#I think he misses sleeping in the mining quarters (with someone)

[soapbbox]

By law, you cannot move if kitty cat meow meow sleepy time; punishable by death

Megatron’s in his cogless form because of this

[luveline]

how about a little blurb about roan asking reader to straighten her hair and eddie is devastated because someone said something mean to roan about her hair so reader does the dressing gown curls and comes down to the kitchen table for breakfast with hair like roans? 😭

cw this blurb might imply that the reader doesn't have curly hair but hopefully it is ambiguous, like maybe r has a different curl pattern

"What are you doing?" Eddie whispers, face smushed into a pillow. You must've woken him fidgeting with your last pin. 

He went to bed early with a headache. You think that it might've been because of the afternoon's events. Poor Ro was being teased at school again for her lovely hair, and Eddie can't stand it, but worse was the face he made when Roan asked if you could straighten it out. 

That was not cool. Far from Roan's fault, of course, and gutting. 

"Nothing," you whisper, hoping you can tide him back to sleep with some affection, "gimme two seconds, angel, I'm just moisturising." 

You're lying. You pin the last rag in place and turn off the light by the mirror before he can investigate the authenticity of what you'd claimed, sliding into bed behind him to hold his waist and press your face to his hot shoulder. He relaxes into your touch. You're not sure who nods off first. 

In the morning, he seems to have benefited from being the little spoon; he's singing downstairs while Roan giggles, his mood lightened, his voice high-pitched as he soars up to an octave you didn't know he could reach. You set about pulling the pins and rags from your hair, and brush the resulting curls out very gently. You look pretty, because you look exactly like Roan does after she gets her hair done properly, your hair in curls that are nearly ringlet in form, winding loose toward the scalp and tighter at the ends.

You get dressed for work and make your way downstairs. 

"How much toast? One or two?" Eddie's asking. 

"I want two, please," Roan says, leaning back in her chair, the pillows slipping beneath her. 

Eddie obeys her asking and pops the toaster down with two pieces of bread, and then he turns to you and the easy smile on his face stutters. "Oh." 

"Do you like it?" you ask, bringing your hands to your chest with pride, elbows out as you turn one way and the other. "Aren't they pretty?" 

"You look beautiful," he agrees immediately, the impulse of a man who's about to get married saying what his future wife tells him to, but then softer is his genuine agreement, "you look really, really stellar. Doesn't she, Ro?" 

Roan wraps her arms around the back of her chair, cheek squished to the side. "Your hair is like mine." 

"You're lucky," you say, pulling one of the curls behind your ear. You do feel pretty. "It took me ages last night to get it ready and put all of the pins in my hair, but you wake up with your beautiful hair like that every day." 

Roan's voice is chest-achingly hopeful, "You think so?" 

"I love it."

You twist one way and another to drive the message home for her. Eddie scratches a thin layer of butter and strawberry jelly over Roan's toast and puts it in front of her, a quarter piece miraculously missing. 

She squints at him. 

"You have such nice hair," he says eventually through a full mouth. 

You lean over the back of her chair to kiss her cheek and swipe your own quarter piece of toast. "He's right, even if he has no manners."

She giggles and makes herself a little toast sandwich. Her fingers and eyes stay focused on the task at hand, but she says, "Thanks, mommy," quietly and sweetly. 

"You're welcome, my little toast monster. How did you eat that much already? You're impressive." 

Eddie sidles up to give you a grateful hug from the side, his hands joining over your shoulder as he encourages your face toward his. You lean away from his smacking strawberry scented kiss, but you cover his hands so he can't leave too quickly afterwards.

—

eddie, roan and reader drabbles

[brokenheartsrecords]

track three: voices in the wall words: 0.7K tw: none taglist: @lxvebelle , @that-daughter-of-hephaestus find track two here

YOUR MOTHER IS A BIT TOO glad about your almost-ruined reputation. As she runs around the sitting room, planning the engagement and wedding breakfast and oh, God, the wedding night, you feel compelled to make her stop.

“Mama, what if I have a secret lover I will elope with? What will come of your planning then?”

You, in fact, do not have a secret lover. It’s not because you aren’t beautiful, it’s just that people see you more as a friend rather than a potential bride.

And, yes, you’ve rejected quite the lot of suitors because you just didn’t like them.

You can’t be blamed.

“If you had a lover, I would’ve known by now. If it weren’t for this wedding, you’d be a spinster your whole life! This is a sign from God, darling. He orchestrated this because you and Lord Hawthorne were meant to be together! It’s His holy word.”

Good luck telling Lord Hawthorne that God orchestrated this, and not me.

You know that Grayson Hawthorne thinks that you somehow created this situation, when it really couldn’t be far from the truth. You could try to break it off, but that would dishonour not just his, but your family too.

It didn’t matter how you’d break it off if the result would always be the same.

And Grayson was too much of a gentleman to break the engagement off himself.

You tried to find faults in him on the carriage ride home. Like how he was too uptight, or if he gambled (how would he gamble if he never took a stroll in society, though?). Maybe he had a secret collection of horrid paintings, or he hoarded Marie Antoinnete’s fatal guillotine? 

But you couldn’t find a single fault in your memory, unless the fault was him being too gentlemanly. And what type of fault was that?

“Tulips or lilies? I would go with lilies, but I wonder what Skye will say about that.”

And just like that, you had an idea.

“Mama, if I marry Lord Hawthorne… wouldn’t Ms. Skye be part of the family?”

Your mother stilled, a light frown pulling at her lips. “She would. But that does not matter, because all household tasks will be shifted to the Lady Hawthorne. And Lady Hawthorne would be you. Skye would hold no responsibilities in that house, child.” She came over to you and patted your hair, which you had left loose down your back. 

Slowly, your mother gathered the strands and parted them into three, beginning the foundations of a braid. “I might be too happy for your wedding, but that is because I never really thought I’d be able to attend it.” She says, her voice but a whisper. “I’m truly overjoyed for you, and you secured such a great match, too! Trust me, your marriage will be nothing like mine.”

The house was too large. Too silent. The only sounds came from outside the sitting room, where the maids were running through the staircases to prepare baths. Your mother’s husband wasn’t to be seen.

“Can I speak to Lord Hawthorne tomorrow?” You ask, trying to shift your mother’s attention.

You can hear her smile. “Of course. I’ll send a letter to Skye.”

In your room later that night, you can’t sleep. You blame it on nerves, but you know that that is not the case.

Outside, you see a light approach the stables, and it slowly disappears. 

It’s probably a stableboy walking back to the servant’s quarters, you assume.

Until you hear shuffling from the walls.

“Report.” A female voice says, and you jolt up in your bed. 

A deep breath. Not from you, but from someone else in the walls. 

“There is a wedding being arranged, madam. I know nothing more.”

The tinkling of coins, and the hard sound of them falling into someone’s hands. “Tell me more.”

The voice is soft, seductive. 

“The wedding is to the Miss. Lord Hawthorne and the Miss. They will be calling at the Hawthorne residence on the morrow. Please, that is all I know.”

“Shame.” The voice says, and you can hear the frown. “Matthias, you know what to do.”

Footsteps.

You don’t hear the second woman again.

[e-dubbc11]

Happy Winter Sleepover! ❄️

“I also have two fics that I could be persuaded to write sequels for…Unforgiven (Matt Murdock x F! Reader) and Irreplaceable (Billy Russo x F! Reader)”

I’m so excited to see this!

More Irreplaceable if you please 🙏

I had a feeling you’d ask for more Irreplaceable! Billy always knows what he wants so he has a little work to do! Thank you for sending this in and thank you again for being a part of my sleepover! ♥️

Irreplaceable Pt. 2

Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google.

Pairing: Billy Russo x F! Reader; supporting character Matt Murdock

Warnings: Alluding to smexy time, swear words, angst and fluff

Word Count: 2.2K-ish

Summary: Even though you walked out on Billy, you miss him…terribly. You try to distract yourself with someone else but Billy is persistent

Read Part 1 HERE

As always, thank you for reading!  I appreciate it so much and comments, reblogs are welcome and encouraged. Don’t be shy to tell me your favorite part. 💕💕 💕

His hand slowly brushed up the side of your bare thigh as he spooned up behind you. His thick calloused fingers traced over your hip and along your rib cage when he heard your phone buzz for what seemed like the 100th time.

“You’re a popular girl, sweetheart.” He said in a low gravelly voice.

His full lips extended to a slight smirk against your bare shoulder.

“Is it work or play?” He asked.

Your eyes were closed, still riding out your orgasm as his silk sheets cooled down your naked body.

“Little bit of both, I imagine.” You replied.

As you turned to face him, you placed your hands on his chest and lightly traced his scars with your fingers. Even with his scars, Matt was still a specimen. He had broad muscular shoulders, you could count every ab muscle on his stomach, and bounce a quarter off his perfect ass.

You didn’t ask him about his scars or about the new bruises and cuts he always seemed to have every time you were together. It was none of your business; the relationship was casual but you were beginning to think he had deeper feelings for you.

Your mind wandered to Billy. You hated to admit it but you missed him…missed the scent of his cologne, his smile, damn he had a perfect smile, you missed your conversations and the way he touched you.

Not just sexually but intimately; he always held your hand when he would take you out and managed to have a hand on you at all times like he didn’t want you to get away.

“When I said I wanted to meet for lunch, I actually meant it, Murdock. I’m still hungry.” You said with a slight smile on your face.

He couldn’t see but he could tell by the tone of your voice that you were smiling. His lips curled up into a devilish smile and you could see that adorable dimple on his cheek that you were completely soft for.

He husked into your ear. “Well I’m not hungry…anymore.”

Heat rushed to your cheeks and goosebumps peppered across your bare skin as he leaned in closer to kiss you.

“You know how to make a girl blush Matthew, that’s for sure.” You said.

He smirked again. “Oh I can feel it; believe me I know.” Said Matt.

“Looks like I’m working from home the rest of the day. I’m gonna clean up and get goin’.” You said.

“You want some company in there?” Matt asked.

“If I say no, are you gonna come in here anyway?” You replied.

Matt really did have an adorable smile.

“Probably.” Said Matt.

You playfully said, “Well hustle up, counselor. I don’t have all day.”

**********

Some of your missed calls and texts were from the office but a lot of them were from Billy. He was persistent, you’d give him that much. You were still very angry with him but also couldn’t stop thinking about what he wanted to tell you when you walked out on him that night. That was bothering you and you weren’t sleeping because of it.

It was hard to concentrate on work or anything else, for that matter. You were having a great time with Matt; you were both lawyers so the two of you had things in common. You enjoyed the drinks after work, the Thai food and the sex was fantastic.

But he wasn’t Billy.

You felt your stomach twist and knot with anger. The muscles in your shoulders seized and you were so overwhelmed with rage, you felt like you could punch a wall.

Yes, you were furious with Billy Russo but also it pissed you off that you had fallen for him.

Maybe you were being too hard on him about seeing those other women. You were seeing Matt at the same time and didn’t tell him. Billy did go out of his way to hide the other women from you though, and that’s what angered you most of all. If he asked about other men, you would have told him.

You were well aware of his reputation. Billy was the type of man that didn’t have relationships, he didn’t develop feelings, and he didn’t get attached but you finally had to admit to yourself that you fell for him anyway.

He even opened up a little to you about growing up in the system which broke your heart and you hoped he didn’t see the look on your face when he told you about it; might have given away the fact that you secretly had deeper feelings for him so you just continued to treat him like the man-whore he was.

Billy’s phone calls went unanswered and his texts stayed unread until one day on your way out of court, he was outside waiting for you.

You just kept walking.

“Are you ever gonna talk to me or are you just gonna continue to ignore me, y/n?” Billy asked.

You rolled your eyes.

“What do you want me to say, Billy?” You asked.

He grabbed your wrist and pulled you close to him.

“Well I wanna talk to YOU!” He growled, as his top lip curled up over his clenched teeth.

“Fine! Talk!” You yelled in his face.

“Who the fuck is this Murdock guy?!” Asked Billy, with bitterness in his voice.

You narrowed your eyes and pressed your lips together in a straight line. Heat spread across your chest as you tried to pull your wrist away from him.

Your anger was about to boil over. “Have you been following me?!!” You asked. “Why?!”

Billy was trained to blend in, not be seen, and sneak up on his enemy. You would have no idea if he was following you or not or if he had someone else follow you.

“What does he have that I don’t?! I wanna know!” He asked.

“A free night during the week?! A soul?! A conscience?! Pick one!” You shouted.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and brushed his beard with his forefinger and thumb before dropping your wrist and pointing his long slender finger at you.

“The night you left, I wanted to tell you something. Do you wanna know what it was?” He asked.

“You already got me standing here with you so you might as well, spit it out Russo!” You hissed.

“I wanted to tell you that I—I care about you and I…” He paused. Billy always had a hard time expressing his feelings. “And I only want to date YOU.” He said, lowering his voice.

His deep impenetrable brown eyes never diverted from your face. He meant what he said and your heart suddenly jumped into your throat.

Could you believe him, though?

“Then prove it to me, Billy.” You said softly.

You felt his eyes on you while you walked away toward your car but you didn’t look back. Billy was used to working hard for what he wanted but he wasn’t used to working hard for a woman’s attention; you witnessed it first hand every time you went out.

Some woman eyeing him from across the bar or the restaurant, wanting to get his attention, but to his credit, he never gave them that attention while he was out with you.

If he really wanted to be with you, he would figure out a way to prove it to you.

The Next Day

You didn’t hear from Billy for the rest of the day yesterday and you tried your best to keep yourself busy with work to take your mind off of him. Matt had called earlier in the day to ask if you wanted to have drinks after work and you agreed but you weren’t excited; it was all so complicated now.

The office phone rang. With your face buried in paperwork, you picked it up and tucked it between your shoulder and ear.

“Yeah Claire…what’s up?” You asked.

“Your dad is on line one.” She said.

You furrowed your brow and had a confused look on your face. It was a little early for your father to be calling you.

“Ok thank you, Claire…Hi Daddy. How are you?” You asked.

“Don’t hang up, baby.” Said Billy.

“Billy Russo, you pretended to be my dad to get me to talk to you!?” You said angrily.

He obviously remembered you talked to your dad every day around lunchtime. Billy was making it very hard to stay mad at him.

“You know the cell phone place around the corner from your office?” He asked.

You did.

“Yeah…I know the one.” You said hesitantly.

“Meet me there in ten minutes…I need a new phone.” He said.

His voice was smooth like warm honey. It was hypnotizing.

“What? Billy, I have work to do…what do I care if you need a new phone or not?” You said.

“Please, y/n.” Said Billy, softly. “Ten minutes, sweet girl…please.”

A shock of electricity shot through your stomach. You loved it when he called you that, it was your favorite.

Against your better judgment, you agreed.

“Fine, I’ll see you in ten minutes.” You said and hung up.

Billy looked as handsome as ever when you walked through that door. He was wearing a gray suit with a burgundy tie, holding two coffees.

“Cream only…here ya go, beautiful.” He said as he gently placed the coffee in your hand.

“What am I doing here, Billy?” You asked.

Before he could answer, the store employee asked Billy a question.

“Mr. Russo, I’m assuming you want all of your contacts transferred to your new phone?”

Billy shook his head, never breaking eye contact with you.

“No…no I don’t.” He said.

“But Mr. Russo, you have a lot of contacts in here. Are you sure you don’t want them moved–?” The employee tried to ask again before Billy interrupted him.

“No, any number I absolutely need, I can get again but there is one number you can transfer over.” Billy said. “The contact is ‘sweet girl.’”

The employee rattled off the number. “Is that the number?”

“I dunno…is that the number, baby?” Billy asked you.

Tears stung the back of your eyes as you bit down on your lower lip when you heard the employee say your number out loud.

You nodded. “Yes…yes, that’s my number. Billy–” you started to say before he interrupted you.

His lips collided with yours and your eyes closed in relief while he continued to cover your mouth with his own. You were the only two people in the world at that moment and his presence was reassuring to you like you knew he meant every single word he had said to you. Billy really does care about you; that’s what you felt in that kiss.

Feeling uncomfortable, the store employee cleared his throat.

“Ahem, ummm…Mr. Russo, can you come look at this to make sure it’s right?”

Billy had a smile that could melt your insides every time.

“Let’s go see, sweet girl.” He said.

You looked at the contacts list; your number was the only number in that phone.

“Y-yes, that’s right.” You said.

It was hard to find the right words to say. You wanted Billy to prove he wanted to date you and only you and he did. All those other women…gone from that list. Sure, they could still call or text but that was a bold gesture for Billy; it was new and unfamiliar but he showed you he was willing to try.

It was unfamiliar to you too. Every relationship you had ever been in ended because you put work before anything else but you were willing to try because you found someone worth trying for.

He pulled you against his chest and kissed the top of your head. It felt so good to be in his arms again.

“How did I do, baby?” He asked.

You smiled against his chest. “Thank you, handsome.”

“I wanna show the entire city, the entire world, that you’re mine and I’m yours.” Said Billy. “Starting tonight.”

“Oh I can’t tonight, baby…I have a date.” You said with a sly smile, trying to hold in your laughter.

You wrapped your arms around his neck and leaned in to kiss him; the bristles of his beard gently scratched your cheeks and the scent of his cologne was intoxicating.

“Oh you’re really gonna make me work at this, aren’t you.” Said Billy.

“You know I am, Mr. Russo…but I will cancel my date tonight and I’ll stop seeing Matt. I’ve only ever wanted you, Billy.” You said, whispering against his lips.

He couldn’t find the words to say to you. It was almost as if that was the first time he was told he was wanted. No one has ever told him he was cared for.

He’s only ever been told he was good for his money, his looks, and his body, not for who he is, not for the man he was trying to be. Most guys would have given up and found someone else. Billy could easily have done that but he didn’t want to…he wanted you and only you.

To him, you really were…irreplaceable.

Tag List: @wheresthesunshinesblog @rafaelakelley @idaoftheburningmind @snowkestrel @fakehappy27 @music-indie-tv @fictional-hooman @kayhi808 @munsonownsmyass @gijos @celestialams @k-marzolf @nutmeg17 @rosaleenablack @vaguekayla @qu1etwolf @danzer8705 @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes

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[write-kin]

a visitor here

tysm to @just-a-silly-little-whumper for letting me write your guys interacting with mine!! i hope i captured elze'ith's personality well enough. i would kill for him. he wouldnt even have to ask id just do it

this is a noncanon crossover between cal (my lil dude) and their elze'ith, taking place a few hours after this (very good read!)

CWs: uncomfortable healing magic, blood, slight vomiting, implied past abuse.

-

Most people in Cal’s situation would have been delighted. 

Whisked away from their cruel captor, enlisted into whimsical adventures with two monster hunters that had taken a liking to him. Traveling the land in search of a cure for his condition, the protection of two heroes by his side, who loved him like family. 

Unfortunately, Cal happened to like being trapped in a gothic castle, serving the vampire who sired him. Whenever Bryn tried to talk to him about how his Lord saw him as little more than a possession, Cal replied it was nice to be wanted, and the conversation rather forcefully ended there. 

Currently, he was justifying what he’d done by reassuring himself that this would surely, on some level, result in his return to the closest thing he had to a father. After all, he knew enough of the world to know that grace is often repaid, and what could be more of a gesture of goodwill than warning someone of their impending demise by way of vampire hunters? 

He didn’t think too much about why he wanted to return. It made his body ache and filled his head with that exhausting fog, so he just ignored it and carried on. He needed to get home. To the castle. To his Lord. 

And besides, if he’d learned anything from his Lord, it was that vampires of status spoke to one another. Correspondence, mostly. But they were always, always in touch. 

That in mind, he’d crept through the door at what appeared to be just the right time. His Lord, after all, was well-known, if reclusive, and on his Lord’s status alone Cal had earned a place at a fine party. 

He hated those sorts of affairs. 

But still, it was one step closer to home. He felt a little out of place, tugging his shirt’s collar to keep it snug, sitting in a corner and watching everyone mingle. 

These were his people, his kin, though by technicality he was little more than a child to them. Coasting on his Lord’s status, deflecting comments about how sad it was that his Lord sent a servant or how pitiful that he couldn’t come, and asking questions that got tiring after the first three rounds of faux-politeness. 

People nudging him, pointing to Lord Denholm and his servant, saying he should live a little, when was the chance he’d have this opportunity again?

It was a miracle he’d been able to shut himself up in the corner. He never thought he’d miss being locked in a convent’s dungeon. 

So when the guests left, and his gracious host waved him off to find somewhere to sleep, Cal was more than happy to scuttle away. Unfortunately, he hadn’t thought to ask about where he could find something resembling guest quarters, and so he found himself wandering about darkened halls, trying not to be afraid. 

And one room called to him. Back home, at the castle he longed to return to, he knew every room. Every corridor. But here he was afraid, flinching at every sound. So when one room had a door slightly open, a warm light emanating from it, he didn’t think to be afraid. All he saw was a place where he could at least get his bearings. 

Slowly, he opened the door just wide enough to slip through. A bedroom, it seemed, large and well-kept. Composed like a painting, eyes leading him to the bed, and- 

Oh.

Oh.

It was the pretty thing. The one he’d seen while he shrunk away in the corner, the star of the show. Though from what Cal had seen, he didn’t seem to be entirely cognizant of that… or anything at all, really. He was under blankets, looking like he’d been tossed down and tucked in, and Cal immediately knew that he was very likely not supposed to be here. 

That doesn’t stop him from taking a few steps further into the room, sleeping at the foot of the bed. 

The man laying before him is ethereal, and Cal can’t quite work out if it’s because of his long white hair splayed out like a halo around him, pointy ears, and the way the half-moon scar traces around his eye like it’s trying to say something, or if it’s how he’s laying on the bed, looking like he’s been through hell and then some, the prettiest green eyes Cal has ever seen half-lidded and staring off into space. 

He recognizes the look. 

He chooses not to say anything. 

Instead, he sits on the floor. Just so he’s in the man’s line of sight, back to the wall, staring. 

He can wait.

After what feels like an eternity, when he’s counted every bauble on the shelves twice, the man’s eyes shift, locking onto Cal’s. He wasn’t good at reading people, but he was pretty sure that was a flicker of recognition. Not of knowledge, but Cal knew he’d probably been spotted among the many.

They stay like that for a bit, the elf’s eyes on him, Cal frozen like a statue as he tries to figure out what to do. Out of habit, his chest rises and falls, the only movement in his cold, dead body.

Eventually, he stands, but he’s not sure if that’s a choice he made or his body acting on its own. Cal takes the few short steps over to the bed, to stand over the elf, hand moving to hover over him slightly, twitching almost imperceptibly with a hunger he was still learning to suppress. 

The man’s eyes looked up with a terror that was palpable, but the rest of his body exuded resignation. Cal hesitated. What would it have taken for someone else to look upon him like this? 

(Had anyone… looked upon him like this? He would have been asleep. He had no way of knowing.) 

He shook the thought from his head and doffed his glove. Pitying himself would get him nowhere. But pitying this one was a path forwards. 

“Easy,” he mumbled, not really paying attention to what words fell from his mouth, just trying to break the painful silence. “I’m, um. I’m not here to hurt you. It’s okay.” 

Shit. He wasn’t supposed to be here, doing any of this. He was supposed to be at the castle, reorganizing the library, cleaning the eternal mess of his own volition, napping in the moonlight. But no. He was here, and so he had to help this poor creature. And yet he couldn’t spit out more than a fragmented little sentence in an attempt to rid the elf of the muted panic. 

