#Thank you all for another wonderful and silly year. I look forwards to celebrating many more Almost Christmas' with you.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

It's that (Almost Christmas) time of year again!

(2023) (2024)

[amarynthian-chronicles]

Celestial Christmas

(Merry Christmas darling @amymaleneart , I am your Secret Santa!!!! Here is some cozy cuteness for you to enjoy, all of your celestial boys celebrating the holiday with you. I wish you all the best and merriest of Christmases, all the love, the softest and nicest things, and the best New Year of 2025)

You were sitting on a nest of cushions, observing as the giant Cosmodian beings were comically running around and making a rather splendid rendition of a Christmas gathering.

Little harpy chicks Sun and Moon were nesting next to you, wearing cozy Christmas sweaters and watching the aliens curiously. It was all rather silly, and they would look at each other each time their alien counterparts would trip over a wayward decoration on the floor.

Dr. Sun spoke in a cheerful manner, waving his tail happily as he tried to get your official stamp of approval for his actions.

"Sweetheart! We can always add more lights if needed, we truly wish to provide the most authentic experience."

You giggled, unable to hide your mirth at the whole situation.

"Well, it seems mostly in order. You boys seem to be getting better at this!"

Dr. Moon appeared, carrying a few more boxes of presents and placing them under the Christmas tree.

"Dearest, we would love to hear more of your input. It is so exciting to engage in these interesting human customs. I believe we have most items on the list all checked off."

Seeing these majestic and fluffy Cosmodian beings go to such lengths to create this special moment for you was very heartwarming. It was your first Christmas to celebrate together with all of your celestial creations, and the boys were quite serious about making everything absolutely perfect.

Dr. Sun had even managed to convince his brothers to learn how to knit the very same sweaters that the baby harpy chicks were currently wearing. It was rather silly seeing the three of them make their way through the treacherous realm of knitting with their claws.

You smiled at the memory.

Just then, Captain Eclipse had entered the room, wearing a giant version of a chef uniform and pushing a cart that contained a small feast. Roast turkey, potatoes, freshly baked bread. His tail was also comically wrapped around an entire bag full of files. "I had done extensive research on the holiday and human cuisine. We shall make this the best Christmas ever for you, our starlight!"

You could not help but laugh "I am truly surprised and I appreciate all of this, my dear Captain. I thank you very much."

He made an elegant bow "all for our esteemed and beautiful starlight."

The harpy chicks seemed both confused and amused with the whole thing, but they made themselves comfy in your arms. You held them close, loving the warmth of their soft feathers.

"See, little ones? Look how sweet your counterparts are being." The harpy chicks chirped and nuzzled you to show their love. They also wondered when they could snatch some of the treats that were waiting on the table.

Dr. Moon winked at you "we have another little surprise for you. Another one of us shall be coming shortly, he is the most recent addition to your creations and he has a special show ready for you."

You tilted your head in surprise "Oh? My, my, I am looking forward to see what more you all have in store for me!"

You had to hold your tears back. It was all so beautiful, so magnificent. There was warmth, a promise of care and softness. Perhaps in this tiny stolen moment you could find peace.

The tree was marvelously decorated, so many celestial ornaments, but also hand-crafted decorations that the boys had made. Even little letters with messages of love and adoration. You couldn't wait to open all of the presents that were underneath the tree, the wrappings with patterns of suns and crescent moons.

You could allow yourself to feel loved and safe in this one moment, completely devoid of past and future, one comfortable moment in the present where you could allow yourself to relax and breathe.

Sweet scents. Lemon meringue pie and chai. Lavender and blueberry. Freshly roasted feast. Marvellous, marvellous.

You were suddenly distracted from your thoughts as the fluffy Cosmodians sat next to you, cuddling close.

"It is beginning, it is beggining! He is here!"

You blinked at them in confusion "hmm?"

The lights turned off, leaving all in darkness, save for the sparkly Christmas lights on the tree and along the walls. The ceiling suddenly was bathed in stars, as if to mimic the night sky. A few moments passed and a spotlight appeared right next to the Christmas tree, almost akin to a Broadway show or a similar stage performance.

An elegant Eclipse animatronic stood there, wearing a magnificently tailored suit, far more elaborate and gaudy than the ones he would have in the speakeasy. He was grinning at you, his golden eyes holding pure adoration and desire.

He held the microphone close, winking at you, making your cheeks burn and blush. His voice was deep and gravelly, almost sinful, and yet with such a beauty that was rare to find.

"I dedicate this one to my most dazzling sweetheart, heart of my heart, my fiery darling."

Music played, echoing across the entire area, reminiscing an era long gone, an era of ladies and gentlemen in Art Deco dance halls and speakeasies. As charming as Frank Sinatra, Eclipse was singing softly, swaying, moving closer to the audience.

The Cosmodians gently hummed in unison, enjoying the display. The harpy chicks were fascinated and made happy noises, amused with all of this wonder and lovelines they had been experiencing for the first time in their young lives.

It was so perfect, so cozy. You could not contain your joy anymore and you allowed tears to flow as Eclipse reached for your hand, kneeling before you and singing.

He invited you to stand up and gently dance with him, as he wrapped one arm around you, holding the microphone with his other hand still. This Eclipse was indeed rather villainous in your stories, but you could not deny how lovely it was to hear him sing for you. Tender, so tender.

"And have yourself a merry little Christmas now..."

You closed your eyes as he leaned to press a kiss to your cheek and your forehead.

What else could be appropriate for you to do now?

Perhaps make a wish?

Your wish.

A wish that may only be heard by the stars, but you needed to make it anyway.

May this moment never truly end, and may the beauty of this perfect second follow you for eternity, no matter the universe, no matter the world. You are safe and adored. You were happy.

Merry Christmas to all.

[septnautical]

Septnautical’s 5th year Anniversary Celebration Information!!

Okay guppies I got SUPER busy working on something else today and the rest of my week is packed. As much as I wanted to do our 5 year anniversary on the actual day (Friday, March 17th) I just don’t see that happening :( but!! I still wanna do this stream and an event to help celebrate this story and all of you who still enjoy it despite our many hiatuses!

So weee can open writing requests for this month or get to past ones that I will add to my current writing list that I will prioritize in my schedule for next week and beyond!

And I’m gonna try to move this drawing/celebration stream to either Sunday or Monday of this week! I’m gonna make a poll here to see what works for y’all and will let y’all know Sunday when to tune in! And if you have suggestions of what we should do, please send an ask our way!

I will look at the final answers on Sunday and let y’all know! And maybe even make another poll for what we should do :)

And from the bottom of my heart, thank you guys for being here with us for 5 wonderful years. This silly series has changed my life, given me lifelong friends and has helped me as an artist and author to really believe in myself. But that hasn’t been possible with all of you! You all helped shape this series along with us and we couldn’t be more grateful. Thank you for these past 5 years and I look forward to the next few!

-Huffle

[chihomichannel]

of candy wrappers and unprecedented endings

| pairing: choso x reader | genre: angst & fluff | warnings: mention of death; sad things blended with happy things | word count: 2330 words | a/n: hi! this is clem! this is the 3rd and final part of “bittersweet lollipops” so read the first two parts before this but it can also be read as is. this wasn’t my first plan for the 3rd part and i had actually written a lot when i realized that i don’t want it to be the 3rd part lol. so i rewritten this today and here it is! hope you guys like it!

◄ previous |

icon used

Time has always been the limit for humans. We were born and raised, thrown into the world and built our lives only for everything you’ve worked hard for to be left behind once death came right by your door. And for sorcerers like you, death has always been just a step behind, ready to take you once it was your time. But in your case, you miraculously lived long enough to know you would die with no regrets.

Feeling the hand clung onto yours, your eyes woke from its slumber. Your eyes were met with the bright sunshine that illuminated the whole room, the white of the ceiling shining brighter than ever. Your head turned to your side to see Choso sitting asleep by your bed, his hand on top of yours while the other held your family scrapbook. The page was open, showing a picture of your family at its early stages. It was you and Choso both holding onto your newborn with your friends by your sides. You remembered it was your first born’s first birthday and you smiled at the vivid memory that crossed your mind.

You thought back to that day when everyone was present, celebrating and just pure happiness. You remembered Megumi tackling Yuuji when he was about to feed your baby he didn’t know your daughter could not eat. You remembered Panda with your baby lying on its stomach and Inumaki shoving toys to your daughter to amuse it. You remember Gojo arriving late with a bag full of sweets to which Choso took eagerly. You remembered Nobara continuously flaunting her outfit. You remembered Maki and Nanami just being there. And you remembered looking at everyone, just taking in that moment and storing it inside your treasured memories. You remembered the atmosphere, the calm and the chaos in the house. The hot rays of the sun shielded by the window pane. You remembered that moment and longed to return to that day.

Blinking, you were snapped back to reality. You took note that the atmosphere was the same as that day. You smiled, eyes tired even though you only just woke up. You glanced at Choso’s hands that clung onto yours, it was tight but he held you as if you were fragile glass. You knew he’s worried and so you moved your hand and intertwined it with his. Choso stirred awake, licking his dried lips as he leaned up from his position “Hey” he said, his voice cracking slightly. He looked tired, the look in his eyes told you they’ve lived for so long. They’ve seen so much yet his face was still the same. His body looked the same, everything looked the same. His youthful face hid the hundreds of years he’s lived.

He smiled- oh his smile. His smile is something you never got over. When you first knew Choso, you would have never guessed that he could be so expressive. With his indifferent mien, even at the start of your relationship, you would always be so surprised to see another expression on his face. You loved it especially when he has this confused, wondering face. You always found it so cute. You found everything he does cute. It scared you just how much you’re in love him. But you could never imagine nor wish for a better life because the life you have with Choso by your side is a life you would never bargain anything for. You are content and you are in love. You didn’t even realize it but Choso became your life. The little world and family you’ve built with him, it’s yours and his. No life was better than this.

“Morning” Choso scooted his seat closer to your bed, he had his elbows on the soft mattress, taking your hand to his lips. “It’s afternoon, silly” You weakly told him, softly chuckling. You felt him smile in your hands and you gazed at him adoringly “I see you’ve been looking at the scrapbook again”

“Yeah” Choso pulled away from your hands and flipped the scrapbook to the next page “I guess I fell asleep while doing so” He mused. He stopped and you looked at the page to see a picture of you and him decades ago. It was a selfie when you two eloped that one fateful night. The two of you never planned for a wedding nor did you think you would ever get married. It was never a thought in your mind but during that night, Choso looked so beautiful. Even with his mouthful of tacos you grabbed on the way to Panda’s birthday, something about the night with the streetlights and the swarm of people highlighted Choso in your eyes. And at the bus stop, just as you were about to get on it, you pulled Choso into a halt and waited until the crowd got on the bus before you spoke “Will you marry me?”

You both skipped on Panda’s birthday and got married. It was a decisive decision but no doubt the best you’ve ever made. A year later after that, your daughter was born and you swore, Choso had never glowed brighter. Your heart felt soft whenever you see your daughter and husband bonding. And the sight of your daughter cuddled up against Choso made you feel so thankful that these beautiful people are part of your life. Because of them, life was so much brighter.

You and Choso bore four more children after that. To say that life is noisy is an understandment but the noise made you happy anyway (albeit stressed). You stopped at baby number 5, with your eldest being 15 at the time. As expected, your daughter became a sorcerer, proving to be much stronger than either of you with a cursed technique she invented on her own. Your second didn’t follow onto the jujutsu society and made a life of his own outside the dangers of your reality. Your third inherited Choso’s blood manipulation and was almost bought by the Kamo clan but of course, you and Choso shielded your child away from the mess that is clan families. Your fourth also became a jujutsu sorcerer and your youngest inherited your cursed technique. All in all, your children now had lives of their own with all of them being fully fledged adults.

With a sigh, you yawned, reaching out for the scrapbook and putting it on your lap. You flipped to the next page and a grin etched on your face. You giggled, motioning to Choso the scrapbook. It was you and Choso all those years ago before you were married. It was that day out when Choso kissed you on the ferris wheel. It was when you two were sitting on the sea wall when he secretly snapped a picture of you looking the other way. A glint flashed through Choso’s eyes, his lips mirroring your grin. Choso traced the design by the photo, it was a bunch of lollipop wrappers you two had been eating when you were designing this specific page. He remembered you chastising him for almost emptying the packet of lollipops. Chuckling, he turned to look at you to see you looking at him so lovingly “I love you” you told him and Choso felt his chest tighten. It was a wonder how you still had so much effect on him when you had literally spend your lifetime together “And I love you”

Choso examined the wrinkles in your eyes when you smiled. Your once smooth skin was now wrinkled out of old age. Your once vibrant hair is now a dull white. Both your eyes now have a cataract that clouded your sight. And your lips remain chapped no matter how many times you apply a lip balm. But even with all these things you’ve obtained as you aged, you still looked so darn beautiful. It was no secret that his never changing youth made you insecure. You wished he could age up with you but realized that was selfish and so you brushed off these thoughts. What you didn’t know is that Choso also wished the same. He wished he could grow old with you and get wrinkly together.

It was cruel how he couldn’t age with you. If you thought about it, he’s actually more than a century older than you yet here you are, minutes away from letting go. Choso clutched your hands, his eyes shaking as you breathed frailly. He breathed out your name, tears brimming in his eyes. He let out a whimper when you called his name, hiding in the cold of your hands “Choso” You repeated, feeling a pang on your chest. You leaned forward to embrace him, trapping him in your arms resulting in Choso to lean on your shoulder, letting out a quiet cry.

You cooed, kissing his temple before hiding your face in his hair, his locks drying the tears that fell on your cheeks. “Don’t go” He cried, his voice muffled “Not you too” His voice cracked causing your arms to tighten around him “Choso, Choso” With that, Choso looked you in the eyes.

“Please never be alone-” You paused, composing yourself. Choso held your cheeks as you continued “-find someone-” “I could never love someone else other than you” Choso said committedly. You gave him a look before you continued “-please, please don’t blame yourself” You held his cheeks, giving him a soft smile as you plead “And please don’t be sad”

You broke, Choso catching your tears with his mouth. Planting kisses on your face, Choso savored you in. The both of you could feel it. It was the worst feeling ever. But thinking back to your life, it was never short of happiness. Choso was the pill that gave you the energy to live your fullest. He was the reason you found a purpose in life and became a mother of five. He was the reason you ever felt true happiness. And thinking back to all those memories, you can confidently say that you left this world with no regrets.

 ๋࣭     ࣪ ˖        ⋆ ࣪.     ˖ ࣪⭑      ˖ ࣪ ٬     ุ๋ ⸱ ๋࣭     ࣪ ˖        ⋆ ࣪.     ˖ ࣪⭑      ˖ ࣪  ๋࣭

A snowflake fell on Choso’s nose causing it to twitch at the contact. It was cold and Choso stood in the midst of the crowd, unmoving as stone. He sighed, a cloud forming in front of his mouth. Yuuji had called him to meet him in the plaza in front of the huge clock that stood tall in the middle of the park. Choso scanned his surroundings and took note of the large crowd that flocked together at night. It was the night before Christmas eve and Choso was alone. His children all had their own families to tend to. The original plan was to celebrate at his home but plans tend to change and Choso ended up alone. If not for Yuuji, he would probably be asleep by now.

“Choso!” Hearing someone call out his name, Choso turned to see his brother and his friend, Megumi, heading his way. Yuuji’s pink hair is now white, his smile now has wrinkles on them. It was the same with Megumi and Choso remembered he couldn’t age. It made him sigh, wanting nothing but age together with the people he cares about. It bothered him so much, especially with his eldest child looking much older than him. It was unfair, Choso wailed to the gods.

Choso let them pull him wherever, going along with the flow. But even with the boisterous laughs of his brother and the chatter that filled his ears, he felt alone. He was surrounded by people yet he felt so cold. Sighing for the umpteenth time that day, Choso going along wherever his companions went.

This didn’t go unnoticed by Yuuji. He was worried about his brother which is why he called him in the first place. His legs hurt from old age but if it means his brother would feel better, he would go out in the cold to walk with him. Megumi already went home and Yuuji is walking Choso home. He noted the faraway look Choso held. Yuuji felt sad at the sight. He remembered how Choso shined when you were still alive. But the Choso walking beside him now was nothing but the shell left of his body. His eyes held no soul, that is until Choso’s eyes landed on the ferris wheel.

It was the same ferris wheel as back then. Like before, it flickered in different lights, switching its color as it rotated. Choso held a cry, feeling a lump in his throat. You. Oh, you. He is so in love with you still. He saw that yellow pod, though unsure if it was the one, his heart ached at the memory of you. His heart always aches every second of the day. You, he thought of you. He felt the linger of your touch on his skin, your breath as you laughed against him. He felt your kisses and the love you felt for him. The clutch of your fingers as you held onto him. He felt you.

He breathed in the cold air, taking his eyes off the ferris wheel into the night sky. The jet black sky was painted with the white of the snowflakes that fell. One dropped on his cheek and rolled down the same time a tear fell down from his hollow eyes. A breath left his throat, a smoke coming out of his mouth. He will find you, he is determined to find you. No matter how long it takes. No matter what millennia he meets you again. He will be there and you would be in his arms again. He will tell you the stories he’s lived and live another lifetime with you. No matter how many lifetimes, what matters is he’s with you.

Another set of tears run down his cheeks. He misses you but he will live on. He will live on.

He will live on.

tag list: @lawlesshedgehog

if you want to be removed from the tag list, feel free to say so in the comment section

[wrenhyperfixates]

The Problem With Birthdays

Pairing: Loki x reader Summary: You want to enjoy your birthday with Loki, but your fears that one day no one will love you are keeping you from having fun. Warnings: a bit angsty; fluff A/N: 1/2 Happy Birthday to my best friend @lokistan​!! 🥳🥳🥳 May you have the most wonderful day ever. As requested, here’s a birthday fic for you! I hope you enjoy ❤️         2/2 This is technically a sequel to The Secret Admirer, but you don’t have to read that to enjoy this 😄

Tag List: @lucywrites02 @frostedgiant @lunarmoon8 @twhiddlestonsstuff @lokistan @lowkeyorlokificrecs​ @gaitwae​ @whatafuckingdumbass @castiels-majestic-wings @kozkaboi @cozy-the-overlord

Disclaimer: Gif not mine

“Darling?” Loki called, walking into the common room where you were on the couch, book in hand.

“Right here, my love. What’s up?”

“We need to talk.” He came and sat beside you as set your novel down. He took your hand in his and pressed a quick kiss to the back of your knuckles. “About your birthday.”

“You know how much I love talking to you, but I actually have to go meet Carol and Lauren in the lab. Talk later?”

“You are avoiding this,” he replied simply as you stood up. “You know you can tell me anything, right my darling?”

You stood before him and fidgeted with your charm bracelet, a nervous tic you’d picked up ever since you started wearing it. It had been a gift from Loki back when he’d been your secret admirer, not your boyfriend. You were beyond happy with how things had worked out, and your relationship was the most pure, perfect thing you’d ever experienced. Still, doubts filled your mind. You’d never dared hope he was actually your secret admirer those many months ago, but you’d fantasized that he was. It was an understatement to say you’d been pleasantly surprised when he came clean. The smile he’d given you that night was perhaps the most radiant one ever.

“I know,” you finally replied. “Just, later. Ok?”

“As you wish.”

He pulled you back down for a kiss before letting you go to the lab. He had a feeling you’d made no plans to meet up with your friends, but if you wanted to go, he’d never hold you back. And that extended to if you wanted to leave the relationship, which is what he feared was happening now. With a sigh, he stood, too. He had a party of sorts to plan. Nothing big, just a small dinner for the Avengers. He knew that’s what you would want, considering how you seemed to wish to avoid anything to do with your birthday in the first place.

Meanwhile, you arrived at the lab where your two best friends were testing a new invention. You smiled as Lauren, Tony’s newest lab assistant, tested what you could only figure were jet pack boots of some kind. Kind of like the ones on the Ironman suit, but disguised to look like normal shoes. Carol flew beside her, making sure she didn’t fall and hurt herself. Captain Marvel was in between intergalactic missions at the moment and was staying at the Tower to help keep an eye on things here on Earth. You didn’t know what it was about the two of them, but the three of you just clicked, and were now an inseparable trio.

“Hey! What’s up?” Lauren greeted once she had both feet planted firmly on the ground again.

“You look upset. Everything ok?” Carol asked, propping her elbows on one of the lab tables.

“Relatively ok, I guess,” you replied, playing with your bracelet again. You were holding the horse charm in between your thumb and forefinger. Loki had given it to you as a gift, a reminder of when he’d confessed his feeling in a horse drawn carriage. “Just not looking forward to tomorrow.”

“But it’s your birthday,” Carol said. “What’s wrong with that?”

“It doesn’t matter,” you mumbled with a shrug of your shoulders. “It’s silly.”

“Look at me,” Lauren said, gently gripping your arms and giving you a light shake. “Don’t say that. Your feelings always matter; they’re not silly.”

“Thank you,” you said. “That means a lot to me. But, really, it’s alright.”

“Fine. But we’re here if you need us,” Carol said as they captured you in a group hug.

As you thanked them again, you could only hope that tomorrow would come and go without much fanfare.

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

The next morning you woke up so cozy in your bed, you didn’t want to get up. Maybe you could while away your birthday in bed, pretend you were sick. But, no. You knew that would only push celebrations back, not stop them.

“Good morning, darling,” Loki said, knocking on your door. “Are you awake?”

“I am,” you called in reply. “Come in.”

“Happy Birthday, my sweet,” he greeted, walking in. He sat next to you on your bed and planted a kiss on your forehead. His lips lingered close to your skin as if he was hesitant to let you go, as if he thought he’d never be allowed to kiss you again. You looked up, your nose brushing against his, and kissed him on the lips. He smiled. “And how are you doing today?”

You’d never actually told him what was wrong yesterday. You wanted to talk to him, you really did, but you worried that by telling him your fears, they would come true.

“I’m ok, I guess.”

“Just ok?” he gasped. “Well, I know what will make that better.”

He waved his hands and trays of foods came flying in. There was bacon and pancakes and pastries and fruit bowls and just about everything else you could want. Honestly, it was far more than you could eat, but you definitely planned on sampling everything. You beamed at Loki, hugging him as he pulled you onto his lap.

