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nightsidewrestling · 2 years

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D.U.D.E Part 15 - I Try (set in 2020)

Note: This is set in a universe where Men VS Women / Intergender matches can happen.

Chapter 1: here Chapter 2: here Chapter 3: here Chapter 4: here Chapter 5: here Chapter 6: here Chapter 7: here Chapter 8: here Chapter 9: here Chapter 10: here Chapter 11: here Chapter 12: here Chapter 13: here Chapter 14: here

Tags: @piratewithvigor @tantamount-treason @thedollmaker16 @janetreader

Around 2000 Words. 18+ in places (those chapters will be marked as 'Mature / sexual content' just to be safe). Please inform me if you wish to be tagged or untagged from posts. If the text is in italics and orange it's Kirby's inner monologue. If the text is coloured but not in italics, it's either dialogue or a P.O.V change (P.O.V changes will be in bold and translated dialogue will appear in square [ ] brackets), Key below. Quick note on Geia's text colour: Yes I do know that as Greed she should be in yellow but I decided to colour the men's dialogue yellow so Geia was changed to be pink like the other women in the story outside of the main 8.

The Main 8: Damo - Bio. Vi - Bio. Billie - Bio. Geia - Bio. Kirby - Bio. Honey - Bio. Eli - Bio. Sara - Bio.

Kirby's P.O.V:

Kirby takes a deep breath, freshening up and looking in the mirror at herself, on the verge of tears as Eddie walks into the bathroom.

"It's okay to cry, sweetheart," Eddie goes silent when Kirby, wraps her arms around his waist, buries her face in his neck and starts crying, "I got ya, babe, ya okay." He whispers.

"I don't want to be alone anymore, I want to..." She goes quiet, unsure of herself.

"It's a'ight, you can tell me." He reassures, rubbing her back to keep her calm.

"I wanna be with you, I have tried to forget you and move on, I can't deny the way I feel anymore... I want a life with you, I want a family, I want to wake up in a bed next to you, every morning for the rest of my life... I want us, without the fear of Damien splitting us up, all of it, the good, the bad, the goofy, the grumpy, the fuckin' ugly truth is I'm afraid... I'm afraid of Damien, I shouldn't be, but I am, even at my best I can never beat him."

"Then we'll take him on... together," Eddie smiles softly at her, pulling her into a gentle kiss, "first though, ya gotta marry me. I want you, no, I need you. I need this tall, sexy, Celtic rose in my life. I won't deny, I've had some nights where I got drunk and almost went home with a chick, but I couldn't get anythin' from them, everything I could gain from some other broad, you did better than them. Everything, conversations, sex, makin' out in the back of a car, everythin'."

Kirby smiles weakly, "You really wanna be with me?"

"It's why I'm here, I even brought both rings with me. Mox said the idea was insane, 'cause I have work tomorrow, but I can't wake up alone again, not when every dream I have is of bein' with ya... I stopped tellin' Renee about the times I dream, 'cause every dream I've had since ya left... they were all the same, all of 'em, I would wake up next to you, we would talk for a while, and then they'd end when I went to kiss you..."

"'Cause I wasn't there..." She whispers.

Eddie nods, lifting Kirby's chin to kiss her softly. They stay still for a moment, taking in the silence before Eddie moves. He covers Kirby's eyes with one hand and leads her back to the bed with the other, making her sit down and close her eyes, when he allows her to open them again, he has the ring box and is kneeling in front of her.

"Kirby Raven Eirian Aoibheann Rhydderch, will you please never leave my side again?"

"I will admit, this is an improvement on your first proposal." She jokes softly as she stands up, pulling Eddie to his feet and kissing him deeply, feeling a slight chill when Eddie slides the ring onto her finger, "Quick question, Papi, why the fuck and when the fuck did you get your eyebrow cut up like that?"

"October, missin' ya wife'll do crazy things to a man," He smirks, "now put on the prettiest dress you own, 'cause I am findin' a chapel, and we are partin' ways ever again." He looks at Kirby, a wild energy in his eyes as they meet hers.

Kirby feels Eddie's eyes watching her as she gets dressed, a simple plain orange sundress and the black timbs he bought her, Eddie makes sure he looks okay (even going to the length of raiding Kirby's stuff for a suit jacket, before giving up once he sees how well tailored they are to her size).

"Fuck it, c'mere." Eddie shrugs, hoisting over his shoulder.

"Eddie, no, put me down." Kirby chuckles.

"Nah," He pats her butt, "I think I'll keep ya there for a while."

Eddie carries her out of the building, putting her down and kissing her gently when they get outside. Eddie uses his phone to find the nearest chapel and leads Kirby to it.

Within half an hour, they're legally married. Within two hours, Kirby's surname has been changed to Moore. Within four hours, they're back in Jacksonville. In a hotel's 'newlywed suite' together. Eddie above Kirby on his hands and knees, trapping her on the bed, kissing her deeply over and over again.

"Do ya take me as ya husband, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, forever?" He whispers.

"I do," She whispers, "do you take me as your wife, for better or worse, until death do us part?"

"I do," Eddie grins, "My wifey, no more leavin' me, not now, not ever."

"Gotta put this in the calendar from now on, December first twenty-twenty, married the greatest man in the universe."

"Our wedding anni... aneh... anniversary, fuck that word." Eddie murmurs.

Kirby chuckles softly, cupping Eddie's face in her hands, "how about I say that word from now on?"

"Lil' miss bachelor's degree, my Mrs bachelor's degree, God, you're beautiful."

"Says the most handsome man in the world." She smiles softly.

Eddie smiles softly, "If I don't get you pregnant by the end of tonight, it'll be a miracle."

Kirby sticks her tongue out at Eddie, he immediately mirrors her actions before he kisses her roughly. Eddie growls against her lips, pulling away to take his shirt off and lay next to Kirby, lazily kissing her as he keeps hold of her left hand with his, the metal of their rings making a small 'clink' sound when they collide.

Eventually Eddie falls asleep beside her, and Kirby watches him for a couple minutes, she puts her head on his chest and snuggles up to him, soon falling asleep.

Eddie wakes her up with a kiss the following morning (2nd Dec 2002, Wednesday)

"Morning gorgeous, are ya comin' with me to work today?"

"I gotta sort a lot of things out, but it's all stuff I can do with my laptop and phone, so... sure. I'll come to work with you."

"You're so fuckin' cute... sure, you're a little awkward, a little clumsy, a little theatrical and definitely a workaholic, but I love that about you."

"And you're argumentative, childish, gruff, immature, overprotective, sarcastic, stubborn, a tease, a bigmouth, lewd and short-tempered."

"Oh, and ya also anxious, gluttonous, stingy, and a supposed cannibal." Eddie smirks, grabbing Kirby's face and kissing her roughly.

"You're so sexy, Eddie."

"Don't start flirtin' with me, 'cause you know I'll risk missin' work to fuck ya pretty little brains out."

Kirby gets up, pulling Eddie into a tight hug, going to the bathroom to do her morning routine after he kisses her cheek scar.

"Are you watching me, Edward?" She asks, looking in the mirror as she washes her face.

"Yea, can't help but stare at my lady... my beautiful wife... I'm gonna get you a coffee, and I'm gonna make sure everyone knows ya mine."

"You're going to work in that? It's cold out, A stór [my treasure], put a hoodie on or somethin'."

"What did you just call me, Ma?" He raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"A stór, it means 'my treasure' in Irish." She shrugs.

"I like that, I'll go put a hoodie on, but I wanna hear you say that again first."

"A stór." She purrs.

Eddie spins Kirby around and kisses her deeply, his hands on her waist as he growls against her lips, grinding his groin against hers.

After Kirby finishes her routine, Eddie takes her out to grab breakfast.

He posts a picture of them from the day before on his Instagram and Twitter. He chooses the photo of them at the chapel, both of them displaying their wedding rings, captioning it 'I got her back, and my Queen is much more powerful than her King'.

Kirby shakes her head as she watches him post it, unable to protest, mid-bite of her blueberry muffin.

"There, now we wait for the comments, calls, texts and everythin' else."

"Now we wait for Twitter to set itself on fire over a photo." Kirby chuckles softly.

They don't have to wait long, the first call is from Mox, then Renee, then practically the entire locker room of AEW. Call after call, text after text, Instagram and Twitter notifications come streaming in. Kirby turns Eddie's phone off to silence the constant notification noises.

"We are popular today, Eddie... don't do that again."

"Why not?" Eddie smirks, "I thought you liked me being reckless."

Kirby chuckles, placing her head on his shoulder, he kisses her forehead softly as he turns his phone back on. He keeps his phone on silent and turns off his notifications for the next two hours.

"If we fly out tomorrow, we can get a truck and move everything to New York. I'll also see if we can fly out to Wales for ya birthday."

"We don't have to fly out for my birthday, Kingy... you want me to go, get some papers and roll you a ciggy?"

Eddie kisses her softly, "I'll grab ya coffee, you go roll me one, a'ight, Ma?"

"Okay, no talking to reporters, striking anyone or staring at my bottom."

"Two outta three?"

"Fine, you can stare at my ass... handsome man."

Kirby leaves Eddie in the café, heading to a nearby corner store and picking up some stuff for her and Eddie, she stands outside the café rolling a cigarette. She's practically a natural at it, having learnt from her uncles and cousins, she hands it to Eddie when he walks up to her. He immediately lights it up and hands her a to-go cup of coffee.

"Ready to go shock the world?" He smirks.

"Or get rich trying," She smiles softly, "You give me refuge, I give you a giant, cannibalistic demoness."

"Babe, I have a GED, I don't know what refuge means."

"It's basically another word for safety."

"Yeah, I'll keep you safe, stop ya from gettin' all jittery and keep ya head from spinnin'." He kisses her softly.

A couple hours pass and Kirby's, doing her work and emailing people, sitting in catering backstage at Daily's Place. She's listening and humming along to her 90s mix on Spotify, ignoring the world around her, when a very pissed off Eddie sits beside her and starts grumbling obscenities. It takes him unplugging her headphones, from her phone, to make her notice him.

"Eddie, that wasn't nice of you," She looks over at her American husband, her peaceful smile becoming a concerned frown, "What's wrong, Kingy?"

"I'm gonna punch Moxley in the face, if he asks me any more fuckin' questions." He grumbles.

"Kingy, no punching people, breathe, be calm." She whispers, pulling Eddie into a side hug and kissing his jawline.

Eddie takes a deep breath, reaching over to Kirby's laptop and opening something, starting a video call with Kirby's parents.

"Eddie, no, it's like one in the morning over there."

"Why the fuck are ya video callin' my laptop at this time, princess." Hywel (Kirby's father) groans as he picks up the call.

"Sorry, Da, My American idiot husband did it."

Hywel chuckles, "Hey, son, you two finally got married? Don't tell me it went down like a rom com, I'll owe your Mam a tenner."

"Hey Hywel, just wanted to ask ya, can you two fly out for Kirby's birthday, and would it be alright if we flew out to spend Christmas with you guys?" Eddie asks his father-in-law.

"I'll talk with Oda when she wakes up, but feel free to visit us anytime you two want to. Kirby already has her own house keys, and you can always visit the C.R.C building... I gotta sleep now, or else I'll be awake for the rest of the day, night my little princess, keep her safe Eddie."

"Night, Da, I love you."

"Don't worry, I'll keep her safe," Eddie nods, hanging up the video call, "gonna take ya home for the holidays, gonna make ya introduce me to ya family." Eddie smirks, tickling Kirby's ribs and slipping his hands under her shirt.

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sasuhinasno1fan · 3 years

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The way you had your hair reminds me- Zutara Week Day 1

My second Zutara Week though I hope I can actually finish it this time. I decided I really wanted to do something with Katara doing rhythmic gymnastics so I decided that since most of the prompts fit, I’ll do a sort of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo AU. It’s a good kdrama if you’ve never heard of it. trying to fit 16 hour long episodes into 7 days is gonna be interesting. I’ll warn you now and let you know there will be onesided LuTara but for like a day maybe. I haven’t written that day yet so we’ll see. This will end in Zutara happieness, I promise. Anyway, enjoy. Hair

Zuko crawled carefully as he wiped down the windows. Most of his classmates didn’t want him anywhere near an open area, especially with his limited vision but he’d just gotten his bandaged taken off and he wasn’t about to let it hinder him.

Without them on, he didn’t see Mom flinch at the sight of them, though the massive burn wasn’t any better. The fights between his parents weren’t either and Azula’s teasing was starting to be hurtful more than playful. He wanted it all to stop. If he pretended that things were ok, maybe they would be eventually.

“Hey scarface!” Zuko looked over, 3 of his school bullies storming over. He tried not to flinch, already knowing what they were going to yell at him about. They’d been doing it all day. “We lost the race thanks to you!”

Zuko used to be more confident. But after the burns, a few harsh words and he’d start retreating back down into himself. These bullies took advantage of it. During their Sports Day yesterday, Zuko had dropped the baton in the relay race and ran in the opposite direction, away from the bullies yelling at him.

“Mr. Reversal, can’t believe you’re so stupid.”

“You need a walking stick, scarface? Huh?”

Zuko felt one of them shove him and he expected to hit the window frame. Instead, he went flying out the open window. Years later, Zuko would mostly remember him being caught by an older man with darker skin, most likely from one of the Water Tribes, with kind blue eyes, who held him as he burst into tears and two younger children. The boy patted his back, telling him not to worry because his sister would take care of it and the girl screaming up at the bullies from the ground floor. Her long braid swung back and forth as she shook her fists and threatened to do violent things to them. her eyes seemed bluer than her families, like the clearest ocean.

He didn’t know they’d slip back into his life years later. That the little girl who threatened bullies for a boy she didn’t know, would become so much more important to him.

________________

Zuko unlocked his bike, trying not to feel discouraged. It was hard not to when he’d been disqualified from another competition for having a panic attack. Every time he walked onto the mat, his hearing would go wonky and he’d start seeing double, not to mention his heart beating like it was trying to escape his chest. As a result, he’d always forget to sault his opponent and the referee.

Along with being propositioned to train an up-and-coming fencer to get onto the national Olympic team – which he refused because how was he supposed to help someone when he could even finish a match – all he wanted to do was collapse onto his bed. He could already tell that during training tomorrow, he’d have to deal with snide remarks from Jett. How that guy became captain, he’d never know. He knew if he just beat him in training like always, it would piss him off even more and with the school’s Sports Day coming up, he was not in the mood to do the worst event for the Fencing Department.

He climbed on his bike, adjusting his kit sitting on its place but stopping himself from peddling back to campus when his phone rang.

“What Sokka?”

“So, the results of the match went up. Jett wants to talk to you; says he’s got the prefect thing for you to do to make up for your loss. The rice lifting challenge.”

Zuko had to bite his lip to keep from screaming. The idea of the lifting challenge was to carry as many bags of rice and the industrial size, like the one the school cafeteria ordered and hold it for as long as possible. Usually, the Karate Department would be the one to win, fencing never even coming close.

“I’m not going.” Zuko said, making up his mind.

“What?”

“I’ll hang out at Lu Ten’s office or something, but I’m not going. Not to the crapshot of a meeting or to Sports Day. I don’t care what he threatens me with. I’m only coming back to drop my kit off.”

“Um, well I actually heard Mai was back. Didn’t make it past the preliminaries for the national team I hear.”

This day couldn’t get any worse.

“Screw it, I’m not coming back for the next few days. I’ll be with my uncle if you need me.”

“Wait! Ask Toph to do your event for you. it would put the Weightlifting Department in danger of losing but most of those guys don’t like her anyway. She’d love a chance to get back at them. come back to campus and ask her and then I’ll take you out for lunch. At my dad’s restaurant. You love his marinated salmon.” Sokka said, trying to entice his roommate.

Zuko sighed. “I want two orders. And you’re paying.”

“Done! Get here soon.”

Zuko didn’t bother answering, stowing his phone away and pushing off, heading towards Republic City Sports University.

______________________

Effortlessly, Katara grabbed her back leg and straightened it as she did her pivot. She kept her balance as she came out of it and continued to twirl her ribbon. Her coach nodded.

“Very good. You’ve been practising. Your balance is better. Now I want to see if your fouettés have improved as well. If you want a chance at placing first and getting noticed by our sponsor and qualifying for the national team preliminaries, your routine can’t have any mistakes. Ty Lee, pay attention. I’m testing your fouettés as well.”

Katara looked over at the girl dressed in pink, who was pouting down at her matching hoop, Suki patting her on the shoulder. While Katara and Ty Lee weren’t friends, it was hard to not bond over being singled out by their coach.

Katara stood at the ready, twirling her ribbon as she readied herself when the door burst open.

“Azula!” Ty Lee cried.

Azula Lung was the student with the most sway in the whole school. Her father was the Prime Minister of the Fire Nation and while he didn’t hold much power in Republic City, since all powers were equal, that didn’t mean much at the University. She got the best room, private transport to competitions and rules didn’t apply to her. She could boss around any coach, even though she was in the Karate Department. There’d been rumours that her place was bought, until her first competition where she creamed everyone. She was her department’s ace. In fact, she managed to take the Weightlifting Department’s old gym for the Karate Department, which started a massive feud between them. she was rude and arrogant and somehow, one of Ty Lee’s best friends.

Katara noticed a girl standing next to her. She was dressed in all black, the only colour being the red of her nails. She looked incredibly bored and only looked annoyed when Ty Lee launched herself at her.

“Mai, you’re back!”

“Mai has returned from her qualifying competition for the national team. We’ll be taking Ty Lee with us. Problem?” Azula announced.

“No of course not. Except, Ty Lee, you were supposed to show me your routine for Sports Day? Since you’re our department’s cheerleader.”

Azula scoffed. “Sports Day, waste of time. She won’t be attending. You, blue peasant.” Katara balked at that and narrowed her eyes. “You’ll be taking her place. Problem?”

Katara opened her mouth to say, yes big problem, but all the girls of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Department crowded around her, suffocating her with their hands.

“None at all.”

