#I mean he would’ve been so proud on his first day of school with all the car/ferrari stuff

[luv4fushi]

HEYYY🦅

I really likes your megumi drabble. HE SO CUTE😭😭 i kinda wish you write more megumi 🩷

megumi fluff (?) and angst at your service! sorry it took FOREVER i had 478274 exams these past few weeks ughhh sorry & ily thx for the req ~~~

he likes me, he likes me not

jjk fushiguro megumi x fem!reader

all megumi fushiguro does is apologize when he rejects you. everything changes because of your confession.

content: angst, fluff if you squint, all characters aged up to 17-18!!!, misunderstandings, confessions, eventual relationship!, megumi is so bad at feelings, ooc megumi a little sorry, takes place at jujutsu tech high school and shibuya has NEVER happened so life is good, yuji and nobara are your besties

wc: 5.1k

click on my masterlist for more!

“i like you.”

for a moment, the world stills. everything comes to a halt.

megumi is sitting across from you at your favorite cafe, just down the street from tokyo jujutsu high, the school you’ve been attending for nearly two years now.

in that short amount of time, you’ve grown into a person you think the past you would’ve liked. you’re taller now, more fit and lean. you’ve got bounds of experience from your missions piled on your shoulders, the unwavering burden of being a jujutsu sorcerer making itself at home.

you’ve grown in other ways, too. you’re stronger now, you’ve got a good hold on your emotions. you haven’t seen your parents in months, but the sting doesn’t hurt anymore. you’re wiser. older. you’ve got a handle on your feelings.

then there’s megumi fushiguro.

oh, how enamored you’d been.

he’d spared no glance when he first met you. you had trudged into the classroom, eyes darting at the unfamiliar faces. gojo satoru, the undeniably handsome teacher of yours, introduced you brightly albeit the low energy of the room.

you had weaved your way into the jujutsu world, just as you had been able to slither your way into the lives of your newfound friends.

but megumi, oh, megumi fushiguro.

it had taken you laborious months to befriend the raven haired boy. his uninviting attitude hindered your relationship with him for some time, and you had half-heartedly decided to pursue something else, but your near death experience during a particularly difficult mission with him had sent him reeling. he had held onto you the entire time you cried for your mother.

you don’t talk about that day. he doesn’t mention it, either.

“what?” his eyes, dark blue, blink in surprise. his lips are parted slightly. “what did you say?”

your throat constricts. then, the words flow: “i’m in love with you.”

love. it’s too strong of a word. you’re not even quite sure what it means, or if what you feel is actually love.

the cafe begins to bustle with life again. the barista from behind the counter steams some milk—almond—and she glances up at a customer approaching. the music from the overhead speakers filters it’s way softly into your ears. it’s a cheesy love song, and you can’t help but feel like it isn’t the right time for that.

“are you serious?” he says, almost spitting out his drink.

“i mean,” you shrug, “yeah? i wouldn’t bring you all the way out here to fuck with you.”

he blinks again. his lashes flutter perfectly. it’s annoying how perfect he is. there’s a slight hue of pink to his cheeks, but not enough to confirm anything—just speculation.

“i’m sorry,” he begins, breathing it out all in one go. “i’m really sorry.”

if you’re being honest with yourself, you’d seen it coming from a mile away; megumi fushiguro is different. he’s got the composure of a brick wall. the perpetual frown on his face never, ever leaves, not even when he’s with you. he doesn’t crack, doesn’t shake. his soul is hardened from things that he’ll never speak of with you.

“it’s okay,” you say, but it’s not.

you’ve changed—grown into a person you’re proud of, but you’re still stuck sometimes. you’re still a pushover. still just a small shrimp in the vast ocean. still apologizing for your existence.

“i’m sorry,” megumi repeats.

you know he’s apologetic, that he really means it, just from the way his brows furrow slightly. you know him too well for your own good. you don’t think he can say the same about you.

“it’s fine.” your voice breaks. you duck your head in embarrassment. rejection has never hurt you this badly. “you don’t have to apologize for not liking me back. it’s not your fault.”

you wonder why you’re comforting him when he’s the one who has ripped your heart out completely.

“i’m gonna head back,” he mumbles out, hesitating to reach out and dab away your tears with the napkin he’s been wringing around his thin fingers. “you… should come, too.”

you shake your head. “i think i’m gonna finish my coffee.”

he offers a smile. “you can finish mine as well, if you’d like.”

“nah,” you say, scrunching your nose through watery eyes, “black coffee isn’t really my thing.”

“yeah.” his laugh is soft, almost forced, but you can tell it’s genuine. “i know.”

oh, you think. it really hurts.

he knows.

something inside you snaps. your lungs feel itchy. your ribs squeeze. you think that it would’ve been easier to never say anything at all.

megumi leaves the store. the jingle of the bell above the frame rings through the air. you’re left with your cold cup of coffee and megumi’s cup across from you.

the barista gives you a look of pity. you chug down your drink and chug his, too.

it’s bitter.

-☆

megumi arrives to his dorm exactly five minutes after four pm. he slips off his sweater and changes into a pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt. his mind is blank, except for the image of your teary eyes.

he swallows nervously. maybe he’ll sleep it off.

“yo, megumi.” yuji slams himself against the door impatiently. “how’d it go?”

megumi sighs, the irritation swiftly making its way into his fatigued body. he opens the door and yuji tumbles in without an invitation.

“what are you talking about?” megumi mutters with another sigh.

“the confession,” yuji says matter-of-factly.

megumi stares. “you knew?”

yuji’s smile slowly removes itself from his lips. “…yeah? it was pretty obvious.”

“what was obvious?”

“that she likes you…?” yuji tilts his head. “and you like her back, right? so i figured you guys would be all cuddled up in here.”

megumi doesn’t say anything. the gears in yuji’s head begin to turn as he looks around the room, noticing the comfy attire megumi has on.

“you said that you liked her back… right?” he raises an eyebrow. “because it’s not a secret that you do.”

“i left.”

“you left her there?!”

“i didn’t know what else to do.”

“so you said ‘yes, i’d like to be your boyfriend’ and then dipped out on her?”

“i didn’t say yes.”

yuji pauses. he looks at megumi, then at the made bed, then back at megumi.

“for fuck’s sake,” he groans, running his hands through his pink hair. “i’m gonna go.”

megumi stands there, appalled. the door is shut harshly and the hinges squeak. he’ll have to scold yuji about that later. for now, he wants to take a nap.

maybe he’ll feel better about everything when he wakes up.

-☆

on the other side of the building reserved for dorms, yuji crosses his way into the girls’ section. it still feels wrong no matter how many times he’s made this trip before.

he meets you on the way there. you’re dragging your feet, headphones strapped on your head, and lips quivering.

“hey,” he calls out, tapping your shoulder. “you okay?”

he waits until you hang the silver headphones on your neck. they���re megumi’s, he realizes as he sees the fading stickers on the metal plate.

“hm?”

“you okay?” he asks again. his eyes scan you for any signs of distress, and he can practically see it radiating off of you.

“yeah,” you hum, “i’m cool.”

“want me to grab nobara?” he suggests with a grin.

“sure,” you say.

the sun feels hot on your back. you hate the way the school is so widespread for having such a small population.

“i can grab some ice cream,” yuji rambles. “and i’ll get us a notebook so we can write shitty things about megumi.”

you pat him on his back, but his sturdy body almost sends you flying backwards. he catches your wrist just before you fall, and he’s laughing at your expression with glee.

“you’re so funny,” he says through his fit of laughter. “you’ve gotten scrawnier. you needa eat more! i’ll get us snacks, too.”

you pout. “shut up, yuji. not everyone can be as buff as you and todo.”

“oh, todo is a whole different story.”

“tell me about it,” you say, playfully rolling your eyes. “i’ve seen him beat you up into a pulp.”

“hey! in my defense,” yuji says, his hands coming up to the sides of his ears, “i couldn’t do much against him!”

you’re nearing nobara’s dorm, which is right across from your own. you like how homey hers is compared to yours. she’s got a knack for interior design, or so she claims.

she swings the door open the moment you reach the inside of the building. you’re halfway down the hall when she sticks her head out from the frame of her room. her black roots are showing more than usual.

“how was it?” she asks once you’re close enough so that she can whisper.

you want to tell her that there’s no point in keeping it a secret. you had told yuji about your feelings far before you even mentioned to her, mainly because yuji had been your first friend at jujutsu high. megumi isn’t here, either, so there’s no reason to whisper when everyone knows.

“bad,” is all you reply with.

her eyes soften a considerable amount, an expression you’ve never seen on her face before. she takes a small breath and pulls you into her room by your arm.

you’re met with her fragrances, vanilla and strawberry—a nobara kugisaki signature scent. she had begged gojo to buy her shelves to place her k-pop albums on and sure enough, the white furniture stands proud at the far corner of the room. there are fake vines hanging from her ceiling right above her desk, where she has an organizer messily places over a few books.

“you wanna dye your hair?” she jokes, looking back at you. “my roots are coming in so we might as well dye yours while we touch up mine.”

“is orange all you have?” yuji’s nose twitches. “i don’t think she’d look good in orange.”

“gee, thanks,” you sarcastically respond.

“sorry.”

nobara clicks her tongue. “wanna unpack?”

“kinda,” you say, your body going limp once you’re at the foot of her bed. you sprawl yourself on the silky sheets and stare up at the ceiling.

“get out, yuji,” nobara demands. she doesn’t even acknowledge his downturned lips.

“i know everything already!” he whines. he shuts the door behind him with much more care than he had with megumi’s.

“still!” she insists. “i wanna have a girls’ talk.”

“i’m one of the girls.” he crosses his arms.

nobara’s shoulders sag. “fine, but you need to go buy ice cream.”

“was planning on that already,” yuji replies. he taps quickly at his phone, presumably asking gojo for his credit card.

when yuji leaves the room, he promises that he’ll get your favorite flavor. once nobara senses that his presence is completely gone, she turns to look at you.

“i’m sorry for making you confess,” she whispers. her tone is comforting, genuine, soft. she takes you into her arms and squeezes your shoulders. “i really thought he liked you back.”

“it’s not your fault,” you reply earnestly. “i chose to do it out of my own selfish feelings.”

“you can cry,” she says, patting your head. at times like this, nobara seems years wiser than you are. her touch is warm.

you bite your lower lip. “don’t wanna. i think i’ll be fine.”

“okay,” she says, and you feel her chest vibrate with the word. “you’re allowed to cry, though. megumi would’ve been a shitty boyfriend, anyway.”

all you can do is let out a watery laugh. you don’t tell her that he would’ve been an amazing lover. he would’ve taken you out on dates at your favorite places because he’s observant like that. he would’ve known your favorite foods, though he knows them even as friends. he would’ve kissed you tenderly because that’s the type of boy he is. he’s the type to love carefully, like he’s afraid he’ll lose someone forever if he doesn’t.

“i’m up for dyeing your hair,” nobara pipes up after the silence that penetrates the room. “yuji’s right, though… i don’t think orange would suit you… ha.”

you giggle. “let’s just touch up yours, yeah?”

yuji’s footsteps can be heard from outside the door when you’re a third of the way done with nobara’s roots. she complains about how long he’d taken, but there’s no real malice in her voice. he explains that he had ran into trouble obtaining gojo’s card (“i had to beg him for it!”).

the ice cream is all melted. it’s gooey and delicious and makes you smile. as you look around your friends, your crinkled eyes say more words than you ever could.

“you’re welcome,” yuji says into your ear. “you don’t have to thank us for any of this.”

-☆

the next morning comes by quicker than you want it to. you mentally prepare yourself for seeing megumi in class at eight in the morning. you haven’t made a mistake as bad as confessing your dying, unrequited love on a wednesday afternoon quite like this before.

nobara had suggested walking with you the night before, but you’d sternly told her that you could handle it. looking back, maybe you should’ve agreed with her offer.

megumi isn’t in class when you come in. he’s usually there at least five minutes before gojo starts teaching. something inside you tells you it’s because of yesterday—as much as you hate to admit it.

he walks in through the sliding doors a few minutes late, but gojo pays him no attention. megumi has privileges like that—at least, with gojo. he’s practically your teacher’s son, and though you’ve never heard of the full story, you’re well aware of gojo’s slight favoritism.

the class is short. all jujutsu sorcery classes are. they mainly consist of typical real school lessons, only because under the law, jujutsu tech is still a high school. the other, much bigger portion of class with gojo is focused on maintaining cursed energy and providing yourself with the best possible victory in battle.

when it’s over, you don’t know if you should be relieved or upset. you won’t be able to see megumi after this, assuming that he’ll avoid you for a good month or two. however, you think you’d rather die than attempt to make conversation with him.

“don’t do anything stupid,” gojo warns, signaling the end of class.

you hear yuji snicker quietly and say, “yeah, nobara.”

the bickering brings a smile to your lips. from the corner of your eye, megumi shifts in his seat.

you decide that it’s best to let the feelings marinate, as stupid as it sounds. it’s an infinitely better choice than moping around and begging megumi for a chance. you may be soft, but you’ve got pride.

“see you guys,” you announce, more to yourself than to anyone.

“alright,” yuji calls after you, “see you later.”

you can’t help but feel a little disappointed with the lack of clinging when it comes to you. your absence doesn’t seem to cause a ruckus like it does for most people. you wonder if it had been yuji retiring early; would everyone else ask him to stay a minute longer?

that’s how life is for a while.

you attend class, spar a little, and sleep. some days you go out into the city with nobara. you avoid the cafe, even though it’s your favorite. perhaps it’s because you’re still embarrassed by megumi’s rejection. on other, slower days, gojo takes you all on outings because he’s basically everyone’s replacement father.

it’s still as tense as ever between you and megumi.

the boy doesn’t make any effort to reach out. you don’t blame him, though you should. he steals small glances at you, particularly when you’re smiling and forget to cover your teeth with your hands. that’s all he takes from you, and he can’t be the only guilty one, because that’s all you give.

on this day, gojo takes you all out to the fair. it’s annual, taking place in the beginning of summer, and it’s a great way to practice forming barriers and such. the fairs always bring out a few nasty curses that need to be exorcised—the four of you are already used to being dragged out here for that sole purpose.

as if gojo knows, he sends you out in pairs. of course, you’re paired with megumi fushiguro. at first, you open your mouth to reject gojo’s demand, but you notice the way megumi doesn’t seem to care and your resolve hardens.

“it’s really awkward around you guys.” gojo pretends to act busy, flicking something from his nails. he’s got his sunglasses on and the ladies around him fawn.

“huh?” you and megumi look at him with accusing glares.

“is something going on between the two of you?”

“no,” you say almost entirely too quickly.

“right,” he drawls, a smirk forming on his face. “anyway, good luck out there. get rid of the little ones and then—i don’t know/-meet up with yuji and nobara if there are gross ones that’ll kill you.”

megumi nods. “okay.”

“this was what i was talking about,” gojo mutters as he walks off. “it’s soooo awkward…”

megumi gives you an apologetic look. “for the record, i don’t think it’s awkward.”

“it’s fine,” you say. you find that you’ve been pardoning him quite a lot. “you don’t have to lie.”

his face flushes. “i’m not.”

“i confessed to you and you don’t like me back, so there’s really no need to tiptoe around it anymore,” you rush out. “just treat me like normal. i don’t really care.”

he looks hurt, and you want to laugh.

you discover that, in those days of being alone, you’d rather megumi treat you like a friend again than be completely ignored. at least then, you’d have a part of him. at least then, he’s not slipping through the cracks of your heart, becoming a distant memory.

you want him to be anything but a memory.

“you want me to treat you like normal…?” he repeats your words. he paces himself just a few steps behind you when you begin to walk away from the conversation. “what does that mean?”

“i think you know what being friends is like,” you attempt to joke, but it comes out harsher than intended.

the fair is getting more crowded by the second. the shopkeepers are yelling out cheap deals and there are children that snake in and out of the lines of people. paper lanterns are hung at the front of tents to attract foreigners—it seems to be working because there are more people surrounding shops with lanterns than without.

megumi takes a breath. “how could i do that?”

your steps falter. “what do you mean?”

“how can i go on to treat you like normal,” he says softly, “when i know you’re in love with me?”

you bite the inside of your cheek and taste blood. “i don’t know. you’ve done it before without knowing my feelings. you can do it all over again, right?”

you look over your shoulder to see his lips part. he’s given up on the cool-guy persona. his vulnerability begins to show through the dents in his personality.

“you’re saying that you’ve liked me for that long?”

“yeah,” you admit. something about this is more freeing than you could’ve imagine. “i think i always have.”

a man shoves himself into you. he’s older with a beer belly and a scruffy beard attached to his face. he barks at you to move out of the way as he drags his young daughter through the sea of people. megumi’s warm hands come to rest on your waist, pulling you aside and closer to his toned chest.

you do your best to ignore your beating heart.

“i’m not,” megumi starts shakily, “lovable. i don’t know why you like me.”

your body goes cold. it's even worse than when he'd rejected you.

“curse,” you say, detaching his hand from your body. “i feel it around the back alley.”

the night ends. nothing is solved. you go to bed and curl into yourself.

-☆

loving megumi is weird. there’s an odd sense of comfort to it, like you’ve known him for longer than you actually have. he makes you feel safe even though he's gruff and a little mean about it. maybe that's just part of his charm, though, because it makes you love him even more.

he seems to have taken your words seriously; he starts to treat you like normal again. he doesn't avoid you anymore, and the obvious tension surrounding you two has disappeared for now. he lets you take a few of his sweaters when you forget to do your laundry and he buys you your favorite snacks sometimes.

it gets to be too much. you almost wish he'd go back to ignoring you. the grass is always greener on the other side.

summer goes by slowly. it's the prime time for bad feelings to manifest into curses. you push away your lingering feelings, convincing yourself that you've gotten over it. it's been more than enough time now, coming up on two months since you've confessed. you don't want your resentment, if you can call it that, to form any bad curses—you'd hate for them to be attached to megumi. that'd be a burden too hard to carry.

a few missions involve partnering up with megumi. gojo thinks you two work well together; there's a sort of synergy that you have with each other that is hard to come by sorcerers nowadays. you don't mind the compliments, or at least you pretend you don't.

the missions aren't difficult, but maybe that's because you've grown stronger. megumi has, too.

summer passes. it still hurts.

"you're confusing me," you whisper.

you and megumi are shopping for a surprise birthday party that gojo is forcing you guys to throw for nanami kento, a good coworker of his. you've met him more than once, and you're not really sure if he'd appreciate such a last minute party. regardless, you and megumi are tasked with finding enough balloons to fill the poor man's office.

megumi doesn't allow you to hold any of the bags. he lies and tells you that it's out of habit—nobara makes him carry her shopping bags every time they go out—but you know he's doing it just because he wants to. you're perfectly strong enough to carry a few paper bags, and he doesn't carry nobara's bags like he claims he does. megumi doesn't even go shopping with her unless yuji's there and even then, yuji holds the bags.

"sorry?"

"why are you doing this?" you refuse to look at him.

"doing what?"

"this," you say, gesturing at the two of you. "why do you act like we're close enough to do this?"

you cringe at yourself, aware of how hypocritical you're being. you had wanted this, wanted him to go back to being a friend, to treat you like he had before you went and ruined everything. why are you angry? why do your eyes well up with tears as he steps closer to you?

"we aren't close?" he asks. his arms fall to his side.

passerbys give you curious glances. he takes off his sweater, the one he always wears depsite it being humid out, and wraps it around you. the paper bags filled with confetti and paper plates are set down by your feet. he pulls the hood over your head to hide your wet eyes.

"we are," you mumble out sorely, "but not like this."

"i'm sorry," he says, and you're brought all the way back to the day you had told him about just how much you liked him.

"'s not your fault." you sound like you're trying to convince yourself and not him. "i'm being an asshole. you can forget about this."

you don't want him to feel guilty. he can't help how he feels, after all. you don't want him forcing himself to love you.

"what you said that day," he coughs out. the bags crinkle as he lifts them from the pavement. he continues, "what did you mean by 'always'?"

you squeeze your eyes shut and he pauses next to you. you can feel his soft gaze on you and you're glad you can hide behind his sweater, the cloth draping over you like an oversized blanket.

"i don't know..." you tilt your head up to look at him. he looks like the boy you think you'll always love. "i think i was doomed from the start."

"doomed?" he says, a little amused. "loving me is dooming? how sweet of you."

you need to remind yourself that he's not playing with your heart; this is how he copes—and how you cope, too. he must know you better than you had thought.

you nearly scoff. "it's because you're you. you're so good at being you that it hurts."

megumi slows. you hadn’t even noticed that he'd been guiding you down the sidewalk the entire time until now.

"i think it applies to me, too," he say quietly.

"what?"

"'always' applies to me, too." the clarification does nothing to settle your nerves.

"i don't understand," you blurt.

he gives you a look, as if to say, "really?", but he keeps talking, "i think i'm used to this feeling because it's always been there."

"what feeling?"

he shrugs. "you pissed me off when i first met you. you're really stupid, you know?"

your face morphs into an irritated expression. "thanks. you're pretty great yourself."

he laughs and it sounds like music to your ears. "i wasn't finished, dummy."

"sorry."

"you're pretty... a lot more than you think you are," he admits shyly, "and i guess that annoyed me because i kept feeling all weird around you. i got used to it, i think—that weird feeling. but it's always been here. it never left."

you stumble, tripping over your feet at megumi's statment. you don't want to interpret it the wrong way, but with how he's looking at you, you can't help but maybe think that he likes you too.

"this isn't how i wanted to tell you, but," he breathes in sharply, "i don't like it when you cry."

it's awkward. perhaps a little funny, if you really look at it, but it's megumi and you can't hate him. you'll never find it in yourself to truly hate him.

nanami's surprise birthday party isn't much of a surprise. though gojo nor nanami say it, you all know yuji is a favorite of theirs, and no one is surprised when yuji says that he had accidentally revealed the party a few hours prior.

gojo has fun. even shoko, who never shows up to any of these events because of her busy schedule as a doctor, seems to enjoy herself. nanami pretends like he's not entertained, but he has on a fond smile that looks weirdly similar to the way megumi smiles. you're all old enough to party now, as gojo puts it, so it's a little less like a classroom celebration and more like a familial one.

it's the third of july, nearly two months and a half after your confession, when megumi hints that he feels the same way about you.

you don't know what to make of it.

-☆

"i like you."

you're in the middle of getting ready to go out with nobara and her favorite upperclassman, maki, when megumi tells you he likes you back. your eyes widen and the mascara you've just finished putting on smears on your lid.

megumi hands you a makeup wipe as if he's done it a million times before. (he hasn't, but he just knows.)

"w-what?" you stutter out, your breath catching in your throat.

"it took me a while to figure that out," he says.

he's flat on your bed, covering his face with his arm. his t-shirt rises with each of his nervous movements. according to the rules set by gojo, he shouldn't even be here in your dorm. he shouldn't be on your bed and listening to your playlist through your shitty speaker gifted to you by yuji.

"are you joking around?"

"what?" he sits up and turns to you, frowning. "why would you think that?"

"is this you pitying me?"

"i just," he sighs, frustrated, "i needed to tell you before i chickened out. i meant what i said the other day, you know?"

"about you getting 'used to' the strange feeling?"

he nods and then slouches back against your pillows. if it had been any other day, you would've felt shy about sleeping in his scent.

"yeah," he says, running his slender fingers through his jet black hair. "i really did mean it. i think i just—i don't know—pushed you away because i was afraid."

you've given up on applying your makeup by now. your hands are shaking too much, anyway.

"i'm scared sometimes, too," you reply, catching his eyes in the reflection of your vanity mirror.

you see the side of his lips turn upwards. he looks as handsome as ever. he's gotten older since the first time you met him, and it hits you harder now that he's on your bed, his features sharp and his body lanky and tall. there's a sort of intimacy that you sense between the two of you.

"i'm not afraid anymore." his legs swing over the bedframe and he easily reaches the ground even though your bed is raised. "i'll be brave for the both of us."

oh.

"what do you think?" he tilts his head.

you stay home that night.

-☆

"so are you guys dating now?" yuji exclaims.

you both freeze.

"fuck off," megumi says instead of answering the question.

"god," yuji huffs out. "finally! all those peptalks and you don't even tell me that you got the girl?"

megumi blushes from beside you. neither of you had expected yuji to be awake to witness you two watching the sunrise on the hill beside the school.

"you know," yuji grumbles, "it took a lot of convincing to have you realize that you've been in love this entire time, megumi. the least you could've done was tell me."

megumi ignores him and snuggles further into you.

"why are you up so early?" you ask, shuffling underneath the blanket that is covering you and your boyfriend.

"instinct." yuji's shoulders drop, defeated. "'k, i'm gonna leave you guys to be romantic and shit up here. have fun explaining this to nobara later."

nobara almost wrings your neck out when she catches megumi holding your hand that saturday morning. she tells him that he needs to make up for the months he left you feeling sad. he says he's already forgiven, and he's not wrong (because you're weak when it comes to him, just like he's weak when it comes to you).

you think that you would've chose to love him no matter the outcome. loving him is easy like that.

a/n: oh my god. this was a word dump and not proofread. i am so sorry this took forever to come out but i ended up changing the plot like a billion times cus it wasn't good enough.. LOL. hope u enjoyed this!!! thx for making me write more megumi because i love writing him (he's been my fave character since the anime came out three years ago hehehe). ngl it was kinda rushed bc i wanted to get this out but i think it turned out fine!!!! ok thx once again ily muah xx

[ryiju-muunie]

Chocolate roses

18+ viewer discretion advised

fem!reader/toji fushiguro Warnings: aphrodisiac, divorced Toji, mama-guro POV, make-up sex, creampie, breeding kink, squirting, pussy eating, fingering, doggy style, nipple play, make out, fluff, a bit of angst, the reader is in her thirties and Toji is like forty :/ Word count: 4577 words DESC: Your ex-husband Toji shows up unannounced to surprise your kids after school! At 10 AM! And some things go down when he eats chocolate meant for a bachelorette party and not him.

PSA this is inspired by the lovely I Always Come Back by HXLTIC that I read at 3 AM. This is not proofread although my friend was reading along so we ball ^-^

When Toji Zenin showed up at your door, the first thing you wanted to do was slam it shut in his face. But… the father of your children? You couldn’t bear to do that to him. So instead you heard him out. 

“I wanted to surprise Tsumiki and Megumi when they came home from school,” was all your ex-husband said with a casual shrug of his shoulders. His shirt was black and too tight for his well-built body. That was one thing you missed, but it was too early to think about running your hands up his chest. 

Instead, you turned your head to the side to peer behind him on your porch. It was a sunny day and only 10:03 AM. School typically got out at 2:30 and knowing your kids they’d be doing all sorts of extracurriculars, pushing their arrival home back by another two hours. 

God! Why did he want to come so … early? It would be about four hours of pure torture with the man you once swore you’d devote your life to. But things were different. Your vows were broken on both ends and you weren’t proud to admit it but a lot of the fall of your marriage was your fault. You had decided to go back to work and force your husband to stay home and watch the kids. He didn’t mind he enjoyed spending his mornings watching little Gumi and Miki. 

But then you started coming home later and later, dodging his kisses and calls in favor of making money. You lost sight of your marriage and he left you for it. If you truly admitted to yourself, you missed him. You missed him so much. But how could you tell him that? It had been five years since your divorce and the last thing you could do was call him crying trying to mend it. 

Toji had his walls up and you didn’t blame him. If the roles were reversed you would’ve done the same thing. 

“I don’t know…” You trailed off, looking down at the oversized orange cardigan you had bought at a local shop a few years back, “They won’t be back until the mid-afternoon.” Your voice took an unsure tone and your hands took to mess with the ends of your knitted sweater.

Toji always liked that on you and you could tell he still did. While he had his walls up he didn’t exactly hide his gaze. It slowly trailed up your body but not in a sexual way this time. In more of a familiar way. You hadn’t stopped this long to talk to him in a few years. Every time you’d see each other you were too embarrassed to speak to him for more than a minute. I mean, your failed marriage was your fault, right?

“I think you’ve been avoiding me,” Toji rested one hand on the frame of the door and the other on the door itself, pushing it forward with one strong movement, “You don’t have to be embarrassed. It was almost six years ago, I’m over it.”

Your eyes narrowed. Was it that obvious on your face? Could he just read all the emotions coming off of you? All the shame and regret he didn’t get to see because you were too busy waving him off. 

Without saying anything else your ex-husband pushed past you and plopped himself down on your white couch, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it to the side. He stretched out his legs and arms without looking back at you. Instead, he was focused on the decorations. It had been so many years since he was invited inside. With every year more regret and shame built up in your mind, so you stopped inviting him inside. 

“Yeah just… make yourself at home,” you sighed, walking to pick up his jacket. But then you stopped yourself and let out a breath. If he said he was over it then the least you could do was make it less awkward. Offer him something to drink?

“Do you want something to drink? Tea or lemonade?” You raised an eyebrow, motioning to the open-concept kitchen you had opted for, which differed from the one you two used to share. 

The raven-haired male glanced over towards the kitchen and one-half of his mouth turned upwards in a lopsided smirk, “You have any beer?” 

You blinked a few times as the request registered in your mind, “Toji it’s almost 10:30.”

“Fine,” he waved a hand and stood up, walking straight past you as if he had owned and built the place himself. He strolled up to the fridge and opened it, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes at the limited options, “I’m kinda hungry too… you don’t mind do you?” 

With that, a smile appeared on your face. For once Toji wasn’t very tense and for once you weren’t either. Maybe he was really over it, or at least somewhat over it. Or… maybe he was trying to move past it and make amends. Maybe coming over today so early was his way of saying “It’s okay, let’s move on together.” It was mature of him, something you never thought you’d think about Toji. He was mature. 

He noticed your smile and nodded, taking that as a yes to the fact you didn’t mind. Maybe your relationship was going to change for the better. 

“I bought Megumi and Tsumiki some rollerskates,” you began turning and walking to sit back on the couch. You didn’t want to hover over your ex-husband and he could pick his food himself. Besides, it was nice to talk as if no time had passed. 

“Am I gonna have to teach them how to skate?” Toji asked, with his head stuck inside the fridge rummaging around. There had to be something in there that he would like. After you divorced you stopped buying the things he liked, so maybe he wouldn’t find anything after all. 

You thought for a moment before nodding, like he could see you, “I think it would be a good bonding activity.” As you spoke your ex-husband came and sat down a foot away from you on the opposite side of the couch. 

He was munching on something you hadn’t bothered to glance over to inspect. Well you didn’t mind, he was the father of your children so if he ate your snacks it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the entire world.

You two sat in silence for a moment. You grabbed the remote and opted to play an old show you were both familiar with but didn’t have the energy to fully commit to. The silence was nice. It was comforting to sit next to someone who you once loved. Well… you still did love him but he didn’t need to know that. It was nice to pretend that nothing had changed and you were back to normal. 