“Breakfast in bed, darling?” he asked with a smile.

“Yes, please,” you grinned back.

You sat for a while longer, eating and watching your favorite show. Eventually you decided you might as well get up and face the day. Loki left to go make the final preparations for dinner while you showered. A little less than an hour later, you reluctantly got out of the warm water, and sat on your bed once more in a robe, just staring at a wall. You don’t know how long you stayed there for, but it took a great effort to stand up and get dressed.

Once you had on your comfiest pants and favorite sweater, you tried to leave the room. You ended up flopping down on the bed again. You wanted to spend the day with your friends, not to mention Loki, the love of your life, but your worries were petrifying you.

“Is everything ok in there?” Loki asked, at your closed door once more.

“Sort of.”

“May I come in?”

You got up and opened the door for him. If only it was as easy to do that metaphorically as it was literally. He gently cupped your cheeks, his thumb gently stroking your warm skin, an unasked question in his eyes. You looked down, unable to bear disappointing him. It hurt you to shut him out like this; you’d always been honest with each other. You gave him a shy smile as he carefully tilted your head up and kissed you again.

“I, uh, I guess I promised we’d talk,” you said.

“You did, but I will not hold you to it if you are uncomfortable sharing.”

Gosh you loved this man. “I want to talk, it’s just...” you sighed, and pulled him back over to the bed to sit again. “Birthdays are supposed to be a day to celebrate, right?”

“Indeed they are.” He softly caressed the side of your face, looking very much like he wanted to kiss all your troubles away. “Because we all love you.”

“Well, that’s just it,” you whispered, your voice soft as you turned away so he wouldn’t see the tears in your eyes. “What if one year everyone realizes that they don’t love me? Then I’ll be spending every year, every day, every minute alone. I... I don’t want to lose you.”

Loki held you to his chest as you began to sob, wiping the now fallen tears from your cheeks. He cooed and kindly shushed you as you got it out of your system. You’d held it in so long you’d grown numb to the pain, but now you were feeling it full force.

Loki moved your sweater out of the way and kissed your shoulder, moving up your neck and to your wet cheeks. His heart broke a little bit as he tasted the salty drops on his lips. He so wished you hadn’t kept this bottled up, that you’d shared with him. Perhaps it was a little selfish, but he did also feel a spark of happiness at the moment of your confession since he thought you were about to say you didn’t love him anymore. Your thoughts were quite the opposite, in reality, and he cursed himself that he let you think that way for even a fraction of a second.

“I will always love you, darling,” he said as your cries slowly came to a stop, leaving hiccups in their wake. “And when I say always, I truly do mean forever and beyond the constraints of time. It was like a dream when you told me you felt the same way. My very own heavenly angel loved me, too. My heart, my soul, my passion, my darling. My love. Your insecurities are valid; everyone is allowed to have them. But I beg of you, come to me next time. We can work through them together.”

You sniffled to stop another set of tears. “I know. Thank you, Loki. I was worried that if I told you, you’d realize that you didn’t love me. But I know you do, really. And I love you so, so much, too.”

He pulled you down to be laying on the bed and wrapped his body around yours. When you were feeling better, you chatted a bit, keeping the conversation light after the heavy topics you’d been discussing. You finally told Loki you felt ready to go out and face the day, which was more then halfway over at this point. He checked to make sure you were certain of your decision, and after a kiss to each of your eyelids and the tip of your nose, escorted you out of your room.

“Happy Birthday!” the Avengers greeted you as you made your way into the common room.

Loki had taken your desire to keep celebrations simple to heart. There was a banner and some balloons, but that was it in the way of decorations. As for the team, they gave you kind hugs and thoughtful gifts, but no one made too big of a deal out of it. No shouting or crazy partying, just some quality time spent doing puzzles and playing board games and watching movies. Carol, Lauren, and a few of the others even hilariously recreated some of your favorite scenes from the films you’d picked. Of course, they were all making sure you knew you were loved and appreciated, too. In other words, it was perfect.

Dinner and dessert, your favorites served at both, were also amazing. You spent the time reminiscing and sharing stories from your childhood. Soon after, you retired to your room. After you got changed into your pajamas for the night, you met Loki in the living room of your large quarters. He was fiddling with something you couldn’t quite make out.

“What’s that you got there?” you asked, perching on the couch next to him.

“It is another gift for you, my darling,” he replied, presenting it to you.

You opened up the small pouch he’d handed you and pulled out a charm. It was a key, and you immediately added it to the growing collection on your bracelet.

“Thank you, my love,” you said. “It’s perfect.”

“And that is not all,” he grinned as you looked at him with excitement and surprise written plainly across your features. He pulled out a charm of his own on a necklace, hidden by his shirt. It was a heart with a lock carved into it. You looked again at the key and realized it would fit perfectly. “I want you to know that you have the key to my heart. I love you, my angel.”

“And I will protect it with everything I have in me. Because I love you, too, Loki. More than I can ever say.”

“Happy Birthday, darling.”

It may take some time, but you think you could grow to like your birthday. At very least, as Loki kissed you again, you knew you never had to worry about being left alone. No, not when Loki would be there for you until the end of time and every moment after.

[wallgirl]

The Little Nereid Part One

3200 words, part one of a five part fanfiction

Poseidon x OC

Dynamene, youngest of the 50 Nereids, has lived most of her adolescence as a servant alongside her sisters at Poseidon’s palace. But with her coming-of-age birthday and other developments, what she initially thought was just admiration of her master blossoms into something stronger and more passionate... and painful.

Categories: Romance, angst, unrequited love, coming-of-age, earn-your-happy-ending; no NSFW content

---

The incessant cry of seagulls encircling the rocky bluffs below finally woke her. She exhaled reluctantly, tugging the blanket closer to her chest. They were especially loud this morning; perhaps a school of fish had washed up on shore. She was surprised that she didn’t hear Thoe shouting at them in a vain attempt to get them to scatter. Thoe had always hated seagulls, and a millennium of living beside the ocean had done nothing to calm her ire. She rolled away from the bright light entering from the window and drowsily pondered how she would spend the day. If the weather held up, perhaps she would go for a run along the shoreline.

               Then realization hit her, and she sat up, fully awake. Of course, she had plans for the day – it was her birthday!

---

               And not just any birthday, but her coming-of-age celebration. From today on, she would officially be a woman in the eyes of society; no longer a mere girl, despite her thin build and wide eyes.

               She jumped out of bed and undid her rumpled chiton, tossing it haphazardly onto the marble floor as she ran to her dresser. She hurriedly sought through the drawer before pulling out one of her nicer peplos with gold embroidery, then turned to the next drawer in search of a clean chiton.

               “Dynamene! Are you up?” A loud voice echoed from the other side of the bedroom door.

               “Yes! Yes, I’m awake!” Dynamene called back, hastily slamming the drawers closed and turning to the full-length mirror across from her bed.

               “May I come in?” Without waiting for a response, the door opened and a tall maiden with her auburn hair drawn into a long braid entered.

               “Help me fasten my peplos, Actaea,” Dynamene muttered, tugging the fabric around her body.

               “I suppose…” Actaea sighed dramatically. She stepped behind Dynamene and began to gather the cloth expertly. “You know, I’m glad I caught you while you were getting dressed. I have the perfect pins for you to use today.” With a smile, she produced two golden pins with mother-of-pearl heads.

Dynamene broke into a wide beam at the sight of her gifts, her freckled cheeks dimpling in delight. “Thank you, Actaea. They’re beautiful.”

“Aren’t they? I sent for them a few weeks ago. I know you’ve wanted pins with mother-of-pearl for a while.”

“I have, it’s my favorite.” Dynamene admired her reflection shamelessly as Actaea finished positioning the pins, now holding her chiton together at the shoulders.

“I know. What older sister would I be if I didn’t know your favorite stone?” Actaea teased her with a tug on her hair.

Dynamene swatted at her playfully. “Mother-of-pearl isn’t a stone, silly!”

Actaea laughed and took hold of her hand. “Come along, birthday girl. Our sisters have set up breakfast down at the beach.”

Dynamene laughed back with excitement and allowed her older sister to rush her along the pristine white halls of the palace. Exquisite white marble reflected the sunlight entering from the tall windows, making for a heavenly vision when combined with the sight of the ocean gently churning against the rocky bluffs and sandy beaches below. They burst out of the palace’s bottom story entrance onto a vast deck. Across, carved between the rock that crowded up along the bottom of the palace, was a large staircase leading down to the beach. Well, perhaps staircase was too generous; all 150 of the steps were weathered from years of use by the Nereids running back and forth from the palace to the ocean, and tender weeds had begun to billow gently along the cracks. But the Nereids – that is, Dynamene and her older sisters – preferred the well-loved look.

The master of the palace was guaranteed to have a different opinion, but as he never used the staircase, the point was moot.

The stairs ended in soft, peach-hued sands that gave way beneath the sisters’ feet. Further down, along a cluster of rocks that jutted out into the cerulean waters, two banquet tables had been set up. They were well-laden with fresh fruit, wine, honey cakes, and just-roasted fish.

“Dynamene!” The first of her sisters to spot her yelled out. “Happy birthday, Dynamene!” The rest of her sisters, all forty-nine of them, quickly gathered to greet her. A merry chorus of “Happy birthday!” rang out for a full minute before they led her to her place of honor at the head of one of the tables.

“Happy birthday, baby Dynamene,” the last of her sisters called from where she was perched on top of the boulder closest to the tables. Good-natured Eione, with her sunbaked red hair and perpetually sandy legs, rose her glass. “To you!”

“To baby Dynamene!” The rest of the sisters called back, raising their glasses in a toast.

Blushing from the attention, Dynamene rose her glass to toast them back before sipping at the wine. It was remarkably sweet; no doubt sourced from one of the finest casks in the palace.

“Ah, but it is a sad day, too,” Actaea sighed dramatically. “The youngest of us has finally come-of-age; and now we have nothing to look forward to but senility.”

“Get out,” scoffed Ianeira, the eldest of the fifty. She waved her hand as if to swat away Actaea’s words. “Nereids don’t worry about getting old. As the pure-blooded daughters of two water gods, the day we see a gray hair will never come.”

“Why aren’t we gods, anyways,” another sister grumbled.

“I am glad enough to be a sea nymph,” Eione called, stretching her arms. “We are still leagues above mortals, and we don’t have any pesky rules or civil struggles to worry about. Let the other gods have their fun.”

“I agree,” nodded Ianeira. “We’ve seen every sort of trouble that can come from being a god, just by living here.”

Dynamene started at the mention of their master. “Ah, yes… Lord Poseidon. He’s due to come home this afternoon, isn’t he?”

“Yes, so we must make sure our duties are finished before he arrives. But there will be plenty of time afterwards to continue to celebrate your special day,” Actaea leaned over to ruffle Dynamene’s hair.

Dynamene smiled. “Perhaps it’s uncouth to ask, but… I wonder if I can expect a gift from him?” she murmured back lowly.

“Of course you can!” Eione shouted back, and Dynamene gaped at her. Truly, nothing escaped her ears. “Whose birthday was it last? They got a gift. Master Poseidon always gives us something for our birthday; a token of his appreciation, right?”

“Are you hoping for anything in particular?” Actaea asked. “Perhaps a whole island to yourself? Half of the treasure room?”

“No!” Dynamene laughed, swatting her older sister on the arm. “I…” She paused. “I will be happy with anything Lord Poseidon chooses to bestow me with.”

“Ask him to bestow you a new hair comb, then,” a sister snided from behind her. With a careless touch, Thoe ran her hand along Dynamene’s dark hair. “We should be heading back to the palace soon. I’ll fix your hair for you, Dyna. My birthday gift will be one of hair oil and the removal of split-ends.”

And so, all too soon, breakfast was over, and the sisters began their ascent back to the palace to attend to their chores. Once Thoe had sculpted Dynamene’s hair into what she deemed a more acceptable state, the two joined their sisters in cleaning the palace’s vast floors. Half of the sisters made the journey back and forth from the palace to the beach, lugging water in mighty jugs to throw across the marble floors. The other sisters used their innate gifts as sea nymphs to manipulate the water back and forth across the floor’s surface in gentle waves, gathering up the dust and dirt and sending it flowing into grated vents along the bottom of the walls. A system of pipes beneath the palace carried the water back down to the ocean, in a convenient and simple cycle.

Once the floors had been cleaned, the sisters broke up further into singles and pairs, airing out linens and shaking out rugs in every furnished room. Dynamene remained with Thoe as they methodically went through each bedroom and made the beds. Today, Thoe’s abrasive nature did little to draw Dynamene out of her thoughts. She was lost in pondering what Poseidon might give her for her birthday. It was never anything grand, but that was hardly surprising; Poseidon was no sentimental man and being able to live and serve in his palace was gift enough to begin with. But for every Nereid’s birthday, he still remembered to give them something as a token of appreciation. A simple formality. And yet… Dynamene’s heartbeat quickened. She racked her memory; what had he gifted her her last birthday? It had been a while, truth be told. The Nereids only celebrated their birthdays every hundred years. There were so many of them, and they aged so slowly, that celebrating every year seemed like a burden; not to mention that several of them shared a birth month and day.

But now Dynamene’s day had arrived, and she was the last of her sisters to reach womanhood. It was her first official birthday since she had experienced menarche several decades ago. She was quite a bit taller, though still slender in body and round in her cheeks, then she was when she had arrived at Poseidon’s palace with her sisters. Had it really been a thousand years since then? She closed her eyes briefly, reliving the emotions she had felt as a young girl seeing the palace, and its master, for the first time.

Upon their arrival, every sister had greeted Poseidon formally, stating their name with a curtsy, oldest to youngest. Dynamene had never met Poseidon before that day and had no idea what to expect of the man that would become her master. When it was finally her turn, as the youngest of the sisters, to greet him, her heart had nearly stopped.

He had towered over her, a statuesque man measuring over six feet in height, with unfeeling blue eyes and an expression carved of stone. He struck an intimidating figure, even from where he sat upon his throne, and little Dynamene’s heart had jumped to her throat in fear.

But then he had shifted ever so slightly in his seat, just a simple tilt of his head and curl of his hand. The lock of hair that threatened to fall into his eyes caught the firelight just so, and his gray gaze rose to scrutinize her face. It was then that little Dynamene no longer saw a heartless stone statue, but a god; a magnificent, handsome man, with all the power of the oceans at his beck-and-call, who made every other lesser being tremble from his footsteps.

At that moment, she no longer feared him, even as a young girl before an unimaginably powerful stranger. No, not entirely.

She was in awe of him.

“Dynamene!” Thoe’s sharp call brought her back to her senses. “Ianeira is calling for you.”

“Ah, yes,” Dynamene quickly replied, her face flushing. “I’m going.”

Down the end of the hall, the eldest sister waited for her. “There you are. We’re almost done; all that’s left is the lighting of the fire in Lord Poseidon’s quarters. As it’s your special day, I thought you might like the honor.”

Dynamene’s mouth ran dry. “The honor?! But… it’s nothing I haven’t done before.”

“Well, perhaps, if you’re lucky, he’ll arrive as you’re taking care of it. Then he’ll be able to give you your birthday gift straight-away, yes?”

Dynamene nearly choked on her breath. “I… I don’t know if Lord Poseidon would even hand me it himself. He’s always had it brought to our room by the other servants, or the delivery person. I don’t think he would personally-”

“Enough excuses,” Ianeira shooed her. “Hurry, it’s nearly lunchtime.”

With no other choice, Dynamene began the ascent through the palace towards Poseidon’s quarters. Her steps were rather reluctant, and she twisted the fabric of her peplos incessantly. Even his rooms without him in it were intimidating, full of heavy energy without a single fabric fold out of place. Of course, they were so pristine because the Nereids cleaned and organized them with care, especially when Poseidon was away on business, but every surface was kept eternally spotless to the point that it felt almost oppressive.

All too soon, she had reached the top of the final staircase leading to his quarters. Pushing through the heavy, ornate mahogany doors that were twice her height, she silently entered the sitting room. Poseidon’s personal suite consisted of a sitting room, his bedroom, and his private bathroom. Perhaps it seemed sparse compared to the living quarters of other gods, but Poseidon hated frivolity. The simple rooms suited him well.

That was not to say that they weren’t furnished with the finest furniture and materials available. The great fireplace that loomed across from her had intricate reliefs carved into its marble, recreating important moments from the Greek pantheon’s history. Dynamene brushed her fingertips tenderly against an image of a young Poseidon, freshly freed alongside his siblings from the stomach of their father, Cronus. She marveled at the detail, almost too fine to clearly see with the naked eye. Hephaestus himself had carved the images as a house-warming gift to Poseidon, his skill evident as Dynamene stared in wonder at the stone Poseidon’s face. If she squinted, she could almost make out the individual lashes of his eyes.

Without warning, the mighty doors behind her swung open, and she spun around, back pressed against the wall.

A towering figure stepped inside, allowing the doors to creak shut behind him. The faint light that crept in from the windows in the adjoining rooms gently illuminated the man’s pale face and bare chest. He moved forward, steps slow and deliberate. The dim gray light pulled along the edges of his figure to reveal a solemn face and fair, windswept hair.

“Lord Poseidon,” Dynamene breathed, immediately dropping into a curtsy. She stared at the floor, listening to her own heartbeat become a rapid pounding in her ears. She had been caught dallying in his quarters, and she hadn’t even lit the fire yet.

But his expression changed naught as he took in the sight of the dark fireplace. His eyes slewed left towards it, then back near Dynamene. “You have yet to light the fire.”

Dynamene could barely make out her own voice over the roar of blood in her ears. “Yes, my lord. Please accept my deepest apologies; I have no excuse for shirking my duties.”

He said nothing in reply, but crossed the room to drop a scroll atop his bedside table. Her face burning, Dynamene spun back towards the fireplace and dropped to her knees, quickly attending to the hearth. As the flames began to roar to life, she heard his calm voice once more.

“Come here,” he said. Her hands began to shake, and she slowly righted herself before crossing the room to stand before him on lead-filled legs.

He stared down at her. No, not at her, but somewhere near her. He never looked anyone in the eyes, and Dynamene certainly didn’t expect him to start now. It would be a wasted effort anyhow; Dynamene couldn’t even bring herself to look at his face, instead staring rigidly at his toned shoulders. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her; she knew he wouldn’t yell at her; so why, oh why was she so shaken just standing before him? Why did her entire body feel as if it would break down into jelly at the slightest movement?

He rose one hand, and Dynamene forced herself to look. Laying atop his palm was a simple box, covered in blue satin. She immediately understood, and a different sort of heat filled her veins. He again waited in silence. She knew he meant for her to take it, and she lifted her own hands hesitantly to reach for it. Every movement, every motion was a vast effort, and she found herself begging her body not to flinch, not to mess this up.

As her fingers met the box, she accidentally brushed one fingertip against his palm, and she quickly pulled the hand back, as if afraid she’d be burned. But the other hand had successfully taken ahold of the box, and she drew it back to her chest. “Th… Thank you, Lord Poseidon,” she whispered, her voice breathless and her mouth dry as cotton.

He said nothing in reply, lingering for a moment. She chanced a glance up at his face, seizing the opportunity to once again memorize every feature of his face. A straight nose with the slightest upwards tilt. Those generous black eyelashes that flared out like the wings of a raven. His slight lips that, no matter the expression their owner held, always looked soft. And that curl of hair that always rested alongside his temple, threatening to dip into his eyes – how she longed to reach forward and brush it back for him.

               How she longed to reach up and caress his cheek.

               It was then that Dynamene realized that he was, indeed, gazing back at her, for perhaps the first time in her life. But perhaps she had just imagined it because, in the next moment, he was already turning away from her, striding away towards the bath. She stared at his strong back and the shifting of his shoulder blades, and her hands tightened around the box.

Without another word, she slipped from his quarters and fled down the stairs.

“Dynamene? Is everything alright?” Ianeira called after her, voice filled with concern.

“Yes!” Dynamene found the energy to shout back, even as she continued to sprint. “I’m just in a hurry to see my gift!”

Breathless, she shouldered open the door to her room and closed it with the other before sitting atop her bed. She could once again barely command her trembling fingers to separate the lid from the rest of the box before gently lifting a layer of protective cotton that shielded the rest of the contents.

Nestled inside, a single mother-of-pearl bracelet gleamed up at her in the sunlight.

Her breath caught in her chest. She didn’t dare touch with her clumsy hands for the moment, instead lifting the box up so she could better examine it in the light. It was flawless and sized perfectly for her slender wrist. Setting the box back on her lap, she tenderly slid the bracelet over her hand. She held it with a feather-light touch, not wanting to leave a smudge on any pearl’s surface. It fit as if it was always meant to be there.

She lifted her hand to the window, admiring in awe the way the iridescent beads caught the light. “Beautiful,” she sighed. For reasons unclear, the memory of her fingers brushing his hand arose, and she pursed her lips before cradling her bracelet-clad wrist against her chest. “Thank you,” she whispered. The heat in her face, and the electricity coiled in her veins, remained.

---

Author’s notes:

I really wanted to explore the feelings and pain of first love in this fanfiction; you know, that teenage feeling of desperately wanting someone unattainable. It really brought back some of my own memories while writing this lol. I also want to explore the gray shades of loving someone like Poseidon, in as canon a view as possible. Of course, there area a lot of empty spaces in Poseidon’s canon characterization for me to fill in, but I’ll try to do so while heavily considering his canon depiction.

There’s no way I can write for 49 different side character Nereids, so there will only be six or seven at most that are part of the cast. If it’s hard keeping them straight, have this little guide I made for myself while writing:

Actaea – caring sister

Eione – tomboy sister

Thoe – rude sister

Ianeira – oldest sister

[norarigby]

Sway

Pairing: Atsumu x reader

Warnings: fluff, slightly suggestive themes at the end.

Word count: 2k

A/n: I’m actually really proud of this one...I hope it makes sense 😅

It takes two to tango. The dance has to be reciprocated between two people. Each member must contribute to the dance, otherwise it looked ridiculous. Imagine that: a tango with one person standing their while the other gives their all. It’d be ridiculous, silly to watch. So it takes two to tango.

Right?

At least, that’s what you tell yourself as you down your second glass of wine that night. You really didn’t have anything to worry about. It was a night to celebrate! Your boys had claimed silver in volleyball for Japan in the Olympics. And since at least of half of the starting lineup came from the MSBY Black Jackals, you had been invited to help manage the team. In all honesty, the boys seemed more excited than you.

