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sissyisawitch · 9 months

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I'll Be Home For Christmas

Relationship: Sebastian Sallow x f!MC

Summary: After leaving everything behind and starting a new life almost three years ago, MC returns to Hogsmeade for Christmas Eve. Little does she know that her brief return will be enough for her past to catch up with her…

Word Count: ~9.4k

Warnings: Mentions of alcohol in the beginning? Otherwise it's just pure pining and fluff

Author's Note: Special one shot because I just love Christmas. It should've been even longer, but I had to shorten it, or I'd never have managed to post it in time for Christmas. Anyway, I had a blast writing it, and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did!

I wish you all a wonderful Christmas!🎅🎄 Lots of love💕

“Oh, MC, I can’t get over how much we’ve missed of each other’s life. You can’t imagine how much I’ve missed you!”

MC and Poppy sat in a cozy corner of the Three Broomsticks, whose dim lighting and soft hum of conversation provided a comfortable backdrop for their reunion. Excitement and laughter had been echoing for the past hours, as the two best friends shared their numerous respective adventures, and reminisced about the wonderful times they shared while at Hogwarts.

“Life sadly took us on separate journeys after graduation, there was no other way… But I'm so grateful that we haven't lost touch.” MC said as she took a sip of her third Butterbeer of the afternoon. She had never realised how much she had missed the sugary drink, especially after being away from Hogsmeade for so long. It tasted of the good old days when she spent the entire day shopping with her schoolmates, before going for a collation to relax and forget about the homework they had to do.

After Hogwarts, Poppy became a renowned Magizoologist, following in her grandmother's footsteps, like she had always dreamt of doing. As for MC, she had taken a very different path. Barely a few weeks after graduating, the girl had decided to leave everything behind and embark on a life full of travel and adventure. She never stayed in one location for very long. Her aim was to discover as many places as she could.

Now, the only thing left of her former life was her best friend Poppy, and the letters they regularly exchanged. It was for her that MC had exceptionally returned to Hogsmeade, to see her on this Christmas Eve.

“Merlin… I didn’t realise it was so late already.” MC sighed as she looked out the window. The evening sun painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, casting a warm glow through the pub windows.

Poppy grimaced in response, as if a bittersweet realisation came to her, “Time flies when you’re having fun. I wish I could stay longer... but Gran hasn't been well lately, and I've already left her on her own all afternoon...”

“Don't worry, Poppy. I totally understand.”

“I'd love to offer you a place to stay, especially since it’s Christmas Eve… but as I said, it's complicated at the moment.”

MC offered the girl another genuine and reassuring smile, “It’s okay, I don't mind. I've managed to find a room in an inn for a couple of days.”

“I'm glad to hear that.” Poppy smiled back, although ruefully.

After paying for their drinks, the two girls made their way out. They stood on the porch on the Three Broomstick in contemplative silence, the air thick with unspoken emotions. The time had come to bid farewell once again.

Poppy took a deep breath, as if to get rid of the lump in her throat, before breaking the silence, "MC, it's been wonderful catching up with you. I wish we could freeze time and stay like this forever."

A wistful smile played on MC's lips. "Life moves on, though. We have our own journeys to continue."

Poppy hesitated before uttering her newt words, “…Don't let it be another three years before our next reunion."

“It won’t. I promise.” MC replied weakly, having to bite the inside of her cheek to hold back her tears. She had never been very good at goodbyes.

Maybe that was why she had never said one to Sebastian.

With a lingering hug, they exchanged a few more words, promises to stay in touch, and expressions of hope for the future. It was nightfall when Poppy finally disapparated, leaving MC alone on the village streets, which were neither crowded nor deserted. Most of the people still outside were on their way home, or off to enjoy a late drink with their friends.

MC walked for a while, before stopping at a vantage point overlooking the quaint village which was bathed in the soft glow of Christmas lights that shimmered like a galaxy full of stars. Tremendous decorated Christmas trees could be found on every street corner, perfectly matching the garlands of fir branches that linked the roofs of the various cottages. It was even possible to find some snowmen that were bewitched to fill the air with the enchanting melodies of Christmas carols. The whole scene resembled a holiday postcard brought to life, especially with the thick blanket of snow covering the village.

It was magical. Literally.

As MC gazed at the picturesque view, memories started flooding her mind. The charming village setting reminded her of the spirited Christmases she used to share with Sebastian, spending the best part of their day at Zonko's trying to find a way to prank Ominis, before heading off to Honeydukes to buy Chocolate Frogs, just in case the blond ended up sulking for too long. The inseparable duo then made it back to the Great Hall just in time for the big Christmas feast, where they joined Ominis. The smell of roasted turkey, and the sound of familiar laughter echoed in MC’s thoughts.

After dinner, the group of friends used to return to their common room and sit down by the fire. She could almost hear the crackling of the fireplace, and feel the camaraderie that accompanied their joyful exchange of gifts. After that, Ominis fell asleep very quickly, and MC and Sebastian usually took the opportunity to get a little closer. If she closed her eyes, she could feel the sensation of his shoulder used as a pillow against her cheek, while his woody cologne invaded her nostrils.

MC could never escape these kinds of memories, especially when she was in Hogsmeade.

Everything always led back to Sebastian in Hogsmeade.

That was why she had refused to set foot there for so long.

To forget the insurmountable heartbreak of never having her feelings returned by the love of her life, MC had decided to start a new life. She had wanted to move on, to forget her feelings for Sebastian, but she had known that this would prove to be impossible with him in her life. She had therefore decided to make a clean break – because she knew that bidding Sebastian farewell was not a skill she possessed – and to disappear brutally. To make her plan even more effective, she had also cut ties with Ominis, seeing as he was Sebastian’s best friend, and MC had felt awkward to put him in the middle of her drama. The only thing MC had kept from her old life was Poppy... now her one and only friend.

MC had then spent years travelling around the world, searching for a place where she would feel comfortable enough, and that she would love enough to want to settle there for the rest of her life. The goal to her quest was to find a place that felt like home.

After almost three years, she still had not found her home.

“Ow!” MC suddenly exclaimed. Someone forcefully colliding against her back disrupted her reverie.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am. I didn’t see you.”

MC turned at the sound of a deep masculine voice. Indeed, the man could not possibly have seen her, for he was carrying a large pile of children's toys in his arms, up to his eye level, thus blocking his field of vision.

The man shifted the pile of toys into one of his arms instead of both, moving them away from his face to take a look at the unlucky person he had just unintentionally bumped into.

Next thing MC knew, before she could even realise it, MC found herself face to face with none other than Sebastian.

His chocolate eyes widened in recognition as they locked onto hers. An amalgam of shock and bewilderment flashing across his face, washing away his previous apologetic look. He was so flabbergasted that he forgot about the packages in his hands, which began to wobble. MC rushed closer to him, to put the parcels back upright, and prevent them from shattering on the floor.

“…MC?” He asked hesitantly, never tearing his gaze away from her, just to make sure he was not dreaming, that his former best friend was well and truly standing in front of him.

“Hi.” She smiled softly at him. She could not believe that she had not recognised what had once been the only voice capable of soothing her even on her worst days. To be fair, it had changed remarkably. It was more intense, manly... even sexy.

“You’re back?” He questioned eagerly, a beaming grin breaking through the initial stupor.

MC nodded in response. She could not bring herself to tell him that it was only temporary, or even worse to admit to him that she had not come back for him, that she had never had a single intention of ever seeing him again. She could not be the one to wipe that gorgeous smile from his tantalising lips. It would break her own heart all over again.

As she kept staring into those familiar eyes, a rush of emotions overwhelmed MC. The old crush she had once harboured seemed to reignite with an unexpected intensity. It was unbelievably insane that just one glance at him was all it took to make her flamboyant feelings for him resurface. She thought she had managed to eradicate them, but she had actually only been able to bury them deep inside.

However, with that also came the horrid realisation that Sebastian was carrying a large number of toys in his arms. As MC looked once again at the eye-catching bundles in his arms, reality struck her like a cold breeze.

There, nestled in his grasp, was the object of the rude shock that life had evolved without her, in ways she never could have foreseen. Obviously, these toys were for his children, meaning that Sebastian was also married and had a loving wife waiting at home for him.

MC, still quite in denial, racked her brains to find another rational explication, but there was none. There was no other option because Ominis always said he never wanted kids in order not to pass on his ‘cursed Gaunt genes’. As for Anne… well last time MC had heard of Anne was the day Solomon Sallow died. After that, she had severed all contact with everyone except Ominis, who had promised her not to divulge any information about her whereabouts.

MC’s heart sank as her mind kept repeating itself that Sebastian had moved on, embracing a world that now included the joy and responsibility of raising a family.

“Merlin, MC! I thought I’d never see you again! You’ve missed so many things, there’s so much I need to tell you! Do you live here now?” If Sebastian had ever held a grudge against MC for disappearing without warning, no trace of it was visible. His excitement was taking over completely.

“I have a room at the Hog’s Head.”

“What? The Hog’s Head?” He exclaimed in horror – rather dramatically if you asked MC – “You can't possibly stay in this dodgy shithouse!”

MC was surprised by his crude words. She was used to his outspokenness, but she had not expected to hear it again so soon after such a long time. She could only shrug sheepishly, “I don't really have much choice... Sirona didn't have any more rooms available for me. Everything was booked up… you know… with the holidays.”

“Ah... Well, I can't exactly let a lovely lady like you sleep there. I've got room at home, you can come if you like.” Sebastian puffed out his chest, putting on his false air of chivalry.

MC tried her best to conceal the blush creeping up her cheeks, but alas, she could do nothing about her nervous stammering, “Oh… Oh, I… I don’t wanna bother you. Besides, the Hog’s Head’s not that bad…”

“Don't say no. Please. Really, I insist. We could spend the evening drinking and catching up… What d’you say?” Sebastian gave her the sad puppy eyes, and MC could feel all her resolve slipping away at the same second.

Thinking about it twice, the Hog's Head was truly, absolutely dreadful. The few times MC had been there, she had been catcalled far too many times for her liking.

So yes, she knew that staying with Sebastian, his wife and their children was going to be pure torture, but MC still preferred that to the risk of being mugged or assaulted by one of the Hog's Head patrons.

“Okay.” She ended up saying, forcing a smile that masked her internal turmoil.

“Brilliant!” Sebastian looked so excited that it would not have surprised MC if he had started jumping up and down. “Have you got any luggage you need to pick up in your room before going to my place?”

“No, I've just got this." MC replied, pointing to her small rectangular shoulder bag, barely large enough to hold a box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans. “I travel light.”

“Perfect! Well then, if you will follow me, my lady.” He offered her his arm with a wink, and after a brief moment of surprise, she accepted it.

Sebastian made it so effortless to fall back into their old dynamic, that it made it just as natural and easy for MC to do the same. It was like they had never been apart.

They walked together, sticking close to each other, in the same way they used to do when they were still teenagers. As they strolled through the streets of Hogsmeade, MC assumed Sebastian was taking her to a Floo Flame. The girl was therefore genuinely caught off-guard when he stopped in front of her. a small house typical of the village – made of stone with an excessively pointed roof – and took out a key to open the front door.

“Ladies first.” Sebastian's face lit up with pride and joy, while he let MC in first, still the perfect gentleman as usual. Even married, he could not help being flirty.

Before entering, MC took a deep breath to try and calm her nerves, in anticipation of meeting the woman who had succeeded where she had failed, the woman who was better enough than her in Sebastian's eyes to have succeeded in stealing his golden heart.

However, instead of coming face to face with her nemesis, MC found herself immersed in an intimate reflection of Sebastian's essence, overwhelmed by how homey it felt. The house was truly cosy, but a little small for a family in MC's opinion. But then again, it had to be remembered that Sebastian was used to small spaces, having lived in his little one-room cottage in Feldcroft for most of his life.

The living room had the charm of disarray, with stacks of well-read books scattered on the coffee table next to empty mugs, suggesting that Sebastian had not lost his messy habits. The smell of the fireplace and coffee intermingled, creating a comforting atmosphere that reflected precisely the way Sebastian always managed to put MC at ease.

MC guessed that the upstairs, which was in fact a mezzanine, must be the bedroom. She did not dare go upstairs to respect his privacy, but from the ground floor, she could see the top of bookshelves reaching up to the pointed roof, proof that Sebastian was still as thirsty for knowledge as ever.

All these little details showed MC that, although his life had evolved, the man standing a few steps away from her was still her beloved Sebastian.

Sebastian, observing MC's reactions, could not suppress a grin, "It's not much, but it's home. You can have the bedroom, and I'll sleep on the couch.”

On further inspection of the house, MC came upon the kitchen, which was open to the living room. She could not help noticing that the worktops bore the marks of failed culinary experiments. Some pans with burnt bottoms were abandoned on the counter, and dirty cutlery had accumulated in the sink. In short, the kitchen was a mess, just as Sebastian could be in other people's lives.

However, what stood out most to MC was the absence of signs of shared living. There were no visible traces of another person – no stray belongings, no indications of a partner or children. It was as if the whole house resonated with Sebastian alone, as if his whole person had become woven into the fabric of his environment.

As MC continued to stare in silence at his topsy-turvy house, Sebastian scratched the back of his neck nervously, “Don't pay attention to the shambles, please. I didn't clean up... since I wasn't exactly expecting any guests.”

Instead of reassuring him as she would have liked, MC's curiosity was quicker to take over her next words, “Where’s your wife?”

“My wife?” Sebastian frowned.

“Yes. The woman you married.” She added bitterly. Her curiosity slowly lowered its mask to reveal its true self of authentic jealousy.

He looked away, but MC could still see that he was biting the inside of his cheek to keep a straight face, “I’m flattered you think I’m charming enough to get a wife, but I’m afraid there’s still no Mrs. Sallow. Besides Anne, of course.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?” Sebastian chuckled at her enigmatic reaction.

“I thought the toys were for your kids…” She admitted shyly, pretty embarrassed after making so many wrong assumptions about him.

“My kids? Bloody hell, MC, you sure have high expectations for me!” Sebastian exclaimed, clearly amused by the situation. “But no, I don't have kids. The toys are for my niece.”

MC was gob smacked, eyes wide and mouth agape, “Your… niece? You have a niece? Anne had a child? Wait, did she get married? With who?”

“That’s a lot of questions.” He smirked playfully at her, while looking for a bottle in one of his cabinets. “But I think you can guess the answer to the last one.”

MC looked down at her feet, taking a moment to think, when realisation hit her like a bolt of lightning. She turned her head back to Sebastian so fast it almost gave her whiplash, “Ominis?”

“Bingo.” Sebastian replied casually, uncorking a bottle of Firewhiskey. “And he took Anne's name. He's Mr. Sallow now.”

“No way!” She gasped, letting herself fall limply onto the sofa out of utter stupefaction.

“Yes way.” He laughed wholeheartedly, sitting down next to her and pouring two glasses of alcohol for each of them.

"How? When?"

"Apparently, after fifth year, they did more than just keep in touch."

MC took her glass in hand, but did not drink from it. She had far too many questions on her mind to take the time to have a sip, "But how did they deal with Anne's curse?"

"It disappeared once you killed Rookwood, since he was the one who cursed her. Apparently, magic disappears with the caster. I learnt all this a few months after graduation, when Anne got back in touch to invite me to their wedding…”

Sebastian suddenly paused in his explanations to down his glass of Firewhiskey in one gulp.

“She wanted to invite you too… I had to explain to her that you'd disappeared without warning." He continued, looking pained, and MC suspected it was not just because of the bitterness of the alcohol.

"I'm sorry." MC winced at her own words. She was pathetic to listen to, using the most clichéd and basic phrase. But it was all she could muster to respond, because it was exactly how she felt. She was profoundly sorry. Sorry to the people she cherished the most, for abandoning them without looking back. But also sorry for herself, because she now had to accept the bitter realisation that she had been absent for so many crucial milestones of their lives.

Sebastian only shook his head, avoiding her gaze and preferring to stare at his empty glass, "Why did you do that? Why didn't you say anything? I was worried sick ‘cause I thought something bad had happened to you, that some Ashwinders were still out there, and had kidnapped you. I spent months looking for you... I'd even asked the Aurors to search for you.”

MC sipped her drink slowly, using the alcohol as a distraction from the painfully heartbreaking explanations of the man sitting next to her

“…They eventually found you overseas. In perfect health... and in perfect company so I've heard. That's when I realised that you hadn't been taken away, but had gone away of your own free will.” Sebastian poured himself another glass before throwing it back again.

“I'm so sorry.”

He scoffed bitterly, “I don't want to hear that you're sorry. It's no use. I just want to know what you were thinking when you left.”

This time, it was MC's turn to down her glass before pouring her heart out in the most honest way possible, "I just needed to get away from everything, from the past. I just wanted to start again."

Against all odds, he nodded understandingly, "Wish I could stay mad at you for it... but I won’t say that I don’t understand."

What he did next surprised MC in the most pleasant way. Sebastian reached out towards her, placing his large hand on top of hers, which was resting on the brown leather of the sofa. Even if his hand was calloused and weathered by time and experience, MC was amazed by how perfectly it fit around her own.

"What matters is that you're here now." He offered her a tender smile that warmed her heart in the most appeasing way. Only he could do that to her.

"I am." MC smiled in return, even more brightly. It was contagious. She turned her hand over and intertwined their fingers together.

As their conversation died down, MC could not help but steal a moment to observe the transformation in Sebastian’s appearance. The once-adorable teenage boy she remembered had blossomed into a handsome man. His features, chiselled by the passage of time, sculpted a strong jawline that added a touch of rugged refinement to his countenance. The shadow of a beard adorned his face, giving him a distinguished and slightly mysterious air. Sebastian's tousled hair fell with a casual elegance, framing a face that bore the subtle imprints of life's experiences, such as a scar on his eyebrow arch that MC had never seen before.

The only remaining trace of the boyish charm that MC had cherished years ago, was the constellations of freckles that beautifully decorated his face. They had always made MC weak in the knees, but the butterflies in her stomach were multiplied tenfold now that they were highlighted by his light tan.

MC internally begged herself to stop ogling him before she fell further under his spell (if that was even possible, considering how head over heels she was for him).

She poured herself another drink and cleared her throat, “You said you wanted to catch up over drinks, right? Go ahead. Tell me about yourself.”

As Sebastian spoke, MC found herself captivated by the way he carried himself – his confidence unaltered after all these years, and the assurance with which he gestured. There was an understated magnetism in the way he spoke, a reflection of the man he had become since they last parted. As he easily recounted all he had achieved, MC marvelled at the beauty of the journey that had transformed him into the person sitting in front of her.

And so, MC listened attentively, desperate to know everything she had missed about him. She thus learnt that, after Hogwarts, Sebastian had joined the Auror recruitment programme. His first reason was that it was a profession he was passionate about, and that allowed him to do what he loved all day long. The second reason – and perhaps the most important – was because he knew that this career would help him to achieve noble things. In other words, it was his way of making amends for all the mistakes he had made in the past, in the hope that Anne would eventually forgive him too (which had taken a long time, but eventually worked out).

After having been accepted into the programme, Sebastian knew that he would not be able to stay in Feldcroft, firstly because the cottage held too many painful memories, but also because it was now Anne and Ominis' shared home. Consequently, he had found himself a small studio in London, not far from the Ministry. However, even after spending several months there, it just never felt like home to him. He resented the lack of green space, and the fact that he always had to check that none of his Muggle neighbours noticed that he was a wizard. So he moved again.

Looking for a place that was both in the heart of the Highlands and still bustling with life, Sebastian found only one possibility: Hogsmeade. The small, all-wizarding village met all his expectations, and the Ministry was easy to reach thanks to the Floo Network. And so, Sebastian moved into this small cottage, perfect for his life as a bachelor.

“So Auror Sallow, huh?” MC said playfully. “Well, can Auror Sallow win a duel against Ancient Magic Prodigy MC?”

“He sure hopes he can, since it’s supposed to be his job.” Sebastian laughed along with her.

“Do you want to put yourself to the test?” She cocked an eyebrow at him mischievously.

“You know I never shy away from a duel.” He replied with the same spark of deviltry in his eyes.

Without wasting any more time, Sebastian stood up, then turned to MC, holding out his hand to help her up. It was a simple gesture, but it was enough to make MC's cheekbones turn pink, as would any act of affection she received from Sebastian.

The two took their positions, taking a few steps apart before facing each other. It had been years since they last engaged in the exhilarating dance of magical duelling, a pastime that had once defined their youth, especially after being named Crossed Wands champions for three years running.

"Ready?" Sebastian grinned, the confidence of experience illuminating his eyes.

"Always." MC replied, wand at the ready, and they prepared to rediscover the thrill that had bound them together in shared laughter and friendly rivalry.

Ever the perfect gentleman, Sebastian let MC commence hostilities.

“Expelliarmus!”

“You're off to an easy start.” Sebastian laughed after brushing the attack off with a simple Shield Charm. “Confringo!”

MC deflected the spell just as easily, smirking right back at him, “You're off to a predictable start.”

A symphony of lights ensued, as sparks and spells flew, and the air shimmered with the energy of their magical prowess. MC’s spells were fluid and controlled, a testament to the skill she had honed over the years. Sebastian, however, moved with a newfound grace and precision, his every movement reflecting the growth and mastery he had attained thanks to the Auror training.

The duelling only grew in intensity as the two friends weaved intricate spells, each trying to outmanoeuvre the other. Laughter and teasing remarks echoed through the night as memories of their youth resurfaced in the midst of their magical exchange.

After several long and intense minutes of competing against each other, Sebastian unexpectedly directed his wand away from MC, aiming instead at the ceiling, and more precisely at the chandelier hanging from it.

“Glacius!” The candles obviously failed to resist the ice and were instantly extinguished on contact, plunging the room into semi-darkness.

Distracted by the newfound refined strategy established by Sebastian – which he had no doubt learnt to put in place at the speed of light during one of his courses – MC did not notice Sebastian disappear under a Disillusionment Charm, which was all the more effective as there was hardly any light in the living room, apart from the orange flames crackling in the fireplace.

With a final, masterful flick of his wand, Sebastian cast the final blow, “Depulso.”

MC found herself propelled to the floor, her back slamming against the sofa. Judging by the underwhelming low force of the impact, it was easy to guess that he had restrained himself, so as not to hurt her.

“Looks like I've had my long-awaited revenge for fifth year. I've finally bested you in a duel." Sebastian, breathing slightly heavier but grinning ear to ear, extended a hand to help her up.

MC, refusing to admit defeat, grabbed Sebastian's hand but only to make him fall to the ground beside her. She rolled them over until she was astride him, holding him firmly down.

She grinned down at him, “Really? Because I actually think I’ve won.”

He barked a laugh, “And I think you've forgotten the rule that you're not allowed to use physical violence in a wizard duel.”

“Since when do we play by the rules?”

Their gazes met for the umpteenth time that night, but this time was different. It was as if time had come to a standstill, as if the world had momentarily stopped spinning for them, just to let them savour the closeness of the moment.

MC kept staring into Sebastian's chocolate eyes, and was truly taken aback by what she saw in them. His eyes, once full of youthful curiosity, now sparkled with a different kind of radiance. They shone with a brightness that seemed to reflect the happiness and contentment he had found in his life. The laughter lines around his eyes only enhanced their glow, and as MC looked into those bright, expressive eyes, she could not help but feel a sense of joy for the man who had evolved from the adorable teenage friend she once knew, into the confident and content individual currently lying on the ground beneath her.

In those eyes, she saw the echoes of the genuine happiness that had transformed Sebastian into the person he was meant to be, the person she should have met from the very beginning of fifth year, if only Anne had never been cursed by Rookwood.

But now Sebastian was completely fulfilled with every aspect of his life. It was as plain as the nose on his face. And the feeling was made all the clearer by the fact that his lively eyes were perfectly matched by his wide toothy grin, which shone brightly even in the middle of the darkened living room.

After eventually snapping out of her thoughts, MC pulled herself away from Sebastian and helped him straighten up, “I’m proud of you, Seb, of what you’ve become. The future Mrs. Sallow will be very lucky to have a capable man like you by her side.”

Sebastian sat down next to her on the floor, facing the fireplace, and back resting against the sofa behind them, “She’ll never be as lucky as Mr. MC will be. I hope he’ll realise he’s got the most brilliant witch of the world by his side.”

MC grabbed his arm and hugged it close to her chest, while hooking her leg over one of his. Their limbs were tangled together, clinging to each other. Sebastian seemed to have no objection to this new positioning. In fact, he seemed quite delighted as he wrapped an arm around the shoulders of the girl next to him.

“What d’you think he’ll be like, my future husband?” She asked quietly.

“He’ll have to be right for you.” He replied all too solemnly.

A small laugh escaped her, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means it has to be someone who will know how to take care of you, and give you everything you need to be happy, without a single shred of hesitation. It will be someone who's worthy of standing by your side and will be able to protect you from any danger… so basically someone who'll be able to defeat me in a duel."