At the glint of his fangs in the dim light, the elf seemed to resign himself to his fate, shifting around to uncover his arm from under the comforter, moving to expose his wrist. It took Cal a moment to realize the mistake, and in a panic, he used his gloved hand to press the elf’s arm and torso down, the other one over his neck. 

In healing those used as feeding cattle, Cal had learned, the neck artery was the most important. It was fed on most often for a reason, so encouraging blood replenishment from there was the best place to start. 

His hand fumbled for a second, before it found the fang marks he was looking for- apparently his gracious host habitually fed from a slightly different spot than Cal’s lord- and pressed his hand down, trying not to suffocate the poor thing. 

A small scuffle ensued, before Cal got his footing and began to breathe. It was messy, it always was when they didn’t sit still like Bryn did, but as he mumbled the words the elf began to calm down, recognizing that this would not be an attack, not be whatever vile thing he was so accustomed to.

He simply settled down and let Cal heal him. 

The process wasn’t always pretty. Cal’s magic, he’d been told, was potent, but not polished. His mana flowed from him with an intensity that healed the wounds, flowed from his mouth and hands to bind itself into the elf’s body. Cal closed his eyes, chanting quietly under his breath, feeling the warmth return under his hand, the flesh and veins knitting themselves together. From what he’d been told, returning blood to a body didn’t hurt, but it was a weird sensation. Almost itchy, but not quite. He felt the transfer of mana and energy flow through him, like a rush of water. 

Unfortunately, the fact his magic was more powerful than it was delicate, and Cal opened his eyes at a choking sound, seeing blood leaking from the elf’s nose. 

Shit.

Instinctively, Cal pulls him to a sitting position- he’s done this before, and he knows what’s next. Frantically, he looks around, but can’t find anything to catch it in time- shit. Fuck. Shit.

A cough, wide eyes, and suddenly there’s blood pouring onto the comforter, staining the white sheets red as he coughed up half a lungful of blood. Though… Cal could be wrong, but he swore he saw a flicker of pale teal in there- mana. That was bad. 

“Okay. Hey. You’re good. Just- keep going. Nothing to worry about.” He lied, trying to be reassuring. “I just- too much of a good thing. Breathe.” He considers flashing a reassuring smile, but that seems like the opposite of helpful right now. 

The elf sputters and coughs up blood until it’s gone, and while he’s taking shaky, panting breaths, Cal is staring at the comforter, which is very ruined. This is going to be a lot to explain to his host, he thinks. 

“Hey. Uh. It’s- it’s okay. That happens. It’s all out now, right?” When he’s met with a nod, Cal exhales a breath he wasn’t even capable of holding. 

“Who are you, anyways?” He’s careful to keep his voice calm, sharp, balanced. He’s shown enough weakness. He needs to gain control of the situation. But the prolonged silence is knocking him off-balance. 

Eventually, the elf speaks. Even his voice is soft and ethereal, and he only says one word. 

“Elze’ith.” His voice sounds scratchy, like he hadn’t used it in ages, though for all Cal knew that could be the blood in his throat. “Elze’ith.” Cal repeats. Another nod from the elf- Elze’ith- and Cal returns the gesture. 

“I’m Cal. It’s nice to meet you.” Practiced politeness, from years of reading etiquette books, as well as his Lord’s tutelage when the man was in a more friendly mood. “How do you do?”

Elze’ith looks like he hadn’t felt anywhere near this good in ages. He also looked like he wasn’t quite sure where he was, what was happening, or why Cal was here. Understandable, really. From some of the things Cal had seen, some of the people he’d healed, this was a fairly good reaction to such an extreme change of bodily health. 

“I’m a guest,” Cal clarified. “Just for a little bit. Just until I can go home.” 

The silence remained, so Cal fidgeted, removing the comforter. He pulled the large quilt that sat at the foot of the bed over Elze’ith, before looking at the comforter he’d dumped on the floor. Frankly, it was unrecoverable. Even if magic was used in the washing, it’d stain. He decided to fold it up, setting it in a corner and ignoring the whole issue. 

He felt green eyes upon him as he sighed, moving back to the bedside, where he met the man’s gaze. Fidgeting again, he took it upon himself to fill the silence. If Bryn or Sh’han had been here, they’d know what to do. He kicked himself internally for abandoning them. Sure, he needed to return home, and they’d just have likely killed his host, but they would know what to do in this situation. They wouldn’t leave these long, empty silences. 

“Feeling okay?” Cal asked. Bryn would probably ask that. “I, um, saw you back there. You didn’t look happy. 

Elze’ith settled back into the plush pillows on the bed, looking skeptical. So this was how it felt. Cal was far more used to being in the other situation, near-catatonic and having to be taken care of. It just looked like this elf was a lot less stubborn than he was. He was almost thankful for it. 

“Okay.” A pause. “You… live here?” A small, tired nod was given in response. That was getting somewhere. Bryn asked people questions about their situation a lot. It seemed to help. 

“Do you like living here?” 

A sharp shake of the head, and then one of Elze’ith’s hands went up to support his head, before Cal gently pushed him down, resting the elf’s head on the pillows. He wanted to ask ‘why not’, or more details about the situation, because he hadn’t seen anything like this from his Lord- at least, not that he could remember- but they seemed to be on a yes/no question basis, so Cal simply settled himself with another question.

“You’re alive, right? Not like me?” 

The nod came slower. ‘Could you call this living?’ the elf’s eyes seemed to say, and Cal shrugged internally. He could ignore the pang of emotion in his stomach. 

“That’s good. I… my Lord doesn’t keep ones like you. I don’t know why anyone would. It just seems cruel.” Cal talks as he begins to stalk across the room, fretting over something. He wants to help, but he isn’t sure how. After a moment, he remembers something, and rushes back to get his glove again. “I’m trying to go home to him. I could… I could take you. He’s nice. He could make you like me.” More silence.

“It’s not life, but it’s freedom. Or, I…” Cal sits on the bed. If he was in this situation, he’d hate being talked to like this, he knows that for sure. But he can’t stop himself. He knows he should shut up, he should have left the moment he saw Elze’ith in the room, and yet, and yet and yet he cannot. It infuriates him. 

“I left them behind to come here. But I have friends. Friends who kill monsters. Maybe… maybe once I am returned, I could send them a letter. Tell them of you.” 

He trails off, trying to stop himself from talking. A warmth touches him, then. A hand. 

Cal knows better than anyone the hollow aches these promises leave behind. They’re impossible to fulfill, at least in his experience. But the pleasant feeling of making them, of having something sweet to believe in for a little while… he could indulge it. Pretend, for a little bit, that this was possible. That these were more than sweet lies that would dissolve into sugar water eventually. False hope was better than none at all, right? 

“I could stay here,” Cal offers, “if you’d like. On the floor, beside you.” It’s like nothing to offer- he’s used to doing it, after all. Though, there is a pang of guilt in his heart. After all, he’s only doing this because he prefers to sleep near someone, and prefers to hold a hand while he does. He chokes out his next sentence before he can stop it. 

“Hold your hand so if anything happens, I’ll be alerted.” Elze’ith pauses. 

“That would be nice.” 

Cal lights up visibly, and before he can stop it, a genuine smile spreads across his face. Elze’ith had spoken again! It made him… it made him feel proud. 

“I haven’t had anyone to cook for properly since I was taken from my Lord. Maybe I’ll make you something tomorrow. And then… we can figure something out. I promise.” When he says it, he almost believes it. 

[pachel-2003]

The Wasteland part 4

Clint and I go find Maria to discuss what we’ve decided. With Clint’s hand in mine we head to her private quarters. We arrive and Clint knocks. “Come in.” When we enter a woman with a pixie cut looks up from her desk. “(Y/N), it really is you.” She gets up from her chair and walks towards us. “When Loki came to me I wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth. I heard you came up with a plan to defeat Maestro.” We both nod and show Maria the maps we discussed earlier.  “Good work, to both of you. You’ve always been good at working together. Let me go over this in private with a few other people, you two have done enough. Go ahead and rest I will call and let you know when we plan to attack.”

“Thanks Maria, we will.” Clint says wrapping an arm around my waist. He leads us out of Maria’s room and back to his room. “I think I have something we can eat, bet your starving huh?”

“You have no idea.” Clint walks over to a cabinet and starts pulling out cans of food. I walk over and look at the food, making sure I don’t make gross faces but fail anyway.

“Sorry I don’t have much darling. But this is all we have at the moment. There might be other options in our ‘cafeteria’ but that’s probably not worth it.” He stands up and picks up a can of green beans, and opens it.

“I can deal with it, if that’s all you have I won’t complain.” I give a smile while I pick up a can of corn for me to eat.

“This coming from the picky eater.” I give him a pout and look down slightly. “Hey look at me,” he puts his index finger under my chin and lifts my head up “I’m only teasing you babe,” he pecks my forehead “I just missed you is all.”

“I know, but it feels like nothing has changed. After all this time your still the same Clint I love.”  We smile at each other and finish eating our vegetables in silence. I pretty sure It’s late because I’m getting tired.

“You can go to sleep if you want, I’m always up late keeping watch so I don’t mind.”

“You don’t plan on going to sleep? That’s not very healthy of you Clint.”

“I really don’t mind, the beds right there go ahead and go to sleep. If something happens I’ll wake you.” I give him a small nod and quick goodnight and head to the bed. It doesn’t take long when my head hits the pillow that I fall asleep. Today was exhausting and I have a long battle to prepare for tomorrow.

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

Clint’s POV

This morning could have started like any other. That was until I saw a big flash near the old Avengers tower. When I went over I saw someone who I thought I never seen again. The girl I was going to propose to after our battle with Modoc ended. But she was nowhere to be found. For years I thought she ran away from us, from me. After a while, when Maestro took over, I accepted the fact that she might be dead. My patrol this morning I thought Loki was pulling a cruel trick on me. But it was really her.

I don’t want her to be involved in anything battle wise. I just want her to go home back to her time, so past me doesn’t have to live this hell without her. My conversation with Loki made me realize Maestro is going to look for her, and try and come after her. I can’t let that happen. No matter what I will protect (Y/N).

As I look at the cameras I have set up in my quarters, I can’t help but take some glances at her. She looks so peaceful, no scars with all the war that’s happened, no nightmares to deal with every night. She’s at peace, and I want her to go back to her time and keep that. This plan better work, otherwise I don’t know what I’m going to do. Ever since she got here all I wanted to do was hold her, and never let her go. But I remember, she’s not my (Y/N).

Reader’s POV

I wake up and roll onto my back and stare at the celling for a bit. I don’t remember cracks being in the celling, weird. I gasp then shot up in bed in a fright. I calm down once I see Clint passed out in his chair at the desk. I forgot I’m in the future. Yesterday felt like an awful dream. I start feeling a little homesick and tear up a bit and try not letting out a sniffle. But I fail at that and Clint wakes up.

“Good morning darling, how are…” He stops as soon as he makes eye contact with me. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He gets up to sit next to me on the bed, hesitating to wrap an arm around me.

“I’m just a little homesick,’ I choke out “don’t worry I’m fine, really.” I sat up and wipe my tears, but more just fall. “Can you hold me, just for a little bit?”

“Yeah darling, or course.” Clint does as I ask and wraps me in a hug. This is honestly the closest thing I’m getting to home, and I love it. “Try not to fall asleep again. We still got work to do.”

I let out a groan and snuggle deeper in his chest. “Do we have to? I’m already a badass on the battle field. I can handle some robots.”

“Its more than just a few robots darling. You need to prepare to defeat a monster that’s 10 times stronger and bigger than you.” He says “I just don’t want to loose you again.” Clint murmurs  the last part into my hair.  “Please, just train with me for a bit. It doesn’t matter how good you are. You just need to be prepared enough to make it to the stones. Ok?”

“Ok. If it’ll put you more at ease, I’ll do it.” He kisses my forehead in response and we both get up and get ready for the day. “Is there a training area we can go to? You mentioned a few places but no training area.” “That’s the beauty of living in an old tunnel, the whole thing can be a training ground.” Clint says as he leads me the opposite direction of the base. “I like to train on this side, away from everyone.” He heads over to the target and picks up a bow and some arrows, then heads back to where I’m standing. “You wanna shoot some?” He offers me the bow with a small smile.

“I don’t know, I’m not as good as the great Hawkeye.” I said with a laugh

“Your better than you think you are, trust me. Here just try.” I take the bow and an arrow with some hesitation and get ready to aim. I raise the bow and aim at the target. I feel Clint move behind me and he adjusts my arms a bit. “Was I off a bit?”

“Just a bit. You should be good now.” He let’s go of my arms and I shoot the arrow. I hit the target, but it’s not a bullseye and I’m a little disappointed in myself for moving the bow on accident.

“Sorry Clint. I told you I’m not that good, even with your help.” I look down in embarrassment and can feel my face getting red. Before I start crying Clint speaks up and tilts my head up.

“You hit the target didn’t you? That’s all that matters. If that was a robot, you’d just have to hit it a second time and it go down. Trust me darling, you’re a better shot than you think. You  want to wipe away those tears and try hitting the target again?”

I nod and use my sleeve to dry my eyes. “Yeah I want to try again. And I’ll try not to be too nervous this time.” He gives a small nod and I get another arrow. We stay there for a while. It could’ve been hours or days, who knows. Being here with Clint felt like time didn’t exist, this felt right.

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

I start making shot after shot. I can feel Clint’s eyes on me as I do so. Every now and then He’ll have a turn. When it’s his turn he makes the target move, a skill I’m obviously not ready for. I’m ready to take another shot when a loud voice startles me from a speaker. “Clint Barton, can you report to the armory.”

“That’s our cue to stop darling.” Clint comes up and pats my shoulder to calm me down. “Guess I should’ve warned you that the speakers are extremely loud, huh?”

“That would’ve been nice to know.” We both gather the arrows and put them away and head to the armory.

When we get to the armory Maria, Loki, and a bunch of other people are gathered around the wall with our plan on it. “Glad you two could make it.” Maria says, “We are ready to discuss what we want done with your plan.” Maria starts going over with the recruits, the plan and schedule of the robot security. From what I’ve gathered, the security is less active around sunset. That’s when the bots are swapped out to recharge. It’s the perfect time to get in. This is also the time Maestro will be out of the tower wandering the wasteland. “If there are any questions feel free to come to my office. We strike in 3 weeks from today. So, I want you all to be prepared and train until then. Remember we are doing this to get (Y/N) back to her time. If we can’t defeat Maestro, it is not a loss. We do what we can when we are there. Understood?”

“Yes ma’am!” The group shouts.

“Good. You’re all dismissed.” Maria finishes, then heads towards me and Clint. “Cool it with the PDA you two.” she said with a teasing smile. I was confused on what she was talking about until she gestured to me and Clint holding hands. I quickly look away flustered, and I’m pretty sure my face is red. “I’m just teasing. We all know the two of you are very affectionate. In a discreet way, of course.”

“Yah well, gotta do what I can to make my little lady comfortable.” Clint said then kissed my temple. All I did was hide my face in his shoulder too flustered to speak. “We’ll be ready to strike Maria. Don’t worry much about us.”

“I won’t, you came up with this plan. I trust you 100% completely.” With that Maria walks away and Clint leads me back to his quarters.

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

When we arrived, Clint offered me some food and we just sat in silence, until I broke it. “Are you nervous?”

“When you’ve done this for years you don’t get nervous. But now that you’re involved, I am. So many things can go wrong, and it’s terrifying to think about.” Clint doesn’t make eye contact with me. You can hear the crack in his voice too.

“I was getting a little worried. I’m scared too. But on the bright side, we’re going to do this together.” I hate seeing him like this. Having to live for this long with his friends dead, the girl he loved for years left with no words. Then later accept her as dead. He needs to know he’s not going in on this alone.

“How is that the ‘bright side’? When we go into this who knows what’s going to happen. You could end up dead.” Clint starts yelling, and it hurts, so much. Before he needed to let it out, but the anger felt directed at me this time. “I don’t want you going. I just can’t let you go.”  

“The fuck does that mean.” I know he’s scared. I know he’s angry, but I need to go. “What the hell are you thinking, telling me I can’t go. I’m the main purpose you must do this mission. What are you going to do to get me back?” Now I’m yelling. I can’t think straight, we rarely ever fight.

“I don’t know anymore. We might have to bring the stone here or something. But you’re not going.”

“I need to go. If you try and leave the building with the stone- “

“JUST SHUT UP AND LET ME THINK!” My heart clenches when he shouts that. I start shaking and can feel the tears building. “(Y/N), I- “

“Fine. I’ll shut up. In fact, to give you quiet, I’ll go find somewhere else to sleep.” My voice started shaking the moment I opened my mouth. I don’t give him a chance to speak. Without looking at him I left. As soon as the door shuts, I let out a sob. And I cried all the way to Maria’s office.

[last-herondale]

A Long Rest

AN: this is a Drabble for my dnd group!

The ship had found itself on rough waters. The vessel rocked and swayed unevenly against the waves as our voyage brought us ever closer to our destination. Borith. My old home.

I was never one for boat rides. Even as I child I was prone to sea sickness, especially on that first and last voyage with my father. We had been heading in the opposite direction then, strange how the circumstances have changed since then. And yet, the sea sickness stayed the same. Still weak from my unfortunate run in with Cassian the other night, I struggled to find my bearings as I attempted to stand from my bed.

Gals ship was extraordinary— a miracle to say the least, but the sleeping quarters were small as hell. I was sharing with Amber, my mother, and my strange cow wrangling counterpart and her Samuel. Luckily, while I was inside for most of the trip, sleeping off getting my heart ripped from my chest, the others found themselves useful on the deck.

My friends had come to check in on me every so often. They had seen my wounds, seen the blood and carnage of Xarlo’s stitching, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell them what happened. I didn’t want them to hate Cassian for what he did. It was shitty, and hurt like hell, but I can’t blame him. Xiaoh died because of my trust in Remi. If the roles were reversed…

Iscelia would sit and talk with me. She would chatter on about her boys, Di and Polaris. They care for her I think, and she cares for them—as one with her kind of heart does. But I don’t think she is over Wistari. Not that I want her to be… for my own selfish reasons perhaps. I miss him. He was a good friend to us when he didn’t need to be and did more for me and mine then I ever expected him to. I hope she finds him. Soon.

Esther and Rebecca would come in momentarily. Esther seemed distracted during our visits, letting Rebecca lead most of the conversation, which really turned into little girl chatter. She is a strong girl, that Rebecca, but no matter how hard she tries to convince herself otherwise, she is still just a child. I can’t blame Esther for her preoccupied mind. Being a diplomat seems like a whole bunch of bullshit wrapped in a fancy gold bow. She has to act cordial with these royal prisses fir the sake of other royal prisses. I think there’s a reason they chose her instead of someone like me. Plus, she is dealing with her family shit. Her parents seem like total fucktards, especially for sending that little lunch Patrick after Esther and Rebecca. If I were Esther I know I’d be busy thinking about ways to make them pay, or at least I used to think like that… Im not so sure anymore.

Samuel came and went. He seemed content to just sit there with me as I slept. Sometimes he would bring Frost with him and I’d enjoy watching him teach his pet tricks. There was a looming sadness about Samuel. Like something inside of him… broke? I Don’t know. Whenever I asked about Peaches and the kittens, his eyes would lose a bit of their luster. I didn’t push him on the matter. What do I know of relationships? Clearly, less than I was lead to believe.

My mother was my second frequent visitor. In my fits of fevered slumber, I’d wake to her just sitting beside me, changing out my fever rags and tying my hair back. It was odd at first, to see her there beside me. I felt like a child again, seeing her looking down at me with affection and care… a look I didn’t realize I had missed since she left all those years ago. A look my father was never capable of making.

My favorite little visitor, a stubborn little girl who wouldn’t leave my bedside for the first few days, finally was dragged away by my mother for a good exploration of the ship. When she left me for the first time, I cried. I had held it together for as long as I could, on my mothers ship, and now on Gal’s. It wasn’t the pain that radiated in my chest, or the nausea that made me want to die—again— but it was the echo. The soft whimpering echo of Amber’s voice as she sang to me, pleaded for me to wake up. Despite my best efforts, I had died. Had it not been for the gods Eldath and Bast… she would have been alone again. I know the group would have taken her in, they care for her just as I do, but still… I would have failed her. I would have left her.

I would never have forgiven myself for that.

Despite the ship’s movement easing a bit on the water, I still wasn’t able to mange anything except sitting up by myself. My body was extremely sore, and my head felt like it was swimming against the nausea. I braced myself against the wall and prepared myself for a horrible vomit session when the small door swung open.

“You’ll never guess what I saw! Mom, I saw the biggest seagull ever! Grandma said it means we’re getting close to shore but Captain Gal said—“ she finally saw my face as she rambled on and cut herself off.

“Are you okay Mommy?” Amber asked, her usual assertive mischief in her voice was gone and all that was left was fearful concern.

“I’m. Fine. Hun.” I said between strained breaths. I did not want to vomit in front of Amber— or on her for that matter. Her large circular eyes scanned my face, and she furrowed her brow as she came up and just sat in my lap, leaning her head up against my chest and wrapping her arms around my waist. I wrapped one arm around her little body, but kept myself braced as the boat continued to rock.

“Breathe with me. In” she said as Amber took a large, deep breath. “Out.” She said as she blew out a long breath. I did as she instructed and smiled as I looked down at her.

“Is. This. A. Cleric…trick?” I asked her. My hand automatically went to her hood and petted her feathers on her horned head. She used to be bashful about her horns, and she still was with others… but when it was just us two… this was comforting. For both of us. Amber lead me through a few more breaths and shook her head. Already my stomach felt less like a rolling tide and more like a gentle wave. The nausea was passing.

“It’s just a me trick. I taught it to myself.” She did a couple more breaths before continuing. “When I first was alone, sometimes I was too scared to go out on my own.”

“You? My little white devil, afraid?” I teased, letting my hands caress her head. She giggled at the response but continued. “Yeah I was scared, but only for like a day. When I was scared, I did little breaths like this and it always calmed me down.” She did a couple more breaths and I followed her lead. She seemed like she was getting tired, as her eyes drooped a bit against my chest.

“I’m really glad you’re not dead.” She said softly. I felt myself go rigid a bit, my hand stopped their caresses as I looked down at her. She looked up at me, her arms still wrapped around my waist. “I was scared then, when Cassian hurt you… I should have been doing my breaths…but I was so scared… I forgot.”

I gave her a small smile, as my chest ached in my chest. I let the hand bracing the wall fall, and I scooped her up and held her little body close to my chest. She wrapped her arms around mg neck and nuzzled her head against my cheek. I felt wetness on my face, and at the moment I was sure if it was hers or mine, but I didn’t care. I kissed the top of her feathered forehead and held my daughter close to me. The nausea was gone. The soreness and pain was gone. All there was, was Amber. And she was enough.

[justabtsblog]

The Journey From Platform 9 ¾ Jungkook's P.O.V So I’m doing a rewrite of an old Harry Potter AU I did. This is one of the chapters. If you like it the rest is on Wattpad but is still very much under editing and unfinished sooo . . . ENJOY! 💜

I’ve been up since five o’clock this morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. I put on jeans because I don’t think it would be such a good idea to walk into the station in wizard's robes – I can change on the train. I check my Hogwarts list yet again to make sure I have everything that I need, and make sure that Bam is shut safely in his crate and then pace the room, waiting for my family to get up.

