks like the world’s about to end.”

Maddie’s eyes go soft. “Hey, you’re keeping our secret. We can keep yours.”

“It’s not mine.” Eyes down. Watching his hands shake. Wondering when that started. Eddie’s kitchen, probably. And then just never stopped.

“Buck…” Maddie slides closer on the couch, a hand on his shoulder. So gentle it’s going to shatter him.

“Eddie’s moving to Texas.” He says it fast, like that will make it hurt less. Like it will make up for the fact that he’s pretty sure he wasn’t supposed to tell. “Effective immediately.” He swallows. His mouth is dry. Tastes like ash. “And he’s probably never coming back.”

“He’s…” Chim, trying to catch up. “Oh. Fuck.”

“Evan,” Maddie whispers, and that’s what breaks him. He's angrily swiping away tears because this isn’t– he shouldn’t–

Maddie pulls him into a hug, and he turns his face into her sweater and sobs.

. . .

Later, Maddie leads him to the guest bedroom and sits on top of the covers and strokes his hair like she did when he was little. He doesn't have any tears left, just a pins-and-needles numbness that covers him like an extra blanket in the dark. “Sleep,” she says, and Chim nods in agreement from the door.

. . .

He wakes up aching. The dark outside the windows is just starting to lift into pre-dawn light, the birds starting to sing. They shouldn’t be singing. They should know that there's a chasm growing by the moment, somewhere in the desert between here and Texas, and that it's going to swallow him whole.

His head is splitting but he has to pee, so he stumbles out of the warmth of bed into the freezing air outside the covers. When he comes out of the bathroom, Chim is leaning in the hall, comfortable in short sleeves even as Buck shivers inside his thick hoodie, completely unable to get warm.

Buck blinks at him in confusion and pain, and Chim sighs and presses the backs of his fingers to Buck’s forehead; slips a hand under his hood to feel the back of Buck’s neck. “Yeah, I was afraid of that,” Chim says, but it’s more to himself than anything else, and he presses his palm against Buck’s shoulder blades and leads him back to the guest room.

“How…” Buck whispers, and Chim gently pushes him back toward his bed.

“Maddie told me,” Chim says, and god, this family and secrets, “but also, I’ve known you a long time, Buck. You get a feeling for these things.”

He'd googled it, once. Whether stress fevers were a real thing. Eddie had laughed a little; had ghosted a hand over his hair and rearranged the blanket draped over him where he was lying on Eddie’s couch. Not sure what you’d call this if it’s not real, he’d said, and Buck had replied, Just being broken, I guess. He’d kinda-sorta meant it as a joke but it didn’t land, Eddie working his lip between his teeth with worried eyes, and Buck had shivered and closed his eyes and Eddie had worked his fingers into Buck’s curls and sat next to him on the couch until he’d fallen asleep.

Eddie’s not gone yet, but he’s getting on a plane in the morning. Making a long weekend of it, using a personal day for the one shift he’s going to miss.

And maybe he'll come back and say goodbye, but then he’ll be gone forever.

He wonders whether they've invented a surgery yet for this kind of hole in your heart.

“It’s not forever,” Chim says quietly, sitting on the side of his bed like Maddie had done last night. Like he can read his mind.

“You don’t know that.” He’s trembling, fever chills and the effort of trying to hold them back, jaw clenched to keep his teeth from chattering, wrapped in blankets and freezing cold.

“But I know Eddie. And I sure as hell know you.” Chim watches him for a moment, and then sighs again, quiet, and tells him to scootch over, and lays down beside him, on top of the covers on the bed.

He wonders, sometimes, what it would have been like if Daniel had lived. What having an older brother would have been like.

Maybe like this.

Maybe not.

They lie there until the first true light filters in and little feet come running down the hall. Jee barrels in and Chim sweeps her up onto the bed to take his place. “Keep your uncle Buck company, I’m gonna make some coffee.”

“Okay.” Jee wriggles around like an inchworm until she’s under the covers as well and kicks her feet happily in the warmth.

He hears the coffee start, and Chim reappears with water and painkillers. “What do you think, Jee, should we keep Buck for today?”

“We should keep him forever!” Jee says, feet kicking again.

“We’ve got you,” Chim says. Maddie appears behind him and wraps her arms around his waist, chin on his shoulder.

“Got you,” Jee echoes, snuggling into his side.

He can’t speak, but he nods, swallows, blinks, and nods again.

The sun slips further into the room. The birds are singing, and he can't stop it no matter how hard he tries.

Chim and Maddie go into the kitchen to pour their coffee, and Jee wraps both of her arms around one of his.

“Got you,” she says again.

He swallows, and nods, and kisses her hair. A bird perches on their window, silhouetted for a moment, and flies off into the day.  

. . .

. . .

[thefvrious]

Sam rolled his tongue around his mouth, watching Louis, listening to him. He didn’t particularly love the things that the other young man was saying, but he understood them. Hell, he could see himself saying them to someone else. But it was different when you were the one who had to hear the harsh truths. Setting his jaw, he jutted his chin out and looked at Louis. “I’m definitely not falling for you.” He said it with conviction, but he wasn’t certain it was true. He had no idea at all what was happening to him where Louis was concerned, only that he found himself wanting more and more. “You mean we’re not friends?” His tone was cold, perhaps cruel, but that was how Sam reacted when things didn’t go his way. Sighing, he leaned back on the bed and studied Louis. “I don’t know what I want, so just forget I had a crisis. I’m prone to neuroses and crises, you know this, just blow it off like any other old time and stick around for a little while longer.” Maybe that was what it was, just another crisis, just another confusion. Maybe, if he didn’t pay it any mind, it’d go away, he could shove it all down with all the other feelings he didn’t care to look at too closely.

"You have me." Louis spoke and in a sense the words weren't a complete lie. The two had been fooling around and doing whatever it was that they were doing for the past few months now. "So I don't understand what the issue is here." He spoke. They had been in agreement at the beginning. That they were both to fucked up to actually give themselves to another person but it sure was nice not to sleep alone every night. "I was content with this." He spoke gesturing between the both of them. "You're the one who suddenly start to have an existential crisis on my ass and now I don't know what I'm alright with." He admitted "I mean I don't necessarily want to stop whatever this is between us but I don't want you getting any ideas that it's anything more than sex." He spoke. Perhaps it was a harsh way of putting it but he didn't feel that way when it was the agreement that they had settled upon. "I mean fuck Sam if you're like actually falling for me here that's not something that I can fuck with."