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comicteaparty · 4 years

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June 13th-June 19th, 2020 Creator Babble Archive

The archive for the Creator Babble chat that occurred from June 13th, 2020 to June 19th, 2020. The chat focused on the following question:

What is your physical and digital workspace like when you’re working on your story?

🌈ERROR404 🌈

LOL it really depends on what stage I'm in of the process - My storyboarding space is at home, as comfortable as I can be, a beer and some food at the ready and pure silence. The cats have to be freshly fed, otherwise I'll be harassed and lose my headspace entirely LOL. I usually work on my story boards digitally, just at a very small scale, with my script/outline on my computer and working on my ipad! The double screen helps a LOT, although i would just print out the script if I had access to a printer, haha. When I'm working on the actual page itself, it's a very different story. I usually just try and work on it in tiny little batches during the day when I'm stuck at home, and usually work around the animals as best i can, lmao. Truthfully, I really prefer to be in a coffee shop when I'm working on finishing pages, it makes me so much more productive than i am in this house with so many things to take care of right in front of me, but, obviously, that's a bit difficult to do these days. ;; I usually reserve food and drink until after I pass a milestone in inking/sketching to help motivate me to keep going for as much as I can before taking a break, and I need some kind of music or video playing in the background to keep myself from being absolutely bored out of my mind. My shading process, since it's in black and white, is very easy and i can finish it in one setting, easy, no matter what I'm working with. I also work digitally for my pages, of course, although I don't need more than my ipad and clip studio for it!

DaeofthePast

freshly fed cats

🌈ERROR404 🌈

They are BEASTS when hungry, the little bastards (love them)

I may only work in peace when they're post-food napping lmao

DaeofthePast

we only have one, but same

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I work almost entirely in the corner of my IKEA couch at home I used to work at a proper desk with a Cintiq, but when I switched to Procreate on an iPad, I migrated to the couch and surrounded myself with a nest of clothes and blankets and books and... here I am, bein' cozy. With terrible posture But when I was between jobs last year, I did rent a little coworking space down the street so I could get out of my pajamas and go get comic stuff done there. It was a godsend. I like drawing at my favorite coffee shop every so often too, but I tend to hide my work while I draw, and there, everyone can look over my shoulder The coworking space had a tall artist desk that was rarely used, so I often grabbed that one. Not cheap, but to stave off cabin fever, heck yes, worth it.

🌈ERROR404 🌈

Ahhh I've been really thinking about getting a studio space one of these days I really shouldn't rn, with my finances as they are, but I could REALLY make use of one recently

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I loved the space I used last year. They recently had to close for... current-event reasons... and are going to reopen with all sorts of plexiglass barriers between the desks I feel so bad for them. Good studio spaces are wonderful, I would support them again if I ever was out of a job!

🌈ERROR404 🌈

it's good they've found ways to make it safer, though!

carcarchu

My old workspace was in the basement of my home in canada and it was always perpetually freezing even in the summer and i was frequently visited by spiders so my current workspace is a huge improvement in that regard. I do miss my old ergonomic desk chair though. I'm definitely not the kind of person who can draw in bed or on the couch. I need to be in workmode and having a designated space just for that is necessary for me to get in the right headspace for that.

DaeofthePast

my workspace rn is just my desk with my laptop and my drawing tablet. my laptop is stacked on top of a pile of books so i can see the screen (otherwise my tablet blocks my line of sight). it's kinda simple

chalcara [Nyx+Nyssa]

Depends. I have a Cintiq Mobile Studio, so I can draw pretty much every where and sometimes in the oddest position, but most of the time I am on my desk with the cintiq hooked up to a second monitor so I don't have to look down so much.(edited)

Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS

For Wayfinders: Thumbnails are somewhere cozy and the only physical work. Me and Q sit and plan them out together. The rest of wayfinders are made on Photoshop, and flat colors in clip paint studio. In the world I would love a nice studio place in an office with others. During corentine I have been working from home, and I am not that good at it, being quite the extrovert. Before corentine I was in a artist residency where I worked on Wayfinders which had a workstation and all the programs we could need. It is so nice and me and Q are going to return there when it opens up again!

Miranda

I have an iPad so usually on the couch, cozied up with coffee and pillows and blankets. But sometimes at the table. But usually on the couch like the gremlin I am

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

I have a large drafting table, a mini drafting table, and a lapdesk in my papasan when we ink/draw! Toning and letters are all done on the desktop in its own space

Miranda

I need to get a good lap desk. But that sounds like a grand setup!

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

My first time hearing about a lapdesk

Omg I need one

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

They are the best things ever Mine has just the pencil holder !(some come with cup holders and its a waste of space imo)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Wow I like your setup of the drafting tables

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

I wanna show pics of them....if im allowed in this chat?

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I hope so, I'm not sure which channel we can post studio photos at? I did see some did before?

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Ill post in shop talk since creator babble gets archived

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

my current space is uh.... a bit better than my last one. I used to work on an old writers desk for a decade and I did most of my comic work sitting there cramped up with my desktop taking most of the space. Now I have an L shaped desk where I have my desktop on the shorter end. The longer end it's my pen, pencils, and watercolor stuff. my display tablet occupy the space at times so switching from digital and traditional without worrying about setup hassle is a lot better than what I dealt with before lol.

I'm glad the days I had to curl up and draw with no privacy are long gone now

kayotics

I’ve got a little drafting table where I draw all my comic pages. I’m messy with my pens so they’re kind of strewn about until I start to lose them. Then I put them back. I’m not particularly neat. I spend most of the comic process off the computer, so most of my digital work is just on an iPad where I can sit anywhere. I try to keep good lighting around my drafting table and there’s always loose eraser shavings all over.

Natasha Berlin (Pot of Gold)

I got myself a lil corner desk by the dining table. Not as well-lit as I'd like, but it's decently ergonomic and I started putting posters on my wall Plus I can leave work mindset easily by turning off my computer and forgetting about the dark corner in the dining room XD(edited)

sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)

My desk is really sloppy and covered in all kinds of junk. I have a harmonica, a ball of yarn, a bunch of ink bottles, etc on my desk. I have my sketchbook under my tablet and usually a notebook somewhere for writing. My tablet sits to the right of my laptop (on top of sketchbook) while I'm not using it and when I'm using it it goes over my computer keyboard. I sometimes have a glass of water or some food sitting to the lefthand side

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

The only thing I wanna share about my workspace is this

once i spent over three hours looking for that damned pen

never again

🌈ERROR404 🌈

Ajkdhfkjs the models for hte magazine im crying

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Oh my God

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

mad giggling

Deo101 [Millennium]

youre gonna manage to lose the string

Tuyetnhi (Only In Your Dreams!)

omg

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i know in my heart deo is right but still i hope

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

You should weld a metal chain to it

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Watch me lose the whole tablet

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Oh nooo

I believe in you!

TaliePlume

My workspace is a black table with a white, yellow, blue and green tablecloth with 3 black chairs. It's next to the kitchen. On it, is my laptop and the left side is my clipboard, 3 blue folders full of writing. Then above it, is 3 sketchbooks and another blue folder from a class that I took in community college.

June 16, 2020

sagaholmgaard

I have one long desk at almost three meters. On the left side is all my coffee and tea supplies, in the middle is my work space and on the right is my dining table xD I get everything done from there, despite having a mobilestudio so I COULD sit anywhere and work, lol. It's a blessing during holiday seasons to be able to bring it everywhere, but at some I like my designated working space. Although I am moving in a few weeks, so who knows what my new workspace will be

Moral_Gutpunch

My workspace is anywhere I can draw or write. It's more of a "Will I be interrupted over something petty or stupid" issue than space. Not that I don't want more space.

Mitzi (Trophallaxis)

My workspace is a big, broken corner desk I managed to lug out of an old apartment when it was gonna be trashed. Before then, I'd just draw in bed. I don't remember, but I'm pretty sure the folding chair I sit at is a similar affair. It's got a Dollar General throw pillow on it so I can at least say I'm trying to save my back. The top of the desk is a mess of mostly old bottles and cans, pencils, incense ash, and my old tarot deck. I love this setup dearly. This is the first time I've ever had my own desk space, much less a space I can decorate or leave as messy as I want. Got my own art up on the walls with sticky tack and all! Also the cat's scratching post is directly behind me, because we've learned the cat won't use it unless it's as in the way as possible. What can ya do, lol.

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

Oh cats...

Desnik

I got spoiled with an adjustable desk. It is six feet long, and has a whiteboard top for noodling with dry erase markers

my main computer is set up on an adjustable stand so it floats over the desk, and then I have my cintiq, which we tried to mount on a similar stand but then it was just too heavy

I keep my dice collection nearby because fidgeting helps think things through sometimes

and rolling to make odd decisions never hurts

lately during the quarantine I've been sharing the office with my spouse so we've had to establish rules over when it's okay to bug each other(edited)

oh yeah and we also have a whiteboard installed in the office, and it rules!(edited)

Shizamura 🌟 O Sarilho

Mine is pretty simple: I have a laptop that's long stopped being portable and is now mostly just sitting at my desk at all times and a 19 inch Ugee as my display. I usually keep a lot of stuff on top of my desk, but it's mostly just a mess because I have been using it for work too for a while now

Cronaj (Whispers of the Past)

I suppose I'll talk about my setup too :) My main setup is where I do digital art. I share an office with my SO, so we both have workspaces on opposite walls from each other. I work on a corner desk that holds my beefy computer, two monitors, and a Huion Kamvas GT-191. That's where I draw my comic and pretty much everything else done digitally. Ngl, it's a mess right now. I have comic notes and location floor plans in sketchbooks and DnD character sheets spread out all over the surface, and random pens and sticky notes. In the corner of the room, we have a nice large-format printer where I produce prints for conventions. I actually sketch my pages on an iPad pro in Procreate, so during the sketch phase, sometimes I'll just bundle up on my couch and do it, or before quarantine, sometimes I'd sketch on the go. My other workspace (which hasn't gotten much love as of late tbh) is a drafting table in the corner of our living room. I keep a tabletop easel on it and my Copic markers, as well as whatever I'm working on at the moment. (RN it's some ink washes.) The drawers hold all my ink, pencils, erasers, etc. Next to the drafting table is where I keep all my large charcoal, graphite, and oil pastel drawings (mostly school projects), and my large paintings. Other than that, I have a nifty little cart where I keep painting supplies :) I will say, this setup is by far an enormous improvement from my previous setups.

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #comic tea party #ctp #creator interview #comic creator interview #creator babble

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eldritchsurveys · 5 years

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646.

How are you doing today? >> Could be better, could be worse. I’m still a bit depressed but I’m hoping it’ll even out. The Inworlders have been very helpful.

What was the best thing that happened to you today? >> Er... I mean, nothing. Nothing much has happened at all.

Which cell phone network are you on? >> Boost Mobile.

Do you like the smell of cinnamon? >> Sure.

What was the last book you've read? >> The last book I finished was a reread of PZB’s Lost Souls. I’m working on Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood right now.

Are you hungry right now? >> No.

What was the last thing you've had to drink? >> Water.

How often do you visit this website? >> This website? Daily. Bzoink? Whenever I need a new survey to take (not that I always find one, mind you. Bzoink is very hit or miss with a marked emphasis on “miss”.)

Do you like frogs? >> I mean... not particularly? They’re cool sometimes, I guess. Mostly they’re just... there.

Are you afraid of dying? >> Sometimes.

Do you like bananas? >> I hate bananas.

Name a movie that you hate. >> I didn’t like Meet the Spartans. That whole genre of movie should have stopped at Scary Movie.

Do you like the show American Dad? >> No. Maybe I just don’t get it.

What TV show do you miss the most that's no longer on TV? >> Galavant.

Are you currently fighting with someone right now? >> No.

Is your life full of drama? >> It really isn’t.

How long can you hold your breath underwater >> I don’t know.

Where's the last place you've been to out of state? >> Houston, Texas.

Have you ever been kissed in the rain? >> Probably.

What letter does your last name start with. >> D.

What are you listening to right now? >> Nothing.

Have you ever had a pet that died? >> Wasn’t my pet, per se. Vlad had a cat die whlie I was living there, and Sparrow’s cat died this past October.

Would you rather use a trackpad or a mouse? >> Depends on what I’m doing. For just using the internet or whatever my trackpad works fine, but when I’m gaming I obviously need a mouse.

Do you consider yourself politically intelligent? >> No.

Have you ever done any volunteer work? >> No.

Do you like the Beatles? >> No.

Is it night time where you're at right now? >> No, it’s early afternoon.

Do you like steak? >> No.

Do you eat healthy? >> I just eat, man. Whatever.

How often do you work out? >> I don’t.

What was the best gift you've ever received? >> *shrug*

Have you ever participated in a spelling bee? >> Yeah. When I was in fourth grade, I won the spelling bee in my school, so I was supposed to go on to regionals -- but apparently, fourth-graders were too young to go to regionals. I was the first fourth-grader to win in the school bee’s history so they’d never had to deal with that. My father raised a big stink about it because he said that if fourth-graders aren’t eligible for regionals, they shouldn’t have been allowed to participate in the school bee in the first place. Somehow this conflict was so interesting to people (or my father’s just such an adept big-stink-raiser, which is most likely) that it ended up in the newspaper and on the evening news. ...And no, I personally did not fucking care either way. This was just one more example of adults placing undue importance on something that did not matter to me and never would matter in the grand scheme of my life, and just shoving me into a spotlight regardless of my feelings. Also, fuck spelling bees as a concept anyway.

If you could have one wish right now, what would it be? >> ---

Do you owe anyone an apology right now? >> No.

Are you the jealous type of person? >> No.

Have you ever tried doing yoga? >> Yeah. It doesn’t quite agree with me, unless I’m just doing the wrong kind or something.

Do you like getting massages? >> Me? The person who hates being touched? Hmm...

Would you rather be too hot or too cold? >> I’d just rather not be in any kind of extreme weather condition, thanks.

Are you good at telling jokes? >> No.

When was the last time you've attended a sleepover? >> ---

Tell me one of your pet peeves. >> I’d rather not.

Do you wear glasses? >> No.

Do you like to keep your nails painted? >> No.

Have you ever had a pedicure? >> Probably, a long time ago.

What is your favorite smell? >> ---

Do you like the TV show Full House? >> Never watched it, not interested.

Would you rather listen to country music or rap music? >> I like both, so.

Are you a Duck Dynasty fan? >> No.

Have you graduated high school yet? >> Yeah.

What kind of person were you in middle school? >> I don’t know. Probably a socially maladjusted one doing its best.

Do you have any major regrets in your life? >> Meh.

Have you ever thought about running away? >> Yeah.

Do you like pixie sticks? >> Not so much anymore. But there’s still some kind of fun novelty about them, despite the fact that I don’t really want to pour pure sugar down my gullet.

Do you like French toast? >> I like it a certain way.

Are you a fast typer? >> Yes.

Are you good at doing math in your head? >> Some math.

Have you ever played with Silly Putty? >> Not to my recollection, but maybe.

Do you take in a lot of caffeine daily? >> No. Caffeine fucks with me too much.

Do you like watching Football? >> No.

What language do you wish you could speak? >> ---

Do you know a lot about history? >> Not a lot, no.

If we could travel back in time, where would you travel to? >> ---

Would you ever consider joining the military? >> I would literally rather die.

Do you think women should be allowed to have abortions? >> Yes.

Are you a cigarette smoker? >> Not usually.

Have you ever done something you didn't want to just to look cool? >> No.

Do you like zombie movies? >> Not usually. Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland were fun, though.

Have you seen The Hunger Games? >> No, but I’ve read them. I don’t like the casting choices in the movies so I don’t know if I’ll bother watching them.

