#WHY IS IT TAUGHT DURING GYM

[woso-dreamzzz]

Dogs: Christmas

Keira Walsh x Laura Feiersinger x Child!Reader

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle x Child!Reader

Summary: Christmas with Pup

Lucy scrubs a hand over her face, yawning as she forces her eyes not to slump closed.

Late nights and early mornings clearly didn't agree with her anymore as she watches you whizz around the room with too much energy for seven in the morning.

Keira's seemed to doze off in the armchair by the tree while Ona and Laura happily work around each other in the kitchen.

"Presents now, please?" You ask, skidding to a stop in front of Lucy, who's only just realised that your Baby Sibling has finished their bottle of milk and fallen asleep again in her arms.

Lucy yawns. "You know the rules. No presents until everyone is ready. Ona and Laura are still busy with breakfast."

"I get them!"

"No, wait, Pup-"

You're already gone though and Lucy groans, moving your Baby Sibling up and attempting to burp them.

"She has too much energy," Keira complains, voice thick with sleep.

"You're not the one that got woken up first."

Keira yawns. "That's because she knows that she's got to wait until her clock has certain numbers to come and wake me and Laura. Why do you think I taught her numbers so early? I keep telling you to do the same but-"

You come skidding in again, slip-sliding over the area of wooden flooring before you're safely on carpet again.

"Mami and Mama say nearly ready! Have little pigs in blankets for us!"

"That's-" Another yawn from Lucy "-Great, Pup. Why don't you go and separate all the gifts into piles. Can you remember how to spell everyone's names?"

Your little face falls and you shuffle anxiously on your feet. "I don't. Sorry, Mum. I forgot."

"That's alright," Keira says, sitting up and snagging a pen and pad from the table," I'll write them out and then you can match the spelling to the words you see, alright?"

"Okay!"

By the time Ona and Laura come in with a tray of pigs in blankets and other small snack food that had all been properly cooked last night, you've managed (with Keira's help) to make little piles of presents for everyone.

You sit happily in the centre of the floor with Narla and Coco.

"You aren't going to open your presents, Pup?" Laura asks.

"No, Mama. I wait."

"Pup made us all gifts," Ona says," I think she's waiting for us to open them."

It's Keira that gets to hers first. It's quite badly wrapped but that's because you and Pina ended up fighting over the wrapping paper and tape at the arts and crafts table during training.

"That's us!" You say, pointing at the little misshapen plastic charm things that hang off the bracelet. "Is you because you've got your pretty curls!"

"Oh, Pup...That's so thoughtful, sweetheart."

Lucy's misshapen charm of herself is meant to have sunglasses on her because you think she's cool while you'd painted Ona's with stripes because she's fast like a cheetah and Laura's charm's head was fat because it was meant to represent the helmet she wears when she takes you climbing.

"Alright," Lucy says, hands covering your eyes," Now it's time for big presents. One from me and your Mami and one from your Mummy and Mama, alright?"

You try to pry Lucy's hands from your eyes. "And then tea time? Want to try my new puppy mug."

Lucy laughs. "Yes. Big presents and then we'll go and make a big brew so you can try out your new puppy mug."

"You ready, Pup?" That's Keira now.

"I'm ready!"

"Now," Lucy says," This one is from me and Mami."

Her hands peel away and you blink your eyes into focus.

Ona is standing behind a massive box.

"It's for your room in London," She says," Lucy's going to drill these into the wall for you."

"Like the climbing gym Mama take me too!"

"Exactly like that," Ona laughs," A little rock climbing wall just for you in the house with Mum!"

"Wow!" You say, eyes wide and face beaming with happiness," Thank you, Mum! Thank you, Mami!"

Lucy ruffles your hair. "You'll be the best climber in the world in no time!"

Keira rolls her eyes. "You better make sure those panels are secure, Lucy, otherwise you'll be in major trouble."

Lucy grins. "I've got this, don't worry."

Keira's hands covers your eyes now and you sit up properly again.

"And this big present is from me and Mama," She says," You're going to have to be very still and very quiet, can you do that?"

"I can."

"Good girl. I knew you could."

There's silence for a long while and then someone - Ona, you think - gasps.

"Kie, you didn't..." Lucy says.

There's a bit of movement in front of you and something wet comes across your cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Pup," Laura says as Keira removes her hands from your eyes.

Mismatched eyes stare back at you, a little tongue poking out of a little mouth and a little tail thumping against Laura's body.

"Puppy!"

Keira laughs. "Yeah, Pup, your Christmas puppy."

"My Christmas puppy? Mine?"

"Of course," Laura says," A puppy just for Pup."

"Is...Is a boy puppy or a girl?"

"It's a girl, Pup."

"I..." You look between your parents. From Keira to Laura and then from Ona to Lucy. "I...My book please? My puppy book?"

"I'll get it," Lucy says, standing up with your Baby Sibling in her arms," This one needs to be put down for a nap anyway."

You go flipping through your dog encyclopaedia the moment you're given it, trying to match a page in your book to the puppy in front of you.

You find it eventually, turning the book around for the puppy to say.

"This you," You tell her and you're pretty sure her tail wags even harder. "You're from...Mummy, what this word?"

"Australia, Pup. We went to Australia for the World Cup, do you remember?"

You don't actually but you nod anyway, looking back to your puppy.

"You're from Aus-tra-lia so...So you're like Bluey! Bluey's from there."

Your puppy wages her tail super hard.

"So...I call you Bluey. Merry Christmas, Bluey!"

[randomshyperson]

hello!! I hope you are well. May I add a request to the “touch ask” game? Wanda-Touch-25? Please and thank you. Maybe as a continuation of Wanda and Kryptonian reader?This pairing of my new favourite and you write it so beautifully.

thanks for everything!

Wanda Maximoff x Reader - Drabbles

prompt: stroking the other's arm soothingly | words: 1123 | warnings: fluff, violence (?), previously agreed mind control, some touching but nothing inappropriate (the Avengers would disagree ofc).

challenge masterlist | general masterlist

-&- 

Kryptonians had indestructible and invulnerable bodies. They were bulletproof, heatproof, or coldproof. You could probably out-strength gods like Thor or radioactive monsters like the Hulk.

But magic? Well, that was different.

Somehow, magic could break through every biological barrier in your body and bring you to your knees.

That was precisely why Natasha Romanoff always had Wanda as your training partner.

"Come on, guys, no slacking off. I want four sequences, everyone." The widow announced with a warning clap, while the entire team groaned in unison. Even the super soldiers present had some difficulty completing the demanding exercises of a black widow. 

You were moving to grab your training gloves for the exercise circuit when Natasha called your name. "Not so fast, little alien. You and Maximoff, mat." 

Wanda smiled contentedly at the same time you sighed in discouragement, just as the team got excited and started whistling. See, you were indestructible. Watching you get your ass kicked every now and then was everyone's favorite pastime there. Ignoring Natasha's smirk as you passed her, you tried to stay positive about the whole thing. At least you were working on your humility with your favorite person in the world. 

"I'll go easy on you." Wanda assured you, already on the mat, hands in a fighting position. You chuckle, imitating her defensive stance, even though it wouldn't make any difference. 

"As if."

Truth be told, you're the one who always goes easy on her. Wanda has the magical advantage, of course, but that's it. If you wanted, you could use your speed to easily immobilize her. But the risk of hurting her small human body - a caution you don't need to take with fellow gods or augmented beings - is too high.

So the most you can guarantee to make her training difficult is to dodge her energy attacks, until she loses her patience and stops acting like a sniper, and starts acting like a real witch.

You stumble gently as you feel the familiar invasion. It's like being intoxicated. Wanda is always gentle when she does this. She's learned to hone her mind control very well, without having to reduce her opponents to babbling versions of pure panic. Now, she can enchant them like a mermaid, or perhaps, she only chooses to do it this way with you.

The gym around you becomes a little blurry, and all you see clearly is her, smiling victoriously at you.

"Ready to call it a defeat? Or do you want me to kick your ass a little longer?" She teases as she takes slow steps towards you. It's an illusion, of course, you're sure she hasn't even moved a muscle in reality, and all of this shouldn't have taken more than a second.

You chuckle weakly. This kind of thing has been getting more and more dangerous. Keeping secrets from someone who occasionally plays with your mind is very difficult. Wanda taught you to stay calm in these situations, but all you can do is remind yourself that you're keeping your feelings buried, away from her, and you start to despair.

She notices your anxiety, and the confidence disappears from her expression.

"Hey, are you alright?" She asks, maybe this time, her footsteps towards you were real. You're panicked enough that you can't tell the difference.

Freaking out during a mind control is stupid. And even worse for someone who has powers like yours. Wanda gets close enough to touch your face, and you remember last week when you accidentally saw too much skin when she changed clothes in your room. The shame and guilt return, and you pull away, terrified that she will be able to see that memory.

Your panic in that vulnerable state stimulates your powers, and Wanda exclaims in surprise when the beam of your heat vision advances and grazes near her head. Her fright interrupts the magic, and your release is immediate when Wanda hits your shoulder with a strong magical expel, which throws you about three steps back.

Natasha crosses her arms in disapproval and all the Avengers are looking at you two, while a new hole in the ceiling of the academy appears.

"What the hell you two! What did I tell you about mind tricks?" The black Widow inquires in disapproval, but Wanda is rushing to your support, concern on her features.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

You interrupt her with "I'm fine, don't worry" forcing a small smile. As you try to lift your torso correctly and raise your arm to touch her, you groan in pain and Wanda's eyes widen, as does the whole team. At the feeling, you end up chuckling a little breathlessly. "Wow, that's... surprising. Looks like you set a new record here, Wands. First person to make me feel muscle pain." The team laughs at the joke, but Wanda isn't very happy about it. Natasha forgets about the scolding because she's too interested in discussing with Steve the progress of the two of you in training, and well, you get too distracted with Wanda caressing your arms in an attempt to ease the pain. 

"Is it really that bad?" She asks with a worried frown. She must be feeling guilty enough not to realize what she's doing - how she’s touching you.

You try not to be so pathetic, it's an innocent gesture, but maybe it's too gentle or too warm to ignore. She strokes your arms soothingly, trying to apologize while murmuring that she's sorry for hitting you. And it only takes a moment longer for Wanda to get distracted with what she was doing - Not that you have any way of knowing that she's starting to notice the strong Kryptonian anatomy a little too much, and how feeling strong arms was the real reason she sighed and shook her head, pushing away thoughts she definitely shouldn't be having about her best friend.

Sharing the same warm pink in her cheeks as you, her hands moved away, and Wanda cleared her throat, trying to hide her own reactions while you hid yours.

"So... do you want to get something to eat? I'm starving."

She chuckles shortly. "You're always starving, darling." She teases, and well, she's right so you can't even argue.

Distracted by each other's presence, you soon lose yourself in small talk as you head toward the kitchen, and neither of you notices Sam or Clint grimacing at the scene they've just witnessed.

"That has to be the gayest thing I've ever seen in my entire life." The falcon grumbled in disbelief.

The hawk next to him massaged his forehead in a frown. "I should have retired already. I would have been less traumatized."

They shake their heads in unison, and then go back to training.

[heavyhitterheaux]

Flawless

See Me Through You Series

Momma taught me good home training

My Daddy taught me how to love my haters

My sister taught me I should speak my mind

My man made me feel so God damn fine (I'm flawless)

Synopsis: In your official first competition of the season, your family as well as your boyfriend cheer you on, but in the back of your mind the need to constantly be perfect is weighing heavily on you

Series Masterlist

Please Do Not Repost My Content Anywhere

The sun hadn't even begun to rise when you heard your alarm on your phone loudly going off in your ear that was perched on the bedside table.

It vibrated so loud that it eventually hit the floor and you reached down to search for it without turning on the bright light hoping that you would be successful and find it.

Once you did, you quickly turned the alarm off before setting it back on the table and turning towards your boyfriend to hug him from behind. Reaching over to place several kisses on his cheek earning a groan from him in response.

“What time is it?” He asked while his eyes were still closed.

“5:30 in the morning.” You quietly answered and Joe turned around to face you as you started to run your fingers through his hair.

“And remind me again why you woke me up? I mean I love spending as much time as I can with you, but this is way too early.”

“Because last night before we went to sleep, you promised me that you would wake up early and go to the gym with me. And you train this early during the season so what in the world are you talking about?” You asked and he opened one eye to look at you.

“Was I high when you asked me that?” He asked and you instantly rolled your eyes.

“Joey, you promised. And my boyfriend always keeps his promises.” You started to whine as he sighed.

“Find a new one until you come back from the gym.” He told you as an annoyed look came upon your face and he quickly closed his eyes as he also grabbed the comforter to cover himself back up at the same time.

“Don't worry I will. He's going to help me with my squats and I'll make sure to brush my ass across his dick each time I go down.”

Hearing you say that made him open both eyes to look at you as you tried to lift the comforter off of you to get out of bed and Joe quickly wrapped his arms around you and pulled you back towards him.

“Want to repeat that?”

“I'm only listening and doing what you told me. You said for me to find another boyfriend to go to the gym with me. So let me go, I'll see you when I come back. If I come back, that is.”

“I'm not letting you go anywhere until you take it back.” Joe told you as he pushed up against you and you felt him standing at attention making you smirk.

“I'm the only person that should be helping you and the only person that you need to be brushing up against.”

“Then that means you're coming with me, right?” You asked as you turned to look at him. Joe sighed in response before nodding his head yes to answer your question.

“Do I have to make strawberry cheesecake in order to bribe you?” You asked him as you sat up on the side of the bed.

“I mean…. Having an incentive like that wouldn't hurt. And I'm not sharing with your twin and Justin so I'm going to have to hide it.”

“Good luck with that because those two can smell anything I cook or bake from fifteen miles away.”

It was now 6:15 in the morning and the gym was surprisingly a quarter of the way full which was unusual. When you came at this time, there might be one or two other people but not many.

Both of you went your separate ways to do your own thing, but of course Joe told you to come and get him if you needed him for anything.

Especially if you were doing squats. 

Luckily for him, it was leg day.

As you were adding weight to the leg press, you caught someone's attention and he was bold enough to make his way over to you.

This started to happen a lot more often ever since you and Joe made things official. Not that it wouldn't happen before, but it was something that now obviously made you uncomfortable. 

Especially when Joe happened to be in the same room.

“Hey, you need help with that?” He asked as he pointed to the weight plate that you proceeded to rack without a problem.

“Nope. I got it.” You replied thinking that he would walk away. When he didn’t, you turned back towards him with your eyebrow raised.

“Are you waiting to use this? I have two more sets and then I'll be finished.”

“Oh no. I'm good. Doing back and biceps today.”

“Cool.” You quietly said and nodded your head before sitting down and putting your feet in position to press the weight.

You decided that you were going to do close first and then wide to hit your inner thighs.

All while the guy was still standing there.

“What's your name?” He asked after you had done a few reps.

“Y/N.” You quietly answered without bothering to look at him.

“Oh, that's pretty. I'm Marcus.”

“Great. Aren't you going to go and finish your workout?” You asked as he still continued to stand there.

“Oh, um yeah. But if you need any help with anything let me know. I'll be right over there.” He told you as he pointed to the corner where the free weights were.

Nodding your head and giving him a tight lipped smile, you slipped your air pod back in your ear before finishing your set.

Once you did, you stood up to give your legs a break before starting the next one and peeked over at Joe who was on the lat pulldown machine. 

Without a second thought, you also glanced at the direction Marcus said that he would be in all to see that he was already staring at you. His eyes went wide as he quickly looked away and you could start to admit that he was starting to weird you out. You figured that you would tell Joe after you finished your last set since you were about to start on squats with the barbell and knew that you would probably need his help. 