The Olympics had been an emotional rollercoaster of ups and downs, but in the end, you were proud. They had worked hard and to celebrate, had come to a nice restaurant, that Osamu had recommended, to celebrate.

You looked up from your menu to where the man himself was making recommendations to everyone at the table. Speaking to deaf ears, he described some complex dishes and their contents to Hinata and Bokuto. They were really trying to listen, but both were still riding their high from the game. That or they had already begun to crash. You chuckled into your glass as you sipped your third glass.

“Unless you’re planning on being tipsy before we even get our food, maybe slow down on the wine?” a voice from your left spoke.

You glanced over to two russet eyes gleaming at you, brimming with mischief. You rolled your eyes, “I can hold my own, thank you very much. Besides, what do you care if I get a little tipsy? We’re here to celebrate,” You flicked his chest, “Loosen up a bit, ‘Tsumu.”

Atsumu placed his hand on his chest in mock hurt, “Hey, I just don’t want to have to take care of your sorry ass if you get drunk. And I am plenty loose,” He held his own drink up as evidence. “See?”

You just responded with another chuckle and returned to your drink and menu.

So the dance had begun.

Atsumu came into your life about a year, year and a half ago. Freshly graduated from university, you were able to land a job as a team manager for the Black Jackals. Not exactly what you were picturing as your future, but hey, it’s a start. And from the moment you saw Atsumu, it was hate at first sight. Seriously. The guy radiated douchebag energy. And the first time he opened his mouth confirmed that.

Regardless of your attempts to interact with him as little as possible, his attempts to get closer were too persistence and you two became close. There had been many a late nights, after practice or otherwise, where a simple text would lead to some insane adventure with him. Long conversations in his car or on your balcony, binge watching a new series, or just even when either needed another person. Your friendship with Atsumu was something you cherished.

So when you realized you had caught feelings, you began your elaborate dance of trying to balance both. On one hand, you wanted to keep what you had. On the other, you wanted more. But even if you could read him in every other situation, you had no idea if he felt the same.

Hence, you’re weird tango with the pro-volleyball player, Miya Atsumu.

Each time you made a forward remark or moved to touch him on his shoulder or arm or even brush hands? It was like cautious movements, testing the beat of the music and always looking to the other person for cues. Back and forth, this dance had been going on for at least the past eight months or so. You didn’t have the courage to take that step forward—and if he felt the same, it seemed he didn’t either. So you both were at a stand still.

The third glass went down and you tried to shake off your overthinking tendencies. What will be will be, and you were here to celebrate! Take a slice out of your own advice and loosen up! You smiled and joined in a conversation that Iwaizumi was having with Sakusa.

Everyone ordered their food and it came out soon after. The rest of the meal went by fine. The table reminiscing and exchanging stories and laughter. They were oblivious to yours and Atsumu’s brief touches, stolen glances, and whispered jokes and comments made about what was going on around you two. You felt more warm with each contact and hushed word spoken—and the wine settling into your system was not helping.

By the end of the meal it had become too much. You turned to Iwaizumi and asked him to pay for you, promising to Venmo him later. When asked what’s wrong, you flushed red and came up with a weak excuse about being a little too tipsy and wanting to turn in early. You slung your purse around your shoulder and bid everyone a good night, not daring to look at Atsumu.

You rushed outside, thankful for the slight drop in temperature. It was warm, but not unbearable. Slapping your hands against your cheeks, you tried to shake off your anxiety from tonight. It had all become too much, too fast. You could deal with that in the morning, but for now, you should try to get back and take a warm bath.

“Hey, are you alright?”

A slight sway to the music. A move that required a response.

“I’m, uh, yeah, yeah. I’m fine.”

A hesitant step.

“Y/n, you look like a tomato. How much did you drink tonight?”

A step more confident than the last. Not quite one that requires an intimate move, but a bold one nonetheless.

“Not much. I’m just going to head back; call it a night.”

Turning to him stopped you in your tracks. You had more to say. Something about reassuring him and telling him to go back inside to enjoy himself. But his eyes, those eyes! They held such a loving gaze so full of sincerity and concern that you couldn’t bring yourself to say anything else.

A moment passed. Then another.

Finally, he spoke, “Then I’ll take you back.” Past his eyes, you couldn’t read the rest of him. His body moving out of sync with the music. It was strange and foreign, unreadable.

No, I’m fine. Go back inside. “Okay.”

He led you to his car and to say the tension could be cut with a knife was an understatement. That tension weighed heavy on the short car ride. It suspended the music and made both of you terrified to disturb the silence.

Atsumu parked in front of the building and got out to walk with you. No, your head was screaming at you, Tell him not to walk you to your room. Too afraid to usurp the quiet, you held your tongue and let him walk you to the elevator, take the elevator with you, and walk you to your room. All in the loudest silence you’d ever heard.

Reaching you door, you were at a loss for words. Do you invite him in? Confess everything that you’d been feeling all night? Give him a curt goodnight and turn him away? You deemed the latter option the best, planning on thanking him, wishing him a goodnight, than swiftly enter your room.

You fished the card out of your pocket and held it up, “Well, this is me.” But you remained, unmoved. Possibly curious as to what he was going to say or do. Wondering why he was staring at you so intensely. This was different than the look he was giving you in the front of the restaurant. And why was he so close? You could feel his hot breath on your nose and it sent chills down your back.

Slowly, he grabbed the card out of your hand and unlocked your door. Still staring at you, he opened the door. You took a tentative step back into the room and he took one to counter. The music still held its breath, these were just pickups, a set up for the rest of the dance.

This continued until you were both in your room, the door closed. Your back was pressed against the wall adjacent to the closed door and Atsumu had once again closed the gap so you could feel his breath on your face.

“Atsumu~”

“Y/n, I want this, I want you. I have ever since I first met you. I want you, y/n. And I know that what I want would ruin our friendship and so I waited. I waited and waited and tried to be patient but I’m tired of waiting.” Atsumu searched your eyes for a confirmation to a question he really hadn’t asked. “But I’ll continue to be patient if that’s what you want. I’ll walk out that door right now and we can pretend like this never happened.”

Taking a bold move, you reached up and brushed your fingers across his cheek. His eyes briefly stopped searching yours so he could revel in the contact and lean into it.

“But I don’t think that’s what you want.” He opened his eyes, his intense look continuing its search.

A million things rushed through your head, excuses, explanations, anything. Your head was swimming and your heart was pounding and the music still held its breath. So in a split decision, fueled by a combination of liquid courage and adrenaline, you grabbed his collar and kissed him.

Immediately, he put his hands on your waist and pulled you closer. Atsumu was warm and sure, oh so sure. He always had been. His presence was always comforting, and this intimate moment reaffirmed that.

You pulled back, breathless. It was your turn to search his eyes. You searched and searched for any sign that would tell you that he’s lying. That he doesn’t want this as much as you, that you’ll just be another prize on his shelf. But all you saw was the same loving gaze that told that he did want this as much as you, maybe even more.

You lightly drew your thumb over his bottom lip, “I want you, Atsumu. I want you and I don’t care if it ruins what we have as long as I get to have you.”

His lips cracked into a huge smile and you decided that it was the most beautiful thing you’d ever seen. He kissed you again and again, smiling through each one.

When he stopped his barrage, you couldn’t stop smiling like a giddy school girl, “So, what happens now?”

“Hmm, well I have some ideas.” He lifted up your shirt slightly and leaned down to whisper in your ear, “Only if you’re up to them, of course.”

Your grip on his collar tightened, but your voice remained cool and collected, “You know I’m always up for your ideas.”

He smiled and pecked your lips once more before picking you up and placing you on the bed.

In the morning, golden light rested on Atsumu’s face, making him look ethereal in the morning glow. A sleepy smile stretched across your face as you kissed his lower jaw.

It takes two to tango. And even if the dance is over, shrouding the future in uncertainty, for now, life was perfect.

(Posted November 26, 2020, 02:30PM MST)

(Updated December 18, 2020, 11:22PM MST)

[toomanyfandoms02]

The Photographer // Matthew Gray Gubler x Reader

So I made a one-shot based off of the picture down here!

Word count ~ 3.1k

Summary - y/n is a celebrity photographer, and Matthew's birthday is coming up. This calls for a birthday shoot.

Ever since I was in sixth grade, I dreamed of being a photographer. But back then, I was just taking candid pictures of my cat (Peanut Butter), and random flowers that my mom had graciously planted for me. I really never planned on taking nice, professional pictures of people.

But here I was.

I went to 'California College of Arts' in San Francisco for 4 years. After that, I had a bit of trouble getting myself out there. I had a decent following on my instagram. People liked the pictures of my dog, and the pictures of nature that I took on my many travels. But likes and follows don't get you money, at least not enough. So I switched my focus onto more interesting things.

Advertising yourself as a photographer wasn't an easy task. You had to be ruthless, and be willing to get rejected and not back down. So I did what any semi-sane person would do.

I messaged over 50 celebrities asking of they wanted to do a shoot with me. I sent them my prices, and what kinds of shoots I was willing to do. I didn't have much hope for it, but it was worth a try.

And that's where it began.

Out of all of the messages, Andrew Lincoln, AKA Rick from The Walking Dead messaged me back.

*Hello Miss y/l/n! I've actually seen quite a few of your nature shots and I have always wondered how your photos would turn out with people. I would love to be your Guinea Pig.*

He sent me days he was available and I did his shoot. After posting his pictures, my popularity shot from there.

That was a few years ago, I was now taking photos for multiple celebrities. I was ultimately known for my black and white shoots. I had, in fact, just gotten done with a shoot of A.J. Cook. She had requested *me* to take her pictures for an up and coming article that was being written about her. I, of course, gratefully said yes, being a huge fan of hers, along with the whole Criminal Minds cast.

I emailed her all of the pictures I had taken, edited and all, while simultaneously posting them on my instagram.

It was mere hours later before a notification popped up on my phone of an email that I could not believe. Theres no way that he was emailing me, right?

*You have an Email from Matthew Gray Gubler*

*Hi there! I saw your shoot on AJ's instagram and my birthday is coming up. My manager wants me to do a birthday shoot, and we both like your black and white style. I know it's not usually the kind of thing you, birthdays, do but I figured it was worth a shot, and I think you have some real talent. Let me know when you are free next. I am on a break so my schedule is relatively flexible.*

I could safely say that it was a good thing that I lived alone because I don't think I have ever screamed louder into a pillow. Matthew has been one of my favorite celebrities for the longest time. If we were going to be completely honest, once I started watching Criminal Minds, I immediately had a crush on him. This wasn't exactly the profession to be in if you were going to have a celebrity crush. I was often invited to red carpets and movie premiers, so I met quite a few stars. I never thought I would have to worry about slipping up on my professionalism.

Because I never thought I would even meet him.

My obvious answer to his request was yes. I would never *ever* miss an opportunity to have a photoshoot with someone so inspiring and meaningful to me. So I started writing an email back.

*Hi Matthew!*

Should I address him like that? Is that unprofessional?

*Hi Mr. Gubler*

Abso-fucking-lutely not.

*Hi Matthew!* We are gonna stick with that. *I don't know if this is too short of a notice, but I actually have a free spot tomorrow. (Of course if that doesn't work for you, I can figure something out for later, and try to fit it in before your birthday). I have a few ideas for props that I can send you? Let me know how I can help.*

I sent it and ran my hands through my hair, tossing my phone back onto my comforter. I had taken pictures of so many awesome celebrities:

• Selena Gomez

• Robert Downey Jr.

• Dylan O'Brien

• Grant Gustin

• Holland Roden

• Danai Gurira

But this was by far the coolest one, in my mind at least.

While waiting a little to anxiously for a reply, I decided I was going to make myself some lunch, Ramen. I set my phone on the counter as I boiled my noodles, peering over at the blank screen every few seconds (but really they felt like **minutes**).

Just as I was adding the flavour packet to the bowl my phone buzzed. I jumped slightly, spilling part of the packet out of the bowl.

"Damnit." I quickly wiped the salt into the trash can and snatched my phone, seeing another email.

*Tomorrow is actually perfect, and I would love to hear your recommendations on props, clothes, anything really. I'm going to leave my number on this email so we can have easier contact of that's okay with you.*

Wow, alright. I will now have Matthew Gray Gublers number in my phone. I made a contact for him.

**It's y/n, soooo for props. I figured I could bake you a cake! I took a few baking electives in college so I could make a really nice one and we can do something with it. I recommend you bring clothes you like to wear that are black and white. (Other colors work too, but it just looks and flows better if it's black and white). I will set the rest of the stuff up. I will be ready for you by 1 pm if that's okay.**

*You would bake me a cake?! That would be super cool thank you! I would love that. I will bring a few black and white outfits. Would it be weird if I brought a black and white Kimono?*

A chance to see Matthew in a kimono? Please yes.

**Oh my gosh please do. I would love to take pictures of you in an infamous kimono of yours.**

*Awesome! I will see you tomorrow at 1. Heres my managers info for you to sell the billing to.*

He attatched his managers email. I just sat at my kitchens island, smiling like a true dork at my phone.

**And here is my address, I run the studio at my house. What is your favorite cake and icing by the way? :)**

Was a smiley face unprofessional?

I need to chill out.

*Vanilla cake and chocolate frosting possibly? I will eat anything though probably. :)*

Now I was really smiling at my phone like a psycho idiot.

**Alrighty, see you tomorrow**

Since I didn't want to wake up too early tomorrow, I decided I was going to start the cake tonight. I had quite a few recipes held in my cabinets. I located my vanilla cake recipe and put my pre-made chocolate frosting on the counter.

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

After about an hour of preparing, making a cake from scratch, and putting it in the oven. The cake was finally done and cooled. I added black cocoa to the frosting to make it completely black and got out my white gel.

*You made it 3 decades :)*

Was scrawled in calligraphy on the top of the cylindrical cake. I added white drips down the sides and white multi shaped sprinkles to the bottom part.

I set it in my fridge and got ready for bed. I know it's going to be hard to sleep just thinking about tomorrow.

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

My alarm woke me up at 10 am, never before this had I woke up with a smile on my face before 12.

I took a quick shower and dressed in a white and blue floral romper with my hair in a high ponytail. Now it was time to set up backgrounds for the shoot.

I had two stations downstairs where I took all my photos. I set the first one up very normal with a white background and a rustic black stool. The second one was set up with another white background but littered with black streamers and big *30* black and white speckled balloons strung at the top.

Once I was done with all that. It was nearing 1. I slipped the cake out of the fridge and slid it onto my island. I glanced up at the clock above my stove.

*12:49*

Since I just had a little bit of time, I went a put some simple makeup on. I usually don't wear makeup when taking pictures of people, but for obvious reasons, I was making an exception.

Just as I was leaving my bathroom I heard a knock at my door. I walked swiftly to my door and opened it shakily.

"Hi!" He held up the clothes that were hung lazily over his arm. He smiled that million dollar smile and I could have sworn he looked me up and down.

Wishful thinking I guess.

"Welcome!" I stepped out of the doorway, silently inviting him in. "If you wanna set your stuff down, those stairs to the right lead you down the the studio."

"Thanks." He scurried down the stairs as I grabbed the cake and followed him down. I set it on a table that I had down there, he peered over at it and immediately burst into fits of laughter.

"I knew you had a sense of humor, so why put something normal and boring on the cake." I laughed with him as he tried to catch his breath.

"This is so perfect." He laughed a little more. "Thank you, so much." I shrugged with a smile. I posed him in front of the streamers with the cake.

He made some silly faces and smiled like there was no tomorrow. Next I brought him to the more plain station, sitting him on the stool. I looked through the lenses of the camera and glared a bit.

"Hey can you put your left leg up on the second peg of the stool?" I asked, pointing to his leg.

"This one?" He put it on the third. I shook my head. "This one?" He moved it down the the fourth. He was smiling a sly smile, seemingly challenging me.

"Let me do it for you." I had to pose people often, but posing him was going to be a little harder for me, considering I found him painfully attractive.

I moved his leg up to the second one and patted it.

"Now leave it there, so I don't have to help you again." I giggled, walking back to my camera. Taking a picture of him leaning forward on the stool and smiling. I then made him laugh and got a good genuine one of him leaning back and laughing. After all that, I proposed that we eat some cake and took a break.

I cut him a slice and handed it to him with a smile.

"So, tell me about yourself." He said, eating a bite of his cake.

"Well, I have always enjoyed photography. I love all types of art, so I also draw and paint often. And I have a black cat upstairs. His name is-" and I stopped, blood rushing to my cheeks. He is most certainly going to ask me the name, and I do not want to tell him.

He stared at me expectantly. "What is his name?" He motioned me to go on.

"Uh," I laughed a little awkwardly, setting my hands in my lap and staring at them. "His name is Spencer. As in Spencer Reid..." I glanced up at him and saw a huge grin break out on his face.

"So you like Criminal Minds? I never would have guessed. You just don't seem the type."

"Well all my memorabilia is in my room, just so people don't think I'm weird for having quite a few framed and signed posters." I smiled up at him, pushing around the remaining cake crumbs on my plate.

"One, That's not weird, that's awesome. Two, can I please meet Spencer and take pictures with him in my kimono."

I don't think I have ever heard a better sentence in my entire life.

"Yes, absolutely! I'll go get him." I clunked up the stairs on my search to find Spencer. I went to his usual spot first, my bed. Luckily he was sitting there, licking his outstretched foot. "Hi baby! You are about to take pictures with the guy you are named after. He almost as cute as you!" I grabbed him from the bed an headed back downstairs. I walked in with the accidental impeccable timing to see Matthew in his barely tied kimono, showing off his chest. My eyes widened a bit and he tied it off fully.

"Is this the famous Spencer?! He is so cute!" He reached his arms out at Spencer. My little fluff ball curled up into him instantly, cuddling into his silky kimono.

We took many many pictures of Spencer and Matthew together. I think maybe my cat likes him more than he likes me now.

"Okay, last idea. How about we just take some more up close pictures of me feeding you some cake?" It came put as a question because I didn't know how comfortable he would be with it.

"Perfect!" I cut another slice of the cake and brought it over to him. We were both sitting on the floor.

"This might be a little awkward, okay?" I giggled as I leaned back to get his whole face in the shot. This proved to be very difficult as I was using my left hand to take the picture. I fed him the cake with the right as he looked at the camera with a more seductive look. I could have melted into the floor.

I decided to switch hands so I could take the photos better, but now my very uncoordinated hand was the one picking up the cake. As I went down to get another section of the cake for another angle of feeding this sculpture of a man, I instead dipped my thumb right into the deep black frosting.

"Shit, I'm so sorry hold on." As I went to stand up and grab a napkin to wipe my thumb off, Matthew grabbed my wrist lightly.

"Hold on, uh, I have an idea, before you do anything." I sat down with a confused look. "I saw someone do this in another shoot. But we totally don't have to do it. I just thought it would be a different idea." His words were more rushed than usual.

"I'm sure I've done weirder things for other shoots, don't worry. It's *your* shoot." I reassured him, though my head was swimming wondering what he was going to do.

"Ok. So. What I'm going to do is put your thumb in my mouth, and I'm basically gonna, uh, suck on it while kinda smiling?" He could barely get through the whole thing without laughing.

"Alright, weird request but I like it!" I giggled for what seemed like the 30th time today. "And to make you feel better, yes, I have done weirder."

"Thank God."

"So I am guessing you want me to do something like this with the rest of my hand, ya know, the part that's not in your mouth." I stated as I placed my hand on his cheek. He let a slow breath out, staring into my eyes.

"Yeah, exactly."

"Okay." I said with a shrug, grabbing my camera from the ground. He opened his mouth with an all too familiar wide grin as I placed my thumb in. His mouth closed around it and he smiled, just a little. I brought my camera to my face, capturing the moment that I would have forever in my mind and in a small frame on my bedroom wall, for sure.

I slipped my thumb from his mouth and watched as his face turned extremely red. To save him embarrassment, I immediately stood up and grabbed a napkin to wipe the rest of the frosting off.

"Can I see it?" He motioned to the camera. I nodded, sitting down right beside him, showing him the picture. It showed off a closer look at the rose tattoos I had near my wrists and the shiny watch that was gifted to me by my mom. "It turned out good! I really hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."

"Oh no! Of course not. Total opposite." As soon as I said that I regretted it.

"So that made you extremely comfortable?" A sly smile was making it's way onto his face.

"That's, that's not- You know what? Sure, yes." I chuckled. "You don't really make me uncomfortable at all to be honest. So no, you didn't make me uncomfortable."

"Well I'm glad." He smiled and we sat in silence for a moment.

"Well I guess that's it yeah?" He nodded. "Well this was fun. Thanks for being an excellent subject to take pictures of."

He gathered his stuff as we went back upstairs. Once at the door, Spencer came up to him, rubbing on his leg. He bent over to pet him.

"So, I'm not sure if you are single or not." I could feel the blood draining from my face. Was this really happening right now? "But I wanted to know if you wanted to go on a date?"

Yes, this was happening right now.

"Really?" I could tell I sounded extremely excited, but at this point, I didn't even care.

"Yeah, you are super laid back, funny, talented, and you aren't scared away by how weird I am." He laughed, "So yes?"

"I would absolutely love to."

"Great. I'll text you." He winked and waved as he closed the door, leaving.

My back went against the door. I couldn't keep in the squeal so I just embraced it and squealed my heart out, doing a little dance.

Which was quickly ended when I heard a knock at the door.

"I'm sorry, I want to get to know you better immediately." He let out a nervous chuckle. "Are you free for the rest of the day?" I was sure that my face was red as a tomato.

"Yes I am." He grabbed my hand, dragging me outside.

"Then let's go."

[atths--twice]

Easter Out of Quarantine

It has been a year of living life distant from others, unsure of the future. Things are slowly returning to normal and today they will be celebrating Easter, something they missed out on last year.

Rereading my Easter story from last year, it made me think of how things were so unknown last year. How we all were nervous and hesitant to do "normal" things, especially celebrating holidays as we usually do. I had not planned to write a follow up, but it felt necessary and I enjoyed it very much.

I hope you do too. ❤

March 31, 2021

Mulder felt a kick in his back and his eyes flew open. The sun was just beginning to come up, the room filled with soft light. Another kick and then rustling followed by a deep sigh. He turned over and smiled at the sight that greeted him.