"Seems like I'll be stuck with you for the rest of my life, then." MC continued to smile, but it was no longer in amusement. It was something more akin to contentment.

Sebastian mirrored her expression, "Perhaps you will. I can’t imagine it'd be too bad, would it?"

"Apart from your occasional bad temper, I think I could take it." She rested her head on his strong shoulder.

MC was not sure whether it was the fatigue accumulated from her perpetual travels, or the feeling of being in a warm, comfortable home, or even the fact of being reunited with Sebastian (it was probably all three), but her eyelids became heavy without her even realising it, leading her into a peaceful sleep.

“I'm going to celebrate Christmas at Anne and Ominis' house tomorrow. You're coming.” Sebastian declared out of the blue, without realising that the girl had started dozing off.

“What? No, Seb, I can’t do that. I can’t just barge in when I wasn’t invited.” MC mumbled groggily.

“You don’t need an invitation, MC. It’s you. You’re always welcome.” He retorted instantly, as if it was the most common fact to ever exist. “Plus, they miss you, so they’ll be the happiest people in the world if you show up.”

“I won't even have a present to give them...” She muttered like a pouting small child, which made it impossible for Sebastian to hold back a chuckle.

“You're back. Believe me, that's better than any present you could buy.”

Sebastian's fingers subconsciously started tracing invisible shapes on her arm, effectively lulling her back to sleep.

❄∗❆∗❅⁂∗☃∗⁂❅∗❆∗❄

The next morning, MC was woken by the few rays of winter sunshine that the curtains had failed to hold back. Keeping her eyes closed to enjoy a few more minutes of rest, she rolled onto her stomach and was pleasantly surprised by the feel of soft sheets against the skin of her face. But what struck her most was that she could smell Sebastian's perfume all around her, as if she were immersed in one of the bottles.

Completely enveloped by the sophisticated fusion of woody undertones and hints of vetiver, and the enigmatic charm it carried, MC opened her eyes and realised that she had indeed spent the night in Sebastian's bed. On seeing this, MC let herself think that Sebastian had slept in the same bed as her, and that perhaps, with a little bit of luck, he reciprocated her feelings.

A flutter of anticipation flickered within her, one that prevented her from staying in bed any longer. Without wasting any more time, MC descended the mezzanine stairs to the living room, where Sebastian was already sitting on the couch, Daily Prophet in hand.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty.” Sebastian greeted her with a smile when he noticed her standing at the bottom of the stairs.

MC realised he must have been up for quite some time, for he was freshly cleaned up – the lack of stubble which had been present the previous day was testament to it – and already dressed up for the imminent Christmas reunion. He was clad in a tan windowpane shirt, coupled with a gingerbread brown vest matching his tailored pants. The choice of colours could not have been more perfect. All those shades of brown brought out all his most majestic features: his unruly yet soft hair, his freckled skin, his warm and reassuring eyes…

Sebastian was making it humanly impossible to tear one’s gaze away from his god-like appearance, and MC could not resist making a comment about it.

“Morning, handsome.” She smirked playfully back at him.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Better than ever.” MC admitted, a discreet pink tinting her cheekbones. “Just a question, though. How did I get up there?”

“I carried you, of course. Couldn't let you sleep on the floor. What kind of host would I have been?”

“And… you slept…?”

“On the couch. Just like I told you I would.” Sebastian smiled tenderly.

“Right.”

And with these few simple words, reality dawned on MC. Disappointment settled in, like a gentle snowfall dampening the warm embers of her previous hope that Sebastian harboured feelings for her.

The truth was that he had chosen the sofa over sharing the bed with her, a sign that he still viewed MC as nothing more than a friend. The girl felt her heart tug, like a reminder of why she had chosen not to be part of his life any more.

MC took a deep breath, “I'm gonna go and get ready, so we don't arrive late at Anne and Ominis'.”

“Anne likes us all to be dressed up for Christmas. We can go and buy you a dress at Gladrags, if you'd like–”

She immediately shook her head, “No, no, it's fine. Don't worry, I've got everything I need.”

MC took out her wand and pointed it at her small shoulder bag on the floor. With a simple flick, the object grew tenfold in volume until it reached the size of a suitcase. MC opened it, revealing that the bag had been enchanted to be bottomless, and she climbed inside it before disappearing. All that could be heard was the sound of her footsteps, and her bustle as she went through all sorts of outfits.

“Talk about travelling light.” Sebastian snickered.

A few moments later, MC emerged back from the suitcase as if climbing a ladder, wearing an ankle-length cotton mahogany dress. The corset hugged her waist perfectly, and highlighted her bust with its square neckline and short puffed sleeves. The dress was nothing extravagant, but the fact that it fit her like a glove was what made it so charming.

“Is this dress all right? Think it'll be nice enough for Anne?” She gave it a twirl, so that Sebastian could see it from every angle, before putting on a black cloak to protect herself from the winter cold.

“It looks great. You look great. Well, not great, actually. I mean– More like stunning. You look stunning, you do. We’re even matching. The colour, I mean. Because obviously you look better than me.” Sebastian stammered awkwardly, his cheeks tinged with a hint of shyness. “Merlin, this is awful. I need to learn to shut up.”

“It’s alright. I understood what you meant, that's the most important thing.” MC could only chuckle at his new bashfulness. She found it absolutely endearing.

Sebastian took a deep breath before speaking more clearly, “What I’m trying to say is… You're beautiful. You’ve always been.”

“Thank you, Seb.” She met his gaze, a gentle smile playing on her lips.

He tried to divert attention from his nervousness by slipping on his long black coat, and grabbing the wrapped gifts for his niece, “Ready to go?”

MC nodded in response, waiting for Sebastian to apparate them. She expected him to grab her by the arm, but instead he wrapped an arm around her waist. He brought her small figure close to him, as if he wanted to make sure that she would be comfortable during the apparition, that there was not even the slightest chance for her to get splinched.

With a loud crack, the world began to spin. Next thing she knew, MC was standing in the middle of the snowy village of Feldcroft. As she tried to right herself, she staggered slightly, dizzy from the apparition, whose effects were far more brutal when someone was doing it for you. Fortunately, Sebastian still had an arm wrapped around her waist to cradle her against him. With his other hand, he grabbed her elbow to steady her.

Once Sebastian was certain that MC was all right, he guided her towards the Sallow cottage, which she had not seen for years. From the outside, it looked much bigger than she remembered, particularly because it had an extra floor. Sebastian explained that he had helped Anne and Ominis enlarge it after their wedding, so that they would have enough room for their future family.

Sebastian was the first to set foot on the cottage porch. He hid MC behind him with his body, to create an effect of surprise, then knocked on the door. It was Anne who answered, appearing in the doorway wearing a sublime ankle-length midnight-blue velvet dress adorned with cultured pearls.

"Sebastian! I told you to buy only one present! She's going to end up spoiled rotten if this keeps up." Anne exclaimed without even greeting her brother.

"She's my only niece. Who am I to spend my money on if not her?"

"How 'bout your sister?" She raised an accusing eyebrow at him, while clearing him of all the packages in his arms.

"Ah, but I've brought a surprise for you too. Look what I found last night…" He intoned with amusement, and stepped aside to reveal MC. "A lost soul who wanted to spend Christmas alone at the Hog’s Head!"

"Oh my, MC!" Anne swiftly pulled the girl into a bear hug. "Ominis, come here!"

"What is it, sweetie?" The blond man called from afar, carrying his daughter in his arms.

Judging by the way he had stopped dead in his tracks, coming to an abrupt halt, MC knew that he had sensed her presence thanks to his sentient wand.

Sebastian decided to take his brother-in-law’s daughter off his hands, so that the two friends could reunite peacefully, "Hey, little monster! Wanna give a hug to Uncle Seb?"

Meanwhile, MC approached her old friend and spoke softly, "Hello, Ominis."

Knowing that Ominis was not very comfortable with physical contact, especially with people he did not know well, MC was not sure how to greet him. So it came as a great surprise when he made no hesitation whatsoever and took her in his arms, holding her tightly.

"I should be telling you off for disappearing... but I'm not going to. Not today." Ominis whispered in her ear.

She chuckled lightly, "I'm happy to see you too."

"Let me take your coat." He offered after pulling away.

MC untied the ribbon from her cloak, and handed it to Ominis. She then turned to Sebastian to pick up the toddler in his arms, so that he too could remove his thick winter coat.

"Hi, little princess. I'm a friend of your mummy and daddy, and your uncle Sebastian too." MC cooed in a honeyed voice. She could not help noticing that the little girl in her arms was the perfect amalgam of her two parents. She had all her mother's features, but with meadow-blonde hair and grey-blue eyes like her father.

"Unkie! Unkie!" She pouted and made big gestures with her arms to indicate that she wanted to go back to her uncle. She truly was an uncle's little girl.

"I'm here, baby.” Sebastian immediately took her back into his arms, after giving Ominis his coat, to cradle her. “You don't have to be scared of MC. She's really nice too, you know."

"Auntie?" The one-year-old asked hesitantly, reaching out to wrap her hand around MC's index finger.

"That's right, that's Auntie MC." Sebastian encouraged her. It was impressive how he naturally had his way with kids.

It may have been silly, but something as simple as being called Auntie by a child she had just met, as well as by Sebastian, awakened something in her, a sense of belonging that had been dormant for a long time. She truly felt like a fully-fledged member of this family.

Anne suddenly let out a sigh, "I'd love to be able to celebrate the reunion with you, but I've still got lots of things to do in the kitchen. Sebastian, can you look after the baby while Ominis lays the table?"

"I'll come and help you, Anne." MC declared.

"Thank you, MC. You're too kind." Anne exited the living room, followed by MC.

“So… You and Ominis, huh?” MC started once they were alone. She was sitting across from Anne at the small kitchen table which was covered in food stains from preparing the meal.

Anne immediately shook her head, “Oh, no, no. We’ll have plenty of time to talk about my marital life later. Let's talk about how you ended up here with my brother after all these years."

"We ran into each other last night in Hogsmeade. He offered me to sleep over, and we basically spent the better part of the night talking." MC shrugged.

"And?” Anne pried impatiently. “What happened?"

"Nothing. What do you want to happen?”

“Nothing. It was just a random question.” Anne replied coyly while she finished icing the Yule log. “So, update me as well. Where are you in life? Have you met anyone?”

“No, not at all. I haven't really had time for that.”

“That's a shame.”

“What – uhm – What about him?” MC did not look up from the kilted soldiers she was preparing, in an attempt to appear nonchalant. Needless to say, it was a failure.

“Who?” Anne feigned ignorance.

MC heaved a sigh, deciding to finally meet her friend's gaze, “Sebastian. Has he met anyone recently?”

Anne bit the inside of her cheek, "I think you should ask him directly."

"I'm scared it'll be awkward…"

"Well… if you want to know everything, he hasn’t courted anyone since you went away. He claims that he's not interested in dating, that he’s focusing on becoming a proper Auror first. He always finds an excuse to avoid admitting that he's already got a girl on his mind, but is too much of a coward to act upon it."

MC felt her heart skip a beat. A cold realization settled over her, making her stop everything she was doing. Her heart sank, the weight of unspoken truths pressing upon her, and she forced a tight-lipped smile, concealing the ache within as she navigated the sudden revelation that someone else was in Sebastian's heart, and it was not her.

MC swallowed thickly, "Has he known her for long?"

"Several years."

"And is she a good person? Does she treat him well?"

"He's never been happier than when he's with her." Anne admitted with a sincere smile that contrasted drastically with the unsettled look that MC was unable to disguise.

"Who is it?" She asked weakly, not entirely sure she wanted to know the answer.

"I fear that’s too much information, and that's not for me to tell. Just ask him."

Without another word on the matter, Anne gracefully pivoted, excusing herself to go back to the living room and announce that the meal was ready. MC took a moment to compose herself, swallowing the bitter pill of disappointment before joining the others in the living room.

Seated at the table, surrounded by the warmth of holiday decorations and the aroma of a festive feast, the four friends engaged in a pleasant chatter. The clinking of cutlery and laughter created a veneer of normalcy. They reminisced adventures from their time at Hogwarts, shared stories about their jobs, exchanged anecdotes about Anne and Ominis’s little one, and indulged in the delights of the Christmas meal.

“So, MC, what have you been up to during your travels?” Ominis asked as he had just finished feeding his daughter.

MC swallowed her mouthful of turkey before replying, “Well, you know, trying to explore the world and discover new places. Honestly, I’ve just been searching for a place that makes me want to stay, that feels like home.”

“And have you found that place yet?”

MC was silent for a moment. How was she supposed to explain that she had found this special place years ago, but had fled far away from it, just to search the world for something similar? Because if MC was willing to face the truth, she knew that her home was wherever Sebastian was.

Sebastian was her home.

It was quite ironic that he did not feel the same way about her…

“I… I’m not sure.” MC finally said.

“…Does that mean you’ll be back on the road again?�� Ominis questioned again, but this time with caution.

“Yes. I leave tomorrow morning.” MC replied resolutely.

The clatter of dropped cutlery echoed like an unintentional punctuation to the tremendous silence that followed. Eyes widened, gazes met with uncertainty, and an unspoken tension pulsed through the room.

Anne was the first to break the palpable unease by raising her voice, “What? But you just came back! You can’t leave so soon.”

The next sound came from Sebastian's chair legs scraping the floor as he stood up abruptly and threw his napkin on the table, “Excuse me. I need some fresh air.”

His eyes did not meet anyone's as he left the table. Without even grabbing his coat, he stormed out of the house. The door slammed behind him and echoed through the deathly hush inside.

"What’s up with him? Did I say something wrong?" MC asked, disconcerted. She was completely unaware of the weight of her revelation, which had hit her friends like a tidal wave.

Anne huffed in irritation before shouting at her, "Of course you did, MC! You're supposed to be his best friend! Can't you see how cruel you're being to him?"

Ominis rested a hand on his wife's shoulder, "Calm down, sweetie. It's not her fault MC is dense."

"Hey!" The girl exclaimed indignantly, but Ominis ignored her.

"Let me put it simply for you, MC. We were all hurt when you left without saying a word, but Sebastian's been a complete wreck ever since. The usual cheerful Sebastian you know was nowhere to be found for years… until today. And that's only because you came back.”

“And now, you've just brutally told him that you plan to disappear tomorrow, and take his happiness with you! Again!" Anne insisted, determined to keep rubbing it in until realisation eventually hit the girl.

Fortunately, it worked quite quickly, but now MC did not know what to do with herself, "I... I didn't know that... I thought he’d just forget about me and move on."

"I thought you knew him better than that. Haven’t you yet realised that you're everything to him? Because it's more than time you do!"

“I… need to talk to him. Excuse me.”

MC, in turn, rushed out of the cottage, only grabbing Sebastian's coat in her haste.

The freezing air greeted her as she stepped outside, snowflakes landing on her hair and the bare skin of her arms. Thankfully, it did not take her long to spot Sebastian, who had moved slightly away from the house to lean against a tree, his shoulders hunched slightly against the winter chill.

She approached him slowly, but with a determined step, the snow crunching under her feet. She knew he had heard her by the way he straightened up, even though he seemed intent on ignoring her.

“Seb, come back inside. It’s freezing, you’re gonna catch your death.” She implored him, covering herself with her arms to protect herself from the icy wind.

“What’s it to you? You won’t even be there to see it.” He replied even more coldly than the weather, without even turning to look at her.

“…Put on your coat at least.” She insisted, extending it to him.

Sebastian took the coat from her, but instead of putting it on like expected, he draped it over her, so that she would not get cold. His hands lingered on her shoulders, which were now protected by the thick felt.

At last, he met her gaze, his eyes silently pleading with her, “Am I not good enough for you to stay? Not good enough for you to notice me?”

MC grabbed his wrists as if by instinct, “Seb, of course you’re plenty enough. You’re my oldest friend–”

Sebastian sighed in annoyance and pulled away from her, “But can’t you see it’s not enough for me?”

“…What?”

Sebastian reached into his pocket, retrieving a small velvet box. He had always imagined giving her this gift with a broad smile, but now he was opening the box with a rueful frown, to reveal a delicate ring.

“I wanted to give it to you a little after we graduated. I wanted to give it to you to confess my feelings. I wanted that ring to be a symbol of my devotion, and a promise to always remain loyal to you… Turned out life had other plans because you left the day I bought it.”

“Sebastian…” MC croaked out, doing her best to fight back the tears that threatened to fall as she stared at the magnificent jewel that was the poignant representation of all the missed opportunities and lost time.

"Now’s a good time to give it to you, I think. If you’re going to leave again, might as well be honest while I have the chance, before you run away like last time." He said acrimoniously as he placed the ring on her finger.

"Wha…” The shock took away MC's voice before she could even finish her sentence. Her eyes were riveted on the golden band. “What about the girl you like? Anne told me you were interested in someone."

"The girl I like?” He laughed humourlessly. “MC, I've been ridiculously and irrevocably in love with you since fifth year, since the day you kicked my arse in Hecat’s class. You literally knocked me off my feet. I know I didn't always show it well, but it's true, it's always been you.”

MC let out a pained grunt and hid her face in her hands in shame, "Oh Merlin, Seb... I've been such an idiot."

“Why?” Sebastian frowned.

“I've always loved you too. But I was so miserable thinking I'd never be anything more than your friend, that I decided to disappear to try and forget you.”

“And? Please, tell me it didn’t work.” His words came out desperate, almost begging.

She took his face between her hands, and lovingly caressed his cold cheeks, “It didn’t. How could I ever forget you? Being away from you only made me miss you more.”

His hands came down to rest around her waist, bringing her close to his body, in search of both solace and warmth, “It's all right. We're together now. You don't have to leave anymore. All's well that ends well.”

“Well… Not exactly all. You gave me this beautiful ring, and I have nothing to give you in return.”

“I finally have the witch of my dreams back at my side. I couldn’t dream of a better Christmas present.”

Suddenly, MC and Sebastian were interrupted by a cracking sound coming from above them. They looked up and saw a branch of mistletoe sprang out of thin air from one of the branches of the tree they were standing under, its delicate white berries shimmering in the soft glow of the surrounding lights.

Sebastian looked back down at MC, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips, “Actually… I’ve just thought of a gift you could give me.”

The snowflakes descended gracefully around them, creating a magical scene that mirrored the fluttering emotions in their hearts. In that enchanting moment, with the world cocooned in a quiet hush, MC found the fiery courage and desire to close the thin gap between them. Their lips met in a passionate kiss, and their hearts were set alight, for the moment they had dreamt of most in their lives had finally become reality.

Out of enthusiasm, Sebastian tightened his grip around MC, with his arms completely wrapped around her petite frame, enveloping her in such warmth that she completely forgot they were both covered in snow. He pressed and secured her tightly against him, and lifted her off the ground. Out of reflex, the girl's hands travelled up to wrap around his neck to steady herself. Her fingertips grazed his soft curls, sending shivers down her spine.

Unfortunately, their winter wonderland moment was abruptly interrupted by the joyful cheers of their friends inside the house. MC and Sebastian reluctantly pulled away from each other, and turned in the direction of the commotion to see Anne and Ominis glued to the window to spy on them. The wand in Anne's hand was proof enough that it was she who had conjured up the mistletoe.

MC giggled, looking back at her boyfriend with stars in her eyes, and her hands resting in his chest, “Merry Christmas, Seb.”

“Merry Christmas, darling.” He answered softly before leaning in to steal another kiss from her.

MC sincerely hoped there would be another Mrs. Sallow other than Anne next Christmas, for she had finally found her home and never planned on leaving ever again.

❄∗❆∗❅⁂∗☃∗⁂❅∗❆∗❄

Part 2 : Christmas at Home (link)

#hogwarts legacy #sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x mc #sebastian sallow x reader #sebastian sallow fanfiction #sebastian sallow fluff #hogwarts legacy fanfic #fanfic #christmas

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halesluts · 1 month

Text

ZINNIA

description: ZINNIA (aka the first time spencer reid almost said "i love you")

word count: 2.6k

trigger warnings: a little sad boy spencer? (but only a little) and i think that's it? (sorry if i missed any)

authors note: hello! i managed to finish the chapter earlier than planned, so i decided to post it for you! i know that some things will seem a bit rushed, but i promise that everything will fall into place as we go along! again, english is not my mother tongue so i'm sorry if there are any mistakes! positive comments and criticisms are always welcome!

p.s: 'this' means that they are chatting by message and this chapter refers a little to S7:E2.

series masterlist | next chapter

“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,

Love like you’ll never be hurt,

Sing like there’s nobody listening,

And live like it’s heaven on earth.”

— William W. Purkey

Tranquility. It was the only word Spencer Reid could use to define how the sky looked on that quiet Tuesday evening and how his heart felt.

In his humble opinion, the pink clouds blended beautifully with the crystalline blue sky, creating a soft orange gradient and making everything even more beautiful. The gentle breeze was blowing, just enough to dislodge a few strands of hair that stubbornly wanted to get out of place in front of her eyes.

‘Four in the afternoon. Norfolk Botanic Gardens. See you there, Spence bunny <3.’

The young doctor reread the message, and an immediate smile appeared on his face when he saw the affectionate nickname. And without realizing it, he was swept up in his thoughts. Spence Bunny.

Spencer loved being called "Spence" and "Bunny" by her because these nicknames carried a special affection that only she could express, it was something exclusive between them. Spence was a soft and intimate way of shortening his name, even by just one letter, it was a nickname that only she and JJ had the right to use; but when used by her, it sounded different, as if it were charged with a unique affection and a silent intimacy between the syllables. Bunny, however, was even more special, it was something that was theirs alone, something unique that made him feel loved and protected, a name that not only expressed the tenderness and sweetness of the relationship they shared, but also a kind of secret shared between the two of them. There was a sweetness and playfulness to these names, something that made him feel unique and loved, in a way that he wouldn't experience or want to have with anyone else but her.

Every time she used these nicknames, it was like a subtle reminder of their deep connection. He felt a spark of happiness, as if every moment they shared was exclusively theirs and no one else's, a reflection of the deep bond they cultivated. It had been four years since they had become best friends, but those words always carried a subtext of affection that they both felt but never dared to express directly.

Spencer Reid knew that his heart warmed every time "Spence" and "Bunny" were used, as it was as if they were being seen in a way that no one else was. Because, for Spencer, these nicknames went far beyond little pieces of love disguised as friendship, they were little glimpses of what they could be and have, and that warmed his heart. Even if he still didn't dare to confess his true feelings.

‘I'll be there, Little flower. See you at four o'clock sharp.’

Little flower, that's what Spencer called her, because, for him, she was like a delicate and unique flower, capable of bringing beauty and softness into his life in a subtle but profound way. The nickname came naturally, reflecting the care and admiration he felt for her, as well as the special way she flourished in any situation, even the most difficult. The young doctor believed that she liked the nickname because, whenever he used it, he noticed a different sparkle in her eyes and a shy but sincere smile on her lips. It was as if, for Spencer, being called "Little flower" made her feel seen and appreciated.

And what better place to meet than a botanical garden?

Norfolk Botanical Garden was almost empty, which was to be expected as it was just over three o'clock in the afternoon. He straightened his sweater, taking a deep breath. His watchful, expressionless eyes scanned the surrounding flowers as he sat on that wooden bench, which welcomed him with a certain comfort, while he waited for the hands of his wristwatch to indicate that the time they had set had already arrived. Which didn't take long to happen, as the minute hands passed unnoticed before his eyes, and, if Spencer was honest with himself, he always lost track of the time when it came to her.

From that vantage point, he could see part of the gardens, the entrance, and a few couples walking along the paths nearby; however, he didn't see any sign of her. It was already quarter past four, and she wasn't used to being late - in all the years they had been friends, Spencer could count on his fingers how many times she had been late for one of their meetings. Did she hit traffic on the way? Or did she take the bus and have an accident? She always went to the same coffee shop at half past two in the afternoon, maybe the queue was longer than usual. Should he call her?

"I knew you'd be here." The sweet voice brought the young doctor back to reality, interrupting the thoughts that stubbornly took over his mind. He turned quickly, and there she was, with a smile that lit up every garden - in his humble opinion. "Sorry I'm late," She continued, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I ended up meeting a couple with an American pit bull terrier puppy and lost track of time. A thousand pardons, Bunny."

Reid smiled, relieved, and made room next to him on the bench.

"You know, I was beginning to imagine that you'd pulled out and that this month's unpretentious dating session wouldn't happen."

The unpretentious dating session was what they affectionately called the monthly meetings that took place on the last Tuesday of every month - a moment that Spencer had come to look forward to. He considered that, even though they only happened once a month, this was one of the main reasons why he hadn't yet snapped due to his chaotic routine at BAU. This month, more than any other, Spencer looked forward to meeting her and spending time together without making a big deal of it.