Do you have a favorite piece of clothing? >> No.

Do you own any Uggs? >> No.

Are you wearing any rings on your fingers? >> Not right now.

Name a TV show that you absolutely can't stand. >> Meh.

Do you have any unusual talents? >> I don’t have any talents, usual or otherwise.

Do you look like your age? >> I don’t know what the fuck I look like age-wise and I don’t care.

Do you feel confident in a bathing suit? >> No, I don’t like bathing suits at all.

Do you do a lot of online shopping? >> Not a lot.

Do you like the Harry Potter films? >> Some of them.

Do you judge people based on their sexual orientation? >> No.

Have you ever been told you had an accent? >> I mean, probably.

Have you ever ridden an elephant? >> No.

Are you allergic to pollen? >> No.

Have you ever eaten sushi? If so, do you like it? >> Yes, and I like it fine.

Are you a fan of anime? >> Sure. Not every single one in existence, obviously, but there are plenty I enjoy.

Would you rather play Xbox or Playstation? >> PlayStation seems to have more games I like. But I actually prefer PC gaming.

Are you a big fan of seafood? >> Yes.

What kind of food are you craving right now? >> None, I’m not hungry.

Are you currently in a relationship? If not, are you happy being single? >> I am in relationships.

Do you depend on others for happiness? >> Obviously. People made the video games I play, after all. Just as an example. Also, since I’m not a complete hermit, obviously I keep company with other people for some reason...

Do you like to go fishing? >> Never been, probably wouldn’t care for it. Even video-game fishing is the worst.

Are you a fast runner? >> I don’t know.

Have you ever worked at a fast food place? >> No.

What's on your mind right now? >> The answers I’m giving to these questions.

Are you texting anyone as you're taking this survey? >> No.

Have you ever had a nasty rumor spread about you? >> Probably.

Have you ever sent someone sexual pictures of yourself? >> No.

Do you like who you are on the inside or the outside more? >> ...

Are you good at drawing? >> No.

Do you know how to dance? >> I don’t dance as a matter of skill, I dance as a matter of enjoyment.

What's your favorite reality TV show? >> ---

Do you think Kim Kardashian deserves to be famous? >> I literally do not care.

Are you excited for Christmas this year? >> It’s January, I’m not thinking about Christmas.

Do you celebrate Halloween? >> Not really. What would I even do? Most of the time we just help pass out candy at the Wayland house and that’s good enough for me tbh.

Have you ever had a concussion? >> No.

Do you pretend to be someone you're not? >> No.

Do you listen to heavy metal music? >> Yeah.

Were you sad when Michael Jackson died? >> No.

Do you have more upper or lower body strength? >> I don’t know.

Have you ever been in a tanning bed? >> No.

Do you like hot tubs? >> No. The only time I got into a hot tub I thought I was going to pass out and die. That is definitely not for me.

Do you know anyone who is battling cancer? >> No.

Have you ever donated money to a charity? >> No.

Do you get bored easily? >> Sometimes.

Have you ever peed your pants in public? >> Yeah.

Are you afraid of roller coasters? >> No.

Are you good at doing tongue twisters? >> I don’t know, moderately?

What was the last movie you've seen in theatres? >> Jojo Rabbit.

Have you ever been to a drive-in movie? >> No.

Are you good at doing fractions? >> Probably not. Luckily, I don’t usually have to do them.

What is your favorite holiday? >> Christmas.

Do you prefer Apple or Android? >> Android.

Would you rather have a tablet or a computer? >> A computer. I like having a full keyboard and more robust hardware.

Do you like things that are touch screen? >> Not really, but they can be convenient.

What age did you have your first kiss at? >> ---

Do you regret losing your virginity to whoever you lost it to? >> ---

Do you have a good relationship with your mother? >> I don’t have a relationship with my mother.

Do you like the color lime green? >> It’s okay. In moderation.

What are your plans for tomorrow? >> I have no plans for tomorrow aside from the weekly Cafe Boba thing.

Would you rather wear jeans or yoga pants? >> Sweatpants.

Do you like your clothes to be baggy and comfortable or tight and revealing >> A little baggy and comfortable. I definitely don’t want anything “revealed”.

Do you wish you could change something about your hair? >> No.

Have you ever gotten a makeover? >> Yeah, at a Lord and Taylor’s counter when I was seventeen, for prom. Ugh.

Do you get mad easily? >> Not unless I’m depressed.

Have you ever punched someone in the face? >> No.

Do you think the minions from Despicable Me are cute? >> I really don’t.

Did you have a Gameboy as a child? >> No.

Would you rather have chocolate or gummy worms? >> Gummy worms. Sour, please.

What are your favorite pizza toppings? >> Pepperoni and various vegetables.

Have you ever auditioned for a talent competition? >> No.

Do you make good sandwiches? >> They’re good enough for me.

Would you rather get high or get drunk? >> ---

Have you ever failed a drug test? >> No.

Do you like the Silent Hill movies? >> I liked the first one.

What movie scared you the most out of any other movies? >> ---

Tell me something you've been made fun of for in the past. >> Having big eyes.

What is one thing you need to work on to make yourself a better person? >> ---

Do you support war? >> No. It doesn’t need my support, though. It will always prevail.

#surveys #survey #random survey #this one long

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blankdblank · 6 years

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Back Again Pt 3

Pt 1 - Pt 2

Tags –

@himoverflowers, @theincaprincess, @aspiringtranslator, @sweeticedtea, @ggbbhehe4455, @thegreyberet, @patanghill17, @jesgisborne, @curvestrology, @alishlieb, @jogregor, @armitageadoration, @fizzyxcustard, @here2have-fun, @abiwim, @jotink78, @c-s-stars, @evyiione, @deepestfirefun, @thequeenoferebor

…

Curiously your eyes focused on the large bright green demantoid garnet square stone surrounded by six other square black opals wrapped in lines of diamonds resting on your finger. It sat underneath the simple courting band coated in etchings of ravens and Dwarven runes marking his name and clan markers you’d tearfully removed and dropped onto the floor in his angered shout to ‘just leave then and forget him and his kin’ before your turn to slam the door. The painful loss of that ring linking you to the only family you’d known stabbed greater than you’d ever imagined with the sound of its clink on that shining floor echoing in your mind almost daily since then. Wetting your lips you shifted and slid to the edge of the bed and brushed back the covers to walk through the house at the sounding of the doorbell after the text that had woken you.

Through the main hall you spotted Dis through the glass panes around the front door with a growing smile as you brushed your hair from your face and opened the door. “Dis, morning, did you want some tea?”

She shook her head, “No, sorry to wake you, just wanted to stop by real quick and possibly see if you could look at something for me?”

You nodded as she stepped inside the doorframe showing you the bound manuscript in her hands barely an inch thick and asked, “It’s called Tortimer the ornate wonder. Bit grand of a name but it really is adorable, little girl who finds an imaginary friend that takes her through her dream world after a Kelpie takes her. Really adorable, we got it a few weeks back and our illustrators really can’t find images that live up to the author’s expectations.” She wet her lips as you met her eyes again, “Now he dropped by yesterday and he spotted your picture in my office, simply demanded to work with only you.”

You nodded and claimed the book, “I’ll give it a read through, just the chapter illustrations and front intro pages?”

She nodded as her smile grew in passing you a worn folder containing pages of poor copies of sketches and doodles from the author after catching a glimpse of your rings. “From the author. Said you’d just know what to make of them.”

You smirked at her after flipping through them then met her gaze again, “Shouldn’t take me long too read through it. I’ll draft up what I can for him.”

She claimed a quick hug from you, “Thank you, so much! Let me know when you get a few and I’ll pass on copies to him, he’s scheduled a meeting at the end of the week. Eager, but at least he’s been patient with our team in waiting for a suitable illustrator.”

You smiled at her as she turned to head off to work, “Have a nice day. Go ahead and pass it on to him if he calls. I’ll keep you posted.” As she hopped into her car she gave you a wave as Vili was still hunched over securing the ties on his shoes in the passenger seat before he glanced up giving you a friendly wave. Waving back you slipped inside again and locked the door behind you on your path to start on your breakfast, ignoring the usual ache in your body adjusting to the new weight on your chest focusing on the manuscript.

By the time your plate was cleared you had a flurry of ideas flowing through your head. Quickly you rinsed your dishes and added them to the dishwasher then carried the papers to your bedroom. Against a stack of pillows you lounged with your tablet in your lap leaving your laptop Dis had gifted you, to help you upload your work to the company server aiding your work at home, beside you to save each of the images in order. A growl of your stomach signaled you to the lunch you nearly missed. Your tongue dipped out to wet your lips as you sent the last image to join the others you added to your account with a message you sent to Dis alerting her to the additions on your path to the kitchen.

By you return you read through her glowing review of the images along with the eager drop by the office the author had made leading him to tears nearly at your perfect renditions of the first half of the book. Ones that were soon joined by the second half by nightfall shifting the book to nearly double the size to add in the images the author demanded be included, wishes that the entire company agreed upon when seeing the skills of their new hire. Those images stirred up a race to go through your extensive list of books and company projects you had worked with leaving the entire team, including Dis, baffled at what you had grown capable of bringing to life since the last project you had seen completed before graduation had separated you.

The naming of your place in the company brought on a few of your former coworkers calling you and wishing you well in your new position after asking why you had been forced out of your spot. Unable to share that just yet you simply stated you were unwell and had to return home to be with family, the only response being their irritation at not giving them notice at having to take over your projects that soon cut off as a good number of clients left when they heard you had left the company.

With dinner time nearing the front door opened allowing Thorin inside to find you seated on your bed after moving the laptop and tablet to the dresser along the wall, grumbling as you tried to stretch your stiff back. An easy smile spread on his face as he paused in your doorway lowly rumbling, “Need a back rub?”

In a glance at the door you smiled up at him saying, “Yes, please. Spent too long in one position I think.”

Allowing his bag to slide form his shoulder he said, “Brought a few things, hope you don’t mind.” Setting it on the dresser on his way to sit behind you, leaving a gentle kiss on your cheek as his hands gently slid onto your shoulders.

“I don’t mind, thought you might be bringing more than just a bag with the ring you left me.”

Unable to contain his smile catching a glimpse of it when you retwisted your hair into another bun allowing him to see the muscles you had that had lost some of their size in your bed rest and recovery. “I wouldn’t assume I had the right to, no matter what I gifted you. I do hope you don’t mind. I couldn’t think of a better time to hand it over. Besides, by all accounts you should have had it by now if I hadn’t driven you away.”

Dipping lower onto your back you bit your lip at the sore knot his fingers hit, “By that logic I assume each gift giving holiday I’ll have mountains of gifts under that same explanation.”

“If that’s what you wish for.”

In a turn to face him you caught his loving gaze and weak chuckle at your playful glare, “You know I don’t want a mountain of gifts, you know that.” Through his low chuckle stirring from your hand gripping his collar to pull his forehead to rest against yours he nipped at his lip then released it to accept your kiss. Softly your hand eased around the side of his neck through the loving lip lock as his hands eased over your cheeks only to chuckle again at his drawing back.

In a purr he stated, “Your back Love.” A grumble came from you as you rolled your eyes and leaned in to steal another kiss when his hands lowered, gliding your arms around his neck while climbing onto his lap.

After a few minutes of fighting a losing battle against his own wish to hold you in the now heated tangling sprawl across you bed a low muffled growl sounded along your neck at the doorbell pulling him off of you as he said, “That’d be dinner.”

Furrowing your brows you sat up fixing your top asking, “Dinner?”

He smirked back at you, “Ordered it on my way over.”

Following him through the house you eyed the large order he and the delivery boy carried into the living room table before he paid and tipped the boy and showed him back out again. Back at your side he curled his hand around yours setting you on the couch saying, “Back rub Love. Then food and as many kisses as you like.”

Firmly his hands returned to your back and the knots he had yet to ease away, “How long have you had the ring?”

“It,” Weakly chuckling behind you he replied, “it’s the final design after a long line since graduation.”

“So you just kept working on it, after?”

He wet his lips behind you, “Part of my role in courtship is to honor my word to you. I promised you one of the rarest set of stones and designs I could find. I’d already secured the stones from my Uncle, before, and well I spent a decade working them off. Wasn’t till the past year I’d finally understood the design perfect for it. Your notes in psych, they all had that little doodle on them marking which columns you marked things in trying to keep your Dwarvish runes in line.”

In a scoffing chuckle you fired back, “I will have you know switching from Hobbitish to Khuzdul is not easy.”

He chuckled lowly, “I remember our lessons in Uni perfectly and every dent in the walls we made in our frustrating vocab lessons.”

“I’m certain it’s all gone now no doubt.”

Wetting his lips through his smirk he switched to Hobbitish, “I’ll have you know, out of spite Bilbo enforced our lessons on the whole family. Boys are fluent now too. Though names are a bit tricky.”

With a soft giggle you replied, “Figures, he was the best at enforcing studying habits. Except for when Dwalin wore those shorts of his.”

Thorin laughed behind you, “Ah, those, still has them.” Leaning in he lowly added, “Doesn’t think I know about him still having them tucked away.” Making you giggle again.

“They do make his thighs look incredible I bet still.”

You giggled again at Thorin’s chuckling lean in to kiss your cheek, “I am certain he would love to hear he’s still got his ‘honey thighs’ from someone other than his Hubby.”

In a firm pat on his legs beside yours he smirked as you said, “Why didn’t we ever get you a pair again?”

He chuckled replying, “Because you kept giving me that smile and my pants never really stayed on long enough for you to have enjoyed them.”

You nodded as his arms snaked around you when his hands had finally reached your hips, resting against his chest you stole a peck on his cheek, “Can I ask how the acorn’s holding up?”

After a nip at his lip he rumbled back, “Still intact. Dain demanded a touch up last year.”

“Demanded?” you fired back in a giggle.

Chuckling he replied, “Yes. Even my testicles are not free from his demand for his pristine condition on his work. Dwalin made sure I was cooperative.” You giggled again, “Frerin even stated you would want the marker of our shared secret intact when we got back together.”

“You, all planned us getting back together?”

Thorin nodded, “Bilbo even got time off in a few weeks, was going to go out there and find you. Demand you come home. The kids were going to be involved, pouting and crying until you agreed.”

“I don’t think it would have taken all that to get me back…”

“Did you enjoy it at least? Grey Havens?” His arms loosened helping you turn to start on the food.

“Um. I had a nice garden Lovely set of wind chimes. Drew in flocks of humming birds my neighbors hated, but I loved them, so beautiful. Work, was work.” His brow rose when he met your eye curiously, “I love my art, all the projects I have loved it, my boss, utter trash, but work I loved it.”

He smiled at you, “I did get a message from Dis on lunch to ask for a glimpse at what you’d done today for the project she left you.” His eyes scanned over you, “You are able to handle work right now?”

You nodded, “Ya, just got a bit wrapped into it. Habit with the old schedule. Used to get so many projects, had to go through novels in a matter of days.”

“Really? Can’t imagine you got much sleep.”

“I made time.”

He smirked at you, “Juice?” You nodded and watched him walk to the kitchen to fetch your drinks and return eyeing you rotating your shoulders, “Still sore?”

You shook your head, “No, just have to stretch and rotate them or they try to lock up when I sleep since bed rest.”

“I noticed you’re a bit slimmer.”

You nodded accepting the glass from him, “I’ll be happy when I can start exercise again. It’ll help with the new jiggly bits, and I’ll steady out again, not feel so helpless.”

