#I’d probably have owed him a coffee or something

[dawn-moths]

we’ve been watching pretty much all day and my brother guessed nanami as my fav with only his second guess lol

meanwhile he can’t decide whether yuji or todo are his favorite. i have a feeling he’ll be saying “my besto friendo” around the house for a few days after this haha. he also really liked megumi.

also we finished season one but he says he doesn’t want to watch season 2 until it’s all aired so i guess i’ll be starting my first watch and then watching it again once it’s finished 😅

we’re starting my rewatch/my brother’s first watch of jjk and i told him he gets 3 guesses of who my favorite character is by the end of the season.

he already likes yuji by the way lol

[okaylikeschaewon]

Hot-N-Fun

~5k words, Roommates Series, smut

“Call it!”

“They never work,” you chuckled as you pulled your pants back up.

“Yeah but what if this time it’s real,” Mint pleaded while you washed your hands. “I’d do it if my phone wasn’t dead.”

“Seriously?” you began drying your hands. “It’s scratched into the side of the men’s bathroom. How could you possibly think it’s real?”

“You never know!”

“Call for a ‘hot-n-fun’ time? They didn’t even try. I think I can make a pretty safe guess,” you laughed as you dried your hands. “If anything, it’s probably just some dude messing with his friend.”

“You’re probably right,” Mint replied, staring at the scratching. “Either way, it could be funny.”

“Eh, you have a point,” you pulled out your phone and started dialing the number. “Fuck it.”

“That’s my man,” Mint smiled and jumped onto your shoulder, leaning next to your ear as your phone started ringing. “I owe you a drink for this.”

“It’s actually ringing, guess it’s a real number,” you commented, pleasantly surprised, with the phone against your ear. “I doubt they’ll actually pick-”

“Hello?”

It was a girl.

“Oh, hello,” you stammered after spending an awkward amount of time finding your voice.

“Do I know you?”

“No, I don’t think so,” you answered, stifling your laugh as Mint stared at you in shock, his eyes threatening to bulge out of their sockets.

The girl on the phone sighed.

“Did you happen to find this number in a bathroom?”

“Yeah, I figured someone put your number here to mess with you but curiosity got the best of me,” you explained. “Sorry to bother you.”

“Are you a student?”

“I am.”

“Tomorrow, 9 a.m., coffee. The cafe down the street.”

Mint began frantically nodding his head at you, mouthing ‘yes’ over and over, almost jumping on you in excitement. You couldn’t help but smile at the absurdity of what was going on, but you made it this far, might as well see it out. At least, that was your excuse. In reality, you just found it incredibly hot that she told you instead of asked you.

“Sure,” you answered. “How will I know who you are?”

“I’ll send you a picture.”

“Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Could you do me a quick favor and please scratch out the number.”

“Yeah, I can do that,” you replied.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She hung up, leaving you and Mint staring at each other.

“Did that really just happen?” Mint broke the silence first.

“I’m still not convinced this is real,” you shook your head when suddenly your phone vibrated, the message leaving you in shock once again. “Holy shit, yeah this definitely isn’t real.”

“Let’s see,” Mint grabbed your phone and his jaw immediately hit the floor. “Yeah there’s no fucking way. They’re harvesting organs for sure.”

“I’m still going.”

“True, who needs two kidneys anyway,” Mint laughed, giving you back your phone.

“Fuck it, this girl can have both if she wants them.”

—

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow,” Kazuha hung up her phone and turned to her roommate.

“Oh my fucking God about time!” Chaewon squealed. “Where the heck is Sakura, I need to tell her.”

“I’m not actually doing this am I?” Kazuha whined as Chaewon frantically tapped her phone screen.

“She got a call! Tomorrow morning! Yes! I know!” Chaewon screamed into the phone. “Okay! I’ll see you soon!”

“Chaewon!” Kazuha started hitting Chaewon’s arm. “I don’t want to!”

“It’s going to be so fun!” Chaewon grabbed Kazuha into a hug to stop her barrage of attacks. “I can’t wait to see him, what if he’s really hot?”

“I hope he is,” Kazuha sighed, falling face-first onto the bed.

“He will be, I can tell by his voice,” Chaewon jumped onto the bed with her. “So! What are you going to wear? Pick something that shows midriff, trust me.”

“I’m never making a bet with you two again.”

—

“Sorry I’m late.”

“You’re not late,” the girl looked up at you with a bit of a deer-in-headlights expression.

“I know, but it looks like you’ve been waiting. Therefore, I’m late,” you smiled warmly at her, gave her your name, and held out your hand.

“I’m Kazuha,” she shook your hand with firm but incredibly delicate fingers, holding on for a bit too long to be considered a ‘normal’ handshake. “Sorry, I would have waited before ordering, but I got kinda nervous.”

“No worries!” you sat down across from her. “I know it’s not exactly this simple, but don’t be nervous.”

“Yeah,” Kazuha laughed. “Just don’t be, right?”

“Is it working?” you asked while pulling your chair over so that you were sitting next to her instead of across from her.

“Umm,” Kazuha began blushing, her eyes frantically scanning you up and down as you moved right next to her. She ended up completely ignoring your question, biting her lower lip subconsciously as she picked up her mug and put it back down without even taking a sip. “Were you going to get a drink? I can come with you to the counter if-”

“No, I’m okay,” you gently placed your arm on the backrest of her chair.

Her eyes darted to your arm before going right back to you, that adorable deer-in-headlights expression returning with a vengeance.

“Here, we can share,” she picked up the mug and held it out for you to take, spilling a little on her own fingers in the process. “Oops!”

“Sure,” you ignored the error in an attempt to save her some embarrassment, and as you accepted the mug from her hand, you discreetly gave her a tissue. “Oh wow, it’s sweet.”

“Do you not like it?” she asked, looking up at you with an aura of innocent purity, as if your enjoyment of her coffee actually mattered.

“I love it,” you answered warmly, taking another sip. “What is it?”

With pure excitement, she started to explain her order, speaking too quickly to maintain any sort of semblance of coherency. The way she spoke about one pump this, one pump that, and not that a single word connected with you - in one ear out the other - was just too cute to handle. You were significantly more drawn to her appearance, focusing in particular on her expressiveness.

Her antics while she spoke were making you melt, you didn’t even bother hiding the smile on your face as you nodded along, pretending to care about whatever she was saying. She really was stunning, you could probably stare at her pretty face all day and never tire. Her beautiful wavy brown hair perfectly framing her cute features. The picture she sent definitely did not do her beauty justice. Have you mentioned that she was beautiful?

“Have you?” she waited expectantly for you to respond.

“Yeah, of course,” you replied, still mostly lost in her beauty.

She cocked an eyebrow at you before she burst out laughing.

“You haven’t been listening, have you?”

“Alright, you caught me,” you chuckled. “I got lost in your eyes for a second.”

“Oh,” she blinked rapidly a couple times before looking down at the mug in her hands. “You shouldn’t just make up stuff like that,” she added softly.

“I’m not making it up,” you reached forward and very gently pressed up on her chin so that she was looking at you again. “You have beautiful eyes.”

“Thank you,” she stammered, trying desperately to look anywhere but into your eyes, before suddenly changing the topic. “So, what about you, tell me something. Why would you call a random number like that?”

“I can’t say it’s something I do often,” you chuckled. “Although, maybe I should.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because apparently it can lead me to a coffee date with a beautiful girl.”

“You’re not even drinking coffee,” Kazuha giggled as she took another sip. “Does this really count as a coffee date?”

“I thought you said we could share.”

“We can share if you can tell me what my order is,” Kazuha teased, knowing you weren’t listening.

“Easy, two pumps of hazelnut-”

“I hate hazelnut,” Kazuha interrupted you with another giggle.

“No you don’t.”

“Wow,” she smirked, pretending to be impressed. “Were you actually listening?”

“Nah, lucky guess,” you replied with a smirk of your own.

“You’re so dumb,” Kazuha laughed, hitting your arm playfully. “You should have just ran with it.”

“You’re the one who said not to make up stuff,” you replied defensively.

“I meant about compliments.”

“Then it’s a good thing I haven’t.”

She began blushing again, tapping the side of her mug nervously before looking up at you.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you replied. “I guess you’ll just have to keep me honest on our next date.”

“Next date?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Confident, are we?”

“Should I not be?”

“Then where’s the next date,” Kazuha played along. “I chose this one, now it’s your turn.”

“Well, have you tried this thing called ‘dinner’ before? I heard it’s best with one other person at 7:00 p.m. tonight.”

“Are you asking me out to dinner?”

“What gave you that idea?” you leaned back in your chair, acting surprised for a brief moment before smiling at her. “I would have suggested a painting class or something, but it might be a bit too last minute to book something like that.”

“Then I guess we’ll have to settle for dinner tonight,” Kazuha smiled alluringly.

“I’ll call and make a reservation,” you smiled back. “Speaking of calling, want to explain that one to me?”

“I’m just going to be extremely transparent,” Kazuha put her mug down. “I lost a bet, the punishment was that I had to go on a date with the first person who called.”

“I figured it was something along those lines,” you chuckled softly. “Hopefully, I made it at least somewhat worth your time? Considering you already contractually agreed to go on another one with me, I’d say it’s going well.”

“Contractually agreed?” Kazuha laughed, tilting her head back. “Is that how this works?”

“Exactly,” you replied. “I took an intro to political sciences course in freshman year, I’d know.”

“And when was freshman year for you?”

“Last year,” you answered. “You?”

“Last year as well. How have we not taken any classes together if we’re both sophomores?”

“I assume we’re in different majors.”

“I’d bet that’s a safe assumption,” she giggled. “If you’re not in poli-sci, what are you in?”

“Wait, who said I’m not?”

“You obviously took the intro to political sciences course for fun,” Kazuha answered. “I’ve seen the poli-sci kids at this school, none of them are so…” she paused for a second while her eyes fixated on your forearms. “Toned.”

“Excuse me? You’re one to talk,” your eyes quickly darted down to the subtle midriff she was showing. “Having abs even while sitting means you’re also far too toned for whatever your major is.”

“That’s ridiculous,” she covered her mouth to stifle her giggles. “What if I’m in something like kinesiology? They’re usually fit.”

“Fuck, beautiful and smart? That’s just not fair,” you mumbled, earning you another embarrassed giggle from Kazuha. “How long before I can hire you as my personal trainer?”

“I didn’t say I’m a kin major, I was just suggesting it.”

“Can I still hire you as my personal trainer?”

The conversation paused for a bit while Kazuha laughed, and in turn made you laugh with how contagious it was. She spoke next, after finally composing herself, in a much softer tone.

“To answer your question, I’ve actually been really enjoying this,” Kazuha smiled back before biting her lower lip again. “There’s a bit more to the punishment, though.”

“Oh?” you leaned back in your chair.

“I’m supposed to actually-” she paused to lean closer to you for a second before leaning back again. “Actually, nevermind.”

“Nah, you can’t tease me like that. What is it?” you implored.

“No, it’s embarrassing.”

“I won’t judge.”

“Promise?”

“Promise,” you repeated after her.

“Well, part of the punishment…” she trailed off again. “I can’t do it.”

“Hey, don’t stress it,” you leaned back. “We can talk about something else.”

“Fuck it,” she sighed, leaning forward. You moved closer until she was right against your ear. “I’m also supposed to blow you.”

“Wow,” you leaned back again and put your hands on your head. “That’s… a bit intense.”

“You said you wouldn’t judge!”

“I’m not judging.”

There was a long, silent pause, where numerous unholy thoughts flooded through your mind. Before you could even make any sense of anything though, Kazuha spoke up again.

“Yeah,” Kazuha was now starting to get really embarrassed. “Sorry, that was… I didn’t know how else… I don’t think I was supposed to actually tell you that part. This whole thing was probably super inappropriate, I’m sorry for bringing that part up, that was stupid. I feel like I just ruined this-”

“It’s okay,” you cut her off, placing your hand gently on top of hers to calm her down.

There was another pause in the conversation. During it, you simply admired Kazuha’s beautiful features some more while she absentmindedly stirred her coffee. She couldn’t find the courage to look up at you. She was clearly waiting for the conversation to continue, but she was too shy to be the one to speak next. You had to be the one to break the pause.

“I’m not going to make you do that.”

Her head snapped up and she looked at you with eyes filled to the brim with surprise. She really was quite beautiful - an aura of pureness surrounded her, almost making her glow in a way.

“I’m serious,” Kazuha announced with this intense, newfound conviction. “I’ll do it.”

“And I’m serious when I say I’m not going to make you do it,” you repeated firmly. “That’s an awful punishment, and there’s no way I’d force that upon you.”

“I appreciate you trying to help, but I really have to do this. I can’t explain,” Kazuha sighed. 

“Then just tell them you did, I’ll back your story up if needed,” you replied casually.

“They’d know I’m lying,” Kazuha suddenly lowered her tone. “They’re actually watching this date right now.”

“Are they?”

“Please don’t look around,” Kazuha panicked. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you that part either.”

“I’m not stupid,” you laughed. “Look, how about the two of us sneak off to the bathroom for like five, actually ten, minutes. We can keep chatting or just stand there in silence, how’s that sound?”

“Would you actually do that for me?” Kazuha looked at you with that same shocked and pure expression that you were starting to fall in love with.

“Yeah of course, I’m going to look around as if you just offered to blow me,” you replied while standing up and over-exaggerating the motions of looking around the cafe before holding your hand for Kazuha to take. “Now we look suspicious as fuck, come on.”

Kazuha giggled at your foolishness before grabbing your hand and following you to the bathroom.

—

“Thank fuck it’s clean,” you laughed as you closed the door behind you. “Bit cramped for two people, but at least it smells nice.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“Wait,” you leaned over her shoulder into her neck. “Oh, that nice smell is just you.”

“Stop,” Kazuha whined, stretching the word. The mirror showed her eyes rolling and her lips smiling. 

“Still haven’t lied by the way.”

“Well, thank you,” Kazuha awkwardly giggled as her backside lightly touched your crotch. “Oops!”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s fine,” Kazuha interrupted. “It’s a small bathroom. I really appreciate you doing this for me.”

“Don’t need to thank me, this ended up being a fun adventure. I got to grab coffee with such a lovely girl.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” Kazuha smiled at you in the mirror. “Do your dates usually end up like this?”

“If I had a nickel for every time I found myself in this situation, I’d have…” you pretended to count for dramatic effect. “Exactly one nickel!”

“You’re so silly,” Kazuha giggled, maneuvering around so that she was face to face with you. “Alright, I can’t lie, this is a tiny bit awkward.”

“Want me to face the door?” you laughed.

“No don’t,” Kazuha giggled, covering her mouth. “That would be so weird.”

“Well, I’m gonna ask for at least ten or fifteen minutes in here, I got a reputation to keep.”

“What about my reputation?”

“Good point,” you tapped your chin. “Are you known for being good?”

“Want to find out?”

“Kazuha,” it was your turn to feel warmth in your cheeks. “You might be one of, if not the, prettiest girls at this entire school. I really do want to take you on a date, I really do want to get to know you properly.”

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have made that joke,” Kazuha stuttered, avoiding your gaze.

“The joke was fine,” you leaned closer to her face. “I just really want to do this properly with you.”

“I do, too,” Kazuha looked into your eyes without pulling her face away, leaving her lips slightly parted.

Everything, other than the little frogs jumping around in your gut, slowed down. It was truly quite peculiar how the world worked. One moment you’re squeezed in a tiny bathroom fit for one, then one moment later it felt like it was taking hours to reach Kazuha’s lips. Were you even moving at this point? Surely by now you would have made contact. You shouldn’t have closed your eyes so early, but it just felt right. How much longer? Maybe you could open them back up, but would that ruin the moment? Then it hit you.

Strawberry.

Who even wears strawberry lip gloss? Is that a common flavor? Does she always wear strawberry? Why did it taste so good? Why did it feel so good? Have you been kissing her for too long now? Shit. Maybe you’re the one that shook her hand too long earlier, maybe it wasn’t her fault. No, that was definitely her not letting go. Speaking of letting go, are you supposed to stop kissing her now? When did your hands end up framing her face, cupping her cheeks? When did her hand end up on the back of your neck? Where’s the other one? Oh, it’s on your hip, when did it get there?

“Wow.”

“That-”

“Felt right,” Kazuha finished your thought.

“Yeah,” you agreed, suddenly noticing just how tangible the tension was between the two of you as you let go of her face and brought your hands to her hips. “Were your cheeks always this pink?”

“Are they?” Kazuha giggled, turning her face in embarrassment to try looking into the mirror.

“Don’t,” you gently turned her face with one finger until she was looking at you again. “You’re so pretty.”

“Th-Thank you,” she stuttered, physically fighting the urge to look away and hide herself.

“Can I-”

She didn’t even let the words finish leaving your lips before lunging forward and kissing you again. The force pushed your back into the door, leaving a small bruise where the doorknob hit your body that you wouldn’t even notice until later tonight. While strawberries attacked your taste buds again, you began pushing back, slowly moving forward until Kazuha’s soft body began squishing your hand into the porcelain sink.

“I think I could do this all day,” you gasped as both of you began panting for air. “But I think we’ve probably convinced your friends by now. Should we head back?”

“Wait, not yet,” Kazuha panted, licking her lips. “Can you help me get a picture?”

“A picture?”

“To prove that I… you know.”

“You mean, like, with my thing out?”

“In my mouth,” she began blushing. “Just for a second.”

“Umm.”

Was this real life? You weren’t sure anymore.

“It’s fine if you don’t want to,” Kazuha stammered. “Forget it, dumb idea, they’ll just have to believe me.”

“I can,” you wrapped your arms around her and embraced her softly. “But are you comfortable doing this?”

“I am,” her voice was muffled by your shoulder.

She pulled back, smiling at you for a second before leaning forward for another kiss. This one was softer than the previous two, her lips barely brushed against yours, her tongue barely touched you.

“Ready?” you breathed into her mouth.

“I still can’t believe you’re doing this for me,” Kazuha stared at you tenderly. “You really don’t have to.”

“It’s really no big deal,” you rubbed her arm gently before unbuckling your pants.

“Just umm, tell me when you’re… you know,” Kazuha stuttered as she turned away from you.

It was incredibly adorable the way she stood there, trying to avoid looking at you in the mirror. You lowered your pants down to your knees and began slowly stroking yourself. It definitely felt a little bit odd, but you just reminded yourself that you were doing this for her sake.

“Excuse me,” you reached your arm around her body and turned the sink on, wetting your fingers. “Let’s make it look even more believable.”

Kazuha furrowed her brows at you in the mirror, confused by what you meant.

“I assume the inside of your mouth isn’t completely dry?”

“Oh,” she finally understood what you were doing.

“Alright, I’m ready if you are.”

Kazuha turned around and kept her eyes on yours, seemingly physically incapable of looking down.

“You’re probably going to have to see my thing at some point if you want this picture,” you tried to lighten the mood. “Don’t worry, you have my permission.”

She giggled, the rosy tint returning to her cheeks in full force, before looking down at your wet cock. As soon as she looked down, her body froze again and she looked back up at you, bringing that deer-in-headlights look that you were growing so accustomed to now by now back.

“It’s big.”

“Hey, we don’t have to actually do this,” you said gently, moving her hair out of her face for her.

“No,” Kazuha replied softly before sitting down on the toilet cover. “Sorry, I just, I didn’t, yeah, I’m ready.”

Kazuha pulled out her phone and flipped her camera to selfie mode, holding it up to the side, looking for the proper angle. Once satisfied, she turned her head to you, nodded once before opening her mouth wide and staring at you.

This was your cue, and you took one step forward before gently placing your tip into her mouth. You inhaled sharply as her lips immediately tightened around your tip, her tongue resting against your hole. Despite your cock already being stiff, as soon as it entered her mouth you could feel the blood rushing into your cock, swelling it up.

Kazuha held her phone up and took a few selfies at various angles. It was wild, such a beautiful girl with your cock in her mouth in such an erotically casual way. She had her lips pouted, almost like she was kissing your tip. It didn’t really make much sense, but it was incredibly hot - she was incredibly hot. Before you knew it, Kazuha released your cock with a little pop and wiped her lips.

“Do you think you could like, push against the inside of my cheek,” Kazuha asked innocently before the realization of what she just said hit her and her face turned bright pink in embarrassment. “Sorry, that’s a crazy thing to say.”

“Of course I can,” you ignored her embarrassment and pushed your cock in front of her mouth again.

Almost reflexively, she parted her lips wide and let your cock slide back into her cozy mouth. Just as she asked, you pressed your cock against her inner cheek as she took more selfies. Your cock was exploring every crevice of her mouth, pressing and shoving against her cheek. You found, somehow, both of your hands on her head, guiding it while your cock roamed freely.

It seems that your ability to see things had completely vanished, since you failed to even notice that Kazuha had put her phone away. She was just sucking your cock; she was no longer snapping pictures. When you finally realized what was happening, you hurriedly released her head while attempting to ignore how wonderful her mouth felt.

The real shocker was that Kazuha continued to move her head back and forth along your shaft even after you released your grip. Her lips were caressing your length as she closed her eyes, totally engrossed in the moment. You were certain that her mouth was designed to suck your cock since it was now entirely her decision to blow you, and it was impossible to deny how fucking great her mouth felt.

“Kazuha,” you gently moaned, carefully pulling your hips back. “I think you got enough pictures.”

“Does it not feel good?”

Her voice felt like a dagger in your heart. She sounded disappointed.

“Hey,” you crouched down so that you were level with her and leaned forward for a quick kiss. “You’re fucking amazing, but I told you I wanted to do this properly. This feels… I don’t know how to explain it…”

“It feels forced,” Kazuha smiled understandingly at you. “I promise you it’s not, I know I don’t have to do this. I want to do this.”

“Kazuha-”

“Zuha. My friends call me Zuha.”

“Oh,” you smiled softly. “Zuha, are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” she whispered, standing up from the toilet and maneuvering you around before pushing you down to sit. “Now close your eyes, and let me prove to you that I’m good at this.”

Fuck that was hot. You obeyed her request, closing your eyes as those delicate fingers of hers gave your cock a couple of pumps. Not being able to watch truly was a tragedy, but you felt her tongue with details you never could have imagined possible as soon as she pressed it against your tip.

She slipped your cock into her mouth again, bringing back that gentle warmth, swirling her tongue around the tip a couple of times before she began using her lips to stroke you. Back and forth her lips went, your tip prodding her tongue each time she went down your shaft, while her hand firmly gripped the bottom half of your shaft. A soft moan escaped your lips, one that told Kazuha it was working - but she already knew that. The girl definitely knew how to suck cock. Even without seeing that beautiful face of hers, you were already nearing your climax.

Somehow, she also felt it coming. Or, just by coincidence, she decided to start pumping your cock. Her hand and her mouth worked in tandem, stimulating your entire shaft. Up and down, a soft slurp echoing in the small bathroom each time her mouth moved. She slowed down for just a second, leaving you spewing agonizing moans into her ears, before speeding back up.

“Zuha,” you groaned, squirming on the seat, lifting your hips up into the air. “I’m…”

That was all the warning she got, because that was all the warning you could muster. Whether or not she was ready, the next thirty seconds of her life were going to be taken over by your cum shooting into her mouth. Your eyes shot open as the first gush launched against the roof of her mouth, just in time for you to see her visibly flinch.