Scully lay on her left side, Faith nestled into her, both of them sleeping, Scully’s mouth open slightly as she breathed deeply. Faith was outside of the covers, the fleece blanket from her bed discarded by her feet. He knew she was not cold though, the dark blue footed pajamas, with the small beige and brown owls, keeping her warm and toasty.

Her top molars were coming in and for the past couple of days, she had been very crabby and clingy, wanting Scully primarily to hold her. She’d had a low grade fever, her eating habits and sleep schedule shifting a bit, and at night she would wake up crying, rubbing at her cheeks and calling for Scully.

They had given her some medicine, which was a struggle at times as she did not want to take it, crying and clinging to Scully as she hid her face. In a moment of genius, Mulder had taken the medicine and added it to a small amount of apple juice when she was not watching. Mixing it up, he had brought it back to the table, asking her if she wanted to have some juice.

Turning it into a game, he had used a medicine syringe to squirt plain apple juice into his own mouth, exclaiming about the deliciousness of it. Her curiosity piqued, he had drawn the medicine/juice combination into a separate syringe for her, and slowly given her the full dose of the medication. Once it had gotten into her system, she had been better, still a little clingy, but more her happy self.  

For two nights, after she had woken up crying, she had been brought into their bed, all of them tired and needing to sleep. It was sweet and cute, watching her lying between them, until he had been elbowed in the eye and accidentally been kicked in the balls, causing him to draw in a sharp breath and cough.

But it had helped her and that was what mattered, he thought as he stared at them with a smile. He hated seeing her hurting and whatever it took to get his girl back to feeling happy, he would do it. Her teeth were finally starting to show, so hopefully she would be feeling better soon.

Scully shifted and her eyes opened for a second before closing again. She exhaled, as she pulled Faith closer, holding her in her arms. Breathing deeply, she fell back to sleep, and he smiled again.

He heard a bell tinkling and then a low chirpy meow as Grey jumped onto the bed and walked over to him. She purred loudly as he pet her, flopping down heavily and rubbing her head into his hand. He closed his eyes as he continued to pet her, lying still so as to not disturb the sleeping ladies.

He must have dozed off, because when he opened his eyes again, Faith was awake and laughing at Grey, the room now brighter. Scully smiled sleepily at him and then looked at Faith, rubbing her back gently.

“Good morning, love. How are you today? Feeling better?” He squeezed her leg and she laughed happily as she looked at him.

“Thank Christ for that,” he muttered as he looked at Scully and she laughed softly.

“She kick you in the nuts again?”

“No, and thank Christ for that, too…” He shook his head and she laughed again with a nod. “I don’t mind sleeping with her, but…” She hummed with another nod, their attention turning back to Faith and Grey as they played on the bed.

A couple of hours later, they were driving to the designated site to receive their first dose of Covid shots, finally eligible to do so. Waiting in line, all of them masked up, Faith’s a bright pink with many colorful butterflies, Scully began to sniffle and he looked at her in surprise.

“I’m so happy,” she said, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. “Last year… I wasn’t sure we would even be here.” She shook her head and he smiled, reaching for her hand and squeezing gently. Breathing out, she closed her eyes, tears spilling out.

Receiving their shots simultaneously, Faith singing in the back, and Scully crying happily, they pulled forward to wait and be sure neither of them had any type of reaction. Scully wiped her eyes and blew her nose, laughing as she cried again.

“It’s silly…” she said and he shook his head.

“It’s not.” He took her hand and kissed it, shaking his head again. “It really isn’t.”

“It’s just… this past year. This virus… the past administration… I just…” She started crying again and took off her mask, covering her eyes. “So many people died unnecessarily. I…”

“I know, honey.” He kissed her hand again, rubbing her fingers as she took some deep breaths and calmed down. “Please don’t feel you need to apologize. You’re a scientist above all else, I know what this means to you. To all of us… but especially to you and others like you.” She nodded and squeezed his hand. Wiping her eyes, she put her mask back on and nodded at him.

They waited the appropriate amount of time before they left, neither of them having an adverse reaction. Faith’s mask had been taken off and she was talking to her baby doll as they drove away, both of them taking off their own masks.  

“I’ve been thinking,” she said, glancing at Mulder. “It’s Good Friday in two days and… I’d like to go to church.” He looked at her before looking back at the road. “You don’t have to come, of course… but I’d like to go.” She smiled at him and he smiled back with a nod.

“Okay.”

“I just… I feel I need to go.”

“I understand. I think it’s a good idea,” he said. “What about on Easter?”

“No. I think Friday will be enough. I want to have Easter morning together and I was thinking we should see if Skinner and Rachel want to come over for a late lunch/early dinner.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea.” He smiled again and she reached for her phone to give them a call.

At the grocery store a few minutes later, the cart full of items they had been lacking, they also had ham, potatoes, fresh green beans, wine and sparkling cranberry juice, as Rachel and Skinner would be joining them.  

A dozen white eggs were added and when they walked down the seasonal aisle, there was a debate over which egg dye to purchase. Mulder was immediately drawn to a box promising galactic eggs, but Faith liked the classic rainbow colors, pointing out the butterfly and showing him.

“You aren’t going to win this one,” Scully said in a low voice and he could hear the smile behind it. “Besides, I get a vote and I vote for classic ones with tablets. Last year, we didn’t do them and it’s something I’ve thought a lot about since then.”

He stared at her as he held the galactic egg dye box in his hands and Faith held the other in hers, touching the butterfly and saying hello. Scully raised her eyebrows and he knew he had lost. With a nod, he put his back and she touched his back.

“Next year, I promise,” she said and he gave her an exaggerated sigh, causing her to laugh and squeeze his hand.

A pale yellow basket was also added to the shopping cart, not for Faith, but to be used for the gifts Scully had purchased for Rachel and Skinner. She had searched for a gift for the twins, some little items and a matching set of onesies. As they were joining them for dinner, the basket would be a good way to give it to them.  

“None of that grass shit though,” she said under her breath, pointing to it on the shelf. “That stuff is the worst.”

“Agreed.”

All the items in the cart, they continued to the checkout, paid for the groceries, and headed home.

_____________

April 2, 2021

“It’s a pretty flower,” Mulder said to Faith as they were on their walk and Scully was at church. “What color is it?”

“Pink. It’s a pink flower, Dada.”

“It is indeed, my love.” He smiled at her as he stood up and stretched, groaning as he moved his arm, the injection spot feeling sore.

He took a deep breath, smelling the scent of mud, the ground still wet after the rain from a couple of days ago. Bella loved it, runny where it was dirtiest, her tongue hanging out happily. Mulder knew she would need to be washed before she would be able to go inside, but the trouble was worth it if it meant she’d had fun and had gotten some exercise.

Faith had her rain boots on as they walked and enjoyed the cool breeze of the late afternoon. She was not as keen with the mud, but she liked looking for flowers, rocks, and pine cones that were on the ground; carrying them in her own small pockets or handing them over to be held by Mulder.

“Should we head home, love? Or walk a bit more?”

“More, Dada.”

“You’re the boss,” he said with a smile and reached for her hand, Bella running beside them with a happy bark.

When they arrived home a little later, he grabbed the towels and soap he had thoughtfully left on the porch. Turning on the hose, he brought Bella over to the plastic pool they had bought for her last summer.

Apologizing for the cold water, he washed her quickly, drying her and bringing her onto the porch so she would not roll in the muddy grass, thus starting the process all over again. She ran back and forth, rolling on her back and scooting her face on the floorboards as Faith laughed from the grass as Mulder cleaned up.

They both turned at the sound of a car pulling up as he lifted the pool and dumped out the soapy water, leaning it against the house. Bella barked as she stood with her paws on the porch, her tail wagging as Scully got out and opened the gate.

“Mama! Mama home, Dada!” Faith said as she started to run to her, but Mulder caught her and picked her up.

“Whoa. Mama has to bring the car in and we have to watch out. Stay where it’s safe, my love, okay?”

“Yes, Dada,” she said, nodding her head seriously.

“Good,” he said, kissing her cool cheek and pulling her fluffy beanie down further.

Scully pulled the car to the side of the house and got out, closing the door and locking it. Mulder set Faith down and said she could go see Mama now. She ran towards her as he walked to close the gate.

“Hello, my love. Well, I see you’ve had a fun afternoon.” She squatted down and hugged her, but did not pick her up, not wanting to dirty her dress and coat. “What treasures did you bring home today? Anything in your pockets?”

“Yes. I have rocks. Flowers. Pink flowers, Mama.” She reached into her coat pockets and took out a black rock, two pink flowers and some leaves, handing them all to Scully. “Pretty flowers, Mama.”

“They are pretty, honey. Very beautiful.” She smiled at Faith as she held the squished flowers and rolled the rock between her fingers. Looking up at Mulder, he winked and put out a hand to help her up.

“Good service?”

“Yes. It’s what I was needing.” She smiled and he kissed her, squeezing her hand and taking the rock from her. “Don’t drop it. Put it-”

“In with the others… I know.” She smiled again and nodded as she took Faith’s hand, all of them walking to the garden area and adding the day's treasures to the many rocks already placed inside it.

“One day we should make a stepping stone or something with the rocks she’s brought home over the years.”

“I like that idea,” Scully said, as he placed the black rock next to a small gray one.

“You have any other rocks in those pockets, Miss Faith?” he asked, checking and finding nothing but some stray pieces of grass. “Nope, we’re all good.” He kissed her and scooped her up, causing her to shout out and laugh, her muddy rain boots kicking into his side. He smiled as he looked at her and she smiled back, glad she was finally back to her happy self.

____________________

April 3, 2021

Mulder covered the table with a plastic tablecloth as Scully placed the coffee cups on the table, each one filled with a different color of dye and a spoon. The eggs were on the counter in the carton, hard boiled and ready to go. Faith was wearing a pair of old pants and a shirt that was a bit too small; an outfit that could get stained without any worry.

“You ready to color the eggs, my love?” Scully asked as she lifted her into her booster chair and pushed it close to the table.

“Ready!” Faith said with a smile.

“Okay! Let me show you how to do it. Which color would you like? Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or purple?”

“Purple!”

“Okay,” Scully chuckled and picked up the cup of purple dye as Mulder took out his phone, taking video and pictures. “So…” She grabbed the eggs and set them close, but out of Faith’s reach, taking one from the carton. “We take an egg, carefully, and we place it on the spoon and then set it in the cup.” Faith leaned forward and watched as Scully set the egg in the cup and stirred the liquid gently.

“Now, we leave the egg in for a couple of minutes… but, let’s see how it looks so far.” She put the egg on the spoon and lifted it to show Faith who gasped and looked up at Scully.

“It’s purple! Dada! Egg is purple!” She looked at Mulder and he laughed softly, taking a picture of her happy surprised face before he put his phone down on the table.

“Purple is good. But what about blue?” He took an egg from the carton and placed it in the cup of blue dye, smiling at both of them as Scully put the egg back in the cup of purple dye.

Ten more eggs were done, some colored on with a white crayon, a design created that remained undyed: a heart, butterfly, Faith’s name, and a couple with scribbled lines drawn by Faith. She was quite proud of them and kept picking them up and smiling, showing them the pictures she had made.

Mulder helped her set them into the small cardboard egg stands, only one of the stands not being used as she had taken a liking to the picture on it and kept a hold of  it. The eggs set back on the counter, the table wiped off, and cups set in the sink, they had some yogurt and strawberries before Faith would be going to bed.

“Dada, eggs so pretty. Purple butterfly so pretty,” she said, yogurt on her chin as she looked at the eggs on the counter. “Mama see blue egg? My egg.”

“Yes, that egg says Faith. That’s your name.” Scully smiled at her and wiped her chin.

“So pretty,” Faith said, sighing before she took another bite. Mulder shook his head with a smile as he stared at her.

After changing her into her pajamas, a couple of books read, they said goodnight and put her to bed with her egg stand picture held tightly in her hands.

“I love so much that she fixates on things that interest her,” he said as they closed the door and Scully chuckled.

“Of course you do,” she said softly, touching his chest and kissing him. “She’s a mini you when it comes to that type of thing.” Laughing again, she went downstairs and he followed.

They cleaned up and got the items out for the Easter baskets they were going to fill. The basket from last year for Faith and the new one for the upcoming twins.

“Look how tiny these are,” Scully said with a sigh, her lip sticking out, as she held up the tiny onesies. They were white with large dandelions, the seeds blowing across it. One said: Sometimes when you wish for a miracle and the other said: You get two. “Faith used to wear things this tiny. Remember how small she was, Mulder?”

“I do,” he said with a chuckle, reaching for one of the onesies. “She was the most beautiful little lump.” Scully grabbed the onesie back and swatted him with it as she laughed. He winked and filled Faith’s basket as she filled the other.

Into Faith’s, he placed a few brightly colored plastic eggs, a rainbow colored stuffed butterfly, a wind up hopping yellow chick and white rabbit, a pink bottle of bubbles, purplish pink princess Goldfish crackers, sidewalk chalk, and two applesauce pouches.

In the other basket, Scully placed the same organic brand of soap and lotion they had used for Faith, two board books: Goodnight Moon and Guess How Much I Love You, four large plastic eggs with a couple of pairs of little socks in each one and two packs of pacifiers. The onesies were folded carefully and laid on top, a white ribbon tied on the top of the handle.

“You know Rachel’s going to cry when she sees that,” he said, nodding to the basket as he stood up.

“Of course she will. But happy tears are the best tears.” She smiled at him as she stood up and he reached for her hand, spinning her around and then pulling her close.

“They are indeed.” He kissed her and she laughed. Stepping away, she put the eggs in the refrigerator, ready for the hunt in the morning, before taking his hand with a smile and leading him upstairs.

___________________

April 4, 2021

“Again Dada,” Faith laughed, handing Mulder the wind up rabbit. “Again please.” He smiled as he wound it up and held it as he then wound the chick, setting them on the floor.

“And… GO!” he shouted as they began to hop and she dissolved into giggles, on her knees beside them. He laughed as he watched her, looking up at Scully as she smiled down at them.

She winked and took the eggs from the fridge, walking outside to hide them while Faith’s attention was elsewhere. Coming back in after five more times of him winding up the toys, she nodded at him and he picked Faith up, grabbing her basket on the way.

“Okay, love. You won’t remember from last year but, we need to find the eggs and put them in your basket. Oh look! There’s two right there!” He pointed to the porch swing, bringing her attention to the red and blue egg, and she walked over to pick them up. “Great job. Now let’s put them in the basket.” She set them inside and looked up at him, somewhat confused.

“Over here, honey,” Scully said and Faith turned around. Walking over to her, Scully pointed to her muddy rain boots that were sitting by the door. “Look inside.” Faith bent down and looked inside, reaching in and pulled out an orange egg from one and a yellow one from the other. Smiling at Scully, Mulder held the basket out to her, and she placed them inside.

Putting on her boots, they continued with the egg hunt, finding a couple in the garden, one by Bella’s pool, the trees by the gate, in the shed, by the car, and the last one under her blue plastic bucket in the yard. All of them accounted for, they went inside to have breakfast.

“Again, Dada,” Faith said as the door closed and she ran to pick up the wind up toys.

“It was your decision to buy those,” Scully said with a smile, taking the basket from him and bringing it into the kitchen.

“Yes... it was,” he agreed, taking the white rabbit and winding it, grinning at the happy smile on Faith’s expectant face.

__________________

“It’s so good to see you both,” Scully said, hugging Rachel and rubbing her arm as she stepped back and gave Skinner a one armed hug, as he was carrying a bakery box. “Happy Easter.”

“God, it smells good in here,” Rachel said, setting down the purple basket in her hand, taking off her coat and hanging it up. “That ham is making my mouth water.”

“Feeling better then?”

“Yes, thank god. I hope I’m past the morning sickness, but…” She shrugged and let out a sigh, smiling as she saw Faith. “Miss Faith, that is a beautiful dress. You look so pretty.”

“Hi, Rachel. Hi Unco!” she said, running to them for hugs.

“Here, this is for you, sweetie,” Rachel said, squatting down and handing her the Easter basket. “From me and Uncle.”

“Oh… so pretty!” she said, taking out the pink polka dotted bunny and giving it a hug. “Pink bunny.”

They all laughed and watched as she emptied it of the other items and then filled it with plastic eggs, placing the eggs around the house. Skinner was chosen and persuaded to go on a hunt, Faith laughing and clapping when he “found” each egg.

Rachel cried when she was given her gift, just as Mulder had predicted, touching the dandelions and letting out a deep breath with a nod.

“This is so beautiful. And absolutely true,” she said softly, rubbing her stomach and smiling at them. “Thank you.”

They sat down to eat, everyone exclaiming over how good the meal was and how they had missed out on it last year. Beginning to reminisce, they shook their heads at how terrible and worrisome it had felt at the same time last year.

“What a difference a year makes,” Mulder said and they all raised their glasses in agreement.

Talk then turned to the vaccine. Skinner was getting his second dose in a week and Rachel was waiting on advice from the obstetrician.

“I’ve called Elise and made an appointment to see her in two weeks for the next ultrasound and check up. I’m hoping we’ll be able to know the sex by then, but it might be too early.”

“Have you decided if you’ll move?” Scully asked and the conversation turned to real estate. Rachel brought up an app on her phone, showing them places they had been looking at, but had yet to inquire about.

“It’s still early, but…” She shrugged and reached for the bowl of mashed potatoes, placing a large spoonful onto her plate.

After they ate, Scully and Rachel sat on the porch swing, reading books to Faith. Mulder and Skinner stood in the grass, drinking a beer and throwing the ball for Bella.

“Things are better?” Mulder asked and Skinner nodded with a smile.

“Better. Still… nervous, but…” He looked at Rachel reading as Faith laughed and he chuckled softly. “It’s going to change everything, but I’m ready for it.”

“Yeah,” Mulder agreed with a smile.

Dessert, a chocolate pie, was eaten on the porch, Faith once again hiding eggs in plain sight for them to find, Grey following and batting at them, chasing one across the porch as it bounced loudly.

All too soon, they were gathering up their things, giving hugs, and saying goodbye. Faith gave Rachel a purple plastic egg with a blue butterfly sticker and Rachel thanked her with tears in her eyes, cursing her hormones as they all laughed.

Waving goodbye as they drove away, Faith asked for another egg hunt and Mulder agreed to one more before bed. As he began to hide them, Scully took Faith upstairs to change her clothes and brush her teeth.

Coming back down, they both smiled at Faith as she padded around in her footed pajamas, the basket held tightly in her hands, exclaiming happily and excitedly every time she found an egg, and placed it inside, Grey once again chasing after the ones that fell from the basket, spinning them wildly across the hardwood floor.

[lemill1on]

ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ɴɪɢʜᴛ

izuku midoriya x reader

song: crash my car by coin

Music thumped through the soles of your sneakers, some upbeat pop song you were sure someone in your class knew the lyrics to by heart. You moved through the rented beach house, occasionally taking sips from the red plastic cup in your hand as you wandered. 

It was bittersweet, attending a party celebrating the end of your time at UA. You were sure to see most of your classmates as fellow pros, but you couldn’t shake the sneaking suspicion that this would be your last chance to make a lasting impression before everyone went their separate ways. 

Tonight’s the last chance you have to tell Todoroki how you really feel, you thought to yourself as you leaned against a wall, taking a shaky sip of beer as your eyes scanned the room for any signs of his two-toned hair. You’d been nursing a crush on him for the better part of your four years at UA, only ever close enough to be considered a friend.

Sure, the two of you had your moments, but they didn’t amount to the spark you saw him have with other girls. Girls that were prettier, smarter, with stronger Quirks than yours. You sighed into your drink, shutting your eyes as you let the bass flow through you. You were sure Jiro was the DJ for the night, the pop music divided by songs that you could only guess were requests. 

You wondered if any of the love songs were meant for someone, if you could say what you’d always wanted to through the speakers rather than your words. Would he even know it was you, or would he just think it was another song? He probably didn’t even know you liked him...

“Hey Y/n, you see Midoriya anywhere?”

Your drink dangerously sloshed as you jumped, the sound of Mirio’s voice at your side snapping you out of your thoughts. Your gaze slowly turned to see his head protruding from the wall, blue eyes gazing up at you with the twinkle only alcohol could give them. 

“Nope. I didn’t even know he was coming.” 

Mirio stuck his head out a bit more, shifting so he was level with you. “I didn’t either, but Nejire said she’d seen him lookin’ for someone. I thought you’d know, y’know ‘cause you’re together so much.” 

You cringed slightly. As much as you liked Midoriya, there was something you couldn’t quite place in the way that he talked to you as of late. He was far from cold—you didn’t think he was capable of that, to be honest—but you didn’t have the same rapport that you’d grown accustomed to over the years. 

You took a pointed sip and pushed off of the wall, giving Mirio a quick goodbye before you downed the rest of your drink and made your way to the kitchen, taking a few gulps of your second cup before you resumed your aimless wander. You stopped every once in a while to talk to your classmates, promising that you’d keep in touch....the usual graduation pleasantries. There was still no sign of Midoriya or Todoroki, and by the time you were halfway through your third cup you decided to abandon the search. 

It didn’t take long for you to find your way to the back of the house, sitting out on the balcony while a few kids from class 1-B passed around a bottle of vodka, taking long pulls before passing it on to the few 1-A students that had joined them. 

You found yourself stumbling into the house not five minutes later, wondering if Todoroki had even shown up in the first place. What’s the point? You thought, he doesn’t give a shit about me. As the party wound down your thoughts ambled to Midoriya, doubting that he’d come like Mirio had said. He was the last person you’d expect to be at a party, much less one where half the people attending were drunk off their asses. 

*

Izuku had been looking for Y/n all night. After a lengthy talk with All Might two nights prior, he’d finally made up his mind to tell her that he’d been in love with her for years. That every moment they spent together—every late night study session, every holiday, every meal, every stolen glance and warm smile—made all the hurt he’d felt melt away. 

She’s not here, she probably already left with someone else...Izuku sighed, dejectedly making his way out of the house to head back home. He’d spent all this time watching her chase boys that were better than him in every way, why did he think now would be any different? As much as he wished it was true, he’d never be the kind of hero she needed. 

It was better to just make peace with it now. 