Two hours later, the huge, heavy trunk is loaded into our small electric car. We reach King's Cross at half past ten. Ma placed my trunk on to a trolley and wheeled it into the station for me. It’s heavier than I had anticipated.

"Well, here you are, kookie. Platform nine – platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem  to have built it yet, do they? I’m sure you’ll find it but I have to be at work in 20 minutes — gosh I’m already running behind. Have a good term, I’ll miss you very much until the holidays. Love you sweetie!” With a kiss to my head she was gone. What am I to do now?

Ma is right. There is a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all. I feel the panic start to set in. I’m starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Bam. I’m going to ask someone. I try to ask a passing guard, but he has never heard of Hogwarts and when I couldn’t even tell him what part of the country it is in, he started to get annoyed, as though I’m being stupid on purpose.

Getting desperate, I ask for the train that leaves at eleven o’clock, but the guard says there isn't one. In the end he walks away, muttering about time-wasters.I have no idea what to do, I think about calling ma but my phone is in the bottom of my trunk.

According to the large clock over the arrivals board, I have ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts but I have absolutely no idea how to do it. I’m just stuck here, stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk that I can hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money and a large dog. In her rush Ma must have forgotten to tell me something I have to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley.

I wondered if I should get out my wand and start tapping the ticket box between the two platforms. At that moment a group of people pass just behind me and I’m able to catch some of the words of their conversation.

"– packed with Muggles, of course –" and in the sea of voices their words make sense, Korean. (Ma has been hounding me about improving my English lately) I turn around quickly. Maybe I can ask this person for directions.

The speaker is a thin woman who is talking to four children. Two of the boys at the head of the group are pushing a trunk like mine in front of them– and they have cats like the ones I see in Diagon Alley. Heart hammering, I push my trolley after them. They stop and so do I, just near enough to hear what we are saying.

"Now, what's the platform number?" asks another woman who must be the boys' grandmother.

"Nine and three-quarters!" pipes a small girl, who is holding her hand.

"Ma, can’t I go ..." the young girl begs tugging at her Grandmother’s dress

"You aren’t old enough, Eun-jin, now be quiet. All right, Jimin, you go first."

A boy with hair an awkward looking shade of brown marches towards platforms nine and ten. I watch, careful not to blink in case I miss it – but just as the boy reaches the divide between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists comes swarming in front of him, and by the time the last rucksack has cleared away, the boy has vanished.

“Tae-Tae, you're next," the woman says.

A tall, gangly boy with lavender purple hair passes in front of me while I try to watch, he stumbles a little and touches his face in surprise.

He turns to the woman walking beside him, “Ma, I’ve lost my glasses again."

"Oh, Namjoon." the woman sighs, she takes out a wand but the boy, Namjoon, stops her.

“Can I do it? Pleaseee!”

“Jonnie dear, that's underage magic. It isn't allowed” she mutters something under her breath and something comes whizzing by almost hitting me in the face. “Here are your glasses, Joonie, now go before you miss the train!”

The boy puts on the glasses and off he goes. His mother calls after him to hurry up and follow her and he must have done it, because a second later, they are both gone – but how did they do it? Now the other boy is walking briskly towards the ticket barrier – he is almost there – and then, quite suddenly, he isn't anywhere. I squeak belatedly, still a bit shocked from the glasses almost taking my nose off.

The woman and the boy turn to face me. The woman smiles warmly  “Hello, dear,” she says. "First time at Hogwarts? Tae's new, too." She points to the taller of the two boys who is slim but not skinny.

"Yes," I answered honestly. "The thing is – the thing is, I don’t know how to –"

"How to get on to the platform?" She says, it's clear he's done this before, and I nod helplessly.

"Not to worry," she says. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don’t stop and don’t be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Taehyung."

"OK!" I say. Eh, why not, not like I have any other options. I push the trolley round and stare at the unyielding barrier. Finally an excuse to run into a wall on purpose! Before I can change my mind I break into a run. I’m a foot away and I brace myself for the crash but It doesn’t come

When I open my eyes. A scarlet steam engine is waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead naming the train the Hogwarts Express, leaving at 11 o’clock. I look behind me and see a wrought-iron archway where the ticket box has been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it. I’ve done it! Smoke from the engine drifts over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wind here and there between our legs. dogs hooted to each other in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

The first few carriages already seem packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to our families, some fighting over seats. I push my trolley off down the platform in search of an empty seat. A boy with red tips to his dark hair is surrounded by a small crowd.

"Give us a look, Lee, go on." The boy lifts the lid of a box in his arms and the people around him shriek and yell as something inside pokes out a long, hairy leg.

“Tae, Taehyung, Kim Taehyung!” the boy who had come through first shouts, he looks worried. Muttering under his breath, “Where is he? He should be here by now?”

Soon I hear a commotion behind me, “Jiminie! There's my mini mochi. '' Taehyung tries to hug the boy called Jimin but the shorter boy pushes him away playfully. I begin to feel, with alarming suddenness and intensity, my aloneness.

I press on through the crowd until I find an empty compartment near the end of the train. I put Bam inside first and then started to shove and heave my trunk towards the train door. I try to lift it up the steps but can hardly raise one end. It drops painfully on my foot.

"Want a hand?” A boy peeks out of the train car, he looks a few years older than me with a long neck and broad shoulders.

“Yes, please," I pant, my foot still in pain.

“I'm Kim Seokjin by the way” With Seokjin's help, my trunk is at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment. "Thanks, Seokjin" I say, pushing my sweaty hair out of his eyes.

“No problem, call me Jin”

The train begins to move. I see Taehyung's mother waving and his sister and brother, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathers too much speed; then they fall back and wave. I watch the children and their mother disappear as the train rounds the corner. Houses flash past the window. I feel a great leap of excitement. The door of the compartment slides open and the two boys, Taehyung and Jimin come in.

"Anyone sitting there?" he asks, pointing at the seat opposite me. "Everywhere else is full." I shake my head and the boys sit down.

"Hey Taehyung." It is Jin again. "Listen, we're going down the middle of the train – Lee Know’s got a giant tarantula down there."

"Okay, see you later hyung," Taehyung waves Jin off, turning back to me.

“Did we introduce ourselves? Kim Taehyung but you can call me Tae and ” the second boy speaks up, finishing the sentence “I"m Park Jimin”.

"Is that boy who just left your brother, are all your family wizards?" I ask, they don't look related but they seem close.

“No but he may as well be, he’s a distant cousin. And yes my family is all wizards," says Taehyung.

“Cool! So you must know loads of magic already." The Kim's are clearly one of those old wizarding families dad occasionally mentioned.

"Are you a muggle born?" asks Tae. "What are they like, muggles?"

I don’t know what to say at first “I just moved here from Korea actually and back home they were pretty normal so I guess it’s the same here. I’m a halfblood. My dad is a wizard, but we don"t use much magic around the house. Muggles are pretty normal I guess – well, not all of them, some are kind of mental. My dad works as a farmer and says we should keep a low profile. I bet I'll be the worst in the class.” I sigh sadly

Jimin smiles, "You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough."

The train speeds past fields full of cows and sheep. We’re quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past. Around half past twelve a smiling, dimpled woman slided back our door and asks:

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" I, who skipped breakfast out of excitement this morning, leap to my feet. Maybe she would have banana milk but the woman doesn’t have banana milk. What he does have are Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Liquorice Wands and a number of other strange things I have never seen in my life. Not wanting to miss anything, I get some of everything and pay the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.

Tae and Jimin look wide eyed as I bring it all back into the compartment "Hungry, are you?" Jimin says

“Starving, I skipped breakfast. Plus, I’ve never had wizard candy before” I explain, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty. "What are these?" I ask Tae, holding up a pack of something labelled: Chocolate Frogs. "They’re not really frogs, are they?" It’s only been a month since I’ve been truly introduced to the wizarding world but I don’t think anything can surprise me anymore.

"No, just candy. Some are milk chocolate, some are dark." He answers. "But see what the card is, I'm missing Agrippa."

"What?" I’m confused, “What’s an Agrippa?”

"Who, not what.” Jimin corrects, then softens his tone, “oh, of course, you wouldn’t know, sorry.”

“It’s okay. Tell me, I want to know everything.”

“Chocolate Frogs have cards inside them, you know, to collect – Famous Witches and Wizards. I have about five hundred, Minnie and I collect together, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."

I unwrap one of the Chocolate Frog and pick up the card. It shows a man's face. He’s wearing half-moon glasses, has a long crooked nose and flowing silver hair, beard and moustache. Underneath the picture is the name Albus Dumbledore.

“So this is Dumbledoree!" I say.

"Don't tell me you'd never hear of Dumbledoree!" says Jimin.

“My dad did mention he was important in wizard politics but other than that no, not really.”

"Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa – thanks –" Tae asks

I turn the card to the back and read:

Albus Dumbledoree, currently Headmaster of Hogwarts. Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Professor Dumbledoree is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledoree enjoys chamber music and tenpin bdoging.

When I turn the card back over I see, to my astonishment, that Dumbledoree's face has disappeared.

"He's gone!"

"Well, you can 't expect him to hang around all day." says Tae.

"He'll be back.” Jimin reassures me.

“No, I"ve got Morgana again and I"ve got about six of her ... do you want it? You can start collecting." Tae hands me the card and I take it eagerly reading the back.

I push the rest of the frogs to the middle so we can all reach them. "Help yourself," I say. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."

"Do they?” Tae looks genuinely shocked.

“What, they don't move at all?" Jimin sounds amazed as well

"Weird!" Tae finishes the thought

“Hey, you guys finish each other's sentences a lot.”

“Oh.” Jimin giggles, wrapping his arm around Tae’s shoulder and pulling the taller boy closer. “Yeah.”

“We’re soulmates.” Tae finishes Jimin’s sentence again as an explanation.

“Soulmates? Is that like a wizard thing?”

“No, anybody can have a soulmate.”

“Oh okay, so how did you know that you’re soulmates?”

“We just . . . knew.” They say the words at the same time.

“Oh, so you two are a couple, that’s nice.”

“Oh, no we’re just friends, basically brothers at this point.”

I nod, their bond confuses me a little but they seem really nice. I think that I may have just made a friend, two of them. In my first hour. YAY!

I stare at the Chocolate Frog Card as Dumbledoree ambles back into the picture, I smile back. This year is going to be great. Soon I’ve collected not only Dumbledoree and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, Cliodna, and Merlin.

I eye the bag of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans suspiciously.

"You want to be careful with those," Tae warns

“Why? Are they bad?”

“Depends.” Jimin says drawing an odd multi-coloured bean carefully out of the bag.

“On what?”

"When they say every flavour, they mean every flavour – you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. Dad always tells he has a bogey-flavoured one once, he likes to joke but honestly I believe him" Tae explains.

“You first?” Jimin gives Tae a daring look

Frowning, Tae picks up a green bean, looks at it carefully and bites into a corner.

"Bleurgh – see? Sprouts." We spend a while eating the Every-Flavour Beans. I get  toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine and I’m brave enough to nibble the end of a funny grey one Taehyung refuses to touch, which turns out to be pepper. The countryside now flying past the window is becoming wilder. The neat fields are gone. Replaced by thick woods, twisting rivers and dark green hills.

There is a knock on the door of our compartment and the tall clumsy boy with purple hair who blocked my view on platform nine and three quarters comes in. He looks panicked.

“Sorry," he says in English, "but have you seen my glasses, they’re round with black rims and I need them to see?"

“I haven’t but I’m sure that they'll turn up," I say reassuring him as best as I can in the foreign language

"Yes," says the boy miserably. "Well, if you see them..." He leaves.

Tae turns back to me, “I tried to make Jimin taller yesterday but the spell doesn’t work. I’ll show you, look ..." He rummages around in his trunk and pulls out his wand. He’s just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The clumsy boy is back, but this time he has another boy with him, who's already wearing his Hogwarts robes. His are black like the ones I bought. Only they have a yellow patch on the breast reading "Hufflepuff".

"Has anyone seen Namjoon's glasses?" he says. He has a cheerful voice and hair dyed a shade of blazing red. The lift in the atmosphere is almost palpable as he sits down next to me

"We've already told him we haven't seen them." says Tae, speaking perfect English.

They turn to leave the boy with purple hair ushering the other one out of the compartment, but the red head boy isn’t listening, he is looking at the wand in Tae’s hand.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Can we see?" He sits down again. Tae startles a bit then straightens up as if trying to look taller in front of these older boys. "Er – all right." He cleared his throat.

“Bigger, shorter, taller, smaller, make Park Jimin taller." He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Jimin stays the same height, and shoves Tae into the floor of the compartment.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" the purple hair boy asks, raising an eyebrow. He isn't judging, merely curious. “I"ve learnt all our set books by heart and that isn’t in any of them besides, we don"t start human transfiguration until year 7, it very tricky stuff” he says a matter of factly

“And a nasty business if you get it wrong too” adds the robed boy still smiling.

“And you are?” Tae questions from the floor.

“I"m your hope, your my hope, I’m J-Hope. Third year.” he says with an even bigger smile

“No, he means your real name” Jimin clarifies, the boy calling himself J-Hope is unfazed.

Breaking the silence Namjoon says, “I"m Kim Namjoon, third year as well. Who are you?" He asks, shy now that his rant is over.

“I"m Kim Taehyung, first year" Taehyung says still stunned, “Park Jimin, first year as well”

I follow their example “Jeon Jungkook, I"m a first year too.”

“Wait, Namjoon? Do you know Kim Seokjin?”

“Yeah, we’re friends.”

“Oh yeah, Jin’s mentioned you two. Please don’t tell him I actually tried the spell, I knew he was joking of course. But you know no harm in trying right.” He looks directly at Jimin. “Jimin here needs all the help he can get.”

Jimin glares and Tae barely manages to dodge his foot. “Yah! Respect your elders.”

“It’s 2 months and 17 days, shut up!”

The older boys, J-Hope and Namjoon laugh and so do I.

“We won’t tell.” Namjoon promises.

J-Hope nods to promise his silence too. “We'd better go and look for Namjoon's glasses.” And he leaves, taking Namjoon with him.

As the compartment door shut I hear a voice calling down the train “Joon, Hoba” and the two boys follow it down the hall, and they're gone.

"Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I am even more curious now that I’ve met a Hufflepuff, and I’m thankful that my dad took the time to explain houses to me.

Tae finally get off the floor and Jimin welcomes him into his lap.

“Whatever house I'm in I hope he's in it, he seems like such a fun person” Tae throws his wand back into his trunk.

“He must be muggle born.” I say using my newfound terminology

“Why do you say that?” asks Tae, now it’s his turn to be confused.

“That's the type of name that muggle rappers have”

“Wrappers? Like on the candies?” Jimin looks at me like I’ve just said that the sky is green.

“No not w-r-a-p, it’s -r-a-p.” I spell the word out for the confused boys, “It's a type of muggle music, where people talk really fast using rhyming words.”

“Yeah but that’s still an odd name.” Tae says

“I wonder if he gets teased a lot.” Jimin wonders

“He seemed pretty confident, I don’t think he cares.”

“Well he's lucky! My mum made me dye my hair back to brown before school.” Jimin says gloomily.

“Yeah, I was over when it happened. She made me help because she has no idea how to work muggle hair dye.” Tae laughs and Jimin gives him a small shove threatening to tumble him into the floor again. Suddenly the ugly shade of brown makes sense.

“There’s no spell for that?”

“My mum doesn’t like hair dye, so she never learnt them if there is any. She thinks boys shouldn’t do that type of thing because it’s for girls and trashy girls at that. Tae and I actually had to sneak to dye it.”

“His mum was so mad I thought she would explode.” Tae is bent over laughing.

“She was literally pinker than my hair.” Jimin says between laughs, “I thought she would dye it back right then but Tae’s mum convinced her that we’d already spent the time and money so we should keep it.”

“That’s fair. What shade was it?”

“Pastel pink.” Jimin sighs again

“Speaking of pink,” Tae says eagerly, “ did you hear Min Yoongi is in his third year at Hogwarts this year? I heard from some 3rd years on the train. He's mental!”

“How is that speaking of pink!?” Jimin and I both ask.

“I don"t know, it just is”

“Yeah, don’t worry Kook you"ll learn Tae-Tae language soon enough” Jimin says turning to Tae, “anyway your friends are probably just trying to prank you back for revenge on what we did to them this summer”

“Oh yeah, that was epic. But I’m telling you it's true”

“I guess, I mean he would be just only a year or two older than us now wouldn’t he?”

“Wait, wait, wait guys! Who's Min Yoongi” I ask

They both turn to look at me like I’m crazy. “Who's Min Yoongi?” Tae and Jimin repeated. Tae nearly spits out the pumpkin pasties that he just started munching on.

“Your dad never told you?” Jimin doesn’t sound judgy, just shocked.

“No” I say shyly, feeling bad about missing this crucial information.

“Well, he's only the boy who defeated” Tae drops to a whisper “Voldemort”

“You’re so bad Tae, don"t say his name”

“Who's Voldemort?”

“Don’t say it” says Jimin but he looks kind of impressed.

“I’m not trying to be bad I just never knew you shouldn’t, see I have so much to learn”

“Wow, you really are clueless” Tae looks almost offended at my lack of knowledge

“He doesn’t mean to be rude” Jimin assures me

“Yeah, I hardly know anything about the wizarding world and until you two told me, I doesn’t know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort –”

“Stop saying the name!” Jimin shushed me putting his hand over my face, “We have to call him He-who-must-not-be-named”

“Why?”

“I don"t know, it's just what everyone else does” Jimin shrugs

“personally I think it's stupid” says Tae, “anywho, he's the baddest wizard of all time”

“Baddest isn't a word Tae”

“Shut up Jimin, why are you so angry all the time is it because you're short. Short people don"t have the right to be angry. It's okay you'll get bigger someday” He mocks and Jimin shoves him into the floor again.

“He is the worst" Jimin emphasises the last word, “dark wizard that there ever has been. He killed a lot of people, wizards, half bloods, and muggles too. It is awful. People say he has no soul and nobody thought he would ever stop until one day” Jimin pauses dramatically, “he disappeared. All because of one little boy . . . Min Yoongi. He is the one person that He-who-must-not-be-named couldn’t kill.”

“Wow!” I say, because I’m at a loss for words longer than one syllable.

“And he was just a baby, nobody knows why it happened” Tae continues the story

“Where is he now? He-who-must not be named I mean.” I ask

“Nobody knows” Jimin says finishing the story.

We’re quiet for a while then I ask “So how do we put you in houses anyway, is there like an IQ test or something?”

“No. I hear that Dumbledoor himself sorts the students” Tae says

“Your guess is as good as ours Kook, my mum doesn’t want to spoil it by telling me. But I think Tae will be in hufflepuff or raven claw.” Jimin says

"Mum and Dad are in it, too.” Tae explains “I don’t suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if I was put into slytherin.”

"That's the house You-Know-Who was in?” Jimin looks thoughtful for a moment, “and Min Yoongi.”

"Yeah," says Taehyung. He flops back into his seat, looking depressed. "You know, I think Jimin's hair got a bit longer," I say, trying to take everyone's mind off house placement

Then something occurs to me “So what do your parents do, I bet they have really cool wizard jobs”

Jimin answers first “My mum is a healer at St. Mungos, the wizard hospital and my dad works at gringotts as an bank advisor”

“So does mine. That's how Jimin and I know eachother. My Ma is head of news media and owl post affairs at the ministry of magic.”

“That's like the wizard government if you didn’t know” Jimin explains before I have to ask.

I'm surprised they sound like normal enough jobs, “I never really thought about it, but guess it makes sense that wizards have to have a government too.”

“Yeah, the wizard population in London alone is huge.” Jimin makes a fanning motion with his arms as if to show the size of London.

Tae turns suddenly to Jimin “Do you remember what our parents were saying the other day in Diagon Alley? Someone tried to rob a high security vault."

I can’t suppress my curiosity "Really? What happened to them?"

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad say must’ve been a powerful Dark wizard to get through Gringotts security, but they don’t think that they even took anything, that's what's odd.” Jimin explains

"Everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it." Tae elaborates

I turn this news over in my mind, starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who is mentioned. He supposed this is all part of entering the magical world, but it has been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.

"What's your Quidditch team?" Taehyung asks.

"Er – I don"t know any," I confess.

“That’s fine, Tae knows lots.” Jiumin says, sounding exasperated. I can’t imagine why.

“Oh, I guess that makes sense. It’s the best game in the world –"

A few minutes later I understand Jimin's exasperation. If I wasn’t so curious about all of this Tae rant would surely be annoying, but I do find it fascinating so it's okay.  He carefully explains all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he's been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if his parents would allow him. He is just taking me through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slides open yet again, but it isn't Namjoon the glassesless boy or J-Hope this time.

Three boys entered and I recognised the middle one at once: it’s the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop.

“I’m Choi Soobin, this is Choi Yeonjun, Choi Beomgyu, Kang Taehyun and Huening Kai. Are you all first years as well?” He says in English and I am actually surprised that I can understand. I guess ma's forcing it down my throat has paid off.

"Yes," I reply.

“Cool, maybe we can be friends”

“Sure.” I say, they wave good-bye as they leave the compartment.

Before long the compartment door opens again. A boy with a mean looking sneer.

“My name's Park, Park Jin-young." Tae gives a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Jin-young looks at him. "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. You're that long-necked squibb's little cousin" He turns back to me. "You must not know alot if you’re hanging out with this one but, you’ll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others. You don’t want to go making friends with the wrong sort.” When I don’t answer he just shrugs.

“Your loss but, I'd be careful if I were you, kid," he says his voice clearly patronising.

Jimin and I both get up. “Leave us alone!” Jimin says.

"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Jin-young sneers.

"Unless you get out now," I say, suprining myself when my voice doesn’t shake the way I thought it would. Jin-young is alot bigger than and older.

"But I don't feel like leaving, I've eaten all my food and you still seem to have some." He reaches towards the Chocolate Frogs next to me – Taehyung leaps forward, but before he’s so much as touched Jin-young, Jin-young let out a horrible yell. A small black and white puppy is hanging off his leg, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Jin-young calf. He tries to shake Yeontan off and when he finally does the pup hits the window, and Park Jin-young goes off running screaming “Bye gaylords!” as he runs

“We’re not even dating!” Taehyung screams back

“BITCH” I think he’s finished but he starts up again opening the compartment door and leaning out of it, “HOE, DICKWAD, ASSFACE–” Jimin screams and is about to keep going when Taehyung pats his shoulder and tells him to sit down.

“Min, a prefect is coming.”

“Crap!”

“Crap, really Min. Crap, after all that.”

“Shut up!” Jimin says, grabbing a book from his bag and flipping to a random page as if to pretend he’s reading.

A blond boy, older than us, wearing a silver badge who must be said ‘prefect’ knocks on the door of our compartment. Taehyung opens it slowly. I see that the blond boy is already in his robes as well and his robes have a green patch reading ‘Slytherin’. I feel an involuntary prickle of fear and I hate it, he looks so nice.

“Is everything alright here?”

“Oh yes, everything is just fine.” Tae says.

“Really, because I just saw Park Jin-young running for his life from here.” His face shifts into a smile.

“Oh um, we, well we just–”

The prefect shakes his head, “I don’t need to know. But good on you guys, Park Jin-young is a jerk. He’s in 5th year.”