She looked up at you, locking eyes, and held her mouth steady. Even as the next few spurts flew out of your cock, she never flinched again. You could see your cock throbbing, each pulse shooting more cum into her mouth, but she held steady, not even blinking, staring at you with those beautiful eyes.

With one hand, you pushed her hair out of her face and cupped her cheek tenderly, using your thumb to wipe the little glob of cum that spilled out of the corner of her lips. As your cock finally began to relax, Kazuha slowly pulled back. Inch by inch, she released your cock, making sure to keep her lips taut until they reached your tip.

She gathered all the cum in her mouth and struggled to take out her phone. When she finally got it, she snapped a selfie with your cum all on her tongue. Once she was content with the picture, she bent over and spit it all out, holding her hair to prevent it from going into the sink.

“Sorry, there was just too much,” she apologized, looking back up at you. “I swear I usually swallow.”

“It’s fine,” you smiled reassuringly at her.

Kazuha smiled back before she bent down over your cock again.

“Holy fuck,” you gasped, shuddering as Kazuha gave your cock a lick from the base to the tip.

She pursed her lips around your tip, prodding your frenulum a couple times with her tongue, coaxing out a little glob of cum. Without even lifting her mouth, she swallowed it. After a few more licks, making sure you had no more cum to drain, she released your cock with a little pop.

“So,” she stood back up proudly. “You tell me, how was it?”

“Fucking amazing,” you stood up in front of her and grabbed her face with both hands.

This next kiss went on for a few minutes, or perhaps longer. It would have been even longer if it wasn’t for the aggressive knock on the door.

“Hello? There’s only one bathroom here!”

Both of you began giggling while staring at each other.

“We’re fucked,” Kazuha whispered.

“It’s your fault,” you whispered back. “Fuck it though, we’re already screwed, might as well keep going.”

So you did just that, and the two of you kissed again until a staff member came by and berated the two of you, kicking you out of the cafe and telling you to never come back.

“Worth it,” you laughed as the two of you walked out into the warm morning afternoon.

“Worth it,” she repeated, clutching your arm with both of hers and smiling. “I can’t believe it’s almost noon already. Lunch?”

“That sounds perfect.”

---

A/N:

Inspired by a prompt given to me by @mintwithchoco!

So, turns out Roommates is becoming a whole universe. I'll explain more in my Masterlist at some point, but my goal is to write a collection of fics from this universe that are all following the same OC. They're going to be readable completely independently of each other, but there will be a lot of references and foreshadowing since I've actually already plotted out like 10 fics, so if an idol is mentioned in a fic, they're probably getting their own fic at some point.

This particular one will probably be split into two parts, just so I can avoid making it too long. Hope you guys enjoy this one, I've been on a crazy Kazuha high lately and just had to write her.

Feel free to let me know what you think about this idea. I won't be releasing fics in chronological order either. This takes place in the OC's sophomore year while the Eunbi fic took place in the OC's senior year. I'm pretty committed to this now with how much worldbuilding and theorizing I've put into this, but I still love hearing feedback!

[roseyodditea]

early in a relationship with a sudden needy and touchy lighter?🥺

I told myself I'd get around to writing this after studying for exams and that was... TWO WEEKS AGO!?? WHOOPSIE!!!

Surprise Visit - Lighter x gn!Reader

Summary -> 700 words. Cute little wake up to a clingy Lighter. Warnings -> Not proofread. Written on little sleep. A/N -> I am so sorry this took so long to write. I'm an engineering major and had five exams in two weeks (I did good on all of them tho)

Lighter is a hard man to get close to. There are very few people he let closer than just an arms length away, like a feral alley cat. You had practically snuck your way in through his defenses with a few well placed pushes from Ceaser and one too many times Burnice “accidentally” left you two alone. It worked like a charm, of course, and before you knew it Lighter was taking you out on motorcycle rides under the stars, riding into New Eridu just to grab a coffee with you, and even upgrading his phone just so he could text you more consistently. 

You stirred awake at an hour far too early only to see a text from Lighter gracing your phone screen.

Lighter <3: “Busy today?”

Rolling over lazily to snatch your phone off of the nightstand, you squint at the light before tapping a quick reply.

You: “It’s too early to think but I’m pretty sure I’m free. What’s up?”

Lighter <3: “Can I come spend time with you?”

You thought for a moment. This was the third time this week he had asked to come to New Eridu. First it was wanting to rent a new movie from Random Play, then it was wanting to walk around around the river, and now it looks like he doesn’t even have an excuse. 

You: “Of course :)”

Shortly after sending the text, you fell back asleep, wanting to sleep until at least the sun came up. Your dream was disjointed and confusing, your body hot and uncomfortable when you woke up. You toss the blanket off of your shoulders clumsily, fist colliding with something. 

“Ow…” You suddenly jolt awake, looking over. “Lighter? Why…. How?”

“You didn’t answer the door. I thought I’d let myself in.” He rubs his nose where you had hit him. 

“The door was locked.” “I let myself in.”

“You don’t have a key.”

“I let myself in.”

“How?” You smile as you prop yourself up on your elbow, looking at the way he was laying on his back, an attempted respectful distance between you two. You broken the distance and reached out to touch his nose, making sure you didn’t actually do damage when you accidentally punched him.

Lighter melted under the touch, like a cat in the middle of a sunbeam. “I didn’t break anything, I promise.”

“Do I need to upgrade my locks?” You guide him to roll on his side so the bright light of the sun was behind him, highlighting his body in an almost angelic way. 

“Oh absolutely. Anyone with a cheap lockpick set can get in.” He drops his voice to a tone, not wanting to disturb the bubble of comfort around the two of you.

A comfortable moment of silence hangs in the air, Lighter looking at you with uncharacteristicly soft eyes, like you were the most precious thing he had. 

“When you asked to hang out, I didn’t know you meant as soon as I woke up. What are you running from, Lorenz?” You tease as you trace a finger down his jaw, feeling he had shaved his stubble off right before coming over. 

Lighter took your hand and kissed the pads of your fingers. “I’m not running from anything. I’m running towards you…”

He gives that genuine look, his guard almost entirely let down at this point. The words were borrowed, of course, probably from a book Ceaser was reading, but the fact he said it counted for a lot in your heart. 

“You’re hopeless.” You scoff and bring the blanket around the both of you, no longer caring how warm you felt.

“You like it.” Lighter immediately capitalizes on the closeness, holding you tightly against his chest, hiding his face in your hair. 

“I do… Quick little nap and then breakfast at the cafe?”

“Sounds perfect.”

**********

The ‘quick little nap’ turned into a several hour long nap, both of you feeling too safe and comfortable to even think about getting up. When you finally woke up for the last time, you were now on your back, Lighter’s head on your chest, the rest of his body draped over yours, arms tight around your stomach. You were trapped. 

“Lighter?” You nudge gently, trying to wake him up.

“No..” He squeezed tighter, hiding his face. “Please… let’s just stay like this… I need this… Need you…”

“Oh how could I ever say no to you?”

[amongemeraldclouds]

not being romantic

Jess Mariano may be cute, possibly charming, but he is most definitely annoying. He certainly can’t hold a candle to your secret pen pal who’s smart, loves books, and aspires to be an author. Or can he?

Jess Mariano x f!Reader

Warning: no use of y/n, mostly fluff, some angst, cursing, suggestiveness. This fic is set after he left Stars Hollow.

✿ Masterlist | 3.3k words

The cafe buzzed with the rush of customers lined up for their afternoon caffeine fix. Coffee machines droned on churning coffee as sunlight streamed through the windows and the smell of baked goods wafted through the air.

You smirked at Jess Mariano before you called the customer to hand them their drink. You proceeded to add another point to your scoreboard, waving your arm for emphasis. He rolled his eyes at your dramatics and hurried up, adding whipped cream to the drink he was preparing. 

Everything was always a game with him. Who could get the highest amount of tips? Who could guess the new customer's coffee order? Who could make the most convincing foreign accent?

Today’s game was: who could make the fastest coffee order?

“You’ve gotten better,” he observed as you grabbed a cup for the next customer. “Aren’t you glad to have had an incredible instructor like me?”

You scoffed, “more like an incredible loser if you don’t hurry up with that order. Just because you taught me, doesn’t mean I’d go easy on you, Mariano,” you taunt, narrowing your eyes for emphasis.

He shook his head with a smile, “I expected nothing less from you.” He made his way to the other end of the counter to call the customer and handed them their drink.  

Another busy shift flew by and before you knew it, it was time to close down the cafe.

You grabbed the scoreboard, beaming with pride. “I won! You can now call me the Queen of Speed, Barista Extraordinaire. Bow down before your queen.”

Jess looked up from where he was wiping the counter with a flat expression. “I’ll call you the Queen of Clean if you help me with these last few tables?”

You frowned at him and stuck your tongue out, of course he had a whole arsenal of retorts with him at any given moment. You grabbed the towel and disinfectant spray from behind the counter and moved to wipe down the tables. “You’re no fun, but I’ll let it slide since you now owe me a favor.”

“As long as I don’t have to help you dispose of a body then it’s fine,” he replied, eyebrow raised. 

You rolled your eyes, “if I ever need to dispose a body, it would probably be yours.”

“Are you confessing to something you’ll commit? I don’t think that’s very wise.”

“I’m not planning anything,” you sighed, pinching your nose. The conversation was getting more and more off topic by the second. “You, however, will be the dea*h of me.”

“I’ll add you to the waitlist,” he nodded as he set aside the towel and grabbed the key, ready to close for the evening. Of course that wasn't the first time that line was directed at him.

“You’re just trying to avoid what you owe me. Stop deflecting, Mariano,” you accused, heading towards him to return the cleaning materials. “I need your help with my toaster, it stopped working and I can’t afford to get it fixed or replaced. Can you help me with that?”

“Of course, anything for the Queen of Speed,” he replied.

“You forgot Barista Extraordinaire,” you added helpfully.

Jess just shook his head as if to say, I can’t win with you. He fought the smile that threatened to break across his features. Perhaps you too had your own arsenal of comebacks.

With the final turn of the key, the door swung in and you and Jess headed into your tiny apartment. It was a studio that’s three steps away from the kitchen, five steps away from the bathroom, and ten steps away from the bed. You liked to keep it simple, minimalistic. It definitely had nothing to do with the cheap rent.

“Welcome to my apartment. It’s not much but it’s home,” you said, gesturing around the place.

“It’s cozy and it’s very you,” he remarked.

You folded your arms and stared at him, “I can’t tell if that’s an insult or a compliment.”

“Let me see. Second hand furniture, potted plants around the area, and the artwork looks similar to your napkin doodles. Don’t think I didn’t notice them. It’s a mosaic of different things, but you managed to tie it all together and make it work. It’s just like you to make good out of a potentially bad situation,” he observed.

“Slow down there or you’ll end up hosting shows about house tours,” you teased. “And hey, I’ll take the compliment. Who knew Jess Mariano could be nice?”

He shrugged, “I just call it like I see it.”

You took the three steps necessary to reach the kitchen. “Here’s the troublemaker, by the way. Not you, well, aside from you,” you amended and pointed to the toaster. “Not sure what’s wrong, it just stopped working.”  

He approached you and it struck you just how small the kitchen was, certainly not big enough for two. When you turned to speak to him, all the words left your mind as you realized you’re only inches away from him. Heat crept up your cheeks and you blinked.

Jess smirked at your reaction, keenly aware of the effect he had to you. That cocky bastard. He leaned in a bit closer and your breath hitched. “You know, if you just wanted me over at your place, there’s a lot of other fun things I can help you with.” You scrunched your nose and took a step back, immediately transported to the area you considered your bedroom. “If that’s your way of confessing your feelings for me, it’s not very romantic at all. Thought you’d have more game than that, Mariano,” you hedged.

“Oh, that’s because I’m not trying to be romantic. If I were trying....” he said, taking a step forward, closing the distance you tried to place between you. He brushed the hair away from your cheek, the touch so unexpectedly tender coming from Jess. You took in how soft his lips looked up close.

When he touched the side of your face, your attention returned to his soulful eyes. “...I’d do something like this,” he concluded, his breath against your lips like the ghost of a kiss. That’s all it took for him to steal the breath from your lungs.

You’re disoriented when cool air greets you again as he took a step back and the only trace left is the fading warmth from where his hand caressed your cheek. “But like I said, I’m not trying to be romantic,” he shrugged.

You cleared your throat, brushing off the lingering heat of the interaction. You ignored the pang of disappointment that hit you. Besides, someone else already had your heart, this was nothing but a silly little crush. “Well can you please try to fix my toaster?” you asked, trying to stay on topic as always.

“Sure, I have tools at home. I can take it with me and bring it back when I’m done.”

You nodded, “okay thank you. Let me just grab a bag you can carry it in.”

He scanned the room while you opened the cabinet to grab a reusable bag.

“Why do you have lots of mail?” He asked, thumbing through the pile of opened envelopes on your kitchen counter.

You mulled over the question, unsure how much you wanted to share with Jess Mariano and risk a round of his teasing. Then again, you could handle Jess. “Well, there’s this guy I really like. We send each other letters. If you really want to know what romantic is, Mariano, it’s hand written letters. No one bothers to write them anymore. There’s something sweet and sincere about it.”

“Who’s the lucky guy?”

“I’m not really sure. I got his first letter from the bookstore I frequent, the employee handed it to me and I asked him to hand back my reply. We just kept going from there, I think the mystery just adds to the romance.”

Jess shot you a worried look. “You mean to say, you’re corresponding with a complete stranger? For all you know he’s hiding his identity because he’s a stalker or a serial killer.”

“Please, he is not. He is smart, funny, and he’s writing a book. I just don’t feel like he’s that type of person.”

“You’re going off this based on your feelings? I don’t think that’s wise or safe.”

“Jess, it’s fine. There’s nothing to worry about,” you replied, having had enough of him for the day. After handing him the bag with the broken toaster, you shoved him towards the door and out from your apartment, wishing him a good night.  

“That was quick,” you said as you headed out of the cafe and walked towards Jess’ apartment to retrieve your now functional toaster.

Jess shrugged, “it was no big deal, just had a few loose screws to reattach. Speaking of loose screws, how about that imaginary boyfriend of yours? Finally decide to reveal himself?” 

You sighed, Jess had been on your case the whole week since you told him about your mysterious crush. Needless to say, you regretted telling him about it. “No, but he hasn’t written to me recently,” you pondered. “He must be busy writing his book.”

“Or planning your untimely demise,” he retorts.

“Jess, I swear,” you grit your teeth, “I’ll be planning your untimely demise if you don’t drop it. Why do you care so much? Are you jealous? Is that what this is about?”

“Well I’m trying to look out for a coworker, why does this have to be about me? But hey, I’ll drop it,” he relented. “Besides, I won today so you owe me a favor.”

You groaned, but don’t say anything further. He won fair and square, you were ready to accept your fate.

Jess continued, “My uncle sent some food last night and I have a lot more than I can finish myself. Help me with that before you leave with your toaster?”

“Jess Mariano,” you narrowed your eyes at him, “are you asking me out for dinner?”   

“No,” he quickly said and then caught himself. “We’re not going out, we’re dining in. Besides if I were being romantic, I might bring you flowers, pick you up, take you somewhere nice. So this,” he said, pointing between him and you, “is not me being romantic.”

“And there goes Mr. Defensive,” you smirked. Of course he was not being romantic, not to you. He had a hundred and one ways to tease and annoy you but never to charm you. Still, you couldn’t help the way it killed you just a little inside.

“I swear if you tell me this is where the magic happens, I will smack your head,” you deadpan as Jess opened the door to his apartment.

“Why does that turn me on?” He teased. Your face twisted in confusion and disgust and Jess laughed triumphantly, having drawn out a reaction from you. You had no idea you were adorable, he thought.

“Just welcome to my home then,” he said. 

You stepped in, admiring his cozy space. You imagined a messy home with leftover containers and soda cans strewn about reeking of old laundry and faded furniture. You had little to no expectations at all.

Instead what greeted you was a small space, similar to yours. The bed was made, blanket tucked in neat corners and the furniture, while undoubtedly secondhand, was well maintained. If anything, the mismatched pillows against the pale blue sofa and the sanded down wooden table gave it personality. It smelled like subtle household cleaners and carried the scent that is so distinctly Jess, a mixture of soap and sweat, plus a hint of cologne he would never admit to wearing.

“It’s very you,” you remarked, “and I don’t mean that as a bad thing.”

He shrugged, handing you your toaster, “I’ll take it as a compliment.”

“Thanks again for the toaster. Now there’s only one troublemaker here in this room,” you quipped as you move towards his kitchen to help him set the dinner table.

“That’s definitely you,” he replied, handing you the plates and utensils while he moved to heat up the food from the fridge. “Hand me the glasses over there?” He asked, pointing to the drawers on the opposite end.

You nodded, setting down the plates on the table and headed towards the drawer. “Well, I’ll let it slide just this time because you’re feeding me and I can’t say no to free food. Thank you Jess,” you said, a small hint of affection blooming in your chest.

You opened the first drawer and found only papers. You were about to close it to check the next drawer when the familiar edge of stationery caught your eye. It was exactly the type of paper you smiled at for hours on end, trying to memorize each word. Curiosity got the better of you and you lifted a half written letter to your eyes. A half written letter addressed to you.

A storm of emotions struck you then: confusion, hurt, and anger. All this time. The boy who weaseled his way into your heart, who called you cute in his first letter and wanted to get to know you. Who charmed you into the romantic idea of secret identities like spies undercover. Who shared your love for books and had the best recommendations that made you feel seen like no one ever has. Who spoke about his love for writing with a passion that inspired you. 

All this time it was Jess Mariano.

All this time it was a lie.

Just another one of his games.

“What about those gla—” he stopped mid-sentence when he turned back and saw you reading his letter.

“Fuck,” he exhaled softly as heat crept into his cheeks.

You looked at him, fire burning in your eyes. “Is that all you have to say, Mr. Fantastic Writer?” You huffed, trying to quell the tears that threatened to choke you. 

Jess opened his mouth and closed it, wanting to say a million words and failing. You watched the war raging in his head.

“Well then indeed, fuck!” You exclaimed in frustration. “And fuck you too. I know you love your games Jess, but you can’t just go around playing with other people’s feelings.”

You retreat and grabbed your things, shaking your head. “God, I feel like such a fool.”

You threw the door behind you and was a few steps away when you realized you left your toaster. Shame and betrayal marched with you as you opened his door again and found him still frozen where you left him.

“I’m just here for my toaster, which I actually need. Unlike you, I don’t need anything from you, Jess. I’ve read and heard enough,” you said, your voice wavered at the end and tears spilled down your cheeks.

You turned away from embarrassment, toaster in hand, and ran the rest of the way home. He didn’t deserve to hear your sobbing. He didn’t even deserve any of your tears. He was just a stupid boy that your stupid heart fell for. No big deal.

The next week passed in a blur. Unable to switch shifts with anyone else, you called in sick at the cafe and lived life between your university, the library, and your apartment. Never mind that you needed the pay, you could drown in instant noodles for all you cared. It didn’t matter anyway. A broken heart never cared for a full stomach.

That Friday, you were about to call it a night when the doorbell rang. The was odd, you thought, you weren’t expecting anyone. 

“You’ve got the wrong—” you stopped mid-sentence when you saw the last person you ever wanted to see, Jess Mariano holding a bouquet of flowers and books. If it were any other day, it might have sent butterflies to your stomach. Now all it did was fan the flames of your anger because it was much easier to be angry than hurt.

You slammed the door close but Jess stopped it with his outstretched arm. “Are you trying to get yourself injured?” You accused and you hated it, how much you still cared.

“Please, I just need to talk,” he said, pain and sincerity etched in his handsome face.

You sighed and let him in, not wanting to cause a scene at the hallway. “You have five minutes,” you held up your hand for emphasis.

“Fine, five minutes,” he breathed, steeling himself. "Here’s a story for you: I met this girl working at a cafe. She’s smart and quick witted, she never runs out of comebacks. Her smile makes my day and I needed to see more of it so I came up with these games. And damn it, I looked forward to going to work every day because of her.

There was a nagging at the back of my mind to get to know her better. I wanted her to get to know me too, but I have a track record of screwing things up so I sent a letter. Just one couldn’t hurt, right?

Clearly, I underestimated her. One letter was never going to be enough. I loved hearing about her dreams, her stories, the inside jokes we created along the way. Without meaning to, I fell for her. I fell for you. It was never a game for me, all of it was real. Is still real.

When I heard you liked your secret pen pal too, I didn’t know if I should reveal myself or just disappear, let you forget me. Of course, I screwed things up again. I’m so sorry, I never meant to hurt you but clearly I have. Would you give me a second chance? I’m not good at this but I want to try."

He’s breathless by the time he ends his speech and you take a moment as the words settled in. No wonder he discouraged your interest in your secret pen pal, which also turned out to be him.

You sighed, “you really screwed it up.” Your heart broke all over again only to come back whole together because he did like you. All those silly gestures he brushed off really did mean something. And the boy you loved through letters and your cafe crush turned out to be the same person.

You pondered his question. The way he went about it was all wrong, but a second chance might be worth a shot. “Fine, we can start over, but you’ll have to make it up to me. You owe me unlimited favors.”

“I'll fix all the toasters you need,” he said, presenting you with the bouquet of flowers and books.

“Oh you’ll have to do more than that. I have a broken bulb on the ceiling, the heater needs fixing, and the microwave will definitely break tomorrow,” you taunted him, accepting his bouquet nevertheless.

He just smiled, “I have a lot to make up for, but I’ll do it for you.” He moved closer to you, bringing the bouquet to rest on the kitchen counter, so he can wrap his arms around you. “You’re worth it,” he whispered in your ear and you hugged him back, fighting off the delicious chill that ran through your back from his words. Being in his arms felt so right.

“You like me,” you sing, teasing him like a child and you enjoy the way his chest rumbles against you as he laughs.

“Don’t let it get to your head,” he said, kissing your cheek. “Besides, you like me back.”

You removed yourself from his hug, already missing his warm embrace. “I never said I liked you,” you teased. 

Mock hurt danced across his features, “what’s not to like?”

You laughed at his arrogance, the need to touch him overwhelming everything else. “Fine,” you relented, “we can call it even.”

You closed the distance this time, “just to be clear, this is you being romantic?”

He smirked, wrapping his arms around your waist again. “Yes, this is me being romantic and I will show you so much more,” he said, bringing his lips to yours with a thousand unsaid promises you were about to discover.

✿ Masterlist

Author's note:

✿ When I came across a Jess Mariano fic, I just knew I had to write one too. Jess and his sarcastic ass in a (sort of) rivals to lovers trope, heck yes. ✿ Thanks to my lovely wife @pizzaapeteer for encouraging me to write this all those weeks ago ♡ ✿ Published this fic from a cafe, very on brand for the story.

[cacospirit]

The Coddled Griffon Case

Davrin: Hey Lucanis, do you… have a minute?

Lucanis: Oh, Davrin, I… sure 

Davrin: I know we haven’t… always seen eye to eye, like, maybe I called you an abomination…

Lucanis: You did, among other things

Davrin: …and maybe I suggested that we should kill you because you’re a demon…

Lucanis: You made a strong case for it. Several times. 

