#I never post here but I made this thing so *backflips* enjoy

[hangmanbrainrot]

more than this

a/n: HI. Me again! After talking with @rosiahills22, I simply HAD to give this idea a whirl. I hope y’all enjoy! Reader’s callsign is Van Gogh (to be explained) and I don’t use Y/N. :) special thanks to @bradshawsbitch​ for the encouragement. :’)

warnings: so much mutual pining, dash of angst toward the end. Generally, all my posts are 18+ because I don’t want minors interacting with my page! Probably naval inaccuracies.

word count: 3975

summary: You and Jake have been best friends for years now… Why mess with a good thing?

pairing: Jake Seresin x Reader, Jake Seresin x Aviator!Reader — callsign: Van Gogh

“Vee, you aren’t seriously wearing that to Family Day.”

You glanced down at your striped sleep pants and faded Navy t-shirt, then whirled around to look up at the oh so familiar source of the question. Lieutenant Jake Seresin, in the flesh. He was wearing a navy blue t-shirt, jeans, and black leather-banded watch on his wrist. His signature toothpick was missing from its usual post between his lips. 

“You clean up nice,” you retorted, ignoring his initial remark. “And I thought we agreed, no call signs today.”

You ‘tsk’ed at him and turned back toward your laundry basket, then bending to pick it up and hold it at your hip. 

“You have one of the coolest callsigns, besides mine, of course. What’s wrong with Van Gogh?”

“I got it because I dropped my books and everyone saw all the doodles in the margins of my notes. And it doesn’t even make sense, because Van Gogh was a painter. At least yours has a cool story, I mean—”

He said your name, low and sweet, to cut you off. The two of you weren’t about to rehash that story again. 

“Better.” This earned you a smile. “I told you, I’m not going this year. I’m just gonna hang out here, take advantage of the empty lounge, and chill.” 

“And I told you, my mother demanded to see you. In fact, I’d dare say she’s more excited to see you than she is to see me.”

“Can you blame Mrs. Seresin for having taste?” you replied easily, the teasing lilt to your voice unmistakable as you flashed Jake a megawatt smile. 

“I’m absolutely telling on you, when I see her. ‘Mrs. Seresin’ instead of Sandy, as requested.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” you shot back, mock horror covering your features.

“Can, could, and would. Get dressed, Vee. Families will be here before you know it!”

The way that Jake departed after speaking let you know it wasn’t up for debate.

———————————————————————————————————

You heard Jamie and Courtney before you saw them, their familiar, slightly shrill voices carrying over the crowd of people all waiting for their own aviator to make an appearance. Jake’s older and younger sisters had always treated you like the additional sibling they’d never had, but on a day like today, it made your heart ache. You knew, of course, not everyone was lucky enough to find a kind family to adopt them the way the Seresins had adopted you. Even Robert Seresin himself — gruff as he was, he had a you-sized soft spot, much like his son. Though good luck getting either of the Seresin men to admit it. 

You smiled as you spun on your heel, ready to retreat. Content to revel in the knowledge that you were loved, but too heavy-hearted to witness it today. You’d beat Jake here, somehow, so maybe you could slip out without his notice, either. Come up with some feeble story about suddenly coming down with a migraine, and nurse your ache alone, with your mounds of freshly laundered clothing, once you were sure he and his family had departed for the day.

But instead of proceeding forward, you collided with navy cotton and ginger and leather and… Jake. Had he always smelled this good?

“Hi, I was just,” you pushed out, before being interrupted. Why were you so nervous, all of a sudden? It was just Jake. 

“Trying to ditch me. Darlin’, my feelings are hurt.” The tips of your ears burned red with embarrassment, even as your stomach did backflips over the way his accent thickened on the word ‘darlin’.’ 

“Sorry, Jake.” You didn’t even have the wherewithal to hide the giggle leaking into your words. But you were smart enough to play it off. “I was just going to get a jacket.”

“Vee, it’s July.”

“Yes, I do have a calendar and I can read!” Your eye roll was practically involuntary. “I just get cold sometimes in the AC.”

A lopsided grin slid onto his features while he aimed a pointer finger at himself. “Human furnace. Let’s go!”

Before you could protest, he was slinging an arm around your shoulders and all but crushing you into his side. “I think this outfit is much more appropriate for a trip off base.” It sounded like he was testing the compliment. And, truthfully, you liked this particular combination of white cap-sleeve blouse and jeans quite a bit yourself, too. But it was nice of him to notice. Then again, you couldn’t recall a time when Jake hadn’t noticed you, not since the beginning of your friendship. He was just always so checked in with you. Always so present. If you squinted, you could call it attentiveness. 

“Jacob Michael Seresin, it is rude to keep your mother waiting! And where is — there she is, there’s my girl.” 

Before either of you could inhale, a head of blond hair identical to Jake’s came bounding toward you, Sandra Seresin bundling you up in her arms like she hadn’t seen you in years, rather than the months it had been since the last time she had seen you via FaceTime.

You hugged Sandy a little tighter, as if you were afraid you would disappear if you let go. If it weren't for this woman and her family, holding onto you — in more ways than one — you often feared no one would remember you at all. No one to be on the receiving end of a phone call or a folded flag, if you didn't make it home one day. You would just… cease to exist. Quietly. Perhaps that was fitting, considering that was exactly how you lived your life.

You were your parents' only child, and they were gone. Well, your father was, anyway. Your mother never recovered after his sudden death, and had taken to self-medicating to ease the pain of his loss. Which, sure, you got, once you were old enough, but you were still small and new to the world, when the light that was your father went out. No one is ready to lose a parent they're close to, but certainly not when they're five. And it felt like you'd lost her, too, by the time you were 10. Moved out by the time you were 16. So, she wasn't gone, but there was no relationship to be had. You knew, of course, that if something did happen to you, they'd find her. But who would she be mourning? You had lived a whole life she knew nothing about; you had become an entirely new person. Someone she knew nothing about, but that the Seresins knew like the backs of their hands. Courtney was filling your hands with your favorite candy on the walk to the parking lot, and Jamie's kids were telling you about how they were doing in school. 

Maybe someone, maybe a few someones would remember you. And fondly, you hoped.

At the height of the day, the sun was relentless, but as you walked beside Jake in the parking lot, you couldn't help noticing it made his hair the perfect shade of blond, and rendered his eyes the color of sea-glass.

"You know they just missed you," he chirped, misreading your expression and mistaking your melancholy for annoyance.

"No, no," you said softly. "It's nice to be missed. I just.."

"Today is hard," he finished your sentence matter-of-factly, and without any sort of air of pity. You heard, in its place, respect. He had no idea how you felt, but he'd always left space in your friendship for you to feel it. And, in true Jake fashion, he'd tried to fix it, by introducing you to his family, all those years ago, now. You'd only known each other a few months, then. But he didn't want you to be alone. And, the truth was, you hadn't been. Not since the moment you met him. All you ever felt when you were with Jake was ease. Comfort. 

Your hand found Jake’s without thinking, eyes burning with unshed tears. “You’re my best friend, Jake. And I will not hesitate to kick your ass if you tell anyone how soft I got.”

You glanced over at Jake just in time to watch an unreadable emotion cloud his expression. Before you had time to think it over, he was squeezing your hand. “I’ll always keep all your secrets, Vee. Including that you prefer green Jolly Ranchers, even though blue are clearly superior.” 

—————

The Seresins took you and Jake to a small diner off base, and it was today that you learned it was Jake’s favorite. You all sat in a booth toward the back, bunched up together in the cushioned semi-circle bench. Jake’s warm thigh brushed against yours, and you’d be lying if you didn’t notice the jolt that went through you, every time those thick cords of muscle pressed against you when he laughed, or when he reached forward to grasp one of the menus wedged between the matching salt and pepper shakers on the table. 

With an arm lazily draped on the booth behind you, fingers loosely grazing your shoulder every so soften, Jake opened a menu for you to share. 

“Well, what do you think, darlin’?”

“How did I not know this was your favorite place?” You asked, ignoring the question he was obviously asking you.

But he indulged you. “This was the first year I actually convinced you to come with us.”

“Convinced? I felt slightly bullied, Seresin.” You grinned, in spite of yourself. 

“Forgive me for wanting to spend a little time with you, darlin’.” He sounded almost coy. You glanced up at him, at the same time he looked over at you, and found that ‘butterflies’ were an understatement for what that look was currently doing to your insides. It felt like a cross between adoration and desire, but what was even wilder was that Jake’s expression seemed to mirror your own — which was absurd because it was Jake. Jake, who always made sure you never got left behind; Jake, who sometimes pulled his punches with you when he was ragging on you over the comms. Yeah, that Jake, your Jake was looking at you like… that?

But then you heard Jake’s dad clear his throat from across the table and you and Jake glanced up like you’d been caught doing something far less innocuous. Your mind worked overtime trying to decipher what just happened here but the moment flickered and burnt out before you, and the conversation moved on like a film unpaused.

Despite the fact that his entire family was here, it felt like Jake couldn’t bear to take his eyes off you for a moment, not that you were complaining. And it was something his mother noticed, too.

“So, between the two of you, who do you think is the better pilot?” Courtney teased, a mischievous glint visible in the hazel of her irises. 

But then Jake said your name at the same time you said his, causing you both to turn to each other in surprise, mouths agape. 

“Stop being modest,” he accused, almost immediately. Part of you wanted to make special note of this moment, record it somehow. So that the next time Jake decided to have a pissing contest with some other pilot, you could chime in and remind him it didn’t matter, since he thought you were the best anyway. You went to shove at his chest, but your hand — and your heart — stuttered with you made contact. He was so solid. Just firm muscle and warm skin. When your gaze dared drift upward, he was blushing. Your comment, voicing the observation, would die on your lips, as your server returned to the table with a tray full of milkshakes. Leave it to Jamie to secure dessert when you weren’t looking.

—————

When the meal had run its course and everyone was preparing for the trip back to base, you couldn’t help but hang back a little bit, just to take it all in. Jake was indulging Courtney in one of those rare, long bear hugs, while Jamie and his mother ran off to the bathroom, and his dad made small talk with another patron seated at the diner’s counter. In spite of your resistance, this family had yanked you, kicking and screaming, into their lives. Whether you’d found them or they’d found you didn’t matter, what mattered was the moment unfolding before you. You wished you could wrap it around you and let it warm you from the inside out. 

You weren’t sure when Jake had released Courtney to return to your side, or when the rest of his family had filtered out the diner’s front doors, so you jumped when you heard his voice from beside you. 

“You okay, sugar?” He was close enough that you could smell the tang of his cologne — softer than before, but still present — and feel the body heat rolling off of him in waves. You practically ached with the desire to move, to be touching him in some way, and the ferocious way this feeling roared to life within you startled you. Instead of giving in to that yearning to touch, you spun around and put some distance between you, eyes trained on him. You were desperate to find out what had changed, but when you gazed into Jake’s eyes. You just saw him, you just felt him. Nothing else had changed. But maybe nothing had needed to. High stakes situations meant you were constantly filtering out your emotions: keep, alter, discard; keep, alter, discard. You rifled through feelings often before you took a breath. It felt silly to question whether or not you’d simply overlooked or ignored your feelings for your best friend all along, but what else could be true? It wasn’t the way you felt about him that was new; no, it was the sudden impulse to do something about it that felt like an unscratchable itch.

You took a nearly imperceptible step closer, and Jake mirrored your actions. He said your name softly, cautiously. 

But then, from behind: “Hey, is everybody else outside?” 

Jamie’s voice was like cold water to the face. Still, you nodded, regaining the distance between yourself and Jake. You blinked a few times, as if you were hitting some sort of invisible reset button in your mind.

Keep, alter, discard.

You were silent, the entire ride back to base. You went through the motions of ‘see-you-next-time’’s and ‘take-care’’s, and stood in the parking lot until Robert’s truck was completely out of view.

“Thanks for today,” you mumbled, without looking up at Jake, then spinning on your heels to head back inside.  There was still enough of the day that you could get your laundry done if you headed straight in and got to work, you just had to —

Jake’s hand on your wrist stopped you in your tracks. Your skin was tingling where his fingers were wrapped around you. Jaw set, you clenched, mouth forming a straight line. You were back on base now; you were back to being naval aviators. There wasn’t any room for these silly little schoolgirl feelings Jake inspired in you. You didn’t get to twirl your hair and bat your eyelashes and fall head over heels for your best friend. Instead, you got to linger somewhere painfully between ‘duty bound’ and ‘already in over your head.’

“What is it, Jake?” You hadn’t yet turned to face him, and that was an offense he didn’t take lightly to; though instead of waiting for you to rectify the situation, he does so himself. It was so very like him. 

“Look at me, please.” The raw edge to his voice startled you into compliance. 

You turned and regretted it immediately.

“What did I do?” His eyes were so soft, so entirely unguarded. A fear you didn’t recognize was plain on his face. “How can I fix it?”

“It’s nothing, Jake.”

But he was not convinced by your sighed syllables. “That’s bullshit.” Even the way he spoke was gentle, like he was afraid you’d evaporate from the sheer force of his words if he spoke too loudly.

“Something changed, after lunch, something… Something happened,” he continued. “Did Jamie say something to you? Court?” 

A short burst of laughter punched out of you, but it sounded colder than you imagined, and Jake stepped back like you’d slapped him. Fear was replaced by irritation. You recognized that particular crease in his brow, but you resolved that this was good. Maybe he needed to hate you a little, so you could get over whatever was most definitely not happening here.

“What?” You laughed again, though this time it sounded more forced than before. “Did you expect me to go all weak-kneed because you saved me, Jake? Showed me what a real family was like? Would you like me to grovel with gratitude now, or can I save that for later?”

And you regretted the words the moment you said them, instantly spiraling. It was vicious and careless, but a low enough blow that it would end things — it would fix things, once and for all. But then that feeling from earlier returned, that burning at the back of your throat and the sting in your eyes. You understood now that what you were feeling was loss; you were preparing for the loss of your best friend. Prematurely, perhaps, but if you knew Jake at all, you knew it wasn’t that premature. He let the others think he was a jerk and a blowhard but, to you, he admitted to the real softness of his heart. The purity of it. It was you he sat beside, shaking with worry after Phoenix and Bob went down after a bird strike. You, he called when his niece got a case of the flu so bad she was hospitalized and he couldn’t see her. You, he pleaded with for help when he’d mouthed off too much in class and was pretty sure everyone hated him now. You knew everything he did was so startlingly fucking earnest. To question how genuine he was, to question his integrity, was the kind of wound that could only be delivered intimately. And you had done it so very well. A real stab and twist.

You mumbled an apology, just desperate to escape Jake and that angry, but somehow still pleading look in his eyes. It was when your back was turned that Jake finally spoke.

“God, I have to be so fucking stupid.” 

“Jake, don’t,” you said, stilled but not turning back around. Your pride wouldn’t let him see you cry.

“No, I must be. I must be a complete fucking idiot to have misread all the signs that you… That we want the same thing.”

You didn’t dare speak at first; you couldn’t. And then, when you did, the ragged nature of your breathing startled even you. “And what is it that you think we both want?”

“More than this, Vee!” He sounded exasperated, and you didn’t need to face him to know that Jake had run a frustrated hand through his hair. “More than tiptoeing around each other and how we feel about each other, and trying to pretend like, like…” 

“Trying to pretend like what?” The words ripped out of you like a sob and you couldn’t will yourself to be still anymore. Your body angled toward his like you were fucking magnetized. 

“Trying to pretend like I am not in love with you.” 

The words landed like lead around you, and you had to bite back a sob. When that wasn’t enough to muffle the sound, you slapped a palm to your mouth. 

He had done it. He had taken that big thing, wrestled it into submission, and then laid it bare in front of you. But, more than that, he’d laid himself bare in front of you. He was more naked now than he’d ever been in any locker room. This was Jake at his most honest.

And you could feel yourself teetering so dangerously on the edge of giving in. Your breaths heaved in and out of you with great effort. 

What if you ruined this? What if he left you? What if, what if, what if…

God, but what if you didn’t? What if, for once, something just fucking worked out, and someone just stayed? If there was anyone in your life who was capable of staying, wouldn’t it be Jake? Who else could it be? 

Your resolve was so thin, so fragile; when you finally spoke, it was: “Jake, I’m scared.” 

He took a step toward you. He could’ve closed the gap between your bodies in a singular stride, but he was giving you an out. One last chance to walk away. You remained anchored to your spot on the pavement. When he took the final step toward you, he had a palm raised to frame your face — he was shaking, but he rested his forehead against yours, too. And that was Jake, in a nutshell. Scared, but pushing forward. It was one of the things you admired, one of the things you loved most about him. 

“Don’t be scared, Vee.” The plea was soft, softer than a prayer. “Don’t be scared. Whatever there is to figure out, we’ll figure it out together. We can make this work.”

“And if we can’t?”

“We’ll figure that out together, too.” 

Even as your every survival instinct was telling you not to, even as all you wanted to do was run, you leaned in. The kiss was a little clumsy — he hadn’t been ready, you were too nervous. But then your hand found purchase against his chest, and one of his at your hip. And then you were practically tugging each other closer; your lips fitting together more seamlessly. How had you held out this long? How had you deprived yourself of this? 

Jake retracted, eyes wild and bright when he looked at you. As his lips sloped into a grin, you knew something was coming. 

“Ma’am, I’m not sure if you heard me, but…”

“Oh, you mean your little love confession?” you reveled in the flush that crept up his neck and the laugh that fled your now kiss-swollen lips as a result.

Though realization seemed to darken his expression, and his eyes left yours. The loss was one you felt immediately. 

“What?”

Jake must have felt the tension begin to seep into your body, because his thumb began to press slow, soothing circles against your hip. 

“Vee, I know you don’t need me to save you. You have never needed to be saved by anyone.” His brow furrowed a moment, and the hand still cradling your face dropped to meet the other at your hips. “But if you want to be… If you want someone else to help you carry all that weight on your shoulders. Well, that would be okay, too, alright?”

You weren’t certain, but when Jake met your gaze once again, you were almost positive there were tears welling in his eyes. The sight of his vulnerability rendered you speechless, so you nodded mutely, then managed a small ‘okay.’ It was instinctive for you to rest your forehead against Jake’s chest and allow his arms to envelope you in his embrace. More so than ever before.

You weren’t sure how long the two of you had been standing there when you finally spoke up again. “Hey, Jake?”

“Yeah, darlin’?”

“I love you.”

He didn’t say anything, and he didn’t need to. Instead, he dropped a kiss on the top of your head, and tightened his arms around you. And maybe, just maybe, you thought… this wouldn’t be so bad. Whether it was 20 minutes or 20 years, you wanted as much of Jake as he was willing and able to give. 

Keep, alter, discard? You were definitely keeping this feeling.

[maarriiii]

Wildest Dream | Wilbur Soot

A/N: The second post for my 300 celebration!! I’ve been cooking this up for awhile now. Now that it’s finished I feel like I should switch this title with the say you’ll remember me, standing in a nice dress—good lord that’s a long title—but eh I’ll just leave it as it is. You could read this as a somewhat prequel to the mentioned fic or not. Whatever you prefer lovelies <33

Summary: One of the many days of summer that Wilbur spends with you.

Pairing(s): Musician!reader x gender neutral!reader (Note: reader is mentioned to be wearing a dress)

Warning(s): None

my masterlist :))

~~

Wilbur stood patiently in front of an apartment door, waiting for its occupant to answer his knocking and open the door. He was clad in his usual attire: a simple shirt and jeans with his round glasses, and although it was extremely hot outside due to the summer weather, Wilbur had his jumper looped through his guitar case on his back—he would be insane to wear it on a day like this.

He heard footsteps and chattering inside the apartment and as it grew nearer, his excitement grew along with it—he was almost bouncing on his feet. But, when the door finally opened, it wasn’t the person he came there for that opened the door. Instead, he was greeted with the sight of his friend, Elodie. The two met during their second year of university, and along with other few people, they have been good friends since.

“Oh hey, Wil.” She smiled teasingly, like she knew what his intention were. “What brings you here?”

“Just a visit to a friend,” Wil said cheekily.

“Am I right to assume that this ‘friend’ doesn’t mean me?”

Wilbur only chuckled, while Elodie shook her head.

Wilbur followed behind his purple haired friend after she let him inside. He smelled something so wonderfully delicious and fragrant the moment he step foot inside. The scent immediately made his stomach growl even though he just had lunch before coming here—though, he could guarantee what he had for lunch was incomparable to what was cooking currently. The smell was stronger the moment he and Elodie reached the living room which shared a space with the kitchen. When he looked to his left, not only was he greeted with the sight pots and pans, he was finally greeted with the sight of you, the sole reason of his arrival.

Wilbur saw the look on your face, beaming at the sight of him, and it made his heart do backflips. He wondered how you do it. How you made him crazily in love just by smiling at him. He watched you wipe your hands on a hand towel draped across your shoulder before making your way towards him, the smile never leaving your lips. He had to leaned down just a little for your lips to meet in a chaste kiss. Elodie took your spot in the kitchen, watching the pots and pans filled with food.