“Thanks Katara!” Ty Lee said, scooping up her bag and dashing off, Mai following and with a raised eyebrow that spoke of her superiority, Azula leaving as well.

“You can’t argue with her Katara.”

“She’d have you removed from the school. I heard she got a person’s whole family business shut down for pissing her off. Do you want that for your dad?”

“Her dad might be the Prime Minister, but he’s practically a mafia boss.”

Comments like this floated over her head, as well as ones telling her they’d help with making a routine for Sports Day, which was in a few days. All Katara could think about was how completely unfair this all was.

And she let it out too once training was concluded for the day.

“It’s completely insane how she can just lord over them like that!” she said, harshly untangling her hair from its bun.

“Easy, you’re gonna rip your hair out.” Suki said, stopping her from tugging at it more and helping to pull half of it into a bun like she usually wore it.

“She’s a student. A sophomore at that. Where does she get off acting like she’s the greatest thing in the world? Just cause her dad is a Prime Minister? So is mine!”

“I thought Water Tribe issues fell under Yue’s dad’s jurisdiction?” Toph, a member of the Weightlifting Department asked, her hand holding on tightly to her guide dog’s harness. She was just as well known as Azula, due to the fact that she was blind but was still one of the highest climbing Weightlifting competitors at the school. She beat all the senior’s bests within her first month.

“Yeah, only because the South is smaller. That’s not the point! The point is, she does whatever she wants and doesn’t get in trouble for it and it extends to her friends too. I have a competition coming up soon and instead of working on my routines for that, I’m going to be learning choreo for a routine for one of the dumbest traditions of Sports Day.”

“Oh,” Toph said, a massively mischievous smile on her face, “well you won’t think it’s stupid when you hear what I heard. Wanna take a guess as to who’s the Fencing Department’s cheerleader?”

Katara looked over at Toph, who’s smile was growing maniacal. Usually that meant someone was going to get embarrassed as hell. It usually tended to be Sokka.

“Wouldn’t it be one of the girls?”

“Nope.” Toph shook her head, popping her p.

“Is it-?”

“Katara, watch out!”

A guy on his bike and panicked look as he turned the corner, thankfully started the veer off course at the sight of her. She still stumbled over her feet and fell to the floor, her hands pricking in pain as they were scratched. Thankfully though, her jacket took most of the damage. The guy on the other hand, had to shove his bike off his feet, rubbing at his shin.

She took in the pale skin, paler than Toph’s and dark hair surrounding his face. It didn’t stop her from noticing the large burn surrounding his right eye. she noticed that his school jacket was the same one Sokka wore, meaning he was in the Fencing Department.

“You should be more careful.” She meant for it to come out a bit nicer, but the anger from dealing with Azula slipped in.

clearly the guy didn’t enjoy being yelled at as he snapped back. “I didn’t see you.” he seemed to rethink his anger and continued in a calmer voice. “Are you ok?”

ok, now she felt bad about snapping at him. “I’m fine.”

“Oh, what up Sparky?” Toph asked, seeming to brighten as she figured out who almost crashed into them. her guide dog Badger, lead his owner over and with surprising accuracy, Toph punch the guy on the arm.

It was a little scary how well she could do that.

“Stop calling me that.”

“Hey, tell me. Seen his skirt yet? I know he doesn’t shave his legs so please tell me he’s going all out for this.”

The guy sighed. “Thought Sokka told you not to tell anyone.”

“Sokka? He’s the Fencing cheerleader? That’s why he’s been borrowing my hair pins? Those things are expensive.” Katara interrupted.

Toph burst into laughter, clearly enjoying herself while Suki looked thoughtful.

“So that’s why he asked for makeup advice. Suddenly Sports Day is looking a lot more fun.”

“Speaking of which, I’m going back to my room before Jett finds me to let me know my event. Oh, Toph wanna annoying your department?”

“Always.”

“Take my spot for the Rice Lifting event. I’ve dealt with way too much to even put up with Jett today.”

Katara furrowed her brow, wanting to say something about the fact this guy wasn’t going to participate but then she noticed Toph’s smile dropped a little and her punch was definitely softer the second time she hit him.

“Done deal Sparky. Tell your old man I’ll see him later.”

“So who was that?” Suki asked as the guy finally took off.

“Zuko Lung, not related to the royal brat. I go to his old man’s tea house sometimes. He’s Sokka’s roommate apparently.”

“Oh yeah, he’s a pretty good fencer from what I hear. Weird though, I haven’t seen his name in the announcement of students placing.” Suki said.

She had a point. Katara never remembered seeing anything either. She also found it a bit strange Sokka never dragged his roommate to meet the rest of them. there was something about Zuko though that seemed familiar. It was on the tip of her tongue but nothing came to mind. Oh well, for another day then.

“Hey, let’s go find Sokka. Maybe if we catch him off guard, we can get him to agree to let us wax his legs.”

__________________

“I hate you.” Sokka mumbled, hiking his cheerleading skirt up. Katara bit her lip to keep from laughing at the crop top he was in. apparently, he pissed off their department captain by telling him that Zuko wasn’t participating and Toph was taking his place, so his new uniform was worse than his last.

She tossed her braid behind her, trying not to think about how young she must have looked. She had her hair like this when she was younger since it was much easier to put it into a bun. Her own uniform was rather pink for her taste, but Ty Lee basically guilt tripped her into wearing it since it already been bought. She was still annoyed at this, even more so when she found out her new roommate was Mai. The dark and depressing girl was apparently in the Archery Department and Sokka, who’d been in that Department before transferring to fencing, said she was undefeated. Yet she didn’t get past the first round of preliminaries to get onto the national team.

“Hey Sokka!” Aang, a member of the Track and Field Department came bounding over, his own skirt floating around his legs. “Katara, you never told me how much fun a skirt can be. Took me a while to find boxers that weren’t too long but still.”

“I’m glad your having fun Aang. At least someone is.” She said, smirking at Sokka.

“You deal with 3 hours of having your hair ripped out and then come talk to me.” Sokka snapped. “Ugg, I’m gonna kill Zuko. This is all his fault.”

“Wow.” A familiar voice said. Zuko was in casual clothes, carrying a cooler. Next to him was a man, with a squarish face, the same gold eyes and dark hair as Zuko, though his hair was pulled back into a top knot. “See if I bring you anything ever again.”

“You know Jett will kill you if he sees you.”

“He can’t do anything. My uncle called to pull me out for the afternoon. This is work, we’re delivering ice tea for the Fencing and Track and Field Departments. Aang, next time, don’t put your order late at night.”

Aang looked embarrassed. “Sorry. You were already gone when I got back from training. I was going to order for the Rhythmic Gymnastics department, but I know how conscious your coach is about sugars and such.” He said, looking at Katara.

“It’s ok. I’m stealing one though, I deserve the extra sugar for being in this outfit.” She said, walking over to Zuko and opening the lid on the cooler. She noticed he was staring intently at her face.

“What elementary school did you go to?” he asked suddenly.

“Huh?”

“Did you go to Ba Sing Se Preparatory?” he asked.

“Yes?”

“You screamed at those bullies.”

Bullies? Wait. It hit her like a thunderbolt, why he looked so familiar. His burn was a bit more faded but she couldn’t believe he forgot him. He’d been pushed out the window by bullies and her dad, would come to drop off lunch for her and Sokka, managed to catch him before he hurt himself and she’d screamed at the bullies from the floor.

“Holy crap. That was you!” Sokka said, “you had like no hair then!”

“Sokka!” he’d disappeared from class for a few weeks and when he came back his hair was cut so far back that it made his bandages stick out more.

“Yours was in a braid then.”

She was confused for a moment when she realised, he was talking to her. Yesterday her hair had been out but now it was in the same style she had it in as a child.

She’d always wondered what happened to him when Zuko suddenly disappeared for good one day. She’d didn’t think she’d find out now.

#zutara week #zutara week 2021 #weightlifting fairy kim bok joo #AU #rhythmic gymnasit katara #fencer zuko #fencer sokka #weightlifter toph #runner aang

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myblueeyedbuggers · 3 years

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My Boys

Chapter 11

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14

Pairings: Steve Rogers X Reader (Best Friend) Bucky Barnes X Reader

Word Count: 1531

Warnings: Language, Bullying Themes

Summary: After being abandoned by her parents in Brooklyn in 1929, y/n makes a living for herself by working for the Црни лабуд gang until she meets two boys in a back alley and her life slowing begins to change.

Eyup my Loves! so it’s been a while since I last added to the story, I tried my best to keep my writing similar to my previous chapters, let me know what you all think! any advice or constructive criticism is welcome :) I’ll shush now, enjoy!

(This is what I Imagine Annetta to look like :) )

So, in case you were all wondering, the day didn’t get any better. I mean I kinda knew that kids my age could be massive A holes to each other, but I didn’t really expect to see it literally the flipping second I ‘walked’ through the doors. And by walked I mean dragged by the duo known as my own personal demons, or Steve and Bucky to the rest of the population. A crowd of kids were all gathered around a row of lockers, loads of the shitheads were cheering and encouraging whatever the hell was goin’ on, and as I was about to find out it wasn’t a surprise performance by Frank Sinatra. Safe to say that was a bigger disappointment that diet coke. Anyway, what was I saying ? oh yeah, stood at the front of the crowd were a bunch of lasses that couldn’t of been older than 16, in their hands was a bunch of eggs and flour. At the bottom of their feet, on the floor, was a kid around the same age as me, her glasses were snapped in half and the bottom of to shirt was ripped, but what disgusted me the most was the fact she was begging for help as these girls smashed egg after egg into her face. You know how bulls lose their shit when they see somethin’ red? Yeah imagine that but 10x worse, the lads didn’t have time to stop me as I tore through the crowd ready to beat the ever-loving shit outta these pricks.

“‘OI! WHAT THE ACTUAL SHIT ARE YOU DOIN’” the crowd fell silent as the girls turned to me with what one can only assume was supposed to be a ‘threatening’ glare, if I’m being completely honest it looked like they’d all simultaneously crapped em self’s. One of the girls stepped forwards, she was only a tad taller than me, her hair was a bright red, her green eyes were narrowed at me like she couldn’t believe someone was actually talking back to her. I think this is the part where I yell surprise right ? no? okay then. “Not that I care, but who the hell do you think you are? You got any idea who I am?” she sneered at me, oh my god! I’ve found someone with a bigger ego than Bucky. How in the hell is that possible. “well from first glance I’da said Santa Clause’s ex-wife but I reckon he’d have a better taste in girls now I’ve seen you up close”. And que the outraged gasps from her minions in 3,2,1…. I could hear a few people laughin’ and if I weren’t mistaken a very loud “Oh Jesus wept” from barney boy. Oooh yeah that’s when I know I’m doing my job right.

“YOU BITCH!” she screamed at me, her grubby little hands started swinging towards me in such an exaggerated way it was almost funny, I mean come on anyone coulda seen that comin’ from a mile off. And like the genius I am, I literally just side stepped her as she lunged forward, an’ from the look on her face she weren’t expecting that, it was like the world slowed down as she surged forward unable to stop herself. Well that was till she landed head -first in the bin. I’d be a big fat liar if I said I wasn’t on the floor dying from laughter. Her legs were flailing above her head as she struggled to pull herself outta there, her cronies tried to help by grabbing her legs but that ended with one of em sporting one heck of a shiner on her right eye. A small sniffle pulled my attention away from the rather hilarious sight, glancing behind me I saw the young lass still on the ground, holdin’ her glasses which were in half with tears rolling down her cheeks. “hey, it’s okay now, they’ve gone. Here take my hand, lets get ya cleaned up eh? Reckon they’re be a bathroom round here somewhere”. The lass didn’t say anything to me, only looking at me with apprehension before taking my outstretched hand and leading us to the bathroom, the sound of the crowd growing quieter as we moved further away from it. “Thanks for saving me from Monica, she’s been bullying me since we were 11, nobody’s ever stood up for me before.” Her voice was so quiet, it shook from the effort it took her to hold back her tears, and I admired her strength, not a lotta girls woulda gone this long and not tell a teacher. “Don’t worry about it mate, I’m sorry it took so long for someone to defend ya, my names y/n by the way, don’t think we’ve met” her brown eyes met mine, as a small smile spread across her face, I couldn’t really tell what colour her hair was but I’m guessing it’s a shade a brown, other than that she looked like a completely normal person. “My names Annetta, you’re right we ain’t met yet but I’m glad we did”.

-Later that day

It took us ‘bout 30 minutes to get all the egg off Annetta, best we could do was wash it off and cover up the stains with the cardigan I leant her, but what really put the icing on the cake was the teacher in period 1 yellin’ at us for being so late. The temptation to yeet my shoe at someone had never been as strong as it was in that moment, fortunately for the overgrown turnip of a teacher I had to settle for a mean ass side eye. And man was it a mean one.

Apart from that the day had gone by with no more incidents, well unless you count me chasing Bucky round the canteen with a carton of milk for stealin’ half my lunch, much to Annetta’s entertainment and Steve’s embarrassment. I mean the butthole deserved it, nobody and I mean NOBODY messes with my lunch. Even blue-eyed boys with a smile that could charm the devil….what am I sayin’?!

ANYWAYS it’s now what? 4th period I think, which meant English with Annetta, and maybe my favourite boys in the world. Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. Bet ya thought I were gonna say Steve and Bucky right? Well they’re currently sat behind me debating who’d win in a fight, Popeye, or Bugs Bunny. I’m surrounded by idiots. Thankfully, the teacher walked into the classroom and saved me, Mrs Davis seemed like a nice woman, she had a friendly smile and roundish face, her hair tied back into a neat bun as she took a seat. Now I’ll save you the boring bits, she started the lesson with a pop quiz which was just plain rude, about halfway through it the door burst open and there stood my best friend in the entire world. Monica. I have to say I loved her new style, the schools P.E kit really brought out the judgement in her eyes, did you detect my sarcasm yet?.

You wanna know what made her entrance even more dramatic ? the lovely aroma of gone off milk and rotted banana skins that followed her around the room, I could help the smirk on my face as everyone around me started gagging at the smell. If you ask me I reckon it’s an improvement, I mean she certainly captures the attention of everyone in the room. Monica’s face started to match her hair, quickly racing over to Mrs Davis to give her the tardy slip before taking her seat which just had to be across from me, whoopee for me. Eventually Mrs Davis got the attention back to her, carrying on with her lesson, which moved onto matching up the famous English literature quotes with the character and book. To be fair this was actually a load of fun for me, even if Steve butchered a line from Romeo and Juliet, I don’t remember Shakespeare saying, ‘ A rose by any other name would smell as bad’. The way I banged my head on the table made Annetta think I broke my neck. Fun times people.

Of course, my reaction didn’t escape Mrs Davis’s attention, just my luck eh?. “Miss y/n, seeing as you seem to know everything, answer me this. Elizabeth Bennet is a main character in a well-known book, she’s known for the quote ‘I am a no bird and no net ensnares me. I am a free human being with an independent will’. The question is who is the author of this book is it A) Charles Dickens B) Jane Austen or C) Arthur Conan Doyle ?”. Is she being for real right now?. “Miss? With no disrespect the question itself is wrong, that wasn’t said by Elizabeth Bennet from pride and Prejudice, but said by Jane Eyre, and it was written by Charlotte Brontë”. A small smile spread across her face, which was confusing as all heck and a tad creepy to be honest, “very well-done Miss y/n, that’s the first time a student has gotten that question correct.”……

What in the name of ever-loving fluff just happened?….

So our girl is back and kicking butt! hopefully it’s not as bad as I think it is, and again I want to thank you all again for being so patient with me, good news is I’ve got the rest of the book written already! I’ll be posting them at least once a week.

Lots of love,

Rose xxx

#winter soldier x reader #winter soldier #captain america x reader #captain america #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers #mcu #fanfic #reader #reader insert #sebastian stan #sebastian stan x reader

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creativerogues · 4 years

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Subclasses & Speculation...

Disclaimer: These are just my random thoughts on what other Subclasses could pop up in the future of D&D, this isn’t speculation about what’s turning up in future books or D&D materials, just a thought experiment on what people would probably love to see in the future.

Artificer: Self-Forged

Originally from 4th Edition D&D (hear me out!) the self-forged is an artificer that improves themselves by essentially becoming a cyborg, having mechanical limbs that replace the character’s normal limbs and allow them to do a multitude of things.

When I was reading this my first thought was “how far is a character willing to push this?” and “well now I can be Robo-cop!”

But I think it’s definitely something that works well with the idea of the Artificer, using magic to create devices and objects that improve where your body might fail.

Barbarian: Path of the Wildrunner

Another from 4th Edition, the Wildrunner was cool because it focused on mobility, even at one point being able to walk on pretty much anything or even fly. I know certain aspects of this have been done in other Subclasses, but a quick and mobile (and possibly more dexterity based) Barbarian is something that peaks my interest!

Barbarian: Path of the Man-Eater

For Barbarian, I think a Subclass that digs a little more into the brutality of the Barbarian would be cool, for example the famous "cannibal" subclass concept has floated around for a while in various incarnations.

Whether it’s a bloodhound of a Barbarian able to track down their pray, or a Barbarian that quite literally rips and tears and consumes corpses while raging, I love the concept, and it allows the writers and rule-makers to get a little weird with it, which is the best thing a writer can do!

Bard: College of Colour, College of Rhythm & College of Mimicry

One thing I’ll always want is a Bard that doesn't explicitly sing, like a Dancer or Painter Bard would be a great way of showing that Bard can mean almost any kind of entertainer or performer.

Another one was the College of Mimicry as I’ve called it, a Mime Bard! Not only because it’s a guaranteed laugh, but it’s full of flavour too!

Cleric: Love, Luck, Madness & Travel Domain

Listen, Clerics can be a lot of things, and it’s time to get weird, but also cover the domains that I think would be the coolest.

The Love, Luck and Travel Domains have been extremely popular ideas, and the Madness Domain will inevitably make for some interesting Characters, NPCs and Villains.