“These chocolates are weird…” Toji murmured, wiping his mouth with the back of his right hand. Then he got up to go to the sink and wash his hands. 

Chocolates? Well, there were only a few chocolates in the fridge. Some you got as a Valentine's Day gift from Megumi, then some you had bought for a bachelorette party. But those were hidden away in the butter container on a high shelf, so none of your kids found them.

The special chocolates had some aphrodisiacs in them and for some weird reason, the bride-to-be requested you brought them for her. Something about a last day of freedom. Whatever it was you shrugged and did so. The packaging said you were supposed to keep them refrigerated and then in twenty to thirty-five minutes they would work. 

“Were they good? Megumi picked them out for me,” you looked back at him as he washed his hands. There was a different aura about your ex-husband as he stood washing his hands. His body was stiff and his muscles looked a bit tense.

He glanced back at you with a faraway expression before nodding and swallowing visibly, “They tasted a little weird, but eh,” Toji shrugged and sat down on the couch again. This time, though, just a bit closer than before. He crossed one of his legs, in a manly way, resting his ankle on his knee and bouncing the resting leg.

“Weird? Were they expired?” You frowned and stared at the TV. You never understood the hype of 1990s sitcoms but it was something better than sitting in more silence. With good silence, you always needed something in the background.

Toji blinked a few times as his lips pressed into a firm line. He took a moment to respond with the muscles in his jaw tightening. His eyes darted back and forth between the girl and the man on TV before he replied, “...Yeah.”

You frowned but said nothing else. Hopefully, you didn’t food-poison him. The one time you had your ex-husband over and he got sick? How bad would that look? You shook your head and moved some hair back behind your ear to the best of your ability, trying not to stare. He looked… different. More focused on the TV like it was the most interesting thing in the world. 

Maybe ten minutes had passed before he broke the silence again, “Can we turn on a fan? I’m running hot,” was all he said, but it was different than before. His voice was low, husky, and rasped. When he turned to meet your worried gaze, you were met with a familiar stare. 

He was… horny. 

Your eyes widened at the sudden realization as to what chocolates he ate, and why they tasted so weird. You were married to him for almost a decade of course you knew the exact look and what it meant down to the way he looked at you through a thick row of eyelashes. You knew what that clenched jaw and tightened bicep meant. He was trying desperately not to make a move on someone he swore he was over. 

You turned away and nodded, standing up to turn on the fan from the knob on the wall. As you did so, you felt those eyes penetrating your back and burning holes deep into your skin. Five years of pent-up lust was coming out and being thrown your way. You swallowed and looked back at the wall. You had to say something. Toji probably already knew he had eaten something laced and he was probably mentally freaking out, as much as Toji Zenin could freak out. 

“Toji-” You couldn’t even get a word out before he hissed and threw his head back. 

“Don’t… speak, doll,” he spoke through gritted teeth, “I don’t think these were Gumi’s chocolates, huh?” Was the last thing he managed to say before he used his forearm to wipe off some sweat forming on his brow. 

Just from sitting there for almost twenty minutes, he had looked like he had run a marathon, drenched in sweat and now … panting like a damn dog. It was so attractive you didn’t know what to do. Of course, you still loved him, we’ve established that. You’d do anything to get back with him and get one more chance to prove you aren’t money-hungry. But you wanted to do it if he wanted it, and you wanted to do it if he asked. You couldn’t take advantage of him, even if seeing him this aroused made you wet.

“They’re laced from a bachelorette party,” you explained quietly, slowly inching your way back to the couch to sit as far away from him as possible.

“That why they were in the butter dish?” He asked, staring up at the ceiling with wide eyes. 

“Yes- did you seriously look through my butter dish?” A frown appeared on your lips before you shook your head, “Anyways. I’m really sorry. If you want you can go to the bathroom and … relieve yourself. I won’t judge.”

A few silent seconds passed before Toji moved his head to stare at you. It was pure lust, sure, but mixed into the lust was admiration. It was as if he was staring at you for the first time in a hundred years and seeing you for your soul. No one had looked at you like that, especially not Toji fucking Zenin. 

He blinked a few times and looked away, “Yeah… I should,” he mumbled, scratching the back of his head. Sweat marks lined his black shirt and you swore that they hadn’t been there before. 

“But,” a curious and sly expression came back to face you, “I’ve been missing you.”

You let out a breath, “That’s just the aphrodisiac talking.” 

He raised an eyebrow and moved his leg that had been crossed down to man spread a bit more than he had before. He was hard! Wow almost like we expected that, right audience? You glanced down at his bulge and for a moment you could picture exactly how it looked in your hands. But he cleared his throat and your eyes snapped back to your ex-husbands.

“So the aphro… whatever-s been making me miss you even before today?” 

He… missed you? Toji Zenin, the heartless man you managed to hurt… missed you? The man who divorced you because you cared more about money than your own family… missed you? 

That was the thing that made you realize you had completely soaked your underwear as you felt it uncomfortably cling deep into your cunt. You shifted around and pressed your lips together tightly. 

Of course, you missed him. Of course, you wanted him! Of course, you wanted your family back! 

“You miss me? Even after the shitty things I’ve done?” Your voice was barely above a whisper but you weren’t even sure he heard it over the throbbing of your heart. 

Your ex-husband nodded and looked down at his lap, “I haven’t been with anyone else in almost six years because I thought there’d be a chance you’d come back.” 

The puzzle clicked into your head and in that moment you felt like the most stupid person in the world. It wasn’t you who was waiting for the first move, but it was him. Toji, the one who was forward -the one who started your relationship by approaching you in that bar- wanted you to make the first move. And you were completely blind to see it. 

“I… was too scared to come back after treating you like that. I always thought if you wanted me back, you’d come back,” with that you laughed hollowly, but the laugh was cut short when you felt the couch's weight shift around. 

Within a second Toji was facing you then on top of you. His body hovered over yours with his face just watching you. It was completely different than the sex-hungry Toji you had married. Yeah you loved each other and you had romantic sex, but it wasn’t to this extent. He looked at you with five years' worth of lust and love. He hadn’t been with anyone since you, he hadn’t touched anyone, he hadn’t tasted anyone. Because… he was waiting for you. 

“I’ve been craving you, princess,” he whispered, “I haven’t been able to touch myself without thinking of you…” One of his hands slowly moved to your right side, cupping your waist and sliding to the top of your hip, “I should have never let you go.” 

You nodded slowly, letting one hand snake up to the back of his neck, “I want another chance. I want to make it better.”

Toj breathed out and a laugh followed suit. You had never seen him this incredibly desperate before. You had never seen him stare at you as if you were the only woman in the world and you never wanted it to stop. 

“Make it better and kiss me, doll,” was all he said before you did as he asked. Your lips melded together in a way that they hadn’t in several years. It was instant muscle memory, with his taste and his soft lips making your core ache for penetration. 

But it was different. He didn’t deepen the kiss at first, instead, he took his time to suck on your bottom lip. Toji wanted to taste you and savor you until there was nothing left to taste and savor. He wanted you to intoxicate him until he passed out. Even if he had never taken that aphrodisiac, his feelings would have never changed. Sure, they wouldn’t have been as sexual but where's the fun in that?

You felt a guttural moan pass your lips when he tilted his head to the right to deepen the kiss, and you heard him snicker. God you missed how cocky he would get and it seemed as if nothing had changed. His hands hadn’t changed either. They dipped into the hem of your sweatpants and traced the soft skin of your stomach. 

Toji had always loved how your stomach hung out of your body. It was a sign you had birthed two beautiful joys. And it was a sign you were capable of creating more joy with him and only him. He loved to bite and kiss every stretch mark and mole, every fiber of fat, even if he’d never say it out loud. 

Now he was too busy taking your mouth against his to speak about how beautiful your body was. One of his hands pulled down your sweatpants and the other pulled down your underwear. Your head was swimming from arousal you hadn’t noticed his hands pushing your legs open. But you did notice when he pulled away from your kiss. A trail of slobber dripped from his chin and onto your aching cunt. 

He knew exactly what you liked. I mean, you were married for almost ten years. He knew how delicate you wanted him to start, even if he’d groan and complain while doing it. Toji was always gentle when he began to stimulate your vulva. 

Two fingers ran down your slit before pulling back your lips and letting him use his tongue. Fuck, how you loved it when he fucked you with his long tongue. You didn’t know where he got that magical talent from but you weren’t complaining. Toji’s tongue slid from your clit down into your center, focussing on sliding his tongue back and forth against you. Your breath hitched at the sudden sensation. 

It didn’t take him long before he was circling back and sucking on your swollen clit. His mouth was made from gods and he used it to please you. Your hands trailed up your own body to grab onto one of your breasts. If he wasn’t going to stimulate your nipples then you were going to yourself. One hand slid underneath your cardigan to pinch the pink nub and roll it under your fingers. 

“Toji…mm-fu..fuck,” you breathed out, rolling your hips against his face which was completely stuffed into your pussy. Toji would tell you straight up he enjoyed eating you out for his pleasure, not anything else. Sure, he wanted you to cum, but he wanted to be able to taste you cum even more. 

He wanted to feel you squirt in his face and drink it up. Even if you thought it tasted bad he relished in it. And god did he miss this. He missed playing with your cunt until you were sore. He could just cum from eating you out and Toji was getting close. Just sinking in the tip of his cock in your folds at this rate would completely milk him. 

Toji pulled his face back to wipe off his mouth with the back of his hand, “Do you want me to fuck you… or would you prefer I make you squirt?” His voice was even more perfect than you could’ve remembered, and hearing it through your ringing ears made it more heavenly. 

“...Both,” you whispered, looking down at him with one eye closed and a smile pressed against your lips. 

He blinked a few times then grinned, “That’s my girl,” and he went nose-first into your center. It took him a few seconds to pry one hand from your thighs to pump inside you. At this point, you were accustomed to two fingers being the minimum for Toji, and that’s what he promised. 

Two fingers gently pushed inside of you but didn’t stay gentle for long. The last knuckle on his index and middle finger curled, followed by the second to create a motion he knew would touch your g-spot. Toji slowly moved them in and out, and in and out, and in and out. With each thrust of his hand, it got faster and you could feel a sensation rising in your lower body. 

Toji knew the only way to truly get you close was multiple ways of stimulation. So he’d typically eat you out, finger you, and massage your nipples. Thankfully you were taking care of your breasts which left your pussy to him. He ate you out like a starving man on death row whose last meal was something he hadn’t eaten in ten years with an endless supply. 

The sensation rising in your core hasn’t been talked about enough, huh? You felt it build directly inside your walls, as your G-spot was stimulated. Then it moved further out to your clit, then down your thighs and legs. Before it rushed over your head and made you throw it back in a loud moan. You were getting close and you couldn’t even verbalize it. But Toji knew exactly what to look out for to know when you were close. And he could tell when you were about to squirt. 

And you were about to squirt. 

“T-T…hah fu-fuck Toji,” you groaned, letting go of one of your breasts to grab a fist full of his hair. He didn’t say anything so as not to disrupt the magic he was brewing in your nether regions (ba dum tss). 

He bobbed his head up and down a few times and tempted fate by adding in a third finger. It wasn’t so much that you couldn’t take it, but more so that he knew exactly what it was going to do. Within a few seconds, you gasped and let out a loud moan, with a shudder running through your body. Another shudder and you felt yourself release on him. It was one thing to squirt and not feel it, but it was another to feel the sensation of releasing your liquids. 

It jutted out of your pussy and onto your grinning ex-husband's face. He laughed a bit and wiped his mouth with his forearm, before going down and licking up your juices on your thighs and a bit on your clit. 

“H-hey,” you whimpered, nudging his forehead as he started to eat you out again, “You’re getting distracted…” 

Toji blinked a few times before sitting up and looking down at your shaking body, “Shame this couch is white…” He shrugged, reaching one of his hands out to grab your shoulder. Both hands grabbed your shoulders and gently turned you around so you were lying on your stomach, with a pillow added to your front to make sure you were comfortable. 

You heard a belt unbuckle then some shifting as he undid his pants and then underwear. Toji knew you enough to know you were on birth control, so condoms weren’t a concern of his. You both had a breeding kink, who doesn’t? He loved the feeling of filling you up with his cum until he was completely dry, and it wouldn’t take him very long to finish at this rate. 

“I’m gonna go in,” he whispered, patting your hip. 

Then before you could speak, but let’s be honest you were completely gone by this point, you felt a swollen tip press against your folds. You didn’t even get a moan in before you heard a faint… whimper from Toji. He cleared his throat and thrust in fully, gasping and leaning forward against your body involuntarily. 

“I… haven’t fucked anyone in six ye…years,” he gasped again. Any other movement and he’d cum instantly. So much for hot rough sex. But still, he was determined to fuck you until you came again. 

“Me… either…” You murmured into the couch, letting your eyes close against the wet cushion. A wet cushion you would be dealing with tomorrow. 

“God. I missed you. I missed you so much,” Toji repeated a few more times, straightening his posture and fastening both hands to your hips. He pulled back and slowly began to thrust. Not for your sake but for the fact he wanted to elongate this feeling as much as possible. 

His thrusts got a bit faster and his grip tighter, “...I’m… mm gonna fill y-you with my seed. I-I want anothe…mm fuc-fuck another b…hah…. Baby.” That was all you needed to hear. 

A family, you’d be starting another family together. Too bad you were on birth control. But for now, you could pretend this would be the start of your new family. It turned you on as much as it made you happy. The man you loved, loved, and wanted a family with you. God, that was nice. And what was even nicer was the fact he was beginning to rail you. 

Six years was six years too long. You ached for him to fill you up with fat, hot spurts of his white cum. You wanted him to stuff you to the point where you leaked and cried for it to end. You needed him to impregnate you so you both would be together for the rest of your lives. 

You needed Toji to be yours now. 

Toji was getting close, it was obvious by the way he thrust and the way he cursed. It was sloppier than his typical sloppy strokes and his voice got a bit higher than normal. That’s when you knew he was overstimulated and about to burst at any given moment. You wanted to speak and scream for him to fill you up, but the only thing you could do was mindlessly beg into the air. Neither of you seemed to hear or notice each other's words as he… came. 

You never heard Mr. Zenin full-on whimper until that day. It was clear it came out accidentally from how his hips jutted forward and he pulled you instantly to him. He whimpered out a loud “I love you” and whined as his cum shot out. It filled you up more than you remembered he used to. His whimpers weren’t very high-pitched but they were pathetic. It was the cries from a man who hadn’t fucked in almost six years, and the cries of a man who missed your pussy so much.

If you ever get the chance to make a buff, deep-voiced, grown man whimper, I highly encourage it. 

Toji slid out of your cunt and flopped back onto the couch, leaving you for a moment to lie with your ass in the air. You were so tired you didn’t even notice when he grabbed you from behind and pulled you to his chest. His warm arms wrapped protectively around you and for once you felt as though everything had gone back to normal. 

Toji Zenin would be Toji Fushiguro again. 

[literaila]

what does reader think of all the students at jujutsu tech ? is she like a proud mum when she meets yuji and nobara and is like "my son made friends" ? does megumi come home kn the weekends ? are they all sad when he officially starts there ?

trust that reader is everyone’s mom figure. she is the only person with any common sense, the most sane out of them all. if there’s a question that needs to be answered, reader should be the first person anyone goes to (someone might say otherwise but still)

satoru might say that you need to be a little “crazy” to be a jujutsu sorcerer, but you think he’s just projecting.

and you tell him this when you’re discussing megumi, talking about him living away from home—because jujutsu is immersive. it’s something you’re supposed to devote your lives to and you know this.

you do. really.

i mean, you lived there. you went to class with other sorcerers—satoru—and you know that you can’t half ass a career in jujutsu. you know.

but still, you can’t help but lay in bed with satoru and talk about megumi and ask him “does he really have to live there?” you’ll stare at satoru’s face. his half vacant eyes, tired from a day of work and all three of you. “he could come home at night and eat dinner. he could drive over with us.”

“what would the other first years say?”

“they wouldn’t have to know.”

you know you sound a bit naive. like a kid. but, honestly, didn’t satoru fall in love with you when you were one. why should it matter to either of you?

“what do you think nanami and haibara would’ve thought if you went home every night when you came to school?”

you give him a look, half joking. in no world would that have even been possible for you.

“okay,” he rolls his eyes. “what do you think suguru would’ve thought about me? if i went home every night to the gojo clan? or shoko?”

“they both made fun of you anyway.”

“megumi wants to go,” satoru reminds you like you don’t already know it. “do you want him to feel separated from his classmates?”

“stop,” you tell him, groaning into the side of his head. his hair smells like gumdrops and plums.

“i’m just saying,” satoru kisses behind your ear, his go-to method of distraction. “he’s a man.”

“he’s not.”

satoru shakes his head against yours, not saying anything.

“he’s not. you’re not even a man.”

the boy in question grins like this is what he was waiting for you to say. “and i still lived in the dorms, a building away from you.”

you sit up suddenly, thinking. “what if megumi falls in love with a classmate?”

satoru laughs.

“no, i’m serious—“

still, when megumi moves into his dorm room, you don’t even attempt to dissuade him. he seems… as giddy as he can get, carrying his boxes around campus like he didn’t spend half his childhood following you or satoru around.

you’re immensely glad that you agreed to work there with him in this moment. satoru says he has no idea when the other first years will show up—as per usual—and you don’t want megumi to be alone for long.

so it’s fortunate that satoru can introduce him to the now second years, and you can stand along slide megumi all the while, grinning at your pupils and nudging megumi to be polite.

you don’t get to watch satoru smile at your overprotective tendencies or proud-motherly instincts. he finds it… slightly adorable (and insanely attractive) to watch you fuss over your son like he’s a tiny little doll you can dress up.

and really, you’re just glad that megumi isn’t afraid of all of this like you were. that he had someone—two people—to show him the reins. that satoru is going to be there beside him the whole time, you just a classroom away.

yeah, you think, for just once, it’ll all be fine.

and then you get to hear all about satoru’s teaching methods from your new students (which ensues a whole… months worth of arguments).

[thebearer]

the milestones menu: nonna berzatto's homemade pasta

prompt: yours and carmen's first "i love you".

contains: fluff, general fluff. some mentions to dead relatives, carmen's self doubt, but very minimal bc it's very fluffy :)

2 cups of flour- Semolina. 

4 Large Eggs 

Pinch of Salt

Put flour into a mound. Make a center, and add the eggs to the middle. Whisk slowly with a fork, gradually working it in little at a time until nice and thick. Knead the mixture for about ten minutes. Let it rest in the fridge for thirty minutes. Put it in a ball, and roll it out very thin. 

“Can’t believe you never had homemade pasta.” Carmen shook his head, blue eyes peeking out from under the mess of curls. 

“Nope.” You shook your head, grinning over the crystal wine glass, sipping your riesling slowly. “Strictly a boxed pasta girl.” 

“Fuckin’ criminal.” Carmen grinned, a playful, lopsided smirk that had you blushing.

The counter was covered in flour, stopping just where you rested, propped up on the granite while Carmen worked. Your eyes trained on his hands, hands that stirred the eggs into the flour, kneaded the dough until your thighs were clenching. 

“My Nonna is rollin’ in her grave right now, you know that?” Carmen pulled you from your gaze, rolling out the dough. 

“Noooo, don't say that.” You laughed, shaking your head. “You’re making me feel bad, Carmen. I swear I thought Olive Garden made fresh pasta.” 

Carmen laughed, a little shy but louder now- more himself. He’d blossomed with you lately, unveiling new parts of himself every single day. “‘M just kiddin’, baby.” Carmen hummed, eyes cutting to you a little skeptical. “Sorry, I-I didn’t mean to sound like an asshole. That sounded douchey, right?” 

You smiled, setting your glass behind you. “No, I was just messin’ with you, bear.” The nickname- his nickname. Hearing it more and more roll from your tongue, each time his heart skipped harder than the last. 

“Is this her recipe?” You asked, picking up the faded recipe card, looped cursive on the aged paper. “Your Nonna’s?” 

“Yeah,” Carmen nodded. “I, uh, so when I left to go to culinary school, right? She was sick, and… and I think she, like, knew that when I went to New York that would be the last time she saw me.” Carmen’s face dropped, slow and sad, it made your own heart sink. 

“So she-she gave me all these recipe books and-and cards that were hers. We used to cook together a lot. She taught me how to cook, y’know? My mom and dad were always at the restaurant and didn’t want to cook when they got home. They didn’t want me in the restaurant either so I spent a lot of time with her.” Carmen muttered. You could see the memories playing behind his eyes. 

You liked to picture that version of Carmen, a little boy with wild curls, helping his Nonna cook. Happy memories. 

“That’s sweet.” You smiled, leaning against the cabinets. “She did a really good job. You know she’s so insanely proud of you.” 

Carmen snorted, shaking his head lightly. “Yes, she is. Everyone’s proud of you, Carmen… I’m proud of you.” You hesitate, eyes scanning his features. It was true, of course, but handling Carmen sometimes was like handling a frightened animal. You were never sure what would make him scatter away in fear. 

Carmen swallowed thickly, cheeks flushed red, lips in a tight line. “T-Thanks.” Carmen muttered, wiping his hands on his apron, tossing the flour back into his clammy hands. 

“She, uh, she woulda loved you, y’know.” Carmen’s eyes met yours, intense and piercing. “I wish you coulda met her.” 

“Yeah, me too.” You nod. “I would’ve loved to hear all the baby Carmen cooking stories. I bet she had some good ones.” You smiled, bright and wide- perfect. It made Carmen’s brain numb. 

“Yeah, she would.” Carmen nodded, hands stilling, still buried in the dough. 

He felt it in his bones, his heart, consuming his thoughts. The overwhelming need he’d felt for weeks, since the first time you kissed him really, that he’d been fighting- too scared to say. What he felt every time he looked at you, when he thought about you. 

“Um, I-I wanna say something, and-and I don’t know if I should even fuckin’ say this or-or if it’s… fuck, if you-you feel the same or I just, I don’t wanna fuck this up because this is like the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and-and I’m workin’ on not ruinin’ good shit in my life and bein’ ok with it like-like my therapist says ya know, but-” Carmen rambled, words spilling out in fast, overwhelming bouts that took you by surprise. 

Carmen flustered, reaching a dough covered hand to his face, the sticky batter catching on his brows and hair. He flushed deeply, hands shaking in embarrassment, cursing under his breath. “F-Fuck, I-I’m sorry. I-I, nevermind, it’s not… I don’t know why-why I would-” His hands trembled, body shaking with anger and embarrassment. Way to fuckin’ go, Berzatto, you fuckin’ ruin it. That’s all you ever do, Carmen thought bitterly, wiping his hands off on the cloth. 

“Carm,” You said softly, your voice a beacon in the raging sea of his mind, pulling him out of his own harsh thoughts. 

Carmen turned, a fury flush of pure embarrassment that burnt all down his cheeks to his chest. Eyes soft and wary, hesitant like he was doomed, destined for the worse. 

You slide off the counter easily, grabbing the spare towel, bringing it to his eyebrows, wiping the dough off gently. The softness of your touch soothed Carmen, lulling his hammering heart- he didn’t see your own shaking hands, filled with your own adrenaline nerves. 

You stood in front of him, eyes on the other, careful and watching- unsure. “I-I love you, too.” Your breath hitched, squeezing the words out in a nervous tumble. Carmen didn’t move, body going rigid, heart stopping entirely. The ringing was back in his ears, clouding his brain so loudly he was sure he heard you wrong. 

“I’ve wanted to say it for a while, too, but didn’t…” You shook your head, heat in your own cheeks, eyes casting down to his dough covered hand. “I didn’t know if-if you felt that or if- I don’t know, I didn’t want to seem crazy or obsessive if it was too soon, and-and scare you.” 

“No,” Carmen croaked, tongue thick in his own mouth. “No, I-I mean- fuck,” Carmen shook his head, looking to the wall. He needed a second, words jumbled in his mouth, heart racing, so high off the adrenaline he felt like he could combust at any moment. 

“I-I was gonna say that too.” Carmen nodded, the quirk in your lips making his heart lurch. “That I love you. I was- yeah, I love you. I-I have for a while.” 

“Really?” You whispered, voice tiny and excited, like it was a secret just for the two of you. Maybe it was. 

“Yeah, fuck yeah.” Carmen let out a breathy, shaky laugh. “I love you, and-and I just love you so much it makes my brain hurt sometimes.” 

“Me too.” You grin, a hand pressing to his cheek. “I love you.” The phrase you’d repressed for so long, deprived yourself of saying now spilled out of you like a mantra- like that was all you could say now. 

Carmen grinned, brain bubbly and light. He let you pull him into a kiss, head tilting down, lips molding over yours so they fit perfectly. 

Later over plates of Bologonese, you grinned across the table from Carmen. “If I didn’t tell you I loved you before, I definitely would now.” You moaned, pointing at the plate. “I really was missing out.” 

Carmen beamed under your praise, gooey and love drunk off your words- off you. He knew Viola Berzatto, wherever she was, was boasting with pride. 

And he knew his Nonna would have loved you too. 

[nattinatalia]

Jack Harlow x Reader : SECRETS AND REUNIONS

At age ten your parents had taken a job offer that paid more than what they were used to seeing. That offer resulted in moving from your hometown and to Louisville.

Starting school in the middle of the year was never fun, kids were always mean but a certain curly boy with blue eyes had stepped in and taken you under his wing.

It was a beautiful friendship that blossomed into a high school love.

A love with so many first evers.

Jack was the first boy you held hands with.

He was your first kiss.

He was your first everything.

You were there besides him through everything. You supported his dreams, and his drive to get out there and get noticed with his music.

Him, alongside his friends- they were hustling to get their music out and be something. Of course being the supportive friend and girlfriend, you were there at every little show, every little project they had around town, until eventually it meant traveling back and forth from Louisville and Atlanta.

Everything was going well, everything Jack had dreamed for, he was making it come true and you couldn’t be more proud.

You had moved with him to Atlanta, and that’s when he started getting noticed. His song What’s Poppin had been a hit and that just opened up more opportunities for him.

You were happy for him, you really were. But as he got bigger, that meant getting the attention of girls all over the world.

He never made you feel unloved or unhappy, but you just couldn’t understand the need for him to be too friendly with women.

You’d fight more, more often than usual and it was driving you both crazy. You knew he wouldn’t end things, too afraid to lose someone he’s familiar with. But you couldn’t take it anymore.

“I- I don’t understand babe.”

“You don’t have to.” You shrug, “It’s what’s best for both of us.”

“How is leaving me best for both of us? What happened?.”

“Jack, look around.” You lift your arms, gesture around you. “This isn’t a home, it hasn’t been for a while.”

“So we try, you don’t give up.” He yells.

“I can’t, that’s the problem.” You whisper out.

“Y/N, please don’t do this.”

“This is for our own good. You can focus one hundred percent on your music and your career. I could start focusing on what I actually want to do. I can't follow you around all my life.”

“So that’s it?” He asks, glaring at you, his chest puffing in and out. “You’ve given up on us, on me?”

“It’s not that I gave up, Jack.”

“That is exactly what it sounds like.” He yells, making you jump. “If I walk out that door right now, I’m not coming back.”

“Jac-“

“Are you done then?”

You nod. “Y-yeah, I think I am.”

He scoffs, grabs his keys and heads to the front door. “I love you, I loved you since the first day you walked in school rocking pigtails and braces. You broke us, not me.” With those final words he walks out, slamming the door behind him.

With a broken heart you continue to pack your stuff. You honestly thought this would’ve gone better since it felt like Jack had already checked out from the relationship.

You weren’t just moving out from your shared apartment, you were actually moving away from Louisville. You were going to leave without letting anyone know, and it was bittersweet but you knew Urban, Clay, even Maggie would try to convince you to stay and you’d give in.

That’s why you packed in silence, a few tears running down your face and having second thoughts about your rash decision.

****************

When you moved away four years ago you didn’t think you’d be back here. But here you were and you wore more nervous than excited for so many reasons.

Throughout the four years Jack was very well known now. He's been accomplishing everything he once dreamed about and you were always happy and proud of him.

You’ve had no contact with him or anyone in his circle whatsoever. You know coming back will be the talk of the town and you were not ready for all of that.

You were taking down boxes from your car when you heard someone calling you. “Y/N?” A voice comes behind you. “Is that you?”

You close your eyes and mutter a quick “fuck” and turn around. “Clay, hi.”

“Oh shit it really is you.” He comes up to hug you. “What are you doing back?”

“I came to spend some time with my grandpa.” You tilt your head to the side “What are you doing here?” You notice that he’s carrying a few bags.

“Oh, we always bring him groceries and we try to have lunch with him.”

“We?” You asked confused, but deep down you have a feeling you know who he’s referring to.

“Jack.”

You nod, “Since when?”

“We’ve been doing it since you left.”

You nod, “I appreciate it, thank you.” You close the door to your car and smile at Clay. “I can take the bags in.”

“Na it’s okay, we have a game of cards to continue.” He shrugs.

“I don’t think that-“

Clay nods, understanding. “Okay fine, I’ll give you the weekend to settle in and get your story right. After that, I’m resuming my schedule with your grandpa and telling my brother.”

You smile, “Thank you Clayborn.”

********************

“You can’t open the door, you have to wait for me to come.” You tell him.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” You open the door and freeze on your spot. You can’t believe he’s here in front of you.

You knew it was only a matter of time the news of you coming back would reach him. But you thought since he just had an album release and a movie, that he’d be busy and it’ll give you enough time to settle in.

“Who that momma?”

Jack furrows his eyebrows and looks behind your legs, then looks back at you. “He yours?”

You nod, “Y-yeah”

He kneels down. “I’m Jack, what’s your name?”

Jack smiles at him, stares at him, studying him, looking at his face and his entire body.

“A-Anthony.” He answers behind your legs.

“Toni, go see if grandpa finished building your fire truck papi.” You push your son inside the house and close the door.

“What are you doing here?” You’re both standing outside on the porch now.

“Clay told me he saw you moving in and your grandpa told me to come over.” He answers you, confused as ever. “He said you’ve been wanting to talk to me.”

“Viejo metiche.” You mumble. “Look I don’t know why he’d tell you that.”

“He’s mine isn’t he?”

“What?”

“Anthony” he points behind you, “That boy inside is my son huh?”

You shake your head, “N- he’s mine.”

“Y/N, you left four years ago and he looks around that age.”

“Jack, don’t do this.” You shake your head

“You left and didn’t even bother to tell me I have a son? How could you do that to me?.” He raises his voice. “Wait, is that why you left?”

“N-no of course not, I found out a few weeks later after I left.”

“You didn’t think to tell me? To pick up the phone and let me know?”

“Honestly? No, you were busy with your career and I wasn’t going to be the reason why you stopped chasing your dreams.”

He laughs, nodding his head. “You’re something else.”

“I’m sorry, okay? I knew it was wrong but I just didn’t know how to tell you.” You wrap your arms around yourself, you can feel a wave of emotions flowing through you.