The last set was finished as quickly as possible and you made it your priority to find your boyfriend. Walking quickly towards him, he saw your face and immediately got concerned as he took out one of his air pods.

“Baby? What's wrong?” He asked as he stood up and peered down at you.

“That guy over there is being really weird and making me uncomfortable. He like came over when I was on the leg press adding more weight and was like ‘do you need help?’ I told him no and he continued to stand there until I asked if he needed it and that I had two more sets and then I would be finished. He said no and asked my name and offered to tell me his name even though I never asked. And when I took a break, I looked to my left to see him staring dead at me. He's over there.” You nudged your head in his direction.

When you finished, Joe had let out a sigh before looking over at the guy he assumed that you were talking about. Once again, he was looking dead at you.

“He's weird and I don't wanna get kidnapped. I think at this point he's plotting it.”

“No one is going to kidnap you despite how small you are. He'll take you and bring you right back once he figures out how high maintenance you are. I can't imagine if it's this bad now how bad it'll be once you graduate.”

“HEY!”

“Did I lie, princess?”

“I just like nice things and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.” You replied as you crossed your arms and pouted.

Joe proceeded to pinch your cheek as a smirk spread across his face at the same time.

“You're right, there isn't. But back to business. I'll stay with you the rest of the workout to make sure, what are we doing next?”

“Squats. Your favorite.” You answered as you winked at him, earning a smirk in return.

Both of you walked over to the squat machine and Joe started adding weight to the side as your eyes went wide. 

And kept adding.

And continued adding.

“Baby! I cannot lift as heavy as you can, take some of that off!” You exclaimed and he shook his head no while laughing at you.

“Yes, you can with those strong ass legs. Did you forget you almost crushed my head with your thighs when I was eating you out that one time? I'm going to help you and be with you the entire time. You got it, princess.”

“Your head is entirely too big for me to crush. Bless Robin's heart.”

“Seriously!?” Joe asked you as you shrugged.

“Did I lie?”

“Just get over here and push this weight.”

You let out a huff as Joe directed you to get into position as he stood behind you to help spot you.

He adjusted your hands so that they would be closer on the bar and told you to lift when you were ready.

But not before placing a kiss on the shell of your ear and trailing down to your neck as he lightly bit down and sucked on that same spot.

“Joey, stop distracting me!”

“Me? Distracting you? Never.” He whispered in your ear as he let out a laugh.

You rolled your eyes even though he couldn't see you and got ready to do your set.

As you unracked the weight and adjusted your feet, you slowly started to come down as Joe was directly behind.

At least twelve reps were completed and made sure you brushed across him each time which earned a whisper in one of your ears.

“Keep doing that and I will take you in this locker room.”

“Well I warned you that I would and this is heavy, help me put it back up.”

Joe did as you asked him and was all smiles as you glared at him.

“That shit was heavy and I don't like you right now for making me do it.”

“But you did it just like I knew you would.” He replied as he pinched your cheek which earned him you swatting his hand away.

“You want more weight for your next set?” He asked and your eyes went wide.

“Joseph, I need to be able to move on Saturday for my competition.”

“You'll be able to move, don't worry. I plan on giving you one of my special massages when we're done.” Joe whispered against your lips as he quickly touched his with yours before going and getting more weight.

Smiling to yourself and shaking your head as he walked off, you were stretching in place when once again, Marcus came up to you. 

One thing you knew was that he better get the hell on before Joe came back. And since he had literally had his eyes on you the entire time, he had to have seen Joe standing there next to you seconds before he walked over.

“Doing squats now?”

“Um, yeah.”

“That’s a lot of weight. You sure you can squat that?”

“I finished one set, so yes I can squat that much weight.”

“Without a spotter?” He curiously asked and let out a frustrated sigh.

“Oh, I have a spotter.” You told him as a smirk appeared across your face.

“Well, I don't see anyone around. How about I help you and I take you out on a date this weekend?”

“No to all of that and you can go and finish your workout.” 

“You don't have to be such a bitch. I'm offering to help you.” Marcus said as Joe was behind him with the extra weight that you were going to squat with.

“Bro, you good? Is there a problem?” He asked and you couldn't do anything but laugh because Joe was two seconds away from kicking his ass. He was trying to take the calm approach first.

Marcus turned around and smiled at him as he started to add the weight and Joe didn't return it.

“No problem. Just trying to ask this pretty girl out on a date.”

“Hmm and after you did that proceeded to call her a bitch when she told you no. Isn't that right?” Joe asked and you could tell that he was now pissed off as he walked right up to Marcus and was staring down at him because he happened to be a few inches shorter.

“This is between me and her so you can mind your business.”

“It is my business when you are talking to my girlfriend and not only asking her out on a date, but proceeding to call her out of her name when she clearly doesn't want to be bothered with you. So I suggest you walk away before you piss me off even more.”

“Oh, um… I didn't…”

“But even if she wasn't my girlfriend, that's how you go around talking to women? Being a damn creep and calling them a bitch when you don't get your way? Do yourself a favor and get the fuck away from her.” Joe told him as Marcus then let out a light chuckle. 

“She’s not even that pretty anyway.”

“And you look like you snuck on Earth in the middle of the night. I know I’m pretty because why the hell did you talk to me in the first place? Get the fuck out your feelings, asshole.” You said before Joe could jump in and his eyes along with Marcus had gone wide before Joe proceeded to laugh and shake his head at you as Marcus finally decided to walk away.

“Now I guess I can't even come to the gym by myself.” You said to Joe as Marcus was finally out of earshot.

“You can come by yourself, but if you need me to be on facetime as you workout, then so be it.”

“See, now aren't you happy that you came with me?” You asked as you smiled and batted your eyelashes at him.

“Yes, I guess I am.”

“Can we leave now?”

“Nice try. Get over here and push this weight.”

“But babyyyy it's heavy!” You whined and stomped your foot as he laughed at you.

“Just like my dick, but you do just fine with it. Stop the excuses and come on.”

You let out a long breath as you pouted as Joe just stared at you.

“The sooner you get done with your temper tantrum, the sooner we can leave.”

“I am NOT having a temper tantrum!”

“You literally yelled and stomped your foot like a toddler. Now just waiting for you to roll on the floor.”

“If I do that will you pick me up and carry me out so we can go back to my apartment?”

“No.”

“Well it was worth a try.”

Saturday finally rolled around and you were a bundle of nerves. Your parents along with your twin, Joe, and Justin promised to come and see you compete and the last thing you ever wanted to do was disappoint them.

Being that you were the first born daughter, you always felt the need as well as the pressure to be perfect in everything that you pursued.

As you were stretching next to Alisha and Erin, you glanced up at the stands to see all of them sitting together as your dad had Joe involved deep in conversation making a smile appear across your face. Ever since you officially introduced your parents to Joe and they saw how happy he made you, he quickly became a part of the family.

When you were doing toe touches, your coach Giselle came up to you and tapped you on your shoulder making you glance up to look at her.

“Hey, what's up?” You asked as she smiled at you.

“I have an idea, but I wanted to run it by you first.”

“Sure, what is it?” You excitedly asked her as you stood straight up.

“We wanted to put a heart monitor on Joe as he watched you compete to see how high the rate would go. Do you think he'll go for it?”

“Oh, most definitely.” You told her as you laughed.

Joe knew all of your routines like the back of his hand including the names of all the moves that you were doing.

He made it a point to learn as much as he could about gymnastics simply because he knew it was important to you. So as far as he was concerned, it was also important to him too and he wanted you to know that he supported you as much as you supported him no matter how big or small. 

“That man's heart rate is about to be high as hell.” Erin commented and Alisha quickly agreed with her.

“I don't know who is going to be more stressed today watching. Joe or my dad.”

“My votes on Joe.”

Meanwhile in the stands, Giselle made her way to Joe and smiled at him knowing that she only had a few minutes before they would be starting. 

“Joe, Y/N wants you to do something for her.”

“Of course. Is she okay? Does she need me?” He asked frantically, but she just continued to smile.

“She's fine. She just wants you to wear a heart monitor so we can watch it while she competes.”

“Uh oh. This man's heart rate is about to hit 200.” Justin said and Ja'Marr quickly agreed as he was munching on popcorn.

“Yall better have a stretcher ready for my mans in the back with paramedics on standby.”

“Yall are dramatic. I'm not even that bad.” Joe said and both Ja’Marr and Justin looked at him.

“Bro, do you remember the last one we went to? It wasn't even an official competition and we thought you were going to lose your mind.”

“I… anyway I'll do it.” He replied to Giselle while ignoring the two people sitting next to him.

“Here it is. Put it on and it'll connect to my phone so I can see it.”

“That’s probably a good idea that he can't see it, I feel like that would make it ten times worse.” Your mom commented while your dad stifled a laugh.

“Now I KNOW you aren't talking when you watched one of her competitions through your fingers because you were so nervous.” Ja’Marr turned to look at her and she glared at him.

“That was ONE time!”

—

It was now time for your floor routine and you had taken off your wrist straps that you had used on the uneven bars and handed them to Alisha to put them in your bag for you.

This was the last event of the competition and you were set to go last so you had time to go over your routine in your head one last time. You had been working on it for weeks and you felt as if this was the most difficult floor routine that you had ever done.

The music was to one of your favorite music artists of all time, Prince and it happened to be a collection of your favorite songs from him.

Once you received the cue to walk out onto the floor, you took one last deep breath before doing your special handshake with both Erin and Alisha.

“You got this. You’ve practiced this routine a thousand times, go out there and show them why you’re one of the best.” Giselle said from behind as she placed her hands on your shoulders.

Nodding your head, you took the short walk over to the floor mats even if it felt like it was a mile long. Your stomach was in knots and you tried to steady your breathing.

Once you heard the first few beats of the first song, you locked in and it was go time. 

Joe was watching from the stands and had held his breath when you had started to do your first backhand spring which would lead into two more and once you landed it, the entire building erupted in cheers.

“Okay, big sis!” Ja’Marr yelled as he started to hype you up. He took a peek over at your parents to see that both of them were on edge. He also glanced over at Joe who was constantly moving in his seat and just knew that sooner or later that the man might probably faint.

“Joe, everything alright over there?” He asked with a slight laugh and Joe immediately laughed and shook his head no.

“I’m more nervous watching her than I am for our games. I literally feel like my heart is about to beat out my chest.”

“I say we make a bet! I bet twenty dollars that your heart rate hit at least 130 while watching her.” Justin piped up while Ja’Marr quickly chimed in.

“I don’t know, I say about 150.”

“The way it’s beating right now, I feel that it’s definitely higher than that.”

Once you landed your final move, the cheers got even louder as you got up from the mat and ran back to the side where your team was.

Both Alisha and Erin tightly hugged you, while Giselle high fived you and everyone anxiously waited to hear your final score from the announcers. 

“Y/N Chase, floor routine…” 

You took a deep breath as Erin squeezed your hand as the rest of your team was behind you with their fingers crossed.

“Judges across the board have a final score of ten.”

It took you a minute to register what had just happened because there was instant screaming and loud cheers as everyone gathered around you.

“I told you! What did I tell you?!” Erin exclaimed as she hugged you and you were trying to do your best in order not to cry.

“I got a perfect score?” You quietly asked, still not believing it.

“YES! Why are you so surprised? That routine was flawless and I’m so proud of you.” Giselle said as Erin had finally broken her embrace so that she could congratulate you.

“You do not give yourself enough credit for how amazing you are. I knew what we were doing when we offered you a scholarship and now look what came out of it. This is only the beginning and you’re going to go on to do amazing things.” Giselle told you as she placed her hands on both sides of your face as you were now crying. You couldn’t hold it back anymore and the dam had officially broken.

“Thank you for taking a chance on me.” You told her and you hugged her once more.

“There was no doubt in my mind that I made the right choice. Oh, and Joe’s heart monitor got as high as 180, I just knew he was about to hit 200 while watching your floor routine.”

When the competition finally ended, your cheering squad waited until the crowd started to clear out before making their way down out of the bleachers to greet you. Your parents reached you first and you were placed in the middle of a bone crushing hug between both of them as they kissed one cheek each.

You were happy that Ja'Marr told you that he had captured the moment on his phone and would send it to you.

Your parents then left and started to make their way back home since you promised to make the trip next weekend in order to have a home cooked meal from your mom in order to celebrate the success of today so that it gave them more time to plan.

That left Joe, Ja'Marr, and Justin who wanted to spend the rest of the day with you, along with Alisha and Erin of course.

“So proud of you. You were amazing.” Joe told you as he wrapped his arms around you and leaned down to place a kiss on your forehead.

“Thank you, babe. How did the heart monitor work out for you?” You asked while trying not to laugh.

“I love watching you compete, but I'm always on edge too. Just want to see you do well. I can’t get over you telling me that you can visualize where you’re going to land before it even happens.”

“Key to being a good gymnast.” You replied while winking at him. 

“And this man has your routine memorized and knew everything before you even did it.” Ja’Marr added as he picked you up from behind which left your feet dangling from the floor while he kissed the top of your head.

“Because he's a good boyfriend that pays attention to the things that are important to me.”

“Yeah, so I guess you can keep him.” Ja’Marr replied which earned him a glare by Joe in response.

“First boyfriend that has been approved by the parents so I think we have a winner.” You said with a smile on your face as Joe grabbed your bag to carry it out for you.

“Thank goodness because that Trevor dude was something else.” Justin commented and it seemed that everyone groaned in response at the mention of his name.

“And it's the fact that Joe requested for mom to make beignets next week and she immediately said yes. She has NEVER done that with me.”

“That’s because she actually likes me and only tolerates you. Remember you’re a Popeyes dumpster baby.” Joe told him as he stopped walking and turned up his nose.

“Now, the parents gave me money to go and celebrate, but Joe you’re about to be drinking water and eating a stale piece of bread.”

“I’m telling Mama Chase so you’ll get yelled at.”

“First, my sister always gets me in trouble and now her boyfriend who was MY friend first does to? I feel that there needs to be some type of medium here because this is absolutely not it.”

After getting back from dinner with everyone, you needed time to unwind and relax, but still wanted Joe with you. Of course he didn’t protest and after taking a much needed shower, you had been stuck like glue to him ever since. The two of you were currently sitting on the couch with your head in his lap with the tv playing in the background with your eyes closed when he caught your attention.

“Babe?”

“Hmm?”

“Is everything okay? You seemed to be distracted when we went out to eat earlier. I was just wondering.”

“It’s nothing that you need to worry about, promise.”

“No, that is not an answer, so I’m going to give you another chance to rephrase it.” Joe told you as you sighed in response.

“I just feel that when it comes to me and to Ja’Marr, my parents act very different.”

“How so?”

“Me being the oldest, I just feel a need to have to be perfect all the time and this is no different. I can’t imagine what the conversation would have been like if I had scored less than a nine. That’s why I’m so good. I literally have to be because my parents don’t accept anything less.”

“You did amazing and they’re proud of you so I’m not really following.”

“They’re a lot more lenient towards Ja’Marr and I obviously love my twin with everything in me, but sometimes that pressure gets to be a little too much.”

“All I can tell you is to keep doing your best to meet what your standards are and not anyone else’s. I get that you want to make them proud because they’re your parents, but the most important thing is if you’re happy. If you were to quit gymnastics right at this very moment, I would support you 100%.”

“And that’s why I love you so much.”

“I love you right back and I never want you to feel like you aren’t good enough.”

“Easier said than done.” You whispered in response, but luckily Joe didn’t hear you.

You just weren’t sure how much longer you could take with being little miss perfect, and you damn sure weren’t going to tell Joe that you were extremely close to dropping out at LSU. 

