#Side note: I'll be posting in the morning for now until I get a more stable schedule.

[w2soneshots]

Two becomes three -George clarkey

words: 2.4k+

warnings: unplanned pregnancy, sickness, worrying, birth.

summary: you and your husband George’s journey to unexpectedly becoming parents along with your social media posts during your pregnancy.

notes: hello my loves! Here’s the request. I love writing fluffy fics like this🥹. I hope you all enjoy this extra long one shot!!🧸🎀🤍 (please lmk what you think!)

Liked by wroetoshaw, mollymae and 934,125 others

y/username: baby has entered the chat @georgeclarkeey

-comments-

chrismd10: congratulations guys❤️

faithloisak: how cute!! So happy for you two🥹✨

max_balegdae: ahhhhhhhhh

y/nfanpage21: there's no fucking way!!🙊

user27549810: the random George jump-scare at the end lol

user60286430: didn't they just get married like five seconds ago?😅

I met my now husband George four years ago. He followed me on instagram, I followed him back and not long after that we were dating. Last year he proposed and just under a month ago we had our wedding, which was beautiful and only had our closet friends and family.

An hour ago I took a pregnancy test. I was only a day late on my period but I took it just in case. I could hardly believe it when I saw two lines and it was so faint that I convinced myself I was seeing things so I decided to sleep on it and then tell George when I knew for sure.

But I just couldn't keep it a secret. I blurted out, "George, I think pregnant." As soon as he walked through the front door after his shoot with Arthur tv. He was baffled. "You- woah- you think?" I nodded. He took a moment to process what I just said. "And you took a test?" He finally asked. "Yeah, the lines were really faint though. I was gonna wait until tomorrow to tell you but- it just came out."

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I let out a soft sigh of relief. "If you are then I'll be so happy," he whispered into my hair. I smiled, though he couldn't see me. "I'm so overwhelmed," I mumbled. His hand made its way up to my hair and he gently ran it over my scalp, silently reassuring me.

That night everything felt so strange. You're supposed to take the tests in the morning anyway for the most accurate results so we were just waiting and trying not to get our hopes up in case it wasn't positive.

The next morning I woke to an empty bed. I reached for my phone and then read the text George had sent me just ten minutes ago; "gone to buy more tests, hopefully I'll be back before you're awake x" I sighed softly then got up.

As I was brushing my teeth the front door clicked open and soon George was walking into the ensuite. He smiled softly as he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, looking at me through the mirror. "Ready, love?"

"You look. I can't." I quickly passed the upside down test to George as we sat on the end of our bed. Just seconds before, the alarm on my phone rung but I couldn't bring myself to look at the test.

He took it and flipped it over. A wide smile spread across his face as an excited chuckle escaped his mouth. "Seriously?" I asked, shocked. "Y- yeah, you're pregnant!" He shot up of the bed. I giggled. "I'm gonna be a dad!" He pulled me up and into a bone crushing hug.

The next two months weren't very fun. At the beginning we were both so ecstatic. Then the morning sickness hit. I could barely eat, sleep and it was becoming impossible to make up excuses for why I couldn't go out.

George was like my rock through the entire ordeal. He was by my side every time I had to run to the bathroom, he held me and gently stroked my back as I tried to get some sleep, he pleaded with the doctor when we went for my first appointment hoping there was something, anything they could do and he let me ramble on about how I just wanted to feel normal again.

Slowly our friends figured it out and offered their help. The girls put together a basket and Faith made sure to include everything that helped her through her first trimester, Chris came round to keep me company while George had to go and film something for a brand deal and George's sister sat with me as we online shopped since I couldn't really go out.

When the sickness slowly started to ease off everyone was so relieved, George especially because he hated seeing me constantly upset. I was finally able to enjoy pregnancy, announce it on instagram and suddenly the last few months were erased from my mind.

Liked by faithloisak, arthurtv and 513,290 others

y/username: love, hate relationship with the heat

-comments-

taliamar: you're glowing babe!!💞

-> y/username: 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

georgeclarkeey: 🐊

y/nfanpage21: the puppy🥹

user85299106: this is adorable

At twenty two weeks we went on our little baby moon. I spent twelve days relaxing in the sun while George fussed about suncream and making sure I was in the shade. Since becoming pregnant he's been much more protective, which I don't mind since it's never overbearing. He's just trying to help in anyway possible.

"Good morning sleepy head." George greeted me quietly, sitting on the side of the bed next to my sleepy form and gently pushing the messy hair from my face. "Mornin'" I mumbled, shuffling slightly. He leaned down to press a soft kiss to my forehead before asking if I wanted some breakfast, to which I immediately nodded.

We left our little apartment after getting ready and walked hand in hand down the street towards the cute little outdoor café we'd spent quite a few mornings in the past week and a half.

"Thank you." I smiled at the young girl handing me my pancakes. "Will that be all?" She asked politely after placing George's breakfast in front of him. I nodded and she walked away.

"Mmm, I'm so glad I can actually enjoy food again," I said after swallowing a mouthful of food. George just stared at me. "What?" "I just love watching you." I chuckled. "That sounds a bit creepy babe."

When the day came that our baby moon was over I was sad to be leaving such a beautiful place that I'd made life long memories in but I was secretly very excited to be going home and getting back into normal life.

Liked by chrismd10, taliamar and 623,309 others

y/username: clearing out my camera roll✨

-comments-

arthurtv: fifth slide?😭

-> georgeclarkeey:🫃🏼🤰

faithloisak: stunning!!!

y/nfanpage21: you, the bump, the flowers, all so cute💝

user10479624: you're both going to be the best parents

The next few months were spent relaxing and preparing for the arrival of our baby, who we found out the sex of just after our baby moon. We had a little gender reveal at our apartment with our families and a few special friends. We decided on a cake, classic, cute and delicious.

"I can't tell!" George announced. I stood next to him, my hand holding the knife that was cutting through the cake. Both of us were trying to peek at the sponge but it wasn't until I pulled the slice out that we spotted the pink.

Immediately the room erupted into cheers. I placed it down on a plate along with the knife and I turned to my husband. Tears welled in my eyes and when he wrapped his arms around me and pulled my body off of the ground the commotion around us seemed to disappear and all I could focus on was us.

"We're having a girl," I whispered, as though I was trying to convince myself that this was actually real. He gently placed me down, his hands landing on my hips. "I knew it. Dad intuition goes crazy." I giggled before pushing onto my tip toes and placing a loving kiss to his lips.

After that day I was suddenly obsessed with buying baby clothes, what the nursery was going to look like and the realisation hit me that I was actually going to have to push a human being out of my body, though George was quick to reassure me about that.

"Baby's the size of a small pineapple this week," I informed George as we sat on the couch, my feet resting on his lap as he slowly massaged them through my socks. I turned my phone around so he could see the app that keeps track of the baby.

"That's huge." He muttered, eyes widening slightly. I chuckled. "When she's done cooking she'll be the size of a pumpkin." "Oh god, I'm sorry." My brows furrowed, an amused look on my face. "What are you apologising for?"

"You're gonna have to lug around a pumpkin sized baby," he replied, deadly serious. I just laughed, though I wasn't particularly looking forward to that.

The months flew by and suddenly I was actually carrying a pumpkin sized baby in my stomach. At thirty seven weeks my back constantly ached, I needed to pee every five minutes, I wasn't sleeping properly since I had a future gymnast kicking around in my stomach and all in all I was just uncomfortable.

Since I could now go into labour at any second George was watching me like a hawk. Every grimace when I felt an extra strong kick, every sigh and every time my hand touched my stomach he would sit upright and just wait for me to say something.

"I'm fine, George," I'd say. "Just checking," he'd reply and that interaction would repeat itself another one hundred times before the day ended.

"I won't go if you don't want me to, Chris can find someone else last minute," George whispered as we lay in bed, my back pressed against his chest as he gently drew circles on the side of my bump. "No, I'll be okay. It's only a few hours," I mumbled back, half asleep. "Okay, just promise you'll call me if anything happens?" "Promise."

He left early the next morning to film the football video for Chris' channel, meaning I woke up alone. I went about my routine like normal though it felt like it was taking me longer to do my usual things, like I was moving at snail pace, which was slightly strange but I brushed it off.

An hour later I lay on the couch scrolling through instagram when I felt a twinge in my lower stomach. My brows furrowed slightly. "That was weird," I thought but I continued to scroll.

Until I felt it again. This time I decided to keep my promise to George and phone him. It ring a few times before he picked up. "Everything okay? Is it the baby?" He said immediately in a rushed tone. "I'm not sure, I just feel... weird."

He took in a shaky breath. "I knew I shouldn't have come today! I'm coming home." "It's fine, I'm- we're fine. Calm down-" "no no, I'll be there in twenty minutes, love you." And with that he ended the call. I sighed, feeling slightly bad that he'd had to leave the shoot but also a little relieved.

Just under twenty minutes later he burst through our apartment door. I stood in the kitchen, hands on the countertop as I took a deep breath, eyes squeezed shut. I heard his bags drop then the sound of his feet racing towards me.

"You said you just felt weird!" He placed his hand on the small of my back. I looked up at him as the pain subsided. "I did! It started getting worse after I called you."

George collected himself. "Okay okay, you're having contractions?" "Mhm, think so," I responded quietly. "How far apart?" "Like five minutes." He thought back to the birthing class we'd gone to last month. "I think we've got some time and the woman said the first kid always takes a while so let's not stress," he tried to reassure me and himself.

"I'll go get the bag, you just- uh... breathe." I chuckled softly, already calmer now that he was here. He emerged from our bedroom minutes later with the small suitcase in hand.

It took half a hour to get out of the door, drive to the hospital and get checked into a room. After that we could both relax.

The contractions weren't unbearable but I wanted the epidural as soon as possible. "Hmf-" I squeezed George's hand. "Another one?" He asked softly. All I could do was nod. "You're doing amazing sweetheart, so so good. I'm so proud of you."

Once I got the injection I felt like a million bucks. I couldn't feel the contractions, just a little bit of pressure. I sat in the bed happily as I ate my ice chips. Before I knew it, it was time to push.

Liked by sidemen, prettylittlething and 1,004,586 others

y/username: we've been in our little baby bubble this week but I wanted to officially introduce you to Maddie Clarke🤍👼🏼💫

-comments-

georgeclarkeey: my girls❤️

max_balegdae: yasss mother

taliamar: congratulations🥺💓

y/nfanpage21: I'M CRYING

user02781643: they're literally living the dream life omg!!

"She looks just like you," I said as I watched George's eyes fill with tears, his arms secured around his daughter, just ten minutes after she'd entered the world. He glanced down at me. "I love you so much, this is officially the best day of my life," he whispered. I smiled fondly and somehow I fell in love with George all over again, in a completely different way.

We spent a day and a half in the hospital before being discharged. It had been just me, George and the baby in a little room so it felt amazing to go home. I waddled after my husband as I watched him carry our newborn -who slept soundly in her car seat- out and toward the car. He strapped her in then helped me into the backseat.

"I get what people were taking about now," I said as he stared the engine. "Huh?" "I saw a video about the 'hot dad walk' out of the hospital and I totally get them." He chuckled, though he was cautious of the sleeping baby.

After a few days and once we were in somewhat of a routine his family came over to visit. His slightly younger sister was so excited and could barely keep quiet. "She's adorable. Oh my goodness, look at her little feet!" "Okay everyone, no touching until you've washed your hands!" He announced, pointing towards the kitchen sink.

I watched with a smile on my face as he fussed over whether Maddie's head was supported, it was extremely sweet how much he cared for and loved our daughter. I couldn't wait to watch as he became the best dad ever.

[onaswife]

Alexia's B-side

Couple: Alexia x reader

AU! Omegaverse, Alpha x Omega

note: For now, this is all I can upload. I'm going to take advantage of uploading things while I have some time and imagination. smut, minors dni. with the help of @footy-lover264 and @sachanobie ✨️

When you started dating Alexia, you knew what you were getting into.

Alexia was one of the most renowned soccer players in Spain. She was a popular figure, being the captain of the national team and her Barcelona team. You knew you wouldn't be able to do many of the things couples normally did. You were more careful about the things you posted on Instagram. While it wasn't a secret, you preferred to keep it private. If they did go out, sometimes by your decision, you wouldn't hold her hand. But the last thing you expected was that this Alpha would practically be the mother to all the cubs on the team, all the younger girls who were discovering the real world.

You knew that was a role she was going to take on as the Alpha leader of that pack, but you didn't think you'd see her behave like a proper mother.

You had gone to drop off something she'd forgotten in her apartment that she'd need for an interview she'd have at Joan Gamper, in addition to the jacket she'd said she'd bring.

When you arrived, everything was normal. You heard the staff agreeing on the location of the day's interviews. You saw the physiotherapists walking laughing toward their offices. You saw Pere walking toward the field exit.

You continued your way to the locker room where you knew you'd find Alexia. It was usually at this time that she would let you know she was about to start training and wouldn't be able to answer your messages. And as if it were scripted, you received a message: "Honey, I'm about to go out to the field to train. I'll talk to you in a few hours. Have a nice day, and I'll see you in the afternoon. I'll bring food from your favorite restaurant. I love you." You smiled as you read the message. Alexia looked like a serious Alpha, but beneath that serious face, hid a very shy but very affectionate Alexia.

Before you could answer, you'd already reached the locker room doors, where sounds of things moving, falling, and loud laughter could be heard. You knew instantly who it was: Cata, Pina, Patri, Jana, and Vicky; you could recognize their laughter anywhere.

You slowly opened the door at the right moment. Alexia was scolding the girls while Irene stood next to Alexia, striking a rather intimidating pose. You tried to look for the damage, until you saw a completely wet Mapi with glitter all over her body. You might have laughed at what the girls had done to Mapi; you found it very funny, but you knew you shouldn't; today was interview day, and it wasn't very entertaining to be covered in glitter first thing in the morning.

Finally, someone—it was Jana—noticed your presence at the entrance door.

"Ummhh, Ale…"

"I'm not going to accept excuses, Jana. I've told you many times that if you're going to joke around, it should be harmless."

"I know, but…" Alexia interrupted her again, bringing a hand up to her face and pinching the bridge of her nose between her index and middle fingers. She looked very attractive as a mother to the girls. You could almost imagine her with your future puppies.

"No buts, they knew how important this day would be."

You decided to enter, making everyone in the room—except for Alexia and Irene, for obvious reasons—wait for you to say something.

"Ale, I think the girls have understood." You stood beside her, wrapping one of your hands around her biceps, looking at her with a soft smile on your lips and a gentle gaze.

Alexia stared at you with her mouth open before turning to look at the girls again. "Did they really call Y/N to defend them?" You laughed as they repeatedly shook their heads while trying to explain.

"They didn't call me, honey. I came to drop off some things you forgot at the apartment before leaving." You could see her cheeks flush furiously as she looked anywhere but at you. You laughed at how shy and embarrassed Alexia looked.

The girls took advantage of that moment to escape and save themselves from Alexia's scolding.

You leaned closer to her ear and whispered softly, "Every time I see you being bossy with the pups, I want to have your pups, alpha." You bit her earlobe and quickly pulled away, leaving her flustered and unsure of how to react.

You approached the girls. "If Alexia keeps nagging you, let me know. I'll talk to her, my girls." You kissed each of them on the head before leaving, listening to the older alphas teasing Alexia.

Night fell, and when you got home, you found Alexia sitting on the couch, her arms crossed over her chest and a frown on her face, giving you the idea that she was deeply focused on something.

You slowly and carefully closed the door, walked over, and sat on her lap, placing small kisses on her face, feeling her large hands wrap around your waist.

"It wasn't fair that you did that to me… now they're going to ignore my orders."

You looked lovingly at your alpha, who wore a tender pout on her lips, while her large brown eyes looked at you.

"Those girls are going to continue following your orders, honey. You are their mother, after all." You placed a kiss on her forehead, while your hands caressed her cheeks.

"That's not true. I'm not their mother."

"Today you were scolding them just like your mother does with Alba and you when you argue."

Alexia looked at you in disbelief, while unconsciously tightening her hands on your waist. She sigh in defeat and pull you closer to her body so she can bury her face in your neck, being able to smell your scent more comfortably.

"I love how you smell... although I prefer it more when you smell a little like me." She brought her nose closer and began to rub it, trying to impregnate you with her scent.

You laughed, touched by her words. Her possessiveness was so tender, always making you smile. She looked like a puppy trying to mark its mother, in an innocent and childish way.

Although of course, you weren't Alexia's mother, and of course, she wasn't very innocent when it came to her omega.

She quickly began leaving kisses along your neck, which then turned into bites. At first, they were harmless bites, then they became more intense bites. She wanted to mark you, to leave a part of her with you.

Alexia had never found visible hickeys or bites attractive, but when it was you, she enjoyed watching you proudly display the marks she left on your neck.

You brought your hands to his biceps, squeezing and leaving crescent-shaped marks with your nails clinging to his arm, while you leaned your head back, giving Alexia more space.

Soon, both of you were half naked as you rocked on her member and she moaned beneath you. "You're so good, such a good girl, cariño," Alexia whispered against your ear as her hands snaked down your body and stopped on your ass, kneading and squeezing it, enjoying the sensation in her hands.

She lifted you off her lap, causing you to grunt in protest, before sitting you back down on her lap. Her cock was now pressed against your ass, and you could hear her moans more closely. Her lips moved quickly to the back of your neck, leaving more bite marks there.

"You feel so good... God."

You brought your hand down to where you felt her cock and stood up, letting it align itself with your entrance.

As soon as she entered, being as careful as only she could be, you felt her cock open your walls, as she began to push her hips upwards, making you see stars in the process.

It wasn't long before you felt her hands on your chest, massaging and squeezing your nipples.

"God Alexia, fill me up... I want to have your babies... please" your moans were increasingly mumbled and misspoken, but she still understood.

"Is that what you want? Do you want to have all my pups? Will you be a good omega for me?" She whispered against your ear, biting your earlobe in the process and then moving her hands down your abdomen until he reached your clit. Her fingers first ran down your crotch, mocking your need.

You looked down, seeing how one of her hands rested on your thigh, you couldn't help but grab it and bring it to your lips.

"Let me have your puppies... fill me like only you know how, love." You brought her index and middle fingers to your mouth, beginning to suck them to avoid moaning loudly and so as not to disturb the neighbors.

"You feel so big... and you fill me up so well, my alpha"

You heard her growl behind you and you couldn't help but get wetter and feel closer and closer to reaching your orgasm.

"Aahh... I'm going to do it... Lexia..."

As soon as she heard you say you were close, she stopped moving her hips, feeling how her thighs were sticky from your fluids and hers that had mixed.

"Do you want me to fill you up, or do you want to do it in my mouth?" Her lips began attacking from your throat to your shoulder. You were in a haze of pleasure, so it was difficult for you to say a coherent sentence.

"I just want to do it, my alpha, please" without knowing what to decide, Alexia continued moving her hips, until from one moment to the next she made you get up and now you would sit facing her so you could lie down on the sofa.

She rested her knees on the couch and began to fuck you as if it were the last thing she'd ever do. You were in a haze of pleasure; you couldn't think of anything other than Alexia's cock pounding deep inside your pussy and hitting your G-spot. Getting closer and closer to delicious release.

You brought your hands to Alexia's forearms, which made Alexia take your hands and bring them to her abdomen, letting you scratch her abs, already marked by physical effort.

She looked down at you, seeing how beautiful you looked being destroyed by her, sweating and moaning only one thing: her name. She was thrilled to be the one who could leave you like that.

"I'm close... please"

"Do it, cum on my cock."

And as if you'd been waiting for an affirmation from her, you came, followed a few minutes later by Alexia. She pulled her cock out of you, watching her cum drip from your pussy. She brought her free hand to her cock and with it, began pushing all the cum that was spurting back into your pussy.

When she saw that it was all inside, she let her cock rest inside your pussy and laid her body on top of yours, giving you a tender hug, leaving kisses on the top of your head.

"So... you want to have my children, right?" Her tone was mocking, but honest. It was something the two of them would have to talk about at some point.

"Mmm, you'd be the best mother... and what better than to be my children's mother? You'd look so sexy in mom mode, I couldn't keep my hands off you, I'd jump on you at any moment."

Alexia just laughed, caressing your back and continuing to kiss your face. She hoped you'd come down from the cloud of pleasure so she could take you to the shower and give you a little bath before going to bed.