Seated beside you he cupped your cheek stealing another kiss, “You have never been helpless.” Holding his adoring smile even through your eyes filling with tears, “I love you, and I know it doesn’t feel like it, but you’re far from helpless.” Stroking his thumb across your cheek claiming the tears there, “You managed to illustrate for an entire children’s book today. In one day! Dis hasn’t been able to do that in a week most cases!” After a gentle kiss on your cheek he continued, “You are magnificent, and no one in that office could have imagined anyone being able to silence that man and his expectations.”

With a smirk you replied, “Bard really put a lot of work into it.”

“Ooh, do tell?” His smirk eased out as he filled your plate and then his own scooting a bit closer to you, letting you continue your old habit of laying your legs across his.

“It’s a bedtime story he told his daughters and Son after their Mom passed. Apparently Dis says he’s got a whole series he’s wanting to put out, just couldn’t find the right person to illustrate it.”

His smile inched out more through your explanation, “No wonder he’s so certain on wanting you for it. I can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with. Dis mentioned you’ve made quite a leap since uni.”

“Well I’ve had a lot of time to practice since I’m done with all that studying.”

“I bet, and all those hours you used to spend sleeping in your extra jobs, hell of an addition to your free practice time.”

“Exactly.” His smile grew as you gave him a playful smile and soft giggle.

When dinner was through you helped him clean up and followed him back to your room where he poured a bath for you as you pulled out a change of clothes. In the bathroom you set your clothes on the counter catching his smile as he stood from adding the oils to your bath in a glance over his layers he couldn’t help but smirk. “I know that look. That look got us nearly naked in that cabin.”

Smirking at him in return, “If I remember correctly I was not the only one giving a look. You did that whole, pouting smirk thing.” He shifted his face to try and remember the look as you giggled pointing at him, “Close.” Drawing his smile back, “Have to furrow the brow too.” Earning a chuckle from him, “And don’t think I didn’t hear the Boom from Frerin and you when we hit all those courting markers. Including when you first sat around me in class.”

He nodded and chuckled softly, “Ya, we haven’t, haven’t said Boom in ages it seems.”

Smiling at him you replied, “I miss the Boom.”

His smile grew moving closer to help you out of your shirt, “We’ll bring it back then.” Leaning in as he tossed the top onto the sink he pressed his lips to yours, “Just for you kurkarukê.”

Rolling your eyes you eased your hands around his neck as he stole another kiss and pressed his forehead to yours, “Would it be strange to ask if you’d join me?”

“Not strange at all.”

Pulling your head back you nipped at your lip before saying, “Cuz I sort of need help with my back and hair.” His smile grew, “You’re a bit broader, I can help with yours too if you like.”

He chuckled softly, claiming another kiss, “Only if you want to.” Leaning down he helped ease you out of your pants and panties while you undid your bra and tossed it onto your discarded tank top, stepping out of your clothes he added to the pile before starting to unbutton his shirt. As he eased it down he caught your lips purse in your inspecting his reflection in the mirror.

Your curious walk around him stirred a chuckle from him as he tossed his shirt away with yours and reached down to add his socks to the mix joining the pile. His hands paused when your fingers tapped your name across the rim of the anvil between twin ravens across his shoulders forming part of what would begin the family tree for you both under the seven stars, six black and one bright blue for his clan, to be added on with small hammers and axes for each pebble under the anvil.

Your soft sniffle caused him to turn and curl you in a tight hug. Against his shoulder you mumbled, “Dis saw the ring this morning.”

“I’m surprised I haven’t heard of it already.”

“It does look an awful lot like an engagement ring.” He couldn’t help at your slightly leading statement silently requesting a clarification.

“That’s because it is, if you’ll have me?”

“This isn’t just because of the Pebbles question?”

Pulling back he shook his head, “Not at all. I mean it, I want to have a family with you. No matter what, I’m yours.”

“I can keep you?”

He nodded purring back, “You can keep me.” Your smiles fought to grow nearly ending the kiss you pulled him into. In a momentary parting he said, “We should get you in the tub.”

As he let you down he claimed another kiss from you then turned you guiding you into the tub, lowering down behind you after moving the soaps within reach. Each gentle caress over you was thoughtfully given, assuring you were lovingly soaped and rinsed off, leaving it purely as his doting way of ensuring your every inch was cared for before moving to your side to carefully washing your hair for you. Curled against his chest after he braided your hair into a braid he twisted into a bun. You nipped at your lip when he helped you out and to dry off you slid your fingers along his asking, “You wouldn’t happen to have your ring still?”

Reaching up he wove his fingers into his hair in a tucked bun, with a hidden braid he drew out to unhook the ring from and passed it to you stirring your smile wider at the acorn and Hobbitish runes around the simple band marking your name and Mother’s clan markers. Carefully you slid it back into place on his ring finger widening his smile as you peered up at him and giggled softly through his crashing kiss he wrapped and lifted you in his arms carrying you to the sink where he helped you into another pair of pajamas and into the bedroom where he pulled on a new pair of boxer briefs and a pair of sweats over. Then grabbed all your dirty clothes to add to the clothes hamper and joined you on the bed, stealing another kiss from you before nipping his lip as you pulled up the first of the images drawing an audible gasp from him.

By the fourth chapter’s images your front door opened and Dis with a long stream of Durins behind her filled the house as she called out, “I know I promised myself I wouldn’t say anything until the morning, but, well, I lied. We’re here,” her eyes landed on you as she climbed onto the bed curling at your free side pulling you into a tight hug, “It’s long overdue. Officially, welcome to the family.” One by one they all claimed their own hugs and offered their dessert offerings between sharing their own Khuzdul sentiments and well wishes between your happy tears at the sudden family gathering.

Pt 4

#Thorin x Reader OC #Hobbit #lotr

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mysticsparklewings · 6 years

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2018 Art Summary!

I've never done one of these before because usually, I don't even have to look to know I'll have several months left blank, as I have a bad habit of finishing things and either just waiting to post them or uploading things in bulk. This time though, I felt more confident about having a piece for every month...Turns out somehow I lost February in terms of art-making . Oh well, 11/12 ain't bad. (And I'm very positive I drew something in February, but evidently, I didn't think to post it. Which is weird because February usually isn't that busy for me ) Also, I think I'm a few days late to the party on these, but whatever. And now for a short description and links to each artwork so you can understand & see them better. January: Coraline One of my earlier attempts at just straight fan-art from one of my favorite movies. I'm still really happy with how it turned out, almost a year later February: Surprisingly, nothing! (Seriously, I have no idea what happened to February...) March: Killjoys, Make Some Noise! The first piece of My Chemical Romance fan-art I ever made. Poor me and poor them, they look a wee bit feminine, but I'm working on getting better at that. Maybe this year I'll take the time to color the line art to honor the anniversary again--we'll see! (I put this one in sideways because I couldn't size/crop it to fit the other way to my own satisfaction) April: Ivy Enchantix 2018! You know, I would've thought if there was any month I had no art posts, it would've been April. There was Spring Break and Easter, school stuff including taking a trip to New York...And yet it seems April was actually one of my busier months, considering what all I had to pick from. But it was really no contest of which one to pick as my favorite. While I definitely only rarely make Winx art anymore, when I do there's a lot of heart and soul poured into every piece, to the point there isn't much I can find fault with. This may not have been the "grand return" I was hoping for, but it stands as a reminder that I'm not ready to fully let Winx Club go anytime soon. May: Watercolor Stars The tail end of May 2018 marked a big milestone I almost never thought I'd see; My first display drawing tablet, a Wacom Cintiq that I stalked eBay for months (possibly even years) to finally get my hands on. This was also the first time I actively revisited my Mini Magnet Challenge from the year prior, using one of my favorite poems as inspiration for the first piece of art made with the tablet. Looking back on it now, I really am in love with the overall atmosphere. June: The Sandman This month proved to be a busy one, and I have to say honorable mentions go to my Art Style Challenge and The World is Ugly, the second piece of MCR fan-art I made. But ultimately I went with this one because I'm still obsessed with Mr. Sandman's unique character design and for as simple and quick as the image was, it's honestly one of my most favorite pieces I think I've ever made. (I even have it posted as a Portfolio piece on my website). The other two are great and easily tied for close seconds, but they don't haunt me the same way this one does. July: One Little Spark Early July was time for my family's annual theme-park vacation, specifically to Walt Disney World. After we got back, I had that feeling I usually do about being just so inspired by everything we saw and did, but not really knowing what to do with it. Every year I want to do a small series for every day we're at the parks, but I never have the time or means to do so. So an obscure crossover of Figment from Journey Into Imagination at Epcot and Animal Crossing: New Leaf was my compromise for 2018. I still think it's adorable and though it is ridiculously unlikely, I have to say I would absolutely love to see Figment appear in an Animal Crossing game someday now. August: Grav3yardGirl Once again, August had a few different options but ended up being a no-contest. This is the first piece of fan-art I ever made of my favorite Youtuber, Grav3yardGirl , made and posted at basically the last minute for her birthday on August 3rd. I'm not sure she ever saw it or knows it exists, but there's always next year! I do still think it turned out really cute for how much of a rush I was in to complete it. Also, someone needs to remind me to use that parchment paper in my artwork more often... September: Marco Renoir Colored Pencil Test This month was relatively calm with only a few art pieces to choose from. I went with my test piece for the Marco Renoir pencils because I do still really love how it looks and also because it sort of marked the beginning of my hunt for colored pencils and would eventually lead me to pick up a few other specific brands. Plus doing all these test pieces ends up boosting my colored pencil skills overall. This also marked the beginning of me using galaxy/sky pictures to test colored pencils, which has proven pretty effective, I think. October: Outfit of The Day This was my busiest October art-wise in a while, I think. For once I wasn't competing with art/theatre classes that demanded a ton of my extra attention, and this was also the first time I was super committed to seeing Inktober through to the end. And admittedly my Inktober 2018: Wrap Up! picture was very close to getting this spot, but I ultimately decided against it since I would be really hard to tell what it actually is and that seemed like cheating since I'm not sure I could pick a favorite Inktober piece anyway . So I went with my first-ever Outfit-Of-the-Day drawing instead. I am still really thrilled with it and it was one my first real holiday-specific pieces I made also. I was also rushing to get this one done, and I still think it came out really good, all things considered. November: Why, Curious Butterflies! This one was honestly the hardest to pick because this was easily the busiest November I think I have ever had art-wise. For at least four years prior I always had a ton of theatre stuff to do, but not in 2018. (Don't get me wrong, I really miss that class but it was definitely a big commitment). In the end, I went with the picture that makes me the happiest; this little fan-art inspired by a purse I had just gotten IRL. It's cute and its mixed-media, which I am increasingly convinced is where my artistic talent really shines brightest. December: The Nutcracker Oddly enough, this feels like the sparsest December I've had for art in a while because I think before Winter Break was like my main comeback after months of having to put stuff off. I may not have made that many art pieces this December, but the ones I did were pretty elaborate/in-depth for me. I went with my Nutcracker girl since it's a concept I've been wanting to play with for a while now, and once again this was a mixed media piece that I think really showcases my skills. And it's also one of the first real like Christmas-y drawings I've made. I also spent a good chunk of this month acquiring new art supplies to play with . All in all, I look back and I'm pretty happy with what I've accomplished art-wise is 2018. It was a year of experimenting and milestones, and I think I'm in a much better place as an artist now than I was a year ago. Lord knows my journey is not over yet, but I like where I am so far. Art Goals for 2019: Keep experimenting, maybe learn to draw faster, post more consistently; and most importantly, keep striving to be better. ____ Template (c) DustBunnyThumper Artworks (c) me, MysticSparkleWings ____ Where to find me & my artwork: My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble | Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram

#2018artsummary #artsummary2018 #artsummary

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seungcheolrk · 6 years

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home.

rkmelting — 2019 new year’s celebrations. december 31st, 2018 → january 1st, 2019.

it hits him a little late that this is his first new year’s eve away from his parents. really, it doesn’t matter — it’s not like he’s scared of the fireworks ( surprisingly ) or of being alone, but the shift in his life in such a short time makes his head spin. this time last year, he’d been blissfully unaware of the fact that in three days they’d have a measly five days to sort out sleeping arrangements between themselves and move into their dorms. at that point, he didn’t even really feel like he knew some of his group mates, let alone enough to live with them — to share bunk beds and living spaces. now, he feels like he can talk to any of them about his worries without judgement, he feels at home, but he still can’t help but feel that a presence is missing as he realises the clock is ticking closer to midnight.

but then, he thinks they likely all miss their parents. he surely isn’t the only mummy’s boy in a group of thirteen, right? it’s just not statistically likely.

his fingers itch to dial their number a few minutes before the clock strikes, his thumb hovering over the button. it’d only take a twitch to accidentally hit call and maybe that’s what he’s hoping for inside because as it is, it feels like there’s a force field around his phone that prevents his thumb from lowering any closer. he wonders what they’re doing; he doesn’t want to disturb their peace. maybe they’re out at a new year’s party or fireworks show, free of the reigns of staying in with him. they could’ve gone out in his later years, but they’d always insisted on staying together in the warmth of their home, watching the celebrations on television or out their apartment window. he wonders if they’re wondering what he’s doing. he can hear the usual ruckus of thirteen boys under one roof in the next room, knows they’re getting ready to countdown together while he sits here, unsure what to do. it’s silly. the longer he sits here pondering, the closer he gets to running out of time, the new year starting without him.

drawing in a deep breath, he sends his parents a group message wishing them a happy end to the current year and a promise to call soon after the turn of the new one. he pockets it and celebrates with his members, as he did christmas, as he will almost every holiday for the years to come.

january 1st, 2019 — 00:21am

slipping away, he speed-dials the familiar number in a heartbeat, holding his phone at arms length, his mother having gotten fond of video calls in the last few months of scarcely seeing him ( and rarely believing his insistence that he’s fine; he can’t blame her, though, she is his worrywart mother — he had to get his own tendencies from somewhere ). she answers after a few seconds, framed poorly as his father tries to fit in beside her.

“hey,” he smiles softly, “happy new year.”

his mother frowns as their tablet slips between her fingers. “hey, cheollie.” he blushes, embarrassed. “happy new year to you, too!”

his dad pitches in, voice even though his face displays a warm smile. “did you celebrate with your group?” seungcheol nods, glances at the door, expecting one of them to come crashing in at just the right moment, but nothing happens. he doesn’t say that he missed ringing in the new year with them, but he knows they can read it in his eyes, in the way they soften when he sees his mother finally content with her placement of the tablet. her hands free, she gestures wildly as she lists off expected, pressing questions.

“no, I didn’t drink,” he answers first, “and yes, we’re having a good time. yes, I’ve been looking after jihoon, and yes, I am flying out to jeju and no, I am not ready to go on a plane but I don’t have a choice. It’s not like teleportation has been invented yet.”

his mother laughs, “just pretend it’s the— what’s it called? the spaceship in star wars?” he rolls his eyes.

“the millennium falcon?” she nods. “I can’t believe it’s been twenty years and you still haven’t either learnt the names of anything from my favourite franchise but also realised that relating every situation to it in any way possible offers me no comfort.” he teases, unwilling to admit that it does, in fact, help a little. he’s still scared beyond belief, but she isn’t too wrong. it is still a flying hunk of metal, designed to get its occupants from one place to another — it’s just that one is real and one is fictional; one travels around the earth and the other through the far reaches of space. really, his short trip to jeju is a walk in the park in comparison.

a little while later, his mother asks him if he has any new year’s resolutions, or if any of the others do and whilst he doesn’t really know in terms of the rest of convex, he has thought a little about what to aim for in 2019, knowing full well it’s ridiculously likely to be a question they’re asked if they are to do any interviews or television shows in the next couple of months. at first, he has no idea. he knows he has plenty to work on — his stage presence, his stutter, his dance skills beyond their given choreography he’s had so long to practice, to name a few. he wouldn’t ever say he doesn’t have anything to improve on; maybe it’s just harder to pin down one or two or word them in a way that makes them feel both realistic but worth fighting for. ‘dance better’ isn’t a goal he can see progress on at the end of the year, but practising more overall is. abolishing his stutter, as unlikely as it feels now, is a viable goal over a vague ‘get more confident’. he draws in a deep breath.