“Wil, what are you doing here?”

“Oh, just thought I come and visit you.” He smiled.

Your eyes softened at his word before widening in a some sort of panic. “Oh, my god, you must be thirsty. It’s really hot outside. Hold on, let me get you a drink.”

You kept fussing over him—and even though he should feel bad that you were doing so—Wilbur enjoyed the pelasure of receiving your full attention. He stayed for lunch. You refused to hear a ‘No’ coming from his lips and pushed a plate towards him when cooking was done. The three of you enjoyed a homecooked meal and refreshing drinks while talking about a variety of things. Elodie, not so subtly, retreated to her hoom—muttering an excuse of having unfinished work—giving Wilbur some alone time with you. He helped you with cleaning up the dishes and then he finally asked you a question.

“Do you want to get out of here?”

The corner of your lips quirked up, your eyes curious.  “Go where, Wil?”

Wilbur shrugged. “I don’t know. Some place quiet, just the two of us. Honestly, I’m getting a bit tired of the city, with the smog and all.”

“Are you alright, Wil? Are you coughing again? I think I still have my coughing syrup somewhere.”

He shook his head violently. “No, no, I’m alright, love, really. I just want to spend time with you, that’s all. I’m fine, I promise.”

Wilbur answered a couple more of your questions, making sure he was perfectly healthy, before finally agreeing to go with him. He was glad, ecstatic even, though this date wasn’t any different than the ones before. For some reason, he just so badly wanted to be with you, too see your face and smile, to hear your voice and laugh. If any of his friends could tell what was going on inside his head, then they would say that Wilbur is utterly and truly smitten by you—though, he suspects that they already know that despite not being able to read minds anyway.

He waited for you on the sofa since you wanted to change and get a few essentials before leaving. He took the time to think of places that you and him could go to. He decided that the beach would probably a good idea. The two of you could also see the sunset.

Wilbur turned around at the sound of his name and boy, was he starstruck by the sight of you. You didn’t change much from a few minutes ago but for some reason, you looked heavenly. Instead of the overalls you wore earlier, you changed into a simple white dress with a small bag over your shoulder. He had never seen you in that dress before, so he assumed it was something that you only gotten recently. When you walked closer to him, Wilbur was almost convinced that you were actually floating towards him; an angel, a magical being, that chose him over everyone else. At one point, his mind wandered. Him, in a suit. You, in a similiarly colored dress, a veil covering your beautiful face and a bouquet of flowers in your hands, as you walked down the aisle. He had never thought about marriage with anyone before.

“Wil. Wil, did you hear me?” You called him, pulling him from the land of imagination.

He shook his head, blinking rapidly. He stood up, took his guitar case by the coffee table. “Yeah, yeah, I did. Shall we?”

After a few minutes of train ride and a few minutes more of walking, you and Wilbur finally arrived at your destination. Just like he suspected, there wasn’t much people around. He spotted a couple and a group of teenagers, so he picked a spot furthest away from them, in case the teenagers were a bunch of delinquents. It was quiet, just how he wanted it, and the cool breeze that passed through was a treat in these summer days.

“Oh, it’s beautiful.” You rummaged inside your bag, pulling out a camera before taking a picture. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this place.”

Wilbur stared at you. “Yeah, it’s beautiful.”

You turned to Wilbur and aimed the camera towards him. “Say cheese.”

Wilbur chuckled, leaning his head down. He heard you laugh and looked up. You took the polaroid and shake the picture until the image of Wilbur was clear.

You whistled and showed it to him. “That’s a good candid, babe.”

“You always were a talented photographer.”

You bowed your head. “Why, thank you, good sir.”

The two of you sat down in the sand, shoulder to shoulder, enjoying each other’s presence. At one point, you asked Wilbur to sing a song or two. He obliged, of course—you could ask of him the world and he would give it to you.  He sang a song that reminded him of you. He sang your favorite song, which resulted in him getting a kiss from you. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. He just played and played and you would occasionally joined him, singing to your heart’s content, even if you or him were off key at times.

It felt like a dream, Wilbur thought. It just seemed too good to be true. You just seemed to good to be true. You were a welcomed surprise in his life and a part of him would sometimes be scared that one day he’ll wake up and you won’t be there anymore. He wanted to cherish you for as long as he could possibly can. So, wordlessly, he set aside his guitar and took the camera that was on your lap. He pulled you to his chest and wrapped his arm around your shoulders. Your laugh and smile at his sudden action was infectious and Wilbur was grinning. He reached the hand that was holding the camera outward and turned it around.

“Say cheese,” He said, before clicking the button.

He took the picture from the camera and just like you did with his picture, Wilbur shake it until the image was clear.

“Aww, we look so adorable. I love it.”

Wilbur laughed and turned to you. “I love you.”

You gazed at him, before leaning forward and pressing your lips against his. “I love you too, Wil.”

~~

Taglist:

@ella-fella-bo-bella @lillylvjy @jadeissues @r-a-c-h-e-l @marifm @vestafir @confuzzledhooman

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[killerfrostisme]

That last line in TEG absolutely KILLED me. So I decided to write a series of Locklyle one-shots, to heal my poor broken unsatisfied heart.This one takes place somewhere between TCS and TEG. Enjoy!:) I posted this on Fanfiction.net as well, so you can check it out. It's called Moments in Time and by username is MissPotts01.

Lucy Carlyle was having a really hard time not falling in love with Anthony Lockwood.

It wasn't his good looks that did her in, (though they certainly were an added bonus). She pretended not to notice her heart do backflips everytime a lock of his dark hair would fall into his eyes, or the way he'd flash his special smile at her, successfully making her forget all logic. Or the way he threw back his head and laughed at something George said/did, making her wish she could bottle the sound and listen to it whenever she wanted.

It wasn't even because of the suave, confident disposition that was his leadership. Or the quiet, calm way he inspired his team's confidence and gave them the strength to believe in themselves. Or the way he'd congratulate everyone individually on a job well done after a case was closed. His charm, his witty remarks, his charismatic smile were all trademarks of just him being Lockwood and were all enough on their own to give her butterflies.

But they weren't the reason why she was having a hard time preventing him from living rent-free in her head.

No. That was because of a very simple reason:-

Lockwood saw her as a person first and an agent second.

Ever since she was a little girl, her abilities as an agent had always been given top priority. Especially by her family. According to her mother, Lucy's primary existence revolved around solving the best cases, bringing in lots of money and generally being the best agent there ever was.

Even at the cost of her own safety.

It's not that she had ever resented her Talent, (she wouldn't know who she was without it) but sometimes she really wished her mother would try to have a conversation with Lucy Carlyle her daughter, rather than Lucy Carlyle, the agent. Her sisters weren't so bad, but there was such a wide chasm between her and them, that it seemed impossible and completely useless to try and cross it. Packing her bags and coming to London, had probably been the best decision she'd ever made. Here, she found a family.

And Lockwood.

She scowled. It was eleven thirty in the morning, (early by her standards) and she just couldn't get him out of her head. For crying out loud, the day had only just begun!

"Something wrong, Luce?" asked Lockwood, peering over the top of his newspaper. They were sitting at the breakfast table, rested from a night's sleep after a particularly gruelling case. George, was scribbling something in his research notes, and inhaling one jelly doughnut after the other, Holly was looking at him with mild disdain, as she daintily sipped her cup of tea.

And Lockwood?

Ah, Lockwood. Well, he was looking right at her.

"Luce?" He asked, his eyes probing, "Are you okay?"

Belatedly, Lucy realized Lockwood had asked her a question. Flushing bright red, she gulped down her scalding hot tea.

"Just fine." she said, sneaking a glance at Holly and George, to see if they were paying attention to the conversation. (They weren't. Holly was delicately broaching the topic of civilized eating with George, who was clearly not listening to a word she was saying.)

Lockwood raised his eyebrows. "Is that why you're scowling at your breakfast?"

She flushed a deep, beet root red. Ah. So he had caught that.

"Oh, just thinking about things." she said flippantly. Getting out of here would probably be a good idea. She could never think logically when Lockwood was shooting her one of his 'searching' looks.

She grabbed her plate and cup, rinsed them in the sink and all but dashed out of the kitchen, all while feeling the intensity of Lockwood's gaze on her.

The warm afternoon sunshine was making her sleepy. She was sitting out in the garden, drawing soft, languid strokes across her sketchbook. First came the strong, defined jawline, the angular cheekbones, the megawatt smile, tousled hair, there was no mistake:- she was drawing Lockwood.

"Is that supposed to be me?" asked a voice behind her.

She jumped a foot in the air, and whirled around. Lockwood was standing there, no tie, shirt sleeves rolled up, looking more relaxed than she'd ever seen him.

"Yes," she said, suddenly remembering that he'd asked her a question.

"It's really good." He smiled at her, soft, slow and hesitant, the one he reserved just for her. "You're really good, Luce."

She flushed as red as a tomato at his praise. (Was she doomed to forever resembling a tomato when he was around?)

"If it's okay with you," (he rubbed the back of his neck) "I would-" (now he was messing with his hair) "-really love to see more of your sketches."

Oh.

It's not that she didn't want to show him. She did! He was the first person she would have shown all her work to if...he weren't the centre of nearly every artwork she'd done.

She opened her mouth, prepared to decline and make up some excuse which he'd never believe, when suddenly-

"Yes."

Had she actually said that? No, she hadn't. The wind was messing with her hearing.

Except, there was no wind.

Which meant...she'd just agreed to letting Lockwood see her sketches.

Lockwood on the other hand, seemed unaware of the inner turmoil in Lucy's head, because he was already stretching out a long quick fingered hand for her sketchbook-

-and wordlessly, Lucy seemed to be handing it to him.

She watched him flip through the pages, and felt something akin to a very strong and intense feeling blooming in her chest. What that feeling was she had no idea. Well, she had some idea but she was trying not to think about that. All she knew was she felt extreme happiness when he was around, felt joy when he noticed little things about her and felt pleasantly surprised when he wanted to know more about her, the person rather than her agent persona. She felt special when he chose to confide in her, and while their experience on The Other Side had severely scarred them, she wouldn't change a thing about it. It had forged an irrefutable bond between them which she'd rather kiss a Raw-bones than break.

Love.

The unfamiliarity of the word struck her as odd, since the person who it was associated with felt like home.

She was incomparably, irrevevocably, completely and utterly in love with him.

The realization wasn't as jarring as she thought it would be. Instead, it brought with it a sense of peace, a sense of belonging and a feeling of familiarity.

Like coming home after a long day of work. She felt at ease, as if everything was just right.

As she looked at him, still thumbing through the pages of her sketchbook, she was still having a hard time not falling in love with him. But she found she didn't care. She was tired of ignoring her feelings and keeping them locked up in a box. She knew he felt something towards her, and was going to wait however long it took, to make him realize that she was going nowhere.

She looked at him and smiled:- I am going to allow myself to fall head over heels in love with Anthony Lockwood.

[ninjago13]

Chapter 10 from Memories

Okay, sorry. I know i said that i would post the last chapters on the same post, but now i'm not. I have now finished chapter 10 and working on chapter 11. I really hope you enjoyed the story and I will probably begin soon on a new one. I just really love writing 😅 Anyway, here is chapter 10.

Chapter 10

The negotiator

summary: I love to put Maul, Sidious, Dooku and Grievous in a battle against the Jedi, just to see how their reactions would be if they had to work together. Hope you enjoy it !

Scarif

When he landed on Scarif, he saw a big house. They’re probably in there, thought the Jedi. But he could also feel something was wrong and it became stronger every second he came closer to the house. Obi-Wan could feel that Qui-Gon and the others were in danger. He entered the house and was surprised that there weren’t any guards. Then the young man saw Qui-Gon, Ahsoka and Anakin sitting on the square. He ran towards them and removed their handcuffs. ‘You shouldn’t have come,’ said Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan looked confused. ‘They are looking for you !’ said Anakin. ‘Then let’s get out of here.’ The other Jedi stood up and they ran towards the door. But before they could reach it, the door closed. Qui-Gon heard someone shouting his name. He turned around and saw Sidious, Dooku, Maul and Grievous. ‘Since when are they working together ?’ said Ahsoka. ‘Since we want you Jedi extinct. I will get my revenge on you, Kenobi !’ ‘I thought you already wanted that,’ said Anakin, with a sassy smile. ‘I would like to see you try.’ ‘With pleasure,’ said the Sith lord. 

‘How are we going to do it ? Alone or together ?’ ‘Let’s first try alone,’ said Qui-Gon. Just on time. Maul attacked Ahsoka, Grievous Anakin, Dooku Qui-Gon and Sidious Obi-Wan. The Sith lord had never been so full of hatred, he wanted to destroy Kenobi at every cost. At the same time Ahsoka had her hands full on Maul. He's fast for a guy who lost his legs, she thought. Maul was arrogant, but he didn’t know one thing. And that was that Ahsoka was trained by Anakin Skywalker. The young Jedi had become a master at Shien and Djem So. She had been practicing with Rex, Fives, Jesse, Echo and a few others. Maul barely stood a chance against her. While Ahsoka was busy with Maul, was Anakin trying to block and avoid Grievous’ lightsabers. Thank god he can’t use the Force, thought Anakin. 

Sidious was furious. He had tried everything. Wait…. There was one thing he hadn’t tried yet. The Sith Force-pushed Kenobi as hard as he could and sended lightning right after that. 

Obi-Wan was surprised how easy the fight went. Perhaps my memories are coming back, he thought. Then suddenly he was thrown backwards. The Jedi made a backflip and ignited his lightsaber at the exact moment he landed. And it was good that it had become a habit, because Sidious sended Force-lightning right after that. Kenobi could block it just in time. Then the Sith lord pushed him against the wall and started to electrocute him. The Jedi felt confused. Was he dying or was he just starting to see random things that he couldn’t remember ? Kenobi didn’t feel the pain, he could only focus on those images. He saw him, Qui-Gon and a beautiful looking girl on the run for bounty hunters. Then he saw Anakin, Ahsoka and him picnicking with people in white armor. The sun shone at its brightest and a few of them jumped in the sea to cool down. Who were they ? He tried to remember, but there was some kind of blockade. 

Anakin was still trying to avoid Grievous’ lightsabers when he saw Sidious electrocuting the very same man who had trained him. Anakin gathered all the strength in him, he connected with the Force and pushed Sidious with the Force as hard as he could. He ran to Obi-Wan. ‘Are..you..okay ?’ he asked, out of breath. ‘Yes, i’m alright, Anakin. It feels good to be back,’ said the older Jedi. ‘Wait.. Are you..’ ‘Yes. Thanks to you and Qui-Gon. And Ahsoka of course. Now let’s get him.’ Anakin almost couldn’t believe his ears. His master had his memories back ! But the only thing that he said was: ‘This is where the fun begins.’ The two men shared a look. 

The two Jedi saw Sidious walking towards them, igniting his sabers. ‘I will take him on the right and you on the left.’ ‘As you say so, Master.’ They both laughed. A few years ago, just before the Clone Wars, they had a fight with Dooku. Sidious attacked and the fight began. 

In the meantime was Grievous searching for a Jedi to slay. He decided to help Dooku. It became a bit too dangerous when Grievous arrived. Qui-Gon decided to see how things went at Ahsoka. 

Anakin was surprised to see how powerful his old master had become.He sensed the calmness in his master and knew that that was his strength. Obi-Wan Kenobi had never been so powerful before. They both took their stance. Anakin used Form V and Obi-Wan Form III, also better known as Soresu. The two young Jedi shared a look. They would do this together. Dying or surviving. Anakin felt that Obi-Wan was nervous through their bond. He sent a reassuring smile and the older Jedi answered it. 

Sidious was delighted. The Jedi had his memories back, so now would be the perfect time for revenge. He only needed to get close to Qui-Gon. That was all he needed. But first he had to go through Skywalker and Kenobi. This wouldn’t be easy. Both Skywalker and Kenobi were powerful warriors. Perhaps…. No, that was too difficult. What was he worrying about ? He was a bloody Sith lord ! That answer came five seconds later. In the form of two lightsabers. 

Ahsoka and Qui-Gon were both exhausted. They had been fighting for more than twenty minutes against three Sith. Actually two and a half Sith, but still… We need to get out of here, thought Qui-Gon. Or we will never make it. He said that to Ahsoka. She nodded and made a backflip towards her master and grandmaster. ‘We need to get out of here !’ she shouted. ‘Alright, we’re coming !’ replied Anakin back, while blocking one of Sidious’ lightsabers. He nodded to Obi-Wan. ‘Three…two…one… now !!’ They both made a backflip at the exact same moment and landed near Ahsoka and Qui-Gon. ‘So, how are we gonna get out of here ?’ Qui-Gon asked. ‘We can jump over the gate, but first we need to get rid of them.’ ‘Good thinking, my old padawan. Force push ?’ They all nodded and Ahsoka counted: ‘Three…two…one… now !’ The four Jedi all pushed at the same moment and the Sith were blown backwards. They jumped over the gate and ran for their lives. Once on the ship took Anakin off and flew to space. 

[multi-obsessed-fanfic-writer]

Calculated Risk (Anakin x Reader)

Author’s Note: Here’s the Anakin fic I said was coming out today! Don’t worry, this one is all fluff after the last angst one I posted haha. I hope you guys enjoy! And as always, my tag list/ask box/requests are always open! Thanks so much!

Requested?: Yes, by @cluelessgurl - “I’d love to see a jedi reader coming to Anakin’s rescue during a battle, even though he felt like he didn’t need it but being grateful anyway, just the reader being badass basically lmao. That doesn’t mean the reader doesn’t get a scolding from Anakin after the mission though with some fluff of course.”

Summary: You swoop into battle to help your crush, Anakin, who has vehemently denied the need for any back-up on his mission. 

Calculated Risk

Anakin Skywalker x Reader

Word Count: 1.9k

Warnings: None, I don’t think!

“Ready to report a status update.” Anakin’s voice crackles to life on a hologram behind you. Out of curiosity, you turn to see Obi-Wan talking to Anakin.

“Yes?” Obi-Wan prompts, raising an eyebrow. You drift over to Obi-Wan’s side, ignoring the glance he gives you as you train your eyes on Anakin. Yes, you have a crush on Anakin. But it’s not like he actually likes you back, so it’s no big deal.

“A small droid army has intercepted us and we are working our way through,” Anakin says, and you hear blaster shots firing all around him. 

“Do you need...help?” Obi-Wan asks, hearing a few grunts from clones who are getting shot.

“Oh, no, we’re fine. I’ve got this mission completely under control, don’t even worry about it.” Anakin chuckles, refusing help a little too much. You and Obi-Wan give each other a knowing glance.

“Anakin, we can easily send a squad-”

“Obi-Wan, I assure you, I can handle this myself. Ahsoka’s here, too, and she would say the same thing. Right, Ahsoka?” Anakin calls out.

“Master, we need your help over here! There’s too many of them!” Ahsoka’s voice comes ‘off-screen’ from the hologram.

“See? We’re doing just fine on our own. Gotta go!” Anakin quickly ends the transmission.

Obi-Wan turns to you, clearly still not convinced by Anakin’s antics. 

“It’s obvious that he needs a little help, but he refuses to call in more troops. If I send in reinforcements behind his back, he won’t be happy about it.” Obi-Wan grumbles.

“When has Anakin being grumpy ever held you back?” You laugh.

“Well-”

“What if I could offer a compromise?” You interject again, actually happier with your plan than what Obi-Wan wants to do.

“And what do you suggest we do instead?” He lifts an eyebrow at you and folds his arms. You have a habit of getting into trouble just like Anakin, so he probably doesn’t trust your ideas too often.

“Send me.” You grin triumphantly at him.

“Send...you?” He repeats back slowly, turning the idea over in his mind. It’s not a no, so you continue to explain yourself.

“I’m one of the best Jedi Knights, even you can’t deny that. I can be reinforcements. But I’m still not a squad being dispatched to him so he can’t be mad because you didn’t technically ‘send reinforcements.’” You smirk, knowing you’ve outwitted Anakin. Obi-Wan sighs, but you see the small smile he’s trying to hide.

“You have a fair point...and Anakin is always happy to see you, so he won’t be upset that you’ve been sent.” Obi-Wan thinks out loud.

“What?” 

“What?” 

“I’m...gonna go now.” You murmur, still not sure if you heard him correctly.

“Okay, stay safe. And...keep Anakin out of trouble, please.” He sighs. You grin wickedly at him.

“You’re telling me that?” You ask.

“That’s true, you egg on his antics... Still, you know the difference between reckless stupidity and calculated risks that need to be taken.” He groans, motioning for you to leave already.

“Sure, Obi-Wan. I’ll see you once I save Anakin and complete the mission!” You laugh, running to the hangar. You climb into your speeder and take off from the cruiser, headed toward Anakin.