“Yeah, I’m sorry too.” He pulls out his phone, types something quickly and places it back in his pocket. “You’ll hear from my manager soon, she’ll contact you with my lawyer.”

“J-Jack, what do you mean lawyer?”

“I’m never going to forgive you for keeping him away from me.” He heads down the steps, into the lawn and you’re quick to follow him.

“Please don’t, don’t take him away from me.” You’re sobbing now.

He turns around to glare at you, his nose flaring “I would never.” Pointing a finger to your chest “I’m not like you.”

With those final words, he makes it into his jeep and speeds away. Leaving you a crying, worried mess.

*****************

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[streetlight11]

Holidays With You

Summary: Your first encounter with him wasn't as smooth as you thought it would be. As the years go by, things began to change little by little between you and him but not too drastically. Until one day, by some unforeseen circumstances, you had no choice but to spend the holiday season with him. That's when it all changed...

Theme: hogwarts au, frenemies to lovers

Genre: slowburn, romance, angst, fluff

Warnings: a brief mention of making out at the end but it doesn't lead to anything serious ;)

WC: 10.9k

Pairing: Slytherin!Minho x Ravenclaw!FemReader

a/n: As requested, I managed to turn an idea into a fic because I too, enjoy writing a good ol' Slytherin Minho fic so here's one more for you @lmhfilm ! Hope you enjoyed this as much as you did with Green Flames! 💚 happy reading and happy new year everyone!

It was always such a great honour to be invited into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a fellow student with the ability to learn and master the arts of magic. Whereby not everyone could be accepted into the school. Every student in that school feels very proud to be in Hogwarts for it is every children’s dream to become part of the Hogwarts family. As for you? It is undescribable how you felt when you got the letter of invitation, knowing your parents would’ve been happy for you. Hogwarts is divided into four houses which were discovered by the respective founders.

Godric Gryffindor

The founder of Gryffindor house. A fair man, he believed that any child who displayed magical abilities before their 11th birthday should be able to attend Hogwarts. Godric values courage and bravery, believing that these were the two most virtuous abilities that a person can possess. His house corresponds to the element of Fire.

Rowena Ravenclaw

The founder of Ravenclaw house. A sharp and intelligent woman, intellect is a highly valued asset to the students of Ravenclaw house. Due to this, it is likely that Rowena wanted to make Hogwarts the very finest wizarding school on earth, teaching those children with the highest intelligence. Her house corresponds to the element of Air.

Salazar Slytherin

The founder of Slytherin house. A sly and cunning man, he was not unlike many of the students he brought into his house. He believed strongly that only wizards of pure blood should be allowed to attend Hogwarts. His house corresponds with the element of Water.

Helga Hufflepuff

The founder of Hufflepuff house. A kind and warm woman, she believed that in order to be sorted into Hufflepuff, a person must possess the values of loyalty, patience and be hard-working above all else. Her house corresponds with the elements of Earth.

Unfortunately, you couldn’t share this exciting news to your parents, for they were already gone too soon after a terrible car wreck. The only people you could share this news with were your grandparents who took care of you ever since that horrible accident. The only sad part is, they couldn’t send you off to the train station on your first day of school due to two main reasons. They were getting old which means they can barely walk for more than 5 minutes without having to stop for a breath.

They also have trouble travelling without proper guidance and so if you left to board the train, you worry about how they would head back after sending you off. So to avoid these from happening, you decided to just say your goodbyes before leaving the house that morning. Making sure to give them both tight hugs since you wouldn’t be coming home every night to be with them until the next holiday period.

Saying goodbye to them was hard, but you made a promise that you would write a letter to them every week so they know that you’re okay. They both kissed your cheek and soon waved to you at the door, watching as their one and only granddaughter finally climbed into the taxi to head to the train station. You have already bought the necessary things you needed for school with the help of a Hogwarts staff member who came to deliver the letter of invitation personally to you the other day.

So with your baggage trolley in hand, bags packed, your chosen pet owl whom you’ve named Snowy was sitting in his cage on the top of your stacked luggages, you pushed the heavy trolley with whatever strength you had packed in the small, fragile body of yours since you were in fact, still a child.

While you were searching for the odd but said Platform 9¾, you noticed a family who seemed to be rushing whilst the mother said something that caught your attention.

“Hurry up kids! You’re gonna miss the train! Quickly now. Platform 9¾’s this way!” She said as you silently followed them from behind. Once they stopped in between two huge pillars, you watched as their older daughter ran straight into the wall, dissolving into the brick wall in front of your own eyes. This made you gasp quietly before you went over to the elderly couple to enquire about what you just saw.

“Um… Excuse me? Can you… tell me how to do… that?” You nodded your head towards the brick wall in which the girl just went through, earning a bright smile from them both.

“Of course! It’s my son’s first time too. Anyway, it’s very easy, dear. All you have to do is run straight into this wall.” She said as you looked at her son who shrugged his shoulders.

“Ladies first.” He said. So with one deep, shaky breath, you took off running with your luggage trolley and went through the wall with ease. Once you were at Platform 9¾, the boy and his parents came through as well, leading you to the train along with their son. The train conductor ushers you into one of the train cabins after you showed him your ticket, telling you that he will help to load your baggage into the train for you. 

With that being said, you glanced back at the boy behind who gave you a gentle smile and a nod.

This encouraged you to finally board the train and he did too, not before giving his mother a hug. The moment you were both inside, you looked at him and asked, “Do you wanna sit together?”

“Sure. Let’s find an empty booth.” He said as he began to lead you down the narrow alley of the train cabins. After about two cabins, you finally found an unoccupied booth so he proceeded to enter it followed by yourself. You sat opposite each other, staring out the window to see all the parents and family members waving goodbye to their children and siblings. It made your heart clench, knowing you came here alone with no one else. 

Neither of you spoke until the train started to slowly move off. Once it was finally departing from the train station and your view changed from the busy crowd to the open scenery of the town, that’s when he spoke up.

“I’m Changmin by the way… You are?” He said, to which you looked ahead to meet his eyes through his round glasses that seemed to slide down the bridge of his nose every few seconds. 

“I’m Y/N.” You said, earning a smile from him.

“Why weren’t your parents here to send you off?” He asked innocently without knowing anything so you couldn’t blame him for that. Nonetheless, that question made your breath hitch for a split second before you answered his question.

“They died a few years ago… And my grandparents couldn’t come due to health issues…” You tried not to sound as sad as you can even though you already felt like crying. Changmin couldn’t help but panic, realising that he just messed it up by asking you a sensitive question. However, you simply brushed it off saying you accepted his apology because he didn’t know about your situation. Even then, he still felt bad about it and you could tell.

Not long after, two new faces appear at the door. Even though they were unfamiliar to you, it was pretty obvious that Changmin knew them thanks to the way his eyes lit up excitedly while a bright smile creeped onto his face.

“Juyeon! Minho! You’re here too?” Changmin said as you glanced over to the new faces whom you do not recognize.

“Yeah, didn’t think you’re the only special one did you?” The one with a prominent smirk on his face said before his eyes travelled to meet yours. 

“Shut up Minho.” Changmin laughed, allowing the two guys to settle down. Once they did, that’s when Changmin introduced all of you to one another. You found out that the one sitting next to your new friend was Juyeon. Which could only mean that the one sitting beside you was Minho. They began to talk about something you weren’t aware of but someone noticed the way you were left out. So he turned to his left and spoke up to direct his words to you.

“So… what is a muggle like you doing here?” Minho asked, making you frown.

“Are we not allowed in Hogwarts?” You asked, earning a smirk from him.

“Oh, you’re allowed in Hogwarts… Purebloods like me just find it unnecessary.” He sounded very cocky about it, it’s ridiculous.

“Then why don’t you sit somewhere else… I don’t wanna ruin your day.”

“Nah, it’s fine… I guess one muggle wouldn’t hurt.” He said, making you stare at him in disbelief.

Was he straight up flirting with you right now? 

Either way, you rolled your eyes at him before taking out your book from your bag and began to read it. As surprising as it sounds, the three boys continued chatting and were almost acting as if you weren’t there. They didn’t try to tease you or disturb your reading session. You thought Minho would snatch your book away and make fun of you for reading or what not but he never did that. Instead, he would occasionally glance over to you once in a while during his conversation with the other two boys. And all he would do is smile. 

Approximately an hour and a half or so later, you finally made it to the castle. Your dream has finally come true. To stand on the castle grounds. To witness the glory and beauty of the entire Hogwarts castle. To be a fellow student of Hogwarts. If only your parents were still around to celebrate the happy moment with you. 

All of you were given robes to wear upon your arrival at the train station. It was compulsory to wear it when you finally entered the castle, proceeding forward with the house sorting. As soon as the huge double doors to the Great Hall swung open, you were all greeted by the existing students of Hogwarts and the teachers of the school. Long tables align the hall in four columns, starting with Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor. A few metres above the tables were the respective house flags that were hung on each pillar on the golden rod.

Students of each house sat in their respective tables while teachers, headmasters and headmistresses sat in the long table behind the podium in which Dumbledore stood to welcome the newcomers including yourself. The new lot of you stopped at the very start of the short steps up the platform where you see a wooden stool and a very crimped looking hat. It was a pointed hat with a huge rim around it.

Except, what brought your attention was the face that was on the front of the hat.

“Now when I call your name, you will come forth. I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses.” Professor McGonagall said as she held the hat in one hand while the other held a big piece of paper that had the list of names that belonged to the new students this year.

And so it began.

“Lee Juyeon.” She called as he walked past the crowd to meet her at the top of the steps. He sat on the stool while she placed the hat onto his head. Immediately after it touched his head, the sorting hat’s neutral expression changed into a smirk before it spoke up.

“Hmm… very interesting. You are gullible but you can be smart as well. I see bravery and courage behind your gentle appearance that just suits this specific house… Better be… Gryffindor!” The students of Gryffindor cheer loudly as they welcome a new member to their house. Juyeon smiled brightly as he walked over to join his new housemates. A few names were called after Juyeon, waiting patiently for your turn. Then, another familiar name was called upon.

“Ji Changmin.” You turned to him who gave you a smile before walking forward. He sat in the chair and the sorting hat began to do his magic.

“Ahh… this one is quite easy… You are very loyal to the people you love. You have a good dedication towards doing what you love and for that, I shall put you in… Hufflepuff!” It said, earning a thunderous applause and roars of cheers from students of Hufflepuff to welcome another new member to their house. Professor McGonagall soon calls for the next name in the list.

“Lee Minho.” You watched as he strolled forward with a smirk on his face. He proceeded to sit on the stool, waiting for the hat to be placed on his head. Except, the hat barely even touched his head but it seemed like it was already determined which house Minho would definitely be placed in. And your guess was right.

“Slytherin!” Roar of cheers burst into the hall as the students of Slytherin welcomed him warmly. Minho joins them naturally like he knew he was going to be sorted into Slytherin right before he stepped foot into the castle. Right when you were just about to take a deep breath from feeling nervous, Professor McGonagall called upon your full name to summon you on stage. Since there were a few students left, you could easily walk up the steps unlike when you first started the sorting of houses. You sat on the stool, waiting patiently despite your heart beating rapidly in your chest.

Instantly after being placed on your head, that’s when the hat speaks, “Ahh… This one is tough… I sense great bravery within you that seems to overpower everything else. But your curiosity for even the small little things could easily activate your intelligence and that is the key trait about you that not many possess… I know… Why not put you in… Ravenclaw!” 

As soon as this was announced, the students of Ravenclaw burst into cheers for you to welcome their new member into their house. You walked over to the empty seat with a smile, sitting next to the new boy in your year whose name is Hongjoong. He gave you a high five after you settled down, returning his gesture happily, knowing you were finally sorted into your house for the next 7 years. You then glanced forward naturally, not really sure what you were looking for until your pair of eyes met a pair that was staring straight into yours.

There he sat directly opposite from you. Minho’s gaze was soft but you could sense the playfulness in it. The corner of his lips curl into a smirk, raising his eyebrows cheekily at you to in a way, congratulate you for settling in a house. You weren’t sure how to react because this was new to you so all you could afford to do was divert your eyes towards the remaining bunch of students waiting to be sorted into the respective houses. 

Once that was over, Dumbledore gave a quick last speech before he waved both hands out and magically, your tables were all filled with food that could feed everyone endlessly. You ate till your heart's content, not giving a single care in the world about who should have the last piece because it just magically refills by itself once the plate is empty. 

Dinner ends with you being escorted back to your respective towers with the help of your house prefects. The way to enter the Ravenclaw tower is to answer whatever riddles or puzzles that the bronze eagle knocker asks as a password. Its question may vary so it doesn’t always ask the same riddles over and over again. Only those who get the answer correct may enter and those who can’t answer can only enter when someone answers it correctly. 

The moment the door opens, you are greeted by a large and spacious area which is called the common room. Where the students can sit and lounge by the fireplace and use the built in library to read books. The boys and girls room were separate upstairs where a few students shared a room with 5 beds arranged in a circle with the foot of the beds meeting in the middle. It took you less than a minute or two to adjust to the new environment, going to your designated bed where your bags and Snowy were already waiting for you. 

You couldn’t help but look forward to your days to come as a fellow Hogwarts student. 

The next day, you were having your first class as a Hogwarts student. You walked with Hongjoong and Yeeun to the potions class. Upon entering the classroom, you noticed the students gathered at the back of the class. Clearly not knowing where to sit. It wasn’t a surprise considering all of you were still new to all this. Suddenly, an arm drapes over your left shoulder, catching you by surprise. You turned to your right to see who it was, only to lock eyes with the fellow Slytherin you met on your way here yesterday.

“Good morning. You look like you barely slept last night. Are you that excited to be here?” Minho teased with a cheeky look on his face that you didn’t miss out.

“You look like you had too much sleep. Are you that bored to be here?” You asked back, earning a laugh from him.

“Someone’s a little feisty this morning…” Minho said, making you roll your eyes. 

“You just seem like you enjoy disturbing people for your own amusement so I won’t give you that.” You said easily, earning a nod of agreement to you. 

“Hey… In my defence, I don’t just pick on people randomly. I choose who I wanna talk to because apparently, not everyone can handle my charms.” Minho sounded cocky and confident which never looked good on anyone. And yet somehow, it kinda suits him especially with that stupid Slytherin uniform of his. 

“Charms? I think you mistook charms for repulsiveness.” You said before pushing his hand off your shoulder.

“Oh come on, Y/N… I’m not as bad as you think, you know? You just haven’t known me well yet.”

“Whatever.” You said firmly as the teacher in charge of this class walks in with a gentle smile on his face.

“Good morning class. My name is Professor Slughorn and I will be your teacher for Potions class. Now, you may sit with whoever you’d like. It doesn’t matter to me.” He announced, allowing you to settle down before he began teaching. You chose Yeeun as your sit partner without a doubt, not realising that Minho was sitting two tables behind you diagonally in the very last row with his housemate, Jungwoo. Minutes tick by and you are finally dismissed from Potions class. 

After gathering your books, you left the classroom to walk to your next class which was Herbology. While you were walking and talking to Yeeun, you noticed Minho walking a few students ahead of you. He was with Jungwoo, Juyeon and Changmin but for some reason, he caught your eye first because he had already taken off his robe. Simply wearing the black pants, a white long sleeve shirt with the green sweater vest over it. His robe was hanging off his forearm like it was a piece of towel. 

When you made it to the greenhouse, all of you were told to wear a protective gear which was a beige coat and a pair of thick gloves that would protect you from the plants in case anything unfortunate happens. 

Class went well despite having a student from Gryffindor fainting after hearing the mandrake’s cries. Nevertheless, you finished class successfully and soon made your way back to the respective house towers. About half an hour later, you were all making your way to the Great Hall for lunch. Students were heading towards the same place in groups, chatting and laughing amongst themselves. You were talking to Yeeun about class when Changmin’s voice calling your name made you turn around.

He walks over to you with Seonghwa who was also a Hufflepuff. Once they joined you and Yeeun, all four of you continued to walk to the Great Hall together. On your way there, you spot Minho leaning against the staircase with some of his Slytherin friends including Jungwoo. They looked like they had absolutely no intentions of joining the crowd whatsoever.

However, the minute his eyes met yours from across the room, you saw the way he smiled wider and was shifting his weight from one foot to another as though he was about to push himself off the wall. At last, he opted to stay where he was even though his gaze never left yours for more than 5 seconds every time.

All in all, your first day of school went by pretty well. Making new friends along the way, letting Minho tease you to his liking, attacking him back with unexpected replies, earning the title of Tom and Jerry within the first day of school. Your classmates noticed this interaction between the two of you and some of them couldn’t help but say that there was some sort of secret attraction between you and Minho. As much as you disagree, you couldn’t help but wonder if it’s indeed true.

Nonetheless, you simply brushed it off knowing it’s only been a day and you have 7 years left with him. Maybe your feelings might change, maybe it wouldn’t. For now, it’s safe to say that you don’t see him romantically. Probably you just find him slightly attractive to a certain extent but that’s it.

That’s it…

Days become months and you are now 8 months in year 2. At the start of the year, your senior Namjoon and Jungkook encouraged you to go for the Quidditch tryouts for the three different positions. That was how you landed on becoming the Seeker for Ravenclaw. You’ve already taken part in a few friendly matches with the other teams, only to find out that Minho was also the Seeker for his team. You’ve lost to him thrice in the past 7 and a half months during a match. And yet, you’ve also won a total of six times in a row during that 7 and a half months, making you the ultimate Seeker for Ravenclaw.

It was a Wednesday afternoon, you had just finished having lunch and was now in the Great Hall again to do some quiet studying with Professor Snape being the teacher in charge of looking after everyone. You were sitting in one of the tables together with Yeeun, Hongjoong, Changmin and Seonghwa. All of you had to whisper to talk to each other because Snape was scary to all the students here and you wouldn’t dare to press his wrong buttons. 

Just then, someone placed their book down on the empty space beside your arm, causing you to look up. You found Minho slipping into the seat next to you with Jungwoo on the opposite side. 

“Hey guys, mind if we sit?” Minho asked, to which you scoffed at him.

“Yes, we do mind actually.” You said.

“Well, too late. We’re still sitting.” He said purposely to annoy you and it worked. You shook your head before turning your attention back to your work. A few minutes later, is when Minho nudged your elbow with his to gain your attention despite being aware that Snape was somewhere around the corner.

“Are you ready for tonight’s match?” He whispered loudly to you.

“Yes.”

“Really? Should we make a deal?”

“No.” You said, earning a smirk from him as he leans closer.

“Come on… It’ll be fun! I’ll start first.” Minho was about to continue when you noticed Snape approaching him from behind so you turned back to your book and whispered to give him a warning in hopes that he caught it.

“Snape’s coming!”

“Y/N, listen. It’s sim-” And then you hear a loud book smack to the back of Minho’s head. You flinched hard, feeling the pain when he received that. After Snape walked off, you turned to Minho who was rubbing the back of his head with a snarl on his face. 

“I warned you…” You laughed softly, only to hear him scoff at you.

“Shut up.” He said in annoyance. However, he couldn’t stay mad at you for long. Which is why he brushed it off a few minutes later.

Hours later, you were finally preparing for the match. You had changed into your quidditch gear and uniform. Your team captain was giving a briefing before the match started like they always do. The first match was between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Next match tomorrow was between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Then the winners of each match will go up against each other on Friday. When it was your turn to head into the quidditch pitch, your team cheered before climbing onto your brooms and soon flew out of your tents.

You went to your position a few metres above every other player in the air where you hovered face to face with Hufflepuff’s Seeker whom you recognised to be Taehyung. While you were just focusing on Madam Hooch who was giving out instructions for the match, you heard someone calling your name from the Ravenclaw pitch only to see Yeeun bouncing on her feet cheering for you.

This made you laugh as you then saw Hongjoong and Chanhee doing the same. After you’ve given them a small wave, you naturally shift your gaze to the left of the pitch where Slytherin students were gathered. That’s when you spotted Minho standing there with his eyes fixed on you. Your smile began to fade despite seeing him smiling at you cheekily. Before something happens, you avoided his gaze by looking down. Pretending to listen to Madam Hooch.

Once the game started, you paid full attention to the game. Trying your best to find the golden snitch. Just as you were about to say something to Taehyung to throw him off, you saw the golden snitch hovering from side to side behind him. You smirked as you locked eyes with him and said, “Goodluck.”

That was all you said before taking off at a speed that no one thought you were capable of.

After a few minutes of active chasing and near-fall accidents, you finally caught the snitch in your hand by throwing yourself off your broomstick. Landing on the sand with a roll. The minute you sat up, you held the golden snitch high in the air, earning almost half of the quidditch pitch to cheer for you. Your teammates flew over to give you a group hug, celebrating your team’s victory. Your team soon made your way back into your house tent happily knowing you won today’s match. Which means you qualify to the final round.

As soon as you’ve removed your protective gears back to the trunks, you all made your way back to the castle. With your broomstick in one hand and your robe in the other, you walked back to your tower with your friends.

The next day, you found out that Slytherin won the match which means that your team would be going up against Slytherin for the final match. As nerve wracking as it sounds, you have a hunch that your team would win the match even though you know not to be too overconfident. Which is exactly why you weren’t boasting about winning the match since it hasn’t even happened.

Either way, you can’t wait for the match.

The final match was starting in less than an hour, as you put on your protective gears where necessary. Once that was done, you go over the techniques to use during this game knowing it was against Slytherin. When it was finally time to enter the pitch, you got onto your broom and flew out together with your teammates. All of you flew around the pitch before going to your places in the air. Since you were the Seeker, you hovered a few metres above your teammates. And since Minho was the Seeker for his team, he too flew up to hover above his teammates and eventually, facing you.

“Hey you. Ready to get your ass kicked?” Minho asked in a teasing tone, making you huff.

“I could ask you the same question.”

“Should we make a deal? The loser has to do the winner’s homework for a week.”

“Nah… It’ll be too obvious if you did my homework…” You said sarcastically, earning an offended look from him.

“Are you saying I’m dumb?” He asked with full offence.

“I’m not saying you’re smart either, am I?” 

“You’re unbelievable.” Minho scoffed at you.

With that being said, the whistle was blown, Madam Hooch threw the quaffle up high into the air and soon, the games began. You stayed put while trying to search for the golden snitch. The minute you spotted the snitch flying around behind the Slytherin goal posts, you immediately flew in its direction. Aiming for nothing but the golden snitch. While you were flying, you noticed Minho coming for you as the golden snitch made a sudden turn up. Before you could crash into him, you flew up at a sharp 90° angle, following the golden snitch diligently.

Minutes ticked by as you weren’t keeping track of the time. Your team was currently losing with a hefty point of 50 against 130. You had only 4 minutes left to catch the golden snitch or else your team loses. So with a determined mindset, you tried whatever you could to speed up despite Minho trying to throw you off. 

Nevertheless, luck seems to be on your side because during the last 30 seconds of the game, Minho ended up crashing through one of the wooden pillars when he tried to fly up. That’s when you managed to catch the golden snitch at the very last second, earning your team an extra 150 points. You celebrated with your team when you made it back to your tent. Happy that you won the final round of the tournament. When everyone had already removed their protective gears and was about to make their way back to the castle, that’s when you crossed paths with the Slytherin team. 

“We would’ve won if you hadn’t cheated during the game.” Jungwoo said, directing his words to you. This made you frown, knowing he was probably just salty over the loss.

“Cheated? I never cheat during a game unlike your team. We play fairly according to the rules.” You defended yourself and your teammates.

“You probably casted a spell on Minho’s broomstick so that he would lose control over it, didn’t you?” 

“Are you listening to yourself? Spells aren’t allowed to be casted during a game by any players!”

“You might’ve been desperate to win since your score was way lower than ours.” Jungwoo said with a prominent smirk on his face, making you want to just slap that shit eating smirk off his face. 

“Enough.” Minho said quietly whilst pressing a firm hand on Jungwoo’s chest to stop him. However, the latter was stubborn.

“Maybe you wanted to win so badly, you just decided to cast a spell without anyone seeing.” Jungwoo continued to trigger you and it was honestly getting to you even though you knew that wasn’t true.

“Because you’re just a desperate little mudblood.” The minute Jungwoo said this, Minho immediately yelled at his friend, “Hey! Enough!” clearly disapproving of what the boy said. You then storm off without saying goodbye to your friends. You were just about to climb the Grand Staircase when a firm grip to your wrist made you stop.

“Y/N! Wait.” Minho said as you ripped your arm out of his grip.

“Leave me alone.” 

“Y/N stop!”

“What more do you want, Minho?! You heard what he called me!”

“So what? It’s just a word.” He said unknowingly and it hurts you even more.

“A word? Do you even know what that means? You don’t know what it’s like to be a muggle born. You purebloods definitely don’t understand how hurtful that word means to us…” You said in pure disappointment as he clearly didn't know what to say.

“Y/N-”

“Leave me alone, Minho.” You said as you left him standing there just staring into your back without any intentions of chasing after you. For the next few days, you barely talked to him even though he tries to talk to you.

Fortunately for him, you couldn’t stay mad at him for too long as you eventually gave in when he sat with you in between classes and teased you lightheartedly about things you found ridiculous. 

Hence, why you ended up talking to him again despite what you said the other day after the tournament.

Your relationship with Minho began with a rocky start but as the years go by, your relationship with him could be said to have improved quite a lot. Rather than fighting everyday, both of you were almost looking out for each other when times are rough for either one. Even your close friends could see the difference in the way you both interact with each other over the past few years. It’s quite obvious yet subtle at the same time. It was your sixth year a few months ago, and you were thankful that your grades have been consistently good even with how hard some of the subjects could be.

It was a chilly Saturday afternoon, you were all given the permission to go into town for the day provided you get a parent or guardian’s signature by signing an approval form. You were all walking down the path that leads you straight to the secret passageway that links to Hogsmeade town. You were walking next to Changmin, Juyeon and Seonghwa when a heavy arm suddenly draped over your left shoulder. 

This made you flinch slightly before you turned to see who it was, not surprised to find the arm belonging to Minho. Beside him were Changbin and Hyunjin, who he became friends with after he ditched Jungwoo. When you asked him why, he only said they had a disagreement about something but he was never clear about what it was and you never asked further anyway.

“Hey babe, know where you’re heading to yet?” Minho asked, making you nod.

“Yes and I’ll make sure you won’t be there.” You said. The guys hissed jokingly for Minho, making fun of him. Minho on the other hand, smirks at you while rolling his eyes. You’ve always been like this with him and vice versa. Some of your friends even called it your love language with each other.

“Oh, come on Y/N… You know you like having me around.” Minho teased you openly, earning a little laugh from you.

“Aren’t you a little too confident right now?” 

“I don’t have to be when I’m with you though because I know it’s always true.” 

“You’re so annoying.” You whispered under your breath while pushing his arm off your shoulder. You sped up to join Sakura, Yeeun and Eunbi up front, leaving the boys in the back.

“Just confess already man… We can literally see your heart eyes for her.” Changmin teased Minho, trying to break the latter’s ego but it’s obviously not working. Not easily at least.

“I don’t like her. I just love teasing her.” Minho said with his head held high.

“Keep telling yourself that, Minho.” Changmin laughed, together with Hyunjin and Changbin.

“Come on, why would I like a Ravenclaw? She’s so… intellectual all the time. It’s annoying.” Minho claimed but his friends knew how much that was a lie.

“As if you didn’t just tell us the other day that you found that sexy.” Hyunjin said, earning a sharp glare from Minho who suddenly reached out to grab Hyunjin’s sleeve but the male was quick to run forward with a loud cackle.

Upon arriving at Hogsmeade, you told your friends that you would be heading to the bookstore. You always went there whenever you were given the opportunity to go into town as you loved to buy new books for you to read during break times in school. You were taking your own sweet time, looking through the books on the shelves when someone suddenly traps you between the shelves and themselves by putting their hands on either side of your head against the shelf rack. 

You turned around quickly, thinking it was some weird person but instead, you sighed in relief after realising it was just Minho.

“Really? The first thing you do upon reaching town is to go to the bookshop?” He asked.

“We all have our hobbies, no?” You asked with a smile, seeing the way his eyes very subtly flick down to your lips for a second before meeting your eyes again.

“You’re a bookworm, you know that?” Minho said teasingly but you didn’t take it to heart for you to declare yourself as one too.

“I know.” You said with a light laugh before gently pushing him by his stomach in which he easily takes a step back to free you from his cage. He stayed with you for the next few minutes while you looked through the books that were open for sale. Minho never complained once or even asked for you to hurry up. Instead, he simply waited patiently behind you. Picking up books to casually flip through whilst waiting. 

Since you’ve been there for almost an hour, you finally bought two books and left the shop with him.

When in reality, you could’ve been in there the entire day. You were walking down the cramp alleyway when a warm hand slid around your wrist to stop you from walking. You turned over your shoulder to find Minho’s eyes focused on the shop called Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop. He then turns to you silently and you got the message. 

With that being said, both of you made your way into the shop, only to be greeted by a fresh aroma of teas and coffee beans filling your nostrils. You were going straight to the tea section while he went straight to the coffee section. A few minutes later, you were taking a sip of a tea sample that the staff gave you when Minho came back with a bag in hand. Both of you proceeded to then leave the shop to go find your friends at the Three Broomsticks Inn.

Upon arriving at the Inn, you found your friends sitting together at a table, minus Changbin and Hyunjin who sat with their own friends that you recognize to be Chan, Jisung, Felix from Gryffindor, Jeongin from Hufflepuff and Seungmin from Ravenclaw.

“Can’t we sit together?” Minho asked, to which you scoffed at him but the smile on your face did nothing to hide your emotions.

“Are you seriously being clingy right now?” You teased, earning a roll of his eyes at you.

“What? I can’t sit with the girl I like to annoy most?” 

“Unfortunately, no.” You said before walking towards your friends. 

Minho did the same despite feeling slightly bummed that he would have to sit pretty far from you. All the while, he would occasionally steal glances over to you from across the room. Sometimes you’d catch him, sometimes you were busy laughing at something one of your friends said. Either way, Minho felt like he was drawn to you every time and that made him sneak glances at you repeatedly. After almost two hours of just hanging out at the Inn, it was time to head back to the castle so you all left the place.

Two weeks later, you were in the library to study for your upcoming exams. Though you’ve asked some of your classmates to join you for a study session, they weren’t as studious as you so they made excuses to not go to the library with you. Even so, you never got upset with them for you just said okay and left to head to the library by yourself. Just as you were seated diagonally on the table top right beside the shelves with a book in hand, someone snuck up behind you only to lean in close until you could feel their body warmth radiating off them.

You turned to look over your shoulder and saw Minho looming over you from behind. One arm resting against the bookshelves while the other hand was tucked inside his pant’s pocket. 

“Do you ever not go to the library? This is like literally your second home.” Minho commented on your choice of location that differs from everyone else for the weekend.

“I have to study. I don’t want my grades to fall.”

“Y/N, you’re literally the smartest person I know. Your grades will never fall if you skip studying for just one day.” 