“yeah, I have a lot to work on—” he laughs, but it’s genuine for once whilst talking about his weaknesses. he doesn’t feel any shame talking to his parents about the things he lacks. “I want to practice my dancing more. I’d also like to learn to play video games, though I feel like that’ll conflict a little with practising more.” his parents laugh this time, warm smiles making his cheeks flush red once more. “maybe I’ll even see someone about this darn stutter. or maybe I’ll just leave it and call it my charming point. I’ve thought about new year’s resolutions a lot, but... looking back at the past year...” he clears his throat, embarrassment creeping up his spine. “you’re not allowed to laugh, alright? but the most important resolution for this year, to me, is to talk to you guys more. getting ready for convex... I had jihoon and the other members, but... I missed you guys a lot. I want to call more often, even if we don’t have much to talk about. it’s hard for me to take time off even when they tell me to because I feel like I should use every minute to improve as an idol, so this is my happy balance. fair warning, though— it’ll almost always be stupidly late at night.”

no one will ever know if his affectionate chuckle is at his own words or the soft tears trickling down his mother’s cheeks. he gets his emotional side from her, too, he’s reminded.

“we love you so much, cheol; we’re so proud of you. you have so much pressure on your shoulders and yet you’re worried about us—”

gasping, he exclaims, “you? I’m worried about me! I’m the mummy’s boy here!” his mother laughs once more.

“we’ll definitely call more, cheollie. promise us you won’t miss out on sleep or anything just to call us, alright?”

he frowns, but hums in reluctant agreement moments later. “fine. but you have to promise me you’ll at least learn one star wars character’s name before we next call!”

she grunts, “excuse me, I know han slow-mo!” his dramatic groan mixes with her cackle as they say their final goodbyes, hanging up with a smile that rounds his cheeks and crinkles the corners of his eyes. his heart lifted, he sighs contently. ringing in the new year isn’t quite the same as it used to be, but he can get used to this, he thinks.

#rkmelting #cheol;solo #( wc; 1435 )#jacerk #( mentioned! )#( wrote this yesterday but couldn't think of a title and had to rush to bed otl )#( so here u go a few hours before the deadline jkDSJ )

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simplejjs · 7 years

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Unmasking the Love Part 5

Here it is, the final part of Unmasking the Love. It is a little Thanksgiving present from me to you. : - ) I am wishing all of you a holiday filled with kindness, happiness, and the warmth of friends and family.

I hope you liked my story! If so, you might also check out my first reveal story, which is a little more lighthearted and funny (you can find it on my tumblr site, my first few posts). We are a good 2/3 of the way through November, and still have no idea what DAY in December Season 2 of MLB will be released. Do I still have enough time to write one more reveal? Here’s a confession: I like best Ladrien. That is the basis for my next story; Ladybug is going to find out first. But until then, enjoy today! Thanks for all your likes and follows! Cheers!

Unmasking the Love Part 5 (by JJ Sprinkle)

Nino and Adrien were already lounging in their seats when Alya and Marinette walked in. Alya was showing her phone screen to Marinette, and describing the work she had put into her Ladyblog over the weekend. She’d started a new post, asking followers to write in with their theories as to the secret identities of Ladybug and Cat Noir. Alya and Marinette were laughing over some of the more outlandish ones.

“‘Sup?” Nino greeted them. Quickly he was pulled into the conversation, and soon Adrien scooted over on the bench to look at Alya’s phone screen too. Crowding over the small screen, Adrien glanced to his left to find himself only inches from Marinette. Unexpectedly, his stomach did a funny swoop. Adrien snapped his gaze back down to the phone screen, surprised beyond words. After a moment, he flicked his eyes back to Marinette’s profile. This time, he caught her gaze, and she turned to him to share the laughter. “Outer space, dude. That’s bunk!” Nino said.

“Alien Cat Noir,” Adrien joked.

“Alien Ladybug,” Marinette added, and the four friends laughed. Adrien and Marinette kept staring at each other, ostensibly sharing the joke. But Marinette’s stomach was filled with butterflies, and she felt powerless to pull her gaze away, while Adrien was caught by her blue, blue eyes, feeling there was something lovely and familiar about them, but unable to identify exactly what.

He was the first to look away, unsettled and unsure. Adrien pushed his tablet and notebooks together, lining them up neatly, to compensate for the confused state of his mind. Feeling a draw to Marinette seemed both natural and wrong. With Ladybug always in the back of his mind, instinctively Adrien shied away from any attraction to another girl. Suddenly, the whole point of last week crashed into him, and Adrien sat straighter in his chair. No, he thought, it couldn’t be…?

The class could hear Mme Bustier’s voice in the hallway, as she chatted with a colleague while making her way to class. Knowing he had spare seconds, Adrien turned to Marinette and asked, “And what did you do over the weekend?”

A big smile lighted her face, and Marinette replied, “I was working on a project for a friend. I spent all weekend on it!” Adrien nodded his head, as if her words were inconsequential, and he turned back to the front of the classroom. However, his pulse was racing and his mind was whirling.

Mme Bustier arrived and started the class, but Adrien’s concentration was shot. No matter the pressure of forthcoming exams, all Adrien could do was weigh possibilities, replay memories, and analyze behaviors. The differences between Ladybug and Marinette were glaring, yet the similarities - increasingly obvious the more he got to know Marinette - were indisputable.

“You will work in groups for this project,” Mme Bustier was saying, as she handed out worksheets to the class.

“Adrien!” Chloe called from across the aisle.

Mme Bustier interrupted her, “Ms. Bourgeois, I will be setting the groups.” She turned back to Marinette’s and Alya’s bench, where she was placing a handout, and said, “You two will work with Nino and Adrien,” and she moved on. “Ivan, Nathanael, Juleka, Rose and Max. Kim, Mylene, Alix, Chloe, and Sabrina. And no, Chloe,” Mme Bustier forestalled the predictable complaint, “you may not work in groups of two. Only the groups I set. And the work is equally shared.” Chloe didn’t even bother to hide her annoyance.

Marinette was overcome with excitement, joy, and panic. What if all she said was stupid, garbled things? Or she tripped on and destroyed the project? Despite her anxieties, her mind sang a constant chorus of ‘Adrien! Adrien!’ She would actually get to partner with Adrien! Alya poked her shoulder, and grinned.

By the time lunch arrived, it seemed unquestioned that the four would eat together again. Before Chloe had a chance to hijack Adrien, the four friends had already slipped from their seats and were headed out the door as a unit. Chloe stamped her foot in frustration.

Nino led them to a table bathed in sunlight from the large picture windows. Alya and Adrien grabbed seats on either side of him, and Marinette sat down last.

Alya immediately turned the conversation to their project. Each group was to choose an event from world history and create a large diorama of it to present to the class. Adrien was having a hard time keeping track of the conversation. Instead, he kept sneaking peeks at Marinette. Sweet and quiet, frequently keeping to the background, she just did not act like Ladybug, who radiated energy. Adrien shook his head. Still, her midnight black hair, and incomparable blue eyes, they fit. Why had he never noticed her blue eyes before, he wondered, then thought about how normally she averted her gaze when he was around. In fact, he thought, did she even like him? Generally she left the talking up to Alya when the three were speaking. The more he thought about it, the less certain Adrien became.

“Alya, that would rock, but where can we build something like that?”

“Maybe one of the classrooms?”

“Or one of the study carrels in the library?” Marinette suggested.

“Could we do it at your house, Marinette? In your room?” Nino asked.

“No!” Marinette replied quickly, a blush suddenly staining her cheeks. “I mean, my room really isn’t too big, plus I have my sewing supplies all over…” She glanced at Adrien, then turned away.

Adrien did not even know what they were planning, but obviously it needed sufficient space over some period of time, so he offered, “You could use my bedroom. It’s huge, and no one would disturb us there.”

“Dude,” Nino pointed out, “your old man said I couldn’t come to your house.”

“Whatever,” Adrien replied, hiding the bitterness he still harbored over his father’s unfair treatment of Nino. “He never pays attention to what I do, as long as I keep on his schedule. Plus, he can’t very well kick you out when you are there as a partner on a school project.” Actually, Adrien knew his father would not scruple to throw Nino out, regardless, but he didn’t let on.

“Okay, project at Adrien’s house!” Nino said.

“I have a photoshoot and Chinese after class today, but tomorrow afternoon would work.”

The four agreed to start their project the next day, then spent the rest of lunch planning the materials. When the bell rang, Adrien pushed his small pile of cheese into a napkin and gathered the rest of his lunch remains.

“Why don’t you just bring extra cheese for a snack, instead of pulling it off your sandwich?” Marinette suddenly asked him.

Adrien colored, thinking that his actions had been too subtle for anyone to notice. “Uh…” he temporized, knowing he could not explain that the cooks had already questioned the amount of cheese he went through. He wanted to avoid any overt behavior that could bring the scrutiny of his father down on him. “I, uh, don't want to make extra work for the cooks,” he feebly lied.

Marinette looked at him dubiously, glanced at his pile of cheese, then shrugged. Adrien stopped himself from sighing in relief.

The night was colder than the last time Ladybug had met up with Cat Noir. Swinging through the streets, Ladybug thought about an essay she was writing in literature, and the grade she had received on her geometry test. Schoolwork was becoming more intense as the semester was coming to an end, and her test grade reflected the difficulty Marinette faced balancing her double life. She arrived at the Trocadero a little after midnight, and saw Cat Noir’s silhouetted figure sitting on the same ledge from the previous evening. She saw his ears twitch, even though she was many meters away, and he turned his brilliant green eyes directly to her.

Ladybug’s heart lightened. Even the homework hanging over her head couldn’t quell her excitement at giving him Plagg’s gift. She shot out her yoyo one last time to swing quickly to Cat Noir’s side.

He was already standing when she got there, and with a formal bow and cocky smile greeted her with, “MiLady.”

“Cat Noir!” she smiled. With a wide grin, she said, “I have Plagg’s present! Put out your hands, and close your eyes…”

Cat Noir did so, and felt a soft item placed in his upturned palms. When he opened his eyes, a black velveteen pillow, with soft supportive sides, and green accent piping, sat in his hands. It was a little pet bed.

“It’s a bed! For Plagg!” Ladybug explained unnecessarily. “I made one for Tikki a while ago, but hers is red and black.”

Turning it around and around in his hands, Cat Noir said, “This is fabulous! Thank you LB!” Cat Noir struggled to keep the emotions he was feeling from his face. Tears unexpectedly smarted his eyes, and he ducked his head and pretended to rub his nose to hide them from Ladybug. The last time anyone had gotten him a present was the scarf his father had bought him, and Adrien did not think anyone had ever actually *made* a gift for him, including his mom. Cat Noir swallowed before speaking again. His voice was filled with admiration when he asked, “You really made this yourself?”

“Yup!” Ladybug beamed, happy to have impressed Cat Noir. “I spent all weekend on it! Oh, and Tikki says to say hi to Plagg!”

Her words sent a shiver up Cat Noir’s spine. They echoed Marinette’s from the morning, ‘I spent all weekend on it.’ Cat Noir stared at the bed in his hands. Finally he raised his gaze to Ladybug. Pasting on a smile, Cat Noir’s eyes played over Ladybug’s face, measuring, studying, considering.

It was an indication of their intimacy that Ladybug immediately sensed Cat Noir’s change of mood. “Are you okay? Are you sure you like it?” Her voice sounded doubtful, a little small, and suddenly Cat Noir thought he could see Marinette in her.

“I love it, Bugaboo,” he said sincerely, a luminous smile blossoming on his face. “I really love it! And Plagg will love it too.” Cat Noir grasped Ladybug’s hand and led her over to the ledge. He patted the space next to him as he sat down, placing the little bed carefully on his lap.

“What shall we talk about tonight, MiLady? More kwamis?”

Ladybug kicked her heels against the wall, relaxing for a moment from the stress of schoolwork. “I don’t know. How about…” She pursed her lips, and Cat Noir watched her profile.

He wanted to kiss those lips. He wanted to kiss her, to fold her into his arms and tell her, show her how valuable she was to him. Cat Noir gripped the little pet bed, and pretended to study it. She did not want to kiss him. She wanted to kiss Adrien. As Cat Noir, he could not get through to her, and unless he figured out who she was behind the mask, he didn’t have any chance of solidifying their connection. Could she really be Marinette? Marinette certainly did not act like someone who wanted to kiss Adrien. Cat Noir thought about how shaken Ladybug had been when she thought Adrien was in trouble, but he had never seen Marinette act that way around him. Normally she seemed uncomfortable, sometimes even a little distant, around him. Shaking his head, Cat Noir wondered if it could all just be crazy coincidences?

Reverting to form, Cat Noir quipped, “I could give you tips on how to flirt with Adrien Agreste.”

Ladybug laughed at him. “Right, that would go something like, make puns until he agrees to go out with you just to shut you up.”

Cat Noir was a little hurt. “First,” he pointed out, “my puns are clever and funny.” Ladybug snorted with laughter. “Second,” and Cat Noir leaned a little too close to her, and pretended to be hopeful, “Would that really work?”

“No, no!” Ladybug leaned back, waving her hands to ward him off but still laughing with his antics, “Don’t even try it!” She switched topics, “How about our favorite places in Paris?”

“That is nowhere near as fun,” Cat Noir replied.

“But,” Ladybug knew she had the upper hand, “it might give me ideas for a present that I can make for you!” Cat Noir’s heart squeezed, and he glanced away again. She was perfection incarnate, and his love for her exploded all over again.

He covered his emotions with a lighthearted response, “Oh, well then, you’ve convinced me!”

The two spent the next ten minutes comparing their favorite spots in Paris, before the weight of her homework began to eat at Ladybug. “I really have to go. I still have lots of homework to do.”

“But it’s almost 12:30, Bugaboo. Surely you should get to bed?” A quick image of cuddling her flashed in Cat Noir’s mind before he forcefully pushed it away.

“Mmm, yeah,” she agreed, “but I still have a couple of things that are due tomorrow.”

Cat Noir stood up, and held out his hand for Ladybug. As soon as she was standing, she dropped his hand. Not far from this site lived Adrien, and as affectionate as she was growing to feel towards Cat Noir, her loyalty was still firmly attached to Adrien.

“It’s been several days without an akuma attack, MiLady,” Cat Noir said. “Can we agree to meet again? I’d hate to wish misery on anyone…”

Ladybug smiled her answer, “Can we do Friday? It would be much more fun if I didn’t have school hanging over me the next day.”

Bending his waist in a gallant bow, Cat Noir agreed, “‘Til Friday, MiLady.”

Spontaneously, Ladybug grabbed his hand and tugged him back up. “Oh, Cat,” she laughed, and squeezed his hand before letting it drop. Pulling out her yoyo, she turned, tossed it into the darkness, and yelled quickly, “See you Friday, Chaton!” before disappearing.

Cat Noir watched her shadowy form sail away. Ladybug? Marinette? He stared into the night. Friday seemed very far away.

When Cat Noir got home that night, and transformed, he immediately presented the little bed to Plagg. The effect was memorable. The sarcastic, irreverent kwami fell silent, eyes huge, as he dove into his new bed and rubbed his cheek along the fabric. Poking his head up from the side, his voice was filled with awe when he asked, “She really made it for me? It’s mine?”