He managed to slip out unnoticed, thankful that he’d been able to take his own car to the party. His thoughts raced, each looping back to how stupid he’d been to think that he’d ever have a fighting chance with you. It was probably for the best that he left now anyway, she wouldn’t even notice he was gone—

“Midoriya! C’mere!” 

He blinked twice, slowly turning to see Y/n stumbling toward him, a wide grin stretched across her face. Her eyes were glassy and unfocused, each drunk step toward him one that felt oddly calculated, as if it was taking all of her strength to remain upright. 

“H-Hey Y/n! I, uh, I didn’t think you were still here.” He hated how awkward he sounded, the nervous tremor in his voice that of someone who had just been caught doing something they weren’t supposed to, instead of the confidence one should have talking to someone they’d known for so long. 

“Hey you...you have a car, right?” Y/n leaned forward, catching herself on Izuku’s shoulder. “Can you....do you know where—where I live?” 

Oh god, she wants me to take her home?! I can’t say no...what if I tell her then? She’ll probably fall asleep anyway, she won’t even hear it! Yeah, I’ll just...I’ll tell her how I feel, and then I won’t have to worry about it anymore. But what if she is awake, and she rejects me—

“Heeey, Deku? You’re...you’re talkin’ to yourself again,” Y/n mumbled, giving him an easy smile when his gaze drifted back up to hers. 

“S-Sorry.” He returned the smile, knowing that his probably looked more forced than he wanted it to. “My car’s parked over there, if you—if you want me to take you home.” 

Y/n’s eyes lit up. “Perfect! Y’know, you’re so nice for doing this,” she followed behind him, grabbing onto his hand to steady herself, making his heart leap to his throat, “you’re just nice, Midoriya.”

“Oh, uh, thanks, Y/n.” He helped her into the car, making sure she was situated before he slipped into the driver’s seat, taking a deep breath before he started the car and pulled out into the street. 

It wasn’t long before Y/n had slumped against the window, her eyes shut and breathing slowed. He’d been trying to psych himself up to tell her, but every time he opened his mouth to talk he convinced himself it was a bad idea and let the silence remain. 

*

Your eyes fluttered open, the realization that you were driving home hitting you slowly. You kept your gaze on the rolling highway, the glow of the lights casting tinted shadows across your face. You could hear a soft sigh to your left, Midoriya’s voice filling the vast silence of the car before you could turn to look at him. 

“Y/n I...I know you’re probably still asleep or whatever, and that’s for the best, I mean, I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of you—“ he exhaled, his grip tightening on the wheel, “I...ugh, I don’t know how to say this.” 

You didn’t think it possible in your current state, but you felt your heart pick up as you listened to Midoriya collect himself, the deep breaths he took the ones you’d heard so many times before, ones prompted by you when his thoughts started to run wild. 

“I...” there was a small pause and a sigh of determination, “remember when we first went to go eat lunch at the park by UA, and you told me that you’d never had your first kiss before?” 

You wanted to nod, but stayed still so you could hear him talk. 

“I never told you—I mean why would I?—but I always kinda hoped I’d be your first kiss. And I know that’s pretty silly, you’re not even interested in me, but I just wanted to be the kind of person that you wanted to be with.” 

You could remember that day like it was yesterday. The two of you had gone to eat lunch while the cherry blossoms fell, your hair dusted with pink petals as you exchanged food and secrets. it was then that you’d learned at least some of the true nature of Midoriya’s Quirk, even if you felt like it wasn’t the whole story. You’d promised to keep his secret if he promised to keep yours, that shy admission that you’d never done the kinds of things you always dreamed of. Even now, years later, you were still waiting for someone to sweep you off your feet. 

“I know I’m not as powerful as everyone else in our class, but I always hoped that one day I’d be the one that could make you smile. I—I wanted to be your hero.

“But you were—are—so strong Y/n, you don’t need someone to save you. And even if you did, I knew that person wouldn’t be me.” He sighed softly, stealing a glace at you before he continued. “Even if you didn’t need me like that, I still wanted to be there for you. To be with you.

“I’d go anywhere with you, Y/n. Spending time with you....it’s my favorite part of the day,” he softly chuckled, “ugh, that’s so cheesy. But it’s true. I always kinda hoped I’d get to spend the rest of my life—however long that is—with you.” 

You felt something wash over you that you’d never felt before. In all the years you’d known Midoriya, you’d never thought of him as the person you’d have a future with. You’d never considered him as anything more than a friend, much less the person you’d fall in love with. 

But as you pulled off the highway, driving past quaint homes and the lives people had built for themselves, you saw Midoriya as the person he always had been. The one who was there for you no matter what, your shoulder to cry on, the first person you told good news. He was the first person you thought of when you wanted to go on an adventure, the one you always glanced to in class when you had to pick a partner. You’d spent so much time looking in the wrong places that you didn’t listen when your heart told you he was the one you’d been looking for all along. 

“I guess what I’m trying to say is...I love you, Y/n. And I always will, no matter what happens.” He looked to you once again, his green eyes meeting yours, blush settling in his cheeks as he flicked his gaze to the road. 

And for the first time, you didn’t see the kid with a Quirk too powerful for his body. You didn’t see your first friend, the wide-eyed boy who they whispered didn’t belong. 

You saw someone who really was meant to be the number-one hero. Someone whose heart was pure, who smiled even when things seemed hopeless. You’d never quite believed it before, but you could see now that it was his destiny. He was meant for greatness, and you wanted to be there to see it. 

You wanted to be the one to patch up his injuries, to welcome him home with a loving embrace after you watched him save the world. It was now that you saw his true strength, his physical power and mental fortitude, and the future with him that was filled with a love you’d never felt. Something deep and beautiful, bright as the sun. 

Just like him. 

“I think I love you too, Izuku,” You whispered, watching the shine in his eyes as he turned onto your street, his face aglow with the light of the street lamp you’d parked under.

You knew then, as your eyes met, that he’d always be there to drive you home. He’d do anything for you, and you him. Because this was what love truly was, not one-sided chasing or lovelorn heartbreak, it was doing anything for the person you cared about the most. 

It was slipping your hand into your best friend’s, glowing as your lips met for the first time. 

[heli0s-writes]

winter dreams

Summary: Six months after a perfect summertime kiss, you see him again in time for the new year. Music: Death Cab for Cutie - I Dreamt We Spoke Again

Pairing: Reader/Bucky

A/N: 2.1k words. Pining & Soft Bucky. Holiday fluff.  TW: references to cancer

A follow up to summer skin but it’s not necessary to read it first. This was written for @sourpatchkidsandacokecan​​‘s Merry Kismet Writing Challenge. Thank you so much for hosting! The prompt is “You owe me a kiss.”

It’s cold.

December reaches your childhood home in disappointing periods of drizzling rain hitting windowpanes, fogging the insides gray with the house’s heat. Brief winter winds ice the city, never quite enough to flurry like how it did in New York.

Yet somehow, it feels colder here.

You bundle up all over when it sinks into your bones. Blankets and two pairs of wool socks, knitted hats and gloves indoors, still rattling, falling lovesick and not participating in festivities.

Your sisters chide the melancholy, ask you to cheer up, tell you it’s the most wonderful time of the year incoming. Tinsel and allspice, brown sugar candles and the crisp snap of pine. A real tree propped up by the fireplace, topped by a burning red star.

You miss him.

The ornament glows his sigil and, you miss him.

Miss his eyes. His hands. Miss his damn shadow.

Thanksgiving had tasted like wet sand. The turkey and cranberries a mush of pulp. Basting and seasoning, rosemary and garlic, rubbing all manners of things down with butter… and in the end, no matter how you tried, the last six months crumbled like ash in your mouth.

Your father’s illness and subsequent recovery bloomed relief but it was still too soon. There was one more round of radiation and then, it would be over. The cloak of death could finally be ripped down, hung up elsewhere to shrivel and flee; he’d finally be free of cancer.

Six months after sweltering summer kisses on a dock and you were still sick with longing for Bucky. He calls rarely because your civilian life can’t bleed into your hero life; you’re the only one with family—the only one with a possible hostage situation.

Two conversations, maybe. With his low timbre saying hello. Don’t know when I’ll see you, but I’ll dream of you until I do. And the sadness in your gut volleys into hope—careens itself into balmy spring and the taste of his tongue on yours. The only reprieve you receive is in darkness, when you might be lucky enough to find him under a clear June sky, the two of you meeting in the middle of a midnight yearning.

The days between Christmas and New Years smear together. A foggy mess of unknown hours and habits, waking and sleeping all blurring into some kind of purgatory overcrowded with glazed ham leftovers and candles with names like Twisted Peppermint and Merry Berry.

A steaming mug is slid over the frosted windowsill on the 30th. Your youngest sister plops down on the sofa seat with a hum, pulling striped red and green sock encased knees up to her chest. Mind-reading. That connection between siblings.

“You go.” She states casually, and it takes you by surprise. “Dad’s doing well. You go. World needs you and all.”

Under a heavy quilt, you’re already quivering with preemptive heartbreak. A sip of your drink and the beginning of a protest before she puts up her hand, “We’ll be fine.” Then, a smirk and a roll of her eyes, “Figures. You finally fall for a guy and he’s probably Captain America.”

You bite your smile down and stay silent.

-

Voicemail. Even the automated tone repeating his phone number before the shrill beep gives you butterflies. War drums echoing from your chest. The practiced message you ran through your head sounds stupid no matter how many times you rehearse it. No matter how many times you’ve dreamt of him and this moment.

“H-hey... I, uh, I’m heading to the compound. Uh. Well, I think I’ll be there in time for tomorrow night’s party. Can’t wait to see you, Buck.”

A string of the dumbest syllables ever known to man.

-

The commons room is aglow when you arrive. Soft and brilliant in orange and yellow, warming up the darkness of dimmed lights. There are at least three trees on your way in, lit up with gold, then blue, then silver for the third, overflowing with ribbon and sparkling garland. Hand-blown glass ornaments refract a rainbow array of hues. There is fake snow in a trail flanking the velvet red carpet running inside, shaped meticulously so that it imitates a snowbank to perfection. Soft music hums from deeper in, harps and violins, and the smell of the fireplace crackling spiced woody notes soothes your bones.

Pepper’s outdone herself heralding in the New Year. You’ll have to apologize for dripping water all the way in, pelted by snow and shuddering head to toe.

It’s flurrying in New York, alright. Your chattering teeth are a testament to the temperature.

Natasha’s the first to see you by the entrance. A raise of her champagne class and you grin shyly, stepping in, wet boots tracking to the bar. Steve beams and rushes across the room, nicking off his conversation with a fan in the middle, throwing his arms around you for a hug.

“He’s in D.C.—does he know you’re— Christ, where’s your coat?"

You shake your head and quiet your trembling as you take in Steve’s pressed denim shirt and his slacks and hair neatly combed to one side. Clean shaven and handsome, twinkling eyes as he holds tight. Your shoes are dripping onto his and you chuckle, “I forgot it—too eager, I suppose.”

The gown you pulled on at the airport is an old one—silvery lavender with thin trails of sparkling tinsel. Worn once during an undercover mission near New Mexico and then hung up to sway limply in your sister’s closet because it was too beautiful to discard even though it smelled like gunpowder. The excitement of your arrival was too pressing that you’d forgotten the right shoes. Boots it is—black and clunky, the kind you’d prefer to have on in a fight.

“He’ll be mad you’re not dressed for the weather.” A silly grin as if Steve’s hiding a secret. Then, a single raise of his sandy brow as he looks down. The gossamer hem a darker purple as it sways over your shoes. “But maybe you can go barefoot for tonight.”

-

Sam is elated when he arrives, pulling you into a spin before his hand clasps onto yours and he sways all the way to the middle of the dance floor. It’s like you never left as he chatters on, making you laugh and cry, his steps goading the band to play faster accompaniments.

Three songs in and you’re reminded of how tired you are from the trip. Your feet are freezing on the tile and so you lead Sam to the couches, accepting a drink from Natasha’s hand before leaning into her, tingling toes tucked beneath your thighs. She plays with your hair, rubs your shoulder, and whispers that it hasn’t been the same without you.

“I remember this dress. We got into some trouble that mission.” And you know that look even without seeing it. Half-smirk, eyebrow up, the Natasha trademark.

You laugh at the memory. Gunpowder from her Beretta and the skirt hiked up to reveal your own pistol strapped tightly to your thigh. Beneath it had been a knife. Overkill, you’d thought, but it came in handy anyway.

“James will appreciate your sentimentality.”

The two of you had played lovers, and it was easy slipping into the role. Your heart flutters at the memory and how nervous you had been when his hand caressed yours at the auditorium entrance. He had bent over and whispered that you looked beautiful, and you snorted in return—a broken noise of disbelief.

“We missed you.” Natasha blows into your ear playfully, “You won’t believe how annoyingly long he sulked. If he’s not here at midnight, you’re getting a kiss from me.”

“Woah. I’m gonna kiss her.” Sam protests, leaning forward dramatically.

You turn to Steve with a grin, waiting for his bid but he only puts his hands up, palms faced outward. “Not me. I’m not trying to get into any fights with Buck. Had enough of that for a while, if none of you remember.”

A few more minutes of chatting and you dismiss your friends, shooing them back to their company and unwilling to take up any more of their time.

New Year’s Eve and you certainly can’t be the most interesting person here, you say. Check out the band, gosh, there’s a celebrity—and Tony, sweeping in with gusto to shoot a comment about how he didn’t even notice you were back but that your room is still in pristine condition, if you were wondering.

And you weren’t, but you thank him anyway with a wink.

11:50 and the back wall is glaring a projected image of the NYC ball drop. You stifle a yawn behind your hand, leaning over the couch lazily. Guests come and go, welcome you back, and you’re always a little startled when another stranger flits by to say hello and thank you. Everyone blurs together in a rush of sparkling cream gowns and silk suits.

11:55 and your eyes are shuttering close, cheekbone resting upon your palm.

11:58 and a hand is skimming up your arm, softly prodding, but you’re too tired to move.

Cheers and whoops. It’s so loud. Music crescendoes, Natasha placing a peck on your cheek along with a blanket over your shoulders and you reply with a wilted little smile. Then, you return to a familiar sweetened coffee black dream of someone tall and soft-spoken.

-

You jolt from the stupor with a gasp. The room has emptied and darkened, only lit by the soft glow of the projector spinning starry images. The blanket from your shoulders has slipped off some time ago, gathering to pool at your feet. Blinking sluggishly, you realize you’re no longer leaned against your palm on the edge of the couch.

Dusky pine and leather. Faint cool aftershave and the vital heartbeat of warm boy. Something heavy and buttery soft draped over your previously cold shoulders.

Another dream.

Yet, it feels more corporeal than ever before and the drumming in your chest strikes a thrilled beat. Your hands wildly pat him up and down, drawing forth his sweet laugh at your antics. You don’t stop, though, running up the neoprene vest, the straps buckled over his torso, his strong jaw and chin. Then hair, those long chestnut strands lightly curled at the edges, grown a little longer and tucked loosely behind his ears.

“Bucky?”

“Yeah, honey.”

You bristle in disbelief, distracted by the realization with some embarrassment that you’ve been sleeping on top of him for who knows how long.  Stupid syllables stuck like caramel chews in your mouth, welding your teeth together in a solid disappointment. After spending six months dreaming about seeing him again, now you’re finally here and you’ve got nothing to say. Bucky lifts his chin to place atop your head, pressing kisses down and chills race to your fingertips and toes.

“Nat said she kissed you at midnight,” Bucky muses, and you can just hear him smiling how he does when he thinks he’s done something clever. “And what about me? You owe me a kiss, unless you’re all done with kissin’ for the night?” His gloved finger traces your chin, thumb pad rubbing over your nose, lifting your gaze until you’re staring up into his eyes.

Blue, blue, blue, like milky ways dipped in a cerulean sea. Behind his head the cosmos continue to spiral, outlining him in silver and starlight. He is beautiful in the night, brighter than suns. You want to sob and say Bucky, Bucky, if I’m sleeping don’t wake me.

Cheekiness snuffs itself out as he tilts his head with a smile, eyes roaming over your expression curiously. A statement begins in the silence of his thumb caressing your cheek, then brow, then making a path down to your bottom lip, skimming over the edge.

He punctuates it with a press of his mouth to yours. Hand moving to latch onto your jaw, then neck, then cradling your head between two and your heart hurdles all the way to the finish line.

“Missed you.” He murmurs, “Missed you a lot.” Licks to your lips and you vaguely wonder when he learned how to sweep you completely off your feet. Bucky tugs on the lapels of his jacket around your shoulder, crushing your torso to his. After six months of longing and anguish, you could float away if he wasn’t holding on so tightly.

“You look beautiful. Always thought so.” Fingers rub the lavender tulle and he smiles. You didn’t believe him then, the night Bucky complimented you and yanked the knife from its strap. “Like a dream.”

Now, you know he means it.

“Happy New Year, honey.”

Bucky pulls you fully into his lap, solid beneath your hands and flush against your torso. Real. Real. Real.

Winter rages on outside. Wrapped up in him, here, now, finally, you’ve never felt warmer.

“Happy New Year, Bucky.”

-

perm tags:  @whothehellisbucky​​​ @serpentbaby​​​ @badassbaker​​​ @alagalaska​​​ @cake-writes​​​ @crist1216​​​ @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan​​​ @infinity-saga​​​ @jamesbarnesthighs​​​ @pinknerdpanda​​​ @xoxabs88xox​​​ @imsoft-barnes​​​ @momc95​​​ @typicalangel​​​ @wretchedgoddess​​​ @readeity​​​ @iwannasail​​​ @ya-lyublu-tebya​​​ @geeksareunique​​​ @wildefire​​​ @satanxklaus​​​ @jhangelface0523​​  @wkemeup​

[shadow-assassin-blix]

A Christmas to Remember

Jack “Whiskey” Daniels x Reader/You

This is my Secret Santa gift as part of the #Pedros12DaysofChristmas to one @mickeymouse-moshpit​ who wanted some fluff. This is my first time writing for Whiskey and I had a lot of fun with it. (Also, I sent an anon a while ago but I dont know if you ever saw it, or if tumblr ate it, so if you specified anything else my apologies!) I hope you enjoy this!

Warnings: Talks of loss of childhood dog, Whiskey mentions his deceased wife. Some anxiety issues in the form of trying to be a people pleaser. 

It was a few days before Christmas Eve, and most of the Statesmen were spending the day catching up on paperwork before heading out on vacation. That is where you were; stuck in your office finishing up reports.

It has been a rough couple of weeks for you. A mission you went on a week ago, went terribly. Your CI had gotten killed, and you had almost walked into a trapped that could’ve been the death of you and your team.

Thankfully, another agent who had been your backup got you out of there before anything could happen. Agent Jack “Whiskey” Daniels had been a literal lifesaver that day.

Then on top of that, your childhood dog had passed away over a month ago. He had been about 15, so his passing wasn’t too shocking, but it still broke your heart. He had been with you through so many changes: college, jobs, moves, break-ups. This was the first Christmas in years, that you would be spending it alone.

So, here you were typing up the last report before the holidays, with a smidge of dread.

It was as you were editing the report that you saw Whiskey making his way out of his office across from yours. You had always thought he was extremely handsome. He was a flirt, sure, but he was damn good at his job. You had been trying to figure out how to properly thank him for days since he saved your ass.

You bit your lip as an idea popped up in your head, and found yourself chasing after him, trying to catch up before he got on the elevator.

“Hey Whiskey!” You called out when you see him waiting for the elevator, just ahead of you.

He turned around, slight confusion on his face as he watched you run up to him.

“Where’s the fire darling?” He asked slight concern in his voice.

“Sorry. Um. Was wondering… do you have any plans for Christmas Eve?” You slowly asked, trying to not sound too winded.

“Uh. Not much. I’m on the graveyard shift both nights. Why you ask honey?” He questioned curiously.

“Well. I tend to have a small dinner at home and watch cheesy Christmas movies. I was wondering if you would like to join me? No one should spend the holidays alone or at work,” You offered with a small smile, scratching the back of your neck awkwardly.

Whiskey stared at her surprised. He wasn’t expecting that.

“Um. That’s mighty kind of you. I may take you up on that. I’ll let you know, yeah?” He finally answered not knowing what to say.

You nodded your head, somewhat excitedly.

“Great. No pressure though! I just… don’t want to be alone to be honest. But um. Just let me know, okay?” You said with a wave as you walked back to your office.

You go back inside, finish your edits and sent off the report for review. It was as you were gathering your things, that you realized that what you said… sounded a little guilt trip-y.

You winced as you thought more and more about it. When you got down to your car, and was simply sitting in it, you decided to text him.

‘Hey, umm. I’m sorry if what I said early made you feel awkward. I just wanted to do something nice for you after that mission last week. If I overstepped or made you feel weird, I am sorry.’

You hit sent before typing out one more thing.

‘If you want… we can just ignore that whole conversation.’

You sent it and then threw your phone over into to the seat next to you, not wanting to look at it ever again.

You made your way home and soon enough you were walking upstairs into your apartment. As you set your stuff down, you checked your phone expecting something horrific. There was nothing. You unlocked it to see the conversation, wanting to be sure nothing had been said. All that was there were your two messages. So, you continued on with your night, checking your phone occasionally.

Two days later, it was Christmas Eve, and you still had yet to hear from Whiskey. You simply sigh in resignation that he was either weirded out by you, or just wasn’t interested.

You began cooking your dinner at about 11am. You tended to make a lot of food, despite it usually only being for one person. You loved leftovers and it meant not having to cook a lot for a few days. It was about 3pm when you were fixing up the ham, getting ready to put it in the oven, when you heard a knock at the door.

You stared at it confused before walking over to it. When you opened it, there was a man you didn’t know standing there.

“Uh. Can I help you?” You asked awkwardly looking at him and the dishes he was carrying.

He looked at you then at the door number, and went, “Aw. Shit. Sorry. Got off on the wrong floor. My bad. Um. Merry Christmas?”

You laughed a little and said, “Merry Christmas to you. Enjoy whatever you’re about to eat, it smells delicious!”

He threw a ‘thanks’ over his shoulder as he walked away. You close the door and went back over to your ham. You finished preparing it and set it in the oven, creating a timer for it.