~+~

Upon your arrival on the planet, an imperial bomber greets you. You try to maneuver your ship around the blast, but unfortunately, it takes out one of your wings and your speeder starts to go down. 

As the ship plummets to the ground, you (as gracefully as possible) flip out of the top of it and land on a nearby rock, not too far from the battle. You watch as your ship makes contact with the ground and blows up. Sigh, you suppose you’ll have to take a ship back with the others.

You slide down the rock you’re currently on and join in the battle, taking down droids as you fight your way to Anakin and his crew. 

You spot Anakin fighting near Ahsoka, getting pushed back by the sheer amount of droids trying to overwhelm them. That’s the thing about the empire. They may not have good fighters, but they had a lot of them.

“Anakin!” You call, flinging your lightsaber like a boomerang through the sea of droids. You call it back to your hand with the force and find that you have successfully cleared a path to Anakin. You decide to take your chance while you have it and run to him.

“(Y/n)? What are you doing here?” Anakin grunts, still fighting off droids. You deflect a blaster shot that was aimed at him while he’s preoccupied.

“Helping you, duh.” You make a face, jumping into battle next to him. The two of you work flawlessly together, making quick work of the droids.

“I said I didn’t need reinforcements.” He sighs.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not reinforcements. I just came here to see you, of course.” You wink at him, taking down another entire line of droids. Anakin watches in almost-awe as you fight off the droids, much more efficient than the rest of his crew, and maybe even him. He’d never admit that, though.

He watches you do a backflip over a droid, slicing it straight through the middle as you land behind it. This elicits a chuckle from his lips.

“Always one to put on a show, huh?” He smirks, glancing over at you as if he wasn’t just staring.

“Only if I care who’s watching,” You flirt, giving him a quick smile as the two of you fall back into sync.

It’s only a moment later when you speak again.

“Bend down,” You tell him.

“What?”

“Bend down.”

“Why?”

“Just do it!” You groan. Does he always have to question you? You never question his antics.

“Fine!” He crouches down and slashes at the feet of droids for a moment. You grin wickedly and use his back as a stepping stone, propelling yourself forward as you slice straight through a line of at least five droids.

“Gotcha!” You laugh, continuing to have fun despite being in the midst of a battle. Anakin shakes his head at you, but you see the small smile gracing his face.

“Always so dramatic with your fighting,” He tsks.

“Says Anakin Skywalker, the man who always has to have a dramatic entrance.” You tease him. He’s silent for a moment.

“...Touché.”

~+~

Once the battle is over, you look over to Anakin who had made his way across the battlefield while fighting. He’s walking over to you, and he doesn’t look quite happy.

“Before you get mad-” But before you can even finish your sentence, he roughly grabs your wrist and yanks you over to the side of the group that was forming to get ready to leave.

He lets go of you and turns around to look at you, his eyes scanning all over your body. You suddenly feel slightly self-conscious.

“Um...Anakin? Are you checking me out?” You try to tease, but your words seem more shy than bold like you intended. 

“Checking you out for injuries, yes.” He huffs, but you see a slight blush rise to his cheeks, making you feel a little bit triumphant for at least a small victory.

“We have a medic for that.” You muse, growing bolder now that you know you’re not the only one slightly flustered.

“I know but- you could’ve gotten hurt, (Y/n). Why did you come out here?” He seems slightly distressed even after he concludes that you definitely didn’t get any injuries.

“I came to...help? Didn’t you hear me when I arrived?” 

“I didn’t need the help-” 

“Anakin I was literally here. I fought the battle, too, and I saw how many enemies there were. You needed the help.” 

“I...I didn’t want it to be you, though.”

You’re hurt by his words. Your brows furrow and you start to turn away from him. If he’s going to be like that, then you’ll just leave. You don’t have to put up with this.

“No, wait! Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that…” He grabs your upper arm to stop you. He rubs the back of his neck nervously as you turn to look back at him.

“How did you mean it, then?” You hum skeptically.

“I...I just worry about you, that’s all. I didn’t want you to get hurt because of me, I wouldn’t be able to take the guilt.” He murmurs, much quieter than he was before. You turn back to face him fully again, stepping just slightly closer to him than you were earlier. His face is downcast to the floor.

“Why?” You ask him, tilting his head up to meet your eye.

“I like you.” He blurts out. This makes your eyes widen in surprise. You didn’t think he’d be so...blunt with it.

But once again, before you can continue he tries to explain himself further.

“I like you, (Y/n), and I don’t want to be the reason you get hurt. I wanted to handle myself so that you...well, you wouldn’t have to come down here and you’d be impressed by me getting it done all by myself.” He explains, almost rambling at this point. You put a finger to his lips, successfully shutting him up.

“Ani, I’m already impressed by you every day. You don’t need to take on an entire droid army to impress me, but I do appreciate the thought.” You giggle, pressing a feather-light kiss to his cheek. You see his face flush again and you smile at the thought of making him feel this way.

You see movement in the background and you look behind Anakin to see some boxes shifting slightly to block the two of you off from the rest of the group.

“What are you doing?” You ask Anakin, knowing that he’s definitely using the force to do that. 

“Just moving some boxes in the way of prying eyes so I can do this.” You don’t have time to react before his lips are on yours. You kiss him back eagerly, wrapping your arms around his neck as his arms snake around your waist. 

Once the two of you pull apart for air, there’s a goofy grin on both your faces. 

“I was wondering when that was going to happen,” You giggle.

“We’ll have to keep this a secret from the Order.” Anakin breathes out, the smile not leaving his face as he takes your features in from up this close.

“I’m willing to take the risk.” You smile at him, kissing him again. He melts into your touch.

“Good, because I am, too.” He kisses you one last time. You finally break away from each other, knowing that staying here too long would cause suspicion.

“See you on the ship, Anakin.” You wink at him and walk toward the boxes, shifting them back with the force as you join the group again.

Anakin trails behind a bit, a dumbstruck look still on his face. You’d tell him to be more subtle, but it’s only Anakin’s squad of clones and you know they wouldn’t say anything. That, and it’s too cute for you to ruin.