Adrien chuckled as he reached into the mini refrigerator for Plagg’s cheese. “All yours! She said she made one for Tikki too.”

Still stroking his cheek against the bed, Plagg said, “I love Ladybug!” As Adrien approached with Plagg’s cheese, Plagg said lazily, “Serve me my cheese here.”

“Of course, my Dictator,” Adrien replied sarcastically.

Plagg rolled onto his back, kicked his feet into the air, and nibbled on his camembert with delight.

“Ladybug also said, that Tikki says hello.”

“Tell Tikki I said hello back,” Plagg mumbled around a mouth full of cheese. Swallowing, he then added deviously, “And give Ladybug a kiss for me. To say thank you.”

Adrien muttered, “I wish!” and Plagg just laughed.

The hectic pace of school the next day forestalled any real attempts by Adrien to quiz Marinette. Even lunch was a wash, as Adrien had to attend a PR event for the launch of a new Gabriel shoe brand in the middle of the day. So, it was not until the afternoon, when school was out, that he finally could relax with Marinette, Nino, and Alya.

Adrien had arranged with Nathalie to have most of the project’s supplies waiting in his room, and he had arranged with his personal chef to have a selection of snacks and refreshments laid out as well. This was the closest he had ever gotten to throwing a party, and he wanted to make sure he did it all correctly.

His bodyguard picked the four up in front of the school in the limousine, and whisked them along the boulevards to the Agreste mansion. Adrien maneuvered to sit next to Marinette on the way and intentionally pressed his thigh up against hers during the ride. He could hear her quiet gasp, and felt her whole body stiffen. Adrien frowned, and was so busy weighing the possible reasons for her behavior that he missed the blush that painted Marinette’s cheeks. Nino, cheerfully observant, saw the whole thing, and sent an encouraging smile to Adrien. Adrien looked at Nino, puzzled.

Within ten minutes they arrived at Adrien’s house and Adrien led them directly to his room. He had only explained to Nathalie that a small group was coming to the house to work on a school assignment, and had carefully avoided naming any of the students. The four walked in to find the food, drinks, and project supplies waiting for them. Nino had been in the room before, but was impressed all over again. Alya had never been, and was struck speechless for almost ten seconds, before exclaiming, “Holy - ! This is a-maze-ing!” Marinette, who had been in the room multiple times as Ladybug, who had in fact jumped all over its walls in the course of two different akuma attacks, was left to lie weakly, “Oh, yeah, this place is incredible.”

“Please, help yourself to hors d’oeuvres,” Adrien offered. Alya laughed at his stilted vocabulary, while Nino dove in.

With his mouth stuffed, Nino said, “Dude, this is awesome!”

“And help yourself to drinks, too. I can call for tea or coffee if you would prefer.”

With his mouth full of food, Nino suggested, “Dude, why don’t you get something for Marinette?”

Both Adrien and Marinette glanced at Nino, surprised, then at each other. “Uh, sure Nino,” Adrien said. “Would you like anything, Marinette? Alya?”

Feeling awkward, Marinette replied, “No thank you.” She could feel her cheeks burning, and she looked quickly away from Adrien to hide her blush.

Alya merely waved her hand, focused instead on the breathtaking view of the city from Adrien’s room, and said, “No, thanks.”

Marinette stood alone in the middle of the room, feeling truly inconsequential. How could someone who lived like this ever find a reason to be attracted to her? She watched Adrien digging through the project supplies that Nathalie had delivered, pulling out what they would need to start the assignment. So beautiful, so genuine, so nice. Marinette shrugged, looking down at her feet, and thinking that he could have any girl he wanted.

Alya sensed Marinette’s mood and walked to her side. She twined her fingers through Marinette’s and whispered, “He wants *you*. He doesn’t know it, but everything he described about the girl was you. C’mon, girl, keep the faith!” Marinette shot Alya a weak smile.

The thought crossed Marinette’s mind, Even if he never likes me, I will NOT act like a mopey child. I *am* strong! I may be Marinette, but I am also Ladybug! She squared her shoulders, then said, “Okay, guys, let’s get this project going.”

The four gathered in a circle around the workspace Adrien had created. Stepping sideways to make a space between Adrien and himself, Nino suggested agreeably, “Hey, Marinette, why don’t you come over here?”

“Um, okay…” Marinette agreed hesitantly, then shot a look at Alya that said, ‘Why’s Nino acting so strange?’ A brief guilty look seemed to flit across Alya’s face, but then she simply shrugged as if saying she did not know.

Getting to work, it was soon apparent that Marinette was the most talented and experienced working with the diverse materials. She rapidly became leader of their group. As she lost herself in bringing the project to life, her behavior became less and less the stumbling Marinette that Adrien normally experienced, and more and more the self-confident, energetic Ladybug that he admired. Adrien silently worked on whatever Marinette directed him, hypersensitive to her mood change and increasingly aware of her similarities to his Ladybug.

After almost an hour, the group decided to take a break. They all moved back over to the snacks and drinks that Adrien had laid out. Nino and Adrien walked over to the climbing wall, while Alya and Marinette chatted about the project’s next steps. As Alya returned to the pile of supplies in search of a particular item, Marinette wandered aimlessly around the room. Her heart on the edge of fluttering, she took the time to enjoy the fact that she was actually hanging out in Adrien’s bedroom. Last time she had been here was after Volpina’s attack, and Ladybug had been panicky. Before that, her concentration had been fully on fighting Volpina, and before that it had been Simon Says’ attack. She glanced over to Adrien’s desk, remembering the screensaver photo of his mother. Now, his computers sat dark.

Glancing across its clean surface, Marinette’s eyes wandered towards Adrien’s bed in the nearby corner. As her eyes alighted on his bed frame, Marinette suddenly went still. She stared, refusing to believe her eyes. Snuggled up between the wall and Adrien’s comforter, on the wide shelf bordering his bed, was her bed. Plagg’s bed. Her mind stuttered with her thoughts, and Marinette could not believe what her eyes were telling her.

As if pulled by a magnet, Marinette slowly approached the little black bed. She stood before it, her hands gripped together like they were holding onto her life. Then hesitantly, uncertainly, she reached out one finger to gently touch the pillow. The soft velveteen sat innocuously before her, but she pulled back her hand as if it had been burnt. Darting a quick look over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching, Marinette reached out again and stroked the little pet bed.

Gathering all her courage, she flipped up one specific corner of the bed, to peer at the bottom. The blood drained from her face. There, carefully embroidered in black thread, nearly invisible unless one knew to look for it, was her signature: Ladybug. She had chosen that just in case.

Marinette dropped the bed and stepped back suddenly, as if it were poison. She stepped right into a solid frame directly behind her. Turning, still dazed, she found she had run into Adrien.

He was watching her silently.

Marinette’s brain suddenly kicked into high gear, and she began to babble, “Uh, nice bed. Pet bed. I was just looking at your pet bed. It’s a nice pet bed.”

“A good friend of mine gave it to me,” Adrien said, very deliberately.

“Yes? Nice. That’s good. I didn’t know you had a pet.”

“Mmm,” Adrien answered noncommittally. Then he added, “A little black cat.”

Marinette’s heart was thundering in her ears. She stared at Adrien, shock and disbelief warring on her face, then her gaze darted frantically around the room, like she was looking for an escape. She stepped back, away from Adrien, then to the side, still avoiding his gaze. Maybe her mouth opened to say something, maybe not - she had no clear thought in her head except that she had to leave.

Marinette practically ran to her book bag, and as she shoved her personal items into it, she laughed in a manic way and announced, “I just saw the time! I have to go! My parents. Now. Gotta go.” She turned in the direction of Adrien, but still kept her eyes averted, “Thanks for all the food and stuff. Okay, see you guys tomorrow. ‘Bye.” And she raced out of the room.

Alya and Nino looked at each other, amazed.

“Dude,” Nino started, “I didn’t know she had to go.”

“Me neither,” Alya said, suspiciously. She looked over at Adrien, and narrowed her eyes.

Adrien held his hands out innocently and shrugged, “I didn’t do anything.” But he knew that he had.

“Well, if it’s alright with you two, I think I’ll just go catch up to her. Can we come back tomorrow, or Thursday?”

Adrien replied, “I have to check my schedule with Nathalie, but Thursday or Friday should be fine. I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

Alya quickly gathered her belongings, thanked Adrien for the food, and left.

“Yo, dude, I’m glad they’re gone,” Nino immediately said. Adrien looked at him, surprised. “Alya told me something that you’re gonna want to hear, my man! Marinette likes you!”

With that, the last pin clicked into place, and a door of promise opened in Adrien’s mind. With a quick smile, Adrien looked at Nino and said, “I think I just figured that out!”

“Maybe Cat Noir gave it to him,” Tikki theorized.

“Do you really believe that?” Marinette asked, her head still in a whirl.

“No,” Tikki answered, “but I guess it *is* possible.”

Marinette dropped to the park bench next to her, then buried her head in her hands. Barely audibly to Tikki, Marinette muttered, “The cheese.”

“What?” asked Tikki, floating near her shoulder.

Marinette looked up and repeated, “The cheese. That’s why he saves his cheese. Plagg only eats cheese.”

“Oh, that’s true!” Tikki said brightly. Marinette still looked miserable, and Tikki added, “I guess Adrien saves his cheese?” Marinette nodded. After a moment, Tikki argued, “But Marinette, I don’t think you should be so upset. This is happy! You like Adrien, and Adrien is Cat Noir, and Cat Noir likes you. It all works out!”

“Tikki, Cat Noir likes Ladybug.”

“Yes…?”

“He doesn’t like me, he likes Ladybug. Adrien likes Ladybug.”

“But Marinette, you *are* Ladybug. Whether or not you have the suit on.” Marinette shook her head, refusing to accept Tikki’s words. Tikki tried again, “Remember when you had to fight Anti-Bug as Marinette, and saved Cat Noir’s life? Remember when I was sick, and you fought Princess Fragrance? You’re talking like you, like Marinette, didn’t do those things.”

“And would Ladybug trip down the stairs in front of Adrien, *and* lose you too? Or would Ladybug make a present for Adrien, and be so tongue-tied that she couldn’t even give it to him? And then let Chloe actually shove her away? No!” Tears of confusion and remembered mortification welled up in Marinette’s eyes.

“Oh, Marinette,” Tikki sympathized.

“I don’t know how I’m going to face Cat Noir,” Marinette muttered.

“But you don’t have to tell him, do you?” Tikki asked. “Regardless of anything, you two *must* be able to fight akumas, *together*.”

“I know, Tikki,” Marinette said. She stood up, and brushed her hands down her thighs, wishing she could brush away her insecurities so easily. “But sooner or later Cat Noir is going to figure it out, and he’s going to be really disappointed.”

The two started for home. “First of all, he wouldn’t be disappointed. Marinette, you’re one of the nicest, sweetest people I’ve ever known, and remember,” Tikki giggled, “I’ve been around for centuries! And second of all, there’s nothing to say that Cat Noir will ever find out, if you don’t want him to.”

Marinette sighed, and kicked a pebble out of her way. “I guess…” she said, ignoring Tikki’s compliment. Then, turning determined eyes to Tikki, she added, “But I can promise that I won’t let my emotions get in the way of fighting Hawkmoth. I swear!”

Tikki flew close to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek, “I know that, Marinette!”

“Quick, hide, someone’s coming!” Marinette held open her pink purse, and Tikki disappeared inside.

For the rest of the evening, Marinette avoided phone calls and text messages from Alya. Incapable of discussing the situation with her, Marinette simply sidestepped the whole thing.

Marinette tossed and turned for much of the night, worrying about how she would act, or even feel, when she saw Adrien the next day. He would think she was crazy after how she had run out of his house the day before. She’d have to figure out how to apologize to all three of them for leaving so abruptly. By the time morning came, Marinette felt like she was crawling through molasses, and it was no surprise that she got to school late.

The hallways were empty as she hurried to Mme Bustier’s classroom. She slipped through the door as quietly as possible, then shot Alya a weak smile as she scooted past her to her seat. About to put her bag down, Marinette noticed something on her desk. A small chocolate chip cookie sat alone on a white paper napkin, and printed neatly on the napkin was, “For Tikki.”

Adrien had turned in his seat when Marinette sneaked in, and was watching her like a hawk. It was Marinette’s eyes that betrayed her: with no conscious thought, she immediately lifted her gaze to Adrien’s. Her face turned pale as a ghost’s, and then bright red; her eyes were saucers.

Immediately raising her hand, Marinette said, “Mme Bustier, may I please go to the bathroom?” She was already sliding out of her seat before Mme Bustier replied.

Mme Bustier first said, “Marinette? But you just got here!” Then she sighed and said, “Fine.” Marinette dashed out of the classroom.

Immediately Adrien’s hand went up. “Mme Bustier, I need to go too.”

“Fine, Adrien, go.” Mme Bustier sounded annoyed. Alya contemplated asking if she could go too, agog at the soap opera developing between Marinette and Adrien. One look at Mme Bustier’s expression, however, quelled this idea.

Instead Alya leaned forward and whispered to Nino, “Do you know what’s going on?”

“No,” he said.

“Who’s Tikki?” Alya asked.

Nino shrugged just as Mme Bustier called out sharply, “Alya, Nino, please pay attention!”

Adrien found Marinette sitting on the floor in the far corner of the locker room. She had her forehead resting against her knees, but he knew she was aware of him because, as he silently sat down next to her, she shifted a little to the right to make room.

Adrien wasn’t sure what to say. He wasn’t sure what was going on in Marinette’s mind. Last night, when he’d come up with the idea of a cookie for Tikki, he imagined Marinette bursting out laughing at his message. He had also imagined her getting angry with him, for figuring it all out. But Marinette sat silently, unmoving, neither laughing nor, it seemed, angry.

Finally, Adrien gently tugged on her left hand and pulled it down, simply holding it. Marinette neither pulled it away nor grasped his hand back. After nearly a minute, Adrien lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it gently, then said quietly, “Hey, Bugaboo.”

That made her pull her hand away. She didn’t do it forcefully, just determinedly. Then she wrapped her arm back around her knees, and kept hiding her face.

Adrien’s voice was quiet, but concerned, when he said, “MiLady, what’s wrong? I expected you maybe to be angry, but…”

“Don’t call me that,” Marinette’s voice was muffled.

“What?” Adrien asked uncertainly.

Finally raising her head to dart a glance at him, Marinette repeated more clearly, “Don’t call me that.” Then she put her head back down.

“Why not?” Adrien was puzzled.

Lifting her head again, Marinette finally, really looked at him. “Because that’s not me. That’s… you know. That’s… I’m not…” Marinette humphed, and frowned.

“You know I know, right?” Adrien asked. With the hint of a Cat Noir smile, he added, “I’ve even been told that you might have a crush on me, too.”

With alarm, he watched Marinette’s eyes fill with tears. Turning to kneel before her, Adrien grabbed both of her hands and quickly said, “Never mind! You don’t have to! I’m sure you don’t have a crush on me!”

The tears now began to fall from her eyes. Sounding miserable, Marinette said, “But I do. I do!” And again, she dropped her head back to her knees.

Adrien let go of her hands to scratch the back of his neck. Still kneeling before her, he finally said, “So, uh, Marinette? I don’t really see what the problem is. I like you, and you like me.”

This time, when Marinette raised her head, she was glaring at him. Dashing away her tears with one hand, she whispered furiously, “Look, you like Ladybug, okay? We both know that. You like… I’m not like… I’m not her.”

It took Adrien a moment before he finally understood what Marinette was trying to say. Once he did, he started to chuckle, and without asking permission he leaned forward and hugged Marinette, placing a platonic kiss on the crown of her head. She huffed as he shifted to sit next to her again. When he placed an arm around her shoulders, Marinette tried to remain aloof, but it felt so good, so good… here were her dreams, Adrien with his arm around her, pulling her close, and finally Marintette melted a little against him.