And who would have thought that a year and a half later, four months after your wedding, you'd be pregnant with her puppies. And she'd be the happiest and luckiest Alpha to have you as her family.

[pandora-writes-one-piece]

The Meet-Cute - Zoro's Story - Epilogue

Source for pic

Trouble - Epilogue 🔞

Word Count: 6362

Tags For The Whole Story: Fem!Reader; Protective!Zoro; Soft!Zoro; Sexual Tension; Teasing; Flirting; Mature Audiences (I'll always tag the NSFW chapters); Modern Day AU; Reader is being stalked; Fear; Paranoia; Angst; Rom-Com Vibes; Mild Gore-like Descriptions; Blood; Reader in a terror-like state; Dead Animals Mentioned; Fluff; Romance; Banter; Manipulation; Miscommunication; Frustration; Reader is very clumsy;

Special Warning: English is not my first language, I apologise for any possible spelling or grammar mistakes.

Summary: After moving away from the hustle and bustle of Grand Line City to help your father around the property following a horse-riding accident - and in the hopes of healing your broken heart after your asshole ex-fiancé cheated - you settle into the country calmness of the Calm Belt. You and Zoro are slowly returning to your easy friendship filled with banter and flirting and you actually begin to glimpse a future with the green-haired cop. But then you start to receive weird gifts. They quickly escalate to manipulative texts. And now you're stuck in a spiral of terror and there's no way to get help because the Stalker, whoever he is, is threatening something other than just your life.

Notes: And here we are... at the end of another installment of my Meet-Cute series. My gosh, three are done and two to go! I guess I never thought I was going to write all of them and I can't take you guys enough for all the support! But hey, I'll leave that to another post! For now, I hope you enjoy the epilogue of this thrilling story. Let me know all about it, please, I'm dying to know if it was satisfying!

Masterlist

Healing isn’t linear.

You thought you were on the right track after moving in with Zoro. You started taking your meds, shared your feelings with your friends, checked in on Shanks every day. More importantly, you don’t keep anything from Zoro anymore.

And you’ve both been very happy. 

Until it all crashes down again, and all the healing you’ve done goes up in smoke, like it meant nothing, and you’re right back where you started: afraid, trapped, small, and vulnerable.

It’s the little things that trigger you. And you find that out the hard way.

-*-

Zoro insists on returning to work, even though his injuries are still healing. He and Mihawk have a terrible argument over the phone until his captain clears him for desk duty with limited hours. 

It’s not what Zoro wanted, but he’ll take it. Since he can’t exercise as often or as hard as he would like, he’ll take this distraction. Besides, you’ve been telling him that you still want to help your father around the farm, as much as you feel capable of doing, and he gets bored being alone with nothing to do. 

It’s on one of those mornings, when the chores are done, Zoro is at the station, and you and Shanks are sharing a mug of coffee by the porch steps that you take another step forward in your healing process. 

“Dad…” You begin with a sigh and Shanks sets down his mug so he can give you his full attention. “I’m sorry.”

He hears the smallness in your voice and cocks his head to the side. “About what?”

“About not feeling at home in your house… I… It’s just…”

Shanks places his arm over your shoulders and pulls you towards him. “You don’t have to explain, Bug. I get it. You don’t even have to apologise for it! All I want is for you to heal and be happy, you know that.”

You do know that. But it still feels like you’re abandoning your father, and it weighs on your chest constantly. 

With a trembling inhale, you blink away your unshed tears. “Yes, Dad, I know that. But… this is the house I grew up in, and it hurts that I can’t call it home anymore. You’re here, and I can’t bear to be inside for more than a few minutes. I’m sorry.”

Shanks pulls back so he can look into your eyes. He has a genuine, though sorrowful, look on his face when he utters your name softly. “Home is not a place.” Your eyes widen as he kisses your forehead. “I could be living on a ship, or anywhere across the world, and home wouldn’t be there… you’re my home.”

“Home is not a place…” You repeat, and he nods. 

“It’s okay if the house you grew up in doesn’t feel like home anymore, Bug. It truly is.” Shanks sets one hand over your heart, still smiling. “Let your heart find your home.”

This time, you can’t stop the tears from flowing down your face as Shanks wipes them away with his thumb. Then you hug him tightly as your chest feels a little bit lighter. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you too, sweetheart.” 

You pull back and stare into his eyes. Lately, and as you’ve been feeling brighter and better, there have been fewer shadows in them, like he’s managing to push the guilt away, so you know that as you heal, your father heals with you.

You’re his home.

“Okay, Dad, I’m going upstairs to fill a bag with clothes, just like I promised my therapist. Baby steps.” You can’t deny that you’re nervous about spending time in your room. You’ve been inside a few times, but only for a few minutes and never alone. Your therapist proposed baby steps to help you face the most triggering situations, and you’ve been trying that. 

That’s why you’ve been helping Shanks around the farm. You had lunch at the farmhouse too, the other day. Granted, you helped your dad cook and then you both ate the meal outside, but it was still progress. 

The walls don’t seem so suffocating, the air is lighter. You can do this. 

“You sure you don’t want me to go with you?”

You nod and get up, dusting off your behind as you take a deep breath and face the door, trying to push the image of the dead cat pinned to it to the back of your mind. 

“I can do this, Dad. Baby steps.” You start walking and then stop, turning around. “Well… maybe you can wait in the living room so I can call you if I need you?” Asking for help is also a baby step, and you take it.

“Sure.” Shanks smiles, collects the mugs of coffee, and heads inside with you. He’s trying to act nonchalant, but you can hear the mugs jingling with the slightest tremor from him. “Oh,” he exclaims suddenly. “Some of your city friends sent you some flowers, I guess the news spread there too, because…” He doesn’t say it, but you make the connection: Ichiji. “I placed them in your room. You know I don’t care much about flowers, and they were for you, so…”

You smile and nod as you start to climb the stairs. “Thank you, Dad!” You haven’t said much to your friends from the city. They’re mostly Ichiji’s friends anyway, but maybe you should text and thank them? Could there be a note on the flowers so you know who sent them?

The thought gets pushed aside as you face your closed door, your heart hammering against your chest as you chew on your lips. 

Baby steps.

You got this.

With a heavy inhale, you turn the doorknob and enter. 

The room is bright, your father has been opening the windows every day to let in the sun and fresh air. Other than that, it seems untouched. Cold, like it doesn’t belong to you anymore. 

But there’s no suffocating oppression, no feeling of entrapment. You got this.

And then your eyes fall on your desk, where the flowers stand, and you freeze. Fresh red roses. A huge bouquet of them.

It’s not King, it’s not him, he’s dead.

Your mind knows this, your brain understands that the bouquet came from your friends. King is dead, it wasn’t him, he wasn’t inside.

He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead!

You can’t breathe. Your chest feels tight, and it hurts as your heart hammers away in an erratic, accelerated rhythm. 

It’s not him!

Your body trembles violently, and you slump on the floor, bringing your knees to your chest and shutting your eyes. 

But you still see them. The red roses.

King.

“D–Da–Dad!” You manage to croak out, turning your head towards the open door so he can hear you. Your pills are downstairs, and just the thought of getting up seems daunting. In a matter of seconds, Shanks is kneeling by your side, whispering your name and asking what’s wrong.

“Bug, hey, hey, it’s alright! I’m here! Come on.” He tries to move you, to lift you, but you push him off, shaking your head frantically. You don’t feel safe, don’t feel like you can move, you’re frozen and shaking. There’s only one person that can help.

“Zo…”

Shanks nods and takes the phone out of his pocket, the wrinkles in the corner of his eyes more prominent again.

Zoro picks up the call immediately. “Zoro, she needs you.”

“On my way.” You hear his clipped answer before he turns off the call. He knew what you were doing today, and even if he didn’t, you don’t think Zoro would ask any questions after the words your father just told him. 

You need him. And that’s all he needs to know. 

Shanks holds you and tries to soothe you as best as he can, but he doesn’t understand what triggered you. You have been in your room before, even though you weren’t alone, but you managed somewhat. 

Now it felt like you were reliving the trauma, your shoulders shaking, knowing that you need to get away from this triggering situation, but not managing to do it with your dad. Shanks is safe, you know that, but Zoro is…

Home.

He must’ve broken all speed limits because he arrives at the farmhouse in record time, calling your name as soon as he enters. Shanks answers him, signaling where you are, and you hear dry thuds as he races up the stairs.

He’s breathless and clutching his side when he arrives upstairs because his wounds still bother him, but his eye falls on you immediately. 

You can barely do more than sob and tremble.

Shanks falls back to give Zoro space and starts pacing the room, his fingers running through his hair, and you know he feels as helpless as Zoro felt all those weeks ago. But you can’t seem to focus on anything other than the overwhelming anxiety and the fear that King is somehow still chasing you. 

“Hey, Troublemaker. Still making trouble, huh?” Zoro kneels beside you, his voice soft but frayed, as he treads carefully. His fingers brush your hair as he tries to coax you to look at him. 

You just hug your legs tighter, trying to disappear.

Then Zoro looks around, and his eye widens as he sees the bouquet. “It’s the flowers, Mr. S. Get rid of them.”

Shanks looks confused for a moment, his gaze alternating between Zoro, the desk, and you. But he snaps out of it and does as Zoro tells him, taking them away from the room, away from your sight. And Zoro tries again. 

He calls your name softly, but when that doesn’t work, he sits down and shifts your body so your back is leaning against his chest instead of the wall. Then, he hugs you from behind, his legs around yours as his arms envelop you in a crushing hug. Zoro buries his face in the crook of your neck and tries to slow your breathing by coaxing you to breathe at the same time as him.

After a few minutes, when he senses that you’ve calmed down a little bit, he speaks. “I won’t ever let anything or anyone hurt you again. Hear me?” You nod softly and shrink further into his protective embrace. “Wanna talk about it?”

You inhale a very shaky breath, and Zoro searches his pocket for a few seconds before extending a bottle of pills. “I brought you the emergency pills.” You bite your lower lip, stifling a sob. He remembered your pills. Of course he did.

So you take one because you know you can’t be strong all the time. And then, you turn a little bit in his embrace, just so you can look at him. “The freaking roses…” You say, upset.

“You knew they weren’t from him.” Zoro states, and you nod.

“And it still triggered me.” Zoro nods, his hand finds yours, and he intertwines your fingers. “What if… what if I never stop being afraid, Zo?”

He tightens his hold on you and lowers his head until your foreheads bump. “Then I’ll just keep reminding you that you’re safe. That you’ll never be in danger again. I won’t allow it.”

“That’s not exactly fair to you.” You whisper, and the words still manage to scratch your throat, because how can it be fair for him? Why does he have to be strong for both of you? Why does he have to be the one to ground you and bear all the weight?

Zoro huffs in exasperation. “Tch, like I give a shit about fair, Trouble. You’re stuck with me now, no way out.”

A small chuckle leaves your lips. “Like that’s a bad thing?”

“I hope not.” He smirks smugly and kisses your lips softly. “Still want to grab your stuff, or do we come back another day?”

“I can do it.” You whisper. The roses are gone, you took your medication, and Zoro is here. You can do this. He’s not the only one that needs to be strong. “I want to do it.”

“You got this.”

-*-

Zoro leans against the wooden railing of the stairs, crossing his arms over his chest as his eye never leaves your open door. He’s giving you space to deal with this alone, while still being close enough in case you need him again.

His jaw clenches, and he grits his teeth. Fuck all of this. He can’t stand to see the pain in your eyes, can’t stand the haunted, frightened look on your face everytime something triggers you. If he could kill King again, he would. Over and over and over again.

Motherfucker. 

No matter how hard Zoro tries, he can’t shake away the rage gnawing at his insides, reminding him how he should’ve done better. How he should’ve protected you better. He wasn’t strong enough, or fast enough. 

“Fuck.” Zoro mutters.

“Fuck’s right.” Shanks murmurs as he approaches and mimics Zoro’s stance, leaning against the railing, eyes bored into your bedroom door. Then he hands Zoro a beer. Zoro hesitates, then takes it with a small thanks. 

Both men stand in silence, the words left unsaid linger around them until Shanks sighs after a sip of his beer. “I should’ve been here. I’m her father and I couldn’t even protect her.”

Shanks doesn’t have to say the words for Zoro to recognize guilt in them. The same kind of burden he carries, regret and shame mixed together, sticking on his body like a second skin, like something he can’t wash off. 

“Well...” Zoro takes his own sip. “I was here. And it still wasn’t enough.”

Shanks looks at him, maybe he, too, understands that they share the same sentiment. A bitterness over wanting to turn back time, to change something that can’t be changed. 

“I would give anything to take this pain away from her.” Shanks mutters with a vulnerability that Zoro never saw in him in all the years since he’s known him. 

“Same…” Zoro’s voice sounds raw and vulnerable too and he tightens his grip on the railing, like that can ground him here. 

Silence stretches again. All that can be heard is the rustling of clothes as you store them into a bag, sometimes a heavy sigh as you try to ground yourself. But you don’t call for either of them, so they leave you alone with your demons. 

“Thank you.” Shanks finally says. 

“I…” Zoro clenches his teeth. It feels wrong for your father to be thanking him when you still got hurt. “Yeah.”

“I know you wish you could’ve done more, trust me, kid, I wish for the same every damn day,” Shanks’ hand on Zoro’s shoulder squeezes with understanding. “But you saved her, you bled for her, you were willing to die for her. And that’s all a father can ask. So thank you.”

Zoro nods again, his eye never leaving your door as his throat suddenly feels tighter. Then Shanks chuckles and removes his hand from his shoulder, picking up the beer again and finishing it in one long gulp. “You love her.” 

It’s not a question. It’s a statement. And one that Zoro has no intention to hide from anyone. 

“I do.”

“I know. You have since you both were kids. I could see it a mile away, you idiot.” 

“Oi!” Zoro grits his teeth again, annoyance taking over the sentiment of mutual understanding pretty quickly.

“I trust you.” Shanks sighs and smiles at Zoro, nodding towards your door before straightening up and inhaling deeply. “I trust you to protect her.”

Zoro barely has time to reply before you stride over to them, a weary smile on your lips and a duffel bag hanging over your shoulder. Zoro nods at Shanks, then removes the bag from your hands, carrying it himself. “Ready to go?”

You smile at him and nod. “All good.”

Shanks sighs once more before hugging you a little longer than necessary, then kissing your head. “Anytime you wanna pop up, door’s open, Bug.”

You kiss his cheek and then pull away. “I’m not moving to another island, Dad. We’re literally ten minutes away.” You both chuckle but Shanks’ smile is bittersweet. And so is yours. You know his words have a much deeper meaning, and you��re so grateful to him.

-*-

Healing isn’t the same for everyone. But Zoro is so strong.

Almost two months have passed since the nightmare ended, and there are more times when you feel good than when you feel bad, it’s true. But Zoro is never shaken. 

He’s returned to work full-time, and Nami and Robin got you a part-time job at the firm where they work, just something to fill in the endless void, since idle moments send you spiraling into unwanted thoughts. 

He trains. Harder and harder every day, and he’s just unshakable. Your rock.

Your nightmares still come. Not every night, and they’re not always insufferable. There are more times when they merely jolt you from sleep than times when they completely freeze you. And you take that as progress. 

What you don’t realise at first is that Zoro only acts strong. Zoro seems healed because he never truly lets you see the depth of his wounds. He’s more broken than you know, much more than he lets on. 

And he carries this weight alone. 

The only reason you realise this is that one night, when your nightmare forces you to awaken and search for the comfort of your rock, you find his side of the bed empty and cold. Sitting up, you let your eyes adjust to the dim light before spotting him. 

Zoro sits at the edge of the bed, hands buried in his hair, and elbows resting on his knees. His body is taut and tense, ready for a fight. He’s visibly shaking, though no sound escapes his lips. You call his name softly, but he doesn’t acknowledge you, so you shuffle to his side, hesitate, then wrap your arms around his torso, resting your cheek lightly against his bare back. He’s freezing.

“Zo…” You call out softly again, tightening your grip, trying to pull him back from whatever hell he’s in. 

With a shudder, he inhales deeply, his face still lost in shadows. 

“Tell me what’s wrong.” You urge, feeling small and vulnerable because this isn’t like Zoro at all. 

After a moment of silence, when you think he's not going to share anything, he starts talking. His voice is hoarse, rough and frayed, filled with emotion. 

“I see him every night when I fall asleep.” 

Your breath catches, and you press closer. “King?”

“Yes.” Zoro nearly growls, his chest rising and falling in painful gasps, his fingers dig deeper into his skull, as if that’s the only way to keep his rage contained. “I relive the moment in my head every night, but… when I fight him, I lose. And then… he doesn’t kill me, I just… have to watch as he hurts you, touches you, and–” He doesn’t need to finish. “You keep calling for me, screaming my name, begging for my help, and I can’t move, I can’t fucking do anything!” 

Zoro’s voice breaks as his whole body shudders violently and you hug him tighter, tears streaming down your face. 

“I can’t stop him!” His breath falters, and he gasps for air. “I just fucking watch as he takes you over, and over, and over.” Zoro drops his hands from his hair and clenches them into trembling fists. It’s like the words physically hurt him. “Every night I wake up and I’m just so angry! I want to tear the fucking world apart, because I can’t stop him, and he hurts you every fucking time!” Zoro’s shoulders heave with exertion, he’s trying to keep his rage locked tight, to be strong, trying not to break.

“I’m fucking useless. Weak. And I can’t save you.”

Your chest aches, and your eyes burn with more tears. This is your rock, your home, your shelter. And he’s falling apart. All this time, you thought he was fine, that he was handling it. But in reality, he was just faking it. Being strong for both of you when he can’t even keep himself together.

You shift, climbing onto his lap and straddling him. Cupping his cheeks, you gently force him to look at you. 

“Zo, look at me.” He does and you see it again, that hollowness in his eye, the shadows darkening it. It haunts you. “You’re not useless. You were never weak. And you did save me.”

He shakes his head, a pained sound escaping his lips. “It wasn’t enough. He still touched you, still saw you, still hurt you.”

“It’s not your fault.” You press your forehead against his, your fingers pressing tight against his cheeks. “It’s not your fault! You saved me, Zoro. You did. Stop blaming yourself for things that were never in your control. I’m here, you’re here.” You pull back slightly, searching his eye. “And now we move on. Or he keeps winning. We need to move on.”

Zoro holds your stare, his jaw clenching. His chest still heaves, like he’s fighting an internal war, wanting to believe your words, but not wanting to let go of his own guilt. 

“You saved me. He doesn’t get to have your soul too, Zo. He’s already taken enough.”

Zoro swallows hard, a heavy sigh escaping his lips as he briefly closes his eye, letting your words sink in. At least you hope they’re sinking in. 

“You don’t have to be strong for both of us, you know? You’re allowed to break and to doubt. You’re not weak because of it.” You peck him softly as he opens his eye. “We get to make each other stronger, okay?”

He nods. Vulnerability still lingering in his eye. Then he hugs you, pulling you closer and tighter against him, to make sure you’re safe, real, and his. You hold him back, your fingers tracing soft patterns through his hair, trying to calm his shaking.

Zoro doesn’t cry, but his body breaks with violent shakes. And you let him, you hold him through it. 

After a moment, Zoro’s hands loosen their hold as he takes a deep breath. They slither under the shirt you’re wearing - his shirt - and caress your waist, climbing upwards to your spine. 

A shiver courses through you at the feel of his calloused touch. He’s warm now. Zoro’s lips press against the hollow of your throat, his hands lowering to your bare thighs, caressing, taunting, igniting a fire.

A low gasp escapes your lips as Zoro’s tongue teases your collarbone, then trails up your neck. You mewl and clench your legs around his sides, eliciting a soft groan from him. 

“Zo…” Another gasp escapes as Zoro’s hands climb again, teasing both nipples at the same time. “You sure?”

It’s still early in the recovery process, and you don’t want to create unwanted frustrations. You’ve tried to be intimate more than once before, but Zoro’s injuries were still too severe, no matter how much desire you felt for each other. 

He groans again, his lips crashing against yours in a desperate kiss in which he demands and you willingly give. Then he pulls back long enough to answer you. “Yes, I‘m sure.” Zoro kisses you again, more teeth, more tongue, more groans. “We’ve waited long enough.”

You sure have.

He pinches your nipples again, and you buck your hips against his crotch, feeling how hard he already is.

“Fuck.” Zoro whispers as he pulls the shirt over your head. “Fuck.” He repeats as he takes a good look at you, then his lips latch on to your pert bud, his tongue circling it languorously. 