Druid: Circle of Cities

Why is there still no “Urban Druid”? It confuses me.

The idea of a druid that can bend and warp buildings or just make walls is such a cool idea, plus who wouldn’t wanna be a trash druid living in the sewers of a city or the back-alleys of a fantasy metropolis?

Fighter: Whirling Devish & Dragon Knight

Now the Whirling Dervish Archetype can be described as essentially “dance-fighting”, so the College of Sword may already cover that, but a whirlwind of blades and attacks is still a cool idea to me.

The Dragon Knight on the other hand is one of those ideas that’s so popular in media, I’m surprised it hasn’t popped up already.

A Knight with the ability to fly, breathe fire, grow wings, or even a “Dragoon” type subclass for all those people that just love their references to other media.

Monk: Way of the [Insert Popular Anime Here]

For Monk, pick an anime, literally any fighting anime and you can make a monk subclass from it. Done!

Rogue: Acrobat

This is another one that I don’t understand why it’s not already a thing.

The Thief-Acrobat was and still is famous from the D&D Cartoon and one of the first things people think of when they think D&D is that old cartoon, so why not turn that into a real thing?

Sorcerer: Cosmic Soul, Fey Soul & Woeful Soul

For the Sorcerer, I think a Fey Bloodline could be very interesting, considering the amount of different Elves and Half-Elves populating the game and the amount of influence places like the Feywild and Shadowfell has.

Plus, since there’s already a Shadowfell Sorcerer, why not give the Feywild some love? Huh?

And since we have almost every creature type covered already, from the Aberrant Sorcerer to the Dragon Sorcerer to the Celestial Sorcerer, I think a Fiend Sorcerer could be interesting too, which I’ve dubbed the “Woeful Soul”.

And before you comment, the Divine Soul Sorcerer, despite allowing you to be associated with “Evil”, does explicitly say that you are ‘Blessed’ and your blood most likely comes from an angel or celestial, be it a Good Angel or Fallen Angel.

And then I threw in the Cosmic Soul from 4e, because why not, it’s cool, it’s weird, and I think it’s just fun enough to be it’s own thing without stepping on anyone’s toes.

Warlock: Dragon Patron

Another one that I think should’ve probably been part of the Game already, but I can see why not.

Having a Dragon Patron Warlock could mean stepping on the toes of the Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer, but I think at this point, with Dragons being known for being such powerful entities, why wouldn’t you work for one?

Wizard: Blood Magus

Blood Magic! Something I think is also pretty popular in the homebrew community, and is even popular with Mr. Mercer himself judging by the use of it in the Blood Hunter Class.

This is another one that can go so many ways, but the trope of using your own vitality to empower your magic is something I think a good writer can capture in a “Blood Magus” style Subclass really well.

Other Stuff

This is where I throw my random ideas out there, like new ideas for races or feats or that kind of thing.

Races: One idea was the famous “Thri-Kreen” Race, I don’t really know why it was the first thing to pop in my head but I think they could totally be put into a campaign book, for an official setting or just a fun nod to other D&D resources.

Feats: For Feats It’s mostly stuff that deals with “Inconveniences”.

For example a Feat that removes Sunlight Sensitivity, since for some reason a Drow that’s lived on the Surface for 200+ Years somehow still can’t handle a sunny day.

Now I know that the supposed “Lineage System” coming out in November 2020 is supposed to tackles “Inconveniences” like this, but we’ll have to wait and see.

#dnd #DnD 5e #dnd 5e character #dnd 5e homebrew #homebrew subclass #Subclass

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atiny-ahgase · 4 years

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If You Can’t Stand The Heat

Author’s Note: This is an idea that I’ve had for a while but I couldn’t get the chance to write it. Also, I’m basically clueless to any and all culinary terms but I’m trying my best. As usual, I’m open to suggestions, feedback and creative criticism. Sorry that it took me so long to write this, I’m tryna organize some things...Anyway, I hope you’re all doing okay. Sending love- Gabby. (Ps. I had no idea what to name this soo)..

Summary: Y/N and Yunho have been friends since their high school days, they had first met at Y/n’s parents’ restaurant. Bonding over Yunho’s inability to cook even the simplest of dishes; the friendship has managed to withstand the tables of time. Y/n is now the head chief of their parents’ restaurant and finds Yunho in a culinary dilemma. He’s trying to improve his cooking to impress someone that he likes, being the great friend that they are Y/N offers to help him despite the feelings that they’ve harboured for Yunho for years.

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Pairing: Yunho x Gender Neural Reader

Word Count: 5.1k

Genre: Fluff, Angst

Contains: Fluff, Angst, Gender Neutral Reader, Yunho starting a fire,

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“Yunho you do realize that you’re supposed to wash the vegetables before you start cooking them right?” you jokingly ask your best friend while looking at him on a video call. “But they’re easier to wash when they’re already in cute little bite-sized pieces,” he responds while attempting to dice some uncleaned carrots and failing miserably. Rolling your eyes you respond, “If you wash chopped vegetables you're removing all of the water-soluble vitamins dummy,” you chuckle, “also; you do know that you still have the knife cover on right?” Even from your subpar camera quality, you could still see a pink tint spreading from his ears to his face; gently adorning his cheeks. “I was just making sure you were paying attention”, he laughs awkwardly while scratching the back of his neck.

Yunho had never been that skilled in the kitchen and by that you meant that he was absolutely horrible in the kitchen and you didn’t feel comfortable leaving him near a stove unsupervised. Sometimes you’ve wondered how he lasted this long without setting something on fire; he’s been very close to doing so on multiple occasions though. Yunho was a handful but at least your time together was never boring. He was always able to brighten your day even just by doing the simplest of things.

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You’d first met Yunho while working at your parents’ restaurant, you had just returned from school and the Music Festival down the street had attracted a lot of teenagers to the restaurant. Usually, you'd only work on the weekends but the packed dining area and waiting room had proven to be too much for the usual staff to handle. Changing into your uniform which consisted of a white dress shirt and black dress pants with comfortable shoes, you hastily made your way to the dining area.

You’ve always loved the atmosphere of the restaurant, what could be more satisfying than delivering edible works of art to others. Each dish that you served was a well-sculpted masterpiece waiting for consumption. Every aspect from the plates they were served on to the type of ingredients used were all thoroughly thought out with the goal of enchanting the pallet and while enriching the body.

The day sped by in the blink of an eye and before you knew it closing time had arrived. Your parents had left the task of closing up to you as they went to procure produce for the next day. The kitchen was cleaned, dining chairs wiped and tucked away ready to welcome new customers on a new day. Wiping the perspiration off of your brow you grabbed your bag and made your way to the door, only to be greeted by a small group of boys entering the dining area. “Could they not read?” you thought to yourself while welcoming them with your signature ‘Customer Service’ smile. “Good evening, sorry but we’re closed for the night,” you politely stated while looking at the group in question.

Now that they had fully entered the restaurant you could see their faces more clearly, they were all incredibly handsome; easily surpassing anyone you had ever seen in magazines. The one that seemed to be the shortest of the bunch let out a soft sigh while running his hand through his red hair before speaking. “Sorry about that we must not have seen the sign,” he smiled softly “, Yunho isn’t feeling very well so we thought that maybe he should get something to eat,” he continued while gesturing to one of his friends. “We’ve been out all day and I think the noise, the heat and the fact that all he ate today was a sandwich is finally getting to him”, he continues before letting his head gently hang down.

Looking up at the friend in question you are greeted by two warm, brown orbs; the caramel colour sparkled more brightly than the richest caramel sauce you’ve ever served. His complexion was bad, the pale white undertones reminding you of the pastry sugar you use to garnish deserts; smooth and delicate, perfect for baked goods, not so much for people. Was it wrong to be this infatuated with someone who was feeling ill? Even at his worse, this man was still a sight to behold. Towering above you with a smile that shone so bright, like the crystal clear chandeliers that hung over your head his smile could easily light up a room. Truly a dazzling sight to behold...

The sound of someone’s voice had pulled you out of your thoughts. Recomposing yourself quickly you came to realize that it belonged to the red-haired boy. “We should get going guys,” he stated with a dejected tone. “They must be tired”, you thought “, one meal surely couldn’t hurt”. “The kitchen staff have all left,” you spoke, nervousness in your voice, “but I can make you something if you’d like.” You averted your eyes as your face began to heat up, you’ve only ever cooked for your family and the restaurant staff. What if you messed up? What if they don’t like it? Your mind flooded with negative possibilities- “Thank you.” You looked up, searching for the owner of that sweet and gentle voice. If you had to describe it it would be an Angel food cake; soft, light and airy; it filled you with comfort.

You smiled brightly when your eyes meet. Yunho was his name, right? It’s amazing; how could one person shine so brightly? He wasn’t even trying, with washed-out skin, beads of perspiration and soft airy gasps for breathe he still manages to get your attention as the most handsome in the room. If this was his presence when ill how brightly was his light when he wasn’t? You felt a blush creeping up to your cheeks. You shook it off, trying to stay focused on the task at hand; preparing a dinner that won’t upset an already upset stomach. Easy right? Keeping that in mind you opted to make a Simple Italian Gnocchi Soup with extra vegetables to boost his antioxidants. It wasn’t the most extravagant meal you’ve made but you didn’t want to overwhelm his pallet or upset his stomach further.

You went to the kitchen and prepared the meal because it was simple it didn’t take you to long. Plating the meals you arranged them on the waiters’ table and began rolling it to the party of boys.

The loud, environment of the bustling dining room you remembered from earlier paled in comparison to the thunderous sounds made by the group of boys upon the arrival of food. Their excited noises and gestures filled the building and also your heart. Despite their slightly reserved demeanour, they had an almost childlike aura surrounding them. It was a warm comforting feeling which you gladly welcomed. Placing their meal on the stark white table cloth, you smiled shyly before retreating to the kitchen.

You stayed there attempting to busy yourself with your phone, this action, however, proved to be futile. Your mind was filled with the bright-eyed boy seated only a few steps away from you. If you stood up you could peek through the door into the dining room, where you were sure he was eating happily. Radiating that joyous aura that had already captured your heart and refused to let go.

You don’t know how much time had passed but you were pulled out of your thoughts by the kitchen door swinging open and colliding with your leg. “Ouch,” you surprisingly exclaimed. You really weren’t expecting that. Pulling your eyes away from your slightly bruised leg you look up to be greeted by two bright brown orbs dripping with concern. “Oh my god I’m so sorry-” he began to explain rather quickly, words mending together as he desperately attempted to apologize. Your laugh had quickly cut him off though and his once worried expression is replaced with a puzzled look.

Placing your hand over your stomach in an attempt to ease the pain of your laugher you tried your best to compose yourself. Further investigation of the boy in front of you; you finally realized why he had entered the kitchen in the first place. With him, he had all of the used dishes and silverware stacked neatly on the waiters’ table. “Thank you for bringing them in I’ll take it from here,” you stated courteously while stretching for the handle of the cart. Your action was deemed unsuccessful due to one rather handsome and seemingly troublesome male grabbing your hand. Little did you know that this one chance encounter would turn into the strongest friendship that you’ve ever had.

“I can help,” he smiled brightly at you.

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You smile fondly before you are yanked out of your thoughts by what you assumed to be the sound of water being poured on a hot pot. Placing your hands on your temple you massage your growing headache as you look at your hopeless friend who seems to make preparing fried vegetables look like a warzone. “Hey, Yunho, why don’t you just come over and I’ll make anything you wanna eat okay,” you say to your best friend who looks like he’s having a fistfight with a clove of garlic and the garlic is unfortunately winning.

“You know that I love your cooking but I really can’t,” he states, “I need to learn how to do this kinda stuff on my own.” You lightly chuckle at his determination; of all of the years that you’ve both known each other, he’s never once expressed any interest in learning how to cook on his own. “Where did this sudden revelation come from?” you inquire; eyebrows raising in interest. “I just wanna be able to make a fancy steak dinner for two,” he mumbles while stretching the back of his head. You couldn’t stop the shocked gasp from escaping your mouth. Did he just say what you thought he just said? From the red hue that had made its way up to Yunho’s face accompanied by wide eyes and an agape mouth, you knew that your assumption had been right.

Yunho had a crush.

You couldn’t believe it. You had just assumed that Yunho could never be interested in anyone. You’ve both been friends for so long and he’d never even shown the slightest of interests in anyone. “Pretend that you didn’t hear that,” he shouts while pointing an accusatory finger at his phone screen trying his best not to appear like a deer in the headlights. “Pretend that I didn’t hear what? That my little YuYu is tryna impress someone with a lovely dinner,” you tease him; smiling from ear to ear. He released an exasperated sigh before placing his head on the cold marble counter in a futile attempt to cool his heating face. “How about you take them to my restaurant? You guys can sit at the best table we have and everything,” you offer a suggestion to your best friend; your nosey side getting the better of you.

“No, I wanna do this on my own” he states while stepping closer to his phone screen, a look of determination clearly on his face. “Wow, you must really like them then,” you mummer softly; more to yourself than to Yunho but that doesn’t stop him from hearing every word. “I do like them, I have since the very first day I met them,” he says, his eyes never once leaving yours. A clear glint shone from them as they stared directly at you.

You both were unsure of how long you’ve been in this staring contest but you broke apart upon hearing the blaring sound of Yunho’s fire alarm. He’s finally done it. It took a couple of years but he’s finally succeeded. He has successfully started a fire. It was honestly only a matter of time. You see Yunho rush to the sink to get water to extinguish the fire “, No, you can’t use water on a grease fire!” you exclaim. “Find a lid to cover the pan. The fire will suffocate once there is no more oxygen,” you instructed. Yunho followed your instructions perfectly and managed to get the fire under control.

Releasing a sigh of relief you slouched into your chair as Yunho attempted to shut off his fire alarm. “That’s an interesting technique. I’ve never seen someone beat their alarm with a broomstick before,” you commented, chuckling at your friend. “This isn’t funny Y/N. Why am I so hopeless?” he asked sighing heavily as he rested his head into his palms. “You’re not hopeless; you can reach to the top shelf at the grocery store for me,” you jokingly respond trying to lighten the mood. You’ve never seen him this distraught before, this must be important to him, they must be really important to him.

Yunho chooses to ignore your comment leaving his face to rest in his sweaty palms. There had to be something that you could do, you were his best friend after all. “Okay how about this? I’ll teach you everything that you need to know,” look at him biting your lips (that had always been a nervous habit of yours). He peeled his hands away from his face and you readied yourself for rejection. “You always were a nosey one weren’t you?” he said smirking at you. “You could say that it’s my middle name,” you smile at him.

Thus began your weekly cooking sessions well more like weekend-ly cause you’d meet up every weekend with the kidlike giant you called Yunho. The first few sessions were just basic knowledge or at least that’s what you thought but apparently it wasn’t because Yunho could literally burn water if you gave him a chance. You all went through everything from how to light the stove to how to chop vegetables and even how to properly season meats. I was really fun which wasn’t very surprising since you were teaching Yunho after all, he was basically a walking party. You were usually really serious in the kitchen but there was just something about Yunho that just always brought out your childish side, his playfulness was highly contagious.

Yunho was surprisingly a fast learner, you knew that he’d always excel in physical activities but growing up you were never in the same classes so it kinda surprised you how good his memory was. After 2 weeks and four sessions, he was already making the perfect sauce and chopping vegetables like a pro. Well, he wasn’t as good as you but he really was amazing, once he’s really put his mind to something he always does well at it.

You’re pulled out of your thoughts by Yunho calling your name. “Y/n, earth to Y/n. Is anybody in there?”. You jump back slightly surprised by his presence. Not like he was here all day cooking with you or anything. Raising your head slightly you look up at the male who easily towering over you. He smiles slightly, a soft shape of pink dusting his cheeks. Holding a silver fork he raises his hand towards your mouth, what appeared to be a medium-rare steak sitting on its edge. Oh yeah, you both were making steak today. This was the second to last day that you both would be working on individual components of the meal, next week you were supposed to work on preparing fresh salad. You were convinced that Yunho could at least do that on his own but he desperately expressed that he couldn’t, almost begging you to teach him. Was fresh salad really that difficult to make?

You opened your mouth allowing him to place feed you the steak. Retrieving the meat from the fork you chew the tender substance letting the taste fill your tastebuds. You couldn’t help the smile that lit up your face; it was good, like really good. You’d season it with a bit more garlic but you’ve been to restaurants whos meals didn’t taste that good. “This is amazing YuYu!” you exclaim pulling him into a hug, you were so incredibly proud of him; granted he could only cook one meal but isn’t it better to be great at making one meal then be able to make multiple subpar dishes or at least that’s what you thought. Yunho looks down in a futile attempt to hide his evergrowing blush spreading from his face to his neck. “You really think so Y/N”, he asks while scratching the back of his neck.

“Of course I do. It’s really good,” you state while reaching for a knife and fork to procure another bite for yourself. “So there is nothing you would change?” he inquires while looking at you; smiling at the little dance you did after taking another bite. “Well,” you begin while finishing your second bite before speaking “, personally I’d like it to be seasoned with a little more garlic but that’s just my personal preference,” you continue while wiping a speck of sauce off of the corner of your face. You see Yunho scurry to the kitchen counter where he had a notebook which he called his “Taste-book” cause it’s a play on the word Textbook. You had once made the mistake of pointing out that he was technically wrong for naming it that because his book was a notebook and not a textbook to which he responded with a simple “, It’s actually better than a notebook because it contains your words.” How were you supposed to respond to that? How? You just left it as it was cause there was no way that you’d be able to win a fight against him..unless he let you.

You saw him scribble some notes in his hardly legible penmanship, you had no idea how he was able to comprehend what he wrote but he’d always say the same about you. Glancing across the dining table you look at the clock before releasing a long sigh. Yunho had always left at around 6 every day, he could stay longer if he wanted to but you could never muster up the courage to ask him to stay even a minute longer. It wasn’t like he was interested in you anyway; he already had someone that he liked. You feel your lower lip begin to quiver as you attempt to hold in the tears which were attempting to fall. You’ve known that this day would come but you thought that you had at least a few more years, just enough for you to find someone else to love, that there would be someone who would make you feel at least an ounce of the happiness that you felt when you were with Yunho.