“Okay, Marinette, here goes. You are right. I like Ladybug. A lot. Really, really, a lot.” Adrien blushed, and was glad that Marinette was not looking at him. “If you want, I can tell you all the reasons I like you as Ladybug.” He took a breath, “I also happen to like you as Marinette a lot. An awful lot. And the more I get to know you, the more I like you as Marinette too. So now what do you think?”

Marinette was silent, pressing in to him, and then she started crying even more. “But I’m so clumsy! And I’m not even very brave,” she admitted to him, against her better judgement.

“Thank goodness for that!” Adrien joked. “It would be a little embarrassing for you to be constantly outshining me *both* as Ladybug *and* as Marinette.”

Marinette sniffled, and found herself defending Cat Noir, “I don’t outshine you.”

“Well, yes, usually you do, but that’s okay. We’re a team. The Cat and Bug team.”

Through watery eyes, Marinette laughed, “The Bug and Cat team.”

“Whatever,” Adrien shrugged, winking. “The Marinette Adrien team?” he then asked.

With wide, solemn eyes, Marinette stared at Adrien. Finally, he raised his eyebrows, silently asking his question again. With a little smile, Marinette nodded. It all seemed like a dream.

“May the Adrien part of the team kiss the Marinette part of the team?”

Marinette blushed. Without thinking, she answered, “Really?” Adrien couldn’t help but laugh. Realizing what a fangirl she had sounded like, Marinette shoved at his shoulder to cover her embarrassment. He pushed back, but stopped laughing.

With a lowered voice, he said, “I’m going to take that as a yes, okay?” and then shifted around to face her. Cupping Marinette’s face in his hands, Adrien gently lowered his mouth to hers. He kept his eyes open long enough to see hers flutter close, then he closed his eyes and let all of his soul focus on the kiss. Her lips were soft and warm, and he moved over them with delicate butterfly kisses. She kissed him back shyly, until he began to nibble on her lower lip. Marinette started to lose herself in the kiss, in the beauty of being held by Adrien. Her hands crept up around his shoulders, and she made a soft, sighing humm. Adrien pulled her closer, weaving his fingers through her silky hair and angling his head to kiss her even more deeply. It was all even better than his dreams. Their hearts were racing when, minutes later, Adrien finally pulled back, knowing that he needed to stop for his own sanity. Leaning forward, he placed a kiss on Marinette’s forehead.

Adrien shifted to sit back beside her, and with a gentle tug, he got Marinette to lay her head on his shoulder. The two sat silently, panting slightly, letting their pulses settle down.

After a moment, Marinette suddenly raised her head and said, “But Adrien, aren’t you frightened that I don’t like Cat Noir as much as you?”

His smile was pure Cat Noir when he answered, “Frightened? Psshhh! Now that you know we are one and the same person, you’ll have no need to stop yourself from falling for me as Cat Noir, too!”

With mock indignation, Marinette batted at Adrien’s shoulder. He laughed, and hauled her up onto his lap, then proceeded to kiss her forehead again, then the tip of her nose, and then… Hovering over Marinette’s lips, Adrien whispered, ”You have no idea how much I like you, MiLady. All of you.”

Before he could kiss her again, Marinette placed her hand against his cheek and replied, “Adrien, Cat Noir, I am so, so happy.” Then, she reached up and pulled his lips to hers.

When Alya finally found them, she yelped. “Omigod, omigod, omigod…!” she repeated.

Later, telling the story to Nino, Alya swore that when they looked up at her, they both had stars in their eyes. “Uh, Mme Bustier sent me to find you,” Alya explained, once she had gotten her voice back. “But, uh, I can tell her I couldn’t find you, if you want?” She sounded almost hopeful.

Adrien lazily pulled away from Marinette, and gazed into her jewel-blue eyes. The last thing he wanted was to return to class, but he knew that they had to sooner or later. They both took a few deep breaths to calm their racing hearts, and after a moment Adrien smiled jauntily and said, “You’ve got to be kitten me, that we have to go back to class?”

Marinette grinned back at him and said, “If we don’t go soon, you know Alya will bug us.”

Adrien raised his eyebrows in approval, then added, “Yeah, she’ll probably plagg us to death if we don’t come now.” He leaned down and rubbed his nose against Marinette’s in an Eskimo kiss.

The two laughed, as Alya stood there, mouth agape. Marinette pushed herself off of Adrien’s lap, then stood, and held out her hand to help Adrien up. He grabbed it, and did not let it go once he was standing.

As they followed Alya back to class, Marinette glanced at Adrien, her brow furrowed and a slight frown on her face. Just as they walked into the classroom, her face cleared into a bright, mischievous grin. Turning towards Adrien she whispered, “And Nino? I tikki will also be amazed.”

The stern look Mme Bustier shot them did nothing to silence the explosion of laughter that bound together their hearts.

The End (by JJ Sprinkle)

I hope you liked my story! It was so fun writing it! Here is a link to my next MLB ‘reveal’ story: https://simplejjs.tumblr.com/post/169184516520/love-reveals-part-1

Here is a link to my first MLB ‘reveal’ story: https://simplejjs.tumblr.com/post/166535026000/chapter-1-of-my-reveal

#MLB #Miraculous Ladybug #Ladybug #Cat Noir #reveal #kiss #LadyNoir #Adrienette #Plagg #Tikki

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todokori-kun · 7 years

Text

The

queen is back and I’m so freaking happy <3

‘annoyed’ nothing you say is annoying ok, I’m actually just really relieved and happy that I’m helping in any way at all. Also you listen to my rambling all the time and you supported me with my anxiety (you have no idea how much our convos helped after I first saw a doctor about it and was feeling really confused about what to do) so ‘what did I do to deserve you’ is probably what I should be saying to you.

Tbh when things are as serious as you’ve described then you’re definitely not overreacting. Like I said before, I’m always ready to listen/talk when you need to. And you don’t have to stress about replies; I honestly don’t mind at all as long as you’re ok.

Thank you Queen Luna you’re the best ;-;

Also, good news and bad news:

Bad news- A bit after I sent the last message mom apparently found out about Tumblr and decided that I probably shouldn’t get an account here because of all the NSFW content. I get why she’s worried so I guess I won’t be getting an account here for a while.

Good news- HOWEVER, I was chatting with someone on ao3 and they asked if we could move our convo somewhere else. They recommended something called Discord so I got an account there. If you’ve never heard of Discord it’s basically a voice and text chat system usually used by gamers, but it seems to be pretty popular among non-gamers too. PMing is possible there :D (The only flaw is that you can’t send very long messages, so you have to send multiple short ones, which is a bit annoying…but otherwise it’s pretty neat so maybe we can try it if you’re ok with that?)

XD yeah that’s actually pretty accurate.

*reads Luna’s message*

*inhale*

UM. DO YOU HAvE ANY IDEA HOW AMAZING YOU ARE. LET ME TRY TO BE A GOOD, SUPPORTIVE FRIEND AND TELL YOU

Yep it was one of the grossest things that ever happened to me OTL I’m still swimming but I’m taking a long break right now- a break that started because my little sister broke her toe and we were basically stuck at home taking care of her (the pool is a bit far for me to go on my own so if mom’s stuck at home so am I), and then got longer because the pool’s old and some things had to be ‘fixed’, and then got even longer because my coach is getting married (just reread that and realized that I sound super annoyed, I’m actually not, I have no problem with my coach getting married XD). I’ll probably start again around next month, though :)

Thanks ^^

Oooh are you a comic fan??? I haven’t read any superhero comics because there seem to be so many AUs(?)/different timelines so trying to figure out where to start is really confusing, plus I actually sorta prefer manga/manhwa art styles (not that wester comics are bad- a lot of them have really good art too, I just personally prefer the manga/manhwa styles (especially for the panels). Also the ecchi-ish costumes/anatomy for almost every single female superhero gets a bit ridiculous sometimes lol). Some of them seem really fun, though, and I’d like to try them out someday…

It’s really cool that you’ve been a fan of T'challa for so long, it must’ve been even more exciting to see him in the movie :D

Imagine everyone watching The Winter Soldier together. Then the 'brainwashed bucky’ scenes start.

Illumi: *stares intently at the screen*

Illumi: I see no problem with this.

Watching Civil War and Leorio goes Dad Mode and covers Gon’s and Killua’s eyes when Hisoka starts making…innappropriate…noises during the fight scenes

(Hisoka low-key writing reader insert lemons about various MCU heroes. Most likely Natasha (because she’s a lot like Machi, his only female crush so far), Bruce (how Hisoka would love to unleash the beast), Thor (he’s a literal GOD imagine how badly he could mess Hisoka up *schwing*), Wanda, and Vision (he probably liked Loki too before Loki got beat up by the Hulk and Hisoka was like ‘oh I have a new senpai’)

Then Illumi gets Milluki (his tech genius little brother) to hack into Hisoka’s computer for info and is like 'what is this Hisoka I do not understand why you derive pleasure from this trash’)

Everyone thinks Gon should relate to Tony on a personal level but he doesn’t, because despite being a sunshine angel he’s also a freaking weird kid who doesn’t hate Ging. At all. (Though that might have something to do with the fact that he doesn’t even consider Ging his parent in the first place; he never even calls him 'dad’ or 'my father’)

Killua, on the other hand, relates to Bucky a bit too much and thinks HYDRA is basically the Zoldyck family.

Everybody’s Team Cap except for Illumi, who’s Team Iron Man (“Why would you want to break the rules?”), and then Hisoka randomly shows up like 'Team Hulk ;)’

Every time Howard Stark is mentioned everyone just stares at Ging, who shifts uncomfortably

(Yeah did I tell you about the time Leorio punched Ging for being a trash dad?)

OMG. Thank you for that. I’ve seen a lot of 'Hisoka as the clown from the 'It’ movie’ posts on tumblr but never any fanart for that idea. Run, Gon. Run.

I’m considering teaching myself to animate just to make those animatics XD

(Also, random thing: it’s Chuseok over here (basically like the Korean version of Thanksgiving, I guess?) and usually, people recieve money from older relatives during holidays like this in Korea. I got about 80 dollars (50 from my maternal grandparents, 10 from my paternal grandfather and 20 from my uncle) so I’m debating on what to spend it on: It’s either a tablet so I can learn how to do digital art (I’m thinking about polishing my drawing skills for a while and then making a webcomic. My parents support this so they’re willing to pay a little extra for a tablet) or a ukulele (I like the piano but I realized a while ago that it’d be great to have an instrument that I can carry around, so I did some research and the ukulele seems good. I really like the sound so I’m willing to put some effort into learning it). Idk which one I should choose, though. Technically the tablet should be my priority but I also like the ukulele…

(and idek why I mentioned this either, guess the talk about animating reminded me of the tablet lol))

I thrive on angst. Tragedy fuels me. (But tbh HxH is a LOT darker than I was prepared for. I’m currently shipping an ant king with a genius human girl and I know from spoilers that they’re both going to die)

Yeah, she’s alive :D but apparently Kaneki is now 'dead’ (though I don’t think he is really, if Ishida kills him off now (after all the stuff with Hide? All the character development Ken hasn’t gotten yet? When he still hasn’t talked about anything with Shuu or Hinami or even Akira?) and gives us a new protagonist or something I might finally rage-quit this series.

Or not, since with all the Touken stuff and Kaneki being sorta insensitive ever since he became the OEK…maybe a new protagonist is what we need?). I was liking all the parallels with Arima in the first series until this, because it was just…um. I think my main problem with the whole thing is the freakng PACING because it just feels so clunky and awkward. This is probably one of those chapters that will be really good if Ishida somehow manages to connect it with the next chapters and has everything make sense later, but if he doesn’t do it well it’s going to suck forever OTL

At least TG finally confirmed Naki’s death, though. I mean, the ideal situation for me is if he never died in the first place, but at least a confirmed death is better than Ishida suddenly bringing him back to life after that panel with Yamori. And his death scene was handled well. (Now please just tell me that he, Kanae and Hairu aren’t coming back as Kanou-Furuta zombies and I will be semi-satisfied)

Also AOT if you haven’t read the new chapter yet spoilers but

(The-Reiner-Eren reunion I HAVE WAITED SO. LONG FOR THIS

Also Eren’s grandad ;-;

And maybe we’ll finally be seeing Annie again soon since she’s been appearing in so many flashbacks and Reiner’s probably going to ask about her if he and Eren get to actually talk

Love those hints about something finally starting to change

ANOTHER PERSON FROM MIKASA’S CLAN? I hope we see this lady again, she’s lovely

I can’t believe how much the art has improved, it actually looks GOOD now 0.0)

Aw, that’s ok! I’ll be looking forward to seeing it when you get a new skirt :D

Yeah, I’m really excited for OC’s name too…must be something important if they’re keeping it hidden for this long. I guess it’s French (or a word from some other non-English language) since 'Ciel’ is French for 'Sky’…and it probably has a meaning related to the sky since they’re twins. Idk. Maybe it’s the word for 'star’ ('etoile’) since stars are also a big thing in this arc?

Looking forward to your reaction! I haven’t read the novel yet but from what I know it sounds great :D (also I cannot resist the L + Naomi duo even if they never actually interacted in manga/anime canon)

Btw, is it ok if I ask how far you’ve gotten with the DN anime?

(Also fun fact: Ryuk was originally designed to look like a handsome young man (an 'attractive rock star’, in the words of DN’s creators. You can find a pic of his original design on google). His design was changed because the creators felt like he was overshadowing Light XD

But also, I just found a post on tumblr that said Takeshi Obata (DN’s artist) mentioned that Ryuk’s face in canon could just be a mask to hide his true appearance…which means that he could technically still look like that in canon. Wow. I actually think I have the book where it says Obata mentioned that, I have to go and check it now lol)

Watch it if you dare and prepare to weep over all the wasted potential, because now that I read/watch more about it I guess the saddest thing is that it COULD have been great. I mean, like I said, the visuals are REALLY good, L’s actor could have been a good L if not for the bad script, Ryuk’s actor/design were also super great (it’s just his role in the movie and his motivations they messed up ;-;)…

I don’t watch Avatar (I’d like to when I have the time, though, because it seems like a great show) but I’ve heard of that movie and tbh I can’t even.

Ty :D (Ayy the queen said I’d make a cute Peridot *fangirls*

You’re also my closest friend right now and I love talking to you so much <3 thank you for everything Luna.)

See this is why you’re awesome. Thank you so much ;-; (and what, did Queen Luna mention me to her parents. Did I make a good impression. Omg. (jk, jk lol))

Also: I’d like to rec a song to you, it’s called 'Lovely’ by Twenty One Pilots :D

Oh look I actually replied within a week :’)

OK ILL START W DISORD BC IM EXCITE. I already have one, from a while ago, my # is 5773! So add me whenever you want ^^ ((But please just send me a short message here, cause I turned notifs off for it, so i can turn them on again ^^)) Well, uh, here’s the thing about short messages. If a site/app has an instant message feature, you can bet I’ll be the one to split a sentence into 10 separate messages for dramatic effect… So, uh, prepare to have 42 new messages instead of like 4 waiting when you open the app ^^

I never ever ever have any problems with listening to you. I just appreciate you’re comfortable enough with me to be able to come to me. Honestly, I truly appreciate you in my life, especially considering that you can always reassure me with your words ^^ Truly a writer’s talent :p

Well, I’m going to a psychologist soon, so we’ll see what they’ll say. Idk tho, I dont think I even care anymore. I just want this stomach thing to pass as soon as possible.