You were in the middle of cleaning up the slight mess that had been from that and was setting the table with everything that you had made earlier when another knock came to your door.

You walk over with a sigh, mentally preparing to direct another person who was at the wrong door. But upon opening it, you were surprised to see Whiskey standing there instead. He was wearing a simple black polo and jeans, a white cowboy hat in one hand and a bottle of wine tucked under his arm.

“Hi,” He greeted with a small smile.

“Hey,” You were shocked to say the least.

It took a moment for your brain to start functioning again before you realized you had yet to let him in. You stepped aside and he walked in setting his hat on a rung on the coat rack.

“I uhh… I brought some white wine. I remember you saying you’re not a fan of red,” He stated showing you the bottle.

You smiled at him meekly, and asked, “You remembered that?”

He nodded with a small smirk, “I only remember the important things.”

“My preference in wine is important?” You questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Indeed. I find most things that you tell me about yourself important. How else would I be able to woo you?” He fired back his smirk growing.

You felt your face warm with embarrassment before clearing your throat, “Ahem. Um. Dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes. There’s plenty to snack on as well, so help yourself.”

You made your way into the kitchen to get a bottle opener and a pair of wine glasses. Whiskey followed you, taking the opener from you gently. He quietly opened the bottle and poured the both of you glasses.

He then picked up both glasses and took them over to the couch, holding them, waiting for you to join him. You sat down next to him and took one. You clinked your glasses together before taking a sip.

You turned slightly to look at him, leaning back on your couch.

“Are you uh… still doing the graveyard shift tonight?” You politely asked, fiddling with the stem of your drink.

“No. I’m not. Decided against it,” He answered softly.

“Why uhh… why did you agree to do them in the first place, if I may ask?” You inquired, propping your arm up on the back of the couch to rest your head on it.

“Nothin’ better to do. Haven’t really celebrated the holidays in years. Not uhh. Not since my wife died,” He admitted with a flinch.

You stared at him, horrified. You didn’t know what to say. What does one say after that?

“I’m sorry… if this.. if this bothers you, you don’t have to stay,” You whispered feeling awful.

“It doesn’t bother me. Not as much as I thought it would. To be honest, I had planned on saying no. But. I don’t know. Somethin’ kept naggin’ at me to go. Maybe it’s cause yer the first woman in years that I’ve truly been interested, if it’s not too forward of me to say?” He confessed looking you in the eyes.

As you met his gaze, could see the honesty in his eyes. You set your glass of wine down, and got up, to walk over to the fridge. You reached in and pulled out 2 beers.

“Drinking wine doesn’t quite feel right for the current mood,” You lamely joked handing him one of them.

He chuckled softly and murmured in agreement.

“I lost my dog a month ago… Old age. Passed away in his sleep. ‘Best way for a pet to go’ as I’ve been told by everyone. Never really knew just how quiet this place can get without him. Thought about getting another to fill the void but I don’t know… None quite measure up I guess,” You told him before taking a swig of beer wincing slightly at taste of it mixing with the wine.

“I was about to ask, I remember you talking about him a lot,” He said with a nod.

“I know it’s silly, to not want to spend a holiday alone when your usual company was a dog-” You began to explain before he cut you off.

“It’s not silly to me. Now, I’m not quite sure who put that in ya head, but he was yer family. Just because he was a pet, doesn’t invalidate that or your grief,” He began, his hand gently brushing against your cheek. “I’m just… happy that ya asked me to come be with you.”

You smiled in appreciation, your hand reaching up to touch his as you leaned your cheek into it.

He slowly moved forward, his eyes glancing between yours and your lips, silently asking for permission. His lips slowly met yours a moment after you nodded your once. You kissed back just as hesitantly. His hand at your cheek, slowly slid into your hair bring you closer.

The kiss was slow but with each second that passed, the both of you gained more confidence. The kiss became deeper and more passionate. Your hands slid around his neck, slowly burying themselves into his hair. His other hand was fiddling with the hem of your shirt, brushing against the skin he found there.

The only reason why either of you pulled away was to suck in some much-needed air as you felt your lungs burn a little.  You wanted to go back for more, but the kitchen timer was going off, signaling the ham was done. The both of you chuckle as you took in the state of each other: lips swollen, hair a mess.

You quietly stood up to go take the ham out of the oven. The both of you fixed up a plate, and began to watch a few Christmas movies, curling up next to each on the couch. You were about halfway through the Nightmare Before Christmas when you paused it to put your plates into the sink.

“Before we continue… I.. I got you something,” You said to him walking over to your tree.

You picked up a small box that you had labelled as “Whiskey.”

The both of you returned to the couch, as you handed him the present.

He opened it stating, “I didn’t get you anything. Now I feel a bit bad ‘bout that”

As he opened the box to reveal a watch his breath caught. He looked at it and then slowly turned his wrist to look at the watch he had on. It was almost identical to the one he wore now, just silver instead of gold.

He pulled it out gently, examining it. What really got him was when he saw the engraving at the back. It had his name… and the name of his wife.

His gaze turned to you in confused amazement.

“I’ve seen you prepare for missions a lot, and when I first started, I was one of the people who had to lock up personal items when the mission called for extreme discretion. I noticed on your watch it had a name on it. I didn’t know who she was, but I figured she had to be pretty important to you. You mentioned a while back that it broke, and no one’s been able to repair it. So, I tried to find one that looked similarly,” You explained biting your lip.

He looked at you for a moment longer, before turning back to the watch. He gently set the watch back into its box.

You opened your mouth to apologize when he stopped you… by pulling you into a kiss. The kiss was brief but passionate.

“Thank you, darlin’. That’s… that’s the kindest thing anyone’s done for me in a long while,” He whispered against your lips, as he reached up to wipe away a tear that had escaped.

“You’re welcome. I was hoping you’d like it. I was worried you’d hate it,” You admitted.

“You worry too much. You need to stop worryin’ about upsettin’ everyone all the time. You are one of the best agents we have, and everyone adores you,” He assured you, kissing you again and pulling you into his arms.

You smiled sheepishly at that and nodded. You curled back into his side, and he held you as close as possible. You continued to watch movies until you fell asleep, feeling safe and warm next to him.

As morning came and you slowly woke up on the couch, a blanket covering you. As you sat up, looking around, you realized you were alone. You got up looking around trying to see if he left a note.

As you walked toward the kitchen to your phone, you realized that it had been cleaned up. He had put away and saved the food that had been left out.

She checked her phone and saw that there was one message waiting for her.

‘Needed to go do some things. Merry Christmas, beautiful. If it’s alright, I’d like to see you again tonight?’ -Whiskey

You sent a quick response back, ‘I would love to see you tonight! Merry Christmas!’

The rest of the day you went and hung out with some friends for Christmas and did gift exchanges. When you finally came back home, it was late in the day. You set the presents down and freshened up really quick before Whiskey arrived.

It didn’t take very long before you heard a knock on the door; perfectly timed since you had just finished cleaning up. You could feel yourself get excited at the thought of seeing Whiskey again. You walked over to the door to see Whiskey standing there with a large box in his arms, that was brightly colored.

You stared at him, slightly confused at the box. It was as you stared at it that you noticed a shimmer of silver. He had put on the watch.

“Hey darlin’. So. Funny story. I went out planning to ask a friend a question… when I saw something in an alleyway,” He began to explain hesitantly.

He slowly lifted the lid off to reveal a puppy. “He was alone. Took him to my friend who works with a shelter and had one of those fancy scanner things that checks for microchips. Found none. When I told him where I found this lil guy, they said it���s a common place for people to dump pets.”

You stared at the puppy wide-eyed, vaguely aware of what Whiskey was saying to you. The puppy gave a small bark, and his tail wagged excitedly. You could feel your heart melting as you stared at him. You could feel your eyes swelling up with tears.

You slowly reached forward, holding your hand out to his face to sniff. He sniffed it once and then began to lick your hand several times, causing you to choke out a laugh. You then picked up out of the box and held him close to you.

He gave you several kisses before snuggling into your arms.

“I uh… I think I’m gonna have to keep him,” You said tearily as you held him.

“Those are happy tears, right?” He asked nervously.

“Yes. Very happy,” You answered with a laugh, moving back to let him in.

“I had planned on just askin’ my friend about any available dogs for you, thinkin’ maybe we could go find you one tomorrow when the shelter was open. Then I just found him on my way over. I ain’t a big believer in fate but…” He trailed off smiling as he watched you.

“You wanted to take me on a date to find a puppy?” She asked setting the puppy down to let him explore.

“Yes ma’am. I did indeed,” He replied stepping toward her. “Now, however, I think it’s gonna be a get supplies for the little rascal kind of date.”

“I’m good with that, but uhh…  I do believe that I need to kiss you right now,” You said with moving closer to him.

“Oh? Is that right? Well then... please don’t let me stop you,” He drawled as his arms wrapped around your waist pulling you in as close as he could.

You giggled in response as you kissed him slowly and thoroughly, your arms around his neck. He kissed back, his arms lifting you slightly off your feet.

You broke apart when you heard a little bark at your feet. The both of you looked down to see the puppy staring up at the two of you, tilting his head.

You reached down and picked him up and as you held him, you looked at Whiskey who was smiling brightly at you.

“Not gonna lie, honey. This has probably been one of the better Christmases I’ve had in a long time,” He said fondly.

“Same here. Maybe uhh… when the holidays are over, we could go on some proper dates?” You proposed.

“I’d like that. I’d like that a lot,” He remarked pressing a kiss to your lips, before giving a small kiss to the puppy’s forehead.

You smiled and as the two of you spent the rest of the evening together, the both of you realized something. This wasn’t what you were expecting for Christmas at all, but neither of them will ever complain. This was a Christmas to remember.

[chubbyreaderchan]

Unexpected | Geralt x chubby!reader

Content warning: Alludes to attempted assault on MC as well as mentions of blood and bullying. Also super long with cursing. Also I can definitely see a second part. I definitely want Geralt to train her and such.

Tags: @evyiione @labyrinth-of-thoughts @zestygingergirl @pantrashtic

(Y/n) stared silently at the party being hosted in her father's home. Her face was filled with boredom and her eyes were particularly dull watching people dance, eat, and drink. She flinched hearing laughter behind her. It was always that way. Nervous of the laughter from behind, wondering if it was about her or not. It was stressful.

She was the daughter of a nobleman. A man who had five daughters and one son. Her sisters were beautiful, thin with perfect curves and skin. Always having boys begging for their attention. Begging for marriage. Begging just for one night even. They all seemed to take after their father. He was handsome. Strong. Villagers often claimed that he had four beautiful daughters and one pig. Not that they'd ever say that to her face but she had ears.

Unlike her sisters, (Y/n) took after her mother. Her mother was beautiful of course but she was plump. No matter what they both tried they never seemed to be able to shed the weight. It was embarrassing especially since she had never been in a real relationship with anyone while her sisters were constantly turning someone down. Even more so when this whole party was in celebration of her last sister's engagement. Many disappointed suitors were present plus many villagers who were simply excited for free drink.

Another hearty laugh could be heard from behind the young woman. She decided to walk off, perhaps speak with her father or one of her sisters. Her mind was slightly cloudy from drink and anxiety. Maybe next year would be her year but she knew it wouldn't be likely.

With her mind so fuzzy she hadn't noticed the white wolf himself, to the point of bumping into him knocking his drink over another man. The man who was spilled on instantly got angry.

"Oi, bitch watch what yer doin'!"

(Y/n) began to react, an expression on anger forming on her face. She never took well to being yelled at, even by her father.

Geralt rolled his eyes at the man and turned to look over the young nobel woman. Catching his eyes instantly changed her attitude.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bump you" she opted for ignoring the angry man. He simply grunted and nodded in an acknowledgement of her apology.

"Let me get you new one" she offered, slightly avoiding eye contact from the white haired man. A short nod was his only response as they both ignored the angry villager, walking off to get more mead. It was quite easy to lose the man in the crowd.

"You're the daughter of the Lord here" The Witcher spoke finally, once he had a drink in his hand. (Y/n) nodded once, drinking her own beer. She nods. "Why were you alone all night? I assumed you'd be having a time like your sisters" he nodded towards one dancing away gleefully with a handsome young man.

Her eyes glanced at the strong face shape of the man next to her. A slight shrug came from her. "I'm not a fan of dancing"

The white wolf raised a brow and gulped down some of the liquid. A grunt in acknowledgement was all that was heard from him.

"I'm guessing you must be the Witcher."

He nodded. Clearly, he wasn't much of a talker.

"What's your real name?" She cocked her head to the side slightly.

"Geralt" he responded. (Y/n) nodded. "I'm (Y/n)." He chuckled slightly.

"I figured as much. The Bard already explained about you and your sisters" He nodded towards a thin man playing a lute and singing a bouncy happy song. The dancing and laughter began to get louder with each strum and note. In fact they were both bumped into this time by a very drunk couple. Geralt and (Y/n) both grumbled in annoyance.

The couple sauntered away, giggling without acknowledgement towards the Witcher and the young Lady.

"I think I'm going to go to my room." She paused. "You're welcome to join me if you need a break from.." she gestured to the increasingly chaotic party. Geralt looked at the room with irritation on his face. He gulped the last of the mead and slammed it on a nearby table.

"Are you sure your father wouldn't mind his daughter going to her room with a stranger?"

"I think he'd be glad of it" she said with bitterness in her voice.

He looked over the young woman as she turned towards the door. "Maybe in a while" he responded. "I must keep an eye on my bard for now." His eyes turned back to said bard as a drunk Noble began yelling at the lad. "Well my room is..."

"I'll find it" he nodded a thanks to her.

His foot fall was heavy as he went to talk to the drunk. Occasionally he glanced at the door hoping perhaps the young woman would come back to lead him away. The other part knew a noble like her would only be a night of fun. He grunted upon hearing the man threatening the Bard for sleeping with his wife. Even still, he could be having a nice quiet night with her instead of being muscle for an irresponsible musician.

Geralt essentially scared off the man quite easily but damn he could use another drink. He walked back towards the table from earlier, when he noticed the man that got mead spilled on him earlier. He watched as he left the party and out the door. Instinct kicked into the Witcher instantly. He was still visibly pissed, drunk as hell and most likely going to have a bad plan in his head.

"Shit" he grumbled, changing his path and following the man. It was very clear he was going the same way. Her scent was strong and sweet. Easy to track and his was strong and musky, mixing bitterly with hers.

And the little bastard was quick. As Geralt was rounding a coroner he heard a yell. It sounded like a young women. He cursed himself again as her shoved open the heavy door. The smell of blood filled his nose. His golden eyes looked upon the scene in surprise. There laid the man, curled into a ball gripped his loin in agony. Blood seeped through his pants.

"...The fuck?" Geralt spoke softly. He looked up and there (Y/n) stood blood on her lip, clearly from getting hit in the face. Her hand held a blood covered dagger. She was breathing hard, anger on her face.

"Asshole attacked me" she stated pointing the dagger at the man. He whimpered and cursed. "Fuckin' bitch. She stabbed me in the dick." He whined.

Geralt winced slightly before walking forward into the room. He lifted the man from the floor and dragged him out the door. His golden eyes glittered in annoyance as he did so. Quickly he shut the door to her room, attention back on the plump young girl. Suddenly he found her more attractive than before. The way she cleaned the blade off with the silk of her dress intrigued him, a soft grunt of curiosity escaped him. She didn't even flinch as she wiped the blood from her face. Of course it was just a man, not any sort of beast but his opinion that she was just a silly rich girl was slowly disappearing. Geralt approached her carefully. He didn't want to upset her by coming forward to quickly.

It took a lot in him not to grab her and take her then. The candle light seemed to dance off her skin in that moment. A moment of fury.

"While my sisters were being doted on by boys... I choose to fight. Play with swords and knives. I've never actually had to use for like before tonight..." She admitted. Why was she admitting something like that to him. Was it skill or dumb luck? She wasn't exactly sure. But the adrenaline from the fight was intriguing none the less.

The Witcher was quite close to her now, one hand carefully taking the small dagger from her hand tossing it onto the bed with his other he lightly ran his thumb over her slightly swollen lip. A slight grunt was the only sound he made to acknowledge her words.

Her breathing hitched as her looked into his eyes. He took a deep breath himself.

"Fuck" he grumbled softly. Now wasn't the best time. He knew that. She was just attacked. Geralt pulled away, shoulders slightly more tense as he turned towards the door.

(Y/n) couldn't gain her voice. It seemed like centuries passed before she finally said to him just as he reached for the door knob. "You don't have to go... I'm no party but... I do have wine." Geralt paused.

"You were just attacked..." He grumbled. (Y/n) for a moment thought he reminded her of a grumpy old man. Perhaps he was. She honestly only knew about Witchers from stories.

(Y/n) nervously licked her lip, wincing as she touched the cut with her tongue. "Yes... But you are a Witcher. I'd feel better with you here" A half truth. The fight with that man gave her confidence in her skills enough that she knew now she could defend herself, but there was something about this so called white wolf that she enjoyed. "I... Also like your company"

"You barely know me" he said matter of factly.

Her face scrunched slightly. "Yes... I suppose that is true. But what a better way to get to know a man than through wine and conversation?"

"Did you make that up just now?" He challenged, turning back to her.

Her cheeks turned warm as the embarrassment in her chest built. "No, I believe it was my elder sister that said it. When I was a young girl asking about boys"

The Witcher scoffed but didn't leave.

"You're a strange one." he muttered, heavy foot steps were heard as he came back towards her.

"No stranger than you, good Witcher"

He hummed again, as she motioned for him to sit in her bed. She poured two goblets and joined him.

"Just conversation for tonight" he mentioned.

(Y/n) looked up at him, quite innocently. It was much clearer to him that though she was older her experience with the seduction of man was minimal. "Of course.... What else....?" He chuckled and slightly shook his head. How endearing she was.

"Nevermind what I said"

"And I'm the strange one?" She scoffed playfully.

"More like... Unexpected"

[matth1w]

I was wondering if you could write this please: Imagine being Lucifer Morningstar’s long term girlfriend but as a result of fearing the relationship isn’t going anywhere she leaves him. Then after some time she’s a witness in an investigation and Lucifer later will propose to her? Thank you!!

Witness

Pairing: Lucifer Morningstar x Reader

Summary: After the fear of your relationship going nowhere, you end things with Lucifer. End of the story, right? Well you just so happen to witness a drive-by and get wrapped up in the Devil again.

Warnings: Breakup, angst, language, some anxiety/panic

Rating: Everyone

Word Count: 4,715. Yes, you read that correctly, 4,715 words.

Note: This is mostly sad but does have a happy ending. I hope you enjoy this, Nonnie. It certainly took a life of its own!

Tags: @kittenlittle24

As a wedding photographer, you were definitely put off with the whole overpriced over the top wedding culture that infected LA. And you had to deal with a plenty couples and guests that were just straight jerks, entitled brats, and thought they could do your job on the freaking iPhone 4.

That said, sometimes it did get to you. You wanted it. Well some of it. None of the family arguments or drama but the ability to stand with your partner and dedicate yourselves to each other in front of your family and friends.

But alas, that didn’t seem to be in the cards for you. You and Lucifer had been together almost five years now and there was nothing that indicated he wanted to take the next step with you.

Sure marriage seemed trivial when you were with the literal Devil, but you couldn’t help but want something more. Of course you trusted him, you knew his flirting was harmless and he would never think of acting on his - or someone else’s - desires.

But… still

Sure you should talk to him like an adult and tell him how you were feeling but that doesn’t always happen.

You had come home after a Sunday wedding, a Catholic one nonetheless. With a full mass. And a reception across town from the ceremony. To say you were exhausted was an understatement.

The only consolation was that the couple was going on a technology-free honeymoon for a few weeks and wouldn’t be bothering you for photos tomorrow like some clients.

Sore feet, a slight headache, and just general annoyance were plaguing you. So it’s no wonder a fight broke out.

You were pouring yourself a glass of water when the elevator doors opened, revealing Lucifer. You paid him no mind but apparently he had other plans.

“Another wedding?”, he sighed as he gave you a once over.

You frowned at that, “Yep”, you bit back with a touch too much of bitterness.

“I don’t understand why you insist on doing those silly things.”

You slammed your glass down.

“Silly?” You spat. “Silly, Lucifer?”

He was looking at you, shocked but annoyed at your outburst.

“Yes, silly, darling. They’re just excuses to party and for women to pretend like they’re the most important princess in the world.”

You stepped forward and pointed your finger at him.

“Newsflash, Morningstar. Some people just want something more than being boyfriend and girlfriend for the rest of their lives.”

“Rest of their lives? Is this about us? It’s only been five years, Y/N.”

“Yeah, and some of these fucks get married after one. It’s been five years, Lucifer, and nothing has changed. You haven’t mentioned marriage once aside from criticizing my clients.”

“And what? You want to get married? Is that what this is about?”

“Yes, for God’s sake!”, you shouted.

“Well why didn’t you just say that?”

“Because, Lucifer, I know you don’t. And seemingly never will.”

His eyes narrowed at that. “And you’re so sure of that? Without having even spoken to me?”

You crossed your arms and looked at him accusingly.

“You want to get married?”

Lucifer paused at that, mouth open but saying nothing.

“That’s what I thought.” Tears started to build up in your eyes. “Well. I think that shows this isn’t meant to be. Wish you wouldn’t have wasted so much of my time.”

“Y/N….”

“It’s over, Lucifer. I’ll get my stuff and get out of your life by the end of the week.”

You didn’t look back as you stepped into the elevator and let the doors close.

— — —

15 months later...

‘Oh fuck’, was your first thought.

Not because there was a dead person in front of you, but because you witnessed it. And because you witnessed it, you’d need to go down to the station. And you just knew you would run into Lucifer.

You looked down at your phone to send a text to Dan. You hadn’t spoken since you and Lucifer broke up so you kept it brief. Hopefully he’d give you a break.

-Just witnessed a drive-by on 15th & Hill. Can I give my statement at a later time when you know who won’t be there?-

Your phone rang and you cursed. You thought about just shutting off your phone but you knew that would just cause more trouble.

You clicked accept and brought the phone to your ear.

“Hey D-“

“Are you alright, Y/N? Are you still on the scene? Stay where you are. We’re on our way.”

“Dan! I’m fine. I’m fine.” You pressed.

“And who do you mean by we? I’d prefer to not have to see anyone I don’t need to.”