“Minho!”

“Y/N!” Minho loudly whispered as you grew quiet, not knowing what to say to him. You decided not to stir up an argument with him since you’re in the library so you simply sighed in defeat and began to walk away. He trailed behind you until you were making your way towards the exit. That’s when he spoke up.

“Let’s go do something.” 

“Why?”

“It’s Saturday. Everyone’s out of the castle.”

“I need to study.”

“Y/N, how many times do I have to tell you, there’s no need to study 24/7… You’re gonna ace it. Even you yourself know that.”

“I don’t wanna be overconfident, Minho. What if I flunk this time round? I can’t let that happen.” 

“You’re overthinking again.” This made you scoff knowing it's true. With that being said, you let out a groan of frustration before you spoke up to him.

“Fine! Let’s go.” You said as he cheered to your reply. You quickly went to change out of your Ravenclaw uniform into something cosy since it was gradually entering the winter season. Once you were ready, you left your common room to find Minho waiting for you outside the Ravenclaw tower. You didn’t expect him to be there since you told him to wait for you at the quad instead. 

You were about to walk down the steps when he suggested something that was surprising to you.

“I have an idea… but it might not be something you’re used to.”

“And that is…?”

“Well… we could go to town like everyone else is doing… or we could play quidditch without actually playing quidditch…” He said with a playful smirk creeping onto his face.

“So you’re basically suggesting to play catch in the quidditch pitch?” 

“Are you up for it?” He asked. You thought for a solid few seconds, wondering how bad it would be if you got caught but hey… it’s okay to have a little fun once in a while… Right?

“Let’s go then.” You said, which made him smile brightly upon hearing this. Nevertheless, you went to the quidditch pitch with him, deciding to borrow the broomsticks that were available in your house tents. You flew out of the tent only to find Minho flying in circles around the entire circumference of the pitch. When he saw you hovering about 50 metres off the ground, he flew to you with a prominent smile on his face. 

“Who’s the seeker and who’s the snitch?” He asked.

“Rock paper scissors?”

“Okay.”

He did the count for it, calling rock paper scissors before both of you pulled out a hand sign for your chosen item. He chose rock while you chose scissors. Minho took less than a second to decide to be the seeker which lands you with being the snitch. As soon as he counted to 3, you took off flying as fast as you could. You even went out of the pitch but still within the quidditch pitch area, avoiding going too close to the main castle grounds.

Both of you flew around for a couple of minutes with him being unable to catch you. Just then, you were flying straight into the ditch whilst turning back to look at him when Minho suddenly panics and shouts to you, “Watch out!” 

This made you turn to look forward and you saw that the sand ditch was less than 10 metres away from you. With how fast you’re going, it’s impossible for you to curve up in time. And so, when you still tried to pull your broomstick up, the back of it crashed into the ditch. This great impact made you get thrown off your broom and crash into the ground in front. Your whole body bounced back off the ditch from how forceful it was but before you could collide into the ground again, a body crashed into you as you rolled onto the sand to a harsh stop.

The minute you stopped rolling, that’s when you slowly looked up to find Minho shielding your head by wrapping one arm around your head that buried your face in his chest while the other hand wrapped around your torso. Both of you were breathing heavily from all the chaos and tumbling around.

“Are you okay?” He asked quietly, earning a nod from you.

“Are you okay?” You asked him the same question after knowing he took most of the impact for you. 

“I will be…” He said, making you huff. You carefully got off him, helping him up as well. When you were both back on your feets, you said that he should head back to his common room to rest. Deep down, he didn’t want to but he decided to just listen to you.

However, he promised himself not to suggest anything dangerous to you ever again.

Weeks passed by and you had a few days of school left before the festive holiday break which would be a solid 2 weeks. Returning back to Hogwarts after New Years. It was a chilly Monday morning. You had just finished your Herbology class and were walking towards the main castle with Yeeun and Sakura when Changmin’s voice called for you from behind. All three of you turned around to find Minho walking a few metres behind you along with Juyeon, Changmin and Seonghwa.

“You guys go ahead. I’ll catch up with you later.” You said to the two girls as they nodded and continued walking. You stopped and stayed where you were until the boys came to you. Once they were in a line with you, that’s when your legs started walking again. With you being in between Minho and Juyeon.

“Are you going back home for the holiday season?” Juyeon asked, to which you shook your head as a reply. Some of them frowned upon seeing this, confused as to why you wouldn’t be going home to spend the holiday season with your grandparents.

“Why not?” Changmin asked, making you look down at your feet.

“My aunt is bringing my grandparents out of the country for the holidays. They just didn’t bother to wait till my holiday started.”

“What the hell? That’s so unfair! How could they sit you out on this one? You’re literally their family.” Juyeon said, making you shrug in defeat.

“My aunt has always neglected me ever since my parents died. Only my grandparents know how much I’ve tolerated her bullshit over the past years.” You sighed, not knowing how angry Minho was feeling upon this revelation. As the holiday season was getting closer and closer, and students were starting to pack up to go home for the 2 week break, you occupied your time by going to the library after school to either study or read. Since that was all you could do during the 2 weeks break while the castle is void of students and teachers.

However, you weren’t prepared for the plan someone had in store for you. It was the day before the break started, you were just walking to your potions class when Minho catches you down the hall and walks with you. And suddenly, he said, “Pack your bags by tonight.” making you frown.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re coming home with me for the holidays.”

“What?!” You yelled in surprise, not expecting this at all.

“I’m serious.” He said.

“I can’t, Minho! Your family… They hate muggles. You said it yourself. I can’t join your family for the holidays.”

“It’s gonna be fine.” Minho said nonchalantly as though it was nothing.

“Minho, you know I can’t go. I don’t belong there.”

“It doesn’t matter because you’re still going and that’s final.” He was adamant on this decision so you had no other choice. The next morning, you were contemplating leaving the Ravenclaw tower. Hoping he’d just leave you once he sees that you weren’t coming with him but Minho wasn’t easily persuaded by just actions. You were lounging in the Ravenclaw common room when a lady from a portrait outside the Ravenclaw tower walked over to the huge painting in the room to deliver her message to you.

“Dear, there’s someone waiting to see you.” She said.

“Who is it?”

“It’s a Slytherin boy. A handsome one too.” You knew right off the bat who it was and you knew there is no way you could easily run away from him so you sighed in defeat. You got up and followed her to the entrance, as you opened the door to reveal the main castle’s hallway and there stood prince charming in his Slytherin robe over his casual winter wear.

“Packed your bags?” He asked without a hi, causing you to cross your arm over your chest while leaning against the doorframe.

“Hello to you too…” You let out a soft scoff before you continued, “Is there a chance that I could convince you into letting me sit this one out?” You sounded hopeful even though you knew he’d say no.

“No.”

There it is.

“Minho, please?”

“Y/N, you’d rather stay here with the ghosts for 2 long weeks than with humans?”

“I can survive!”

“And spend your 2 weeks in the library everyday? Even Rowena Ravenclaw didn’t stay in the library that long.”

“Minho!”

“Y/N, hurry up and get your bags!”

“Fine!” You ended up raising your voice after failing to persuade him, walking in to go get your things. 

Meanwhile, Minho looked at the woman in the portrait and asked, “Can I come in?”

“Can you answer the eagle’s puzzles or riddles?” He glanced over to the bronze eagle knocker that was guarding the entrance to the Ravenclaw tower before he said, “Nevermind.” He walked away to lean against the wall while waiting for you. When you finally came back out with your bags, Minho offered to carry them for you but you refused. He then led you to the quad where the transport for him was already waiting. 

Both of you got onto the carriage as it began to take you further into the woods that would bring you straight to the Lee’s residence since he was indeed a pureblood which means he didn’t live in the muggle world. The journey to his home was occasionally filled with laughter, oftentimes just you slapping the crap out of him in annoyance. When you finally arrived outside his house, you instantly felt out of place. You felt like you didn't belong there and he knew.

“Just stick to me if you feel uncomfortable.” Minho said as he helped you with your main bag. He unlocked the door with a simple flick of his wand, making you stare in awe. He led you inside after closing the doors.

“Mom, dad, I’m home…” Minho said as you then heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

“Oh, my baby is back home! I’ve made your favourite beef-” Her words stopped the moment she locked eyes with you, clearly not expecting a visitor. Her smile washes away as she holds her head high to look down at you.

“Why did you bring a muggle into the house, Min?” 

“Mom, be nice. She wasn’t going home for the holidays so I told her to come with me.” She was definitely displeased with his answer to which you already couldn’t help but hide yourself behind him.

“Your cousins and relatives are coming over this weekend. I want her out by then.”

“What?! Mom-”

“I said it! You better do it.” She said firmly, only for his father to join you at the front door. He frowns upon Minho but never greeted you the way she did. Instead, he opted for a small nod before telling Minho to obey his mother’s words. You, on the other hand, felt like it was a mistake to come here. So right after his father walked off, Minho asked you to follow him upstairs but you remained glued to the ground.

“Hey, forget what she said. Come on.”

“No.” You said firmly. Minho frowned at you, feeling uneasy after how his mother acted in front of you.

“Y/N-”

“No! I’m not staying here if I’m not welcomed. You can’t force me to stay. This is your home, not mine…” You paused as a tear was threatening to roll down your cheeks.

“I should go. Happy Holidays Minho.” You said, turning back to exit the house. You began to walk back down the path you came from without the carriage since it was long gone. You were halfway into the woods when you heard the sound of tyres crushing dead leaves on the ground behind you. You turned around to find Minho on a carriage coming towards you.

“Hop in.” He said.

“What?”

“Come on. I have a better idea.” Minho smiled as he stood up and gestured for you to throw your bags in. Once that was done, you grabbed his reached out hand and let him pull you up with ease. You sat next to him, asking where you were going but he said it was a secret.

After a few minutes of chatting, the carriage finally brought you back to the castle where both of you got down with your bags and started walking.

“Why are we here?” You asked him quietly, only to see him smile.

“If you can’t spend the holidays with me at my home, then I’ll spend the holidays here with you.” You were shocked at how easy he said that as if his relatives weren’t coming that weekend.

“What about your family? Minho, you should be with them.”

“And you should be with yours, yet they left you. No?” You grow quiet, not able to find the right words so he sighed.

“Look, there’s nothing much we can do here but at least you won’t be alone for the holiday season…” He tried to cheer you up and you couldn’t help but feel touched by his sweet gesture.

Throughout the next few days, you and Minho grew closer as surprising as it sounds. Every morning, he would wait for you outside the Ravenclaw common room to head down to the Great Hall together. He would tease and joke around with you like no other, making you feel less lonely. For that, you were actually grateful to have him here with you. Today was no different. It was the second last night before everyone came back from the holiday break which was also the night before New Years. 

Minho decided to bring you to the lake to relax under the moonlight since there was no one guarding the entrances to the forests during that long holiday break. Once you were at the lake, you sat under a huge tree next to him. Not really speaking to each other but instead, enjoying the calm silent night. Minho stood up as he began to collect small flat pebbles and toss them horizontally onto the water surface to make them hop. 

You silently watched him flick his wrist professionally everytime he threw a pebble into the lake. Suddenly, you didn’t know what washed over you but you spoke up what was on your mind.

“Thank you.” Your voice was soft, as if you were afraid he’d hear you but that wasn’t your intention.

You wanted him to hear you.

“What for?” He asked as he turned to look at you. You find his gaze intimidating, making you look down onto your hands in your lap. Avoiding eye contact with him at all costs.

“For staying at the castle with me? You should’ve just stayed with your family.” You said as you picked on your cuticles out of anxiety. Minho noticed this but he didn’t wanna say anything.

“It’s fine… I needed an excuse to get away from them anyway. I’m sick of them bugging me to find a girlfriend every time I come home.”

“They want you to get a girlfriend?”

“Yeah… They keep telling me to date preferably a pureblood, Slytherin girl but have you seen the girls in Slytherin? I’d rather date McGonagall than them.” Minho shivered visibly, making you giggle. 

So you teased him, “Are you saying you have a crush on McGonagall?” 

“Yes. Yes I do.” Minho said, with a cheeky smirk. Your face distorts in disgust, earning a laugh from him.

“Eww, who knew you’re into old ladies.” You laughed while he just stood there with a smile on his face.

“Okay but seriously though? You can’t tell me there’s not even one girl in Slytherin who appeals to you?”

“Nope. No one.”

“That’s a lie.” You said.

“Would you believe me if I said I like someone outside of Slytherin?”

“I highly doubt it’s true but I don’t think it’s impossible.” You shrugged your shoulders, earning a roll of his eyes at you.

“Can you give me a name?” You asked.

“No.”

“Why? Are you shy?” You teased him, causing his ears to turn red.

“Hell no.”

“Okay, so then tell me.”

“No.”

“Fine, which house are they in?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“Why not?”

“Y/N, you’re not a detective. Stop asking me questions!” He said firmly as he got up to leave so you followed behind him.

“Oh come on, don’t tell me you’re shy. I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

“No.” You remained quiet until you decided to make it fair for him.

“I like someone too… But I don’t know if they feel the same about me. So how about this… Will you tell me their house if I tell you mine?” You spoke up softly. Minho stopped walking as he visibly contemplated it. You weren’t sure if you were ready to say it out loud but since you suggested it, it’s too late to back out now.

“Fine. Just their house, yes?”

“Yeah. Nothing more. I promise.” 

“Same time?”

“Sure.”

Both of you faced each other and at the count of three, both of you said at the same time.

“Slytherin.”

“Ravenclaw.”

You smiled even though your heart was racing in your chest.

“See! That wasn’t so bad, was it?” You asked, making him sigh. Both of you continued walking in silence until you could see the wooden bridge that links to the quad. Snowflakes gently fall from the sky, coating the ground and yourselves. Right before you reached the end of the forest where it was just an open field that leads you to the start of the wooden bridge, you called his name softly. He turned around to look at you as he hummed in response while his soft eyes wandered in thought. 

You weren’t sure if you should say it since you promised to keep it at the house and nothing more. “Nevermind… Just forget it.” You smiled as you walked past him to go straight to the wooden bridge. You were halfway through when his heavy footsteps rushed behind you only to feel him grab your wrist gently to avoid hurting you.

“You wanted to say something earlier right? Just say it.” He said but you were stubborn.

“It’s fine. We should go, it’s almost New Years. We can see the fireworks.” You said as you carefully unwrap his fingers from around your wrist only to tangle your fingers with his. You dragged him all the way to the end of the bridge and once you were in the quad, you glanced down at your wristwatch to find that you have 1 minute left before New Years.

“Are you ready for year 7?” He asked while walking along the sheltered part of the quad with your hands still locked together.

“Yeah… All that studying better pays off or else I’m gonna throw someone in the Black Lake.” You said.

“Please… You’re like the smartest Ravenclaw in our class that I know. You’re definitely gonna ace it.”

“You’re just saying that because I’m here…” You teased him as he began to defend himself.

“No! I’m serious!”

“Yeah right.” You laughed only to hear the fireworks go off.

“Minho look!” You said as you pulled him outside to the open quad where you could get a good look of the fireworks. Both of you were in awe by how beautiful it was, decorating the night sky with colour sparks as snowflakes fall down on you.

“Happy New Year Minho.” You said as you looked up at him.

“Happy New Year Y/N.” He said with a sweet smile on his face. Neither of you dared to do anything else but the tension was killing you… And him too apparently.

So with him being the man, Minho whispers under his breath, “Fuck it” before he tugs you into his chest while his other hand cups your face to guide you until your lips touched his. Your breath hitched in your throat but you were quick to melt into the kiss. Your hands find their way to his chest and up to his neck. Minho hugs your waist to keep you close to him, feeling him smile against your lips.

“I like you, Y/N… I always have.” He whispered when he pulled away, leaving you to smile shyly up at him.

“Well guess what?” You paused to see his reaction. When he nodded his head once with a cheeky smirk on his face, you cupped both sides of his face and said, “I like you too. But I don’t know if I can say the same about the other thing though.”

Minho laughed as he kissed you longingly again before saying, “It’s okay. As long as you like me back now, I’m fine with that.”

You pulled him down for another kiss before telling him to go inside because you were freezing out there. Once you were back in the castle, you asked if he wanted to hang out with you for a while in your common room. Which he easily said yes. When you finally made it to the Ravenclaw tower, you helped him enter by solving the riddle that would open the door to your common room. He followed you up to the girls dormitory where you knew everyone was gone for the holidays. 

You led him to your bed, allowing him to sit while you kissed him. He scooted back until he was leaning against your bed frame, with you straddling his lap. His warm hands slide around your waist, hugging you in place after removing your thick outer layers that were shielding you from the cold weather outside. You were left in just a sweater and jeans while he was in a button down shirt, a sweater that you just removed from him and his jeans. Minho smirked as he kissed you again, squeezing your sides softly to your liking.

With both your hands gently holding his face, you kissed him with so much passion that you completely missed the footsteps approaching until you heard a soft scream behind you.

This made you and Minho flinch from shock, turning around to see a Year 1 student standing at the foot of the door. You panicked as she froze in her spot so you quickly said, “Please don’t tell anyone about this.”

The girl nodded hurriedly before she left, slamming the door shut behind her. You let out a heavy sigh whilst burying your head in his shoulder out of embarrassment. Minho couldn’t help but laugh seeing your reaction earlier. You felt him kiss your cheek as he giggled in your ear softly.

“Are you that scared you’d get busted for sneaking me into your common room?” He asked.

“Of course I am! I don’t wanna get expelled, Minho!” You exclaimed as you pulled away to meet his eyes. He was staring up at you softly which was expected of him but you didn’t care.

“Relax baby. You know we can just cast a spell to make her forget she even saw this right?” 

“I know but that’s against the rules.”

“Baby, when have I ever played by the rules?” 

“Good point.” You said in defeat, earning a cheeky little kiss from him. After he gave you the umpteenth kiss, he finally rushed out of bed and excused himself for a second. He disappeared and came back a few minutes later only to tell you that he had already casted a spell on the girl to make her forget whatever happened during the past 15 minutes. He proceeded to lock the door and climbed back into bed with you, falling asleep in each other’s arms comfortably.

Spending the holiday with him wasn’t as bad as you thought. At least that made both of you realise how you felt for one another. 

What a great way to start the new year.

[starstwinkleplanetsshine]

Daughter of the Sea

Chapter Seventeen: School's Out for Summer (Read on AO3)

I never thought I would ever say this in my life, but summer came too soon. 

The minute Percy and I finished our last final (which, I would take a monster over any day), we practically ran to our subway stop, bounced our knees the whole train ride home, and dashed up to our apartment. We were packed and ready to leave by dinnertime. 

Our mom and new stepdad, Paul, had cooked us a goodbye meal. We had broken the news about how we weren’t, umm, normal, to Paul a couple weeks ago, but he still didn’t seem to believe it. 

“So, where are you two going again?” Our step dad asked towards the end of our hasty dinner. 

“To camp.” Percy said simply. 

“Camp Half Blood” I added. 

“Right. And what exactly do you do at Camp Half Blood?” He spoke as if he didn’t believe us. 

“Train.” 

I rolled my eyes at Percy’s unhelpful answers. He had been in a sour mood all day. 

“We train to fight monsters, learn to use different weapons, take mythology classes, climb lava rock walls. Everything to be prepared for life as a half-blood.” Under normal circumstances, I would’ve been itching to get back to Camp. Not that I had ever known normal circumstances. 

“Lava rock walls?” Paul questioned. 

“Dear, why don’t we let these two enjoy their last evening here.” Mom said as she put a gentle hand on Paul’s. I gave her a look that said thank you and started on my blue ice cream.

“How were your finals?” She sounded too cheery. 

Percy groaned and put his head on the table. 

“I got all A’s!” I said, beaming. Geometry had given me a run for my money, but I managed to barely get the grade on the final that I needed. My mom practically jumped out of her seat. 

“Angie, that's great! I’m so proud.” 

“She did great in my English class this year. She wrote one of the best papers on To Kill A Mockingbird I’ve ever read.” I felt like I could’ve flown. Paul was my favorite teacher at school, but I would never tell him that. 

“Yeah yeah, Angie's perfect.” Percy complained as he stuffed his face with his dessert. 

“You did well in my class, too, Percy.” Paul’s tone wasn’t convincing, and Percy raised an eyebrow at him as if to call his bluff. 

“I got a C in your class.” 

Mom winced. 

“That’s still passing! And I could tell you tried really hard this year.” Paul’s tone was encouraging, but Percy still rolled his eyes. 

I had never seen him in such a bad mood, but I understood why. Mom seemed to, too. We all knew that going back to camp was going to be tough this summer, and that everything would be different. The war between the gods and the Titans was in full swing now, and both of us had been sent on missions here and there throughout the year because of it, although Percy’s were always bigger and more dangerous than mine. 

Going to Camp would mean we couldn’t ignore it anymore, like we tried to. The reality would be staring us in the face everyday, and the battles and missions would only get worse. A part of me wished I could stay in our little Upper East Side apartment forever. 

“This is our last night, Percy.” I spoke to him in Ancient Greek. “Is this how you want to leave?” Annabeth had been giving me lessons on the language, and it had come pretty naturally to me. Percy had a harder time speaking it, but he understood it better than most. 

“I know,” He responded in English. “I’m sorry.” He had learned that phrase quickly. 

Paul raised his eyebrows. “Was that Greek?” 

Sally nodded. “It was, even though they’re not supposed to use it at the dinner table.” This was not the first time we had gotten in trouble for talking in a language only we could understand. 

“Sorry, mom.” 

“Sorry.” We both mumbled at the same time. 

Percy cleared his throat. “I’m sorry about my grades, Mom. And my English grade, Paul.” 

Sally sighed. “It’s alright, Percy. I know this hasn’t been an easy year for you.” 

And it hadn't. There were many nights that Percy had been up into the early morning on a mission or working on plans and strategies for Chiron only to go to school at 8am the next day. There were even nights when he stumbled into our room at 2am bloody and hurt, and I would wrap him in bandages, feed him nectar, and listen as he told me of his mission, sometimes through tears. I experienced some of that, too, but he got it worse than me. 

Eventually, he had stopped pretending to sleep at night, just sitting out on the fire escape into the early morning. There were some days he hardly touched his lunch at school. And through it all, he never complained. He kept up such a strong front for everyone, and I knew better than most that he felt like he had to. He was, after all, the son of Poseidon. The child of the Great Prophecy. 

Most days, I thought it was too much pressure for one person's shoulders. 

The beat of Pegasus wings outside our window told us it was time to go. 

We got our packed bags and headed up the stairs to our roof, where Blackjack and Sparkles were waiting to take Percy and I to camp. We said goodbye to Paul in the apartment, so it was just the two of us and mom in the dying June light. She was doing her best to hold back her tears, but despite her best efforts, more than a few drops fell. Percy and I took turns hugging her tightly before she scooped both of us up in her arms. 

“Just…be careful, you two.” 

“We will, mom.” I promised. Percy stayed silent. 

“I know you have to be great heroes and save the world, but you have to come home, too.” 

A sob caught in my throat. 

“We’ll do our best.” Percy said, sounding much older than fifteen. 

We’d better get going, some of the mortals are starting to stare. Blackjack spoke in my mind, and I assumed in Percy’s too. I’m not sure what the mortals saw with the mist, but it must’ve been odd. Not as odd as two Pegasi on the roof of an apartment, but still. 

Percy broke away from the hug first. 

“Blackjack said we should go.” 

Mom gave him a sad, wistful look and then ruffled his hair. He lunged forward and gave her one last hug, tight and intense, as if the action surprised himself, too. Then he peeled away, said one last I love you, and walked over to Blackjack. I followed him. 

Once we were both on our pegasi, they began to take off. 

Good to see you again, my lady.  Sparkles spoke in my head. 

“You can just call me Angie.” I responded. 

Of course, my lady. Some horses took Percy and I’s position more seriously than others. 

“Don’t forget to call!” Our mom yelled as she waved and watched us rise into the air. 

“We won’t!” I promised. I did my best to smile at her, to show her that she had nothing to worry about, but even my best efforts couldn’t fool her. Not now. Not since she knew what kind of summer we were heading into. 

As Sally Jackson became a small speck on one of the many roofs of the Upper East Side, I thought about how she must be feeling. I thought about how helpless I would feel if my two children belonged to a world I couldn't enter, a dangerous world that was violently falling apart at the seams. Not only that, but knowing your children had to keep it together and there was nothing you could do but watch? 

Not only that, but there was also a prophecy about one of them that pretty much implied they wouldn’t make it past their sixteenth birthday. Which was in two months. 

I pushed the thought out of my mind and focused on the shine of the city lights below me. 

We got to camp not too long after, and I could see the glow of the large campfire as we began to descend. We landed by the stables, and I was glad when no one came to greet us. Percy clearly wasn’t in the mood for reunions just yet, and I hated seeing him pretend to be okay in front of other people. It was hard to see him down all the time, but I was glad he didn’t feel the need to put up fronts for me. 

“I’m gonna go to our cabin and settle in. Then I’ll head to the Big House and wait for Chiron.” Percy said as he pet Blackjack's neck and slipped him an apple. 

“No sing-along tonight?” I risked a smile, and to my surprise, he returned it. 

“Not tonight. I’ve got a lot on my mind.” I couldn’t see him too well in the dark, but I saw his eyes go sad. 

“I know.” We stood in silence for too long. It wasn’t too often that we had awkward silences, but this was definitely one of them. I shuffled my feet and Percy messed with his hair. “I’m sorry, Perce.” I said finally. 

He straightened up. “Nothing to be sorry about.” 

“I know, but—” 

“I’ll see you back in the cabin.” He managed a small smile and then turned and disappeared into the darkness. 

The sound of singing got louder as I neared the amphitheater, but it wasn’t as loud as it should've been. I knew that campers would be coming in over the next few days as school got out, but even the year-rounders should’ve filled more seats than were taken. It was kind of sad to see, but I knew why. All year, Chiron had been sending demigods on different missions and assignments as a part of the war. I knew that there were probably some away right now, and there were others who would never come home. 

Despite the small jolt of pain, I put on a smile and stepped into the circle of firelight. 

I was hoping to sneak in unnoticed, but that plan was ruined immediately. 

“ANGIE!” The voice of my best friend at camp, Cadence Hayes, rang out across the amphitheater. And being a daughter of Apollo, her voice was loud. She ran over to me, drawing all sorts of attention, and attacked me with a hug. I nearly fell onto the ground. 

“I didn’t know you were coming today!” Cady said once she had let go. 

“School’s out! Of course I came.” Some of my other friends were starting to make their way over, and the other campers turned their attention back to the songs. 

Cady’s face fell slightly. “Is Percy…” 

“He’s here.” She physically relaxed at my words. I knew Cady and Percy were close, they were the same age after all, and kids in the same age bracket tended to be good friends at camp. I guess that's what happens when you spend every summer together since you’re twelve. 

“Where is he?” 

“Unpacking, and then heading to the Big House. I think he wanted to be alone tonight.” 

Cadence pulled on her braid, a habit she had when she was nervous or uncomfortable. “Oh.” 

“I’m sure you can see him later, though. It’s just been…”

“A lot?” Cady was good at knowing what I was trying to say. 

“Yeah.” 

“I get it.” I thought I was going to have my second awkward silence of the night, but our friend Rosaline swooped in just in time. 

“Welcome back, Seahorse.” It wasn’t my favorite nickname, but she had coined it last summer. Since she was the only one who used it, I let it slide. Plus, being a daughter of Aphrodite, everything sounded sweeter coming out of her mouth. 

I gave her a hug, and although she liked to keep things light and fun, I could tell by the way her arms tightened around me that she had been worried. 

“Good to see you, Ros.” I said with a smile. The daughter of Aphrodite wrinkled her nose. I wasn’t the only one with a nickname they didn't like. She was about to say something when I felt arms hug me from behind, wrapping around my shoulders. I tensed up instinctually until I heard the honey voice of Will Solace. 

“We missed you, Angie.” 

I put my hands on his arms, hugging him as best I could. More people came over: our friend Evan, son of Hephesatus, the Stoll brothers, Clarisse LaRue, Silena and Beckendorf, and a few others. They were all asking about Percy, and I told them he was okay and would say hi soon. We were catching up, all talking over each other, when the sound of hooves approaching made everyone go silent. The crowd parted, and Chiron clopped over until he was standing right in front of me. 

Chiron and I had an…interesting relationship. He was an incredible trainer and he was much better at running the camp than Mr. D, but we never really saw eye-to-eye. I always got the feeling he was on edge around me, and that he wished I wasn’t there. Especially around Percy. They had such a great relationship. Chiron respected my brother and saw his talents. And he appreciated them. With me, he treated me like I was an open flame that could start a forest fire at any moment and he was just waiting for a strong breeze to come along. A lot of the campers saw him as their father figure, which would’ve been nice since I never really had one of those, but to me he was just the man, well, centaur I looked to when I needed guidance or a really good vegetarian taco recipe. 

“Angie,” He said with a smile. “Welcome back to Camp. I trust everything was good on the way over?” 

I nodded, suddenly aware of how many people were watching the interaction. “Yes, everything was smooth. Thanks for sending Blackjack and Sparkles.” 

“The pegasi were all fighting about who got to pick you up. You and your brother are very popular.” 

I laughed, not quite sure how to respond. 

“Speaking of…Percy. He is here, yes?” 

I nodded, feeling like I was betraying my brother. He specifically did not want the whole camp knowing he was back, and here I was, telling the whole camp he was back. “Yeah, he’s here. He’s just in our cabin.” 

Some people in the crowd groaned and then began walking away. It wasn’t a rule that we couldn’t go in a cabin that wasn’t ours, but it was common courtesy. And people definitely didn’t go in a different cabin uninvited. That was just rude. 

“I see. If you’ll excuse me.” He gave me a smile and then addressed the crowd. “Don’t forget about curfew. See you all in the morning.” He turned back to me. “It’s nice to see you again. I’m glad you’ve made it back home.” 

Home. Over the past year, Camp had definitely become one of those.

Chiron disappeared into the darkness, walking in the direction of the cabins. 

“I think that’s the longest conversation I’ve ever had with him.” I said to Cady as everyone started filing out of the amphitheater. Everyone except me, Cady, Will, Evan, Rosie, and Lyric, Cady's little brother. 

“Oh stop it.” Cady said with a smile. Chiron was like a dad to her, even though Apollo was pretty cool. 

“I just don’t think he likes me very much!” I said with a laugh. 

“He likes you!” Cady protested. 

“I’m not sure about that.” Rosie interjected. “Maybe he does hate you.” Will, Evan, and I burst into laughter. Cady shoved Rosie hard. Lyric looked scandalized. 

“Thank you, Rosie!” I said through giggles.

“I think you’re crazy, as always.” Evan added. “But he definitely likes Percy more than you.” 

“Doesn’t everybody?” I groaned, only half joking. 

“Well how can you blame them?” Will responded with a chuckle. 

“Can we please not talk about how hot my brother is again.” 