Ouch, I hope your sister is better now… I’ve never broken anything so I wouldn’t know the feeling. Aww, coaches getting married is actually the cutest thing ever XD My archery coach got married a few years back and she was practically glowing. Ah, if you don’t mind me asking, do you have a particular stroke you specialise in or do you just swim everything?

I could say the same about comic/manga styles. Tbh, I don’t really consider myself a comic fan? When I was a kid, I used to buy the children’s comics to ward off boredom, but never really continued after I got into reading actual books. Black Panther happened to be among those comics and I remembered him when they mentioned T’Challa in CW. I wonder if i still have those old comics somewhere… But yeah, i was pretty excited when they mentioned him XD

That viewing actually sounds amazing… I get the feeling they’d all want to do an in depth analyzation of the characters? (But idk i don’t really know the characters that well) except for Hisoka, who’s probably just schwinging around being creepy per usual. I’m torn between wanting to read those lemons and just backing the fuck away…. Probably read like a paragraph and then set everything on fire. Yeah, that sounds good.

I presume you’re not gonna watch IT? Random, but i thought of it bc of the fanart… Tbh I won’t watch it either. I’ve never watched a single horror movie in my life and i intend to keep it that way. Unless you count Coraline as horror, which I actually would in some ways? Idk tho, that movie traumatised me. Not even joking when I say I occasionally have nightmares related to it. Advice; if you haven’t, DO NOT WATCH CORALINE. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s a cartoon. I mean 9 is a cartoon, but it’s also freaking dark. HAPPY TREE FRIENDS IS A CARTOON AND I WOULDNT TOUCH THE VIDEOS WITH A 9 FOOT POLE. Long story short, cartoons are not a joke.

For some reason I confused the Ukulele with a Lute and was like ‘I’m not gonna judge, but… why?’ then i actually googled it and realised I’m an idiot. But, um, I can’t say anything other than it’s your choice and you should do whatever would make you happier? There’s that trick of throwing a penny in the air and if you’re disappointed when it lands heads/tails, you know you want the other one. Idk, tho, both options sound equally nice!

… HxH gets weirder every time you tell me about it

KANEKI IS WHAT NOW Um, okay then.... alrighty...

guess who dropped TG again

WELL FUCK IM SCREAMING ABOUT THE NEW CHAPTER WHOAH EREN’T GRAMPA WHOAH THE REUNION However, the best part is Reiner acting like a dad during the festival

Oooh Etoile would be interesting!

I’m still at the ep where L dies ;-; I haven’t had the time to move forward, so I’m hoping I’ll be able to watch some during this weekend

Well, uh. My mom came into my room while I was writing this and had to ask me why i was crying (I’m pretty sure she thought I was having one of my all-time-lows again). The reason why I was actually crying? The song. Words can’t express my gratitude. I’d download it, but tbh I feel like I’ll start ugly sobbing again every time I listen to it...

random note, i started going to school by train! It’s actually a lot nicer than the bus and cheaper XD Idk why i put this here but yay

#evans #submission

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bevioletskies · 7 years

Text

20 questions [16/20]

characters: peter/gamora, guardians-centric

fandom: avengers academy/marvel cinematic universe

summary: wasp has a new competition in store for the students of avengers academy, and there’s money involved. so obviously, peter and gamora have to pretend to be a couple in order to win. wait, what?

chapter preview: the school festival commences, yondu gets some horrifying news, and peter and gamora discuss what love means to them.

word count: 5889 | total word count: 118k

a/n: chapters 15 through 17, also known as the chapters where peter and gamora watch the entire original star wars trilogy. yay?

ao3 | previously | next | masterpost

Unfortunately for Gamora, ever since she and Peter had passed Natasha’s little test, it seemed as if her social calendar was filling up rather unexpectedly, the floodgates having been opened for Janet to bombard her with pre-prom all-girl events, including sleepovers, salon trips, nail appointments, and...dancing lessons.

“I have danced plenty with Quill,” Gamora had said hastily upon seeing Janet’s digital event spreadsheet (it was colour-coded). “Thank you, Janet, but I’ll pass.”

She had also somehow gotten roped into being on the set-up committee for the fundraiser festival. So, on Thursday evening, she found herself hanging up decorations, while secretly wishing she was back on the Milano, watching The Empire Strikes Back with Peter (“Gamora, this movie is perfection”).

“I heard you guys got your outfits all sorted,” Janet said cheerily. The two of them were stringing up white holiday lights around the quad, while the other volunteers were making signs, setting out tables, and checking the electrical wiring. “Have you decided on your hair and makeup yet?”

“Not quite, but I figured I could consult you for that,” Gamora replied. Janet beamed - clearly, it had been the right response. “I also have a little surprise in my outfit, for Quill.”

“Well doesn’t that sound sexy?” Elektra purred from nearby, where she was painting the banner for the kissing booth. “I have a thigh-high slit in my dress. Matthew always did like my legs the best. What’s your surprise?”

“Nothing like that,” Gamora said, annoyed. “It’s my shoes, actually.” She found the picture of said shoes on her phone and held it out for the other girls to gather around and see. Janet let out a squeal of excitement.

“Oh, he’ll love that,” she sighed. “It’s very sweet of you.” She turned back to the task at hand. “And your six-month anniversary is this week, isn’t it? You have anything fun planned?”

Gamora froze, her hands still in mid-air in an attempt to detangle a section of lights. How could she have forgotten? The two of them had buckled down on their relationship “timeline” recently, mapping out the trajectory of their breakup in the way they planned for missions. In her defense, it wasn’t like she had a colour-coded digital spreadsheet. Hell, the Guardians’ only semblance of organization was a shwarma receipt taped to their fridge door, with their grocery list written on the back of it. Instead of check marks, it had tallies - they couldn’t be bothered to make a new list every time.

“Quill has a surprise for me,” she lied smoothly, recovering. “I have no idea what it could be or when it’s happening, but I trust him.”

“I’m sure it’ll be romantic as always. Your trip to New York was super cute,” Janet gushed, wrapping up the last of the lights. “Nat told me Peter was constantly cheering you on during training. I think it’s sweet how much he adores your badass-ness. I mean, who wants to be with someone who can’t appreciate a girl for everything she is, right?”

“Hear, hear!” Elektra called, raising her paintbrush in victory.

Gamora, feeling particularly bold, decided to embellish a little more. Partially because talking about Peter had become second nature as of late, but also because Elektra was starting to irritate her. “Quill walked into a door when first saw me during a combat exam. He told me it was because he’d been amazed by what he saw, that he’d never seen a girl like me before. It’s...kind of sweet.”

“Kind of? That’s the cutest thing I’ve heard all week, and I heard Lucky sneeze this morning.” Janet stared at Gamora, scarily serious. “Do you know how cute dog sneezes are? It seems pretty clear to me that you and Peter were made for each other.”

Gamora turned away, fussing at another knot that didn’t exist, hoping the others couldn’t see the mixed emotions written across her face. Made for each other, she scoffed to herself. She had told herself, time and time again, that her chance at a normal life had ended the moment Thanos had first stepped onto her homeworld, ceased to exist when he’d grabbed her by the ankles and hauled her away from her parents’ bodies. The very notion of love - any sort of love, be it familial, platonic, or romantic - was laughable for a girl like her, a child raised as a weapon. And yet, here she was, at this academy that she never thought would exist in her lifetime, meant to house all sorts of heroes, anti-heroes, anti-villains, and reformed villains alike, living their lives of various degrees of heroism, sprinkled with “normalcy”, whatever that meant. So yes, maybe romantic relationships were in the cards after all, but she was still so unsure of whether it could ever happen with Peter.

She had fantasized about it, of course, the different scenarios that could come about. Combat practice that ended with her pinning him to the ground (as always), leaning in to peck him on the cheek for his troubles. Him attempting to pass her notes in class - he already did that every now and then, asking for help with a certain question, or to meet with him after school, but she could imagine him to be the type to write song lyrics that made him think of her. A post-mission adrenaline rush, resulting in frenzied kisses against his bedroom door before it became too much and not enough, her practically throwing him down on the bed, straddling him in an instant, wondering why Peter’s belt was too complex to remove within seconds. That last one had featured in Gamora’s mind more than once, that was for sure.

Aside from what she was sure to be just her own imagination running wild, what Gamora couldn’t picture was how they would deal with the more unsavory parts of herself, the thoughts that lingered on what she had done and the people she had done it to. Her first kill at the age of nine. Her first massacre at the age of twelve. Inflicting physical torture by thirteen, and psychological warfare by the time she was fifteen. Gamora was getting better at tackling them all on her own, of course. She wasn’t quite as “gloom and doom” as Nebula, she didn’t think about the inevitability of death the way that poor Bucky Barnes did, but sometimes there would be a twitch in her muscles, or a glimpse of a face in the crowd, that would take her back to “before”. Sharing a bed with Peter had helped combat the nightmares, but it was when she was awake that her brain decided to take her psyche and play. She wasn’t about to tell him any of that, knowing it would result in him hovering, prodding, and fussing like he always did. She didn’t need him to take care of her, and he knew that, but he would try anyway.

Gamora didn’t return to the Milano until late into the night, wondering if any of the Guardians were even there. It was always a toss-up between them sleeping on the ship or back at the dorms, though Rocket was usually the most consistent presence on the Milano, since his own night terrors led to him tinkering away at 3 AM. It was something they never talked about whenever they caught each other wandering around, bleary-eyed and trembling, too numb to speak. “Hello?” Gamora called out as she entered the common area.

Peter was sitting on the couch in the dark, the tablet in his hand being the only source of light. It left a soft glow around his face, highlighting the darkness of the bags under his eyes, the visible clench in his jaw. He looked oddly serious until he seemed to have registered the sound of her voice, his head snapping back up. His grim expression was instantly replaced with his signature grin. “Gamora, hey. Wasn’t expecting you back.” He quickly closed what it was he’d been looking at, though she could have sworn she saw a picture of her face on the screen.

“Thought I’d take my chances, see if you were here instead of the dorms. You’ve been spending a lot of time on the Milano lately, more than usual,” she commented. She considered sitting right next to him, but it felt too intimate when no one else was around to fill the space. She settled for the armchair instead. “Any reason?”

He patted the armrest he was draped over. “Milano’s my girl. She was out of commission for so long, I guess I wanted to keep her company, like she’s a sick pet or something. Is that weird? Yeah, that’s kinda weird.”

Gamora shrugged. “Not that weird. Your attachment to the Milano is to be expected, considering all you’ve been through with...her,” she acquiesced. “What were you looking at?”

Peter glanced back at the tablet in his hands, as if he had forgotten it was there. “Going through our Google Alerts, actually. Pepper set it up for me so I could keep track of our press. Lots of stuff about you and me, especially with that video of Groot.”

“You still feel guilty,” she guessed, eyeing the near-permanent crease between his eyebrows. “Quill, it’s okay.”

“It’s not that, not anymore,” he sighed, leaning back. “It’s more like, there’s a lot more people invested in our ‘relationship’ than I thought, and not just our classmates. When we started this whole thing, I thought it’d just be Janet and Kamala, because they love that kind of stuff. But there’s drawings of us. There’s couples recreating the kissing selfie from Central Park. I asked Cap about this yesterday, and he said he gets the same thing with him and Carter, that it’s all part of the job, but it’s still freaking me out. He told me not to look into something called...fan...fiction?”

Gamora wasn’t sure what he was talking about either, but moved to sit next to him and clasp his hands in between hers. “And it will pass once word of our breakup spreads. We’ve seen what the media is like in this world - fast, fleeting. We will be yesterday’s news before tomorrow’s headlines are even written.”

Peter looked down at their entangled fingers, squeezing. “Profound. I like it.” she pulled away after a moment of comfortable silence, shooting him that warm, almost flirtatious smile once again. He never really knew what to expect whenever she looked at him like that, or how he was supposed to interpret it. He chose to pretend Gamora really was flirting with him, that she was inviting him to flirt back. “What?”

“Janet reminded me that our six-month anniversary is this week,” Gamora replied. “I told her you had a surprise for me.” She stood, moving towards the hall. “Anyways, I’m going to bed now.” He was disappointed to see her hand coming to rest on the handle of her own bedroom door.

“Wait, what are we doing for our six-month anniversary?” he called. His stomach turned slightly at how legitimate it felt as he said it, like they had been actually dating for six months instead of faking it for three.

“Like I said. Surprise me.” She grinned before disappearing into her room, leaving Peter feeling slightly disgruntled, but mostly stunned. Well, damn.

______

The entire Academy seemed to have woken up earlier than usual on Friday morning, eager for a school-wide event that, for once, wasn’t some sort of invasion or fight. Not to mention the fact it also got them out of attending class - Janet van Dyne, everyone’s friend, the perfect event planner, and secret genius.

As it turned out, Peter and Gamora were the only ones on the Milano that night, which made him somewhat curious as to why she had slept in her own room instead. She only seemed to do it whenever the others pointed it out and embarrassed her, but with them being alone...Peter shivered a little. Okay, maybe she had a point. There was no telling how stupidly brave he would try to be if there was no one else around to mock him for trying.

Regardless, they had a relatively peaceful breakfast together, chatting quietly about their respective festival gigs, enjoying the lack of interruptions or teasing from the others. It felt like all the clichés in the world coming together for Peter when he admired the way the early morning light illuminated Gamora’s face, the red undertones of her dark hair more prominent than usual. And if Gamora was eyeing the scruffy bedhead that Peter was sporting, wondering if he would object to her running her fingers through it, he didn’t need to know.

“By the way, a group of us are playing a surprise show at the end. Don’t tell anyone,” she said, setting her spoon down into her empty cereal bowl. “Me, Drax, Adam, Barnes, and Gwen.”

“That sounds amazing,” Peter replied through a mouthful of Cheerios. “In the quad?”

“Mhm,” she hummed. “Janet’s got a couple cameras set up so she can film the show and put it online. Said it would be good for boosting the public’s perception of us, though she claims all the photos of our dates and the selfies that I’ve sent her are doing a fine job already.” She twirled the spoon around absent-mindedly. “I looked at some of the articles you talked about last night after I went to bed, and it’s even more than I realized. It’s honestly overwhelming how invested people are.”

“We’re a good-looking pair of badasses from space,” he shrugged. “In hindsight, not that surprising.”

“And so humble,” Gamora teased. “I suppose it sells better papers than Matt and Elektra. A law student and a socialite’s daughter is hardly worth anything beyond the society pages.”

After breakfast, they dressed and made their way to the quad, where it seemed as if every single student was currently bustling about, whether to help with last-minute setup, or to wait in nervous anticipation. Some students, like Nebula, had opted not to participate or volunteer, whether they were too busy, too lazy, or couldn’t be bothered (...like Nebula).

“Over here, Gamora!” Janet called cheerfully, gesturing for her to join Elektra and Colleen at their station.

“See you later,” Peter said, leaning in to kiss her without a spare thought. He was slightly alarmed to find Gamora also tipping her chin up in response to meet him halfway, an automatic movement on both their parts. Janet cooed in the background as their lips met briefly, before Gamora pulled away, biting her bottom lip in the way that made every thought evaporate out of Peter’s mind. He watched her leave, wondering when the careful calculation of every hand-hold, every kiss, had turned into second nature.

The fundraiser started off with a bang - literally, as Tony, Rhodey, and Pepper flew over the crowd, providing a light show with the use of their modified reactor beams - and the energy remained high throughout the day. Despite not being particularly close with Colleen or a big fan of Elektra, Gamora still found herself having fun with the other girls. Elektra especially was more endearing to her, once she stopped bragging about her and Matt’s exploits of both the hero and the sexual kind.

“I’m glad to see girls like us, with such terrible pasts, can be redeemed,” Elektra said privately to her during one of their water breaks. “But we must remember to never compromise on how powerful we truly are.”