Davrin: …but at the end of the day, I think we are both men that can set our differences aside when it comes to doing what’s best for the team

Lucanis: Davrin… where are you going with this

Davrin: Look… someone has been sneaking Assan extra treats

Lucanis: what 

Davrin: I know, I know! It doesn’t seem like a big deal but… it’s not good for his training! We can’t have him think he can just cozy up to anyone and get rewarded for it

Lucanis: I… sure. I will take your word for it

Davrin: And look, I’m not trying to come after anyone with torch and pitchfork here, I just… need to know who it is, so we can discuss it, as adults

Lucanis: An admirable goal 

Davrin: Right? But the thing is… no one wants to admit to it! I know it’s not any of the ones sleeping at the back of lighthouse, it’s someone out here with us. And first I figured… if it was you I probably wouldn’t have noticed in the first place

Lucanis: I like to do things discretely, it’s true

Davrin: So I talked with everyone else, and we both know that Bellara and Harding can’t tell a lie to save their life, so… it has to be Neve! But talking to her is just pointless because she’s not giving away anything, she’s like a fortress!

Lucanis: She has a certain composure 

Davrin: So… I can’t really accuse her of anything without evidence, and I know she’s not dumb enough to let me catch her in the act, but… she probably wouldn’t be looking out for you 

Lucanis: You want me to spy on Neve for you?

Davrin: It sounds bad when you put it like that

Lucanis: …would you like to put it another way?

Davrin: I would like to do that yea, I just don’t know how to

Lucanis: I feel like that should tell you something 

Davrin: Lucanis... I know that you are an honorable man, that is willing to make the hard choices for the sake of family. And we here… at the Lighthouse… we are like a family. You, me, Assan… Neve, Rook…. even that weird crab-head ghost, we’re all in this together

Lucanis: ..The Caretaker? 

Davrin: Exactly! We should all strive to be the caretakers of each other’s problems 

Lucanis: You know what... sure 

Davrin: And I know Caterina taught you that sometimes you have to be tough one the ones you love if you want them to survive

Lucanis: I’m... not really sure that applies here

Davrin: I think it does. 

Lucanis: Well  

Davrin: And look, I’m no trying to tell you what do to here, because... I trust you to do the right thing. And I don’t want to influence your decision too much but… I’d owe you one, all right? I gotta go, but just… think about it ok? No pressure!

Lucanis: I don’t think… ! *sigh* 

Lucanis: Mierda… I need a cup of coffee after this

// 

Lucanis: The griffon has too much treats…. Has… everyone finally lost their minds… or have I finally lost my mind. 

Spite: You say it like it can’t be both 

Lucanis: Spite. Rhetorical question. We’ve talked about this. 

Neve: Hey Lucanis! Do you mind if I sit down, or am I interrupting something?

Lucanis: Oh I was just… you know what, never mind. Please, Neve, go ahead 

Neve: So Davrin finally caved in 

Lucanis: He… what?

Neve: Honestly, I love that for you. You’ve come so far in your friendship that he’s willing to trust you with his dirty work 

Lucanis: Neve I… I don’t know what you’re talking about

Neve: Of course you don't. But even if you didn't know what I say that I know I still know what you'd know from what I know that he knows 

Lucanis: Neve, please, I haven't had my coffee yet

Neve: Davrin’s been trying to figure out who’s been sneaking Assan extra treats, he knows it’s one of us out here in the courtyard, but out of all the people he’s talked to no one seems to know anything, isn’t that just curious

Lucanis: It’s not the word I’d use but sure 

Neve: Of course, Bel and Lace are as opaque with their intentions as a sheet of glass, and by all reason if it was you he probably wouldn’t have found out in the first place 

Lucanis: I’m glad my talents are getting widely recognized 

Neve: Which really only leaves me, and I can’t deny that I do make for pretty convincing prime suspect for this case

Lucanis: Someone gave snacks to a bird, I hardly think this should be called a case 

Neve: But as sure as he probably is that it’s me, he can’t come accusing me of anything without evidence, because that would make him look irrational, and we can’t have that.

Lucanis: Neve, there is not a single part of this that seems rational to me

Neve: He knows he’s not gonna catch me all by himself, so what can a lone warden do but rally his troupe. He needs eyes out here in the yard, and sure Lace would be pretty handy at the task, but she’d be oh so morally conflicted about it. And even if he managed to convince Bel she would still be pretty useless. Which leaves… you

Lucanis: I wish the only way I had been left, was out of this   

Neve: I just had to keep an eye out for when he’d inevitably come crawling to you. He got the right idea about talking to you when I’m not around, but… he wasn’t exactly discrete in the way he went about it. Sometimes the way you hide something reveals more about the thing you’re hiding than if you never tried to hide it in the first place, you know what I mean?

Lucanis: I don’t think I know what anything means anymore 

Neve: Now he can’t exactly give you a contract, because he’s above that, so he has to try to convince you the comradely way. Which means, right now you are conflicted about what to do

Lucanis: Neve I'm conflicted about what to think 

Neve: Must have felt great for him to finally overcome that hurdle, being able to ask you for help. But… he did take his sweet time with it, guess he had to swallow a lot of pride to get there. Which is… really fortunate for me because it’s given me plenty of time to… indulge, in other things

Lucanis: I feel like I’m not going to like where this is going 

Neve: What was the name of supplier for your fancy coffee? Eligio Mancini? Lives at the upper end of the Treviso east district

Lucanis: Yes that’s… how did you.. 

Neve: Such a great product, or so I’ve been told, I'm not really privy to it. But as it happens I do know a Tevinter noble that is just crazy about the stuff, so naturally I just had to provide them a sample. And what would you know, they loved it. Probably so much that they’d buy out the entire stock… if I gave them the name of the supplier

Lucanis: Neve are you…

Neve: Am I what?

Lucanis: …are you blackmailing me?

Neve: Am I? I’m not playing the board, I’m just pointing out where the pieces are 

Lucanis: Maker help me…

Neve: Oh The Maker can’t save you from me, you know that

Lucanis: That is definitely sacrilege… but also not inaccurate 

Neve: Well, this has been… very informative Lucanis. I gotta go but please… don’t make any decision you will regret later

Lucanis: See you tonight?

Neve: Oh for sure, love you

Lucanis: Love you, bye

[xothatnerdykid]

what would you do? (baby, if you only knew)

When mysterious pro hero Eraserhead saves you one night, you insist on buying him a cup of coffee to say thank you. Aizawa Shouta/Eraserhead x fem!reader drabble. Cute and fluffy but very suggestive towards the end (still SFW tho). 2,409 words.

"It's not safe to be out at night all alone, sweetheart," the man with the wolfish smile moves closer to leer at you.

Ignoring him, you wrap your coat tighter around you and walk faster. 

As your bad luck would have it, this only riles him up further and he chases after you. "Let me walk you home, pretty little thing. Can't have you getting into trouble now, can we?"

"The only one getting into trouble…" Your voice quivers, but there’s a determination underneath your fear as you turn to face the stranger, “Is you!”

You spray your mace in his eyes but he’s faster than you, and stronger too. He wrestles it out of your hand and grabs your wrist, twisting it behind you. 

Before you can even think to scream, the man’s already on the ground.

A figure in dark clothing emerges from the nearby shadows. He had your would-be attacker tied up in a matter of seconds.

“Don’t you know,” he said low and menacingly — too menacingly for a hero, you think — bending down to grab the man’s wrist the way he did yours. “That’s no way to treat a lady?” 

He twists it until the man screams out in agony. “Gaaah! Alright, alright, already! Just let me go!”

“Not until you apologize.”

He looks up at you with frantic, pleading eyes, “I’m sorry. Now will you please tell this psycho to let me go?”

He loosens his grip on the man’s arm with a shove. “The police are already on their way to pick you up, so don’t even think about trying anything.” 

The perpetrator grunts but bows his head in defeat. 

“Are you alright?” The man finally turns to look at you, the harsh edges of his voice softening just a little when he asks you. 

You take a good look at him and realize he’s almost intimidatingly taller than you. With a lean frame clad in all black and a grey scarf, his eyes are dark and piercing in spite of their obvious weariness. He has a scar on his face and long, messy dark hair. 

But in spite of all these things, there’s a kindness to his expression and in the way he almost reaches out to touch you.

You nod. “Yes. Better, now. Thanks to you.”

He drops his hand and stuffs them into his pocket. Silence hangs in the air for a moment before he clears his throat, “Do you need an escort home?”

You don’t, really. It was only a block away from here and much better lit and safer than this shortcut you recklessly took, but you say yes anyway. “I’d appreciate that.”

Without another word, he falls into step beside you as you start walking. It’s not long before you’re at your apartment building door.

You want to say thank you, but — “I don’t even know your name.”

He shrugs. “You don’t need to.”

“I want to thank you properly,” you insist.

He eyes for a moment before hesitantly reaching out his hand. “Aizawa Shouta.”

Oh.

You weren’t expecting him to give you his real name.

He mistakes your surprise for hesitation and almost pulls his hand back before you realize your mistake, hurriedly shaking it.

“Thank you, Aizawa-san. I owe you for saving me tonight. What can I do to repay you?”

He shakes his head. “That’s not necessary.”

“Please, I insist. Do you drink coffee? Or like cats?”

He scrunches his eyebrows at you. “Cats?”

“Yeah, I work at this cat cafe not too far from here. Stop by anytime this week and I’ll have a free coffee waiting for you,” you offer hesitantly. 

“Hmm,” he rubs his chin thoughtfully. “Maybe if I pass by it on my patrol, sure.” 

But his noncommittal answer makes you cross your arms over your chest. “Don’t tell me I have to get myself into trouble to see you again?” You half-joke.

He doesn’t laugh. 

But there's the faintest glimpse of something akin to amusement in his eyes that you convince yourself you’re probably not imagining, so you take that as a small win.

"Your choice," You shrug and unlock the door to your apartment building.  Turning to face him one last time before heading inside, you smirk.

"See you around, Shouta."

He clears his throat but says nothing more. You leave him standing in the dimly lit street outside your apartment, but he doesn’t leave your mind for days.

_________________________________________________________________________

"So is the coffee here any good?"

You look up to the surprising sight of the man who saved you a few days ago standing in front of the counter. “Shouta!” You exclaim, and a genuine smile lights up your face. “Glad you could make it. This shift was starting to get the better of me.”

He rubs the back of his neck and you notice he has his hair up this time, the scarf gone. You can't help but stare at his hands and the exposed skin of his neck as he looks around the cozy cafe and all the playful felines. 

When he doesn’t say anything, you offer, "Do you want to pet a cat? Or just a coffee?" Hopefully not to go, you think to yourself.

“You know I’m too old for you, right?” He asks instead, and you feel your face heat up. 

"I don't think so," you shoot back. And despite how flustered you feel, you look him right in the eye.

He does the last thing you expect him to: he leans against the counter and chuckles. "Relax, I was only teasing."

Filled with newfound confidence, you smirk and look up at him from underneath your eyelashes. "I wasn't."

There’s a moment of charged silence where he looks like he might be on the brink of smiling again, the corner of his lip twitching. But he clears his throat instead and his expression turns stony and blank again. "So, about the coffee..."

_________________________________________________________________________

You tell him it'll be ready in 5 minutes, and he takes a seat in the back corner, playing with some of the cats and kittens. For someone who seems so stern and serious all the time, he's surprisingly gentle with them. You think it adds another layer of intrigue to him. 

As you bring his coffee over, you notice him engrossed in rubbing a little orange tabby cat dozing off on his lap. And you know you're not imagining the smile on his lips this time.

"Enjoying ourselves, are we?" You can't help but poke fun at him as you set his cup down on the table. "Is this what heroes do in their spare time?"

He snorts. "What free time?"

"Oh?" You sit down across from him even though you know you're not supposed to (for reasons other than getting in trouble with your manager). 

You cross your legs and brush your foot lightly against his ankle. And although he doesn't comment on it or react, he doesn't move away either. 

“I’m flattered then, that you somehow managed to find the time to drop by.”

He shrugs, then takes a sip of his coffee. "You should've made one for yourself so you could keep me company.”

"I thought you said I was too young for you?"

"No, I said I was too old for you.”

You quirk your eyebrow in return. "And I said not to me."

And though you're just being your usual playful self, you can sense the subtle shift in the atmosphere as the moment lingers, his gaze intense and scrutinizing. You find yourself falling deep into the darkness of his velvety, ebony eyes.

His little laugh breaks the spell, the sound deep and genuine.

"You're relentless, I'll give you that," He shakes his head, one corner of his mouth tipping up.

"And you're stubborn." You take the drink he offers you and make sure to keep your eyes fixed on him as you sip it. "What's it gonna take for you to listen?”

He quirks his eyebrow at you, and you don’t miss the way his fingers brush against yours when he takes back his coffee cup.

“I’m listening…”

_________________________________________________________________________

Shouta comes back to the cafe a couple of times after that, and it’s always the same: You make sure you don’t take your break until he arrives so you can happily spend all of it and more chatting with him in his favorite corner near the cat tower. 

Each visit is a bright spot in your day, and you allow yourself the small hope that it is for him, too. The conversations flow naturally, a mix of light-hearted banter and personal stories. Aizawa opens up about his work, his passion for teaching, and his love for cats. In turn, you share your dreams, your aspirations, and your random nonsensical thoughts with him.

And just like every other time, you have to force yourself to get up, sighing. "Okay, everyone's giving me the look again. My break ended about 15 minutes ago."

He holds his hand up to gesture that it's no big deal and gets up too. "Thank you for the coffee and the company. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”

“No, no trouble at all. You know, you don’t have to leave just because I have to go back to work.”

“I can’t. Duty calls.” He rubs the chin of the little tabby cat on his arm and she purrs contentedly. “But I’ll come back. This one seems to have taken a liking to me.”

“She wouldn’t be the only one.”

You can’t help but laugh at the way your flirty comment leaves him a little flustered. He looked devastatingly handsome to you, frowning and turning away to hide his blush.

Clearing his throat, he sets the kitten down gently on the floor with the others. 

As he turns to leave, you impulsively reach out to grab his wrist.

He looks at you, surprised, and you give him a playful smile.

"Hey, one more thing before you go?"

Leaning closer, you press your lips against his in a soft, lingering kiss.

He freezes for a moment, uncharacteristically caught off guard again (you seemed to have a habit of doing that to him). But it’s not long before he relaxes into the kiss, his lips moving against yours with an unexpected tenderness.

When you pull away, you search his face for any indication of his feelings and there’s a spark of something…soft and almost shy in his gaze.

“I’ll be looking forward to that coffee,” he says with his eyes half-lidded and his breath ghosting across your cheek.

"I'll be here," you smile, face flushed and heart racing. 

_________________________________________________________________________

“You’re not wearing your uniform,” Shouta remarks when he sees you again. 

And it’s such an unexpected thing for him to say when you have him pressed up against the wall of the tiny, dimly lit supply closet by the back of the cafe where you were just making out, that you have to laugh.

“I could say the same for you.” You grab him by the collar of his shirt and kiss him again, deeply, searingly. You love how erratic his breathing and his eyes get, the way his swollen lips feel against yours. 

“I’m not working today,” He murmurs, breath mingling with yours.

“Neither am I.”

“Oh?” He pulls aways for a moment. “Then why are you here?”

You smirk, “Didn’t wanna miss my favorite customer in case he came in.”

His face immediately softens, and you revel at the warmth of his thumb lightly tracing the outline of your lips. “Is that so?”

“Yes. By the way, have you seen him yet?”

It’s his turn to laugh now. 

His deep, raspy voice softens to a low, resonant rumble that fills the room, and the sound is so light-hearted — vibrant and alive — that you can’t help the warmth that floods you at the thought of being the one to bring it out of him.

“No, but I’ll be sure to tell you when I do.” He brushes a lock of hair from your forehead and places a soft, lingering kiss there. “In the meantime, I hope you don’t mind slumming it with me.”

“Hmm,” You pretend to think about it for a moment. “I suppose…I could be persuaded…”

You trail your fingers playfully up his shirt and then cup his chin.

“But you’ll have to work hard to convince me.”

His hands wander down your back and stop to rest on your waist, his touch sending shivers down your spine. “Do you want me,” He murmurs in a voice so low and husky it makes your toes curl, “to show you just how persuasive I can be?”

You nod eagerly, and he smirks as he hoists you up and turns you around so that you’re the one pinned up against the wall now. He cradles the back of your head and leans down to capture your lips in another electrifying kiss.

You feel so lost in the sensations of his intoxicating taste, his hungry kiss, his hands roaming your body that you hardly notice yourself instinctively wrapping your legs around his waist.

He does, however, and feeling your grip on him suddenly tighten, hearing your small exclamations of pleasure — it’s enough to leave him just a little dazed and heady with desire.

You pull back for a moment to catch your breath, but he's not having it, quickly closing the distance between you again. He needs this. He loves it too much to stop. 

You feel yourself smile against his lips and push him away gently. “Shouta,” you laugh breathlessly. “Give a girl a minute.”

He chuckles darkly, his playful demeanor from moments ago subtly turning into something more intense. “You know, y/n,” His grip on your waist tightens as he leans in again, his lips trailing a searing path along your jawline and down your neck. “I pride myself on being a gentleman…”

You don’t — can’t — respond, each touch sending a jolt of desire through you. You can hardly contain the soft gasps that escape your lips.

“So I hope you don’t feel offended by me asking this,” you feel his hot breath against your chest, up your neck. When he looks into your eyes, his gaze is smoldering. His dark and clouded eyes flicker down your lips for a moment before he continues, “But would you like to come back to my apartment with me?”

You’ve never said yes to anything faster in your life.

[amethystarachnid]

Tony Stark x Fem!Reader. Exes Stuck Together. Tony and his controversially estranged ex (a superhero) are trapped in a small armored room while in the middle of a battle. They argue with each other at first, but eventually the atmosphere between them changes to something more gentle - Tony backs down because Reader was injured in the earlier battle. They both eventually admit that they can't escape each other. They escape the closet after arranging a coffee date. Their romance is later rekindled.

STUCK

⤷ ANTHONY “TONY” E. STARK

ᯓ★ Pairing: Anthony “Tony” E. Stark x fem!reader

ᯓ★ Genre: fluff, romance, some action

ᯓ★ Word count: 4k

ᯓ★ Part 2

ᯓ★ Summary: what the ask said

ᯓ★ TW(s): nothing I think?

ᯓ★ Love is in the air - Valentine's Day special game

ᯓ★ My Masterlist

ᯓ★ MARVEL Holiday Special

ᯓ★ MARVEL Multiverse - choose an AU, pair it with your favorite character and make a request!

ᯓ★ Songs & Superheroes tales - The Game (to make a request, follow the rules on the link!)

ᯓ★ MARVEL Bingo

ᯓ★ English isn’t my first language

The moment you step into the SHIELD briefing room, you regret every single life choice that has led you here. Dim lighting, stale coffee stench, Fury standing at the head of the table like some one-eyed god of mischief—not the fun kind. And, of course, the cherry on this particular garbage sundae: Tony Stark, leaning back in his chair, boots kicked up on the table, twirling a pen between his fingers like he has all the time in the world.

You should have known. The universe is nothing if not a fan of sick jokes.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the ghost of Christmas past,” Tony drawls, not even looking up. “To what do I owe the pleasure? Wait, don’t tell me—court-ordered restraining order check-in?”

Your teeth grind so hard your dentist probably feels it in his sleep. “Tony.”

He glances up then, eyes sparking with something that looks a hell of a lot like amusement. “That’s my name. Don’t wear it out. Oh, wait—too late.”

Your fists clench, but before you can contemplate throwing a chair at his annoyingly perfect face, Fury clears his throat.

“Much as I’d love to watch this personal drama unfold like a bad soap opera, we’ve got work to do. So sit down, shut up, and listen.”

You drop into the seat as far from Tony as possible, though it doesn’t feel far enough. He smirks like he knows exactly what you’re thinking. You do your best to ignore it.

“Mission parameters,” Fury continues, tapping a tablet so the screen lights up with a dossier. “There’s a rogue arms dealer selling Stark-tech knockoffs to some very dangerous people. We need two agents who know the tech, the terrain, and, ideally, each other.”

You stiffen. You do know the tech—intimately. The terrain, sure. And Tony? Well.

Tony lets out a low whistle, crossing his arms. “So let me get this straight. You’re throwing me into a high-risk situation with my ex. The same ex who, might I remind you, has attempted to kill me at least twice—”

“Once,” you correct through gritted teeth. “And it was an accident.”

“Oh, of course. Just a little ‘whoopsie’ with a high-powered energy weapon. Happens to the best of us.”

Fury looks between you, unimpressed. “Am I gonna need to call in therapy dogs, or can you two act like professionals?”

Tony exhales, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know, boss. I’m getting some real ‘knife in my ribs while I sleep’ vibes here.”

You glare at him. “If I wanted you dead, Stark, you’d be dead.”

“Flattering.” He winks. “Almost romantic, in a ‘Fatal Attraction’ kind of way.”

Fury rubs his temples. “I already hate this.”

“Yeah?” You lean back. “Try living it.”

“Alright, enough. You two have history. You don’t like each other. Boo-hoo. But this mission is bigger than whatever unresolved sexual tension—”

“There is no—”

“—that is painfully obvious to everyone in this room.”

Tony shoots you a smug grin. You resist the urge to throw something at him.

Fury ignores both of you and taps the screen again, pulling up images of a heavily fortified compound. “The seller, Vasili Markov, operates out of this facility. We need to shut him down, recover the stolen Stark-tech, and leave no trace.”

Tony strokes his chin in mock contemplation. “Hmm. Sounds like a lot of work. And let’s be real, I do my best work solo.”

Fury levels him with a look. “You’re not solo. You’re a team.”

You and Tony exchange glances. Neither of you speaks, but the message is clear.

This is going to be a disaster.

Tony clicks his tongue. “Fine. But if she shoots me, I expect hazard pay.”

You smile sweetly. “Oh, I wouldn’t waste a bullet.”

Fury sighs. “Get out of my sight.”

Tony pushes back his chair with an exaggerated groan. “Great. Road trip with my ex. Just what I always wanted.”

You stand, arms crossed. “Try to keep up, Stark.”

He grins, sharp and easy. “Oh, sweetheart, I was born ahead of the curve.”

You turn on your heel and walk out, knowing full well he’s watching you go.

This mission already sucks, and it hasn’t even started yet.

You adjust your tactical gear in the back of the Quinjet, pretending Tony Stark isn't watching you with that infuriating smirk.

"Y'know, you never used to be this quiet," he muses, leaning back against the wall, his arms crossed in a way that makes him look insufferably relaxed.

You double-check your weapons. "I learned the value of silence. Mostly from realizing you never shut up."

Tony clutches his chest dramatically. "Ouch. And here I thought you'd be happy to see me."

You finally glance up at him. "Happy isn’t the word I’d use."

"Mm, well, something is the word, though," he says, tilting his head. "Because you haven’t looked at me properly since we got on this jet, and I have to say, that stings a little."

You huff, strapping your holster to your thigh. "Maybe I’m just trying to focus."

"Right. Focus. That's exactly what you said that time we got locked in my penthouse during a blackout."

Your hands still for half a second before you force yourself to keep working. "Are you seriously bringing that up now?"

Tony grins. "Well, it’s relevant. We were stuck together, a little bit of danger, a little bit of unresolved tension—remind you of anything?"

You glare at him. "If you think this mission is anything like that night, you're delusional."

"Eh, maybe." He shrugs. "But in my defense, that night ended pretty well for me."