“It’s just so hard to not talk about it.” Rosie said, wiggling her eyebrows. 

“I’m gonna throw up.” I said, faking a gag. 

“At least you don’t have everyone talking about how hot your dad is.” Will said in defense. “Talk about awkward.” 

“But Apollo is hot.” I said with a laugh. 

“So is Percy!” Rosie all but yelled.

“Umm, guys?!” Cadence broke in. “Little ears!” I looked over to see Lyric wide eyed and red faced, Cady’s hands clamped over his ears. No one minded when Lyric hung around, he was sweet and pretty funny, but a lot of us forgot to watch our conversation. 

“Half-bloods grow up fast, anyways.” Evan said with a shrug. “So, does anyone want to hear about the invention I’m working on?” 

Everyone groaned, but that didn’t stop him from telling us every detail. I tuned out after a while, my ADHD taking my mind in a million different directions. We all sat by the fire and talked until it was almost curfew. Since none of us felt like getting eaten by harpies, we made our way to our cabins, laughing and enjoying the start of summer. The air was cool, the stars were shining, and the smell of smoke still hung on our clothes. For a moment, hearing our laughter ring out across the grass, watching other little groups of friends make their way to their beds, I almost forgot we were in the middle of a war.

[ticklygiggles]

You've got a friend in me pt. 2 | Yamaguchi Tadashi, Tsukishima Kei & Reader

A/N: It's here! Commission 4/5 from always kind and patient Max (@wertzunge)! Thank again for your support and for being so patient with me, Max! I hope you enjoy this one! And I hope they're not too ooc!

Summary: Tsukishima Kei is the next step after befriending Yamaguchi Tadashi. Things seem to be going just fine, but why is it that you still feel a bit too unsure about him?

Male!Reader | Sequel of this fic

Words: 3537 (under the cut)

It hasn’t been long since you started to befriend Tsukishima Kei. 

You couldn’t deny you were scared to hell when Yamaguchi first introduced you to him. Tsukishima was, for the lack of kinder words, intimidating and scary. When he first met you, he looked at you from head to toe, scanning you, (more like judging you, you thought), with narrowed eyes and a rather unfriendly expression, and when he simply said ‘Tsukishima Kei’ as an introduction and walked away as soon as he spoke his own name, you thought that he just didn’t like you and your heart sank to your feet. 

What could that possibly mean? You were well aware that Tsukishima was Yamaguchi's best friend, so if he didn't like you, did that mean that Yamaguchi would stop talking to you? Was that the end of your friendship? You weren't so sure you could stand losing another friend- not now when you had grown so fond of Yamaguchi already. It would be terribly hard for you to-

“Ah! Don’t make that face!” Yamaguchi had said, panicking as he gently grabbed your shoulder. “He liked you! Tsukki liked you! I promise!" He smiled softly, squeezing your shoulder. "He would’ve said something mean to you if he didn’t!"

You didn’t know if you should feel happy or even more worried about that, but Yamaguchi really tried to make you feel better about the whole thing and you were happy that you didn't have to break your friendship with him and also… well, some part deep inside you was extremely proud because Tsukishima didn't hate you. The fact lifted your spirits and you even hoped you could call him a 'friend' one day.

To your surprise, that day didn't take much to come. In only a couple of weeks, the three of you were inseparable. Eating lunch together, getting together to do school projects, both trying to teach you volleyball and inviting you after class to see them training. Tsukishima enjoyed pretending to hate hearing you and Yamaguchi talk about your favorite show, but he certainly payed attention to your every word and even used to join in the conversation from time to time- there was even a time when you had told them something silly that happened to you that morning and Tsukishima had even chuckled! 

However, you still weren't so sure Tsukishima considered you his friend. He certainly talked to you a bit more informally and he even joked with you from time to time about the most random stuff, he also was always kind when you needed help with school work and he even bought you snacks during lunch, but there just seemed to be a little wall that you just couldn’t break through and you had a feeling it was because of you. 

It was hard to get close to you even for Yamaguchi, so it was normal that you couldn't fully open up to Tsukishima just yet. It made you feel guilty, though. You could tell Tsukishima was doing all sorts of efforts to get close to you and you appreciate it because he didn't look like someone who would do everything he does for you just for anyone. He treated you almost as well as he treated Yamaguchi, and yet you still felt a little shy and reserved around him- too scared to say something that could angry him or act in certain way that would make him dislike you, in other words, you were constantly stressed and tense around him, considering your every word before speaking and sometimes not even speaking directly to him. 

And to your misfortune, (or good luck?), you weren’t the only one who noticed all of this. 

“Tsukki seems to really enjoy being around you!” Yamaguchi said excitedly, smiling brightly at you.

You chuckled, “yes, it seems like so, but…”

“I know, right?” He said, frowning slightly. "The atmosphere still feels a bit... tense? Uncomfortable? Like, you both get along well, but he still feels a bit unsure around you, I think- Oh no, it’s not your fault!”

You weren’t sure if he could read you very well or you just couldn’t hide your emotions at all, but he immediately noticed you started to beat yourself about it. 

"Hey, a friendship can't be forced," Yamaguchi said gently, looking at you with a kind smile. "I know you still have some open wounds from your past and that is totally valid! I can assure you Tsukki does like you, but just like you, he also feels a bit unsure about opening up to new people."

Oh, this friend of yours. He always knew what to say. He was so mature and kind, how were you so lucky to find a friendship like his? Yamaguchi would never try to push you, he would always be so patient with you. 

You smiled shyly, "Yes. I'm sorry."

Yamaguchi chuckled, "you are perfectly fine," he said, sipping in some water before suddenly pulling his bottle down with a gasp, making you jump in surprise. "Hey!"

"W-What?! What's wrong?" 

Yamaguchi grinned and you tensed a little. "I just had the best idea ever."

You trusted him, but you couldn't help but feel your gut tightening. 

---

"This is childish."

"Oh c'mon, we do this all the time. Don't act all tough now, Tsukki."

Oh, you wanted to die. 

Your cheeks felt on fire as you walked alongside Tsukishima and Yamaguchi to… Yamaguchi's house. You whined deep inside you, your inner self sobbing quietly as your brain recalled Yamaguchi's words from earlier: 'the three of us will have a sleepover today!'. That had been his 'best idea ever', and even though you had lots of fun during sleepovers with him, you had never had one with Tsukishima too and you couldn't help but feel awkwardness making your skin prickle uncomfortably, your brain going crazy already with one thousand thoughts. 

What if Tsukishima, instead of liking you more, started to actually hate you after the sleepover? What if you did something embarrassing in front of him? What if Yamaguchi regrets befriending you? What if- 

"Don't you think this is stupid and childish?"

Your head immediately turned to look at Tsukishima, he was looking at you, an eyebrow arched, you quickly shook your head, smiling shyly. "N-No! I- I actually have lots of fun with Tadashi," you said gently, fidgeting with your fingers. "I'm- I'm sure the three of us… we'll have even more fun… together."

Your cheeks turned even redder when they looked at you with kind eyes. Tsukishima rolled his eyes fondly and Yamaguchi giggled. 

"We're not middle schoolers anymore, but we'll see how it goes."

"Oh Tsukki, why are you acting this way?"

You just hoped everything turned out well. 

---

"To the left! To the left!"

"Yamaguchi, you're going in the wrong direction!"

"Agh! You guys, why didn't you tell me- no! I got shot!" 

You laughed. Genuinely laughed, causing Tsukishima to laugh as well as you both saw Yamaguchi's sad face staring at his character dead on the screen. Your nervousness from earlier had been pushed to the back of your head when the three of you started playing this particular video game that you all enjoyed. It had been fun from the first second, but now that Yamaguchi's character was dead, you were playing all alone with Tsukishima and you tensed. 

"What- you're also going in the wrong direction?" He asked and you gasped, quickly making your character turn around to follow him. "What is wrong with you? You were playing very well just a moment ago?" Tsukishima looked at you from the corner of his eyes briefly, before looking back at the screen again. "Even better than Yamaguchi will ever be able to play."

"Hey! That was rude, Tsukki!" 

"I'm sorry," you said quietly. "I- I don't know what happened- ah, no!"

"Ow, you lost too."

You wanted to hide under Yamaguchi's bed. You wanted to show off a little in front of Tsukishima, surprise him with your abilities in this videogame, but it was all fruitless and now he looked at the tv, disappointed. You didn't know what to say; it was simply a game, but your heart was starting to race like crazy and a crease was forming between your brows. 

Thankfully, sensing that the mood was turning a bit gloomy, Yamaguchi quickly pipped in, a big smile on his face. "Hehe, you see? You're not so good after all!" He teased playfully.

You looked at him and a soft chuckle escaped your lips. He was always a breath of fresh air. "Well," you said, your voice low. "Even though I lost… Tsukishima said that I am better than you."

You were not expecting it, so you couldn't help but jump in surprise when Tsukishima choked on a laugh and snorted, trying to contain his laugh. Yamaguchi, on the other hand, gasped loudly, placing one hand over his chest as he looked at you with the most betrayed expression he could muster. When you felt a laugh bubbling in your chest, you quickly covered your mouth, chuckling behind it. 

"Very funny, huh? You're gonna regret what you just said!"

Letting out a squeak, you tried to crawl away from him as he launched at you, but he quickly caught you by your ankles and brought you back toward him and so, you both started a wrestling match, laughing as you tried to pin the other down, rolling around the wooden floor, careful not to kick something or someone. 

"You both are ridiculous," Tsukishima said, controller still in hand as he looked at the mess of limbs you and Yamaguchi had become. "Are we going to play again or-

"AHAHA! N-Nohoho!" Your laughter interrupted Tsukishima mid sentence and the sound quickly echoed through the whole room, bubbly and frantic as Yamaguchi started to playfully tickle your sides. "Ti-Tihihickling is nohohot fahahair!" 

"I think tickling is very fair," Yamaguchi said with a solemn nod, a big grin pulling at his lips. "Now, suffer the consequences of making fun of me!" 

You shook your head, giggling brightly and weakly pushing at his hands. "N-Nohoho! I dihihihidn't!" 

"Oh, you did. Tsukki is a witness, right Tsukki?"

You gasped between giggles. Tsukishima was there! Watching you giggling like a kid by some mere prods to your sides! You whined, cackling a little when Yamaguchi's fingers reached up to your ribs. 

"Ah, that spot seems to be as ticklish as always!" 

Your cheeks turned red at his teasing and you tried more desperately to throw him off you, but you were laughing so much already, it was impossible! And Tsukishima, oh boy, he was still there, probably thinking that you looked stupid and-

"W-Whahat?! No! No nohoho! Lehehet go, Tsukishima!"

How come your arms were suddenly pulled up and pinned under Tsukishima's knees? Your head was spinning, what was going on right now?! Tsukishima actually joined in? Or maybe he didn't want you to hurt Yamaguchi?

"Oh? Tsukki suddenly wants to help?" Yamaguchi asked, looking down at you with a smirk, causing you to flinch. 

"Well, this one right here has been a bit mean to you, right?"

Your eyes widened, looking up to look at Tsukishima. "W-What?! You were the one who said- gahahaha! Stahahap! Thihis is cheheheatihing!" 

More of those embarrassing giggles and nearly cackles flowed past your lips as Yamaguchi resumed his tickle attack on your ribs, massaging each bone carefully, driving you a little crazy as Tsukishima held your arms firmly. This whole situation was making you feel a bit dizzy, you were embarrassed to the core having Tsukishima seeing one of your weaknesses being exposed like this. You tried to hide your smiling face against your arm, but Yamaguchi's fingers were now moving to your neck and you squeaked, shaking your head.

"Why don't we show Tsukki what this spot can do?"

"I don't wish to see," Tsukishima said, but he looked carefully at Yamaguchi's hands going under your chin and you could hear him chuckle when you shrieked, breaking into a loud fit of frantic giggles as Yamaguchi started to tickle the sensitive skin of your neck just how he did during your first sleepover. 

"He dohohoesn't wihihish to seehehehe!" You repeated, scrunching your nose at the tickly sensation. "Ahahaha! Hah!" 

"There we go!"

"Oh my god."

To your horror, you had started to snort and both Yamaguchi and Tsukishima were laughing at the sound, making you blush as tears of laughter started to prickle at your eyes as you kicked your legs and pulled at your trapped arms. You were embarrassed, but you knew they meant no harm by doing this and so you laughed freely, whining from time to time when a snort would make its way out.

"You are so ticklish, it's ridiculous," Tsukishima said once Yamaguchi stopped to let you catch your breath. You shook your head, eyes shut.

"Try here, Tsukki!" Yamaguchi said and you gasped, opening your eyes wide, knowing perfectly well where he was pointing at. 

"No! T-Tsukishima, I- AHAHA!" Loud, nearly hysterical laughter filled the room when Tsukishima's long fingers gently dug into your armpits. Your body shook as if it had been electrocuted and you heard Tsukishima and Yamaguchi laugh at your reactions. 

“Oh no, that’s his worst spot, Tsukki! Don’t be mean!” 

“That I can see,” Tsukishima said with a chuckle. “I thought you couldn’t be any more ticklish, but you are laughing pretty loudly right now.”

You shook your head, “Stahahap! I cahahan’t! K-KEHEHEI!”

“Oh?” Both boys said as the tickling under your arms came to a stop, and only when your brain was finally able to focus on something else that wasn’t that maddening sensation, you realized what you just said. You called Tsukishima by his given name. It was the first time and you weren’t sure you both were that close to actually do something like this. Was he angry? Offended?

You gasped and looked up at Tsukishima with wide eyes. “I’m s-so-sorry! I didn’t mean to-

“You didn’t?” Tsukishima said, frowning and tilting his head to the side. “I thought it was nice. You call Yamaguchi by his name all the time.” He shrugged his shoulders, lifting his knees for you to pull your arms down. “I was wondering when would you start calling me by my given name too.”

Your mouth opened and closed like a fish a couple of times. You were out of words. Was that really happening? Was this the step you needed to get close to Tsukishima? Did-

“Eeek!”

“Are you in a trance? Wake up!” Your arms were still raised above your head and Yamaguchi had poked your underarms with a giggle making you quickly bring them down, sitting up and narrowing your eyes at him. “What? You were looking at Tsukki with wide eyes, is he some kind of celebrity?”

He was just being playful, you knew it and he also looked happy that two of his friends were getting along well and it was only fair to show him how good you and Tsukishima were getting along, right?

“Hey, Kei…”

“I’ve got you.”

“Ack! No! No, Ts-Tsukki- ahahaha!” Tsukishima had only pushed him onto the floor and his hands latched to his sides, squeezing up and down with the perfect amount of pressure to make Yamaguchi shriek with frantic giggles. “Why mehehehe?!”

“You’ve been annoying the whole night, so take this,” Tsukishima said, trying to sound angry, but he was smirking as he tickled Yamaguchi apart, knowing exactly where to attack to have him jumping from giggles to cackles and then back to giggling. 

You watched from the side, they looked like they were having lots of fun. You could tell that was something they did often, so you felt a bit intrusive by joining them and-

“Hmm? Hey.” You jumped and blushed when Tsukishima suddenly looked up at you, frowning. “What are you doing? Aren’t you going to help me? Try here, look,” Tsukishima said, poking Yamaguchi’s hip, making him shriek. 

“Nohoho! Nohohot thehehere!” Yamaguchi laughed, his hands reaching down to catch Tsukishima’s hands. 

You grinned, quickly approaching them and chuckling when Tsukishima grinned back at you. "That spot is really weak, isn’t it?" You teased and Yamaguchi babbled some pleas as he tried to escape from you and Tsukishima. "What about you do that side and I'll do this one?"

"That sounds like a good idea," Tsukishima answered, positioning his hand over one of Yamaguchi's hips, making him cackle and jerk away. "One." You quickly grabbed his other hip and Yamaguchi jumped. "Three!"

"Y-You dihihihidn't saha-AHAHAHA! N-Nohohoho! Plehehease!" 

Yamaguchi's rich and squeaky laughter made you laugh too. It was so bubbly and carefree and just so extremely contagious that Tsukishima also started chuckling as you both squeezed and pinched at the poor cackling boy's hips. Yamaguchi twisted and tried to roll on his stomach to crawl away, but he could barely coordinate his movements, overwhelmed by the sensations against his weakest stop. 

"Do you think he's ticklish here, Kei?" You asked, your thumb rubbing against the bone.

Tsukishima shook his head, "I think he's just lying," he said teasingly. "It probably doesn't even tickle that mu- HEy!"

The sounds that came from Tsukishima's lips surprised you. It was a loud squeak that had been caused by one of Yamaguchi's hands, it had latched to Tsukishima's side and squeezed his waist, making Tsukishima flinch as he batted at the offending hand. 

"Who told you you could- no! Don't stop tickling him- ack!"

You didn't notice your hand had stopped tickling Yamaguchi and Tsukishima had too when he was trying to make Yamaguchi stop the squeezing to his side. So now free from your mean fingers, Yamaguchi quickly launched at Tsukishima, recovered already from having his hips tickled and easily finding Tsukishima's highest ribs. 

You watched in amazement how Tsukishima threw his head back with loud laughter. Not a chuckle, not even a giggle, but clear, bubbly laughs poured out of him as he tried to push Yamaguchi off him, but could only do so much with his arms tightly pressed to his sides in a futile attempt to cover that spot. 

Drawn by his laugh, you couldn't help but approach them, curious, not really believing that Tsukishima could actually laugh like that, but there he was, face pink, a big smile nearly splitting his face in two, glasses askew, all so unlike him.

Yamaguchi chuckled when he saw your expression. "Tsukki's worst spot is actually his feet, but he'd definitely kick us in the face if we even try to tickle him there," he said with a laugh. "So we'll have to make do with this for now." You could barely tell just what he was doing under Tsukishima's arms, but whatever it was, it seemed very effective. "Why don't you help me get his arms up? They're in the way."

"I'll gehehet you bahahack tehehenfohohold if you hehehelp hihihim!" Tsukishima said between laughs, it was so hard even for you to take him seriously so you giggled and got a hold of Tsukishima's wrists and it surprised you how easily you could lift his arms, revealing Yamaguchi's thumbs rubbing into those highly sensitive ribs.

"IHIHIHI'LL KIHIHILL YOHOHOU!" He said to you, his laughter becoming more frantic now that you were pinning his arms up. 

"Plehease don't," you begged, feeling a rush of tickly adrenaline through your whole body. "This is Yamaguchi's fault! He made me do it!"

Yamaguchi laughed, "I only needed to tell you once! Tsukki should totally get you!"

"You- eek!"

You didn't know how, but Tsukishima broke free from your grip and finally pushed Yamaguchi off him, making him laugh and jerk away in case he wanted to take revenge, but Tsukishima turned to look at you, still flushed and panting with residual giggles, and you squeaked, getting up to run away from him, but he grabbed your ankle and you fell onto the floor, over your stomach. Before you could do anything, he had his hands under your arms, wiggling his fingers. 

"NAHAHA! Kehehehei, plehehease!"

"I said I was going to get you back, didn't I? Don't you think saying my name will help you out," he said and you could hear a grin on his lips and something warm spread across your chest. 

He was having fun. Yamaguchi was having fun. You were having fun. The awkwardness had faded away and you felt a precious bond forming with these two boys you were so scared to befriend for so many different reasons. Who would have thought you would be tickling each other like little kids and having so much fun?

Yamaguchi laughed, "I think you should stop soon, Tsukki. Isn't his face too red?"

"YEHEHES! S-Stahahahap!"

"Should I? Maybe if he promises not to fail again in the game?"

"I prohohohomise! Plehehease!" 

"Good. After all, you're better than Yamaguchi."

"Now you're just asking for it, Tsukki!"

"No! I didn't- ahahaha!"

Yes, that video game would have to wait, but that was okay, this friendship seemed promising, the three of you would have plenty of time to play more video games together and even more tickle fights coming on your way! 

[irondad-defensesquad]

Sorry seems to be the hardest word - Chapter 1

Also posted on AO3!

Originally a story written in 2019, though I decided to revisit it.

I'm splitting this in two chapters. I'm already warning you that this first one will be painful. Tony will say some VERY mean things to Peter, which are not condoned. Part of this is me projecting onto Tony after I had a bad fight IRL, so characters might be OOC.

TRIGGER WARNINGS (for this chapter) - lashing out and mention of alcohol abuse

DO NOT SHIP PETER AND TONY. P/ROSHIP DNI.

--

Some days are hard and that’s part of life. But that doesn’t mean they won't be a pain in the ass. And when you’re Tony Stark, certified “piping hot mess”, the bad days can feel like he’s still in the wormhole, trapped in the deep and infinite outer space.

There isn’t a particular reason why he’s like this today. Most of his bad days work like that. Well, Tony is aware he has plenty of reasons, but none are recent.

Tony ranges from numb to irritable. When these days happen, he isolates himself in the workshop so he can focus on something else, like his suit of armor or his cars. That way, he won’t resort to alcohol, nor will anyone else get hurt. It helps that Pepper is out to work, and Rhodey is saving the world.

Today, the billionaire is fixing some bugs in his suit while at the same time he’s fixated on rebuilding a piece from the old, flaming Ford. It’s the only car part that has broken, and Tony can’t understand why. And for some reason, he’s unable to fix it. When he gets too stressed about it, Tony returns to his suit, and then he goes back to the Ford, so on and so forth.

Usually, fixing things and taking them apart help him. But today, they don’t.

At one point, Tony gives up and tries to forget the car piece for a bit.

And to make things worse…

F.R.I.D.A.Y reminds him that Peter is on his way.

“Oh. Oh my god,” Tony groans loudly. “Fuck.”

Only then does he remember that today is lab day. On his bad day. How could he forget?

Tony clearly can’t tell Peter to go home. He didn’t take more than two hours to get kicked out immediately. That’s just an asshole thing to do. On the other hand, the older man feels bad for thinking this way, but just imagining Peter rambling and rambling endlessly is already worsening his headache. He also won’t have the courage to tell Peter to not stay in the workshop. He doesn’t want to make the kid feel like he’s not wanted.

He sighs, soon hearing the elevator door opening, and Peter’s bouncy, happy steps going towards him. He’s clearly having a great day. Oh, the irony.

“Hi, Mr. Stark!” Peter greets him. Tony doesn’t have to look at him to see the sun rays coming out of him. Instead of warming him, they only blind Tony and make the heavy storm in his head grow larger.

“Hey, kid,” Tony lamely acknowledges.

“I’m feeling so awesome today! I finally aced my Spanish test,” Peter goes on, probably not noticing Tony’s lack of attention. “For a moment, I thought I wouldn’t make it, since the teacher can be a little hard on the correction, but he congratulated me! Not to brag, but I was one of the few aces in class, and man, you should’ve seen the look on Flash’s face, it was priceless!”

Peter is full on chatterbox mode, talking about all the other school stuff. On a normal day, Tony would’ve been so proud of him. They would’ve even ordered something special to celebrate. He knows how stressed Peter gets because of school, so him feeling so proud of himself is a delight. It’s too bad that Tony’s brain isn’t complying with him, so he stops listening to Peter halfway through, and he realizes he’s not doing anything with his suit, just sliding his fingers on the projection repeatedly, aimlessly.

At some point, he realizes the workshop is silent, save for the Black Sabbath playing in the background. That means Peter has finally realized he’s talking to nobody.

“... uh, w-what are you doing over there?” The teen stutters.

Tony sighs. He should apologize.

“Sorry, kid. I’m…” I’m having a bad day. This is not your fault. But he doesn’t have the strength to say these words, for some reason. “I’m trying to fix some bugs in the communication system.”

“Oh. Do you need help?”

“Nah, it’s fine.” Liar. “You can do whatever you want, like homework, or anything in your suit. I’ll help you later if you need me.”

“Um, okay.”

As Peter moves to his counter, Tony instantly remembers what’s lying there.

“Just don’t touch that thing there, alright?” The latter requests. Almost begging.

“What’s that?” Peter observes it.

“Just… a stubborn car part I’ve been trying to fix forever. And not getting any progress.” He knows his voice is sharper than usual, but Tony’s head is exploding. He’s so angry. At whom?

Peter merely hums and installs himself in the counter. The damned piece is on the other corner. Finally, Tony goes back to the suit. As long as it stays this way, maybe his bad day will improve.

The hero is able to distract himself for once, as Paranoid plays. Tony hears a shuffle or another coming from Peter, but it’s nothing too bothersome.

Next thing he knows, though, everything goes to shambles.

The noise that comes destroying the quietude and peace is loud like thunder. It’s probably the storm inside Tony’s head now ruining the real world, too.

“What the FUCK, Peter?!” Tony blurts out, knowing that it came from the kid. He knows what Peter did, as he sees the car part broken into pieces, scattered on the floor.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Mr. Stark, I was just trying to get a better look at it, m-maybe fix it for you–”

“Are you serious?! I told you not to touch it!”

“I’m sorry, I-I just wanted to help!”

“I don’t WANT your help! I just wanted you to BE QUIET and do your thing in your corner! But clearly you NEVER listen to me when I tell you to stay put!”

Peter is shaking his head, wanting to say more, but Tony keeps going.

“See, that’s your goddamn problem. You refuse to listen to me, you ‘think’ you’re going to help, but you just make EVERYTHING WORSE. That’s exactly what happened at the ferry.”

“But Mr. Stark…” Peter’s voice is tiny.

“I don’t know how many times I have to get in that stupid brain of yours,” Tony steps forward, stepping on one of the pieces, “DO NOT TOUCH MY FUCKING STUFF!”

The thunder scares Peter. He steps back.

He’s shaking. He’s shaking so hard.

And his eyes…

Those precious puppy eyes…

Tony stops dead in his tracks.

The damage has been done.

He replays all the words he just said, and he feels absolutely sickened by his own cruelty.

Peter is scared. He’s scared of Tony.

Oh my god. Oh my god, no.

Peter slowly backs away, like a scared animal.

“Peter,” Tony says, reaching out a hand…

But the kid runs away.

“Peter, wait!”

The boy manages to snatch his backpack and rush to the elevator. Tony doesn’t rush after him, though his arm is still trying to reach him. Of course, it doesn’t work. Peter is gone.

Tony is frozen where he stands.

The car part is broken beyond repair. Some small part of him still believes he can fix it.

But that is not more important.

He needs to fix what he just did to Peter.

He has to fix things.

No suit of armor, no car, nothing is more important than his kid.

When Tony rushes outside, he’s not too late.

“Peter!” He exclaims.

The teenager flinches, much to Tony’s dread. The former turns around like the latter’s storm is going to hit him again.

“Peter, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said those- those awful things to you. I was wrong about everything I said.”

Despite this, Peter doesn’t seem to believe it. He’s been betrayed. His trust… broken. It’s such a stark contrast to when he arrived at the workshop.

“I get it, Mr. Stark,” he says, voice low. He turns around to avoid Tony. “I just ruin your life.”

“No… goodness, no. My life is so much better with you in it.”

“It doesn’t feel like it.”

Peter isn’t crying anymore. He’s not even angry. He’s just hurt.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, I promise,” Tony insists.

“I just break your stuff and make a mess. You said that, and you believe that.”

Tony shakes his head. Meanwhile, Peter is checking his phone and texting someone, probably Happy.

“Please, don’t leave like this,” the man begs. “W-We can fix this, together. We’re a team, right?”

“Mr. Stark–”

“We can order your favorite food, we can celebrate your grade and- and everything you do, we can watch those space movies you like–” Tony knows he’s pushing but he doesn’t know how to stop.

“Tony.”

Peter has never called him by his first name before. And it doesn’t sound endearing.

The boy is still not facing him.

“... I shouldn’t have come here,” he concludes.

Tony doesn’t know what to say anymore.

After a pained silence, Peter sighs, probably to filter his pain. “I just need to go home.”

The other inhales and exhales, putting his hands inside his pockets. “Okay.”

Not too long after, a car arrives in front of the building. Happy only opens the windows, looking confused at the situation yet not prying. He gestures for Peter to get in.

Peter is heading towards the car…

“L-Let me know when you get home, okay?” Tony pleads quietly.

The teen just vaguely looks at him, not directly. “Okay.”

Happy gives Tony a sad gaze, as if meaning, “we can talk about this later, if you want”.

Regardless, Happy and Peter are quickly gone, and Tony watches the car disappear into the horizon. There’s no one else around to watch this scene.

Tony drove them all away.

He drove his kid away.

And for the first time in a while, Tony can’t hold back his tears.

--

(Chapter 2)

[disco-girl]

im not sure if youre still doing ficlet requests, so you can ignore this if so, BUT if its still open could i request prompt 30 with gm ? the line being “Look at me.”

Thank you Jae!! This was a fun one! I hope you see this and that school is going well :D

“This is so exciting!” Gus cried as he pulled his boyfriend along past the various stalls and demonstrations. It was the first covention since the fall of the Emperor’s Coven and it was markedly different from the ones they had been to before. Rather than restricting witches to a singular coven, they were now encouraged to pick up as many different interests and types of magic as their bile sacs desired. Folks from all over the isles came to show off their talents in dazzling displays. Gus was currently balancing a stack of brochures as big as his head.

“Augustus, don’t you think this is a bit excessive? You only have so much time in the day,” Matt said, grabbing some of the papers as they began to slip out.

“Are you kidding? And miss out on—“ he glanced at one of the brochures, “—extreme sweeping? Or worm fighting?”

“I mean, yeah that sounds cool and all but you already have flyer derby and….” Matt trailed off, freezing suddenly in place.

“Matty, what are you…oh.” Gus followed his line of sight to the mender’s table which was presently staffed with a familiar purple-haired witch.

“Shit, shit, shit.” Matt whirled around, trying to hide his face.

“Maybe she didn’t see us,” Gus tried to reassure him, “oh, Titan, she’s coming over here.”

“What?!” The older witch turned just in time to see Bria approaching.

“Well, look who it is,” she announced as she got closer, “My best friend who abandoned me.”

Matt was incredulous. “Best friend?! Abandoned you?”

“Watch it, Bria,” Gus warned, “unless you want a repeat of what happened at the graveyard.”

Bria scoffed. “That was a fluke. Besides, I'm much stronger and more powerful now.”

“Yeah, well, so are we,” Matt retorted.

Bria’s gaze dropped to the boys’ intertwined hands.

“Oh my gosh. Is this—are you two like a couple now?” She burst into laughter. “Oh, this is too rich.”

Matt knew better than to take the bait, but he couldn’t help himself. “Oh yeah? What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, really. It’s perfect, actually. You’re loser for loser, what a pair!”

Matt let go of Gus’ hand and balled his fists, tensing in preparation for a fight. But his boyfriend put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “It’s not worth it,” he said.

“Actually I’m kind of surprised,” Bria continued, “I would’ve thought Gus could have pulled somebody less…pathetic.”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Gus said, grabbing Matt by the arm and pulling him in the opposite direction before things could escalate.

Once they were out of earshot, Gus sighed. “Well, good to know that she hasn’t changed at all.”