Obi-Wan was right about you being the one to take calculated risks that you deemed worth it, and you’ve never been more sure about anything: Anakin is a calculated risk that is more than worth it.

~~~~~

Tags: @spideyboipete @rowley-with-ackerman @official-hitmxn @anakinlove

[thanxxskz]

I just saw your post about requests and I was wondering if you could write an enemies to lovers fic, angst with a happy ending for Minho?

hi! i don't usually write angst because i suck at it hsshs but i hope i did well and that it was what you expected and you like it! sorry for the wait too.

misunderstanding - l.mh

minho and you had been enemies since you met in high school, it kept going till you graduated and continued in university, because that was your luck, he seemed to follow you everywhere.

you didn't even remember why or how this enemy thing started. at one point, you were ready to end it, but minho was an asshole - to you - and then you decided that if he wanted war, he would have it. you were no damn coward.

on the other hand, minho hated you - or strongly disliked you - and every time you asked him why, he would roll his eyes and say "tsk, as if you don't remember" but you really didn't.

one day, you were in the cafe near your university. you had a free hour, so you and your best friend, sook, went there. your morning hadn't been the best, so you were kinda in a bad mood.

"cheer up, y/n, the day will get better"

you looked at her "it definitely won't" you said, as you saw minho entering the cafe. he went to the counter and ordered and you were praying to whoever was up there that he didn't look at you.

you sighed when he looked at you and smirked.

"oh, y/n, whatcha doing here?"

"please leave me alone, minho, today's not a good day"

"as if" he snorted and left.

your friend looked at you, and you couldn't believe that, for once, he left you alone. yeah, he laughed at you but he left.

---

it was the afternoon, you were still at your university because you had homework left and a few projects that you wanted to finish.

the door opened and when you looked up, you saw minho. you rolled your eyes and kept working on everything. he sat in the table in front of you, you could see his back.

again, you found yourself thinking of what did you ever do to him for him to treat you like this. before he got mad at you and started being an ass, you were friends. not the best friends kinda friends, but you were on good terms. it happened so long ago, but it still bothered you.

"can i know what did i ever do to you?" you said "i can't stop thinking about what you said, and the more i think, more confused i am"

minho turned to you "are you being serious right now? you don't really remember what you did? wow"

you shook your head "we were on good terms, and you were nice to me, why would i ever not treat you well?"

he looked at the wall "remember when rumors spread that i was going to confess to you before the end of second year?" you nodded "they were true, i was going to confess. i even told your best friend of the time, areum, so she could help me. but then, later that day, i passed by the bathrooms and hear her speak with other girls, without you. the conversation was about me and you, apparently she had told you that i was going to confess and your reaction wasn't the best-"

"that's why you make my life hell sometimes?!"

"let me finish. your reaction wasn't the best and you supposedly said that you were my friend out of pity and that it was disgusting that someone like me even thought that had any chance with you. i didn't want to believe it, but days later, you started to avoid me"

you looked at him, without saying a word. you got up from your seat "you know, i know you were stupid, but not to this extent. back then, i thought you knew me, but i just realised you didn't. at all. don't talk to me, pretend i don't exist. if you still are in contact with areum, i'd recommend to ask her about this"

you left, leaving with a loud bang.

"fuck her, fuck him, and fuck everyone"

---

minho didn't want to talk to areum about this. is not like he was still in contact with her, but there was a little friendship between the both of them. minho finally decided to call her.

"yes, minho? it's weird for you to call" she said

"hm... i wanted to ask you about y/n. i had a small argument with her today, about our past and-"

"lee minho! for how long are you going to be like this? this happened ages ago. she was a bitch to you. yes, you didn't find out in the best way, but you needed to know. i've been here since then, when are you gonna acknowledge me?"

she hung up. minho thought her reaction was weird, but well, she had always been like this.

---

for the next days, you ignored minho. if he waved at you, if he approached you, if he even sat near you... after his little confesion, you were beyond mad.

you told sook what happened, and even her thought that everything was messed up. you had cut ties with areum in your third year of high-school. she started spreading rumors about you, and you ended the friendship. but you didn't know or even think that she could have said something to minho.

truth is, when minho told you he was going to confess back then, your heart skipped a bit. areum never told you anything about it, and you didn't understand why she would say such things or even talk about them with other girls. and casualty, minho was passing by. there was no other option: she knew minho was passing by at the time.

as mad as you were, you wanted to clear up things with minho. your university life had been hell just because he decided to be stupid.

"doesn't matter how the conversation ends, it's the best you can do, y/n" sook told you

you didn't have minho's number, so you left a note in his locker, to meet you in one of the classes. of course, you didn't say in the note that it was you because you knew he wouldn't come then.

at five o'clock, you were waiting in the class. you decided to hide behind the open door. when minho entered, he saw no one. you then closed the door "sit there, we're gonna talk. i don't care if you don't, you'll hear me anyways" you locked the door and kept the key in your pockets.

he looked at you "i never knew that you were going to confess. never. i don't care what that areum bitch said. she must've know back then that you were passing by the bathrooms. i wasn't avoiding you, i actually went through something but it wasn't my intention to avoid you, sorry about that" you said all at once "you could've talk to me about it, stupid boy"

you were about to pick up your things and leave, but he held your wrist "i should be the one saying sorry. yesterday i called areum and she had a really weird reaction. that made me think that maybe you didn't know anything and she just played with my feeling as she pleased. i understand that you don't want to talk to me again, i just wanted to apologise"

you nodded at him "not everything's lost... maybe we can go step by step, if you want"

you left him in the classroom, thinking how he'd be able to repair the damages in your old friendship. he still liked you, and he really wanted you back.

---

minho made his mission to be friends, at least. you found him waiting for you in front of your classes, inviting you for lunch and even introducing his close friends to you.

"...so this is chan hyung, then there's changbin, hyunjin, jisung, felix, seungmin and our dear youngest, jeongin"

"nice to meet you all, i'm y/n, old friend of-"

"we know, we know" jisung said "he hasn't stopped talking about you since your small reconciliation, we know even your favourite color"

you blushed and looked at minho, who was sending glares to his friend while the rest laughed

"i have to get to know ya, then? it's only fair" you smiled

after a while, you knew what their majors were. chan, changbin and jisung were majoring in music production; felix and hyunjin were majoring in dancing, just like you and minho, but were a grade below you and minho. you remember seeing them. seungmin was majoring in veterinary medicine and jeongin in early childhood education; you all had lots of topics to talk about.

---

a few months passed, and your relationship with minho was only growing stronger. he had stopped being stupid and whatever happened in the past, you both decided to keep it there.

"do you wanna come over to my house?" he asked "we can order delivery, my treat, and watch a movie. you can also meet my cats"

he was fiddling with the ends of his shirt, so you knew he was nervous.

"is it a date?"

he looked at you "n-no. i mean, y-yes? if you want it to be?"

you laughed and held his hand, something you both liked to do even if you were just friends "i'd love that"

a few hours later, you were at his house, he told you to sit in the sofa, where his cats were. you ended up sitting on the floor not to bother his cats.

"what are you doing there?" he said

"i didn't want to bother them. they're sleeping so peacefully..." you said, smiling while looking at them.

minho swears in that moment his heart did a backflip and he stopped breathing for a second. he couldn't stop smiling at you.

"let's order?" he asked, and you nodded.

half an hour later, the food arrived and you decided to play a movie. you ended up watching one that minho chose. in the middle of the movie, you started to feel sleepy, so you put your head on his shoulder. feeling brave, he put your hair behind your ear and held your hand.

"are you tired? i can turn off the movie"

"hm. let's cuddle, i want to cuddle with you"

he wasn't someone that liked hugs, but hugging with you was something that he had been waiting for a long time to do.

after a while, he decided to speak, but you were first.

"i like you, minho. and i don't know if you like me back or not. but these past few months we've been doing this small acts, holding hands, cuddling, meeting up without the rest... i like being like this, cuddling with you and enjoy being like this. i really like you, no empty feelings"

minho stayed quiet and he felt like he was about to cry "i like you to, y/n, always have always will"

he put his hand on your cheek, and tilted his head so he could kiss you.

you felt something explode inside of you, it felt like you reached infinite happiness. you kissed him back, obviously, and started fidgeting with his hair.

"you're mine, and i'm yours"

you smiled "of course, baby"

---

[samsaintjames]

okay so: fic recs

So this is gonna be really long and rambling (I'm sure), but we start with the basics.

If you're only ever going to read one and only one fanfic in your entire life you have to read Increments of Longing. It's a Jaina Proudmoore/Sylvanas Windrunner fanfic, but it's AU enough and so well written, that you probably do not actually need to know anything about Warcraft or World of Warcraft and the respective lore and backstory to enjoy it. Just look at it like a very good fantasy novel about an arranged marriage. [...]“But you would tell me what you want?” Sylvanas asked in a voice that was far too controlled to be truly nonchalant."[...] I could not even tell you why, but this line there from the second chapter? It gives me feels (and I could not even tell you what exactly I'm feeling, but yeah).

Anyway, read it (I've read it twice now)!

Okay, from the same author I also whole-heartedly recommend you search the mountain. Which is another Jaina/Sylvanas story, again AU, with Jaina being Drust. You do not necessarily need background info - there even is a map of Kul Tiras included - but you'd probably benefit from it. Particularly the early chapters, when you get to know Arthur, made me laugh and giggle quite a bit, even though the story itself is - since it's about the Drust and a civil war - a bit of a horror story/military fiction crossover I'd say. Good read.

And my kinda guilty pleasure (also from the same author) is no end in sight. It's a story about Suramar (and healing). And when I started playing WoW towards the end of Legion, shortly before the Argus patch, I absolutely fell in love with that region/city and the Nightborne - probably because I wasn't stuck on the repetitive content of it for forever lol. So this story about Thalyssra and Jaina and the other Nightborne NPCs is awesome. I was actually considering to also write about Jaina/Thalyssra, simply because just imagine the insane magic those two could do when working together (I mean they kinda do in Nazjatar), but knowing me, this will probably never get past the conception stage.

Inevitability is also absolutely amazing (it's another - you probably guessed it - Jaina/Sylvanas AU, with both of them being professors - considering I've been working in academics for the last 15 years that's kinda my jam). And I have a lot of thoughts about it, which for the sake of not boring people to death I'm gonna abbreviate (but well I'm ready to talk people to death if they are interested). One: I'd love to meet this Sylvanas. Two: I'd never have the guts to talk to her, but I'd totally want her to take me home lol (and I'm not even sure I'm gay). Three: life at universities around here is very different from - I'm assuming - the US.

(Also if you're into AUs, go check Fearless - which features witches and ghosts and is fun.)

Okay, so now we're coming to how I actually fell into the whole Jaina/Sylvanas thing. It's because of Daugthers of Sea and Snow. Which is a Frozen/WoW crossover featuring Jaina/Elsa I found by looking through Frozen Fanfics when I was bored around the time Frozen 2 came out and then completely forgot - it was still work in progress then; I found the still open tab in my browser like four to three weeks ago, saw it was finished now and devoured the whole thing. And while I was there, I looked at the other things that author had written - and that's how I stumbled upon Jaina/Sylvanas, like two years late. Which is probably kinda ironic, since I played BFA a lot (mythic raiding beginning with Uldir), loving the Storyline in Kul Tiras and being absolutely enamoured with Jaina especially after her Warbringers vid (I still sometimes humm the song) - and liked Sylvanas since Warcraft III. Sometimes life is weird.

So and after that I jumped down this particular rabbit hole while doing a thrilling backflip. There is an assortment of other stories that I very much enjoyed.

A Touch of Arcane - the first fix of political marriage AU for Jaina and Sylvanas that I got (I think it was actually the first Jaina/Sylvanas fic I read period). And boy did I get hooked to that.

Along the same lines but different are Worth the Trouble and Two Rooms.

If you're into AUs for that pairring, you'll find a lot of intereseting ones from the Author katofthenorth. The one about diving is really cute.

Stories not yet finished that I thoroughly enjoyed so far (most of them political marriage AUs - lol I'm a sucker for those okay, it's not my fault!):

Ink and Honor is amazing. I came for Jaina/Sylvanas, but I love the Thalyssra/Vereesa storyline just as much - it's sooooo cute, like even Genn ships them ^^.

threads of silk.

climb the walls.

Measure of the world. They aren't married (yet, it's a possibility though I'd guess and I haven't even reached the end of the so far posted chapters yet, but enjoyable read nonetheless).

The Lighthouse. Amazing AU, I love the idea - and it's not political marriage! I cannot wait for the next chapters.

I've dug too many holes into this thawing ground. This story gave me a lot of feels too.

Honorary mentions for stories that I'm assuming might never be finished, but are amazing reads.

Shot in the Dark. Fuck that is awesome! Secret agents and spies - okay technically snipers, but it's the feeling that counts, right? (and Tyrande in a suit is a nice bonus).

Trust in Me. Sylvanas as Jainas bodyguard AU.

Okay so... I still have like 250 tabs or something ridiculous open in my browser (that's not overstating it, it's fact, in fact I might be understating it at this point and it could already be 300) and I haven't obviously read all the amazing Jaina/Sylvanas fanfics out there yet, particularly short ones or one shots or series might have gotten lost, since I usually filter for high wordcounts only. So, if anyone feels stuff is missing, it does not mean I didn't like it, it could be I've just not read it yet.

And now for something completely different.

I want to point towards one of the coolest crossover stories/series I've ever read: Felicitas. Which is an Arrow/Highlander/Raven crossover that imagines Felicity as an ancient immortal. And it's just soooooo good, I've been following it for years. (That being said, I never watched Arrow past season 2 and I probably never will considering what I know about how the story of the show continues, I've been burned once with Bering and Wells, I'm not going there again. But that's totally fine, because Felicitas also only goes as far as Season 2.)

And then there's still waters and quiet men. I'm not even sure what to say about it. The sheer lunacy and the insane escalation present in this story should not have amused me as much as it did I think, but I remember laughing tears when reading this, because while it's actually really sad that some people might find this kind of behaviour of male characters in fiction normal, it was abso-fucking-lutely hilarious in my opinion. (That said, I've probably only read it halfway, but still, it's hilarious! Well if you have the same maybe weird sense of humor I have anyway.)

New Beginnings is a FemShep/Liara crossover with Stargate SG-1. So it's combining my favourite TV show with my favourite Videogame of all time. And it's brilliant.

So yeah that's my fic recs for the time being. If you just want a tl;dr, go read Increments of Longing. (I just cannot stress enough how amazing that story is.)

I'm only tagging Jaina/Sylvanas since most fics are about them.

[that0melette]

This meme is still funny, right?

[gryffindorcls]

Midnight Resolutions

Summary: After an accidental reveal, Marinette has been avoiding Adrien for months. Alya noticed, and with the help of their friends, she's been working hard to get Adrien and Marinette to admit their very obvious feelings for each other. Unfortunately, all their plans have ended in disaster! Now, it's almost midnight on New Year's Eve, and the class has one last plan.

Length: 2, 638 words This is my present for @toothlessthecatnoir for the ML Secret Santa Exchange by @mlsecretsanta​! You asked for fluff, romance, hurt/comfort, and a happy ending, and I hope this fits the bill! Sorry for posting this at the literal eleventh hour! lol Happy Holidays! I hope you enjoy it! (A shout-out to my super awesome beta @misscongenialityofmlb for taking a look at this!)

— AO3

Fanfiction

“You all remember the plan?” Alya stared down the group of people gathered in her living room. “Because if you have any questions, now is the time to ask.”

“Honestly, I don’t think anyone was listening just now.” Alix rolled her eyes and huffed. “We’re exhausted, and we've been at this for weeks. What makes this plan any different?”

Alya knew her friends were tired, but she had to remain resolute. If she wanted her team of helpers to finish what they’d started, she knew that she needed to be the confident and optimistic leader they needed. Besides, this was the night that all their hard work would come to fruition.

It had to be.

Right?

She took a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face. “This time we’re keeping it simple. They’ll kiss for sure!”

“But that’s what you said about the winter carnival, the history project, the Secret Santa, and the mistletoe.” The jovial aura that usually surrounded Kim was noticeably missing, sending a pang of guilt through Alya’s chest. “Nothing has worked.”

Alya did her best not to cringe at the memories of their various mishaps. True, her previous plans had been a little intense, but it was worth the sacrifice. Marinette had done so much for all of them in the past, and Adrien deserved some happiness in his life. It was the least they could do for their friends.

“And let’s not forget the time we tried to lock them in that closet.” Alix’s frustration seemed to grow as she spoke. “Marinette sent Kim to the emergency room after that!”

Kim shuddered. “Don’t remind me. If I hadn’t run away, Marinette would have broken my arm for sure. I still can’t figure out how she busted down the door that fast. We were lucky that I walked away with a mild concussion instead of a cast.”

“Look, I know we’ve been at this for months, but trust me! It’s going to work this time.” Alya clenched a fist in front of her. “I just know it will.”

Removing his glasses, Nino pinched the bridge of his nose. “Babe, don’t get me wrong, it hurts to watch those two, but I don’t think we can handle another disaster. Every time we put those two together, Marinette flips.”

“Yes, but it’s not like we haven’t dealt with a jumpy Marinette in the past.” Panic began to settle in her gut as the energy in the room slowly died. “It’s just a little more than what we’re used to.”

“A little?” Nino closed his eyes and sighed. “Ms. Mendeleiev is still pissed about the fire in her lab last month, and we’re lucky that the museum isn’t making us pay for the broken windows.”

“Not to mention Juleka lost her eyebrows...twice,” Rose piped in from the back of the group. “I highly doubt she wants to lose them a third time.”

“They grew back,” Juleka mumbled, “It’s fine. Marinette and Adrien need us.”

“Yes! Thank you, Juleka! We can’t stop now!” She could hear the desperation in her own voice. “They are perfect for each other, and you know it!”

“Yes, and I want my bro to be happy. I really do.” Slumping in his seat, Nino looked defeated. “But at what cost?”

“You know as well as I do that it was even worse before we started doing all of this. Marinette wouldn’t even look at him, and Adrien walked around like a kicked puppy.” Giving up was not an option...not when they were so close.

“Yeah, I remember.” Nino collapsed onto the couch. “Adrien was so tight-lipped about the whole thing, and I thought he was going to burst into tears at any second. But this is getting dangerous, babe. You gotta admit that.”

“If only we knew what happened between them that made them act so weird around each other.” Alix chuckled. “Well...weirder than they usually are.”

“All we have to do is get them to sit on this couch together all night.” Alya couldn’t back down...not now. “No complicated schemes tonight. We just need to put the snacks in the right place so Adrien sits next to them. That boy is always hungry.”

Kim shook his head. “Okay, that’s great and all, but that only takes care of Adrien. How do you plan on getting Marinette to stay in one spot? What makes you think that she won’t leave the couch?”

“All of us are going to pair off and make it too awkward for her to join any group.” She was proud of this plan, but the hesitant looks on the faces around her planted a seed of doubt in her mind. “She’s getting here before Adrien, and I know she’ll retreat to the couch when she sees the rest of us already engaged in our own conversations.”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m with Kim. That is the weakest plan I’ve ever heard.” Alix plopped onto the couch next to Nino, grabbed a pillow, shoved it against her face, and screamed. “This nightmare is never going to end!”

“No, it’s the perfect plan. Marinette is the kind of girl who is too polite to ram her way into a conversation between two people. My girl has class, and she hates being a third wheel.” Ignoring the uncertainty, Alya stood her ground. “Trust me.

“Well, I still think it’s a longshot, but it doesn’t involve fire or glass this time, so I guess I’m in.” Alix pointed her index finger toward Alya. “But this is the last time. After tonight we have to let them figure it out on their own.”

“Fine.” Once again feeling her confidence grow, Alya smiled. “But it’s going to work this time.”

“Whatever you say!” Alix said with a flippant wave of her hand.

It was going to work.

It had to.

What could possibly go wrong?

***

CRASH

With an outstretched hand, Adrien watched a punch-covered Marinette spring from the couch, run into Alya’s bedroom, and slam the door behind her. Where had he gone wrong?

It had been exactly three months, seventeen days, two hours, and twenty-eight minutes since Marinette, the love of his life, had accidentally revealed her identity to Chat Noir.

Her words from that day replayed in his head like a broken record. “I fell in love with a boy who apologized by giving me an umbrella after I thought he put gum on my seat.”

When everything clicked into place, he couldn’t not tell her who he was. At least that’s what he had thought at the time.

Perhaps pulling her into an embrace, whispering her name into her ear, and detransforming was not the best way to handle the situation, but how was he supposed to know that she would react so negatively? Not only was he her loyal partner, but he was also her crush. It seemed like a win-win! Right?

Wrong.

If he had known that she was going to avoid him for months on end, he would have done things differently. But the past was in the past, and he could only hope for a better future. Marinette was his lady, his light, his love. How was he supposed to declare his love if she kept running away?

“Follow her,” Alya whispered into his ear, pulling him away from his thoughts.

“What’s the point?” Adrien wanted to cry. “She told me that she loves me, but I’m not so sure that she does anymore.”

“Wait!” Holding up a hand, Alya had silenced the room with one word. “You’re kidding! That’s what happened? That’s why my girls been wigging out for months?”

Careful to avoid talking about the other reveal from that night, Adrien continued. “Yeah. It was a few months ago. I don’t think she meant to tell me.”

“Did you reject her or something?”

“No, not at all! I was overjoyed when I found out, but she ran away before I could respond.”

“That explains so much.”

He buried his face in his hands. “Maybe I’m scaring her off or something? I don’t know. Can you help me?”

Taking a seat next to him, Alya put a hand on his shoulder. “Would you like me to talk to her first? I can try to calm her down enough for you to talk to her.”

Hope fluttered in his chest. “That would be great. Thank you so much!”

He had the best friends.

“Wait here, Sunshine.” She hopped off of the couch and disappeared into her bedroom.

It felt like hours before Alya finally returned with the go-ahead for him to enter the room. He hopped off the couch, approached the door, and gave a tentative knock. His heart did backflips when he heard the soft “come in” from the other side of the door.

He turned the knob, slowly peeked his head in, and scanned the room. His elation was quickly replaced by concern when his eyes landed on a teary and disheveled Marinette sitting on the edge of the bed.

Despite the towel wrapped around her shoulders, she was still soaking wet with red punch. She looked miserable, and Adrien wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and tell her that everything would be alright. But he was just here to talk.

Only talking.

For now.

“Hey,” he called out, closing the door behind him.

She sniffled and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. “Hi.”

He was pleasantly surprised when Marinette didn’t react as he crossed the room and took a seat next to her on the bed. So far so good.

Without thinking, his words tumbled out. “Marinette, we really need to talk.”

Her head shot up, and she turned to look at him. Her bottom lip trembled, and fresh tears streamed down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” she croaked out, “I messed everything up!”

“What?” Adrien couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “How?”

“Not only did I fail as Ladybug and reveal my identity, but I made everything awkward between us!”

“But you didn’t make anything awkward! I did!”

“No, it's my fault! Not yours. I’ve turned you down for two years because I was in love with you as a civilian. I ruined everything!”

“Oh, Marinette, no. Finding out about your crush was the greatest thing that ever happened to me...well, right after learning that my lady and the coolest girl I know are the same person.”

The corners of her mouth twitched into a smile. “Really?”

“Yeah, really.” He nodded. “I love you, Marinette.”

“You do?”

“I love you so much, and I’ve been trying to tell you for months. I didn’t think I could love a person more than I loved Ladybug, and then she turned out to be you, and I’ve never been so happy to have been proven wrong.”

“And all this time, I thought you were going to get mad at me.”

“Mad at you? No! Not at all!” He couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m overjoyed, but you kept running away from me, and you split up our patrol routes. I thought you were mad at me for telling you that I figured out your identity.”

“You thought I was mad at you?” She sobbed into her hands. “This really is a disaster.”

Screw it.

He was in love with her.

He couldn’t let her sit there and cry.

In one swift motion, Adrien leaned over, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into an embrace. She momentarily stiffened before collapsing against his chest and continuing to cry.

Hoping to calm her down before any purple butterflies paid them a visit, Adrien rubbed her back with his palm. “I’m not mad. I promise. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.” Her voice was small and thick with tears, but they were the sweetest words he’d ever heard.

They sat in silence, allowing him to revel in the embrace. When Marinette eventually calmed down, she snuggled into his chest. It was a good thing that he wasn’t standing because if he had been, he would have definitely fallen over. She was so close and so beautiful. He could hardly contain his joy.

It was a beautiful moment that he wished could last forever...until she shivered.

Oh, right. She was covered in punch.

Here he was, enjoying the moment, letting his (hopefully) soon-to-be girlfriend freeze in wet clothes.

Refusing to let go, he rested his forehead against hers. “Hey, what do you say we get out of here?”

She shook her head. “But...it’s almost midnight, and I think Alya is expecting us to rejoin the party.”

“I think she’ll let it slide.” He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. “After all, we wouldn’t want one of Paris’ heroes to get sick, right?”

Marinette giggled. “Yeah, okay.”

She was too cute.

The sound of her laughter was more beautiful than a symphony, and he would do anything to hear it again. He pulled her to her feet and laced his fingers between hers. They managed to leave the party without any qualms from their friends, and soon they found themselves standing on the sidewalk in the cold winter air.

When her teeth started chattering, his grip tightened around her hand before he quickly dragged her into an alley.

“Adrien!” she squeaked, “What are you doing?”

“Plagg, CLAWS OUT!” His transformation illuminated the space around them. “My lady, would you allow me the honor of escorting you home?”

She giggled again. “What’s gotten into you, you silly cat?”

He almost melted on the spot. She was going to kill him. Adrien was but a mere mortal. How was he supposed to survive if she kept being so freaking adorable?

“I’m taking you home the express route.” He held out his hand. “If you’ll let me, that is.”

She nodded and took a step toward him. Adrien swept her into his arms, knees nearly giving out when she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck.

All too soon, they touched down on her balcony; however, even after he lowered her feet to the ground, she didn’t let go.

Goodness, he was so in love.

“We should really get you inside,” he whispered, resting his hands on her waist. “You should put on some dry clothes.”

“Not yet.” She bit her lip as she looked up and met his gaze. “It was soaking wet when I fell in love with you, so it’s only fitting that I’m covered with punch when I do this.

He swallowed. “D-do what?”

Her hands cupped his face as she drew closer. “This.”

The world came to a screeching halt as her lips met his. Her fingers moved to the back of his head, deepening the kiss. It was everything he’d ever dreamed of and more. Her breath became his lifeline, his soul dreading the moment they had to part.

They smiled under the kiss, causing their teeth to clack and their noses to bump, but it was perfect nonetheless. This was his lady, the girl under the mask he swore he’d love no matter what.

When they pulled apart, they fell into a laughing heap on the ground. Cheers erupted around them as fireworks lit up the sky. It was as if the universe itself was celebrating with them.

“I guess that’s one way to ring in the New Year.” She turned her head towards the sky. “This year, we should definitely kiss like that every day.”

“I think that’s one resolution I can definitely keep.” He kissed her forehead. “And maybe we could even kiss more than once a day?”

“I’d like that.” She grabbed his bell and pulled him down to her level. “Let’s start now.”

Adrien was more than happy to oblige.

[pod95]

Pairing: Finn Balor X OFC (Ciara)

Word Count: 1135

Warnings: Mature to explicit as the story goes on.

Description: After moving to the USA from England to start her career as an NXT superstar, Ciara gets to meet her long time crush, NXT champion Finn Balor. It's clear the pair have chemistry, but when tensions start to rise, will they find they want more than a no strings attached relationship?

So this is the first piece of fanfic I have written literally ever. I will be posting them here periodically, but I already have 6 chapters out on my Wattpad, AO3 and FanFiction pages.

This series will involve romance, drama and (although it will take a little while) some smutt too. Hope you enjoy it! 😊

Chapter 3: Teasing the Prince

My taxi pulled up outside the hotel the orientation party was being held at, and I made my way inside. The hotel was beautifully decorated, definitely out of my price range but WWE has money to spare I guess.

Upon entering the bar, I immediately recognised most of the people there. Superstars from Raw, Smackdown and NXT, as well as coaches and backstage crew sat in their own groups, engaged in various conversations. It was incredibly intimidating to an outsider. After trying and failing to insert myself into different crowds, I ordered a glass of water from the bar and took a seat at an inconspicuous table in the corner of the room.

I tried several times to abandon my comfort spot and introduce myself to my colleagues, but lost my nerve everytime. After half an hour of sheepishly sipping my water, I was startled out of my haze by the sound of a glass being placed on my table.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare ya," came a smooth, Irish accent.

I knew Finn would be here of course, but I'd specifically avoided seeking him out. I certainly didn't expect him to approach me after I made such a mess of our first interaction. And yet...

"It's fine," I chuckled, nervously. "I was just in a world of my own. Sorry"

"No offense meant, but you look like you're shittin' yourself."

"Well everyone is already in their own groups. It's like high school all over again"

Chuckling, Finn slid the glass over to me, "This should help. It's vodka."

I hadn't intended to drink tonight, but that intoxicating smile was hard to resist, and it would be rude to turn down a gift after all.

"I'm Fergal. Your name was Ciara, right?"

Hearing him use his real name made this conversation feel much more personal somehow. The way he said mine sent tingles down my spine. Speechless, I nodded.

"That's an Irish name. Do you have any Irish in ya?"

"I don't," I confessed.

"Well, would you like some?"

At this I choked slightly. Not daring to look at his smirking face, I tried to regain my composure.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself," he giggled, mischievously.

"Has that line ever worked?"

"No, never. Usually I just flash the abs and the rest is history."

"Right, right, because you're just SO irresistible," I teased, rolling my eyes slightly.

"Well... You couldn't seem to take your eyes off of me earlier today, so I guess I must be doing something right." He'd stopped laughing and leaned in closer, now staring intensely into my eyes. Every instinct in my body was telling me to break eye contact, but at this point the alcohol was starting to kick in and my nerves were unusually steeled.

"The only way you could possibly know that is if you were watching me too," I smiled sweetly, feeling proud of my retort, though internally my heart was racing.

To my delight, he seemed surprised by my new, unabashed attitude. Looking down at the table, he smiled coyly. I swear I detected the hint of a blush as he bit his lower lip and leaned back in his chair.

"So how long have you been wrestling?" he asked, clearly wanting to change the subject.

"About 6 years. Started in the indies before I worked for Progress."

"So did you try out or get scouted?"

"Scouted. I thought they'd got the wrong girl at first. There were so many other more talented women there. I don't really know why I stood out and they didn't."

Noticing my dejected tone of voice and my eyes glassing over, Fergal placed a kind hand over mine and softened his tone.

"Those scouts have a real eye for talent. You really should believe in yourself more. Even Paul seems impressed with you. That's not something to take lightly love."

He had this peculiar way of being able to make me feel so anxious and unsure of myself one minute, yet completely calm the next. My heart was doing backflips from the warm, tender touch of his fingers, which were currently tracing pleasant patterns on the back of my hand.

We sat like that in silence for a moment, before he cleared his throat and left to get us more drinks.

I wasn't waiting long before I heard a voice I recognised calling my name.

"Ciara? When did you get here?"

"Saraya!" I screamed, excitedly standing to give her a hug.

"Did they FINALLY sign you?" she asked. I nodded in response, and she playfully slapped my arm. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I guess I didn't wanna jinx it until I got here."

"Oh my god I'm so happy for you! It's gonna be like old times!"

Fergal returned with our drinks and nodded politely at Saraya.

There was something about the way she looked at him, or rather, the way she glared at him. I sensed some animosity there. As Saraya and I had a catch-up, she would break eye contact with me now and then to throw a scowl towards Fergal, and whenever she did, he'd respond with a smug grin, clearly amused at how much his presence was bothering her.

"So Fergal," Saraya started, "how are things going with Elayna. Oh wait, Ashley wasn't it. Or was it Steffanie... Aw damn, I can never keep track of who you're seeing..."

Fergal smiled wickedly and took a sip of his beer before responding.

"You know damn well who I'm seeing, and you also know how it's going. So why don't you cut the crap and tell me why you're still here."

"Hey, I'm just looking out for my girl here," she placed an arm around my shoulder, "wouldn't want her getting hurt."

Satisfied that she had pissed him off, Saraya grabbed her purse. She gave me a goodbye hug and flashed one last death stare at Fergal before making her leave.

I left Fergal to stew in his own frustrations for a few minutes, taking the opportunity to buy us both a drink.

"Are you OK?" I asked, setting the beer down in front of him. Upon my return, he quickly removed the scowl on his face, returning to the cocky smile he had on earlier in the evening. It was as simple to him as putting on a mask.

"I'm marvelous love," he winked, continuing the conversation as if nothing had happened, "so whereabouts in England are ya from?"

* * * *

A/N - Hey guys! I found this chapter really hard to write, because it's the first proper interaction you get with Finn and I wanted to do him justice. I hope I managed to. Anyway I'm back at work now so will update when I can. Really enjoying writing this and hope you enjoy reading! 😊

[agerefandom]

Magnus Archives Regression Headcanons

requested by @cathasdepression​ about a century ago, sorry for the delay! I decided I had to relisten to the podcast before I made this post >-<

Jonathan Sims

involuntary regressor

owns a fair amount of regression gear and keeps it hidden 

needs to take better care of himself