You tighten your holster strap with a little more force than necessary. "And ended badly for me."

Tony sighs dramatically. "Yes, yes, the great escape. You fled my apartment at 4 AM like I was a one-night stand you regretted. Not my proudest moment."

You glare at him. "And yet, you keep bringing it up."

Tony leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "That’s because I still don’t get it, sweetheart. One second, everything was fine, and the next, you were gone."

Before you can answer, the Quinjet's systems signal arrival. The autopilot activates stealth mode, and the mission briefing flashes across the display.

Saved by the mission.

You press a hand to your earpiece, switching into full focus mode. "We’re almost there. Keep it professional, Stark."

Tony watches you for a second longer, then nods. But there’s something in his eyes that says this conversation isn’t over.

And you’re not sure if you hate or want that.

It’s a disaster from the moment you enter the facility.

The alarms shouldn’t have gone off yet, but they do. The guards shouldn’t have been this prepared, but they are. Within minutes, the entire compound is in full lockdown.

"Well," Tony says, firing off a repulsor blast, "so much for a quiet mission."

You duck behind cover as bullets shred through the walls. "This was your plan!"

"Hey, statistically, at least 40% of my plans work out!"

"And the other 60%?"

"...are fun learning experiences."

You roll your eyes, taking out two guards in quick succession. But the numbers keep coming, and even with Tony's firepower, you're being backed into a corner.

"We need to get to the control room," you say. "If we can override the security, we can get out of here."

Tony scans the layout with his suit. "Way ahead of you. There’s a passage up ahead—"

Before he can finish, an explosion rocks the building. The floor crumbles beneath you.

You fall.

You hit the ground hard, dust and debris filling the air. Somewhere near you, Tony groans. The room is small, metal walls reinforced with no windows. One heavy door.

You’re trapped.

Again.

Tony’s voice filters through the dust. "You okay?"

You grit your teeth. "Peachy."

His suit whirs as he sits up. "Well, look at that. Trapped together in a tiny armored room. Just like old times."

You push yourself up, ignoring the sharp sting in your side. "This is nothing like old times."

Tony shrugs. "It’s got all the elements—tight space, unresolved sexual tension, the looming threat of death…"

You shoot him a glare and try to focus on the door. "Help me get this open."

Tony sighs, pressing a hand to his suit. "Bad news—systems are glitching from the blast. Can’t scan, can’t blast through yet."

You grit your teeth. "Of course."

"So," Tony says, crossing his arms. "Wanna fight or make out while we wait?"

You groan. "I hate you."

"See, that’s where you keep confusing me," he says, tilting his head. "Because if you really hated me, you wouldn’t look at me like that."

Your jaw clenches. "Like what?"

"Like you miss me."

Your breath catches for half a second before you shut it down. "You're delusional."

"Maybe," he says softly. "But I’m also right."

You shake your head, pressing a hand against the wall to steady yourself. The pain in your side flares up, and you bite back a wince.

Tony doesn't miss it.

His teasing fades instantly. "You're hurt."

"I'm fine."

"Don’t lie to me."

You exhale through your nose, turning away. "It's nothing."

Tony's voice is quieter now, but insistent. "How bad?"

You don’t answer.

That’s all he needs.

He steps closer, and you try to ignore the warmth of him near you. "Let me see."

"Tony—"

"Now."

You sigh, knowing he's not going to let this go. Reluctantly, you pull back your vest just enough for him to see the blood seeping through your undershirt. The wound isn't deep, but it's enough to make moving painful.

Tony’s jaw tightens. "You should've said something."

"It wasn’t the priority."

His eyes flicker to yours. "You are the priority."

Something in your chest tightens.

Neither of you speak for a long moment.

Then Tony exhales, shaking his head. "You always do this."

You frown. "Do what?"

"Shut me out. Pretend you're fine when you’re not." He looks at you, frustration and something softer in his eyes. "Was that why you left?"

You swallow hard. "Tony—"

"Just tell me the truth," he says, quieter now. "Why did you leave?"

You close your eyes for a second. The words sit heavy on your tongue.

Because I was scared. Because you made me feel too much. Because I didn’t know if I could survive losing you.

But you don’t say any of that.

Instead, you whisper, "Because I thought it would be easier."

Tony watches you for a long time. Then, finally, he nods.

"Was it?" His voice is barely above a whisper.

You meet his eyes. "No."

His expression softens. And for the first time in a long time, there's no sarcasm, no teasing. Just Tony. The man you once loved. The man you maybe still do.

"You know you can’t escape me, right?" he says, a small, tired smile on his lips.

You let out a breath of laughter. "Believe me, I’ve tried."

Tony smirks. "And yet, here we are. Again."

You shake your head, leaning back against the wall. "Yeah. Again."

For once, there’s no arguing. No sharp edges. Just the two of you, trapped together, unable to run.

And maybe, for the first time, you don’t want to.

Tony leans against the wall, watching you like he’s seeing something he wasn’t expecting. You hate that he still looks at you like that—like he knows you better than you know yourself. Like you haven’t spent all this time trying to put distance between you.

And yet, here you are. Again.

You exhale, shifting slightly to take pressure off your injury. He notices but doesn’t comment. Instead, he tilts his head and gives you that familiar smirk.

“So,” he says, “since we’ve already checked ‘almost dying together’ off the list, how about something a little more fun? Say, coffee?”

You raise an eyebrow. “Are you seriously asking me out right now?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, how often do you get life-threatening situations to reflect on past mistakes and make better choices?”

You roll your eyes. “A coffee date isn’t a better choice, Tony.”

He grins. “That sounds dangerously close to a ‘yes’.”

You sigh, pressing your fingers against the bridge of your nose. “This is ridiculous.”

“Ridiculously overdue? Agreed.”

You glance at him, and despite yourself, you feel a smile trying to break through. You fight it, but Tony sees it anyway.

“Look,” he says, a little softer now, “just one coffee. No explosions, no fights, no life-or-death stakes. Just us.”

You shake your head but don’t say no.

Tony nods, satisfied. “Good. That’s settled.”

A few more beats pass in silence. Then, you frown. “We do still need to get out of here.”

Tony stretches, rolling his shoulders. “Right, yeah. Almost forgot.”

You watch as he steps toward the control panel on the door. He places his hand against it, and with an easy flick of his wrist, the lock beeps and disengages.

The door slides open.

You stare at it. Then at him. Then back at the door.

Realization hits like a truck.

“You had the override this whole time?”

Tony smirks, stepping into the hallway. “What, you thought I couldn’t open it? Please. It’s me.”

You gape at him. “You—you kept us in there—”

“For a good cause.” He winks. “And, y’know, for my entertainment.”

You let out a sharp, disbelieving laugh. “Unbelievable.”

Tony gestures grandly. “And yet, so believable.”

You shake your head, muttering a curse under your breath as you follow him.

The mission isn’t over yet. There’s still security to deal with, hostiles to take out, and a very pissed-off arms dealer who is not happy that you’re taking back stolen Stark tech. But none of it really surprises you. It’s just another day, another mission, another ridiculous near-death experience.

You and Tony fight like you always have—seamless, despite everything. No matter how much time passes, you still know how to move around each other, still anticipate his next move before he makes it. It’s frustratingly natural, and you don’t know whether to be relieved or annoyed.

When the last threat is neutralized, the Quinjet arrives for extraction. As you step on board, Tony follows, settling into the seat beside you like it’s the most normal thing in the world.

You exhale, letting yourself relax for the first time in hours. The adrenaline fades, and exhaustion starts creeping in. But before you can fully unwind, Tony nudges you with his elbow.

“You’re not gonna hit me, are you?”

You turn your head slowly. He looks entirely too pleased with himself.

Without hesitation, you punch him in the shoulder—hard.

“Ow—”

“You locked me in a room just to get me to agree to coffee.”

Tony rubs his arm, grinning. “And it worked.”

You groan, shaking your head. “I hate you.”

“Yeah, yeah. You say that, but I still have a date.”

You roll your eyes, but there’s no real heat behind it. He’s impossible. Infuriating.

And yet, somehow, you’re still not canceling.

The following week, you find yourself standing outside a quiet little café tucked away in a part of the city Tony Stark usually has no business being in. It’s charming, warm lights glowing from inside, a few people sitting at outdoor tables chatting over coffee. The kind of place you would’ve chosen for yourself—not Tony. And yet, when you step inside, he’s already there, sitting at a table near the window, tapping his fingers against a ceramic cup. No suit, no press, no Stark Industries entourage. Just him.

When he sees you, he grins like he’s won something. “You showed.”

You slide into the seat across from him. “I said I would.”

“Yeah, but you hate me, remember?”

You roll your eyes as the waitress approaches. You order your usual, and when she walks away, you notice Tony watching you carefully.

“So,” you say, crossing your arms. “This is weird.”

“Weird? Nah. Unexpected, sure. Suspicious? Maybe. But weird?” He shrugs. “I think it’s a step in the right direction.”

You huff a quiet laugh. “I don’t know what direction that is, but okay.”

Tony leans back, stretching his arms behind his head. “C’mon. It’s just coffee. Two totally normal people, drinking totally normal drinks, having totally normal conversations.”

You tilt your head. “Except one of those people is Tony Stark.”

He smirks. “Details.”

The conversation flows easier than you expect. Tony is Tony—sarcastic, charming, occasionally insufferable—but there’s something different about him too. Something quieter, less performative. When he asks about your latest assignments, he actually listens. When he teases you about your coffee choice, he’s grinning like he’s enjoying himself. And despite yourself, you relax.

An hour passes before you even realize it. When the check comes, Tony reaches for it, but you snatch it first.

“Oh, no,” you say. “You don’t get to lock me in a room, trick me into a date, and then pay for it. That’s too much power in your hands.”

Tony grins. “I like when you say it’s a date.”

You glare at him but hand your card to the waitress anyway. As she walks away, Tony drums his fingers against the table. “So, since this wasn’t that bad…”

You arch an eyebrow. “Oh no.”

“Oh yes,” he says, grinning. “How about another? No life-threatening situations this time, I promise.”

You pretend to consider. “Mm. I do enjoy not almost dying.”

“So, that’s a yes?”

You sigh, shaking your head with a small smile. “Fine. One more.”

One turns into two. Then three. Then you stop counting.

Each time, the excuses you give yourself get weaker. You tell yourself it’s just coffee, just catching up, just something casual between two people who used to know each other too well. But then coffee turns into lunch. Lunch turns into late-night drives when Tony shows up outside your place with two burgers and that damn smile.

“I was in the neighborhood,” he says.

“You don’t live in this neighborhood.”

“Well, I do now. Temporarily.”

You roll your eyes but open the door anyway.

And somewhere between all of it, things start to shift. The teasing never stops, but it gets softer. The conversations turn a little deeper. He stops deflecting every time you ask something real. And you stop pretending that being around him doesn’t feel… right.

It’s not dramatic, not some grand moment where everything clicks into place. It’s gradual, like slipping back into an old habit you forgot you loved.

And then, one night, you’re sitting next to him in his workshop, watching him tinker with something you don’t recognize. It’s quiet, comfortable. He tosses you a wrench without looking up.

“Hold this.”

You catch it. “Why?”

“Because I said so.”

You roll your eyes but don’t argue. The quiet stretches, but it’s the good kind. The kind that doesn’t feel like it needs filling.

Then, without thinking, you say, “Are we dating again?”

Tony pauses mid-turn of his screwdriver. He looks up, blinking at you. “Huh.”

“Huh?” You frown. “That’s all you have to say?”

“Well, I thought we were,” he says, setting his tools down. “Unless you’ve just been using me for my riveting company and excellent taste in burgers.”

You snort. “Excellent taste? You eat the same three things.”

He grins. “And yet, you keep eating them with me.”

You hesitate, then sigh. “Yeah. I guess I do.”

Tony watches you for a second longer, then nudges you lightly with his foot. “So? We making this official or what?”

You shake your head, but there’s no denying the warmth in your chest. “Guess we are.”

Tony smirks, victorious. “Knew it.”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.”

And you do.

One second, you’re bantering; the next, your lips are on his, his hands framing your face like he’s afraid you’ll disappear.

You don’t pull away. You don’t even hesitate. You just kiss him back like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Because maybe it is.

The wrench you were holding clatters onto the workbench, forgotten. Tony pulls you closer, backing you against the edge of the table, and you let him. His hands slip down to your waist, fingers pressing into the fabric of your shirt like he’s relearning something he never meant to forget.

You break away just long enough to mutter, “This is a terrible idea.”

“Yep.” He kisses you again.

Your fingers tangle in his shirt, pulling him closer as the heat between you builds. There’s a hum of energy in the air, electric and inevitable, like a storm rolling in. He lifts you onto the workbench, knocking over a few stray tools, but neither of you cares. His lips find your neck, his breath hot against your skin, and you let your head tilt back, exhaling sharply.

“You taste like engine grease,” he murmurs, grinning against your jaw.

You laugh, breathless. “And whose fault is that?”

He doesn’t answer—just kisses you again, deeper this time, like he’s making up for lost time. Like this was always meant to happen. And maybe it was.

—

A few days later, you’re standing in a briefing room, arms crossed as you watch Fury pace back and forth in front of the holo-display. It’s the same as always—another mission, another classified objective, another dangerous situation that requires your skill set.

But something is different. And Fury notices.

He stops mid-sentence, narrowing his one good eye at the two of you. You glance at Tony, who is standing next to you, looking too relaxed. Suspiciously relaxed. He smirks at Fury like he knows exactly what’s going through his head.

Fury folds his arms. “Something’s different.”

You feign innocence. “Different how?”

He squints. “You tell me. You two normally bicker like an old married couple, but today…” He gestures between you and Tony. “There’s a thing happening.”

Tony tilts his head. “A thing?”

Fury glares. “A thing. A change. A shift in the atmosphere. And I don’t like it.”

You sigh. “Can we focus on the mission?”

“Oh, I am,” Fury says. “I’m just trying to determine whether or not I need to separate you two like misbehaving teenagers.”

Tony leans in slightly. “Technically, we are misbehaving.”

You elbow him in the ribs.

Fury groans, rubbing his temples. “I don’t have time for whatever this is. Just don’t let whatever this is get in the way of the mission.”

“No distractions,” you assure him.

“No making out in the middle of a gunfight,” he warns.

Tony gasps. “You think so little of me.”

Fury raises a brow.

“…Okay, fair,” Tony concedes.

Fury sighs, already exhausted. “Get out of my sight.”

As you and Tony leave the room, he nudges you. “So… does this mean we’re official-official?”

You roll your eyes but can’t fight the smile. “I guess so.”

Tony grins. “Knew it.”

[poppitron360]

Lost Trio Week- Day 2: “Mortal AU”

@lost-trio-week

Piper:

Jason (5:00pm): My flight just landed.

Piper (5:02pm): welcome to the city!

Jason (5:02pm): Yeah, well, not ready to explore just yet. Gotta sleep off this jetlag first.

Piper (5:04pm): yh ive got stuff 2 do now

Piper (5:04pm): Im free tomorrow if u wanna tour

Jason (5:04pm): Great! Where should we meet?

Piper (5:10pm): i simply must to take you to this local coffee shop i found.

Piper (5:11pm): the barista is so your type

Jason (5:11pm): Colour me intrigued!

Jason (5:12pm): What’s the address?

“Well, if it isn’t one of my favourite regulars,” the barista nodded at Piper, “How ya been, girl?”

“Hey, Leo!” Piper replied. She gestured to Jason as if she was showing off a prize pig. “I brought a friend!” She announced, “This is Jason.”

Jason stepped forwards and scanned the menu on the chalkboard behind the counter.

“Umm… what’s your tea selection?”

Leo tapped the logo on the price sign, “This is a coffee shop, mi amigo.”

“Are you making fun of my dyslexia?” Jason quipped back.

Leo rolled his eyes, and tapped something on the register screen as he talked. “We do, in fact, sell tea,” he relented.

“What kind?”

He paused his tapping and looked up, “Teas have kinds?”

Jason huffed, “If it’s an option, I’d like Earl Grey, milk, two sugars.”

“Earl Grey? That sounds like a Grandpa drink.”

Piper snorted. “I mean, he’s got a point,” she remarked.

“You’re one to talk, you only drink that overpriced Pumpkin Spiced Latte crap,” Jason countered.

“Well excuse me for enjoying a little seasonal treat!”

Leo clicked his fingers, “Preach, sister!”

They high-fived. Jason rolled his eyes, “Can I just get my tea, please?”

“Yo! Julie!” Leo turned to his co-worker behind him, “Do we sell any Grandpa Tea?”

“I don’t f&^%*ng know, Leo!” Julie snapped, “Do your own f*&$%^ng job!”

Leo turned back and shrugged.

“I’ll have a look in the back for you,” he said, his tone a little more forgiving. Piper saw him snapped at by Julie a lot, “But find a place to sit and wait. You’re holding up my line.”

Leo then went back to nonchalantly tapping at his register, and Jason went to find an empty table while Piper ordered.

Piper found Jason sat in a booth by the window, mindlessly scrolling on his phone. They talked for a while when something caught their attention in the corner of the room.

A TV hang from the ceiling a few booths over. It was playing a news story. The reporter was talking over visuals of a man in a pinstriped suit shaking hands with someone important. Jason immediately blushed and hid his face. The headline scrolling across the screen read: “Politician Gary Jupiter caught in another Sex Scandal.”

“Great,” Jason muttered, “Hi, dad.”

Piper gave him a sympathetic look. Her dad was a disgraced Hollywood movie star, and her mom won Miss America three years running, she knew all about famous parents. She knew all about scandals and controversy. Her family was hit with bankruptcy a few years ago and mostly disappeared from the public eye, but she still had to avoid paparazzi wherever she went.

“I just wish he didn’t have to globally embarrass himself this often!” Jason groaned, “Although, what does it matter? I’ve only met the guy once, and to be honest he’d probably fathered about half the American public. Me and Thalia was just the product of another of his affairs.”

“That sucks, man,” she consoled.

Jason was about to say something else, but Piper quickly shushed him when she saw Leo walking over with a hot cup of steaming something in his hand.

“I got your tea for you,” he said.

“HE WENT TO THE STORE AND BOUGHT SOME!” Came a shout from behind the counter.

“Shut up, Julie!”

“I HAD TO COVER HIS SHIFT SO HE OWES ME!”

“I know, Julie!”

Jason took a sip, “This tastes different from store-bought tea. Did you do anything to it?”

Leo blushed, “I added a little bit of cinnamon. Sorry, I should’ve probably checked with you beforehand- allergies and stuff. They talked our ear off about it in staff training last week. I can take it back if you like-“

“No! No! It’s delicious, thank you.”

Piper smiled.

“Oh… okay…”

“HE SAYS HE THINKS YOU’RE CUTE AND HE WANTS YOUR NUMBER!”

Leo’s cheeks turned the colour of beetroot. He cringed, “Thank you, Julie!”

Julie flipped him the bird from across the room.

Leo didn’t make eye contact with Jason. “That’ll be 2.25,” he muttered in a small voice. Then, more confident, “She was only joking by the way. She likes to mess my life up like that. Ignore her.”

“Oh…” Jason said, his tone rather disappointed. Piper raised an eyebrow.

Leo looked like he was about to leave, but Piper saw how Jason was glancing at Leo out of the corner of his eye. She knew she had to intervene- get these two talking.

“So, Leo,” she said, “What made you come to work here?”

“Oh! Um…” Leo turned around, “I’m only working here ‘til I can scrape together enough dough to buy my own machine shop.”

Piper smiled, coyly, “Oh really?”

“Yeah…”

Stretching out her leg, Piper hooked her foot around a chair from a nearby table and dragged it over next to the booth. She gestured at Leo to sit in it, “Tell us more.”

She caught Jason’s eye and winked. Jason blushed.

Leo looked nervously back at the counter, “I’m going on break, now, Julie!”

“Whatever!”

Leo sat down.

“Why a machine shop?” Piper asked.

“Well… I grew up with machines. I used to help my mom down at her warehouse before it burned down.”

“So you’re good with machines?”

“Oh, sister,” Leo leaned back in his chair, confidently, “I’m the best there is.”

Piper glanced at Jason.

“Machines,” she mouthed. She pointed at her bicep, “Big muscles.”

“Shut up!” Jason mouthed back.

They talked for a while. After some time, Jason finished his tea and ordered another.

Leo had brought them four more rounds of drinks before Julie snapped at him to get back to work.

“Welp,” Leo patted the table, “I really gotta go. See ya, Piper. See ya, Earl.”

‘My name is Jason!”

“Nah. Your name’s Earl. Earl Grey,” Leo gave him a mischievous smile, “You know it’s a barista’s job to get your name horrifically wrong. It’s part of my contract.”

He turned to leave, but before he could, Jason called to him.

“Wait-“

“…yeah?”

Jason was blushing profusely now, “Did-Did you want my number?”

Leo grinned, looking way too happy about the prospect, “Okay!”

Jason grabbed a napkin and a pen and scribbled it down. Leo took it and bounded back to the counter, grinning.

Jason turned back to Piper, “Thank fuck- drank too much tea and now I really gotta pee.”

Jason stayed in the city for a few more weeks. He met with Piper almost every day at the coffee shop.

Leo would come and talk when Julie let him. It was obvious that he was smitten with Jason, and Jason liked him back. Piper had to repeatedly resist the urge to yell “ugh, just kiss already!” multiple times a day.

It was the day before Jason had to leave, and Piper was getting impatient. She was about to do something drastic, when…

“Hey, Piper! Sorry, I actually can’t stay very long. I’m just here to meet Leo- we have a date!”

“OH MY GODDD!!’ Piper, squealed, bouncing up and down, “Fucking FINALLY!!”

“I just need to wait for him to finish his shift-“

Just then, Leo came out of the store cupboard, dressed in a white shirt and suspenders. He ran his hands through his hair, nervously, then hung his apron on a hook.

“…Hi,” Jason said, his mouth open.

“Hi,” Leo replied, “You ready to go?”

“Uhh… yeah. What do you wanna do?”

“Hmm…” Leo scratched his chin, “How about… coffee?”

Jason giggled and blushed. Leo offered Jason his arm and led him out the door.

“Don’t fuck it up, Jase!” Piper teased after him.

“I’m a professional!” Jason countered.

Piper (8:01pm): Babe it finally happened.

Piper (8:01pm): Leo and Jason have a date!!!

Shel (8:02pm): OH

Shel (8:02pm): MY

Shel (8:02pm): GOD

Shel (8:03pm): FINALLY!!!

Piper (8:04pm): IKR!!!

Shel (8:05pm): Tell. Me. EVERYTHING.

Piper (8:10pm): still wating on a call from jason 2 know how it went

Piper (8:11pm): will keep you updated

At 9:30 in the evening, Jason called.

“Hey, Jase. How did your date with Leo go?”

Jason smiled, shyly over the video call, “He’s… really smart. And cute. And short. But, like, in a cute way. It’s a shame my flight leaves tomorrow.”

“Did… did you tell him you were leaving?”

Jason looked down, ashamed, “No, I didn’t. I probably should’ve, it’s just… things were going so well and I didn’t wanna ruin it. But I should tell him.”

They talked for a while about how the date went. She could tell that Jason was hiding something. She hoped he was planning some big gesture. Shel would eat that story up.

“It’s getting late, I’m gonna sign off,” Piper said eventually, turning over on her back and hovering her finger over the hang up button.

“Okay.”