“Don’t act so surprised.” Your giggle turns into a breathy gasp as he sucks, your hand caressing the planes of his muscles. “You’ve seen me naked before.”

“Sure.” He answers in a coarse voice. “It still takes my breath away every time.” And then you’re both shuffling to take off the rest of your clothes. Zoro sits you back onto his lap, his hands gripping the back of your thighs as he claims your lips again. 

He pulls you flush, and you feel his girthy cock pressing against your clit. “Fuck.” This time you let out and Zoro chuckles. 

“Don’t act so surprised,” he mimics you. “You’ve seen it before.” Zoro grabs his cock and slides the tip against your nether lips, gathering slick and teasing you, making your breath hitch. Smirking, he stares into your eyes. “Guess it still takes your breath away.”

With a huffed laugh, you crash your lips against his again at the same time as he slides his cock inside you. Parting the kiss, you arch into him, your hands griping his shoulders tight as you adjust to the stretch. Zoro’s forehead dips towards your shoulder, and he grunts in pleasure once he’s fully sheathed, sending another shiver coursing through your body. 

You tighten your legs around him, hugging him, pressing closer in an intimacy that goes far beyond physical connection. Zoro’s hands press your hips as he guides your movements.

“Oh, Zo… that’s…” Biting your lip, you stifle a loud moan. He’s reaching deep, his cock dragging slowly against your walls and repeatedly hitting you just right.

“Yeah, I know.” He answers back with a rough voice, his fingers digging deeper into your skin. This is different from the first time you had sex with him. This is making love: slow, tender, healing. “I got you.”

He picks up the pace, and you meet his thrusts with your own, unable to hold anything back as pleasure builds up in your core, burning your skin, inflaming your desire. Zoro gropes your flesh, his fingers digging into your plush thighs as he thrusts faster. 

You feel pleasure cresting, ready to crash into a wave of rapture, and increase your moans, unable to hold anything back. Zoro’s got you, exactly like he said, so he slides his hand between your bodies, and his thumb finds your swollen nub as he presses and circles it relentlessly. 

“Zoro!” You cry out before bliss surges through you, shaking your body as heavy gasps leave your lips.

Zoro rides your orgasm with you, with sloppy, uneven strokes before he, too, comes undone, hugging you against him as his head disappears into the crook of your neck, behind a litany of hushed words and whispers of your name. 

You both stay still, chests heaving in the aftermath, slight shocks of pleasure still rippling through your body as Zoro is still buried inside you. You take a deep breath and pull back from his embrace, cupping his cheek so he can look at you again.

“You okay?” He nods softly, and you smile. There are fewer shadows in his eye now, and he knows your question was deeper than the physical exertion he just put himself through. 

“We’ll be okay.” He states and kisses you softly. “Together.”

Later that night, you both have dreamless sleep. You know you’ll still face rough nights, sleepless ones, or nights filled with horrible dreams. But as long as you’re together, you can both face it.

Because the nightmare might’ve ended, but you weren’t the only one who survived it.

-*-

The day is bright, warm, and uneventful. 

“Watch out!” Usopp cries loudly as Zoro deflects a ball away from your face effortlessly before cursing at your long-nosed friend and Luffy. 

So, not quite uneventful, but how could it be when you and your friends are all hanging out at the beach?

“You alright?” Zoro asks, still frowning. 

“Didn’t even touch me, Zo.” You giggle as he sits next to you, his feet digging back into the sand as his hand wraps around your thigh and pulls you closer. You have come to terms with the fact that Zoro will be extra protective from now on, and also with the fact that it will always be extremely endearing. “Thank you.”

He leans to kiss you, and you sigh into him. Six months have passed since King. You still carry your meds around as a safeguard, but rare are the days in which you have to take them. 

Mihawk closed the investigation on your stalker since they caught the accomplices and King is dead. Sometimes, reporters still lurk about, trying to get that scoop you never gave them, always failing to get past your guard dog - Zoro laughed when you called him that - especially now that the half-year mark has passed. 

Nami decked one reporter right on the nose a couple of weeks back because he couldn’t take no for an answer. She made the news instead of you, but she wasn’t the least bit bothered by it. Zoro approved. 

While there are still days when you find yourself looking over your shoulder, trembling when you get a sudden text, or double-checking the locks on Zoro’s door before heading to bed, the days that flow freely are the most common. 

And your friends make sure you have plenty of those in their company, because their company is never dull, boring, or uneventful. This time, it was Vivi’s idea to spend a day at the beach. 

And what a wonderful idea it was.

“This feels nice.” You say, closing your eyes and letting your head rest against Zoro’s shoulder, basking in the sun.

“The beach?” He asks as he looks around at all the chaos: Sanji yelling at Luffy, who’s running away from the grill with a piece of meat between his teeth; Kaya helping Chopper put sunscreen on his back and drawing a smile before rubbing it in; Usopp and Barto having a sandcastle contest, to see whose is the best; Brook teaching Vivi how to play the violin; Nami and Robin trying to enter the water slowly, only to be splashed by Sabo and Franky teasingly. “Or the shenanigans?”

You let out a laugh, drinking in all the interactions, letting them warm your heart. “Well, both, but that was not it…” Turning around, you pass your fingers through his green locks and stare into his eyes. “I missed feeling light.” Zoro hums in understanding. “Unburdened… free.”

“Yeah.” He agrees, foreheads bumping. “We’ve earned it.” You nod as you kiss again, softly this time. He’s right, you’ve both earned this peace.

“Come on in, you two! The water is amazing!” Nami calls from the sea, waving her arms at you and Zoro. Then she squeals in delight when Franky sets her on his shoulders so they can have a battle with Robin and Sabo. “Stop sucking face! You’re disgustingly cute!” She shrieks before turning back to try and topple Robin. 

You giggle as Zoro pulls back, calling her a witch and mumbling something about not being cute. 

With a mischievous grin, you get up, face the sea, and look over your shoulder. “Race you, Mosshead!” Then you start to run without looking back, because a grunt and a curse let you know Zoro’s already on his feet, ready to pounce. You don’t even make it halfway into the sea when he wraps one arm around your waist and spins you effortlessly. A loud shriek that turns into a heartfelt laugh fills the space between you as Zoro sets you down, grinning.

“Guess you’re going to naughty jail for real this time, Trouble.”

You place the back of your hand on your forehead and arch back dramatically. “Oh, heavens, whatever shall I do now?” He grins and you poke his nose, smirking playfully. “But since I’m here, and you’re my jailor, you’re gonna have to whip out those handcuffs now…”

Zoro clears his throat as his eye widens, but to his credit, he still maintains his composure. “Yeah, I will. If you misbehave.”

You lean in, brushing your chest against his, riling him up on purpose. “Guess you’d have to teach me a lesson then, wouldn’t you… officer?” The way you sultrily lick your lips, teasing him, has his ears turning red in less than a second. “Or should I call you sir?”

Zoro’s brain short-circuits for a second, and now his whole face is red. Then you start to laugh and he shakes his head, a real laugh emerging from his lips - that deep, rumbling sound that shakes his chest and the smile that opens up his whole face. You love his laugh. 

“You’re impossible!” He exclaims, and you’re about to retort when he picks you up like a sack of potatoes and enters the sea with unforgiving speed, not even giving you time to adjust to the difference in temperature, taking a deep plunge with you in his arms. 

You break the surface with an indignant gasp and try to dunk his head underwater as he laughs at your pathetic efforts. When the laughter dies down, his smile lingers, and he pulls you closer, whispering your name with devotion. “You did it. You made it.”

He’s talking about the healing process, you know that. And he’s right. You’re almost there. And even though some days might set you back, you know that in his company, you can overcome anything.

“No, Zo. We did it.”

-*-

Two weeks. Zoro was gone for two whole weeks.

He had been drafted to another training retreat, no cellphones, no email, just the occasional landline phone call, and it was nowhere near enough. You missed him like crazy. He had considered refusing, claiming that he could not leave you alone. He was sure Mihawk would understand and write up his excuse, if necessary, but you forced him to go.

You knew he needed the training to build his strength back up, and you couldn’t depend on him for all eternity. You knew there would be times when you would have to be alone. So it was a test for both of you. 

The nights were the hardest part, but you managed by curling against Zoro’s pillow, which still smelled like him. Shanks and your friends made sure you were alright and not feeling lonely, and even your therapist checked in on you, but you didn’t suffer any crises, you plowed through. 

It was a victory.

And now, as you wait in the parking lot of the police station, absently chewing on your lower lip and barely containing your excitement by bouncing on the balls of your feet, you can’t stifle the giggle that escapes your lips as you see the bus approach. Raising your handmade sign that reads: ‘Welcome home, Officer Mosshead’, in bright neon green lettering, you grin. You already know he’s going to hate it.

Which is exactly why you crafted it. 

The bus slows down as it enters the parking lot, and the loud psshh it releases as it parks is a prelude to the wild thrumming of your heart. The families gathered around, waiting for Zoro’s colleagues share the same anxiety as you, as wives, husbands, and children wait for their loved ones. 

When the doors open, you raise your sign high with a sheepish grin. There’s already laughter bubbling up from the officers that exit the bus, some of them shout behind in warning to others, so, when your green-haired boyfriend finally emerges, duffle bag swung over his shoulder, he’s already wearing a scowl from all the teasing.

You squeak as his eyes land on you, and though you’re far away, you can practically hear him grumbling curses. 

You’ve missed him. Damn it, you’ve missed him so much.

Unceremoniously dropping the sign on the floor, you start to sprint towards the bus, swiftly evading people as you see the wild green of Zoro’s hair coming closer and closer. 

And then you trip over your own feet, stumble forward, arms spread wide as you brace for impact, but you manage to regain your balance and resume your sprint. When you look at Zoro, he’s sighing in relief, arms stretched as if he wanted to catch you, even though you’re still far. You laugh, and he shakes his head, a grin curving his lips as you take the final steps towards him. 

You leap into his arms without thought or consideration, and he catches you effortlessly, groping the back of your thighs as you wrap your legs around his waist, burying your head against the crook of his neck and squeezing him against you. 

“Zoro!” You exclaim, breathless as he stumbles back from the force of the impact and hits the side of the bus. 

“Hey, Troublemaker!” He grins at you as you pull back to look him fully in the eye. “Making trouble?”

The laugh that parts your lips is freeing, familiar, wanted. “Yes! So much trouble, you have no idea!”

He laughs too, a laugh that now comes easier to him, at least when he’s with you. “Tch… paperwork on my desk by Monday, right?”

You begin to laugh again, but Zoro takes your lips in his in a breathtaking kiss. The noise he makes when you slip your tongue out to seek his sounds like longing and desperation mixing together, and you grip him tighter and harder, enough to ground you. Your fingers thread through his hair and grip as you both deepen the kiss. 

It’s only when Zoro’s coworkers start to make whooping sounds and tell you both to get a room that you two part, but not before Zoro flips them off with a grunt. Your foreheads bump together, and you caress his cheekbone with your thumb.

“I love you, Mosshead.”

“Oi!” You giggle because he gets annoyed so easily, but his smirk tells you he’s just putting on an act. “I love you too, Trouble.” Warmth spreads in your chest as you get lost in Zoro’s eye. “Let’s go home,” he says.

You nod, feeling light and free. Because, like Shanks said, home is not a place. Home is not the farmhouse, even though now it starts to feel less scary, less tainted, less haunted; home is not Zoro’s quiet apartment, filled with domesticity and happiness; Home is not a place. It's him. 

Zoro is your home. 

THE END

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SKZ When They Get Mad At You

Warnings: They're all basically assholes, blood(Chan), swearing, Changbin MIGHT be cheating?(might make a pt2)

Part 2 HERE

Note: Hi yall! I know I haven't posted in a while but I promise I'll start being more on top of it. Please feel free to send requests if you want!

REMINDER! THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION AND IN NO WAY CORRESPONDS TO THE ACTUAL MEMBERS OF SKZ

Bang Chan

You woke up to find your boyfriend's side of the bed empty. You yawned, used to Chan leaving you alone in the dead of the night to work on music. You leaned over to check the clock, and sure enough, the time read 1:24AM. You wrapped your blanket around you before sleepily trudging over to the living room, where Chan was working his songs. He was wearing headphones, so he jumped a little when you tapped him on the shoulder. "Babe, I'm a little busy. Go back to bed, okay?" Bang Chan gave you a small, tense smile before turning back to his work. You shrugged, thinking he would be fine with you sleeping next to him instead, since you never stayed in dreamland that long without the warmth of his body. You walked to the kitchen, grabbing a mug and filling it with milk from the fridge before microwaving it. As you walked back to Chan, half-asleep, you didn't notice your blanket slowly slipping down until it was too late. Your foot stepped on it and you plunged towards the floor. A sharp pain bloomed in your temple, and when you reached up tentatively to touch it, it felt wet. Your stomach dropped as you saw the large blotch of red on your finger. You had also spilled almost all the warm milk on Chan laptop and legs, destroying the keyboard. Oh, and Chan was panicked, too. Just not about you. He was livid, basically screaming at you. "Oh my god, Y/N!" He yelled. "I told you to go to bed, why couldn't you have fucking listened?! And milk, of all things, too! Did you really need me to come back to bed so bad that you had to destroy my fucking laptop?" "I-I'm s-sorry." You were on the verge of tears, looking at the mess you made. "I d-didn't mean to. I c-can...I can fi-fix it." You ran to get paper towels, but when you were starting back, Chan stood in your way. "Out." He commanded, eyes directing you to the door. "Right now." You nervously laughed, disbelieving. "Chan, it's 1:30 in the morning. I can't-" "Out. Now." Chan basically spun you around and marched you out the door and into the apartment building hallway, slamming it behind you despite your cries and protests.

Lee Minho

"Four hundred dollars?" Lee Know yelled incredulously. "You spent four hundred fucking dollars on dresses?" "You told me to get something nice for myself." You were standing in front of Lee Know, feeling like a child getting scolded. The dresses in question were at your feet, thrown there haphazardly by your fiancee in his chaotic rage. "Yeah, one thing. We're stretched thin enough as it is with the wedding costs, how are we gonna afford all of this?" He shook his head disappointedly. At this point you were sick of being accused. "Well, if your parents hadn't called me a 'gold-digging brat who puts out for money,' maybe mine would be paying." You reminded Lee Know of his mom's first words to you when you announced your guys' engagement. After hearing those awful words, your parents had insisted that if they were paying for the wedding, the groom's parents had to be uninvited. However, you had known how much Minho wanted his parents to be there on his wedding day, so you guys agreed to pay for it yourselves. "Do not bring my mother into this." Lee Know's voice turned cold. It's not her fault she was right." "...What." You grit out, daring him to say it one more time. "I mean, with all of this, I'm starting to believe her. First the expensive alterations on that old wedding dress, then the custom-made cake you want, and then the luxury catering." Lee Know shrugged. "At this point, you're basically living off my paycheck." "Lee fucking Minho, take that back. First of all, that wedding dress has been in my family for YEARS, the custom cake is because your parents have at least 28 collective allergies that I'm 100% sure are half made-up, and, don't forget, the luxury catering was your idea. And second of all," You take a small breath before picking up you bag, keys, and phone. "You don't need to pay for any of that, because I'm calling off the wedding." And with that, you leave the apartment, you leave the building, and you leave the love of your life behind. And you don't even care.

Seo Changbin

You crawled into bed, frowning playfully at your already fast-asleep boyfriend. He must be tired from today's schedule. You think, admiring his face. As you snuggle under the covers next to him, you hear a buzz from the side table. You reach for your phone, checking if someone messaged you, but accidentally grab Changbin's instead because you guys both have blue phone cases. You're about to put it back when a notification pops up. Side Hustle: Hey Bin! Just checking in to see if we're still meeting up tmrw at 2:30PM! 💘 "Whatcha looking at?" Changbin's sleep-addled voice says from behind your shoulder. You turn the phone towards Changbin so he can see the message. "Who the fuck is 'Side Hustle' and why are they texting you this late at night? With a heart emoji, no less?" You almost snarl. Changbin's face betrayed his surprise as he snatched the phone out of your hands, turning it off and turning on you instead. "She's-" "She?!" You whisper-yell, absolutely livid but not wanting to awaken the other members. "Yes, she. She's a client at my side job. Why were you even looking anyways? Do you distrust me so much that you have to check my phone when I'm asleep?" Changbin looked at you with disgust. "Should I? I know for a fact that idols don't have enough time to have two jobs, and even if they did, the company wouldn't let them interact with girls for fear of any dating rumors." You return Changbin's glare with fervor. Why was he lying to you? "So either you're cheating on me, which I'm leaning towards, or you're lying for some inexplicable reason. Which is it?" Changbin huffed in disbelief, running his hands through his hair angrily. "Don't pretend to know about my life." That comment hits hard, especially because most of the time you and Changbin were attached at the hip. "Am I not a part of it?" This time you huff in disbelief when Changbin doesn't answer. As you get your phone and head to the door, you turn back. "For the record, Changbin," You grit out. "Fuck. You." And with that, you slam the door behind you.

Hwang Hyunjin

"Angel, I'm home!" You called to your boyfriend. You set down the groceries and took off your shoes, noticing that your boyfriend hadn't come to greet you yet. "Maybe he's still at work?" Opting to unload the various veggies and fruits later, you made your way to your guys' shared room. "Love? You there?" "Where the fuck have you been?" You hear Hyunjin's voice from behind you. You whip around, unprepared for the agression coming from your normally serene boyfriend. "I stopped at the store to get groceries. Didn't you get my text?" "No, I didn't. Just like you didn't remember about our appointment with JYP's PR team. I hope bell peppers and strawberries were worth not being able to go public." Hyunjin brushed past you, leaving you scrambling for an apology. "Shit, I am so sorry! I got caught up at work and then I just wanted to get home, and it completely slipped my mi-" "Save it." Hyunjin's tone is so cold it sends shivers down your spine. "What's done is done." You know persisting won't help your case, but you try anyway. "No, wait. I'll email the PR team and explain, please. I know how important this meeting was for you, I promise I'll make it up." "You can't." Hyunjin sighs. "You know what my manager said? He said that if you couldn't bother to make the meeting, were you really worth risking my career for?" You swallow the lump in your throat, You can hear the sadness in Hyunjin's voice, the defeatedness that you caused. "And y'know what?" Hyunjin finally looked at you, eyes sad and angry and disappointed all at once. "I think I might agree with him."

[runabout-river]

So, I have an old Fanfiction.net account where I posted my german fanfics ages ago, before I stopped writing fic for years. I picked it up again two years ago, this time in English and on Ao3.

About once a year though, I will get a message from FFN about a comment on an old fic or about a German Beta reading request. (I also got update notifications for the fics I followed for the longest time but those have stopped for 3 years or so.)

The latest beta request I got and accepted is this massive undertaking a German speaker took on translating english fics, and I'm helping out with that. The beta reading happens on googledocs but the communication happens on FFN and that made me feel nostalgic.

And I know FFN's quality had gone down and I know I had my reasons for going over to Ao3 but I thought 'Why Not' and decided to just make a new account on FFN and post my current fic there as well :D

To make this short and readable, the rest of the story is in list form:

exploring FFN's interface again was pretty nostalgic, especially when I uploaded my word document onto the site instead of having to copy/paste my fic onto it

The terms of service were just as I remembered them but only now did I fully realize how restrictive they are, especially the part about the publsihed authors who don't want fanfic of their work. Badly spelt or badly written fics in the grammar sense aren't allowed either and I think that aspect of FFN is following me until today

There was a waiting period for posting fic and other stuff, which is fine, every site has their own way to deal with spam

THEY DO NOT DEAL WITH THEIR SPAM

so I uploaded one of my oneshots just to see what would happen. It's for a newish anime (JJK) and while it is pretty far down their list in terms of works, it still has nearly 2k so I thought 'fine, could be worse'.

The next morning I wake up to 5 reviews and 6 PMs, ALL of it of the "I'll make art for your fic" spam variety except for one that looked like an AI summary of my fic.

I wasn't bothered by it because I deal with spam sometimes on Ao3 and I didn't have high expectations for that fandom on FFN anyway so I go to work deleting the comments and blocking the people who sent them to me

The blocking works even though its cumbersome

But I'll tell you how I nearly ripped my hair out trying to find the delete button for the spam reviews. I found the "mark as abuse/spam" button but I looked everywhere for the delete one. Just. To. Find. Out... they don't have one D:

so maybe I never realized (and/or forgot) that FFN doesn't allow you to delete reviews because I was writing in a niche language years ago, but that's... that's punitive. That goes so hard against my current fanfic sensibilities and climate of a hobby you engage in with fun and a relaxed attitude, but FFN already said at the beginning, they want to make a good writer out of you so you will check your grammar and spelling and you will listen to criticism you'll better hope is constructive.