“Fith!?” We all say, shocked at the same time.

“Yes, he’s a small minded coward, don’t pay him any mind and stay out of trouble okay. Good luck. If you need anything, myself and any of the other prefects are here to help you.”

“Channie!” A voice drifts down the corridor.

“Well I have to go, stay safe.”

“Bye.” The perfect leaves and I turn back to Tae and Jimin.

Tae jumps up and down in his seat. “Wow! That was epic. You speak English so well for someone who’s just moved here.”

“Thanks, it's really because of my mother I wouldn’t have bothered if he hadn’t practically beat me every time I said it’s useless.”

“Well I guess it wasn’t.” Jimin smiles, giving me a thumbs up.

"I’ve heard of his family, Jin-young I mean" says Tae darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. says They had been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Park's father didn’t need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side."

We’re all silent after that.

I look out of the window. It’s getting dark and I can see mountains and forests under the deep-purple sky. The train does seem to be slowing down. We all take off our jackets and pull on our long black robes. I try to imagine which patch will be on mine, but I can’t.

A voice echoes through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." My stomach lurches with nerves as we pack up the sweets into our bags and join the crowd in the corridor.

I see J-Hope and Namjoon and the prefect as well as Jin-young. We keep our distance.The train slows right down and finally stops. People push their way towards the door and out onto a tiny, dark platform. The cold air makes me shiver.

Then a lamp came bobbing over all of our heads, suspended in the air as if by magic, then I remember it is, and I hear a loud voice: "First years! First years over here! I’m Professor Bang. Come on, follow me – any more first years? Mind your step, now! First years follow me!"

“Yo! Bang PD-nim.” An older student shouts

He high-fives the boy and smiles, “Join your year Mr. Lee.”

Slipping and stumbling, we follow Mr. Bang down a small path through some trees. Everyone is quiet except for the occasional whisper. There is a loud "Oooooh!" from the group as a large majestic building comes into view. The building must be the school but looks more like a castle and stands over a great lake, its windows sparkling in the starry sky.

“No more than four to a boat!" Mr. Bang calls, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Jimin Tae and I are followed into our boat by Soobin.

"Everyone in?" shouts Mr. Bang, who has a boat to himself, "Right then – FORWARD!" And the fleet of little boats moves off all at once, gliding across the black surface of the lake,

From afar you can tell the school is big but as we get closer it only seems to grown in size.

We all duck as we pass through a curtain of ivy and a previously hidden opening in the cliff face. After a while we reach a dock and Tae helps me clamber out of the boats.

We follow Mr. Bang's lamp, down a dark passageway, coming out at last on to smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

[pollyna]

notes more than anything else. (half mine and half @redhead-writes 🫶)

- Post mission de-aged Bradley, nobody knows about icemav even if they're married, and baby goose goes and calls Mav paps! and Ice dad! like 0.3 seconds a part in front of the whole fucking entire squadron;

- And maybe he de-ages to a moment when Carole was already starting to be sick, spend a lot of time in the hospital so Baby Goose was at home with Ice while Mav was in deployed and he finds himself on the carrier and Ice isn't anywhere to be seen and panics because papa papa where's dad why Dad isn't here? and everybody believes he's talking about Nick and Mav doesn't know what to do because is back is killing him but he doesn't want to let Bradley go;

- Mav literally has to pick him up because he's six and he wants to be hugged by his dad and he's wearing too big clothes and what are we playing at?

- Baby Goose is little but the carrier is full jets and be can't contain himself from pointing around and screaming "ARE THOSE PLANES? DID DAD FINALLY GET US ALLOWANCE TO FLY? DID YOU FINALLY CONVINCE HIM PAPA???" and, in the same sentence,"DID WE PAINT THE HELMET TOGETHER PAPA????"

- All in all, Bobby is the first one to get out of shock. He knows Maverick must be injured. So he talks with Bradley, introducing himself and how papa is a bit hurt, so Bob will be his own personal carrier for today. Promises that they will stay close to Maverick. Javy is next to get out of it and commands others getting food and juice, and maybe some kid clothes and tries to ask, very gently, which his Bradley's favourite food without making him noticing that they're taking Mav away;

- Natasha is inventing wild stories about dragons while he cuddles between Jake's arms, because he looks comfy, and everybody else's is there just looking out for him. Bob is the one with Maverick mostly because he seems to know if someone doesn't take the man to the infirmary, he won't go;

- there's then the small matter of Hondo calling Ice, who's in Washington D.C., and the moment his voice is on the other side of the phone Bradley doesn't hear anything else and starts crying because dad dad where are you papa is hurt please dad come to take us home. Ice is shocked. This sounds like their Baby Goose when he was little, and he can't think about Hondo pranking him on something that important. Especially when he doesn't know anything about Mav yet. So the man is on the first plane to his husband and son. It takes hours, and Bradley ends up sleeping with Mav and eats terrible pancakes cutted by little jets because Yale is that good with plastic knife and fork. And then he has this kid who's not taller than his knees that looks at him like he's his whole world and calls him dad and hugs him and oh oh god baby goose it's all okay, it's going to be okay;

- You look old dad. Were we separeted for so long?, baby goose asked, when they're both sitting by Mav. Papa looks old too, he has a lot funny lines over his face, but his voice is the same. Yours isn't what I remember it was! How could we be separated for so long? My stomach hurts so much when I think we dowhen I think we were apart! It's okay if you or papa can't take me up on your shoulder again, I still love you but please please I don't want to miss you anymore! Mav finds them like that, Bradley on Ice's lap, both of them crying softly and hugging each other. We're together now baby, everything's gonna be okay, papa and dad are here he murmurs kissing Ice's forehead and messing with Bradley's curls. We're going to fix this and when you'll be big again we're going to fix it all, I swear;

-It takes the aircraft five days to get back to coast and all the barracks are too small but the captain leaves the three of them his quarters and they sleep half on the floor and half of the bed, cuddling with baby goose and Mav feels like he's thirty again and nothing got wrong again. Ice kisses him a little harder and the whole world discovers them but it has so little relevance because, even if just for a little longer, they just want to enjoy what life gave them;

- Being ashore, with a kid between his arms and his husband's arm around his wrist, is probably one of the strangest sensation Mav ever felt. He dreamt of it for years, every time he was back from deployment and Ice had to wait him home because not even taking Bradley with him could justify their reaction. But now he has it all and they're going home;

- They fall asleep in front of the TV, dinner forgot on the table a couple of feels from them, baby Goose cuddling between Ice and Mav's chest. The next morning Bradley is back to being himself, and his first reaction is to run because that's Mav and Ice and he supposed to be resenting them but he can't move. Doesn't want to, at least for a little longer.

Loosely inspired by this fic.

[storiesiwrite]

Muse ☾ Lee Seokmin

Genre: fluff, second chance trope, exes to lovers, mutual pining

Word count: 4470

Summary: It’s been two years since you and Seokmin broke up, but you can’t seem to move on. It turns out he feels the same way.

☁︎  ☁︎  ☁︎  ☁︎  ☁︎

It’s a quarter past three in the morning, and sleep evades Seokmin. 

It’s both baffling and frustrating; he genuinely thought he would collapse on the bed after retreating to his hotel room. Yet he’s been tossing and turning all throughout the night, cheers from the crowd still echoing in his head long past the show. His hands brush the sheets beneath him, as soft as silk yet devoid of familiarity. Devoid of that feeling of home. 

That’s what this job entails, he’s tried to tell himself. Arrive in a city, perform the concert’s setlist, then leave. Moving from one temporary stop to another, not truly belonging to one place. He hasn’t even stepped foot inside his actual home in months, his schedule so packed he barely has time to settle down. 

Days pass by so quickly they coalesce into a blur. And nights feel the longest, the most brutal, because it’s during the darkest hours when loneliness tugs at him, and memories slither in through the cracks of his being.

Visions of a familiar face. Of someone with warm eyes and the most intoxicating laugh. 

He grabs his phone and unlocks it, its light illuminating the darkened room. He hates the fact that this is what has become of his nightly routine.

Opening his gallery, he scrolls up to find the last image of you and him, dated back to two years ago. Autumn, at a carnival. He remembers that evening so clearly. He remembers how packed it was, how loud, how he kept on bumping against people wherever he went. The decorations and lights that festooned the venue, the stalls lined with plush toys you could win in games.

All that beautiful sight, but what caught his attention was you.

Clad in a black trench coat and a cream turtleneck, a stick of swirly cotton candy in one hand, you looked dashing. And Seokmin couldn’t tear his eyes off of you. 

“What? Is something on my face?” You’d asked him then, your fingers searching for stains of the pink confectionery. 

Heat creeped up his neck, embarrassed at having been caught outright staring. It didn’t matter that he’d been dating you for a year; sometimes he’d still get shy whenever you were around. “You’re just... you’re really beautiful.”

Now it was your turn to get flustered, your cheeks running red. It was the cutest thing Seokmin had ever seen. Your eyes struggled to meet his, though he could never understand why. There was nothing you had to hide.

“You make me blush when you say things like that, you know,” you finally admitted.

“But I love it when you do.” He laced your fingers with his. “Especially when I’m the reason why.”

He couldn’t forget the small smile that lit your face afterwards, reserved only for him. It was seared onto the deepest corners of his mind.

He couldn’t forget how lucky he’d been, how happy he’d felt those few months with you. They were the best moments of his life, and he realizes, albeit far too late, that even though he now gets to live his dream and tour across the world, something is still missing, severed from him. A gap, one neither sold-out stadiums not record-breaking albums can ever cover. 

Regrets. They fill him now, but they can’t change the past.

Seokmin continues looking at old pictures and videos, until a heaviness clings to his eyes. Until he is a mess of bittersweet memories and untangled feelings. Tossing the phone to the side, he buries himself under the covers as though they would smother them all.

What a terrible thing, he ponders. His last thought, before sleep drags him under. What a terrible thing, to still miss someone who isn’t longer mine. 

☁︎  ☁︎  ☁︎  ☁︎  ☁︎

Whatever it was that drove you to think this would be a good idea, you’re starting to regret it.

The streets are dark as you make your way towards the stadium, the cold clinging to your skin despite the thick duffle coat wrapped around your body. You were worried you wouldn’t be able to find the venue, but the moment you turn a nearby corner, you see a throng of people already awaiting outside the stadium doors. 

Loud, excited chatters fill the air as you push your way through the crowd, the ticket a crumpled piece of paper in your fingers. It’s difficult to stay calm in a space as suffocating as this, with a lot of fans fighting to claim the best spots at the very front of the stage, though you know it’s not the sole reason you’re feeling anxious tonight.

What were you thinking, agreeing to go to Seokmin’s concert?

“Oh, come on,” Chan had said through the phone, playfulness lacing his words. He’d called you earlier this morning, explaining how he’d bought a ticket months ago but wouldn’t be able to make it. “You’re free tonight, aren’t you? You don’t have to pay; I’ll give it to you for free.” 

“But... I just can’t. It’s Seokmin we’re talking about here, and I just...” you trailed off, but you didn’t have to explain further. You weren’t ready. And it hit you then, the realization weighing down on you, that even though you’d ended things with him two years ago, the wound from the breakup is still startlingly fresh.

That it would take a hell lot longer to move past him.

“I thought... I thought you parted with him on friendly terms?” Chan continued, his confidence shrinking. 

The split was amicable; you and Seokmin simply realized you both had different goals that would be taking you in different directions. Becoming a performing artist means Seokmin would have to travel to places, whereas as a writer, you prefer to stick to one.

The relationship ended amicably, but it’s not as if you remain on speaking terms, either.

You’ve thought about reaching out to him more often than you’d like to admit. Sometimes you’d find yourself searching him up on social media to see what he’s been up to. The photos, videos, and little snippets that he uploads.

You can’t help thinking how you used to be an integral part of his life. And now you’re completely out of the picture—just a stranger, typing messages to him but always leaving them unsent. 

A crackle through the line. When you said nothing, Chan took a breath.

“I’m sorry,” he said in all earnestness and remorse, his voice reduced to almost a whisper. “I’m... I’m starting to realize that this is insensitive of me. To ask you, of all people. I just thought...” You could hear Chan fumbling for words. “I’ve asked everyone else. Mingyu, Joshua, Jun. None of them can go. And then I thought of you and I just... I’m really sorry.”

The idea of rejecting the offer flashed through your mind like a constant warning sign. You knew deep down that you’re terrified. You’re terrified to see him, to confront the truth. That perhaps, Seokmin has been better off without you, whereas you still wander down that narrow path of ‘what if’s and wonder what could have been.

And yet, stronger than that fear is an undeniable part of you that longs to see him. A part of you that wishes him well and still considers him a dear friend, despite how everything unfolded. All those promises you made back then, of being there for him every step of the way, of coming to his shows—they’re what still remain. And you realize the least you can do is to honor them.

And so you finally said, “Okay, Chan. I’ll go.”

“You will? You sure about that?” The hesitation was clear in his voice.

“I’m sure.”

But now, standing in the midst of loud strangers in a wide expanse of a darkened concert stadium, you’re not so certain anymore. 

So wrapped up in your thoughts, you’re not sure how much time has passed. You watch as the stage grows brighter and the crowd explodes with a deafening scream. A tall figure enters the stage, and your heart races at the sight.

Seokmin.

With a guitar slung to one side, he walks to the center and stops in front of a mic that has already long stood there. His eyes are like crescents as he beams at the audience before him, waving his hand.

“Hello everyone, thank you for coming! Wow, what a cool crowd.” His voice is teeming with delight. You haven’t realized how much you’ve missed hearing it.

So many girls around you begin shouting his name, banners lifted above their heads. You can’t help the pang of jealousy that assails you. 

“Tonight, I’ll be singing songs from my new album, as well as old tracks you may not have heard before. I hope you enjoy!”

The crowd screams in excitement, yet you can still hear the thumping of your own heart, stubborn and relentless. Strong emotions you’ve been trying to bury come barreling toward you. It’s too much all at once, difficult to drown out.

This is a bad idea, your mind keeps telling you. A terrible idea, but for some inexplicable reason, your feet stay rooted to the floor, your eyes trained on nobody else but him. 

Dark hair slicked back, clad in a black shirt underneath that brown suede jacket. A touch of make-up on his eyes which shine under the lights. Seokmin looks so devastatingly beautiful. Happier than ever.

“The first song...” he pauses. A slight change in his tone, one anyone else might have missed, but you’re not just anyone else.

He smoothens out his features so quickly that you think you imagined the shift altogether. “This is a song I wrote years ago, one I’ve never sung in a show before. It’s definitely one I hold close to my heart.” A tight-lipped smile as he looks down and adjusts the guitar. “A love letter to someone who knew how I felt.”

The cheers turn to silence as the soft strumming of his guitar begins. A familiar tune, one you’ve heard many times before, drawing forth a memory from years ago.

You remember being in your apartment, the room dimly lit, noises from the streets below drifting through the open windows. Seokmin was on the couch, playing the guitar as he tried to conjure melodies befitting the chords. You sat beside him, basking it all in. 

It was a rough day, you can still recall, college work piling up on your desk but you couldn’t begin with any of them due to writer’s block. Instead, you’d called your boyfriend over, because you knew his presence would lift your unease.

And you were right. The moment the apartment door swung open, he immediately folded his arms around your body, pulling you in. You shut your eyes and let his scent fill your lungs. His tenderness, his care—they coursed through you, kindling a warmth you’d been bereft of when he wasn’t around.

“Hey,” he began, a comforting whisper against the troubled thoughts in your mind. “You okay? What’s wrong?”

You leaned against him, your words so muffled you worried he wouldn’t catch them. “Today just isn’t my day.” 

You couldn’t say more. And you didn’t need to, because he immediately understood.

He always did, in ways you realized nobody else could. Perhaps that is the reason why, after so many dates Chan has put you through these past two years, you can’t seem to let go. And now, as you watch him perform, you realize that you and Seokmin share something that can neither be so easily forged nor so easily cast away. 

And that song, the one he sang for you in your apartment that day, had been a work in progress. An unfinished version of the song he’s now singing on stage in front of the crowd.

The memory of it makes you wonder if he still thinks of you whenever he sings the song. If you ever once cross his mind. 

Chances are, he hasn’t even thought of you these past two years. The breakup must have messed you up more than it did him. Regrets have kept you up late through the night, while he probably has moved on with his life, keeping himself busy with his music career, meeting someone new—

But when the song comes to an end, he scans the crowd and, like a stroke of luck, his gaze lands on yours. And you could have sworn he stiffens at the sight of you, in the same way your heart plummets and you can no longer think straight. 

☁︎  ☁︎  ☁︎  ☁︎  ☁︎

The chaos disappears the moment Seokmin shuts the door behind him. His breath runs ragged, and light sweat sticks to his clothes. He can’t seem to compose himself; there’s only one thought that runs circles in his head.

It was you, he knows for a certainty. You’d been there. 

He recognized you. Of course he did; he’d recognize you anywhere, among any crowd. 

But he can’t help asking himself why. Why you came after everything that went down. 

He spends the next hour in his trailer wondering. Wondering if you enjoyed the show, if you liked the way he sang. Wondering if, after all this time, he haunts your thoughts the way you still haunt his.

None of that should matter, because you’re no longer his, and he is no longer yours. 

The break-up was one of the toughest moments he had to live through. He recalls sitting next to you in his bedroom, tears staining your cheeks and his own. With bloodshot eyes, you asked him, “Are we really doing this?”

“I guess we are.” He had never sounded so resigned. 

“Thank you for everything, for being such a loving, supportive boyfriend and being so much more than I deserve,” you said with a sniffle, and his fingers found your cheek. 

“You deserve the world. You deserve more than I can ever give you.” He tried to put on a smile, tried to be strong. “You’re the better half of me, remember?”

A humorless laugh. “You’re the better half of me.”

He shook his head. “You’re the kindest, most amazing person I know. I’m so lucky to have ever been yours.”

“So am I. I really wish you didn’t have to go.” Your voice was cracking all over.

Guilt lanced through him. Your relationship wouldn’t have had to end if Seokmin had chosen another career path. But performing on the stage was and has always been his passion, and he could never imagine himself doing anything else. You knew this, and yet you chose to stick by his side, and for that he was grateful.

“I’m really, really going to miss you.” He sobbed, pulling you into an embrace for one last time. He held you close, inhaling your scent, reveling in the feel of your body flushed against his.

And when you walked out the door, it was as if you’d taken parts of him with you, the world having lost its color.

Seokmin truly thought letting go would get easier as the seasons march forward, that time would stitch the wounds strewn across his heart. But two years have passed and here he is, still grieving the relationship he lost. Two years have passed and yet, he still keeps coming back to you. 

He hates the way he can’t stifle his emotions, his longing for you practically woven into his every song. At first, he resorted to songwriting because that has always been his way of coping with circumstances he can’t change and feelings he can’t comprehend. 

But now he’s gone and made you his constant, his muse.

It shouldn’t matter, he keeps telling himself. But the fact that you showed up at one of his shows... 

It feels like an opening, a crevice in the invisible wall that stretches between you both. It gives him hope that perhaps, he isn’t the only one struggling with these feelings. It gives him the courage to do what’s next.

He’s going to go and see you.

☁︎  ☁︎  ☁︎  ☁︎  ☁︎

The sky has turned dark beyond the windows, the busy day drawing to a close.

Like any other Sundays, the café was teeming with people, some of them stopping by for brunch or a quick meet-up, while others lingered longer, books splayed out on the coffee table, their faces illuminated by the light coming from their laptop screens. Today was particularly exhausting since one of your work colleagues, Vernon, took a sick leave, which meant you had to handle more workload than usual.

And tonight, you’re in charge of closing the café, the others having left not long ago. You begin wiping off coffee stains on desks, the action so familiar that you can do it without having to think twice. Your eyes are heavy, limbs threaded with fatigue, and the only thing that keeps you going is the fact that you’re almost through with work. 

You’re about to turn off the lights when, suddenly, the doorbell jingles. You frown. It’s beyond closing time.

“We’re about to close—” you call out, but as you look up to see who it is, the words come to a halt, dread running through you.

It’s Seokmin, lingering by the door.

You blink a few times, not quite believing your eyes. But there’s no denying that he is standing there, just a few strides away. The confidence he carried just the night before is now nowhere to be found, and it seems like he’s trying to amass his courage to step through the threshold.

“Hi,” Seokmin starts, his features inscrutable.

You’re unsure how to proceed. Unsure how to address him now when you’d always regarded him as your boyfriend. “Hi. Um, I… we’re about to close.”

A stupid thing to say, but you can’t imagine why he would show up if not for the coffee.

He pushes the bridge of his glasses up his nose. “I know. I just… I was nearby and thought that maybe, you still work here. I guess I wanted to come by.” He continues with more certainty. “I wanted to see you.”

Your mind seems to run blank. How can you respond to that?

He misconstrues your silence and begins stammering. “Uh, well, I mean, unless... Unless this isn’t what you want, which I completely get.” He gestures with his hands the way he always did whenever his self-assurance dwindled. “I’m sorry. I can leave if you want me to—”

“No.” The word leaves you in an instant, so full of emotion you curse yourself for it. You move closer to him, striving for a semblance of calm. “What I mean to say is, it’s okay. You can stay.”

“Yeah?” A timid smile on his lips. “You’re about to close the shop, aren’t you? I can help you with things.”

Your heart warms at his words, at his kindness, and you can’t help but smile back. Being an artist hasn’t changed him. “Would that be okay? I’m almost done, actually. I just have to clean the tables and wash some cups before I leave.”

He rolls up his sleeves and grabs a cloth. “Then I’ll help you with it.” 

It doesn’t take long to complete the remaining tasks. You and Seokmin fill the silence by catching up, and you find it comforting how, for a moment in time, you can slip back and pretend as if things are alright. There’s no awkwardness as you banter with him, and he seems genuinely interested to hear how you’ve been. He’s always been a good listener, attentive of even the smallest of details—it’s one of the reasons why you fell for him in the first place.

And before you know it, it’s a little over midnight and you’re locking the doors, about to head home. Seokmin has offered to walk with you despite his early schedule tomorrow, and you’re aware—perhaps too aware—of the way he keeps on glancing at you, like he has something he wishes to say but the words remain unspoken. 

That makes it the two of you, then.

The trees lining the sidewalk sway under the wind as the temperature grows colder into the night. You cross your arms over your body and look over at Seokmin, who isn’t faring any better than you, shivering under the purple sweater he dons. His hair is a ruffled mess, and you find yourself wanting to reach out and rake your fingers through it. 

It takes everything in you to abandon that idea. 

After a while, Seokmin finally breaks the silence. “You were there.” 

Your stomach drops. You know where this is going. 

“The concert last night, I mean,” he says, looking at you, and you don’t know why the sight of him tugs at your heartstrings so. 

You don’t know what to say. You had a feeling earlier that this would come up at some point, but still, you don’t know how to behave when he’s no longer the Seokmin with whom you’d exchange stories and secrets. The Seokmin you’d search for when you had good news to tell or terrible news to break.

At last, you settle for this: “I was. You were amazing out there, Seok. Truly.” The words you’re saying—even though you mean them, they sound so strained. 

A pause, before he asks, “Why did you come?”

“I promised you, remember?” You can’t quite expel the heaviness lodged in your throat. “I promised I’d be there.”

Seokmin doesn’t reply, but the small smile he wears tells you that he remembers.