“If you want, I can drive you to the airport?”

“No, it’s fine…” Jason had a faraway look on his face, “I have some… errands I need to run. I’ll see you around.”

Piper tried not to show that she was grinning ear-to-ear, “Alright then. Bye.”

She hung up.

Piper (10:34pm): jason’s planning something i can tell.

Shel (10:35pm): THE DATE WENT WELL??

Piper (10:35pm): SO well.

Piper (10:35pm): Idk what he’s gonna do but ill be there at the coffee shop tomorrow.

Piper (10:36pm): I wanna watch how this plays out

Shel (10:38pm): omigod lmk how it goes!!!!

Jason:

Jason watched the image of Piper’s face blink off the screen.

He took a deep breath, then dialled a different number.

It rang eight times, then went to voicemail.

“Hey dad…? I need a favour.”

Jason walked up to the counter the next day.

“Well if it isn’t Earl!”

Jason smiled, “Can I get-“

“Coming right up,” Leo cut him off, “Milk, two sugars. I know the drill.”

He set about making brewing the kettle.

“Can I take it to go this time?” Jason asked.

Leo paused, and looked up from his work, “You’re… not sticking around?”

“No, I’ve got a flight to catch. In about an hour.”

“A… a flight?” There was sadness in his voice. He looked like he was about to say something- but just then, the kettle made a loud ping!

“Tea’s ready.” Leo wouldn’t meet Jason’s eyes as he poured the boiling water into the heat-proof cup and added the sugar and milk.

“Did you add-“

“A bit of cinnamon. Yup.”

“Thanks,” Jason took the tea, and turned to leave, then stopped and doubled back. “Oh, I almost forgot-“ he took a deep breath, and pulled a the stack of cash out of his pocket, “Your tip.”

The giant wad was almost too much to fit into one hand.

“Wh-Wha-“ Leo spluttered. He reached out tentatively, but pulled his hand away.

“Here, take it,” Jason waved the cash at him.

“H-how much is that…?”

“Easily enough to put a down-payment on a machine shop. Take it.”

Leo’s mouth hung open in shock, “I… I can’t accept this. For one thing, it’s definitely against company policy-“

“Fine, then. Don’t accept it as a tip, but an investment.”

“An… investment?”

“Yes. From a future customer at your shop,” Jason shoved the wad at him, “Look, man, I’m holding up the line and my tea’s getting cold. Do you want the money or not?”

Leo grabbed the money with trembling hands. “Is this for real?”

“Yeah.”

“B-but you’re leaving.”

“I’ll come back.”

“A-and the money’s legit? You’re not, like, committing tax fraud just to give it to me?”

“No, I’m committing tax fraud anyway.”

“Oh…”

“That was a joke. I just called in a few favours. No big deal.”

“Oh!” Leo grinned, “So…”

“Yeah…”

“Thank you, Jason.”

“Hey!” Jason beamed at him, “You said my name right!”

“Yeah, that’s because I’m not a barista anymore!” He took off his apron and threw it on the ground, then turned to his co-worker, “Hey Julie! Guess what? I f^%$¡ng quit!”

“What-“

“Addios!”

“But-“

Before Julie could stop him, Leo marched out of the front doors, putting up the finger in her direction as he did so.

“YOU STILL NEED TO PUT IN YOUR TWO WEEK’S NOTICE!!” Julie called, but Leo was out the door.

“What are you doing standing there, doofus?”

Someone had stood up on a table at the back. Jason hadn’t noticed them before. They wore a leopard-print trench-coat and heart-shaped sunglasses, but Jason recognised the voice.

“Piper?? What’re you-“

She shed her elaborate disguise, and stared at him, “You’ve got a flight to catch, right?”

“Yeah, but I-“

“So?! Chase after him!”

“But-“

“Kiss him in the rain!”

Jason glanced out the window, “It’s not raining.”

“Doesn’t matter! Just don’t let him get away!”

Jason looked out at the busy high street. Leo, having doffed his barista’s apron was parading down the sidewalk, his head held high. He looked so cute- so unabashedly himself- that Jason swore in that moment that wasn’t gonna let Leo be the one that got away.

“Jason!! What’re you waiting for?” Piper insisted.

Jason turned to her.

“Piper?”

“Yeah?”

“Hold my tea.”

With that, he was out the door and running. Running down the high street. Running after Leo. Jason hadn’t felt this alive since… since he could remember.

“Leo wait-“ Jason yelled.

The former barista turned in shock to see Jason standing, completely out of breath, in front of him.

“I *wheeze* just wanted to *wheeze* say that *wheeze*-“ he spluttered.

Leo chuckled, “What is it?”

“Hold on… lemme catch my breath…” Jason stood with his hands on his knees and breathing hard, “I just wanted to say that… I’d like to go on another date with you.”

“Yeah that was kind of already implied,” Leo said.

“It… it was?”

“Look you’re leaving town- that’ll complicate things, sure. But we’d already established that you’re coming back. I’ve got your number. You could’ve just called me on the plane if you wanted to keep chatting.”

“…yeah.”

“So… what was this gesture meant to accomplish exactly?”

“That I… I like you, I guess?” Jason said, sheepishly.

Leo laughed, “But I thought we’d already established that, too?”

Jason threw up his hands, “I don’t know! I thought it was romantic. There’s always scenes like these in shitty rom coms on TV. Sue me!”

Leo grinned, “Well, it’s very sweet. But also stupid.”

“Okay, well, I just realised that I never got to say goodbye before I left. Yes- that! Good! I’m going with that.”

“Alright then. Goodbye, Jason. I’ll probably text you in the next half hour.”

“Okay then… bye, I guess.”

Leo walked away.

“Well that was awkward.”

“Gah!” Jason nearly jumped out of his skin. Behind him stood Piper, slurping on an iced latte. She had donned her sunglasses and trench-coat again, and had a big grin on her face. “Geez, I thought you were a professional?”

“That was your idea!”

Piper shrugged, “I’m an agent of chaos. Now you better run or you’re gonna miss your flight. Here’s your tea.”

“More running?” Jason groaned, as he took the cup and sprinted off in the direction of the airport.

— — — — — — — — —

Technically Valgrace and not Lost Trio, but I thought having Piper narrate and orchestrate most of it would even it out.

I’ve never even read a Coffee Shop AU before, let alone written one- could you tell?

Trying to subvert the stupidest romance tropes by just making it as stupidly awkward as possible. This might be unreadably cringe but hey at least I got something out before the deadline!! (And neglected all my irl responsibilities to do so!!)

Still learning how to write mortal AUs- it’s something I find difficult as someone who struggles with existing in real life anyway. I’m loving that this event is taking me out of my comfort zone and getting me to write in a style I wouldn’t usually write in. I can’t wait to see y’all’s responses when I get back from Hiatus.

Btw, Julie is a reference to Julie Powers from the Scott Pilgrim movie/show/graphic novels (played by Aubrey Plaza). There’s actually a lot of subtle references/homages to my favourite things in this fic.

I hope you enjoyed, and I’ll see y’all tomorrow for the next prompt!!

@euryvices-deactivated20241019 @deciduowl @lavenderfairiez @ottpopfic @ginnyluna @groverapologist @echo-stimmingrose @demigod-shenanigans @keefessketchbook @sleepyycapybara @123letsgobestie @kaleidoskuls @fairytalesociology @four-leafed-queer-gal @child-of-helios @green-tea217 @puzzled-pegasus @twomanyfandomshelp @lokiwiiiiiii @yoshuko-ew @frayna-of-the-hollow @via-rant @daonedaonlyskh @hadeslegacyhephgirl @siimplyapril @pjowasmy1stfandom @thetourturedwritersclub @m-for-now

[hunterssm00n]

Adore

Yandere! Sheriff OC / part 4 /

I'll give you everything...

*cw include stalking, yandere behavior, abuse of authority, obsession, and dark themes* MDNI - 18+

♡˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ♡

hunterssm00n © All rights reserved by me. I do not allow this work to be used or adapted in any way without my permission.

I make the short drive to the local coffee shop on my first break, at nine in the am the next day. The whole morning I’d done nothing but think about what transpired last night - what I allowed myself to do. What I thought about while I did it. And why, in gods name, I’m not as disgusted with myself as I should be.

It’s a lot to unpack, and the work day is sure to be long.

I wait in line to order my usual - a white chocolate iced mocha, even through the freezing temperatures outside. Stepping up to the counter, I smile at the woman behind the register, and before I can ask for my usual, she speaks first.

“Your order has already been paid for - I'll get it started for ya.”

I’m taken aback, and for a moment I think she may be talking to someone else. However, looking around, I realize I’m the only one in line at the moment. "W-What?" I'm so confused I barely react when she reaches out to take my coffee card from my outstretched hand, purposely not taking my debit card which was also clutched in my palm, and stamps it before handing it back to me. It can't be, I think. Surely not here.

The nice woman behind the counter, who takes my order every day I come in here, grins at me knowingly, and remarks, “He’s still back there if you wanna say thank you. Lucky girl.”

I already know what, who, I’m going to see.

Sure enough, I see his tall, broad frame clearly from over the bottles of syrup and espresso machines. His imposing figure is enough to make one look twice, and enough to make me melt inside. His dark hair is slicked back atop his head how he normally wears it, and he's laughing and chatting with an elderly couple at a table near him. On anyone else, that particular hairstyle might look weird, like some gangster wannabe. But on him, it looks sexy. Everything about him is sexy, I realize yet again, as my stomach drops. I can't deny my body's reaction to him. I think about what I did last night imagining him - imagining us - and I know my face burns pink; I can feel it.

There's no way out of this situation. If I deny the coffee to the barista, then they'll think I'm rude or ungrateful. Since I come here almost every day, I don't want them to treat me differently because I wouldn't accept a generous free coffee. If I offer to pay, there won't be any point because it's already paid for. I'm not one to make a scene - unless a situation really calls for it - and he probably knows that I won't make a scene over something as simple as someone buying me a coffee. I know it's not drugged or laced with anything because the barista is about to make it fresh for me right now. In my mind, I think: what's the problem here? This man has practically been terrorizing me for the past few weeks - he should at least buy me a coffee. He owes me. But at the same time, I don't want to take anything from him. I don't want to feed into his obsession; don't want to let him think that what he's doing is in any way okay... right?

I don't see any other way out of this. I smile at the barista, hoping it's convincing, and slowly begin my walk towards the back counter. Towards him.

It takes everything in me to keep my head up and not to look down at the floor. I don't want to seem meek, or timid - which is how most people see me, until they piss me off. But that takes a lot. I'm not angry now, but I am annoyed. Annoyed at him for putting me in this situation in the first place - but also annoyed at myself for enjoying his attention. I don't want to enjoy it. If this was any guy other than Ray Donnovan, I would have gone up to them by now to tell them that I wasn't interested, and to buzz off. I would have made my disinterest very clear. So why can't I do that with him? Why do I secretly enjoy what he is doing to me, in the most depraved, twisted parts of my mind?

Ray has his back turned to me for the moment, still talking to the elderly couple, but I know he'll notice me soon. At this point he can probably damn near sense me. And if he knows what my perfume smells like (which, let's be honest, he probably does!), then he'll definitely know it's me. Swallowing hard, I walk behind him as lightly as possible, trying not to draw any attention to myself. I don't know what I'll do if and when he turns around; I don't know what I'll say. I don't want to be meek and timid, but I'm thinking maybe I can get my coffee as quick as possible and escape out of here before he sees me. Maybe a bit cowardly, but I don't really feel like facing him at the moment; I don't know what I'll say or do.

His voice is so deep it travels through my whole body, practically quaking me in my steps. My knees feel weak and unsteady, and I hope I don't collapse onto the floor behind him; being this close to him is making me feel anxious and... something else. Even though he is not currently talking to me, I can't help but hang onto every word I can make out from him over the normal sounds of coffee being made, people talking across tables, and the local pop radio station blaring from the speakers somewhere above my head. I hope the barista makes my drink fast today as I stop a few feet away from Ray; not too close so as hopefully not to have him notice me (or god forbid, smell me).

He is so much larger than I am; a fact I hadn’t really realized until just now, when I’m practically right beside him. He has to be at least six-two, though I would actually bet that he may be even taller than that. He smells good too; a hint of cologne, mixed with the sweet and spicy aroma of pure masculine musk. Purely the scent of a man. It damn near has my mouth watering.

I try not to look at him, fearing that the weight of my gaze will have him feeling someone watching him; feeling my presence close by, knowing that I'm near. It all sounds so dramatic in my head. But if I didn't see him everywhere I went, or always seem to have him show up when I least expect it, I would probably think the same. Instead, I keep my eyes focused on what the barista is doing, knowing that as soon as she's done with my drink I can hopefully bolt out of here unnoticed.

But right at that moment, I feel immense heat at my left side, and my heart rate spikes as the smell of him increases tenfold. Fuck.

"Kelli."

At that exact moment, as soon as his deep voice breathes out my name in what sounds like reverence, the barista brings my coffee to the counter. "White chocolate mocha," she announces, catching my eye and winking not-so-subtly. My face is still hot, and now burns even more as I walk up to the counter on shaky legs to grab my drink. I realize that I'm not sure I even need the caffeine anymore; I feel like a live wire.

Feeling his eyes on me the whole time, I thank her and bid her a good day, my cheerful voice not relaying the butterflies of both anxiety and anticipation fluttering madly in my gut. His eyes burning into my back, I put the lid on my drink, carefully so my trembling hands don't knock the cup over, and reach for a straw. I feel footsteps on the floor behind me, heavy ones, and I know there's no quick escape from him now. However, I still attempt one.

Not even looking back at him, I begin walking towards the door, stirring my drink to blend all the milk and syrups together with the coffee. I hear him behind me saying goodbye to the older couple he'd been talking to before he follows me - and I don't even have to look back at him to know that he's following. I can feel his heavy footsteps pounding on the wood floor underneath my feet, harder the closer he gets. It gives me shivers, knowing that he's coming after me; knowing about the inevitable interaction that will follow.

I pull the door open and cold air from outside rushes into the warm coffee shop. I'm not fast enough to yank the door closed behind me before one of his massive hands catches it and prevents me from shutting it. The thought of those hands and the things they could be capable of makes me shiver, and not from the freezing temperatures outside. I stamp down the thoughts of what I'd done last night the moment it comes to the surface of my brain. Now is a really bad time to be rehashing that.

"Kelli," He says my name again as I walk down the stairs, gripping onto the railing for dear life so my legs don't give out on me. I don't stop; just keep walking to my car, not sure of what else to do that doesn't involve dumping my mocha over his head. But I would never do that - the waste of coffee would be a catastrophe.

Speaking of coffee, I take a sip of the cold drink despite the equally cold air. Delicious.

Ray suddenly appears beside me, nearly making me jump out of my skin. "Did I get it right?"

It's after a moment that I realize he's referring to the coffee. I blame my slow thoughts on exhaustion and anxiety, both of which he's partly to blame for.

I look up at him for the first time, and the eye contact sends a jolt of electricity through me despite the situation. He's looking down at me so earnestly, sincerely wanting to know if he got my order right. If he wasn't stalking me, I would feel like the luckiest girl in the world for landing such a man. I mean, part of me still- No, I do not feel lucky. Absolutely not.

I speak to him for the first time ever, I realize, and I simply say, "You know you did."

A slow, almost sheepish smile crosses his lips, as if he's embarrassed for knowing my coffee order without ever asking me what it was. "I guess I do, huh?"

I roll my eyes, because I don't know what else to do, and reach into my pocket for my key fob to unlock my car. Even though the air is chilly, my cheeks are hot. I really need my body to stop reacting to him in such a way - it's not helping my case. "I have to get back to work. Thanks for the surprise." I don't really know why I thank him, other than because technically, what he did was an act of kindness. I just wonder what his ulterior motives are.

"Wait," He steps in front of me now and I almost walk into him. I stop dead in my tracks, and there's barely any space between us. My eyes are level with his vest clad chest, and it's wider than the width of my shoulders. My heart feels like it's about to burst out of my chest as I slowly raise my eyes to look up at him, and I have to crane my head back far because he's so tall. He's looking at me like he wants to say something, lips parted, but he doesn't speak. It's almost like he's afraid to say what he's thinking because he knows it will scare me away. However, I find myself disappointed that he doesn't talk; doesn't he at least owe me that?

Finding my courage, I ask him, "What do you want from me?"

For a moment he looks at me, just looks at me, and it's almost to the point where it starts to make me uncomfortable. I'm in my work clothes, covered in dust and dirt from working in the warehouse, but it's like none of that matters to him. He looks at me like I'm the most beautiful thing he's ever seen; like I'm his most cherished person. Like I'm his lover. It's like in this moment I have a glimpse into his soul, and he's laying bare all of the things he's unable to voice; all of the words he's afraid to say out loud. His vulnerability makes me feel equally exposed, and I don't really know what to think about it.

He looks like there's a lot that he wants to say, but he seems to realize the time and place that we're in at the moment: on the sidewalk of a busy street, during the morning rush at all the local coffee shops and cafes, while I'm on a mere fifteen minute break from my soul sucking job. So instead of saying all that he wants to say, he simply answers: "A chance."

I blink up at him, because that's all I can do. If all he wants is a chance, why then doesn't he just ask me out on a date like a normal person? But strangely, his admission has me feeling something like compassion towards him. He could have said anything he wanted, but he chose to say that. Why? My inexperience in the dating and flirting field is probably painfully showing at the moment, because I don't have a response for him. It will probably take the rest of the day for me to even properly digest this first real interaction, and to maybe come up with an afterthought of a response. Even then, I don't know if I'll be able to think of one.

Plus, who the fuck wants to flirt with their stalker? Not me. Certainly not me.

He sighs, a crease between his eyebrows where there wasn't one before. "You should get back, I don't want you to be late."

With that he walks around to the drivers side of my car and opens my door for me, and I guess the conversation is over. As I slide into my car seat, I look up at him once again, wondering if he's going to say anything else, but he remains silent. He waits until I'm buckled in before he leans down into the still open car door. Looking me in the eye, he says seriously, "I hope you have a good day." and I can tell he really means it. With one last look at me, he shuts my car door for me, and then he disappears from my window, walking around to the back of my car so I'm free to drive away.

As I pull out of the parking spot and into the street, I look in my rearview mirror to see that he's still standing in the same spot he was in behind my car, watching me go.

Driving back to my workplace, I know I'll be thinking about this interaction for the rest of the day, whether I want to or not. And the worst part is: I do.

♡˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ♡

This is an original work of mine, as are the characters.

I do not own the song 'Adore' by Cashmere Cat and Ariana Grande. The above picture is from pinterest, and there's a link attached to the original post.

[writin-with-the-blues]

can you please write more of the blu medic x red mercs but the rest of red team finds out?? Like the red merc walks into base and the rest of the team is like "um hey what the HELL you have a crush on a BLU!?!?!?" (If you can't do this scenario for all the mercs can you do it for pyro, engineer, and scout please) thank you!!! Sorry If this request is alot.

Oh absolutely I can do this! Sorry if updates have been slow, finals has been killing me and this seemed the easiest to post. (I feel like I am always writing Pyro wrong LMAO).

OG Post Here

Right person, Wrong side

Pyro, Engineer, and Scout x Male!Blue Medic! Reader (Romantic)

Pyro:

They are probably the most interesting when it comes to you.

They tried to talk about you to the rest of the Mercenaries actually. However, since most of them can’t here them, they brush it off as utter nonsense. Except for one particular person.

Miss Pauling.

It was over a phone call, since pyro was in their room, they didn’t feel the need to put on a mask. It had to do with a contract killing you in particular and they rejected it. Miss Pauling inquired further about it, she was simply told, “Oh they didn’t tell you? I love him.”

“You can fall in love?”

Okay, ow, that hurt. But that one conversation with Miss Pauling somehow got spread around the entirety of Red Team. Though, it isn’t really a case of, ‘They are in love with blue team’ but a case of, ‘They can love?!’

Overall, it went alright. Though it did show how people felt about their cognitive abilities.

Engineer:

Ah yes, Dell, the man with more PHD’s than fingers of the Mercs have after a fight. He got caught because of an invention.

I am a firm believer that Dell’s love languages are Gift Giving and Acts of Service. He adores the moments when you just look so happy and excited, so keeping the stressful moments to a minimum with his inventions or hell just giving you a cup of coffee is something he thinks about a little too much.

So when he finds out that your medigun isn’t working as well as it should be, he immediately gets to solutions for you. It wasn’t like you asked though, since you didn’t even know something was wrong with your medigun in the first place but the nozzle doesn’t have the same range as it used to.

Though, his teams medic assumed it was for him until the very quick realization that it did absolutely nothing for his medigun. Which immediately was brought with accusations of being a spy and betraying the team.

To tell you it was ugly would be an understatement. To the point where his only defense is that he loved you. So he just simply said that. Did it resolve his issues with spy accusations? Yes. But it created a whole new problem.

Now there’s a bit of pressure from the rest of the team to just, ‘Snap out of it’ but he doesn’t. As much as he lies through his teeth, and as much as he tries to ignore it, he can’t. I mean, he’s a full grown man dammit, who cares?

Scout:

If you were to ask me how he even gotten himself in this situation, I’d say the many doodles he has of you.

He has a somewhat (very) crass way of expressing his feelings when using his sketchbook. Everything he feels about you just drawn out, kissing, hugging, other things a 20 year old with art abilities draws.

The first person to find these sketches of you is Spy. His first thoughts follow the beat of, ‘This is really good anatomy.’ To ‘Is that the enemy medic?’

Spy tried to use it as leverage against Scout. Once Scout realized what had happened, he almost immediately decided to tell every red merc on his own terms.

It’s the most Jeremy thing he could do, but I genuinely believe he’d do it. Though it goes as well as you expect it to. Which is not great.

To sum it up, there were so many argument over it. Whether it is justified or not, but most were in agreement that they knew they can’t change his feelings about you.

Masterlist

[myveryownfanfiction]

18+ MINORS AND THOSE WITHOUT AGE IN BIO DNI

tags: @illiana-mystery, @iobsessoverfictionalmen

warnings: swearing

“morning sleepy head.” Dennis teased as I stepped into the office. I flipped him off as I walked past. “Well then.”

“shove it finch. I don’t want to hear it.” I mumbled as I put my head down on my desk. “I had a shit night and I don’t need whatever brand of crap you’re shoveling today.” It was quiet afterwards and I inwardly sighed in relief.

“How was the date last night?” Nina asked as she perched on my desk. I groaned and she rubbed my back. “That bad huh?”

“the asshole decided that when I didn’t invite him up, it meant he could camp out in front of my building and call me every hour on the hour.” I said, peeking up at her. “I finally called the cops around two but I still didn’t get any rest until at least five because they had to interview me. But that’s not the worst.” Maya came over and leaned against finch’s desk as she listened. “I had not one. Not two. But three of the cops trying to hit on me. They wouldn’t leave until almost four. And that’s only because I asked for a supervisor. Who finally made them leave.” Nina bent over awkwardly to hug me.

“oh I’m sorry darling.” Nina said, rubbing my back.

"Like that's so bad." Dennis muttered. "Hot cops hitting on you? That should be a dream." There was a smacking sound and David crying out in pain. “What the hell was that for?!”

“shut up Dennis.” Maya said. “Come on. My office is finch free.” I nodded as I got up to follow the two of them.