[vynrico]

◤♬ Twisted wonderland music preference hcs! ♬◥

Uh just a note that I'm not too familiar with too many music genres (blues for example). I have a very specific and fixed music taste myself. These are just personal hcs so don't take anything seriously 💦

Anyways just enjoy reading this thing that has been sitting in my notes app for a while ~☆

Characters included: main cast (- staff, side characters)

▬▬ι══════════════════ι▬▬

🌹 Riddle Rosehearts 🌹

Classical: This isn't very surprising but it definitely calms him down and insists that it helps him focus the most while studying.

Maybe also whatever tea party music is during unbirthday parties since they're quite pleasant too.

♣ Trey Clover ♣

Pop

"That's just what normal people like, right?" ~♣

Jazz: I mean just look at his face, it screams that he likes jazz (no pun intended).

♦ Cater Diamond ♦

Pop: He's in the pop music club, he's an extrovert and likes to stay on trend

Soft indie: I know those two contrast each other but I think he'd like softer music in general when he's alone. (Mitski Cater real)

♥ Ace Trappola ♥

Hip-hop, pop or whatever the average teenage guy likes since he's honestly quite normal in terms of taste in general.

Idol songs or just girl idol bands in particular. I can't really see him liking any boy bands honestly

Though this just might be just me being biased since I like to imagine him to be really fem in general 💦 (he would LOVE newjeans).

♠ Deuce Spade ♠

Rap and phonk: Liked it during middle school as an edgy and cringy tween

Alternative, rock or metal: he probably went to concerts with his friends back in middle school

He forced himself to listen to classical before but doesn't like it all too much (I'm projecting) cuz he heard that one myth about listening to classical can make you smarter

🦁 Leona Kingscholar 🦁

Classical. Well um, his hobby is playing chess? He's old

Traditional sunset savanna music of many cultures

🍩 Ruggie Bucchi 🍩

Pop, hiphop, rap: it's most of what he grew up listening to in his neighborhood so he just naturally picked up on it. (Do you think he rapped as a side gig before?)

He likes some of his grammy's music taste too (I'm not specifying cuz I can't think of anything for that one)

🐺 Jack Howl 🐺

Rock and edm (based) cuz that's what I think gym music is like.

Pop: Based off the vibes I think he'd just picked it up naturally — he isn't the deepest character in the cast so my assumption might be quite shallow imo, this is twst's bad writing at fault... ☠️

🐙 Azul Ashengrotto 🐙

Jazz: All the octa members used to be in a jazz band back in middle school so I'll be using that as reference as an explanation. And well, the mostro lounge bgm is jazz

Classical: Because Azul was on the piano/keyboard in the band as I remembered, he started liking classical whilst taking piano lessons. He seems financially well off enough to be able to take piano lessons since he was kid, he could maybe also be self-taught too but having a tutor just makes more sense

I like to think he likes a lil bit of alt too (Because I said so).

🦈 Floyd Leech 🦈

Just loud n fast-paced music in general. I can't really specify a genre for him idk why. I like to think he's the most active and productive when it comes to music. Like oh, this song is sick! And then he immediately goes on his drums to sync with the music or any other instrument he has.

Jazz

🐬 Jade Leech 🐬

Nature: he doesn't seem like the type who listens to music actively

Jazz

Secretly likes Punk rock: His beta design is supposed to be a punk if I remember correctly. And well, he's on the bass, after all.

He probably likes some of what Azul and Floyd likes

🐍 Jamil Viper 🐍

Pop, hip-hop, edm, rap: Considering the blazing jewel Scarabia song and his skill for breakdancing, these are my best assumptions for his music taste.

🌞 Kalim Al'Asim 🌞

Pop, rap: I think that he took some of Jamil's music taste as his own, he tends to join Jamil whenever he dances alone so I think he listens to what Jamil listens to so he can get closer to him (Jamil often just finds it annoying though)

Maybe traditional songs from the scalding sands. He once said that he plays a traditional instrument from the Scalding sands (I forgot which) so I assume that he's more of a guy who likes cultural music.

👑 Vil Schoenheit 👑

Pop

Opera: He once said that he attends opera and theaters with Rook occasionally

Visual kei: This one is referenced from the manga anthology, not sure which one. The one where he suggests the pop music club to wear vkei clothing to get more attention.

Whenever I listen to vkei, I always think of Vil or pomefiore in general.

🏹 Rook Hunt 🏹

He canonically likes opera but I think he'd also like indie. He likes to experiment tho, beauté! 100点.

If Vil or Neige sang in one of their movies before, he would definitely listen to them on repeat. Idk what theatre kids like but yea these are my thoughts.

🍎 Epel Felmier 🍎

Harveston folk songs, I think he said that before but I don't remember.

Enjoys some fast-paced songs while he's having fun on the blastcycle occasionally cuz it's more fitting for the occasion and it gives him more energy on his rides.

This is also cuz I use Epel as my cover for my hardcore playlist on spotify. I'm more of a speedcore and hyperpop epel truther though

💀 Idia Shroud 💀

Game OSTs, hardcore or basically any rhythm game music (I can bet he plays arcaea, cytus, project diva, chunithm, taiko no tatsujin, lanota, D4DJ and other stuff),

Girl idol group songs (canon)

Vocaloid.... Whatever the average otaku likes or sumthin.

🤖 Ortho Shroud 🤖

No preference(?) I mean... Not sure what robots like, he may be a self-aware AI but I just can't think of anything for him.

I like to think he likes things based on what the other people around him like. For example, maybe he likes opera due to Vil's influence or something (I hc that he thinks of Vil like his second older brother)

��� Malleus Draconia 🐉

Classical and opera.

"This is what the folks these days like right, no? Hm? That stopped being the current popular music 30 years ago?" ~🐉

He doesn't quite get edm or any techno music.

If I remember correctly, he plays the violin so he tries to hone his skill by listening to classical music.

"This Hatsune Miku you speak of have such marvelous vocals... Hm? A voicebank you say? Care to explain what that is?" ~🐉

⚡ Sebek Zigvolt ⚡

Despite his loud personality, he def likes more calming music like briar valley folk songs cuz of his grandpa. He's a very traditional guy, this is because of being raised in briar valley, a pretty traditional place with a population of long-living fae.

🦇 Lilia Vanrouge 🦇

Pop: Pop music club, he likes to stay on trend and seeks Cater as help for that

Rock and heavy metal/death metal (canon from his club card story/vignette).

Personal backstory hc: On one of his travels around the mid 1900s, he came across a local indie metal band when it was at its debut and became an og fan of it before it became popular. In a fleeting time-range according to him, rock and metal has become a popular genre in that time period.

I kinda wanna write a fanfic about this now that I came up with this, but I dont have much knowledge on rock or metal so I'm afraid it might be inaccurate. And idk how to write fan fiction in general

💤 Silver Vanrouge 💤

Soft indie

"Silver! the best thing in the world is supporting small indie bands. You will never regret if you try one for yourself." ~🦇

Nature or whatever disney princesses like

Maybe he has tried louder music like rock, metal or whatever Lilia recommends him before as a way to focus on studying without falling asleep but it's just not for him. (Silver's part is mostly abt lilia cuz he just loves his dad)

[yuu-extended-yuuniverse]

Pokémon AU! (Yuu & Riddle)

Trainer looking at Grim: What kind of Pokémon is THAT???

Grim, offended: I'm not a Pokémon! I'm a TRAINER. Just you wait! I'll be the greatest Elite Four Champion ever! Myahahahaha!

Yuu: Does that make me the Pokémon in this relationship?

~*~

Riddle Rosehearts was the youngest trainer to ever become a gym leader in Twisted Wonderland, and remains one of the most ruthless.

Gym leader Riddle specializes in primarily fire type Pokémon! Which is why so many new challengers who come prepared with a full team of Water-types are so caught off guard when Riddle's partner Pokémon, Roserade, comes out! Who finishes them off with her signature move "Off With Your Head!"

Losers are enlisted to paint the hedge maze roses of the Heartslabyul gym to appear like Poké balls.

More headcanons and enlarged photos below:

Riddle

Heartslabyul is the first gym most new trainers encounter

It is situated in the same city as the trainer school, where Riddle enjoys tutoring on his days off

His partner Pokémon, Roserade, was gifted to him by a childhood friend (Trey) back when it was still a weak little Budew

Mrs. Rosehearts belongs to the ranks of Nurse Joys and originally wanted Riddle to study medicine. To everyone's shock, obedient young Rosehearts went on to become a formidable trainer and eventually declared, much to his mother's chagrin, his intention to become a gym leader and help new trainers

Riddle is still the youngest gym leader, at 18 years old

Despite his harsh exterior, many trainers still attribute much of their success to Leader Rosehearts' insistence on practicing the basics.

If you are strong and fortunate enough to ever challenge Riddle again, his fully trained 6 team includes Roserade, Ninetails, Flareon, Rapidash, Galarian Rapidash, and Shaymin.

When pressed, Riddle refuses to answer where he met a member of the elusive Shaymin Pokémon.

Riddle can often be found racing or playing polo at the Equestrian club, riding either of his Rapidashs.

Despite all the good he does, Riddle can often be too much of a stickler to the rules and unable to see outside-the-box

He first meets Yuu when he is kicking Ace and Deuce, two new trainers, out of his gym for trying to cheat their way through his hedge maze puzzle and disparaging the idea of going to trainer school, refusing to let them challenge him and effectively ending their dreams of challenging the elite four.

It is only after Yuu challenges him for Ace and Deuce's right to re-enter the gym, and uses both lessons Riddle preaches and unusual outside-the-box thinking to defeat him, that Riddle reconsiders his black and white view of the world.

He gives Ace and Deuce a second chance, on the expectation that they first go to trainer school for a week, and asks if Yuu would consider sharing their unique battling style with the students at the school (despite these techniques not being taught in any books)

In the end, all three, Ace, Deuce, and Yuu, earn their Heartslabyul badges, and Riddle wishes them luck at the next gym.

Yuu

No one quite knows where this trainer came from.

All anyone knows is that they showed up out of nowhere with a talking feline Pokémon no Pokédex recognizes, named Grim.

For whatever reason, Team STYX keeps trying to capture Grim for some nefarious purpose.

But despite Yuu's unimposing figure and having just recently started their journey, they are actually a very formidable trainer and have managed to battle off every one of Team STYX's attempts.

Yuu meets Ace and Deuce while the two of them are being kicked out of Heartslabyul gym and a fast friendship is formed.

Ace declares that they are all rivals now, but they still travel together from city to city.

To Ace and Deuce's horror, Yuu seems to enjoy sleeping over in abandoned and haunted houses on their journey

Ghost Pokémon seem to particularly like Yuu

Yuu sometimes runs into an interesting person during their travels, a man they have nicknamed Tsunotaro

Tsunotaro seems to always show up whenever Team STYX is getting up to no good, and helps Yuu battle them off and clear out various Team STYX bases of operation throughout Twisted Wonderland.

Ace and Deuce have never met this mysterious Tsunotaro, but if they did they would be shocked to discover that he is actually Malleus Draconia, Twisted Wonderland's infamous and terrifying Elite Four Champion

But to Yuu he's just Tsunotaro, a weird but nice guy who seems to think fighting off a crime syndicate together counts as a date

[physics-of-one-piece]

Do you have any random doflamingo or donquixote pirate headcannons?

Hello, anon!

Headcanons for Doffy

Likes classical music (this is sorta canon? He was listening to classical music in one scene)

Likes flowers

Has a sweet tooth, you can win his heart through his stomach 100%

He loves the domesticity and homelife

His favourite dessert are crepes!

He has a lot of paperwork and calls during the day and if he isn't doing that he's reading or napping (puts a blanket on him 🥺)

yoga! Pilates! He can do it all! So fckn flexible!

Donquixote Pirates

Trebol taught Doflamingo how to play chess and now loses all the time against Doflamingo cus Doflamingo got that good

Diamante sucks at poker, Doflamingo is the best at it with Pica 2nd best! Diamante is the singer & musician of the crew, more rock music, but he knows to play normal guitar too.

Gladius' spikes are sensitive, including in an NSFW way. He has sensitive hearing to loud noise from the warzone he grew up in, which is why he wears earmuffs. He's the best gunsmith on the crew and likes playing around with bombs a bit too much as well as testing out his Devil Fruit so he has his own Explosion Room on the Numancia

Lao G does yoga and likes reading books in his free time, good cartographer

Señor Pink is either the cartographer or the one who can understand the sea, but also - economy guy, he gives economy vibes so even though most funding is overseen by Trebol & Doffy, Señor Pink is asked to pitch in sometimes

Giolla is an artist, clothes designer and sews her own clothes, she has a clothes room and an artist room in one on the Numancia

Machvise is the ship caretaker and carpenter

Pica spends a lot of time at the gym lifting weights and nobody can beat him in weight-lifting (unless Haki is involved)

Dellinger sleeps in a fishtank and is scared of storms at sea, his favourite past time is being dressed up by Giolla

Doflamingo after he saw how little Baby 5 was treated, massacred the entire tribe/village - in his head, they were gonna die from starvation, anyway, he was putting them out of their misery

Doflamingo does Baby 5’s hair in the morning, both are big hair care enthusiasts

Buffalo has been trying to sneak into casinos & strip clubs since reaching 17

Buffalo once foolishly challenged Doflamingo for a flying race. He never did it again how badly he lost.

Once she joins, Monet is the manager & event planner, she makes sure everyone is on schedule

Gladius & Lao G love playing chess and Gladius made it his life's mission to beat the old geezer.

Law & Doflamingo played chess against each other a lot and all the time Law usually lost but not by that much, and before Law left it came to a DRAW. They sat there for ten minutes just staring at the chessboard before agreeing on the draw. Doflamingo didn't remove the chessboard or the chess pieces, they still remain in his cabin.

Cora smoked two packs of cigarettes per day with the DQ pirates but smoked three cigarettes per day on his journey with Law - what does that say? His journey with Law was less stressful to him than living with the DQ pirates.

Gladius & Monet are a couple for me, if I can't be with Gladius, then Monet should, idk they give me nice vibes, cute together

Baby 5, Law & Buffalo once successfully robbed a casino while carrying Dellinger in a fanny pack pretending they were lost kids searching for their parents. They came running to the ship carrying four full money bags of berries. Doflamingo was so PROUD that he told them that they can keep it - one bag for each of them. Law was the mastermind. They stole 500 million berries. Doflamingo STILL gushes about it.

Doflamingo & Vergo exchange weekly calls and encrypted letters

Helmsmen fluctuate: Trebol, Pica, Machvise, Señor Pink

[sergeantbarnessdoll]

Ooo hi!! Can I please request a platonic Dad!Bucky X daughter!reader where Hydra got their hands on Y/n she was around 5 years old, the Red Room couldn’t get her to cooperate so they gave her to Hydra (which Hydra then experiments on her and she gets powers). And maybe this is a time where Hydra has Bucky out of cryo for a longer period of time, so they decide to make Bucky (The Winter Soldier) in charge of this little girl. They want him to train her, keep her under control, and keep her quiet. Y/n sees Bucky as a Dad and no matter how many times he tells her he’s not her Dad, he’s the Winter Solider, she always calls him “Daddy” anyway. He eventually just gives in and he raises her as his own.🥺 He’s definitely been taken in and out cryo at some points and sent on missions but whenever he’s out of cryo and not on missions he takes care of her. Hydra is fully aware that Y/n sees Bucky as a Dad and they use that to their full advantage, as they have control over Bucky (bc he’s brainwashed) and Y/n will do whatever her Dad says. When she becomes a teenager, Hydra starts to send Y/n on missions with her Dad. Bucky protects his daughter as much as he can when they’re on missions. She’s 13 when CA: Winter Soldier happens and she’s on the hellicarrier when Bucky and Steve are fighting. During Civil War, she’s 15 when Steve shows up at their apartment and later she’s watching in horror as Tony tries to kill her Dad after he saw the video (Bucky told her she’s not allowed to fight) and hearing her cries for her Dad, it brings Tony back to reality that he’s about to take a Dad away from his traumatized child🥺

All Each Other Has » Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier

Pairings: Winter Soldier x Child!Female Reader, Dad!Bucky Barnes x Adopted Teen Daughter!Reader with Steve Rogers/Captain America and Tony Stark/Iron Man

Summary: HYDRA puts the Winter Soldier in charge of you and he comes to realize that you and him are all each other has.