He takes a deep breath. “I’m… I’m really sorry. For everything that happened between us. For the break-up and all the pain I caused you.” His expression is pained, and it hurts you to see him that way.

“It isn’t entirely your fault. I’m sorry, too.” You try to contain your grief but to no avail. “The break-up was difficult for me. And to be completely honest, it still is.”

You don’t know why you kept on talking. It feels like reopening old wounds that haven’t quite scabbed over, letting him in through the cracks he left.

Seokmin looks like he’s surprised. “It is?”

You nod. “I… I keep coming back to the day we broke up, and whenever I do, I’m overcome with regret. I still wish we’d done things differently.” You can’t put a brake on the words that spill out of your mouth, your pent-up emotions finally coming to light.

“I keep thinking of you,” you continue, your voice wavering. “And often, I wonder if you think of me.”

Tears are beginning to well in your eyes. You don’t realize you and Seokmin are no longer walking, having come to a stop in front of your apartment building. It’s time to part ways, but a part of you is having a hard time saying goodbye.

“I…” he begins. He seems like he’s about to reach out to you, lifting his hand briefly towards you only to drop it to his side. You hold his gaze, his brown eyes so striking yet warm. The bangs that frame his face. That small mole on his cheek that he used to hate but you adore so much you helped him change his mind. The perfect curve of his nose, the faint, crimson tinges on his cheeks.

You try to remember the little details, because you know this will be the last time you’ll ever get to see them. The last time you’ll ever get to see him.

Seokmin says nothing in return. He just looks at you, his face inscrutable, and you curse yourself for having let yourself be vulnerable. For putting him in a more uncomfortable position. It’s embarrassing, how you yearn for him when he clearly doesn’t reciprocate your feelings.

“I’m… I’m really sorry for having said all that. I was speaking nonsense, really. I just… I think my brain’s all muddled after today’s shift and all.” Your courage wanes, and you wish you could disappear right now. Fishing out the apartment keys, you gesture towards the door, not stopping even as Seokmin looks like he’s about to say something.

“Thank you for walking me home, Seok. It’s really good seeing you,” you utter quickly, unable to face him. It’s too much.

“Wait—”

But you don’t, walking away from him with tears in your eyes. It’s embarrassing. So fucking embarrassing—

“I’m still in love with you!”

You stop in your tracks. You can’t believe your ears.

Are those words meant for me? You turn around to see him gazing at you, something like longing and desperation in his eyes.

“I’m still in love with you,” he repeats, quieter this time. 

This time, you’re the one who’s speechless.

“You said you wonder if I think of you.” He continues, slowly closing the distance between you both. “There’s not a second that I don’t. My music, all those lyrics I’ve written—they’ve always been about you. You’ve always been my muse.”

He stops moving when he’s within arm’s reach. “I’ve tried to move on, but I can never seem to let you go. I can never forget how happy and complete I felt when I was with you, and there is never a moment that I don’t regret breaking up with you.” His voice breaks, but he goes on. “I promised myself that if I ever get the chance some day, I’d try to make things right. And when I saw you during the concert, I thought it as a sign.”

What he’s saying is so hard to believe that you have to ask him again. You have to make sure.

“Are you saying that you still love me?”

“I’ve never stopped.” 

You can’t help the smile that slowly spreads across your face. “I’ve never stopped loving you too, Seok.” 

He lets out a laugh of relief, lifting his hand to wipe the tears from his eyes. “Even after all this time?”

You don’t answer, closing the gap between you both. Touching your forehead to his, you shut your eyes to revel in the moment. The midnight sky above you, millions of stars strewn across it. The rustling of the wind that moves the trees. The person you love right in front of you. It’s too good to be true.

“Can I kiss you?” He murmurs, his breath fanning your cheeks.

“Yes,” you reply immediately. “God, yes.”

And then his lips meet yours, soft as ever. His fingers graze your chin, tilting your head up to deepen the kiss, and your arms find his sides in a way that reminds you how familiar this is. 

This, you realize, tucked in Seokmin’s gentle embrace. This feels so much like coming home. 

[armoricaroyalty]

Previous | Chapter Start | From the Beginning | End of Chapter 2, Part 2

Neither spoke on the way to the airport. They’d fought before, but this time, the silence had a weight to it; a muchness, a more-than-usual quality that was unfamiliar to both.

Vivi thought a lot about apologizing. She always did, she had always been inclined in that way. In twenty-one years of living, she had, at one time or another, apologized for almost everything: being early, being late, being too loud, being too quiet. Usually, she was apologizing for being herself instead of some other girl, someone prettier, someone more confident, someone who knew what to do, what to say, how to dress.

Sitting next to her husband (and there was another word that carried that same weight, that same muchness) she didn’t think about apologizing. She thought, instead, about old mistakes. What had she missed that had led her to this place and this man, to the back seat of an unmarked car and to silent, furious stranger beside her.

A/N: thank you to @ardeney-sims and @nexility-sims for proofreading for me!

11:41 AM, the day after the wedding

VIVI | [groaning] VIVI | [weakly] What time is it? JACQUES | Late. Quarter of noon. VIVI | ...fuck, the plane. JACQUES | It’s our plane, Vivi, they won’t take off without us. [amused] You’ve got plenty of time to sober up. VIVI | Mmmm, I’m just hungover. Not drunk. [door closes, sound of running water] VIVI | [snoring softly] JACQUES | [humming] [water shuts off] JACQUES | [stops humming] JACQUES | [to himself] ...what’s this? JACQUES | ... VIVI | [sighs] [bathroom door opens and closes] VIVI | Hey, while you’re up, could you bring me a glass of water? VIVI | Eurgh, my head... JACQUES | [angrily] Hey. What the fuck is this? JACQUES | When were you going to tell me you were pregnant? VIVI | ... JACQUES | Vivi, you were fucking wasted last night. JACQUES | God, Vivi — you were drinking! How could you be so irresponsible with a baby on the way? VIVI | [sighs] I didn’t tell you because...I’m not keeping it. I’ve got an appointment with my OB/GYN once we get back from San My. JACQUES | W-what? VIVI | [sighs] Oh Jacot... VIVI | Be honest with me. When was our last good day? JACQUES | ... VIVI | Why would I want to bring another kid into this mess? VIVI | I’m gonna go shower. We can talk more on the plane. JACQUES | ...it’s not mine, is it? VIVI | [gasps] VIVI | How could you even say that? JACQUES | No...it all makes sense, now. You’re hot and cold, you’re keeping secrets, and you got so hung up on those pictures, even though I didn’t do anything....You’re sleeping around, aren’t you? JACQUES | Who is he, Vivi? Do I know him? VIVI | You’re crazy. I would never — [ raised voices, muffled arguing ] CLAUDIA | ... JACQUES | ...save it, Vivi. Go get an abortion, I don’t give a shit. I just want to make one thing perfectly clear... JACQUES | ...if I ever find out who he is, I’m going to fucking kill him. VIVI | ... JACQUES | Get dressed. We’ve got a plane to catch. VIVI | [inaudibly] ...oh my god.

[lolibles]

A-Z with kazuha

character: kazuha x reader

pure fluff, complete brainrot, some angst not much tho

synopsis: the fluff alphabet with kazuha

implied gn!reader but please let me know if there are any mistakes or things i should look out for when writing gn!reader, im still learning!! <3 NOT PROOFREAD its so long and im lazy :)

A- how affectionate are they with their s/o?

kazuha is a very affectionate person, and he doesn’t try to hide it. kazuha is known for his flowery words, while kazuha loves to turn all kinds of things into poetry, its painfully obvious when one is about you. kazuha never fails to show his affection and love to you with his words and endless haikus of you. he can not stop talking about you, and even though sometimes he does it to tease you and get a laugh at your flustered expression, every time he declares his undying love for you, he means it.

B- what their s/o does that takes their breath away?

there are many things you do that take his breath away, but one thing that makes his heart do backflips is when you remember his haikus, and keep his gifted poems. kazuha has dedicated too many of his poems to you to count, kazuha himself can barely remember all of them. so you can say he was very shocked when one night you randomly whispered a poem he created for you months ago into his ear. kazuha was beyond shocked, his head never turned so fast to look at you, eyes widening. when he asked how you still remembered it, you pulled out a little notebook with scribbles of the poems and pieces of paper stuck inside with notes of dates, and the occasional doodles. you said it was so you never forget any of them, even when you were old. as kazuha flipped through the book he noticed poems from as far back as when he barely knew you. kazuha turned back to you and buried his head in your neck, attempting to hide the blush on his face as he kept mumbling i love you. his heart was swooning with love and joy for you, he knew you loved him, but he never knew something as simple as that could make his whole world stop.

C- do they like cuddling? if so, how and when?

kazuha loves cuddling so much. kazuha is honestly pretty touch starved so he constantly craves your touch. kazuha also gets pretty tired after working a full day out on the alcor or helping out with the resistance. he believes after a full days worth of hard work nothing beats lazing around tangled in your arms. kazuha doesn’t mind being the big spoon or little spoon. there are times of vulnerability where kazuha just needs you to hold him close, run your fingers through his hair and tell him everything will be okay. and there are times where he wants to hold you tight in his embrace as if he was protecting you for the most malicious forces in the world. there are also times where he simply just wants to be close to you, bodies smushed together, his hands wrapped around you with his neck buried in your collar. he tries to make you laugh or giggle so he can feel the vibrations of your sweet voice. kazuha loves to cuddle you at night before bed, he loves to fall asleep with you, the sound of your heartbeat lulling him to sleep, the warmth of your body is so pleasant and inviting. however cuddling at night often means waking up much later than usual. it means that either beidou or gorou angrily barging into your quarters to wake you guys up because you both were late, threatening to split the both of you up since you can never wake up on time.

D- what do they dream of doing with their s/o?

kazuha is a simple man, he finds joy and love in the littlest things. but that doesn’t ever stop him for dreaming- or rather hoping. he wishes one day he can walk down the streets of his hometown and show you the different sights. he hopes that there will be a day when he can see you wear a kimono, under the moonlight as he takes you up to a secluded spot to view the beautiful fireworks, although he will argue that you are far more lovely. kazuha hopes to bring you to see the sakura trees bloom, as you talk about how you wished you could’ve have seen them earlier, he wishes he can brush off the flower petals on your head before pulling you in for a gentle kiss. most importantly kazuha hopes that one day, he can bring you to visit his friend. even if he no longer is blessed upon this world, kazuha is sure he would have loved you. it is only necessary for kazuha to introduce his beloved to his only family.

E- how much effort do they put into the relationship?

kazuha pours his entire soul into your relationship, you are the only one he has left after all. kazuha believes his sole purpose is to treat you like his queen, if even for a second you feel like you aren’t loved, then he has failed. kazuha wants to serve you, though you often tell him he should try to put himself first, he’d merely chuckle and say “if i’m the reason you smile as brightly as the sun, the reason you sleep well at night or the reason you wish to wake up the next day. then there is not a thing i would change.”

F - do they want to start a family with their s/o? what is parenting like with them?

after getting over kazuha's fear of marriage (check M), kazuha wouldn't mind starting a family. although he is perfectly fine if it is just the two of you. if you want children then he is ready to learn, for you. i think kazuha would settle with one or two children, and he says he doesn't mind if you have a girl or a boy- but he is hoping on a boy. kazuha would be a great dad, apart from the fact he travels a lot and is rarely home. he tries his best to be there for you, he usually takes on jobs in the area you are staying or go on shorter trips with the crux while you are in the first few years having a child. he doesn't want to leave all the work to you of raising a young child, nor does he want to miss out those precious years of being a new parent. he loves adventuring but he loves his family too. another thing kazuha can not get enough of is seeing the look on your child's face when he arrives back after a trip, waiting for him at the harbour, flailing their arms about to capture his attention. and he can not ignore the look on your face either, so happy that your loving husband is home. kazuha can be strict but he prefers not to be, he can't say no to those curious eyes that look just like yours. i like to think that kazuha teaches your child to be a smooth talker just like him, this means they both get out of trouble a lot with you. despite kazuha's aloof demeanour, he actually has a rather playful side to him often pulling small pranks with your child on you. he tells your child stories of all kinds of adventures he has been on, your heart swoons at the sight of your child resting atop his chest trying his best not to fall asleep due to the warmth kazuha radiates. kazuha teaches your child all about inazuma and his heritage, telling them about the history and how one day he will bring both them and you to visit his homeland. the safety of his family is his number one priority, he will do anything to protect you and your child. he also teaches your child how to fight, and most importantly self-defence. if you both are travellers though, you decide to wait until your child is older to bring them on your adventures. and when they are, beidou certainly doesn't mind having a little kid running around the alcor causing a ruckus amongst other crew members.

G- what kind of gifts to they give their s/o? do they want one in return?

kazuha has always loved the sentiment of crafting a handmade gift. the amount of time and effort that goes into making something, is enough to show how much love someone has for them. kazuha also always loves to imagine what kind of expression you’d have after receiving his gift, he never asks for anything in return, well actually occasionally he’ll ask for a kiss thats it. kazuha remembers making you a beautiful hairpin, one that matched with his maple leaf haori. he gave it to you one night randomly, his hands pushing aside a bit of your hair to pin up. the way your eyes closed as he inches closer, his fingers occasionally brushing against your skin. when he finally backed away from you to take a look at his masterpiece, he was stunned. the way your face glistened from under the moonlight, you were so ethereal. his breath hitched, and the calm man sitting in front of you became flustered. kazuha made a note to always mentally prepare himself before giving you a gift that you could physically wear- if not he’d definitely blow a fuse.

H- do they hug their s/o? how often?

kazuha definitely hugs you, but i feel like hugs only happen at specific times. of course he will indulge you if you ask for it. kazuha hugs you when he misses you, when he needs you close to him. if you didn’t travel with him, he hugs you a goodbye and a hello. kazuha hugs you tightly because he knows he will be leaving soon, or he misses you so much and never wants to let you go. if someone ever makes kazuha jealous (which doesn’t happen very often), he will hug you from your waist whilst no one was looking, as he buries his head into your neck, taking in your scent. “your mine.” he’d whisper, hugging you tighter. “i am yours.”

I- how romantic are they? do they have problems with being intimate?

kazuha has very little problems with intimacy, he is a naturally romantic person. the way he speaks should be more than enough as evidence. he doesn’t get flustered easily, and he loves to see your expressions when he does something overly romantic- cheesy even, at the most random times. his poetry and haikus are often of you, he doesn’t shy away from flirting with you, teasing you, and constantly he is thinking of different ways to show his love to you. like i said he never knows what may happen tomorrow, so he is going to spend every day in the present being romantic and loving to you.

J- do they get jealous easily? how do they act?

i can’t typically see kazuha as getting jealous easily. there is often the rare occasion of him getting impatient because someone else has held your attention for too long, but other than that its very rare for kazuha to get jealous- he trusts you too much and feels like there’s simply no need for such feelings. i feel like one of the only few times kazuha would get jealous is when he’s drunk. drunk kazuha is needy and clingy, he wants to be around no one but you. if there is the slightest bit of space between you two, kazuha is determined to get rid of it by any means necessary. if you’re having a conversation with someone, be prepared to continue it another day because kazuha is whisking you away and peppering you with kisses while glaring at the person who kept you away from him the whole time. it gets a little uncontrollable when it happens, but kazuha remembers everything that happens the night before and his reaction is absolutely priceless.

K- are they a good kisser? do they like it? how often?

kazuha is miraculously a great kisser, well that is debatable from the beginning since he didn’t have much experience but he learnt very fast, and he is an amazing learner. kazuha’s everyday kisses can range from many varieties. kazuha’s forehead kisses usually linger for just the right amount of time, they are comforting and homely. it feels like you can tell how much kazuha trusts and adores you when he gives you forehead kisses. kazuha’s cheek kisses are different. they are quick and fleeting, usually he peppers your face with them, instead of a single kiss. it is playful and often filled with laughter, kazuha does it with a teasing note as his hands cup your face and pulls you closer for another kiss attack. lastly kazuha’s kisses on your lips, saved for the most romantic and intimate moments you share. often hidden from the public where kazuha can show you how much he loves you without any interruptions. they are passionate and always leaves the both of you wanting for more. he kisses you not too rough not too gentle, just until your lips are slightly plump and red. he takes your cheek in his hand, his other on your waist, pulling you close he whispers “may i?” and if you allow him, he will make sure this is a kiss you never forget.

bonus: kisses on the back of your neck, saved for the most private moments. if you have longer hair he likes to brush your hair back and place a teasing kiss on your neck, just to see you get flustered. and if you have shorter hair he finds himself often staring at the back of your neck, and just decides to indulge himself a few times with a kiss- teasing you along the way.

L- when do they say i love you? how often? do they say or show it more?

kazuha has always been more of a mix of both, he tends to show his love a lot yet he never fails to let you know he loves you. kazuha says it when it is just the two of you, when he has your attention and he has yours. he says it while tangled in your arms, under the blankets as you try to fight the feeling of sleep so you can spend more time with your beloved. kazuha shows it in his actions, even if done unconsciously, he somehow manages to convey ‘i love you’. its evident in the way he smiles for you, his eyes glistening as he lets out a hearty laugh. its evident in the way he holds your hand, guiding you down the stairs- even though you are perfectly capable of walking on your own. it is evident in the way he stares at you while you patch him up after he got hurt again, listening to your mother-like nagging to be careful. he doesn’t always say it outright, but you know, you know he loves you.

M- thoughts on marriage? how do they want to hold the ceremony?

well kazuha definitely has thought about it, thats for sure. in all honesty he is a little intimidated by the idea of marriage. don’t get me wrong, he wants to get married to you, its just kazuha has an interesting past. he’s afraid that somehow even if he’s miles away from her, she’d end up coming back to haunt him, and this time take you too. kazuha also knows unlike others, he can’t offer you the most stable life. he fled from his own country, a god literally wants him dead. he wanders around without an end destination, no real home anymore. he wonders if you really want to get married to someone like him- this thoughts are the things that keep him awake at night. if you ever help kazuha get over his fears and make him understand you love him for who he is now, perhaps he wouldn’t hesitate before popping the question. he would love a quiet and small ceremony, he doesn’t mind a grand wedding but he would prefer something more lowkey and intimate. no distractions so he can take it all in, you finally are his.

N- what are dates like with them? how often do you guys have night outs?

dates aren’t as easy to come by with kazuha, working on the sea or with the resistance means work needs to be done and there isn’t much time for going out. but kazuha makes it work, most of the time its rather spontaneous. kazuha would appear before you and ask you to close your eyes, taking your hands in his to guide you to a little spot he made up on the alcor. hidden away from the drunkards causing a ruckus on deck. he sits you down next to him on a nice blanket and asks you to open your eyes. its a cute little get up, a few snacks and sake under the stars. kazuha would apologise for not being able to give you a proper date, yet you couldn’t ask for more. he’d pull you close saying he didn’t want you to get cold, and he’d teach you about stars and constellations.

another time while you both were working hard for the resistance, kazuha showed up by your tent at night and asked you to accompany for a walk. kazuha would take your hand in his, as he carried an umbrella over your heads. he wouldn’t bring you too far from camp but he tried to make your time worthwhile. he’d tell you about the poems he made of you the afternoon since he missed you the whole day. he’d promise to take you somewhere nicer once everything was under control again- he gives your hand a squeeze and kisses you on the cheek. it wasn’t much but it was all you both had. )

O- what would they do if their s/o got hurt or injured badly? (ouch)

it doesn’t matter how hurt you got, small or big, kazuha feels his world stop spinning. his mind flashes back to the moment he watched his friend die, and he desperately tries to keep his emotions at bay. tears threaten to spill, his voice cracks as he asks where you are. he gets to you as fast as he can, he begs that his legs don't give way yet. he blames himself for not being able to protect you, he couldn't save his friend, but please not you. the moment he catches the glimpse of your body bandaged up, bruises scattered all over skin, he can not contain the amount of guilt that rushes over himself. kazuha is by your side in an instant, taking your hand gently as he lets his eyes scan over your injury. he doesn't stop apologising, he lowers his head as he lets the waterworks run. ironically watching kazuha blame himself for not being able to protect you hurts more than the injuries you have sustained. if you can, please take him into your arms, tell him it's not his fault and you are okay. kazuha wouldn't know what to do if you were gone too.

P- are they playful in the relationship? how do they mess around with their s/o?

it may not look like it, but kazuha is rather playful. especially when it is just the two of you, kazuha suppresses the urge to not tease you. he can't help that you are just so easy to tease. he likes to challenge you to little games at the expense of a kiss. he loves seeing your expressions when he teases you, or purposely loses to you at a game. he also loves to flirt with you, tell you how much he loves you and how much he wants to make you his- even if you already are. he definitely is the type to ask you if your single and want to date him while you are dating, he says "your boyfriend doesn't need to know, so just come with me" and if you play along he falls more in love. it's also dangerous if your a ticklish person, he will often poke you just to hear your laugh or squeal. he craves to hear your melodic laugh, he never wants you to shut up. kazuha is never mean when he plays around with you though, he never crosses the line and he can read the mood well. he knows when is the right time to mess around with you, and he knows when to stop. as much as he loves it he never wants to make you mad. i

Q- what will they do if their s/o is queer or part of the LGBT community? how will they react?

kazuha doesn't mind, he believes that love is love and coincidentally he loves you for you. kazuha listens and is keen on learning your past and why you decides to be who you are now. he picks up on your prefered pronouns without hesitation and treats you with nothing but respect. if you are insecure about it, he will make it his only goal to write you a poem a day about how much he loves you and how much he wishes for you to find self love. kazuha is aware of the occasional disapproval from outsiders, and he doesn't think twice before using his vision to mess with them, knocking them off their balance or messing up their hair. he tells you that others may say what they want but you need not worry for there are many others who love you and will love you for the rest of their lives- him included.

R- how random and spontaneous is the relationship?

a relationship with kazuha is beyond random. there are moments when kazuha just grabs your hand and takes you away to some place because he wants to be with you. kazuha enjoys surprising you with things as well, if he sees something he thinks you will like, he will buy it or attempt to make it for you. when he travels he definitely brings you back pressed flowers or pretty gemstones that remind him of you. kazuha often does things for you on a "just because" basis, even if it holds no significant reason, he will give you a gift, give you a kiss or whatever you want. kazuha also randomly declares his love for you just because.

S- what do they do is their s/o is scared?

kazuha knows what its like to be scared, to feel petrified to the point its hard to breathe, hard to speak, hard to move. his world crumbles at the thought of how you may go through emotions like that. he never wants you to go through any pain, it simply doesn’t matter what causes you to feel so frightened. if it scares you, it scares you. there is no need for him to laugh at you or belittle your feelings. kazuha will never forgive himself if he makes you feel invalidated. when you are scared, kazuha will be by your side in an instant, his arms engulfing you like a warm blanket, as he whispers sweet nothings into you ear. he asks you to focus on his fingers tracing shapes onto your back. he doesn’t let go of you until he feel your heart rate return to normal. and when it does, he releases you from his tight grip to kiss away the tears rolling down your cheeks. giving you a simple smile. “my love, i wont let anything harm you. i love you.”

T- how much do they trust their s/o?

to be in a relationship means kazuha trusts you a lot. kazuha has gone through much, and is constantly on the run. there are few people he can open up to and trust that they would not leave him behind. it takes a while for kazuha to tell you about everything, don't get me wrong he knows he loves you but it isn't easy to bring something so dark about his past to light. he hopes you don't get mad or disturbed by him for keeping it hidden for so long. when he finally does tell you about his past, and you stick by him no matter what he feels his heart slowly gets put back into place.