Illuminating times these last few days

I'm not waiting for FFN staff to delete those spam "reviews", I'm waiting on more spam people to write to me so I can block them before I delete the fic and repost it. I'll put a few more oneshots there later, too, and see how it goes. I might give up on this new account alltogether as well.

And that was my adventure in venturing out to old places again. As a side note: if you get into old media you should visit FFN and look around there for fic, too. You won't find most of their collections anywhere else.

This looks like it would interest @olderthannetfic and @ao3commentoftheday

[misotsukiiyeooo]

“Are you mad at me?”

Pairing: Chwe Vernon x F! reader

A/N: Hope you enjoy!

Genre: Angst + Fluff

Word count: 4.3k

Synopsis: Vernon couldn't tell that you were upset until hours later. So he attempts to make up for it.

Still upset with the fact that Vernon completely ignored you while you were talking to him. You decide to be a bit distant with him, petty you thought but you were still pretty upset.

"Babe, do you want to go outside with me? I'm going to the store." He peaks his head through the door viewing you lying on the bed, scrolling through your phone, not even looking at him you respond. "No, I'm alright." You state barely audible. He brushes it off and goes out. Time passes and you're sitting on the couch, away from him and you can't believe he still hasn't noticed your attitude towards him. Making you even more upset you get off the couch, mid-movie walking to the room, and slamming the door softly. An hour passes meaning the movie's over, Vernon walks into the bedroom, observing your body, facing the wall while you once again scroll through your phone. He raises an eyebrow, usually, you'd turn around and practically jump on him. But since yesterday you've been acting distant with him. Getting under the covers, resting his head on the pillow he bites his lip, nervously he looks over to your back. "Are you mad at me..?" Seeing you turn off your phone and make an excuse made his heart drop. "I'm tired." You pretend to go to sleep while Veron's now fidgeting with his fingers. "Oh alright..." He looks at your back for a couple more seconds before attempting to sleep himself.

The sun kissing your face wakes you up only to see the other side of the bed cold and empty. 'Way to make me grumpy in the morning' you thought. Getting out of bed walking to the bathroom only to see a pink post-it note on the mirror. Vernon's handwriting, you take the note reading it. "I had to go help Seungkwan out at his house, can you buy some more snacks for when I come back home?" Scoffing, you crumble the paper and throw it out.

Next thing you know, You're at the store getting his snacks. 'Why do I do these things to myself' You grunt filling up the basket with chips and candies. Driving home, you call Joshua, your therapist. "Hey, Y/n! What's up?" He answers jolly per usual. After ranting about Vernon you hear him hum. "Do you think he knows what he's done?" "No.." you know where this is going. "So then don't you think you should tell him? You know Vernon better than anyone, he won't know unless you tell him." You secretly knew all along however, it would've been nice if he at least acknowledged he was in the wrong. you huff, "You're right...like always. I'll tell him about it when I get home. Thanks, Shua." "Anytime, Y/n." You hang up, time to talk to Vernon. Sighing at the thought.

Walking into the house, eyes widening upon seeing Vernon hold a bouquet of your favorite flower and cute squishmellow. He bites his lips nervously. "Listen, I'm not exactly sure what I did...I sound like a fucked up boyfriend not paying to their girlfriend, but trust me I noticed you were upset. Probably a bit late but if you could explain to me what I've done wrong, I would never, ever do it again.." He emphasizes the 'ever'.

His nervousness turns into a worried expression after seeing you cry like a child. "Did I say something wrong?.." He attempts to approach you but stops himself mid-way. "Vernon, I-" You try to talk all choked up. "Vernon, I'm sorry, I should've talked about it with you instead of acting out of character...Now thinking about it, it was so stupid." He hugs you. "Tell me, if it upsetted you that much, I should know so I won't do it again." Calming down you mumble into his chest. "Well, I was trying to talk to you three days ago on the couch and you completely ignored me...I was pretty excited to talk about it but you didn't respond at all." You finally let out. "Oh my...Babe, I'm sorry but I'd never just ignore you for no reason. I had my AirPods in...I didn't realize they were that loud in my ear." You look up at him. "Are you telling the truth?" He chuckles and nods. "Great, now I've made a fool out of myself." Sinking your face into the crook of his neck he giggles. "I can't believe you actually thought I would ever ignore you. But still, I apologize for having my AirPods too loud in my ears. I won't do it again." Now chuckling, he wipes your tears. "Am I forgiven?" Admiring your face he picks back up the bouquet and squishmellow smiling. Grabbing his cheeks, tiptoeing, you kiss him. "Of course you are, Mr.Headphones."

Reqs are open!

Taglist!!

[bunnyreaper]

𝓷𝓸𝓫𝓸𝓭𝔂 𝓭𝓸𝓮𝓼 𝓲𝓽 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓭𝓸 𝒶 𝒿𝑜𝒽𝓃 𝓅𝓇𝒾𝒸𝑒 𝓍 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝑒𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈

𝓅𝓉 3 𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒

wc - 4.2k warnings - 18+/nsfw, cheating (not from reader or john), older male younger female, future daddy kink) notes - hello darkness my old friend. i'm back! i have no idea what i'm doing or if it's even good but here we are!! also on ao3! ♥

With John gone, you stand in the open doorway for longer than you probably should, your thoughts overwhelming your ability to just turn around and walk inside. There's an unfamiliarity to seeing him off on your own, without James by your side, but honestly, the moment felt all the better for it. 

Eventually, you head inside, heading to the kitchen for a cuppa before you'll probably find your way back to bed. Tea always has a way of making you sleepy, somehow, which is good because it's coming up on 4:30 am, and the last thing you want is to be in John's home on a dark morning, without the man himself.

Atop the kitchen island sits a handwritten letter, some cash, a house key, and an emergency number should you need anything. 

You pick up the letter, noting John's scrawl—it's not the first time you've seen it by any means, Christmas cards, birthday cards, the post-it notes stuck to his fridge—but it's neater than usual, his all block letter filling out most of the page. 

[Y/N],

If I can trust anyone to not burn my house down whilst I'm gone, it's you. Please stay away from the sharps, though love. No Nurse Price to help patch you up when I'm gone.

Bins go out on a Wednesday, next week is grey recycling. Try not to put it out too early the night before, or the nosey neighbours will have a fit. Window cleaner is due Thursday, and it's £35. He just put the price up, bastard.

Feel free to use my ensuite, the pressure in the rain shower is way better, but fair warning, it'll ruin the main bathroom for you.

If you need anything, use the money I left, and if you need any more, I'll square you up when I get back.

See you soon, love, don't get into any trouble. 

John.

——-

The letter makes you smile, both that John took the time and that it reads like an overly cautious parent leaving their kid at home for the first time. He truly is a mother hen in a gruff man's body. You pick up the key, putting it in the pocket of your joggers so you can attach it to your keyring later.

The two of you, or rather, you and James, have a copy of it at your house, but this one is all yours. 

John letting you stay in the house at all is a sign of trust, but doubly so when he's away. Strangely, you feel less turmoil upon his departure when you're surrounded by everything him. His furniture, his record collection, the throw blanket you crocheted for him that you know he uses frequently. Framed pictures line the walls, every room smells like him, his cupboards are filled with cheesy mugs that have clearly been forced upon him over the years. 

It makes the sudden emptiness of this somewhat unfamiliar place a little more bearable.  

You make your tea, reaching into the cupboard for a mug. The Sports Direct one is tempting, but there's no way you're getting through that much tea before drifting off again. Instead, you grab one of the aforementioned cheesy mugs—one that's fairly plain beside the "GRUMPY OLD GIT" printed on the side. It warms you from the inside out, thinking of John's expression every time he sees those words, especially since the mug was likely from his squad and was intentionally picked just to irritate him.

With a steaming mug in hand, you head back to the guest room and snuggle back into bed. Desperate to take your mind off of John, you watch some video essay on your phone and sip at your tea until you're finally ready to drift off to sleep.

—-

Days pass by, mostly in a haze. The post-breakup limbo you're in is strange. It's been so long since you've been without James that even though you're glad it's over, it's weird to be apart. 

Your sleep is much better now without him coming into bed late, making a racket, waking up early, and making a racket all over again. Your heart is lighter, not filled with worry and second-guessing—at least until his late-night texts come and disturb your peace. Despite muting the pop-up notifications, the number on your messages app ticks up every day, making you squirm with discomfort at the reminder of James and the little red circle that lingers. You don't hear from John, which never feels great when he's away, but at least keeps you from seeing glimpses of James' vitriol.

Your newfound state of suspension is all the more complex by being in John's house. 

Admittedly, you hadn't thought much of what would happen if and when you and James broke up. You thought you'd be headed home, and you suppose you still might, but you didn't expect refuge in John's home along the way.

You still sit with the sin of coming between father and son, no matter how much James' actions are to blame for this whole mess. Even more than that, you feel decidedly wrong for holding onto your relationship with John with both hands, for being closer to him than his own blood.

John doesn't belong to you, never has and never will, but there's something safe and comforting and familiar about him you know you'll hate to let go of, more than James and more than the life you're leaving behind. 

Guilt twists in you further, for you finally admit to yourself that you've craved this closeness with John the entire time. From the moment you two met, there's been a connection, a simple bond of kindred spirits, an unspoken natural enjoyment of the other's company—and perhaps there's more to it than you thought. 

The feeling sits uncomfortably in your stomach, the realisation that you're interested in John Price as a man, separate from his relationship with his son. 

Creeping into his room almost feels illegal, but he did offer up his bathroom for your usage.

You've been in here before, but only ever briefly, and in John or James' company. Now you're unaccompanied. The texture of his soft pile carpet feels unfamiliar under your feet despite being the same one in the guest room. It's lived in, it's his, but it's still tidy in a way you'd expect from a man in the military. The bed is perfectly made, and everything's in its own place. 

You make your way through to the ensuite, delighted to see, just like John said, a room even more lavish than the main bathroom. The rain shower beckons you in, and the shelves are filled with a surprising amount of gels and creams.  

Turning on the shower, you begin to strip down, ready to bathe under the steaming cascade of water—yet a sense of unease washes over you.

John isn't in the room, isn't even in the house or the country, so why does being naked in his bathroom feel so... forbidden? 

You catch yourself in the mirror, entirely bare, on display only for your eyes. How many times has John stood in this very spot, getting the same view of himself? Your cheeks flush at the image of his bare chest, an undoubtedly hairy trail downward... and you try hastily to push away such inappropriate thoughts. No longer able to face yourself in the mirror, you step into the spray, the temperature of the water rivalling the heat building in your body. 

It doesn't help you any as a scent, uniquely John swirls in the air, his body wash and shampoo emanating from the bottles on the shelves and the loofah that now sits drenched near the taps.

Usually, you'd just feel a sense of safety, but now, something else entirely builds inside you. It's likely just a misplaced sense of wishing for John's return, missing him, as anyone who knew him would. It's likely not helped by your lack of physical intimacy for months now and the neglect you've suffered from for so long. 

The thoughts you were having earlier, of being interested in John as a person, grow corrupted with each passing second. Could it be that you're interested in John in a baser sense? Or is it just an unfortunate combination of other factors? 

You swallow thickly as you turn the temperature lower, hoping to douse the flames of your inappropriate thoughts. 

——

After several days of sitting around rotting, the urge to actually do something works its way into every fiber of your being. You've already sorted through the suitcase and bags you brought over to John's, though it likely won't be long until you need to repack again. You've also performed every self-care act known to man, and religiously checked Rightmove in the hopes of finding somewhere to rent on your own. You're in the middle of singing, dancing, and deep cleaning John's kitchen when your phone lights up, the man himself calling.

"Hi John." You greet sunnily, beyond pleased to see him safe and sound and smiling too.

"Hello, love."

Even through the speaker, his voice is soothing and warm.

"Ooh, is that the wifey?" A Scottish brogue fills your ears as a head pops into view, before a loud shushing and the slam of a door. You can't help but chuckle, only knowing Soap by reputation and feeling warm at finally getting to witness the man firsthand.

Even if what he said is mortifying. Isn't wifey a term for any woman in Scotland, anyway? 

"Was that Soap?" Hopefully John doesn't hear the waver in your voice.

"Sure was. How are you, darling? Keeping well?" John smiles in that way he always does, tight-lipped and only just meeting his eyes. 

"Not so bad, you've caught me at a bad time actually." You look at yourself in the small preview of what John sees—messy hair, dressed in barely there pyjamas, and definitely looking a little worse for wear. Shit.

"That's usually my line." His chuckle is faint, but then he seems to notice your appearance too, and the disarray behind you. "What are you doing?" 

"Just some chores. I cleaned your oven, and now I'm about to get rid of all the expired stuff in the fridge." There's a proud smile on your face as you explain—a small subconscious part of you hoping it pleases him, that it shows you're earning your keep. 

John sighs, his brows furrowing. "Woman, I can empty my own bloody fridge." 

There's equal amounts playfulness and reservation in his tone, the perfect balance to make you want to tease him. "And yet, you neglected to, so here I am." 

"What would I do without you, hmm?" 

"Come back to mold in your fridge?"

"Wouldn't be the first time."

You grimace before setting up the phone and turning back to the open fridge, picking up a half-open bottle of wine that sits in the door. It was probably there the last time you visited. You pull it out, taking a quick smell of the alcohol before your stomach lurches in protest. "I mean, how long has this actually been here?" 

"A while, but it's expensive wine, love." 

Feeling brave, especially despite the smell, you take a quick swig of the wine, downing as much as you can in one go. Not all of it makes it to your mouth, and you wipe your lips with the back of your hand before you show the bottle to John once more. There's still a bit left, but the guilt of wasting it isn't enough to make you suffer through more of the taste. 

"It's going down the drain." You shrug, setting it down on the counter next to the sink.

John's eyes twinkle with amusement, but he purposely tries to keep his expression flat. "Fine, least you're keeping busy, 'spose." 

"I am!" You smile brightly, focusing your attention on John and coming closer to the phone.

Upon closer inspection, you take in his surroundings. It's a surprise to get a call from him, although a pleasant one. He seems to be in a building instead of some tent or the middle of some desert, which comes as a welcome change. Despite the more hospitable surroundings, John looks just as tired as you'd expect, the lines on his forehead seeming deeper. 

"How are you, anyway?" You ask. "Didn't expect you to be in some office."

"Not that cushy, the bloody AC is broken, but I'm taking advantage of the WiFi while I have it."

He finally gets the chance to get in touch with normal civilisation, and he uses the opportunity to call you. 

The mere thought sets something in you aflame, a warmth that radiates outward from your chest and heats you until you feel your cheeks flush. 

You take a step away from the phone, fiddling with something off camera so your reaction is your own little secret. 

"Did Soap have to show you how to use FaceTime?" You tease, hoping to deflect with humour.

"Very funny, love." John rolls his eyes and fights the smile that lurks on his lips. "Think you'd have still been watching CBeebies when I got my first iPhone."

Incorrect, but a horrid thought regardless. 

"Okay, I take it back. You're not that old, and I'm not that young!" You protest, a desperate voice inside you screaming to assert the need to not have John see you as a child.

"I'm well aware, missy." He purrs, something imperceptible in his tone that makes you feel far from innocent. John's demeanor shifts quickly, and whatever was there before now hidden behind a mirage of stoicism. "How's the house?" 

"Fine, nothing disastrous happened. I waited for it to get dark before I took the bin out, paid the window cleaner his extortionate price even though he was a prick." 

"What'd he do?" John frowns.

For a moment, you hesitate, wondering if you should even tell him. While you're certain you're not making a big deal of nothing, you don't mean to sour his opinion of his competent-yet-arsehole-ish window cleaner. 

"Just called me your 'midlife crisis' and then asked if I could help him with his." Your features crinkle in disgust, entirely at the idea of being that man's anything.

"Arsehole." John huffs, his jaw clenching.

"I think he was just trying to be funny, but I just wanted to shut the door in his face." 

"Wouldn't have blamed you, love."

You shrug, hoping to brush off what was an unfortunate but fleeting encounter. "Oh well, at least when he comes next month, I probably won't be here."

John stills. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, I can't stay here forever."

"Maybe not, but you can stay as long as you like." 

There's no question in his tone, and you should know better than to argue with the man, but that feeling of something untoward still fizzles in your veins. "I don't want to get under your feet."

"Darling, you're doing me and that house a world of good. Don't make me tell you again." Despite his words, his features are soft, his eyes almost pleading for you to drop the subject and agree with him.

You can't resist the look on his face.

"Fine." You sigh, accepting your defeat.

You watch as John repositions himself, the relaxed posture he held before now stiffening as he leans into his desk. "You heard from him?"

You nod solemnly, actually thinking of James for the first time that day. "He keeps blowing up my phone, deleting messages, and then doing the same all over again." 

John's jaw tightens, his rage clear. "Block him."

Another command, but one you know you can't obey.

"I would, but I need to organise a day to move all my stuff out." You explain, hoping it's clear to John that you're already counting down the hours until you can do exactly what he asked. "We let the landlord know we're moving out, so I'll need all the furniture out too by the end of the lease." 

John nods understandingly. "We'll get you sorted when I'm back." 

There's a knock at the door, a creak of a hinge, and a gruff voice on the other side—Ghost, you suspect. "Captain, you're needed."

"Roger." John calls out. He picks up the phone and offers you a sad smile.

"Duty calls." You say, forcing a smile onto your face for his sake. You pick up the phone also, and the two of you are closer for a moment.

"So it does. Talk to you soon, love."

Your chest tightens, entirely unfairly. It's only the end of a call, and you get to go back to lounging around John's home while he goes off to get his hands dirty. "Stay safe, John." 

You give him one last smile as you wait for him to end the call, unable to press that little red button yourself.

—-

Just a few more days, each dragging longer than the last, and finally John's coming home. When he sends you that fateful text, you rush to tidy the house all over again and plan a meal for his arrival home.

He should get back to base at 9 pm and be home a little while after. The hours feel like days, the time not even seeming to speed up as you cook him an indulgent dinner and put on the record player. Alone, waiting for him to come home pathetically, for a moment, it feels reminiscent of your nights with James. You're waiting for him to come over so the dread can be over, though at least with John, it's not caused by the man himself. At least with John, everything will be alright as soon as he crosses the threshold.  

By the time eleven rolls around, you turn down the music, waiting for any sound of his arrival. As soon as you hear his truck coming down the street, you're on your feet, rushing to unlock the door and pick up where you left off. 

He seems surprised when he climbs out of the car and sees you silhouetted in the doorframe, yet a tired smile shows from behind his beard, his eyes crinkling in delight. A few steps bring him closer to you, your breath stuttering before he drops his bag and pulls you into him.

His large arms wrap around your waist as yours slip around his neck. His hands grip you tight, his face sinks into your shoulder, and he holds you like he's never going to let go.

Safety. Connection. Electricity.

Your body shivers—whether due to the cold air of the night or the feeling of him pressed against you, you don't know. In John's arms, you know you'll never fall, you know he has you. 

John pulls away, his eyes staring into yours, an unknown emotion within. "Darling girl, what are you doing awake?"

"Couldn't sleep until I knew you were back." You almost go to reach for his bag, but you know he'd have none of it. You lead the way inside and immediately fall into a decidedly domestic role. "Cuppa?" 

"Go on then." 

John says very little, clearly exhausted in every which way—still, there's a twinkle behind the tiredness in his eyes that lets you know he's happy to be home. You get to work with the kettle whilst John shucks off his coat and boots. 

"I've got dinner ready for you, just needs reheating." You reach for the nicest mugs in the cupboard. 

John sinks onto a stool at the kitchen island and takes a deep breath—tension seeps from his body as he watches you. "You're an angel, love." 

"Figured you'd be hungry, and I know you love coming back to a home-cooked meal." You explain as you start to mess with the microwave, ready to reheat the food you prepared for him earlier.

"And the heating on." He smiles softly.

"Perks of a house sitter, hmm?" You muse, before turning your attention back to the tea. You pour the hot water on the teabags before adding a single sugar and a splash of milk for John. After squeezing out and discarding the teabag, you stir John's tea before setting it down before him, and taking a seat too.