Warnings: Fluff, Angst (not you and Bucky), language, enhanced!reader, Red Room/HYDRA, child endangerment (not Bucky), violence, crying, nicknames

Ages of reader: 5 years old, 13 years old, and 15 years old

A/N: Thank you for the lovely request @kpopgirlbtssvt 🩵

A/N #2: The reader has the same powers as Wanda, just a different color as hers.

Written on my phone. My apologies for any mistakes.

Header made by @buckyys-babydoll / divider made by me

GIFS ARE NOT MINE! Gif credits go to the creators.

Your little mind could not comprehend what the hell was going on. One minute, you’re in the Red Room and the next, you’re in a different building. The Red Room couldn’t get you to cooperate so they gave you to HYDRA. You have no idea why you’re there, but what you do know is that you’re scared and you don’t want to be there.

HYDRA doctors strapped you to a cold metal table as soon as you got there and started to stick you with needles, experimenting on you. You did not like that. It hurt and made you cry. You don’t know what experiments they did on you. Whatever experiments they did on you gave you powers. They told you that you’re going to be trained and taught how to use your powers.

As of right now, you’re getting dragged to a different room in the base. You tried to get away from them by pushing and kicking the HYDRA agent who had a tight grip on your arm, but he only tightened his grip.

“You’re hurting me!” You cried.

“You’ll live.” The HYDRA agent mutters.

You got pulled into a room that looks like a gym. There was a man who has a metal arm in there. The agent finally let go of you. Your arm is now red from how tight the agent was holding onto your arm.

“We have a new job for you.” The agent says to the Winter Soldier.

The Winter Soldier nods, waiting for the agent to tell him what the job is.

“You’ll be in charge of this child. Get her to cooperate, keep her quiet, and train her to use her powers.” He tells him.

“Ok.” Is all the Winter Soldier said.

The HYDRA agent left the room. You stared at the Winter Soldier with the look of curiosity on your face. To you, he wasn’t scary like how everyone thinks of him. Something was telling you that you can trust him.

“I’m Y/N. What’s your name?” You asked.

The Winter Soldier frowns to himself as he tries to remember his own name.

“I don’t know. They call me Soldat.” He tells you.

“I’m 5.” You say, holding up five fingers.

“Ok.” He says.

“I like your arm.” You say, pointing at his metal arm.

“Thanks?” He says like a question.

You walked closer to curiously touch his metal arm, but he got triggered and moved it away from you, accidentally startling you.

“Sorry.” He mutters.

“It’s ok.” You say.

You watched as the Winter Soldier walked over to a table and get something out of a box and put it on the floor in front of you. You looked down at the item, which was a knife, and then looked back up at home with the look of confusion on your face.

“Move it.” The Winter Soldier instructs.

You bent down and picked it up, handing it to him.

“Not like that.” He says.

“How is it going to move?” You asked.

“Your powers.”

You’re so confused right now.

“Put it back on the floor and try again.” He says.

You put the knife back on the floor and stared at it, trying to figure out how it’s supposed to move without touching it.

“How does it move?” You asked, looking up at him.

“Focus and put your hand in front of you or something.” He says, shrugging his shoulders.

You looked back down at the knife and focused on it and held your hand out like he said. It took a while, but you finally got it to move again.

“It moved!” You say.

“Good. Try again.” He says.

You tried again, focusing harder. You’re not sure how you did it, but you managed to get the knife to float up in the air, which amazed you.

“Woah…” You say speechlessly.

“Nice.” He grabs the knife. “Keep doing that and you’ll master your powers in no time.” He says.

“Ok.” You replied.

———

A few weeks go by and you’ve made lots of improvements with your powers. It may have taken you a while to figure out, but you think you kinda got that hang of it now. The longer you’ve been training with the Winter Soldier, the more you like him and trust him. You actually see him as your dad.

“Good job!” The Winter Soldier compliments.

“Thank you, daddy!” You smiled up at him.

“Please don’t call me that.” He says.

“Why?” You asked.

“Cause I’m not your dad.” He says.

“Yes you are.” You say.

The Winter Soldier sighs, not wanting to argue with you. He just picked up where you two left off with your training.

Another few weeks go by and you continue calling the Winter Soldier daddy. That’s what you see him as. He finally gave in and allowed you to call him that. Hearing you call him daddy warms his heart. If he’s being honest, he sees you as his little girl. Yours and his father daughter relationship is something that HYDRA is picking up on. They watch you two when he’s training you. They also see his really self showing, which they don’t like. Like they are right now.

“You’re doing amazing, doll!” Bucky says.

“Thank you, daddy!” You smiled.

You ran over to him and hugged his legs. Bucky smiles down at you and ruffled your hair. The Winter Soldier’s handler and three HYDRA agents walked in at the same time.

“We see that you turned the kid into your pet.” His handler says.

“Don’t call her that.” Bucky says, almost growling.

“Touched a nerve, did I?” His handler chuckles.

His handler and the three HYDRA agents watched as you hid behind Bucky. His handler whispered something to one of the agents approached you.

“No.” Is all Bucky says.

The agent shoved Bucky aside to get access to you. As you were about to run to Bucky, the agent grabbed you and picked you up, leaving the room with you. You started to kick, scream, and cry. Bucky wanted to do something. He really does, but he was held back by the other two agents.

“We’ve noticed the little friendship or whatever relationship you two have. Here’s what’s going to happen, you’re in our control and so is that little girl, you overstep in any way, the kid gets it. Is that understood?” His handler says.

“Yes.” Bucky replies obediently.

“Good.” His handler walks closer to him. “Now, I’m sure you know what’s going to happen later.” He says, referring to erasing his memories and the cryo.

Bucky nodded. That night, he managed to sneak in the cell HYDRA keeps you in. He saw you laying on the bed, sniffling and whimpering softly.

“Doll.” Bucky whispers loud enough for you to hear.

You turned over to see Bucky standing a few feet away from you. You got off the bed and ran over to him. He crouched down to your height and hugged you.

“I have something that might make you feel better.” He says.

“What is it?” You asked.

Bucky took a pen and a blank piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to you. You smiled and took the two items from him and sat down on the cold concrete floor. Bucky sat down across from you, watching you draw little doodles.

“You’re quite the artist, aren’t you, kiddo?” He says softly.

“It’s fun.” You tell him.

“It is.” He agrees.

Bucky watching you with a smile, knowing this is the last time he’s going to see you for a while before he gets put back in the cryo.

———

Bucky was taken in and out of the cryo a couple times. You did not take the news well at all when HYDRA told you. You refused to listen to them and cried. All you wanted was your daddy. They got rough with you when you wouldn’t listen to them. After that, you tried to listen. They also told you that they’re going to make you another Winter Soldier like Bucky when you became a teenager. You didn’t want that, but you didn’t have a choice.

You had just turned 13 years old the next time you and Bucky saw each other. You two felt relieved to see each other. When you got taken to the room where HYDRA erases Bucky’s memories, you gave him a smile. He gave you a nod to look professional. He’s in Winter Soldier mode right now, but deep down, you still see him as the man who treats you like his own child. A HYDRA agent forcefully shoved you in a chair next to Bucky. Bucky’s jaw clenched when the agent did that to you.

“Here’s your little pet.” The agent says.

Bucky gave the agent the death glare when he called you that. He wanted nothing more than to break every bone in his body for shoving you in a chair and calling you a pet.

“I have a mission for you guys.” Alexander Pierce says to you and Bucky.

Pierce was telling you what you need to do on the mission, but you’re not going to do it. Bucky does 99% of the work on missions like he always does. He knows that you don’t want to hurt people. You do step in when you think you need to just to help him.

You were suiting up for the mission when Bucky walked in your cell. Your tactical gear is like Bucky’s, but you have a bulletproof vest for more protection. He wants you to be as protected as you can for missions so he snuck a vest for you.

“I don’t want to do this, dad.” You say quietly as Bucky securely straps the vest on you.

“I know, doll. Try to be strong and brave. Can you do that?” Bucky asks.

“I’ll try.” You replied.

“That’s my girl.” He smiles and kisses your forehead.

When it came time for the mission, you stood by your dad on the he fought Captain America. You made sure to stay out of the way so you didn’t get hurt. You used your powers to help Bucky when he needed it. After Bucky pulled Steve out of the water, he knew that both of you had to get the hell out of there.

“We have to get out of here.” Bucky says as he gently grabs your arm.

“Where are we going?” You asked.

“Somewhere far away from here.” He says.

———

It’s been 2 years since the last mission and now you’re 15 years old and living in Bucharest, Romania with your dad. The apartment you and him are living in is small, but you and him call it home. Also, yours and Bucky’s father daughter relationship has grown even stronger. Your favorite way of spending time with your dad is going to the market. You think it’s fun.

“Can I get both of these?” You asked, holding up a bag of chips and a package of cookies.

“I said one snack, princess.” Bucky says.

“Please?” You begged, giving him puppy dog eyes.

Bucky has a hard time say no to you, especially when you give him the puppy dog eyes. He just doesn’t want to upset you.

“You can get both.” He finally says.

“Yay!” You cheered.

“You have to make them last the week, understand?” He says.

“Yes, Sergeant Dad!” You replied, playfully saluting him.

Bucky laughs softly when you saluted him. You and him finished the trip to the market by getting something to drink, a couple boxes of Mac and Cheese cause you insisted on it, and Bucky got a few plums.

“Ok, kiddo. Ready to go home?” Bucky asks after paying for everything.

“Yes.” You replied.

You and Bucky looked both ways before crossing the street. When you guys got to the other side of the street, Bucky gently redirected you to take a left instead of walking straight.

“Home is that way, dad.” You say, pointing straight ahead.

“I want to check the newspaper real quick.” He says.

“Ok.” You say.

You and Bucky walked to the closest vendor and he picked up a newspaper, his eyes widening when he read the headline.

“Dad, why is there a picture of you on the front page?” You asked, keeping your voice low.

“I don’t know, babydoll.” He puts the newspaper back on the vendor counter. “We need to go home right now.” He says.

Bucky protectively wrapped an arm around you as you two walked back to yours and his apartment. Steve was in yours and his apartment after you and Bucky got home. Steve was looking around before realizing that you and Bucky were behind him.

“Do you know who I am?” Steve asks.

“You’re Steve. I read about you in the museum.” Bucky says.

Steve looks over at you, giving you a smile.

“What’s your name?” Steve asks softly.

“Y/N Barnes.” You tell him.

“Barnes? Are you Bucky’s daughter?” He asks.

Yes nodded your head yes. Bucky protectively put his metal arm out in front of you.

“I want you guys to know that I’m not going to separate you guys.” Steve assures. “All I want to do is help you guys. It doesn’t have to end in a fight.” He says.

“It always ends in a fight.” Bucky says.

Before any of you knew it, the door was busted down and all hell broke loose.

———

Everything happened so fast. One minute your dad threw someone off of a motorcycle so you can get away faster and the next you guys were surrounded by the cops and Rhodey.

“Congratulations, Cap. You’re a criminal.” Rhodey says.

You were shoved to the ground and handcuffed first, which immediately set Bucky off.

“Get your fucking hands off of my daughter!” Bucky yells.

Bucky tried to get to you, but he got handcuffed before he could.

Now, you’re in a vehicle with Steve, Sam, and T’Challa being transported somewhere, but you don’t know where you guys are being transported to.

“Do you like cats?” Sam asks T’Challa.

“Sam.” Steve says.

“He shows up dressed like a cat and you don’t want to know more?” Sam says.

You couldn’t help but giggle when Sam said that. Your giggling stopped when T’Challa brought up your dad.

“How long do you think you can keep your friend safe?” T’Challa asks Steve.

“My dad is innocent. Him and I were having a good day. He was with me all day.” You say before Steve could say anything.

“Respectfully, Miss. Barnes.” T’Challa looks back at you. “I’d like to believe you, but you can’t be so sure about that.” He says.

“I am sure!” You say, accidentally raising your voice at him.

“Y/N.” Steve warns you softly.

You leaned back in the seat and looked out the window. Your eyes filled with tears as thoughts of your dad being taken away from you flooded your mind.

———

After the fight at the airport, you, your dad, and Steve were on the quinjet outside of the base where HYDRA had you and Bucky held at. You felt scared to be back at the base after a long time.

“Are you ok, doll?” Bucky asks softly.

“I’m scared, dad.” You say in a shaky voice.

Bucky hugs you and you lean your head on his chest. Steve saw you and Bucky having a father daughter moment and stayed back to give you two a couple minutes.

“Everything is going to be fine. HYDRA can’t hurt us anymore.” He almost whispers.

You felt better knowing that.

“Can I show you something?” He asks.

“Yes.” You replied.

Bucky reached a hand in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He unfolded it, showing you the picture you drew for him when you were 5 years old.

“You drew this picture for me when you were 5. This picture and you were the only two things that kept me from going insane while I was under HYDRA’s control.” He tells you.

“I remember the day I drew it. I didn’t see you for a while after that.” You say, your eyes tearing up.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve told you about them putting me back in the cryo, but I didn’t want to upset you and I didn’t think you would’ve understood cause of how young you were.” He says.

“You don’t have to apologize, dad. I understand now.” You say.

Bucky smiles and folded the picture back up and put it back in his pocket.

“Are you two ready?” Steve asks.

“Let’s get this over with.” Bucky says.

———

You, your dad, Steve, and Tony watched footage from a mission Bucky did as the Winter Soldier on December 16, 1991. You noticed Tony’s jaw clench as he watched the footage.

“Did you know?” Tony asks Steve.

“I didn’t know it was him.” Steve says.

“Don’t bullshit me, Rogers!” Tony says.

Steve nods. Tony blasts Steve, sending him to the ground. Bucky aimed his gun at Tony, but he blasted the gun out of his hands before he could shoot at him.

“Get out of here!” Steve shouts at you and Bucky.

Bucky grabbed your arm and you two started running. Tony followed you two. As you and Bucky were almost out of the base, Tony shot a blast that was meant for your dad, but it also hit you. You two fell a great distance down, landing on the metal grates. You wince in pain.

“Are you ok, doll?” Bucky asks with worry in his voice.

“I’m fine.” You say.

Bucky looks at Tony, knowing he’s not going to stop. He was more worried about your safety than Tony trying to kill him.

“You need to get out of here and get back on the quinjet.” He says.

“No way! I’m not leaving you!” You exclaimed.

“Y/N, please! Stark isn’t going to stop any time soon and I don’t want to risk losing you!” He says, his eyes tearing up.

“I don’t want to risk losing you either.” You say, your voice cracking.

Bucky sighs, not wanting to argue with you.

“Ok. Fine, but stay here where you won’t get hurt.” Bucky says.

“Ok.” You replied.

Bucky grabbed Steve’s shield and jumped down from the metal grate, hitting Tony with the shield. You looked down, watching your dad and Steve fight Tony. It was horrific for you to watch. You watched in horror when Tony blasted your dad, sending him against the wall and then the ground. You quickly levitated down to him.