You liked him, like you really liked him. You thought that maybe you would be okay standing at the sidelines as long as he was happy but a part of you always believed the pretty words that he would speak to you when he had just a little too much to drink on the days when he’s spent a little too long with his friends. He’d always drunkenly end up at your doorstep slurring something about him being hungry and wanting to eat your cooking. After making some simple Hangover Soup for him he’d lay on the couch resting his head on your lap while you aimlessly played with his hair until he fell asleep. He’d always nuzzle himself into your lap murmuring to you about how happy he was to have met you and that he was always the happiest when he was with you. And a part of you would always just blindly believed him, you needed to believe him. You helplessly gripped at that little glimmer of hope that his words gave you, you would’ve held unto them forever if you could. Although it hurt to hold on for so long you knew that it would pain you so much more to let go.

You couldn’t stop the tears that welled up in your eyes from gently trickling down your cheeks. Hastily wiping the tears which escaped your eyes trying your best to seem as inconspicuous as possible. But Yunho being the Golden Retriever that he was almost immediately picked up on the drastic change in your mood. “What’s wrong Y/n?” you hear his ask as he rushes to your side holding your shoulders in his hands while bending slightly to look you in your eyes.

“Nothing dummy,” you force yourself to say while putting on your best fake laugh “, it’s the onions that you left on the counter.” Slightly pushing at his chest you step back slightly before grabbing at the open bowl of onions that Yunho had neglected to cover. “I didn’t think that I had to teach you how to clean up after yourself YuYu,” you chuckle while raising your eyebrow slightly. Yunho looks at you with a puzzled expression probably attempting to read your mood. Afraid that he’d see through your lie you remind him that it was almost time for him to go. You see Yunho’s eyebrows furrow before he pulls you into a hug. This hug was so much different than any of the countless hugs that you’ve shared before, you relaxed in his arms as you held unto his shirt holding on for as long as you could before he inevitably pulled away. But he never did, neither of you did. You stayed there enjoying each other’s embrace, drowning out everything around you as listened to the steady beat of each others’ hearts.

Hearing the blearing sound of what you could only identify as Mingi’s car horn breaking through the silence that you both had grown comfortable in you jump slightly. You attempt to end the hug that you and Yunho had been engaging in but this action was soon proven to be futile as you feel Yunho’s grip tighten around your back pulling you in even closer. You feel a warmth in your cheeks as you attempt to calm your heart; your mind already going into overdrive due to your close proximity. “Same time next week teacher,” he softly whispers into your ear before finally pulling apart. You could see the smirk on his face before he turns around to grab his things.

Why was he doing this to you? Holding on to you so tightly when all you were trying to do is let go. Showing you the world in colour knowing that one day you’d have to wake up to a world of black and white, a world without Yunho.

------------------------------------

Today was supposed to be your last class teaching Yunho and honestly, you were both happy and sad. Happy because you no longer have to fake a smile as he happily cooked, practising for the person that he loved; a person who wasn’t you. Being in his presence hurt when his smile wasn’t because of you, it hurt knowing that pretty soon he’d leave and you’d hardly ever get to see him. He won’t show up at your apartment at ungodly hours asking for soup and snuggles, you’d really miss that. You’d always stock up on all of the ingredients that you needed every time he spoke about going out drinking with Hongjoong and the boys; rushing through the grocery store frantically searching for everything that you needed because he was coming over and he got pouty every time he couldn’t get soup. You could never say “No” to those puppy dog eyes filled with sadness upon hearing that you couldn’t make him his hangover remedy.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of your mind you take a few deep breathes before walking down the hallway of Yunho’s apartment building. Yunho had texted you earlier saying that he couldn’t make it to your place because he was really busy with work. You told him that you could just reschedule for another day but it seemed like he was having absolutely none of it. So there you were walking down the halls of Yunho’s apartment at 6 p.m. because he couldn’t get off work before that. He usually didn’t work on weekends but he did say that work was getting more demanding, you really hoped that he wasn’t burning himself out in order to impress someone. Reaching his apartment door you gently knock on the oak surface.

Waiting for a response you bounce on your heels until you hear him shout from somewhere in his probably dishevelled apartment. Grasping the doorknob you step into his apartment, you’ve been there at least a hundred times but it looked so different. All of the lights were off; the entire living area dimly lit due to the candles burning. Looking down you see a trail of bright red rose petals contrasting with the dark wood of the apartment floor. Dropping your bags in confusion you follow the trail which leads to Yunho’s dining area. Turning the corner you were greeted by a candlelight dinner. Placed at the centre of the table was a bouquet of your favourite flowers with rose petals bordering the vase. Tall slender candles framed the room burning their bright lights throughout the area, you can smell a hint of lavender; your favourite scent.

Glancing beyond the beautifully decorated table you spot Yunho dressed in a dark brown blazer and a bouquet of roses in his hand. Even the dimly lit lights of the room couldn’t prevent you from seeing the blush that consumed his face. “T-table for two?” he asked fumbling over his words. “Oh umm these are for you,” he says averting his eyes and extending his hand with the roses. Taking the bouquet from his hand you smile before mumbling a soft “Thank you”. If someone had asked you what you expected to see when you walked into Yunho’s apartment that sight was going to be the last response on your list; if it was there at all. Hearing shuffling you look away from the roses in your hands you see the man in question pulling a seat at the table before looking at you hopefully. You’ve never seen that look in his eyes before, a bright glint of happiness mixed together with despair. Was this the cause? Were you the cause?

Taking a seat at the table you wait for Yunho to speak but only silence filled the room. Turning around in search of Yunho you’re greeted with emptiness. What is going on? Your mind was racing the longer you remained in that room alone. Soon enough Yunho’s voice breaks through the deafening silence “, Your appetizer,” he states before placing a small plate containing a few pieces of what appeared to be Cheesy Pesto Bread. You smiled to yourself while looking at the dish, it didn’t look perfect but it screamed Yunho, it was funny how he could take such a simple dish and make it so..him. You loved it; you loved him.

Looking up from the plate you notice Yunho’s eyes staring at you, the warm brown hue drip like honey off a spoon. Taking a bite of the bread you’re pleasantly surprised, for something that you didn’t teach him it tasted amazing. Looking up from your meal you hear a soft chuckle from Yunho. “You have crumbs on your face,” he says while extending his hand to wipe the remnants of your meal off of your face. You smile softly at the action. Was this all for you?

Dinner was mostly silent besides the gentle clattering of each other’s silverware against the plates. Once you had both completed your meal Yunho cleared his throat before sitting up straight looking you in your eyes.

“I like you Y/n,” he states voice faltering slightly as he attempts to swallow his nervousness. “Since the day that I met you, I always wanted you by my side. I don’t think that I can live another day without being able to call you mine,” he continues. “I know that its a lot to take in and I’ll wait for your answer for as long as it takes just promise me that you’ll at least consider it.” You look into his eyes shining so brightly even under dim lights

“Can I answer right now?” you inquire. “I’d rather you not; I need to emotionally prepare myself for rejection,” he responds half-jokingly while scratching the back of his neck eyes suddenly finding interest in the candles which glow by the door. “I like you to Yunho,” you state while reaching for his hand from across the table. “I like you so much that I sometimes don’t even know what to do-” you begin. “Date me,” he interjects; his voice more steady than before eyes once again finding solace in your own. “Okay,” you respond squeezing his hand slightly while smiling at him.

“You know that you didn’t need to do all of this for me right?” you inquire giggling slightly at Yunho’s extravagant nature. He waited three weeks, honestly maybe even more; just to be able to prepare you a candlelight dinner so he could confess He really didn’t have to, you would have easily said yes if you were both sitting eating pizza while watching movies in your pyjamas on a Friday night. “I didn’t take confessing to you lightly cause I don’t take my love for you lightly,” he responded without an ounce of doubt in his voice. His determination was a personality trait which seemed to have extended to his love life as well.

“So what dish are you making for me next?”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tagging @yunhoshoe cause he said so...hope it lives up to your expectations

#ateez fluff #ateez angst #yunho x reader #yunho fluff #Yunho fic #Ateez fic #i worked way too hard on this #But I love it tho

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regardingseas · 4 years

Text

Ttile: Echoed Vexations (Part One, part two linked)

Fandom: Hermitcraft

Rating: Teen and up audiences (violence warning)

AO3: here! (Full story at once)

•••

Plot Summary:

It's all too easy to turn a blind eye to the past-- to believe that because someone has been shielded from harm's way, they should no longer fear the wrath of their opponent's creed. They're safe now, after all, so why would they..?

Yes, Scar and Cub are certainly "safe", but they're still haunted by memories of the Vex and their deals all the same.

An average afternoon during the HCB Base Swap is cut short when Mumbo accidentally digs up a remnant from Scar's Vex partnership days, and unfortunately for the town's mayor, the other Hermit is far from aware just how triggering the topic can truly be. Things only dissolve from there, and in the end, Grian lends a helping hand to console a friend.

•••

Additional Content Warnings:

Depictions of trauma disorders, panic attacks, flashbacks, paranoid thoughts/delusions, manipulation, gaslighting, threats, injury, and violence. Mentions of religious themes, unintentional self-harm, and non-permanent character death.

Do be careful, but otherwise, enjoy!

•••

The sun was still high in the sky even as Scar finished decorating the monument's support chains, sweltering rays beaming down and adding to the oppressive humidity of the jungle around him. With his usual jacket set aside to fight the heat, he wiped away the beads of sweat that had gathered on his forehead and grabbed a stray bucket from the sidelines. He'd nearly finished the waterfall aspect of the design-- crystal blue streams cascading over the edges of four white spanners, all joining together in the octagonal pool at the base's foundation. It was looking quite spectacular, if he were to say so himself, with the vine-coiled braces and additional water currents tying the otherwise juxtaposing themes together nicely.

Scar scooped up a fresh pail of water, filling it to the brim and hauling it towards the last pillar. He glanced down at the container as he carried it, catching a glimpse of his reflection from the liquid inside. His face shone red with effort, misplaced strands of hair having clung themselves to his tan skin.

Though unsurprised, he still couldn't help but laugh at the rippling image. "It's just my luck I'd swap with another jungle dwelling Hermit. I swear, I can never escape this climate for long. First the island last year, then all this."

With a shake of his head he returned his gaze upwards, continuing to muse aloud to the landscape before him, "You tropics are wonderful and all, but it sure would've been a nice change of pace to set up camp in somewhere like the mountains. Or pull total 180 and have landed in the tundras!"

Concepts for each design raced through his head, each idea fighting the others for dominance and tacking details onto itself, trying to land its place on the metaphorical pedestal of his imagination. A cottage with medieval influences? No, that would be far too typical, amp both of those components up. An entire village with a steampunk driven aesthetic, built into the mountainscape itself; no doubt with custom terraforming to integrate the buildings into the natural environment. That was more like it.

Scar could envision working windmills and waterwheels accompanying purposefully makeshift farmlands, historic blimps having reclaimed skies where they'd soar high overhead. Below them, eye-catching pops of colour, shining through as floating lanterns that hover above connective rope bridges.

As for the arctic concept? Something more grand would be ideal. In his fantasy, he'd created an absolute oxymoron of the words cabin and mansion jumbled together, and he adored it that way. A bottom floor made of bricked stone, the top made of logs and large windows to oversee the view. Accompanying them in the same manner would be a balcony, propped on columns that hugged the building and curved around its corners. The top deck would be open for clear days, and the space below it safe on harsher ones. Sloped roofs would be adorned with chimneys, and the interior warmed by cozy flames that were kept organized with inviting lofts. The living area could be split leveled, sinking down to create its own margin where guests could comfortably gather by the fireplace and--

There was a tug at his ankle, and next thing he knew, a bemused Scar went crashing to the ground, having been too caught up to notice the trailing plants blocking his footway. His hands shot out to catch himself, palms scraping against the concrete floor in a way similar to the childhood stunt of crashing and burning on the pavement. A stinging snapped up his arms, and the water bucket dropped from his grasp, clattering down with a metallic rumble before spilling its contents across the floor.

Scar pushed himself upright with a hiss of air through his teeth, shaking off his grazed palms and wiping them on his jeans. Pulling his foot free from the greenery and gathering himself up was no problem, what was a problem, however, was the troubling sight now before him.

The water had spilled all over one of Mumbo's redstone contraptions, causing the device to short circuit and emit a sort of maroon-grey smoke. The wires fashioned from the compacted dust had been all but washed away, any remaining pieces hanging on by threads and failing miserably whenever a signal attempted to fire; more so sizzling rather than surging alight with energy.

"Oh, crud!" he shouted, racing towards the machine and yanking on the shut-off switch to divert any further input from the broken setup.

It powered down, but Scar was still left swatting the coloured smoke from his face, coughing as the scent of burnt metallics filled his nostrils. When had he gotten so absorbed in possible building opportunities that he'd managed to miss the foliage in front of him? Why had he even been wondering so deeply about it, anyway? This event was about improving one another's bases by adding their own personal touches, not starting a new project entirely.

Scar sighed, he wasn't sure why his mind had begun drifting so far. He'd like to blame it on the wild imagination of a builder, but he had a feeling there was a little more to it. Sometimes, when the world wasn't too much to handle, it was too easy to let fall away. Maybe he spent too much time daydreaming-- he was sure there was a word for that, when trances became so all encompassing, so engrossing.

"But I don't have time to think about that right now," he reminded himself, "I really need to fix this. It doesn't look like most of this redstone is salvageable, I'll have to get new supplies to repair it. Maybe some of the circuits are okay..?"

Scar nudged a repeater with his shoe, the device making an unnatural sloshing noise in his attempt to change the feed-in. He scrunched up his nose, "Okay, nope, gonna need to replace that, too."

Running a hand through his hair in defeat, he glanced towards Mumbo's storage system before shaking his head. It wouldn't be right to use the other man's supplies without asking, let alone waste them on a mistake made due to Scar's own carelessness. He'd have to make his way back to his original base and gather the materials from there once more. When he dropped by initially, he figured he'd gotten everything he needed, but apparently hadn't accounted for dissociation-induced redstone mishaps.

"I guess we're making a trip back," Scar announced to no one, finally picking up the empty bucket to set it safely aside. He made his way over to his tent, temporarily discarding any excess materials and bidding adieu to Jellie before grabbing his elytra and setting off.

Taking to the skies, Scar squinted against the wind as it roared in his ears. His hair parted itself from where it had stuck, short locks brushed back by the flowing breeze. With arms extended for balance, and maybe a dash of amusement, he lit his rockets and propelled himself into the distance.

-----

It wasn't long before he encroached on his base again, allowing his faux wings to glide him downward where he kicked out his legs to come to a soft landing. Scar stopped before the massive drill site just on the outskirts of the forest, heading towards the agglomeration of crates and boxes he had haphazardly stowed aside. He was certain there had to be the necessary hardware in one of the many containers, though which that may be was lost on him. At least, thanks to Mumbo and his new storage system, the chest monster he'd created would soon be a thing of the past.

"I wonder how that's going for him..." Scar pondered, striding over to a random shulker and beginning his sure-to-be protracted search.

"Scar?" a familiar voice interrupted, making him peer ahead to see the moustached man himself rounding the corner. "Hello there! I see you've made yourself rather at home at my base," Mumbo teased.

He couldn't help but chuckle, "That I have. I just needed to stop by and pick up some redstone and iron. With all the ore this place has quarried up, I was sure there's bound to be more of that here than back at Larry."

Mumbo faked surprise with a hearty grin, "Getting into mechanics, are we? Have the inner workings of the temple really had that much influence on you after only a few days?"

"Now I wouldn't say that," Scar shook his head and closed the lid of the grey shulker, seeing no point in hiding the truth. "I took a tumble holding a bucket of water and it kinda spilled on one of the contraptions. I'm sorry for the trouble-- but don't worry! I came here to fix it right up. I just didn't wanna waste your materials fixing my silly error."

The suited man waved his hand dismissively, "Nonsense, it's no trouble. Have you seen the improvements you've made to that place? I mean, of course you've seen them, you built them, but rhetorically speaking--" Mumbo cleared his throat, "Just don't fret over it, I trust that you'll have it fixed right up in no time."

Scar smiled, "Thanks, dude. Now I just have to find where on Earth I put those ore…"

Mumbo gave another laugh, "You know, you can feel free to use some of my things if need be. I have no idea how you expect to find anything in this mess. I'm only trying to do a basic look through so I know where to begin when it comes to the item sorter, but even that doesn't seem to do much good. I swear, it's like trying to play a very intense game of memory, with thousands of nonsensical cards all scattered about."

Scar snickered sheepishly at the comparison, "Yeah, no kidding. But being able to use some resources without flying all the way over here would be great. Thanks again, Mumbo. I don't know if there's anything you'll need here while working, but hey, consider it free range. We're doing these things for each other in the long run, anyway."

"I'd say, 'unless we don't switch back our deeds', but in all honesty? I'm beginning to miss the ol' living monument already."

The two exchange a chuckle before returning to their previous tasks, both going back to digging through the pile of chests in preparation for their projects.

It took longer than Scar wanted to admit to finally find the crate stocked with valuables-- sighing in relief at the sight and immediately beginning to pile the items into his inventory. There were pre-smelted metals from an iron farm, so he didn't have to bother with the ore, and the redstone he'd gathered was already in dust from, meaning all he'd have to do was craft the items after returning.

"I wonder if it would've been easier to stop by the shopping district and buy these directly, instead of making them by hand..." he said, "Oh well, saves on diamonds, and these had to be used some time, I guess."

"Talking to yourself over there?" Mumbo asked.

"Just thinking aloud is all."

"I see," the moustached man nodded, pushing himself up from where he'd been examining the supplies. "I found something neat from last year! Do you wanna see?"