“so when did you finally get to sleep?” Nina asked. I shook my head as I laid down on mayas couch.

“sleep? What’s that?” I asked, groaning as I put my arm over my eyes. Maya closed her blinds.

“why don’t you stay here and try to get some sleep?” Maya offered.

“we can run interference with Jack.” Nina said. “I’m sure Elliot will agree.”

“and we’ll find a way to keep finch quiet.” Maya said. I nodded.

“thanks guys.” I said, curling into myself on the couch. “I owe you.” Maya nodded as she headed towards the door. Nina patted my foot before leaving, maya closing the door behind them. I woke up later to the door opening again.

“sorry.” I groaned and rubbed my eye.

“don’t they tell you to leave me alone Dennis?” I complained as I sat up, glancing at my watch before pushing my hair back off my face.

“yeah. But I figured you would probably want something to eat when you got up.” He shrugged, placing the tray he was carrying on mayas coffee table. “Consider it an apology for earlier. Maya explained.”

“I thought I’d explained it well enough in the first place.” I raised an eyebrow at him as I stood up, stretching before wandering over to open the blinds.

“I was having caffeine withdrawal.” He shrugged. I rolled my eyes as I looked out over the city. We fell into silence. Dennis appeared at my shoulder, holding out a muffin. “Here. You must be hungry too.” I nodded in thanks before taking a bite. “Not a bad view.”

“no it’s not.” I agreed. Dennis glanced at me as I continued eating.

“hey i wanted to apologize for this morning.” He said. “I don’t mean half of what I say. Especially when I’m just saying something to be an ass.”

“I know.” I said, throwing the wrapper in the trash. “Didn’t help I was running on maybe three hours of sleep over two days.” Dennis chuckled.

“no it didn’t.” He agreed. “Can I take you out? As an apology and…a date?” I turned to look at him, furrowing my eyebrows at him. “I can promise I won’t stalk you after or make you call the cops who will flirt with you or camp out outside your apartment until you let me up.” Dennis tried to joke.

“you want to go out with me?” I asked. Dennis nodded, a soft smile on his face.

“I’ve like you for a while. It’s just you were always going on dates. Figured now was the chance to ask.” Dennis admitted. I smiled softly at him.

“sure. Wanna leave after work?” I asked. Dennis smiled at me and offered me his arm.

“or we could blow off the rest of the day and go now.” He offered. I took his arm with a laugh.

“you really think Jack will let us?” I asked. Dennis smiled.

“hey you’re the one who got paid to sleep.” He reminded me.

“touché.” I said as I walked with him out the door.

[thecodwritingsideblog]

Delete My Number

Chapter One: Dial Tone

Gaz x Male OC (Lucas)

Summary: Lucas gets a call and Kyle gets a ride.

Notes: This is unedited and looked over once. I’m just here to have a good time lol

Main Post A03

“You’ve reached Lucas Everett’s work phone. He’s busy at the moment, if you leave your name and number-”

“Lucas, it’s Kyle. Um, I know I…bloody hell. I fucked up our date. Fuck. I could really use your help, mate. I sent you the address. If you could come pick me up, I’d owe you one.”

Lucas pulled back from the phone and stared at it. Of all people, he did not expect to get a call from Kyle Garrick. The same Kyle that ghosted him after their date claiming it was ‘work business.’ He could hear Kyle’s muffled voice coming from the speaker. Lucas rotated his lower jaw trying to contain some of the irritation.

“You have a lot of nerve-”

“Oh you’re actually there! Lucas, could you please help me? I’m stuck at the hospital right now and I can’t leave without someone taking me home.”

“And why the hell is that my problem? You left and then didn’t call me for months. Not a few days, Kyle. Not a few weeks. A few months!” Lucas took a breath and pulled himself back, seeing heads turn in the coffee shop he was in.

“Please.” Kyle begged. Lucas groaned, rubbing his hand over his face and scratching at his beard. He’d forgotten to trim it this morning in his rush to get his work emails finished but with his internet out, he had to run down to the coffee shop and use their free internet with the purchase of a coffee. He’d rolled his eyes when the barista had chirped it at him with a twisted fake smile. Hope they run into a car, he thought bitterly.

No, he didn’t. He was just having a shitty day.

Sorry, barista person.

He sighed as guilt buried itself deep into his belly. Maybe he was being a bit of an asshole. Kyle had tried reaching out a bunch after he got back. And he was in the hospital and just needed a ride. Ghosting him or not, Kyle had been a great guy during the date.

“Kyle?” Lucas said softly, his stomach twisting knowing he was probably making a mistake.

“Yeah.”

“Let me finish these emails and I’ll be there in a few.”

“Thank you. I mean it.” He could hear the weight lifting off of Kyle’s shoulders in his voice.

“Yeah.” Lucas hung up and quickly scrolled through his texts. He had ignored the texts Kyle had sent him before. But he never could bring himself to block him or delete his texts. Something in his gut told him to wait. He was also a hopeless idiot who believed in people too much. Which is why he’d steeled himself when Kyle ghosted him. But the texts had slowly chipped at that resolve leading to him giving in.

Sat, Oct 4 at 6:13 PM

Kyle: im sorry work called im make it up to you

Kyle: ill

Sun, Oct 5 at 9:23 PM

Kyle: it really was a work situation i swear

Kyle: i had a lot of fun

Tues, Dec 23 at 2:57 AM

Kyle: i thought about your laugh when my lt told this joke

Fri, Jan 17 at 3:56 AM

Kyle: im sorry

And then his newest texts from a few moments before Lucas got the call.

Mon, Feb 15 at 2:45 PM

Kyle: Whitechapel Rd, London E1 1FR

Kyle: thank you

“Don’t make me regret this, Kyle.” Lucas muttered, closing his laptop after hitting send and making his way to his car.

The drive to the hospital was a nightmare to say the least. Between road work and the normal traffic it took him almost three hours when it would normally take about forty five minutes. The receptionist at the front desk was very kind and told him exactly where to go. Walking through the halls, Lucas was reminded of a time when he would spend lots of days and nights in a hospital. It smelled the same. Clean and sterile. Chemically. The beeping of IVs. Sounds of people talking. The rolling of beds and wheelchairs. He stopped outside the room with the right numbers on the doors and knocked on the wall.

“Hello?” He asked, peeking his head in.

“Lucas!” A very familiar voice called.

As Lucas leaned further into the room, he immediately spotted Kyle sitting on the side of the bed. A nurse was tidying things up and getting stuff packed in a bag. She smiled and rolled her eyes in Kyle’s direction. It made Lucas smile a little. So, Kyle definitely hadn’t changed much from his initial impression.

So the saying was true. Soldiers made terrible patients.

“Ready to head home?” Lucas asked warmly, walking over to sit by Kyle’s bedside. Putting on the air of a loving boyfriend, he guessed. He wasn’t sure what story Kyle had told them.

“Thank you.” Kyle whispered, leaning closer and giving Lucas a grin. Lucas felt his face grow warm. Kyle had that effect. He could turn the charm on so fast it would give you whiplash. And Lucas was easily swayed by it.

Like the night at the bar. He hadn’t intended to say yes to the date originally. Just there to enjoy the company of friends and make sure they didn’t go home with any guys that were too weird. Kyle just had this persuasion about him that could get anyone to say yes to anything.

“The doctor will come in and explain everything in this paperwork about Mr. Garrick’s care after you get him home.” The nurse said, handing Lucas a stack of papers. Lucas’ eyes widened at the paperwork and quickly looked at Kyle, who just gave him a quick wink as he buttoned his shirt. Lucas hoped from the outside it looked like worry, which it was because how bad was Kyle hurt?!

“Don’t worry, love. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. He’ll just need some watching and help for a few weeks.” She patted Lucas’ shoulder as she walked out after giving her parting words.

“Kyle.” Lucas hissed, narrowing his eyes at him.

“Lucas.” Kyle smiled back, but his little fangs were showing and he had this prideful air about him. Like he’d won a difficult game. Beat some sort of opponent that Lucas couldn’t see.

“How bad are you hurt?” Lucas pushed forward. Kyle paused momentarily, his cocky smile slipping for a just a second before he put it back in place.

“Listen. There was no other way. They weren’t gonna let me go home by myself. It’s just until you get me home.”

Lucas sighed and nodded, skimming the paperwork. If Kyle couldn’t leave without having someone with him, his injuries must’ve been serious. What if he really does need help?

“I wanted to apologize about the date.” Kyle offered. Lucas continued to look at the paperwork.

“Mm.” He hummed, still not looking at Kyle. Lucas knew himself. Whatever line he was about to feed him, Lucas would swallow it. Bait, line, and hook.

He always did.

Always forgave.

Always gave in.

“I mean it. I’m sorry for leaving you like that. With no word. It’s an occupational hazard, I’m afraid. But you didn’t sign up for that. I di–”

The doctor walked in at that moment, interrupting Kyle. They both straightened up and looked at the doctor. The explanation was simple and straightforward. Kyle would need assistance around the house. Cooking, cleaning, getting dressed, things of that nature. Not bedridden but he would need to wear his back braces most of the time so as not to mess with the healing of his spine.

That had caught Lucas’ attention immediately.

When his eyes had flown to Kyle’s face, the man wouldn’t look at him. Lucas had huffed at him and rolled his eyes. The doctor had gotten much quieter at the awkward, stiff interaction. They’d been given their marching orders and the quiet ride down to the car. Kyle was unhappy that he hadn’t been able to convince the staff to let him walk to the car.

With some help from the nurse and Lucas, Kyle got stiffly into the car. The nurse waved at them as they drove away. Lucas kept mostly quiet as did Kyle, which wasn’t completely odd from the three days they’d spent together. The silences hadn’t been bad. Kyle seemed to almost ease into them after the first day. Like when you ease into a bath that was a touch too hot but once you settled into it, was the best feeling in the world.

They’d laid together many times just enjoying the moments after sex, Lucas’ hand trailing up and down Kyle’s back. He’d scratch at the nape of his neck. And Kyle would just melt into him. Would bury himself more into his chest. Squeeze Lucas’ tighter for just a moment. Lucas’ had really thought they’d—

“You wanna take this turn here.” Kyle pointed and Lucas took the turn. Lucas moved his thoughts onto other things. No sense in worrying about things Kyle obviously hasn’t thought about. Kyle guided him into the underground parking lot and they both took deep breaths as he parked. Without saying anything, Lucas got out of the car and rushed over to Kyle’s side. But Kyle was already stumbling out, hands clutching the door.

“You need to take it easy. At least till I get you home.”

“Look, I appreciate it, mate. But I got it from here.” Kyle said, standing up straight but the wince on his face said something else. Lucas grabbed Kyle’s bag before he could complain.

“Well, I did promise the nurse I’d see that you got home and settled. May I do that?” Lucas asked, eyeing Kyle. Kyle may have been sweet but Lucas had a strong feeling he was a prideful man too. Most military men Lucas had been with were. The dude with the mohawk had definitely been. Kyle was no exception. Kyle stared for longer than comfortable. Lucas could see that Kyle was looking for something. Thinking hard.

“Alright. But just to the flat.”

Lucas smiled and held out his arm. Kyle gave him a dead stare but Lucas refused to budge. He gave in easier than Lucas thought, hand squeezing his shoulder instead of holding his arm. But Lucas kept it wrapped around his waist, finger hooked into his belt loop. The elevator ride was filled with the sound of their breathing, Kyle’s sounding a little more labored.

Almost reminded Lucas of after they’d—

Absolutely the fuck not, he thought quickly. He ignored the way that thought had immediately sat warm in his belly and below his belt. Lucas needed to focus on Kyle. He needed help. Not some gross dog slobbering after him. Lucas had just finally got his mind straight again when the door dinged and opened. Kyle stood a little more wobbly now as he fished out his keys to open the door from the bag Lucas was holding.

Lucas couldn’t help but stare around the flat. It was massive. Easily three times the size of his own. Kyle had seemed content in his but if this is what he came home, Lucas was surprised he hadn’t felt claustrophobic curled up in Lucas’ studio.

Lucas was supporting more and more of Kyle’s weight as they slowly made their way to the bedroom. He eased Kyle into the bed despite some protest of him wanting to change. Lucas smiled and shook his head.

“I’ll help you change and clean the sheets after you rest. They give you anything for pain?”

Kyle’s eyes were slowly blinking now, his head kept leaning to the side.

“Yeah?” Lucas offered, adjusting Kyle’s pillow. A small little confirmation slipped past Kyle’s lips as he relaxed on his back. Lucas wasn’t sure if the brace he had felt was supposed to come off or if he was supposed to switch it out with the other one in the bag. But Lucas would let it slip for now after he read the paperwork.

“Goodnight, Kyle. I’ll be here when you wake up, okay?”

Lucas smiled again feeling a hand tighten weakly around his wrist before going limp. The exhaustion and medication finally catching up with Kyle. Lucas quietly slipped away and went to get the flat ready. He looked at the packet. And catch up on some reading. He sent a quick text to a coworker to ask for some clothes and other things for the night.

He was gonna be here for a while.

[animestsstuff2]

Titterpated

ProHero Hawks x Fem VillainReader

Part 3

Master list here!

This will stick overall to the plot of MHA with some minor tweaks due to the self insert character! But nothing major.

Content warning: spoilers for S4/5!, manipulation, power dynamic (reader and Dabi),

15:00

Hawks wings floated him in the air as he sipped on the milky tea drink. His wings spanning out behind him as his eyes watched the bustling street below him. His eyes slightly dry and thoughts fuzzy. He was tired, coming off night patrol without his coffee was proving difficult for the avian.

He hadn’t seen you the rest of the week on his night patrol. He did, however, have a run in with a certain black haired man and the interaction left him on edge. His hair waving as he moved through the air deciding to land on rooftop as he replayed the encounter in his head. The request Dabi asked of him to prove himself to the league.

Buzz!

Hawks clouded thoughts vanished as a the Hero Commission icon displayed on his visor. His gloved finger pressing the side of the visor, answering the phone call.

“Hawks” it was Madam President. Hawks moved to sit down, allowing his feet to dangle over the edge as he sipped on his tea.

“Madam President, what do I owe the pleasure?” His voice calm and as ever laid back.

“I know you probably won’t want to hear this but we are putting you back on night patrol” Hawks stomach fluttered. The tea in his mouth getting caught in his throat. He managed not to choke and force out a reply.

“Yeah? How come? You know im an early bird” He feinted a whine. The Hero Commissions preening of him certainly came in handy as he collected himself and hid the excitement he couldn’t help but feel.

The excitement of possibly seeing you again. The excitement that swelled from somewhere deep in his mind.

“There has been movement by the League of Villains. A number of relevant people, people we needed to get more information on the League have been found..well their ashes found. Someone within the League knows, either that we are on to them or they are tying up loose ends” Hawks eyes narrowed instinctively as he thought back to the first night on his night patrol last week when Dabi incinerated that man. Was he an important figure?.

“So you want me find out why? Or just stop them before anyone else gets incinerated?”Hawks asked as his wings curled back in. His tea sat beside him as he rested his weight on his palm.

“Both if you can, finding out why is more important, stopping them is second. If you can find out who they plan to kill before it happens and relay it back to us so we can find out what they know” She stated. Hawks agreed to the request and he would be on tomorrows night patrol for the rest of the week.

Hawks felt something twitch in his stomach as his eyes scanned the ground below him. He couldn’t help but feel somewhat excited. He had orders to further pursue the League. The League that you were part of. Hawks lifted up as a distress signal displayed itself over his visor. His wings pushing him faster, feeling energised as the tea drink fell from the gush of wind. Maybe he didn’t really need coffee, something else had him all amped up.

03:00

You stood with Dabi on the rooftop of some building away from the League’s hideout as you waited. You weren’t sure what for. A yawn pushing its way past your lips as you rubbed your drying eyes.

“Tired Dove?” Dabi’s voice sent a shiver down your back. You glanced over at the man who had a cigarette hanging from his lips as he placed a booted food on the small wall around the roofs edge.

“A bit, why am I here? What are we waiting for” You asked, eyes scanning the dark sky. You didn’t have good vision at night the city lights helped a bit.

“You know why you’re here” You bit your lip at his vague answer that you understood completely. It was silly to ask Dabi why you were here. You weren’t even sure why it slipped out.

If I could i’d be anywhere else right now

Your shoulders tensed as large red wings came into view. Your eyes narrowing as you looked around for other pros as Hawks literally just appeared in front of you. Your eyes unable, however, to spot anyone else and instead focused back on the blonde man carrying a large duffle bag as he landed on the rooftop.

“Hey guys. I brought what you asked Dabi” Hawks voice was light as he dropped the duffle bag at your feet. Dabi crouched down as he unzipped the bag but your eyes were more focused on the yellow ones that stared back.

“You really did kill someone. Some hero you are” Dabi’s voice cut through the tension between you and Hawks and you stilled as your eyes glanced down, widening in horror at the body of the 3rd pro hero.

Hawks heart dropped at your expression. His fingers and stomach curling. Your eyes wide in shock horror as you took a small step away from the bagged hero. Dabi stood up from his position and looked over at you. A grin stapled across his face.

“Somethin’ the matter Angel? What? You thought a hero wouldn’t get their hands dirty, wouldn’t get blood on em’” He teased as he grabbed your wrist and kept you in place. The part of your face visible above your mask had paled slightly. Your body tensing at the almost unbearable warmth of Dabi’s palm as your eyes darted back to Hawks, whose brows were furrowed.

Why is she getting on like this? Wasn’t she a villain too.

“Hey now. I’d be a bit shaken if someone dropped a dead body at my feet huh Dabi” Hawks kept his composure as he forced a light laugh out. He hoped Dabi didn’t catch it, catch the concern he knew he let slip for a second. Dabi didn’t miss it, of course he didn’t. A man who grew up watching out for his father’s emotions, his mother’s distress. He didn’t miss anything.

Primal fuckin’ needs. Poor birdy.

“Hmm, suppose you’re maybe right Hawks. After all Angel here sticks true to her name, ain’t that right Dove. Never hurt a fly” Dabi teased as he finally released your wrist. You just nodded and kept your eyes downcast. A confusion of emotions swelling in your chest as you tried to ignore the growing warmth of your skin and feathers that trembled ever so slightly.

Ring!

Dabi’s hand reached into his coat and pulled a phone out as he flicked it open and walked a bit away. Hawks immediately casted his eyes back to you as he forced himself to say something, anything. He needed to say something to you, something within him wanted to speak to you.

“A-Are you okay?” Your eyes snapped up to meet his and you couldn’t help but feel surprised. He sounded different, sounded honest. His face no longer sporting a smirk, voice no longer light and airy rather weighed down with genuine concern.

“M’Fine just surprised me” you mumbled, growing sheepish as you crossed your arms over your chest wings reflectively coming to curl around your body as a cold breeze brushed by.

“Right, yeah. Your in the League, probably see things like this all the time” Hawks joked as he glanced at Dabi who had walked to the other edge of the rooftop.

“Yeah, always with Dabi so..” Hawks nodded as he puffed his cheeks out unable to draw his eyes away from the bright white of your wings. They were so clean and pristine. Hawks felt his stomach twist at the thought of Dabi preening you, helping with the considerable upkeep of such a quirk.

“Yeah? You guys a thing then huh.” Hawks voice was still light but his pupils had narrowed. You didn’t notice the changing look in the avians eyes as you felt your cheeks warm.

“Me and Dabi? N-No, tha-“

“So quick to say no Angel. Im hurt” Dabi’s voice from behind you made you jump as you instinctively spun round, never liking having Dabi out of your sight. Hawks watched carefully as you began stuttering again. Your wings fluffed out from surprise and embarrassment.

Yellow eyes flicked across your wings as they spotted a pin feather near the base where your wings met your shoulders. His hand reached before he could reason with his logical self that it was not a good idea. His fingers picked the feather, rubbing it between his thumb and index finger as yous stilled and the dry keratin flaked off revealing a short white plume underneath.

“Sorry! Im a real stickler for getting my own pin feathers when I seen that one I couldn’t help myself. Ya’ know like when someone sees a good spot” Hawks curled his arm around his head as he scratched the back of his head, cheeks tinting pink as he laughed lightly. He hoped both of you would buy his act at least Dabi.

“Thanks.” You mumbled as you turned back around. Dabi coming to stand beside you reaching down and grabbing the duffel bag. Hawks eyes flickering to it before meeting the blue eyes of the man before him.

“Alright Birdy. I suppose this’ll do for now. You’ll know when I next wanna talk” Hawks just nodded as Dabi turned on a booted heel and began to walk to the edge of the rooftop.

“Sorry again for touching your wings. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable” Hawks said loudly as he stared at you. You smiled slightly under your mask.

“It’s okay. I can’t get them all myself anyways” the pro just nodded as you turned and followed after Dabi who listened into the conversation as he held the rooftop door open.

“Think our Birdy likes you Dove” Dabi’s voice was cold as you glanced over at him. A stutter in your regular heart beat.

“What do you mean?” You swallowed thickly as his loud footsteps resonated in the dark stairwell.

“You know I don’t like repeating myself Angel. Out Birdy very obviously has an interest in you, probably due to those primal needs you lot carry in your genes. I was too quick to judge those primal needs of being a nuisance for me. I think we could actually use them” You couldn’t help it as your wings puffed out behind you. Dabi only chuckled.

“How would we use it?” You knew what Dabi wanted, you always did. The unfortunate ability of your quirk ensured Dabi would never go without.

“Was thinkin’ you could be my little messenger bird. You know pass all the needed information to and from Hawks and get to know him a little” Dabi told you as you exited the building below. Dabi threw his large trench coat at you and pulled a hoodie over himself.

You slipped the heavy coat on nose crinkling at the smell of cigarettes and smoke wafted into your nose.

“Well? I need an answer. That sound like a good idea?” Dabi asked as you walked down the sidewalk.

“Sounds good Dabi” You mumbled, slipping your hands into the big pockets as your wings folded further against your back.

“Good. Ill let crusty know but I just wanna make sure you remember what I told you” he stopped walking and you turned towards him as a grin crossed his face and he held grabbed your wrist with his hand, pulling you close as you gasped.

“You let those primal needs get in the way and I won’t hesitate to get rid of you. I may care for your quirk but the rest of the League couldn’t care less about your life so i’d watch it. I’m the only thing keepin’ you from deaths door” You nodded quickly as you ripped your hand from Dabi’s seeing a dark red mark forming as the her seared up your arm, tears welling in your eyes.

“C’mon. You know how much he complains if we are late” His voice was nonchalant, shoulders sagged as he walked ahead. You swallowed the thick lump in your throat as you followed trying desperately hard to ignore the burning on your wrist and the panic in your chest.

Ignoring Hawks truly would be impossible. You would just have to quell those needs festering within you. It shouldn’t be that hard, right?. You continued your walk in silence as both of you kept an eye out for any pros lurking about. The unfortunate thing about keeping an eye out for a specific thing is how easy it becomes to miss other things, things that are red, small and feathered.

The red plume having gathered the information needed shot back as Hawks stood high above on a different building, eyes focused in on your two figures as the small feather nestled itself back into his wing as decided on his next move. His wings spanning out as his feathers bristled in the slight breeze. His heart humming and skim prickling as he thought of you being the little messenger. He would be seeing you more.