“Dad, are you ok?” You asked.

“I’m fine.” Bucky groans softly.

You helped your dad up from the ground.

“Get out of the way, kid.” Tony says, walking towards you and your dad.

“No.” You stood in front of your dad. “I am not going to sit back and watch you try to kill my dad.” You say.

“He killed my parents.” He says.

“It wasn’t him. HYDRA had him under their control.” You tell him.

“Oh god. Not you too.” He says.

“I know what my dad did as the Winter Soldier was bad, but he would never do something like that if he was in his own control.” You say.

“I don’t care. He deserves what I’m about to do to him for what he did to my parents.” He says.

“If you kill my dad, I’ll have no one. He’s all I have. He’s been raising me as his own daughter since I was 5. I never seen him as the Winter Soldier and I was never scared of him. I have always seen him as my dad.” You poured your heart out. “Tony, if you kill my dad, you’ll never forgive yourself for taking him away from me forever.” You say.

You had tears streaming down your face by the time you were done pouring your heart out. Tony didn’t know what to say after all of that. As much as he wants to kill your dad for what he did to his parents, he’s not capable of taking a father away from his daughter forever.

“Look, kid.” Tony sighs. “As much as I want to kill your dad, I won’t put you through that kind of pain.” He says.

You felt relieved to hear that. You broke down in tears as you hugged your dad.

“It’s ok, doll. I got you. I’m still here.” Bucky whispers, kissing the top of your head.

Bucky led you out of the base and took you back to the quinjet.

“See.” Steve gestures to how great Bucky is with you. “He’s not a bad guy.” He says to Tony.

Steve went to the quinjet just as you were calming down.

“Are you ok, kiddo?” Steve asks softly.

“I am now.” You say.

Steve smiles and puts a hand on Bucky’s shoulder.

“You’re a great dad, Buck.” Steve says.

“Thanks, man.” Bucky smiles.

“If you’re ok with it, I would like to get to know you, Y/N.” Steve says.

“I would like that.” You say softly and smiled.

-Bucky’s Doll

[meyobe]

Pretty privilege…. No MC privilege pt.2

Satan

Mc can always expect him to take their side no matter what.

Mc was the first person to see past his angry and treat him like a person.

He is forever imbedded to them.

No matter how criminal the crime.

Mc was the one to start a fight? Well why was the other person fighting back?

Mc broke an expensive vase? If it’s so expensive why it is out, where anyone can reach it?

Mc started a fire in the kitchen? Devildom ingredients can be dangerous for human use-age.

He will most likely find a way to flip Mc problem on the person who accused them.

He his mind you do no wrong.

But not to be mistaken, he knows Mc is reckless but guidance is key! (He thinks)

Asmo

He will put Mc comfort over his.

He’s spent millennials admiring himself and put himself over other by default.

Mc showed him that his soul is more blinding then any gold or highlighter he puts on.

Mc has showed him a new way of viewing life.

Mc looks uncomfortable sitting on the floor during movie night? Just take his seat… matter a fact his kicking his brother off so you can have space.

Mc is tired of wearing their heels? He’ll switch shoes with you.

Mc is carrying a lot of bags that look heavy? He’ll carry them himself no matter how ugly he thinks it is.

He is letting go of his persona of being perfect because Mc taught him your flaws make you unique.

Buttt old habits die hard but Mc just has to look at him and he knows to settle down.

Beel

Mc can use him as a stress reliever( not that way ^_^)

He is the strongest brother( without and magic or demon forms) he works out and knows it can take stress away.

Mc showed him it’s not enough to be strong physically, but mentally.

Mc and beel are two side of the same coin.

He never wants Mc to hold what their really thinking or feeling back.

Mc’s had a really bad day? Are we going to the gym or on a run?

Mc is refaced with a bad memory? Does Mc need to yell he will listen? Or does Mc want to punch someone or something? He is right there.

Mc feels the need to let out some energy? Does Mc want to practice with him and his team?

He knows that sometimes people need to get violent to relive their stress.

Nothing that Mc May do can hurt him. So go crazy >_<

He thinks Mc is the strongest person he will ever meet.

He strive to be just like them.

Belphie

Mc can expect him to make an effort.

He’s had lots of time to dwell on his past mistakes and understand where he went wrong.

He will spend an eternity trying to make things right.

He wants Mc to know he’s trying his hardest for them.

He’s trying to living up to the honor them Mc gives him.

Mc has been feeling stressed? Flowers and a gift basket are at their door with a note that has the letter “B” on it.

Mc has to go to a meeting but also need to do my chores? He’ll make sure they’re done before Mc is back.

Mc and Belphie got Into a fight? He’s still texting them “ Goodnight, I love you “ because he knows how easily you can be taken away.

All his life his been deemed lazy or useless. It never bother him until Mc.

He is becoming the best version of hisself because he wants to be the demon whose worthy of a pact with Mc.

A/n/: should I write this for the dateables?!?!

I should also mention that I love writing so feel free to request!!

A new post about volleyball will be up soon!

Ty all!❤️

Pt.3 is up!!

[saucerfulofsins]

I haven’t seen any posts comparing Buck’s coming out to Eddie and Tommy breaking up with Buck, which is a shame because the similarities drive me insane.

Or well. I say similarities, but that’s wrong. What I should be saying is: these scenes mirror each other. This post is more about the highlights than shot by shot comparisons – for that, I’d recommend you watch them side by side yourself.

Let’s start with the first and most obvious structural parallel: both scenes happen around 32 minutes into their respective episodes/between two-thirds to three-quarters in.

Now, for the scenes themselves. They follow the same basic outline, which I’ll discuss one by one. I’m following the same structure throughout: I discuss the coming out scene, then the breakup, and then give some analysis. At the end, I’ve included a section on further things of note that I couldn’t neatly fit into this structure and my final thoughts. Is this the first time I’m using the media analysis I was taught during my minor in Arts, Culture and Media with a focus on film in 2019? Yes, yes it is.

Buckle up, because this meta/essay is nearly 3k. For that reason (i.e. accessibility/readability and the amount of work I put in), this entire piece has been cross-post to AO3 (CLICK FOR LINK).

Opening shots

Seating 1.0

Buck in the kitchen

Seating 2.0

POV shots (both perspectives)

Eddie and Tommy leaving

Miscellany

Final thoughts

Analysis under the cut:

1. Opening shots

This part includes some of the most noticeable differences between the scenes, which explains why they feel different – at least at first.

CO: Eddie’s phone comes into view first – this is his chat conversation with Marisol, which the first part of the CO scene is about (note how this mirrors the gym scene, where Buck intended to come out before the conversation lingered on Eddie and Marisol). Eddie is also closest to the door during this part of the scene – which is where he will remain throughout.

BU: The first shot is of a closed door, which Buck opens for Tommy, i.e. Tommy certainly has no keys to Buck’s place, and this might well be a callback to doors as a recurrent theme. They greet with the briefest kiss possible. I rewatched this several times to make sure it really happened – it happens immediately after a cut and it’s filmed in such a way this could easily have been an air kiss lmao. (No seriously, I had to watch this screen by screen to properly catch it, and the audio is a lot more obvious than the visual). They make small talk about the movies and Tommy having ordered an uber (clearly a throwback to 7x05), and they switch positions so Buck is actually closest to the door.

As for clear similarities: Eddie and Tommy are standing up and remain mostly in the same place; Buck is moving around the loft – it’s an expression of his nervous energy, and the major changes in these scenes are about Buck, not Eddie or Tommy.

2. Sitting down

I made this a separate point for one reason, and one reason only: In CO, Eddie takes his own initiative to sit down, while saying he should go home and Buck offering him a beer, so clearly he won’t be leaving to go home any time soon(ilu Eddie but I’m begging you, stop putting yourself and also us through this 😭). In BU, Buck tells Tommy to sit down... which is in part to signal they need a more serious talk than can be done on the way to the cinema, but also shows a massive contrast in terms of familiarity and comfort, regardless of what Buck tries to tell Tommy later.

Both Eddie and Tommy sit down on the leftmost stool (closest to the door, i.e. it’s easiest for them to leave and Buck can’t get between them).

3. Buck in the kitchen

Fun fact! Before writing this post, I checked the scene where Buck confesses to Taylor that he kissed Lucy. During that scene, Buck is sitting down at the kitchen island, while Taylor lingers in the kitchen proper (i.e. with the island between them). She has moved in at that point – kitchens represent ‘being at home’ – but there’s a physical barrier between her and Buck, and it doesn’t actually keep from her leaving (even while saying she has nowhere to go).

CO: The camera uses a dolly shot to follow Buck throughout the kitchen – to the fridge and then back to the head of the kitchen island. He’s attentively listening to Eddie complain about Marisol and God watching him have sex (cursing God while sluttily drinking his beer).

BU: Buck walks out of view of the camera, through the kitchen, and there’s a dolly shot to the right to focus on Buck finding his place on the head of the kitchen island. He leans on the counter at this point. He does have a pretty open posture (identical to CO); Tommy sits with his hands/fingers folded together but he’s turned to Buck i.e. paying attention.

This is the position Buck has when he comes clear to Tommy about having dated Abby in the past; it’s also when his phone comes into the picture. Well. Pictures. Of Buck and Abby.

4. Seating 2.0

This is the longest section of analysis, and contains the part that makes me SCREAM but let’s start at the beginning. From the moment Buck sits down, the conversation turns serious in both scenes. This dialogue consists of mostly POV shots (which I will discuss next), and these medium shots that show Buck and Eddie, and Buck and Tommy.

CO: Buck sits down while Eddie says, “You and Tommy have the right idea, stay single.” This very clearly introduces a new section of the scene. Overall, the lighting of the loft is muted besides the yellow for visual interest and gay Eddie, thank you for your hard work Buddie colour theorists. Buck’s dining table is unlit and barely visible, so the space really takes a back seat and allows us to focus on Buck and Eddie. Please take note of the chair between them – this serves as a physical barrier, where someone is getting between them (a place for Marisol and Tommy, respectively).

BU: Here, the segway happens right after Buck’s come clear about being Abby’s ex 2.0. He sits down on the middle chair, but it’s quite obvious he’s shoved it away from Tommy. In fact, compared to CO, Buck is almost at the same distance from Tommy as he is from Eddie. There’s a barrier between Buck and Eddie, but there’s space between him and Tommy. This is emphasized by the lit dining table, which draws even more attention because of the white decorations: the loft is a space to be distracted by, focus on or even flee into.

Now. This is what kickstarted my obsession with these scenes, especially the coming out scene. The chair between them? Buck reaches out to Eddie, leans his arm onto it and in the process drawing attention to it. He actually leaves his arm there for an extended period, throughout several of the following shots, and only seems to pull back when he says he and Tommy were on a date.

The following shots – of Buck’s coming out and Eddie’s initial response – are back and forth POV shots. The first shot from medium distance, is this:

Do you see it. DO YOU SEE IT. Do you see what drives me crazy! Eddie is mirroring Buck’s earlier posture – also this is immediately after Buck says Tommy left him on the curb (i.e. Eddie realizes there’s no Tommy getting between them). Eddie’s not just opened up, he’s reaching out, extending his arm back onto that empty chair between them. And again, like Buck, he leaves it there for several shots. It’s still there when he tells Buck to call Tommy, although he briefly vaguely gestures to himself during the “He’ll love you! We all do!” It’s not clear when he takes his arm away; no shots show it and then he’s getting up.

This just. This drives me insane.

For comparison, Buck doesn’t reach out to Tommy during the BU scene. And, compare Tommy to Eddie:

5. POV shots

Okay, the section header is a bit of a misnomer because the scene consists mostly of dialogue and therefore has POV shots. Like I said, there’s also overlap between the POV shots and the wider establishing shots I used in section 4. The bulk of this part of the scene, however, shows a lot of over the shoulder close ups with quick POV switches. In both cases, this is where the subject at the heart of the scene is discussed.

Now, these differences are pretty small and they could be a consequence of these episodes having different directors. However, there’s zero doubt in my mind that Chad Lowe closely studied the CO scene for its sheer number of cinematographic parallels and therefore it might be entirely on purpose too YAY.

There’s some variation in the distance of these shots, but the most intimate ones look like this:

(Still not over that face he’s pulling here, dear Lord). Buck takes up most of the screen – his shoulders are visible, but the top of his head isn’t. I guess this is technically still an over the shoulder shot, but barely. Eddie is out of focus, just enough there to be a blurry ear. These shots are intimate. This is almost what Eddie is seeing – and actually these shots make it feel like they’re sitting a lot closer than they actually are.

"Until now.” Buck’s entire face (including hair) is in the shot, and we can see Tommy’s shirt. This is the closest/most intimate we get to see him (and Tommy, in reverse). For both sides, they’re very clear over the shoulder shots. Yes, this is intimate – but it is not intimate. A quarter to a third of the screen (esp as the conversation moves on) is dedicated to the other person. Buck is more visually interesting too. He has more colour in his face and his background is more clearly white than in CO, whereas Tommy blends in more with the brown coat rack background (shout-out to @sparklespiff for pointing out that difference while I was trying to figure out why Buck felt more noticeable, btw).

SIDENOTE: I know some posts have already been made about the pictures on Buck’s fridge and Eddie’s mantelpiece, like they seem thematically relevant (or perhaps not yet, but soon). Buck’s walls in general have more pictures on them in S8, which is evident both in Buck’s background and Tommy’s. I am nowhere near talented enough to identify them, but going by their general colour and composition, I believe all of Buck’s wall art pieces are that, art, not family photos.

6. Eddie and Tommy leaving

These scenes have some of the clearest parallels, and of course an incredibly clear difference in how Eddie and Tommy are leaving Buck.

CO: Eddie leaves not because of Buck (well, not technically), but because he has to go do something: “I gotta go talk to Marisol.” Buck is smiling while Eddie gets up and is on his way out. Of course, this is when Eddie stops, turns around, and Buck looks up. In fact, Eddie says “Come here” but he’s the one to walk up to Buck to give him a hug. Buck just stands up from the chair. During the hug, we get shots of both Eddie’s and Buck’s faces, and of course Eddie holding Buck’s shoulder. When Eddie leaves, we hear the door open and shut – the focus stays on Buck.

Again, when Tommy leaves, we only hear the door while the camera cuts to Buck. The show then picks up his response (with the same expression) during his arrival at Eddie’s, where Eddie lets him into his home.

BU: Of course, Tommy has nowhere he needs to go to (hello, return of the failed cinema date) – when he says “I should go” it is because of his conversation with Buck. There’s a medium wide shot of him getting up while Buck looks confused, looking like he’s about to reach out for Tommy – the first time during their conversation. The camera uses a slow dolly to the left, which is when Buck calls back Tommy to ask for clarification: “Did you just break up with me?” Tommy says, “Yeah, I guess I just did.” This has been pointed out before, but they’re clearly not sure. Tommy also says, “Believe me, I didn’t see it coming either.” (Was LFJ speaking from Tommy’s perspective in that interview?). That line is fascinating, actually, because only moments ago, he was incredibly adamant about being Buck’s first, not his last. This feels like a throwback to “Enjoy it while it lasts,” leaving them both overwhelmed/confused.

Look at how similar these shots are! Also, the reason I was adamant about calling these scenes mirrors and not parallels is because Buck and Tommy greet each other with a moment of physical affection (which, as I mentioned before, is incredibly short and barely visible). Eddie wouldn’t have ordinarily but feels it’s important to hug Buck to show him nothing has changed. In terms of meaning and cinematography, their interaction is a lot more substantial and reciprocal. They’re also making sure to leave on good terms – whereas Buck and Tommy meet on good terms, but part essentially as strangers. Buck and Tommy ending the scene like truly feels like an end. Buck and Eddie’s scene feels like a significant shift in their relationship, and for me part of that is a result of Eddie hugging Buck, and shaking up their routine.