Matt nodded, but his attention seemed to be somewhere else.

“Hey, you good? You know she was just trying to get under our skin, right?”

“Doesn’t mean that what she said wasn’t true,” Matt muttered, keeping his eyes glued to the ground.

Gus stopped in his tracks and turned to his boyfriend. “Hey, hey. Look at me.” He took Matt by the chin and gently tilted his head upward. “You’re not pathetic. You’re my favorite person. And you helped to lead a rebellion, for Titan’s sake! Bria is the one who’s missing out.”

Matt blinked at him for a few seconds before breaking into a proud grin. “Yeah. You’re right. Fuck her.” He took the brochures out of Gus’ hands and tucked them under one arm while grabbing his boyfriend’s other hand and squeezing it. “So, where to now?”

[namboobieslover]

Kintsugi: the beauty of broken things || MYG

Summary: Yoongi and Minnie have been friends for quite some time now, almost... 15 years? 15 years since they ran into each other in that music classroom by an unlucky (or not) mistake. They've grown close, but both of them have strong characters and insecurities that will have to be put aside when Minnie falls into her own lie, risking her job in the process. They have 3 days to feel comfortable and make everyone believe their role as the young engaged couple or she is fucked :[

Pairing: musical producer! Yoongi x lab tech/science nerdy! f reader au; non-idol! BTS members make a brief appearance

Genre: fluff, angst, kinda slow burn (?), best friends to fake couple au, constant unresolved sexual tension, two idiots too proud to openly speak but pinning each other

Word count: so far, almost 25k but still unfinished

Warnings: use of bad language, mentions of insecurities/low self-esteem, anxiety, trauma; light use of weed, little smut if you scrutinize, SFW

Masterlist: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // ...

A/N: hi there! this one it's my first story to be uploaded, a way for me to de-stress from uni exams. I'm not a native English speaker, so please forgive any grammatical mistakes :/

As Yoongi said, you have to put your work out there to learn about it, so... feel free to give some feedback (as positive as you can, please). The story is halfway done, but as I have to proofread most of it and apply the holy Grammarly, uploading will have a normal pace

I'm not fully confident of my writing abilities or English use, but it is what it is, I guess

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CHAPTER 1: Surprises and planning

Word count: 7'1K

-Sup, loser.

-Hi

I roll my eyes while I flop into the sofa.

-I mean... I'm not asking for big parties but, you know, a little more enthusiasm when seeing your bestie wouldn’t hurt. Don’t you think?

The only answer I get is a loud exhale of air.

-Someone is susceptible today…

Min Yoongi.

We’ve been friends for maybe… 15 years? And what a ride.

We first met in high school, at the sweet age of 12/13. With all the hormonal stuff and changes going around… such a happy stage of life to remember, yikes.

We didn't have anything in common; he was an artistic soul while I considered, or I would like to consider myself, as a science girl. But little me saw too many talent shows with great singers and decided to give it a shot.

-Hi! It’s here where the choir practices?

-Yeah, here is where all the magic happens -I would’ve never expected such an ironic answer from such a cute-looking girl- Are you new or lost on your way to another place?

-New or that’s what I intend to be. I signed the paper in the hall and someone emailed me the instructions. Told me to come to Mrs Lars's classroom.

-Oh, then you are in the right place. She is in the storage room looking for the materials we’ll be needing today.

-Okay class -a sweet voice fills the room interrupting our conversation- please take a seat.

I signal the seat next to the girl asking nonverbally if it’s taken, and she answers that it's not occupied.

-So… today we have lots of new faces. Instead of having personal interviews with each of you, I thought that maybe it would be better and easier to have you join us for today’s lesson. That way you’ll see how we work, a light version of course. After I dismiss the class, as I told you in the email, please stay a little longer and perform a song of your liking. Any questions?

A boy asks if they have to stay at the auditions if they aren't new.

-If you want to, you can stay but if you prefer to leave, that's okay too. That reminds me: for the ones that aren’t new, welcome back; I'm happy to see you again. To y'all my pupils, I wish for a good and healthy year. Any other doubts?

Silence is the answer.

-Then, we’ll start.

The 60 minutes pass fast. The teacher is really fun and makes all the music technicalities more approachable to everyone in the room. We play some games to get to know each other's names while learning a little bit about music structure. 

-Well done. That’s all for today. See you next day.

A lot of students start picking up their books and bags, and I bid goodbye to Nelly, the one with a loving face and a smart mouth. She is… interesting to say the least, but also nicer than expected. 

And friendly enough to ask my dubitative ass to exchange numbers…

Now, the moment of truth: the audition. Not gonna lie, nobody here will be the next Céline Dion but they are okay. That makes me even more nervous, and it shows when my turn comes. Luckily (ironically) I'm the last one. My voice is shaky and even if I am doing terribly, they all keep a smile on their face, which I thank deeply.

Like everyone else, I don't receive any type of feedback from Mrs Lars. She just tells us the following.

-Thanks to any single one of you for showing interest in my subject. Everyone will be accepted in this class; the “audition” was just a formality to classify you in the range that fits you the best. Music is a language that unifies all humans, and even if most of them haven’t been gifted with an incredible voice or the ability to play an instrument, I won't deny the chance to learn it anyways. There’s always a role that fits you the best and I’m sure that while communication runs in both directions, we’ll have a good year. Today you saw how my class works; if you still want to join me and your classmates, the only thing needed is to send me an email by the end of the weekday to confirm it. I will reply with indications, information and advice to improve your natural talent and I want you to practise for a couple of weeks to get used to that routine and the work method. Then, you’ll be divided into groups with people who share your characteristics to work together with the things in common and have healthy feedback. Also, you can ask me when needed or use the music studios to train. I’m sure your parents will thank me -she laughs- Does that sound good?

-Yes Mrs Lars -we answer in unison.

-Ah, and also, if you don't think this is your thing and want to choose another activity, that’s okay. Not receiving the mail of confirmation I previously had talked about, will be understood as the desire to not continue. Feel free to do it if you want to; no hard feelings. This will take a lot of energy and free time, so… make sure that all the effort goes to something you like or you’ll end up despising me and music itself. Any questions or doubts?

As nobody speaks, she dismisses the class.

It took me a couple of days to decide whether I should join music or look for another option, but animated by my parents and the possibility of this helping me with my scenic fear, I choose to keep going with the idea.

Apparently, my vocal range is mezzo-soprano-contralto, which is why I have a difficult time in a higher register. Once I knew that, everything changed for me. Singing was easier and less damaging; just better. I wasn’t that good but for once I felt like my efforts were taking me somewhere.

I still needed a lot of practice, so I would usually spend some time during lunchtime (with the teacher’s permission) doing so in the rehearsal room. Unluckily, one day when I went to my usual spot, the class was already occupied by another person, so I met with my teacher to know what had happened. 

-I’m sorry sweetheart, it’s my fault. I have such a big cold that the headache is making my head pound and I can’t even think straight. Would it be inopportune if I reserve the room after class so you don’t have to skip today’s practice?

-That sounds good too.

-Okay, then I will write your name in the folder -she says reaching for it hung on the wall. She seems a little confused when looking at today’s schedule 

-Isn’t it possible? -I ask her.

-Oh no, everything is fine. Seems like I’ve already written the reservation in your name earlier. Must’ve forgotten to tell you when I did that, I guess that just in case, to offer you a resolution to this problem.

-Then, I’m noted to the main classroom after class?

-Yeah, you are good to go.

-Thank you.

As told, I went to the said place and started my warming exercises. After some scales, I tried “Million Reasons” by Lady Gaga, struggling with the highness of the bridge. I was stuck with that part for some days by then, and my frustration was almost visible in the form of smoke outing my ears.

I was on my…¿20th try? When an unknown voice scared me when the song finished.

-Well… that was…interesting.

-Fucking hell, you scared me.

-Not more than you did to me with your vocals.

-Excuse me?

-Apologies accepted.

Is a boy around my age and size. He wears rectangular glasses and a mostly black outfit, which contrasts with his pale skin perfectly. His eyes are quite small but ooze tons of coldness. He impassively walks to the piano in the corner and starts to get things out of his backpack.

-Mmm… What are you doing?

His dark orbs peer at me with a pensive aura, but he dismisses those thoughts and gives me rolling eyes.

-Practising.

-Yeah, I could have guessed that.

-I am not the one asking the stupid questions here.

-What I meant -he interrupts me by playing some notes- As I was saying -he does it again.

I approach the instrument he is in and put down the keyboard cover, giving him enough time to retract his hands. Ups his sight and boy, is a furious one.

-Are you crazy? -he shouts- You could have harmed me!

-Chst, nobody with two functional cells doing synapsis would have that bad reflexes so please, stop crying, you little baby.

-Excuse me?

-Apologies accepted -I deliver the sentence the same way he did to me, with a pompous smile on my face while I sit proudly in a nearby chair- Also, you deserve it. That’s what you get when trying to mess with me.

-Oh, was I disturbing you? Sorry, I didn't want to. I’m so distracted -what he says in a pitying tone doesn’t match the challenging look in his eyes and the smirk he isn’t even trying to hide.

-I can tell -I bark back the same way- Anyway, as I was saying before you decided to be a cretin, what are you doing here?

-Judging based on your singing skills maybe…you aren't aware that this is a music classroom? You know, where musicians do their thing -speaks ironically

-Of course I know where I am. My doubt is what are YOU doing here at this time. I made a reservation with Mrs Lars.

-Me too.

-That’s impossible.

-No, it’s not. Since I did. You must be wrong.

-No, you are -I fight a little offended.

He rolls his eyes.

-Okay. Let’s search the classroom schedule Mrs Lars keeps in her office and you’ll see your mistake -decides while clapping his hands together and getting up.

-You must mean YOUR mistake -I clarify while imitating his gestures.

I follow him to said office, where he signals to a folder hanging on the wall. He goes through it while searching for today’s schedule and once he finds it, aggressively puts his finger in the initials “M.Y”

-As I was saying, you are the one wrong -he says proudly.

-What? Those are my initials!

-No, they are not. They are M.Y. as in Min Yoongi.

-No, they are M.Y as Min Young Mi.

We look at each other kinda confused.

-I guess Mrs Lars must have committed a mistake while writing our names because of the similarities -he thinks out loud.

-You think so? -I reply as ironically as I can. He rolls his eyes.

That evening was the beginning of what we like to call “The Valerian War”. As stubborn as we were, any of us was willing to give in to the other. None offered to leave or neither changed the reservation for the evenings that followed, so we played mental resistance war, and it got so bad that we needed some valerian infusion to support the evils that we did to each other so that the other would surrender.

Some favourites were him cutting my microphone wires or playing a recording of my voice on the school’s radio for everyone to listen to. I gave back by making good use of a 2x3 glue thrift offer. I was almost sent to the other world when he had to walk back home with the piano’s bench cushion glued to his butt or with music sheets united to his hand.

Eventually, with little acts of kindness by both sides, we started to open up and help each other (he assisted me in musical stuff while I improved his anger management) and we reached the point where we were looking all day to that moment of the evening. It took almost a year and a lot of Nelly’s talks to finally admit that we enjoyed spending time together. Slowly but surely, we started meeting out of school till becoming besties. We had a lot more in common than we thought.

-Call me stupid but-

-Stupid -he interrupts me without hesitance.

-Min Yoongi, be careful with your words, I have your mom on quick dial.

-So childish that is almost sad.

-Would she think as childish that you signed a big contract with an important company and didn’t say a word to your family? I guess I can just ask her -my tone is a mockery one.

The keyboard typing stops followed by a dry laugh.

-You dirty bitch. Must be desperate to threaten me with that.

-It’s just that… I’m frustrated.

-Sexually?

-No. Well… That too. But no.

He quietly laughs.

-Maybe I can lend you a hand.

-Yeah, in my neck to cut the flow of air? -I ask acidly but then my black humour needs to make an appearance- Actually, that’s not that much of a bad idea. One lifetime occasion where I would let you commit the desire of killing me without getting angry about it; I promise.

-Mmm, kinky. If that’s what you want… -he spouts with a teasing tone and a smirk.

-What?

I’m no stranger to letting my intrusive thoughts win over me and make it aaaall the way to my mouth without realising it, so when he answers I have to replay the last section of our conversation to understand what he means.

-Ugh, you are disgusting.

-Yeah. I think how disgusting it is that I know you so well, that I am genuinely not surprised about you having a choking kink.

-I… I don’t have a choking kink -I defend myself by putting a brave face on when I actually kind of like that stuff.

-Yeah, right -he answers in a disinterested way, turning back to his computer- Just so you know…next time you try to lie as much as you are doing, tell your red cheeks to not make an appearance. It gives it away.

I take advantage of him not looking at me to raise my hands and check if they are matter-of-factly red, which are. I clear my throat in the need of changing the subject.

-Till now all you said has been really helpful, you know? -I say rolling my eyes

-Till now you still haven’t said a word about your problem, apart from your need to get laid, of course.

-The thing is that I messed badly with my boss -I purposely ignore the last sentence and he lets out a little laugh because of it.

-What makes you think that?

-It’s not something she said or did. Actually… It's my fault.

-I doubt it… but would you mind explaining? -he still has his back facing me while clicking the unwired mouse, something that will make the next thing I have to say a lot easier.

-Do you remember when you got appendicitis and had to stay at the hospital? And then when you needed help when sent home?

-How would I not remember?

-Well… The thing is that to convince my boss, which I already told you, is a hard one… I had to lie. A lot.

That seems to catch his attention because finally turns to face me.

-When you mean a lot, how much are we talking about? You said everything was okay with you taking those days off.

-I think we have already established the point that I am a ‘liar, liar, pants on fire’.

-So… What did you tell her?

-Mmmm… I knew some of my coworkers asked her for some days off because of a friend or a relative being sick, and she always rejected them except when they talked about fiancés, husbands or sons; that kind of stuff. So to make her accept my petition, I made her believe it was about my fiancé.

-You said what?

-I basically said all the truth but omitted that you are only my friend. I completely made up a story about my hardworking fiancé, who fell sick, and has no other family around than me to take care of him… It was a little white lie, but when I was back to work everyone was nice to me, even my boss.

-Why don’t you tell them that you broke up? 

-That was my plan, I swear. Buuuut, I started to talk a little bit here and there about him being an asshole, like getting ready to break the news, you know? Buuuuut that made them even nicer to me! Never knew criticising a partner would unite us that much.

-My surgery was last year…have you been lying to them for that long?

-Yeah…

-And didn’t they suspect anything when a year passed and still no wedding was in sight?

-Yes, but I explained how as we were both busy with our respective jobs, trying to save money for it, and having some trouble in our relationship… had decided to take it easy.

He seems lost in thought, with the elbows resting on the armrests of his chair and fingers brushing his chin. Then laughs, crossing his arms over his chest.

-Well, well, well. When I think that you cannot surprise me anymore, here you come.

-Yeah, really funny how this will end with me getting fired.

-Don’t be silly. They’ll never know.

-That’s what I thought till my company decided to celebrate a ball to raise funds for their project about breast cancer. And everyone expects me to bring my said fiancé to meet them.

-OMG you are such a loser.

-I don’t know why I came here expecting some support. Seems like today is not the day you want to deal with my stuff -I get a little angry because he doesn't understand how bad this is and how much I’ve been stressing the last few weeks trying to find a solution.

-Minnie, you know that’s not it -he quickly answers.

-Don’t worry. It’s my fault. By now I must have put in my mind that while you are working don’t wanna be bothered by others' banal stuff -I recollect my bag and start my way to the door.

I feel his hand wrapping around my wrist, trying to stop me.

-Stop it. I don’t wanna bother you.

He sighs and uses that hitch as a way to put me closer to him and after that, sit me again on the couch.

-Yeah, you are a pain in the ass, but even like that… you’ll never bother me when it’s about struggling with something, so… don’t say that.

-That’s how you made me feel.

-And I’m sorry about it. When it comes to words, we both know that I’m not the best to be sensitive.

-Except with your lyrics -I half-joke to reassure him. 

I feel bad to react this way because he has a life too and here I am burdening him with my problems; all because I am so weak that I drown in a cup of water.

-Yeah, except for my lyrics -says way softer.

-Ugh, I’m so messed up -I groan while hiding my face between my hands and laying back.

-Yeah, a little bit but, what are you going to do?

-What do you mean?

-I know you, so I expect you to have something in mind already -he says palming one of my knees while still sitting in his chair.

I drop my arms to my sides, tired.

-No. Well, technically yes, but not anymore.

-What?

-I had a plan but not anymore because things didn’t go the way I expected.

-How is that?

-Don’t wanna hear you say anything about “I warned you”.

-This is going to be good -he whispers loud enough for me to hear it, but after giving him a death stare, motions his mouth getting zipped and throws the key away.

-The obvious solution is to have someone pretending to be my fianceé. After wondering who would be the best option I asked Jim to fill that role because, you know, we were kinda hooking up.

-What did he say?

-Like cartoons. I was almost able to see smoke in his dashing foot.

-Told you so -whispers again with a smirk.

I want to save energy, so my only answer is to roll my eyes. It's not like I could deny it because he, in effect, told me that. 

When I started to meet Jim, equally scared of commitment as me, Yoongi warned me about how he would never be the one for me. How under the sweet gestures and amazing chemistry, we were only two people wasting time. How he could, maybe, let me down when I truly needed him. He wasn’t wrong. While explaining this whole issue to Jim, he was losing all the colour on his face because I told him that he would have to pretend to be in love. Pretend. I didn’t love him either but I was expecting the both of us to put on a little show of it.

But Yoongi knows that behind the façade I put saying that I don't want serious business, the reality is that I'm just searching for the right person to let my defences down. But to find it and as a scientist, I must do trial and error. Right?

-Then I contacted everyone in our group but all of them are occupied with close notice, and since my family is away, I can’t ask a cousin or something. Not to mention how weird it would have been -I shake my shoulders trying to shake the disgusting image of my mind.

-What about a random person or a gigolo? 

-I don’t have enough time to teach somebody the full ass history of how we fell in love or the money to pay for it. Also, I'm trying to avoid paying for another human till I'm 70 and alone, with the only company of my 5 cats. Thanks.

-That’s all?

-I started to pretend that I’m falling sick to have an excuse, but everyone seems suspicious of me. If that doesn’t work, I’m fucked up. For real. That’s my last chance.

-As I see it, that’s not your last chance. You forgot about something.

-I did?

To say that I am confused is an understatement.

-Yeah you fool -he smiles widely and reclines in his chair with crossed arms.

-I…don’t…follow you.

-Me. 

-You what? -My confusion is at the ceiling level.

-Me -He repeats with open arms- You forgot me.

Is this what I think it is?

-Stop frowning -and I do at his call- I can't believe you didn’t try to ask me.

-You are joking, aren’t you?

-No -he turns to the computer shrugging.

-Wait, wait, wait -I turn him to face me by the armrest- You, Min Yoongi, THE Min Yoongi, are offering to be my ‘date’ for an event at my workplace?

-God, don’t put it like that. But yeah, the answer is yes. I don’t know why it seems so unbelievable to you.

-I didn't ask you because: 1) I was ashamed, 2) you and I aren't precisely the most comfortable with touching or sweet words, and 3) and the main: aren’t you visiting your hometown this weekend? I know how much you’ve been looking forward to it.

-Yes, I was. But you are crazy if you think that I would let you lose your job for it.

-But you’ve worked so hard… you deserve that break.

-Listen and stop being stubborn. I know that your job is as important to you as mine is to me, not to mention that if you are in this position it is because of me. So… the fair thing is to be the one helping you out of this situation.

-You realise that we will have to pretend that we are in love, right? -I say carefully.

-I pretend that I like you every day so, I don’t think it will be that hard. 

I know he says it to make me laugh and take the iron off the matter, but I can’t help smacking his thigh while giggling. 

-What preoccupies me is you; would you be able not to fall in love with me?

We both laugh, knowing that it’s impossible.

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I’m completing my look with sparkling earrings and I look at myself in the mirror. Not bad.

I’m wearing what I consider my slutiest outfit: a baggy long-sleeve dress with a deep v-neck and which long is mid-thigh. The cloth resembles black silk but falls beautifully around my curved body, adjusting in the places it should to remark my features. I added all the sparkly accessories because they contrast greatly with my tanned skin and the dress itself, but I guess all seems blurred compared to my boobs. Those girls are looking great tonight. 

My hairstyle and makeup are a little basic, but enough to make me feel pretty.

While applying perfume someone rings the doorbell. I’m ready on time, so taking all my stuff and a false pink fur coat, I open the door.

I have to admit it, he looks stunning. Yoongi is wearing black skinny jeans with a white t-shirt tucked in, black combat boots and a green bomber jacket. All prettily completed with silver accessories and his long ginger hair slightly gelled back on the sides. My favourite look on him.

-Why aren’t you wearing high heels?

That comment is enough to get me out of my trance, but I understand it; that’s the only part of my outfit on display.

-Is bad enough to be wearing ones for the ball, so yes, thank you, I won’t be torturing myself tonight -I explain as I close my house with the key.

-You were the one who had the idea of dressing in the clothes the other likes most.

-I’m wearing everything you asked for except for the heels. Relax.

-Let me see.

-Hell no, it is freezing here. You’ll see once we get to the discotheque. C’mon.

-I don’t trust you. At all -he whispers but follows me to the taxi stop.

This is part of the amazing plan we made together on Tuesday night. Not the best idea but…it will have to do the work.

The ball is on Friday so we have a couple of days to make us believable as a couple. Tonight, Wednesday, part one is in development. We’ll go to drink (a lot) and dance in a public place and act as partners in love. Is like practice for the real situation and luckily, as I suggested, dressing in a way the other likes will make it easier to dissociate the image of best friend that we find disgusting to act in love with.

We have two days to be comfortable with holding hands, him holding me for the small of my back, me hanging into his arm, hugging and… kissing. Not fully making out, like little pecks. Or at least that’s the order both of us come together to decide as necessary to give the ‘’living in the honeymoon stage of relationship’’ vibes.

Tomorrow we will work on our love story, pet names and all that stuff. Maybe we’ll have to buy some alcohol for it too.

-Should we…maybe…start? -he asks, looking the other way.

-I think I need a couple of quick shots before.

-Thank God, me too -laughs.

I signal to a bar near us that won’t make us change our direction fully, and he agrees.

-Please, four shots of tequila -Yoongi orders to the bartender, and I am grateful for that amount.

Since I am the one using his help, I want to invite him. He gives me bored eyes and tries to take my money away from the counter, but I push him a little bit and open my coat to let my neckline on the view of the young bartender.

-Please, accept my money. You can keep the change as a tip -my voice is as sweet as I physically can and I bat my eyelashes. It works because he takes my money a little bit flustered and his only answer is a nod. I laugh to myself and close the coat again, turning to my friend, who is downing his first little vase.

I take one making cheers in the air before ingesting the hot liquor.

-You know… what you did is not fair.

-What do you mean? -I play dumb.

-You know what I mean -he says before drinking his other drink- That poor boy… I would be surprised if he doesn't end up hard as wood.

-Why is that bad? Dozens of men look at my ass or boobs without any intention on my side or dressing to “provoke” them. It’s not my fault that in this patriarchal society, women are so fucking sexualized that men think it’s okay to do it. He would have looked at them anyway if I weren’t wearing the coat so excuse me for using that in my favour instead of against me - I drink my last shot.

He looks at me kind of speechless, but after clearing his throat he says “When you are right, you are right”.

The cold air receives us in the street, but the burning sensation in our stomachs is a great contrast. We decide to go walking to the discotheque since it isn’t that far and after ten minutes of comfortable silence, I start to feel the alcohol quicking in in the form of an unexpected laugh.

-What happens? -Yoongi seems confused but laughs too.

-This situation… is ridiculous.

-I know.

-But again, thank you. You are saving me from a good one. I owe you.

-Don’t be stupid, we are best friends. You take care of me and I take care of you. That is how we have always worked and how it will always work.

-Wow, alcohol is getting into you too? You are speaking mindlessly.

-A bit. A long time has passed since I last drank something; work has been… crazy.

-Same for me. Maybe it is a good moment for…you know.

-First step?

-Yeah, first step. Are you okay with that?

-Of course.

We look at each other's hands and making a brave move, I'm the one initiating the motion. His are colder and slightly bigger but feels surprisingly comfortable to intertwine fingers and sense his even colder rings brushing with mine. That heat difference sends a shiver through my body.

It’s not like we have never held hands in other contexts. We do, for example, while walking in a street full of people or in a comforting situation and stuff like that, but it is our first time to do it without a physical or emotional need.

-How do you feel? -I ask cautiously.

-Weird, not gonna lie.

-Me too.

-But it’s not the first time we held hands and I have to say that luckily you feel warm.

-Yeah, you are freezing man -the tension weakens and we start to walk again, still hand in hand.

-I forgot my coat and when I realised I was already too far. I expected to be in a taxi and drunk so I didn’t take it so seriously. Now I’m regretting my choices.

I can’t stop a laugh and he does the same, showing a gummy smile.

-I can work with that. Grieving for my frozen-to-death fiancé is a good excuse to go to the bloody fundraiser alone.

-Then, who would listen to your nonsense anxious babbling?

-You aren’t my only friend, you know that right?

-They simply can’t compare. Even Nelly. 

-Yeah, they can’t compare because nobody reaches your level of pettiness.

-That’s what we have in common you and I, my friend.

Our bickering continues till we reach our destination, where it is time to start the practice. Reading my mind he offers his arm for me to cling to it while still holding hands; a typical pose of couples who’ve been together for some years.

-IDs? -the bouncer asks us.

Once he checks that we are above 23 (a way to only let in adults) the heat receives us when we cross the door. The decoration is beautiful and serious, way different from what we are used to.

-Everyone here seems a little off, don’t you think? -Yoongi asks me.

-Yeah, I guess the age requirement takes away the younger spirit. You know this place is for people who want to have a good night but not that “wild”.

-If this is what awaits me once I establish a serious relationship, I’m definitely staying single.

-Bold of you to assume that you’ll find someone who can keep up with your antics. It’s not like you are turning love proposals all day.

His elbow pinches at my ribs for making fun of him and I laugh.

-You are one to talk… Also, I have some game so… your words don’t offend me miss “Please help me because my ashole of a hookup can’t even pretend to be in love with me”.

-Yeah, that was because he knew that once he started pretending, it wouldn’t be pretending anymore and I’m too much of a woman for him.

-Sure -his eyes are mocking me.

-Let’s grab some drinks, stupid.

He straightly asks for a whiskey, his favourite drink, but I order a rum with coke. He offers me to taste it and I’m dumb enough to do it, gagging at the flavour.

-You have an easy gag reflex, maybe now I understand why Jim dumped your ass so easily.

-Don’t worry hun, it’s only related to alcoholic drinks and he surely dumped me but my ass felt a great loss to him -I cheer my drink with his.

He gives me an unreadable stare while swallowing the odd savoury liquor.

I hate to admit it, but he looks smoking hot tonight. I can’t put my finger exactly on what it is, but something of him making dark humour about Jim while staring at me in that mockery way and gulping whiskey like water… is entrancing. Am I that sex deprived or what?

He frowns one eyebrow trying to guess what's on my mind and just the possibility of him being able to decipher my thoughts has me blushing.

-Is hot here. I’m going to the wardrobe to leave my coat - I excuse myself while getting up from the stool.

-Want me to accompany you?

-Oh, no. Don’t worry. I don’t think it will take me that long.

I join the wardrobe queue a little anxious. Just thinking of what awaits me these days stresses me; it’s really out of my comfort zone. I take the coat for the smiley girl behind the counter to take it.

-Wow girl, you are stunning.

-Thank you, I hope my… boyfriend thinks the same -the b-word gets a little stuck in my throat.

-If he doesn’t… take him to the doctor. That would mean he has his sight damaged. Or better, come back and I’ll make sure you have a good time -she says winking and giving me a little key with a number.

-I’ll keep that in mind -I answer a little flustered and return to where Yoongi is waiting.

He is turned to face me, elbow resting on the bar and cup playing in his hand in circular motions. He eyes me up and down and licks his lips, and I have to put all the effort in me to keep walking like nothing and not choke on my air.

He must have noticed my nervous state because this time, decides to directly ask.

-Oh, I was a little shocked -I answered because… well, that is true- The girl in the wardrobe made a move on me suggesting that if my partner doesn’t like me or something, she will take matters herself to give me a good time -that is also true.

-She did?

-Yeah, why is it so hard to believe? -I am a little offended and I chug down the rest of my drink.

-Not that is hard to believe, but… Do you like girls or something now? -he seems genuinely curious, trying to assure me that anything I say next, will be well received from him.

-No, this isn’t me coming out; sadly I’m still into men. Just… is nice to have someone complimenting me even if I’m not into girls -a change in his gaze is noticeable, and that’s what makes me realise that maybe he feels like I’m implying something else that I’m not- Anyways, I thought that she was nice and a funny anecdote. Do you want anything else to drink?

I can almost see him shaking his head to get rid of whatever was going on there and nods, chugging the remains of whiskey, which makes his Adam's apple move up and down. He has a nice side profile, I’ll admit that too. 

Once we have refilled our vases, we start a little conversation about our works and how excited he is that his first mixtape is in the final steps to be published. Only the photos and the design of the cover are missing, which will be arranged on Friday morning, previous to the gala.

-I can’t believe that you didn’t let me listen to it.

-I want you to see the final product, to see the full concept like the rest.

-Still… I can’t believe that you are doing this to your very first fan. I guess from now I will have to fight with all your new fans for a little attention.

-Like you ever had it… -he smirks and I hit him in the arm.

-Maybe I should start stanning other rappers, Namjoon is doing great with his mixtape. At least he appreciates me a little bit.

-Yeah, he would appreciate having you under his sheets. Well, he and the rest of the boys of the studio.

-Don’t be silly, we are just friends.

-Yeah, because no friends in history have ever hooked up, right?

-Not me at least.

-Because you are good at friend-zoning without even noticing. It’s really fun to watch them all try to have a date with you. I will tell you more, we have a bet going on.

-What? Stop joking.

His gaze is devilish, but his face remains serious; that’s how I know that he is being honest. He funnily grins while drinking and I just blush.

-Seriously? I don’t know Yoongi, that seems fake.

-Kinda is, kinda not. At the start, when they first meet you, they, believe it or not, wanted you as something more than a friend. After some time trying and failing, they accepted that it was impossible. However, it is still a joke to make moves on you to see if you notice but I know that if you give them any signal, they would be moving their tails like the dogs they are.

-That's what the bet is about? For how long has it been going on?

.Around… I don’t know. Two years maybe?

To say that I'm speechless is an understatement.

-Who’s in that bet?

-All the group?

-Even… you?

-I guess… but I like to think of myself as a judge in all this. It wouldn’t be fair to them if I played at their level since I’m your best friend.

-Oh my god, you are so full of yourself.

-Why?