Hawks took off as he searched for a 24/7 shop to find a calming tea to sort his nerves out. He had to remain professional. The commission would never hear the end of it if the news got out of him caught up with a villain. But the idea sent Hawks stomach twisting as he tried to force the imposing thoughts of you out. His hands sweaty as he ignored the feverish heat licking at him. He would need to call the doctor to see if any medicine could be taken to sort out this supposed ‘heat’ he was feeling.

[obsessedwithtoomanythings]

The Terrifying Ordeal of Falling in Love with Leon Kennedy

CHAPTER 3

Pairing: Leon Kennedy x Reader (female reader)

Series Warnings: Minor injuries, Leon teases reader a lot, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Drinking, Drinking followed by driving, DO NOT DO THAT THIS IS FICTION, Anxiety, Leon S. Kennedy has PTSD, Leon has an anxiety attack, Anxiety Attacks, Swearing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Nightmares, Leon S. Kennedy has Nightmares, Cuddling & Snuggling, Probably incorrect medical talk, Strangulation in one tiny little scene, Reader's brother was a cop who was KIA, Slow Burn, Slow Build, Grief/Mourning, Christmas Fluff, Mistletoe, Fluff and Smut, Eventual Smut, Arguing, Love Confessions, Looking for Alaska is mentioned, Inconvenient Love Confessions, Penis In Vagina Sex, Dirty Talk, Dirty Thoughts, Oral Sex, Cunnilingus, Leon loves eating Pussy change my mind, Shower Makeout, romantic smut, Desperate Leon S. Kennedy, They are both desperate for each other tbh, They say I love you as they come, Scar Kissing, Enthusiastic Consent, Always pee after sex, UTI PREVENTION, POV First Person, No use of Y/N

Words: 1.2K

Masterlist

April 2004

I could give a thousand reasons why

But you're going, and you know that

All you have to do is stay a minute

Just take your time

The clock is ticking, so stay

-Stay, Zedd

The bustling cafe feels inviting from the outside, but unfortunately, that atmosphere dissipates once you enter. If you aren’t a fan of crowds, that is. I glance at the clock on the wall, opting to order a second drink before leaving, given it’s pretty obvious that the friend that invited me out here isn’t coming. The barista gives me a small smile that spreads across her pink cheeks, her button nose scrunching while dimples appear.

“Another one?” She assumes, offering to take my empty cup. I nod silently, handing it to her before she rings up the same drink. Reaching for the cash in my pocket, I am beaten as a voice speaks up behind me, moving forward and placing a hand on the small of my back, my muscles tensing at the contact.

“I’ve got hers.” Oh, I know that voice. I release a breath before turning to him. His hair is much smoother than the first time I saw him and a bit damp, obvious that he’d recently showered, which is also evident by the woodsy scent that wafts off of him in waves. I’ve never been this close to him, not with his face this close anyways, and it’s hard not to notice the small details. A small mole on the bottom of his chin, dark circles under his crystal blue eyes, and a small cut on his jaw, presumably from shaving.

“Agent Kenned-” He finally looks at me, eyebrows raised before he cuts me off.

“Ah. Leon,” he corrects, corner of his lip coming up into a small smirk.

“Sorry. Leon. Why are you buying my coffee?” The question feels redundant, his card having already swiped through the machine after he orders a simple black coffee, but I find myself asking anyways.

“I owe you.” He says it as if it’s the simplest thing in the world, and he chuckles at my furrowed brows. Glad he thinks my confusion is funny. “For patching me up?”

“You know, Leon, that is kinda my job. I was paid to do that,” I explain before the barista hands me a warm cardboard coffee cup, followed quickly by her handing Leon his. It’s almost impossible to miss the phone number scribbled in black sharpie on the brown cardboard sleeve, and I release my own small giggle at the barista’s balls. I’d never be brave enough to do that.

“Something funny, Nurse Nosy?” I scoff at the nickname, wishing he could have settled on literally anything else as we step away from the line, standing off to the side.

“Do you always get phone numbers without asking?” I tease. She was really pretty.

“Sorry?” Now it’s his turn to look confused, eyebrows furrowed. I gesture to the coffee cup resting in his hands, and he looks at it before glancing back at the barista, who gives him a smile and wink. When he turns back to the point where he’s out of her line of sight, he rolls his eyes. “So, any big Saturday plans for the off-duty nurse?” He inquired leisurely, trying to make casual conversation as we slowly move toward the door.

“Well, I was supposed to meet a friend for coffee, but she bailed,” I uttered, embarrassment coloring my cheeks.

“Why not call up some of your other friends?” His unoccupied hand now rests in the pocket of his dark wash jeans, and for a moment, I find my mind racing at noticing his casual attire. A simple tee shirt, dark wash jeans, and are those Converse? I snort in response, wrapping both hands around the cup, my eyes looking around the coffee shop. Anywhere but at him.

“I think you overestimate my social skills.”

“You don’t-” He has the decency to at least seem surprised.

“It’s okay. I have a hot date with my GameCube,” I joked, an overexaggerated wink tossed in his direction. “Thanks again for the coffee.” Turning to leave, I give him a small wave, which he returns, although his eyes look like he’s locked in an argument with himself. As my fingers make contact with the cool metal of the door handle, he speaks again, loud enough that I can hear him over the whir of the machines and the light chattering of people.

“Nurse Nosy!” I turn, irritation growing on my face as he quickly makes his way over to me.

“Can you pick a different nickname, please?” I ask, and he ignores the question in favor of his own request.

“A couple of friends and I are grabbing drinks tonight. Come with.” It takes me by surprise, him inviting me out with his friends.

“Look, if this is a pity thing, it’s fine. I’m content in my loneliness.”

“It’s not. I’m just trying t-”

“To help?” His sentence is finished by me, and for a brief second, I see a flash of embarrassment on his cheeks due to the nature of my line of questioning the first time we met.

“I’m just trying to invite you out for a drink. That’s all.” It’s clear he’s not used to the pushback when it comes to these things, my skepticism and self-doubt making this harder than it needs to be.

“Why?” He rolls his eyes again, probably regretting asking in the first place by now.

“Because you seem like a decent person, and I don’t hate your company. Is that so hard to believe?” Yes. It is. Because you are you and I’m… well… me.

“Fine. One drink. Can I have the address?” I concede, figuring why the hell not. Leon allows a small smile onto his face as he nods, pulling out a pen.

“Sure. It’s only like 30 minutes away.” My face drops, mentally calculating cab fare cause there’s no way in hell I can walk that far, nor would I want to. “Something the matter?”

“No. I’m just thinking about cab fare, that’s all.” It’s not embarrassing to admit, a lot of people in DC don’t have cars, and cabs are on almost every street near the city center.

“Wait, you don’t have a car?” He pauses.

“Nope. It’s on my to-do list, and I’ve got a good chunk saved up. Should hopefully have one in the next couple months,” I explain. He returns the pen to his pocket as quickly as he removed it.

“I’ll pick you up then.”

“What?” That surprises me, his offer.

“Yeah. I invited you out. Feels a little shitty for me to force you to pay for a cab.” I get his logic, but it still feels strange.

“It’s okay, I don’t want you to have to go out of your way.”

“It’s no problem. If you give me your address, I can pick you up at like 6:30ish.” There’s no arguing with this guy, is there? I nod hesitantly, telling him my address, which he writes on his arm in small rough letters while I hold his coffee.

“You sure you’re okay with this?” I question one last time, gesturing to his recently scribbled-on arm.

"I invited you, didn’t I?” He smirks, taking his drink back, fingers brushing against mine and sending a shiver down my spine. “See you at 6:30.” Then he winks. He fucking winks. My heart jumps in my chest, too stunned to speak as he turns on his heel and heads for the door. “Hey Nurse Nosy?” He grabs my attention once more. “Wear pants.” Then he’s out the door. Pants?

Leon: @house-of-kolchek @bonnibuckets @athanasia-day @muffimtv Everything: @chaosandbubbles @kassiekolchek22 @akiramoon8088

[silverwings22]

Starfall: Chapter 20: Family Affair

Previous Chapter: Next Chapter:

Star was always an early riser, even on her day off. It was rare that she slept past 8 o’clock, not counting her several-days nap following a head injury. Emory liked sleeping in when she could (which was rare since she liked to pack her school schedule in the morning so she could work on her robotics at night), so when Star didn’t answer her texts and noon was approaching, she started to worry. Star never ignored her phone even if she didn’t care for social media, only unavailable when at work. She’d even stop her evening runs to answer Emory. 

When Emory got to Sugar Quill, Regina was in the middle of the lunch rush. “Hey, sweetheart. You and Star going out today? She hasn’t come down for coffee so she must have made her own upstairs while she was getting ready..”

Emory hesitated. She and Star were close, and more than once the black furred girl had told Regina that Emory was with her when she was in fact dumpster diving for parts in places their parents wouldn’t have approved. If Star was up to some general teenage nonsense, she couldn’t rat her out. It broke the laws of sisterhood… and Emory did have the spare key to Star’s apartment. If something was really wrong, she had plausible deniability and Star couldn’t get mad… “Just hanging out, I think. We were still deciding.”

“Well, you girls have fun. She’s probably cleaning if you’re coming over. You know how she is.” Regina chuckled. Star wasn’t the worst neat freak they’d ever known, able to tolerate the normal clutter of a busy household when she lived with them, but dirt seemed to actually repulse her. Sugar Quill had never been cleaner than her first week working there, after she’d learned how to take all the machines apart and scrub them. 

“We’ll see you later, Mom.” Emory whirled her way up the spiral stairs to the landing, and was about to knock when she heard a loud clicking-whir. Confused and concerned, she fished out her key and opened the door. 

The clicking sound was coming from the bed, where the top of Star’s spiky little striped head was poking out of her blankets. Her pajamas were on the floor, and so were a pair of shoes Emory didn’t recognize. When she pushed the door open, the blankets moved sharply to the side to reveal a male hedgehog buried under both pillows and Star herself. The clicking stopped as soon as he spotted Emory, red eyes narrowing as he secured the blanket around Star’s shoulders so she wouldn’t be exposed. “Starshine. Wake up.” He had a low voice, which definitely dipped closer to a growl as he moved like he needed to protect Star. “I need you to tell me who this is and if she’s supposed to be here.” 

“If I’m supposed to be here?! You’re the one in bed with my sister!” Emory hissed, and he stiffened like she’d shocked him with a live wire at the sound of her voice. “Star, what the hell?”

Star sat bolt upright, holding the blanket to her chest with wide eyes. “Maria I can ex-... Emory!”

“Oh, you’re so lucky I owe you for covering for me with Mom.” Emory huffed. “Or I’d march down there and tell her!”

Star flushed. “Come in and shut the door! And… turn around so I can find my clothes.” 

Emory grumbled but stepped into the apartment, turning around as she shut the door and crossing her arms grumpily. “Turn around… you’re not telling him to turn around, so you can’t be too shy all of a sudden.”

“For the love of Gaia, Emory, he saw it all last night.” Star huffed, fumbling on her pajamas as fast as she could..

“You know, I was actually worried about you. You never sleep in, and come to find out you were up late fooling around with some guy? Mom would have pulled half your quills out if she’d been the one to check on you!” 

Shadow sat on the edge of the bed, getting his shoes and gloves back on. “... you don’t have a mother.” He murmured as she pulled her own gloves on. He was still glancing sideways at Emory’s back, brow furrowed. 

“I… technically do, now.” Star adjusted her inhibitor rings. “You can turn around now, Emory. This is Shadow, the one I told you about. Shadow, this is Emory. She’s my sister. Her family took me in and looked after me when I got hurt.” 

Emory turned around, crossing her arms and inspecting Shadow. “This is the boyfriend?”

“I would hope so, seeing as he was in my bed.” Star sighed. 

Shadow reached for Star’s hand, pulling her back in front of him. “She sounds just like Maria…” He said quietly, looking over her shoulder at Emory. 

“I know.” She squeezed his hand before reaching up to try to preen his bedhead quills back in place. The touch was soothing, and he looked nosed against her hand. “She rescued me.” 

“I found you in a dumpster.” Emory chuckled. “My favorite dumpster.”

“You have a favorite dumpster.” Shadow stood up, walking over to take stock of her. “You’re… strange.” 

Emory took a nervous step back when he got close, eyebrow raised. “I see he has your understanding of social cues, sis… he grow up in that cult too?”

“It was not a cult.” Star sighed. 

Shadow cocked his head, then held a hand out. “Thank you. For rescuing her.” 

Emory relaxed a little and shook it. “No problem. I’m glad I did, she’s my best friend now.” She squinted over Shadow’s shoulder at Star. “Even if she’s sneaking boys in at night.” 

“I’m allowed to have guests.” Star grumbled. Shadow stepped back to her, hand settling on her back. Right away Emory could tell they were the kind of couple who needed to be touching each other at all times, and not even in a romantic sense. The way both their ears relaxed when Shadow made contact told a story; they both lived in a constant state of uncertainty. Just a subtle touch, a reminder that the other was close, was enough to bolster them both to make it through the world Star has already proven she didn’t understand. If Shadow had grown up in the same environment that had stifled Star into the hypervigilant, wounded little ball of prickles that Emory come to know and love… he was going to need help too. Emory had known the moment she met Star that there was a sweet soul under the tough shell and head injury. She felt it about Shadow too.

That didn’t mean Star was getting away without being teased. “Guests! You’re supposed to host guests in your home, not in you!” She reached over and flicked Star’s ear, making the blue-striped girl huff and blush at once. “But you can make it up to me. Come hang out with me today. I need to pick up some parts from a friend in Mystic Ruins, and we can pick up stuff for movie night before dinner with Mom and Lizzie.” She eyed her sister with a grin. “That is, as long as I can still crash on the couch after the movie? Without hearing any suspicious noises on the other side of the room?”

Star groaned. “Emory…” 

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I know you wouldn’t get freaky with me here.” Emory laughed. “It’s my turn to pick the movie anyway.” 

Star sighed and looked at Shadow, her smile softening. “Would you like to spend today with me? She’s good company, despite all the teasing.” 

“I told you I wouldn’t be losing you again. I do technically have a house in Mystic Ruins, but that’s more Sonic’s doing and a place to keep my motorcycle.” He nodded.

Her eyes lit up. “.... You have a motorcycle?”

“I’ll take you for a ride on in when we get there. Deal?”

She nodded eagerly and looked at Emory. “Let me get actually dressed and fix my quills.”

“I’ll wait on the balcony. Unless you want Mom to see your walk of shame through the bakery.” 

Star rolled her eyes and waited for the purple hedgie to head out the back. Once the door clicked, she looked at Shadow. He cocked an eyebrow. “You just… got adopted by a family?”

Star squirmed, picking up her favorite dress overall dress, shirt, and leggings. “... I haven’t told them everything.” 

“I can tell. What’s this about a cult?”

“The ARK. When I describe it… out of context, it does sound strange, you have to admit.” She tossed her pajamas and started dressing. “And they think I’m sixteen.”

“You’re fifty four, technically. With four years life experience.” He followed her to the bathroom as she finished dressing, leaning in the doorway while she put on her eyeliner and tried to sort her quills back into their typical star-shaped halo of prickles. 

“That’s a lot to explain to a nice family like the Nuberrys. But they’ve been very kind to me. Emory rescued me and has spent every spare moment trying to help me figure myself out… outside of a GUN lab, I knew nothing but you and the ARK. I was lost on my own…” She picked up her mascara. “And her mother Regina nursed all my injuries when she found me, took me in and kept me safe. She helped me find things I liked doing on my own, that were all mine. I can bake, and make little pictures on top of coffee drinks with the milk foam! And she’s got a little sister, Lizzie, who looks at me like she thinks I’m her hero and holds my hand when we cross the street… and her hands are so little and fragile. Even their father, Dev, has been kind to me. He and Regina gave me this place so I’d be comfortable, and they call me their daughter… They gave me a life here on Earth, like Maria said it could be. Beautiful and full of color and laughter…” She turned around, make up done, and reached for his hands. “I stayed hoping you’d be able to find me if I wasn’t moving, but also so I could build this and share it with you. If you wanted it.”

“Of course I want it. It’s you.” He said simply, taking her hands in his. “But eventually, they’re going to notice we don’t age. Even if you can explain all our other peculiarities away as a cult, you’re going to have to tell them when that little sister starts outgrowing you.” 

“I know, I know.” She sighed, pressing her cheek into his chest. “And I will. Emory wants to see space, I could help her when it’s time and explain it then… I just don’t want Regina and Dev to think I’m dangerous and separate me from Emory and Lizzie… with more time, they’d know better.”

Shadow kissed her forehead. “Until then, I’ll be by your side. The people I know in Mystic Ruins know I’m from the ARK, but not about the Black Arms. I’ll make sure they shut up around your sister.” 

Star smiled. “You just want a reason to fight someone. Who?”

“That faker Sonic.” He watched her gather her keys and cell phone, putting them into her dress pocket, then gave her his hand and they walked out onto the back porch with Emory. 

Star smiled. “So who are we meeting in Mystic Ruins anyway?”

“Miles Prower. We’re trading parts. I’ve got an engine I’ve been tinkering with and he’s got a fuel converter I think I can re-tool to make my own rocket fuel.”

“Didn’t Dad say you aren’t allowed to launch things into space, Emory?” The trio fell into an easy formation, Emory just ahead but within talking distance and Star and Shadow right behind her. Emory huffed and launched into an explanation as to why she wasn’t technically breaking a rule, just prepping for the day the age restriction Dev had put on her expired. It was rules-lawyering with a cheeky twist, and she kept looking over her shoulder and grinning at the two of them.

For a moment, Shadow didn’t see a brightly lit suburban sidewalk and a purple hedgehog in front of him. He was in a metal hall lit by fluorescents and starlight through a window, following behind the equally mischievous as she was kind Maria Robotnik. 

“You two just… run the same speed as my bike? Casually, for thirty miles!” Emory stared incredulously as she got off her bike in Mystic Ruins and took her helmet off. Star and Shadow had declined getting in the trailer and happily skated alongside her, carrying on a full conversation without breaking a sweat.

“It was only… what, forty five, fifty miles an hour?” Star looked back at Shadow. 

“We used to go faster than that trying to get to breakfast.” He nodded, hand settling on her back as they started walking to Tails workshop. 

“Breakfast. Pfft.” Star smiled. “You never ate breakfast. You just drank three cups of coffee every morning, then complained your stomach hurt.”

Shadow scrunched his nose as her sass, but his fond look didn't’ fade. “I might be willing to try something you cook. You said you bake now?”

“I do. I’ll make the snacks for movie night.” 

Emory just watched them flirt, more relaxed than she’d ever seen Star. “You think running fifty miles an hour is nothing? You two might be faster than Sonic the Hedgehog.”

“I am.” Shadow smirked.

“Me too.” Star nodded. “I beat him in a race in Egypt.”

“You’ve been to Egypt?!” Emory gasped. 

“That whole thing with my cousin, before you found me. I was all over the place.” Star nodded. 

Shadow raised an eyebrow at her, but calling Eggman a cousin wasn’t all that unreasonable, seeing as they’d been a part of the Robotnik family on the ARK. It sounded funny though. 

“Is that when you stole the boat?” Emory blinked. 

“I did a lot.” Star winced. “... Including crash Tails’ plane.”

“Twice.” Shadow nudged her with his hip. 

“Twice?! Oh no, I don’t even remember the second one.” Star groaned. “Was that right before the concussion?”

Shadow nodded. “The second one was an accident.”

“Guess you’d better apologize.” Emory trotted up and knocked on the door of the workshop. “Tails! I brought the parts!” 

“Coming!” Came the kit’s cheerful voice. There was the sound of him trotting across the floor and a thump like a pillow smacking into something. “Wake up, my friend Emory is here!” 

“Fivemoreminits…” Came a sleepy voice. 

Shadow groaned. “It’s Sonic.” 

“Oh boy.” Star leaned a little more into his side. “I guess the apology tour begins here.” 

“That’s the spirit.” Emory laughed, turning around as the door opened. 

Tails grinned bright, blue eyes sparkling with delight. “Emory!” In the background, Sonic was rolling off Tails' couch where he’d been napping. 

Emory grinned right back. “I know this was just supposed to be a quick parts trade, cause it’s competition season, but I brought some friends.” She stepped to the side, revealing Star and Shadow. “Apparently you already know them so it’s not a big reveal, but still.”

Tails’ eyes got big. “Miss Star?” 

The hedgehog girl smiled sheepishly. “Hello Tails… It’s nice to see you ag-” She startled when the young fox darted ahead and wrapped his arms around her middle. “Oh. Hello.”

“I was really starting to think we’d never find you.” He mumbled. “I got worried…”

Star blinked and lightly patted his ears. “That’s very kind.” She said softly when he leaned back to look at her, leaning down a little so they were face to face. “I’m sorry I worried you. And that I broke your plane… twice, apparently.”

“Eh, I recovered the first one pretty easily. The second one, I’m building a submarine to go get. That’s what the engine’s for.” Tails laughed. “Maybe you can come with me to haul the wreck up? Sonic won’t come with me cause he can’t swim.”

“Who are you telling I can’t swim, bud?” Sonic’s head poked around the doorframe, spotting Emory. “Oh, hiiiii.” He grinned. “You didn’t say your friend was so pretty.”

“Don’t flirt with my sister, Sonic.” Star stepped past Tails, looping her arm casually with Emory’s. “It didn’t work with me and it won’t work with her.”

Emory snickered. “He tried flirting with you?” 

“Yes. He called me ‘Baby Blue’.” Star made a face. Behind her, Shadow gave Sonic an unimpressed look. 

“Sorry about that.” Sonic rubbed the back of his neck good naturedly. “I had no idea who you were. Shadow didn’t tell me about you!” 

Star chuckled, reaching back for Shadow’s hand. Sonic was surprised to see the usually stoic hedgehog take it readily, his thumb brushing across Star’s knuckles. “That’s alright.” She said after a moment. “I understand how hard it is to talk about things that you think you’ve lost. If it hadn’t been for Emory, I don’t think I could have talked about you either.” 

“Hm.” Shadow nodded, 

“Aww, Star.” Emory giggled, wrapping an arm around her sister’s shoulders fondly. “C’mon, let’s get the parts sorted out before you combust from all the sentimentality.”

“I do have feelings, you know.” Star was led off, squeezing Shadow’s hand once more before she was dragged back to the bike to help carry the engine for Tails. 

Sonic smiled sheepishly at Shadow. “Glad you found her, buddy.” 

He expected a snort and hard stare, Shadow’s go-to whenever he felt like Sonic was being too friendly. Theirs was a complicated dynamic, rivals who understood each other better than anyone but also might as well have been speaking different languages about their commonalities. Sonic tried to win over everyone he clashed with using the power of friendship, Shadow seemed determined to keep him at arms length.

Instead, Shadow nodded with a small smile, looking over as Star picked up the engine over her head while Tails and Emory gawked. “So am I.” 

Star brought the engine over and set it down in the workshop for Tails, who’d decided to make good on his interest in friendship and gave her his number. Pretty soon, they were chatting along with Emory about the submarine he was building and the recovery for his second plane. Star agreed to help him, and offered some of her paycheck from the baker as an apology that he refused. “We’ll just hang out. You should see how much stuff Sonic has broken over the years!” 

Star laughed, glancing over. Sonic and Shadow had been racing the same circle around town for the last hour, coming back neck and neck to argue about who had won. “If we can leave those two together without them fighting…. But we probably should head back soon. We’ve got to get snacks for our movie night, and I still need to tell Mom about Shadow coming to dinner.” 