“That’s a good way of putting it,” Gamora commented thoughtfully. “We still deserve a place to go home to, with people who love us, so we can love them and provide for them in return.”

“Which is why I hope Romanoff can see beyond her own past as well.” Elektra nodded at Natasha, who was standing across the quad, chatting with Clint. He was leaning against a tree, nonchalantly blowing bubblegum as he always was. They couldn’t hear the conversation, but he was apparently doing a good job of making her laugh. “She’s had her relationships with different kinds of boys on this campus, including a bit of a tussle with Matthew that I don’t appreciate, but there’s something about that weird one that has her captivated, even though they already didn’t work out. I confess I don’t understand.”

“He’s her best friend,” Gamora said quietly. “She probably trusts him with her mind and her heart more than anyone else. They’re both strong, in different ways, but they’re stronger together. He played an important role in her redemption, so her attachment was there from the start. She doesn’t want to know what life is like without him in it, and he came into his own full potential partially because of her guidance. It makes perfect sense.”

Elektra raised an eyebrow. “Honey, are you talking about them, or you and Peter?”

Gamora was unsure of how to answer, so her only response was to take another long drink from her water bottle. She found herself desperately wishing it was alcohol at this point.

Peter, meanwhile, was having a blast with Agent Coulson, whose fanboyish enthusiasm for all the various weapons that both Stark and Rocket had donated for their presentation couldn’t be contained. “You might be the only person who calls me Star-Lord consistently,” Peter told him.

“It’s a cool name,” Coulson replied with a shrug and an easygoing grin. “I wish I had an outlaw name.”

“Your name’s already pretty badass,” Peter said, smiling back. “Thor and his crew call you ‘Son of Coul’, like all the time. That’s already pretty cool.”

Coulson’s eyes widened. “Really? You think so?”

Peter patted him on the back. “Hell, yeah, dude!”

The other Guardians were enjoying themselves at their stations as well, with the exception of Nebula, who opted to walk around by herself and occasionally stop by Gamora’s spot to see if she was going to screw up (she hadn’t, of course). Rocket was giving engineering lessons to students wanting to get better at technology, Drax was challenging people to wrestle (though he drew the line at Hulk - he wasn’t stupid), and Yondu was putting on a “magic show” in which he drew caricatures of people using the yaka arrow. Mantis was using her empathic abilities to predict people’s futures with varying success, and yes, Groot was at the kissing booth, receiving cheek kisses and “ooh”s and “ahh”s of admiration from the majority of the student body.

Peter’s grin was so wide, he was sure he looked maniacal, but he couldn’t find himself to care. It was moments like this that left him in awe of the people had chosen to spend his life alongside - not just the Guardians, but everyone else who made being a hero so much fun. He could have never imagined a life like this after being abducted as a child, raised to be nothing more than a thief, and yet, here he was, living a life that was just so... good. Peter could imagine that Gamora and many others had felt the same way at one point in time or another, having lived in unspeakably abusive conditions with abhorrent people. He also hoped that they felt the same way he did about what this school was doing for them, what it meant to them.

He was broken out of his reverie when Gamora walked past him, and more surprisingly, with Nebula and Yondu in tow, Director Fury a few paces ahead of them. “Gamora? What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” she said quickly, though she looked distressed, lying through her teeth. At his knowing glance, she relented with a sigh. “I’ll tell you later if I can, okay?”

Once again, Peter found himself watching her walk away, though now his mind was racing with the possibilities of what a meeting with Fury could possibly mean for his friends. It was like he had jinxed himself, thinking about how good everything was going. Clearly, someone was about to deal them a hand that they weren’t ready to take.

______

“What’s all this fuss about, Director?” Yondu said, as nonchalant as could be. He and Nebula seemed to be having a contest on who could sit in their chair more obnoxiously, while Gamora opted to stand a little off to the side, arms folded across her chest. Fury let out a long sigh, though it seemed more world-weary than people-weary (and there was a difference), settling down on the other side of his desk into his leather office chair.

“It’s distressing news for the three of you. Disturbing, even,” he said, his voice somber. “I’d advise you against telling the others, but I have a feeling you’re probably going to tell Quill anyways. But don’t tell the kid, alright? Groot doesn’t need this kind of stress at his age.”

“What is it?” Gamora asked. Nebula sat up a little straighter, hands coming to rest on her lap. Yondu followed suit, the jovial humour in his eyes evaporating near instantly.

"Seems Thanos wanted to send a message.” Fury leaned forward to rest his elbows on his desk, steely-eyed gaze fixed on Yondu. “Got one of them Black Order people - and I don’t know which - after your Ravagers.”

Yondu shot out of his chair in alarm, fists clenched. Gamora took a cautious step forward in case he was about to deck Fury. “You better be lyin’ to me, Director,” he hissed.

“I wish I was.” He was doing his best to sound authoritative, though there was an underlying tone of sympathy that told them how serious it had been. “Forty-five of your men killed, somewhere out in space. I got in touch with the authorities, see if I could find out more, but there’s not much I can do at the moment but wait for their reply.”

Gamora and Nebula exchanged looks over Yondu’s head as he sat back down, stunned. “My boys,” he whispered. He sounded as if he were a million miles away, or more accurately, wanted to be millions of miles away, with his crew. “This is all on me, ain’t it. Tryna be a Guardian, and I get ‘em killed.”

"This is our fault, Yondu, I’m...I’m so sorry.” Gamora reached to rest a hand on his shoulder. “Thanos wants to hurt Nebula and I by hurting you.”

“You two don’t care about me!” Yondu snapped, slapping her hand away and turning to shoot her an ice-cold glare. “You only pretend to ‘cause Quill keeps me around.”

“We do care,” Gamora protested, frowning. “Do you know how often I meet with Director Fury, trying to convince him that you and Nebula have done something, anything that could possibly get you both to finally come on missions with us? You’re part of this family, Yondu, with or without Quill. Do not insult me by denying that very notion.”

He glowered for another moment before slumping over, sighing. He turned to look back at Fury. “At least tell me Kraglin’s okay. That boy doesn’t deserve to be done in, just ‘cause I’m here.”

“He’s the one who contacted the authorities about the hit,” Fury nodded, relieved that the worst of Yondu’s anger seemed to have passed. “I’m sorry to tell you all this, but I figured this secret wasn’t mine to keep. Now, Thanos himself wasn’t seen or heard from at the scene of the crime, so it could just be him sending a message instead of doing the deed himself. Either way, we’re on high alert. I’m not about to get his hands on any of you kids. Especially not you two.” He wagged his finger at Gamora and Nebula. “You’ve had enough to deal with, living your whole damn childhood out with him. He’s not gonna get a hair on anyone’s head if I have anything to say about it, and I’m sure you feel the same.”

Nebula, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke. “I don’t have any hair on my head, Director. Same as you. But I suppose I can appreciate the sentiment.” She cast a glance over at Yondu, who was staring off into the corner of the room, gritting his teeth as if he were in pain. “Thank you for telling us.”

Fury couldn’t even hide his surprise, staring at her in utter confusion. “Alright, I’m kind of weirded out now. You kids go back to the festivities, and don’t let this spoil the rest of your day.”

______

It felt like coming home when Gamora picked up her guitar again, especially after the heaviness of Fury’s reveal. She played like her heart and soul depended on it, soaking in the enthusiastic (and a little off-key) sounds of her classmates singing along to words she had penned herself, every cheer and every clap driving her to push herself harder. What hit her most, however, was the unabashedly wide grins looking back at her. Despite the hardships that everyone had gone through to get here, they all looked so innocent in that moment, so unaffected by the looming horror that could approach them at any time.

The show ended soon after sunset, though the majority of the student population lingered in the quad, cleaning up and chattering excitedly about their favourite parts of the festival. Janet was flitting about as always, taking selfies with everyone and congratulating them on their various successes. Gamora, meanwhile, was dismantling her set-up when she heard footsteps behind her. I must really have it bad if I can tell who it is without looking, she thought, sighing.

“Hey, Quill. You enjoy the show?”

“You were awesome, as always,” Peter grinned, kneeling next to her so he could help with the complex wiring. “I love seeing you play. And it’s been a really long time, too.”

“Too long,” she agreed. “How about your demonstration? How’d that go?”

“Coulson nearly got me with the Destroyer once, but all he did was burn my hair a little.” He ran his fingers through his hair to show her a slightly singed chunk near his left ear. “No big deal, though.”

Finally giving in to the urge, Gamora reached over to ruffle it slightly until the burnt pieces were tucked out of sight. “I can help you trim that later, if you’d like,” she said softly.

“Sure,” Peter replied. “Hey, I was also thinking of watching Empire Strikes Back tonight, if you’re not too tired. We could head to the dorms instead? We helped raise a crap ton of money, we deserve to wake up without back pain.”

Gamora chuckled. It would be the perfect thing to keep her from letting the peril of Fury’s news plague her every thought. “I’m awake enough. As long as you help me pack up the rest of my equipment.”

He held out his hand almost immediately, pinky out for hers to loop with. “Deal.” She hooked their fingers together, eyes twinkling with mirth. Of all the things Peter had taught her about Earth, admittedly, she found this one to be one of the sweetest. A simple gesture he associated with his mom, now another thing that he shared with her.

______

Once again, Peter found himself distracted by the sight of Gamora lying by his side, cocooned in his sheets, watching the screen with the level of focus she usually reserved for combat. It was easy to tell by the concentration in her eyes that Gamora’s silence wasn’t out of boredom, but of engagement. Peter wondered if all the movies he’d been showing her before - romantic dramas and comedies, for the most part - were not for her. Instead, it was the adventures, the engaging characters, the world-building - that was the kind of stuff she seemed to love. The idealistic versions of their own world, things that reminded her of the happiest parts of their lives.

“You’re really loving this,” Peter commented as Yoda began training Luke. “I should’ve stuck to this stuff instead of the rom-coms. It’s more your style.”

“It’s not that I disliked the other movies,” Gamora said somewhat defensively. “It’s just...I’ve never really experienced romance, or romantic love. It’s hard to relate to something that I’ve never had.”

Upon hearing her confession, he began to wonder what she considered to be romantic. Her words implied that she based her understanding of romantic love off of what the movies showed her - Westley’s devotion to doing as Buttercup asked in The Princess Bride, Phil wanting to learn everything he could about Rita in Groundhog Day. Maybe he was wrong (and Peter found himself to be wrong more often than he’d like to), but it felt as if he were basically already doing those things.

When Peter had first met her, he would’ve joked that her idea of love was knives instead of flowers, and desired combat training in lieu of actual dates, but he knew her better now. He had seen her warm-hearted nature in equal parts to her fierce demeanor. She liked history, as evidenced by how immersed she had been on their “date” at The Met. She enjoyed nihilistic literature, and even though Peter didn’t understand it himself, he wanted to sneak a peek through her bookshelf and figure out what she already owned, so he could buy her more books that would make her happy. He wanted to sit by her side while she wrote songs, be her soundboard for lyrics that she couldn’t quite work out on her own. He wanted to hunt down every movie that he could hope to find that she would enjoy, so he could share as many evenings with her as possible, watching her expressions as she experienced them for the first time. And, in time, Peter wanted to help her on her journey that she never spoke about - rediscovering her home, her culture, her parents, in whatever way she could. There had to be something there, records, photos, videos, anything, that would make her feel like part of a whole again. Hell, he was incredibly gone for this girl.

Then, he got an idea.

“Question,” he said slowly after the movie was over. Gamora had ranted for a good ten minutes about the Darth Vader reveal, her face starting to redden as a result of it. She perked up a little, immediately recognizing the cue that had come to signal their incredibly long-standing game. “What’s romantic to you? Forget everything you saw in the movies, or out there with our classmates, or whatever else you’ve seen. What do you find romantic?”

She turned over onto her back, hands moving to absent-mindedly adjust her pillow as she contemplated the question. “I don’t need anything special,” she finally said. “Big gestures don’t impress me. That’s a sign of showmanship, not love.”

“Then what would be a sign of love to you?” Gamora tensed at this, wondering why Peter was looking so deeply into this particular topic. She could only hope that it was a precursor to something she’d been wanting, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up. This was all just conversation, wasn’t it?

“It’s the small things.” Another memory of her parents appeared to her like an old home movie playing in her brain as she considered the displays of affection she’d witnessed in her life. Her mother, who was terrible at cooking, attempting to make her father his favourite meal. She had burnt it terribly, and Gamora herself had complained at the time, but her father had eaten it regardless with a wide smile on his face. Or her father, who wasn’t the most creative of minds, but had some of the steadiest hands, stretching new canvases so her mother could paint beautiful landscapes. “Like remembering my favourite food, or finding some odd knick-knack that reminds them of me.” Her eyes flickered over to where her utility belt was, laid across Peter’s desk chair, where the multi-tool was tucked away. She had found it to be mostly useless, and tricky to handle correctly without having to take pause in what she was doing, something she couldn’t afford to do in combat. However, it had become one of her most prized possessions, not that she would ever tell anyone that.

“So you’d object if they brought you flowers?” Peter pressed on, determined.

“It’s not like I’d throw them out,” she protested. “It just wouldn’t interest me as much. It doesn’t feel personal.” He nodded, thinking it over. Maybe this whole “giant-crush-on-his-best-friend-slash-fake-girlfriend” thing wasn’t going to leave him with a broken heart after all. There would be time, what with everything he had learned about her these past few months. “Question for you, then. If you had to choose between sex and love, what would it be?”

He laughed, startled. He had never known Gamora to think too much about sex, and he certainly didn’t blame her, considering the horrors she’d experienced as a child, with adults commenting on her attractiveness like it was normal. “They’re not always mutually exclusive, you know. I mean, some people don’t want to have sex at all, and some people don’t want to be in relationships at all, but I’ve never personally felt that way myself.”

“Let me rephrase,” she interrupted, her hand pressed firmly against his chest as if to stop another Peter Quill ramble. “What do you value more, sex or love?”

“Love,” he replied easily. As he expected, she looked rather surprised at his answer. “Sex is great - at least, in my opinion - but I think love is always more fulfilling. Love’s what drove me and my mom to take care of each other, for her to share all the pop culture she grew up on, and for me to enjoy every second of it. Love is what got me and Yondu to bond instead of fight, the way the Ravagers were hoping we’d do. Love is why I fight so hard to keep you guys alive, and safe, and happy. It’s what keeps me going every day, to get up in the morning and be like, hell yeah, I wanna kick ass with the people that are important to me so that other people can live their lives without fear. Y’know? And love doesn’t have to be romantic.”

Gamora bit her tongue before she could ask him to elaborate on the kind of love he felt for her. She was too afraid to know the answer, to hear what she was sure was true. “That’s quite selfless of you. I’m impressed.”

“You wound me every time you doubt me, Gamora,” he said seriously, though his stern face was ruined by a cheesy grin. His expression softened as the moonlight began to creep through his blinds, reflecting the silver on her face, illuminating her impossibly long lashes and the light in her large brown eyes. It was a face he’d been waking up next to so often as of late, a face he wanted to wake up to every day. But the spell could be broken at any time, couldn’t it? Not unless he did something, soon. “What’re you doing tomorrow night?” Peter whispered.

“Nothing, really. Why?”

“It’s our six-month anniversary, of course. I think I know what my surprise for you is gonna be. And it’ll be awesome.”

a/n: i'm still banging their heads together, trust me. but oh boy, next chapter will lead to some epiphanies i'm sure you guys will want to see ;)

#starmora #peter quill #gamora #guardians of the galaxy #avengers academy #myfic #myfic: 20q #marvel #next chapter is their anniversary ooh

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