"You know me like nobody else, Bunny. You know I'd never skip out on our dates."

The light that seeped through the gaps between the leaves of the trees touched Spencer's skin unevenly, making him glow as if he had stepped out of a fairy tale - if he were to ask the young woman, she would surely say that he had stepped out of one of the Twilight movies. And yes, the doctor knew that she loved those vampire movies that sparkled in the sunlight. Her lips looked even pinker, and the glow that illuminated the irises of the girl's eyes made the young doctor smile, feeling grateful to have the privilege of being there and observing that little sliver of beauty. The scene was so beautiful that, for a few minutes, he was able to forget the internal wounds that plagued his heart and the chaos that had been present in his routine over the last few days.

He forgot about his own life, the problems he had insisted on leaving behind, and the demands he would most likely face when he set foot in BAU the next morning. In those brief moments, his only reason for existing was her and the sweet laughter that played on her lips.

After picking a flower, they both returned to the shade of a tree, where they began to talk about the shapes of clouds. They lay on the grass, watching the late afternoon attentively, punctuated by soft pink clouds.

"They're zinnias, aren't they?"

"Uh-huh. And do you know what they mean, Spence?"

"They mean eternal friendship. They say that because zinnias are easy to grow and replant, the Victorians came to associate them with eternal friendship. There are several reports that bouquets of zinnias were used to give to friends who were about to go on a long journey, as a way of expressing that they would be missed and not forgotten while they were on their way."

The young woman placed the flower on her chest, carefully so that the yellowish petals didn't dig into the dress she was wearing. She was always careful with fragile and delicate things.

"You know I'm here for whatever you need, right?" Spencer frowned when he heard the question. It was the first thing the young woman asked him after they had been silent for a few minutes. "And I know you probably don't want to talk about it openly, at least not now, but I'll be here for whatever you need." He turned his gaze towards the girl lying next to him and noticed her running her tongue across her lips before continuing. "All I ask is that you don't take any drastic, unreasonable measures."

"What do you mean?"

"You buried one friend, Spence, but she buried six."

He couldn't deny that he felt a mixture of pain, anger, and betrayal when he discovered that JJ and Hotch had lied about Emily's whereabouts, not only to him but also to the whole team. He had always trusted the three of them with his body and soul, he considered them more than work colleagues, they were his friends and his family. The revelation that had been made weeks before, and Emily's return to the team, made him realize that the world he had built up over the last seven months was nothing more than a big lie. And there she was, worried that he might take drastic action because of his emotions.

"I know." He took a deep breath, a gentle smile taking over his lips. "It's just that it's a lot of information to take in in such a short space of time."

"When you're ready to talk, know that I'll be here to listen, Spence."

"Thank you very much, Little flower."

Lying side by side on the soft grass, they both remained silent for a few more minutes, watching the blue-painted sky and the pink clouds that floated lazily above them. The soft sound of the breeze passing through the trees, mixed with the distant singing of birds, created a perfect setting, almost as if the world had stopped just for them to enjoy this time. Spencer turned his head to look at her, noticing how the sun's rays played with her hair and lit up her face. The peace of that moment seemed almost eternal, and he wished it could last forever.

"You know, I was thinking…" She said, breaking the silence with a quiet tone, but full of curiosity. "How about we take a walk? I hear there's a lovely flower store here in the botanical garden."

Spencer smiled, instantly liking the idea. He loved going for walks with her, and the thought of exploring a flower store together seemed like the perfect extension to prolong that already special moment.

"Sounds great. Let's go?" He stood up, offering his hand to help her up. She accepted with a smile, and together they began to walk through the garden.

The stone paths led them past flower beds and well-kept bushes, as they chatted about the colors and shapes they found along the way. The atmosphere was enveloped in soft, fresh scents, and each step brought them closer to the small store that was hidden around a bend in the path. When they finally arrived, a small wooden sign, adorned with illustrations of flowers, announced the place. The store itself looked like something out of a fairy tale, with windows framed by flowering vines and a red tiled roof that gave the place a rustic charm.

"Here you are." She said, with a smile and an expression that made Spencer's heart race once again. "Shall we go in, Spence?"

He agreed, opening the door for her. The interior was even more enchanting than he had imagined, filled with flowers of all colors and types. As they explored the space, conversation flowed naturally, full of laughter and small gestures of affection. For Spencer, it was as if every flower she pointed out, every comment about the colors and fragrances, reinforced how much he loved her. And at that moment, he couldn't imagine a better place in the world to be than there, next to her, sharing something so simple, yet so meaningful.

The young doctor noticed that her eyes lit up when she spotted a different arrangement on a shelf further down. It was a delicate bouquet, made up of a harmonious mix of flowers, tied with a blue-green ribbon. The sign next to it read "friendship bouquet".

"Look, Bunny! They're friendship bouquets!"

"Friendship bouquets?" Spencer looked at the bouquet and then at her, feeling the familiar warmth fill his chest again. The warmth and sweetness in her voice made him smile, although he felt a small squeeze in his heart.

"Yes, they call them 'friendship bouquets' because they're ideal for giving to someone you're very fond of. My grandmother taught me that if you put together an arrangement of flowers and tied them with a blue-green silk ribbon, the person who received the bouquet would have a brighter day and would know that the person who gave it to them was thinking of them with great affection." For a moment, her expression changed and she let go of his hand. "I've said too much, haven't I? It probably doesn't make any sense to you, and you don't even care about flowers and their meanings. I'm sorry."

"No, no, no!" He hurried to reassure her. "Never apologize for saying something you love. I understand what it's like to keep it to yourself, and I love it when you share what makes you good and what makes you happy."

"You swear?" He widened his eyes, knitting his eyebrows together in the cutest way Spencer had ever seen.

"Uh-huh! I'm excited to hear you talk about what you love." And it was at that very moment that Spencer swore to herself that she would learn everything about flowers, just so she could see her happy again. "Apart from the zinnias, what are the other flowers in the bouquet?"

"As far as I know there are three more flowers: apple blossom, pansy, and eucalyptus!"

When she took the pansy from the small bucket, the smile that lit up her face was so pure and radiant that it made Spencer's heart race. She held the flower delicately as if it were a treasure, and her eyes sparkled in a way he rarely saw. As she admired the vibrant colors of the petals, he felt a wave of emotion wash over him, an almost uncontrollable urge to say what he had been holding back for so long. It was as if in that instant, the world around him had stopped, and all that mattered was her joy, which seemed to overflow and envelop him. For a brief second, he almost forgot all his hesitations, just to see her smile like that again, knowing that he was the reason.

"I…" He was about to tell her that he loved her, Spencer knew that saying those three magic words would change the course of their friendship, but her eyes stared at him with a soft, warm intensity. Her gaze shone with a mixture of expectation and understanding, as if she already knew what he was about to say, but still wanted to hear the words come from his lips. She tilted her head slightly, and a serene smile appeared on her lips, encouraging him without words. There was an obvious tenderness in her gaze as if every part of her being was ready to receive the declaration with all the affection she felt for him. "I like it very much. Thanks for the present, Little flower."

And so it was, mentally cursing himself, that Spencer Reid realized he had missed the first opportunity to tell her he loved her.

#spencer reid x reader #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds fic #matthew gray gubler x reader

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section-chief-prentiss · 3 months

Text

Maternity Leave (part 2/3)

Summary: As your labor progresses, you realize you might not get the birth plan you'd hoped for.

Pairing: Emily Prentiss/Reader

Word Count: 1247

TWs: pregnancy, labor, fluff, comfort, blood

A/N: I got carried away with this one, so there will be one more part to wrap up this story that I'll post tomorrow!

Ao3

PART ONE PART THREE PART FOUR

“It’s time?” Emily asked, her eyes crinkled with joy.

“It’s time,” you confirmed, feeling breathless now, wincing from the pain rolling through you.

Emily leaned forward to kiss you, and you melted into it, moaning under your breath.

“Later,” she whispered against your lips.

You pouted when she pulled away, throwing her clothes back on and grabbing the hospital bag from the closet and the exercise ball from your workout room next door.

Once everything was together, your wife gently pulled you to your feet and helped you dress. “Note the time,” she reminded you. “We need to know how far apart your contractions are.”

You glanced at the clock on your nightstand and made a mental note, grabbing your phone to pull up a labor app your doctor had recommended to time the contractions.

Emily loaded up the car before coming back for you to gently ease you into the passenger’s seat. You didn’t need quite this level of coddling, but you knew this was her love language, so you didn’t stop her, either.

Emily gently backed the car out of your driveway, and you secured your seatbelt over your body, but the constriction immediately added to your discomfort. You shifted as another contraction rolled through you and hit the button on your phone to time it.

“Breathe, love,” Emily said gently, merging onto the road. You nodded, taking slow, deep breaths, and waiting for the pain to pass.

You didn’t live far from the hospital, but DC traffic had its own ideas for your evening and slowed down your travel. Emily called to let the hospital know you were coming, but you weren’t sure how long you could labor in the car. One hand clenched around the door handle, squeezing with all your might as the contractions shortened and intensified.

Emily pulled some questionable driving techniques, but you were in too much pain and filled with too much relief to see the emergency room doors approaching to care.

A nurse waited outside the entrance with a wheelchair and gently helped you into it before wheeling you inside, as Emily swung around to park somewhere potentially illegal, you gathered based on how quickly she returned to your side, belongings under her arms.

“I’m Amanda,” the nurse said. Though you couldn’t see her, there was an air of authority around her that you immediately trusted. “I’ll be your main nurse today, but there will be a few of us floating in and out.”

“I’m Y/N,” you said, rubbing your belly.

“Y/N, how far apart are your contractions?”

“Every five minutes or so,” you said, hissing as another reared its head. You rubbed your swollen stomach and hummed, closing your eyes to help your focus.

“That one was only four,” Emily murmured to the nurse.

They didn’t stop moving until you were in a hospital room, and you glanced suspiciously at Emily with a raised eyebrow, wondering how she bypassed the check-in process. She grinned at you in return, and you realized it was probably better to not know.

You stripped and changed into a hospital gown, and Amanda began hooking you up to monitors, explaining what she was doing as she moved, but another contraction distracted you. You trusted that Emily was paying attention enough for the both of you.

Kneeling on the bed, you swayed your hips back and forth, and Emily pressed into the sides of them—a trick you’d picked up on in birthing class—and you sighed when some of the pressure lessened.

“I need to check your dilation when you’re ready,” Amanda said.

You nodded, feeling the wave of pain subside before lying on the bed. Laying on your back only heightened your discomfort, but you reminded yourself this would pass quickly.

“7 centimeters,” the nurse said, sounding impressed. “You’re progressing quickly. You said this is your first?”

You nodded, debating already if this would be your last.

“You’re the woman that other women are jealous of,” the nurse said with a wink. “I’ll be back to check you in a bit.”

You were already sweating with effort, and Emily dabbed at your forehead with a cold compress.

“You’re doing great, baby,” she said, stroking your hair.

“I know I said I wanted her out today,” you said, shifting to a sitting position. “But I think I changed my mind.”

Emily chuckled. “I’m afraid it’s too late now. What can I do to help?”

“Can you help me to the ball?” you said, nodding toward the exercise ball.

Emily grabbed your arms and hoisted you up with little difficulty, hovering nearby as you positioned yourself on the ball and began swiveling your hips.

As the next few contractions rolled through, the pain and duration increased. Your pain tolerance was high—you’d wanted to try and give birth without pain medication—but you weren’t sure how much longer you could hold out. Quiet, deep breaths transitioned into guttural moans that sounded like they came from outside your body, the pressure increasing where the baby shifted downward.

Some time later, the nurse peeked her head in again. “How are we doing?”

You were still seated on the ball, but your arms rested on your hospital bed, and you leaned against it for support.

“I’ve gotta be close, right?” you panted. “This is agonizing.”

Emily and the nurse helped you shift back into the bed for another check, and the nurse looked back up at you with sympathetic eyes. “Still at 7, I’m afraid.”

“That can’t be right,” you moaned, feeling a familiar pressure. “Measure again.”

But you were cut off with pain ripping through you, feeling as though you were being torn in half. Emily offered you her hand and you squeezed it with all your strength, closing your eyes to throw your head back and scream. This was unbearable—how were you not pushing yet?

As the contraction waned, you opened your eyes to find Emily pale and the nurse smoothing her expression into something neutral.

Your stomach sank—that wasn’t the face of someone with good news.

“Y/N, I’m going to page your doctor. It looks like we have some bleeding, so we may need to bring you down for a c-section.”

You shook your head. “No, I didn’t want a c-section—this wasn’t the plan.”

“I know, love,” Emily said, stroking your hair that was damp with sweat. “But we have to keep you and baby safe.”

You knew she was right and hated it. You wanted the birth experience your friends had had—the beautiful moment of delivering her and the doctor laying her on your chest.

You knew that since you didn’t have an epidural yet, a c-section meant you’d likely be put under. You didn’t want to wake up and miss the birth of your daughter. Miss those initial, crucial bonding moments.

Emily, reading all of these thoughts on your face, kissed the top of your head and said, “I know.”

But though the contraction ended, there was a new pain that wasn’t subsiding, and you knew in your heart that something was wrong.

“Save her, please,” you begged, as Amanda paged in backup to start rolling your bed toward an operating room.

“How about we save you both?” the nurse said, perfectly calm.

You tried to focus on her comforting gaze, but feelings of being lightheaded and overwhelmed overpowered you, and the hallway spun around you. As you tipped into unconsciousness, the last sensation you registered was of Emily grabbing your hand.

Tag List:

@yena-reyna, @propertyofemilyprentiss, @chaekhan, @obsessedwjill, @mrs-prentiss, @i-lovefandom, @tireddeadgirl, @lez-talk1, @emilyprentiss-ily

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#criminal minds #emily prentiss #fanfiction #paget brewster #pagetbrewster #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds imagine #emily prentiss x reader #comfort #pregnant #pregnancy

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bonny-kookoo · 2 years

Text

Jungkook: Why Not 🔞

In which Jungkook has you figured out. Dirty humor, mean and bratty- you're pretty much simply a bitch. So why are you crying over some scraped up knees and a dirty plushy?

Tags/Warnings: non-Idol AU, enemies to lovers, reader acts like she could kill but is actually a cinnamon roll, Jungkook just simply is a cinnamon roll, adult themes, fluff, romance, short!reader go cry about it, smut but very low-carb (handjob, cum in pants oops), slight DDLG-aspects/themes? Soft daddy/dom vibes from kook?

Length: longer than JKs Dick career

Additional Content: How So (Part 2)

A/N: have to post it shortened bc the longer version breaks the app :) have some fluff comfort after all that angst psycho shit I posted.

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It's not like Jungkook hates you. He really, honestly, doesn't.

In fact, he admires how honest you are, in a way. You seem comfortable with yourself, which shows in a healthy amount of confidence, no thought wasted on what people might think of your outfit or makeup. You're very expressive and creative, and you always work out solutions whenever everyone else would suggest simply giving up.

You're just.. too bold for him. He's not really interested in most things you discuss- which is often something lewd- and he also doesn't really share any interests with you. You're a miss know-it-all, you get dramatic if you don't get your way, and you manipulate people around you to even out your road ahead. You make demeaning jokes about yourself and you always put yourself down in a comedic manner- and he just doesn't like that. Even so, he still never casts you out, or ignores you. It's odd, because whenever you have one on one interactions, he can't help but feel like you're not the same as with others around. Just like right now.

You're currently all eating at a sushi place - you're sitting across from him, cleavage dangerously exposed, but he's got no right to be offended by it. In a way, he admires the way you seem to be so comfortable. But he can't help but notice the way you keep adjusting your top all the time, tugging and pulling constantly.

If it's making you so fidgety, why wear it? It irritates him a bit. He'll never understand why most girls choose fashion over comfort.

Your best friend Namjoon had told him before that you're actually not like this at all. That you're a great friend, caring and gentle and actually very fragile, and even a little shy and quiet when no one's around - however, Jungkook believes that's just your best friend trying to make you look good. You're totally fine the way you are - you're just too much for him personally. There's nothing wrong with that.

Just because he might not enjoy your personality, doesn't mean you have to change it.

But he doesn't question it, continues to eat and listen in on conversations, laughing along jokes and funny stories. He likes the energy of this. It's unforced, comfortable, easy. He's just about to continue eating, when he notices the glance you throw at his plate, something you've done a couple of times now, seemingly thinking about something, before looking away again, engaging in the conversation as if to distract yourself. "Do you want a piece?" He asks you as soon as there's a good moment, a bit more quiet as to not interrupt the current topic being discussed at the table.

You look at him, wide-eyed just for a second, before you shake your head. "It's fine. I'll maybe try it next time, though." You tell him with a smile. "Does it taste good?" You wonder, and he can't help but be amused. How come you can make straight-up dick-jokes at the dinner table, but you can't accept his offered food that you clearly got your eyes on?

"I don't know if my taste is the same as yours." He shrugs, watching as you chew on the inside of your lip now. "Let's trade, if that makes you feel better." He offers instead, and at that, you visibly perk up, eagerly putting a piece of yours on his plate to receive his.

You're.. kind of cute like this. Oddly so.

He watches without staring too much as you eat his gifted piece of sushi, clearly enjoying the taste of it as you swing your legs under the table a little. "This is good." You comment, making him nod with a smile before you both pay attention to the conversation again.

He doesn't really think much about the whole interaction afterwards.

It's not like it's anything special.

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"Ah, fuck." Namjoon curses, looking at his phone. "God, fuck. Yoongi I'm so sorry, I forgot I was supposed to drive with Y/N to her doctor's appointment today." He apologizes, making Jungkook look up from his phone.

"Is it something bad?" Yoongi asks, genuinely a bit concerned as Namjoon just seems unsure.

"We don't know, just a routine thing."He replies. "But you never know. And she's a little anxious, too. I wouldn't want her taking the bus or anything alone in that state." He explains, and everyone seems to agree that that's not a good idea. You're well known to not possess the most basic orientation skills sometimes - and with your head all over the place like this, it could just end with you getting hurt.

"What if I drive her real quick?" Jungkook offers casually, looking up from his phone from where he sits on the small sofa in Yoongi's studio. "You both can continue working, and I didn't have anything to do anyways." He shrugs.

"You know what, great idea." Yoongi chimes up.

"I'll.. text her. See if she's okay with that." Namjoon offers with a little hesitance, making Jungkook wonder how serious this appointment really is. Did you have any health troubles you'd been hiding? He's always been told to never judge a book by its cover. Maybe you were just putting on a tough mask to cover up what you thought was weakness?

Jungkook doesn't believe in that. You've always been this way ever since he'd met you.

"She said she's fine with it." Namjoon sighs after a moment, making Jungkook lock his phone and get up. "Here, let me at least bring you down." Namjoon offers, walking out the studio and towards the underground garage where Jungkook has his car parked. "Listen- can you do me a favor?" He wonders, and Jungkook nods.

"Sure." He says, opening the driver's door to throw his wallet into the back together with his jacket. "What is it?"

"Listen, it's a.. gynecologists' appointment." Namjoon says, quietly so, while Jungkook just.. stares, unable to quite grasp on why his friend would say it in a way that makes it seem as if the word is something you can't ever say out loud. So you're going to a specialist. So what? "It's her first time there. She's honestly terrified, so, if you could maybe go in with her and sit in the waiting room? Just, to keep her mind off of things." Namjoon carefully says.

Again, Jungkook just shrugs, before nodding. "Sure, no issue." He says, getting into the car. "I'll text you when she's back home then. You go up and help Yoongi." He says, before putting his phone into the holder, maps app opened to find where you're waiting.

He's a bit confused inside the car. With the way you're always talking, he'd been sure you would've been a regular at those places. Not because he thought you were a whore, God no, but he just believed until now that you'd be someone who's open and casual with it.

So why are you terrified of a simple doctor's visit?

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"You uhm.. really don't have to." You mumble quietly next to him, anxiously playing with your hands in your lap. You've been quiet the entire time, not really talking at all, and especially not looking at him. He's a little worried about that, wondering if you're maybe in pain, or really unwell in general to the point of changing your personality like this. "I know this must be weird for you." You say quietly.

"Not really, no. I went to one of these with my mom once, so its fine." He shrugs next to you, trying to maybe soothe your nerves by showing you that he's not at all weirded out or uncomfortable. To be honest, he's a bit surprised- because right now, the girl sitting next to him, isn't at all the girl he'd thought he had figured out.

However, he also assumes you might just be heavily uncomfortable with your health, which could add to you just behaving like you do right now. "You feeling okay? Should I ask them how long it's gonna be?" He asks, and you just shake your head.

"No, I can wait." You just say, trying hard to appear unbothered now. "Guess I'm just not really looking forward to a fifty-plus year-old digging around where the light doesn't reach, you know?" You attempt to joke as always, but Jungkook can spot the fakeness of it.

"Joon said it's your first time." He says, locking his phone now before putting it away.

"Son of a bitch." You curse under your breath, leaning back in your seat with your arms crossed and legs thrown forwards, heels hitting the floor. You look almost defensive now, as if he'd just insulted you. "Yeah, I didn't need to go until now." You shrug. "But my regular physician keeps bugging me to check some stuff out, and Joon has been bothering me about it too." You say. "Not like he's got anything to do with my vagina for that matter."

"Well, he worries." Jungkook shrugs next to you. "And if you've got health issues, you should always get them checked out for that matter. Could be nothing, could be something. I can understand him." He explains to you. "He cares a lot about you."

"hmhm." You affirm quietly, a bit distant now, staring at the tips of your shoes. "Joon has always been a really good friend." You say, and jungkook nods. Namjoon is the main connection between Jungkook and you- the older guy being somewhat of a brother to him, in a way. He really admired his friend a lot, for his achievements as well as his determination to always better himself. He can't deny that he never really quite understood your friendship with him- with you being so extremely different from him- but he never questioned either. "He's honest." You mumble out, and Jungkook has to agree.

"He is." Jungkook nods, though he feels like there's something more to it. He doesn't get to ask however, because your name is suddenly called- and you jump up, taking a deep breath. "Hey-" Jungkook asks, and you look down to where he sits, as he smiles encouragingly. "-You'll be fine." He promises, and you nod, before disappearing with the nurse into the examination room.

It doesn't take too long for you to emerge back out, a prescription written in front as he gets your coat and walks towards you to the counter. "If it gets any worse, just give us a call, alright?" The nurse asks, and you just quietly nod before you walk out with Jungkook trailing right behind you.

"Everything alright?" He asks, and you nod, though next to him in the car, you run your hands over your face.

"I don't ever wanna go there again." You groan, hands still hiding your face as Jungkook looks at you a bit concerned now.

"Did something happen?" He asks seriously, canceling his action of starting the car.

You take down your hands. "No. It was just.. weird." You say. "The questions were nasty. I don't know." You say quietly, and Jungkook can do nothing but start the car to drive you home. He wishes he could- but at the end of the day, this is something he can't and won't ever really understand fully. He hopes it's just the new experience freaking you out.

Parking in front of your apartment building, you really look a bit terrified now. No longer because of the appointment though- but because of the honestly world-ending rain hitting his car like it's trying to smash it flat into the concrete below. "Its really going hard outside now." Jungkook laughs, but you don't seem to be in a joking manner at all. "If you run you won't get wet."

"I don't want you to drive in this weather." You say meekly, barely able to be heard over the loud rain.

"I'll just wait until it's better." He waves off, looking at you drowned in the orange interior light of his car. You seem to think, before you turn to look at him, eyes reflecting the led lights all around like mirrors. You're really pretty, without all that makeup.

"You can come up? Just, it's cold, and if you leave the car running that's bad for the environment and you're also wasting gas-" you ramble, and he laughs, shutting down the car at that, before grabbing his keys.

"Alright." He shrugs. "If you're cool with that." He asks, and you nod after a moment. He chuckles a bit, before grabbing onto the door handle, still looking at you. "On three?" He asks, and your face lights up in playfulness.

"One?" You start, making him grin.

"Two.." he continues, making you smile as well, before you both pull on the handle.

"Three!"

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Your apartment is everything he did not expect.

"Sorry, it's a bit messy.." you say, taking off your shoes before you slip into the pink slippers close by. The coat hooks on the side of the entrance are cat shaped. The mat where the shoes are put is pink. And from what he can see, everything you have is bright, pastel colored, cute.

Almost innocently so.

You're right and wrong with it being messy, he notices as he walks into the apartment. It's small, but cozy- blankets and round plushies littering the couch close by, kitchen sink containing some dishes you didn't wash or didn't put away yet. It is a bit untidy, but not messy, in his eyes.

It just.. looks like his own apartment. Simply alive.