Tails snickered. “That’s going to be fun.”

“I think so.” She nodded, ruffling his ears and getting up from where they’d been hanging out on the floor. Emory got a hand up. “Shadow? It’s time to go.”

He looked up from getting close to throwing Sonic like a ragdoll. “I’ll go back to the house and get my bike. I promised you a ride.” 

Star nodded with a smile. “Oh good. We can put the groceries in the saddle bags.” 

Shadow walked over, making a point to pick up her hand and squeeze it before he dashed off. Sonic cocked his head to the side with a smile. “I’ve never seen Shads like that with anyone before. You bring out another side of him, Star.”

“We were made for each other.” Star said softly. 

“Must have been.” Emory teased. “You’ve laughed more today than I think I’ve ever heard.” 

Star looked over at her as Emory tucked a segment of her bangs back out of her face and giggled. With Shadow and Emory both at her sides, she felt oddly… complete. I feel like myself again. Shadow smiles like he used to… and Emory laughs like her. 

Shadow pulled up a few moments later on the Dark Rider, and she couldn’t stop herself from taking a little headlong run to him instead of the cool and collected walk she normally tried to have. She wasn’t capable of being embarrassed about it, not when it was Shadow that she was running to. He’d put on an oxblood and black leather motorcycle jacket, and she stood still while he put a helmet on her before letting her get on behind him. “We’ll see you at the cafe, Emory.” She waved, wrapping her arms around Shadow. “Text me what you want me to get from the store, and we’ll meet you after you drop off your parts.”

Emory nodded and Shadow took off, heading back towards Crystal Keyhole with Star snuggled into his back. He couldn’t hear it over the engine and wind, but he felt her purr against him. Her hand rested on his chest under his jacket, her cheek occasionally scrubbing over his shoulder happily. 

This is perfect. Actually perfect. She thought to herself. If she’d known a simple life like this would start to heal the hole in her heart, she’d have never gone after the Chaos Emeralds at all. But the path she’d taken had been the one she needed, that brought Emory to her life. She’d needed her, though she hadn’t realized it at the time. Emory taught her the things Maria hadn’t had time to: who she was on her own, how to exist on Earth, and how to let go of the past without forgetting so that a future had a place to grow. It was people like Emory who made Earth as beautiful as it was. That made it worth living in…

I understand now, Maria. 

The Sugar Quill was still open when Star and Shadow made it back from the store with paper grocery bags in their hands. “Here, come in the front so I can introduce you.” Star held the door open with her foot for Shadow. “Mom?”

Shadow didn’t think he’d ever get over how unusual hearing Star call a parent sounded, but he was committed to playing along. He wanted to see whoever had managed to domesticate an Ultimate Lifeform, out of both curiosity and respect. Behind the counter, an auburn hedgehog turned around from boxing up a whole cake. “Hi, sweetheart. Is Emory with you?”

“No, she went back to the house to drop off some parts we picked up earlier.” Star waved for Shadow to follow her. “We picked up snacks.” 

Regina quickly spotted Shadow, examining his jacket and the motorcycle parked outside. “Who’s your friend, sweetheart?” 

“This is my boyfriend, Shadow. Shadow, this is my mom Regina.” Star smiled, leaning her head lightly against his shoulder. “He’s going to join us for movie night. Is it alright if he comes to dinner?” 

Regina smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Of course. No allergies to worry about?”

“No ma’am.” Shadow said politely. 

“Star, can you help me with something real quick in the kitchen?” Regina nodded. 

Star handed Shadow her key and the other grocery bag. “Okay. Will you preheat the oven to 350 for me?”

“Sure.” Shadow headed the direction she pointed, taking the spiral stairs up. 

Once Star heard the apartment door shut behind him, she looked at Regina with a wry smile. “You don’t need my help. What’s wrong?”

“That’s not the boy you got into a fight with right before you showed up behind a dumpster with a major concussion, is it?” Regina fixed her with the most aggressively maternal look she’d ever seen in her life. For a moment she felt  a foot tall again, getting scolded by Gerald. 

“He’s not the one who gave me the concussion.” Star sighed. “And the fight was my fault. A misunderstanding, we’ve worked it all out.

“Are you sure he’s safe, Star?” Regina gently tugged at her ear. “He looks so unapproachable, and that motorcycle… I don’t want you to end up back involved in drugs or worse, in juvie again.” 

Star blinked. “.... Drugs? Juvie? What are you talking about?”

“Emory told me all about it, and you’ve come so far-” Regina frowned. In the front of the shop, they heard the bell chime as someone walked in the front door. 

Star stuck her head out and spotted the purple hedgehog walking in. “Emory!”

“Hm?” Her sister smiled, a smudge of machine oil on her cheek where she’d been hauling parts into the shed before coming to the bakery.

“Did you tell Mom I went to juvenile hall and used to do drugs?” Star fixed her with the grumpiest possible glare, arms crossed. “Where did you get that, because I certainly never told you anything of the sort?”

Emory blinked. “.... oh, oops. I was trying to put together a scenario of what I thought might have happened to you, and I told Mom about it.”

“You told her I was arrested?!” Star gasped. 

Regina’s head came out behind Star. “You told me she used to sell drugs and stolen car parts!”

“Well, you did steal your cousin’s boat!” Emory held her hands up as Regina’s eyes narrowed on her as well. “I thought it was reasonable.”

“But you didn’t tell Mom it was a theory, and now she thinks Shadow’s a drug dealer or something.” Star huffed. “And to think I was going to make your favorite cookies for movie night.”

“Wait, noooo! I love cherry chocolate cookies!” Emory wailed. 

Star scrunched her nose. “Fix your mess, then. What else did you tell her?”

Emory put her finger to her mouth thoughtfully. “... That you grew up in a cult, it was clearly raided by the ATF, you got into fights in foster care until you got placed with your cousin, and he’s clearly rich and abusive so you started smoking and selling drugs, then stealing cars and selling parts. You stole a bunch of money or art when you stole his boat which is all at the bottom of the ocean because you were going to run away with Shadow, but you can’t recover it because your cousin will come after you if you get seen out there and he’s out for revenge-”

“Oh Gaia…” Star groaned. “None of that is true. Not a single bit.” 

“Then what’s your actual story, huh?” Emory grumbled. 

“Clearly you don’t need me to, you’ll just make up your own.” Star clicked her tongue, looking at Regina. “None of that happened.”

“It would be easier if you’d just tell us the real story, Star.” Regina frowned, expression softening. “I’m relieved he’s not a bad influence, but still… there’s so much you don’t talk about.”

“That’s intentional. I’ve worked very hard to make sure my past doesn’t ruin the life I have here with you all. Shadow is the only good part of that past that’s still alive.” Star looked at the ground. “Please just… not yet. One day, but not now.”

Regina sighed, putting a hand on Star’s arm. She was still holding the helmet Shadow had made her wear, and her hands were shaking on the heavy plastic and foam. “For now, we’ll let it lie. And yes, he can come to dinner. I want to get to know him if he’s so important to my baby girl.”

Star nodded. “Thank you, Mom… I promise, he’s wonderful. I’ve loved him for a very long time and he’s never let me down.”

Regina looked at Emory. “I guess you two better get going if you want those snacks out of the oven before dinner, so you can come back for your movies. Try to stay out of trouble.”

“Yes, Mama.” Emory nodded, reaching out to Star. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

Star sighed deeply and nodded. “It’s cleared up now. Just… don’t do that again. I promised you I wouldn’t run away with him if he found me, but I’ve waited a long time to have him back in my life. Don’t put me in a position where I feel like I have to choose. It’s… it hurts.”

Emory wrapped her in a tight hug, squishing another apology into her veins via osmosis. “You don’t have to choose between love and family. Promise.” 

Star hugged back, settling the displaced anxiety that made her quills stick up like she’d been electrocuted, before leaning back. “Come on, he’s pre-heating the oven for us.” 

Regina smiled fondly as the two of them went upstairs hand in hand, things feeling more normal now. Without the sudden spiking fear that Shadow was dangerous for Star, she could let herself smile that her most reclusive daughter was finally making connections with others. And… the way Star’s voice had warmed when she said she loved Shadow? It sounded like she’d meant it, in the way only people who’d been without love could feel. More intense in its absence, they cherished love like the air they breathed. 

When Star and Emory got upstairs, they found Shadow sitting on the couch with his head over his knees and his shoulders shaking. “Shadow?” Star blinked, worry coloring her voice before he looked up with his face scrunched up. “Are you laughing?!” 

“Sorry.” He didn’t sound the least bit sorry. “I just… you? In juvie? You?!” He was trying so hard not to wheeze, watching her face flush. “I just… they couldn’t have caught you.” 

Star groaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “As much as I’ve missed the sound of your laughter, I didn’t miss it at my expense. Ugh.” She went over to the counter and took her apron off the hook on the side of the fridge. “You’re fortunate that you’re cute.”

“Cute isn’t the word I’d use for myself.” He got up, giving Emory a polite nod before walking over to where Star was on tiptoe to get a set of bowls from the top cabinet. He got it down for her, holding it just out of reach until she softened her grumpy look. 

“Well, I would.” She brushed her nose against his before he let her take the bowls. “Do you want to help with these?”

“It’s not going to be too crowded with the three of us?” He glanced over at Emory.

“Emory can’t cook to save her life.” Star smiled fondly. “Can you?”

“Burned water once.” Emory laughed. “I’m the taste tester.” 

“Then I’ll help.” Shadow nodded. “But I want to hear the whole story you made up about Starshine here.” 

Star rolled her eyes and started measuring ingredients, setting him to chopping up maraschino cherries while Emory regaled him with her entirely fabricated backstory. He snickered at the particularly outlandish parts, putting together what Star must have said to lead her down the path she’d gotten to. Star had never been much of a liar, but she wasn’t above omission. 

He decided he liked Emory. After she’d finished her story, she put a CD in Star’s stereo so they could have some music. “She won’t get Spotify, no matter how much I ask her to.” She laughed, letting Star get a batch of cookies in the oven and start on another concoction while Shadow loaded the dishwasher. “What’s this?” 

“Tiramisu cupcakes. Came up with it on the ride back.” Star smiled. “He likes coffee more than me.” 

“Did you actually eat coffee beans?” Emory looked at him. Something about the way Shadow was standing, leaning against the counter and trying not to be caught stealing the batter with a spoon felt… familiar. Only Shadow was too big, too grown and too sharp featured. 

He was softer before…

The thought caught her off guard and she shook her head like an etch a sketch before looking back. Shadow had hooked a finger into Star’s apron strings as she measured mascarpone, listening to her hum along with the CD half under her breath. He looked a little starstruck, expression fascinated with every little way she moved. He’d missed her for so long, and despite spending all day with her he could still marvel that she was there. That they’d stopped moving, that this little sliver of something almost domestic was happening. That it was theirs, and nothing was going to take it away.

We were supposed to be weapons. Monsters built for war… but look at this. Look at us. 

Actual dinner had gone pretty well, all things considered. Regina’s cooking was impeccable, which Shadow had made a point to mention and try to win himself some brownie points with the Nuberry matriarch. What actually had won her over with when Lizzie walked over with her newest drawing of a flower and showed it to him. He considered it thoughtfully, then gave her a review worthy of a gallery critic for everything from her color choice to crayon technique. She grinned the longer he talked, loving being the center of attention. “You can keep it if you like it so much.” She giggled. 

He nodded, solemnly putting it in the pocket of jacket. “Mind if I put it up on the fridge in Star’s apartment?” 

“That’s perfect!” Lizzie nodded. “Star, you can keep him!” 

Star smiled, letting Lizzie climb into her lap. “I'm glad you approve.”

Lizzie giggled. “And if he's not nice to you, I'll get him.” She flexed her teeny little bicep. “Star is teaching me how to fight.”

“Shadow taught me how to fight.” Star hugged her around the middle. “We've been friends since we were smaller than you.”

“Oh wooow.” Lizzie blinked. “Was that a long time ago?”

“Feels like decades.” Shadow nodded, expression dead serious but eyes glittering with the joke only he and Star understood. “Half a century at least.”

Lizzie giggled. “He's funny, Star.”

“I think so.” Star slid her to the floor. “Go wash your hands before supper.” Once the little one had trotted off, she looked at Shadow. “You're better with children than I was when I met her.”

“I spend more time with Cream than you'd think. She shows up sometimes just to ask for an escort to the candy store, so I walk with her.” He shrugged. “I think she's about six?”

Regina had been sold after that, and any eccentricities Shadow had were forgiven. He had a good heart, like Star had said. Dinner was a pleasant affair, with him answering any questions he was directly asked and otherwise just listening and holding Star's hand under the table. He seemed much like she'd been when she first arrived, unsure and observational, but his guard dropped whenever he looked at her. 

She was so different now, he couldn't help but think. Excited and engaged with the family life, talking about her recipes and contributions alongside their lives. He could see why she wanted to keep this… and he'd be happy to help her do it. They could be normal for a while.  

After dinner, they walked back to the apartment. Emory led the way again, walking ahead and talking about the sky above them with her hands held up to gesture. 

“She wants to go to space.” Star slipped her hand into Shadow’s as they walked, falling just a touch behind her sister's rambling. “She talks about it the way Maria talked about Earth.”

“She reminds me of her.” He nodded. 

“Me too.” 

When they got to the apartment, Emory picked out a movie. “How many do you think we'll get through tonight?” She grinned at Star. “Our record is four before I fell asleep.”

Shadow sat down on one side of the couch and Star settled in the middle, blanket around her shoulders as she leaned into his side. “Four? You barely used to make it through one.” He smirked.

“I've had bouts of terrible insomnia.” She nuzzled into his chest. It didn't seem like that would be an issue tonight. Her head felt fuzzy and pleasant, comfortable with him so close. She wasn't sure she'd actually make it through the whole movie tonight, but that was okay. She was getting to spend time with him and with Emory…

Shadow lightly tugged her ear. “Stay awake, Starshine.”

“Maybe.” She yawned. 

Emory got comfortable on the other side of her with the snacks, getting the movie going. The opening act wasn't even done before she heard the staticky click-rumble from this morning and realized that both of them were dead asleep, snuggled together and purring like broken fan blades. 

“Are you two secretly old people?” She giggled, but snuggled into her own blanket and turned the volume down a meme to let them sleep. They looked happy… 

About time they got together. 

She didn't know why she was so sure about it, but it felt like these two getting a quiet night in was a long time coming.  She felt like they deserved it. 

[racinginchid3nt]

I’d Probably Still Adore You | Part Thirteen

Y/N x Lance Stroll, Y/N Best Friend x Pierre Gasly

In which a night at the club and a game of never have I ever turns into something new

Inspired by 505 - Arctic Monkeys

Warnings: cyber bullying

Previous | Next

————————————————————————

Fernando answered the phone almost immediately.

“Hey man, where did you go?” He asked jokingly.

“Hey, sorry. I’m on a plane to Barcelona right now. I know it’s a long shot but I need your help.”

Fernando has taken Lance under his wing during his time at Aston Martin. He had certainly been a questionable driver in the past, but his support for Lance and mentorship had been much appreciated.

“What do you need?” Seriousness seeping into his tone.

Lane explained the backstory, spilling everything that had happened from Spa to the gala to the media shitstorm and the assault. He talked about how he could get ahold of you, and how he was on a flight right now to track her down, but that he didn’t know her address. Pleading with man to see if there was any strings he could pull with friends in his home country, if he could somehow find out the address Lance would owe him for life.

“Ok. I’ll see what I can do. And Lance?”

“Yes?” He replied.

“You don’t owe me for this. Trying to be a good person should never be tied to strings.” He stated before hanging up the phone.

Lance scrolled through social media, looking for every bit of information he could find. Every gossip article, wag account, and f1 page we’re talking about it. Time seemed to move in slow motion as he read the comments from fans and critics alike. While people were certainly commenting on how he and Carlos were trying to screw over Lando, the vast majority were negative about Y/N. Lance had tried to stay away from the negative fan comments throughout his career, but he knew people could be cutthroat. These comments were the standard jabs that the drivers got about nepotism, paid seats, being crash prone, etc. These were personal attacks about her appearance, sexual history, even threats. Reading some of what people were saying made him nauseous.

After an hour a text came through with an address from Nando. Pulling it up on a map he realized it was one of the Barcelona suburbs. He had guessed right about which airport to fly into.

A few minutes later another text came through from Nando, this time with instructions about how someone would meet him at the airport with a car. He had never been more thankful for the older driver than he was in that moment.

————

A knock sounded on your door at 8 pm. You hadn’t told anyone you were leaving the race, nor did you know who would be here at this time. Creeping towards your window you peeled back the blinds, seeing a figure waiting at your stoop. The sun had set earlier, clocking the person in too much darkness to distinguish.

Another knock sounded. You grabbed a shoe from near your door, hiding your hand behind your back you prepared in case you needed to hit someone. Not your best weapon, but your brain was too scrambled right now to think of something better.

Unlocking the deadbolt, you left the chain attached, cracking the door. The person standing on your doorstep was the last person you’d expected.

“Lance what are you doing here?”

“Can I come in?”

You paused, unsure of how to respond. Your suitcase still sat in your living room, unpacked. An empty bottle of wine on your coffee table next to your couch. The apartment looked as disjointed and chaotic as you felt just then.

“Please Y/N.” He said.

You caved, undoing the door chain and letting him into the space. He set down his backpack before turning to face you.

“What do you want? Why are you here?” You asked.

“Are you okay?” He asked nervously.

You stared at him in silence. Sitting down on your couch you winced, flicking on the lamp. Staring at him you said nothing.

“That was probably a dumb question. Fuck. I’m sorry.”

As he turned to look at you, he inhaled.

“Fuck.”

“Yeah fuck.” You replied.

“I saw what happened. I’m so sorry. I turn my phone off on race day, but as soon as I heard I tried calling. None of them went through and the front desk said you checked out early.”

“Yeah.” You weren’t sure what more to say. How do you even respond to that.

“I can’t believe the attacked you. How bad is it?” He asked, reaching for you.

Leaning back you stared at him.

“I’ve definitely felt better.”

“What did the doctors say?” He questioned.

You continued to sit in silence, fiddling with the pajama pants you had on.

“Y/N. What did the doctor say?” He repeated.

“I didn’t go Lance. I don’t exactly want to be wandering around alone right now…” You trailed off.

His mind ran, questioning why you wouldn’t have gone to the hospital. Why security at the hotel hadn’t called for medics yesterday.

“You were bleeding.” He responded.

“Yeah. I dropped my wine and cut myself.”

“Where?” He asked.

A sigh escaped your mouth, wondering how you had ended up here.

He approached slowly, reaching for the cuff of your pajama pants when you flinched back. The idea of anyone touching you had your heart rate spiking.

He stared at you, before trying again. Whispering reassurances under his breath, you caved. You didn’t have any fight left in you to tell him no right then.

Sliding the pant leg up he saw a small bruise on your left leg, but nothing serious. It was when he moved your right pant leg that he saw it. A purple bruise about the size of his hand was on your shin, from the kick. Further down was a large bandage, disappearing under the edge of your sock. Lifting your foot he peeled off your sock, before gently lifting the edge of the bandaid. An angry cut stared back at him, wrapping across your ankle and to the top of your foot before ending near your arch, about 8 centimeters in length, blood slowly pooled out of it with the bandages pressure removed. He inhaled sharply.

After replacing the bandage he reached for the edge of your shirt, before slowly sliding it up your rib cage. Four large purple bruises covered your sides, the result of the elbows and hits people at thrown in the crowded mess.

His expression grew harsh.

“Fuck. Y/N you need to go to the hospital. I think that cut might need stitches and the bruises on your ribs look bad.”

“Lance I really would prefer that you don’t lecture me right now. I’ll go in a few days if they’re still bad okay?”

He stared into your eyes before walking back to the door. Picking up his backpack he unzipped it, pulling out a hoodie and slinging the bag over his shoulder. He reached down and grabbed your sandals, blood still on the right one from last night. He slid them onto your feet, before pulling the hoodie over your head.

You went limp, letting him take care of you. He held out his hand, pulling you to a stand.

“We’re going to the hospital.”

Standing up, a wince rolled through you at the weight you put on your foot. Before you had time to move he was bending down and lifting you into the air. Balancing you he reached for the keys on your entry table, locking the door behind himself as he carried you out to a waiting black car.

Gently setting you back down, he pulled the seatbelt across you and buckled it. Moving to the driver side, he sat down and turned on the car before pulling away from your street.

The ride to the hospital was silent, the radio turned off. Your phone had died hours ago, but the occasional buzz from his broke up the silence every few minutes. Keeping his eyes on the road, hands clenching the wheel tightly, he followed the gps to the nearby 24 hour clinic.

————

Settling her back into the car two hours later, Lance tried not to jostle her. After five stitches, X-rays of her shin and ribs, and a diagnosis of one broken rib and two bruised, the doctors had given her pain medication, before she had fallen asleep waiting for the nurse to bring the crutches.

He was seething. Five fucking stitches and a broken rib all because she had talked to him and hugged Carlos after going to the gala with Lando. His anger simmered under the surface as he drove back to her apartment.

Flicking on the lights he opened doors until he found her bedroom, laying her down gently and plugging in her phone. Pulling the blankets over her, be closed the door and returned to the living room.

He knew texts had been coming in since he had run out of the press area. He was sure his PR agent was trying to play damage control. He was sure Mike had reached out too, letting him know that he should be expecting a fine from the FIA for skipping out early.

Right then he didn’t want to talk to anyone. Calling the only person who might be able to calm him down, he rang his sister.

“Lance? I’ve been trying to get ahold of you! Would it kill you to answer your phone! I saw the post race interview. There’s photos of you all over Twitter running through the paddock like a mad man. Dad said you took off in the jet? Where are you?”

“Barcelona.”

“YOU’RE IN BARCELONA!” She yelled.

“Yeah.”

“You need to explain. Start from the top.” She said.

Exhaling you’re mind raced.

You heard her call Scotty in.

“You’re on speaker Lance.”

And then he repeated everything. Relaying the whole story from top to bottom, meeting, hooking up (with less details), the gala, the post race interviews, how he ended up in Barcelona, the stitches and broken rib.

“Lance.” Said Scotty.

“Yeah man?”

“Lance this isn’t your fault.” He replied.

“I mean it sort of is. If I hadn’t ever pulled her aside at the gala that photo wouldn’t have leaked and..”

“Lance!” His sister cut off.

“It’s not your fault.” She repeated.

He sighed into the phone. How had the weekend gone to shit so quickly?

“Lance can you hear us?” She called.

“Yeah, I can hear you.” He replied.

“Where are you now?”

“I’m sitting on her couch.”

“Ok. Are you staying there?” She asked.

“Of course I’m fucking staying here.” He snapped.

“Ok. Do you care about her?“ She asked gently.

Confusion clouded his mind. Did he care about her? Sure they’d hooked up, and he had been a little jealous that she had gone to the gala with Norris. But they hadn’t gone out on a date, never had any real deep conversations.

“Honestly Chloe, I’m not sure. I don’t know. All I know is she deserves to have someone watching out for her right now. She shouldn’t be alone.”

“Ok. Can you keep us updated please? Let us know if we can help at all. And maybe call Mom and Dad?”

He sighed, his form of agreement. Ending the phone call, he settled into the couch and pulled out his phone to start responding to everyone else he had put off.

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