“Sorry, Y/N, but Chloe and Lucifer are already on their way to the scene. I can be the one to take your statement but I won’t be able to get there before them.”

‘Great’, you thought.

You sighed, “That’s fine, Dan. See you soon.”

“See you soon.”

You hung up and looked around. A small crowd had begun to form.

‘Might as well try to blend in’.

You spent the next few minutes on your phone, trying to blend in with the crowd and keep your head down.

A throat pointedly cleared behind you and you knew who it was before you turned.

You met the eyes of Lucifer, unable to look away. He was trying to mask whatever emotions he was feeling and gave you a fake sugary sweet smile.

“A little douchie told me you witnessed the shooting. I have to say I’m glad you’re alright but I’m rather surprised you called Daniel. Actually, I guess I’m not since you blocked my number and all that.”

You looked down. You didn’t want to just go out and say ‘I was trying to avoid you because I was - and still am - broken hearted’, so instead you just looked away.

“Lucifer!”, Chloe yelled from her place above the body.

She looked at you and smiled with a visible amount of pity clear on her face.

“Well. If you’ll excuse me, Y/N.” He said with a huff, shrugging his suit jacket and straightening his cuff links.

Cuff links, you noted, that weren’t the ones you had gotten him for your third anniversary and had worn ever since.

You let out the breath you had been holding and slumped as he walked back to the scene.

Thankfully, Chloe was able to keep Lucifer preoccupied for the next few minutes until Dan arrived.

You felt mixed feelings seeing your old friend and ex-boyfriend’s coworker but relief overcame everything else.

At least you could get out of there.

Dan walked over to you with open arms. You accepted the hug and gave him a thankful smile.

“Well, wanna hop in and head over to the station? Shouldn’t take more than an hour.”

You shrugged, “Sounds good. Thanks again, Dan. Hope I’m not being too much of a bother.”

He waved his hand, “Nah, gives me a chance to get some fresh air. Plus I haven’t seen you in forever.”

You gave an awkward smile at that and didn’t comment. You didn’t know what all Lucifer had said about your breakup and realized how awkward the situation was.

Biting your tongue, you walked to the car and hopped in. Thankfully, Dan was pretty silent, turning on the radio to instead fill the air.

Once at the station, you walked in and were hit with a wave of memories. You would often come down to grab lunch with Lucifer, help celebrate birthdays, or bring treats to help when the team was dealing with a difficult case.

You tried to steel your face but Dan was already looking at you.

Thankfully he didn’t say anything. Opting instead to lead you to the interrogation room.

Once inside you sat down at the metal table. You took a moment to breathe, just trying to get through this then you could go back to how things were.

When you looked up at Dan, you saw him standing by the door, looking somewhat nervous.

“Hey, uh, can I ask you something?”, he asked while moving to sit down across from you.

You nodded. Fairly certain what he was going to ask about.

“What happened with you and Lucifer? I mean... you guys seemed lso happy.”

“Lu didn’t tell you?”

“Nah. None of the details anyway. Just that you had some big fight and he was an idiot about it.”

You chuckled dryly. “Yeah, that’s one way to put it. I mean, I was too. Probably more so than him.”

You cleared your throat, “Anyway, that’s behind me. I mean it’s been over a year, it’s time to move on.”

“You really think so?”, Dan asked.

“Yeah. Well I’m sure he already has. And then some. So I might as well...” you saw Dan looking at you like you sprouted another head. “What?”

He laughed, “Nothin’. I just...” he cocked his head and paused, trying to think of how best to phrase it.

“Between you and me, that’s not the case.”

You gave a half smile, knowing what he was trying to say.

“And who knows? It might be worth trying again.”

“I don’t think there’s any fixing things.” You sighed and lowered your head.

Dan gave you a gentle nudge on the shoulder across the table. Like he had so many times before.

“People reconcile all the time. I mean, look at me and Chloe.”

You looked up again at that.

“You two are officially back together?”

“Yeah,” he said with a laugh. “Surprisingly it’s thanks to Luc-“

He coughed awkwardly. “Well. Anyway... want to get into your statement?”

You sighed. Relieved to be talking about the shooting rather than hear more about your ex.

— — —

You stood up after giving your statement to Dan. He went to open the door but paused.

“Hey, I know things... you know... Anyway, it was good seeing you, Y/N. Even under these circumstances. You don’t have to be a stranger.”

You smiled sadly at that.

“Yeah. It was good to see you too. I’m happy to hear about you and Chlo.”

Dan smiled and pressed the file in his hands.

“Well, ready to go?”

“Yep. No offense but I just want to go home.”

He laughed in response to that, “Yeah I get that. Lucifer always said you never liked the whole crime thing.”

You started to laugh but fell silent, realizing how easy it was to fall back into your friendship with Dan and just how much you missed your old life.

Dan opened the door for you and you walked through. Unhappy but not surprised at the sight before you. Lucifer stood on the bottom of the stairs.

“Hey, you good?” Dan muttered to you, placing a hand on your shoulder.

You kept your eyes on Lucifer, who prickled at the sight of Dan touching you.

You looked away and smiled at Dan.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

You walked up to Lucifer and smiled briefly before having to take your eyes away. It was hard just being near him. Looking into those beautiful brown eyes was simply too much.

Lucifer smiled softly at you, that cautious, nervous smile he wore when you two had first started dating.

“Let me drive you home?”

You wanted to agree but then remembered home wasn’t what it had been for so long. Now you were in a new home. And you were unsure about letting him inside it. It was a sanctuary from him. You tried desperately to focus on life without him and it helped having a place he had never been.

“I...” you were unsure of what to do until you saw the pleading look in his eyes. You relented.

“Sure”

You walked side by side with Lucifer, and it felt so strange not holding hands or being close. You stopped once you entered the parking garage. For some reason your didn’t realize you’d be taking the Corvette.

You had so many memories in the passenger seat of that car. Driving through the hills and the wind flowing through your hair, late night drives with music blasting and singing together at the top of your lungs, holding hands on the shift, peppering kisses on his cheek and lips at red lights...

It was too much.

All too much.

Tears started to come forward and you sniffled, trying to conceal your emotions but only achieving in alerting him. I mean, you had stopped in your tracks at the sight of the Corvette and were now trying not to cry. But still, it was embarrassing.

And how would you ride in his car next to him? Being so close to him, in the car you two shared so many memories in, taking him to your new home.

House, not home. He was home. And nowhere you were without would ever be home.

Too much.

You wrung your hands, starting to panic. “I, uh, thanks for the offer Luci, but I actually forgot something inside so go ahead without me.”

It was a shitty lie that you knew Lucifer saw right through, angelic abilities or not. He looked down and tossed the keys in his hand before putting them back in his pocket.

“Right. Well, have a good night, Y/N/N.”

He tried to smile at you but it was just a pitiful look. You met his eyes once more, trying to ignore their shiny mistiness that matched yours.

You smiled one last time, knowing the dam would break any moment. You couldn’t trust your voice so you simply nodded and turned around to walk back.

Once you exited the garage and out of sight, you let out a sob as your back hit the concrete wall. This was all too much. There was too much pain, guilt, regret, and still... love.

That’s what was hardest about seeing him again. The love that was still there and would never leave.

— — —

Once the Uber dropped you off and you went inside your house, you slumped against the wall.

That night, all you could bring yourself to do was cry yourself to sleep.

— — —

The next morning you woke up to a missed call and voicemail. It was from the number you had blocked, then unblocked, then deleted, but never forgot.

You pressed the phone to your ear and heard the soft voice your heard a thousand times before.

“Hello, love. I’m glad to see my call went through. Though I suppose you’re still ignoring my calls. Or sleeping. You always were a sound sleeper... Anyway, just wanted to make sure you got home alright. The Detective said there’s nothing to worry about with the drive-by. Just a silly turf war so we passed it on the gang unit. So... I suppose we won’t run into each other again. It was nice to see you though, darling. I... I miss you.”

There was an extended pause at the end of the message and you expected more but were only met with silence as the voicemail ended.

You looked down at your phone, finger hesitating above the return call button. You didn’t move, instead letting the screen darken.

— — —

You had been avoiding your phone like the plague all morning and afternoon. Doing everything you could to avoid it. You cleaned the house, did laundry, and took a long shower. But finally, you gave in and grabbed it once more.

You saw no messages or missed calls and decided to make that call before you could think twice.

As it rang, your nerves grew.

‘What would you say? Would he even answer? Of course he would answer. He called you. Said he missed you. But would he answ—‘

“Hello?” His voice broke through your cycle of thoughts. Unprepared, you couldn’t reply.

“Y/N, darling, are you there?”, he said with a edge of worry.

You swallowed before responding.

“Yeah, Luci. I’m here.” Your voice broke at the last word.

“Are you okay, love?” Lucifer sounded understandably even more worried now.

You sniffled and nodded. Not trusting your voice but you realized he couldn’t see you.

“Yeah. I’m- I’m fine. I just uh, got your message.”

Lucifer sighed slightly, relieved you were alright.

“Yes. My apologies if I was too forward.”

You gave a halfhearted laugh, “No, it wasn’t.”

You paused. “I- I miss you too.”

Lucifer was silent. For so long you thought the call had been disconnected.

“Luci?”

“Yes. I’m- I’m here darling. Can I... see you?”

You smiled and sniffled again. Your tears slightly turning to ones of happiness.

“Yes. Of course. I would... like that.”

“How about tonight then? I’ll close Lux and we can order that Indian food you love.”

You smiled, “You don’t have to close Lux for me, Luci.”

“I’d do anything for you, darling.”

He cleared his throat.

“Anyway, tonight? Seven?”

“Yeah. I’ll... see you then.”

“See you then, my dear.” Lucifer said quietly.

As you pulled the phone away from your ear and ended the call, you felt lighter. Lighter than you had since...

You checked the time on your phone and decided to try to focus on getting ready, rather than think more.

— — —

At 6:55, you were standing outside Lux’s front door. With a shaky breath, you stepped inside.

True to his word, Lux was empty sans Lucifer sitting at the piano, playing an unfamiliar tune slowly. Lost in the song, Lucifer didn’t notice you until you had descended the stairs and were leaning against the bar.

He closed the lid and turned on the bench to you.

“Did you like it?”

You nodded. “Yeah. It was beautiful. Though, I don’t recognize it.”

He smirked. “Well I would hope not. I wrote it myself.”

You couldn’t help but be surprised. In all the time you had known Lucifer he hadn’t written anything. Especially not a full song.

He sighed then gave you a smile that you knew was hiding his true feelings.

‘Something about that song...’

Before either of you could continue, a man entered, carrying bags labeled with your favorite Indian place. Just as Lucifer had promised.

Luci climbed the stairs to greet him and grabbed the food. Slipping an extra hundred in the man’s hand as he held the door open for him.

You smiled at Lucifer as he came back downstairs. “You always were the best tipper.”

He laughed, “What, that? An old friend told me about the importance of tipping and I guess it’s been a habit ever since.”

You looked down and smiled. You remembered that. It was one of your first dates. Like Lucifer said, he was always extra generous after that.

“Anyway!”, he said lifting up the bags, “Ready to eat?”

You nodded, almost drooling. You hadn’t been to the restaurant since last year and you knew by the smell Lucifer had gotten your favorite.

Luci set the table, and by setting the table, you meant taking the containers out of the bag and opening the packets of plastic silverware.

You looked at the food on the table then back to Lucifer as he waited for you to sit. It wasn’t right though. You scrunched your nose without realizing and Luci laughed. That hearty laugh when you did something ridiculous.

“Oh, you haven’t changed one bit, dear. Come, let’s move to the couch.”

You smiled brightly at him, thankful he could remember your quirks.

You two sat down nearby each other, with some room in between, thanks to the large Lux couches compared to the ones he had upstairs.

You filled the air with happy noises of content and talking about what antics Maze and Amenadiel had gotten up to. It was light, fun, and exactly what you needed.

Once your bellies were full, you both sighed happily.

“That was wonderful, thanks Luci. I haven’t had them since...” you trailed off.

He nodded, “Me neither.”

You looked down at your hands, feeling the shift in the mood.

“About that, darling.”, Luci said, scooting slightly towards you.

You furrowed your brow, “Do we have to?”

Lucifer smiled at your whine. “Unfortunately, I think we do.”

At your silence Lucifer cleared his throat.

“I’ll start.” He looked at you and waited until you met his eyes.

“I’m so terribly sorry for everything I said and more so for the things I didn’t.”

You nodded, biting your lip and trying to hide the tears that were soon to come.

Lucifer scooted closer to you and placed his hand on your back, hesitantly and then more firmly after you hadn’t shaken it away.

“Darling, you have to understand the whole marriage thing was so foreign to me. And the whole swearing before Dad bit just seemed ridiculous.”

At your pointed look he stopped speaking for a moment.

“What I’m trying to say is that I didn’t realize it was so important to you. And I’m sorry. I should have asked. I assure you, if I had known I would have married you the day I met you, Y/N. I knew from the moment I met you you were the one for me.”

“Are you just saying that?”, you questioned. Somewhat insecure.

“No. Of course not, darling. You know I can’t lie.”

At your small smile he continued.

“After you left, I was broken, lost. And when I realized what a mistake I had made, I wanted nothing more than to make it right.”

“So why didn’t you?”, thankfully the tears hadn’t come and your voice was stronger.

“You looked happy,” he sighed. “You seemed to be doing things you always spoke about doing. I didn’t want to ruin that. I thought you were better off.”

“I wasn’t better, Luci. I was just as broken and lost as you were. The reason I was trying new things was because I had to distract myself. It was the only way for me to keep going.”

You leant your head against his shoulder with a sigh. “I’m sorry too, Luci. I should have spoken to you about it earlier. And I shouldn’t have blown up on you like I did.”

You pulled back to look up at him.

“I’m so sorry, Luci. I’m a terrible idiot.”

He smiled down at you and caressed your cheek softly.

“I forgive you, darling.”

The sincerity in his voice broke the dam and you let out a broken sob.

He pulled you in tight and let you cry into his chest, mumbling assurances that he forgave you every time you apologized.

You don’t know when you’d stopped crying. Maybe you ran out of tears.

All you knew was that you awoke some time later. Your throat was dry, eyes puffy, and neck hurt from how you had slept. But, you also felt relaxed. Lighter from the confessions and the tears.

You frowned as you were alone. You rubbed your eyes and picked up your phone on the nearby table. Underneath it was a folded piece of paper with your name written in Lucifer’s handwriting.

You opened and read the note.

My love,

My apologies for not being by your side as you wake up and instead having to leave this. I had to go to a scene. I tried not to but the Detective guilt tripped me. Awful thing to do, really.

Anyway, I assume you’re probably sore from sleeping on this couch. I assure you I tried to get you to come to bed or even on the more comfortable couches upstairs but, well, you know how stubborn and persuasive you can be. Especially when you’re half asleep...

I know you have things to do so I won’t expect you when I return. But I do hope to see you again soon, darling.

With love,

Lucifer

P. S. Maze insisted on watching you sleep. Not me.

You looked around and found Maze behind the bar. You jumped, she was always so quiet.

“Maze?”, you asked.

She frowned at you while she pushed away from the bar but when she approached she pulled you into a tight hug.

“I’m so glad you’re back. Lucifer’s been miserable without you.”

You laughed as you pulled away, “Sorry about that. But I’m not back.”

“But I thought...?”she said with confusion on her face.

“I mean... we just hung out last night. Nothing’s official.”

“Hmmph.” She smirked. “But from what Lucifer told me, you’ll be back.”

You shook your head in happy exasperation.

“Oh Maze. I could always count on you to say the things Lucifer was always too afraid to.”

Maze smiled proudly at that,

“Like how he wanted to marry you?”

You practically choked.

“I’m sorry, what??”

She shrugged, but had her signature smirk.

“Yeah...” she said with fake nonchalance, swirling her drink.

“He had a ring for over a month. But kept backing out because he was ‘unsure you would want to marry the Devil’.”

She added with air quotes at the end.

“And even though I’m dedicated to Lucifer for the rest of eternity, I totally take your side on this one. Dumbass said he didn’t need to talk to you about marriage and already knew how you felt. Saying you didn’t like weddings or something because you were always so sour after shooting them. And I told him, well maybe you were sour because you wanted to stop working them and have your own. But you know how Lucifer is.”

She rolled her eyes and took a quick swig of her drink.

“Once he gets a self-deprecating thought in his head, he can’t get it out. Ugh, daddy issues, am I right?”

You laughed, oh how you missed Maze.

— — —

“So are we doing this?”, you whispered into his chest as he held you tight that night.

He moved his head so he could smile softly down at you.

“Yes, I do believe so.”

You smiled back at up him.

“One condition.”

At his raised eyebrow you smirked.

“You have to ask me out again. You’re not getting off so easily, Luci.”

“Getting off, you say?” With a chuckle. But then he got more serious.

“But I’m afraid I can’t do that darling. Well, rather, I don’t particularly want to.”

Your heart dropped and face fell.

“What?”

“I don’t want to ask you out again.”

“But —“

Lucifer pulled away from you and reached into the pocket inside his suit jacket.

“Darling. I don’t want to simply be boyfriend and girlfriend again. I want you...”

He dropped to his knee, maintaining eye contact with you.

“I want you to be my wife, Y/N.”

You gasped, frozen in place.

“Darling, the moment I met you was the best of my life. And I’m so sorry for not asking sooner, but please. I’m asking now. Will you marry me?”

You stared at Lucifer on his knee before you, holding up a velvet box with an otherworldly beautiful ring inside. Your vision began to blur, and you hastily wiped the tears away.

Seeing him clear before you, nervous, in love, and vulnerable, you couldn’t help but laugh. You brought your hands to his face and gave him a searing kiss that spoke volumes, full of apologies, love, and dedication.

As you pulled back, lips lingering, and pressed your forehead against his, you opened your eyes to stare into his.

“Yes”, you whispered, nodding and smiling. Starting to tear up again.

Lucifer’s face lit up with joy.

“Yes?”

“Yes!” You exclaimed, your smile matching his.

You both looked down as Lucifer took the ring from the box and slipped it on your finger.

You admired its intricacy and perfection for a moment before looking up at your now fiancé.

“I...” you began, trying to quell the tears.

“I... thank you, Luci.”

He laughed at that, unable to stop smiling.

“Darling, I’m the one who should be thanking you. You’re the light of my life.”

You smirked, unable to help yourself. “That’s rich coming from you, Morningstar.”

He closed his eyes and groaned. Trying to hide his smile.

“Back to the puns are we?”

You laughed and automatically responded, “You love me!”

You paused. Partially at the old phrase and at his serious face. Lucifer stroked your cheek.

“I do, my dear. I never stopped and never will.”

[callmemythicalminx]

❄️13th of December❄️

❄️Skatin’ With You ~ Sam Trapani x Reader ❄️

Fandom: Mafia Definitive Edition

Warnings: Just fluff, lots of fluff.

Summary: Somehow, you’ve actually persuaded Sam to go ice skating with you.

A/N: I kinda copied the idea for this from a fic I did from my last Advent Calendar, but nevertheless, it’s very cute and very fluffy. So please enjoy!

Dedicated to:  @kaiiiiiiparkerismyhusband @lolita-wolfson @xxsamanthaxx @kneelingforvillains @loutino20 @levitate-gengar @dorothynerding ​ @blackbladevika ​ @my-blog-for-me ​ @rammstein-obsession ​ @octorebel @demonsouthere ​@mayday1284

---

“I’m not doing it.”

You sigh again. “Sam, trust me it’s fine. The ice is hard as a rock right now, it’s not gonna crack.” You hopelessly try to persuade your husband, but he just continues glaring at the frozen lake, willing it to just disappear. As you finish putting on your skates, you huff “We’ve come all this way. Especially this early in the morning too. Don’t let it go to waste.” You give him your best puppy dog eyes but he just stares back at you with an eyebrow raised. God damn your stubborn husband! 

Now that it’s December and Christmas is near, you’ve been trying to persuade Sam to do some more activities to celebrate the season. Never one for the jolly period, this year you wanted him to at least feel a little festive after the stress of the gang war earlier in the year. 

Most of them he’d agreed to as they’ve involved only you and no one else. Your husband only had so much patience for people and when it ran out, he was grouchier than the grinch. When you suggested some romantic, early mourning ice skating together, he’d immediately said no, denouncing it as dangerous and silly straightaway. Whether he actually believed that or just didn’t want to humiliate himself by slipping on the ice you didn’t know. But what you did know however was that with a little persuasion and a few kisses, you were able to change his mind.

And technically, you did- at least until he saw the ice and said no again. Leading to where you are now.

“Sam, honey, there’s been people skating here for the past few weeks, ever since it froze. It’s perfectly safe, people do this every year.”

Still, he doesn’t budge. “It’s too risky doll. ”

You sigh, rising from your knees and facing him, reaching your hands up to hold his face. “Nothing is going to happen to me Sam, not when you're here with me. Trust me, nothing is going to happen.” He breathes deeply, pursing his lips and you gaze up at him, leaning up to pepper some kisses on slightly stubbled jaw. He throws his head back, groaning in defeat as his hand leans up to pinch the bridge of his nose between his fingertips. 

“Fine. But I’m goin’ first, just to make sure it’s safe.”

You jump away from his arms in victory, giggling excitedly. He huffs in annoyance as he begrudgingly slips on his skates and edges towards the ice, but you catch the warm look in his eyes and the small smile he’s trying to hide. He’s hesitant as he places one foot forward and you wonder if he’s ever even done this before. 

“You do know what you’re doin’, don’t ya honey?” 

“Yeah, of course. It’s just a bit slip-”

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence as he gets both his feet on the ice, immediately starting to slip.  He actually lets out a yelp as he loses balance, falling backwards onto his ass. You can’t help the laughter that bursts out your chest, crying harder when he glares at you over his shoulder. He rolls his eyes, lying back on the ice fully with a thud. 

You’ve never seen him look this silly before and it has you wheezing, the sight of him like this so foreign. You hear him grumble “Fuckin’ ice.” as you bend over, clutching your stomach.

“Can you please come and help me?”

Wiping a tear away, you nod and make your way over to him, skating elegantly to where he lies. You reach your hands down and he grabs them, heaving himself up from the cold ice. Quickly however, he begins to slip again but before he can fall once more, you wrap your arms around his chest, keeping him upright. 