"Sure!" Scar agreed, setting aside his intent of flying back in favour of seeing what it was Mumbo had to show him.

He smiled and stepped over to Scar, holding out a faded piece of paper for them both to see, "I found it stuck to the bottom of a shulker box! Can you believe we used to be competition so recently?" He joked.

Scar could only stare at the advert before him, a steele blue page embellished with a vault-like ring in the center. It meant nothing to the untrained eye, but to him, all of the company's horrors were sealed underneath. ConCorp read bold text in half-connected lettering, the logo finalizing its signature with a black bow tie adorning the bottom.

"Hardly," managed Scar, having just remembered he'd been asked a question, "But it wasn't that recent."

"It was practically yesterday if we're talking business," Mumbo snickered, "but we aren't. I'm not very good at business."

"Me neither, I prefer mayorship," he said in an attempt to change the subject.

Mumbo, however, didn't seem to notice, only turning to stare at Scar with eyes wide. "Are you kidding me? You were quite literally the richest Hermit of all last year! You're wonderful at business. Sahara was amazing, and I don't for a second doubt it was the most ambitious project of our group to date, but she had plenty of bugs, being the machine powered industry that she was. ConCorp, however? That was an utter monopoly! The thing lasted two bloody seasons!"

Scar chuckled awkwardly, "I know, I know, Cub and I worked very hard. But it wasn't all us, we couldn't have done it alone."

"Give yourself more credit," Mumbo insisted, "I'm more than convinced you could have gotten your business up and running even without the help of your Vex friends. Weren't they less prominent in your company last year, anyway? You did change your guy's name from ConVex to ConCorp, after all. I think that would imply less input on their part."

"Not really," he explained, though the tension building in his body was becoming harder to conceal. He had to keep his arms rigid so that they wouldn't shake, forcing in deep breaths to avoid the shaky ones that threatened to take their place. "We just thought it would be better for business, rebranding to something more gentlemanly and all."

Mumbo nodded, "Ah, that makes sense. Though I still don't understand how you managed to work with them to begin with. I likely wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes. I mean business partners with the Vex? Friends, even? How'd you do it? Not to mention why? With all due respect, what makes one seek that out?"

Scar blinked hard at the influx of questions, "Oh, it's- it's really complicated, you might not understand. Cub started it, though. I joined the team not long after, but I wasn't there when he first struck the deal with Them."

"Huh, some deal," Mumbo remarked thoughtfully, and Scar nodded.

He had no idea.

"So what made you leave that behind?" Mumbo continued.

"What?" he asked, finding his thoughts hazy. They were static nothingness, but somehow also crashing into his skull. He found himself having to dig his way through them, while at the same time trying to bury them once he passed. The last thing Scar wanted was to do was hark back to the Vex, to beckon forth Their memory with his own.

The other man simply chuckled, oblivious to Scar's inner turmoil. "ConCorp, the Vex. Did you two just get bored? Having done the same thing for too long?"

"In a sense, you could definitely say we were tired of it. It just- well, it wasn't what we wanted to do anymore. We wanted to move on to new things."

"That's fair enough. Do you blokes still get along? Or did they take the corporation's end like a sour breakup?"

This time, Scar couldn't contain his wince. "We're still friends!" he insisted, "Of course the Vex are my friends."

Mumbo finally quirked a brow, "Are you sure about that? You don't have to worry about hiding some burnt corporal bridges from me, I'm not here to judge."

"Oh yeah, I'm positive," he nodded eagerly, "I'm just- I'm gonna go work on fixing that contraption I damaged, best to get it fixed before we have to switch back."

"Buddy, are you sure everything's alright? I'm sorry if I upset you or anything."

"Nah, I'm just peachy!" Scar announced with far too much false enthusiasm, internally cringing at his failed masking abilities. Not allowing any more time for his ruse to be cracked, he uttered a quick goodbye before adjusting the straps on his elytra and dashing off, leaping into the air and back towards the ruins.

"Scar, wait!" Mumbo tried, but he was already gone.

------

The returning flight was far from the peaceful journey he'd made to the excitation site. His artificial wings beat frantically, struggling to keep up as he charged forward with excessive firepower. He paid no mind to the safety protocol regarding the rocket's cool-down period, simply heralding through the air as fast as his elytra would carry him. Scar arrived back to the monument in a trip overall much faster than when he'd left, but it seemed to drag on for an eternity. The entire excursion consisted of a battle with his own mind-- a war in which he knew he was bound to lose, but he had to hold down the fort until he was on solid ground.

Scar was lucky not to crash into the debris upon landing, frantically stumbling to the dirt and having to grasp onto a piece of wreckage to maintain his balance. His legs nearly buckled under his weight, form trembling in spite of the deep breaths he gave it his all to draw in.

He grasped hard to the rubble, trying to anchor his brain into focus. He couldn't let his thoughts spiral, he couldn't think about Them. He knew grounding techniques, and he tried to rush his way through them.

Five things you can see.

He could see the golden heart, plants, stone, the golden heart again-- the thing was too anatomically correct, he'd seen horrors too similar to it before. And the sound, it was too damn loud, too hard to ignore. Its unsteady rhythm hammering in his ears alongside his own faltering pulse.

Forget visuals, four different noises?

Scar squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to listen, focusing hard on the world around him. Still, he could only hear the heart. He could only hear it pounding, its once melodic notes like nails on a chalkboard. He could remember far too many times when he was left alone with nothing but his heartbeat and his pleas.

Tactile. Texture. What can you feel? Three things you can feel.

Internally, he screamed at his dulling senses to return. God, he didn't want to think about Them, it wasn't worth the risk. They'd been inside his head before, and the mere idea of having his thoughts broadcasted again made his stomach churn. Scar tried harder and harder to suppress the images bubbling to the surface, festering like maggots in an old wound. The more he tried to push them down, however, the fiercer they'd rise back up, and he choked down a sob in attempt to list the sensations he could currently identify.

He could feel the stone-- but he already said the stone, didn't he? He could also feel the sun. It was hot against his back. So hot. He was overheating.

The notes should have been a success, but the drops of sweat felt too akin to tricking blood. The sting of his hands felt too much like the friction burn of a rope. It felt too much like he was back with the Vex again, and as he finally sunk to the soil, he could no longer swim against the onslaught of memories crashing over him like a tidal wave.

They could still hear him, They could still hear him, They could still hear him, They could still get him--

------

The day he and Cub first found the courage to try and cut ties with the Vex had been a hellish one, and the two men weren't even successful in their attempt. Hence, of course, it being the first.

Still, it had taken ages for Scar to persuade Cub that it was even worth trying, the other man having believed it was impossible to sneak anything past the Vex on their own. Scar was persistent, however, and eventually convinced his friend they had a shot if they played their cards right, if they made the right proposal without their intentions being discovered.

They'd constructed their plans in secret for weeks; discussing them only inside of untold locations with hushed whispers, or in the form of coded scrawls they'd burn immediately after reading. They couldn't be too careful, that's what they'd tell themselves whenever they worried their precautionary measures may be over the top. Even so, when a so-called conference was put on the schedule --such events were far from any type of cordial meeting, despite having been assigned the title of one-- the men were hardly prepared for it.

Their conference room consisted of a needlessly grandiose suite, with floors of marble and walls carved from deep umber wood. The polished lumber was adorned with expensive paintings in aureate frames; antique laden shelves taking up the spaces they did not. Aesthetically pleasing decorative tactics were discarded in favour of showing off their riches in a possessive cluster, with the only average items being the table and its chairs sat in the dead center of the area. A chandelier of gemstone and gold swung from above, dangling by the same chains fated to one day bind their vassals.

"Concordats, greetings!" A Vex declared as the men were led through the doorway, hovering in the air at the opposing end of the surface.

"Greetings," parroted Cub minimally, Scar giving a plain nod beside him. Fewer words meant less chance at letting their guard down.

"We've been needing to speak with you," a different Vex chimed.

"Speak with you about the business," yet another visitant confirmed.

"We actually need to discuss similar matters with you all," Scar noted, voice and expression a façade of tranquility.

"You do?" the first asked, wide smile replaced with inquiry.

"Yes," managed Cub, "we want to make you an offer, one you can't refuse."

"I do like the sound of that!" the second snickered.

"We'll hear your offer," the Vex grinned, "we only have one question first!"

"Of course, what is it?" asked Scar, in mental awe of how well their exchange was going.

"Do you recognize these?" it asked, gesturing towards the white table where a blue light flashed, fading away to reveal a small pile of ash.

Cub and Scar glanced to one another in evident confusion, the latter of the two speaking once again, "Forgive me, but we're not sure what you're talking about."

"Oh, silly me!" the Vex giggled, another flash of luminesce encompassing the soot and leaving a stack of papers in its place. As if caught in a controlled gust, they blew from the surface and organized themselves midair; levitating in a cloud of magic.

All of their once burnt notes were lined up before them, cyphers needed to crack their messages included.

Still beaming with innocence, it continued, "How about now? Look familiar?"

The blood drained from their faces, and Scar could have sworn his heart was going to burst from his chest with how hard it was drumming. He wanted to wake up, because this had to be a nightmare.

"No, we have no idea what those are," he tried.

LAIR!

Overlapping voices screamed in his head, all sounding in haunting unison. Scar hastily clapped his hands over his ears, but it did nothing to silence the uproar emanating from within.

You try to break our contract then lie to our faces?

Foolish concordats.

Terrible secret keepers, terrible subjects.

Cub seized hold of Scar's arm and made a break for the door with the brunet in tow, reaching the exit and tugging desperately on the handles. They refused to turn under his grasp, and his eyes darted back towards the Vex; floating creatures growing ever closer to their imaginary bubble providing them with the illusion of safety.

More of Them were phasing in through walls, forms non-corporeal and having no need for the sealed entryway.

Apologize.

They all ordered, Scar flinching at the simultaneous projection. He lowered his hands and turned towards Them, watching Their unmoving grins with wide eyes.

Kneel before your gods and divulge your prayers, we may just show you mercy.

"I'm sorry-" Scar whimpered, but Cub was having none of it.

"No!" the man barked, "Screw this! This isn't worth it! None of this is worth it! He's right! The business, the money, the power, it-- it means nothing! Not when you treat us like this!"

They watched him step forward, his furious yells echoing through the expanse of the room, "We're done! And we mean it! You're going to get us go or else!"

An orchestra of shrill cackles filled the air.

Oooh, it's angry.

They're fighting back!

Teach them a lesson.

"You won't dare make another-" Cub's retaliation was cut short with a cry, the bearded man dropping to the ground in a swift crash.

"Cub!" Scar called, but his attempt to step towards his friend was met only with a searing pain through his legs and the subsequent buckling of his knees. He fell to the marble, limbs heavy as if they'd been weighted. It took considerable force to balance on his arms, appendages left shaking as he peered back up towards the Vex.

He regretted it instantly.

•••

(Part two)

#hermitcraft #hermitcraft fanfic #goodtimeswithscar #grian #mumbo jumbo #mcyt #the vex #cubfan135

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irwingiggling · 4 years

Text

friends of friends. | pt. 1

A/N: Sooo guess who’s back with a new fic?! Please let me know what you guys think, and if you want me to continue this - I have lots of ideas for it! If you enjoyed it, please give it a like so I know people are interested in reading more :) The band does exist in this fic, but it’s more of a casual thing and none of the boys are famous. In this fic I tried to really focus on the characterization and in improving my writing, so yeah this is my little passion project rn while I’m in quarantine. [Also a little shoutout to @cakesunflower, I don’t know her at all but her fics (wglylm, quiet hours, etc.) and her writing is honestly incredible and she was one of the many awesome writers on here who inspired me to start this. :)]

Word Count: 2,100+

Rating: PG-13 (mentions of alcohol, swearing)

---

"Who's Calum?" Audrey was perched over a tall wooden stool, hands around a mug of steaming hot coffee. Her short brown hair landed just above her shoulders, cascading perilously towards her coffee as she stared down her friend, a sly smile on her face.

"Just a friend of a friend," Rose replied with a shrug.

Audrey's eyebrows arched in response, unsatisfied with Rose's answer.

"No seriously. I barely know him, I met him the other day at some get together Nina dragged me to."

At mention of the other girl, a smile crept onto Audrey's face. "Damn, Nina. How's she doing?" The three were close friends back in university, sharing a dorm for two years. But after school, they'd all started to go their separate ways. Nina was in public relations. A true socialite, she loved meeting new people, and could keep up conversation for hours. Since landing her new job as an assistant for some small music company, she'd managed to drag Rose along to various parties and social gatherings with increasing frequency. The two lived on opposite sides of town in Boston, but remained decently close despite this. On the other hand, Audrey had moved back home to Michigan after school, and the two didn't see her very often at all.

"She's good. Still a true extrovert." Rose said with a gentle shake of her head.

"Gotta love that girl. She was always a go-getter." Audrey laughed, taking a sip of the creamy drink.

In contrast to Nina, Rose would describe herself as a simple person. She had her little apartment, her work, a well-stocked supply of coffee, and her dog, Olive - who she'd somehow managed to sneak under her apartment's 60lb weight limit. Everything else was extra, but as long as she had those few essentials, she was perfectly content. Though as a recent university grad who was still working part-time at a coffee shop, and taking whatever freelance work she could on the side, she didn't have a lot of room for extravagances anyway. In contrast, Audrey found a job as a radio broadcaster back home right out of school, and could now afford to make the flight down to see her girls.

"Anyways don’t try and change the subject, you haven't had a man in your life in ages!" Audrey exclaimed, teasingly poking a finger against the arm of Rose's blue sweater.

Rose gave her head a faint shake, smiling gently. She had no doubt Nina had already recounted the entire work gathering to Audrey over one of her long-winded FaceTime calls. Nina had a way of getting carried away with the stories she told, which likely meant their distant observation of Calum had morphed into a much closer brush than it actually was.

----

She vaguely remembered him from that last work event. He was easily recognizable by his dark curly hair, tanned skin, and youthful appearance, especially since the vast majority of others mingling looked to be in their late 30s. Rose caught drifts of conversations about sales and pitches and various public relations-related stuff. She had caught him looking over at her during one of the speeches. When she met his gaze he'd turned away.

"Who's that?" she asked, tugging lightly on Nina's arm. Nina was in the middle of rambling about some publication technique to boost online views.

"Oh, him? That's Calum. He's a member of one of the newer bands the company's signed. Seems decent, haven't really had a chance to chat with him yet."

Calum.

She never got the guts to go over and talk to him that night, even though he looked like one of the only people who was actually having a decent time, chatting animatedly with an equally tall guy around his age, drink in hand. Instead, she stayed by Nina's side, letting her talkative friend fill the silence and introduce her to many people whose names she would inevitably forget.

---

It was two weeks later, and Nina had caught Rose off guard yet again, getting her to agree to another one of her work parties before Rose even really knew what she was saying yes to. The term ‘party’ was an exaggeration, to say the least. Only the watered-down drinks and the 70s hits playing at a whisper in the background gave the faintest suggestion that this was a party. Rather, it was a way for people at Nina’s company to schmooze with those from other nearby labels and PR companies, collaborating on techniques, getting insider information on new signings and album releases. And Nina was so thrilled at the prospect of sharing her knowledge and making new friends, that Rose felt obligated to say yes. However, not knowing a thing about the music industry or public relations made it difficult to relate to any of the conversations, so she often found herself glued to Nina’s side, maintaining an appropriate amount of nods and smiles to the people Nina talked to, waiting for the agonizingly slow clock to tick down. She sharply reminded herself to not give in to Nina’s pleas again, that this would be the last time she would let her Friday nights turn out like this.

Letting her thoughts wander, she remembered catching a vague glimpse of the dark-haired man earlier on in the night, but she hadn't seen him at all in the past half-hour, and figured he'd gone home. She wished she could leave too, but sadly Nina was her ride, which meant she'd be here for a while longer. By this time Rose was frankly sick of Nina's incessant chatter, and with feigning enjoyment in meeting random people she truly had no interest in.

She politely excused herself from the conversation, and made her way towards the kitchen, in the hopes she could scrounge up another drink to get her through the night. Taking a look around the kitchen, she let out a small sigh when she didn't see any alcohol. However, her eyes landed on the same curly-haired man from earlier. So this was where he'd been hiding out. His cheeks flushed a vague tinge of pink at seeing he'd been discovered, but he let out a relieved breath when he saw that it was her. One of the only other people here around his age, who didn't seem like she'd want to chatter endlessly about the management side of music.

"Hey, I remember you." He stood facing her, a gentle smile on his face. "Calum," he introduced, taking a hand out of his pocket and extending it towards her.

"Rose," she replied, lips curving into a smile as she shook his hand, his larger one temporarily enveloping hers.

"Nice to meet you," he nodded. "Do you work here?" He was sure if he'd seen her before that he would have remembered.

"No, I'm actually a struggling arts major," she confessed with a small chuckle. "My friend dragged me here. Nina."

"Oh," Calum nodded, eyes flashing lightly in recognition of a name he couldn't quite place. "The really… social one?" He asked hesitantly towards the end, unsure exactly how to phrase it.

"Yeah, you can’t miss her,” Rose said, giving her head a small shake in amusement. She felt a sense of relief as Calum's light chuckle flooded her ears.

"So I'm kind of hiding out here right now," he began, looking past her for a second to the crowd of people mingling past the doorway, a sigh of relief leaving his lips as he confirmed none of the guests were interested in pulling him into another conversation.

She chuckled lightly, moving to place her empty glass near the sink. "Do you come to these kinds of things often?"

"Not really," he shrugged, taking another sip of his drink. "But the label wanted me to make an appearance. Somehow I keep drawing the short end of the stick this month for that kind of stuff."

She laughed, glad she didn't have to pretend this was an enjoyable party.

"It's kinda.. stuffy?" he added, nose scrunching at the word.

She nodded in complete understanding. "Yeah. A lot of middle-aged record and publication people. Not exactly my crowd either."

"Tell me about it," Calum sighed, taking a long sip of his fruity drink. "And this was all I could find," he added half-heartedly, raising the glass.