Under the soft glow of the dimmed kitchen lights, you finally get a chance to take in John—the deepening of his crow's feet, the length of his beard, and the ruddiness and freckles splashed across his cheeks.

"You've got a tan!" You exclaim, your teasing half genuine and half kittenish. 

"Don't start." He fixes you with a look, but you know there's nothing behind it.

"But—" You start to protest, but fall silent when he raises a finger to shush you. Your mouth falls shut on instinct.

"'There's no such thing as a safe tan', I know, I know. You're about 30 years late to tell me that."  

You sigh, relenting on giving him The Speech, despite how much you care. You look over him once more, taking him in. The freckles give him a boyish quality that you wouldn't usually associate with the older man, and the tan only accentuates his dark hair and bright eyes. 

"I hate that it suits you, actually. Brings out your eyes." 

Handsome, even more so than before, you muse. If such a thing were even possible.

The microwave beeps, saving you from saying more than you should. 

"Cheers, love." John offers in return, and you can tell from his tone that he doesn't take such sweet words to heart. 

You focus on serving up, ensuring everything is perfect before you set the plate before him.

"You didn't have to cook for me." He says, but his eyes betray his appreciation. 

"I wanted to." You shrug, thinking little of it. It only seemed right. He goes out to god knows where doing god knows what—he deserves a hot, home-cooked meal. Add to that the way he's caring for you by letting you live with him, the way he's always cared for you—it makes perfect sense that you want to repay him in kind.

"Right." He nods before he dives into his food, barely blowing on it before he shovels it into his mouth.

You'd already eaten hours before. You wished you could've held out to share a meal with him, but your appetite and blood sugar were having none of it. You're more than happy to watch him enjoy the food all on his own.

As John eats, lost in his thoughts, you blow at your tea before taking quick sips, trying hard not to burn your mouth while still quenching your thirst. T.Rex keeps you both company as the minutes pass.

"Sorry that I'm not better company. Heads elsewhere, I'm afraid." 

"A particularly tough mission this time?" You ask, just as concerned as always.

"Wasn't easy, but don't you worry about that." The smile he offers you doesn't quite reach his eyes.

You reach out without thinking, a hand settling on his arm as you feel the need to connect with him. "You're back in one piece, that's all that matters."

His smile seems a little more real this time. Your touch lingers for as long as you can stand before you worry you've overstepped, and you withdraw. 

John devours the rest of his meal, a satisfied hum bursting forth from him with the final bites. He turns to you with a sense of purpose. "I know it's late, but fancy a drive?" 

"Sure." You nod. Admittedly, you're ready for bed, but if John wants some company, you'd do anything to indulge him. "... Though I have a confession." 

"Go on." His brow lifts, his eyes set upon you tenderly.

"Country lanes on a night freak me out."

He barks out a laugh before his features settle into a soft look. "Tell you what then, I'll take you down the A49 as a treat." 

"What a gent." 

John makes his way to the cupboard, pulling out a thermos for your tea. He drinks his own in quick gulps before he ushers you to the door.

He holds out his jacket for you to wear like its nothing—your own not yet present on the coat rack for you to grab. His scent wraps around you, and the approving look in his eyes only makes the comfort of the sherpa all the sweeter. 

——-

From then on, the two of you enjoy each other's company in relative silence. Once in the truck, John whacks on his driving playlist and pulls out of the drive with ease.

You're more than content to just watch him, satisfied enough just having him there, before you, safe and sound. Every time he looks over at you, sparing a glance before he focuses on the road once more, you find comfort washing over you more and more.

The warmth of the AC and his soft singing lull you to sleep as you look out upon the stars. 

[bloodchapell]

honey, come on — senku i. 2: bluebird, rocking chair

brief summary: adjustments in the ishigami household

what to expect: post-canon, domestic bliss, pregnancy, sexual innuendos

your sword's note: this thing plagued my mind so much i am turning it into a series, and guess what this was also inspired by lana's new song, all past and future parts of this series available on my mistresslist

"I had a dream." 

Senku was used to hearing that phrase in the mornings. It had been more than 10 years of listening to it, in the village, in the Perseus, while escaping Stanley, while building the rocket, you would always tell him your dreams during the morning. 

"I was sitting in this beautiful field of flowers, there were so many of them, and it was so sunny, out of nowhere, a bluebird landed in front of me and I fed it some seeds." You narrated, still in bed. 

"Well, that is a very nice dream, compared to others like the hijacking of a plane of mannequins and, of course, the indomitable chainsaw train." Senku said mentioning some of your nightmares. You laughed. 

He let you lay down for a little while longer, and got up to cook breakfast, when you got up to the living room, the food was already on the table. 

"Good morning baby." Senku said while putting a hand on top of your belly as you sat down. "Are you still sleeping? Are you awake and ready to get going?"

You let him ramble as you picked up the fork and ate the breakfast, taking a sip of the juice while thinking of your dream. It was finally the weekend, and Senku had made time to get the baby's nursery ready, so you were going to buy the furniture and some paint so you could put some decorations on the room, plus even more shopping of baby clothing of ambiguous category since not only you both didn't believe in stupid things like pink is for girls and blue for boys, but the baby had refused to reveal its gender in the ultrasounds up to now. 

"Im going to shower, care to come along for my weekly circumference measuring, you weirdo?" You say after a while of resting on the couch after eating. As bizarre as Senku was, he kept a notebook with annotations on your state after you told him you were pregnant, and he would regularly check on you and update the data; oddly enough he had apologized for it several times but you found it endearing, after all it was his own way of showing how much he cared. He followed you to the room and into the bathroom, taking a measuring tape and his notebook. You lifted the top of your pajamas only slightly and he passed the tape around your waist, checking the number and noting it down. 

"Yes, two inches more than the last time, this is exhilarating." He leaned on the sink and wrote down some things until he realized you were getting naked and he closed the notebook and started walking to the door. 

"Spooked at a naked woman, scientist?"

"No, I am actually trying this new thing called self control, where I don't tempt myself by seeing my wife naked."

"Your wife who is pregnant." You remarked. 

"The hell? Is that supposed to mean anything? Yes, my wife who is pregnant and naked and hot, double trouble, genius." He said closing the door, not without taking a peek at your body. 

You were left laughing for a while, and then you got into the shower. As you cleaned yourself, you sang whatever songs came to your mind. 

You wore a white dress with a cardigan. 

"Senku! Look!" You said closing the cardigan, first tucking one side under the opposite arm and then repeating with the other side and crossing your arms over it. "I already became a mom!"

"What does that mean?" He asked confused, never having seen the mom cardigan wrap. You had to explain to him that for some reason all moms would wear cardigans and close them like that. "Well go figure since I didn't have a mom." 

"I'll be your mom." You raised your eyebrows, with a grin on your lips.

"That's how we got here." He pointed at your belly without a care in the world. "Put your shoes on and let's go, I have the list of furniture ready in the car." 

"Pffft." You laughed at what he had referenced and walked behind him to the entrance door, grabbing your shoes. 

"Also, Suika wanted to join in for this, so we will pick her up from Kohaku's." Senku said as he got in the driver's seat of the car. You sat in the back. The drive to Kohaku's place was short, and Suika was already waiting for you. 

"Hi." The girl greeted shyly as she got in the car. 

"Hello my love." You hugged her immediately. "How's my smart girl doing?" 

"Very good." She smiled brightly. "And you? How is the baby?" 

"We are both doing good." You caressed her hair. 

You talked with her on the way, she would narrate the same things Senku talked about the time machine but also talked about things like her own hobbies and past times. Senku watched you two through the rear view mirror, with a small smile. 

The furniture store was a place for new beginnings, that is what you thought at least as a kid and teen whenever you would go to one. It was odd having stores again, after spending more than a decade building your own furniture, and virtually everything else from scratch too, but at that store you and Senku had bought the house furniture and appliances once you started living together on your own. 

"Heavens." The store manager yelled once she saw you three walking in, calling the employees over. "Senku is here..."

"Senku as in the Senku Ishigami!?" One of the new hires asked. 

"Yes, the Senku Ishigami and his wife." The manager nodded. "Let me handle this, if I call you over to help be normal."

They greeted you, and you greeted back, walking idly over the displays, talking with Suika while Senku held your hand; the three of you noticed the gazes, it had become normal to feel stared at wherever you went since you were a prominent figure of the kingdom of science and even more so when you walked around beside the star of the show himself.

"Let's review the list, first of all is the basinet, a changing table, some dressers, a rocking chair." Senku read from the paper.

"What's a rocking chair?" Suika asked and Senku didn't even lift his gaze from the list, he simply pointed at you, sitting already in one of the display chairs and rocking back and forth. "Fun!"

You went from section to section, and while you were fine with whatever seemed pretty and stable, Senku took his time to read the descriptions and discard whichever ones were not literally perfect. 

"Are you sure you don't like this basinet? It is ten billion percent efficient, whoever designed this was aiming for a genius, his genius wife and their genius child, I am satisfied." Senku slapped the box.

"Can we decorate it?" You asked looking at the picture, not entirely convinced.

"I don't see why not." 

After a few hours, you bought the furniture and then moved on to the mall close by, where you bought some baby clothes and plushies. Lunchtime rolled around, so Senku decided to stop by a restaurant. He sat beside you and Suika sat in front, playing with some toy you had bought her, asking questions about the toys you would play with as a child. 

"W-Welcome Mr. and Mrs. Ishigami..." The waiter greeted nervously, passing along the menus. 

You ordered and ate, always with the gazes. 

Once you got home, the furniture was already delivered.

"I am so exhausted." You yawned. 

"You can rest, luckily we have here our star employee, SSR tier card, Suika, who will surely come in handy for the ensembling of all this furniture." Senku grinned with malice, and so, the first box, the rocking chair, at your command. You stood along, eating a peach, while Senku and Suika read the instructions. "Pass me the star screwdriver... hold the flashlight upright Suika I can't see anything."

"Why do we need the flashlight?" Suika asked overwhelmed, passing Senku the wrong screwdriver.

"Amazing, looks like you also became a dad already." You laughed at Senku and he huffed.

The rocking chair was done after a good while, and now you could watch the process sitting on the comfort of the cushions. By that time the peach was long over, and the light bathed the room as the sun started to set —why did Senku even need the flashlight?—, you observed with love as they built now the changing table, it was like seeing them tinker with clay and glass so long ago; you closed your eyes remembering the days of the stone world, and you fell asleep. 

You dreamt again of the bluebird. It was a peaceful dream, and you were eventually brought back to reality by Senku's voice. 

"It's all done, check it out." He announced in a low voice.

"Geez how did I fall asleep like that...? I am getting old." You sighed rubbing your eyes. 

"Pregnancy makes your hormones go crazy, so it is not unusual that you feel tired." Senku noted. 

"Did you sleep okay?" Suika asked with a smile. "I covered you with a blanket so you and the baby wouldn't get cold." 

"Aww, thank you baby." You caressed her blonde hair. 

The room was done now, the basinet with the plushies inside, the drawers already full of the clothes you had bought along the way and before, the window already with curtains, it all came together beautifully even when some things were still missing, making you inevitably emotional. 

"It's perfect." You stood up, visibly touched, and caressed Senku's cheek. 

"I left the wall here open, so you can paint something on it." Senku said holding your waist with care, his other hand pointing at the wall. "Maybe even that bluebird, or if you're feeling bold, the chainsaw train."

"No! Not the chainsaw train!" Suika clung to you covering her eyes. 

"No chainsaw train." You scolded Senku but at seeing his playful smile you placed both your hands at the sides of his face, making a little space to hide away the kiss you gave him.

[mikaylacriiistina]

Nurse? Fix me.

James "Bucky" Barnes x y/n reader (she/her)

Hi! So, this is my first fic, ever. I'm so nervous posting this. THIS CHAPTER IS JUST THE INTRODUCTION to a (hopefully) long story. I have had this imagined in my head since I watched Thunderbolts* earlier this month. This story takes place after the latest Captain America but before Thunderbolts*. Later chapters will transition to what happens during Thunderbolts*, the end credit scene, etc. Please be gentle, I still have no idea what I’m doing lol. If it's trash, act like you've never seen it and I will not continue hahaha.

Also, side note, there's a lot of extra characters I made up in this fic. They will appear throughout the whole entire story. Okay byeeeee thanks for reading!

WARNINGS & FEATURES: currently no warnings?, I plan on smut later on but I'll put a warning when that comes around, y/n reader, proof read but once again, I have no idea what i'm doing, verrrrrry slow burn.

___________________________________________________________

Introduction

AUGUST

Well, you thought it was going to be a normal Tuesday night at work. You were wrong. You got the text in the morning that you have a special patient waiting on you when you arrive at work tonight. You were a night shift nurse at a main campus level 1 hospital in Washington DC. This specific hospital is one of two hospitals where the Avengers go when they end up getting hurt, the other location being New York city of course. It just so happens that you are a part of the trained team to deal with said heroes when they need a hospital stay. It's rewarding yet, this is now messing up your whole week…. And possibly the month. With this special training you have, as long as someone is a patient, your schedule you had for the week is thrown away and you will now be working until they are no longer a patient. Now instead of sleeping today, you got to enjoy preparing for what could be a two day stay or multiple weeks. The new Captain America, Sam Wilson, just happens to be taking a few days stay at the hospital after a brutal fight. 

You get out of your car anticipating what kind of disaster is waiting inside for you. You’ve seen it all at this point, you're just not thrilled to be relieving the other trained nurse for the daylight shift, Shelli. She’s so bright, bubbly…. Blonde. It's suffocating. You're a night shift nurse for a reason, you enjoy getting to do your job well without any repercussions from management, the staff is more enjoyable, and the extra night shift pay is always a bonus. You're not bubbly like Shelli, you're more laid back with a hardened exterior to always protect yourself from the multiple personalities you deal with 3 nights a week. You can only imagine how Captain America is going to adjust from what he dealt with for the first 12 hours of this day compared to what you're about to bring. You've become so caught up in your thoughts that you didn't even realize you made it to the elevator and a man in a well tailored suit was holding it open for you. He looked familiar but you didn't think much of it, you thanked him and hit the button to your floor. As the elevator is about to close, you watch fingers slip through the cracks to open it back up, just to find your least favorite fellow making his appearance for the evening. Lawson was his name. Well, it was his last name, you typically acknowledged the residents, fellows and docs by their last names without the title because honestly at night, who cares? You're all working as a team. Lawson is so irritating and frustrating, you would think for a married man with 2 kids that he would leave the flirting and small touches he gives you at home for his wife but he’s been like this since he was just a first year resident here. Don't worry, you call him out constantly about it and even make small threats to call his wife at home but he just doesn't get the memo. 

“Well, look who it is,” says Lawson with a big smile and wink.

You just roll your eyes and grunt hoping this elevator ride goes quick so you can just put your stuff in your locker and get shift report from the bubbly blonde. Luckily, the kind stranger who held the elevator door for you initially is also in the elevator with the both of you. It's not that you didn't think Lawson would try and pull a full on move on you when he finally got you alone but it's a crazy world and men are the worst. The elevator doors open and you run off, not that you're excited for your shift but it's too early to deal with Lawson.

_

With being a special trained staff nurse, this comes with a special room for the heroes that is connected to the unit but provides privacy so everyone isn't snooping on what's going on with whoever is in there. You don't bring much with you to work, just your purse, a bag of extra items you may need, miscellaneous snacks and your work jacket. Jacket is on, badge is on, phone in your pocket and you're ready to go. In this separate room, there's an inner separate work area for the nurse and resident assigned to the patient to do their work while not tending to the patient. Of course you are greeted by a bright eyed Shelli the second you show your face.

 “Oh my gosh, hi! You’re here and you're on time! Can you believe we get to take care of the new Captain America?! He’s doing so well, just minor injuries, he shouldn't be here long. He’s been so nice all day. Oh! Also, he has a visitor right now, just showed up! The Winter Soldier is here! Or should I say now, Congressman Barnes?!” 

Ah, there it is, that's where you've seen the man in the elevator. You peer into the window and see both men talking while Shelli gives you a full report on everything she's done today and everything that needs to be done on the next round of care. You look over both of them, Sam looks good for being a patient in the hospital and for Bucky, you look over at the suit he’s wearing, nice watch on his wrist and he has his hair slicked back. Pretty sharp for someone who used to be a brainwashed and manipulated assassin. Your attention is brought back to Shelli while she's giving you her report papers and in walks your resident friend for the evening, Wiggins. You love him, he's your favorite. He’s sweet, small and shy but he cares deeply for every patient and always wants to make sure he’s giving his best care. Since you met him, you've always had a soft spot for him. He has no remote family nearby, no girlfriend or wife, and with being a resident, he doesn't have a lot of money either. Every night you get the pleasure of being teamed up with him so with that, you always try and treat him well with either a home cooked meal or take out. He’s thankful every time and always lets you know that one day he will make it up to you but that's the least of your worries. You make good money and come from a good family, you don't need him to make it up to you ever in life. 

“Alright, are you ready to head in and meet Mr.Wilson?” 

_

You, Wiggins and Shelli all head in to introduce yourselves to Mr.Wilson and Mr. Barnes. While Shelli is talking useless nonsense, you fill out all your names on the board. Your team of the night consists of Y/N as his nurse, Wiggins as the resident, unfortunately Lawson as your fellow, Albott as the attending physician and Oliver as your trusty nurse's aide. Sam and Bucky give you a smile and nod while listening to the rest of Shelli’s never ending speech before her departure. Finally, she stops talking and expresses her goodbyes and see-you-tomorrows. You sigh and finally give a good smile to both men in the room.

 “Okay Mr. Wilson, I am sorry for the probable overstimulating day you have had here today but I promise tonight, we will do what we need to do to get you comfortable and get you everything you need for the night and we will get out of your space until you need us.”

 “Hey, no worries, Shelli was sweet, I am excited to get to know both of you ladies throughout my stay here.”

Sam gave a reassuring smile while Bucky sits in the chair off to the side aimlessly staring while you and Sam converse. 

“Now, before I pull out your 7pm meds, are you feeling any sort of pain currently and can I get you anything else like a drink, another blanket, shut the blinds?”

“No, I should be okay with all the above. Thank you.” 

“No worries, Wiggins and I will be back with meds and anything else written in the orders. If you think of anything else before I come back, just hit your call light and we can get it figured out, okay?” 

Sam reassures he's good and before you leave the room, you happen to look over and catch Bucky staring at you with those icy blue eyes of his. He looks away quickly like he was just caught in the act of something and grabs his phone and looks at it like he wasn't just staring at you. Before you fully exit the room, you gave him a quick look over while he wasn't looking your way anymore and finally caught a glance of his vibranium hand resting on the chair peeking out from his suit. What you didn't know was happening is that Sam was watching both interactions between the both of you. Did he just watch the both of you check each other out? He gives a small smirk to himself and knows he has to make the most out of this short stay with the both of you.

______________________________________________________________

Tags: @baby-banana

[lsunstreakerl]

using this hellsite for its intended purpose (posting smut on main)

this is technically two ficlets, but I'll be posting the second one later. for now, I gift u all 1.7k words of omegaverse, and it's actually max and esteban, omega/omega (I cannot believe I'm writing these words I am going to hell). hi yes hello mature content here. not violent just horny.

This is not any less embarrassing than Max had expected it to be, standing at Esteban's door at five in the morning. He hadn't even sent a heads up text, he'd just shown up.

He's not even sure if Ocon's in the country.

He hopes he's in the country- Max is kind of fucked otherwise, because then he's just standing in front of the door for nothing, and he's pretty sure this is preheat, but he doesn't fucking know.

His heat crisis at the airport hadn't been sexual at all. His cresting heat in his own flat in Monaco had been brutal, but tame compared to what's to come, and Max doesn't exactly have other omegas to ask.

It's not that he's scared, he just-

Well.

There's footsteps on the other side of the door, and then quiet for a moment- Esteban must be checking to see who it is.

Sure enough, the door swings open a few seconds later.

"Verstappen, what the fuck- oh shit."

Esteban smells good, is one of the things Max notes as he's being dragging inside, door shut behind him. He has a big fluffy nest on the floor of his living room, and there's an action movie paused on the screen, and-

Max is pretty sure he's talking to him.

"-aaaaaax. Hey, earth to Verstappen-"

Max blinks rapidly, and then he tips forward and buries his nose in Esteban's neck, pressed right against his scent gland.

"Ah!"