only cries when he’s regressed, and tends to cry a lot

jumpy as heck

regresses out of exhaustion, fear, or sensory overload 

he’s good at hiding his regression, but only by getting super stiff and distant: anyone who knows him well can tell when he’s pretending to be big 

regresses to infant age, but still has a lot of verbal ability 

does a lot better when he’s volunarily regressing on the regular, but can’t voluntarily regress without a caregiver usually 

Martin Blackwood

mainly a caregiver 

enjoys babysitting kiddos online

but he really thrives on being able to touch, dress, and cradle a regressor: to witness the concrete effects of his love and care 

has hard limits and things that remind him of his mother: helping with baths, for example, is a trigger for him 

overall, though, caregiving is a way for Martin to feel valued (rather than his mother who took his aid for granted) 

silly caregiver, lots of boops and silly nicknames and tickles 

gets very excited at the zoo 

(regresses once in a blue moon, usually with tantrums: Martin’s regression happens when he’s pushed to his limits and needs emotional release. he crashes hard after the tantrum and needs a few days to build himself back up.) 

Sasha James 

full headcanon set can be found here! 

a responsible regressor who knows her limits: takes care of herself with voluntary regression, but also fields involuntary regression on her bad days 

Georgie Barker

an enthusiastic caregiver 

she doesn’t seek out regressors to take care of, but she learned about regression through Jon and really valued that part of their relationship

when Jon moves in with her, she automatically falls into caregiving patterns, but Jon asks her to please back off and she listens (even though she’s worried about him) 

enjoys cooking for people

big on communication and having conversations

gives the Best Hugs 

Melanie King

she does not like regressing

it makes her feel out of control, but it’s just one of her natural defense mechanisms 

very protective of her regression and doesn’t talk about it with people

she was planning to bring it up in therapy 

Georgie helps her figure it out and feel more comfortable about it 

(Under the cut: headcanons for Gerard Keay, Michael Shelley, Jane Prentiss, Peter Lukas, and Simon Fairchild) 

Gerard Keay

teen/big kid regressor

mostly a voluntary regressor, but sometimes he regresses by accident and then pretends he meant to

insists he can’t read when he’s regressed (he’s lying)

externally doesn’t change much when he regresses: more accepting of and seeking physical contact

Gerry uses all of his ‘weird stuff’ as defense mechanisms, and regression is no different; he pushes his gender nonconformity, his queerness, his stims, and his regression in people’s faces to test them or to make them uncomfortable

enjoys settling in with a handheld game console from before they all had cameras (before they were always Watching)

definitely runs a 2000s web nostalgia blog on tumblr

Michael Shelley 

was a regressor before he was Distorted 

the Spiral just made it worse: Shelley was a toddler-age regressor, but now he can’t remember what ages are supposed to feel like 

Michael is a mirror: he enjoys spending time around children, taking on their innocence and their form, but he doesn’t relish the effects he has on the minds of children

regressors touched by other Entities are the safest spaces for Michael to experience age: regression isn’t a linear experience, so it isn’t antithetical to the Spiral. (and their patron Entities will protect them from the worst effects of Michael’s presence while they’re vulnerable... unless it serves them otherwise) 

children don’t worry about reality, or identity, or anything like that. they’re blindly accepting of Michael, and in regression Michael can blindly accept himself in a way that his (adult?) mind cannot

Jane Prentiss

 full headcanons can be found here (in story form) 

was a regressor before she became a host for the Corruption

doesn’t have enough personhood left to regress, but part of her feels small and loved in the community of the Hive that consumes her 

Peter Lukas 

Peter will swear up and down that the Lonely is a blessing, that he never wants to be anywhere else 

but sometimes the fog twists into the rooms of his childhood home

sometimes the blankness of the crowd around him reminds him that any one of them could be his mother, whose face he’s forgotten 

sometimes Peter remembers his childhood days, how no one his parents hired would look at him, how he would stare into the mirror and try to imagine a face other than his own 

(the Lonely has given Peter many gifts, but it is still hungry) 

sometimes Peter is a boy who does not understand why no one can see him 

sometimes Peter will cry, and the taste of the tears will turn into the saltwater of the sea spray at the docks, and he knows it’s time to take the Tundra out again 

Simon Fairchild

quite enjoys finger painting 

goes on rollarcoasters (and tends to be the only person who survives the ride) 

absolutely loves throwing people to the Vast when he’s regressed, just runs around pushing people off rooves with reckless abandon and glee 

have you ever seen a very old man dressed in yellow overalls perform a triple backflip? then you haven’t seen Simon Fairchild regress 

pops in to annoy other Avatars by standing on their heads or shoulders 

[ladycatofwinterfell]

Dealing with the consequences, part 1

Here it is, the long awaited sequel to “Consequences”. It’s been a while since I was last this excited to post something and I hope you share this feeling. I usually write happy married nedlyn, so just digging into the more complicated and messy relationship that is nedlyn in this little modern AU I created last year is quite fun. And if you were with me when I was writing “Consequences” you might remember that I posted a chapter every other day, it WON’T be like that this time

Summary: One day, six months after they move into their new house, Ned and Cat wake up to an unfortunate surprise. This small and seemingly insignificant event sets things into motion, and they try their best to repair what they can despite that they have messed up before. Because maybe, just maybe, they can do things a little bit better that time around. And you know what they say, third time’s the charm.

The baby had made her an incredibly light sleeper. So she was fully awake in a second when it knocked on her door. She looked at Sansa’s crib to make sure of that she was still sleeping. Waking her before she woke on her own was just a very bad idea. She had also already been awake once that night. So Catelyn wasn’t too happy about being woken for a reason that wasn’t to feed her daughter. Whatever it was that Ned had on his mind. She knew that it was Ned, Robb wouldn’t have knocked and Jon always avoided her as best as he could on the weeks when he was with them.

She wrapped a robe around herself and tiptoed through the room. Ned definitely had something on his mind. And he didn’t look happy about it.

“Who died?” she whispered.

He did not appreciate the joke. Had someone actually died?

“The dishwasher is broken” he said. “And there is a lot water in our kitchen.”

“Seven fucking hells.”

She wished so badly that it would have been a lie. Damnit. She had to close her eyes for a moment, take three calming breaths. And then she walked down the stairs, crossed the living room and found that Ned had not been lying. It had been very much true. There was water. A lot of it. On their floor.

She heard him come up behind her. She didn’t really know what to do. What could she do? There was so much water. What were they supposed to do with all the water?

“What time is it?” she asked, because that was all she could come up with.

“Around half past three, I think” Ned replied.

Half past three in the morning. What could they do? What the hell could they do when it was the middle of the night?

“We’ll have to do this ourselves, then” she sighed. “We need to turn off the water.”

“I already did that.”

“Of course you did. Now what?”

“We need to get the water away.”

“And how do we do that?”

She had never dealt with a flooded kitchen before. She had never dealt with any kind of flooded room before. And from the look of despair on Ned’s face she guessed he hadn’t either.

Right then Sansa seemed to have woken only to notice that she was alone. And she was screaming bloody murder.

“I’ll go get her.”

She half ran back up to her room, had some small hope of that if she was quick enough maybe there was a chance of that Robb and Jon would sleep through it. They wouldn’t be of any help, it was better if they slept until their alarms rang. But of course they didn’t.

She had just picked Sansa up and was bouncing the baby in her arms when Robb poked his sleepy little head into her room.

“Has something happened?” he asked, quite loudly so that she would be able to hear him over the screaming baby.

“No” she told him. “Everything is as it should be. Go back to bed.”

She could take that with him later. When things were a bit calmer.

“Are you hungry? Is that the problem?” she mumbled to Sansa. “Robb, please, go to bed.”

He muttered something and went back to the room that he shared with Jon. They got along quite well. Well enough to share a room, at least. Jon was still a bit shy around Robb though. Ned said that it would pass, but she was unsure. He was probably confused about the weird situation, the poor child. And that she was around didn’t make anything better for him.

She walked downstairs again once Sansa was done. Tried to hold onto what remained of her sanity. It wasn’t much. She couldn’t do much either. She didn’t know what to do. It was in moments like those she wondered how anyone managed to be an adult because it was very hard.

“Just why?”

Ned sounded very miserable. And Catelyn couldn’t even be some sort of moral support because she was just as miserable.

“I bet it’s because I’m living with a divorced man” she said. “This is the gods’ punishment. That is what my father would say.”

“Can your father tell the gods that we are parents and nothing more?” Ned muttered.

Her father did absolutely not believe that they only lived together to take care of the kids. In truth, it seemed like no one believed it. Especially Edmure. He wouldn’t shut up about it. But it was true. They had lived together for almost six months, and they had done very well. They had made it work. It had been a bit strained in the beginning, but as time passed it had gotten better and better. And there had been no relapses. Not even a kiss. She was proud of herself. If they had managed to see each other every day for so long without acting on a single little thought they could probably manage it all the way through. It would be empty though, when the kids were older and they could part again.

”Could you get some towels from upstairs?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you, darling.”

She stopped and turned to look at him. He looked back at her, didn’t seem to realize what he had just said.

“Darling?” she asked, chuckling.

He sighed very deeply and ran a hand through his hair.

“I’m very tired, I’m sorry.”

“No need to be.”

She really didn’t mind. He could keep on slipping, she would enjoy every word. As long as it didn’t go further than that they were fine. Hopefully. She didn’t love Ned. She didn’t. She couldn’t after what had happened. But would that completely erase everything that had been before? No, it wouldn’t.

~*~

The floor was very water damaged. Gods, they had been living in that house for six months and they already had to deal with water damage in the kitchen. They would have to tear out the floor to check for further damage and replace it. And they needed a new dishwasher.

They had dried up as well as they could and carried out the table, the chairs and the carpet to the living room so that there wouldn’t be any mold. Once the time was reasonable they would have to call someone that could do the work needed in the kitchen.

But still all Ned could think of was the way she had smiled when he had accidentally called her darling. He really hadn’t meant it, it had been an honest mistake. They weren’t together, they definitely couldn’t call each other that. And still she had smiled. Damn her.

“So what are we gonna do while we can’t use the kitchen?”

Catelyn laid flat on her back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. Her hair was like a fiery cloud around her head. None of them had been eager to go back to bed after that so they had just sat in the living room. There was still more than two hours until they had to get the boys up and get them ready for school. And he had to go to work. Catelyn was on maternity leave, but they would switch in two months so that she could go back to work.

“I’ll talk to Ashara, see if she can take Jon even though it’s not her week” he said. “I think being able to properly feed a kid is bare minimum and we currently can’t check that box.”

Ashara probably wouldn’t object to that. She wasn’t too happy about that Jon lived in the same house as Catelyn every other week. She was pretty pissed about it, actually. Understandably. Rightfully. Not that she really liked that Jon was with him every other week either, but that she had to agree to.

“If I ask I think Edmure could have Robb with him until we have it fixed. And if he can’t, my parents probably can. It shouldn’t take too long, should it?”

“I guess that depends on if the floor is the only damaged part.”

Catelyn closed her eyes and sighed.

“It better be. It better fucking be.”

A tired smile appeared on her lips when she opened her eyes again. Both Robb and Sansa had her eyes. A wonderful blue shade that wasn’t like anything else.

“I guess it will be just you, me and the little lady upstairs for a while then” she said as she rolled to her side so that she could look at him where he sat in his armchair.

And what exactly did she mean by that? It was a true, and maybe that was all she meant. But she could also mean something wildly different. Or maybe he was just overthinking it. That was most likely it. There was nothing.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked, still smiling.

How breathtakingly beautiful you are, was what he wanted to say at first. That was not what he said. Because saying that was a bad idea. They lived together for the sake of the kids. Nothing else. But he could acknowledge that she was pretty, he wasn’t blind.

He had not forgotten what she had done. No, it still stung whenever he thought of it. And that was almost every time he looked at Robb. But a part of his mind was betraying him. And that part did backflips whenever she smiled at him. Did she feel the same? Was there some part of her mind that did the same? He couldn’t help but wonder. Wondering would do no harm to anyone.

“Nothing” was what he said in the end.

“Liar” she chuckled. “I know you, I could tell it wasn’t nothing.”

“Nothing of importance” Ned tried and he couldn’t keep himself from smiling.

Though it was important. Very important. But he couldn’t let her know what it was.

“Oh it looked to be incredibly important. And don’t tell me it was about the kitchen, I know it was not!”

“Terribly nosy today, are we?” he asked and rolled his eyes.

“Every time you leave like that I want to get into your head and see what you’re thinking of. But I can’t so you need to tell me.”

Ashara had said the same half a million times. 

“Do I now?”

“It would make me happy.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

She sat up, looked deeply into his eyes. All he could do was look back at her, trying to keep his heart from beating so fast. It was the lack of sleep, he decided. He didn’t need much sleep, but he had slept even less than usual that night. That was why his body reacted the way it did. He did not love Catelyn Tully. He couldn’t. His feelings for her were dead.

“No, you’re not” she said after a moment.

“No, I’m not.”

She got up on her feet and stretched. He wasn’t supposed to watch her the way he did and still he couldn’t turn his eyes away. He didn’t love her, but denying that there was some attraction still left wouldn’t help anything. She was pretty. And he knew way too much about her to not think of it sometimes.

“I think I’ll go back to bed, if I’m lucky Sansa will let me sleep a bit more.”

He wouldn’t have complained if the moment had lasted longer, but he couldn’t keep her there.

“You do that” he said.

Maybe it was good if he went back to bed too. He did have a day of work ahead of him, being as well rested as possible would probably be good.

As Catelyn walked past him she leaned down and kissed the top of his head. It was a quick motion, over in a second. But Ned was so startled by it that he didn’t know what to do.

“Goodnight” she said with a smile and then she walked upstairs.

~*~

Had she overstepped? Maybe. But she had wanted to kiss him so badly after their conversation that the thought of not touching him in some small way had felt unbearable. Just earlier that night Catelyn had told herself that as long as it didn’t go any longer than an accidental affective term here and there it would be fine. And then she had immediately initiated physical contact that was more than platonic. What was she doing? She didn’t love him, she couldn’t love him. It wasn’t good for anyone. It would be better if she just stopped feeling so much.

He was most likely still angry with her for what she had done. They had not talked about it yet, but she knew. And she did deserve that and pressuring him wouldn’t make it better. And she had told herself that it wouldn’t end well if they slept together. But what was actually the worst case scenario? He wasn’t married anymore, she had no secrets, they already had kids together. And the chance of getting into a fight was there even without the sex. They were basically living like a married couple already, sleeping with him wouldn’t really change anything.

“Self control, Catelyn Tully” she muttered to herself. “You said you wouldn’t so you won’t.”

She had gone so long without those feelings. Everything had gone so well. And then they put their claws into her once more. But she would resist. She had not acted upon it and it would continue that way. For everyone’s best. Because they had not talked about anything. Even though they were living peacefully they had really not solved anything. And she would not do that to him, she would not take another step forward until she was sure of that he was fine and they had all cards on the table. They probably would never have. And that had to be okay. Because she had fucked up in gigantic proportions, and she could not expect him to be okay with it. One reaps what one sows. And unfortunately she had sown some bad seeds.

But it was hard seeing him. She would not say it wasn’t. Though she kept up a good expression. Like the good person that she was. Or at least half decent person. Maybe calling herself a good person after she had slept with a man she knew was married was taking it a bit too far.

Edmure of course found it incredibly funny when she explained the situation to him in the morning. She probably would have called him a number of things if not Robb and Jon had been in the same room. Their unusable kitchen really wasn’t funny at all.

“Could Robb stay with you and Roslin while we get the kitchen fixed?” she asked, using all her energy to keep calm. “It really would help a lot.”

“Of course” Edmure said

She breathed a sigh of relief, but that relief passed a second later when Edmure kept on talking.

“So what are you gonna do?”

“What do you mean? We’re gonna see if there’s more water damage and get the floor changed.”

“That was not what I meant.”

She could hear his smirk. Had he been there she would have smacked the back of his head, but she couldn’t do that.

“Then what did you mean?”

“Oh you know... if Robb is with me and Jon is with Ned’s ex-wife... the house will be almost empty except for you two.”

Catelyn was thoroughly tired of him and his remarks. But that one was at least partly on her, she had actually asked.

“If I murdered you no one would judge me” she hissed, in a voice that was low enough for Robb and Jon not to hear her.

“The law, sweet sister, would judge you.”

“I’d take twenty years in prison just to be rid of you.”

“Your man at home wouldn’t be very happy though, would he?”

“I’m going to hang up now.”

“I’ll pick Robb up after work. Love you.”

“Idiot.”

And then she got the boys ready for school. Jon accepted her help without complaining but in his grey eyes she saw how he disliked that it wasn’t his mother helping him. Robb seemed oblivious of it though, he talked just as much as he always did. About most everything. Ned just chose to not acknowledge it.

He felt bad for what he had done, she knew that. He probably regretted it as well, but she didn’t allow herself to think too much about that. It was as it was. And dwelling upon whether Ned regretted it or not wouldn’t take her anywhere. They had their baby. So at least something good had come out of it.

Once Ned and the boys were out the house was oddly quiet. Sansa cooperated perfectly that day so she wasn’t too much trouble. Catelyn spent the calm hours looking into what would be best for their water damaged kitchen. Once that was done she packed Robb’s things so that it would be done when Edmure came to pick him up. She glanced at Jon’s side of the room. Could she pack his things too? Or would that be overstepping? She wasn’t trying to replace Ashara. Not in the least, she knew her place. It would just be easier if she packed for him too so that he was ready when Ned was going to drive him to Ashara. Surely no one could be too angry at that? In the end she decided to do it. No one could blame her for her intentions, could they?

“Thank you, Catelyn” was what Jon said when she handed him his bag.

At least he had stopped with calling her Ms. Tully. That was always something. And he didn’t seem to feel much about it at all.

“You’re welcome.”

“Has Sansa been nice today?” he asked.

Catelyn was surprised by that question. Not that Jon didn’t care for Sansa, he was very sweet with her. And he sounded very proud over it whenever he talked about her. But he very rarely talked more than strictly necessary to Catelyn.

“Yes, today she’s been very nice.”

“Good.”

“Then maybe she’ll sleep better tonight” Ned said.

“Let’s hope so.”

For the sake of Catelyn’s well-being. After she had gone back to bed she had barely slept a second because Sansa had decided that sleeping was overrated. Just then the doorbell rang and Robb practically came flying down the stairs. He reacted to the doorbell like a dog. So even though Catelyn, Ned and Jon were in the hall they let Robb open the door. It was Edmure, as expected.

“Hello everyone!” he said as he stepped inside, grinning like an idiot.

“Edmure” Ned muttered for a greeting.

Just as Jon usually avoided Catelyn when it was possible, Ned avoided Edmure when it was possible. He got very uncomfortable around her brother. And it wasn’t strange considering Edmure didn’t have any limits. She had just learned to live with it.

“Edmure. No” Catelyn said when he opened his mouth to answer.

“You don’t even know what I was going to say!”

“It’s better if you don’t say anything at all.”

“How do you stand living with her?” Edmure asked Ned.

Ned pretended not to hear that. Maybe he barely could stand living with her. It didn’t matter. As long as they were friendly for the children the rest didn’t really matter. But the thought of him disliking her felt worse than she wanted to admit.

Jon slipped past Edmure and went outside to wait for Ned while she made sure Robb had everything he needed.

“Give Uncle Edmure hell from me, will you?” she said as Robb picked up his bag.

“I promise” he smiled.

“That’s unfair!” Edmure exclaimed.

She pulled Robb into a hug.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

It wasn’t often she was separated from Robb more than a few days at a time. When she thought of it she couldn’t remember if it had ever happened. Surely it must have, but she still didn’t like it when he was with Edmure or her parents for too long. She had to keep reminding himself that he was getting big. There wouldn’t be many years until he no longer wanted to be with her. But he had been her only child for so long, it was hard.

She let go of Robb and expected him to run outside after Jon, but instead he turned to Ned.

“You take care of her” he said, serious as death. “And make sure of that she doesn’t worry so much.”

Both Catelyn and Ned stopped at that. He glanced at her for just a second, then he looked back at Robb. She wanted to say something to Robb, but nothing came out.

“I promise to do that” Ned responded, sounding just as serious as her son.

“Good.”

Then Robb walked out the door. The sweet boy.

“I shouldn’t be too long” Ned said. “And I’ll buy food on the way home.”

“Sounds good” she said. “Bye.”

And, seemingly without thinking of it, he leaned down and kissed her. It was just a peck, quick, as if it was a routine. Something they did every time one of them left the house. But it was a kiss all the same. And Catelyn didn’t know what to do.

She backed away a step, just to do something. Ned realized what he had done and she had never seen a more panicked face in her life. She didn’t really know how she felt. Mostly shocked. She had not imagined that their first kiss in over a year would be like that. She had not imagined there would be a first kiss at all. Or, well, she had imagined it more than a few times. But she hadn’t actually believed it would ever come true.

“What are you doing?” she asked, unsure of what else to say.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to, I don’t know what I was doing” Ned apologized.

When he had apologized for calling her “darling” he had just sounded tired. At the moment all she could hear was pure panic. And she knew that he genuinely had no idea of why he had done it. He was just as shocked as she was.

“Cat, really, I have no idea of why I just did that. And I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

“There is nothing to– oh my gods, Edmure, shut up!”

While all that had happened Edmure had been laughing hysterically in the background. But she had not really been aware of it until just then. Her attention had been directed towards Ned and the fact that he had kissed her.

“Do you really want me to believe that you two are not together?” he practically howled. “You don’t accidentally kiss someone, you do that often!

She really couldn’t deal with him at the moment.

“Get out.”

“You take good care of my sister now, Ned, give her everything you know she likes.”

“Shut your seven times damned mouth and get out!”

He actually did so, still laughing to himself, so that was a small relief.

“You know there’s nothing to forgive” she said to Ned once the door was closed. “But that was very... out of the blue. To say the least.”

She had thought of doing that about a hundred times since he came home, but she had never been even close to acting on it. And then he just kissed her out of nowhere. Was it because he wanted to kiss her?

“I know.”

~*~

He was undoubtedly the stupidest person he knew. He had not been aware of that he had done it at first. But then she had looked at him with wide eyes and asked him what he was doing. And Ned hadn’t even known what he had been doing. That was the second time that day he had done something like that. What was happening?

Despite the initial question she didn’t seem upset about it. Mostly confused. And he had to admit that he was confused as well. He had thought of kissing her before, but had never acted on it. It had only been a thought, safe deep in his mind, and never something that would be reality. Or that was what he had thought. And then he had kissed her.

“Go” Catelyn sighed. “We can talk more when you get home.”

“Are you sure it’s alright? I really didn’t mean to do that to you” he said.

He wouldn’t want her to think of him like that. And he would rather die than do something to her against her will.

That actually brought a smile to her face.

“Yes. No need to worry, it was a mistake. Let’s just pretend it never happened.”

For some reason that thought made something twist in his chest. Pretending it never happened would probably be the best. But still. It had been a mistake but he knew that he wouldn’t have objected to it happening again. But that clearly wasn’t what she wanted. And they still had not figured anything out. Building things on top of a broken base was a terrible idea. But did he really want to fix that base? He didn’t know. If they fixed it the temptation would be even bigger. And more temptation really wasn’t what they needed. They needed to move on despite that the conditions for that were bad.

“Yeah.”

“Jon is waiting for you” she said.

“And so is Edmure, most likely.”

Edmure would never let them hear the end of it. As if though the rest hadn’t been enough. He had asked Ned how he could stand living with Catelyn. Living with Catelyn was quite easy, Ned’s biggest question was how Catelyn had managed to stand out with Edmure for so long.

“No offense, but I really don’t like your brother” he said.

Catelyn laughed.

“I assure you, no one finds my brother more annoying than I do.”

“I actually might beat you on that one.”

“You definitely don’t. Now go.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She sighed and almost pushed him towards the door when he turned to leave.

“You’re such a dork, I can’t take this.”

But she was smiling. That beautiful smile that made her shine. He had been afraid that he wouldn’t see that smile for a while after that mistake. But he did. And he loved that smile.

“Bye” he said as he stepped outside.

She only shook her head and closed the door behind him. To his great relief Edmure was not waiting for him. He had never been happier about being wrong.

The ride to Ashara’s went fine. Jon talked a little bit about how school had been, what he had learned and what they were going to do on Monday. Ned treasured those moments with his son. Because he knew that once he got older he wouldn’t be as happy anymore. He would most likely hate his father for what he had done.

Ashara had stayed in their house after the divorce. And despite that he had lived there for years it felt weird when he walked up to the door with Jon. The little boy bounced forward with his bag in one hand and rang the doorbell with the other. It only took Ashara a few seconds to open.

“Hey, sweetheart!” she said and pulled Jon into a tight hug which he happily returned.

“Hi, Mom!”

“I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too!”

Before he would have been a part of that. Just a bit more than a year ago. But he wasn’t. Because of his own idiotic mistakes. Or could he really call it a mistake when he did not regret it? He had his daughter, Sansa. The most lovely little girl ever. He could not regret that. Even though he wished Ashara would not have been hurt. She deserved better than to be hurt in the way he had hurt her. But he had done it, he had gone to Catelyn knowing what it would do to his wife.

“Is Dad going to come inside?” Jon asked and looked up at his mother.

“No. Dad isn’t coming inside.”

That she could keep her face from going hard when she said that was a miracle. But no matter how much she wanted to kill him she would smile for their son. Just like he would smile for Robb no matter what his mother had done.

“You can go inside though, Jon” Ashara said and ran a hand through the boy’s hair. “I’ll be with you in a moment.”

“Okay” Jon said and turned to Ned. “Bye, Dad!”

“Bye, Jon.”

Ashara waited for Jon to get inside and then she turned to him as well.

“How is your daughter?” she asked, her tone neutral, as if they were speaking about the weather.

“She’s fine. Healthy.”

“Good. And how is her mother?”

“She’s fine as well.”

Talking about it was hard. He had created all that on his own, but still talking about it was hard. He had hurt people for Cat, including Cat, and then she had hurt him as well in the process. It was so much hurt. So much pain that had been unnecessary and avoidable. But they were human, they did stupid things for all sorts of reasons. That was the only explanation he had, because it didn’t really make sense. He had tried to make sense of it all and had realized that he understood very little. He had loved Cat, he had loved Ashara, he loved his children. Had it all been for love? No, that wasn’t it. How could it have been for love if he hurt people he loved?

Ashara looked up at the sky. There wasn’t a cloud in sight and it hadn’t rained in days.

“Catelyn” she said after a moment of silence. “I wish I could like her. She seems very likable. Maybe we could have been friends if it had not been for that she decided to go for my husband. Or maybe you’ll be her husband soon.”

He could hear the question in her words.

“No” he sighed. “And it will stay that way.”

Ashara chuckled.

“You know, that kinda pisses me off. Fine if you had left me for someone you loved more, but now you just left me.”

“I asked for a divorce because you deserve better than someone who cheats on you. I didn’t leave you, I wanted you to have better than me. Staying in the marriage would have been unfair, I couldn’t do that to you. And when my daughter came into the picture I had to do it for her as well.”

He had loved them both, and because of that he had let Ashara down. She deserved so much better. He deserved someone who wasn’t weak for some old flame, who loved her and her alone.

“Then why even sleep with her in the first place? If you couldn’t do that to me?”

He had asked himself that question a thousand times. He had known that he would ruin his relationship with Ashara, and still he had done it. Why?

“Because I’m weak” he ended up saying. “Because sometimes I’m a bad person. I have no excuses and no good reasons for doing what I did. But I’m sorry.”

He had told Catelyn that as well, even though it felt like it had been ages since then. They were weak. They had always been. But they had to put an end to it.

“As you should be.”

“I am. Truly.”

Ned wasn’t the best at expressing things, he was well aware of that flaw, but he really was sorry for putting Ashara through that. Divorce had been the only reasonable thing to do, but they had not needed to get to that point if he had not cheated in the first place. But it had been Catelyn. And Catelyn was... Catelyn. His Cat.

“That’s always something, I suppose” Ashara said. “Well, good luck with the kitchen.”

“Thank you.”

It was a relief when she followed Jon inside and closed the door. Ned had not expected to have that conversation, and it had been difficult. All of it was difficult. Oh how Ned wished it could have been different. In what way, he had no idea. Because the mess had given him his children, and he couldn’t regret that. Without Ashara he wouldn’t have had Jon, and without Cat he wouldn’t have had Sansa. And Robb.

He liked Robb. The boy was so much like his mother, there wasn’t a trace of Ned in him. And he wished he could have known Robb from the beginning, he wished he could have been a proper father to him. There probably would have been more of him in Robb if that had been the case. If Catelyn had let that happen.

He still couldn’t understand it at all. Why she had decided that keeping their son a secret was a good idea, and it made him both angry and sad. But some part of Cat had always been a mystery, some part of her he would never understand. She was human, she did illogical things all the time. And even though it was hard to accept that he had to, because what had been done had been done. Nothing could change it.

When he got back in the car he noticed that Catelyn had sent him a message.

My mom came here because Edmure told her about the kitchen

That didn’t exactly make Ned overjoyed, Cat’s family had no love for him. But her mother was probably the one he got along with best out of all of them. Her father didn’t even try to hide his dislike and her siblings either made jokes or just pursed their lips at him. Not that his family loved Catelyn particularly much, it was just Lyanna. The rest of them seemed weary.

Is she staying for dinner?

No but she’ll be here when you come home. Just thought you wanted to know

Thanks for the heads up

No problem

He sighed and leaned back in the seat, closed his eyes for a moment. It really wasn’t his day. But it couldn’t get any worse, right?

~*~

this is so much fun to write and people were so engaged in it last time, so i hope i didn’t disappoint and that i can deliver on the same level as last time this was a thing on my blog

Thanks for reading <3

[onceuponastory]

Coming Back Home: Chapter Seven - Whistle For the Choir

“Is it out of line if I was to be bold and say "Would you be mine"? Because I may be a beggar and you may be the queen I know I may be on a downer, I'm still ready to dream” - whistle for the choir: the fratellis

Plot: Based on a prompt by @orphicodysseywrites​

Tag List: @shinydixon​, @baker151910​, @silverwings1999 and @thesundrop​. Let me know if you want to be added!

Warnings: Some mentions of alcohol and anxiety. Also a few tiny sex mentions/references but nothing smutty. Notes: Wow. So it’s been a while since I’ve posted for this fic, hasn’t it? I’m sorry about that. BUT I love this story, and I intend to finish it. This chapter is more of a filler one before the wedding in the next chapter or two, so Y/N and Nick’s relationship isn’t a huge focus, but I hope you all enjoy it regardless!

Read the other parts / Read this story on Wattpad!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Nick or his character! I just used Nick bc he’s the only character of Dacre’s that fits this prompt. Aside from Nick being in this, this fic has NOTHING to do with The Broken Hearts Gallery. But you should all see the movie if you can, because it’s adorable!

Softly groaning, I wake up. For a moment, I feel something on my waist, and almost scream, until I realise I'm still in Nick's arms. He's still fast asleep, his chest slowly rising and falling with every breath. I smile, watching him sleep for a while. He looks so content...so peaceful. Is this what it's like to get a proper nights sleep? But as soon as that thought crosses my mind, another replaces it. I didn't have a nightmare last night...did I? I had a proper nights sleep too. Frowning, I wiggle out of Nick's arms, trying not to wake him. Once I've done that, I roll over to where the clock beside my bed reads 7:47am. Oh my god. I slept FULLY through the night for one of the first and only times in my life. I sit for a few moments, trying to decipher what it was that helped me sleep so well. Is it because I’ve been drinking less wine? Or is it because I’ve been eating healthier recently? 

“You idiot.” I tell myself. “You know why you slept well, and he’s sleeping right beside you.” Nick grunts, and shifts a little in his sleep. Looking back down at him. I smile again. He's beautiful. And he likes me. Me. Despite my anxieties, my awkwardness and well...everything else, Nick likes me just for myself. Kissing him again wouldn't be so bad. Maybe just a small cheek peck? But Nick soon starts mumbling to himself as he wakes up. As he looks around the room, his blue eyes focus on me looking down at him, and a soft chuckle escapes his lips. 

"Were you watching me sleep?" He asks, his voice husky. It takes all my willpower to not kiss him right there and then.

"...Maybe. But you looked so peaceful. Who could blame me?" Instead of replying with words, Nick leans up and kisses me again. God, if this is still a dream, I don't ever want to wake up from it. Nick sits up, and his arms go around my back as the kiss deepens.

"Good morning." He whispers once we pull apart. The look he gives me sends my heart into backflips again.

"Morning." I smile. But before we can say anything else, a knock sounds on the door.

"Y/N, are you there? I'm coming in! Just checking if you're okay after yesterday. Nick's not here, so I don't know if he-" The two of us spring apart just as Katie walks into the room. Her eyes go wide as she takes in the sight in front of her...her big sister in bed with the best man.

"Um....morning sis." I smile awkwardly, and Nick gives a small wave from beside me, trying to cover some of his body with the quilt.

"Oh. My. God."