She chuckled, trying to muffle her amusement at the strange drink that didn't seem to quite fit with his look. The vividly coloured mini umbrella and bright purple liquid contrasted sharply with the metal rings that adorned his tanned fingers and the tattoos peeking out from his shirt collar.

Noting her amusement with his drink of choice, his eyes began to light up, and he chuckled along with her.

"I figured," she said, fighting to contain her smile. This only served to make him more amused, a full-blown laugh bubbling out from his full, pink lips. His laugh seemed too pure, too alive for this subdued party.

They stood in silence for a couple beats, letting the low buzz from the various people in the room flood their ears again, before Calum drained the rest of his drink in a gulp. "Did you wanna get out of here?" He asked, setting his empty glass down on the counter beside hers, gesturing vaguely to the direction of the front door.

"Oh!" She wasn't able to mask her surprise, eyebrows rising and a faintly amused but apologetic look on her face. "Wow, um… I think you're great, I really do, but that's just not quite something that I'm-"

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion at her response. He tilted his head slightly to one side, lips parted, as he tried to figure her out. Eventually his lips curved into a smile and a gentle laugh erupted from his mouth as he realized where she was going with this. "Shit, I meant food. My bad."

And then she was blushing profusely, wanting to melt into the floor in embarrassment because how could she fuck that up? She sighed, letting out a small whine of contempt, and when she finally got the courage to look back up at him, he was watching her, eyes sparkling. He dragged his bottom lip between his teeth, trying half-heartedly to contain the smile that still graced his face at her expense.

"Yeah, ok." She nodded, letting out a small chuckle. "I can do food."

---

She didn't quite know how she ended up at the fast-food place at 10pm, seated in a tiny booth across from Calum, watching the curly-haired man munching happily away on fries, their knees occasionally knocking against each other.

When he looked at her it was as if he was looking into her. His dark curls cascaded over his forehead, a hint of stubble on his jaw. His eyes were soft and dark brown. They crinkled around the edges when he laughed and they felt like home. It was weird for her, to feel that way with a stranger. But in many ways Calum felt more like an old friend. Like someone she'd known all her life and was just reconnecting with. At this point in the night he was beginning to look tired and sleepy, but just when she thought he was losing interest, his eyes would light up at a funny comment, and it would bring her in closer, creating the most comfortable, at ease feeling deep in her stomach. That night she learned Calum had a wicked dry sense of humour, and that his warm laugh sounded like honey.

They were there for over an hour, long after the remnants of their burgers had gone cold. Only the buzzing of the neon sign in the front window, and the quiet shuffling of the lone staff member were background noise to their conversation.

Eventually they decided to part ways, both tired and content from the night. They put their empty trays in the garbage, and left. Outside they stood only a few steps apart, trying to use each other's bodies to evade the cold wind blowing through the empty parking lot. It was already April in Boston, but some nights still felt like winter.

"Alright," he said, tugging the hood of his jacket over his head so only a few curls poked out. "Get home safe, ok?"

"I will. You too, Calum."

She turned to leave, but his fingertips brushed across the fabric of her jacket. She looked up, the movement garnering her attention. His tongue darted across his bottom lip, brown eyes searching her own.

"We're doing a little show at The Reign next Saturday night. You should come, if you want."

"Yeah I'd love to. I'll be there."

And then he was smiling, hands buried in his pockets. She took a step back and gave him a wave, which he returned, watching her for a few moments before turning in the direction of his own apartment.

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ijustwant2write · 4 years

Text

Unprofessional-Brock Rumlow x Reader (Part 2)

(GIF credit to @wintersthighs)

Tags: @nekoannie-chan @amirahiddleston @bloodorangemoonlight

Requested by anonymous: 'Hello! Can I please ask for a part 2 of unprofessional? I really love that one'

Summary: (Y/N) prepares herself for her training with Rumlow, but as they spar, he gets her to rethink if she even wants to be in a relationship after what she's been through.

Part 1

Characters: Brock Rumlow x Reader (made up characters are included)

Meanings: (Y/N)=Your name

(Y/L/N)=Your last name

(Y/F/C)=Your favourite colour

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of sex, sexual tension, slight violence, fluff

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So I hear that Agent Rumlow is giving you a personal training session?" Director Fury said as we finished going through the agenda for that day.

"Sir?" I could feel my cheeks heating up.

"I had no idea you wanted to improve your physical skills."

"I'm sorry sir, should I have asked for your permission first?"

"No, I just find it strange." he had a smirk on his face.

"Why is that?"

"You're pretty much trained in the field of attacks and defending yourself, so you feel unqualified?"

"No, Agent Rumlow offered me some training. He pointed out that I wasn't aas sharp as I could be after witnessing yesterday's...incident."

"And he said that to you straight after the incident?"

I nodded.

He chuckled."He is a brave man."

My face dropped at his sarcasm, he was enjoying this. He dismissed me, and I returned to my office. I tried to focus on my work, but I couldn't; there were so many spelling mistakes, almost every five seconds, and I was becoming tired of myself doing it over and over again. I knew what was wrong. Brock was on my mind, that man who was so handsome that it should have been illegal. I recalled back to the times where I saw him come back from an intense mission, his face covered in bruising, stitches still fresh with specks of stained blood, but he somehow looked radiant; I would wince when I saw it, just like I would when catching a glimpse of a football game, all those gorgeous men being battered, what a waste.

"Hey," Yasmin, my friend and colleague, knocked on my door,"you having a late lunch today?"

"Hm?" my head darted up.

"You didn't join us today, we tried texting you."

"Oh, sorry. I've been catching up on work. I had lunch at my desk."

"I'm in need of a coffee break, you wanna join?"

I glanced at the clock."Actually Yasmin, I'm afraid I have a prior engagement."

"A prior engagement?"

"Come in and close the door."

She knew I was going to tell her some sort of gossip, and she excitedly shut the door, almost skipping towards the chair opposite my desk.

I couldn't help but laugh at her expression as she waited for me to speak."OK, so you know what happened yesterday?"

"You putting that bitch in her place, yes, I vividly remember the enjoyment."

"Well, Agent Brock Rumlow-"

"Leader of the S.T.R.I.K.E team and only the hardest man to get in the entirety of S.H.I.E.L.D, yes."

I rolled my eyes at her."That man has offered me a one on one training session at three."

Her eyes widened, mouth dropping open in shock."Are you serious?!"

I nodded.

"Well, what have you brought to wear?"

"Oh, nothing much, just the skimpiest, shortest dress I have with a plunging neckline for my cleavage, and my stripper heels."

"Oh, shut up! Come on, have you brought your cute (Y/F/C) two piece, gym set?"

"...Of course I did."

Yasmin punched both arms in the air."Yes! Oh my god it's happening. What did I say? What did I say?!"

"Yasmin, you're getting way too excited. I bet he literally just wants to train me. Brock wouldn't go out with a secretary."

"Uh, I'm sorry but a secretary is one of the most sexiest positions out there...and I'm not talking about actual sex, just the fact that men like it-"

"Oh my god stop!" I laughed."I'm not getting my hopes up anyway."

"Oh come on," Yasmin moaned,"he wouldn't have offered this for no reason. He is always busy."

"OK I have to get ready now." I stood, hoping she caught the hint.

She understood."You are definitely getting lunch with me tomorrow, and joining me on all my coffee breaks to tell me everything!"

I laughed as she squealed."I promise I will, as long as I can still walk."

She gasped.

"That wasn't supposed to be sexual!"

Heading to the women's locker room, I changed out of my work clothes, spending way too long looking at myself in the mirror. Should I have a high ponytail or a low one? Which one framed my face better?

"What are you doing?" I mumbled to myself.

What if he really did want to just train me? And what if I was putting in way too much effort? I could walk into the gym and make an idiot of myself, Brock could end up just laughing at me. As I made my way to the gym, I was more and more nervous. He wasn't there yet, but I felt like he was about to jump out at any point.

Once again, I caught my reflection in the surrounding mirrors, turning around to check the back of my body, sticking out my arse slightly.

"You look great, stop worrying." Brock startled me as he swaggered in, wearing a tighter top than usual.

I didn't reply, too embarrassed to even think about an answer.

"You sure you're ready for this?" he smirked.

"You're not going to go easy on me, are you?" I smiled, clasping my hands together so I wouldn't fidget.

"Of course not. But I think you can take it."

He started with a warm up, and I followed, nothing was said but I was grateful for that. I desperately tried to concentrate on myself, but who wouldn't take the risk to watch an insanely fit man working out beside you.

He swiftly grabbed a pair of boxing gloves, explaining how I should properly punch as he put them on me. As we stood in front of the punching bag, I did as I was instructed, blocking out Brock and imagining Victoria's face in front of me. It was evident who I wa thinking about, because Brock stopped me.

"I must say, that's much better than yesterday." Brock said.

"Well, yesterday was a bit more of an impulse." I admitted as I took off the gloves, grabbing a towel and wiping off the sweat.

"True. Your form isn't as bad as I thought it was."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was meant to be."

I was surprisingly happy to be slightly red from the workout, a good way to cover up my blushing.

"It's not like your enemies tell you they're about to attack," I pointed out,"it could be at any moment."

He suddenly grabbed my arm and twisted it back behind me."How right you are."

I quickly reacted and kicked his knee in, making him bend slightly. This made it easy for me to flip backwards over his shoulder, kicking him to the ground. As he grabbed my ankle, I straddled him as to not fall onto my back; however, he was too fast for me, and kicked his legs up so flipped over him, landing harshly on my back. There was no time to groan though, as his fist came flying towards me and I blocked it. Both of us managed to get back onto our feet throwing punch after punch, attacking in all corners. But knowing that Brock was much more skilled, he was able to take me down, landing flat on my back again. I tapped his arm as we took a breath, sensing he also wanted this to end.

"That was quite impressive." he panted.

I breathlessly laughed."Thank you. God, I haven't had this much adrenaline since...well actually yesterday."

"You're not as rusty as I thought."

"I'm surprised too. It's been ages since I was actually in the field." I took another deep breath, finally feeling my heart beat slow down."Can I ask you something?"

He stood up, holding his hand out to me. I took it, still surprised by his strength as he easily hauled me to my feet.

He answered my as he grabbed us two water bottles."Go ahead."

"Why did you offer this session? Really?"

He scoffed."You'll just laugh at me."

I took a swig of water, confused by his statement."So it wasn't just to improve my technique?"

"None of us have much of a social life outside of work, right?"

"Right." I dragged out the word.

"So where's the time for personal life? Like...dating?"

How did he seem so confident yet so shy?

"Uh, y-yeah. I suppose we don't."

"I'm fucking useless at this shit." he chuckled to himself.

"Brock," I boldly took a step closer,"of you wanted to ask me out, I would have agreed."

"So this wasn't the best tactic to ask you out?" he joked.

"I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it. Come on then, when are you free this week?"

"Actually, I have the weekend off."

"Perfect. I'm sure I can swap my schedules around. Get one of the interns to take over."

"You think Fury is gonna let you do that?"

"I'm secretly his favourite...or at least I think I am. And I haven't had asked for a weekend off in ages."

"It's not something we really do."

Without discussing it, we both headed out of the gym, side by side.

"No, but I'm going to. If the world is ending, they can call the Avengers, we'll be busy."

One of his eyebrows cocked up."If it's the end of the world we really will be busy."

I humorously scoffed at his statement, though didn't reject it. I leaned against the wall next to the locker room door."You really are a brave man."

"You better get this weekend off." he demanded as he started walking backwards, keeping eye contact with me.

"Don't you worry your little head agent." I confidently winked, disappearing into the locker room.

As the door shut, I sprinted to my locker, fumbling with the lock before pulling my bag out of it. I desperately tried to find my phone, almost screaming with joy when I grabbed it. I couldn't unlock it fast enough, quickly pulling up my texts as my fingers tapped away at the screen.

To Yasmin:

You are never going to believe what's happened! Actually you will. But I need you to come to mine and help me pick an outfit...and lingerie xx

#Brock rumlow #brock rumlow one shot #brock rumlow imagines #brock rumlow x reader #brock rumlow imagine #brock rumlow #Marvel #marvel fanfic #marvel cinematic universe #marvel film #marvel movie #Marvel imagine #marvel imagines #marvel one shot #marvel x reader

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stories-sometimes · 4 years

Text

I’ve Made A Huge Mistake {5/?}

Peter Parker x Reader, Quentin Beck x Reader

Summary: Peter just wanted to enjoy his trip to Europe, maybe even confess his feelings to his best friends.But along came a mysterious new hero to ruin those plans. Peter and his class are aged up and in college.

Warnings: Violence in later chapters, manipulation, age gap

Word Count: 2418

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

They pulled up to their hotel in Prague, a vast improvement from the run-down one in Italy. It was the image of luxury, near to the city centre, built-in some historic-looking building. Two doormen opened the gold-framed doors. All the students looked around in awe at the huge marble room. A pianist played, gently adding to the high-class atmosphere.

“This is absolutely insane.” She said, admiring the detailed granite tiles.

“Speak for yourself, I’m home.” Flash said arrogantly.

“What can I say, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Mr Harrington said in response to everyone’s amazed reaction. “Everyone get settled in, rested up,” he continued, “cause tonight, big surprise, the Carnival of Lights.” He exclaimed. As Mr Harrigton continued Peter felt his phone vibrate, he pulled it out to see Maria Hill’s name flashing over the screen of his phone. While Peter stepped away from the group, she noticed MJ’s intense stare from the corner of her eye. The jealousy bubbled slightly in the pit of her stomach. You don’t like him like that, she reminded herself, he’s your best friend. She attempted to drown out the feeling, instead trying to tune into Mr Harrington’s ramblings about the night’s carnival.

“Hello.” Peter answered.

“Parker it’s Hill,” The agent spoke across the phone, “there’s an earpiece in your suit, put it on and await further instruction, understood.”

“Um, yes ma’am,” Peter replied nervously. Peter stared at all the people who were in danger, who had been dragged into a mess he now had to solve.

An hour or so later he found himself with Fury, Hill and Beck, reciting the plan that had just been drilled into his head.

“I will be in the cathedral tower, keeping watch for the fire monster. When that shows up I will radio you guys. And then Mr Beck and I’ll -”

“My name is Mysterio.” The man said firmly, giving Peter a reassuring look, making the younger man smile. “Look, our only hope of finishing this is stopping the elemental now. We can try to draw it away from civilians but the most important thing is to keep it away from metal. It’ll get too powerful, then there’ll be no hope for us.” Beck instructed.

“I’m just worried, that me being here is putting my friend’s in danger and -”

“You’re worried about us putting your friends in danger,” Fury shouted from across the room, “You who set a drone strike on your own trip. Stark gave you this responsibility,” Fury poked harshly at the glasses hanging on his shirt, “But it’s clear to me that you are not ready for this.” Peter looked down guiltily, quickly excusing himself from the briefing room. He made his way up to the hotel roof, staring over the city destined for a disaster. He was only alone for about ten minutes before Beck came floating up to console him.

“How you feeling?” Beck asked, sitting down on the ledge beside Peter.

“I just didn’t expect to have to save the world this summer. I know it makes me sound like a jerk but -”

“You’re not a jerk for wanting a normal life kid. You're a good kid. There's a part of me that wants to tell you to just turn around, run away from all this. And then, there's another part of me that knows what we're about to fight. What's at stake. And I'm glad you're here. You’ve got these skills, these talents and I’d be honoured if you do decide to help me.”

“I want to help, I’m just worried about my friends.”

“I get that, just keep them inside, in a safe place while we save the day. You know there’s some opera on tonight, everyone will be at the carnival so it’ll be empty.” Beck suggested.

“Yeah, I’m sure they’d love that.” Peter said sarcastically, but still appreciative of his idea.

So that’s how Peter found himself entering an opera house as the rest of the trip complained about missing out on the biggest party of the year, with only his two best friends aiding him in support of the idea. The situation was definitely improved by the fact Peter got to admire her in the emerald, satin dress she wore.

“You look really pretty by the way.” He whispered to her, loving the way she blushed lightly. It was always his favourite sight.

“Thanks, you too. Um, you also look pretty.” She mumbled back. You’re just friends, she repeated to herself again. But it was a harder and harder thought to believe. She was confused, to say the least, and her growing feelings for Beck only made it more difficult to comprehend. “I’m gonna go to our seat, I hope you can stick around for a bit.” She beamed, punching him lightly on the arm before inwardly cringing at her actions. Smooth, really. She walked away, smiling over her shoulder at the boy, feeling the longing gaze. Soon she spotted MJ and moved into the empty seat beside her.

“You guys are weird,” MJ said immediately after she sat down.

“Really, you wanna call me weird when they’re sitting right there.” She said, pointing to Ned and Betty, both gushing over each other as they shared a set of opera glasses.

“Yeah,” MJ replied bluntly, “especially Peter, don’t tell me you don’t notice him disappearing all the time. You’ve got to find that suspicious.” She panicked, trying to come up with some excuse to cover Peter’s ass.

“He just gets anxious, has to be alone sometimes to calm down.” She lied.

“Yeah, but there’s removing yourself from a situation and then there’s disappearing for hours at a time. Look he’s leaving right now.” She turned, following MJ’s stare to see Peter rushing at the hall. She was disappointed. Although she knew his duties took priority over this, she couldn’t help feel let down by missing out on a night with her best friend. “Come on, let’s see where he goes.” She glared at MJ as the girl started to get up out of her seat.

“MJ, sit down we can’t leave.” She tried to drag MJ back into her seat.

“Why not, Peter’s allowed to.”

“He’s having a bad day, he told me he’s just going back to the hotel.”

“Then we’ll be good friends and comfort him.” MJ pulled out of the other girl’s grip.

“Brad will be heart-broken.” She nodded to the boy MJ had been flirting on and off with all trip.