U- do they like to take things slow or fast? (urgency)

kazuha takes things at a pretty average pace. honestly it's kind of like a write off, he knows it will take him a while to fully trust someone yet he is undoubtedly touch-starved. and when it comes to you he can't seem to hold himself back. when kazuha courts you its slow and relaxed, he never wants to force you into a relationship and make you uncomfortable. he takes his time to learn what you like and dislike, he takes his time to get to know you. and when you finally start dating he tends to take things faster, not too fast though, he makes sure everything he does is okay with you before rushing in head first. unconsciously he tends to touch you a lot, he finds comfort in your warmth. sometimes it's as simple as brushing your hair back, and sometimes it's having his hands on your thigh while you sit next to him. he just loves it so much.

V- how vocal are they about the relationship? do they want it to be a secret?

kazuha prefers to keep it lowkey. only a few people know of your relationship with him. he doesn't want you to get hurt because of him, after all he is rather infamous for escaping from the shogunate and their leader. he also is more on the private side. however its very easy to tell that kazuha is infatuated with you solely by the way he looks at you, talk of you. you can tell that he is completely smitten over you, it takes someone awfully dense to not realise his feelings for you.

W- random scenario with them! (wild card)

the first time kazuha saw you dressed up so beautifully was when beidou insisted that the both of you attended a party in liyue with her. he didn't enjoy parties as much but he thought it would be nice for you to take a break from running away, and if you were there he was sure it would be a lot more bearable. and he was right, it was. beidou had whisked you away earlier to be presentable for the occasion, kazuha himself had to wear something he wasn't used to- he thought it was uncomfortable. but the moment he saw you walk out of the room dressed to the nines, all the discomfort that came with his outfit was thrown out the window and replaced with fluster. kazuha was quick to regain his normal charm however, throwing compliments in your directions as he held out his arm for you to hold- yet not even his sly behaviour could escape your eyes, there indeed was a blush on his cheeks. beidou left the two of you to be, enjoying the food and lovely music playing in the background, yet all kazuha could hear was the melody of your voice. as the room fell silent and a slow tune began, kazuha earned a few nudges from beidou "ask them to dance" she whispered. and he did, it felt like it was straight out of a fairy tale. his eyes were burning into yours as he reached his hand out. you gladly accepted, but you never knew kazuha had learnt to dance, especially so well. you suppose everything about him is eloquent. the moment was something you'd cherish for the entirety of your life, the feeling of him guiding your footsteps along to his. his hands resting perfecting on your waist as yours did by his neck. he often made small jokes about the other stuck up guests, which made you laugh. his heart fluttered. as the song came to an end, you gave him a small kiss on his cheek. a smile appeared on his face, your action warming his chest.

"won't you dance with me again, my love?"

X- do they like petnames? do they use petnames? (XOXO)

kazuha loves using petnames on you. he likes to call you darling or my love. he finds using nicknames rather endearing, and he loves how you react with a simple "hm?" because you know he loves you like that. if you ever give kazuha a petname his heart swoons in adoration for you. he loves them! but kazuha also loves the way his name rolls off your tongue, the sound of your voice is like maple syrup in his ears.

Y- what do they do when they yearn for you?

missing you is something kazuha is unfortunately used to. given that kazuha is a traveller it is understandable why you two are often apart. when kazuha misses you, everyone can tell. especially since your absence in his life is all his poetry becomes. he muses how you are and how it hurts being so far from you. he often finds himself immersed in creating more haikus to show you when he finally reunites with you. more here.

Z- what is sleeping like with them? (zzz)

sleeping with kazuha is warm, you never have to fear the cold especially with kazuha's arms wrapped protectively around you. kazuha doesn't care whether he is the big spoon or small spoon, he just wants to be with you. if he spoons you, just make sure that he wakes up earlier than you if not he is never letting go. his grip is not too tight but still very strong around you. he enjoys being close to you and he loves how you let him be near you. if you are spooning him, please let kazuha rest his head in the crook of your neck. he loves to feel your heartbeat as he tries to fall asleep, the last thing he hears is your heart thumping every so peacefully. the smell of your soap puts him to sleep in a way he never knew it could. he loves how this time you wrap your arms around him to protect him instead, for once he feels like in your arms, he is perfectly safe.

oh my god this took so damn long???? but i didn't have much inspiration and this just came to mind. some letters were EXTREMELY hard to write so please excuse if its a little ooc i tried ;-; im glad im done tho, this honestly is the longest thing i have written in a very very long time and im really happy i did. im also pretty excited to try it for other characters i already have childe's and xiao's one in mind :) anyway!!!!!! please let me know if you liked this thank u bebs muah...

[cheesy-cakey]

note this is a hatter au from a wattpad book I wrote.

You Weren't there

Kalim X Reader Angst

We had graduated.

We got married.

He inherited his family's riches.

We had a son.

We were happy...

We WERE.

I gazed out the window of my quarters.

I was no longer a Hatter... I was now an Al-Asim.

The Hatter name had died out the moment I decided to be a part of Kalim's family. I still owned our land and property. But I had no use for it.

I thought that this was going be our happily ever after.

Holding the one I love close. Kalim embracing me and our son.

But I guess reality doesn't have a happy ending... Especially us Hatter's.

As I watched the scene out the window.

In the garden was Kalim... With his 2rd wife and daughter.

Yes, that's right. I may be Kalim's first wife... but that doesn't mean I'm the only one.

I watched as he held her hand while with the other he carried his daughter.

I moved away from the window and sat on the plush bed of my quarters.

"How could I be so stupid. How could I be so blind. why did I think... That out of all the people in the world. I would have a happy ending." I muttered to myself as I leaned back on my arms tears pricking out of my eyes.

I went back to the window watching them hold each other close. I traced my hand on the glass feeling the coolness of the material.

I kneeled on the floor hand on the window sill while the other was on the floor.

"If happy ever after did exist~" I sang as I wrapped my arms around myself.

"I would still be holding you like this~"

"All those fairy tales are full of sh*t"

"One more f*cking love song I'll be sick" I sobbed as I was never meant to have a happy ever after.

3rd POV

Little did Y/N know that someone came to visit.

Watching through the crack from the slightly opened door.

Ali Al-Asim watched as his mother broke down crying.

"Why... why of all people... why does it have to be mother that suffers?"

He walked away knowing that it's better to not disturb her like this... He knew seeing him would just remind her of the happy ending she could've had.

He returned to him quarters and sat in one of the chairs in his room.

"Mother... You shouldn't be suffering like this... You told me father loved you... You said he loved you more than the stars in the sky... then why... why does he treat you this way? why does he neglect you? weren't we happy? weren't you happy?" He leaned his head back as tears pricked out his eyes.

"I never get to see you smile anymore. The smile that could shine brighter than the sun. Your eyes became dull... no longer full of hope and happiness like the stars."

he slammed his first into the table Infront of him as tears fell from his face.

"WHY DON'T YOU HAVE A HAPPY EVER AFTER!?"

The 15 year old couldn't bear to see his mother like this...

He's seen her cry too many times...

-Time Skip-

It was Ali's 16th birthday.

Which means a big celebration...

But his mother as much as she wants to attend she couldn't bring herself to leave her room.

The Hatter that used to be full of life, laughing, singing, dancing. The Hatter that enjoyed parties and seeing her friends smile... lost her spark.

-At the celebration-

"Happy Birthday, Young Master, Ali!" The servants cheered.

"Happy birthday, My son!" Kalim exclaimed as he greeted his first born.

"Thank you, Father!" Ali exclaimed with a smile.

"You're 16 now, which school do you wanna attend, Ali!?" His father asked excitedly.

"I want to go to Night Raven College! That's where you went to right, Father?"

"Yes, I did! Me and your uncle Jamil went there together!"

"Then it's settled, NRC it is!"

"I could have the headmaster make you dorm head as well!"

"No, Father. I wish to become dorm head with my own skills." He stated.

"Haaaah? fine, if that is what my son wants. Now everyone! enjoy the party!"

he walked away as he went to meet other guests.

A lot of people were here. His uncles from NRC. His Friends. even his half sister.

But there was only one person Ali wanted to be here.

Ali stood up from his seat and sneaked away.

He went to the quarters of someone he held dear.

he knocked on the door and heard a come in.

"Good evening, mother" he said with a soft smile.

"Ah! Ali, Happy Birthday" She replied with a tired but loving smile.

she was sitting by the window with it being wide open allowing the wind to enter.

He went closer the his mother and kneeled beside her.

"How are you feeling?" Ali asked.

"I'm feeling very well. So how is your birthday?"

"Nevermind the birthday. I just want to stay here with you" he said as he buried his face into her dress resting his head on her lap.

The lady giggled at her son's statement, watching him with caring eyes.

"I have a present for you" She said as she brought out a box.

Ali raised his head.

"Mother... you didn't have to" he said as he received it.

"Oh, but I do. this is something I've been meaning to give you"

Ali opened the box to see a top hat, a golden silk snake wrapping around the hat with a single Jasmine flower.

"It used to be mine. Sometimes in the Hatter family we give it to the person we marry but sometimes we also keep it. But this time it's time to pass it on to the descendant. I redecorated it for you. do you like it?" The elegant lady smiled as she remembered her memories with the hat and proud to be able to hand it down.

Ali looked as the hat.

"I love it... thank you mother" He thanked as he lied down on her lap once again.

"I'm glad you do, my dear son" She placed a hand on his white hair exactly the same as his father's.

Sher stroked his head gently as the moon shone down on them through the window.

-Timeskip-

It was now time for Ali to go to Night Raven College. He said farewell to everyone and as he was about to get on the Ebony Carriage he looked up to a window to see his mother smiling at him. he smiled back and entered.

-at the dorm sorting-

Ali was up next to be sorted.

"State thy name"

"Ali Al-Asim"

"The shape of thy soul... I see you best improve in Scarabia."

He stepped away from the mirror and joined the other students that were sorted into Scarabia.

He will make his mother proud.

-Time skip-

It had been a week since he had arrived. And just like that he had became a dorm head not from money but from skill.

He was currently in potions taught by Professor Crewel.

His phone then suddenly rang.

"Excuse me, Professor. I need to take this call"

"Of course, pup. but next time I won't be allowing it."

Ali answered his phone and it was one of the servants.

He was analysing his potion while he answered.

"What is it? I told you not to call me around this time because I'm in class."

"Apologies, young master. But it's about Lady Y/N"

"Mother? what about her? does she miss me? tell her I'll visit this weekend."

"It's not that sir"

"what is it then?"

"she umm"

"spit it out"

"The lady has passed away"

Ali suddenly dropped the beaker shattering it to a million pieces.

"Al-Asim! bad pup! what are you doing!?"

Ali stood up knocking his seat over. He slammed his hand on his desk that still had the shattered glass and spilled potion. good thing that the potion doesn't give much effect since it wasn't finished.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN PASSED AWAY!?" He yelled as tears pricked from his eyes.

"Al-Asim?" his professor called out worried.

"I mean what I exactly said, young master. The lady passed away earlier this morning. when the servant went to serve her breakfast she didn't wake up. they tried waking her up then realized she wasn't moving. they called a physician... and he said the lady had passed away"

"no... you're lying"

"Ali Al-Asim, what's wrong? Get your hands off the desk your starting to bleed." Crewel said as he took the boys hand from the broken glass and started cleaning it.

"Mother... is she really dead?"

"yes, sir"

"wait... your mother?" his professor asked

"As in... Y/N? she's... no longer with us?" his eyes wide as saucers.

Ali fell on his knees tears spilling not showing any signs of stopping any time soon.

"Mother... no... no... no no no NO! SHE CAN'T BE GONE!" He sobbed.

"Ashengrotto, take him to the infirmary to clean his wound up. The rest of you dismissed. I need to speak with the head master."

"Yes, professor"

-time Skip-

currently Ali was in the head masters office.

"Al-Asim. I heard what had happened. I'll let you go home for as long as you need. I apologize for your loss. You can use the mirror to go home." Crowley said as he watched the boy sob.

he himself wanted to cry since one of the most lovable students he had, had passed away.

"Your mother... was an incredible woman. Not only as a student but as a friend to the rest. It's a shame she... had to leave us so early. I thought that maybe... I'd be dead by the time she leaves."

"Thank you, headmaster... I'll be... heading out now" Ali exited the room and went to the mirror and went home.

Once he had arrived he was greeted by the servants but he just walked right pass.

His sister also greeted him, but he continued walking.

soon he arrived at his mother's bedroom. He saw her... looking like she's sleeping soundly... knowing she's never waking up again.

He walked to her bed side. held her now cold hand and feel to his knees and sobbed uncontrollably

"Mother!... Why.... WHY DID YOU HAVE TO LEAVE! I WAS GOING TO GIVE YOU THE HAPPY ENDING YOU DESERVE! BUT WHAT!? YOU ENDED YOUR STORY WITH LONGING THAT WAS NEVER FULFILLED!? WHY!?" he cried... not leaving her side for the rest of the day.

During her funeral, all her friends from NRC came. Tears spilled everywhere as they found their dear friend no longer with them.

they approached Ali who just stood by her coffin.

"Sorry... for your loss... Ali"

He just kept silent.

For the long duration of her funeral... Not once did his father... the man his dear mother loved and longed for, show up.

This had made the boy even more upset. but that did not overpower the sorrow he had.

-Time Skip-

The funeral had long ended...

His mother was buried...

he returned to school but barely spoke.

"Al-Asim... pup. I suggest you go meet with Professor Yuu. You need it"

Ali merely nodded as he went to his magicless professor who taught about monsters and health.

"Ali... take a seat"

Ali sat down across him.

"You haven't been sleeping have you... you have bags under your eyes. You look pale. Ali"

He just sat there.

"I know... I know you're depressed... Your mother was my vice prefect back in our school days. she was a wonderful woman to be with... she laughed... she sang... she smiled... but you know what I love most about her?"

Ali looked up and looked at Yuu.

"She makes people around her smile as well. She wouldn't want you to act like this. Y/N, She too lost a parent in her younger days. But that didn't stop her from being happy... She always had joy in her eyes... and you know you have her E/C eyes as well"

"So please... Don't let this bring you down. Your mother... Be like her. someone who smiles, laughed and most of all makes others do the same. sure reality doesn't have a happy ending. But you're writing your own story so make sure it leads to one."

Ali thought about it. looks back down... looks at the mirror in the room and looked straight into his E/N coloured eyes.

"You're right, Professor. Even if mother is gone... I should make her proud" Ali stood up with smile.

Ali bowed.

"Thank you, Professor Yuu!"

"Just call me, Yuu."

Ali smiled and ran off back to his dorm and to his room.

Yuu on the other hand stood up and went to the window and looked at the sky.

"I wish... I could've held you one last time... Y/N... I loved you so much" Yuu said as he let the tears fall.

Ali pulled a box from under his bed and opened it...

It may not fit his outfit but it doesn't matter.

he stood up holding the object and went to a mirror.

He looked straight at it and placed the hat he was given on his head.

"I'll prove... that I can give us a happy ending, Mother"

and with that Ali changed... He changed for the better. all the old staff watched him... and it reminded them of someone who they once cherished in this school.

-Time Skip-

it's been 2 years since Y/N's passing. Ali Al-Asim was now 18 years old. A third year.

But what's interesting is. when his 1st year ended the mirror had announced something... He was transferred to a different dorm.

-Flashback-

Just as they were all about to leave.

"Wait... It seems someone's soul had reshaped into something new." the mirror had stated.

"What? but that's not possible" Crowley said in surprise.

"Ali Al-Asim... Step forward"

Ali hesitantly stepped up.

"Yes... it seems your soul had reshaped... though you are still suited to be a part of Scarabia... Your heart... Is perfect for the Ramshackle Dorm"

"Isn't that"

"Your mother's old dorm... well it seems like you're becoming just like your mother" Crowley smiled as he placed a hand on the boys shoulder.

-end of flashback-

And since then he became the dorm head of the Ramshackle. His hat suited his outfit. he was happy.

And right now the 18 year old was going to make a decision that'll change his life.

Currently standing Infront of his father, Kalim Al-Asim. wearing a somewhat butler outfit somewhat similar to that of what his mother wore back in her younger days as a Hatter.

"Father... I don't wish to be an Al-Asim anymore."

"What? could you repeat that?"

"I don't want to be an Asim."

"But son! you're my eldest! you're my successor!"

"And I don't want to be your successor!"

"why!?"

"I want to continue mother's legacy!" Ali yelled as he gripped his wrist behind his back while looking down.

"what?"

"I want to be a Hatter! I want to carry on the Hatter name! I want to do this for mother! it the least you could let me do"

"the least I could let you do?"

"Yes! The most you could do was probably be there for her!"

"Ali"

"You left her all alone! making her cry every night! every night for you!"

"She didn't get her happily ever after! Cause you weren't there there for her! you weren't there for us!HECK She would've been contented with just you being there even if you didn't love her anymore!"

"YOU DIDN'T EVEN COME TO HER FUNERAL!" Ali snapped.

"I know you are aware that You're naive, gullible, oblivious and all that. but please... just see it... the least you could do" Ali looked up and looked Kalim straight in the eyes.

Kalim staring back into E/C colored orbs that was exactly the same as his wife that had recently passed away.

He looked down and took a deep breathe

"Alright"

"Huh?"

"I'll... let you go..."

"Really?"

"yes... as you said... it's the least I could do for not even attending the funeral."

"Thank you... father" Ali smiled as he walked away.

this was a new start for Ali... Becoming just like his mother. Writing a happily ever after for them.

We can't say the same for Kalim though.

He sat at his chair.

His 2rd wife entered the room and sat beside him.

"What did he want?" she asked.

"To leave the family"

"what?"

"He... wanted to become a Hatter to continue Y/N's legacy."

"I see... don't worry I'm here... and besides I'm sure we can make a new heir."

"I'm not in the mood"

"But, dear~"

right then and there Kalim snapped.

"I SAID IM NOT IN THE MOOD!" He yelled.

"BECAUSE OF YOUR DAMN FAMILY THREATENING TO HURT MY SON AND MY BELOVED WIFE I WAS FORCED TO NEGLECT HER!"

"IF IT WASN'T FOR YOUR DAMN FAMILY I WOULD PROBABLY BE HOLDING HER RIGHT NOW WITH ANOTHER CHILD!"

"ALL BECAUSE YOU WANTED ME TO LOVE YOU! YOU'RE DELUSIONAL IF YOU THINK I WOULD!"

"What is it... WHAT IS IT DOES SHE HAVE THAT I DON'T!?"

"My heart... that's what it is... SHE WAS MY EVERYTHING! HER SMILE THAT WAS PRACTICALLY MY SUN! HER EYES THAT SHIMMERED LIKE THE STARS!"

"SHE DESERVES TO BE DEAD! SHE'S NOT FIT TO BE YOUR WIFE! SHE'S NOT FIT TO HAVE YOU! ME, ME, ME! IT WAS ME WHO SHOULD HAVE YOU! SHE'S HIDEOUS! SHE'S DUMB! SHE'S NAIVE! SO WHY WON'T YOU LOOK AT ME!"

"DON'T YOU DARE THAT ABOUT HER! FIRST OF ALL SHE'S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN TO HAVE EVER EXISTED THAT EVEN VIL SAID SO! YOU WOULD NEVER BE AS BEAUTIFUL AS HER! SECOND SHE GRADUATED FROM NRC WITH TOP GRADES FITTING INTO THE TOP 50! SHE KNOWS MORE THAN YOU EVER WILL! AND THIRD OF ALL SHE'S NOT AS NAIVE AS YOU THINK! SHE EXPERIENCED THE CRUELTY OF THE WORLD TO THE POINT SHE WAS ALMOST BROKEN! BUT SHE JUST SMILED AND SAID THAT EVERYTHING WOULD BE JUST FINE! I BET YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT IF IT HAD HAPPENED TO YOU! FACE IT I'LL NEVER LOOK AT YOU THE SAME I DO WITH HER!"

"THAT'S WHY I KILLED HER SO YOU WOULD ONLY LOOK AT ME- MPH!" she clasped her mouth shut trembling from what came out.

"what? WHAT did you just say?"

"n-nothing!"

"WE HAD A DEAL! YOU WOULD LEAVE THEM ALONE IN EXCHANGE FOR ALL OF THIS!"

"I-I didn't mean to!"

"DIDN'T MEAN TO MY *SS! AS IF I'D BELIEVE THAT! JAMIL!"

Soon Jamil entered the room. in truth he was about to enter till he heard screaming and heard the entire thing.

"Yes, Kalim"

"Take her away. make her confess EVERYTHING that she had done. After that could you call Azul? I want to have a talk with him to deal with something."

"Yes, of course" Jamil left with the 2nd wife being taken away by guards.

"WAIT! KALIM PLEASE! I LOVE YOU! DON'T DO THIS TO ME!"

As they all left the room Kalim sat down and tears started running down his face.

"Why was I so stupid? thinking I could protect you without having to hurt anyone but as a result I ended up hurting you... then lost you. I should've dealt with them from the start. I should've just been there for you... now I not only lost you... but I lost our son too... haha! why am I so stupid?"

For the rest of the night Kalim just cried. knowing can never bring you back.

-END-

"isn't that an interesting timeline."

"Didn't know that there would be a bad ending to their story. I hope this timeline won't stick it would be so sad~" a voice said as she closed a book that's titled 'You Weren't there'

soon the book started to become grains of sand.

"oh? what is this?"

"The timeline is disintegrating"

"I guess that means that story won't be sticking around."She then pushed up her glasses as she looked back at the millions of books being written each having a pen that glows with inspiration and life."I wonder who's story would be finished next~ would the story disappear? or will it be part of the official collection?"

"Let's see what endings are in-store~ After all"

"I am the story keeper~"

[honestlyfrance]

SAMBUCKY BOOKMARKS

it’s fic yeah friday over at @fuckyeahsambucky​​​ so i wanna do a lil something something for the fandom :) check out my #fic rec tag for more! 

enjoy the more than 50 fics listed here :) be careful of the tags!

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart by Lunar_Pull

Today is the day that Steve received an invitation to the love of his life’s wedding.

Philopatry by Areiton

"I want to be safe," he says. "But I'm not." "Then why come here? Why put me at risk?" Something flickers in his eyes, little boy lost and utterly cold, and it makes Sam want to give the dude a hug and also pull his sidearm. "I have no reason to hurt you," Winter says. "I don't want to hurt you," Bucky adds, earnestly.

farmhouse by Tazmaster

"You know, I think I'd want a farmhouse."

"A what?" Sam turns to look at him, slightly annoyed. This was the first thing Bucky has said in the past hour and a half they've been cramped in this god forsaken car. He had a knack for impulsively voicing his dumb thoughts at the worst times, but whenever you wanted to know what was actually going on in that head of his, he'd never say.

They were staking out the front gate of a large mansion, very much not a farmhouse. It was mind numbingly boring, being stuck in a beetle with absolutely nothing else to do than stare at the gaudy gates of some rich asshole.

"A farmhouse," Bucky repeats nonchalantly, "If we ever get out of this business, or you know, live long enough to retire maybe--- I want a farmhouse. With a lot of animals."

---

Bucky keeps talking about a farmhouse and it drives Sam crazy, that is until he finally asks why.