-You think you can win against the others with that dumpling-like skin and that skinny body of yours? You wouldn’t be able to handle me. Jungkook or Namjoon? Definitely.

-I would prove it to you, but once you get a taste… you can’t go anywhere else.

Scarlet cheeks are my only answer to that.

-And what’s the prize of that bet?

-Free pass with you if you want it too.

-Ugh, and you are part of that?

-Now you are the one full of herself. If I win maybe I’ll be able to trade that for some equipment my studio is missing.

-I’m not an object you can use to “trade”.

-Of course you aren’t. Of course.

He pats my head messily and I can see a glint of fun in his eyes, which in Yoongi’s language means that he feels a little tipsy. He’s not the touchy type at least he has some alcohol flowing through him.

Honestly, I know that I should be a little angry with this whole bet thing but I am not. Yes, is a little weird that all of them are in this but at the same time… I know they would never hurt me or take advantage of me in that way. Also, I have to admit that sometimes I do second checks of them because… holy cow, they seem like some greek marble-carved figurines that came to life. So.. am I the one to blame?

Not to mention how lovely and protective of me they all are; I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have had their support for whatever stupid thing I was trying or a warm hug if I needed it. I guess this thing is a friendly joke I wasn’t aware of but thanks to alcohol-induced honesty in Yoongi…I’m going to have MY fun with it.

-Now that you have told me this, who has won? You are destroying it.

-I suppose the first you flirt back to and I told you because… two years?? At this point, we all know that the bet was never going to end. Why? Now that you know, is your interest in any of those assholes?

-Maybe…

-Who? -I know this caught him by surprise.

-You will have to give me more drinks and a couple of dances to know that. Decide your strategy while my trip to the bathroom -I laugh at him and make my way to the service room.

I’m not interested in any of them, but as I said, it’s my turn to have some fun with it and poor Yoongi, he’s my first victim. We have some bond to do to look like a couple, right? Well, I will take this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

->Chapter 2

[atlasdoe]

The sun was just setting when they reached the Quidditch pitch. On the grass already was the chest full of balls and both James and Mary's brooms.

“Grab your broom,” James said when they got to them. “You’re getting a private tryout.”

Mary dropped his hand and shook her head, “James I’m not doing this.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to. If I wanted to then I would’ve gone this morning like everyone else. I don’t deserve special treatment.”

“Nonsense, you’re Mary MacDonald you deserve all the special treatment in the world.”

“James, I’m serious.”

“No, you’re not, you’re Mary.”

“James!”

Seeing that she was actually getting upset, James’ cheeky smile turned soft and he sat down on the grass cross-legged. He motioned for her to do the same and she did.

“What’s going on Mare?”

Mary shrugged, “I just don’t feel like playing anymore that’s all.”

“That's bullshit Mary,” he said, trying to keep his tone as gentle as possible. “You’ve never not wanted to play.”

Mary kept picking at the grass beneath them as she shrugged again. “I just don’t think it’s for me.”

James thought about her answers. He knew what this was really about. Mary had been so outgoing and proud last year, and with just one night, with just one action by one person, it was all gone. She hadn’t left her room for nearly a week after it happened, somehow Remus managed to talk her out but she was still a shell of who she once was. The worst part was that James could see that she was trying to get her old self back during the last part of the year, but now they seemed back to square one.

Just the thought of it was enough to make him on the verge of tears. Mary was the brightest person he knew, and he would’ve given everything to see her shine again.

“Do you remember how we first met?�� He asked her after a minute of silence.

Mary nodded, when she looked up he saw her own tears falling down her face. “Second day of school,” she said. “Our second year.”

James nodded, giving her a reassuring smile, giving her whatever warmth he could. “We were in the common room,” he continued. “You had come down with the firsties and Evans introduced us.”

“Lily tried to introduce us,” Mary corrected. “You told us to bugger off because you were doing important Quidditch preparations.”

James turned a bright red at Mary's mocking tone. He really was a little shit when he was younger. “That I did,” he said nodding, despite his shame.

“I asked you what Quidditch was and you explained the rules,” Mary went on.

James hummed, “You then asked me if I would teach you how to play.”

Mary nodded, a small smile forming on her lips as she teased, “Do you remember what you told me?”

James’ blush brightened as he rocked back slightly before answering, “I told you that only those who can’t do, teach and you should probably ask Sirius.”

Mary laughed, but she wasn’t done embarrassing him there, “And when Sirius called you a twat, what did you respond with?”

“I told him that I was too busy and that my skills shouldn’t be wasted.”

Mary hadn’t stopped laughing, “And you wonder why people called you arrogant.”

James smiled at her, it had been a long time since he had heard her properly laugh like that. He had missed it and was now determined to never let it fade again.

“Do you want to know a secret?” He asked once she had calmed down.

Mary nodded her smile only slightly visible now.

“Not taking the opportunity to teach you is one of the biggest regrets of my life.”

Now it was Mary's turn to turn red, “You don’t mean that.”

“No, I do,” James insisted. “When I had heard that McKinnon and Bones had started their little class for you I didn’t think much of it until I saw you properly play for the first time. And arrogant little me was kicking myself at the fact that I couldn’t take credit for your skill. Mary, you were brilliant, and you still are, nothing and nobody could ever change that.”

“He changed that,” Mary said bluntly, breaking James’ heart into a million little pieces.

“No he didn’t,” he whispered back, almost in a plea.

Mary, who was now crying again, nodded slowly. “Yes, he did. He changed everything. I’m trying to ignore it, I’m trying to be my old self again, I promise I am! But I’m so tired of pretending that everything’s okay when it’s not!”

James was walking on eggshells, he was keeping his voice very level. “Mary, what happened… We never talked about it…”

“It's not about what happened,” Mary sniffled. “Well… I mean it is but it’s… it’s so much more.”

“What else is it?”

Mary looked at him through glassy eyes and quickly did her best to wipe her face before leaning back on her hands, her leg bouncing as she shook her head. “I don’t know who else would’ve done the same,” she told him, tears freely falling again. “I don’t know how many people have already done the same just to someone different. I mean, what if Lily or Dirk or Dahlia or any other muggleborn gets hurt because some asshole thinks that they can get away with it because he did? How am I supposed to live with myself?”

“It's not your fault Mare-“

“But it is! It wasn’t random! I’ve heard what they’ve all been saying about me. How I deserved it, how I should’ve known my place, and now others are suffering because I’m a mudblood!”

James moved quickly when Mary broke, getting down on one knee before her and allowing her to hide her face in his chest as his arms wrapped around her protectively. “Don’t say that,” he whispered softly. “They’re wrong Mare, they’re so wrong.”

“But I got everyone worried over nothing,” she mumbled into his shirt. “Y’know Marlene used to sneak into my dorm room at night after it happened? She would go all the way from Ravenclaw to Gryffindor and break into the common room just to sleep with me because she kept having nightmares about it.”

“That was Marlene?” James asked, confused. “I thought we had rats!”

The sound of Mary's laugh brought his too as she slowly pulled away. “Don’t be an idiot, Potter, we both know you didn’t hear her.”

James shrugged, “Maybe,” he confessed. “But it made you laugh, so worth the lie in the end.”

“I’m sorry for dumping all of this on you. All you wanted to do was throw a ball around and I just went on a vent.”

James was shaking his head before she could even finish, “You have nothing to be sorry for,” he assured her. “I’m not going to lie to you and pretend like I know how you feel or how to make you feel better, but Mary I will do everything in my power to help you. I’m here for you, and I’m not the only one,” he said. “I really don’t think you should give up Quidditch. I don't think you want to.”

“I don’t want to give it up. But what if –”

“Ah. You don't want to give it up. End of sentence, you’re trying out.”

Mary sighed as James began to stand. Still, she followed. “But what if something happens?”

“Mary,” James said. “We will blast anyone who even thinks about hurting any muggleborn in this school, and on the off chance that something does happen, it will never be your fault. Now, I’m going to be honest with you and tell you something my mother used to tell me because it’s clear you’ve been hearing way too many lies lately, okay?”

Mary nodded, “Okay.”

“The only way you could ever bring darkness into this world is by depriving it of your light,” he said simply, taking one of her hands in his.

Mary nodded slightly as her tears came back. “Merlin, how many times am I going to cry tonight?” She asked with a laugh. “That was cheesy as fuck.”

James laughed with her and squeezed her hand. “Cry all you like,” he said. “Just make sure you don’t stop smiling.”

[abey-baby-apologist]

clone high final episode spoilers below! (9 n 10)

holy fuck im so happy. even though im super annoyed how they keep throwing a bunch of really good ideas for relationships and plot in the trash- im just so happy with what we got. 

OK FIRST EPISODE 9??? THE ANIMATION WAS SO FUCKING GOOD AND I HAD TO PAUSE BECAUSE WHEN WESLEY WAS FLAILING IN THE SEA, IT WAS DAMN smooth and pleasant to watch, as morbid as it sounds lol. that whole scene with the comic-esque vibe was so so pleasing. 

and that whole episode was super like, sad but funny. i literally stood up and yelled when Mr. B was getting near the edge. like i probably woke up every single one of my neighbors in like.. a 50 mile radius it was that bad im so fucking annoying about this show. 

BUT THEN SCUDS SAVED HIM AND I WAS SO HAPPY, LIKE THEYRE LITERALLY AN OLD COUPLE, AND LITERALLY THEY’RE FATHERS TO THEIR CLONE KIDS AND THEYRE ALL SUCH A BIG HAPPY FAMILY AND AUGHHHH im gonna draw family stuff with them so bad. I WISH THESE EPISODES CAME OUT BEFORE FATHERS DAY IT WOULD’VE BEEN PERFECT. 

ok, episode 10 i have to take a deep breath with. i am VERY happy. and idk if it was because the bar was so low, or if it was because i was so anxious i was vomiting everywhere because i needed content so bad, but i am overjoyed. 

THE ABETOPH CONTENT WE GOT WAS SO GOOD. WE HAVE LIKE... 3 NEW CUTE PHOTOS OF THEM HANGING OUT, AND LIKE A BUNCH OF MOMENTS OF ABE CARRYING TOPHER ON HIS BACK. was it because he was being tophers lackey? fine, sure, whatever. BUT AFTER THAT WHEN JFK BROKE TOPHERS PHONE IT WAS OVER (im upset it wasnt developed on further because people who didnt watch it in real time like us will surely be fine. so fuck you.) 

Also, ABE AND JFKS FREINDSHIP HOLUYDBIUJEWNFJKNF oh my god not to be autistic but i was stimming so fucking hard WHEN THEY HUGGED, I WAS LIKE YES FINALLY. FINALLLLLYYY!!! theyre my sweet boys and THAT WHOLE FRIEND GROUP HAS ME IN TEARS. LIKE abe and Confucius are already bros, as we see them playing in the school yard, and JFK and Confucius are already bros from the sleepover episode, but NOW JFK AND ABE ARE BROS. FUCK. YEAH. oh and tophers there too. i like how they treat topher tbh. like hes just there until he says something out of pocket and they’re just like stfu. 

but with the girls friend group.. oof. i honestly loved them so much, especially with cleo, but NOW ITS FUCKED. and its not even joans fault tbh. like when i was watching the scene where frida dropped joan i was like “damn” but then, JOAN MENTIONS HOW SHE HELPED EVERYONE BEFORE AND I WAS LIKE “DAYYYYYYUUMMMM UR RIGHT” so now im conflicted. But again like??? bruh i would choose cleo too tbh lmao.

Also, i’m glad clone college isn’t real. because jfk mentions about taking shelly to .. biology? which i think is a only 1st year class. and in the original clone high everyone is like “omg u hit puberty over summer” Which i feel is typically something thats potrayed in media AFTER middle school. but i could be wrong so, idk. just really glad they didn’t do the clone college bc i hate change. also theyre 16 lmao. OR MAYBE THEY WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT... in the future when highschools done?? IDK. IDC.

anyway. im scared for joans friend group and i fucking love joan, and i am in love with abe, toph, jfk, and Confucius’s little bromances and augh. im so happy. and THE CLIFF HANGER WASN’T TERRIBLE ALSO, IN MY OPNINON. 

im just glad joanabe wasn’t endgame. i mean, i would be pretty happy because im a sucker for childhood friends to lovers but also NOOOOOO joan deserves better. so. yeah 10/10 

if you read this far, holy crap, im proud of you, and ily 

that is my review on the finale so i’ll be making so much content now that im not on the brink of collapsing everytime i think of clone high. like trust me im gonna try and stretch out this fixation for as long as i can. though im probably gonna draw a surplus of abe and jfk art bc they were my fav in 2020

[somechaoticcreations]

Now for the Future

Sophomore

May was coming and so was the AP test. The very first of her high school career and arguably, the hardest. Ten thousand years of human history and historical skills crammed into a four hour block of scribbling pens and blacked out scantrons. 

All of class time was devoted to prep. Mock MCQs, SAQs, LEQs, DBQs. A lecture here, a lecture there. Notes. Study sessions. Review. Organizers. Mongols and interregional trade. Europeans and trading post empires. HIPP your documents. Causation, continuity, comparison and change. Contextualization. TEA your SAQs. All that plus finals prep and normal class activities in her other subjects. 

Era did it all. She studied, reviewed. Learned the actual composition of a DBQ because up until then she’d been flying blind. She did her homework. Learned what the hell trigonometric graphs were. Did her calorimetry worksheets. Reviewed periods one through four of human history. Took notes during her lectures. She was so braindead by the end of the day, all her free time was devoted to binge watching and snacks. 

Then came testing day. 7:30 AM on the dot in your seats, writing utensils out. 

Four hours later, and the culmination of ten months of prep was complete. 

Summer SAT

June was coming and it was time to prep for the SAT. Era was in four AP classes the next year and knew for a fact she’d have zero time to study once school started. Might as well start now while she had the opportunity. 

June 9th, the last day of finals and the last day of school. She gave herself six days of binge time then immediately started her study plan. 

Reading. Command of evidence. Grammar. Context clues. Heart of Algebra. Linear functions. Trigonometry. Practice questions. Sample texts. Mock SAT. Curating a study guide. 

Fifteen days and she was ready. About six months early and there went her only free days of the summer but who cared? Better early than late.

Time to binge. 

Small Talk

“So, Era,” her friend’s mother started, cozying up in the seat next to her, “what do you enjoy doing?” 

Era gave her a politely quizzical look and did her best to resist the urge to scootch over another seat. “Doing?” 

“I mean, what are your hobbies? What do you like to do with your free time?” 

She would’ve sighed at the cliche ice breaker but socially speaking, that was unacceptable. And god forbid someone violates social norms.

Era opened her mouth to answer, then paused. 

Hobbies? Damn, she’d forgotten those existed. Between all the family trips and prep for junior year she really hadn’t given those much thought. Hobbies. . . .what were her hobbies? 

After a few moments of actual thought, she shrugged. “Watch anime.” 

Her friend’s mom frowned. “Anime?” 

Era nodded. “Yeah. Anime.”  

Junior

Junior year. Aka, scholarship year. When Era wasn’t researching for Seminar, busting her brains out over Calc, writing analyses for Psych or cramming for US, she was online, turning in application after application after application. 

What’s your dream in life? To go to college. What’s something you’re proud of? My grades. What’s a challenge you had to overcome? My first AP test. What’s something you had to really work for? The A I got in Calc.

Application after application, essay after essay. Research this. What is the integral of this function? How might reconstruction in the south have been different if Lincoln hadn’t been shot? What could possess a person to join a cult? 

Era dropped her head on her desk and groaned. 

Just one more question, she promised, then she’d binge. 

The Million Dollar Question

“So Era, do you have any idea what you’re gonna major in? Or what college you want to attend?” 

Era glanced sideways at the man midbite. Really? That was his conversation starter? 

“I mean, no rush,” he added quickly at her expression, “but you’re getting to that age. I was wondering if you had anything in mind.” 

Oh for fuck’s sake. She was still tripping her way through her AP classes, rushing to review for the SAT and applying for scholarships. Not to mention all the shows she needed to catch up on and actually having a social life. No, she did not have any concrete or even any not-concrete plans for college. 

She swallowed and shook her head. “Not really.” 

“Okay,” he said, nodding, “just wondering. You have plenty of time.” He went back to his food before being roped away by one of his younger children. 

Plenty of time. Did she really? Era swallowed another mouthful. She was sixteen and counting, only two years until she was an adult according to American law. Was that really enough time?  

Winter Break Blues

It’s November and Era could already feel the lethargy starting to set in. Just like every year, she’d all but abandoned her planner, her binder was a mess, her desk was cluttered and whatever time management she’d had, there wasn’t much left. It was all pure willpower at this point. 

She flopped to the floor with a sigh and stared up to the ceiling. 

In twenty years, she wondered out of the blue, what am I going to regret most? 

Having horrible time management and not doing my fucking homework, was the first answer that came to mind. 

Oh shit, and not reviewing for the fucking SAT. 

Post High School Plans

AP testing was done, finals were done and school was finally out. The year had gone pretty well, in Era’s opinion. She’d gotten a decent SAT score, her finals had been graded and they turned out alright, she’d gotten a few scholarships and passed all her classes with As. 

She and her friends decided to welcome the summer with a day at their local lake. They talked about finals, AP tests, funny-as-hell presentations they had to listen to in Seminar. 

“How many APs you guys taking next year?” one of her friends asked randomly. 

“Three,” Era answered. 

“Shit, which ones?” 

She told them and they went on a tangent about possible majors for college. Era couldn’t help but feel a twinge of something dark as they discussed the future. 

Senior

Senior year flew in, full swing. AP gov and eco (fuck that class), AP calc BC (fuck that one too), AP Research (double fuck that one) and a few electives. College apps (fuck you), more scholarships (fuck capitalism), anime to catch up on, apparel to buy for graduation, midterms (fuck), finals (fuck), AP testing (FUCK). 

Acceptance, rejection, full marks, half marks, good grades, ok grades. This is what her life had come to. Era almost cried in relief once summer came. 

Finally, she could catch up on Death Note. 

College

It’s July now. High school was over, AP tests were done, finals were a breeze, her list of Anime had been thoroughly exhausted and she had a place waiting for her in college. 

Era leaned back in her chair and sighed. What a life. What to do now? 

Prepping for college was the first to come to mind, but she was already packed, her classes were picked, flights were booked and the living situation had been sorted out. There wasn’t anything else to do there. 

She glanced at her wall, covered in a plethora of random notes and drawings she’d made what felt like lifetimes ago. Way back when in middle school. Maybe she could add a few more to the collection, kill some time. Leave a last minute mark on her now mostly bare wall. Or her crochet pile, she’d forgotten about those. Did she still remember the magic ring? A stuffed bird would be fun to have for her new room. 

Era decided she really wanted a bird. She reached for her dust covered hooks, then paused. 

No. Fuck. Wait. She had Spanish this semester. When was the last time she did any Spanish? Shit, not since sophomore year. She needed to review that. She needed to be prepared.. 

Era abandoned her hooks and fished her old Spanish notebook from off the shelves. 

Later. She’d make the bird later. 

[writingamongther0ses]

Not Today

Summary: Abbot forces Terra to take his hand.

Notes: So, I'm working on the full first draft of Chapter 1 of Treasure Triplets, and I decided this section would be good for @flashfictionfridayofficial's prompt this week!

-_-

"Alright, girls, I get the hint. You’re old enough to stay home by yourselves." Abbot grabbed the doorknob. "I'll be back in three hours, you two, and I'll bring lunch back. You know the ban on using the oven-" He paused. He blinked. He glanced over at his nieces.

Two of them stared back at him innocently.

He released the doorknob and crossed his arms. He knew this routine by now. When there was only two triplets, the other was off making a ruckus. "Where's your sister?"

"Right here," Ella and Becca said, pointing to each other.

Normally, he would be proud at the cleverness, but not today. Too much rode on nailing this interview. "No, I mean Terra." Abbot stalked past them. He had rushed by their room when getting ready, so he knew Terra wasn't still sleeping. He glanced around and noted how Becca's eyes darted to the basement door. "Is she in there?" he said, nodding to the basement door.

Ella shook her head while Becca nodded.

That was enough confirmation.

Abbot opened the door to the basement. It was a small room, so he could see the barest glimpse of a flashlight, bobbing around. If he wasn't so stressed, he would've been impressed at the foresight to not turn on the light. "I can't even..." he sighed, marching down the stairs and looking around. The light winked at him.

In the corner of the basement, huddled next to the laundry machines, Terra Archer was fussing on her school laptop. Said laptop was hooked up to the fusebox, all the fuses exposed and ready to be messed with.

At least she was wearing gloves.

"Okay, so if I do this, then the power surge should knock out-" Abbot cleared his throat. Terra froze before slowly looking up, phone flashlight aimed at him. They stared at each other. The girl opened her mouth. "...would you believe the sleepwalking-"

"No. What are you even- are you trying to knock out the power?!" Terra made a noise, and Abbot groaned. "I can't believe- no, no, in fact, I can. Come on, take my hand." Before Terra could rush to her feet, Abbot was grabbing her shoulder and hauling her up. He wrapped a hand around her wrist and started to march back up the stairs. "Just one day without you blowing something up or causing a fire, just this one day!" He slammed the basement door behind them. "Girls, get in the car!"

Becca and Ella both jolted and scrambled after them.

"I wasn't trying to blow something up!" Terra protested, not even trying to wriggle free. She probably sensed how stressed he was about his job interview. It would’ve been nice to have that consideration before. "I just wanted to mess with the pet cameras so we could see the new museum exhibit!"

The pet cameras were there to stop incidents like this. "Well, Terabethia, you are gonna be banned from the museum for a month, just for making me talk to your grandpa." Abbot opened the passenger door and gestured her in.

Terra blinked as she sat down and buckled on her seatbelt. "We don't have a grandpa."

"Yes, you do. I just don't talk about him, and the only reason I’m talking to him today is because I don’t have another babysitter available. Rebecca, Eleanor, are you in?!"

The two others jolted at their full names. "Yeah!" "Sorry..."

Abbot groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Just...behave for a few hours, okay?" He buckled himself in and turned on the GPS.

"Meliodas, set course for Klein Manor."

[allfandomxreader]

Back to You | 3

Pairings: Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader

Summary: Eight months ago, you swore you would never step foot in Hawkins again. When Robin begs for you to come home for spring break, you find yourself agreeing despite better judgment. You’ve missed everyone, you could endure one more week in Hawkins if that means you can see your friends again.

Words: 8.5k sorry

Part: 3/9

Warnings: Language, alluded depression and anxiety, I think that’s it?? 

A/N: ahhh I just love this series so much and I have been DYING to write episode 4 so I will start on it asap. This part is loosely edited sorry but I’d love to know your thoughts and opinions on it so far :)) 

Series Masterlist // Main Masterlist  

You slam the door to your childhood bedroom cringing at the loud bang it sends throughout the home out of habit. Your mother’s shifts changed from morning to night in the early years of middle school. She griped for months about needing her rest during the day. You grew accustomed to tiptoeing and whispering around the house in an effort to make your presence unknown. You learned how to make your own meals and set the table for one at a young age.

Sure, in high school it made things easier. You never had to sneak out or people in. She never bothered to ask about where you were going or whom you were going with. Curfews didn’t exist in your household and because of that, fellow classmates said they envied you. You didn’t tell them how she never came to science fairs or spelling bees, and that you stopped asking her to come to any event because you already knew her answer. Maybe that’s why you were adamant about supporting the kids. You’d be the first to volunteer to drive them to or from. You always sat front row in the audience at whatever it was they were doing. You knew how it felt to look into a crowd of faces and nobody was there to cheer you on.

You always wished it had been different. You couldn’t help but wonder how life would’ve been if she were present. Steve understood this, his own lack of parental guidance started around the same time. You often wondered if loneliness was the foundation of your friendship. You would find yourself on his doorstep when the silence of your house grew too loud at night. He’d spend weeks at a time sleeping on your bedroom floor when his parents went on vacation and he wasn’t invited. The two of you always had each other.

Six weeks into the first semester of college your mom took another job. An almost constant 9-5, no weekends, no holidays. You felt like you had been ripped in two at the news. She missed the most crucial years of your life and as soon as they were over, she could finally be the mother you needed. It’s been hard trying not to hold it against her.

Your body deflates with a sigh of relief at the emptiness of the house. You rush towards the living room, throwing your backpack strap over your shoulder with haste. Picture frames clatter to the floor, glass shattering onto the hardwood.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” You grumble. You’re already running late. Everyone decided to meet at the corner of Shirly Street at ten o’clock sharp to check on Eddie. You didn’t mean to oversleep, and you definitely didn’t mean to knock down pieces of your mom’s beloved memory wall. It was only for show of course, at least to you. Documentation that she was there when it mattered, even then, it never felt like enough.

Delicately, you pick up the photos, careful not to cut yourself on glass. Staring back at you were two children with toothy grins. You were ten at the time, Steve had just turned eleven. His arm was thrown around you and you held a fish in the air, proudness written across your features. It was the only thing you caught that whole vacation all those summers ago. Steve argued for years that it was technically his fish; he was the one who baited your hook after all. You’re certain he’d still argue that point if it were brought up today.

Your mother always adored Steve. He had her wrapped around his finger ever since he walked you home from the bus stop after the first day of kindergarten. Even after what he did eight months ago, she still believed he could do no wrong. In her letters, she’d update you on his life despite your pleading for her to stop. You reminded her that you didn’t care, deep down, you think both of you knew that was a lie. It was always small things of course; she was only ever informed through their conversations while she rented a movie or when running into him at the supermarket. On the rare occasion when she called, she’d ask if he wrote before hanging up the phone. The answer was always no.

You shouldn’t have been surprised to see Steve hanging proudly on the wall, there was almost as much of him as there was of you. You hadn’t realized until now just how inseparable the two of you truly were. It only made sense that he was present in so many moments frozen in time, he was a big part of your life, maybe the biggest. Even so, you wish your mother would take them all down.

You place the first picture back in its rightful spot, kicking the glass toward the wall and out of the way. It’s crooked but you decide to straighten it later, you don’t want to keep the others waiting longer than they had to. You quickly grab the second frame, lazily hanging it back on its nail.

Your breath hitches as you step away. It was the last picture the two of you took together, one you thought your mom never got developed. Steve stood behind you with his arms awkwardly wrapped around your waist, careful not to crush the corsage on your wrist. It was the nicest either of you had been dressed up.

You didn’t want to go to prom. The first time Steve asked you to be his date you laughed. You didn’t understand the appeal of it all. The thought of spending an evening in a gym that’s too hot in a dress too tight was not by any means your ideal night. The second time prom was mentioned he promised it wouldn’t be lame, that he’d try to make it the best night of your life. The third time, he told you that he just wanted to be normal, to go to a shitty high school dance and see his girlfriend in a fancy dress. You finally relented.  

Back then, Steve was true to his word. He had bought your favorite flowers, requested your favorite song, and spun you around on the dance floor until you were dizzy. He didn’t take his eyes off you the whole evening. He had a way of making you feel like the only girl in the world. It wasn’t the first time the two of you had danced together, no, that happened the year prior. To this day, that was the best night of your life.

Max stood on the pavement before you, rocking back and forth on her heels. It wasn’t often that you saw her nervous, quite frankly, you thought she wasn’t capable of that emotion. And yet, there she was, biting her lip and twiddling with her fingers.

“Do we really have to do this?” She groaned.

“I know, I know. I’m sorry, but I promised your mom I’d get at least one picture of you.” You lifted the polaroid to your eye, centering the lens onto her. “Can you at least look like you’re not in pain?” She rolled her eyes and forced a smile, squinting when the flash went off. You hoped it’d be good enough for Susan, you knew Max wouldn’t let you take another. “Now was that so hard?”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I’ll see you later.”

“Oh, wait, before I forget.” You dug into your jean pocket and pulled out your lucky tube of strawberry-flavored lip gloss. “I brought this for you.” Her eyes grew wide as she took it. She complimented it the night before while you practiced her makeup for the dance. You had told her that it was your secret weapon, that every time you wore it you ended up kissing a cute boy.

“Think it’ll work?” She asked, applying a thin layer.

“Only one way to find out.” You laughed. She tried to pass it back to you, but you only shook your head. “Keep it, it’s yours.” With one last smile, you jerked your head toward the school. “Knock ‘em dead.” She grinned before she spun around and jogged away. “I’ll pick you up at 9:30!” You called after her. She flashed a thumbs-up behind her, not bothering to turn around before she reached the school doors.

“They grow up fast, don’t they?” You heard Steve’s voice and the rumble of his car beside you. Your body froze. You thought you had a few more days before you had to see him again. You weren’t planning on seeing him here, the middle school parking lot was the last place you expected him to be that night. “Guess we’re both on babysitting duty tonight, huh?” It hadn’t occurred to you that Dustin would ask Steve to drive him. You would’ve been lying to yourself if you said that hadn’t stung.

“She’s nervous” was all you could say, “just trying to make it a little better.” You willed yourself to face him. He stared at you through his open window, smiling when he caught your eye. You thought he looked as handsome as ever in that maroon sweater you always loved, and you kicked yourself for it. Without a word, you watched him pull into the empty spot next to your car and hop out.

“Hi,” he said once he stood in front of you. He was so close you could smell his cologne. “Long time no see.”

“Yeah, I guess it has been a while.”

“Thought you might’ve been avoiding me.” He forced a chuckle, but his eyes pled for you to reassure him otherwise.

“I’m not avoiding you, Steve.” You were. You were still scorned by his actions from Halloween, but by then that night had become an afterthought. You knew it was a stupid grudge to hold onto, especially since everything that happened with the Mindflayer the month before. Even in the midst of that, you saw how he looked at Nancy every time she came into his view. His yearning for her was evident through the way he talked and the way he moved. It was painful to be around almost twenty-four-seven for a week straight. On the nights he called, he only spoke of her, spilling his heart out to you while you listened with tears in your eyes.

The pain that came with loving Steve Harrington almost consumed you. You needed space, you needed time to grieve a relationship that never happened, to move on. So, you kept him at arm’s length. You ignored his calls here and there and made up excuses to not hang out. You weren’t sure what hurt more, being there to pick up the broken pieces of his heart or not being there at all.

“I’ve missed you.” He admitted sheepishly.

“Missed you too.” There was a beat of awkward silence that hung in the air. “I should probably get going.” You said finally. You noticed the frown that tugged on his lips before he spoke.

“Well no, wait, what are you doing right now? We could go grab dinner or watch a movie back at my place before they need to be picked up.” He offered.

“No, that’s okay. I was just gonna wait here and read until it let out, I have a feeling she’ll want to leave early. Wouldn’t want to make her wait in the cold.” Another lie.

“I’ll wait with you then. Who says the babysitters can’t have some fun of their own?” Before you could protest, he offered his hand out to you. “May I have this dance?”

“We can’t even hear the music out here.” You laughed. He ran to his car quickly, turning up the radio until you could hear the vocals bleed out from the windows. “Problem solved.” He said walking back to you, his hand still outstretched. With an eye roll, you placed your hand into his and he pulled you close. You swayed in the parking lot in silence. You had missed his sporadic ideas, the comfortableness in the quiet, but above all, you truly missed him.