“He’ll live. Look, you can come with me or stay here and bore yourself to death. And if Peter’s fine, then we’re ditching him to go to the carnival.” Knowing there was no stopping MJ, she joined her in sneaking out of the theatre. She could at least keep her away from the city centre. Not long after the two girls left, Ned found himself in a similar predicament, getting dragged out by his girlfriend.

Despite all of her protests and best efforts to avoid it, she managed to find herself nearing the carnival. Finding Peter’s hotel room empty only boosted MJ’s curiosity and ended with her basically carrying her friend to the party. The streets were filled with lights and colour, market stools stocked with an array of foods and gifts. Not a minute went by without a string of fireworks going off in the sky. Rides sat at every corner of every plaza, all lit up with strings of LED lights. She had to admit it would have been one of the magical experiences of her life if it wasn’t for the looming threat of another attack. The huge crowds of people all in imminent danger. And the top of a clocktower hid Peter, wearing his new, all-black suit, awaiting the arrival of the final elemental.

“How’s the suit?” Fury asked once everyone was in position.

“Um, it’s great, a little tight around the old web-shooter.” Peter joked, Fury’s eye roll was so clear Peter could practically hear it.

“Parker.”

“Okay, I’ll shut up.”

The two girls were wandering around, weaving through the crowds.

“MJ, we should head back before anyone notices we’re gone.” She said, tugging on MJ’s arm as though she was some little kid.

“I just wanna find what Peter’s up to, then we can do whatever you want.”

“God, you’re acting like some stalker.”

“He’s disappeared too many times for there to be a simple explanation. Surely you want to find out what he’s been hiding.”

“MJ, I’m fucking serious we have to get back.” She noticed steam rising from a nearby fountain and knew the elemental was going to strike at any moment.

“What the hell.” MJ had spotted it too, and stepped towards it. The ground split beneath their feet, lava seeping through the cracks, sliding up the statue above the fountain.

“MJ, we need to get -” Before she could finish her sentence the elemental had formed, sending the surrounding concrete flying out in all directions. She grabbed onto MJ’s hand and sprinted as fast as they could in the opposite direction. Panic ensued around them, the girls found a smaller alleyway to hide down.

“Okay, he’s here.” Peter rushed out as soon as the chaos began. “Beck, are you ready?”

“On your lead Spiderman.” Beck flew towards the centre, watching the elemental smashing down on its metal surroundings to gain more power. Beck landed, green dust clouding around him as he summoned his signature green triangles over his hands. Whilst Beck had the attention of the elemental, Peter swung down, smashing a pile of wood over its head to immobilise it for a second, giving Beck the opportunity to start firing at the elemental. Peter shot a web out at a fire hydrant, pulling it out of the ground to allow the water to spray out at the fire monster. The thing punched the wall Peter was stuck to, sending him flying into the base of the ferris wheel. Before he could do anything it had gotten to a carousel, and Peter was forced to watch it suddenly grow in size.

“Night monkey, night monkey help us.” Peter heard a familiar voice cry as he stood back up. He looked up to see Ned and Betty trapped, calling out for some unknown person. Ned stared down, giving Peter a look as to say ‘just go with it’.

“Oh no, no, no.” His friends in danger - his worst nightmare. The elemental came charging towards him, all of his webs were burned as soon as he tried to do anything to directly stop the monster. A mere second before it could strike Peter and the wheel, Beck threw up a force field, preventing any harm. But he couldn’t hold it for very long. Each hit sent sparks down into the heroes’ faces.

“We’ve gotta hit him with something he can’t absorb.”

“You go left, I’ll go right.” They nodded briefly before Beck sent to force field outwards, pushing the elemental outwards. Beck flew up into the air, leaving Peter to swing toward the tallest building in the plaza. He ran up the wall, successfully distracting it for long enough for Beck to get to a better, higher position. Before the elemental could hit him, Peter flipped off the building, shooting a web onto a piece of rumble, flinging it into the monster. This gave Beck the opportunity to attack the elemental. “That hurt him, keep going.” Beck instructed. Peter repeatedly picked up and threw pieces of concrete rumble. But that didn’t hold it off for too long. Soon it had smashed a fist into the ground, sending a line of fire to the ferris wheel, knocking the wheel off its hinge. The screams of Peter’s friends filled the air. Peter went to shoot a web to help them, only to find it not connecting to the actual wheel, instead to some invisible force. He tried to pull his web back in only to find it flying away with some unknown piece of debris attached. It landed in the alleyway the two girls were hiding in.

“What the fuck,” MJ said as she picked it up, “These are Spiderman’s webs.” She stated.

“It can’t be, he’s a friendly neighbourhood Spiderman, he works in New York.” The other girl tried to reason.

“He was in Washington, maybe he likes to travel.” MJ shoved the object into her pocket.

Peter pushed the curiosity out of head and turned to focus on saving his friends. He webbed up to where Ned and Betty were trapped.

“Whatever happens, I’m glad we met.” Beck said to Peter.

“Beck, what are you doing?”

“What I should’ve done last time.” Beck began to absorb a swarm of energy, building it up before flying into the centre of the monster. The fire was replaced with the green of Beck’s powers, causing it to explode with a blast of energy. Peter swung down to help an injured Beck up. Before he knew it, his best friend was running out of her hiding space, flinging her arms around Beck. He gripped onto her instinctively, holding on to her for dear life.

“What are you doing here?”

“MJ’s too stubborn for her own good.” She laughed. “Thank god you’re alright. You saved everyone, what are you gonna do now hero?”

“This.” He said, leaning down to kiss her. She was surprised at his boldness at first, but quickly allowed him to deepen it as he shamelessly shoved his tongue into her mouth. It was passionate and messy, a rush of all their built up emotions. It was as though everyone else had disappeared, Peter and MJ were gone, Fury’s car pulling up didn’t exist - it was just the two of them. It carried on like that until they heard a loud cough from Fury. They broke apart, still remaining in each other’s arms. She flushed, giggled nervously at everyone’s stares.

“That the last of them?” Fury asked. Beck nodded. “But that won’t be the last threat, Hill and I are attending the headquarters in Berlin tomorrow, you should join us.”

“I’d be honoured.” Beck stepped away from her to shake Fury’s hand. “I’m taking you out tonight.” He turned to point at her, she agreed eagerly. “I’ll pick you up at 10. And you Spiderman, need to come with me, celebrate before my date.”

“I’m not 21.” Was all Peter could come up with.

Peter had watched the interaction from afar, his heart breaking every second. He now truly believed he had no chance.

Taglist Open:

@cool-ontherun-world

@eleventhdoctorsangel

@chubby-tink

@eridanuswave

#peter parker #peter parker x reader #peter parker imagine #peter parker x you #peter parker x original character #quentin beck #quentin beck x you #quentin beck x reader #quentin beck imagine #mysterio x reader #mysterio imagine #mysterio #marvel #marvel fic #spiderman #spiderman far from home

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keishins-ukai · 4 years

Text

I Just Wanna Be Your Favourite Boy

(here’s a link if you prefer reading on ao3)

The amount of alcohol flowing in Kuroo’s veins was not enough to distract him from how pathetic all of this truly was . He was at his first University party, he was surrounded by beautiful people and free alcohol, he should be having the time of his life, right? Tetsurō sat in his friend’s garden with his back resting against the cold brick of the house, his head resting there too. His arms were balanced on his pulled-up knees, his eyes closed.

To any party-goers that ventured outside this would look normal, like the first year partied too hard and passed out super early – it's not like that kind of thing doesn’t happen all the time. Then they’d notice the earbuds still in his ears (though they weren’t playing anything, he just didn’t want to speak to anyone), the dry tear tracks down his cheeks, the ever so slight shaking of his chin. Well, that or the glitter-like sparkle that seemed to be all around the black-haired boy

Tears had become a very common part of Tetsurō’s life recently, a fact he hated with every fibre of his being. Six months ago, you would need the saddest song on earth put in the background of the saddest video on earth and he might have considered crying. Now all it took now was the thought of blond and black hair, golden eyes, mint vodka that smelled like his shampoo…

The stars hadn’t appeared until his first day of university. He had texted Kenma when he’d woken up - Kuroo always texted as soon as he woke up – some dumb chemistry joke he’d found the night before, trying to convey his excitement at finally starting his course. Kenma never usually replied immediately, though this day he did, though Kuroo didn’t actually know why (Kuroo would look back and see it as the first sign. Kenma told him everything)

Kenma had only sent a gif of a cat showing almost complete apathy, but Kuroo’s heart started racing nonetheless, mind spiralling at all of the possible meanings behind the response and never once landing on the real answer (Kenma just woke up earlier than normal). They’d texted a lot of the day, Kuroo only turning his phone off during classes, not wanting to make any bad impressions.

While it obviously hadn’t been the reason, in the following months Kuroo had started to blame turning his phone off as the inciting event as when he turned his phone on he got the notification, the moment that changed everything. It was so small, so seemingly inconsequential.

Instagram: Kodzuken has posted a photo

Kenma’s Instagram consisted mainly of photos from games he was playing, purposely unflattering pictures of himself or animals. But that day was different. He posted a picture of him and Hinata, and the orange-haired boy was positively grinning into the camera, Kenma wasn’t even smiling but Kuroo could tell he was happy, that he was less stressed than he had been for a lot of the summer.

Kuroo knew that what he told himself was unfair, that there simply wasn’t enough data to support the idea of ‘he likes Shōyō more’. But none of that mattered, Kuroo just knew. He didn’t need evidence to prove that Kenma had feelings for the shrimp, the ever so slight dimple was proof enough – even Kuroo had only seen that dimple once, and he wasn’t the one who bought it out.

Crying in the men’s bathroom, as it turns out, is neither very comfortable nor as discreet as one would imagine, though that didn’t matter to Tetsuro as the itching and burning sensation was the only thing he could think about. ‘What the hell is this?’ repeated in his mind as he did his best to stop the small glass-like crystals from falling to the floor and creating even more noise. After spending what felt like an eternity researching what could possibly in all hell be happening to him he moved, hating the quiet twinkling sounds in his pocket.

‘Of course this would happen to me.’ Kuroo would think to himself repeatedly over the next few days ‘Star fucking tears’.

Stars Tears

Caused by intense but unrequited love, always romantic, ‘star tears’ is a rare condition wherein the afflicted will secrete small crystalline shards from their tear ducts, the crystals often being compared to stars which is where the illness got its name. Side effects from stage two ‘star tears’ can include

- Leaking tear ducts

- Dryness of the eyeballs

- Itchiness in the eye area

- Blocked tear ducts

And in some extreme cases

- Partial or complete colour blindness

- Partial or complete sight loss.

As the disease is caused by unrequited love there is no ‘mainstream’ treatment which can cure this, some patients never being cured while others were reportedly healed if the person they loved also loved them back, in a romantic sense.

Even though he was aware of how bad an idea it was, Kuroo remained sat in his friend's garden, though now his earphones were playing something. More specifically he had his ‘Kenma’ playlist on which was playing all of the songs and bands that the shorter boy had ever introduced him to. They were playing at full volume to drown out his own thoughts - the ones nibbling on his mind, making him think of lazy nights playing ‘Majora’s Mask’ with him , of the nights leading up to Christmas making their cinnamon and raisin cookies, of the toothbrush that had been Kuroo’s spare but that he’d stolen because of their frequent sleepovers.

He really didn’t want to cry again, having decided that his new rate of three times a week was far too much, but the stars demanded more still. In the beginning, they would only appear if he’d seen his face, whether it be over skype or as a photo. That had been remarkably easy to handle - Kuroo had just moved all of the photos of him to the ‘hidden’ folder on his phone, and minimise the skype screen when they talked. Easy.

But then Kuroo started to really miss him, started to think of him almost every moment of the day, affecting his sleep and work schedule. That’s when he realised how truly fucked he was. You can’t just pick and choose what parts of friendship you want to participate in and expect it to remain completely intact. Kenma didn’t know what was going on, but he could sense a change, making more of an effort to start their conversations, to not leave Kuroo out of what was going on his life, to make sure that the elder knew that they were still friends.

It was unfair how this made everything worse, that Kenma’s thoughtful inclusions made Kuroo feel more excluded than ever, made him feel both like he had a chance and also made him know that Kenma saw him as his closest friend and that he wouldn’t be more. Kenma had always worried with his crushes that initiating things with them would scare them off, that he would be seen as overbearing. Rather than risking anything, he would just wait until he thought the other would like him back before asking them on a date.

The tears started to increase, them coming at just the thought of Kenma when Kuroo hadn’t got any prevention methods. His most effective was to drown out any other noise with the sound of his own music, even investing in better earphones to ensure that he wouldn’t be hearing any other external noises. However, his playlist choice could definitely be improved upon since every voice, every chord, every bar had the Kenma Kozume seal of approval, making the task of not thinking about the boy almost impossible.

Not even twenty minutes alone and his mind wandered, going to almost every stop in Tetsurō’s brain before stopping at one that made his heart dance. If it were a book the edges would be folded, the spine broke, and some of the pages ripped just from the sheer amount of use.

“Stop looking at my ass!” Kenma had demanded, trying his best to wriggle away from Kuroo “This isn’t for you”. The blond wasn’t looking at him, trying to pretend that his attention was on the syringe in his hand.

“You’re the one who asked me to do this.” Kuroo reminds, reaching over for the injection. “And knowing I was coming over to do this you decided to wear trousers rather than shorts when all I need is your thigh, so…” Their eyes meet and the elder man winks.

Kenma’s face scrunches up in retaliation, fingers lingering for just a moment against Kuroo’s, placing the syringe gently in his hand. “What are you trying to suggest?”

He pretends to think for a second when he wipes a disinfectant wipe on his leg, knowing that he technically didn’t need to but also wanting to be as safe as possible. “That maybe you wanted me to see your ass?”

The youngers face calms into a neutral expression. “Dream on Tetsurō.” Despite being quite scared of needles, he had decided on having testosterone injections rather than pills or any other alternative, finding that needing to do injections more infrequently benefitted him more. He’d also figured that getting someone else to administer the injection would have negated his fear.

Kuroo had agreed, why would it be more difficult for an injection to occur when you’re not the one putting the needle in your skin? The answer; Kenma was a wriggler. He moved back on the bed every time that Tetsurō tried to move closer to him “Come on, kitten.” he chides, the pet name tacked on as a joke.

His only answer is a hiss, a literal fucking hiss, as Kenma tries to move his leg away again, but is caught by the ankle and pressed back down to the bed. Kuroo eventually managed to give Kenma his testosterone, despite the difficulty and found that when he went home there was only one thing on his mind. The hiss.

Most people who met Kenma Kozume thought he was polite, shy and awkward. And he was all of those things, but he was also so much more. He was funny, intuitive, self-assured and weird and Tetsurō loved that so much. As soon as he thought the word ‘love’, everything seemed to make sense. Every look that lasted too long, every thought replaced by one of Kenma, every feeling of longing to be with his best friend.

Tetsurō was in love with his partner in crime. He still is.

Rex Orange County is a band that frequently blasts on Kuroo’s phone, them having many songs that fit the themes of unrequited love so well that he had no choice but to really connect with their music. Though there was one song in particular that is constantly on his mind, the song being called ‘Best Friend’.

At some point in his reminiscing Kuroo had put on the song, immediately pressing the repeat button as he moved his head to stare into the night sky.

But no, it wasn't meant to be and see, I wasn't made for you

And you weren't made for me

When he was younger he’d wanted to be an astronomer, having found the stars and the moon fascinating, but he couldn’t stand the sight of them anymore. His hands were shaking, shoulders shaking, lip shaking. Maybe if he got some closure he could move on and get rid of this disease, finally feel whole again.

Love someone for loving you instead of someone really cool

That makes your heart melt

Tetsurō needed to turn this song off, to stop fucking thinking about him, about the man he had literal scientific proof that he doesn’t love him back, but the pure boost of serotonin he got when he thought about Kenma was worth it. It was worth the pain, it was worth the constantly itchy eyes, it was worth feeling sick to his stomach anytime he sees a twinkle.

Oh, I still wanna be your favourite boy

I wanna be the one that makes your day

The one you think about as you lie awake

He started typing the text before he could stop himself, feeling like he was watching himself make this extremely poor decision but having absolutely no power to stop himself. Even if it wouldn’t make Kenma love him it would be cathartic, right? And as long as he’s vague enough he could preserve their friendship, maybe even claim plausible deniability if necessary. The text read: ‘listening to this and thinking about you’ along with a link to Best Friend.

Kenma’s response was very short, only three words but enough to send his heart into a tailspin, for it to stop completely in its tracks, to make him feel like he’d never breathe again. ‘I’m dating Shōyō’

That night Kuroo lost the golden hue of his eyes.

--------------

A special thanks to @wanderlustsky for beta reading this! it was amazingly helpful <3

#kuroken #haikyū!!#angst #star tears #no happy ending #best friend #rex orange county #haikyuu kuroo #kozume kenma #haikyuu kenma #kuroo tetsuro

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amindofstone · 4 years

Text

Lost in the dream

{

Genre: Fantasy (Mermaid, inhuman abilities, prince, royal, dream world)

Pairing: Wonho/Lee Hoseok × Bella (reader?)

Warnings: None (Maybe a bit sad)

a/n: English is not my mother tongue. Therefore there might be some spelling or grammatical mistakes. I'm still trying to improve so have mercy.

!!! Please do not steal my idea or work. Credit me please if this is shared or published in any other platform. Picture used is not mine. Credits to the rightful owner. !!!

}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just like every other time she was walking on the path that lead her from the garden to the massive entrance hall of the golden palace. The palace that it´s entire interior was designed with just two colours. Colours that gave a feeling of it´s owners glamour, beauty and charm. The colour white that usually stands out is overshadowed by the golden accents that lets anything shine and sparkle. Even the exterior of the palace was shining in a soft golden shade that leaves her speechless whenever she saw it.

Standing infront of the golden gates of the palace one would think that they are heavy and would need three men just to open up one door. Usually that would be the case but not for her. To her it was as light as a feather what made it possible to upen it with just a little soft push.