7. Miscellany

Just some bits and bobs I couldn’t fit elsewhere in the analysis!

“I like him too. Just not the same way as you.” 7x05 was truly out there foreshadowing 8x06’s “I am not gay.” (I want to do a full 7x04 + 7x05 parallels post at some point, but that’s going to be a fuckload of work and possibly even larger than this post).

Like I pointed out, Buck and Eddie drink beer during their scene (which they often do during their conversations). Buck and Tommy are breaking up without accoutrements. Of course, we know Buck brings over beer to Eddie after the breakup. Because the scenes mirror each other so closely in every other aspect, it feels incredibly poignant: Eddie again fills a role in Buck’s life Tommy should have had. I also figured I’d check their fake brands, and they are different labels. I would assume Buck brought a new flavour, considering Eddie’s looks.

Speaking of continuity, Buck opening the door to Tommy in a sense mirrors Eddie opening the door to Buck at the end of 8x06. The key differences in their cinematography is that during BU, the establishing shot of the entire scene is of the closed door without a peephole shot. When Eddie opens the door, it follows his Risky Business tribute so the door takes up less presence, and even when it’s closed, Buck is clearly visible through the peephole.

Phones clearly are connected to (past) female love interests; Eddie is interacting with Marisol but it’s through text and impersonal – we don’t see the messages, we just hear Eddie complain. On the other hand, Buck is out of contact with Abby but he still treasures that relationship – otherwise he wouldn’t still have those pictures on his phone after 7 years. I guess that’s kind of cute? Idk, I never really liked Abby or how she treated Buck, but Tommy’s speech has turned me into an Abby defender lol

Like Buck, Maddie also stands at the head of the kitchen island during her conversation with Chimney. Chimney’s in the kitchen proper, though, and Maddie walks up to him so they can actually stand face to face and be happy about the new pregnancy together! (I genuinely missed that scene the first time I watched the episode, I was so caught up in the bones of it all SORRY MADNEY I LOVE YOU FOREVER).

8. Final thoughts

I mean. Are we really surprised? I’m not! Actually that’s a lie. I saw the similarities but was shocked at just how close these scenes are in full. However,I do think this scene in particular does a lot to show just how deliberate these parallels between S7 and S8 are (and between S8 and previous seasons in general – we’ve seen similar/near identical cinematography a couple of times now), and how deliberate the parallels are between Eddie and Tommy (who are literally taking up the same position in these two scenes).

And just. The fact it’s the coming out scene between Buck and Eddie, which was about opening up & telling the truth, and it doesn’t change anything (allegedly), versus Buck and Tommy, which is about opening up & telling the truth, which changes everything... it reaffirms how I feel about the coming out scene – this is a major moment of change, and that change is deeply entwined with their respective romantic relationships. AAAAAAAAAAHHH!!

[neeeooon]

Hm hm

As soon as i saw hq master list i spawned here!!

HQ BOYS WITH SO WHO USED TO PLAY VOLLEYBALL, but quit due to injury

ALSO HIII HSISJJ HII ELLEE ELLIIEEE

HIHIIIHI NENSI THANK YOU FOR THE REQUASKK 🫶🫶

when you used to play volleyball

bf hq x gn!reader who quit due to an injury. slight angst in some

kageyama tobio

-> injury smingery. “you can still move your arms, right?” “yeah?” “throw some balls for me to set.” “… bet.”

-> you don’t even think kageyama realized he was saving you by asking you to help him, but losing the chance to play for a team crushed you. getting to touch the ball again, even if it was just to throw for your boyfriend, was enough to drag you out of bed in the morning

-> alas, kageyama indeed wasn’t thinking about much of anything except improving his skill (and maybe spending a little time with you. maybe.)

tanaka ryuunosuke

-> at first he avoided mentioning volleyball around you, as he felt guilty that your career was over while his was just starting to take off. however, once you were out of the hospital, you made a point to stop by the gym to watch him practice every day after school

-> when tanaka missed an easy shot, you whacked the back of his leg with your crutch. “you’re better than that, ryuu! i’m the injured one, so don’t go slacking off on your team!” he beamed at the fact that you touched him before locking in the rest of practice

-> you become a manager-in-training alongside yachi and help teach her all about volleyball plays and phrases. still, your biggest reason to be there is to cheer the team (cough, especially tanaka, cough) on during matches

nishinoya yuu

-> “hey, y/n! can you throw some sets for me?” nishinoya asked when he caught you after class. after breaking your foot, you’d been forced to stop playing volleyball until your cast was removed and your pt was complete, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t throw some balls for him in the meantime

-> you hesitantly accepted, worried you’d lost your touch after not playing for so long. if your sets were lacking in anyway—too long, too low, too weak—nishinoya didn’t point it out

-> he blocked every single one until you eventually ran out, to which he jumped up and kissed your hand to limit your movement. “that was great, babe! if you’re up for it, we could meet here again tomorrow?” you don’t know why you were so happy to hear him ask that

tsukishima kei

-> when you see him play before ever competing against shiratorizawa, it upsets you

-> volleyball was your life until your knee blew out and put a halt on your career. you started dating tsuki before knowing he played, but once you did, you were so excited to watch him with the same vigor you had

-> “why don’t you try? it’s like you don’t even care!” “why would i care? it’s not like i’m ever going to beat those guys.” his nonchalance annoyed you. “volleyball could change your life if you let it.”

-> you watched that moment live, and you actually developed quite the friendship with bokuto due to the similar ways you overreacted :)

yamaguchi tadashi

-> “i’m going to help you serve,” you declared one day after accidentally stumbling across the boy’s volleyball practice. that was how you met tadashi, and you’ve been helping him practice almost every day since

-> you hold up a plastic shop bag from the store your uncle worked at and tell tadashi to focus on it while he serves. “it’s easier for beginners to look at something else to keep them grounded while serving. give it a try!”

-> he asked you after becoming your boyfriend how you knew so much about volleyball, assuming it was your uncle or ukai who taught you. hearing how you had limited range of motion and were banned from playing again after nearly shattering your lower spine in an accident pushed him to work harder for you

-> “i’m gonna be the best setter on our team!” he enthused, and though you didn’t quite believe he meant it, you smiled and encouraged him anyway. “hell yeah, you are!”

[roosterforme]

At Least Twice a Day (Rooster x Reader)

Part of The What If Collection of blurbs for Roo and Baby Girl. My masterlist. Banner by @mak-32

Warnings: language, mentions of smut, mention of injury

You loved having Goose and Carole stay with you and Bradley. His mom always taught you a new recipe, and you could tell how happy it made Bradley to spend time with them. Especially Goose. 

The guys were out walking Tramp after dinner, and you were helping Carole make a cake in your kitchen as you kept pausing to look at your engagement ring which used to be hers. 

"He'll take good care of you," Carole mused out loud as she cracked some eggs. "Not that you can't take care of yourself, of course. But he'll give you anything you need or want. That's just the way he loves you."

Her words made you feel gooey. "That's the way I love him, too."

Your future mother-in-law's beaming smile left you wishing Bradley would return from his walk so you could touch him. You just always wanted to be touching him. "Chocolate frosting?" Carole asked, interrupting your thoughts. 

"Yes. As long as Goose likes that."

She laughed and tossed her head back. "Goose has never meet a food he won't eat."

"Sounds exactly like Bradley."

Once the pretty cake was cooling and the frosting was ready to go on it, the front door opened, and Tramp bounded in ahead of the guys. "It smells good in here," Bradley murmured as he made a beeline to give you a hug. He kissed the top of your head as you snuggled your cheek against him. "Well this is a warm welcome."

"I missed you a little bit," you whispered. You made sure Carole and Goose looked distracted as you said, "You told me you'd make some more time for me all week. I want it real bad." You sent him a little pout just to reinforce things. It was hard to be as intimate as you liked when his parents were visiting.

His response sounded a little stern. "I know. I've been tired. And a little preoccupied. Don't act like you aren't getting it, Baby Girl." You pressed your lips together, because he'd actually taken the time to go down on you this morning before he got dressed. For almost thirty minutes. And it had been really good. "Now what smells so delicious?"

You patted his belly; he was still trying to get in shape again after his horrific accident during his last deployment a few months ago. "I don't think you should eat too much cake, okay. You told me to make sure you were making healthy food choices."

Bradley sighed and said, "If you make it, I'm going to want to eat it." He sounded a little snippy, and you knew it was because he loved his mom's recipes, but you'd stand firm.

"Just one small piece. I'm going to ice the cake, and we can all eat it tomorrow before your parents fly home to Virginia."

"Fine."

------------------------------

Bradley knew you were probably a tiny bit annoyed with him when you excused yourself early to take a shower and get ready for bed. But the cake looked so good, and he wanted to eat it even though he did tell you not to let him have too many sweets. His parents were on the couch watching a movie together when he changed into his gym clothes as he heard you get into the shower. Since he had his weight bench in the garage now, he should be using it every day. 

When he walked into the living room on his way to the kitchen to make a protein shake, he felt two pairs of eyes on him. "What?" he asked, turning toward the couch. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Well..." Carole began, already cluing Bradley in to the fact that this would be an irritating conversation. "We couldn't help but notice that you got a little bit snippy with your fiancée earlier."

"Oh here we go," he muttered in response, running his hand through his hair. "How much did you hear?"

They shared a look before Carole asked, "Are you sure you're pleasing her in the bedroom?"

He froze in place and barked out an annoyed laugh. "We are not having this conversation. Absolutely not."

His dad put a hand on his mom's shoulder, but that didn't stop her. "Oh, yes, we are. We have always been very open about sex, Bradley. It's nothing to be ashamed of!"

Bradley looked at her bright blue eyes before glancing at his dad. It wasn't that he was embarrassed to talk about sex with his parents even though he was well into his thirties, it was more that he wasn't sure how to defend himself right now. "This conversation is not necessary. She was being dramatic."

Carole scoffed in response. "It's not dramatic when you're letting your partner know you need something, Bradley. She's going to be your wife!"

"Yeah," Bradley barked. "And she's already getting it at least twice a day most days!"

Goose choked on his sip of tea. 

"Oh," Carole said softly, but she looked a lot calmer now as Bradley shook his head. "Well, that's good."

"Mmhmm," he hummed sarcastically with his hands planted on his hips. "I am fucking my fiancée regularly. She's plenty satisfied. She just likes being a brat. But thank you for your concern." He turned toward the kitchen, nearly forgetting what he was planning on doing in the first place. "Jesus," he grumbled as he grabbed his protein powder. "The fucking audacity."

------------------------

When you woke up the next morning, Bradley was still sound asleep, so you made your way to the kitchen to start breakfast for the four of you. The coffee was brewing, and you were collecting ingredients for some pancake batter when you froze. Half of the cake was gone. "What the fuck?" you gasped, and that's when you saw Bradley walk in. "You ate the cake."

He frowned at you. "No, I didn't."

"You did!" you accused. "It's half eaten! You ate it out of spite!"

Bradley raised one eyebrow and asked, "Are you serious right now?"

You spun when you heard Goose clear his throat, and you turned to see that Carole couldn't even look you in the eye for some reason. "Good morning," she said as she reached for a mug. "Goose has something he needs to tell you."

"I ate the cake," he said. "It was delicious. I had one piece, and then I couldn't stop eating it. And then the next thing I knew, half of it was gone."

"Oh," you replied softly. "Well, that's okay. Why don't we just finish the cake for breakfast?"

"That sounds lovely," Carole replied, barely meeting your eyes. 

You took a deep breath and turned toward Bradley. "I'm sorry, Roo. You can have a much cake as you want, I shouldn't have told you not to eat it."

He leaned in closer and whispered, "I'll have a little slice, Sweetheart. And I'm sorry I haven't been as attentive this week as I usually am. If you want me to fuck you nearly constantly, you know I will."

"Shhh," you hissed. "Your mom is already barely looking at me right now!"

Bradley laughed as his parents took the cake and coffee into the dining room. "That's because I told her you're a needy little thing who wants me balls deep inside her all the time."

"You did what?!"

[deluforlulu]

Soon You'll Get Better

Summary: Luigi comforts you during a hospital visit to have an iron infusion

Word count: 2,206 words

Pure fluff and perhaps the sappiest fic I've ever written.

It had been a few weeks now since your anemia diagnosis. The signs were all there and your boyfriend, Luigi, had been the first to show any notice. Your fair skin was paler than normal and mysterious bruises started to appear on your body. When the two of you went to the gym to work out, you had to cut your exercises short due to you feeling short of breath and as if your heart was going to pound out of your chest. Every activity in general though seemed to take a lot out of you. Not even caffeine helped. You just wanted to sleep. 

After much encouragement from Luigi, you gave in and decided to go to your doctor for some blood tests. To your shock, it turned out that you only had a ferritin of five! Your doctor had even commented that he didn’t know how you were leading a normal life with such a low ferritin level. Almost immediately after the anemia diagnosis, your doctor had put in an order for you to get an iron infusion. Iron pills weren’t an option at this point. It would take several months for your levels to go up if you were to go that route. The doctor wanted immediate results and so did you.

It was a Sunday when Luigi drove you up to the hospital for the infusion. He had the heater on to keep the car toasty enough for your comfort and some music softly playing on the radio. You could feel him sneaking some concerned glances at you as you gazed out the window, observing the people and buildings that you passed by on the drive there. “You okay baby?” he asked, bringing you out of your thoughts. You turned and tried to give him the best smile that you could to reassure him. “Yeah, Lu. Why?” you asked. “I don’t know. You’ve been quiet most of the ride here. So, I just wanted to check.” he replied before taking your hand, wrapping his fingers around it gently.

 A genuine smile came onto your face this time as you felt his fingers delicately caressing your palm. “Yeah, I’m okay. I just don’t know what to expect I guess” you replied as you intertwined your fingers with his. “It’ll be okay. You’re in good hands, you know? The doctors won’t let anything happen to you and neither will I.” he responded before looking right at you, giving you that usual ethereal smile of his. 

Your heart warmed at just the sight and you remembered again just how much you loved this man. “I love you” you told him softly. You hoped he knew it too. Guilt had washed over you lately as you had worried that he thought you were taking him for granted. You had a tendency to push others away when you were going through something as trying as this and you had found yourself doing it with Luigi. He never seemed phased by it though and only pushed his way in to be there for you. He had taught you what it was like to be truly loved. “I love you too, y/n” he replied, kissing the top of your hand while you were at a stop light.

A heavy exhale slipped from your mouth after he had parked the car in the hospital parking lot. The medical anxiety that you have had for over a month washed over you while you viewed the large, gray building. “Lu, I don’t wanna do this. I-I can’t.” you declared, your voice cracking. You made the mistake of going online a few days before the infusion, discovering that it was possible to have an allergic reaction. Even anaphylaxis. You wished you never did as the possibility had been sitting in the back of your mind ever since then. Luigi turned to face you in the car, putting his strong hand on your cheek to get you to focus into the void of his honey brown eyes. “Y/n, yes you can. I know you can. Look how much you’ve been through already. This is just 45 minutes of your day then we can go. Also…” he drifted off. 

Your eyes followed his movements as you watched him reach over the driver’s seat, grabbing a bag. “I brought this for you. I put a coloring book in here and some colored pencils. I also brought a blanket and sweater in here in case you get cold. See? You’ll have a distraction now.” he explained. Your eyes widened in surprise at the sweet gesture, not knowing what to say at first. “When did you do this?” you asked him. “When you were in the shower before we left” he replied, giving you another charming smile. You giggled, leaning him to kiss his lips. “This is so cute babe” you said, looking down to see his UPenn sweater sitting at the top of the bag. He leaned in this time and captured your lips in another kiss, savoring the moment for a while. “You got this y/n. I know it. Now let’s go.” he told you.