“Look, I know I haven’t been the bestest of friends to you lately,” he began. You could hear his heartbeat quicken under the fabric of his shirt. “I don’t know what happened, it’s like ever since Nancy I completely pushed you onto the sidelines and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, I just got so wrapped up in trying to be the best I could be and…” He trailed off and shook his head as if to rid the words on his tongue. “I feel like I don’t even know you anymore and that’s completely my fault. I just hope you’ll forgive me someday.”

“It’s okay, Steve.” Was all you managed to say, your words muffled by his shoulder. As much as all of that hurt, you just wanted your friend back.

“It’s really, really not, and I know that.” He chuckled but there was no humor behind his laugh. “Could we just start over? Pretend that I haven’t been a complete loser of a best friend for the past year?” You pulled away from his embrace to look at him fully. His eyes searched your face trying to read your features. Even after the things you’ve been through together, he never looked quite as scared as he did at that moment.

“I don’t ever want to start over with you, Steve. We can pick up right where we left off.” You said with a smile. The look of relief washed over him, his muscles relaxed in your arms.

“You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.” He whispered and pulled you into him tighter. Your breath was knocked out of your lungs when you realized how close the two of you were standing. His eyes darted from your own to your lips. He slowly leaned in. His eyelids fluttered closed.

“What are you doing?” You snapped, shoving his body away from you.

“Oh, come on,” Steve groaned, “don’t act like you haven’t thought about it.” You scoffed, shaking your head. Your blood boiled as you looked at him.

“I have thought about it every day for the past year and a half, Steve. I have wanted nothing more than for us to finally be together but not like this. I’m not ruining fifteen years of friendship just because you’re lonely.” You spat. “I know you’re hurting right now after Nancy and I’m sorry, but you do not get to use me to fill that void. I will do a lot of things for you, but I won’t do this. I’m not going to be second best to her anymore, and I’m certainly not going to be her rebound.”

“You think you’re second best?” His voice was softer than before. He stepped forward, running his hands through his hair in frustration. “I think I have been in love with you since we were eight years old.” You stopped breathing. You swore your heart was going to beat out of your chest. “It took me so long to finally realize it and by the time I did, you were flirting with Thomas Morrison or Craig Tolliver. I never thought we’d get the timing right but we’re here now and I don’t want to waste another second not being with you.”

“You love me?” You said breathlessly.

“God, I am so in love with you it’s almost unbearable.” He laughed, taking steps to reach you. “And I know I’m not the greatest person and I haven’t always done right by you, but I promise, cross my heart and hope to die, you have never been second best.” When he said it, no matter how hard you looked for a sign of dishonestly, you only found sincerity behind his eyes. “Can I kiss you now?” And you could only nod.

Loud bangs on the front door pull you out of the past and back into the present. You shake your head to rid the memory as you move towards the sound. Dustin, Robin, Max, and Steve all stand on your porch. You look at them in confusion before checking your watch. You still had five minutes before the designated meeting time.

“Change of plans, we’re raiding your fridge,” Dustin says with a grin. You step aside to let the group in, Max following Dustin toward the kitchen.

“Dingus here thought it’d look suspicious if someone saw us all buying groceries,” Robin explains with an eye roll but continues down the same path after them.

“It would!” Dustin shouts already tearing through your mother’s cabinets. “Anything off limits?” he asks, peaking his head out from behind oak to look at you.

“Uh, no, help yourself.” You say. You’ll tell your mom you’re stocking up for your apartment, she won’t bat an eye. You turn to Steve who still lingers in the doorway. He looked at ease taking in the familiarity of your home, almost nothing had changed since the last time he had been inside. He looks like he belongs here.

“Sorry,” he says, finally looking your way. “He wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“It’s fine.” You sigh, pursing your lips together. Steve’s head tilts in confusion looking you up and down.

“Is that my sweater?” He asks staring at the maroon fabric that hangs off your limbs.

“No,” it is. It was the one you wore each night you found yourself sleeping beside him. You finally stole a few months into dating. At first, it was a keepsake, a reminder of the night when your love story finally began. You’ve had it for so long now it lost his scent and the memory of him went with it. You had forgotten it never belonged to you in the first place. “I do have my own wardrobe these days.”

He doesn’t get the opportunity to respond before the others join you back in the room, each of them holding a bag full of food. “Okay, now we’re ready to roll.” Dustin states and leads the rest of you outside and to Steve’s car.

Dustin gives no warning as he kicks the door to Eddie’s hideaway open. You flinch at the sound, too paranoid that someone lurking in the woods will see you out there. Even though Reefer Rick’s abode resides in the middle of nowhere, the main road is still too close for comfort.

“Delivery service.” Dustin says trudging through the doorway. You spot the broken bottle clutched in Eddie’s hand. His fingers are wound so tight around the glass that his knuckles are white. He relaxes at the sight of the five of you, his breathing already starting to slow as he makes his way to Dustin, snatching the bag of food out of his grasp and taking a seat inside the boat.

“So, we got, uh, some good news and some bad news. How do you prefer it?” Dustin’s voice is cautious as he begins.

“Bad news first, always.” Eddie says between mouthfuls of Honeycombs.

“Alright, bad news. We tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with our Cerebro, and they’re definitely looking for you. Also, they’re uh, pretty convinced you killed Chrissy.” Dustin continues.

“Like, 100% kind of convinced.” Max chimes.

“And the good news?” Eddie asks, looking between the two youngest.

“Your name hasn’t gone public yet. But if we found out about you it’s only a matter of time before others do too and once that gets out, everyone and their shallow-minded mother is gonna be gunning for you.”

“Hunt the freak right?” Eddie asks, staring off into the distance.

“Exactly.” Robin finishes.

“Shit.” Eddie mumbles. Your heart breaks for him. You wish more than anything that this could all be over, that you could put your days of saving the world behind you. As much as you hate it, you don’t care that you’re up against an unknown creature again, at this point you should be used to it. You’ve made peace with the fact that your life is forever tainted by the Upsidedown, it’s taken everything from you already you don’t have much else to lose. Eddie doesn’t deserve this though, and neither did Chrissy. You wish that they both could’ve been left out, blissfully unaware of what grows in Hawkins beneath them.

“So, before that happens, we need to find Vecna, kill him, and prove your innocence.”

“That’s all, Dustin? That’s all?” Eddie snaps.

“Yeah, no, that’s pretty much it.” Even you roll your eyes at that.

“Listen, Eddie,” Robin sighs, “I know everything Dustin is saying sounds totally delusional, but we’ve actually been through this kind of thing before. I mean, they have a–a few times,” Robin rambles. Eddie’s eyes lock with yours, softening as she speaks. “And—and I have once. Mine was more human-flesh-based and theirs was more smoke-related, but bottom line is, collectively, I really feel like we got this.” Robin smiles.

“Yeah see, we rely on this girl with superpowers, but, uh, those went bye-bye so, uh,” Steve trails off.

“So, we’re technically in, in more of the—" Robin moves her hands looking for the right word to finish her thoughts.

“The brainstorming phase.” Max nods.

“Brainstorming.” Everyone agrees.

“There’s, there’s nothing to worry about.” Dustin tries his best to be reassuring but he’s never been a good liar. Eddie looks at you then, you stand a little straighter under his gaze.

“You’ve been quiet.” Eddie points out, everyone’s attention lands on you.

“It’s nothing.” You shrug.

“Look, I know I’m new to this whole thing, but I’d like to know the full picture, at least most of it, the good and bad.” Eddie pleads.

“It’s just this is so different. Yes, we’ve been through this kind of thing before but not like this. We’ve dealt with possession and weird slimy dogs, and–and Russian labs. This feels so much bigger. And we’ve always had El, she has saved us every single time, how do we do this without her?” You look at your friends, each of their faces crumbling at your words. They know you’re right. “And whatever it is, it wants to be known, it’s not hiding anymore. It’s not taking people and killing them in the Upsidedown, it’s out in the open. It’s not contained in one spot like the lab or the mall so how do we know where it’ll be? And let’s say we do kill it, even though the entire town isn’t looking at Eddie a few people are. How do we convince them without telling the truth? They won’t believe anything we say about what we know.”  

Before anyone could answer sirens blare in the distance. Everyone scrambles at the sound. “Tarp,” Robin exclaims, “Tarp, tarp!” You hear the rustling of Eddie disguising himself as the rest of you run toward the window. Your heart races watching the cars. You can see it now, they’ll turn into the driveway, and one group will search the house while the other searches the boat house. They’ll find Eddie, place him in cuffs and take him to the station. They’ll take the five of you there too, questioning you for hours until inevitably, you’re behind bars as accomplices.

They all keep driving, not giving this place a single thought. Even though you’re relieved, you know it’s not a good sign.

“Let’s go,” Steve says, keys already in hand. Eddie’s head pokes out from under the tarp at the commotion.

“You’re safe for now, don’t leave until we get back!” You say, running after them and into Steve’s car once again. Steve drive’s through the backroads quickly, an eerie silence settles in the air.

“What do you think it is?” Dustin asks quietly from the other end of the backseat. He bounces his knee while staring out the window.

“Someone else is dead.” You say. You don’t have the energy to sugarcoat it.

“How do you know?” Max whispers, though deep down you think she knows it too.

“Because the last time I saw that many first responders was Starcourt,” Max gulps beside you, still haunted by the memory. Maybe you should’ve sugarcoated it. “And the time before that was when Pastor John had his stroke two years ago. This is too much of a coincidence to need that many people. Someone else was murdered.”

“I hope you’re not right about this.” Steve glances at you from the rearview mirror.

“Yeah, yeah me too.” Was all you could say before looking back out the window.

“Holy shit is that…” Steve mumbles pulling the car to a halt. All of you pile out of the car, taking in the scene. Nancy Wheeler stands in the midst of it all surrounded by police. Her face brightens at the sight of everyone. She offers a small wave, forcing a smile.

You lean on Steve’s car, all of you in silence watching her movements from a distance. You see Chief Powell flip his notebook shut. A lump forms in your throat as you take in the beige uniform, the one you’ve grown used to seeing Hopper in over the years. The constant reminder of the people you have lost is growing more unbearable by the second. With a final nod, Powell releases her from his questioning. She walks with her head down, clenching her fists together as she makes her way toward you.

“What are you guys doing here?” She says standing before the group. She looks each of you over waiting for someone’s answer.

“What are you doing here?” Steve responds. You watch as Nancy gulps, looking at the pavement before speaking.

“Fred was killed.” She whispers, unable to look anyone in the eye. “He was right there, and then he was just gone.” She shakes her head, trying to understand how it happened. You know she’s already blaming herself. Nobody knows how to fill in the silence.

“Shit,” Dustin mumbles. “I’m assuming that’s not a coincidence.”

“What do you mean?” Nancy looks up then.

“We should probably go somewhere a little more private to explain.” Dustin nods to the police, already making his way back into Steve’s BMW.

“I have to get my car, it’s back at the trailer park,” Nancy trails off, glancing at the five of you. “And it looks like you guys are out of room… I’ll walk back and then I can meet you anywhere.”

“I’ll walk with you,” you blurt. “I need some air anyway.”

“Whoa, another person just died out here and you just want to skip through the woods right now?” Steve asks looking between the two of you.

“Not like we really have another option.” You shrug. “We’ve fought off literal monsters, I think we can handle a two-minute walk, Steve.”

“I just don’t like the idea of you out there all alone.” Steve sighs, shoving his hands into his jeans.

“Since when do you care about sending me places alone?” You snap, unable to stop the words before they came. Steve’s face falls, heat rising to his cheeks out of anger.

“That’s not fair.” He bites back.

“Isn’t it?” You cock your head to the side, waiting for him to argue.

“You know what, forget I said anything.” He throws his hands into the air. “If you end up dead, that’s on you.” He seethes, yanking the door to the car open and throwing himself inside. You wince hearing the slam echo through the trees. Robin shoots you a glare before getting in herself. Steve starts the engine, his tires screeching as he peels off down the road.

Awkwardness settles over you and Nancy as you begin the short journey. You didn’t mean for an argument to happen, especially not in front of everyone. You really are trying to keep things civil between the two of you for Robin’s sake, Dustin’s too. You can’t help it, you’re already on edge, and being around Steve only made it worse.

“Sorry you had to see that.” You say. You don’t know why you felt the need to apologize, maybe it was out of embarrassment, or maybe you just want someone to be on your side.

“Don’t be, I totally get it.” The two of you are quiet again, only the sounds of your shoes scuffing the concrete fill the air. “I heard about what happened.” She says softly, as if asking permission to continue. Surprisingly, you’re relieved at the news. Even after all these months, you’re still not ready to tell the world what happened from your point of view. You’d rather them assume, to hear through the grapevine and write their own conclusions than relive your heartache. “It was fucked up. You’re allowed to still be angry.”

“Thank you, I needed that.” You say with a smile. Her words are nice to hear, you just wanted someone to justify your feelings, to be given the space where you don’t have to pretend that being around him isn’t sucking the life out of you.

“You know, I always thought the two of you would get married straight after graduation. Even when we were together, I never understood why he wasn’t with you.” She admits with a shrug. “When the word got out, I couldn’t believe it,” she shakes her head, “Still can’t. I don’t know how you’ve held it together so well.”

“Believe me, I am far from holding it together.” You admit.

“Oh, of course, I’m just saying if it were me,” she sucks in a breath, “I would’ve egged his house, or keyed his car, put Nair in his shampoo, something.” this makes you laugh. “You’ve always been good at that though, never showing weakness I mean.”

“I definitely thought about it, but it wouldn’t have made me feel any better.” The two of you are venturing into new territory, you’ve never talked about anything beyond surface level, and you’ve certainly never talked about Steve. “How are you and Jonathon?” You ask, desperate to think about something else other than your past.

“We’re good.” Her pitch changes but she says nothing else.

“Real convincing.”

“Honestly?” She sighs, “I don’t know how we are. He was supposed to visit over break but bailed at the last second and wouldn’t give me a real reason why.” Nancy folds her arms around herself as she talks.

“What the fuck?”

“I know, that’s weird right?” You nod in agreement. “And he’s been so distant lately and I don’t know if it’s because he’s nervous about his acceptance letter or if it’s the distance or if he’s found some other girl out there or what.”

“Have you talked to him about this?”

“I’ve tried but he always brushes it off, he’ll give one of his typical Jonathon excuses then hang up the phone. Now he won’t even answer.”

“That’s bullshit, I’m sorry.” You try to think of something better to say, to help comfort her in the same way she did you. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think he’s found someone else. There’s nobody better for him than Nancy Wheeler and he’s known that from the moment you got together. And if he has, fuck that and fuck him.” She chuckles giving a slight nod. “I’m sure he’s just scared. Everything has changed so quickly, and it’ll change even more once you both graduate. But right now, he’s supposed to be here and he’s not and I know how much that sucks. You don’t have to pretend to not be upset, not around me at least.” For the first time since you’ve started walking, you look at each other.

“I wish we could’ve been better friends,” she admits. “I feel like we’ve never had a chance to really talk.”

“Never too late to start.” Each of you smile, yet again bonding over pain.

“There they are.” She nods to the group of four, all of them sitting at a lone picnic table. Dustin waves at the sight of the two of you emerging down the path.

You slide into the edge seat next to Dustin, Nancy sits across from you as they fill her in on what you know. You can feel the tension in the air that falls over the six of you. Nobody can look you in the eye. Maybe you shouldn’t have snapped.

“So, you’re saying that this thing that killed Fred and Chrissy, it’s from the upside down?” Nancy asks, trying to process the new information.

“If the shoe fits.” Steve mumbles.

“Our working theory is that he attacks with a spell. Or curse?” Dustin explains. “Now, whether or not he’s doing the bidding of the Mind Flayer or just loves killing teens, we don’t know.”

“It’s like Y/N said earlier, this is something different. Something new.” Max says.

“Doesn’t make sense.” Nancy shakes her head.

“It’s only a theory.” Dustin tries.

“No, Fred and Chrissy don’t make sense. I mean, why them?” Nancy questions.

“Maybe they were just in the wrong place. They were both at the game.” Dustin shrugs.

“And near the trailer park.” Max adds.

“We’re at the trailer park.” Everyone looks at the surroundings at Steve’s words. “Uh, should we maybe not be here?”

“There is something about this place. Fred started acting weird the second we got here.” Nancy says. You can tell she’s reliving their final moments in her head, slowly piecing things together.

“Acting weird as in...?” Robin trails off.

“Scared, on edge, upset.” Nancy lists.

“Max said Chrissy was upset too.” Dustin says.

“Yeah, but not here. She was crying in the bathroom at school.”

“Serial killers stalk their prey before they strike, right? So, maybe Fred and Chrissy saw this Vecman—" Robin begins.

“Vecna.” Dustin corrects.

“I don’t know about you guys but if I saw some freaky wizard monster, I’d mention it to someone.” Steve looks around the group at his confession.

“Maybe they did. I saw Chrissy leaving Ms. Kelley’s office. If you saw a monster, you –you wouldn’t go to the police. They’d never believe you.” Max explains, “But you might go to your—”

“Your shrink.” Robin finishes. Max nods in her direction.

“Let’s talk to Ms. Kelley and see what she knows.” Max says, throwing her legs over the bench to stand.

“That’s completely violating patient privacy,” you say following her lead. “She’s not going to tell you anything.”

“Better than nothing, which is what we have right now.” she shrugs.

Everyone marches toward the cars in silence lost in thought. Nancy breaks from the group first, heading to her own vehicle.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Nance!” Steve calls after her. “Where are you going?”

“There’s just something I want to check on first,” she waves her hand in dismissal.

“Something that you maybe want to share with the rest of us?” Dustin shouts from beside you.

“I don’t wanna waste anyone’s time. It’s a real shot in the dark.” She shrugs. “And I really don’t want to squeeze into your backseat. It makes more sense this way. You guys go, I’ll tell you if I find anything.”

“Yeah, no, it’s too dangerous. You need… You need someone too…” Steve trails off, you scoff at the scene. “Here. You go, I’ll stick with Nance, alright?” Steve says, tossing his keys to Robin. “You guys take the car, check out the shrink.”

“I don’t think you want me driving your car.” Robin says.

“Why?”

“I don’t have a license.”

“Why don’t you have a license?” Steve snaps, growing more irritated by the second.

“I’m poor.” She shrugs.

“Give me the keys.” You demand taking the keys just wanting the conversation to be over with. “I’ll try not to crash your car.” You flash him a snarky grin.

“Okay, no. Enough of this.” Robin snatches the keys from your grasp and takes a flashlight from Dustin’s backpack. “I’m going with Nancy,” Robin says, shoving the keys back into Steve’s hand. “You both are exhausting. You two need to figure your shit out, especially after what happened back there. I get it, you hate each other, whatever, get over it. We have bigger problems right now and we’re never going to solve anything if you two can’t get along for even two seconds.” She spins on her heel and heads straight toward Nancy’s car before you can even get a word in.

“Sorry.” Nancy whispers before following Robin’s lead.

“Be careful!” Steve calls after them.

“You just gonna stand there and gawk, Harrington?” Dustin giggles.

“Oh, shut up. Get in the car.” Steve groans, “Wipe your feet.” He demands as Dustin climbs into the front and rubs his feet on the floor mat. “On the outside, not the inside!” He starts the car with rage. “Always the babysitter, always the goddamn babysitter.”

Nobody utters a word as Steve drives. You busy yourself looking out the window watching the trees pass. It’s a weird feeling being sat behind Steve. Once upon a time, nobody dared to take your spot beside him. It was almost second nature sliding in through the passenger door and everyone else taking the back. Once, Dustin got into the front just to see how you’d react, it really didn’t faze you, you honestly didn’t care where you sat. He stood outside the car for five minutes straight demanding that you take back your seat because “it messes up the system!”. Now, you understand what he meant. Granted, so much more has been messed up since then.

“Be right back,” Max says, hopping out of the car before it even comes to a complete stop. She lingers in the doorway waiting for Ms. Kelley to answer, anxiously tapping her foot. When the door opens, Ms. Kelly seems surprised to see her standing there, you don’t really blame her for that. You try to make out what she’s saying but come up empty-handed, too far away to read her lips. Max throws a glance over her shoulder before stepping inside and shutting the door behind her.

“Okay, she’s in.” Steve says.

“I’m missing collar bones, not eyes.” Dustin comments. You smirk at this. You’re happy he’s found a way to joke about it after all these years, you know how insecure it made him growing up. “So, we gonna talk about it?” Dustin’s eyes are trained on Steve’s.

“Uh, sorry, talk about what?” Steve asks, tearing his head away from the counselor’s house.

“Your temporary insanity earlier today when you basically threw yourself at Nance.” You’re glad you’re not the only one who noticed, even so, a knot festers in your stomach.

“Okay, first of all, that’s not what happened.”

“Pretty sure it’s what happened. It was pretty public. There were like a lot of witnesses.” Dustin’s nose scrunches, fake embarrassment spreading through his features. “He threw himself at Nancy, right? You saw it too?” Dustin asks, turning around to look at you.

“Oh, I saw.” You want to throw up. You’ve spent years trying to force yourself into believing Steve had no feelings left for her. You’re starting to think you were wrong this entire time.

“Are you implying I still have a thing for Nance?” Steve snaps, looking at Dustin.

“No, I’m not implying. I’m stating. And, as it relates to your steadfast refusal to date Robin, it’s pretty much the only logical explanation.” Dustin says, looking back out through the windshield. You bite the inside of your cheek in an effort not to laugh.

“That’s not the only one.” Steve grumbles. “And as for Nance, I was just trying to protect a friend.” He explains but’s clear Dustin doesn’t buy it. “A friend, Henderson. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“I don’t wanna find her in the morning with her eyes sucked out of the front of her skull by this Vecna creep.” Steve defends. Even if his words hold truth, you can tell he’s coming up with it on the spot.

“You’re like bright red in the face right now.” Dustin teases.

“No, I’m not. I don’t wanna talk about it.” Steve says rolling his eyes. “Why does everyone think I haven’t moved on from her.” Steve mumbles shaking his head.

“Uh, maybe because she was your first love? Everyone knows you never really move on from that.” Dustin says. Steve glances at you through the rearview, holding your gaze with soft eyes.

“That’s not true,” he says quietly, forcing himself to look away. “I’m done talking about this. Not another word or I’ll punch you so hard in your face that your teeth will fall back out.”

“Steven James!” His name tumbles out from your mouth faster than you could stop it. It was like second nature, as if you fell back into the role of the girl you were eight months ago. He knew he’d said too much.

“Whoa. Too far.” Dustin warns. They stare at each other for a beat.

“Not cool. Sorry.” Steve apologizes.

“Not cool. It’s okay.” They bump fists to solidify their peace. “So, uh, Y/N, how’s your boyfriend?” Dustin says in a poor attempt to change the subject.

“Oh, we broke up.” You admit quietly. It had been a brief relationship, it started towards the end of September. You weren’t looking to date at the time, still tending to your wounds from Steve. You fell hard and fast despite being convinced you’d never fall in love with another man. That’s the thing about love, it has a way of sneaking up on you without you realizing it and disappearing just as fast as it came.

Even though the months you had spent together were limited, you had never felt more alive. It was so painfully normal, how you wish every relationship could be, how you wish your relationship with Steve could have been. You didn’t have to worry about saving the world, you only cared about whose turn it was to pay for dinner and which apartment you were spending the night at.

“What? Since when?” Dustin asks, turning around in his seat to look at you fully.

“New Year’s Eve.” You force a chuckle, shaking your head. You haven’t thought about him much since. You think you liked who you were while you were together more than you liked him. It was easy being with him, there was no shared trauma or a history of friendship. He was new, exciting, and you loved every second of it. You almost forgot Steve existed entirely for those four short months. “He had the worst possible timing for that one. Must be a trend.” You look back out the window, ignoring the look Steve sends your way through the mirror.

“If you’re trying to make this even more awkward Henderson, you’re succeeding. Stop talking.” Steve huffs looking back toward the house. “Here she comes, here she comes, here she comes.” He says sitting up straighter in his seat, watching as Max bolts from the backside of Ms. Kelley’s home.

“What’d she say?” Dustin asks the second she throws the door open.

“Nothing, just drive.” She demands breathlessly sliding next to you.

“Nothing?” Steve questions.

“Steve, drive!” She shouts.

“Okay.” Steve’s wheels screech for the second time today, speeding down the road and out of the neighborhood. “Where am I going?” He asks, eyes trained on the road.

“The school.” She answers.

“The high school?” You ask, watching her dig in her jacket pocket.

“Yeah, she didn’t tell me shit.” She rolls her eyes.

“Told you.” You mumble.

“So, let’s find out for ourselves.” She says, holding up a keyring labeled ‘office’. With a single glance at the keys, Steve makes a sharp left turn, rerouting towards Hawkins high.

“What happens when we get to the school and there are cops everywhere?” Steve asks no one in particular.

“Why on earth would there be cops at the school, Steve?” Dustin laughs.

“No, that’s actually a valid question.” Steve gestures to you with a thankful motion, glaring at Dustin from your agreement. “As far as we know, the cops don’t know Reefer Rick is Eddie’s dealer, that’s why they haven’t found his hiding place yet. He has no other family besides his uncle, and he can’t go back home for obvious reasons. Where else would a kid still in high school have to go?”

“But why would he go back there at all?” Max asks.

“Maybe they think he’d go back for his drugs.” Steve shrugs.

“That’s ridiculous. Where would he even keep them, his locker? Eddie’s not that stupid.” Dustin says. Your lips turn into the faintest of smiles, it’s touching to see how quick he is to defend a friend despite not being in their presence. He’s always been that way to the people he loves. He told you once that he learned it from you.

“Yeah, not anymore.” Steve grumbles.

“Our senior year, someone tipped off the police that he was dealing at the school. They came and raided his entire locker and everything. They found all sorts of stuff in there. It was a pretty big deal.” You explain to the younger two. “They let him off with a warning but held him for back another year.”

“So stupid,” Steve scoffs. “why would anyone choose to deal drugs.” He shakes his head thinking out loud.

“People who don’t have the luxury of mommy and daddy paying for everything.” You snap. You’re not defending the way Eddie earns his income, but you understand. You know how it feels to be desperate enough to do anything just to afford to scrape by all too well.

It’s dark by the time you pull into the school parking lot. You scope the surroundings, there’s no sign of anyone around. You peek through the trees to get a glimpse of movement to make sure police aren’t hiding in the shadows.

“Safe to say there are no cops.” Sarcasm drips from Dustin’s lips.

“Unbelievable,” Steve says looking around the abandoned schoolyard. “I mean what do they even do? We found Eddie in less than twenty-four hours. We do their jobs better than they do.”

“Is that a surprise to you, Harrington?” You laugh, leading the way to the entrance. “Since when has anyone on the force besides Hop done their job? Even he didn’t do much before all of this shit happened.”

“Who knows how to pick a lock?” Dustin asks once in front of the door, leaning down towards the handle.

“Why would any of us know how to pick a lock?” Steve rolls his eyes.

“I know how.” Max admits. Both of their heads turn to her in disbelief.

“Or,” you trail off, reaching for the knob and opening the door with ease. “After you.” You say to Dustin, gesturing for him to enter.

You and Steve reach for the flashlights stuffed in Dustin’s backpack, hands brushing for only a moment. You snatch your hand away as if you’ve been burned. Steve hangs his head, pulling the flashlights out himself. You don’t look at him as he hands one to you. You start walking, sweeping the light over the floors and walls. You’ve always hated this place, you hate it even more in the dark.  

“Dustin, do you copy?” Robin’s voice pierces through the silence. Dustin reaches for his walkie and brings it to his lips as everyone rounds a corner.

“Yeah, I copy.”

“So, Nancy’s a genius. Vecna’s first victims date back all the way to 1959. Her shot in the dark was a bull’s eye.” Even through the static you can hear her excitement.

“Okay, that’s totally bonkers but I can’t really talk right now.” The walkie beeps.

“Wait, what are you doing?” She asks.

“Breaking and entering a school to retrieve confidential and extremely personal files.”

“Can you repeat that?”

“Just get your ass over here, stat. We’ll explain everything.” He orders, jabbing the antenna back into its rightful place.  

Max shoves the key into the locked office. With one final look over her shoulder, she pushes the door open, and everyone trails in behind her. She makes a beeline for the file cabinet in the corner of the room, you’re hot on her heels.

“It’s like a mini Watergate or something.” Dustin whispers looking around the room. Max pulls open the drawer filled with manila folders. “Hawkinsgate.” He murmurs somewhere behind you. You pay no attention to his words as you hold the light for Max. She combs through files passing over Chrissy Cunningham’s name. Your heart stops when you spot your own.

“Wait a second, didn’t those guys get caught?” Steve whispers.

“Holy shit.” Max mumbles. Her hands stop moving. You look closer, her fingers hover over a file labeled with Fred’s name.

“You found it?” Dustin walks closer, abandoning his conversation altogether.

“Yeah, and not just Chrissy’s file.” She says pulling out Fred’s. “Fred was seeing Ms. Kelley too.” The four of you look at one another, trying to piece together a puzzle that doesn’t yet fit. Max turns, taking a seat in Ms. Kelley’s chair, flipping open Chrissy’s file. You peer over her shoulder, skimming through the notes. “Can I see Fred’s file?” Max says after a few minutes have passed.

“Yeah,” Steve whispers, passing her the folder, leaning down to get a closer look. Max looks up from reading and stares at nothing in particular on the table before her.

“Max, what is it?” Dustin asks, attempting to follow her gaze. “Max!” He tries again. “Max!”

You come out from behind her, turning the chair so she can face you fully. “Max, hey, look at me.” You plead. She doesn’t blink. She’s staring right through you as if you aren’t even there. “Max?” You call out to her. Frantically, you look between the boys, both of them just as worried as you.

“Max, come on.” Dustin urges.

“Max?” Steve shakes her shoulder in an attempt to wake her. Tears sting the back of your eyes, threatening to spill at any moment.

Without warning she jerks, coming to. Her eyes are wild as she looks between the three of you. She throws her arms around your neck, choking back a sob. Instinctively, you hold her tight, rocking her back in forth to calm her down.

“Hey, shh, it’s okay I got you.” You coo. Dustin and Steve share a collective sigh of relief at the sight. “You’re okay, you’re safe.” Though when you say it, it feels like a lie. You aren’t sure what just happened, what you witnessed, what Max saw, but you know whatever it was, it’s not good.

And even though you hate this town after everything it has done, after everything it’s taken from you, you’re happy to be here in this moment for Max’s sake. You know she wouldn’t cling to Dustin or Steve. She’d wear her confidence like a mask, her walls would become so high and she wouldn’t show a moment of weakness. She knows she doesn’t need to be brave, not around you. So, you’ll sit here, hold her, and let the mask fall as she weeps in your arms for as long as she needs.

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