With a heavy heart she entered the home of the highly seen family. The first time the brunette haired girl ever put a feet in the palace mesmerized her by its beauty to the point she forget why she was actually there.The girl forgot why she was there at the first place while walking through the halls of a place she never thought of seeing with her own eyes. No matter how many times she visits this place it always feels like the first time.

She never dared to think of coming to the palace or being able to see it up close but see now. Her she was visiting it over and over again since months with no one knowing except for one person. The person the 19 years old girl always came back for and simply had to come back for. Someone she actually couldn't and shouldn't know but still does.

Everytime she was about to enter the royal ground without no one knowing the thought about all the laws she was breaking and the punishments it usually brings occupied her mind. But then she remembered that she's not breaking any laws. She didn't and never will.

"Love, is that you?", the soft voice of a man who was making his way towards her filled the quiet halls. His voice made her instantly stop walking and turn around just to see the face of the person she was longing for all day everyday. A little smile appeared on her light red lips what made his heart stop beating for a second.

"Love, you don't know how much I missed you.", with sad eyes and a trembling heart he approached her. Standing in front of her he carefully took her hands in his and intertwined them. With every move he made towards her his heartbeat increased to a point it hurt him. With every move he made towards Bella, her heart broke a bit more. With every second that passed while she was looking into his eyes, tears threatened to fall from her green eyes.

"I was waiting for you but you didn't came? I thought I will never see you again.", while saying those words he lead her hand to his lips just to put a light kiss on it´s back. "Where were you yesterday, Bella?". Bella, how beautiful it sounded whenever he said it. How could one fall in love with a person who just says ones name?

"I... well I.. I don't know. I just had no energy and... and I was really tired.". She tried to avoid looking into his eyes while stuttering an answer and trying to stop the urge to cry. But she failed miserably like always. The first tears were falling and soft sobs could be heard. The sight of tears falling made a quiet No leave his lips. He took her face in his hands and made her look into his eyes. "Don't do that again. Please tell me when you don't feel well. I wanna be with you.".

"How do you wanna be with me?", while asking that more tears were falling down her cheeks. She wanted to take a step back but he wouldn't let go of her. In fact he pulled her closer and hugged her with trembling hands and tears filling his eyes. "Am I'm not with you now? Am I'm not holding you, love?". He went through her hair and put a light kiss on top of her head."Hoseok. You're not with me and I'm not with you. How do you expect us to keep going like this. I can't take this anymore. Hoseok I don´t want you to suffer just so -..". A kiss stopped her from talking. A light kiss but still one filled with so much love and passion that it resembled the kiss prince Philip gave the sleeping beauty to wake her up.

No. This one was by far filled with more love. More passion and more longing. But not only that. She could feel how frustrated he was and how much pain he was going through.

Bellas hands were trembling while more tears were streaming down her face. She pushed him softly away from her what made him shake his head lightly and pull her even closer if that was even possible. She pulled away from him with a little smile on her lips and kissed his right cheek. Little sobs could be heard from him what made her realise that he was fully crying now.

"Can we please go to my chamber? I want to sleep next to you? May I take you there?" With pleading eyes and a sad smile he was looking into the eyes he fell in love with. "I would love to, your highness."

"Don't say that. I told you to not say that. I don't want to hear that. Please, I can't bear hearing that from you.", he hid his face in the crock of her neck and breathed in her scent that made him think of the ocean. She went through his hair to calm him down while apologising over and over again.

"You look tired.", she tried changing the topic. With a short nod he lead her to his chambers while holding her hand and not letting her go. After walking to another floor they entered his chambers what was located at the far end of the third floor. Just when they entered his room the door was closed and Bella in his arms. He carefully carried her to his bed and made sure he didn't hurt her.

Hoseok always treated her like that. He thought of her as a fragile doll. A doll out of fine china he had to take care of. Never did he let her do anything on her own when he was around. Everytime she asked him why he did so he always gave her the same answer.

“A queen shall be taken care of. She shall be treated like the most precious living being on the planet because it's her that keeps a kingdom going. All in all it's her that is making the king keep going and provides him with hope, love and strength. That's what you do for me and therefore I have to take care of you, my beloved siren.”

After he laid her down and put the covers over her he laid down next to her. While she was facing the ceiling he was lovingly looking at her profile. "Love, look at me please. Let me see those eyes of yours before I drift into sleep." Hearing those words made her lay on her side. One hand under her pillow the other on his face stroking it lightly. "You're already asleep Hoseok.", "I know but still. Please let your face be the last thing I see before I rest."

"Rest then. You'll have to attend a event tomorrow anyways."

He keeped quiet for a moment thinking about tomorrow and the fact that he has to deal with his family for a whole day without being able to escape. He sighed and shock his head to stop him from thinking about tomorrow. The moment he saw into the face of his love his face softened and a smile grew on his lips. She was asleep with a hand on his cheek. With a racing heart he placed a tender kiss on her lips. But when he pulled away she wasn't there anymore. By now he should be used to that but he isn't and never will.

Will ever the day come where he can really have her sleep next to him? He's tired of just being able to see her in his dreams. Talk to her in his dreams. Hold her in his dreams. He sat up and tried to focus on his sleeping fugure again. He was able to keep himself in his dreamworld but had no energy to get her back. He tried to wake himself up so he could go to his brother to ask him for help but he failed. He couldn´t do anything. His body and mind was tired and worn out. He couldn´t manage to do anything. As if that wasn´t enough and torture enough he couldn´t breath properly anymore and started to cough. Due to overworking his body and taking it to it´s limits he started to cough a huge amount of blood what did not surprised him since he was used to it. The blood was a sigh that was supposed to make him stop and leave the dreamworld but doesn´t. he still keept trying to get her back with the amount of power he had left. But everything was useless at this point. His vision got blurry and he slowly lost power over his body. With every minute passing he was losing his consciousness more and more. He loses the power over his mind and body and slowly passes out.

While Hoseok was having a battle with his mind and body a little part of him was happy because it told him that she was save and doing good. It told him that she was peacefully asleep and happy at the other side of the world.

If only he knew.

On the other side of the world Bella was wide awake in the middle of the night. Sitting in her bed while crying and trying to sooth her aching heart. If you need to cry do so, because holding your tears back won´t make it better. It will only worsen the situation and your emotinal state, said Lady Maria.

Like every other night the director of the orphanage came into her room to lend her a shoulder she could cry on. Her painful crys and sobs always manage to wake the old lady up and make her to come over to the room of the young woman.

Oh darling. How could you fall in love with the ocean prince? Someone as majestic and powerful as him. Him Lee Hoseok. I'm really wondering how long he will be able to come and get you in his dreams. Doesn't he know that it will kill him if he doesn´t stop coming for her every single night?, Lady Maria did not wanted to sadden her more with her words so she keept them to herself while trying to calm her down or at least make her stop crying. But before she knew of could do anything the first rays of the sun where lighting put the room of the heartbroken young mermaid.

#Monsta X #monsta x wonho #monsta x imagines #mx imagines #kpop imagines #wonho #wonho imagines #lee wonho #mx jooheon #mx shownu #mx changkyun #mx hyungwon #mx minhyuk #mx kihyun #monstaxmonbebe #monbebe #wonho wenee #kpop fantasy au #kpop oneshots

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faunusrights · 4 years

Text

Before The Dawn -- Preview Thoughts (ahoy rwde)

So if you didn’t know (or didn’t see [or didn’t hear {or are living the life of blissful ignorance that I, for one, wish I had}]), a preview for the next CFVY-centric novel, Before The Dawn, came out! It’s the sequel to After The Fall, which I liveblogged a while back and generally like… was ambivalent about. Some of it was okay. Other parts were weird. Some bits just plain bonkers. But whatever!

Well, a part of this preview also happened to contain a flashback of Velvet and her father, and I really wanna extrapolate on some reasons this has me bewildered and frightened for my wellbeing! Because what the fuck! Anyway, goes without saying this post contains spoilers for six pages or so of Before The Dawn, but I can’t imagine anyone really cares about spoilers? Probably? Anyway.

(A small aside: I’m not crazy interested in engaging in, like, any debate over anything I’ve put here. This is just a write-up of conversations I’ve already covered with other people for the sake of quick linkage, and not a bright flare arc of ‘somebody come debate this’. If you like what the book says: fine! I don’t. Let’s leave it there, kiddos.)

So, I’m opening this with a disclaimer: many people know I have some hefty headcanons for Velvet’s parents, and I wanna just make it, like, excruciatingly clear: never, at any one point, did I think my headcanons or my AUs or what-have-you would ever become anything even vaguely close to canon. I knew a day would come in which what I’d filled in would come to have canonical content (or, rather, I’d hoped they’d not touch Velvet with a ten-foot pole and I’d never get disproven), and that this was inevitable. Canon and I aren’t on speaking terms, and that’s okay! I didn’t want, nor expect, nor imagined, my stuff becoming canon. So everything I’m about to say isn’t a case of my headcanons were superior or I wish they’d done what I did. What I wanna talk about is how… bad the canon we got, is. Got it? Good.

The preview doesn’t grant me page numbers so I’m unsure exactly where we are in the book, but that prooooobably doesn’t matter so much as the content of the section I’m talking about, but anyway; somewhere in this book is a 6-page section of a flashback Velvet has of talking to her father, as well as some Velvet and Scarlatina family lore. Can I even call it lore? Probably not. But it’s there and it’s real, and I wanna just dissect it for a moment by covering the main points from this excerpt, in no real order, with no input on my half, just facts:

Velvet’s father is an Atlesian engineer.

He works for/under/with Ironwood.

Velvet’s own skills as an inventor and engineer stem directly from him.

His work in Atlas has divided the family, because Velvet’s mum hates that he prizes his work over his family.

Velvet has always wanted to go to Atlas as it’s the tech capital of Remnant.

Velvet’s father doesn’t see her often and that causes some strife.

Her father’s name is Will Scarlatina.

Her mother’s name is Meg Scarlatina.

These are probably our main points to cover, and I’m gonna go over ‘em probably in this order since this is more or less how the excerpt presents them. So let’s take it from the top.

1. Velvet’s father is an Atlesian engineer.

WOW what a start. What a START!!! So, someone pointed out to me that this definitely implies he’s a human, which has some in-text proof that I’ll show a little later in point three, but my god what a. bold beginning. Yes. That said, this point only gets egregious a little later down the line, so let’s hop to point two.

2. He works for/under/with Ironwood.

Okay, so, again. I don’t plan nor intend for my headcanons to become canon in any capacity… but GOD do I hate how we have someone else tied up to Ironwood in some way. This man pulls all the strings, and it seems like nobody can do anything science-y or invent-y without it getting all wrapped up with Ironwood, what gives? Also, probably further proof that Will here is a human, though I’m ready to be wrong. I SURE HOPE I AM. Either way, with Velvet being a Faunus and Will potentially being/having married a Faunus, this slaps in all the bad ways. Can we stop that? Right now? Thanks.

3. Velvet’s own skills as an inventor and engineer stem directly from him.

SO THIS WAS MY FIRST STICKING POINT. The way I explained this was that, in some ways, some people are just like their parents (I sure am in a lot of ways!) and others are totally UNLIKE their parents (such as a lot of my friends!), but it really bothers me that RT looked at Velvet, who they decided was a very competent inventor and creator, and said well, she must’ve gotten it from somewhere! No way she did that all by herself! Let’s have this masculine figure in her life be the reason she’s Like That!

You can say I’m maybe over-exaggerating and, hey, maybe I am. But I really hate stories when a person’s skill is attributed directly towards someone else as if they have no autonomy to learn things on their own. Wouldn’t it have been cooler to have had Velvet strike out and make use of a skill that she developed with the help of friends and family? Who weren’t responsible for this skill, but aided her improvement? It’s real annoying that they decided she’s basically a clone of her father, which is supported by that in-text quotation I mentioned:

“She might have her mother’s ears, but she was her father’s daughter.”

So, first off: what the fuck. Secondly: ?????? Thirdly: so I think this is proof towards Will not being a Faunus, since the reference to ears is so pointed, but GOD I HATE THAT WHOLE IMPLICATION? People aren’t always little mini-clones of their parents, and something really bothers me about a daughter being Just Like Her Dad. It smacks all wrong, and maybe it’s ‘cause I have my vision of the Scarlatinas being so matriarchal and all but it bothers me one hell of a lot. Jesus.

4. His work in Atlas has divided the family, because Velvet’s mum hates that he prizes his work over his family.

/deep breath

Okay. Again, not tryna inflict my own headcanons on this. But are we really gonna play ball with yet another heterosexual marriage on the rocks because the man of the house prizes his job over his family? Really? Really? That’s what we’re being given, hot and fresh, off the printer? Really?

I’m just. Deeply disappointed that this is the angle we’re getting here. Like… right now, the ONE family we’ve got with their braincells in a row is, like, the Belladonnas, and yet we can’t get ONE other out here??? Not one??? The hets, they’re at it again! And I just. It would be SO easy to toss in some good queer content with these flashbacks and we’re just Not getting it. I don’t know why, I shouldn’t have to wonder why, but this is that, I guess.

5. Velvet has always wanted to go to Atlas as it’s the tech capital of Remnant.

HAS SHE THOUGH… REALLY? We’re really gonna say the Faunus who canonically got bullied in Vale and like, is visibly concerned about asshole humans being assholes, wanted to go to Atlas? Asshole human capital city? Are we positive? ‘Cause I, for one, ain’t. Tech is everywhere! You can study and deconstruct and pick apart and invent shit anywhere on the planet! Why would Velvet put herself at such risk just to see the equivalent of Silicon Valley dipshits engage in a circlejerk?

6. Velvet’s father doesn’t see her often and that causes some strife.

Here’s a slice of in-text dialogue to chew on:

“Just another way I’ve disappointed you, huh?” he said.

“Dad. No!” Velvet paused. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but she didn’t have much to follow that up with, nothing that would convince him, anyway. It was hard to argue with the truth.

Now, small tangent: if you’ve read, or seen, any of my writing on Arslan-as-Sienna’s-offspring AU (which is [are] good AU[s] and general idea[s] you should read my content on the matter), then you’ll know I hate the trope in which a parent who does wrong by a kid, then expects that kid to apologise in order to make themself behave better. For instance: kid has an absent parent. Kid apologises profusely to the parent in hopes they’ll come home and be more present in their life. Parent feels bad, and does that, validating the kid’s belief that they needed to apologise to get their parent to come home. It’s a garbage trope and a dangerous one, because you don’t have to apologise for someone else hurting you. Full stop.

So imagine my surprise to see the same thing happen here! What’s this guilt-tripping? What’s this weird focus on Velvet when he’s the one not coming home? As soon as I read this line, it felt skeevy, it is skeevy. I hate it. I am brimming with hatred. Why do this? Why bother? Why does she need this drama? Jesus christ.

Next two points are a two-in-one:

7. Her father’s name is Will Scarlatina. 8. Her mother’s name is Meg Scarlatina.

WHAT? WHAT??????????? HUH????????????????????????

Okay, I know this seems like a bizarre thing to latch onto when there’s already so much fucked up here, but huh?????? These are the names? You chose? Will and Meg??????????????????? Never mind that they do NOT flow into their surnames at all (Meg Scarlatina????????????????????), but also the fact that Meg makes me think of Family Guy (which is something I NEVER want to think about, thanks,) just makes this a fuckin’ TRIAL of pain for me. Will and Meg???????

Did they pick up a phonebook — or, like, an online one — and grab the first two names they saw? Did they get a dartboard and put on a blindfold and launch darts across the room? Was this a socially-distanced[1] conference call gone wrong? I’m BEWILDERED. I learnt these names from someone posting about it in my discord chat, and I thought it was them telling a shit joke to try and piss me off. Are we really serious?

And to me, the name thing really epitomises this whole section. These names — that don’t fit well, that don’t really make sense with the whole colour-name lore, that don’t sound like they should be within a 20-mile radius of RWBY canon — are like the excerpt itself: bonkers. Bonkers bananas. Where every page brings in a new and unprecedented level of huh???????? that I JUST can’t get over.

Now, again. I don’t want my take on Velvet’s parents to be canon. No, really, I’m gonna use them for an original fic, RT don’t touch them they’re mine and they’re going to be in a novel. A series, even. It may even be erotica! But that’s neither here nor there; when I made Ash and Taffeta, I spent a lot of time reverse-engineering (my brand of) Velvet to put the pieces together. How did she grow up to be who she is now? What influences did she have? What examples did her parents set? What were her family like, and how did she take that upbringing forwards? And I spent a lot of time thinking about who they were, the environment they fostered, and I spent so many hours googling names it doesn’t even bear thinking about. Point being: I put a lot of time and energy and love into the Scarlatina family because I wanted, so badly, to have a family people could be, well, jealous of! A family so big-hearted and kind and full of love and furious compassion that you couldn’t help but wanna be there.

To me, this… take. This version of Velvet’s parents being peddled as canon is just so… unreal. Never mind that it’s been so many years since Velvet was unveiled, so many years people have developed headcanons of their own that, honestly, at this point, why bother? But it’s so frustrating to have taken time to make a queer family built on the solarpunk and socialist and eco-friendly and green-thinking and sustainable ways of being to then have canon turn around and say, okay, what if her dad’s a bootlicker, Velvet’s a mini clone of him, and the marriage Velvet’s parents have is on the rocks due to a trope older than time itself! Why? Why bother? What can this possibly add?

I’m not mad that what I wanted isn’t canon. I’m mad that what canon has given is so… lackluster. So boring. So unoriginal. I feel like I’ve read this story a thousand times, but it would have been so easy to make something so much richer with just a smidgen of effort on everyone’s parts. I expect so little from canon and I’m still let down. This is somehow worse than anything I expected canon to pull. It’s wild. What a bonkers series of choices to make.

[1] I know that most of this book would’ve been planned/written before lockdown, but please bear with the joke.

#rwde #before the dawn spoilers #preview discussion #dont @ me fuckers im too busy being disappointed BUT NOT SURPRISED

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