Employee Discount by bopeep for queenmab_scherzo

Sam Wilson doesn't love working in a store that makes him wear vanity-sized polos and breathe in clouds of men's cologne like the worst kind of GQ aromatherapy, but the view from his cash register across the mall to the Hot Topic and the sullen Dark Prince of Wallet Chains he loves to hate may just beat the minimum wage blues.

In warm water, swimming down by targaryen_melodrama

“Why are you hiding?””Tired.”Bucky raises an eyebrow. “So you decided to swim.”“So I decided to be alone.”Bucky’s quiet for a moment. “I can go, if you want.”It’s the last thing Sam wants.

I figured out what the slashes mean by Teaismycoffee

Sam, Steve and Bucky are all living together in a safe house. Bucky and Sam discover fan fiction written about them. Steve doesn't approve. Sam and Bucky are really into secretly reading fan fiction together, or maybe it isn't the fan fiction part they are really into.

Chicken Soup for the Soul by bioloyg

“S’not my bed time,” Sam says as he buries his face in Bucky’s upper arm. Bucky laughs. “Tough. You’re sick.” Sam lets out a loan groan and says, “But my bed is cold. I was so warm, why’d you move me?” “Because your neck would’ve hated you if I didn’t.” He tries not to be so amused by how fussy Sam is when he’s both sick and half-asleep. It’s cute. ~ A fic wherein Bucky takes care of a sick Sam.

two nights in L.A. by CapnWinghead

Bucky kindly volunteered Sam to be a groomsman for Scott’s upcoming wedding. Of course, that meant Sam and Bucky had to go to the bachelor party.

at the end of the war (what's mine is yours) by notcaycepollard

They don't talk about it: that's how it works.

I'd Like That by honestlydarkprincess

Sam has been up for over 24 hours and has been dreaming about his Coffee Caramel Fudge non-dairy ice cream since about the 18-hour mark. When he gets to the store, there's only one carton of it left and, unfortunately for the guy innocently holding said carton, Sam's not leaving without it.

Or, the one where Sam is sleep deprived, yells at a cute guy, and gets both ice cream and a phone number out of it.

Ready, Set, Date! by bioloyg

Bucky wants to sleep, Natasha wants to find him a date for Steve's wedding (so he'll leave her alone), and Sam is the best thing about this whole speed dating disaster. But, Sam's not in the speed date rotations - he's at a different table weathering through dates just like Bucky is. ~ "Three dates in, Bucky decides he has made one of the worst decisions in all of his life by coming here. His first date had been an attractive enough man by the name of Greg. He introduces himself as “The Big G,” to which Sam laughs at in the middle of introducing himself to his own date. Greg likes to talk about cars a lot, which is fine. Bucky also likes cars. The only problem is that Greg’s love for cars borders on… erotic."

We'll rise up free and easy by Sarsaparilla, woofgender

Steve and Natasha are away on a mission when Sam receives intel about the Winter Soldier’s location. When he follows the lead, Sam finds something unexpected—but despite his initial impression, it’s certainly not all bad. (Post-CATWS, not AOU- or CACW-compliant.)

__________ "'Jesus Christ,' Sam said, 'Are you planning on fighting an entire army?'

Barnes looked up from examining the sights of a sniper rifle. '...no,' he said, a little guiltily, and adjusted one of the--five? Six? guns he’d already strapped to himself."

love is in the air (i smell coffee) by Flora_K, hermionesmydawg

Sam Wilson - graduate student, part-time barista, part-time salesman, and full-time father - doesn't have time to sleep, much less date. At least, that's what he tells himself.

Up at Night by bioloyg for lunaaltare

With Halloween nearing, Sam is feeling more in the mood for a scary movie than usual. He'd never watch one on his own though, so he invites his roommate to pick one out and join in on movie night. or Prompt fill for Samtember ~ "It’s quiet for a while after that. Like always, the two of them start on opposite sides of the queen sized bed with at least a foot of space between them. And, like always, they drift closer to one another as time passes, though whether it’s habitual or instinctual Sam would never dare delve into."

flowers in darkness, the moon above the sea by 27dis

Sam enjoyed his job, really.

But, not when a certain person came in.

A quick detour and a sudden arrival by iwillnotbecaged for heuradys

He found Wilson shivering in the snow, left for dead. Sloppy.

You couldn’t trust the elements to do your job for you. They were rarely so obliging.

A mission gone awry, unexpected help, and close quarters makes for an interesting couple of days.

Don't lock the door on me by TuskFM

Sam’s desperately trying to sleep when he gets a visit from the Winter Soldier at three a.m., bleeding and asking for help. Sam’s not the kind of guy who let someone bleed out on his front door, even if the said someone threw him off an helicarrier and stole his wheel.

and i run, further than before by hermionesmydawg

"What do they call you?" Bucky carefully pulls out an equal amount of caramel and cheese kernels of popcorn and pops them into his mouth. "Birdman?"

"No."

"Captain Canary?"

"Hell no."

"The Winged Avenger?"

"Falcon, dammit, and I am not an Avenger," Sam snaps, and now he's kinda pissed because yes, it's a bird name. He didn't sign up for this kind of ridicule from an amnesiac assassin.

***

Basically, the 5 times Sam actually found Bucky and the 1 time he tried to hide from him. Don't tell Steve.

Exquisite Flavor by enchantedlightningwrites for honestlyfrance

W&M's Grand Corner's growing to be one of the popular restaurants in New York, where Sam Wilson works as a chef for his sister. A wedding's in a few weeks and he has no idea on what to do about it. Notorious for his picky taste and blunt reviews, Bucky 'Winter Wolf' Barnes pays a visit. Little did he know, food could really win one's heart and lands on his stomach.

He's a Beta, You Hear That? by 27dis

Reasons why Sam didn’t realize Bucky was courting him this entire time: 1. He is a beta 2. He is oblivious 3. He thought Bucky is way out of his league 4. He is a beta for fuck’s sake

See? It’s hardly his fault for not noticing it. Why was Bucky flirting with him anyw—

Oh. Oh.

Or; Bucky swore flirting with someone was never this hard before.

stay where we belong by glittercake

He doesn't know what the hell he's doing when he turns around and shouts, "Yo! You know what—" and Barnes turns on his heel in a flash, "It's getting late, man. Looks like rain."

Sam motions to the grey sky above, and Barnes follows his eyes beyond the hanging Willow branches. "Yeah? What are you saying?"

He's got that terribly smug look on his face, the one Sam can't stand but kind of misses when it's not irritating him. But mostly, he can't stand it, "Nothing! Forget about it!"

Arms Spread Out Wide, Turn Falling Into Flight by irisesandlilies

It was easy, nothing has ever been easy for Bucky. Except this, and that terrifies him.

Years in the making by glittercake

Bucky and Sam meet as two young soldiers, but the time is never quite right to make it anything more. Until it eventually is.

or

Sam refuses to let himself fall in love while he's deployed. Bucky pines endlessly for years about the prettiest bird he’s ever seen. Sam’s no better.

If At First You Don't Succeed by SonnyD

Bucky finally gains the courage to tell Sam about his feelings. He comes up with a list of methods to woo him that were bound to succeed. He didn't account for each and every one of them failing in unexpected ways. The five times that Bucky attempts to woo Sam and the one time that Sam returns the favour.

if i could take us back, if i could just do that... by safelikespringtime

Bucky laughed, cheeks flushing red, “I’m glad you didn't. Don't know what I’d do without my wingman.” Sam groaned, poking Bucky’s side, “That was awful.” Bucky laughed. “You couldn’t survive without me. We both know it.”

How right he was.

***

Sam dies. Bucky mourns.

Strawberries and Cigarettes always taste like you by winterscaptsam

There’s a sweet agonizing simplicity in leaving behind your safe haven, like the thrill of adrenaline, reaching the top of Everest, allowed to admire its beautiful icy view but with the everlasting fear of not making it back down. Maybe that's why it was a natural instinct for Bucky to reach out for the closest thing that felt like home, slowly then all at once falling for the sweet warmth of mahogany eyes, what soon became his safe haven.

Baked With Love by Siancore

Bucky Barnes’ family owns a bakery in a small town. High school has long been over, and Bucky is dying to move to the city to pursue a musical career with his band. And his future looks promising, if he can just persuade his father to let him leave his job behind at their struggling family bakery.

It is no secret that Bucky used to love baking with his father, but things change. He just can’t fathom wasting his life away watching rising dough and hot ovens. With his mind made up to leave, Bucky convinces his father to advertise for a replacement. While interviewing candidates to fill the position he has vacated, Bucky meets Sam Wilson: An easy-going guy who is as eager about baking as Bucky is about leaving. They bond over baking and become close. Love looks like it is ready to bloom between them if Bucky, in his haste to escape, does not ruin it.

Beneath this Crown by winterscaptsam

Sam traces his fingers from James’ hairline, down to his jaw, resting the pad of his thumb on James lips. He will let himself relish in this feeling. Not even the sculptors, painters or poets could carve their words and materials to accurately describe this.

“Do you think the history books will remember us?” Sam had once asked. And James’ words were made of the purest of golds, “my love, we will be legends for the children yet to come.”

Or

Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes' love story, one a prince and the other a knight.

make my body come alive (i've got a right to hurt inside) by notcaycepollard

The body is weak. The body is hungry and soft and human. He looks at himself in the mirror, the bones of his shoulders, his cheeks hollowed out from hunger, and he thinks, gentle, you didn’t deserve this.

safe like spring time by quidhitch

“I already told you it looks good. What more is there?”

“I don’t know, man, you’re gonna live here. I just wish I knew a little bit more about how that’s sitting with you.”

Sam knows Bucky feels fine. What Sam’s probably actually after is how he feels about the fact neither of them have anywhere else to go, not with Natasha dead and Steve wrinkly. Therapists. Even the good ones, always so circular.

“I like the terrace,” Bucky offers, mostly to appease him.

Airy Laundry by AmarieMelody

Sam watches what happens when Bucky buys a clothesline.

lucky by CapnWinghead

In retrospect, it took Bucky an embarrassingly long time to realize that everyone and Scott's mom thought he and Sam were dating.

not an end, but (the start of all things) by notcaycepollard

They keep driving, for lack of anything better to do. A mission, Sam had said, and maybe that's true; maybe wherever they're headed is the way out, the way up.

So You Run On Gasoline by 343EnderSpark, ABitNotGoodieBag, OriginalCeenote

Bucky may have bitten off more than he could chew with this job, he thinks, as he ambles along the sidewalk to the cafe after leaving campus. He is running off the fumes of exhaustion and hasn’t had more than 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep in the past week. Between his students and his thesis, he knows that it’s foolish to try so hard to hang on to his barista gig, but DC isn’t a cheap place to live and Bucky can’t live with other people.

Bucky is just trying his best, despite being a human disaster.

we could jump the state lines (we only get the one life) by notcaycepollard

It starts in Paris.

“You can’t steal things just because you like them,” Sam tells Bucky, feeling innately that this is a losing battle, and Bucky cocks his head to the side, considers Sam very thoughtfully.

“Really,” he says. “I’m stealing you, aren’t I?”

we were a fire with no smoke by notcaycepollard

Sam can’t help but roll his eyes. Take the boys out of New York but they’re still Brooklyn Catholics, that’s clear enough. Bucky catches the gesture, smirks hard enough Sam can see his eye teeth. It should be dangerous but he’s beautiful, pale and charming and recklessly easy.

“You wanna come in?” Sam asks, ignoring the noise Steve makes, and Bucky’s smile gets wider.

“Yeah,” he says. Steps up close to Sam. “I do.”

Peace Begins with a Smile by Siancore

Bucky just likes the way Sam smiles.

They're Good Drones, Brent by chase_acow

When Redwing becomes infected with an alien A.I., Sam has to balance the needs of the team with his own curiosity about his new partner. Redwing isn’t the only one acting strange, he also needs to get to the bottom of Bucky’s weirdness. It takes a training exercise gone wrong that Redwing and Sam might not survive for their secrets to be exposed.

Wet Asphalt (This Is What Love Is) by ObviouslyOtter

Soft words in the dark tell us all we need to know about love. Better when they come from the person you need to hear it from most. It's crueler when you don't realize it till afterward.

Or

Sam and Bucky go out shopping for candles.

i'm gone by bi_marvel

After infiltrating a Hydra base, Sam and Bucky are sent to a safe house, and there's only one bed. Oh, golly, I wonder what will happen!

Covert Coffee & Flirtation Special by glittercake

The reporter says "—for Captain America to—"

And Bucky rolls his eyes. "Oh, here we go."

Sam looks at him then tips his head sideways, got a weird grin on his face. "Not a fan?"

"Not that. Just… the guy seems too good to be true, right? Wings and a shield? Come on."

"Uh, is that why your eyes are like glued to the screen whenever he's on?" Kate says. "Is that why you call him Captain Tight Ass?"

"He's a goddamn show-off, and you know it. Tight ass or not."

Just then Sam snorts, real loud, grabs his coffee and suffers a horribly controlled laugh on his way out the door.

The Starting Line by birdlight

A Series

Lone and Level Sands by quantum_consciousness

The almost-smile disappears off Sam’s face and he takes a step deeper into the water, and he starts unbuttoning his shirt as he wades further. One look over his shoulder and he chucks the shirt to shore, and Sam dives into the water. The ache in Bucky’s chest deepens as Sam swims. He supposes, Sam has lost a lot more, he supposes, sometimes Sam feels as lonely as he used to.

in which love doesn’t ruin us by joesnick

“Idiot,” Bucky said, so natural and deliberate that she couldn’t hear well but it was there. Relief and happiness under a small light. “Don’t do that to me again.”

“Hey, I’m here,” Sam said, before getting closer and pressing his forehead against Bucky’s. “I’m here.” They ran out of words. They didn’t need them, not at that moment. Their steadying breaths and their tenderness, saved only for each other and fed by each other, was all they needed.

Ride of Shared Melodies by enchantedlightningwrites for honestlyfrance

Two strangers, Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson meet in an unexpected encounter in the airplane. Over the course of the ride, they discover their mutual love for music and connect.

Let's Fly Away by Unclesteeb

"If I could fly, I could go anywhere. I could do anything.”

Sam’s mom gives his shoulder a gentle pat. “You can in your own way.”

“How?”

“Sammy, all you have to do to be as free as a bird is to just do the right thing.”

Sam furrows his brow. “What does that mean?”

“Well,” Sam's mom starts. “The right thing is doing nice things for people. It's treating everyone how you would want to be treated. It's going out of your way to help people and love them, even if they're not nice to you at first or at all. People deserve love, and I know you have plenty to give.” She leans down to give his cheek a kiss. “All you have to do to find your wings and fly free is to just do what you feel is right. You have a beautiful heart, Sam. I know you'll use it the right way. Then you'll fly.”

Been one of those days (can I lean on you?) by hazel_eyed_bi

Sam and Bucky wrap up an exhausting, weeks-long mission, only to go back to their mutual pining while forced to share a bed at a crappy motel. Also, Nat knows what's up.

Find your love and fight for it by winterscaptsam

Sam learns to love again, quiet and composed. Love letters stay in between walls and stolen kisses don’t leave his apartment. It's not that it's a secret, loving Bucky the way he does, lord knows he’d scream it from the rooftops, travel all the way to space to let any living life form know it as well. But that’s the problem, he just doesn’t know how and it aches him to his core to keep Bucky like a secret, like this love is something to be ashamed of.

Or

Sam decides it's about time to come out.

Kings of Everything by glittercake

Twenty-five years after the events at a popular New York Bistro, Timothy DumDum Dugan tells the true story of infamous mobster Jimmy Buchanan and the man he gave it all up for.

arson we commit by winterscaptsam

Bucky seeks adventure, reaches out for an adrenaline rush whenever he can get it and he reckons this fellow will be the one to give it to him. All sweet smiled and dolled up figure showing off his attributes. Like he’s daring anyone to take the rush.

So, Bucky goes and gets what he wants.

“What’s your damage, doll?”

Or

Bucky is the hitman and Sam is the target.

The Boys of Summer by Siancore for avintagekiss24

Sam Wilson returns home to the small town he grew up in to complete his med school residency. He hasn’t been back for an extended amount of time since he left for college. While he only consistently kept in touch with childhood friend, Steve Rogers, he was keen to see the people he had grown up with. With the exception of Bucky Barnes. They had a falling out the summer before Sam left for college. What happened between them? Can they move past it now that they’re adults?

Sam's Plan by OhHelloFandoms123

“I have a plan,” Sam said smugly, hands on his hips. “I have a three-step plan for you to marry me.” At first, he thought he was joking. Then, he saw Sam’s genuine smile.

Bucky groaned, “there is no way in HELL that I’m marrying YOU, Wilson.”

Wreck In the West by OhHelloFandoms123 for honestlyfrance

There’s just something about leaning on his chest as the sun goes down and the smell of tea whilst into the air feels so amazing. And he was a wreck because of it, it tore him apart and put himself back together because it was so blissful, he almost couldn’t breathe at first.

OR

Gay cowboy proposal.

Belonging Season by OhHelloFandoms123

Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes have lived their most happy, married life for 70 years. Death won’t stop them today for living an eternity.

neverending; by glittercake

Sam passes away after a long and happy life with Bucky, but Bucky never ages and life keeps introducing him to Sam's reincarnates for the next 156 years.

Lighthouse by glittercake

This guy’s trouble. Bucky knows that in his bones. It’s not bad trouble, is the problem, it’s good. Sam is so goddamn inherently good and if Bucky even touches that with a ten foot pole—fuck if he even looks at it—it’ll turn to shit.

He can’t afford another move to yet another city because his colleagues started recognizing Brock’s fist prints on his face.

But Sam is a ridiculously bright glowing light, a beacon, and Bucky goes toward it like that idiotic moth to the flame.

masterlist | ko-fi | patreon

[fruitcoops]

So this is sort of similar to the people writing fanfic about the lions but can you imagine the YouTube edits? Like the videos that are just "Cap having heart eyes for Loops for 10 minutes straight" or "Loops lovingly dragging Caps name through the mud for 3 minutes" like those kinds of things and I can just imagine them doing reaction videos and it just being funny and the world just loving coops

Okay so this wasn't a specific fic request but I got carried away with imagining videos and....here you go. SW credit goes to @lumosinlove, but Grace and Anna are mine! Bonus points to anyone who remembers the easter egg in this one!

Message From: Gracie

ANNA HOLY SHIT

Anna frowned at her phone screen, squinting to read around the spiderweb crack decorating the upper corner. She had tried to convince herself that it was cool, goth, edgy, but in the end she had to admit that it was just irritating. In a tragic turn of events, packing tape couldn’t fix everything.

Message To: Gracie

Wtf did I do

Two weeks of radio silence, then unexplained accusations. Anna shook her head as the grey bubble disappeared for a third time and turned back to her computer. Grace may have been her favorite cousin—and favorite person, if she was being honest—but very few things came between Anna and video editing. Especially editing for a Lions meme video. She had a whole 2,341 followers to attend to, after all.

Message From: Gracie

DID YOU SEE THE FUCKING INTERVIEW???

Message To: Gracie

Wow thank you so helpful

Message From: Gracie

Skip to 2:45 bestie

A link popped up just as Anna cut a segment from the sleep study video, where Loops’ heart eyes were in full effect. It was a rare, precious find for fan editors like herself.

“Come on,” she groaned. Maybe introducing Grace to the deepest parts of her hockey obsession was a mistake. But, really, what else was she supposed to do when she learned her cousin, who didn’t even live in Gryffindor, got to meet her favorite players just by chilling in a café? What kind of cosmic joke was that?

She narrowed her eyes at the embed of the link, then stifled a shriek. Impossible. How had she missed an upload?

As if on cue, her computer pinged with a new notification from the Lion Pride channel. “Oh, fuck me,” she muttered, scrambling to save her half-done video and pressing play.

The interviewer asked basic questions, ones she had heard the answers to a million times while curating her content. It always felt funny to hear people refer to Cap as ‘Sirius’—it was too official, too formal. She had spent countless hours on the compilations of his softer moments, and they were her most popular videos. Cap Having Heart Eyes for Loops for 10 Minutes Gay. Cap Being an Actual Puppy for Six and a Half Minutes. Everyone Wanting Cap Cuddles for Fifteen Minutes. Every Time Cap Smiles When Someone Mentions His Godson. The list was endless. She loved it.

She did a silent fist pump when she saw the interviewer had snagged both Cap and Loops; that would give her a whole new stream of workable content. If she was lucky, she could expand on her series of Loops Lovingly Roasting His Friends, part…fuck it, who was even counting anymore?

Anna was so caught up in her excitement that she nearly forgot about Grace’s suggestion. I’ve never skipped through a video on the first watch before, she thought hesitantly. But maybe just this once…

Her cursor hovered over the 2:45mark. She closed her eyes, and clicked it.

“—have you been adjusting to life as a celebrity?” the interviewer asked. Anna nearly rolled her eyes when Loops laughed. That question had been used far too often to be interesting anymore.

“It’s had its ups and downs,” Loops said with a smile. “Mostly, though, the fans have been incredible and just knocked my socks off with their support.”

“Really? What’s your favorite part of the Lions fanbase?”

He didn’t miss a beat. “Their creativity, for sure. There was a video a while back where we reacted to some of the comments people left, and this person on Twitter made an absolutely beautiful collage of photos.”

“I have it saved to my phone,” Sirius added.

One more clip for the simp video. Anna made a note on the small corner space of her European History notes. The degree can wait for ten more minutes.

“Do you have a favorite creator?”

The interviewer was clearly teasing, but Loops’ smile was genuine. “I don’t know about a favorite, but there’s this person on YouTube who makes a shit ton of videos and they’re hysterical. I saw one the other day about—god, what was it again?”

“Every time I smile when people mention Harry,” Sirius answered around a laugh. “Can you blame me?”

Anna didn’t hear the next question. A ringing noise filled her ears as she sat, frozen, on her shitty dorm mattress and listened to her literal heroes talk about her dorky little channel. “Holy fuck,” she blurted after a moment of silence. “Holy fuck.”

“—subscribed?” The man’s voice snapped her back to reality.

“Of course I am!” Loops said. “You think I’m passing up a chance to watch a compilation of my friends making stupid decisions for the entire internet to see?”

A noise that would have been a shriek if Anna had any breath left in her body escaped her lungs; she clamped a hand over her mouth and shakily exited from the video before going to her YouTube account. 800 new notifications. 700 new followers in the last quarter hour. She was pretty sure she blacked out for a second from sheer shock and joy.

Message To: Gracie

What

Message From: Gracie

You’re famous!

Message To: Gracie

What

Message From: Gracie

I bet he knows your stuff better than he remembers me tbh

“They know me,” she whispered, staring at her computer. The unfinished video showed a perfect frame of Loops’ soft smile as he watched Cap get his toothbrush stuck in his pajama shirt. Somehow, the thought was both exhilarating and horrifying. What if they thought she was a creep? She wasn’t, not really, just a bored college student with not enough free time for a job but too much to keep herself busy with schoolwork. Her 2,341—no, 3,052—followers were just other hockey nerds looking for time to kill.

And the subject of those videos was one of her subscribers.

Anna slipped her headphones back on and began to edit like it was her last day on earth. Her fingers flew across the keyboard on muscle memory while her brain fizzed. Perfect, she thought. It has to be perfect.

In four hours, it was done. She sat back, panting, then hunched over again and began tapping out a title card.