"Do you.. want tea?" You ask, quietly, and he nods as he walks closer to you in the open kitchen. "I.. have a lot of different flavors so.. just choose one you like." You explain, opening a cabinet that's basically all about tea. Different mugs, mostly animal designs, flower shaped coasters, sugar and many different brands and flavors of tea, boxes a bit unaligned. He pulls out a little baggy of the box that's the most empty, making you smile a bit shyly. "I like that one the most." You admit.

"I assumed. Might as well try it then." He shrugs casually, letting you boil the water while he looks around from his spot. "Your apartment is really nice." He comments.

"Thank you." You answer quietly, pouring the water into the two mugs. "Namjoon sometimes sleeps over because, according to him, my pull-out couch is more comfy than his own bed." You joke, and Jungkook laughs.

"That sounds like him." He nods, accepting the mug before you both walk towards said couch. "Granted, he sleeps on a mattress on the floor though." He tells you.

You laugh. "He's way too much of a cheapskate to buy a bedframe." You shake your head. "He could just buy it and pay it off monthly." You say.

"He could. But I guess we'll never know why he refuses to buy one." Jungkook answers, watching as you toe off your slippers to get more comfortable on the couch next to him- before you put the mug back on the small table, jumping up towards the windows, opening them. "Its still raining heavy." He says, and you nod, turning off the lights, streetlights of the city illuminating the room enough to still see, as you walk back on the couch, pulling a blanket over your shoulders. "What're you doing?" He chuckles when you put one over his shoulders as well.

"I like listening to the rain. And it smells nice." You say, wind blowing into the apartment. "And airing out is important too." You tell him, leaning your head against the backrest of the couch. He nods.

This is nice.

He'd never really thought of those aspects of rain, has always just seen it as bad. It's already slowly stopping to rain so hard, now just a soft mist, but you're right. It smells nice, not like the usual faint city smog, but clean, and fresh. The air might be cold, icy on the tip of his nose, but its also refreshing, calming.

"This is nice." He comments before he turns, noticing a bit of weight on his back. You're asleep, resting against his back, and he uses this moment to look at you a bit.

Maybe Namjoon had been right, he thinks as he adjusts you to lay your head on his thigh, tucking your blanket in around you.

Maybe you're not who he thought you were.

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"What do you mean you were inside her apartment?" Namjoon asks, visibly surprised as he puts down his chopsticks for a moment. "She let you inside?"

"It was raining hard, didn't want to let me drive home, so I had some tea at hers and left later. She fell asleep anyways, she was pretty beat, so I left a note and drove home after closing her windows." Jungkook casually explains, continuing his lunch across his friend.

"You do know she doesn't even let her own mother visit, right?" Namjoon asks, and Jungkook shakes his head.

"No, how would I know?" He says. "From how she acts and speaks, I thought she'd have regular visitors." He says, scooping up some rice as his friend across shakes his head.

"No. She hates visitors. She doesn't even open for the mailman." Namjoon says. "Her apartment is her safety zone. I'm surprised she let you in." He shrugs.

"Maybe you just don't know her that well." Jungkook teases his friend.

"You simply don't know her at all, Jungkook." He says. "Listen.. I, don't know how to say this.. " he starts, and Jungkook raises his brow in confusion.

"I'm not gonna fuck her, if that's what you're worried about." He says, and Namjoon runs a hand over his face.

"Thats.. that wasn't something I was worried about until you mentioned it actually." He mumbles. "So yeah. Don't do that please. And also, don't.. just, don't get too close to her. In general."

"Why?" Jungkook wonders honestly now. "Joon, she's not gonna break my heart or something. I'm an adult man, not a lovesick boy going through puberty. She's not even my type." He laughs.

"Jungkook, I'm serious." The older guy says, picking his chopsticks back up. "Just.. leave it as it is right now."

"What're you worried about?" Jungkook wants to know, finishing his meal as he wipes his hands clean. "You seem so serious about this."

"Because I am." He underlines again. "I told you before, she's not who she pretends she is." He reminds the younger, who leans back, arms crossed.

"What, is she a criminal?" He wonders. "Sells drugs? Owns guns? Criminal record?"

"Theres things I won't tell you cause that's not my right." Namjoon explains. "You're a good guy, I know that, she knows that. But if you get too close, she'll just get attached again." He sighs.

"And?" Jungkook clicks his tongue. "Nothing wrong with that. We're attached too. That's what friendships are. Attachments."

"I meant it as in, more than that." Namjoon mumbles in a somber tone.

"Oh." Jungkook realizes. "I.. don't think I'm her type anyways." He laughs it off, but Namjoon doesn't seem convinced.

"Just.. keep your distance." He warns. "Its for the best."

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Namjoon doesn't tell him anything about you since that day.

You don't seem to hang out with everybody as much, and he himself hasn't seen you in what's been weeks now. Everytime he checks on you via your best friend, all he gets is a short answer that's way too vague to be the actual truth. Jungkook isn't sure why he's so interested in the first place. Maybe it's that small tiny glimpse of you that you've shown him, let him taste, before disappearing from his radar.

It bothers him, mainly because he feels like Namjoon has made him out to be the bad guy that's going to break your heart it seems. He's never given a clear reason why. He's never done anything wrong.

But its not like you've vanished into thin air, and because of pure luck, he spots you in a store he's visiting quite often, crouched down at the plushy-section. He almost didn't recognize you, pastel pink bucket hat and facemask hiding you pretty well- but for some reason, he still somehow knows it's you.

You seem to struggle between buying one or the other, holding both as you glance from one of the plush toys to the other.

"Tough decision, hm?" He asks, careful not to startle you but he still does, the seemingly sudden attack of his voice sending you straight onto your butt from your squatting position. "Sorry, I didn't mean to spook you like that." He chuckles, helping you up and standing.

"No worries. I didn't pay attention." You say, while you hold onto the still packaged stuffed animals. "And uh.. yeah. I was thinking of taking, you know, maybe one." You mumble more or less. "Both are too expensive."

"Yeah, they price these pretty high in my opinion." He affirms, poking one of the plastic bags you're holding. "What's so special about these?" He wonders, and your eyes suddenly grow bigger, hands squishing the thing eagerly.

"They're squishy, and soft!" You explain to him eagerly. "Try it! They're like, I don't know, stress balls or something!" You say, and he does as you say, pulling and pressing down on the round purple creature.

"Hm yeah okay, I can see where you're coming from." He nods, charmed by your cute enthusiasm over the toy. "So, which one you taking?"

"I.. like the color of this one, and its a shark, but the other one is a chicken and cute too.. like, look at those little wings.." you complain, pulling on said wings a bit before you look down. "I don't know."

"Why not buy both and just.. skip out on buying any next month?" He wonders. "Treat yourself. For being brave at the doc's." He chuckles, and you start to fidget on the spot a little.

"They're too expensive." You reason. "If I buy both, I won't have enough money to buy proper groceries next week, and Joon has been bugging me about not eating frozen foods all the time.." you complain.

"Well, he's right, that's not exactly healthy." Jungkook agrees, before taking the chicken from you and turning it to see the price tag. "Its alright. Let me buy it then." He shrugs.

"You- no, you really don't have to." You say.

"I know." He smiles. "But I want to."

You don't say anything. You're not sure Jungkook is aware of what he's doing, supporting your bad habit of buying 'kid's stuff' as Namjoon scolds you constantly. Walking towards checkout, you can't help but wonder. "Did you and Joon fight?" You ask, and Jungkook shrugs.

"Not sure, honestly." He admits. "He's.. I guess he doesn't trust me with you."

"What does you mean?" You wonder in a serious manner, careful to make sure the line keeps moving as you walk next to him towards the cash registers.

"Thats what I'm wondering." He says. "Namjoon seems pretty protective over you. I don't know, usually I'd say he's got the hots for you, but he's with Jin, so that can't be the reason." He tells you, before walking closer to the busy cashier.

"As if anyone's got the hots for me but fourty-plus year old men." You scoff.

"Hey now, don't do that." He clicks his tongue. "I bet most guys are just- intimidated by you. You know." He shrugs, waiting in line next to you with the round chicken plush tucked under his arm. "I know I was."

"Was?" You wonder, and he laughs down at you, his smile almost blinding.

"Yeah, definitely past tense." He jokes. "Now I just think you're cute."

You want to question that further. Suddenly, it's your turn, but Jungkook walks right behind you, pulls out his credit card way before you can grab your wallet, pays for both the stuffed animals and walks you out the store.

"How'd you get here?" He wonders, as you both walk outside.

"Bus." You answer, and he nods.

"You want me to drive you home?" He asks. "I don't mind, it's on the way for me."

"Jungkook.." you suddenly say, voice trembling a little as you stand in front of him at the side of the parking lot. "I.. appreciate your kindness but, uhm.. please don't." You say, and he's a bit taken aback by it.

"Did I do something wrong?" He wonders. "If I came off too strong, I apologize. Really didn't mean to."

"Its just that.. I'm kind of tired getting friendzoned." You laugh bitterly. "Its kind of old at this point. Seeing everyone be nice to you and then move on once they've found their special someone."

"Thats.." he starts, brows all scrunched up as he stands in front of you. "You're not some part-time activity." He explains honestly to you. "I'm not being nice to you to fight my boredom or anything like that. And you're definitely not friendzoned." He chuckles a little.

"I'm always friendzoned." You scoff. "I'm just everyone's little sister, or the lewd one that's always up for a random call when the date doesn't show up." You argue.

"Well, here's the thing." Jungkook tells you, gently uncrossing your arms before placing the two round plushies in each, respectively. "I really don't care what's made you build up that tough mean-girl persona you've created. But I'd like to get to know the girl that's looking at me right now, just like this." He grins, tapping the underside of your chin teasingly. "You're teasing me with those glimpses of you every now and then. I want to know more, if you'd let me."

"That 'me' is boring." You say. "She's childish."

"I've thrown a tamper tantrum before." He shrugs.

"She's stupid." You tell him, but he shakes his head.

"I doubt that. We all got brain-farts every now and then." He crosses his arms, amused smirk on his face at your attempts to drive him away.

"She's cries over Disney movies." You try, and he laughs.

"Hey come on, everyone cries over the fox and the hound!" He simply defends, and you sigh, almost annoyed.

"Jungkook you say all that right now as if it won't end with me hopelessly falling in love with you, while you're gonna leave me behind because 'you're sorry but you've met someone and you're a great friend but nothing more'!" You complain.

"You won't even try and let me love you." He softly says, and you're a little shocked at how easy he says the for you dreaded 'L'-word. It's a big word. A heavy one. "I can't stand here and promise you that I'll fall in love with you, because first and foremost, I don't know you. And you don't know me either." He explains. "But that's something we can change. You just have to let me in."

"And you don't have to let me in?" You try and jab at him, making him laugh.

"I don't have to let you in." He simply says. "You've been seeing who I am the whole time. I'm not hiding anything." He shrugs.

"..." you pull the two stuffed animals a bit closer to yourself, plastic crinkling in your arms before you speak. "What if you don't like who I am?" You wonder quietly.

"Then at least we tried." He offers. "Life is scary. Meeting new people is scary. Letting people go is scary." He softly explains. "But if you just hide away from those things, you'll also miss out on opportunities to experience something great. Meet someone special. Or create a memory you'll never forget."

"So you're saying you already know you won't like me?" You say, now just being stubborn to see what he does.

"Stop putting words into my mouth you brat." Be laughs. "I don't like the 'you' that you force yourself to be. I know that for sure." Jungkook tells you, grabbing his car keys from his pant pocket. "But I feel like I'm gonna like this you that's right in front of me right now a lot."

He speaks bold, appears honest. You're still not sure if you trust him. And namjoon had told you to really keep him at distance, stay on high alert of anything.

But somehow, he's caught you, sticky like honey already staining your skin.

And you've always had a sweet tooth.

♥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♥

It kind of feels like sneaking around.

Even though right now, you're doing nothing naughty at all, not even remotely. Jungkook is simply helping you cook, watches the pizza in the oven before he puts the mitts to the side. "You got a timer set?" He wonders, and you nod.

"I've got it to the full time for now, let's hope we don't forget the check every now and then." You say, and he nods, walking into the living room with you. The smell of food is already slowly invading your space, and you open a window to make sure it airs out before you'll go to bed later.

He's staying over. You're surprisingly calm about it.

On the couch, he's looking at you from the side. "What?" You wonder, and he shrugs.

"I'm just wondering." He says. "Why do you act so differently around others?"

"Because everyone walks over you when you're soft." You explain, pulling your legs closer to yourself next to him. "No one takes you seriously. You're just the quiet girl and nothing interesting. No one cares." You mumble.

Jungkook wants to tell you that's not true, but he knows that he'd be wrong. It's sad that soft hearts get put in a hard shell because of what most people think should be an admirable personality. Someone strong doesn't have to be someone who's always bold and loud.

When his fingers find your knee, you stiffen. It makes him question out loud what he's been having on the tip of his tongue for a while now, ever since arriving at your place. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" He wonders, and you shake your head- before shrugging, unsure. "You're a bit confusing. In a way, cause you seem like you want me close, but when I am, you start to look all cornered, just like now." He wonders.

"Yeah well.. when a guy touches me, it's always been just for that." You say. "You know. Sex."

His face becomes serious. You notice quickly how that sounded.

"Nothing bad ever happened! Not really." You admit. "But it's.. I guess I should've told you right from the start. So you won't get your hopes up." You sigh. "I don't.. want to have sex."

"Okay." He says. "Neither do I right now. I just want to touch you. Nothing else."

"Yeah no, I mean it as in- not right now, probably not anytime soon, maybe never?" You ask more or less. "I've.. never had sex before. And at this point it feels like I've just passed all the opportunities to have it with anybody."

"Do you dislike the thought of it?" He wonders. "What's making you uncomfortable about it?"

"I.. guess I'm scared it'll be awkward?" You say, wiggling your feet a bit. "What if I don't like something, for example? Or if I make a weird sound, or, I don't know, don't cum or you don't cum and then it's all wasted time and just awkward.." you try and explain.

"You're intimidated by it." He sums it up for you, and you nod. "Thats fine. First's are scary, no matter what kind."

"I'm an adult." You conquer. He laughs.

"I'm one too, and I'm still freaked out by shit!" He laughs. "But, to get back to the topic, I'm okay with that."

"Okay with not having sex?" You wonder, and he nods.

"I mean, I get it's important for most people, and I like the intimacy of it, yeah. But it's not a necessity." He shrugs. "I can jerk myself off just fine."

You deflate a little, both because you feel more calm now, but also because you don't know how to tell him you might be interested in the entire topic. But it seems like he can read minds.

"We can also, you know, ease into it." He offers. "Doesn't have to be all hard-core bondage first time." Jungkook laughs. "You okay with this whole discussion?" He gently asks, and you nod.

You're weirdly alright with it.

"So let's like- what do you like?" He wonders. "As in, when you masturbate, what's something you enjoy?"

You cringe a bit. He laughs. You're cute.

"I.. uh.." you stammer, voice a lot more quiet now. "I've got like, a vibrator? That's nice." You shrug. "Other than that, uhm, just my hand. You know. Basic stuff."

Jungkook nods. "Ever put something in?"

"It.. uh. Dunno. Never really came from it alone." You say. "Which is also why I think sex with me is gonna be weird because I've never really gotten myself off on just that." You say.

"Doesn't mean anything." He shakes his head. "The mood, foreplay, all of that makes a huge difference. That and the fact that someone else is doing it. I remember my first handjob I got. It was weird as fuck, even though technically I should've been used to it." He laughs. "I think what personally scared me most was just being naked I guess." He offers some past fears of his own.

You nod at that. "Same."

"You're pretty tough." He smiles. "I'm not just saying that. I think you're pretty, with clothes and without as well." He flirts.

"I'm still not having sex with you." You defend yourself, and he shrugs, smiling still.

"I know." He tells you. "I'm still fine with that."

It's quiet for a moment, until you speak up again. You're not sure why you're bringing it up again when you could've just let it go, because clearly you've always been against the idea of having sex with someone. But with Jungkook, for some reason, it's so easy to talk about all of this.

"I.. you said you'd ease into it " you mumble quietly. He nods. "How?"

"I could just jerk you off." He shrugs. "Simple hand job. Clothes can stay on."

"And then?" You wonder.

"Then what?" He chuckles. "The you'll know if you like someone else doing something like that for you." He offers.

"What if I'll fall in love with you then?" You quietly ask, and he impishly smiles.

"Then I've done one he'll of a good job." He jokes, before looking at you more seriously. "In all seriousness though. I wouldn't mind you falling in love with me."

"I can tell." You say, looking away. "You're easy to love."

"Thank you." He offers. "You're very easy to fall in love with too."

"That makes no sense." You roll your eyes. "Love and lust aren't the same. You just want to screw me."

"Do I?" He raises his brows. "Can't lie and say you're not physically attractive to me. But I stand by what I said. If you don't want sex, I won't ask for it."

"You'll just end up leaving me for someone who wants it." You bitterly laugh. He doesn't look happy.

"No." He says. "Okay, do you want be with me? Emotionally, I mean?" He asks you, and you look at him wide eyes. "Yes, I'm asking you out here."

"I-" you stammer, caught off guard. "Yeah?"

"Is that a question or an answer?" He teases, making you whine.

"Maybe? Yes?" You try again, but he just shakes his head.

"Alright." He simply answers. "I'll go look, see if the pizza is burned yet. You calm down, I think I've riled you up enough." He laughs, hand on your shoulder for just a second before he leaves you to yourself, giving you some breathing room.

It gives you time to think.

You like him. He's a nice guy, good looking too, and he seems honest about his intentions. You don't love him yet, but its clear that he's easy to fall in love with. But isn't love a requirement to start a relationship? Can you just get together and then fall in love?

You're not sure. But you also want to find out.

So when he emerges from your kitchen, you call out to him. "I want to." You say, and he looks at you wide eyed for just a moment, before he seems to realize what you're talking about. "I.. wanna be with you." You say.

And he smiles, grins brightly, like a kid just being offered a trip to Disney world.

"Okay."

♥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♥

"Everything alright?" He chuckles, voice breaking the silence in the darkened living room. "I can hear you creeping around."

It's true, you've been trying to keep quiet because you really don't know how to ask this. It's been bugging you for hours now, there's no way it seems you'll be able to fall asleep without at least attempting to solve this issue. But how do you ask for it?

He'd asked you out. You're together now, right?

"I- uh.." you wonder quietly, navigating slowly towards the pull-out couch where he's laying on. "Just wanted to see if everything's alright." You chicken out last moment, and he laughs softly.

"I'm alive and well." He answers you, before he throws back one side of the blankets, patting the spot next to him. "You wanna sleep here?" He wonders, and you sigh.

"How come you know that?" You almost whine, walking closer before you crawl underneath the warmed up blankets he'd been resting under. "Thanks." You say, but he shakes his head.

"No problem. You can come closer, too." He tells you more quietly now that you're already laying next to him.

It takes a moment for you. You're not sure how close you want to get, how close he will let you- so you slowly scoot forwards, inching closer like a scared animal before you finally settle with your head on the inside of his shoulder, arm over his middle. "Is that okay?" You wonder. He nods.

"Definitely." He answers. "Do you cuddle a lot?" He wonders, and you shake your head.

"I've not.. cuddled with anybody since I was a child." You admit. "So I.. jungkook, I'm gonna need a lot of help for this." You confess quietly. "I don't know how this works. How I'm supposed to act, what I'm supposed to do. I don't know what's right and what's not."

"Thats fine." He reassures you.

It's a little silent after that. You don't know what to say, how to ask. Isn't it weird now? Won't you move too fast? "What's going on in there." He teases, finger flicking your head rather gently. You move around a little uncomfortably. He notices right away. "Not good? You can go back to your bed if it's not comfortable." He offers.

"I don't know.." you say, unsure how to put it in words. "..I'm still thinking about what you said. Earlier." You mumble.

"What exactly?" He wonders quietly.

"The uhm.. you know. Sex part." You stammer out.

"I really don't need it." He chuckles. "Might be hard to grasp but if you don't want it I won't bother you with it."

"I want to." You say. It's dead quiet for a moment before you continue. "Like.. how you said. You know, start small, and all that." Tou explain.

"Okay." He answers after a moment. "Right now?" He asks. You nod.

"I just.. don't know what to do. And I didn't shave- oh God okay no maybe some other day then-" you ramble, he laughs.

"Who cares if you shave?" He jokes easily. "Its fine by me. I don't mind it." He tells you.

"You're weird." You cringe a bit. "Guys don't like that-"

"Maybe you've just met idiots then." He shrugs. "I'm honest here. I don't care if you shave or not. You could dye that hair downstairs pink, who am I to tell you what your body has to look like?" He scoffs playfully, making you laugh a little.

This is why you like him. He's easy. Simple. Comfortable.

"Do you want me to use something? Or just my hand?" He wonders quietly, and you just shrug.

"I wanna.. you know. Know if I like what you do." You offer, and he hums an affirmative reply at that, hand under the covers feeling for your thigh.

"You can stop me at any time." He almost whispers. "It won't be awkward, I promise." He assures, and you nod, letting his palm explore under the covers. You're not sure if he's careful or just plain teasing- but most of all, it's strangely exciting.

He moves you a bit, pulls you closer, eyes searching for ant signs of discomfort. "Jungkook..?" You ask quietly, and he chuckles a bit before nodding. "..can you uhm.. maybe kiss me?" You wonder, and there's no reaction for a moment, until he moves again, adjusts himself so he can properly angle himself, lips meeting yours carefully so.

The first one feels weird. You're unsure. You lift your head in a moment if bravery to try again, and it gets more comfortable.

It's nice.

He seems amused, but not at you - more at the fact that you're a lot more independent than you might've thought you'd be in a situation like this.

You're leading him. You're probably not aware, but your body language and responses all speak clearly to him about what you enjoy and what you don't. At first, he stops any advances, but you whine for him to continue. "Just.. cold hands."

"Sorry." He chuckles. "My fingers are pretty cold sometimes." He jokes. You nod, breathing a bit heavier now as soon as his hands warm up, slowly traveling underneath your underwear, middle finger easily finding your most sensitive spot. "Feeling good?" He wonders, and you nod, squirming around a bit.

"More." You ask, moving around a little, seemingly unsure where to put your limbs. He's doing it very differently from how you'd do it- but it's nice. He's making you feel good, not just in lust, but also in general.

There really isn't anything weird about it.

Or maybe your brain is just a bit foggy.

You want to stop him suddenly, feeling too sensitive, and he does halter his movements to check in with you. "What's wrong?" He asks.

"Weird. Sensitive- I.. don't know." You say. "I feel like I'm gonna pee or something." You say.

"Have you ever had an orgasm before?" He wonders, and you suddenly think. Have you? You're not sure.

"I.. don't know." You say.

"Hm." He cocks his head to the side a little, amused look on his face. "Lets see then." He almost challenges, resuming his activities, making you squirm yet again as you feel like something might be happening. Your back arches, and suddenly, you're not sure why you can't help but gasp out, his movements perfectly stable as pleasure rolls over you in waves. "There we go." He laughs, watching as you slowly come back down.

"Thank you.." you say breathlessly, before cringing at the sight of his glistening hand. "Uhm.. do you want me to do something too.?"

"It's okay." He says. "I've enjoyed watching you. That's enough." Jungkook chuckles, before pulling back the covers. "No, clean up. I gotta wash my hand and change too." He laughs, slapping your thigh with his clean hand.

"Change?" You wonder, standing up and cringing at the slippery feeling between your legs.

"I told you." He laughs, and only now do you notice a wet spot on his sweatpants as he'd turned on the lights. "I really enjoyed myself as well."

♥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♥

He's warm.

His arm lays heavy over your body, breathing soft and barely noticeable on the skin of your neck. Jungkook has slept close to you the entire night, didn't mind when you stole the blanket from him it seems. He's holding onto you, face clear of any worry, no muscle tensed as he sleeps.

He slowly seems to wake up, pulls you closer for a moment as he stretches his limbs and back, before his tired eyes open. "Hey." He greets with a raspy voice.

"Hey." You quietly greet back. He chuckles.

"How do you feel?" He wonders, pulling you closer with a sleepy grin.

"Good. Happy." You say.

"In love?" He wonders.

You nod.

And he smiles, brighter than the sun already high up in the sky outside your window.

♥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♥

#bts imagine #bts fanfic #bts fic #jungkook imagine #jungkook fluff

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leafy-m · 10 months

Text

Because I'm autistic and because I love Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen, I page-by-page compared the recent Kodansha USA English release of volume 1 to its Japanese and fan-translated counterparts.

If you've read the official English translation, you may have noticed that some of the big Orufrey moments are.... a bit underwhelming, word-wise. You may have even noticed that the word "wine" is suspiciously missing from the final chapter's WillowGrape Wine recipe, in which wine is kind of an important and obvious factor in it! And you would be correct!

While most of this manga volume is pretty accurate to the original text, there is absolutely a concentrated effort to tone down the more tender Orufrey moments, as well as minimize the alcoholic nature of the final chapter's recipe and related contraptions.