After making it up to the 5th floor of the hospital, Luigi and you were escorted from the waiting room and into a small, white room with a curtain. He sat right beside you in a nearby chair while the nurses moved swiftly to check your vitals and insert the IV into your arm. Although you tried your hardest to remain composed, your vitals showed quite the opposite with a raised heart rate and blood pressure. The nurses were also struggling to place an IV as you appeared so nervous that your veins kept spasming.They left temporarily after removing the previous IV to get some new equipment, leaving you with Luigi. He has his fingers wrapped around your arm that you had laid out on the arm of the chair, tracing random patterns along it. 

The action soothed you, but you were starting to feel a little nauseous just now. It was no wonder though. You had not had anything to eat since you woke up. Just then, a nurse had opened the curtain, prepared to try another IV on the opposite arm with the new equipment that she had required. To your luck, this one managed to be successful. Finally, the two of you were in silence, minus the faint hums of the infusion monitor. Your arm felt stiff from all of the tape wound around to secure the needle inside it. Luigi leaned forward, resting his toned arms on his knees as he reached out, caressing your leg. “How are you feeling baby? Anything I can do?” he asked. 

You groaned softly. “Nauseous” you replied, looking down with your eyes closed as you tried to center yourself. Your boyfriend’s broad shoulders stiffened as he straightened his stance. “From the infusion?’ he asked you. “I don’t think so. I just..I didn’t eat anything before we left for the hospital” you confess. Luigi’s thick eyebrows furrowed as he carefully cupped your chin and tilted your head up, looking at you with worry. “Y/n, you need to eat. Your body needs the fuel” he spoke. “Yeah, I know. I just felt stressed for the infusion and was not very hungry.” You sheepishly responded even though you knew he was not actually scolding you. He playfully made a tsking noise and reached into the bag he prepared, bringing out a snack pack of peanut butter and crackers. “And this is exactly why I brought these. I know you well, don’t I?” he smirked, causing your cheeks to become a tint of pink as you smiled. “Yeah yeah” you replied, feigning annoyance with your tone.

Luigi walked over to the chair he was in and moved it so that he was sitting in front of you now, taking a cracker out of the plastic baggie to feed you. You slightly leaned forward, taking a bite out of the cracker he was holding. You giggled after a moment from how endearing the act of Luigi feeding you was. “Lulu, you don’t have to feed me. I have hands” you teased him. You reached to take the cracker from him and froze when the infusion monitor made a loud beeping noise. 

A nurse came in shortly after the beeping started and pushed a few buttons on the monitor to halt the beeping. “All better now. The monitor can be a little sensitive to movement. So, just be careful” she politely told you before leaving the room. Luigi turned back to you, giving you a satisfied look. “Looks like I got my wish. I’m gonna have to feed you.” he stated. You jokingly rolled your eyes, but complied and sat there comfortably while he fed you the peanut butter and crackers. 

Once you felt satiated enough, Luigi tucked away the plastic bag.”Need anything else baby? Water? Are you warm enough?” he asked. You smiled with your eyes half lidded shut from exhaustion, heart fluttering.You looked at him admiringly, running a hand through his thick, dark curls. “You’re such a golden retriever” you teased him. He tilted his head to the side and grinned. “Golden retriever?.. What?..” he asked you, perplexed. “Yeah, you know. Golden retriever energy. Loyal, attentive, positive. It’s a good thing” you assured him and leaned in, tenderly kissing him. He returned the kiss, smiling against your lips. “Mm, you know me. I just like taking care of you” he explained between kisses. 

After the infusion was over, you felt silly for being so worried. Overall, you felt fine minus an ache in both of your legs. According to the hospital staff though, that was to be expected. Once you arrived at the apartment Luigi and you shared, that was when the true fatigue had consumed you. Your legs felt like jelly while you changed out of your day clothes and switched into a silky tank top and matching pair of shorts you wear to bed. A soft moan escaped your lips once you closed your eyes and felt the blankets of the bed consume you like a cloud.

Your eyes flitted open after about an hour of sleep and you looked up, seeing Luigi walking into the room. He smiled as soon as he saw that you were awake. He was in a pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt that he frequently wore to bed. You could tell that he must have gotten out of the shower from how his wet hair was clinging to his neck in heavy, glistening strands. “Hey princess” he greeted as he towered over you. "Mm, come to bed baby” you responded with a hand around his wrist, eyes barely open.

A lazy smile spread across your face when you felt the weight of the bed shift as he got into bed with you, scooping you up into his side. You fit into him perfectly like a missing piece. His skin was still warm from the shower and he smelled like the familiar zest of his cologne. His heartbeat steadily thumped beneath you as he landed a kiss to your forehead. “Mm..Can we stay like this forever?” you muffled against his chest. A genuine laugh reverberated off his chest at your question. “Sounds good to me..and do what?” he asked, amused. You shrugged as another smile teased at your laps. “I don’t care. Whatever. As long as it’s me and you and we don’t leave this bed” you declared, earning another laugh from him. “I could get used to that real fast” he purred.

You lifted your head and saw that he was starting to fall asleep. He looked so peaceful with his eyes closed and lips pursed together. His long lashes fanned out finely against his cheeks. “Lu?” you whispered. “Hmm?” he asked, opening one eye to look at you. “I just wanted to say thank you.. Like not just for today, but everything. You take care of me better than anyone else ever has” you answered, pressing a kiss into the nape of his neck. He smiled down at you, running a hand through your hair. “What brought this on?” he asked. “I don’t know. I worry you think I take it for granted cause I can push you away when I’m stressed out. I hope you know that I don’t and that I’m always here for you too.” you emphasized. He cradled the back of your head and leaned in, kissing you deeply. 

“Y/n, I know. You’re silly. Don’t worry. I don’t ask for anything in return either. I just want you to be happy and to know that I love you. That’s all I care about.” he assured you. “I love you too” you returned, giving him another passionate kiss. With those words, the two of you fell into a comfortable silence. The world outside faded out as you drifted into a deep slumber with Luigi, his arm snaked around your waist and holding you against him. Life could be hard and throw some of its toughest battles at you. As long as you had each other though, nothing could truly break you.

[rizzanon]

childhood friend! Shinichiro Sano

part 1 (here) | part 2

childhood friend! Shinichiro whom you meet for the first time when you were both 8 years old at the playground, wondering why he was standing ontop of the jungle gym, looking at the distance

"Why are you standing up there?"

" 'cuz the view is nice!"

"....Weirdo.."

"H-Hey!"

childhood friend! Shinichiro whom you meet again a few weeks later at his grandfather's dojo where your parents signed you up for some taekwondo classes for self defense

"What are you doing here, weirdo?"

"Hey! I'm no weirdo! And this is my grandfather's place okay? I'm allowed to be here anytime I want!"

"Woahh, your grandfather's the teacher? That's cool!"

"I know right?!"

childhood friend! Shinichiro whom you become friends with over the next few days, watching him miserably fail to show off execute the moves his grandfather taught him to you

"HAHAHAH! You suck at this, y'know."

"Shut up! You don't have to tell me something I already know."

"At this rate, I can beat you easily in a spar..!"

"In your dreams!"

childhood friend! Shinichiro who introduces you to his only other friend, Takeomi, and the two of you hit it off very well (much to Shinichiro's dismay)

"I didn't think Shin had other friends."

T- "Neither did I, I thought he made you up."

"H-Hey! What's with this mockery!!?"

childhood friend! Shinichiro who ends up going to the same middle school and high school as you much to his delight

"You better stop slacking and start putting in effort in your studies Shin!"

"What are you, my mother?"

-smacks his head-

"Ouch! Okay, okay! I get it!"

childhood friend! Shinichiro who hates the fact that his siblings (Manjiro and Emma) love you as much as he does

"Seriously?? I can't believe you all are ganging up on me like this...!—Fake sobs—My very own siblings..."

"It's your fault that I'm just better, heheh."

E- "Yeah! She's way kinder to us that you are, Shin!"

"What?? But I'm always nice to you both too!"

M- "Plus, she always buys us our favourite snacks too!!"

"Bribery at it's finest... I can't believe this.."

childhood friend! Shinichiro who always goes to you to get treated whenever he's injured after fighting with other people

"Let me guess, you got into another fight again?"

"Ding ding ding! You guessed correct! Too bad there's no prize."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny Shin. Why don't you go and see an actual doctor to get your injuries treated?"

"Why would I do that when I have you who'll fix me up every time?"

childhood friend! Shinichiro who always goes to your class during lunch break to find you whenever he forgets to bring his own bento (was it on purpose? you don't know), knowing that you always make extra for him just in case

"Well, well, well, look who decides to forget to bring his bento for the third time this week?"

"Heheh, about that..."

"Don't worry, I made extra food for you."

"Aww, so you do care about me."

"Don't push it, Shin."

childhood friend! Shinichiro who worries that his rising reputation as a delinquent might bring down your reputation as well

"Are you sure you still want to be friends with me? I get it if you don't want to-"

"I already told you, I don't care what people think about me. What matters is what you think of me. That's all."

"...."

"Besides, who else will treat your wounds other than me, hm?"

childhood friend! Shinichiro who begs asks you to ride with him on his bike, promising you that he would keep you safe

"You want me to what??!"

"Come on...! Ride with me just this once! I promise you won't fall off."

"If I die, the blame's on you."

"Wha- You won't die! And I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

childhood friend! Shinichiro who introduces you to his other two friends in Black Dragons, Wakasa and Benkei, hoping you'd feel more reassured about him leading a gang and being a delinquent after meeting his closest friends

B- "Woah, didn't know you had a girl, Shin. Who's she?"

"What?"

W- "Let's be real, Shin can't flirt for his life."

"Hey! That's rude! I so have game."

"Game of a rock, you mean."

"Oi!"

childhood friend! Shinichiro who finds solace in you after every time he gets rejected by a girl he asks out much to your dismay (this was the 20th time)

"I don't get it. What am I doing wrong??!"

"It's simple. You're the problem."

"Rude... but seriously, why won't any girl date me? I'm certainly not that bad of a boyfriend if they gave me a chance...!"

"Well firstly, do you even have any interest in any of those girls you asked out? How do you even move on so easily?!?"

"If you put it like that... no, not really. I just want to date someone for the highschool experience y'know..!"

-smacks his head-

"Ouch!"

"No wonder no girl ever takes your confession seriously. Plus, your hair is so gelled up, no girl's gonna like that... Once a weirdo, always a weirdo."

childhood friend! Shinichiro who listens to your advice, and stops using gel as often as he used to on his hair, sometimes leaving his hair down to find out what you'd say about it

"You didn't put gel on your hair today?"

"Nope, I was kind of in a rush today, haha.."

"Well... you look... better like this, if I'm being honest."

"R-Really??"

"Yeah, keep this up and someday, a girl might accept your confession."

childhood friend! Shinichiro who tells you about the rumors he's been hearing around the school, about how many of the students thought you and him were dating and how he wasn't so opposed to the idea of that

"Wait, seriously?? People think we're dating?!?"

"My reaction exactly. I can't believe they think we're dating!"

"Not that I would mind that though..."

"Hm? What did you say?"

"??! You're hearing things, Shin. I didn't say anything at all..."

Part 2

m.list

[crucifyjonnie]

♡ Assassin!Mattheo - First meeting

Summary: Mattheo got assigned the mission to end you, and he would find you at every price. But what he didn’t know was that you already knew about him.

Warnings: mentions of violence, dark themes, blood, stalking

Mattheo held the photo of you in his hand, studying your features thoroughly. Your coffee-colored locks falling down your shoulders, crystal clear eyes that could make any man drown. Sharp jaw, plump lips, and a small button nose. A beautiful creature, but he had been taught they were the most dangerous. Charming with their looks, devil in their soul.

For weeks he had been studying you, tracing your every step during the day. Keeping himself in the shadows to not be seen, keeping a distance between the two of you. He made sure to know your exact locations during the day, tracking down where you lived, where you worked, what gym you went to. Keeping the time of when you woke up in the morning, when you went to work, when you had lunch, when you got off work. He followed you to the gym, kept tracking what you trained. He had it all written down and made sure he wouldn’t miss a single damn detail.

Tonight was the night. The night where he was supposed to take your life, the night where he would see your blood pool around your feet, the night when he was going to witness life leaving your eyes. 

Mattheo pulled on his black cargo pants, together with his black leather holster. A pitch-black, tight t-shirt clothing his tense torso. He pulled on a black zip hoodie, pulling up the hood to cover his head. 

He looked at himself in the mirror, running his hand through his locks. Adjusting his holster, he placed a gun with a silencer  together with five throwing knives. His eyes still locked with his reflection, he picked up a throwing knife and spun it around his finger before putting it back in the holster together with the other four. 

Somehow, a strange feeling pooled in Mattheo’s stomach this night. Usually, he was never nervous going on his missions. But this time, it felt different. It was something with you, something with the picture of you, something with the way you were. Somehow, it didn’t feel right. He shook the feeling quickly and went out the front door. 

Walking down the pavement, Mattheo kept his mind on the one thing he had to do tonight, and then he saw you. And you saw him. Eyes locking for the shortest of seconds before you disappeared into the shadows. Mattheo followed shortly after, trying to comprehend the small and first interaction the two of you had ever had. You couldn’t know about him, could you?

Mattheo found himself in a dark, old, abandoned warehouse. He looked around but couldn’t see you. Only your footsteps echoing in the dirt of the empty warehouse walls. Mattheo looked around but couldn’t see even a glimpse of you in the shadows. 

“Mattheo… Riddle? Correct?” 

Mattheo’s eyes widened, twisting and turning his head. He could still hear your footsteps on the dirty floor, circling around him in the shadows. 

“You didn’t think I knew, did you? To be fair, you’re not so subtle when you stalk people. I’ve known your presence for the last few weeks.” 

Exasperation grew like a knot in Mattheo’s stomach. The thought of you knowing he had kept track of you all this time was damn near bewildering. It felt almost like a bad joke, and he couldn’t understand how he could’ve missed something like this.

“And if you have known all this time, why haven’t you done anything to prevent it?” Mattheo’s voice was firm. He felt calm, though the uncomfortable feeling of you knowing about him still lingered.

“Because… Where would the fun in that be?” Your voice was still echoing between the walls. You stood in the shadows, having Mattheo right where you wanted him. You aimed your gun towards him; the bullet would hit right in the middle of his forehead. But then he spoke again, and you lowered your gun.

“Yeah, you’re right. Where would the fun in that be? Bet you love the thrill, don’t you?” Mattheo’s voice took on a taunting tone. “Like you wanted to be followed.”

You furrowed your brows, shaking your head. Not in his wildest dreams could he believe in his own words. But right then and there, a throwing knife flew right beside your head, cutting your cheek, if only so slightly. With the tips of your fingers, you wiped away the blood. But when you looked up again, Mattheo was gone. Your blood ran cold in your veins because now you knew he had turned the tables, and with a sudden pull, he dragged you out of the shadows and into the middle of the room. 

“If we’re going to play this kind of game, we’ll play it fair.” Mattheo’s eyes bore into yours. You had only seen him from a distance before, except for the photos you had of him. But his features? Oh, he was handsome; his chestnut hair, his deep dark eyes, sharp jawline. You two weren’t so different from each other––both had experience in the same field, assassins. But it didn’t seem like Mattheo knew about that. 