~~~ "I need details immediately. What happened?" Katie asks, eyeing us both as she takes a bite from her toast.

"Katie, I swear we didn't...do it-" Nick begins, but she cuts him off.

"Not you, I mean Y/N." She states. My cheeks flash red.

"Well, uh...Nick came to see I was okay, as you know. And well..." I don't know why I'm so nervous. After all, Katie had said she was okay with me acting on my feelings for Nick, which I had done. And yet, I didn't want to tell her what happened. Maybe because she walked in on us, rather than us telling her ourselves. "We kissed. That's all." She raises an eyebrow.

"That's all? I found you both in bed together at 8am. I mean, you were both fully clothed, but still."

"We just shared a bed, we didn't do anything else." I tell her. I'm not sure if she believes me, but she nods anyway, before going back to munching on her toast. "Anyway. How are you feeling after yesterday? Is everything okay?" I ask. She reaches over the table and takes my hand.

"I'm feeling much better. Thank you for being there for me Y/N. And you Nick. Adam helped too of course. I think I'm starting to put it out of my mind." She smiles. "What, with the wedding and all." Suddenly, her eyes go wide, and she drops the toast onto her plate. "Oh my god. I'M GETTING MARRIED THIS WEEK!" She squeals. I can immediately sense her anxiety levels rising. "I'm...what if...we-" She begins to panic. "And there's the rehearsals and the dinner, and omg I still have to do this and-"

"Hey, hey, hey. It's okay. We're here to help. And besides, everything's ready to go, we just need to take everything over to the hotel and to the venue before the big day."

"You sure?" She asks, and I nod. Katie takes a deep breath. "You're right. I'm calm. Everything will be fine. We'll show our Dad. We'll make it a party he'll regret missing! I mean, can you believe he wanted to miss it? Idiot." A smile grows on her face, and Nick and I give each other a look, both sensing something is off.

"Uh Katie, are you sure you're okay? We can talk about it if you want." She shakes her head.

"I'm fine. Water under the bridge."

"Katie seriously, if you're still upset, we-"

"NOPE. I'm fine. How could I still be upset when I have THIS!" She waves her arms at us. "Two of my favourite people have found each other and are finally happy! Man, I love love! I love weddings!!! Best time ever. Now come on you two. We have work to do!" She announces, getting up and leaving the room, taking her plate with her.

"Uh...Is she okay?" Nick asks as we watch her go.

"I have no idea. I better keep an eye on her. I'll see you later, okay?" I ask, and he squeezes my hand for reassurance. It's going to be a long day.

~~~

"Seriously sis. I'M FINE." Katie tells me again as we load the garment bags containing our gowns into our bags. "But enough about me. What's Nick like? You know..." I gasp. "Not like that! I mean kissing wise. Was it nice?"

"Yeah, it was really nice." I answer, feeling my cheeks flushing slightly. Katie smiles.

"Maybe we'll be planning your wedding next. Will it be as awesome as mine though? We'll have to see." She winks, organising the bags. Frowning, I open my mouth to say something, but she cuts me off again. "Right, time to load these into the car. Come on sis, let's go!" She calls, picking up a load of bags and walking out of the room with them. I watch her go again. For a moment there, it almost looked like Katie's smile dropped, but she replaced it before I could say anything.

Something definitely isn't right with her.

~~~

As the day continues, and Katie and I finalise final bridal preparations, I can still sense something isn't right. But I don't want to prod her too much, so I let her go on and on about how great the wedding is going to be, and how it's going to be the best party anyone has ever been to. If she's ready to talk to me, she will.

And soon, she does. As we’re carrying boxes to the car, a centerpiece slips out of the box she is carrying, and it lands on the driveway. "I'll get it!" I call, bending down to pick it up. Before I even get back up however, I hear a sniffle from beside me.

"Just leave it. It's stupid anyway. This whole thing is stupid." I snap my head up.

"What do you mean?" I ask, rushing over to her.

"Look. There must be a reason why Dad doesn't want to come to the wedding. Even if I make it a great party, he still won't come. Maybe it's stupid." She sighs, wiping her eyes. Anger rises within me. Our Dad already made me hate myself for twenty one years, and I won't let him do the same to Katie.

"No. It's not stupid. The only reason why Dad doesn't want to come is because he expected us to welcome him back with open arms after what he did, and make him part of our family. And we didn't! He's just too proud to admit that his daughters don't care about him or what he thinks anymore."

"But...I do." She sniffs, and I pull her into a hug. "Even if he doesn't care about me."

"I'm sorry sis. But trust me. He is not worth it. He is not worth ANY of our tears. Years of therapy and trying to learn how to love myself taught me that. And look at us now! We're both happy with people we love and care about around us, and yet he can't even get his two daughters back because we know what a piece of garbage he is. He means nothing to us. If he cared a single iota about us, he would've shown up long before this. And he would have stayed for your wedding. But he didn't." Katie looks up at me, her eyes glistening.

"Maybe you're right about that..." She trails off.

"I am right. Trust me. He is not worth any of your pain. And no. Your wedding isn't stupid. Who was the one who specifically wanted a vintage shabby chic theme for your wedding, even when your planner said it is one of the most basic and popular choices?"

"Me."

"And who has constantly picked things she wanted without letting anyone else change her mind...even Caroline and the bachelorette venue? Or me and this town?" Katie sniffles, and giggles.

"Me!"

"And who's going to have a PERFECT wedding, all by herself, not giving a single fuck about whether or not her Dad is there?"

"...Me?"

"That's right! Because you and Adam picked out everything to please yourselves. Nobody else. So you don't need to worry about pleasing our Dad or making him jealous, because pleasing others is never what you wanted to do. All you ever wanted to do was celebrate your love to Adam. And you'll do exactly that. Dad or no Dad." I tell her. "And besides. I think these centerpieces are beautiful. After all. I helped make them, so I might be biased." Katie laughs again at that, this time a proper, happy laugh. It makes me smile.

"Yeah...yeah you're right. I'm sorry about that. I was probably letting what happened yesterday and my nerves get the best of me."

"It's okay. Hey. How about when we get back home, I give you the number of my therapist? You don't have to go...but maybe it'll do us both good to talk about it with a professional. It’s been really helpful for me so far."

"I'd like that."

"And until then, you know I'm always here for you right?" Katie nods, and we hug again. We both load the box into the car, and head back towards the house. I slip my arm around her waist and pull her in close. Another crisis averted. For now anyway.

"Wait, did you just say that you're in love with Nick?" Katie asks, her eyes wide.

"I said nothing of the sort." I mean, I didn't...it just slipped out. I don't even know how I feel about him. I mean, I like him, of course I do, and I want to see him again after the wedding is over. It's just...I don't know if he wants to see me again. And love is a strong word to use when we only kissed yesterday. And this morning. Still though. It's too soon. "You idiot." A little voice in my head says. "Of course he wants to see you again. He wouldn't have kissed you otherwise. He's not the kind of person to kiss someone and then just ditch them....at least I hope not."

"Look at you blush! You totally did say that!" Katie grins, pointing at my face. "Are you going to tell him?"

"No! Katie I don't even know how I feel yet, or how he feels. And besides, it's not like I have time to think about it, because we're literally leaving the day after tomorrow to go to the wedding rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner, and then we're staying in the hotel with the rest of the bridal party the night before, remember?"

"Yeah, you're right. But you should give it a think." She says, and I nod. She was right, of course. But I didn't want to think about it. I wasn't ready to consider the possibility that Nick was going to leave me, and that I'd be alone again. I already have to deal with what feels like losing my younger sister to her new family, I can't handle losing Nick too. I mean, I was happy for Katie, of course I was. What kind of monster would I be if I wasn't happy for my little sister getting married after the shit childhood we had? But it had just been the two of us for so long. We lived together for so long, spoke everyday on the phone when we were at university, and we even live about an hour away from each other by train. But now I have to come to terms with the realisation that she might not be living so close to me after she gets married. I know I can't protect her for the rest of her life, and I don't want to smother her...but actually coming to terms with that was hard. God, is this what parents feel like when their kids finally leave the nest? Cause it's shit.

~~~

That night, as I finish packing up my things to take to the hotel before the wedding, I spot a picture of Katie and I the night of her senior prom. Smiling fondly, I pick it up and sit down on my bed, looking down at the picture. There's a knock on the door.

"Come in." I call. Nick opens the door and sits beside me.

"Hey. What'cha looking at?" He asks.

"This is Katie and I the night of her senior prom." I let him look at the picture.

"Oh my god, her dress looks like a marshmallow."

"Hey! I helped her pick that out! It's a very pretty marshmallow. Even if it's bright pink and sparkly."

"Is her dress like this?" He asks.

"No! You'll see it on Friday." I sigh, looking down at the picture. "God, this feels like it was just yesterday, and now she's getting married..." I trail off as tears start to fill in my eyes. Fuck. I can't cry in front of Nick.

"Hey, are you alright?" Nick asks. He gently presses a soft kiss to the side of my head. And that is what sets my tears off. Shit. I mean, Nick has seen me at some of the worst points of my life, and still stayed beside me, but it doesn't mean that I like being so vulnerable in front of him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I sniff, wiping my eyes. "It's just been tough, realising that she's growing up and won't be my little sister who's just across the hall from me or an hour away from me anymore. It's dumb, I know. This was always going to happen, I just never thought about it until now." Nick smiles softly.

"I understand. It's not dumb." He gently takes my hand, and I look over at him. God, how is he always SO nice? I swear it's not normal. As I look into his blue eyes, I realise that I’m not ready to say goodbye to Katie...and I’m definitely not ready to say goodbye to Nick either. I’m not ready for this change. "Maybe you should talk to her about it though. I mean, she is your sister, I'm just a friend of hers.” 

“Easier said than done." I sigh. “She’s focused on only the wedding right now, and then she’ll be away on her honeymoon early the next morning, so I don’t think I’ll have any time to.” Nick gives me a small smile, and gently rubs my arm.

"Well I hope you do get to speak to her. It sounds important.” His face lights up with remembrance. “Oh! By the way, when you get a chance, can we talk? About...this? About us?" He asks. My heart sinks. This is what I've been worrying about. I can feel my separation anxiety is about to rear its ugly head again. Maybe Nick does want to leave me after this wedding. And then Katie will be gone too, and I’ll be all alone again.

"I mean, we can try, but given that the wedding is literally in four days, it might be too hard to do that." I laugh awkwardly, hoping that he doesn’t pick up on my nervousness. Thankfully Nick chuckles. “We could, uh, talk about it now if you want?” I offer. Nick shakes his head.

“Sorry, but I can’t now. Adam needs me to help sort some stuff in like ten minutes, and then I’m booked and busy for the rest of the week.”

“Same here. But we’ll talk. I promise. You better go help Adam.” I reassure him. Smiling, Nick pecks my lips, and leaves the room. As the door closes behind him, I sigh, trying not to let my anxiety get the best of me. Nick likes me. He keeps kissing me, after all. He must like me. Right? He obviously wants to tell me he wants to see me again. At least, that’s what I hope for. Ever since I was young, I’ve wanted someone to love and to love me back. Someone who wasn’t my family. Someone who wouldn’t leave me...and even though it might be too soon, I think Nick might be that person for me.

I just hope he feels the same.