And that's frustrating!

The entire draw of this manga spin-off is seeing these gay witch dads take care of each other and their four daughters in an idyllic countryside setting while also making yummy food that you the reader can try make too. Why is Kodansha USA trying to no-homo these gays?? (Is this a reflection of how bad things are in the USA now?) And while you might say, "But Jade! Qifrey and Olruggio are not actually dating in canon!" — and I would agree with you! But there is nothing straight about these mens' behavior in this comic, and if Qifrey is going to look in Olruggio's direction while tenderly saying his name in Nearly Every Chapter, I expect to read that in English, dammit!

So I'm activating my autism trap card and presenting ya'll with a thorough comparison of every mistranslated and omitted Orufrey or wine moment, complete with discussion and screenshots from the Japanese, fan-translated, and USA English versions. This post is ridiculously long and maxed Tumblr's 30-image limit so chapter 10's discussion is actually in a reblog (sob sob), so I'm putting it all under a cut (you're welcome), and you can be sure that I'll be doing this again if need be for the translated volumes releasing next year.

For now? Let's go.

CHAPTER 1: pg 10

Japanese: フフ...

Fan translated: Heh heh

English version: Ahh...

This is a small moment, but it's important because it's foreshadowing. Qifrey is "airing out" the kitchen, but what he's really doing is sending those delicious smells into Olruggio's room. He's trying to lure him into the kitchen! And that little フフ/heh heh panel is evidence that he's up to something. If you've noticed in the main series, whenever Qifrey is doing something shady or it has a double-meaning, the 'camera angle' focuses on this side of his face with the dark lens.

But the English version obfuscates this by changing フフ to "Ahh..." like, 'isn't that better,' even though it keeps the ellipsis thought bubble indicating that something is up. Why the mixed messaging?

CHAPTER 1: pg 13

Japanese: オルーギオ!

Fan translated: Orugio!

English version: Excellent!

This is the first of many moments where Qifrey will directly say Olruggio's name, and yet the English version will translate it to something else, or drop it entirely. And no, "there wasn't enough room" is not a valid excuse for most of these. Especially when Olruggio's name can (and often is) shortened to Olly.

Look at Olruggio's little smirk at making Qifrey beam happily like that. My God. Kodansha USA/translator Stephen Kohler, why would you take this from us.

CHAPTER 1: pg 14

Japanese: 二人共今日も一日　お疲れ様でした!

Fan translated: These two people are together tonight. Another day's work well done, you two!

English version: Here's to another long day... ...and a well-earned break!

The omnipresent narrator from the beginning of the chapter is back, and clearly highlighting that 'these two people' are together tonight. And yet the English version removes all that. It may be redundant since we can see they're together in the illustration, but the whole page has that type of text redundancy, like focusing on 'eating that first bite,' or how 'a laugh bubbles up' with Qifrey. And combined with all of the other later omissions, this becomes an obvious trend of targeting these specific types of moments.

Update: Thanks to Farlynthordens for additional insight on this Japanese phrase!:

二人共: (the) two of you [the "tomo" implies the narrator is talking "to" them rather than "about" them] futari-tomo means in a literal sense "(you) two people who are together", but in terms of actual usage/definition it's just identifying a specific pair of people who the speaker is talking to.

今日も一日お疲れ様でした: the rest of this can't really be separated. this whole phrase is meant to be like "good work for all the things you did over the course of this whole day". the fan translation seems to have not understood that the two text blocks were meant to be all one sentence. so if you put this all together, it's like "Good work for everything today, guys!"

Knowing this, I'll still keep it as part of the list because it does omit addressing the two of them in the English version, which follows that trend of minimizing these moments between them. But thank you for the clarity! 💕

CHAPTER 2: pg 28

Japanese:　料理も魔法器も相手のことを一番に考えるのは　君の美德だね　半分ずつだオルーギオ

Fan translated: Whether you're cooking or performing magic, you always think of others before yourself. It just goes to show your good character. We'll share it, Olruggio.

English version: I've always admired that about you. Whether in your work of in the kitchen... ...You always think of others' needs before your own. All right. Let's split it, then.

The English version has two mistranslations here. I'll start at the top. In it, Qifrey is observing how Olruggio puts others first, and then compliments how it shows his good character. The 'good character' bit is changed to "I've always admired that about you," which at first I thought was sweet! Points for Kohler. But now that I really look at it, there is still some shady translating happening here.

In writing and communicating, what is said last has the most importance. This is how people "bury the lede," by hiding important information in the early part of a speech or amid other sentences, and then distracting them with other stuff.

In that English version top panel, even though Qifrey is complimenting Olruggio, by having it be said first it makes the second speech bubble (and therefore Olruggio's flustered response) be about Qifrey remarking on Olruggio's own behavior, rather than Qifrey's nice compliment about his character. Which changes the meaning of what's going on here. Olly is not flustering because he puts others first, he's flustering because Qifrey is saying something really nice about him, right to his face!

And then of course, in the bottom panel, Qifrey saying Olruggio's name is once again removed.

And I have to say, this bothers me not just because of autistic AcCUraCY! needs, but because he is very specifically saying his name. They are the only people in the room, it's very clear who Qifrey is addressing, and yet here he is once again, putting that man's name in his mouth.

It is intentional.

It is heartfelt.

STOP REMOVING IT!

CHAPTER 3: pg 36 and 37

Japanese: (Olruggio): キーフリーそれいらないならこっちに..してくれ (Qifrey): オルーギオ　ひとつおねがい!

Fan translated: (Olruggio): Qifrey, if you won't be needing those, send them my way. (Qifrey): One pot please, Olruggio!

English version: (Olruggio): Mind if I grab those breadcrumbs from ya? I'm gonna use 'em as a binder for the patties. (Qifrey): Could you bring that pot over here for me?

This is a sweet segment because it shows how well Qifrey and Olruggio work in tandem in the kitchen. As someone who has repeatedly failed at working harmonically with others while making food, them being in sync in the kitchen is more fantastical than the actual magic.

And once again, Olruggio and Qifrey saying each other's names are removed. The Olruggio panel translation is also a bit misleading because (as you can see in the larger fan-translated photo), it's Qifrey who is controlling that wind spell! Olruggio is not "grabbing" the breadcrumbs from him, it's Qifrey who is sending them to him. It also lends to the back-and-forth of these moments because as soon as Olly's done with that pot, he gives it to Qifrey to use.

CHAPTER 3: pg 41

Japanese: ありがとうオルーギオ　行ってきます

Fan translated: Thank you, Olruggio. We'll see you later.

English version: Thank you, my friend. We'll be on our way now.

We're now at the part of the manga where Qifrey saying Olruggio's name is changed to "my friend" in the English version. Which is a phrase I'll admit I have some Daevabad baggage with, so idk, is this some platonic ray-beaming or is it code for tender feelings for that person you like but aren't ready to date yet because of trauma and societal complications? Is Stephen Kohler a Daevabad fan? So many unknowns. Still counting it as a wrong though.

CHAPTER 4: pg 56

Japanese: (Olruggio): ま... 眩しくて眠れやしない (Qifrey): がんばれ! オルーギオ

Fan translated: (Olruggio): Really... I can't sleep with all this shimmering... (Qifrey): Do your best! Olruggio.

English version: (Olruggio): Hmph. How's a man supposed to get some sleep with this thing sparklin' away over here? (Qifrey): Keep at it... ...my friend.

Qifrey literally made a bouquet of rose-shaped tarts for Olruggio to cheer up his room, so of course the English translation needs to tamp down that gayness by unnecessarily bringing up Olruggio's manhood when he complains about not being able to sleep from the tarts' sparkling. Even though this chapter's cover image is of Olruggio sitting in a field of flowers, pondering quietly as he holds one in his hand. Maybe later chapters will have Olruggio edited so he's sitting 5 feet away from Qifrey.

And again, Qifrey saying Olruggio's name in the bottom panel is changed to "my friend" in the English version.

CHAPTER 6: pg 95

Japanese: いい出来だろ? 家事の分担が大変だなんて思ってたらこんなものは作れねえぜ

Fan translated: Turned out pretty good, right? If I really thought sharing the housework was a pain, then I couldn't make something like this.

English version: Whaddya think? Not bad, huh? Sorry for leavin' you stuck with all the chores these last few days. I figure this is the least I can do.

Of all the mistranslations, this one bothers me the most. Olruggio is a wonderful malewife! He is constantly trying to help Qifrey out with the Atelier chores, in Kitchen and the main series. And yet the English translation changes the entire context of what these panels are saying.

The right panel is Olruggio proud of how good the soup tastes (it's even in a fancy bread bowl!), and yet the English translation downplays it by saying, 'Not bad, huh?'

Then the left panel, with it's sparkly background and close-up on Olly's face, goes further into how if he thought helping out with the housework was a pain, he wouldn't be capable of making stuff like this. Which is an understated way of saying that Qifrey can rely on him for things like this. (and he says it more outright in other chapters/the main series) But instead the English version is treating this soup like it's an apology for not helping out more. It's also really stupid because Olruggio was not making the soup as 'the least he could do' for Qifrey — he made it because he was hungry and wanted to eat it now! He literally admits this a few pages back!

Olruggio is not someone trying to do the bare minimum, he's someone trying to tell his control-freak of a friend that he wants to share in helping out. And the English version disappointingly misrepresents that here.

CHAPTER 10! Has several issues both Orufrey and wine related, and has several comparison segments. But because I maxed out Tumblr's 30-image limit, I can't include it here and so have to post it in a reblog. UGH. 😔

(Here is the link to the Chapter 10 comparison/discussion!)

In the meantime, image credits! The Japanese scans are from Comic-Days.com, the fan scanlations are thanks to Don't Quit Your Day Job, Robot Garden Scans, Brimhats/Nyaruhodou, and Kirbypoyopoyo, and the English version photos are from my own copy. And thank you AskeFinns for help with reading Chapter 2's kanji 💖

If chapters weren't mentioned, it's because I didn't notice anything significant enough to comment on. But if you know of something I missed, do let me know! And thanks for reading this far!

#Witch Hat Atelier #Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen #Witch Hat Kitchen #Orufrey #Olruggio #Qifrey #Kodansha USA #Jade talks WHA #my posts

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thedamselzelda · 4 months

Text

Italian Dreams Ripped At The Seams

Author Chat: The first "chapter" of whatever I'm going to name this series. I'm not entirely sure yet, haven't settled on a name. BUT I have been DYING to post and get the ball rolling. I am in nursing school and I am writing almost everyday when I get home. the ideas are within my notes app, it's just the struggle of sitting down to do it.

Featuring: DarkEra! Dazai Osamu

Summary: Silence, it's something to fear in an already unstable world. In yours, it could mean anything. Your thoughts race as you think to yourself what the silence, the lack of communication, could actually mean, especially when that silence is caused by Dazai.

word count: 3k, fem!reader, pm!reader, sfw (light cursing), reader is occasionally called "Izanami" a nickname given to her bc of her ability (I'll let you try to figure that one out, until then stay tuned), reader is described as having violet eyes bc of her father (mentioned within this chapter) warnings: mentioned of self-harm, suicide attempt

~ next part | DBH masterlist | BSD Masterverse

The ceiling of the Italian Villa’s on-suite bathroom was one that could rival the Sistine Chapel ceiling, or at least, you think so. You’d never actually been or had even thought about it while living your life in Yokohama. Perhaps, now with your excruciatingly long stay in Italy, you would find yourself wandering into the building to admire another country’s history and artwork.

But that is not why you were staring at the ceiling, instead you were mulling through your thoughts of the past week or so. The shortened phone calls, now completely devoid of them, between you and… well he wasn’t exactly your boyfriend. Or was he? You two had openly expressed your feelings, you two fucked around without a care, but was he even exclusively yours?

You scrunched your nose at the thought. That wasn’t exactly the part that irked you. What bothered you was that he had abruptly stopped calling and sending his sweet letters to you six months into your “study abroad” trip that Mori had all but shoved you out for. He was always honest with you, and you with him, so what would change his perception of you now? Was he tired of you? Was he simply that bothered by your leave that distance does not, in fact, make the heart grow fonder?

You splashed more water onto your chest, resting in the warm bath, hoping it would alleviate the migraine that had accumulated while working today. Your last phone call with him wasn’t long enough. It was so short you could remember every syllable that fell from his lips.

“Mori gave him the Silver Oracle, but of course I told him I’d help him even without it.”

“Well, you’re his friend. Did he not believe you?” You brushed your hair, hoping the smell of formaldehyde had been washed away with your evening shower.

“You know he did, but I could still hear some reservations when I spoke to him. Also, you really gotta talk to him about his ‘no killing’ policy.”

You breathe out a laugh, “Look, he’s been wanting me to read those books for the longest. His mantra is his. I’m just gonna let him do him.”

Dazai sighed, knowing far too well that even if your friendship with Oda rivaled that of his, not even you could persuade him. “Oh, I also had to work with your fath- I mean, Hirotsu. I tossed him my game and he totally fucked up my win streak.”

Your eyebrow twitched at hearing the intentional mess up. “Osamu, just commit to the bit next time. Also, why would you even toss your game to him.”

Dazai chucked on the other side of the receiver, “I had work to do.”

“Oh yes, big mister executive had to go clean up my father’s mess. I see.”

You didn’t hear anything from him for a moment. You knew he was smiling, but it was a solemn one. He knew how much you wanted to be executive. You were born into the mafia, he wasn’t. While it wasn’t technically a birthright, the two of you felt like it was meant to be yours. Pushing back to the previous topic, you spoke again.

“Tell Oda that I’m looking forward to getting a letter from him. He didn’t pick up the phone the last time I called, but it sounds like he’s quite busy with whatever Mori has tasked him with.”

Dazai hummed to you in response, picking his next words carefully. Slipping into rough Italian, as if he couldn’t let anyone know, and spoke, “I’m worried about him.”

Your mouth curled into a frown, placing the brush down on the vanity. You picked your phone up, taking it off speaker, and placing it to your ear.

“How so?” you reply back, your Italian just as rough.

“He’s…” You could tell Dazai hadn’t had as much experience in the language, having only learned it to speak with you while you were in Italy. It was much more help than he could realize, as you were barely able to converse with your mentor, with your native tongue being Japanese and only knowing basic English. Dazai attempted to keep speaking, “He’s up against a skill rival to his. I just don’t foresee any outcome with this group going well.”

You hum back to him this time, unsure of what to say. You had heard through your contacts about this rival group, Mimic. Now, they had taken Ango, one of Dazai’s friends, your acquaintance. You knew dealing with any foreign group such as this always resulted in death, something you were intimately familiar with, so the thought didn’t plague you too much. Rather, the tone of Dazai’s voice and his words meant that it was Oda who could be the one at the center.

You cease speaking Italian, “I’m sure, whatever the outcome, the four of us will end up at Bar Lupin, clinking our drinks together and laughing about all of this in…” You think to yourself how much longer this sentence is, “three and a half years?”

Dazai puffs into the receiver, whining, “That’s too far from now. I’m gonna have to tell Mori I require a much-needed vacation to Italy real soon.”

You laugh, flopping down onto your down bed with satin sheets, “I would like that very much.”

The two of you fall silent, your eyes growing heavier and heavier. The silence was common toward the end of your phone calls. Sometimes, you could swear he would stay on just to hear the sound of your soft breathing. You would have, if that insomniac would ever fall asleep.

“Bella, you can go to sleep. You’ll get my letter tomorrow. Just imagine I’m reading it to you.”

“It’s not the saammme.” You groan, throwing your arm over your eyes. “I get why Mori would send me here but fuck for four years?! I would serve the organization better if I was there!”

Dazai was silent, almost as if he didn’t want to agree or disagree with your statement.

“He said it was to hone your ability now that he couldn’t focus on you anymore, so I suppose it’s for the Mafia’s benefit more so than yours. You know where I stand regardless.”

“I know.” You voice was light, emphasizing your feelings.

“I’ll be the one that picks you up from the airport, though. I’ll even sweep you up and spin you around if it gives you something to look forward to.”

You roll over, smiling into your pillow.

“You’re definitely going to be dreaming about that now.” He laughs, possibly daydreaming about it already himself.

You chuckle, smothering your flushed face.

“Get some rest, cara mia. I’ll talk to you again in a few days.” His voice was soothing and low in tone, as if he knew his voice was lulling you to sleep.

“Talk to you soon, mon cher.” You sleepily say, waiting for him to end the call-but he doesn’t. You knew he was waiting for you to fall asleep, your eyes closing until you found yourself opening them again in the morning.

You open your eyes once more gazing upon the painted ceiling above you. It had been a week since then, placing you back into your thoughts on why he hadn’t called, written, or at least attempted to contact you in some other form. Even Oda and Mori hadn’t spoken to you. Which placed you in even more confusing thoughts. Surely, you thought to yourself, surely Mori wasn’t eliminating you from the Mafia. If that were the case, you would have already been killed and disposed of, and the mistress of the Villa, nor your mentor were acting anything out of the normal.

You gaze down, pinching the bridge of your nose. Any more thinking on this topic and surely your head would explode, which would be an invited reprieve at this particular moment. Your eyes dance down to the water, noticing your scar, which was deformed by the refracting water. One on your arm, you reached over to touch, remembering how you and Dazai had taken a knife across your arms hoping for it to be a beautiful double suicide, but alas, Mori found the two of you. He stitched up Dazai, forcing you to stitch up your own wound. You could feel a tear breech and slide down your cheek.

The great Izanami does not cry.

You grab onto the porcelain tub, pressing yourself deeper into the water, forcing your neck, then your face into the water. You open your eyes underneath the water, holding yourself there. Perhaps, if Dazai is done with you-if Oda is done with you-then maybe this is how you should go. You release some air from your lungs, allowing you to sink further under the water. You release your hands from the sides, submerging them, too.

Your lungs begin to burn, screaming for you to go up for air, but you refuse. You blink as you hear a garbled voice within the bathroom. If it is the mistress, there was nothing she could do to stop you. One touch and she would be gone. She knew the rule when it came to you. You blink again, seeing a dark outlined figure standing above the tub. You think to yourself, maybe it is him. However, if it is, he would have already pulled you up. So, it couldn’t be.

You find yourself gasping at fresh air as someone pulls you up from behind, their small hands snaking under your arms.

“Honestly, could you please not kill yourself? I’ve invested too much into you.”

You blink as your eyes burned slightly from the water falling from your lashes. A hand towel is handed to you, and you wipe your face roughly before looking behind you.

“Thank you, Elise.” Mori says sweetly to the girl. She rolls her eyes at you, annoyed that she had to soak her dress to retrieve you.

“What are you doing here?” You say in a harsh tone, irritated that he has interrupted yet another attempt.

“I can come and go as I please, since I am the one funding this education of yours.” His voice returns to the irritated, tired tone that he always uses with you. He’s taken a seat at the chair beside the tub, placing a medium navy-blue box tied in gold ribbon on the side table along with a tan file folder.

“I haven’t heard from you in a week. So, I ask again, what are you doing here?” You become irritated by his intrusion, and deviation from your original question.

You sit up within the tub, not caring for his gaze upon you. He was your technical guardian after all, and you knew his interest in young girls. However, you were unbothered by his now as you neared adulthood, his interest had wavered in you increasingly. The only thing that bound the two of you now was his ownership of you and your ability.

“I suppose you were going about your days here in the villa, wondering what the outcome was with Mimic, since I suppose he told you a bit about the issue.”

Mori was visibly irritated, testing to see how much Dazai told you via your late-night calls. The two of you knew it was very risky to converse about such delicate matters, regardless of what form they were put into. However, you longed to be home, so Dazai had frequently indulged you.

“I just know Oda was involved. That’s all.” You tone was steady, you had lied to Mori countless times before, this time was evidently no different.

He arched his eyebrow, studying your face. “It doesn’t matter now. It’s resolved anyway. We got the permit.”

He closed his eyes in thought. You in turn began to study him, curious as to why he would come to the villa just to inform you of the Port Mafia’s success.

“That can’t be the only reason you’re here.” You turn in the tub, your legs folding into your chest as you cock your head. “To what to I truly owe this intrusion, Mori?”

He slowly opened his eyes to look at you. His eyes darted between your violet ones, formulating his next words. “Sakunosuke Oda unfortunately passed during the fight against Mimic.”

Your eyes widen as you lean forward. You breathe out the only word that can formulate against your thoughts. A broken, “No,” escaping your lips.

Mori closes his eyes once more, leaning his head forward slightly, “And Dazai has disappeared. We do not know his whereabouts.”

“What?!” You spring up from the tub, water splashing about the floor and onto Elise and Mori. Elise groans, reaching for a bigger towel and tossing it to you. You wrap it around your body, attempting to create your next sentence against your pounding headache. “No, he… he would have said something. He would have contacted me. He wouldn’t…”

Your words trailed off as if they couldn’t follow your thoughts.

“Therefore, I came here because you needed to be informed of your new position. Or rather, the one you will take on once you finish here in Italy.”

You could barely hear him over your last conversation with Dazai playing out once more in your head.

"I’ll talk to you again in a few days… You’ll get my letter tomorrow.”

You hadn’t actually received the letter, which is what triggered your incessant thoughts. You had gone up to the mistress, day after day, asking if the letter had arrived, yet nothing came.

“While I am completely optimistic that Dazai will return.” Your eyes narrowed, anger seething from your gritted teeth. “I am leaving his executive position open for his return. In the meantime, you will assume a specially made executive position, and I have the documents to a club and a casino I would like for you to have control over to start with.”

He tapped to the file next to the navy-blue box.

“What’s the box for then?” Your eyes glance to the beautifully decorated box, curious to what could be contained within it.

“Dazai passed it to me a few days before he left, wanted me to send it to you. Instead, I thought it would soften the blow of the pervious news.” His hand fanned over the box in a presenting motion. “It’s been screened of course. Couldn’t have a defected member sending you something that would cause my newest executive to defect too.”

He gave a sly smile. He knew of your relationship with Dazai, but he also knew you feared a life without the Mafia more.

You sneered at him, “Why would I want that from a defected member?”

Your words were merely show, something to appease Mori since you had just been given your prize, however, it wasn’t for all your hard work of the past years. Rather, it was desperation on Mori’s part to hold you closer within his clutches.

“My, my… I didn’t expect you to be so cold when it comes to Dazai.” Mori stood chuckling but leaving the box behind anyway.

He began to walk toward the closed bathroom door, Elise opening it to escape the humid air within the room. He turned on his heel, however, before breeching back into your private room.

“I expect greatness from you, Izanami. Do not fail me.” It echoed within your head as more of an order, rather than a statement.

You emit a low growl at the name, hating to hear it from him of all Mafia members.

He smiled, pleased by your response, and closed the door behind him.

You wait for a moment, listening for the next click of the door being closed. Once you heard the faint noise of Mori’s departure, you scrambled, nearly slipping, from the tub. You grabbed the plush robe from the chair, donning it instead of the towel you had been holding up. Once you had tied the robe, you tear the gold ribbon from the box, haphazardly letting it flutter to the floor. Your hands hesitate with the lid. What if he knew he was leaving? What if…?

You sit down in the chair, placing the heavy midnight box within your lap. You take a deep breath, lifting the lid and placing it upon the file. Your fingers gingerly graze the gray tissue covering the contents, trembling. You notice a splash of darkness appearing on the gray paper. You harshly rub the remaining tears from your cheeks.

Why are you so afraid to look? To see the last thing he’s left you? Because it’s the last. There is no more Dazai. He’s dead as far as the, now, executive you are concerned, but the young girl in you? The one who’s lost the one person on this God-forsaken earth that could touch you without consequence? She was afraid.

You began to peel back the tissue paper, first noticing the maroon color peeking out within the box. Your finger grazed upon the soft material as you remove the right covering paper. Your fingers go to touch your lips, a small choking gasp escaping through them as your tears now forcefully fall from your eyes. It was a scarf he had bought because you had remarked how it complemented his eyes, yet he could never bring himself to wear it, stating it reminded him too much of Mori. You attempted to pick it up from within the box, but you discovered the additional contents that had been wrapped within. Three books, all too familiar to you shifted underneath the scarf. You could hear yourself begin to sob as you picked up the last remaining things of Oda’s clutching the items to your chest. You pressed your face into the scarf, hoping to find some comfort, smelling burnt gunpowder and a faint woody scent, reminiscent of him.

You could barely see through your tears, almost missing the final present that graced you.

In Italian, evident that he attempted way too many times to write the note, Happy Birthday, Bella. All my love. ~O <3

~ next part | DBH masterlist | BSD Masterverse

If I forgot to tag anything, or forgot to mention anything in the warnings, please let me know! I'm still just trying to figure all this out after using Wattpad for so long.

Thank you to everyone who reads this though! Hope you enjoy and look forward to what's to come!