“You don’t know how to skate, do you honey?” Sam avoids your eyes as you look up at him, a long breath coming out his nose. His face suddenly fills with sadness, an emotion you swiftly want to rid him off. You curl your hand around his cheek, pulling his face back round to yours. You nuzzle his nose with your own, before kissing him gently. He sinks into you, his arms wrapping around you tightly. When you separate, you whisper to him “Is this why you didn’t want to come?”

He sighs, his warm breathing brushing against your face “I’m sorry doll. I ain’t… I’ve never… Skatin’ wasn’t really somethin’ I got to do as a kid.” 

You give him another sweet kiss before replying “It’s okay. You can still learn, I’ll teach you. Ya just gotta trust me.” He nods, looking down at you with a warmth, one that makes your heart flutter in your chest. All these years with him and one look can still have you weak at the knees. 

You feel like sighing in pleasure when he whispers with that raspy voice of his “Lead the way.”

At first, you just try teaching him the basics, holding his hand as you try walking gently across the ice. Of course he falls down a few more times, pulling you down with him. He’s embarrassed about it first, but when he sees you so happy he suddenly doesn’t care about looking stupid anymore. When he keeps falling and pulling you with him, eventually he starts laughing too, pulling you close and sneaking in kisses as you smile against one another. 

It turns out, your husband is a quick learner. As time passes, he actually starts to get the knack of it. Quickly enough, you’re both slowly gliding across the frozen lake, still staying close to each other with your hands connected. You can see just by looking at the small smile on Sam’s face that he is enjoying it now. It makes him relax for a moment, allowing him to forget about all his worries and the work he has to do. It’s just him and you, alone, the sounds of nature and the slice of your blades through the ice, the accompanying soundtrack to your time together. 

Sam sits at the edge of the lake a little while later, taking a much needed smoking break. He watches you as you twirl and jump amidst the falling snow. While it was fun for him to be near you skating, he can’t help but admit to himself that he’s enjoying it more just looking at you. He can see the joy and excitement in your face as you complete a turn, the sound of your laughter like music to his ears. You haven’t stopped smiling since you stepped onto the ice. Though he was persistent about not doing it in the first place, he’s glad he changed his mind now just because he gets to see you happy.

Sam missed you this year. He did see you everyday during the war, but never for long. The most time you got together was when you both collapsed into bed at the end of the day, immediately falling asleep. Thanks to Sam’s job as a Capo and your commitments to helping the Don with the account books, it’d been a miserable time for the both of you. It was especially hard for Sam. 

After having your sweet kisses and caresses everyday since you officially became a couple, he utterly missed the feeling of you in his arms. He missed your laugh, the sound of your voice when you were excited or happy. As cheesy as it sounds, you were like an angel to him, keeping his demons at bay. With you, he was able to leave all his stress about work at the door of your home, giving him the break he needed from such a strenuous job. When the war was finally over, he vowed that he’d make up all the lost time between you. It’s why he agreed to all these Christmas activities with you, wanting to see you happy while he spent time with you after so long apart. 

When you come skating over to him, jumping into his arms to press a thankful kiss against his lips, he forgets about everything around him. All the matters is you in his arms, happy and full of his love for you. It was worth all the activities he had to do - even if his ass was sore from falling so many times. 

---

Thanks for reading minxies! <3

[sandwichrin]

A Little Into You (Junkyu x Reader Fic) (Ch. 3)

Word Count: 3.6k words

Pairing: Kim Junkyu x Fem. Reader (Treasure members are all included as well)

Genre: PG-13, Comedy, Romance

A/N: Hi! Here’s the third chapter of the Junkyu x reader fic I’ve been working on! Tbh I really like this chapter because it has more of the other members in it :3 Hope you guys like it! Feel free to read the other chapters from my blog’s Masterlist! <3

Chapter 3 - The Girl?

It had been 3 days since the incident happened. Which one? Yeah, the one where Hyunsuk saved you from showing up to work all cat-urine-tainted by lending his shirt to you. It had also been three days of you bringing along his clean shirt that you’ve washed to work since you hadn’t bumped into him at all after the incident.

Did he forget about the shirt? You wondered if he even remembered the encounter you both had. What’s worst, you started to believe that he doesn’t even remember who you were.

What were you thinking? You both have only met briefly over a silly matter. You shouldn’t have expected that it could be anything more. Not that you were interested in him in any ways, you just thought that you could’ve at least made a new friend. The only friends you had were those whom you met in high school couple of years ago, but then you’ve lost touch with most of them ever since you moved out of your hometown after accepting the job your high school teacher offered you right after graduating.

It was a Friday, and you were looking forward to go to work because you usually only had to stay at work for only half a day on Fridays. You were even allowed to wear casual outfits on Fridays- since the company you work for encourages their employees to “have fun” at least once a week. (Weird, but sure dressing up casually to work isn’t something to complain about, right?)

“So, what are your plans today y/n?”, your colleague, Soomin asked. She was the one who sat not far opposite from your desk, and also the one who’s always making conversations in the office with you.

Not like you were unfriendly or anything, you just didn’t want to be too casual with your colleagues especially since you were the youngest there. The people in your office were mostly 6-10 years older than you, hence why you didn’t think you would fit much in their group. There’s also the fact where you’re an introvert at heart, which makes you prefer staying at home instead of joining any company dinners—but your colleagues never minded it, they knew you were the less social type.

“Oh nothing. I was thinking of heading straight back home after work. Maybe do some cleaning up at home later.”

“I see,” Soomin nodded. “Well if you feel like doing something fun, the rest of the department is going for a buffet lunch after work. You can join us if you want to.”

You smiled at her. “Thanks, I’ll let you know if I plan on joining.”

                                                              *

 It was lunchtime at the YG Building for the boys, and the whole Treasure group was at the company’s cafeteria, all cramped up with two to three tables joint together to cater all 12 of them.

Jaehyuk was sitting at the end of one side of the tables, playing with his food on his plate with the fork in his hand.

“…isn’t that right, Jaehyuk?”, Jihoon asked his dongsaeng who was sitting two seats away from him.

Jaehyuk snapped out of his trance, not realising his hyung had been talking to him.

“What?” he said, clearly unsure of what was going on.

“I said, the part where Junkyu jumped on Hyunsuk in the choreography should be changed. You said that you were thinking of changing Junkyu’s part with yours, am I right?”

“Oh yeah. That’s right. I feel like the choreography would look more balanced like that,” Jaehyuk replied, looking at Hyunsuk who was paying attention to him and Jihoon.

Hyunsuk nods in approval of the idea. “I think we can try that this evening. We’ll need to do it part by part though, to see if the flow works that way.”

“Yeah sure, we’ll do that.” Jaehyuk answered him.

Hyunsuk continued eating his food, and once in a while he would laugh at the jokes Yoshi kept spewing at Asahi who was sitting beside him. Jihoon on the other hand, noticed Jaehyuk barely touching his food. He also noticed that Jaehyuk was staring back into space.

“Hey Jaehyuk…”

Again, Jaehyuk was back in focus and he spooned some rice into his mouth. While chewing, he turned his attention to Jihoon, “Yeah hyung?”

“Are you okay? You’ve been quiet today…and you’re barely touching your food,” Jihoon asked, worried if anything was bothering Jaehyuk’s mind.

Everyone else at the table stopped talking and focused on both Jihoon and Jaehyuk.

“It’s nothing, I just don’t feel too well.” He looked down at his food again.

The rest of the boys exchanged glances with each other.

“Are you coming down with a fever hyung?”, Junghwan asked.

“It’s not like that…I just..don’t feel well.”

“Could it be…,” Jihoon said, making everyone focused on him.

“OH! I think so too, hyung!” Jeongwoo exclaimed loudly. He stood up and pointed at Jaehyuk. “Could it be-“

“OUR JAEHYUKKIE DIDN’T GET HIS DAILY DOSE OF BANANA UYU?” Both Jeongwoo and Jihoon said at the same time. The both of them cheered loudly and high fived since the both of them guessed the same thing at the same time.

“Really? You feel down for not getting banana milk?” Junkyu asked, confusion written on his face.

“Heyyyy it wasn’t just today okay! It’s been this way since yesterday!” Jaehyuk whined frustratedly. He picked on his food with his fork again.

“Aish hyung! You should’ve said so, we could’ve gone and look for it for you,” Jeongwoo said as he approached his hyung to give him a back hug.

“There weren’t any at the convenience store. I wanted it so badly.” Jaehyuk was already pouting on his own as the rest of the group continued watching him.

“Wait, which store did you go to? The one in front of the building or the one inside the building?” Yedam asked.

“Man, I’ve checked the store in this building. They don’t sell the banana uyu that Jaehyuk likes. They have banana milk, but it’s the different kind.” Jihoon said, as he took a sip off his drink.

Jaehyuk was still quiet, lost in his thoughts. He felt a gentle pat on his back. He raised his head to see Jeongwoo standing by his side. “It’s okay hyung, we’ll get you one.”

Jaehyuk squints at his friend. “What are you saying, Jeongwoo?”

“Yedam and I were planning to go to the convenience store outside.”

“For the banana milk??” Hyunsuk asked.

“No, god no. We wanted to get that limited-edition ramen cup they’re promoting on TV.”

“What? They have limited-edition ramen nowadays??” Doyoung said in disbelief.

“Yeah, they’re just making it limited edition because you’ll get the chance to win that PS5 game- I’m not sure what game but Jeongwoo wants it badly.” Yedam explained as he noticed everyone was staring at him weirdly.

“Hey. If we’re commited, we might win okay?” Jeongwoo exclaimed proudly.

“And how many of those have you bought, huh?” Jihoon asked.

Jeongwoo rubbed the back of his neck. “Well…I’ve bought 8 already…”

“WHAT?”

“Aigoo Jeongwoo! What are you going to do with the ramen then? You can’t eat too much of those you know that,” Hyunsuk was already nagging at him.

Jeongwoo covered his ears in response to Hyunsuk’s nagging. The rest of the boys laughed seeing him react that way. Even Hyunsuk laughed along.

“Anyways, hyung, Yedam and I can go check it out for you.” He said softly to his hyung. “Yedam-hyung. Let’s go.”

“Now? You want to go now?”

“Yeah, if we go any later, students coming back from prep school might buy ‘em all.”

“Alright.” Yedam got up from his seat and followed Jeongwoo who was already heading out of the cafeteria. Man, that kid is fast.

“Hey don’t forget to put on your masks too!” Hyunsuk called out to them.

“Aight!” Both Yedam and Jeongwoo said in unison.

                                                                *

 You just got out of your office, a little delayed than usual though since you had to apologize to each and every colleague you passed by for not joining them on their staff buffet lunch.

But the good thing about today was that, not only did you get to get off work in the afternoon, your casual attire made it easier for you to walk and move around. On the other days you would’ve worn your high heels to work but today you wore your white sneakers along with a matching white graphic tee under your cream-coloured cardigan.

You walked past the block of your office and once again, you were heading towards the YG building. This time, you weren’t distracted by it though. You were more focused on heading towards the convenience store opposite it.

Since it’s a Friday, you’ve made it a personal rule to eat ramen on Fridays as a celebration that you finished work early. You personally restricted yourself from eating any ramen on any other days simply because you wanted to make it seemingly special and worth looking-forward to eat them on Fridays.

You entered the convenience store and was greeted by a friendly welcome by the cashier. You smiled at him. You were sure he was already familiar with you since you made it a point to visit this shop every week to get what you needed.

You glanced around the shop to see if there was anything new being promoted. Your eyes landed to a customized aisle which showed a competition notice. You walked towards it to see what it’s all about.

Oh. A chance to win a PS5 game of your choice? The more ramen you buy, the higher chance of winning? You chuckled. It seemed that if one buys the ramen and gets a special code written under their ramen lid, they’d be one of the lucky winners. You tilt your head slightly and took one of the ramen cups off the shelf.

“Oh? Oh wait this isn’t the flavour I want,” you mumbled to yourself. You put the ramen cup back and scanned the rest of the shelf to see if the spicy stew flavour you liked was there. Unfortunately, it wasn’t there. Maybe it got sold out.

Sighing, you moved away from the shelf. You went to another aisle and grabbed yourself a bowl of instant cheese ramen. You walked up towards the cashier and placed the bowl onto the counter.

“This isn’t your usual pick, miss.” The cashier said, as he saw your slightly disappointed face.

“Yeah, the spicy stew one that I liked was out of stock I guess.” You smiled timidly at him.

“Oh right, that one. Yeah, it’s one of our bestsellers. But we have other spicy stew ramen too, if you’d like them instead.”

“Oh no, it’s alright. I’ll just have this one.”

“Okay,sure.”

He took the ramen bowl in his hand and was about to scan it when you stopped him. “Oh wait!”

The cashier seemed surprised by you.

“Sorry, I forgot to take a drink. I’m so sorry.”

The cashier grinned. “It’s fine, I’ll just scan this later.”

“Thanks.” You smiled. You left the counter and hurriedly walk up towards the refrigerator in the store.

As you were thinking of which drink to pick, two guys entered the store and you heard the cashier welcoming them from the payment counter.

“Hyungggg! They didn’t have the flavour I want!” You heard one of the guys said this.

“Come on Jeongwoo, you could just buy the game yourself you know. You already wasted plenty of ramen all for the sake of getting that winning code.”

“Hyung, you have to understand. If I win this, it shows how luck is indefinitely on my side! I worked hard for this.”

“For ramen?”

“Hyunggggg nooooo, listen, listen to me-“

Your focus was no longer on the boys once you heard one of them starting to give his hyung a pep talk about hard work and luck.

You picked up a carton of strawberry milk from the refrigerator since it’s what you always get from the store to pair up with your ramen. Your eyes landed on the small yellow bottle that was beside the strawberry milk you picked up.

Isn’t that the banana milk on TV? The one where most celebrities drink? You wondered, since you usually see artists drinking them in shows. You stretch out your hand to take it. It was the last bottle in the refrigerator.

You shrugged to yourself. Maybe you could try it and maybe you’ll know why everyone likes it so much. You closed the refrigerator door and carried both your drinks to the counter to pay.

You were about to take your money out of your purse to pay the cashier when you heard one of the loud boys earlier groaned in frustration. Your head turned to see what was going on.

“No way! It’s sold out again! What kind of spell did they use on that milk anyway?! It’s always sold out!”

Your turned back to the cashier and handed the money to him. After paying, you proceeded to put your stuff onto the table beside the payment counter. That spot was your usual seat whenever you were on your Ramen Friday days. (Yes, you actually named the occasion as Ramen Friday-- lol you and your dorkiness)

You heard one of the boys- the less loud one asking the cashier, “Do you have any backup stocks of the banana milk?”

“Sorry, we haven’t received the stock yet. It usually arrives around 3 in the evening.”

“God, how does it sell that fast!” The louder boy said, sounding very upset.

You glanced at the strawberry and banana milk in your hands. Should I give it to them? They seemed like they really need it, no?

“It’s okay Jeongwoo, we can come back later. I’m sure Jaehyuk doesn’t mind.”

“No. We have to go find one for him. Don’t you see how down he looked?” Jeongwoo whipped out his phone from his pocket. “There’s another convenience store two blocks away from here-“

“Jeongwoo-“ Yedam interrupted him. He was about to continue but you had already approached them by then.

“Excuse me,” you interrupted the both of them.

“Y-yeah?” Jeongwoo asked.

“I couldn’t help overhearing that…you guys were looking for this?” You showed them the banana milk in your hand.

“Yeah, we were. But it’s okay, that’s yours-“

“I actually bought it out of curiosity. I didn’t really need it. You can have it.” You held out the banana milk for them to take it from you.

Jeongwoo, who had been loud the whole time he was in the store, was the quiet one now. He looked at Yedam, relying on his hyung to deal with you.

“Really, just take it,” you smiled.

“I…thanks…I-I can pay for it,” Yedam reached for his wallet in his pocket.

“No, no! It’s fine, really. Just take it.” You pushed the milk into their hands. “It’s not gonna stay cold, so you should drink it fast.”

“Thank you, it’s for our friend actually.”

“Oh. Right. Then you better hurry up and give it to him or her then,” you grinned.

“Thank you so much.” Yedam thanked you again.

You smiled at them and made your way back to your seat.

Yedam and Jeongwoo was about to walk away when Yedam turned back around to approach you.

“I’m Yedam by the way. Thank you again.”

Jeongwoo’s eyes widened, seeing that his hyung exposed himself to a random girl. Jeongwoo tugged at Yedam’s arm, trying to tell him to stop.

You nodded at Yedam’s random introduction. “You’re welcome…Yedam.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to just take this and go without thanking you properly.”

“Come on hyung, we should go,” Jeongwoo whispered at Yedam.

You nodded again and smiled at them.

Jeongwoo was already pulling Yedam away from you when suddenly it hit you- Wait. Did he just say his name is Yedam? Your eyes shifted to them, the two boys wearing masks. You were sure that the other guy’s name was Jeongwoo when you heard them bickering near the ramen shelf. Jeongwoo….Yedam….? Could it be?

“Wait!” You called out to them.

The both of them stopped and turned around.

Oh no. Here it goes. She knows who we are- Jeongwoo panicked inside.

“Yes?” Yedam asked you.

“A-are you…Yedam from Treasure?”

“Yes.” Jeongwoo was surprised to see his hyung so confident in admitting who he was. He, on the other hand, was nervous since he had rarely interacted with fans without the supervision of their manager.

“Oh my god. That’s great-“you said but then you got cut off by Jeongwoo.

“Sorry, we can’t take any pictures with you without the consent of our manager.”

“What? Oh no-“You said, trying to stop them from misunderstanding.

“Jeongwoo! What are you doing?” Yedam whispered to his friend.

“Stopping us from getting into trouble!” he whispered back.

You shook your head, finding it funny that these boys were whispering in front of you but you could still hear them.

“No, I won’t take pictures or spread it to anyone that I bump into you both here- if that’s what you’re worried about,”

Jeongwoo’s eyes still showed that he didn’t trust you enough in your opinion so you went to your bag and took out a small paper bag out of it. You walked up to them and passed it to them, to which they took it with a confused look.

“I was hoping to give that to Hyunsuk-ssi, the leader of your group, but I haven’t seen him around so…if it’s possible, could you guys take it to him?’

Yedam and Jeongwoo exchanged glances with each other. Who is this girl? And why does she have a gift for their Hyunsuk hyung?? Does Hyunsuk hyung have a secret girlfriend they don’t know of??

“I…I’m sorry,” Yedam spoke, “I’m not sure if we can pass gifts to our members…I mean, we’re not sure if our manager allows it, since it’s not a fan event…” Yedam continued, sounding unsure of what he said either.

You chuckled. “I can assure you that’s not a gift. It’s his stuff. But if it might get you both into trouble, I can give it to him myself, no worries,”

Yedam nodded at your explanation. He was about to give the paper bag back to you when Jeongwoo’s phone rang.

“Hello? Ah, hyung! What? No, no, sorry! We’ll be right back! Yup, see you!”

“Who was it?” Yedam asked him.

“It’s Jihoon hyung,” Jeongwoo stuffed his phone into his pocket. “He was worried what took us so long here.”

“Oh right! We better go then!” Yedam turned to you and bowed slightly, “Thank you again for the milk. Our friend would appreciate it.”

“Yes, thank you again.” Jeongwoo said as well.

“Let’s go!” Yedam said to Jeongwoo as the both of them hurried out of the store.

You stood there, lost for words. Didn’t…Yedam said that they could get into trouble for passing stuff to their members from outsiders? But…why was your paper bag still with them when they left?? You started to worry if anything were to happen to them.

                                                                *

 Jihoon stood up from his seat, both hands on his hips. “What took you both so long? Did you both get lost or something?”

“Pfft. Both Jeongwoo and Yedam getting lost in a convenience store right outside our building! That’s so funny!” Junkyu bursted out laughing.

Unfortunately for Junkyu, he was the only one laughing at what Jihoon said, as everyone was more focused on Jeongwoo and Yedam who looked like they had sprinted back to the cafeteria.

Jeongwoo was huffing when he approached Jaehyuk, “Here, hyung. Look what we got you! It’s the only one left too,” He handed the banana uyu to his hyung.

Taking the banana milk from Jeongwoo’s hand, Jaehyuk felt touched by his friend’s effort of cheering him up. “Jeongwoo…”

Jaehyuk got up from his seat and pulled Jeongwoo into a hug. “Thank you so much, both of you,” he looked at Yedam as well.

Yedam nodded and smiled at his hyung.

Jihoon was sitting back in his seat when he saw the paper bag in Yedam’s hands. “Hey, Yedam. What’s that in your hands?”

Yedam didn’t realise he was still holding your ‘gift’, in which he gasped out loud when Jihoon pointed it out that the bag was still with him.

Jeongwoo too, was surprised. “Hyung, I thought you gave it back to her?”

“I…I didn’t realise—” this time, Yedam was the one with the panicked look on his face instead of Jeongwoo.

“Wait, what’s in the bag? And who’s her?” Hyunsuk voiced out.

Yedam and Jeongwoo looked at each other. Jeongwoo gestured Yedam to explain to their hyung what happened.

“Well,” Yedam started to speak. He looked at Jeongwoo again. Jeongwoo nodded at him, telling him to go on. “Well hyung, you see…the girl asked me to pass this bag to you. I mean, I told her that I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to pass gifts to any of the members but…well, I think I might have accidentally taken it from her instead.”

Hyunsuk’s eyebrows furrowed. “A gift? For me?”

“No, no hyung. She said it was Hyunsuk-hyung’s stuff, didn’t she?” Jeongwoo confirmed with Yedam.

“Oh yeah, she said it wasn’t a gift. It was your stuff she wanted to pass I think?”

“Huh. I guess I might as well take it then.” Hyunsuk stretched out his hand, expecting Yedam to hand in the paper bag to him.

But then, just as the paper bag almost reached his hands, Jihoon snatched it away from him.

“Jihoon! Come on, that’s mine!” Hyunsuk whined at his friend who was giggling at his reaction.

“Oh come on Hyunsuk, you’re no fun! What are you hiding from us anyways? Who’s this girl you’re seeing behind our backs, huh?” Jihoon smirked.

“What? What are you talking about Jihoon?” Hyunsuk asked in confusion.

To be continued...