Esteban yanks him back by the collar of his shirt, and Max whines, because he smelled good and he wants more, and it's making him feel better being next to it.

"Why did you do this. Why the fuck- why did you come to me, how long have you even been an omega, what the fuck-"

Max feels a whine building in his chest, because that's a thing omegas do, and he's rapidly realizing he's going to need to get comfortable with a lot of uncomfortable things about his designation soon.

"Christ, okay- okay, come on."

Esteban is leading him into the living room, and Max hopes they're going to the nest, because Esteban's looks so good, better than anything Max has ever been able to build.

Esteban bats at his hands, gently nudging the side of Max's foot.

"Shoes, please."

Max toes them off, and then Esteban tugs him down into the nest, and it's so soft, soft and perfect, and Esteban's got this omega thing on lock.

Max immediately shifts towards Esteban, because he wants snuggles, wants the warm heat of someone else, and Esteban's scent is so nice, even if he smells concerned and bewildered at the moment.

"Right, preheat, okay. Maybe the Dutch do it differently."

Max almost wants to laugh. He has no idea how Dutch omegas nest or heat. He's never been allowed near other omegas.

Esteban sighs, and there's a begrudging type of fondness in his eyes for a moment.

"I'm doing this because I'm a good person, Max, so remember that next time you want to shove me, yes? Good. Come on, shirt off."

Esteban tugs his own shirt over his head, and Max's brain isn't quite moving at its normal pace, but he's compliant as Esteban bats at his hands, pulling Max's shirt off over his arms and shoulders before tossing it to the side somewhere.

Max just wants to snuggle.

Esteban pulls him in, letting Max settle his nose right above his scent gland, chest to chest in the nest as he pulls a blanket over them.

"You have no idea what you're doing."

Max makes a weak whimper, distracted by pressing his nose in until his brain is just a looping mantra of Esteban, Esteban, Esteban-

"Right."

Esteban kicks up a purr, and Max melts on top of him, loose muscles and head fuzzy. His throat hitches, but he can't quite make it go- still doesn't know how.

There's a nose in Max's hair, and one of Esteban's hands comes up by his neck, long fingers running down the side.

Max feels like there's a weighted blanket on his brain, making everything slow and syrupy.

He loses track of time- he's pretty sure Esteban starts his movie back up, based on the explosion noises.

Max barely even registers that he's softly grinding his hips over Esteban's thigh, only notices because Esteban's scent sweetens under his nose, and his purr gets louder.

"Max."

It's gentle, and Max makes a responding hum. His eyes are half open, not really seeing anything.

"Max, you are supposed to heat partner with an alpha."

Duh. Max would've done that, if he was out and trusted any of the alphas to handle him right- his first choice was Daniel, but he's out of the country with Scotty, and Max didn't want to interrupt their trip.

He can't exactly go to Seb.

Asking any of the garage members violates probably a million FIA policies and also the law in a few countries. Lando and George are omegas, but they're new and Max doesn't know either of them, which leaves him with Esteban. He'd shown up on a whim, even though he isn't part of the pack, because he knows he can't handle it alone.

An older, more experienced omega was the logical choice.

He doesn't realize he's whining until Esteban noses at his hair, scent wrapping around him.

"Okay, you don't have to tell me- it is okay, Max. I will help you."

Esteban hitches his thigh up and Max gasps, lightning bolts going through him at the change in angle. Long fingers run down the side of his neck before pressing down on his scent gland, and Max ruts forward, nose back in Esteban's neck. It feels good, and it smells good, and if things could stay slow and hot and nice just like this, Max might be okay with heats.

Esteban breaks that fantasy.

"Go on Max, get a good one in before your heat really hits."

Max whines softly, and Esteban sighs, hand slipping down Max's spine to settle on his lower back, helping him with the drag and slide of it all, the push-pull. Max's brain is liquid, a soft loop of sensation and feeling good.

It's not a rough orgasm by any means- it's gentle compared to others Max has had, washes through him in a way that's slow and overwhelming, leaves him collapsed against Esteban's chest, slick cooling between his thighs.

Esteban noses at him again- he's scenting him, gently pushing the side of their heads together. Max hasn't been scented by a member of the pack before- Daniel scented him regularly before he left, and Nico had done it frequently as well, but they're both gone now, and it's been a minute since anyone outside of Redbull bothered.

"You are okay with fingers? Toys? Mouth?"

Max's hips jerk again at the thought, face heating up. He nods against Esteban's neck, keeping his face hidden.

"Okay. Max, I am not set up for a heat at the moment- I need my alpha to come by with groceries, is that going to be alright?"

Esteban has an alpha? That can't be right- Max has his nose on top of Esteban's scent gland right now, there's definitely no mark here.

He noses at it pointedly, enjoying the spike is Esteban's scent at the sensation, his soft gasp.

"Don't be archaic Verstappen. I can have an alpha without having a bite. I have two, thank you very much."

Okay- Max knows the alphas of the pack significantly outnumber the omegas, but two is just greedy. His scent must change, because Esteban snorts.

"I didn't think you wanted Pierre or Charles, but if you want to share for your heat we can do that."

Max pauses for a moment. He's... actually not sure. He hasn't been with an alpha before, but if Esteban is here- if they listen to him-

Max isn't stupid. He knows his first proper heat is going to be bad, that's his consequence for being on suppressants for so long. Toys aren't going to cut it. They'll keep him from Red Heating, sure, but that's about where that ends.

He's going to be begging Esteban for something he can't give him.

Pierre isn't terrible. He's not close with the rest of the garage, and Max is pretty sure he's somehow managed to entirely miss the memo that Max is the pack omega- probably hasn't picked up on Redbull being a pack at all.

In his defense, there hasn't been a garage pack on the grid since before Max was born.

Charles- Max isn't sure how desperate a heat is going to make him, but if he ends up begging Charles to fuck him he's going to jump out the window when it's over.

Weird cresting heat induced insanity aside, Max has not once wanted anything to do with Charles. He's annoying and entitled, and Max still doesn't believe that he's actually an alpha.

He seems like the kind of guy to want to be a gentleman to an omega, which-

Charles has not once ever been gentle to Max, it's practically the foundation of their relationship, and Max isn't sure if he's going to want kindness and consideration for his heat.

He's not freaking out about it, he just-

He doesn't know.

He's whining into Esteban's neck again, a slow need starting to build deep inside of him. He wants them, he doesn't want them, he cares, he doesn't care- everything is so difficult.

Esteban rattles out another purr, scent heavy in the room. Max settles, nose full of fresh snow and eucalyptus.

He nods his head, a tiny shift, and Esteban's scent takes on a pleased note, sweet and satisfied.

"They will be good, I promise. I'll kick them out if they aren't."

Max is fairly confident that's not how that works, but maybe the French are different. Esteban slides one hand to tap at his phone as the other shifts from Max's back to the front of his hips.

"Okay?"

Max nods, and he's sure his own scent is all over the place, canting his hips up for Esteban to slide his hand down under his waistband, long fingers cool against his overheated skin.

His scent spikes again and Esteban purrs, nosing gently at him.

"It's okay, Max. It's alright, you're okay."

Everything is-

It's a lot.

Max is whining, a soft noise as Esteban works his fingers inside of him, and they're so different from Max's, feel alien inside him, but they feel good too, and Max-

Max wants to be good, wants to show Esteban that he knows how to be an omega, a good omega, even if the pack doesn't want him.

He knows it's not his strongest area- he's poured all his time and effort into racing, doesn't know what to do with himself outside of it, but this- Esteban's fingers inside him, Max's nose pressed into his neck, a slow build- this feels good. It feels right.

[ellouchi]

One-shot: "Forget me not"- Jimmy (gn/nsfw?)

Disclaimer: unreliable narrator, Jimmy being Jimmy, implied SA in the ending.

Side notes: I knooow I've said I'd post it yesterday, but I was on four hours of sleep and completely exhausted from work so sowwy guys. I've tried my best to fix as many mistakes as I could so sorry again if you see any, I'll probably edit this fic again later but for now... enjoy!

Today, Jimmy would make sure you would never forgot him again.

First he just had to wait until it was the night time on the ship, when it was darker and quieter, without any extra pairs of eyes and ears putting a wrench in his plans. Standing in the doorframe, the man observed you like a beast it's pray — you were writing a report about your performance in the common rooms. You often got out of your own room to sit there, same old walls giving you an eye sore, you once said. You used to turn around, wave at him when he passed by, but now you didn't even acknowledge him when he finally entered the room — Jimmy had to tamper the sudden pang of annoyance that shot through his body and instead appear to be as nonchalant as he could master.

Turned out there really was just a single step between love and hate, Jimmy though to himself. It was a shame things couldn't be the way they were at the beginning.

Before all that, when you first boared Tulpar, you were just a temporary crew member assigned to be babied with until the management decided to throw you on another ship. Something instantly clicked for Jimmy when captain Curly introduced you to the crew, and no wonder: you were smart enough to stick to Jim — not too close to the sun, but not crawling in the dirt.

Jimmy didn't show it, but he quickly noticed how you sought after him more often than the others, turned up to him for advices about work related matters and laughed at his quips and jokes that he made. Hard work really does pay off, Jimmy would think to himself, while laying on the bed with his brand new piloting license gleaming like a precious gem in his hand. Unlike with other people, everything about you felt so genuine, so seamless and easy, Jimmy didn't need to try hard for you to look up to him. He could be himself.

Best thing was, the signs told Jim that the feeling was mutual. You were the first one to greet him with a good morning, last one to part with a good night. Looked at him with shining eyes, smiles lingering longer than they should. If you sitting almost thigh to thigh next to him on the couch wasn't the obvious signal from you, then Jimmy didn't know what was.

Even ship's underwhelming conditions turned out to be a blessing in disguise when the AC system broke down, forcing you to work with your blue jumpsuit peeled off from your shoulders. The man never missed the way you tugged at your yellow t-shirt, suddenly his own coveralls feeling a bit stuffy and uncomfortable to be in. At his playful suggestion for both of you to strip you merely laughed, but never disregarded the idea...That evening Jimmy, however, let his hand and imagination run wild with the thought of your hands exploring everything covered by the pesky blue suit and a plain white shirt he wore.

Problems started to arise when Swansea took a note of your budding chemistry. He usually would run his trap hours on end, complaining about this and that, patronising as ever with his "age and experience" seemingly giving him permission to preach and lecture others.

"If I were a green fool like ya I would stay a mile a way from our "watchful" co-pilot. He's more bark than bite, but all the pain in the ass." Jimmy overheard Swansea call out to you when you two stood together to get the melted sweet treats from the vending machine. Said co-pilot clicked his tongue in annoyance, throwing back a jab at the uninvited mechanic, fortunately prompting a laugh from the old man. Ignorant of both men's concerns you simply chuckled at the sight, not digging any deeper. Despite this, you begun dressing a bit more modesty, robbing Jimmy of the opportunity of gawking at you. That damn Swansea.

Days, turning into weeks passed uneventfully. You concluded your training, which meant now you were officially just another cog in the corporate machine. Same all routine settled on the same old freighter ship, except for a few things. The captain seemed to finally acknowledge his esteemed co-pilot by dropping onto him his own "important captain assignments". Which was false, Jimmy knew Curly was just growing too exhausted to fulfil his daily quota, though the reason eluded him. Another odd thing was regarding you. Jimmy had a feeling he saw you less and less with each passing day, without counting the times you spent actually performing your work. You were the first one to finish the meals, the quickest one to get out from the shower and the space ship manual practically never left your hands. Jim hated it to admit this, but he missed you.

The pieces fell right into their places when Jimmy entered cockpit one ordinary shift to hand in the paperwork he did in captain's stead.

To be frank, Curly was slowly getting on Jimmy's nerves for some time already, this whole "all capable and reliable" act seemingly never ending. However, no feeling of irritation could compare to only what could Jimmy describe as betrayal running through his veins when he saw you bowing and shaking captain's hand with "thank you". His "friend" was standing way too close to you and you — to him, no, straight up leaning in.

Suddenly snippets of you two hanging out in the common room flooded Jimmy's mind, you skipping out of the cockpit with a smile on your face a few days ago, you asking Jimmy out of blue what Curly was like when he was younger and Curly praising you for your efforts during the piloting--

"Am I interrupting something?" escaped Jimmy's mouth faster than he could register. His nails left marks on cheap rough papers he clutched, sweat blurring away the ink, all the boring tedious work done for nought.

"Oh hey Jim. No, not at all. Just helping out our new college with excess workload." Jimmy gaze hardened over the fact that it was Curly who stepped up first to clear things up. "You know how it is with Pony Express: setting high standards with small deadlines and...." Jimmy stopped listening to anything else that left Curly's mouth, his focus shifting entirely to you. You refused to meet his gaze by staring dumbly at the metal floor.

Why were you silent now?

Why did you avoid looking in his direction?

Why did you turn up to Curly for help and not him?

You, who followed Jimmy like a puppy prior, buttering him up with empty talks, asking him a favour after favour. In the end only to abandon him when you raised high enough on the ledder to turn up with your issues to the captain himself. And Curly, whom he considered his closest friend, instead of helping Jim tried to snatch you away. Being well respected captain wasn't enough, he had to lure away you too....

Jimmy should've figured it was all too nice to be true.

The man didn't wait for Curly to finish or you to start, instead he just threw the papers onto the fax machine and waved his hand in dismissal as he left, lessons learnt and mood completely spoiled for the rest of the week.

It hurt. But Jimmy had to keep going forward. Curly crawled back to him eventually like he always did — reminiscent of a dog with its tail hidden between the legs. At least Curly seemed to take the hint and grew distant from you, pushing the professional approach all the way. The captain managed to make amends, he had to, if it meant keeping the peace on the ship.

No, Jimmy didn't care about his friend's betrayal. What drove him up on the wall was your reaction, or the lack of it. Because you pretended like nothing happened, resuming your busy day to day life, but this time avoiding Jimmy almost entirely. Ignoring you in return wasn't an option as the relationship between you two didn't reach the point where you'd feel anxious without his attention. Jimmy felt sick — he grew too comfortable around you and it bit him back in the ass.

Here he was, struggling to keep his composure without hearing a familiar lazy "good morning" coming from you at the dinning table every day. Any attempts at catching your gazes never resulted in anything other than a pit heaving in his stomach. Jimmy begun skipping game nights altogether when you found yourself a new spot at the armchair near the massive screen. The man grew desperate enough to eavesdrop on your unimportant daily chit chats in distant hope to get anything out of them to use. Rummaging through your stuff also proved to be fruitless. Everything to no avail.

Jimmy grew sick and tired of waiting for you to come to him. It was time for him to come to you.

"We've got a fax message from the corporate. You might wanna check this one out."

Luring you out was too easy, the man almost felt bad for abusing your innocence. But it was your fault for being an ignorant fool and trusting a person you slighted. Jimmy never said it was an update about your placement, just a message from the management — everything else was your wishful thinking. You proded co-pilot for any information on your way to the cockpit, but the later remained tight lipped and instead chatting you up about the most mundane things happening on Tulpar. If you hadn't lowered your guard down, you would hear the click of the lock sealing your fate.

"Alright, let's have a look at what those higher ups prepared for me" you said with a sigh, landing on the free seat with a paper in hands.

Jimmy humoured you a little further, standing right in front of you with his arms folded in the waiting stance, observing impatiently how your eyes skimmed through the text.

"Uhh...Jim this is just a general reminder that our haul is reaching it's destination in 30 days."

"I know" he flatly replied.

"Sooo why did you invite me here then?"

"Man, I can't believe some people can be this dense. Goes to show we can't trust others with anything. Even reading the room." Jimmy grumbled, yanking the document from your hands and letting it settle down onto the floor. Suddenly the man buckled over the pilot seat you were sitting on, both strong hands forcing your wrists down on the leather armrests. "Do you still not understand why I've dragged you here?"

This got your full undivided attention — you shrunk in the armchair, trying to slip your arms away from the bruising hold. You were akin to the fish thrown out of water with how your mouth opened and closed, before you gathered back your thoughts to respond.

"W-wait what are you talking about. I don't understand...." Jimmy searched for anything that could resemble a lie in your frighted eyes, but came up with nothing. You really were painfully oblivious to all his suffering this whole time.

"Is it that easy for you to discard people from your life? Hm? Must be nice to go about your day without a care in the world while I'm left to wonder what I have done wrong to be treated this way."

You remained silent, simply staring at the man in front of you in disbelief. God, just why he had to deal with someone as slow as you.

At last it clicked in your mind, your brows knitting together.

"...you don't mean us spending less time together right? Or is it about that one time with Curly? I just have my own work to take care of, and the captain has already told you that we were j--"

A heavy slap landed on you cheek before you had any time to finish. The sting wasn't going to hurt as much as other things Jimmy had in store for you — you didn't know it just yet.

"Don't try to bullshit me now. I know exactly what was your plan from the very beginning" uttered Jimmy, bringing his face right in front of yours. He wanted to see you cry so badly, beg for his forgiveness — Jimmy was almost willing to beat you up with his bare fists if it meant getting what he desired. "If you really think you can screw me up and not suffer any consequences you are dead wrong. I was being nothing but kind and patient, even taught you things no-one else would, and that's how you repay me? By going behind my back to fuck your way up by using Curly? Sorry to disappoint you, but you're not even in his taste."

Once again the man could read complete bewilderment from your facial features alone. Burning pain on your cheek all but forgotten, you raised you face to meet Jimmy's. Tiny drops of glistening tears gathered at the corners of your eyes, you lower lip instinctively bitten and chewed on from the tension. It had to be one of the most beautiful faces you've ever made: full of confusion, fear and submission.

"Jimmy... you got it all wrong, please just listen to me." You've tried, earnestly tried to calm the man down, to find a way out of the situation you were forced into. But there was no reasoning, no bargaining, nothing left.

Jimmy leaned in to where your ear was, letting out hot puffs of air as he spoke. "You had a chance to explain yourself, but you've missed it. Don't forget that you brought this upon yourself. You"

Jimmy saw you gasp in horror before he smashed his mouth against yours with such force your head hit the back on the chair. Your lips have already been parted so he wasted no time tracing your lower lip with his tongue, hot and slick from all the waiting. That wasn't what Jimmy initially planned, but it felt right at that moment. All pent up emotions suppressed for god knows how long suddenly taking a hold of his better judgement. Actually, this would work too — it would make you never forget about him ever again.

You squirmed against Jimmy's hold once again, trying to turn your head away to the sides. Jimmy had to crawl on top of you to secure your head against the leather pad of the seat, fully inserting his tongue to violate your mouth. He lapped at you like a starved man, not caring about his stubble scratching at your skin or about the saliva seeping down your chin.

Jimmy caught a sights of your eyes squeezed shut which he didn't like at all. It seemed like his words didn't get through your thick skull after all, so he dug his knee right into you groin, making you jolt, stilling your struggles momentarily.

"Don't. Ignore me." Jimmy growled staring straight into your eyes. "If you want this to be over then just do what I say. Understand?" he finished, waiting for your response.

If it wasn't for the twisting ache in your throat, you would say something to Jimmy, but instead you gave a jittety nod.

This prompted Jimmy to finally smirk: a dark variation of a smile you were used to seeing whenever the man was about to say something witty. You instantly regretted your choice, cruel hand zipping down the fly of your blue uniform in a swift motion — from your chest to your abdomen, only setting the regret deeper and deeper...

"Then do me a favour and stay still, will you?"

[loganwritesprobably]

Chronic Pain

Content/Warnings: Crocodile/GN!Reader, pre-slash, Reader has chronic pain, Reader is a Buggy pirate

Notes: This is very self indulgent but hopefully people will enjoy

It was hard sometimes, life as a pirate. Even now that you were grounded, on land 90% of the time at Karai Bari, it was hard. The difference between being at sea and being on land was minimal when it came to you, you even still slept in a hammock.

You were a Buggy pirate at heart and you always would be, but since Crocodile had arrived you'd grown increasingly close. He'd decided you were the "least incompetent" amongst the crew and so when he needed a task to be completed that either couldn't be done by Daz or he'd be "wasted" on it, he sought you out to complete it instead. You didn't mind so much. Manual labour work had always been hard for you and while Buggy understood you did feel useless, and often that meant you overworked yourself and caused yourself more harm than necessary. Work for Crocodile was rarely of that nature.

Delivering letters, collecting the paper from the news coo, reading paperwork and contracts for him, confirming kills of marines, posting new bounties - they were less straining. But, some days there was nothing he needed you for, and so you'd default back to your Captain's side and do what he needed.