#dazai x reader #dazai osamu x reader #dazai x y/n #bsd dazai #bsd #bungo stray dogs #bsd x reader #bungou stray dogs #bsd x you #darkera Dazai

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cream-stew · 10 months

Note

hi!!

regarding one of your recent posts, is it alright if i make this request? how about a scenario wherein zhongli and diluc (if you want to write him) have a threesome with a submissive male reader?

rough sex with things like spanking and/or bondage, squirting and a daddy kink.

if this is too much/too freaky or just not to your tastes, that’s okay! thank you for writing and taking the time to read this 🩵

🔞minors dni

warnings: trans male reader, threesome, face fucking, rough vaginal sex, squirting, creampie, spanking, daddy kink, reader is handcuffed

// note: since the req mentioned squirting I wrote the reader as a trans man lmk if I misunderstood? definitely not too freaky lol I loved this prompt <3

you're squished in between them as zhongli kisses you sloppily, one hand holding you in place by your throat, tho not gripping hard enough to shorten your breath, and other hand lazily stroking up and down your side; behind you, diluc is taking care of cuffing your wrists together, leaving you at their total mercy.

"daddy..." you whine when diluc spanks your ass, hard, before stepping away to take his place on the bed, sitting down to the side and waiting for zhongli to manhandle you on his lap like they'd already planned.

you're made to sit on his lap, facing away from diluc, his huge cock slapping against your asscheeks as zhongli cradles your face in his hands, bending over to give you one last peck on the lips before righting himself and gripping you by the shoulders instead. he makes you lean over until you're eye level with his cock, having to trust that neither of the two of them is going to drop you, since you can't grab onto zhongli's sides with your hands bound like that :(

diluc spanks you again, then grabs one of your hips, leaving sore spots that will turn into bruises tomorrow, and guides his cock to your entrance, already wet and loose despite the barest teasing to get you ready. he pulls you backwards into his lap, making you sit on his cock at the same time that zhongli steps closer, following you in your retreat so he can push his cock into your mouth, filling up both ends of your pliant body at the same time.

your eyes snap closed in pleasure when diluc starts fucking deep in your pussy, now using both of his hands to drag you back and forth on his cock, coordinating his pace with the pistoning of zhongli's hips, fucking your mouth so fiercely that you can barely breathe through it.

tears streak down your face, but you complain harshly when zhongli pulls out to give you a little break, looking up at him with a pout. "please daddy, I can take it, you know I can" and "I'll be so good for you daddy please!" repeated over and over until he chuckles and pushes back in, moaning when you let out a pleased hum, wordlessly thanking him for letting you have your way <3

"don't forget about your other daddy though", zhongli scolds you with a grin, sending diluc an amused look, "he deserves to cum too, and it's not fair for him to do all the work, is it?"

you nod as best as you can, and try to sink back on diluc's cock on your own, not waiting for the next pull of his calloused hands on your hips. you bounce on him desperately, your pussy squelching lewdly with his precum and all your juices, leaking down your thighs and leaving you all sticky.

you cum with a muffled moan when diluc spanks again, and zhongli grabs a fistful of your hair to pull you back towards him instead, but neither of them stops for a break this time, just like you begged!

they keep fucking your holes until you keep cumming over and over, showing off their incredible stamina, only chasing their own pleasure as they overstim you without a care in the world! diluc finally cums deep in your pussy and while he does still his movements, he doesn't let you go yet, making you cockwarm him as he plays with your clit instead, wanting to give you one last orgasm while zhongli chases his climax as well...

...but that only means you end up squirting around his cock as you struggle to drink down all the cum zhongli is suddenly pumping down your throat :(

#genshin smut #genshin impact smut #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #zhongli x reader #zhongli smut #diluc x reader #diluc smut

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mylittlesecrethaven · 5 months

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Facts About the TWST Boys You Might Not Know: Scarabia

I have no idea why, but the other versions of this post have been blowing up.

Anyway, let's go I guess.

Kalim:

He apparently has 30 siblings. (My goodness.... his parents must love each other a lot.)

Kalim hates curry because once when Jamil tested it for poison, he was put into a two-week coma.

His favorite food is coconut juice.

He and Jamil wear the same eyeliner and eyeshadow. (I fucking ship these two so hard.)

In development, he had a scrapped smug look for his model similar to Jamil's smug look.

Jamil:

One of his hobbies is break dancing. (This may have already been known though...)

His name literally means "beautiful" in Arabic.

After the curry incident (mentioned above), Kalim's household has a rule against serving curry at banquets.

Jamil's favorite food is curry. (Hilariously)

He wants a pet parrot, but when Kalim asked for one for the dorm, Jamil said no because the dorm's conditions wouldn't have done well for raising a parrot.

He's also a talented singer.

He's said that the first word he would teach his parrot (if he got one), was "Hello" in the English version, and "Master" in the Japanese version.

I feel like I don't even need to shorten this one, so Imma just c&p it. "During the Twisted Halloween: Terror Is Trending, Jamil almost went as far as to entirely burn down Sam's shop as an excess of littering was causing insects to flock toward Scarabia's stamp rally location."

As a kid, he hid inside a pot when his mom got mad at him and ended up spooking his sister, who only saw a pot with legs running around.

He once found an insect mixed in with some dates, and now he hates dates.

Man, Scarabia got so much more love than Savanaclaw or Octavinelle.

Anyway, I'll get the next part out at some point.

(These were really fun though.... maybe more fun than Heartslabyul)

#twst #disney twst #twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #scarabia

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daggerteuta · 27 days

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What to ask for at a barber's shop, a butch guide

As promised, here's the ultimate butch guide to what to ask to your barber when asking for a specific haircut! A few premises: I'm not a barber, this means that everything you'll find in this post is purely based on my personal experience. If you're a barber and you see I explained something wrong, please correct me! I'll update the post asap. Furthermore, I won't cover up haircuts for black folks, because I'm not an expert on that topic, however I would love to link external and trustable resources on that so If any of you has them let me know and I'll add them! My intent is helping as many butches and studs as possible (: Second thing is that this post is more about short and really short haircuts, I won't talk about wolfcuts, middle part, mullets, however if you want I can make a post about them if requested! I think this is all I had to say, so let's start!

When visiting a barber, it’s important to know how to articulate what you want to ensure you leave with the perfect haircut. Understanding the difference between taper and fade, as well as the most common hairstyles that pair with them, can help you communicate effectively with your barber. Here’s what you need to know:

Understanding the Basics: Taper vs. Fade

Taper and fade haircuts are versatile and can be paired with various hairstyles, depending on the desired look. The terms "fade" and "taper" are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different haircut techniques:

Taper:

Subtle Transition: A taper gradually reduces the length of hair from the top down to the sides and back, but the change is subtle. When talking about "tapers," it's important to know that they can vary in style depending on how subtle or pronounced the transition is, where it begins, and how it complements the overall hairstyle.

Low Taper: The low taper starts lower on the head, around the ears or just above them, and gradually shortens down to the neckline. It offers a gentle, natural transition that’s less noticeable than other tapers

Mid Taper: A mid taper falls between the low and high taper, starting around the middle of the head. It offers a balance between subtlety and definition.

High Taper: The high taper begins much higher up on the head, typically around the temples. The hair shortens more quickly as it moves downward.

Tapers, source: Jimmythehairdresser on Tiktok

Fade:

Bold Contrast: A fade, on the other hand, involves a more noticeable transition where the hair gradually becomes shorter as you move down the head, often going down to the skin. As for the Taper, the fade starts at varying levels as well (low, mid, or high) depending on your preference.

Low Fade: The fade starts low on the head, just above the ears and around the nape of the neck.

Mid Fade: The mid fade starts slightly higher than the low fade, around the temple level.

High Fade: The fade begins high on the head, around the temples or forehead.

Fades, source: jimmythehairdresser on Tiktok

Bonus Fades:

Burst Fade: The burst fade creates a circular fade around the ear, leaving the hair longer at the nape. It resembles a "burst" around the ear, with the fade extending outwards.

Drop Fade: The drop fade follows the natural curvature of the head, "dropping" behind the ears towards the nape of the neck. It creates a more rounded silhouette compared to the straight line of a traditional fade.

The main difference between a fade and a taper is that the taper requires less maintenance. In order to keep the fade clean and neat you must go to the baber shop every two or three weeks.

Common Hairstyles to Pair with Tapers and Fades:

Once you’ve decided between a taper or a fade, the next step is choosing a style for the top. Here are some popular options:

French Crop: is a classic and timeless men's hairstyle characterized by short hair on the sides and back, with slightly longer hair on top that is usually styled forward. The defining feature of a French crop is its fringe (bangs), which is cut straight across the forehead or slightly textured, giving it a clean look.

Edgar: the most defining characteristic of the Edgar cut is its blunt, straight-across fringe (bangs). The fringe is cut very short and is typically styled straight down across the forehead. The sides and back are usually kept very short, often with a high fade or a sharp taper that contrasts significantly with the longer hair on top.

Textured Fringe: is a type of hairstyle where the bangs (fringe) are cut and styled to have a messy, layered, or choppy appearance, rather than lying flat or being uniformly cut. This style adds depth and movement to the hair. Sometimes is also referred as "fluffy" fringe on Tiktok.

Faux Mohawk: is a modern and versatile hairstyle that mimics the look of a traditional mohawk but is less extreme. Instead of shaving the sides completely as with a classic mohawk, the sides of the hair are kept shorter but not shaved, and the hair on top is styled to create the appearance of a mohawk.

Side Part: is a classic and timeless masculine's hairstyle that features a distinct parting on one side of the head, based on personal preferences or the natural hair grow pattern. The side part can be combined with different types of fades or taper with longer hair on top.

Slick Back: The defining feature of the slick back is that the hair is combed straight back from the forehead towards the back of the head. The goal is to create a smooth, uniform flow of hair. To achieve the slicked-back look, styling products like pomade, gel, or wax are typically used. The sides can be kept short with a fade or taper, creating a contrast with the longer hair on top.

Fringe Down: A fringe down hairstyle refers to a look where the bangs, or fringe, are styled to fall naturally down onto the forehead, rather than being swept to the side or styled upwards. The fringe can be cut in various lengths, from just grazing the eyebrows to longer, covering the forehead. The fringe down look can be combined with various fades, tapers or even longer sides, depending on the overall desired style.

Two Blocks: The two-block haircut is a hairstyle known for its distinct structure, featuring two contrasting sections of hair: a longer top section and significantly shorter sides and back. The style is versatile, easy to maintain, and can be adapted to suit various hair types and face shapes.

Styling:

When it comes to hairstyling, there are several key products that are commonly used to achieve different looks and hold styles in place. Each product has its own unique properties, making it suitable for specific hair types and desired outcomes. Here’s a breakdown of the most common styling products:

Pomade: Designed for more combed looks, such as side parts. It will give your hair a varied degree of shine and hold depending on the strength of pomade used. Pomade should be applied before you start styling your hair. It helps to shape and define the hair, making it easier to achieve your desired look by using a comb.

Wax: Hair wax is one of the most versatile hair styling products. Basically there are two types of hair wax, water based ones and oil based. It can give you a matte or high shine finish, depending on that.

Clay: Compared to Wax, Clay is usually dryer and a bit more stiff compared to a regular hair wax and that is what gives the product its hold and matte finish. For people with thinner hair a hair clay can be an option for some more volume when you apply it in damp hair before blow-drying.

Gel: Hair gel is somewhat similar to water based pomades. Both are relatively wet products, but hair gel is slightly wetter. The downside is that it is not very versatile. Furthermore, cheap hair gels are pretty chemically and they can leave white flakes in your hair when the product dries and you touch it too much.

Styling Powder: is a product you apply directly at your roots and then you piece it into your hair. This kind of product is great when you like to get some more volume in your hair and make it appear thicker and fuller. You hair will get more body, especially when you add it to your roots directly. Compared to other styling products, you need to apply them on already dry hair.

Sea Salt Spry: Sea salt spray mimics the effect of ocean water on hair, adding texture and volume for a beachy, tousled look. It’s ideal for creating casual, undone styles with a matte finish. It’s particularly popular for enhancing natural waves and curls.

Some final small tips:

When talking to a barber, clear communication is key to getting the hairstyle you want. Here are some final practical tips to help ensure you and your barber are on the same page:

Show a Picture: If you have a specific look in mind, showing a picture can be incredibly helpful, even better if it's a 360 video.

Ask for Advice: Your barber is an expert, so if you’re unsure, ask for their recommendations based on your hair type and face shape.

Mention Your Styling Routine: Let your barber know how much time you spend on your hair daily and what products you use. This helps in choosing a cut that fits your styling routine and maintenance preferences. Furthermore, if you have a specific lifestyle (e.g., active, formal work environment), let your barber know. This information helps them recommend a style that fits your day-to-day life.

Ask About Maintenance: Inquire about how often you should get the haircut maintained and any specific care instructions. This ensures you know how to keep your style looking its best.

Provide Feedback: If you notice something you don’t like during the haircut, give feedback politely and promptly. It’s easier for the barber to make changes if they’re aware of your concerns early on.

This is it, hope it can be helpful for some of you guys!

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thatanimewriter · 8 months

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𝐃𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐔𝐏 - 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳!

← previous chapter next chapter coming soon →

❝ 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞. ❞ ── 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘻𝘶𝘬𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪 𝘹 𝘨𝘯. 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

you are the heir to a well-known doll company. ironically, you’re just as small as one. at ouran academy, you help out at the host club as a host yourself, creating dolls of your clients upon their request. though it seems it's not just the guests who admire your work...

── 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯, 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧, 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵! 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵

𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 + 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

note: taglist is open, so if you'd like to join, just comment on the masterlist post and i'll tag you whenever there's a new installment (whenever that may be). this is the longest chapter so far which doesn't say a lot, but i slapped this whole thing with MOMENTS.

"oh, tamaki. my dearest tamaki, why are you so beautiful?" a girl asks, gazing at the boy with a light blush washed over her features.

"i'm hoping to catch your eye," tamaki responded. "even if for just one second."

"then why is your voice so very sweet and mellow?" another girl added.

"to set your nerves at ease, so that my true feelings might reach your heart," he responded smoothly.

"why are your eyes filled with tears every time you look at me?" a third questioned.

tamaki lifted his head and pushed back his hair slightly. indeed, he did have tears in his eyes. "because the sight of your beautiful smile causes the fountain inside me to start overflowing," he proclaimed.

"oh, tamaki..." the girls swooned. meanwhile, hikaru and kaoru sat at a different table with two other girls.

"i think it's adorable that you're wearing matching kimonos," one of them commented.

"our mother designed everything the hosts are wearing today," hikaru said, leaning on the arm rest of his chair, and kaoru mirrored his pose. "if you see something you like, we can take an order for you."

"our grandmother even helped us put them on," kaoru explained.

hikaru gently grabbed kaoru by the chin and leaned close to his face. "but you know the only one who will be undressing you is me, kaoru." he shortened the gap between their faces slightly.

"hikaru... you're embarrassing me in front of everybody." kaoru turned away with tears decorating the corners of his eyes.

the girls squealed, shifting in their seats. "oh! what a tender embrace!"

they're up to that nonsense again, haruhi thought begrudgingly.

"haruhi! you look so cute in your kimono," someone else complimented.

"almost like a girl!" another gushed, causing you to chuckle under your breath slightly at the notion. if only they knew...

"thanks," haruhi responded.

"haruhi, you've booked another appointment," kyoya said, writing in a notepad with a calligraphy brush. "it seems you've had a pretty steady flow of new customers lately. keep up the good work. i'm not going to charge you interest on your debt like i normally would, so keep this up and you should be able to pay it off."

you scoffed at his faux kindness. "although the rental fee on that kimono you're wearing is nothing to sneeze at," you grumbled, folding your arms over your chest.

as more girls came to compliment the hosts, you sighed and returned to your station, picking up your tools to continue applying the makeup to the doll you were crafting for a client, but was quickly interrupted by someone calling your name.

"[name]! [name]!" honey whined, waddling to your spot and wiping his eyes of tears. "i don't know how but i lost one of my sandals!"

you frowned, pulling him in for a small hug. "but you were just wearing them, weren't you?"

"mitsukuni," mori called, slipping honey's sandal back on.

"takashi?" honey murmered.

"i noticed that you dropped it," mori explained.

"takashi!" the boy leaped into mori's arms, crying into his shoulder as the taller boy gently embraced him.

"how sweet..." a girl said.

"isn't it, though?" her friend responded.

"looks like tears are popular with the ladies today," haruhi observed. "but how are they all able to cry so easily?" as she shuffled away, she bumped into kaoru's back and a small bottle fell from his sleeve onto the tile. "what's this?" she asked, irritation thick in her tone.

the twins stood behind her back to back. "for your information, it's common for a host to use eyedrops," kaoru answered.

"no woman alive can resist a man on the brink of tears," hikaru reasoned.

"that's cheating," haruhi argued.

"oh, don't be such a party pooper." hikaru draped an arm over haruhi's shoulders and poked her cheek.

kaoru reached into his sleeve and pulled a dessert from it, placing it in haruhi's hands. "here, haruhi. this is for you."

her eyes sparkled at the sight of the beautifully presented dessert. "it's for me?"

"aren't you the cutest?" the twins chimed.

the two girls who had watched mori and honey's interaction slid over. "i didn't know you liked sweets, haruhi."

the host smiled lightly. "well, to be honest with you i don't really. but you know, i think it would be a nice memorial offering for my mother." the quiet moment was soon broken by tamaki.

"how admirable of you!" he exclaimed. "such devotion to your mother's memory! please, haruhi, take as many as you'd like." he began piling more into her hands as mori, honey and the twins clapped mindlessly.

"let me guess, the tears are fake," haruhi said disapprovingly.

"how could you! my tears are always genuine, haruhi. being able to cry without the use of eyedrops is the mark of a true host." a single tear fell from his eyes before he returned to his usual charming self, sparkled surrounding him. "tell me. do i impress you? have you fallen for me yet?"

"you wish," you said, stifling a laugh as you gently painted the lips of the doll and ignoring his musings until you spotted a girl hiding behind a wall as she watched the host club's antics.

"looks like the host club has a brand new guest," hikaru and kaoru announced. "ah!" an idea popped into their head as they moved closer to her.

"come on in," kaoru began, leaning on the wall she was hiding behind and offering her a rose. "what are you waiting for?"

hikaru stood beside his brother, offering an identical rose. "watching from afar is no fun."

"please, miss," they said, pushing the roses closer to her and if your eyes didn't deceive you, it seemed as if the girl was pulling away from them rather than leaning towards them.

"stop that," tamaki interjects, holding a red rose of his own. "how many times do i have to tell you boys to be more courteous to our first-time guests?" he gently scolded. he turned and offered his hand to the girl. "please, you don't have to be afraid, my princess." he placed a hand near her chin as if he was going to grab it but she pulled away again. "i welcome you to the ouran host club." a soft blush coloured her face. "yes..."

tamaki's charm seemingly didn't work, as he was quickly shoved in the face by the girl. "no! don't touch me! you're phony!" she screamed. the host club gasped, but you and mori shared a bored look before smiling at each other in amusement.

"what do you mean i'm phony?" tamaki asked, clutching his face.

"just what i said! you're phony!" she repeated, pointing at him. "i find it hard to believe that someone like you is the prince character of this host club!" tamaki backed away to where the rest of the club were gathered. "you shouldn't go spreading your love around so easily like that, you stupid! you must be a dim-witted narcissist! you're incompetent! you're a commoner! you're disgusting!"

each degrading comment seemed to be a physical blow to tamaki's body, and he fell backward in what felt like slo-mo. "he's created a new technique!" hikaru said.

"one man slow motion!" kaoru finished as tamaki finally collapsed to the ground.

kyoya put a hand to his chin. "i don't suppose... you are...?"

the girl's demeanour gave you whiplash as tears lined her eyes and she ran forward. "it's you! kyoya!" she made the extra effort to step on tamaki's fallen body before jumping in kyoya's body and wrapping her arms around his waist, though he made zero movement to return the favour. "oh, how i've longed to meet you, my one and only prince charming."

you covered your mouth to prevent you from snickering, but mori noticed your shoulders shaking as you held it in. he nudged you slightly to tell you to stop, but the subtle glint in his eyes told you that he, too, found the situation hysterical. you cleared your throat and tried to return to your previous posture, but the smile you were trying - and failing - to suppress didn't hide anything.

────── 〔✿〕──────

"your fiance?" hikaru questioned.

"kyoya-senpai?" kaoru prodded.

"of course!" the girl responded, calmly sitting on the sofa with a tea sat in front of her. "my name is renge houshakuji and i'm transferring into ouran academy's first year class a tomorrow."

tamaki sat in the corner with his knees up to his chest, a dark aura surrounding him. "why is he sulking?" you asked, a hand on your hip as the club watched him face the wall.

"because mommy was keeping a secret from daddy," kaoru answered playfully.

"whatever..." kyoya grumbled. "why does everyone insist on referring to us like we're husband and wife?"

"oh, this is a story of love at first sight!" renge gushed, making the host club return their attention to her. "i couldn't resist the way you were adoring those flowers in the backyard when you thought no one else was looking."

you arched a brow and looked at kyoya weirdly. "you? flowers?"

"and how sweet it was when you reached out to that poor little injured kitten," renge continued.

"she serious?" hikaru and kaoru asked, also freaked out by these untypical kyoya things renge apparently had seen him do.

"could you have the wrong person?" you wondered.

"no way! i could recognise my love anywhere!" renge argued, yelling in your face.

"alright, geez..."

"he's a gentleman whose kind to everyone but doesn't ask for anything in return! he likes solitude but in fact sometimes he gets lonely. he looks like the star of the popular dating sim uki doki memorial!" as she continued to list qualities that simple didn't exist in kyoya, the host club ran around screaming in confusion. "you are my real life ichijou miyabi!" she declared, pointing at kyoya.

"...huh?" the host club mumbled.

"uki?"

"doki?"

"otaku!" tamaki yelled.

"otaku?!" hikaru responded.

"hm?" mori stood clueless in the midst of the chaos.

"i've never seen one!" kaoru admitted, a look of fear in his eyes.

"i get it now," kyoya began. "you're in love with that character. you're projecting that love onto me, and you've somehow deluded yourself into thinking that we're engaged. i assume this miyabi character probably wears glasses as well." as he explained, renge ran around behind him screaming about miscellaneous things about miyabi with hearts in her eyes.

the host club surrounded the couch kyoya was sat on. "so, she made it up? you're not really her fiance, right?" tamaki asked uncertainly.

"well, no, i don't remember ever asking for her hand in marriage." he folded his arms over his chest. "besides, it's the first time i've ever met the woman." this statement brought relief to the club as they sighed, finally feeling relaxed. renge sat down beside kyoya.

"according to my research, i understand that you're in charge of managing the club, is that true, kyoya?" she asked.

"that's right, kyo-chan is our director!" honey answered.

"you're the club's director? that's perfect!" she exclaimed and you winced at how high-pitched her voice was. "oh wow! i've always wanted to wear a sandwich board to advertise a business!"

"we don't advertise, we're just a host club," the twins explained with an extreme lack of enthusiasm.

"i've made up my mind, from now on, i'm gonna be the manager of this host club!" she declared, making the twins groan.

"um, listen, kyoya," you said, making him turn to face you.

"miss houshakuji is the only daughter of a very important ootori family client, so please be polite and try not to offend her, alright?"

"you've gotta be kidding me..."

"well, i can't wait to work with you," renge said, smiling sweetly at everyone.

────── 〔✿〕──────

"what do you think of the new girl?" you wondered, propped in a chair at your desk as you gently painted the face of a doll. mori hummed from beside you, passing tools to you as you held your hand out.

"quite energetic," he responded, continuing to interchange tools for you so as not to disturb your work flow. "i'm not sure what tomorrow will bring."

a quiet chuckle left your lips as you adjusted the lamp head on your desk. "i'm still in shock that she thought kyoya-senpai was her fiance." your smile softened as you returned your focus to the doll, glancing at the reference image occasionally.

a silence overtook your workshop as you swept eyeliner across the little face you held between your fingers and stained its lips the perfect shade of pink. since you'd started making dolls, you were accompanied by mori's comforting silence and helping hands. your parents often asked if things were ok between the two of you if you ever came home alone.

putting your pencil down, you leaned back into your seat with a small sigh. "do you think you'll ever get married?" you asked, swiveling around to face him.

he raised an eyebrow, but answered regardless. "i'll have to at some point."

"but do you think you'd ever get married out of love?"

he held your gaze as he pondered your question. a few scenarios ran through his mind as you took in your features and he smiled as you tilted your head at his hesitance. he resisted the urge to pat your head affectionately and turned to pack your tools away. "i think so."