Hello. Idk if anyone saw the new Lion Pride video today (linked below if anyone wants to see why I’m dying right now) but apparently Remus Lupin is subscribed to this channel and has been for a while.

Hi Loops. I’m Anna. You met my cousin once and she said she liked your sweater.

Now that that’s out of the way, please enjoy the next five minutes of our new rookie being the sappiest mf in existence (except for his fiancé). Mr. Lupin, please tell Hattie I say hello.

She pressed upload, peeled her headphones off, and collapsed backward on her bed.

Message To: Gracie

If I die here, tell the world I did it doing what I loved

Message From: Gracie

Will do

OH FUCK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THE SWEATER I SOUND LIKE A CREEP

Anna covered her itchy eyes with her forearm and settled in for a long, long nap. Her brain still needed to repair a few circuits.

[yellowsuitcase]

You’re mine // Draco Malfoy

A/N: This is an anon request I received. I had to alter the wording of one of the prompts a little bit for it to make sense, I hope that’s okay. Also please be mindful that this is my FIRST smut I’ve ever written. I’m happy with how it turned out but omg was it difficult. But anyway, enjoy and don’t be afraid to request! {Prompt list}

Summary: Draco and Y/N are friends with benefits until Y/N decides she’s done with him. Cedric tries to get with Y/N Draco gets jealous and smut follows.

Warning(s): SMUT! Swearing, Angst, Fluff

Word count: 4.4k

Prompts: #1 #4 #7 #28 #35 #47

All she could think about was his face. The way his grey eyes had pierced her soul last night—the feeling of his hands on her hips. 

“Earth to Y/N.”

Her attention snapped back to the present. A perplexed Hannah was looking at her. “You alright? You looked really zoned out.”

Y/N blinked rapidly, “Yeah, yeah, I’m good. Sorry. What were we talking about again?” Y/N asked while lightly slapping her cheeks to bring herself back to reality.

“We were going over our plans to study for the transfiguration exam. We agreed to meet in the library on Sunday.” Hannah said, her tone sounding slightly irritated.

“Oh yeah, that’s…” Y/N caught sight of him, her eyes glued to him until he left the Great Hall, “fine. That’s fine.” 

Hannah followed her gaze. “Seriously, Y/N? Malfoy? That’s who you hooked up with last night?”

Her friend’s words drove fear into her chest, “Would you shut up? Someone’s gonna hear you!” Y/N whisper yelled. Hannah threw her hands up in exasperation. 

Y/N shrugged her shoulders and picked up another slice of bread.“So what if it was Malfoy? What’s wrong with that?” she asked, oblivious as to why Hannah was so upset.

“What’s wrong with that? Y/N, you simply can’t be serious. Malfoy’s an arse. He bullies anyone who isn’t a Slytherin. Hell, he’s bullied you numerous times. Not to mention he’s not even that attractive.”

Y/N’s mouth fell open upon hearing her friend’s words. “Not attractive? Hannah, have you gone blind? Have you looked at the guy?

Hannah rolled her eyes and dropped her face into her hands. “There’s no hope for you. It’s over. I mean, I can already tell you’ve caught feelings.”

“I most certainly have not!” Y/N exclaimed, inadvertently causing the people around her to stare. “I’m not an idiot, it was a one-time thing,” she muttered while picking at her eggs.

“I hope you mean that,” Hannah said. Y/N couldn’t meet her eyes.

Her friend sighed and reached across the table to grasp Y/N’s hand. “Don’t think too much, you’ll give yourself a headache.”

Y/N ignored her and pulled her hand away while saying, “Snape will have our heads if we’re late, we’d better go.”

The two Hufflepuffs rose to their feet and made their way to the doors. As they were walking through them, Y/N felt a hand grab her wrist. She let out a little yelp and whipped her head around to see none other than Draco Malfoy. “I need to speak with you,” he said, his tone firm.

Hannah had noticed her friend disappear from her side. When Y/N looked back at her, her hip was popped, and her eyebrow cocked. Her facial expression suggested she wouldn’t be happy if Y/N stayed behind to talk with Draco.

Y/N gave her an apologetic smile, hoping it would appease Hannah. It did not. She shook her head and promptly stomped off to class. 

Slowly, Y/N turned around to face the blonde boy behind her. His hand hadn’t left her wrist, but he let go once he realized he was still holding it. Clearing his throat, he looked both ways before speaking. 

“Have you told anyone?” his grey eyes once again pierced her soul.

She shook her head, but then remembered Hannah. “I haven’t told anyone, but Hannah did figure it out,” she said, nervously biting her lip. His eyes flickered to her lips before returning to her eyes.

“If we are to continue this, nobody can know. Do you understand me?”

Y/N couldn’t keep her eyes from widening in shock. “I’m sorry, did I hear you correctly? You want to continue this?”

Draco raised his eyebrow. “You don’t?”

Her hands waved frantically. “No, no, I do, I just… I dunno, I didn’t think you’d want to is all. But I’d like to continue, yes. If that’s alright with you, of course.”

Draco gave her a displeased look, “You’re very annoying,” he said, “But you’re accessible so just keep it under wraps, alright? Besides, you wouldn’t want to see what happens if I find out you’ve told people. Understand?”

Y/N was quite frankly insulted by the way he spoke about her. He straight up, had called her “accessible.” She was about to give him a piece of her mind, but then he gave her a look, and she thought better of it and nodded frantically. 

“Yes. My lips are sealed.” She rocked back and forth on her heels in an attempt to calm herself down.

Draco scanned her up and down before nodding. “Good,” he said. And then he began to walk away. Y/N didn’t think before calling out to him. 

“How will I know when you wanna, you know, do it?”

He didn’t bother to stop walking when he called back, “I’ll find you.”

-------

Y/N buried her face in her pillow. If she concentrated, she could still smell his cologne on it. She breathed in deeply as she reminisced the events of a few nights prior. Somehow, Draco had found her while she was taking a midnight trip to the kitchens. He didn’t have to say anything to her, she knew what he wanted, and frankly, she wanted it too. 

He took them to her dorm since it was closer. He pushed her up against the wall, wrapped his hand around her throat, and whispered in her ear, “Such a pretty mouth. You’d better keep it shut, though. Wouldn’t want anyone to hear us, would you, darling?”

She still got chills when she thought about it. Lucky for her, it was a Saturday, meaning she could stay in bed as long as she liked. Or so she thought.

“Wake up. They’re serving pancakes today. You don’t wanna be late,” Hannah said in a sing-song voice. Y/N groaned; she really needed Hannah to stop interrupting her daydreams.

“Oh, don’t be like that. They’re serving blueberry pancakes.”

Y/N flung the sheets off her chest. “On second thought, let’s go,” she said. Hannah laughed, “I knew that’d get you up. You really need to stop staying up so late, though.”

“Yeah yeah, you need to stop getting up so early. The plants aren’t going to die if you fail to water them at exactly six in the morning.”

“How do you know? You forget to water Pepper all the time.” Hannah replied.

Pepper was Y/N’s little cactus. It sat on her nightstand in a yellow pot. She loved Pepper dearly.

“Hannah, Pepper is a cactus, and cactuses don’t need a lot of water, so take that!”

Hannah rolled her eyes. “Come on; we might legitimately miss pancakes if you don’t hurry.” And with that, the Hufflepuff threw on a sweatshirt and jeans and rushed down to the Great Hall.

Y/N was practically running through the corridors; she could almost taste the pancakes on her tongue. “Geez Y/N, wait up!” Hannah called after her, desperately trying to keep up. 

In her haste, Y/N didn’t notice the group of people turning the corner, and she wasn’t able to stop her feet. She crashed right into the boy in the middle of them.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you,” Y/N stammered, holding out her hand to the boy she’d knocked over. 

He got to his hands and knees and pushed himself up. When he turned around and faced her, Y/N’s heart sunk. 

“Y/L/N?” He scoffed. “Look where you’re going next time. Blimey, what a waste of space,” he shouted, his minions laughing along with him. Y/N felt her face burn with embarrassment and a little bit of hurt. 

Hannah, who had caught up to her friend, chimed in, “Shut up, Malfoy, why do you insist on being such a git?”

“You wanna say that again, Abbott?” Draco threatened, reaching inside his robe for his wand.

“Hey, hey, let’s just calm down, alright? Nobody’s hurt, we ought to keep it that way,” Y/N reasoned, despite her desire to give Draco a right punch in the gut. Reluctantly, he put his wand away.

“Come on, boys, these twits aren’t worth our time,” Draco said coldly as he and his friends strutted away.

“What a knobhead, I mean honestly, you’d think he’d be a bit nicer towards the girl he’s sleeping with,” Hannah said through gritted teeth. Y/N didn’t even care about her friend’s volume. After all, it didn’t matter anymore. 

“Well, he’s not sleeping with me again. Not after that, I’m done with his shit,” Y/N said, tears gathering in her eyes.

Hannah smiled upon hearing her words, “Bloody hell, it’s about time you realized he was no good. Now let’s get some pancakes, yeah? Come on, you deserve some.” The pair walked into the Great Hall to begin their pancake feast.

---------

A few weeks later, Y/N was sitting on a bench by one of the many windows in the Hogwarts corridors when a boy wearing a Hufflepuff scarf walked up to her. She looked up and noticed it was Cedric Diggory. Cedric was only a year above her, but they hadn’t talked much.

“Cedric? Do you need anything?”

He smiled, “Nothing in particular, no. I just saw you sitting alone, and I thought you might enjoy some company. Am I mistaken?”

Y/N felt her face flush. “Oh, uhm no, you’re not wrong at all,” she stammered.

Cedric stood awkwardly. “Oh! How can you sit if I don’t move over?” Y/N asked while she gave a nervous laugh. Cedric was by far one of the most attractive boys in Hufflepuff, so it only made sense that his desire to sit with her, of all people, was making Y/N nervous.

He chuckled at her anxiousness and took a seat next to her. The bench was relatively small due to Y/N’s things taking up a quarter of the space. This caused her hips to touch his. This made her face burn even more.

“So why are you all alone on a Friday afternoon?” he asked.

Y/N felt her heart clench, “Oh well, my best friend, Hannah, and I are actually in a little bit of a row at the moment. I may have unknowingly talked about her crush a bit too loudly, and they overheard. She’s not very happy with me, understandably.”

“Ah, I see. But it was an accident, and surely she’ll forgive you sooner rather than later. Don’t you think?” Cedric asked, trying to reassure Y/N.

“I hope so. Lately, she’s been a bit dodgy. She’s been really short with me, yelling at me all the time. It’s not like her,” she remarked. 

“Perhaps she’s dealing with something personal. And if she is, then she’s probably taking out her frustrations on you. And don’t get me wrong,” he said while holding his hands up, “that doesn’t make her actions, okay, but if that is the case, then that would mean you’re not the problem. Does that make sense?” Cedric asked.

She gave him a warm smile and nodded her head. “Yeah, actually, it does. Thank you, I never thought about it like that,” she said.

He laughed, the deep baritone of his voice coming to the forefront. “Well, I’m glad I could show you a different perspective on the situation. Sometimes that’s all you need.”

“Yeah, I suppose so,” she said. When he didn’t reply, her eyes fell to her lap, too nervous to look him in the eyes. But then she felt his hand on her face. He gently took her chin between his thumb and fingers and turned her face upwards to look at him. He was smirking. 

“You don’t need to be nervous, sweetheart. I don’t bite,” Cedric said as he moved his hand from her chin to her hair. He pushed some stray strands behind her ear so that her face wasn’t covered.

Y/N’s heart began to pound. This boy was making her sweat. She noticed then that he had grey eyes, just like Draco. Her chest grew tight at the thought of him. She hated to admit it, but often she found herself missing the blonde boy, even if he was an arse.

Her attention was brought back to Cedric when he spoke, “If I were to ask you on a date, would you say yes?”

Air got caught in Y/N’s throat, and she launched into a fit of coughs. Cedric immediately reached for his wand. He took her hands and put one on top of the other to create a makeshift bowl. Pointing his wand to her hands, he said, “Aguamenti.”

Water spouted from the tip of his wand and flowed into Y/N’s hands. She eagerly slurped it up, soothing her dry throat. They repeated this process a couple more times before Y/N was satisfied.

“Thank you, that was so embarrassing. I’m sorry you had to do that.”

Cedric only laughed. “No problem. You sure you’re alright?” he asked.

She nodded fervently, “Yes, I promise.”

“Well, in that case, what do you say? To the date, I mean.”

Y/N tapped her finger to her lips, pretending to think. Cedric gave her an unimpressed look that made her giggle and break character. “Yes, Cedric, I’d love to go on a date with you,” she said.

A huge grin broke out on his face, and he rushed to his feet, “Brilliant, I’ll meet you in the common room tomorrow night at eight. Don’t be late!” he called as he sprinted down the hall. Y/N could only laugh at his playful nature. “Okay!” she yelled back to him. 

Once he rounded the corner and was out of sight, she let herself plop down on her back with a dreamy sigh. “I’m going on a date with Cedric Diggory,” she spoke out loud.

“How pathetic,” said a voice.

Y/N sat straight up and sharply whipped her head around. Sure enough, there stood Draco, this time without his minions.

“Shut up, Malfoy, what do you care anyway?” Y/N muttered.

“I don’t,” he said before he took a bite of the green apple in his hand, “It’s just that you fancied me a few weeks ago, didn’t you, Y/L/N?”

Y/N shifted in her seat and crossed her arms defensively. “So what if I did. I reckon you were starting to grow fond of me too.”

Draco scoffed, a smile appearing on his lips. “You’re insane to think I’d ever fancy you.”

His words were like a slap in the face to Y/N. She honestly thought that he would have developed some mutual feelings for her. It turns out she was wrong.

“Well, at least I’m not a low life scumbag like you. All you care about is your reputation. Don’t you have any emotions? Did you even care about me when we were fooling around, or was I just a toy to you?” Y/N’s chest heaved with anger as she finished yelling at him.

He stood eerily still. Silence fell over the corridor.

“You don’t even care anymore, do you? You never did.”

Draco clenched his fists, trying to control himself. But the longer he looked at her, the weaker his resolve became. Without thinking, he bolted towards Y/N, startling her as he did so.

He grabbed her chin forcefully and tilted her face upwards, a stark difference from how Cedric had just minutes ago. She avoided his eyes, breathing heavily with fear. 

“Look at me,” Draco demanded. Her eyes remained fixated on his chest.

“Perhaps you didn’t hear me. I said, look at me!” 

He was yelling now, his grip growing tighter. Y/N was afraid of him leaving bruises, so she caved and let her eyes travel to his. His pupils were wide, and his teeth were gritted. He saw the fright in her eyes and smirked. “Scared, Y/L/N?” he asked, chuckling at the look on her face, “you should be. It seems that you’ve forgotten who you belong to, little girl.”

Y/N’s heart must’ve been going a mile a minute; it felt like it was going to break out of her ribcage. The man in front of her looked so attractive. She began to feel her temperature rising.

“You’re mine,” Draco said before he pressed his lips to hers aggressively. She gasped into his mouth; he took this as an opportunity to slip his tongue inside. He ran his hand up her neck and into her hair, where he grasped it tightly between his fingers. This new leverage allowed him to angle her chin upwards. He kissed her intensely until he was forced to pull away to catch his breath. When he opened his eyes, he saw Y/N’s flushed face and swollen lips. She wasted no time and smashed her lips back onto his, letting out a soft moan as she did.

“God, you’re breathtaking,” he muttered, pulling away once again.

Y/N rolled her eyes, “I hate you,” she laughed. Draco smirked and looked away from her lips so that he could gaze into her eyes once more. “Liar,” he said. Y/N bit her lip. 

“Perhaps,” she said while giggling. 

Draco rolled his eyes and leaned in to kiss her neck, simultaneously running his hand underneath her button-up shirt. He heard her breath waver as he did this. Little noises escaped his mouth when he sucked her skin between his teeth. She squirmed under his touch, unable to sit still. His hand reached her breast, and he gingerly squeezed her through her bra. 

“Let’s take this elsewhere,” Y/N suggested. Draco paid her no mind and continued to suck on her neck. 

“Draco, please. We can’t do this here, and I want you now,” she pleaded.

He pulled away to smile smugly at her. “Desperate today, aren’t we?” 

Y/N whined in response, wiggling her hips. Draco laughed at her eagerness. “Alright, alright, let’s go.”

They jumped to their feet and grasped each other’s hand as they dashed down the hallway and all the way to the Slytherin common room entrance. “Dementor,” Draco whispered. The walls opened up to reveal a stairway heading down into the dark common room Y/N had come to be familiar with. Luckily, nobody was in the main room.

They practically ran up the steps to the boys’ dorm. Older Slytherin boys had figured out how to dispel the charm preventing females from entering a long time ago, so the pair were able to get inside easily.

Draco burst through the door to his shared room with Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise. “Out,” he demanded. The boys didn’t ask questions. They simply dropped what they were doing and left the dorm room.

He turned to Y/N. “Where were we?” he asked playfully while he took his shoes off.

“Don’t tease me, Malfoy,” she replied snarkily as she did the same.

“You’re not the one in charge here, love,” Draco snapped while pushing her backward towards his bed. She fell onto the emerald green sheets covering his mattress. He wasted no time climbing on top of her. She immediately rolled her hips upwards, craving friction. Draco grabbed her hips and pushed them into the bed. “Patience, love,” he said softly.

But Y/N wasn’t having any of it. She writhed underneath him, trying to break free of his hold. He didn’t like this one bit, so he put his hand on her throat. This halted her movements instantly.

“Be still, little girl. Good things come to those who wait,” he said in a sultry voice. Y/N nodded, her eyes wide open. 

Slowly, he trailed his hand from her hickey covered neck down to her chest where he began to unbutton her shirt. She struggled to remain motionless as he skillfully removed her shirt and tie. He licked his lips when her shirt was out of the way, and he could see her full breasts. 

“Take it off,” he commanded. Y/N sat up and reached behind her back to unclasp her bra. When it fell from her shoulders, Draco latched his mouth onto her nipple, causing her to let out a deep moan. He smirked as he flicked her nub with his tongue. His other hand was making its way to her center. 

Y/N didn’t notice his touch until a finger slipped inside her. She gasped sharply and felt herself clench down on him. He detached his mouth from her breast and lightly laughed. 

“Such a needy little thing, aren’t you?”

Y/N moaned and whispered, “Just fuck me already, you arsehole.”

Draco hummed, pretending to consider her request. “No, I don’t think I will. I don’t think you deserve it.”

She whined and rolled her hips again. As she did this, he slipped another digit into her pussy. “Fuck, Draco,” she groaned. Suddenly, he removed his fingers. He watched as she pressed her thighs together, trying to stimulate herself. “What the hell?” she asked angrily. 

“Do you want me to get naked or not, darling?”

Y/N crossed her arms across her chest and pouted. He simply laughed at her and began to unbutton his own shirt as well as remove his belt. She took this time to kick off her skirt and underwear. 

Draco bit his lip when he saw her bare pussy. He felt his dick twitch in his pants, and he sped up his pace, eager to continue what he started. 

Once he’d gotten his pants off, he leaned his face downwards and began to kiss the insides of her soft thighs. She propped herself up onto her elbows so she could watch as he got closer and closer to her center. When his tongue made contact with her pussy, she felt a shudder go through her entire being, and she let her head fall back onto the plush pillows.

“Draco,” she moaned as he sucked on her clit, sending waves of pleasure through her body. Her hands found his hair, and she gripped his blonde locks tightly, trying to keep herself stable as he continued to lick and suck her.

He continues eating her out for nearly ten minutes before adding his fingers back into the equation. He swiftly slides three fingers inside her wet pussy. Y/N gasped out in pleasure. “Please,” she said, not quite aware of what she was begging for. Draco moved his fingers in and out of her while still sucking her clit. “Fuck! Right there, right there, please don’t stop,” she pleaded.

Draco obliged and maintained his pace. Y/N arched her back as it all became too much. Her mouth fell open as her climax overtook her system. Draco didn’t stop his motions. He continued stimulating her through her orgasm, only pulling away when he felt aftershock jolts pulse through her body. Y/N’s eyes began to close.

“We’re not done yet, sweetheart,” Draco said while pulling his boxers off and beginning to palm himself. He leaned down to kiss her softly, allowing Y/N to taste herself on his lips. She moaned into the kiss and ran her hands up his scalp. His hand reached for his nightstand to the left of his bed. Pulling away from the kiss, he dug into the drawer and pulled out a condom, quickly rolling it onto his dick.

She pulled him back in for another kiss while he lined himself up at her center and slightly pushed the tip inside. Y/N couldn’t resist the urge to wiggle her hips, successfully making Draco hiss. He put his hands on either side of her head and, without warning, slammed his dick inside her and began thrusting in and out at a quick pace. 

She cried out in ecstasy as she finally felt herself become full. The pressure in her abdomen began to build again. Draco’s eyebrows were tightly knit as he focused his energy into each firm thrust of his hips. The sound of skin slapping seemed to echo through the dorm.

Y/N wrapped her legs around his waist as he slowed his pace, opting to tease her rather than chase his own climax. The feeling of him gently pushing into her made Y/N whine in frustration. She wanted to reach her high so badly, and Draco was making it difficult. She decided she wanted to cum, so she sneakily stretched her hand down to her clit. But it was promptly slapped away by the man on top of her.

“Don’t even think about it, little girl,” he growled. But he began to pick up his pace, making Y/N mewl delightfully as the pressure once again began to increase. It seemed like Draco was getting close as well, his thrusts were sloppy, and he was panting hard.

“Please, please, I’m so close, Draco,” she cried out.

“Me too, sweetheart, me too,” he said in between grunts of pleasure.

He felt her pussy grow tighter as it contracted around his dick. He knew he wouldn’t last much longer. Each thrust felt better than the last. Her hips met his, eagerly, over and over until finally, she felt herself tip over the edge yet again. Y/N saw stars as Draco pounded into her even faster as he chased his release. He drove his dick in and out of her pussy until he, too, met his climax, cumming into the condom while her walls twitched around him. 

Draco lets his body collapse on top of her, both of them breathing heavily as they came down from their highs. Slowly, he pulled himself out of her, hissing as he did. She whined at the loss of her feeling of fullness. He took off the condom, threw it into a nearby bin, and then lied down next to Y/N.

“That was incredible,” Y/N uttered quietly. Draco laughed when he saw the blissful look on her face. He rolled over so that his body was facing hers, and he pulled her towards him. She nestled her face into his chest. 

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. However, I do need to clear some things up,” Draco said while stroking her hair. She hummed against him.

“And what would that be?” she asked.

“Well, for starters, I’m gonna need you to tell Cedric you’ve changed your mind about your guys’ little date,” he said in a firm tone of voice. Y/N laughed into the crook of his neck. 

“I’m dead serious. If you don’t tell him, then I will. Don’t test me.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll tell Cedric I changed my mind. But does this mean we’re…”

“Official? Yes, it does. I thought I conveyed that when I told you you’re mine,” Draco said, reminding her of today’s previous events.

He felt her wiggle in his arms. “What’s got you so squirmy tonight? You haven’t sat still for even a moment,” he chuckled. She mumbled an answer.

“Didn’t quite catch that, love,” Draco teased.

“I said, you, you nitwit,” she whispered angrily. He laughed and placed a kiss on her head. It felt good to have her back in his arms. And this time, he wasn’t going to let her go.