Yesterday had been like that. You'd found the crew working hard, asked where you needed, and you simply joined them. First was moving a new shipment from the docks to the big top, then was transporting some of the new shipment to different areas of the island, then erecting a new tent, then moving old and broken materials to another part of the island for disposal. It'd been a lot of heavy lifting and walking, which was awful for your joints, but you'd gotten on with the work despite the discomfort.

Today, you were in awful pain. You'd managed to make it to breakfast with a grimace on your face and a small limp, and the crew had been worried. You'd intended to ignore it, until Cabaji snitched on you to Buggy, who sent you back to bed to rest. He'd scolded you, but he'd done it gently and with concern. He struggled with pain too, and yet he never seemed to stop, so you'd called him a hypocrite under your breath before retreating to your hammock to take a nap. You'd been tired anyway.

You were woken again not even an hour later by Crocodile himself, who had apparently been looking for you to get some work done for him. Daz Bones was elsewhere, and so he'd had to find you personally.

"Sir?" You asked, rubbing a hand over your face with a yawn. You enjoyed the short few moments of bliss before your pain kicked in again.

"Why are you still sleeping?" He asked harshly, and you sat up slowly, brows furrowed as you concentrated on not falling while trying to ignore your pain.

"Sorry sir. Captain Buggy sent me back to bed this morning to rest, but I can be ready in ten minutes if I'm needed." You replied, ready to do whatever was needed. You liked Crocodile a lot, more than you probably should, you were only too happy to assist him.

"Why the hell would he do that?" Crocodile questioned with a sneer, looking you up and down as if scanning for injuries.

"I have chronic pain, sir. I overworked myself yesterday and woke this morning in more pain than usual. But, I'm prepared to work if you need me." You wanted to be honest, because you didn't doubt that Crocodile would be able to identify a lie immediately, but you also didn't want to lose his favour. Those quiet afternoons you spent together both doing paperwork had a special place in your heart. Crocodile regarded you for a long moment, considering his next steps. All you could do was sit and not wither under his gaze.

"I understand the feeling," he said after a moment, words clipped as if he didn't really want to be talking about it, "don't push yourself so hard. I'll speak with Buggy about having you work with me full time, doing less strenuous things." Crocodile nodded once he was done, mostly to himself, pleased with the course of action.

"Whatever you'd like, sir. I'm happy to help." You replied, and you were in fact only took happy to do what he'd suggested. You could see the way Crocodile chewed the inside of his cheek with uncertainty for a moment, a side effect of not having a cigar in his mouth, and then he shook his head and returned to himself.

"Yes, well. Rest today, captain's orders, I'll see you bright and early tomorrow." And then he turned and left before you could respond or argue.

You had a lot of mornings with Crocodile in your future, it would appear.

Requests are open! See below links for my other works, and how to leave requests. I write both canon/canon and canon/reader requests for your enjoyment

AO3 | Fanfic Masterlist | Request Rules | Fic Trades Guide | WIPs

Tags: @claryeverlarkf

[candytrashpanda]

Xeno NSFW Alphabet

Fandom: Dr Stone

Character(s): Xeno Wingfield

Warnings: None

Notes: Weeee I'm finally free from requests!! This was the last thing on my to-do list! There's a couple stragglers I may or may not try and do later if I'm in the right mood but as far as I'm concerned right now I'm caught up. I'll reopen requests when I post next, tho I'm not sure what it'll be yet. We'll see! I'm back into BSD so probably something to do with that show.

ao3 | Ko-Fi

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

He'll pat you on the back and give you a kiss, tell you you did good with a little smirk on his face, leaves for just a few minutes to clean up, and hold you until he falls asleep. (He sometimes forgets the cleanup step of the process, something he usually regrets in the morning when he wakes up all sticky and clammy.)

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

He doesn't think much about his own physical appearance, but he quite likes his fingers. They're useful for many things, from fine tuning equipment to making you moan for him.

On your side, he likes your eyes, your face in general really. He thinks you're absolutely beautiful, and loves seeing your facial expressions as he fucks you.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

He doesn't want too much of a mess, so he prefers to keep things contained when he comes, if you catch my drift. Condoms are ideal, if they're available, but if not.. I hope you don't mind swallowing.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He's thought up ideas to spice up your love life on occasion, but they just never came to fruition. He has blueprints drawn up for sex toys somewhere, but they're forced to sit in a drawer, unspoken of, because it would probably be a waste of resources at this point.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

He honestly doesn't have that much experience. He's had a couple of flings in his adult life, but never bothered with a long term relationship before you, he was always just too busy. While he knows, generally, how to make another person feel good, you might need to teach him some of the finer points of a relationship.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

He likes having you in his lap- it makes him feel 'in charge', while still giving you control of the pace and giving him a nice view.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

He doesn't think humor has any place in the bedroom. If there's an awkward or funny moment, it'll probably kill the mood for him and he'll need a few minutes to get back into it.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He shaves. Pubic hair isn't exactly elegant in his eyes.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

He tends to come across as pretty cold and distant while in the act, like he's focused solely on his own pleasure- which he mostly is, honestly. He'll make sure you're satisfied in the end, but his primary focus is on making sure he gets off.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

He usually jacks off maybe once or twice a week, slightly less often when he's in a committed relationship. He doesn't approach you every single time he's a little horny (it just isn't always practical), so he knows very well how to get himself off, and doesn't mind taking his time with it when he has the spare time to do so.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Xeno isn't the most kinky, but he does enjoy some light dom/sub action- he's the dominant one, of course. It doesn't typically get too intense, but he finds a bit of restraint and maybe the occasional spanking very hot.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

He mostly prefers to stay at home, where it's comfortable and safe, but he has a mild interest in semi-public sex. Some place that someone might just walk in on.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

He's not hard to get going. Put on some sexy lingerie and act submissive. Offer him a little massage after a hard day's work. Anything like that.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

While he's okay with some light pain, he won't do anything too intense, and isn't interested in anything he'd consider gross- so, no bodily fluids. He also just won't do anything he's already tried and didn't get much out of, even if he didn't mind it too much. He's here to get off, not indulge you.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

He strongly prefers receiving, though he's certainly not bad at giving. He'll give you oral if you didn't come during sex, but he makes sure he's satisfied first.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

He lets you control the pace a lot of the time, but when he is in control, he tends to keep it on the slower, but still a bit rough side- "sensual" definitely isn't the right word, he still puts some power behind his thrusts even if he's moving slowly.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

He doesn't mind a quickie sometimes, but it's not his favorite. He likes being able to take his time, and if there's not enough time for that he'll probably just jack off instead of seeking you out, unless you're already right there and also in the mood.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Yes, and yes. He'll try new things out at least once if you bring it up- being a bit vanilla, he probably won't bring it up himself, though, and if he doesn't like it the first time, probably won't indulge you again.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

His stamina isn't incredible, but it isn't terrible. He lasts long enough for you to have a good time, although he can only go for one round before hed need a long break and maybe a nap to recover.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

He is a fan of toys. He had a few for himself before the petrification, and he would love to introduce some to your relationship now, post-petrification- if he could get away with making some, of course.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Let's just say he loves to see you squirm. When he's in a really dominant mood, it can almost reach a point of sadism, going a little too slow, not letting you reach your peak, until you just can't stand it anymore and maybe a little longer after that.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Pretty quiet, but he lets out little noises sometimes. Soft groans, sharp breaths, maybe a few words.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Although he's pretty dominant, he also likes to bottom. He's a power bottom, he likes to still be in control- but the important part is he'd enjoy being fucked up the ass, if you've got the equipment for it or are willing to peg him.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

It's decently long, and somewhat thin, with a bit of a curve. If a penis can be truly described as elegant, his definitely is.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Not low, not high, right down the middle, really. On his own, he'll probably want sex maybe once a week, but if you want it more he'll rarely turn you down.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

You might not expect it, but he tends to fall asleep pretty quickly after sex, even if just for an hour or two. It's pretty much the easiest way to get him to sleep- he otherwise stays up and doesn't get much rest.

[starrywooyo]

DEAREST: CHP ONE

pairing: ot8! ateez x fem reader

genre: mafia au

!!warnings(per chapter)!! !NONE FOR NOW!

word count: 1.5K

taglist: (lmk if you want removed/added

@scuzmunkie @santineez @yoonshiiu @stayatinykatsy @nuggiesnuggetdog04 @hon3ysun

synopsis: new town, new city, new country again.. will it be permanent this time? the friends you make.. are they honest? relationships? who's telling the truth..? what is the truth.. who should you believe?

notes: first official chapter~~ hellooo! I'm s sorry it took so long.. its not as long a chapter i would like but id rather post this the now and give you something than keep you guys waiting longer.. with that.. i hope you guys enjoy and.. happy new year!! happy 2025!!

series masterlist | prologue | next chapter | main masterlist |

 You walk up a few more steps and take a seat at the long table.. ‘Wooyoung’ who you've just been introduced to turns around in his seat leaning his head on his now propped up arms.

“So pretty.. Where are you from never seen you around here before~” he smiles up at you

“Ahaha yeah.. Um.. I'm actually not from anywhere really..” you say and he looks up at you confused..

“My father.. He moves locations at work a lot so we’re never in one place or country for too long..i was born here though and did stay here in my grandparents estate until i was like 7 or 8..”

“Ooooh I see.. So.. how’d you know our Yun, pretty? Are you together?”

“Oh- no no no!! Nothing like that.. Apparently his family is friends with mine? Or well my grandparents..?” you answer back very quickly..

“So you don't have a boyfriend then?”

“Wooyoung!” yunho warns

“What! It's valuable info.. I don't want some guy coming after me if she does..”

“I uh.. I dont no… i'm never in a place long enough to.. “

He opens his mouth to speak again but the lecturer enters the room.

“Good Morning class. Oh? It appears we have a new face in our homeroom.. Hi i’m Mr Kim, this homeroom isn't anything strict please just think of it as a chill space before your lectures. If you want to introduce yourself you can.”

You stand and clear your throat.

“Hi I'm y/n.. I uh.. I've never been in one place too long but I hope to make and be good friends with you all.”

Some students smile, others are just not very interested..

“Thank you y/n.. I hope you enjoy being in our homeroom and that the guys will treat you kindly.. Now.. lets see here…” the homeroom teacher trails off and begins daily announcements and just little things we should know before the day starts. Then we just have free time.. To which yunho uses to look over your schedule properly.

“Mmm.. seems you’re in the same building as me most of the time so i can take you to your classes while you get used to the layout.. Apart from your art lecture period.. That's on the whole other side of the campus…” he trails off

“I don't mind escorting the pretty lady to the music and arts dept~ would be an honor as a gentleman” wooyoung says, turning around in his seat.. Kinda biting his lip. 

“To hell I'd let you take her woo.. I'll get hongjoong to take her..”

“WHAT- oops.. I mean what.. You’d let hongjoong take her? Isn't he worse than me-”yunho quickly kicks the back of Wooyoung's chair.

“Fine.. jongho then.. He's got music during that period so music rooms just down the hall from the art dept. Don't worry y/n.. Jongho.. He's quiet but he's nice.”

..

So the day goes on and yunho true to his word, escorts you to all your lectures and picks you up from them. 

It's a bit overwhelming needing to introduce yourself in every class but.. It had to be done.. In all honesty you just wanna go back home, you're that socially drained. 

Thankfully it's lunch.. 

“Yeah so this is the cafeteria… The lunches and stuff they serve are pretty good.. Open all day so if you ever get an extra free period you can always come in for a snack or y’know.. Or of course bring your own lunches, that's totally okay too.." Yunho says as he holds the door open for you.. 

You both collect a tray of food and side dishes 

“Come on, you can sit with me”

“Is that.. Really a good idea..?” 

Yunho lets out a breathy laugh

 “I mean sit yourself if you want but.. Isn't it better to sit with someone on the first day? Y’know socialise? Besides.. You've got art next and jonghos sitting with wooyoung already so wouldn't it be good to know your new escort for your last lecture??” 

“I.. I suppose you’re right.” 

So you follow him to the table where the two other guys sit

“Ooooh hey again pretty~”

“Wooyoung.” yunho warns again just like in the class 

“Oh y/n this is jongho.. Jongho y/n shes new”

“Yeah.. she's the girl you got told to help this morning.. I know..” jongho says as she eats a bit of his food. 

“Yeah.. that's right.. I was hoping you could take her to the art and music department on campus after lunch since it's on the other side of campus from my last few lectures..? You're going to the music room right?”

Jomgho hums at that..

“I suppose I could take her.. For you..” he says

“Thank you..” you say 

To that he just kinda gives you a smile.. 

The rest of the lunch you just eat in the sort of awkward silence with wooyoung occasionally asking you a question.. 

Then once you finished your lunch you all take your trays and put them away and discard any rubbish. 

Yunho bids you all farewell as he heads in the opposite direction and you just silently follow jongho through the building until you get to the exit to walk across the campus towards the art and music department building.. 

“So.. you do music?” you ask him

He nods a little

“Yeah… that's right..”

“What do you play..?”

“Guitar… I sing a little too..”

Oh.. he plays.. 

“That's nice.. Guitar and singing go well with each other..” 

He just hums again and gets his id card out and buzzes the door open to the building and enters holding the door for you..  And you walk down the hall 

“What room is your art room?” he asks..

“Oh..” you struggle a bit and get your printed schedule out of your bag..

“A-1117?” 

“Mmh you're up the stairs then.. This way..” he leads you up the flight of stairs ..

And sure enough on a little stick out sign..

A-1115… A-1116.. A-1117.. On the far end..

“Oh… I see it.. Thank you jongho.. You don't need to walk me to the door.. Thank you for showing me the way.” you smile at him and bow.

He just smiles, but it's a small one “no problem..” and turns and makes his way back down the stairs..

You walk down the hall and then into the room..

It's a wide open space, tables and various art supplies neatly tucked away.. Some students already in there

“You must be y/n?.. I'm your lecturer but you can just call me jenny.. Pick a desk anywhere.. We’re not drawing today just doing some theory..”

“Aah okay.. Thank you..

… 

After your art lecture jenny had told you about some books you should pick up from the campus library a girl in your art class kindly showed you the way 

But shoot that is a bi stack of art books.. Only a few would fit in your backpack so you had to carry the rest.. You thank the librarian who got you the books and after checking them out you make your way to the doors of the library.

You struggle but eventually get the door open and slip out.. You walk down the hall carrying the stack of books, one of the top ones begin to slip and of course gravity pulls it to the ground.. 

“Oh..” 

You turn and shift the stack into one arm.. And bend down to pick the fallen book up.. Only another arm has extended to pick it up.. One tatted up with a sleeve..

“Here, let me get that for you” your gaze meets the face of the man

He helps you stand upright and let sout a cheeky laugh

“That's a lot of books is it not? Art student?”

“Yeah.. something like that..”

“D’you need a hand getting to where you're going or..” he trails still holding the book..

“I think i can manage..” just as you say that some more books begin to move in the pile as you try and move them back to the middle.. And onto the ground.. 

The man laughs.. 

“Sure you can, princess.. Come on. I'll help you carry them to your car..assuming.. You're getting picked up?” he says as he picks the fallen books up as well as taking a few more from your stack.

“Ah.. well thank you.. I appreciate it..”

And so you walk with the man through the campus and to the parking lot where others are getting picked up by their chauffeurs

You see the family driver standing outside the car..

“It's just that one there.. “

He walks towards the car and opens the door on the other side placing your books on the seat.. 

The driver opens your side

“Oh um.. Thank you for helping me..” you trail off not knowing the guys name

He opens his mouth to speak.

“Hongjoooong!! Come on!! We’re gonna be late..” a voice calls from a little bit away.. 

Wooyoung and another few boys stand.. 

He turns and gives them a thumbs up..

“Hongjoong.. My names hongjoong..”

“Well thank you hongjoong..”

“No problem princess” he does a little bow and runs off to catch up with his friends.. And you get in the car…

So that's hongjoong? He.. didn't seem as bad as wooyoung said..

[1tsstargaze59]

College AU Chapter 4 DROP 🧡💜

Sorry I didn't write for this AU in a while ^^" I got writers block TvT Then it was exam period in college and then the holidays- *oof* BUT IM BACK NOW, AND 2 CHAPTERS AWAY FROM THE END!!!

Actually, this chapter was inspired by @eechytooru 's artwork, same as the rest of the AU lol, but I mean specifically the doodle where they're playing chess in this post

(Do you guys have any idea how far I had to scroll to get this link??? XD) Anyway, you'll see why JSUT READ QISBWKSO-

Chapter 4 : Checkmates

Anne and Saddie, arms linked, walked up to the chess club doorstep one peaceful Monday afternoon. Anna had figured fewer people stay past class hours on Mondays, so there would be a lot less pressure. Having prepared herself for this, she felt a surge of energy throughout her body, and she had a smile from ear to ear.

"Thank you again, Saddie. You know, you really didn't need to accompany me, though."

"I'll be honest and say it was more for my nerves than your own," she admitted.

Anna-lee chuckled, "Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow morning!" She waved goodbye to her senior and opened the door. The bright light of the room pouring into the hall.

Sitting at the front desk of the club was a smiling woman. She wore a knee-length blue dress with a subtle star pattern over a white t-shirt and a pair of blue ballerinas. The outfit was accessorized with a cute beaded necklace. Her blonde roots stood in harsh contrast to her bright blue pixie cut. Her style was so distinctive that Anne had no problem recognizing her. Her smile spread across her face just a little bit more.

Once the woman laid eyes on her, she sprang out of her seat and grabbed her hand to shake it excitedly, "Hello!!! Oh my gosh, I've heard so many good things about you! It's so nice to finally meet you!"

"You have?," she asked, her voice shaking, "That's great, but hm- what was your name again?"

"Oh, I'm sorry! I can get ahead of myself sometimes; I'm Jocelyn, Jocelyn Meyer, but you can just call me Joy."

"It's nice to meet you too, Joy! Great name, by the way," Anna-lee pointed out.

"Thanks," she humbly accepted the compliment, "I'm assuming you came to check out the club! Would you like a tour, or are you good exploring on your own?" She offered.

"Well– " Anna leaned to her right side, checking out the room behind Joy.

On the left, there were students having coffee and playing card games, comfortably sitting on an assortment of sofas. To her right, a row of tables had more serious students playing a variety of board games, including chess. The entrance's bright yellow light dimmed into a redish hue that gave the rest of the room the air of a casino night. At the very back, Frederick sat at a desk, cabinets, full of board games and other knick-knacks standing tall behind him. He was bent over a ton of paperwork, his eyes darting between two copies, marking notes from time to time in red ink.

"I wouldn't mind an explanation as to why the chess club has much more games than I would have anticipated?" questioned Anna.

"Great question!" The two walked into the club, on their way to the back of the room, "A few years back, we really were just 'the chess club' up until the previous director took her maternity leave. You must know her since she's in your department : Saddie?"

"Yes! She guided me here, actually. I mean, aside from Fred, who's mentioned it in passing," she chuckled nervously.

Jocelyn’s eyebrows frowned and her lips perked.

"What?" Anne asked, her voice shaky, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just still surprised he didn't mention it more considering taking Saddie's place was no small feat. The humble bastard," she elaborated.

Before she could explain further, they had reached Fred’s director’s desk. Anne had a perplexed look on her face. She lifted a finger up to her lip. 

“Fred, could you shed some light on that for me?” asked Joy, but the question flew right past him as he continued his correction work. The girls shared a confused look before Joy hit the desk lightly with both her hands, “Fred?” she repeated, raising her voice ever so slightly.

The man jolted back before looking up. In an instant, his face flushed, his shoulders tensed, and he jumped out of his office chair, hitting his knees on the desk. The yell he stuffed down came out as a squeal. He fell back into his chair, holding his knees as it rolled back, breathing in through his teeth. Anna-lee hid her agape mouth behind her hands, and Joy scrunched her teeth.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” she apologized, “Are you ok?”

“Yup! Give me a moment,” he took a deep breath before standing up straight and waving 'hello' with an embarrassed look on his face, “Hi Anna-lee.”

Anna smiled nervously, returning his little wave. Joy side-eyed her and smirked, “Fred, why haven't you explained to Miss Tyson how you got this position?”

“I... I don't really like to brag,” he responded honestly, returning swiftly to his work.

"Aw, it's not a brag! It's like, like... history! Of the chess club! Come on, tell her!" Joy poked his arm.