"really?" your heart warmed at his response. you'd always wanted the best for him and hoped he would never be forced into anything he didn't choose for himself. "i'm happy for you."

he snapped his gaze back to you with a deep frown. "do you not think you will?"

sheepishly, you shrugged with a wry smile. "not really, i'll probably be arranged to marry sooner or later. i'm not getting any younger, we're 3rd years."

his frown remained, but he dropped the subject nevertheless. "you should go to bed, [name]. it's getting late."

you pouted at his words. "but-"

"no buts."

your eyes met once again and a silent conversation swirled in each other's irises. "if we stay up longer we won't skip to seeing renge tomorrow," you bargained.

"...fine."

────── 〔✿〕──────

"i've thought about it a lot last night," tamaki began, "and maybe having a lady manager isn't such a bad idea."

"why do you say that?" the twins asked.

"well, it's fairly obvious isn't it? renge just transferred into the same class as haruhi. so, if haruhi has a girl friend around it could bring out the female within her," he explained, imagining the 2 girls sitting alone on a hill overlooking the school. "renge's girlish air of tenderness might be able to stimulate haruhi's own sense of femininity."

good grief... you and haruhi thought, sharing a bored look with each other.

"now is our chance to help haruhi get in touch with her feminine side. this is an important project, men," tamaki declared. "she doesn't have any friends in class right now except for these 2 shady twins," he continued, pointing at the red-headed boys. "that's no good for her."

"like you have room to talk," they retorted in unison as the doors to the host club were pushed open.

"hey everyone!" renge greeted. "you'll be happy to know that your new manager renge has baked all of you some cookies!" her announcement had brought tamaki to her as he gasped in awe.

"isn't she lady-like? i'm so moved by your generosity!" he said, posing dramatically.

"i didn't bake these cookies for you, you phony prince," she grumbled, making him fall to the ground and curl himself up into a corner. "i'm sorry i burnt them a little bit," renge said to kyoya, "i did the best i could, and i already know what you're going to say." she paused to think about miyabi's voice line from her game before fawning to herself, hands cupping her cheeks and a blush painting the skin. "you're always so sweet to me kyoya!"

"she wasn't kidding, these cookies really are burnt," honey stated, cookie already in his mouth. mori rushed to his side, expression annoyed while simultaneously concerned.

"don't eat that, mitsukuni, it's bad for you," he said. you winced at his words as renge broke out of her daydream at the sound of criticism for her efforts. you watched as they ran around the room trying to avoid her wrath before picking one up yourself.

"they're not that bad at all, they've got a good flavor to them," haruhi commented. you arched a brow at the twins who seemed to be scheming behind her and took a bite to test if haruhi was telling the truth or just being polite.

"they're ok, i've had better but assuming she probably has a ton of maids and butlers who could've made them for her, she did relatively well," you added.

as haruhi went to take another bite, hikaru put it in her mouth for her. "may i try?" he asked, leaning in and taking a chunk (like, 90% of the cookie) for himself, triggering tamaki from his moping corner.

"uh oh, haruhi, you've got crumbs on your face," kaoru observed, bending down to lick them from her cheek and making you gape in disgust.

"did you see what they just did! he took a bite of the cookie while it was in her mouth!" tamaki exclaimed, rambling to no one in particular since no one cared to listen.

"and suddenly the trio of classmates is closer than ever," you sighed, going to stand by mori and honey as they caught their breath.

"you know, you could've just told me and i would've wiped it off, and if you wanted to try one there's plenty here," haruhi noted, holding up the cookies in her hand.

"that's not the way you're supposed to react, haruhi!" tamaki protested, holding her face in his hands. "you have to stay strong and reject them, then casually brush them to the side! do you understand?!"

"this is sexual harassment, senpai," haruhi said blankly.

"sexual harassment?! if that counts as sexual harassment then they're twice as guilty! someone call the police!"

"cut it out, boss, we're sorry," the twins interjected. renge put a hand to her chin as she listened to the altercation, seemingly deep in thought until her attention was pulled to honey.

"renge-chan! renge-chan! want some?" he asked, holding up a pink mug with milk inside. "it's milk."

she stared at him for a moment before turning her head away. "lukewarm."

"huh?"

"every single one of you - except for kyoya - all of your characters are lukewarm!" she screamed, pointing a confident finger at the host club, who have now gathered in a small bunch as tamaki wrang out the twins. "each of you needs to have some sort of dark side, you understand? girls are vulnerable to handsome young men who are troubled! if you keep carrying on like this, it's only a matter of time before the girls get tired of you and stop coming altogether. are you trying to ruin my precious kyoya's business?!" she lectured.

"as your manager it's my duty to change your character backgrounds." it didn't seem like she was stopping any time soon... "let's start with you!" honey cried in terror as her finger landed on him. "if all you are as cute inside and out, then you're no different than a baby!"

you frowned at her statement, "hang on a minute-"

"therefore, from now on you are the baby-faced thug!" at her intimidating statement, honey cried even louder.

"and mori-senpai, you're his childhood friend; the flunky."

huffing at her antics, you crossed your arms. "so the problem isn't actually his personality - not that you even know what it is - but the fact that he's part of a duo," you grumbled under your breath, angrily scuffing the floor with your shoe. mori placed a hand on your head to try to calm your anger, but renge's tangent would only get worse from here.

"the twins will be basketball players enslaved in their own world. haruhi, you're an honours student who's constantly being bullied. and as for you, tamaki, you're the school idol who's admired for your good looks, but you actually have an inferiority complex you're hiding from the world; the lonely prince," renge concluded with slightly less gusto, but equal aggression as before.

"well, there's a little truth to it..." you mumbled, relaxing into mori's touch and pushing your head further into his hand subconsciously.

"and kyoya, you're perfect just the way you are now, so i want you to stay as kind and affectionate as ever, 'kay?" she swooned, making you roll your eyes and lean your head back to see mori's reaction to her blatant lies. he looked down at you with his usual poker face, but he pulled you closer to him by your shoulder, indicating he has opinions and will discuss them later tonight.

"thank you, i'm honoured," kyoya responded, giving the girl an easy but most likely fabricated smile.

as tamaki lamented about how the title of 'the lonely prince' was so befitting for him, the twins pulled kyoya away from renge an clutched his shoulders as they stood behind him. "come on, kyoya-senpai!" hikaru urged.

"you've gotta do something," kaoru added.

"why?" kyoya inquired, "it seems like the boss is up for it." he pointed at tamaki, who apparently felt the need to rehearse poses for 'the lonely prince' archetype he had now been boxed into. as he received feedback from the energetic girl, the rest of the club groaned at what was to come. "let's just wait and see how things turn out," kyoya suggested.

"i bet it will be interesting," you commented sarcastically. "it always is."

────── 〔✿〕──────

you've never quite felt anger like this before, but as you sat outside with many photos of the host club in their costumes for this mini movie renge insisted on making, you started regretting not butting in earlier.

"i'm gonna charge her double for this," you spat, placing some pigment palettes onto the table with a loud smack. "giving me a tight deadline to make dolls of these guys by the time the movie releases, what world does she live in?"

"uki doki memorial, apparently," mori replied, making you jump at the unexpected guest at your station. "under pressure?" he asked.

"no kidding, she just put me on this job and didn't think about the logistics," you complained, lining up the doll's heads with a little nametag beneath each of them for the members. "i'll be doing this day in and day out with no sleep at this rate."

the taller boy watched in silence as you started to work, placing a magnifying monocle over your eye to see the finer details considering you didn't have your usual set up. gently wrapping his arms around your waist, he rested his chin on the crown of your head. "i'll stay over until you finish," he offered.

"i can't ask you to do that," you said, reaching up to ruffle his hair then wiping it on your uniform. "but i appreciate the thought."

"you didn't ask, it was my idea."

you plucked an eyeshadow brush from your kit and dabbed it in pigment, dusting it over the porcelain skin of the doll. "do what you want, but you are wet from the rain and now you're dripping water on my head," you reminded. he sighed to himself and released you from his grip, but pulled up a chair beside you.

"[name]!" honey called, bouncing up to your table. "who are you working on first?" he wondered, an oddly cheerful tone to his voice for being scolded by renge just a moment ago. at his enthusiasm, your shoulders dropped slightly, tension leaving the muscles and going to bother some place else in your body (probably your back).

"you, actually." honey's excited grin bled onto your face as you worked, occasionally grabbing his face gently and squishing his cheeks with the excuse that the photo references weren't doing him justice. mori observed your interactions fondly, reminding him that no matter what he always had your collective bond to look forward to every morning.

a loud smash rang through the air, attracting the 3 of you to where the rest of the club had gathered. you noted the equipment on the ground by the wall but left that for now, instead zoning in on the large rock in kyoya's hand.

"no! what'd you do to my camera?!" one of the crew members exclaimed.

"what?" renge asked meekly. "is something wrong?"

"i'm terribly sorry, but i cannot allow there to be any record of a club member engaging in violence. i think you've caused enough trouble around here, renge. please stop being such a pest." kyoya's polite facade had melted away into something more passive-aggressive, and for once you felt bad for the boisterous girl.

"...a pest." tears rolled down her face as she computed kyoya's words. "but you're supposed to pet me on the head and tell me not to worry! you're supposed to be kind and affectionate, kyoya!" she paused as she tried to formulate another sentence. "why are you acting so differently now? tell me why!" she wailed.

"because that's not the real kyoya," tamaki explained gently. renge hesitated, then fell to her knees as she continued to weep.

"does it really matter?" haruhi questioned. "who cares if kyoya is a little different than you expected him to be? take a good look at the person inside and get to know him little by little. it's a lot more fun that way," she finished, giving the crying girl a comforting smile. renge's tears halted in her eyes as she imagined miyabi speaking to her through the game.

────── 〔✿〕──────

"hello, ladies. come on in," you greeted, holding the door open for them.

"i bought the video of that film you made!" one exclaimed.

"i bought it, too!"

"and so did i!"

the club blinked owlishly at the girls statements. "huh?" you all mumbled.

"you did?" tamaki asked.

"that scene in the rain was just phenomenal!"

"i love the lonely prince!"

"and the loving relationship between hikaru and kaoru was so sweet!"

as more girls gushed about the film and it's varying... attributes, you scoffed to yourself, extra cranky as you'd spent at least a week and a half making the doll set that you were putting the finishing touches on just now in a secluded corner so that no one could see before the big auction.

"kyoya," tamaki called. though he only said the boy's name, his tone said everything. what is this all about?

"i may have broken the camera's lens, but the footage that we'd already shot wasn't damaged. but naturally, i'd cut out that one violent scene. sales have been pretty good so far, that hollywood film crew did a fantastic job, but then i guess that's to be expected," kyoya recounted, looking away from his mysterious black notebook.

"so is this what [name] meant by interesting?" the twins asked, not all too happy with the situation.

"it's best to have as much money as we can in the club's budget."

"you're not getting any of the money from this auction, kyoya," you hissed, storming over as you rubbed your temples. "this deadline has drained me physically, emotionally and mentally."

"not even a little bit?" he teased, earning a dark scowl.

"if i decide to spend this huge amount of money on club events, i will," you rebutted, crossing your arms.

"good day, everyone," a voice interrupted.

"renge?" tamaki said. "but i thought you had gone back to france already."

"i can't believe i didn't realise this sooner, it was so chivalrous of you to risk your life to protect me. i could feel the love when you lectured me about judging people," renge rambled, causing you to groan to yourself. "when you said it was fun to get to know people little by little, you were talking about me!" she proclaimed, holding haruhi's hands in hers.

"is this girl delusional or something?" you mumbled to yourself.

"...yeah," haruhi responded with uncertainty until she was dragged away forcefully to play games at renge's house to 'get to know her better'.

while the twins, tamaki and kyoya discussed the pros and cons of having haruhi effectively kidnapped by renge, you felt your vision blur and clear over and over again before your knees gave out beneath you.

"[name]!" mori gasped, catching you before your head hit the cold tile. honey hovered over you as mori set you down on an empty sofa, holding a cup of water and usa-chan for you to cuddle.

"you shouldn't overwork yourself, [name]-chan!" he scolded lightly. you were minutely aware of the invasive stares of the guests, but opted to ignore them as you sculled the water and took usa-chan into your arms.

"i didn't have a choice, renge and kyoya gave me the tightest deadline known to man," you whined, rolling onto your side.

"get some rest, you deserve it," mori said, kneeling beside you and rubbing your arm affectionately before adjusting usa-chan into a more comfortable position for you and the bunny. as your eyes fluttered closed, his gaze lingered on your face and his thumb stroked your cheek with a featherlight touch before he rose and beckoned honey to follow him to entertain their guests. he'd bring you home later.

#ouran high school host club #ohshc #morinozuka takashi #ouran high school host club x reader #ohshc x reader #morinozuka takashi x reader #ouran high school host club imagines #ohshc imagines #morinozuka takashi imagines #- 𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩.

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sonkitty · 4 months

Text

The Sideburns Scheme Post #66

(For reference: The Sideburns Scheme)

Crowley, Good Omens 2, Episode 5, The Ball, depending

...

Sideburns Check

The sideburns are short. The Single of The Bigger Thresholds Trick is done. The rest of the ball invitations still have to be done, so the sideburns will remain short until Crowley confronts Gabriel later.

...

Brighter Red Streak Check

The streak is difficult to find, but I think I found it here, just before Aziraphale crosses past Crowley as they approach the sidewalk in front of Maggie's shop.

...

Hairstyle Changes

The sideburns have shortened. The hair is more red in the sunlight. More curls in the top hair have returned.

...

Earthly Objects

(For reference: Earthly Objects | The Ball Invitations Checklist)

Aziraphale has the clipboard and pen. Crowley has a question with, "You just did what I think you did?"

Both of them cross the street together, including crossing over the threshold that is the edge of the sidewalk. Aziraphale crosses first with Crowley hurrying behind, briefly passing him before they reach the likely next edge of a sidewalk.

Aziraphale says the names, "Maggie" and "Nina."

For paying attention to the pockets...

The Tied Hands are retied...and then, I don't know what's going on. They could be doing something more or showing how they stay tied because of Crowley being understood to cross the street, which includes crossing over the threshold that is the edge of the sidewalk.

Copied and pasted from my recent post on the Double of The Pocket Trick.

Below is a log of what that entails, for reference.

Crowley has his right index finger extended. His left index finger is probably also extended, but it's blurred. The left hand brushes up against Crowley's jacket. At the same time, the back of Crowley's right shoe is blurry but also visible.

While the watch is visible, the face of the watch is not as clear as what usually happens during retying.

Crowley rushes to pass Aziraphale, placing himself on the "wrong" side.

Then the tie strands swing such that the strand closest to Crowley's left hits his lapel, but it's not a clasp. It's actually an upper part of the strand below the knot.

The strands swing to Crowley's right, and there is an implied strike that could be happening on a lapel edge that the camera cannot see.

After that, the tassel, or thumb, of the right-most strand shifts up enough to be seen.

The tie strands spread apart with the left-most one then indeed having a clasp touching a lapel edge. However, it's only the upper part of the clasp that's visible.

Then this strand swings to Crowley's right, showing a little of that clasp yet again with another implied or very-difficult-to-confirm strike on a lapel edge.

The tie strands spread yet again...and then cross just before Aziraphale and Crowley would finish crossing the street. The camera cuts away and does not confirm that their shoes reached the next sidewalk.

...

This part could be a word puzzle since we've seen a few, but I don't know the phrase I'm looking for. I've mainly noticed they are "crossing the street," and the strands "cross" at the end.

...

Crowley's Overhead Light from earlier is visually pocketed between him and Aziraphale as the scene starts. That light ends up on Crowley's left, and Aziraphale's right, above ears. Interestingly, that happens as they start the scene on their "wrong" sides. Soon after, it does end up on Aziraphale's left.

They switch to being on their "correct" sides as they start to cross the street, and Crowley has his index fingers extended.

Then he passes Aziraphale, so there's a switch back to the "wrong" sides.

As the scene ends, Aziraphale passes up Crowley. If that's the "wrong" or "correct" side depends on how technical one wishes to get about what qualifies, and I don't have the energy for it. Aziraphale switched on purpose, probably, so I'll go with thinking he has the technicalities considered if he is aiming for the "correct" side by the end of the cut.

...

Various humans are using pockets in the background.

...

Story Commentary

If the Tied Hands have personalities, they are excited here. They are so cute. They confuse me, but I still think they are cute and amusing.

I keep forgetting to note the times I do find the red on the back collar area of Crowley's jacket, but I'm remembering this time. It can be found if one takes the time to look.

...

One of the locations on the list is, "Lucky Snake." Crowley's a snake demon. As for how "lucky" he is, that's debatable.

...

This scene takes the time to show the Bentley and that the Bentley has the plants in the car.

...

This part is more for an assumption on what's about to happen between this scene and the next.

Once upon a time, I saw a post somewhere mentioning that Maggie could enter the bookshop without an invitation. I didn't bookmark it, just sort of filed it away in my head that such a comment was made.

In case you truly do not know, Maggie does get an invitation.

Not every invitation is shown on camera, but the story actually gives us clues for when Maggie was invited, even if we didn't see it on camera.

The name of Maggie's shop is The Small Back Room.

The second location on Aziraphale's list is "Backroom," though there is some noticeable space between "c" and "k," then "r" and the first "o".

Still, the "Backroom" is referring to Maggie's shop.

We can figure that out because in this scene here, Maggie's shop is visible in the background while Crowley and Aziraphale talk about what Aziraphale just did with giving away the book.

Then they cross the street toward Maggie's shop.

The camera stops shy of showing the record shop again after they've passed the car.

The episode cuts away to another Shax scene as she talks with Furfur.

The third location on Aziraphale's list is "Goldstone's," which is the location he and Crowley will visit after that Shax scene.

Aziraphale is going down the list.

So, Maggie was invited second, and the invitation was not shown on camera.

...

That's it for this post. Sometimes I edit my posts, FYI.

...

Main post:

The Sideburns Scheme

#crowley #david tennant #good omens 2 #good omens #good omens s2 #good omens season 2 #good omens meta #good omens analysis #good omens crowley #crowley good omens #good omens clues #good omens theory #good omens theories #good omens speculation

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fr3sh-tragedies · 1 year

Text

Pay Attention

[Resident Evil: Village] Daniela Dimitrescu x Female Reader

Word Count: 7.05k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: Mentions of Daniela feeling like a burden, general angst-to-fluff, crying, soft pining, worries of delusions, and skipping a meal.

[A/N]: I was wanting to post this a week apart from Cassandra’s, but the WiFi went out and took a few days to fix, so I wasn’t able to work on her part. On top of that, I'm not entirely sure how to write for her character since I only recently started to come up with stories for her.

I had much more planned for this one, but I wanted to keep the word count in between what I had written for Bela and Cassandra, so I shortened a few things.

Also, this will be the last story for the Dimitrescu sisters for a while. Please check my bio for an explanation on that. I'll likely be writing for Amity Blight and Boscha from The Owl House next! Check the poll at the end of this story.

Enjoy!

“Love can exert the same strain on the body as experienced intense fear. In a person in love, the same physiological reactions are observed: dilated pupils, sweaty palms, an increase in heart rate.” Pure intrigue and fascination sparked its way through Daniela’s body, her molten golden eyes skimming over the lines on the page that seemed to pull her in further with each passing word. A few weeks prior, when she had made her usual trip to the Village to visit the Duke and see what stories he had to offer, he had mentioned a book about facts relating to the human body’s anatomy and physiology–a book of “fun facts,” as he called it. Daniela had taken interest in this immediately and ordered it. During the time that she waited, she pondered about what kind of facts it could contain: whether or not it would mention how the body works when a human is in love.

Although she wasn’t entirely aware of it, there was a part of her mind that always brought her attention back to a certain maid that worked for her family. Anytime she thought of how the body might react to being in love with someone, her mind wandered to [Y/N] [L/N]. She would think of how soft her stare always seemed to be, how relaxed she appeared in the youngest Dimitrescu daughter’s presence. It made her feel as though she trusted her the way she was yearning for.

Subconsciously, she would begin to daydream. At first, it only started at night when she was getting ready to fall asleep after a long day. Over a–rather short–amount of time, however, she found herself staring into the distance at random times, completely in a blissful daze. The smitten woman would think constantly of [Y/N]’s steady gaze, and almost immediately fight to suppress a squeal once remembering how flustered she had gotten each time the two of them made eye contact.

After calming down, she’d dream of [Y/N]’s soft locks of hair that always seemed to frame her face so perfectly, cupping the outlining structure of her cheeks and jaw that she wished she could caress with her own hands. How she envied the way any other maid, or even one of her sisters, would so easily rip her attention away from her. She wished she could find a way to keep [Y/N]’s attention on her, find a way to make her pay attention, in other words.

To ease her growing frustrations, she’d turn her attention to [Y/N]’s lips. Although the young woman hadn’t worked for her family for very long–likely only two years–it didn’t take Daniela long to begin falling for her. Often, she would feel her eyes fluttering shut as she tried to vividly picture herself gaining the privilege to kiss her. She wondered how soft her lips would feel against her own. How warm they would be. Would they welcome her with the same spark of enthusiasm? Or would they freeze against her own before roughly removing themselves from one another?

She was often made fun of for being delusional when it came to romance, always falling back to rely on the romance novels she could be found burying her nose into on multiple occasions every single day. As much as she hoped her love would be reciprocated, she could feel the doubts and insecurities creeping in, wishing she didn’t have to consider the fact that her sisters may be right: she may be delusional about this romance.

Maybe she was making this out to be something so much more in her head.

Blending together and jumbling up her mind only made her daydreaming grow more frequent and harder to tear away from. She found herself retreating to her fantasies out of fear of it being the only way she would be able to hear [Y/N] tell her she feels the same way.

Her sisters would snap her out of it and, of course, tease her for it. It would always leave her flustered as she tried to act as though she wasn’t just fantasizing about her favorite maid, which she had personally requested serve the family for each meal.

She’d hastily make her way through her meal, ignoring the taunting of her older siblings, before excusing herself to fly back up to her room for some kind of privacy. She knew Bela and Cassandra would expect to find her in the library first–if they were to search for her–so she would hide away in her bedroom and distract herself with the stack of books she had stashed away in her wardrobe for such an occasion. Time and time again, she’d think about the book she ordered, increasingly growing fearful that it would only worsen her possibly deluded dreams.

After a while of waiting anxiously to learn more about the human body that always captivated her in more ways than one, the book finally arrived at the Duke’s cart. She paid him as promised and quickly fled back to the castle to read in the comfort of her favorite space, the library, leaving her sisters to continue their shopping on their own.

Thankfully, she had managed to keep her inattentiveness to a minimum. Because of this, she felt it was okay to go back to her sanctum to read, rather than secluding herself in her bedroom.

Brushing past the maids that worked deftly throughout the front parlor and all the way out to the opposite sides of the sturdy structure, Daniela finally made it to the library, where she shut the doors behind her and huddled up on the sofa closest to the center, allowing the large skylight above to provide light for her to read under.

She had curled up against the armrest, tucking one of the throw pillows against her chest and propping her legs up to press it further against her torso. Quickly, she flipped the front cover open and thumbed eagerly at the pages as she began to read the introduction–which opened by explaining how different events trigger different emotions and hormones throughout the brain and body. It was hard for her to suppress a yawn. The way the paragraphs were phrased, including the diction used, seemed more like something her eldest sister Bela would be interested in.

Seemingly countless words filled each pale, thin page, all of which added up to share different messages and facts about the physiological side of emotions. When the Duke had been talking of the book a few weeks prior, he made it seem far more interesting than what she was reading at the beginning. She had pictured interesting facts put together with very few words, short sections of small lists decorating the page with each bulleted point. She did enjoy lengthy novels using flowery language, which often used far more detail than this book had so far, but those had a story building up throughout each turn of a page.

The way the facts were laid out before her made her feel like she was being lectured by Bela.

The paragraphs seemed to stretch on and on. Her eyelids drooped upon feeling heavy, her boredom growing more and more evident across her features.

She sighed, swiftly flipping through the pages using the pad of her thumb, desperately searching for where the more interesting part of the book was. Finally, with a small cheer of triumph, she discovered what she was seeking out for. She smiled gleefully and nuzzled up against the sofa and the pillow. Her body sunk down into the cushions as she finally took interest in the words that rested underneath a large, bold title that read “Facts of the Brain.”

It had started off sharing facts about the brain connected to the nervous, digestive, and integumentary systems, though what truly caught her interest was when it started speaking of how love and romance affected the body. Finally, she found the part of the book she had been fantasizing about for weeks. Each fact drew her deeper and deeper into the pages, her senses tuning out the rest of the world. Her smile cracked wider and wider across her face, and just like she had done before she had even gotten her hands on the book, she pictured the effects taking place in her and [Y/N]’s bodies while dreaming of one day learning that her love was mutual.

Laughter is associated with the positive sides of love that partners share.

The initial stress of a relationship can cause physical symptoms similar to a heart attack, known as Broken Heart syndrome.