~~~

Three Days Later: The Night of the Wedding Rehearsal and the Rehearsal Dinner. One Day til the Wedding.

“THAT’S Nick?!” Brooke gasps, pointing over at where Nick is standing, talking to some other groomsmen. “He’s even more attractive in real life.”

“Yup. Isn’t he dreamy?” Katie sighs fondly. We all look over at her. “What, just cause I’m getting married tomorrow doesn’t mean I can’t have one last look. He is nice, isn’t he Y/N?” She asks, wiggling her brows which almost makes me choke on my champagne. All of the bridesmaid’s faces turn to me, some frowning at me. “Oh, didn’t she tell you that she and Nick are totally a thing now?” My mouth drops open, along with the rest of the girls. 

“That’s not true, we haven’t even spoken about-” But before I can finish, the officiant clears their throat, encouraging us to take our places for the wedding rehearsal. As Katie and I walk to the beginning of the makeshift aisle, we pass Nick on the way. 

“Hey.” He smiles, and my heart almost stops. God he’s gorgeous. He’s wearing a suit, just minus a tie. I can see part of his chest poking through his shirt. If this is how I feel seeing him now, how will I manage to see him in his full suit tomorrow? And the fact we haven’t even managed to speak about our feelings for each other yet wasn’t helping either.

“Hi.” I whisper. 

“Good luck with uh...you know. This.” He says. I raise an eyebrow. 

“With...walking?” Nick’s face flushes pink, and I hear Katie snigger from beside me.

“Y..Yeah! With walking. And heels and stuff. Don’t want you to break your ankle before tomorrow or anything.” I start giggling, and even Nick lets out a small smile. Even if it’s a bit awkward, it’s still cute, and I appreciate the sentiment.

“I’ll try. Thanks Nick. See you soon.” We both nod, and Katie and I take our positions. Katie is still giving me a look, and I frown. “What?”

“You and Nick! Look at you. It’s so obvious that you two have the hots for each other. Anyone in this room can see it. Even Adam’s parents.” Now I start blushing, and I hiss:

“Okay, we are not talking about this right now, especially not at your wedding rehearsal dinner of all places.” Katie just gives me a wink, and the two of us don’t say anything else as the bridesmaids and groomsmen start to walk down the aisle together. Soon, it’s our turn to go. As we walk down the aisle together, my eyes wander towards Nick. He’s staring at me. Why is he staring at me? God what if I do fall? Shit. Okay Y/N, think of anything BUT Nick.

Nick’s POV

“Why are you staring at her like that?” Adam whispers.

“What? I’m not staring at anyone.” I lie. Adam rolls his eyes. 

“Come on man, it’s pretty obvious.” He retorts, before turning back and walking up to receive Katie from Y/N so they can be married. Y/N smiles widely as she mimes handing her sister over to be married, and her smile makes me feel all warm inside. It’s a beautiful smile. It fits her perfectly. Y/N takes her place beside the other bridesmaids, and her gaze catches my eye again. She gives me a small smile, and I smile back. She looks stunning. She’s in a navy lace dress that hugs her figure perfectly. And I just want to rip it off of her. God, I hope she likes me back too. Even though we’ve kissed each other, I still can’t be sure. Y/N’s such a great person, and she deserves someone who can tell her that everyday. And I want to be that person for her. But before I can think of anything else, Adam and Katie suddenly cut into my thoughts:

“And then this is when we get the rings from Nick and do our vows.” Katie explains, and I nod. God, my best friend is getting married to the love of his life tomorrow and all I’m thinking about is how I want to make out with the maid of honour. I need to talk to her about my true feelings as soon as possible. The wedding rehearsal finishes up pretty quickly, but before I can talk to Y/N, she’s swept up by Katie and the rest of her bridal party who leave the room, clearly ready to go to dinner together. I sigh as Adam walks up behind me. 

“Come on loverboy. You can talk to her later.” He says. I frown, about to ask him how he knows what I’m thinking about, but he doesn’t respond, and instead gives me a knowing look. “Come on lover boy, we better go.” He orders, walking away with the rest of the groomsmen. I sigh. Hopefully he’s right, and that I can talk to Y/N soon.

~~~

A few hours later

Y/N’s POV

“So.” Vanessa begins, sipping on her wine. We have finished our dinner, and Vanessa, Sam and I are hanging out with each other. “You and Nick, huh?” She raises an eyebrow. My heart rate speeds up, and I gulp down the rest of my wine, already feeling the familiar buzz of becoming tipsy. God, I wish I brought more.

“Uh, what about us?” I frown, trying to feign innocence. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t work. She and Sam scoff.

“He’s been staring at you for the whole night. Actually, babe, is he still looking at her?” She asks Sam. Sam’s head whips around, not subtly at all, and my cheeks flush red.

“Yup, he’s still looking.” She confirms, and goes back to sipping her beer like nothing major was going on. My cheeks now feel like they’re on fire. “Awww, young love.” She smiles. “I remember that feeling, don’t you babe?” Vanessa nods.

“Why don’t you talk to him? He obviously wants to talk to you. Either that, or he’s trying to win a staring contest.” I splutter.

“I can’t talk to him! For one, my sister is getting married tomorrow, so that takes priority, and I don’t even know if he likes me in that way, despite our kiss.” Sam and Vanessa’s eyes go wide. Now I remember why I don’t drink wine. Because I can’t shut up when I do.

“YOU KISSED?!” They gasp in unison. I quickly shush them, but they continue. “Okay, you definitely need to talk to him. Now.”

“But-”

“But nothing. Katie will understand. And don’t be silly, of course he likes you in that way.” They reassure me, gently pushing me in Nick’s direction. “And if he breaks your heart, we’ll deal with it.” They wink, giving me one last push. Why does it feel like I’m being thrown to the wolves? Nick sees me, and he smiles, relief flooding his features. My heart rate speeds up even more. He’s so beautiful. I can do this, right? I just have to go up to him and say:

“Hey, I think you’re extremely attractive, and I want to know how you feel about me, even though we’ve kissed a lot these past few days, and I was wondering if you wanted to be my boyfriend?” ....Okay no. No wonder I’ve been single this long if this is what I think classifies asking someone out. Maybe I should just talk to him? Even though it’s easier said than done. I take a deep breath, steeling myself, and start the walk over to him. It might be easier said than done, but I have to do it. 

But just as I’m about to reach him, a voice from beside me calls:

“Oh Y/N, dear!” Adam’s mother walks up to me. Oh great. Just what I need. I’ve only spent time with Adam’s mother a few times, probably less than ten times, and she was lovely all those times, but I have more important things to do. 

“Hi, it’s nice to see you again, but I actually-” I begin, before she links her arm with mine, and pulls me in the direction of some more aunts and uncles. Oh, this is not good. “Actually, I have to do some-” I start, but she cuts me off.

“I wanted to introduce you to some people. Adam’s great aunt Agnes actually has a question about tomorrow, and I thought you’d be able to help, because you and Katie have done such a wonderful job so far.” That’s nice, but I don’t know what I’m supposed to be able to fix before tomorrow. And I have more important things to do. I look back over at Nick, mouthing the word sorry to him, and he nods, but still looks disappointed. I sigh. There goes that chance to clear things up. Meanwhile, Adam’s mother is still chattering away, and hasn’t even noticed me looking at Nick, or my half assed replies or nods. Thankfully, Katie soon appears in front of us both, announcing that she needs me for important maid of honour duties. I sigh happily. Thank god. “Wait!” Adam’s mother calls before we leave. “I just wanted to say...I know you girls haven’t had a mother figure in your lives for a while, and I just wanted to say that you both have one in me. Even you Y/N. Your sister may be marrying my son, but I love you both as if you were my own. And besides, after tomorrow, we’re family!” She smiles, pulling us both into a tight hug. As she squeezes me tightly, I feel tears stinging at my eyes. Now I feel bad for trying to escape...even though it was so I could confess my love for the best man. “If either of you need anything, I’m here for you okay?” She asks, and we nod. “See you tomorrow.” Katie and I wave, and she leads me away. 

“Thanks for saving me.” I whisper. “Now, where did Nick get to?” Katie frowns.

“Nick? He and the rest of the groomsmen left to go back to the house a while ago.” My heart sinks. Dammit. “I was actually coming to get you. It’s time for us to head over to the hotel, and I gotta give you girls your presents!” She squeals excitedly. She leads me outside to a limo, and we get inside, being greeted by the others. Sam and Vanessa look at me expectantly, but I shake my head. They look disappointed, but say nothing. As the car sets off towards the hotel, everyone starts to chatter excitedly and pass around glasses of champagne, while I just stare out of the window. I know my mind should be focused on my sister, and I am excited for her, of course I am...but I just want to see Nick.

~~~ In the Hotel

“Okay, so these are your robes to wear while we’re getting ready tomorrow.” Katie explains, passing them around. “Aaaaand, there’s these too. There’s a little note in each.” She hands each of us a little gift bag. Soon, the room fills with a chorus of ‘awww’ and ‘thank you’. I reach into my bag and pull out a bracelet with a little heart charm. My initials are engraved into the charm. “Read the note.” Katie tells me, and I open it.

“Dear Y/N, aka the best big sister in the world. I just wanted to say thank you for everything you’ve ever done, and continue to do for me. I know I say this to you a lot, but it’s true. I hope to one day repay the kindness you’ve shown me over the years. You’ve been the only person who has supported and loved me throughout our lives. Even though I may not be able to see you as often as usual, I’ll always be there for you. You’ve been the one constant in my life, and our bond is unbreakable. I’m not going anywhere any time soon, and I’m not letting you go either!

Lots and lots of love,

Katie xxx

P.S. Ask Nick out. Please. He won’t shut up about you and to be honest it’s getting annoying.”

With tears stinging my eyes, I immediately pull Katie into a huge hug, which she returns, squeezing me tightly. “I love you so much.” She whispers, as we both start crying in each others arms, and the other girls comfort us as best they can. I was worrying for nothing. Katie was right: our bond is unbreakable, regardless of where we live, and who we’re with. 