Anna-Lee's face lit up, "I like history!"

Fred sighed before explaining without looking away from his paperwork, "When a director leaves their post, the members of the chess club play a chess tournament in which the winner gets to become the new director-"

"He won the last tournament and hasn't lost a single match since!" Joy cheerfully finished his tale, clapping her hands together, proud of him.

Frederick's face flushed red, his eyes rolled in annoyance, and he smiled. Anna-lee looked at him in awe. Then, her brow frowned nefariously, "How offended would you be if I said I didn't believe you?"

He looked up at her again, this time with a serious look on his face, “... Is that a challenge?”

The next thing they knew, they were sitting face to face at a table in the center of the room, the chess board printed onto its surface, patiently awaiting the war of pawns. Jocelyn and a few club members as their audience. The tension in the room was slightly off. Everyone could foresee the outcome of the match, yet Anna-Lee's pure excitement and general brash attitude still had the small audience shaking with anticipation. Joy was referee; she flipped a coin to determine who goes first. Fred guessed his head, Anna guessed tails. The coin landed on tails, so she moved her pawn first. He did the same on his turn. The back and forth went on for five very silent, very focused turns, at least for Anne, who knew who she was up against and tried to do her best. Fred calmly swirled the coffee in his mug after every move, taking a sip from time to time, a smile plastered on his face.

“Checkmate,” he whispered after his fifth turn, having moved the black rook diagonally to the white king.

“Huh? But- Huh,” she scratched her forehead and threw her hands in the air, “I lost.”

Everyone sighed knowingly and casually went back to their own games, “Well, Joy did try to warn you. Hopefully, this didn’t upset you... and you still want to hang out in the club?” asked Fred, nervously hiding his face behind his mug. 

Anne reached over the table and grabbed his left hand, holding it with both of hers, “Let’s play again,” she said dryly, a fire burning in her eyes. 

He looked over at Joy, hoping she’d have something comforting to say or do, but she simply shrugged and went back to the front desk, leaving the two alone, more or less. He smiled at Anna, his eyebrows shaking nervously. 

They played for so long; they had lost track of time. At first, he counted the games he’d won, but he stopped counting after 12; determining that she wouldn’t stop playing until she’d defeated him... He tried giving her tips, but she wouldn’t listen to any of them, saying she preferred to figure it out on her own. Fred couldn’t help but feel bad, not only because playing against a novice this many times made him feel pity, but also because he was genuinely enjoying seeing her plan her moves and get excited over even the slightest bit of progress only to fail anyway and get frustrated. Every time Anna failed, however, it just fueled her passion more. She was frowning almost the entire time, but he thought she looked adorable regardless. Fred silently smiled to himself. Her king piece fell over and over until the club room was left completely empty.

“I don’t mean to interrupt, um, whatever is going on here-” Joy walked up to them, waving her hands at the situation.

“It’s war,” clarified Anna-lee, a straight look on her face.

Joy giggled, “Sure! But um, it’s getting late, and I’d like to head home now.”

“Oh my gosh!" Anna yelled, looking down at her watch, "6PM?? I’m so sorry! I’ll leave now!” She jumped out of her chair and grabbed Jocelyn’s arms, hugging her as thanks, then swiftly running straight out the door. Before she left, however, she peeked her head through the door to say one last thing : "BUT! Don’t think this is over, Frederick! I will defeat you! MARK MY WORDS!” And she slammed the door shut.

The math teachers were left speechless. Fred swirled his mug one last time.

“Hey~ looks like someone's made a rival,” Jocelyn teased him, hitting his left arm with her elbow.

Fred tried to take a sip of his cup, but his tongue was left dry, “I think I’m gonna need more coffee.”

—————

For the next few days, Anna-lee showed up at the chess club after class, asking Fred for at least one match, to which he’d concede. She became an official member after her third day. Their games got progressively longer. She’d smile at him every time he realized she'd made unexpected progress, but no matter what technique she tried, Anne would always lose. Despite this, Anna-lee loved playing against him. Something about the competition, the goal she’d set for herself, made her feel alive. She had researched the history of chess and various chess strategies on her own time; spending hours sitting in her bed, curled up over her computer screen, reading. If she was to play against anyone else, she would most likely win, or at least she likes to believe that she could, but ultimately, she didn’t want to beat anyone else. She wanted to defeat Fred. Anna hasn’t had this much fun in a while. Now, when she enters the club, she feels right at home. Where she belongs. The red velvet walls give her a warm, comforting embrace. 

She sat at the chess table in front of Fred once more, holding out a coin.

“I’m ready when you are,” he said.

Anna flipped the coin, guessing heads. It landed on tails.

“Darn!” she cursed under her breath, which made Fred laugh.

The black and white checkered pattern of the board matched his sweater vest. Oftentimes, as silly as it sounded, Anna wondered if it gave him some sort of advantage. It almost seemed like every piece on the board was on his side, like she was playing against the game itself. Perhaps it was just an impression she got from not looking at him- enough? Her eyes darted up at him, and she was reminded why she so rarely does so. His dark eyes seemed to have no end. It was as if looking straight up at a clear night sky, the endless sea of stars glistening with hope. She swallowed and looked back down at the game; shaken by how much she had to live up to. In a sharp move, she shoved her bishop across the board; seeking some kind of struggle from him. Instead, he smiled and moved his rook, taking her bishop. Anne scoffed, face flushed.

“Sorry Madam. I will say, you’ve gotten much more confident with your moves,” he shrugged his shoulders ironically.

“That’s not fair. You distracted me!” she playfully pointed at him, her yelling grabbing the club members’ attention.

“How?” he chuckled.

“Huh-" shit-, "with your wits! I guess-”

"...True, I am a scientific calculator; you’re more like a novel,” he boldly stated.

“Huh?” Anna-lee muttered.

The room fell silent.

“I, wait, I mean-”

He scrambled with his words, trying his best to piece together an apology, but it was too late. As seconds passed, the silence in the room rang louder and louder in Anna's ears until she was deaf with anger, “No, you’re right! And you know what? You can have your win! We both know how this ends anyway, right?! Screw the rules, screw your stupid club rules : I FORFEIT!” 

Anna-lee grabbed her things and stormed out the door faster than anyone could process what had just happened. Fred cowarded in his seat, frozen by fear and shame. A dark, misty cloud closed in around him, causing him to shiver.

“Hey,” Joy said, placing her hand on his shoulder.

He looked up at her, speechless.

“I know you didn’t mean what you said, but then... why?”

All he could do was shake his head.

—————

It's been a few days since the two have spoken, and Fred still feels awful about it. Anna-lee had been avoiding him, missing their usual meet-up times on tuesdays and ignoring him in the halls. The only moments she even acknowledged his presence were at the chess club. She came in every other day to challenge him to a match, but only under the condition they did not speak during the game. He had no idea why he kept accepting this. He needed to talk to her about this, but if he did, it would break her trust, and she'd probably stop going to the club at all. He'd never see her again... over a game of chess? No. This was his fault. He had to fix this. He had a plan, but he had a strong suspicion that she was not going to like it.

Tuesday, after his class, he stayed in the classroom for as long as necessary. Just as he thought, Anna-lee showed up 15 minutes before her class began, way past their usual meeting time. When she entered the room, her eyes widened at the sight of him, and as she spun around to leave, her face frowned.

"Wait! Anna-lee, can we talk?" Fred rushed to meet up with her in the hall.

"What is there to talk about, Fred?!" She turned around to face him, "I thought I was finally getting closer to you, being curious about an interest of yours, but clearly, I was wrong to think we could even be- compatible, since you've shown you don't actually respect my discipline!"

"I didn't mean any of that!"

"I don't care! All I want is an apology!"

"But you yelled at me and ran out without letting me apologize! And you're doing it again! How am I supposed to make it up to you if you won't even TALK to me!?"

Anna was taken aback. She was speechless.

"... Will you please listen to me?"

"OK- go on."

"I didn't mean to insult your discipline. If you know me at ALL, you know how much I respect youand I'd never insult you intentionally. I was trying to come up with a... a 'roast'? You know, playful banter, like we usually have, but I said the first thing that came to mind, and I didn't think about what I was saying until... well until I had said it," his voice got weaker and shaky as he explained, his body folding in on itself.

Anna's face softened, and she stepped closer to him.

"I'm sorry. It was never my intention to insult you or your intelligence..." With his next thought, he gained some of his spirit back, "Actually, you're one of the smartest people I know."

She looked a little surprised at first, but then she smiled.

"You're smart and funny," he complimented her, slowly holding out his hands to grab hers and gently guiding her closer to him, "And if we ever were to get lost in a crowd of people, I know I'd always be able to pick you out amongst them, because you are radiant."

Anna-lee giggled, her laugh causing her to lean onto him, "Oh Fred, never change," she gave him a hug and sighed before pulling away to look at him, "You're right, I'm sorry I didn't speak to you sooner. I let my feelings get in the way of problem solving, and it just left both of us in an uncomfortable situation. I was acting childish - c-could you forgive me?" Her voice cracked, and her eyes shined. She clung into his sleeves nervously.

"Of course! So long as you forgive me," he raised his left eyebrow, tilted his head, and smirked.

Anna-lee chuckled, "Don't waste my time! I have a class to give!" She pulled away from him and walked up to the door.

"But you do forgive me, right?"

"Yes, Fred, I do."

"Great! I'll see you... after class? At the chess club?"

"Yes sir! And you better be prepared for the match of a lifetime!" She threatened him playfully.

Fred smiled, a sappy, enamored smile, as he walked away, wishing 3 hours could pass by as quickly as 3 seconds would.

—————

"Prepare yourself, Fred, 'cause I'm about to rock. Your. World!" warned Anna-lee, sitting across her opponent at the chess table.

"Should I be scared or intrigued?" asked Frederick with a shaky voice, making sure he was in the right mindset before the game.

"Preferably : both."

"OK, good. Then consider me prepared!"

(Author's note: GET A ROOM!!!!!)

Every member of the chess club was present for the match, impatiently leaning in to watch the show. Joy was very excited for this particular match, as her friends had finally gotten back to their usual banter. She refereed once more, flipped a coin and determined Anna would go first.

With each turn, the tension in the air strung itself just a little tighter. Fred was smiling like a dork at first, happy to be playing with her like normal again, until he realized that she was taking quite a few more of his pieces then he'd like. Did his feelings get in the way of his strategizing? They haven't gotten in the way before; what gives? Everytime he made a move, Anne swiftly countered it. Eventually, he understood : Anna-lee was using his own technique against him. His face melted into a frightened shock, his mouth agape. When she saw this, she smiled devilishly. He looked up at her, his hands starting to shake nervously, then back down at the board. He swallowed. The tables had turned. A drop of sweat trailed down his jawline. The back and forth went on for five more very silent, very focused turns, at least for Fred, who knew what he was up against and had no idea how he could win. Anna-lee calmly moved her pieces, a smile plastered on her face.

"Checkmate!" She shouted and jumped out of her seat once her queen had finally, finally cornered his king. The whole room burst into cheers and hugs; she had accomplished what they'd all thought to be impossible!

"YA!!! I have been waiting to use these for so long!" Jocelyn jumped at Anna, throwing a cape around her shoulders and placing a handmade paper crown on her head, which filled her heart with joy. With all the club members surrounding her and congratulating her, Anna's cheeks started to hurt from how hard she was smiling, a tear almost forming in her eye.

Fred was still sitting down; leaning over the board in disbelief. He lay his head in his left hand and picked up his king piece; sliding it over next to her queen piece, "Congrats," he said, in awe of her. Soft. Humble.

Anna-lee blinked twice and froze; her breath was cut short. For just a moment, everything else ceased to be. For just a moment, she looked into his eyes and got lost in them again.

Chapters: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6

—————

The chapters only get longer from here, sorry gang XD

Redraw reward of my doodle from the last chapter as a thx for reading uvu🧡💜

[wileys-russo]

as you would assume all alessia x reader 😭

getting into a fight with alessia, would she be stubborn or very apologetic

alessia not being able to sleep without physical touch, but you can't sleep because you're too hot

being up late studying but alessia is tired from training and just wants to cuddle up but you really can't yet

taking care of her after a rough day

you don't need to post this one, just a couple ideas :]

couldn't fit all of these into one blurb but did a lil clingy gf less moment bc we love a touch starved blondie

touch starved II a.russo

"i can clean up later baby you look shattered, please go to bed." you tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind your girlfriends ear, no denying you were positively infatuated with the striker.

"only if you come with me." alessia demanded with a pout, balling your top in her fists and tugging your body closer, your arms wrapping around her and playing with the baby hairs on the back of her neck, the italian a good half a foot taller than you.

"i'll be in later i have to finish this paper, its due by midnight." you bit your lip guiltily, admittedly having procrastinated your uni assignment just a little too long. "are you gonna be in the living room?" the blonde asked hopefully, assuming she could then at least lay down beside you as you worked.

"office, i need the scanner and printer." you shook your head, stomach lurching with guilt as the girls face visibly dropped at the answer she had hoped against hearing. "tomorrows my rest day i'll just stay up and wait for you, watch some more of my show." alessia decided, unwrapping herself from you and heading for the lounge.

"less you've been up since like four in the morning, just go to bed." you smiled at the stubborn nature of the older girl who shook her head, curling up into a ball on the lounge and flicking on the tv.

"i can't sleep without you there." alessia frowned and your heart melted at her words. "yes you can, you manage it on away games and camps." you smiled, cupping her face and tracing the frown lines on her forehead, smoothing them out with your thumbs.

"that's different!" alessia protested, though she visibly struggled in trying to explain how.

"fine but don't fall asleep in here, you'll hurt your neck again!" you cut in to save her further struggle and warned seriously as the striker rolled her eyes. you bent down to peck her lips before padding off to your office, which was really just the third bedroom of your shared flat. alessia often needing a quiet neutral space to do her media duties you'd both deemed it a more appropriate use of the space since you already had a guest bedroom set up.

around an hour and a half later you were tracking along well, you had another two hours until your paper was due and you were already halfway done.

craving something sweet to help your motivation levels you made your way toward the kitchen, though glancing over at the lounge you sighed noting the now dead asleep mop of blonde hair still curled up in a ball.

switching routes you made a beeline for your girlfriend, squatting down beside her and gently poking at the blonde who groaned and turned around to her other side as you turned off the tv.

"babe please go to bed!" you requested while shaking her as her bright blue eyes sleepily fluttered open and she stretched, the slight wince on her face as she moved her neck not going unnoticed by you.

"told you your neck would hurt you idiot." you remanded with a shake of your head, standing and offering her a hand up, a mistake on your behalf as the girl interlocked your fingers but instead pulled you to fall on top of her, long limbs wrapping tightly around you.

"alessia!" you laughed trying to squirm out of her grip but with the taller girls build much more muscular than your own, there really wasn't a point. "don't leave me i miss you, i haven't seen you all day." she mumbled into your shoulder as you rolled your eyes playfully.

"you were only at training for a few hours, we just had dinner together and i'm right here!" you rewarded her neediness with a kiss, alessia's large hands making their way under your top and caressing your bare back. her perfectly manicured nails gently scratched against your skin and your eyes fluttered closed in relief, a sense of calm settling over you, you could happily melt into the girl and never get up again.

but unfortunately you knew this was an option not available for the taking.

"do you not love me?" you asked rhetorically, snapping the half asleep girl to attention as she scoffed. "of course i do what sort of a question is that?" she accused only hugging you tighter as she pushed her legs to slot inbetween your own, your body now well and truly trapped in her iron clad grip.

"loving partners let their girlfriends do their assignments and further their education, do you not want to be able to brag that your girlfriends a fully qualified physiotherapist?" you challenged, admittedly now becoming quite uncomfortable in her grip, it was peak summer and without the luxury of air conditioning you were beginning to get quite hot tucked in so close together.

"actually no because then everyone's going to want your hands on them. don't pretend like you haven't already promised half the girls free massages and adjustments once you graduate!" alessia quipped, though the pride and adoration in her eyes betrayed the playful sarcasm of her statement.

"yeah these magic healers will sadly no longer only belong to you!" you grinned wiggling your hands in her face as she rolled her eyes and playfully bit the tip of your index finger, you flicking at her nose in retaliation.

"but seriously i need to finish my paper and though you are the hottest girl on the planet right now you are actually the hottest girl on the planet, i'm melting!" you whined, alessia allowing you to pull her hands off and untangling her legs from yours.

"go to bed my love, i'll be there in like an hour once i finish." you assured, alessia nodding with a defeated sigh as the two of you stood, exchanging a lingering hug and a goodnight kiss before you parted ways.

alessia headed off to the bathroom to get ready for bed and you back to the office, though not before a quick detour to the kitchen for something sweet.

"if you're not beside me in an hour i'm coming to get you!" alessia yelled from the bedroom before you heard a loud squeak and a thud which would have been the blonde belly flopping onto the mattress as she did every night, normally on top of you.

smiling at her words you zoned back into your paper, eyes flicking between your computer screen and your pile of messily scribbled notes which were spread everywhere all over the desk around you.

true to her word and being unable to fully fall asleep without you beside her in bed, alessia leant against the doorway exactly an hour later, clearing her throat as you spun around in your chair to face her.

giving her a brief look of both guilt and nerves you didn't have to say much more for alessia to catch on you still weren't finished. "i'll be back again in twenty minutes, and if you're still not done then i'll be back every ten minutes after that for a kiss." the blonde pouted as you couldn't help but smile at her clingy nature, this nothing new as the harder the striker was pushed in training the more she sought out your affections when she returned home, nodding in agreement.

"i'm trying." you assured seriously and your girlfriends face softened. "i know, and i want you to get it done so we can spend the day together tomorrow stress free. i've got plans!" alessia tilted up your chin, pecking your lips as you gave her a curious look.

"plans?" "for me to know, for you to eventually find out." "that's not a terrifying thought." "are you accusing me of being a bad planner?" "well...you did forget our-" "for the one hundreth time i didn't forget our anniversary, i just simply got the dates mixed up."

"do your paper, i love you." alessia stole another kiss, running a hand fondly through your hair before padding back off to the bedroom.

what felt like only minutes later, though you knew had been much longer due to your girlfriend popping in repeatedly to steal a kiss and try to hurry you into bed with her, you bit down on your bottom lip as your eyes glanced down at the time, seeing you suddenly had only five more minutes to finish your references index.

muttering to yourself your fingers flew curiously across the keyboard, and with what was surely seconds to spare you clicked submit, exhaling deeply and leaning back in your chair, burying your face tiredly in your hands.

closing your computer you darted quickly around the flat, locking up and flicking off lights and lamps, eventually stepping into your bedroom with a small sigh of relief, checking the window was cracked open to try and diffuse the heat of the sticky summer night.

alessia sent you a toothy smile as she scrolled through her phone, eyes occasionally flicking up to stare at you as you changed into an oversized shirt, tossing your shorts and bra into a corner to be dealt with tomorrow.

"hiii." alessia grinned and opened her arms as you finally made your way toward the bed, the girl laying on top of the covers due to the heat. "hello." you smiled tiredly and collapsed into her, reaching over to flick off the bedside lamp, engulfing the room into darkness as alessia placed her phone on charge.

sincere words of endearment whispered inbetween tender kisses and soft giggles, the two of you slowly began to doze off, though no sooner had alessias body relaxed did yours tense up, the combined body heat of the two of you making your brow line bead with sweat.

checking the italian was soundly sleeping you carefully shuffled away, placing a bit of distance between the two of you as your eyes shut, finally starting to drift off.

"c'mere." alessia mumbled tiredly, reaching blindly back out for you eventually grasping at your top, pulling you back toward her.

"baby i'm sweating its so hot, can we just have a little bit of space? we can still hold hands?" you tried to bargain softly, gently removing her hands from where they clenched tightly to your top and interlinking your fingers, alessia mumbling something incoherent but not making any move to argue as you let out a quiet sigh of relief.

though it couldn't have even been a few seconds later before there was rustling beside you and alessias body flopped on top of yours, the taller blonde burying her face in your neck and grabbing your arms, tiredly wrapping them around herself as she tangled her legs with yours and muttered something you again couldn't quite understand.

sighing in defeat you slid a hand up her top and began to absentmindedly trace patterns on her back, moving your other hand to tangle in her golden locks and scratching your nails against her scalp like you knew she loved, pressing a kiss to her warm forehead and accepting you simply weren't going to sleep well tonight.

but for the seemingly touch starved blonde sleeping soundly on top of you, it would always be worth it.