Different stages of love exist, with different reactions at the start of a relationship that are different from the ones that they feel when it is a long-term romantic attachment.

Being in love alters our personality and perception of things. We can become more open to things that our lover is into, or we may even become more optimistic about things.

Love leads to the deactivation of the amygdala in the brain, which regulates fear. Thus, you are less scared of outcomes and consequences when in love. You experience a fearlessness and bravery that you wouldn’t usually feel.

Gleefully, Daniela squealed in excitement over all of the new information greeting her. She continued reading, wondering if [Y/N] had ever felt any of these things while around her. She had certainly felt the intensity of her feelings anytime she so much as thought of the girl. Had [Y/N] felt the same?

The urge to share these interesting facts with her family grew stronger in her body. Maybe if she brought it up with her sisters and told them of how she wanted to use the information to finally confess to [Y/N], they would encourage her and help her do so.

Quickly, she stood from her spot on the small sofa. She spun on her heel and practically skipped towards the doors, softly closing the book and tucking it under her arm after folding the corner of the last page she had read. She flung the doors open in front of her, then tugged them shut before letting the lower half of her body swarm back into the flies that made up her being, allowing her to float above the ground and travel quickly down the hall. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to find Bela or Cassandra first. She had heard them come back home a while before, though she wasn’t aware of where they were.

Bela was likely in her study going over the paperwork her mother had given to her, and Cassandra was without a doubt in the armory crafting her newest weapon with the metals she had purchased from the Duke back in the Village. It would be far easier to visit Cassandra first, seen as how she was the closest.

Daniela made her way through the doorway that led to the hallway connecting the main hall’s stairway to the Wine Room. She slid past the balcony, brushing past the maids that seemed to cower back a bit at her presence. She then hooked a right at the end of the walkway, then a left, and went through a few more doors before finally reaching the armory. Just as she had assumed, Cassandra was in there, working away at designing a new dagger she would be able to add to her personal collection. She sat atop the crates stacked against the main pillar in the center of the room. A pen in hand, she sketched out her idea onto a sheet of paper that sat propped up in her lap. She used a thin sheet of wood as a surface to draw on.

She seemed not to have noticed her younger sister walk into the room, and Daniela smiled to herself. She lurked forward silently and hid behind the crates, peering out over the top. With a silent chuckle, she moved to float just behind her sister, sucking in a small breath and readying herself to yell in an attempt to startle her sister.

“Don’t even think about it, Dani,” Cassandra warned without glancing in her direction, continuing to focus on her newest blueprint in front of her instead. Daniela let out the breath she had been holding through a loud sigh, pouting as she crossed her arms and flew to stand in front of her sister. “You’re no fun,” she murmured. “I am so. I’m just working on something. Plus, I don’t think you realize that I was able to hear the door open and close when you came in.”

“It could’ve been Bela or a maid that came in! Why would you assume it was me?”

“Well, Bela wouldn’t have tried to creep up on me, she would’ve waited at the doorway and said my name or cleared her throat to catch my attention. And the maids know they aren’t allowed in here, especially if I’m already here, unless I ask them to polish the armor. I knew it was you. And either way, I could smell you coming from down the hall.”

“H-Huh?”

“Your perfume, Daniela. It’s so strong all the time. Makes me wanna pinch my nose shut every time so I don’t have to smell it. God, are you trying to cover up the smell of all the blood and death on you? Because if you are, it’s not working.”

Daniela could feel her face burning, the blush that had already begun to form on her cheeks out of embarrassment now creeping up onto the tips of her ears. She felt her shoulders tensing up, the grip on both her book and her arm tightening to a painful degree. “Th-That’s not true! I’m not trying to hide anything with my perfume!” She scowled and stared at Cassandra for a moment, although her gaze was not met. Her sister continued to stare down at her sketches, though there was a cocky grin plastered on her face. Daniela scoffed and shook her head.

“That doesn’t matter,” she started again, tugging the book out from under her arm as she once again looked up at her sister. “I wanted to show you this book! It’s full of all kinds of facts about the human body and mind, and I finally got to the part about how love affects the body, and I wanted to–” “I’m not interested, Daniela. I’m busy. And besides, you’re the only one who cares about all of this romance stuff this much. The rest of us are perfectly fine with keeping it to ourselves.”

Daniela frowned, her enthusiasm beginning to crumble in a very visible way. She thought for a moment about what she could say to capture her sister’s attention. “W-Well, I know you don’t really care for my interest in romance novels, b-but I think you’d like the rest of the book! It’s–”

“Daniela, I’m not interested. I don’t care what the rest of the book is about, I don’t want to hear it. If you’re only going to pester me with this when you know I’m busy, then just leave.”

Daniela’s frown only deepened, her gaze dropping down to the floor. “I-I’m…not meaning to bother you, Cass. I’m sorry. I just wanted to share it with someone, and you were the closest one to me, so…” She turned her attention to the book still waiting to be opened again in her trembling hands. She absolutely hated the feeling of being a burden to anyone. Before she could get too deep into her head, however, she began heading towards the door again. Perhaps Bela would be more accepting of her excitement.

She retraced the trail she had taken to find the armory, though she flew downstairs into the main parlor instead. Her arms tugged the book closer to her chest as she soared all the way to Bela’s personal study. There, she made sure to knock before entering.

“Who is it?” Bela asked softly from the other side of the door. “It’s just me,” Daniela replied. Bela sighed. “Come in.” After the confirmation that she could come in, Daniela opened the door and headed inside before closing it behind her. She spun around and walked over to Bela’s desk, where her eldest sister was working away, already buried in paperwork again. “What do you need, Dani? Is something wrong?” Bela briefly glanced up at her before shuffling a few papers, letting out a small sigh when she found the paper she was seemingly looking for.

The youngest daughter stood next to the desk and stared at Bela patiently. “N-No, nothing is wrong. I just…wanted to know if I could share something with you.” The blonde grumbled something under her breath and pinched the bridge of her nose as she leaned back against her chair. “As long as it’s made brief, yes.” Daniela’s frown returned. “Oh, well…” She tapped the front cover of her book, catching Bela’s attention. “Not exactly something brief, but I thought you might like to hear about it. You know…just in case you decide you want something to read later on down the line.”

Bela sighed again, running both of her hands down her face. “Dani, you know I would usually have no issue with you talking to me about your stories, but,” she was cut off as Daniela leaned forward and interrupted her. “But it’s not a story this time! It’s a whole book filled with fun facts about the human body! I think you’ll really like it.”

“Look, that sounds interesting, I suppose. But I’m really busy, and I need to get all of this finished before the end of the week. Which is in three days, mind you, in case you weren’t already aware.” Bela slid forward again and picked up a smaller stack of documents tucked away in files. She thumbed through them, checking the labels for what she was searching for. “If you really must share it with someone, go find Cassandra instead.”

“I already did though. She said I was just irritating her and that I needed to leave while she works on her new weapon. I figured maybe you’d be more interested in it.” Daniela grimaced at a thought that made itself known in the front of her mind. “I’m not…bothering you, am I?” Bela looked up at her finally. “Listen, you know I don’t enjoy being blunt with you, but quite frankly, yes, you’re bothering me. These papers are very important, Dani. I have to focus on them right now.”

Again, Daniela’s confidence began to crumble. Even more so when her sister once again turned back to her work as if it were far more important than her. “Oh, I-I’m…I’m sorry.” She began to back away, unable to tear her eyes away from her feet as they led her backwards. “I didn’t mean to,” she whispered, her voice cracking.

She twirled back to face the door, slipping through it and leaving abruptly. She could feel her insecurities eating away at her self esteem. Tears began to form and prick the corners of her eyes. She let out a small sniffle and began to head out towards the courtyard. “Perhaps mother will listen to me.”

She traveled all the way through the large, open space, grateful that the weather permitted her to do so peacefully. She made it to the structure connected to the space just across the dining room, floating up the stairs, through the doorway, and then turning to go up yet another set of stairs. She then took a few more turns before finally making it to her mother’s chambers. She pressed her ear to the door, smiling weakly when she heard her mother moving around on the other side.

Swiftly, Daniela knocked on the door. “Yes?” Her mother questioned, her tone professional in case it was a maid. “It’s just me, mother. May I come in?” “Of course, dear. Just try to keep your voice down.” Daniela was confused by the last part of her mother’s statement, but she still turned the door’s handle and pushed it forward, allowing her to step inside. She smiled, though it quickly dropped once she saw that Alcina was on the phone, likely with Mother Miranda again.

“O-Oh, I’m sorry, mother. Is this a bad time?” Alcina glanced over at her softly for a moment, though quickly sighed and furrowed her brow. “No, Daniela, it’s not–ah, yes, Mother Miranda. I’m aware. I can assure you that everything will go accordingly.” Daniela made no move to step further, already sensing that she was becoming a burden to yet another one of her loved ones. “I’ll leave you be. I-I’ll see you during dinner,” she mumbled just loud enough for her mother to hear.

She turned and left the room just as Alcina looked back over at her again. “Daniela, wait.” Another sigh. “Mother Miranda, I understand. Yes, I know how important this is to you.”

The entire time she had tried to share her interest in this new book she found, Daniela had been fighting back tears. With each way of saying that she was only being a nuisance, her confidence faltered before shattering into pieces. Now, after bottling it up for so long in hopes of being able to change her attitude, she couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. They streamed down her face as she rushed back up to her room, locking her door and crawling up against the pillows on her bed.

Until she managed to think things through and calm down, Daniela intended to hide away in the comfort of her bedroom. She wiped at her face, scolding herself for being so emotional for such a ridiculous reason. Her family was simply busy doing their own things–they didn’t owe her the time of day.

But she wanted so badly to share something she was so passionate about with someone. Her excitement had blinded her to the fact that she truly was burdening the others as they tried to work. They were all doing important things, and she was curled up on her bed, sobbing because she wasn’t able to keep the attention on her?

How pathetic.

How selfish.

She sucked in a shaky breath, trying desperately to bring her crying to a halt. It failed, however, as another sob wracked through her body. She whimpered, feeling as though she truly was weak since she wasn’t even able to keep a straight face. She shifted and turned on the bed, burying her face in her pillow as she tossed the book onto the floor. Maybe the plush surface beneath her would muffle the sounds of her vulnerability.

“Lady Daniela? Will you be joining your family for dinner anytime soon? They’ve asked me to see if you’ll come down.” “No, I’m not going to eat dinner tonight. I-I, um…Just really want to finish my book. Tell them I’ll find something to eat later, will you?” “Of course.”

It had been a few hours since Daniela’s meltdown. She had finally managed to stop crying within the first hour of hiding away, though she still felt too depressed to leave her room. Dinner had been ready for over half an hour at that point, yet she was the only one not to have joined her family downstairs to eat. It surprised her mother, as she was usually the first one seated, always eager to see what the kitchen staff had prepared for their meal that night. She had sent a maid up to her youngest daughter’s room four times, asking them to encourage her to come down and join them, even though Bela and Cassandra were already finished eating.

The two waited patiently at the table per their mother’s request, although they also wanted to use the time spent at dinner to apologize to Daniela for the way they treated her. They both felt guilty for it and spoke to each other about how they could make it up to her. When she didn’t join them at the table, however, they could feel their regret growing stronger. They often poked fun at her for different things, but Daniela knew it was all in good fun. She knew they didn’t really mean anything by it.

They were sisters, after all, and they even mocked each other at different points. Most of the time she would laugh at their jokes aimed in her direction. They must’ve really hurt her for her not to at least come downstairs long enough to eat dinner with them.

After waiting another half hour, they decided that it was best to give her a bit of space before they tried to properly apologize for what they had done. They left the dining room. Alcina, however, continued to wait there for her youngest to show up. She never did, and after yet another hour, Alcina headed upstairs to her own room to retire for the night. She knew her daughter likely needed time to herself, especially after Bela and Cassandra explained what had happened. In the morning, she’d make sure to check in on her daughter personally and apologize to her herself.

All the while, Daniela remained in bed, staring blankly at the wall the side of her bed was pressed up against. Her eyes were dull, straining as she fought to stay awake. She wasn’t sure why she wasn’t letting herself fall asleep. She knew she’d feel better if she got a bit of rest, but for some reason she just wouldn’t let her eyes stay closed.

Her mind was swarming with all kinds of negative thoughts, none of which managed to do anything but dampen her mood even further. She must’ve lied there for hours in absolute silence. Everyone else, including the maids, had already gone to bed, which is why it was such a surprise when a knock sounded from her door. She nearly jumped out of her own skin. A loud yelp slipped past her lips as she jolted upright and felt her head whip towards the direction of the door.

Who could that possibly be? Surely her sisters weren’t up at this hour. It was long past midnight, and although she knew the two of them were more insomniatic than she was, she could tell from the way that silence followed the knock that it wasn’t them. Still, her heart hammered in her chest as she tried to decipher the scent.

“Wh-Who is it?” She asked shakily.

“It’s me, Daniela,” [Y/N] responded from the other side of the door. “Is it alright if I come in?” Daniela’s heart began to race even faster, though it was for a different reason now. Why was [Y/N] the only one who came to check in on her herself? Perhaps she cared more for Daniela than her own family did. She hesitated, her mind telling her she’ll only be a burden to the woman she loved so dearly. Ignoring those cruel thoughts, she wiped her face and straightened out her dress. “Yes, come on in,” she finally said at length.

Slowly, the door creaked open to reveal [Y/N], who peered in through the dim lighting the candles from the hallway managed to provide. “What’s up?” Daniela asked softly, watching as the young woman closed her bedroom door and walked over to her bed. She sat on the edge of it and gazed over at her. Even with how dark her room was, Daniela was able to see the concerned look on [Y/N]’s face. “I heard about what happened today. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

Daniela smiled weakly, her heart pounding against her ribs once more. She glanced down at her lap, tugging her gloves off and tossing them to the side to pick at her nails. Her palms flipped downwards to desperately try to wipe the sweat onto the fabric of her dress. “I-I’m fine,” she mumbled in reply, her voice almost inaudible. [Y/N] shifted on the bed, the mattress suddenly sinking down next to Daniela as she sat beside her. “C’mon, you and I both know that’s not true. I can see it on your face. And in your body language. You’re upset. You don’t have to hide it. You don’t have to tell me about anything, but I can promise you I won’t judge you for whatever it is you’re upset about.”

Now, as her lip began to quiver for the first time in hours, Daniela managed to peer over at her from the corner of her eye. She tried to maintain her composure, though it was quick to falter as [Y/N] held out her arms and gazed at her with those damned eyes. “C’mere.”

Without meaning to, Daniela whimpered and practically seemed to lunge forward as she dove into [Y/N]’s embrace, letting her face bury itself into the smaller woman’s shoulder as she let out a small sob. She wasn’t entirely sure what it was about this girl that made her feel so safe, other than her love for her. Something about the way [Y/N]’s eyes always seemed to show a sign of trust and never held any judgment made Daniela feel as though she could confide in her about anything.

[Y/N] was quick to rock her back and forth, her fingers gently stroking the unshaven side of the redhead’s messy hair and scratching soothingly at her scalp. “Everything is going to be okay, Dani. And they didn’t tell me to say anything, but your sisters and mother are very sorry for whatever it was that they did to you. Believe me. I was able to see it on their faces during dinner.” Daniela sniffled softly and tilted her head to peer up at [Y/N].

“You were there during dinner?” [Y/N] nodded down at her with a soft grin. “Yes. I was also…” She seemed to hesitate, worried about something. Daniela straightened up at this to look her in the eye. “What is it?” “Ah, I just–I was also there in the room with Bela earlier when you tried to show her your book. I heard what happened.” A soft shade of crimson dusted Daniela’s cheeks as she turned her head away in embarrassment. “Oh, I didn’t even realize. I-I’m sorry you had to see me act that way.” “What way?” “Like a spoiled brat. I-I sounded like I just wanted attention, didn’t I?”

Gently, [Y/N]’s hand came to rest on her shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. “No, not at all. I can understand being upset about not being able to share something you’re passionate about, and I could clearly tell you were passionate about the book you were carrying.”

Daniela looked back up at her again, slightly surprised. “You don’t think I was being pathetic?” “No, not at all! I’d probably react the same way, honestly.”

Daniela smiled and hummed after a moment. She crossed her legs and returned to where she had originally been sitting on her bed, staring down at her lap. “Th-Thank you for not judging me,” she murmured quietly at length. “It really does mean a lot.” Her head lifted so she could once again look [Y/N] in the eyes, her smile never faltering, and instead growing. “Anytime, Dani,” came the smaller woman’s reply. They gazed at each other for a while, not realizing it.

Suddenly, a look of pure confusion riddled Daniela’s face. “Wait, if you were in the room with Bela when I came in earlier, then how did you not know what I was upset about? And…why did it seem like you didn’t know about any of it until my family “told you?””

Again, a look of anxiousness crossed [Y/N]’s features. She averted her gaze and began to fidget with her fingers. “A-Ah, well, I just didn’t want you to know I had listened to what happened. I thought you might be mad at me for it.” Daniela stared at her, bewildered, but quickly smiled and chuckled. “I could never be mad at you. Especially not over something like that.” She took [Y/N]’s hand into her own and gently caressed the back of it with her thumb.

Daniela sighed in relief. The noises pounding in her mind began to soften, finally feeling at ease for the first time in hours.

“Oh!”

She jumped at that, her heart stuttering in surprise as she quickly turned her attention back to [Y/N], who looked excited now.

“Speaking of that book, I was actually going to ask if you could show me some of the facts you were trying to talk about!” An unusually wide smile cracked across Daniela’s lips, almost to a painful degree. “You’d really be interested in that? And you’d pay attention?” [Y/N] nodded with a look of pure intrigue. “Yeah, of course! I managed to spot the cover of the book while you were in the room. It’s about the human body, right?”

Daniela nodded, quickly flying over to where she had tossed the book to pick it up before returning to the bed. “Yep! The first half is really really boring, but the rest of it is really cool! I love the part about how love and romance affects the body so far.” [Y/N] giggled at her and reached over to the nightstand to light a candle. “I figured as much. That’s very in-character for you,” she replied softly, making Daniela blush.

“Is that a bad thing?” She questioned sheepishly. “No, of course not. It’s actually one of the things I love most about you.” Daniela’s face burned even brighter, and she secretly scolded herself, trying to force the blush to die down before the candle lit up the small space next to them.

“Oh, Daniela. Did that new book you were talking about finally make it in?” Bela asked from the sofa in the front parlor, Cassandra’s head perking up at this. The youngest of the three beamed brightly over at them and chuckled. “Yeah, it did.” Her two older sisters smiled back at her. “Would you want us to read it with you?”

Daniela eyed them for a moment, though her expression quickly changed before they could notice. “Oh, no, it’s fine. I was actually planning on reading it with [Y/N] first! She’s in the library right now: I told her to wait there for me while I grabbed the book from the Duke’s shop.” She hummed and swarmed up, flying all the way across the property to the library, where she found [Y/N] waiting for her on her favorite sofa.

Similar to the way she had been doing almost all day everyday, Daniela smiled wide, squealing from excitement and catching [Y/N]’s attention, who turned to her and grinned in return, waving at her. “Dani, hey! Did you get the book?”

With an enthusiastic nod, Daniela soared over to the sofa and plopped herself down next to [Y/N], leaning against the armrest. “Sure did! Volume two of fun facts over the human body.” She pulled the book from underneath her arm and swayed it back and forth with a teasing smirk. She then set it up against her lap and flipped open the front cover. Bringing her closed hand up to cover her mouth, she cleared her throat, then began to read the story aloud.

As she spoke, she got lost in the words. She hardly noticed as [Y/N] shifted on the cushion in front of her. She was made aware of her movement, however, once the smaller woman leaned against her shoulder to read the words on the pages as well.

Her voice shook and cracked in surprise, her confidence in the words she spoke beginning to waver as she stared down at [Y/N]. “U-Um, are you alright?” She looked up at Daniela in confusion. “Yeah, of course,” was her soft reply. “Just wanted to get cozy, y’know?” Uncharacteristically, Daniela grew sheepish. She was often the one who made a bold move to fluster others–she wasn’t used to someone else doing it to her, let alone the woman she loved.

“Y-Yeah,” was all she could mutter, forcing herself to tear her gaze away and focus back on the words decorating the pages. She continued to read it aloud, though she wasn’t able to comprehend anything she read. This continued for a long while, and finally she was able to get back into a more confident headspace. Her attention to the facts returned.

A gentle yawn sounded from Daniela’s shoulder, prompting her to look down at the source. [Y/N] rubbed her eyes before letting them flutter shut. She sighed as she nuzzled back up further into Daniela’s shoulder. Her nose gently bumped against her neck. The redhead shuttered, causing her breath to halt for a moment. How long had they been reading together? Surely it couldn’t have been that long.

She turned her head to glance up at the skylight, finding that the sky above was growing darker, almost pitch black. “Oh, I hadn’t even realized we’d been here all day. Sorry about that, [Y/N]. Should I carry you back to your room?” [Y/N] shook her head after a moment, seemingly already halfway asleep. “No, I’m fine. This is really comfortable. You can keep reading if you’d like.” Daniela smiled softly down at her and nodded. She shifted her arm to tuck it underneath [Y/N]’s torso and pull her closer, using her free hand to flip the pages of the book as she read silently to herself.

Another hour must’ve passed before Daniela finally finished the book. “Man, it’s much faster to read something in my head than out loud,” she whispered to herself, closing the cover and gently placing the book on the ground next to the sofa. She yawned and sighed, glancing back over at [Y/N]. Her eyes were shut, her breathing and heartbeat slow and steady. Daniela grinned and absentmindedly pressed a gentle kiss to the top of the woman’s head. She couldn’t see it, but her pupils were blown from the love and admiration traveling throughout her body.

“I’m glad you’re asleep,” she started. “I-I promise I’ll tell you this to your face when you’re actually…y’know, conscious–when I can find the courage–but…I love you, [Y/N]. You’ve cheered me up countless times, especially these past few weeks. You’ve always made me laugh and made sure I knew that you were actually paying attention to me. You make sure I know you’re actually interested in what I have to say, and that really does mean the world to me.

“I hope I can help you feel the same way. There are so many things I never want you to have to experience, but feeling useless, or ignored, or…like you’re a burden is definitely one of the major ones. If you ever feel like you have no one else to go to, I just want you to know that I’m here.”

She giggled to herself, running a hand through her hair and then down her face. “I want to keep telling you about how much I love you and why I do, but I feel like I should save all of it for when you’re actually awake to hear all of it. I want you to know just how much you mean to me. Though, that’ll be hard to explain since you mean the world–no, more than the world to me.”

Finally, she let herself relax, leaning back against the armrest and closing her eyes with a heavy sigh. She couldn’t wipe the smile from her face if she tried. Again, just like she had done multiple times over the past few weeks, Daniela jumped. [Y/N] seemed to be unnaturally good at catching her off guard. She wasn’t sure if she was proud of that or not.

“Aww, Dani, that’s so sweet,” she mumbled. Daniela’s eyes shot down to her still resting against her shoulder, a bead of sweat forming on her forehead. “H-How much of that did you hear?”

“All of it.”

Daniela whined in embarrassment. She used her free hand to hide her reddened face, mumbling things under her breath. [Y/N] giggled at her reaction, one arm moving to wrap around the redhead’s torso and pull her closer. Her face nuzzled against Daniela’s collarbone as she smiled and sighed. “But…I love you too. I want you to know that.”

For what must’ve been the fifth time that evening alone, Daniela’s head whipped back around to let her stare at [Y/N]. “You do…?” She whispered, her voice once again cracking as tears unwillingly began to prick her eyes.

“Of course I do. How could I not?” [Y/N] said it like it was the most obvious thing on earth. She really found it odd that Daniela was surprised about her feelings being mutual?

Daniela’s lip quivered. Slowly, she shifted onto her side to fully face [Y/N], who finally opened her eyes to gaze up at her. The smile that caressed her lips so beautifully only made Daniela’s heart flutter. “Could…you say that again?” [Y/N] smiled.

“Yes. I’ll say it to you as many times as you’d like. I love you, Dani.”

She leaned up and began to pepper the woman’s face and head with kisses, whispering a faint “I love you” with each one.

Daniela finally let out a small laugh mixed with a sob. She leaned forward and pulled [Y/N] closer. [Y/N] smiled down at her, shifting up a bit further to comfortably pull the weeping girl into her chest. Her fingers raked through the red locks that rested against the armrest, lulling Daniela further into a sense of security and bliss. “I’ll always be here for you, okay? Anything you need, I’m here: I’ll be here to listen, pay attention, make you laugh, and love you. Just like you said to me, if you ever feel like no one else is there, just know I’ll be waiting for you with open arms.”

Tears soaked through [Y/N]’s shirt, though she didn’t mind. She could feel Daniela smiling broadly against her clothed skin, and that made everything feel like it was worth it.

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