Whatever happens, she’ll always be my sister, and my best friend.

~~~

The Next Day: Wedding Day.

Small lines of sunlight come through the windows and into the room. The room is silent, aside from a few snores and the occasional mumbling as the girls turn in their sleep. Soon however, the peace is shattered with an excited squeal.

“I’M GETTING MARRIED TODAY!”

[xshinigamikittenx]

Just A Taste

CW/TW: semi public sex, fingering this piece is actually pretty kink free just hot office sex :)

A/N: So this piece was one of the first fics that I ever wrote. It's about a year old now? Not sure lolol but I figured I would post it here bc why not. It's a birthday one shot with Gojo x Reader. Hope its not awful :)

P.S. I'll also add the link to the mini Spotify playlist I made for this piece. yeeeee (under the break)

Just a Taste

The snow flurries kissed your skin as you walked further into the school grounds. You held Gojo’s gift to your chest, trying to calm your nerves. You remembered how much Gojo loved kikufuku, and you hoped he wouldn’t think you were trying too hard. The night you met him in the Japanese market he bought himself a box identical to the one in your hands. You did have to go pretty far out of the way to get them but he was worth it. You heard laughing and yelling spilling out from behind the door to the common room, a warm, inviting glow escaping from underneath. You took a breath and walked in.

As you entered the room you could see Itadori and Nabara standing in front of Gojo, holding a fistful of cake and yelling into each other’s faces. You couldn’t help but laugh, they were always going at each other while Megumi stood nearby with his hands in his pockets watching indifferently. You knew even though he looked uninterested he was definitely enjoying the show, ready to break them up if necessary. Panda and Toge were sitting at the table stuffing their face with the sweet confection while Aoi pounded the table, probably on another diatribe about another tall curvy girl he saw that he can’t stop thinking about, as Maki rolled her eyes .

When your eyes landed on Gojo he was already looking at you. His crystalline eyes tracking your every move. His hair was down. The snow white tresses just long enough to graze the tips of his long ivory lashes. You offered him a small smile. The heat in your face rose from his hovering gaze, making your insides turn cartwheels as he started walking towards you. “Happy Birthday,” you say, holding up his gift, slightly wet from the melted remnants of snow on your way in. He smiles a full beaming grin as he looks down at you, “Look at you being so thoughtful. These are my favorite!” He steps closer and reaches out to take the box from you, wrapping his hands around yours. His voice is low as he leans down and whispers in your ear, “I tend to reward thoughtfulness.”

The noise of the party seems to fade as you feel the blood rush to your cheeks. He straightens up, sliding the box out of your possession and grazing the side of your face with his free hand, pushing your hair behind your ear. His hand finds its way to your chin, lifting it up to look into your eyes, “You know, you really are so cute when you’re flustered.” Of course this just makes you more flustered and you look away, squeezing your thighs together in an attempt to reign in the tension building at your core. Gojo closes his eyes and laughs, breaking the tension as he tucks your gift under his arm, “Come on y/n, now that you’re here we can actually start this party.” He puts his arm around you and walks towards the cake sitting in the middle of the tables.

You walk together and scan the room, all of the students are already here and the cake has already been cut. Were you that late? “It looks like it’s going pretty well so far,” you say resting your hands on your bag. No one else seemed to notice you were here yet, but as you walked closer to the center of the room Itadori turned away from Nobara to study you. “Gojo sensei, who’s your friend?”

You wondered how he was going to introduce you. You only spoke for a little while in the market. He was asking you about which flavor kikufuku he should get and you didn’t even realize he was talking to you until he tried to get your attention for the third time. He made jokes about how good or bad the different flavors would taste and you absentmindedly wondered what it would look like to see him put one in his mouth. The thought of his hands and his lips distracted you while he spoke until he cut the conversation short and bought a flavor you didn’t even get to explain. He seemed like he needed to go somewhere quickly so you didn’t think much of it but before he left he asked you for your number, “Just in case I need some more explanation on what things taste like,” he said, smiling. Of course you gave it to him but he didn’t put your number in his phone before he walked away, so you definitely weren’t expecting him to call you and invite you to his birthday party.

Nonetheless, Gojo didn’t skip a beat replying to Itadori. “This is my date, y/n, she’s an expert at food tasting so I wanted to invite her to taste the cake all you lovely first years made.” Your eyes grew wide at the word ‘date’ but Itadori didn’t notice because Nobara started yelling again. She must’ve heard what Gojo said because she was already (loudly) explaining that the cake tasted so shitty because Itadori added too much flour. He immediately spun on her and threw the handful of cake he held in his hand in her direction. Your jaw dropped as Gojo bent over and started laughing. It only took a second for Nobara to respond, smashing a fistful of cake in Itadori’s face. The force knocked him into you and Gojo, smearing frosting all over the both of you. Gojo held onto you so you, keeping you balanced after the backwards momentum sent you falling into Megumi’s chest. “Oi. Megumi,” he said nodding his head towards the cake brawl behind you, “get them to calm down will you? I’ve got to get this little mess cleaned up.”

You look down at your clothes, and blush, that frosting had definitely done a number on your outfit. Megumi sighs in response and you hear him yelling at Itadori and Nobara as Gojo leads you out of the room. He keeps his arm around you as you walk and all you can think about is how comforting it feels to feel his warmth against your skin. You see the bathroom coming up ahead but he walks you past it, keeping his eyes straight ahead with a smirk on his face. You look back just to make sure you weren’t crazy, “Gojo, the bathroom is-,” he cuts you off, “I never said we were going to the bathroom.”

He leads you into a room that looks like a large office. The large desk at the head of the room was surrounded by bookshelves that lined both walls with meticulously organized books on each shelf. With nothing but the moonlight streaming in through the large windows behind the desk it was difficult to see much else, but the only thing worth seeing right now was Gojo. He had walked into your field of view as you surveyed the room. He’d traded in his usual ensemble for a black button down and patterned white and black pants. Only he could pull this off and look this damn good. Your eyes follow him as he reaches into the desk drawer, retrieves a handkerchief and leans back on the front of the desk, reaching his hand out to you. “Here, let’s take care of this before it gets any worse.”

You feel the warmth climbing from your insides to your face, embarrassed by how ridiculous you must look right now. You walk towards him and he leans forward grabbing you by the waist. Your inches away from his face standing between his legs as he brings the handkerchief up to your neck. Your pulse quickens as you search his face, but his eyes are trained on his hand trailing further down to the frosting on your shirt. His lips are parted when he speaks, “Humor me y/n,” his finger slides through a portion of sweet mess at the curve of your breast, “what do you think the cake tastes like?” He holds his finger out, watching you with hooded eyes, wordlessly asking you to lick it off his frosting covered digit. Your eyes widen at the question and you can feel your insides doing backflips, but the look in his eyes urge you to push the doubt out of your mind.

You lean forward and wrap your lips around his offering using your tongue to lick him clean. You look up at this through your lashes and place both your hands onto his. You feel his body tense up as he watches you. “Fuck.” He slips his finger out of your mouth and places his hand on the side of your face as he pulls you in by the waist. His lips crash into yours as his tongue explores your open mouth, still sweet from the frosting you just tasted from him. Your hands travel down his neck and grip his collar trying to diminish all the space between you. His hand moves into your hair as the arm around your waist moves further down, palming your ass through the fabric of your dress. He moans into your lips as he spins you around and picks you up to sit you on the desk. You feel the length of his arousal pressing against you through his pants as he pulls away, never breaking eye contact with you as he makes quick work of the buttons on his shirt.

His hands travel up your thighs, squeezing gently as he gets closer to your center, but he stops short and looks down at you, “I hope you know how incredibly sexy you are.” Your breath catches as you look away, you didn’t know what to say to that. Gojo reaches up with one of his hands, placing his thumb on your lower lip. You meet his moonlit eyes and they’re narrowed slightly from the small smile on his face. “Can I show you?” You nod your head in response, unable to let anything but your shallow breaths escape your lips. His other hand, still resting on your thigh, deftly moves your soaking panties to the side and caresses your soft entrance. Your body reacts before you think and you tilt your head back releasing a soft moan as you place both your hands behind you allowing you to move closer to the edge of the desk.

Gojo slips two fingers inside you, curling them to trigger the spot that sends you into another dimension. You grip the edge of the desk, willing yourself not to be too loud because everyone else is just down the hallway and you wouldn’t be able to show your face at the party again if they heard you fucking their teacher. His fingers are relentless, pushing you closer and closer to climax. Your moans are sounding more like whimpers now, begging him to send you over the edge. He seems to understand and uses his thumb to circle your clit. “Come for me y/n,” he says, wrapping his hand around the back of your neck, “I want to see if you taste as sweet as you look.” His words ripple through you, unleashing waves of pleasure that leave your legs weak.

You’re still panting when you look up and see Gojo put his fingers in his mouth, still slick from the dripping between your thighs. “Mmm...you are sweet,” he says watching you come down from your ecstasy. You bite your lip in response and a low growl leaves his throat as he reaches into his pocket before he drops his pants releasing his fully hard cock dripping with precum. In a matter of seconds he had ripped the packet he held in his hand with his teeth and rolled a condom on before he pulled your legs up forcing you onto your back and slid your ruined panties off your legs before crossing them like an ‘x’ in the air. You hold onto the edge of the desk as Gojo grips your thighs and eases into your aching pussy. “Fuck, y/n I’m not even all the way in yet and you feel so fucking good.”

Your breath hitches as his fingers tighten around your thighs, a restrained attempt at maintaining his control. Inch by inch he’s filling you up, a slow hiss leaving his lips as he stretches your walls to make room for his length. “Fffuuck,” he groans, as he begins to move with slow, deep thrusts. You use the desk as leverage to lift your hips and match his rhythm, letting him go deeper. This rewards you another low moan, “Mmm..fuck this.” His voice comes out in rasps and he leans forward spreading your legs, with your ankles pressed into his shoulders. He buries himself into you, hitting that delicious spot, threatening to send you into space all over again. The control he had seconds before was released in every quickening thrust as his breathing came fast and shallow. You’re panting for air, soft whines escaping your lips as you dig your nails into his back in a desperate attempt to keep you from making more noise. Gojo must’ve felt it because he growls and leans down to bite your neck. You arch your back and tangle your fingers in his hair. “Fuck, you’re so fucking sexy,” he breathes in your ear as he cups the side of your face with his hand. A simpering moan pushes past your lips. You’re at your limit, the tension building inside you was about to overflow. Your plush walls tighten around him and he pushes up from the desk, looking down at you as he grips your thighs bottoming out inside you. “I want to see that pretty face when you come, baby. Let me see you.” His words push you over the edge, crashing into wave after wave of pleasure as your walls milk his cock. He was right on the edge himself, digging his fingers into your thighs as his body tensed up, “Fuck y/n...fuck...fuck…” You felt his cock throbbing inside you as he came and he dropped his forehead to meet yours.

“You okay?” he asked, still inside of you. “I’m actually more than okay,” you respond as your eyes flutter open to see him looking back at you, smiling. He laughs, pulling you up with him as he eases out of you to tie the condom off and wrap it in the previously discarded handkerchief. You hop off the desk and straighten your dress as Gojo redresses himself, eyeing you all the while. “Well, if you’re more than okay now, how do you think you’ll feel if we try going to dinner?” You turn to look at him, he had his hands in his pockets, smirking at you. You laughed from the sheer craziness of it all. This man was asking you out right after having sex on his desk. “I think I’ll feel pretty amazing,” you say, smiling back at him. You pick up your bag and walk towards him placing your hand on his chest. “Then it’s a date, ‘date’.” He smiles as he leans down to kiss you. He gives you his arm to lead you out of the room and you get a look at the mess of papers you both made strewn across the floor. “Wait, shouldn’t we clean this up?” Gojo opens the door and walks you both out. “Oh, no need. That’s not my office.”

[thevoidscreams]

Movie night

Kung Lao x reader Rating: M Summary:  Your bi monthly movie night with your favorite monk turns spicy, a lot of feelings get shaken loose. Word count:  2497 This has been in my wips FOREVER! I wanted to finally get it done and post it somewhere.

_________________________________ The soft light from the tv dimly lit the room, not the best for your eyes in this otherwise completely dark space, but like hell was that gonna stop you from enjoying yourself. You hadn't seen this movie yet and that excites you. From what you could tell the fighting was well choreographed and the characters weren't too cookie cutter. 

Another clump of bland white rice found its way into your mouth as yet again a fight scene graced your screen. The sounds of the combat are greatly exaggerated but not enough to not be enjoyable.

"His stance is all off, his legs need to be bent more and his body needs to be lower."

That made you chuckle. Kung lao had a habit of making you laugh and smile, which is precisely why you invited him over twice a month for terrible non-authentic Chinese food and kungfu movies. Really though any movie containing asian martial arts was fair game. He had a surprisingly extensive catalog of knowledge about other forms of martial arts.

 It was partially for this fact that his knowledgeable criticisms had become very endearing to you and surprisingly interesting.

"Ever the critic, ey Kung lao? I'd Like to see you do a triple backflip off a roof and land in a perfect stance on the ground below." The monk tipped his head back with a smirk, his titular hat missing from his person. "Oh I know I could, just you wait, I'll show you that I could do it better." That too was becoming a common phrase when you watched these movies. ‘ “I could do it better.” Yeah I bet you could.’ You’d think to yourself as you smiled at him.

With a carefree shrug you relent, continuing on your bland white grains.

The movie pressed on and the fight ended, the hero was wounded but alive and the rather pretty love interest was tending his injuries.

"I wish I had a beautiful woman to tend to me after my fights." Lao sighed wistfully, one hand draped over his eyes in pretend sadness.

"Hey now wait just a minute." The sound of your voice cut through the quiet like a hot knife. "If I recall correctly, I gave you a band aid not even a week ago." The shocked and offended act you put on would have made Johnny Cage proud.

"Oh yes of course. My mistake. How could I possibly forget your heroic act in saving my life from that paper cut. My apologies." Kung lao acted in return, bowing to you in mock submission.

"You should be sorry, you could have lost a finger to that dreadful and most grievous of injuries." You closed the distance to playfully push his shoulder before cuddling into his side.

He huffed in amusement as he lazily draped an arm over you. It felt so natural to be touched by him after all the years you'd known him. Lao didn't hesitate to give you hugs and let you cuddle up to him, he seemed almost starved for these small acts of affection. Well you wouldn’t deny him at all, his happy little sighs always made you smile.

As time passed on screen the two characters grew closer and the tension between them finally snapped. The way the protagonist's mouth moved over her neck making her sigh in satisfaction, the sounds in turn made you feel uncomfortably warm. Lao shifted next to you. The fingers that had been rubbing idle circles on your hip had gone completely still, his whole form now stiff.

Progressing forward the two draped themselves over a small bed. You hadn't expected this,but here it was. A cursory glance determined that your friend's face was nearly beet red. Breaking the tension might help him relax, so saying the first thing that came to mind you inquired "So how about that lao?"

 He looked down at you confused and flustered. "About what?" 

"Think you could do that better?" Your question was capped off by a rather loud moan from the female lead. 

The slack jawed expression that he gave you lasted for only a few moments, but it was enough to make you nervous that you'd made him upset or ruined something. 

"I, uh… I might." This was new, there was rarely a time when Kung lao was so quiet or seemingly unsure of his own abilities.

Then again all his blood appeared to be taking refuge in other places aside his brain. The comfortable pair of sweatpants he was wearing made it abundantly clear how his body was feeling, probably a lot like yours was. This could be the perfect opportunity to really get your feelings out in the open and scratch an itch that had been bothering you since the day you met the cocky Shaolin.

"Oh? Well why don't you show me then?"

A small gamble this was not, given Kung lao's vows, he might just turn you away. Although he wouldn't be the first shaolin in history to have a lover, lord knows Liu Kang wasn't just friends with Kitana. Still the terrifying thought of never seeing him again was almost enough to make you put on the break and pass this off as a joke.

"Well if you insist, but I must forewarn you that I don't intend to go easy on you." His response made your insides feel as if you'd suddenly come down with a case of butterflies. "Perfect, I was hoping for exactly that." 

Sitting up fully you brought your leg over his waist and sat your ass squarely over his apparent arousal.

Lao seemed just as at a loss for words as you did, merely enjoying the feeling of your plush rump pressed against him through the thin cotton fabric of your pajama shorts.

Suffice it to say the movie was all but forgotten about as Kung lao sat up, wrapping his arms around your waist and pressing his lips excitedly to yours. They were warm and so very nice against your own. It felt good and it felt right to kiss one of the people you'd called your best friend for years.

The way your bodies moved was a bit clumsy but your hips had a pretty decent rhythm now. Lao swallowed your moans with his kisses and vice versa. Slowly his hands left your hips, working up and down your sides growing more confident with every motion.

For an indeterminate amount of time this make out session kept you both busy only allowing you to break for air when you felt like your lungs were going to explode.

At last the kiss was broken and you could only think of one thing as you wiggle your hips against Lao's, your panties were completely  soaked with your own slick and sweat.

"Lao. Lao I need you, I can't wait anymore. I've needed you for so long, please." It sounded so desperate, the way you whine for him to take you. But the fucks you gave at that moment were only for Kung lao.

 "By the elder gods I've wanted to hear you say that since I met you."

 His fingers were needy and rough as he slipped them into the hem of your shorts pulling the fabric down. You stopped him and stood up to fully divest yourself of clothing. Lao watched mesmerized by the display. 

"You know the activity I had in mind works best if we're both naked." It was such a gentle sort of teasing but the way the monk sprung into action you might as well have told him he was on fire. He abandoned his garments quickly, having been in far fewer clothes than he usually wore. 

Now you were both bare and exposed to each other and your view was simply spectacular, Lao looked like he'd been sculpted by Pygmalion himself and brought to life by some ancient deity just for you.  He was simply divine to look at and the idea of getting your hands on him made the prospect of what you were about to do even more exhilarating. 

With all the grace you could manage you closed the distance between you and coiled your arms around him, pressing your chest to his and indulging in his warmth.

"I can't believe it." Lao breathed, sounding happy and in complete disbelief. "You're even more beautiful than I thought." The compliment drew a happy little breath from you. "Thank you, you're even better. I mean I've seen you shirtless before but now I actually get to touch you too. I don't know if I'll be able to control myself."

Lao chortled at your confession.

"Then by all means, don't."

With that you both stepped back and fell onto the couch, your lips locked and your bodies pressed snugly against each other's.

Carefully you reached between his body and yours to find his cock and stroke it. Lao hissed in satisfaction as did you upon finding him fully erect and ready. Normally quite a bit of foreplay was a must but tonight was not a night for hella pre gaming your sex. After all you were already dripping like a broken faucet. You slid two fingers into your slit and worked your fingers in time with the hand stroking his cock. Lao busied himself with palming your breasts and kissing you. It wasn’t enough though, You wanted to feel him inside of you and pulled your hand away from your own aching cunt to brace yourself against the back of the couch. 

It  took almost no effort to slip him inside of you and when you did your body shook at the sensation.

 It was like slipping the last piece of the puzzle into place and stepping back to look at the whole picture. All the tiny details made absolute sense now, all the squashed feelings and signs you glossed over because you were certain it was all in your head and those feelings were surely unrequited. It was so clear now that this was what was supposed to be and the overwhelming sense of rightness brought physical tears to your eyes. 

Of course Lao nearly pulled out thinking he'd hurt you somehow but your vice like legs kept him firmly in place. 

"Are you alright? Does it hurt?"

In truth it burned slightly to be so stretched out again but it was far from painful enough to stop.

"No no no. Please it's just so good." When you finally realized you had closed your eyes at some point you opened them slowly to look into your lover's eyes. Kung lao was nearly startled by the joy he found there, it was the very same joy he felt deep within himself. This was right. He'd live the rest of his days knowing this and he'd die knowing this. 

After a few minutes of sweet whispers and soft touches you gave the all clear and the real fun began. 

What Lao lacked in experience he made up for in work ethic, finding a pace that made you both cry out in pure bliss calling for one another, you found yourself pleading for more. Not that you knew what more was, you just knew you wanted it.

Years of training gave him a leg up on controlling his body's movements. His thrusts, though shakey at first, became firm and rhythmic. Still it took adjustment to find a position that worked just right for you both. It was almost like a game or challenge that you were both determined to do well at for the sake of the other.

Lao seemed to have a knack for finding every little spot inside of you that drove you wild. 

He was quite vocal in his satisfaction, growling and moaning praises to you in a mix of English and Chinese. His hands wandered over your body seemingly of their own accord. Starting at your hips then over your waist, they played with your breasts tenderly until finally they curled back around your waist to hold you close to him.

Sex had never been like this before, you struggled to get off with other partners, often having to either pleasure yourself mid act or finishing yourself off after. You couldn't recall a time when just penetration was enough to make your back arch, your eyes fill with stars and your voice cry out in pure exhilaration and pleasure.

Hell, maybe Lao had more than just hat magic, maybe he had sex magic as well.

Whatever it was it was bringing you quickly to your end. The first wave of your orgasm was otherworldly, drawing sounds from your lungs that you didn't recognize. Mixing with breathless pleas that began but never went anywhere.

The monk held you close to him as his pace faltered and the tightness of your sex drew him over the edge just after you. It was truly a new sensation to him, nothing else before this could compare and he could finally see the appeal in it as he spilled his seed into you.

The afterglow could have lit up a stadium. 

Lao pet the mused strands of your hair back into place as he peppered your face and neck with sweet kisses. 

Slowly you could hear your voice as the credits to the movie scrolled slowly to the sound of mandolins and flutes. You'd have to watch the rest of the movie next time.

"I don't know if it still matters at all… but you definitely did it better." You laughed, kissing Kung Lao deeply and running your fingers through his hair.

He smiled into the kiss and pulled away for breath still smiling. "Told you." He sure did, you’d give him credit for that.

The night was basically over, Raiden had promised to be by in the morning to collect him so you still had time. You dragged him back to your room and slipped into bed next to him. He held you close and rested his chin on the top of your head. Once it was quiet real worry began to settle in. You’d just had sex with Kung Lao, a shaolin monk, one who’d made a vow of chastity. Would he get in trouble for this. Be kicked out of his home. The thoughts and sudden guilt began to plague your mind. The sudden pressure of his arms increased around you while his voice broke the silence. “I know you're worrying, you don’t have to. I knew what I was doing and I know so long as it doesn’t interfere with my ability to protect earth realm then Raiden won’t say anything.” He kissed your cheek. It did calm you to hear this and with him here with you telling everything would be okay, the troubles faded from your mind. Soon sleep overcame you. In the morning things would be different. You could iron out the details later, just so long as he was part of them.

[elles-writing]

When the worlds collide - Kili x reader - part II

gif not mine

gif not mine

Pairing: Kili x reader

Requested: No

A/N: Second part, hope you enjoy. Also my school started, and we’re not really doing anything just yet. I also do have some imagines in drafts I’ve started writting, but I’ve never posted them, so idk if I’m gonna finish them and then post them at least once a week along with this series (once every two to three days I’d like to post parts of this series as a thank you for 30 followers!)...? Also, I’ve been thinking of maybe drawing some fan arts to this series? Also, I’m writting this in Word, and so far we are on a ten pages, so I’ve decided to cut the end of this one and post something else tomorrow.

warnings: Kili being jealous of Bilbo, some dwarves being a jerks

masterlist   part one  part three 

tags:

@moony-artnstuff​

All of them looked at you with different mix of curiousity, suspicion and hope. You looked over to Gandalf with pleading look to help you, but he was already talking with some of the dwarves, from their angry tone you assumed they weren’t very pleased of where this was going, so you decided to talk, even through you were still a bit shocked, to some of whom weren’t in any discussion.

Which happened to be Bilbo.

He looked very lost and his face held sad and hopeless look. You sighed.

„I’m really sorry for you all, but you, Bilbo, got another shock, didn’t you?“ You asked that hobbit. He jumped up and when he realized it was you, he sadly with sad smile shook his head.

„Yeah, it’s been very...difficult to deal with leaving my home. I’ve been missing it all the time, but I got used to it.“ You offered him a warm smile and patted his shoulder.

„I belive you’ll see your hobbit hole again. I’ll try and help you.“ He gave you a weak smile and nodded.

„Thank you a lot, it’s really nice from you, miss...?“ He looked at you and you realized you didn’t even introduced yourself.

„Oh, my name’s Y/N. I’m Y/N.“

„It’s very nice to meet you, miss Y/N.“ You glanced over and noticed by the corner of your eye Kili’s expression.

Third person pov

Kili have been eyeing you since you’ve let him, Fili and Thorin inside and wanted to learn more about you, especially when you called him by his name. You knew him, but he didn’t knew you, for Mahal’s sake!

The clothes you’ve given to him was dry and comfortable, even if it wasn’t something he was used to back in Middle-Earth. He wanted to talk to you, not only because of being curious of where did you knew his name from – but also because he felt something and wanted, needed to be close to you.

When you started talking, he was watching you, every single move of yours – he could see you were nervous and still a bit pale from shock, but he was hanging on every single word you said (which, he knew, will Fili take advantage of and tease him on every single opportunity he will get).

When you said you thought about a way to explain why do you know all of them, Fili turned to him to affiliate him into discussion, but he noticed the way his brother’s jaw clenched and if looks could kill, Bilbo would be dead.

You and Bilbo were talking about his home and Fili noticed that when you assuringly smiled at Bilbo and placed your hand on his shoulder, Kili averted his gaze, but in a few seconds he looked back at you. Fili chuckled. He’s gonna be teasing him about being jealous of that halfling they were playing pranks at.

It seemed like Kili got back for his prank with horse hairs, which he rubbed over handkief, then gave it to Bilbo, whom couldn’t use it, because he was sneezing all the time.

Now that hobbit got not only your attention, but also you touched him.

Kili was now having a pouting face he did since both Kili and Fili could remember, and Fili chuckled to himself. Kili wouldn’t admit he was jealous, especially because of you and Bilbo talking. And Fili knew that.

He nudged him to ribs and murmed.

„I’m begging you, behave.“ Kili flinched, but his eyes weren’t leaving your face.

„I am behaving.“ Fili chuckled.

„If looks could kill, Bilbo would be dead. That is not behaving.“

„I didn’t do anything!“ He whispered-hissed-yelled. Fili chuckled.

„You look like you want to jump over the table and choke him. Tsk tsk brother.“

„What are you two talking about?“ Kili froze and Fili did too. It was you.

„I-uhm-“ Kili looked to Fili for help. He was doing this rarely, but if he did, Fili knew he was hopeless.

„It was nothing, really.“ He said and inhaled to say something else, but Kili was quicker.

„I, uh, you know my name, right?“

Your pov

„I, uh, you know my name, right?“ Said Kili and you nodded. He was your favourite character, even if you didn’t liked the moments when him and Fili made Bilbo to go against the trolls, or when they were pranking him and making fun of that poor little thing.

„Yeah, I do.“ An awkvard silence came up between you two. You shyly smiled towards him, finding him attractive, and looked over the table. You stood up again.

„Don’t be afraid. Only that...,“ you looked at Gandalf and he nodded.

„I’m not sure how are you going to take it.“ You went to your living room and pulling out a visibly readen book, The Hobbit. It was in the upper shelf, where nobody really paid attention to the books. This book was old and you couldn’t risk if somebody would lose it or destroy it.

You came back to the kitchen and inhaled deeply.

„This is the first thing, but before that I need you to tell me, honestly, what happened before you appeared in-or near-,“ you said, looking over the Durins,

„My house.“

„We were escaping from the Mirkwood,“ Thorin said with a glare shot to Thranduil, whom snorted quietly. Legolas furrowed his brows.

„We were on a feast of starlight,“ He said, being absolutely certain.

„Wasn’t it more of escaping from the goblins?“ Balin looked at Thorin sleepishly. This time it was Bilbo who furrowed his brows.

„I thought we were-“

„Bilbo!“ That was Kili.

„Kili!“ That was Fili.

„You two!“ That was Thorin.

„Dwarves,“ That was Thranduil and Legolas.

„Can you just calm down? Miss Y/N is trying to help us here and you’re making it more difficult than we need it to be.“ Bard got up from his seat. You smiled at him, thankful he stood up for you.

„Thank you, Bard. Okay, so you don’t wanna tell me that. Great. But you’ll understand why I was asking this question,“ you said mysteriously. All of them sat closer now, even if the dwarves would be still arguing it was true.

You sat down, opened the book, deeply inhaled and started reading.

They were shocked, to say at least.

You’ve red a first few pages and let them to ask questions. There was many of them, to say at least.

„How do you know all that?“

„How old is that book?“

„Where is it from?“

„Are you a magician?“

All of the questions, creating live and happy chit-chat, quickly shutted down by Thorin’s gaze, when he stood up and suspiciously stared at you.

„How do we know we can trust you?“ You opened your mouth to answer, but Thranduil’s eye-roll was quicker. You giggled.

„Well, I know your stories. And if you don’t believe me after you’ve seen and heard something from this book – I‘ve got a few editions of them, from different years – you are probably gonna believe me after you’ll see the movies.“ Thorin’s brows furrowed.

„A movies? What is it?“ Balin placed his hand on Thorin’s shoulder and murmed something, before the dwarf king sat down.

„Does she wants to offend us?“ Turned Dwalin (getting angry) to Gandalf.

„You have to believe her, Dwalin. She knows this world, and this is surely nothing that would have the intention to offend any of you.“ He looked also at Thorin while he way saying these words, and he looked back at you and you nodded. Meanwhile, Thranduil shot him a glare and turned to you.

„Alright, so are you going to show us, that, ehm, movie? What is it about?“ He asked the question that any of them was thinking of. You nodded and dramatically inhaled, overhearing Fili’s ‚Is she okay?‘ and smiled inwardly.

„It’s about an introvert being forced to go outside.“ All of their faces fell and you started laughing and shook your head.

„What is introvert?“ Kili asked, bit confused. You decided to tell them about this later.

„Well, actually, it’s about Bilbo, here,“ you patted his shoulder and the hobbit’s eyes grew wide.

„Who was sighed as a burglar by Gandalf to the company of Thorin Oakenshield,“ you looked over the table to find Gandalf nodding and Thorin looking slightely surprised, but pleased.

„To get back the dwarvish kingdom Erebor,“ You looked over the dwarves and noticed Kili’s eyes sparkling and your stomach did a backflip. Oh, these puppy eyes were always a thing you knew you couldn’t resist to.

„From dragon called...“

„Smaug,“ Kili and Fili said at once. You chuckled.

„Now, wait here and you can read the book, the movie is based on it. Just, please,“ You looked especially on Fili and Kili,

„be careful. It’s an old book, I found it in antiquarian bookstore, and red it way too many times, because it’s my favourite edition.“ And left to prepare living room for the movie.

Fili’s pov

„You were unusually quiet,“ I nudged Kili. He just shrugged it off.

„I’m not loud all the time,“ He tried to argue but I only chuckled. I knew him my whole life. I couldn’t unnotice his sudden change of behavior.

„Yes, you are, plus, you’re staring at Master Baggins as if you’d wanted to kill him, again. So, aren’t you going to tell me what’s going on, Kee?“ Kili shook his head and averted his gaze to the table. Then, he mumbled something and refused to meet my gaze.

„Oh, I see,“ I mumbled enough for him to hear it. I tilted towards him.

„You like her and you hate that she’s giving Bilbo more attention than to you.“ Kili did pouted his lips and still refused to meet my gaze. I chuckled.

„I knew, it, I knew it!“ I laughed and Kili was hissing at me.

„Shut, it, just shut up, Fili, she’ll hear-“