You stood in the middle, and Mattheo circled around you like a wolf ready to eat its prey. His eyes roamed up and down your body, but his eyes were glued to the cut on your cheek. He reached his fingers to the cut, tracing it with his fingertips. “Such a shame…” he said with a low and husky voice, though a smirk tugged on his lips. “What is?”

Mattheo leaned into your ear, moving a strand of hair before whispering, “That I have to kill you.”

© cvrcingjonnie 2025. Please do not copy, translate or repost any of my works. Reblogs, likes and comments are welcomed though ♡ you are accountable for your own media consumption.

[1d1195]

Ding - Round 4

Read Ding here | ~4.7k words

Warnings: angst, fluff

From me: Sorry for the delay. Honestly, might be for the best. I know this is a little shorter but I think it will help spread out some of the plot points I have planned for parts 5 and part 6. I think it might be a little rush but I promise hope it will be worth it.

Summary: Cupcake wants a proper date. Harry wants a Cupcake for dessert.

Harry was fresh out of college when he took out a loan and bought the gym. It was a steal, an investment, and exactly what he wanted to do. He didn’t have a lot of staff—in fact, Harry taught a lot of classes, cleaned the showers and toilets as much as possible. He got Niall and Louis to help as well. Once he was settled a little more, he got his college roommate, Mitch and his girlfriend Sarah to help as well. His own little family. Niall managed it most of the time and while he still liked to teach classes and train with Louis, he hired a few more staff members (and honestly? Even though he hired a few custodians, he didn’t mind cleaning the bathroom every now and again). His family was his life and he tried to maintain a proper balance which required a certain number of employees.

But adding in the sweet girl that dinged his car threw him for a bit of a loop. A good loop.

Louis was insistent he focus more on his training. Any time not spent teaching classes or going over the paperwork in his office was spent training for his big fight. He was going to be boxing a guy from a few towns over; someone also undefeated. It was being publicized as their own state’s match of the century. Harry didn’t care truthfully about it. He just wanted to remain undefeated. Harry was competitive and he would rather never box again than lose his undefeated record. The added bonus of Driven getting more publicity wasn’t a bad part of the deal either.

Truthfully, the part where he might win $100,000 was also a bigger influence on him than he was willing to let on. The fame of the fight had sponsors and publicity, and more good stuff for him than he wanted to believe he could have.

Harry wanted to give his niece a substantial chunk of money to kickstart her college fund. But even still, he would have plenty to give her and then he would consider, finally, purchasing a house—which seemed silly because he nearly lived at Driven and if he wasn’t at Driven, he was at his mum’s...or Gemma’s with the baby.

But that pretty girl with an apron and sprinkles had him thinking about all kinds of future things. Like a house with a fence. A garden that they could have picnics in during the summer with a dog that needed to be walked two times a day but didn’t mind lounging with them among the flowers while they read. A massive kitchen where she would bake cupcakes for their little ones when they had birthday parties and—

No, he just wanted to win.

Maybe if he had lost at some point in his career he would have felt differently. But the “0” in the loss column made him cocky. He was good, and he knew it. Harry was smiling at his phone, a picture of his sweet niece smiling for the camera while he went over the bills for the current month. There was a knock right outside his office.

“Hey,” Niall smirked. “Your class is about to begin.” Harry was dreading it. They had chatted a lot more and gotten a lot closer than they previously were, but the class made him irrationally angry. Maybe it was the space and just knowing why she was there, that had him so grumpy. “Thought you would want to see her,” Niall murmured when he didn’t respond and also looked like someone pissed in his cereal.

He sighed, putting the bills into a folder for later. He thought about taking them home and dealing with them while he watched a show before bed. Since he’d been teaching her self-defense moves, he found himself riled and angrier than normal—especially after her class. It made it difficult to focus on bills and his calendar when she was there feeling unsafe. “Course I want t’see her,” he mumbled.

Harry stepped out of his office and headed to the room with Louis. She and Louis stood close together speaking quietly, like two old friends. She was smiling brightly, looking adorable as ever. Her T-shirt was bright blue. It said A Pinch of Sprinkles across the back and was littered with sprinkles like rain over the design. Louis caught Harry’s eye and then tilted his head toward him. She turned to face him. It was like a reflex and her smile was so bright, Harry couldn’t help but feel better than he did when Niall alerted him about the class. He felt all the anxiety and frustration leave his body and he headed over to her.

“Hey, Cupcake,” he put a hand on her arm gently giving it a friendly squeeze. “How was your day?” He asked.

She smiled in return. “Good, relaxing. I went to visit my dad.”

He thought so. He may or may not have spent his lunch hour being creepy and noted that her car wasn’t in the parking lot near A Pinch of Sprinkles. Nor was it there when he drove by in the morning on his way to the gym...and if he ran his four-mile cardio workout outside rather than on the treadmill to see her car still wasn’t there right around the four o’clock shift change then who would really know?

“S’nice,” he smiled. “How is he?” He asked.

She hesitated ever so slightly that if Harry wasn’t so focused on her, he might not have noticed. But before he could ask more about it, she simply nodded. “Good,” she offered. Harry needed to remember to circle back to that when they were alone. He wanted to know more about her family and why she seemed so guarded at times.

Which reminded him of what he really wanted to talk to her about. “Hey, Cupcake, would you want to—”

“Alright, let’s get started everybody!”

Harry was looking forward to ���accidentally” punching Louis tomorrow during his training session. He sighed. “Stay a minute after class?” Harry asked and headed toward the front of the room.

“Since this is the second to last class, we always offer to have a bit of a celebratory send off the final class if you are interested,” Louis said knowingly. Harry was looking at the floor, then picked the lint off his pants. The grumpiness he felt with Niall returned rapidly. There seemed to be a long pause while the group decided if they wanted to celebrate next week. “Oh, thank God, love,” Louis sighed causing everyone to laugh. “You don’t want Harry or I baking for the masses.”

“I can make cupcakes,” she promised with a giggle.

Harry looked up realizing she was offering her kindness to a bunch of strangers, bonded through their own traumas and the need to feel empowered because of it. His lips curled into a smile. Even though he was still a bit frustrated. It was kind of her to offer. He wasn’t surprised. Someone that worked with sugar that much had to be sweet.

“Can you make the chocolate chip ones?” Someone asked.

“The blueberry lemon ones are my favorite, it’s a shame they’re a summer flavor.”

“I can...” she laughed lightly, and Harry felt so warmed by the sound; all the frustration he felt melting off him. “I can make a list before we leave.”

Harry truly thought there was no one sweeter.

It killed him she was in this class learning to protect herself. Especially now that he knew why. But as mad as it made him, he was so happy to see her. Having her in the class was just more time he got to look at her and note how beautiful she was. Her strength, her resilience, all these qualities he instantly admired as he got to know her more and more. That first night where she dented Clay seemed like ages ago, not months. He was wound around her finger, and he didn’t care.

They went through the moves they learned the weeks prior and discussed more scenarios. Harry had Louis help her more when she needed it. Frankly, it was too hard for him to do it without getting irrationally angry. “You want t’make sure you’re continuing t’practice these moves even after the lessons end,” Harry told the group as their time was ending for the night.

“So, we should be fighting our significant others over the dishes?” Someone called from the back of the room. It caused everyone to laugh once more, and Harry chuckled.

“No, not what I would suggest,” he snickered and even though there were at least fifteen other people in the room, Harry could pick out her giggle among everyone else’s.

“We’ve discussed a lot of reflexive moves and how a lot of the fight back instincts that take over don’t always help you get away,” Louis continued. Harry’s face returned to its neutral position. Although if she was asked, it was one of the sourest expressions she saw on him. But she was intently listening to Louis repeat the spiel once more. “Remember that’s your goal: to get away and find help as quickly as you can and as safely as you can.”

Harry didn’t dare look at her.

*

She stood next to Sarah’s desk taking down orders for their celebration the next week. It was a long list. Harry wasn’t a baker nor the owner of a bakery, but he knew that if they came to her store, it would have cost a pretty penny to sell all that was listed on her slip of paper.

“I can pay for it,” Harry offered coming to stand in front of her.

“Oh God, no. Don’t you dare,” she smiled and shook her head. “You’ve made all of us feel so safe and so empowered. It’s the least I can do—besides, it’s almost blueberry lemon season so I need to practice anyway,” her shrug was casual as she crossed out different parts of her list and added tallies to the other parts. “Maeve and I can handle it. I usually end up giving the leftovers to a homeless shelter anyway, or the nearby nursing home.”

Harry wondered if she was magic. Made of flour and sugar herself that was dipped into all her treats at that bakery and decorated with a pinch of sprinkles. There was simply no one as sweet as her. He was certain.

She watched as Harry’s eyes softened around the edges as she spoke. It felt warm and nice to look at Harry so intensely. He was so handsome and so kind to her. No one had made her feel so safe in ages. Not even Louis who propped her hands and feet into their proper positions and told her how to execute a stomp to someone’s instep.

“Cupcake, do you want to—”

“I’m sorry, Harry, one second,” she held her hand up toward him and turned her attention to a girl from their class. “Did you say Jack?” She asked.

Harry tilted his head curiously but watched as the recognition on the girl’s face blinked in surprise. “Uh...yeah?” She held her phone out to show a picture. Harry watched as her whole body stiffened and she glanced away. “Why?”

She bit the inside of her lip. “Look, I don’t want to prevent you from having a nice time, but he tried to force me back to his place. I would feel horribly guilty if I didn’t tell you. Maybe it was just a me thing. But I think I would like to know ahead of time. He’s why I’m here, taking lessons,” she looked at her pleadingly. “One girl to another,” she offered. “That’s all I want to say. I’ll mind my business now.”

The girl looked back and forth at her then the phone curiously. Her friend was silent.

Harry was shaking again. His hands clenched into fists. He saw the picture of him. He tried to place him in her bakery the other day and couldn’t identify where he was. Harry stalked off toward the back room without another word to her or the other ladies.

His focus was on making his way for the punching bag as quickly as he could to release the stress and anger he felt. He didn’t get to hear the rest of the conversation, nor did he want to. He hoped that girl took her advice and didn’t go out with him. It would serve that sorry excuse for a man right, and of course, most importantly, keep her safe. Harry would lose his mind if he found out he hurt someone else the way he hurt his sweet sprinkle girl.

His breath was a series of uneven pants. Not the regulated breathing he practiced while he trained with Louis. His emotions and frustrations clouded his head taking over instinctively. When he finally ran out of breath with one final punch he stopped, held the punching bag, and rested his forehead against it trying to relax his breathing.

Softly, she cleared her throat. Harry blinked, his eyes opened and turned to the sound. “Sorry,” she whispered. He steadied the swaying bag and looked at her, his eyes intense and as focused on her as ever. “I know you...” she sighed. “I had to tell her.”

He nodded. “I know.”

She paused awkwardly standing in the doorway. “I’m okay,” she offered. “Actually... I’ve learned at least five ways to incapacitate you to get to the front and tell Sarah to call 911,” she smiled weakly hoping it would make him smile.

It didn’t.

Biting the inside of her lip, she felt a wave of anxiety come over her. He was too mad right now. She should have just left. “Do you want the raspberry filled?” He continued to stare at her. Unspeaking, unmoving. Her heart felt sad that he didn’t want to talk to her any longer. “Um... okay... I guess... I’ll see you around, then, Harry.”

It felt like he was holding his breath until that moment and then released it as if all the air in his lungs had been there since the day, he met her and whooshed out of him for a good thirty seconds. “Cupcake,” he murmured running a hand over his face. She turned back, stood far away from him as she could without being in the other room. “I’ve been trying t’ask you on a date all night—well, for days really. And... s’jus’ not the right time—never the right time. We keep getting pulled into other conversations. Or training or your timers for cookies. Then m’mad or m’tired or—”

“Yes,” she whispered.

Harry stopped speaking. This time he thought he had stopped breathing altogether. “Yes, what?” He asked.

“I would love to go on a date with you,” she answered. Her cheeks were pink—he could see how flushed she was by the concept.

“You would?”

“I’m glad you’ve been doing the repeating lately,” she smiled.

“Are you sure, Cupcake?” He ignored her joke. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable; and I know I’ve been a lot... Plus your last—”

She closed the space between the two of them and pressed her lips to his cheek. He tasted like salt from the sweat that poured over him throughout the day. He was in desperate need of a shower. “I would really like to go out with you, Harry,” she repeated softly. “Whenever you want.”

Harry swore his heart skipped a beat. “Yeah?”

She nodded, still smiling. “I would really like that,” she promised. Harry sighed with relief.

“Tomorrow? I’d like to take you t’dinner,” he offered.

She nodded. “I would also like that,” it was the happiest she ever felt in her whole life.

The guilt of it was overwhelming.

“Good night, kitten,” he cooed softly.

“Night, Harry,” she headed for the door again. Harry watched, smiling after her as she turned in the doorway. She leaned against it, her hand pressed to the frame, and she tilted her head against it. “You’re going to kiss me, right? After our proper date?”

Her smile was so pretty, Harry felt light-headed. “I hope so, Cupcake.”

*

Harry did kiss her.

In fact, he kissed her so much they didn’t even have dinner at the restaurant. He could hardly stand how pretty she looked he couldn’t leave her doorway when she opened it. She had spent the better part of an hour fixing her hair into a perfect style rather than the stringy, rainy mess he saw the day he met her. Or the way her hair was almost always up and out of her face to deal with baked goods. She put on extra makeup too. She felt beautiful—but Harry’s reaction made her feel... gorgeous.

He put a hand over his heart and smiled, stepping back a pace to take in how beautiful she looked. She laughed at his dramatics. “Wow,” he tapped his hand over his heart. “I thought y’were beautiful with the apron and sprinkles.” She laughed; her pretty cheeks turned pink. He put his hand against the top of the doorframe and leaned in toward her.  “M’not going t’make it through dinner, Cupcake,” he shook his head. “Can I kiss you now?” His eyes were soft.

“Now?” She whispered back.

He nodded his eyes focused on her lips. “Repeating again?”

“What about dinner?”

“I’ll take y’after.”

Honestly, she didn’t think there would be an after if they didn’t go now. Harry looked unbelievably good. He wore a pair of dress pants and she had only ever seen him in sweats and shorts. Those did things to her heart that she didn’t know the dress pants would do. His button down was tucked into his pants, and he looked like he was ready for an interview. He was so handsome.

“I’m pretty hungry now,” she told him, her eyes dancing flirtatiously.

“Me too,” he answered and leaned closer. His forehead rested against hers. She could feel the exhale of his breath against her skin. “May I kiss you, Cupcake?” He asked. She nodded breathlessly. He shook his head. Rested a hand on her waist and pulled her closer to him. “You have t’say it, kitten,” he encouraged softly. “M’not messing around with this,” he assured her. “I’ll give y’anything y’want, but y’have t’say it,” his voice was so gravelly and low she felt it in every inch of her nervous system. She shivered involuntarily and nodded again.

“Please kiss me,” she whispered so quietly he barely heard her.

But he did hear her. Harry would give her anything she wanted so he pressed his mouth over hers, and it felt like he was supposed to kiss her. The way her lips felt against his, the exhale of her breath against his skin. It all felt so perfect. His hands rested on her hips, and he tugged her closer to him, so she pressed snuggly against his body. Her hands came up to the sides of his neck, her fingertips curling to the back of his head and sliding into his hair.

“Your hair is so soft,” she whispered when they broke apart for air. Harry chuckled and kissed her again, his lips slotting between hers and he brought an arm around her back leaning toward her, so she tilted back just so slightly. “Can we go inside?” She whispered.

“Do you want me inside?” He asked against her lips.

She nodded quickly. “Very much.” Harry didn’t break from her lips to push her inside the doorway. She slipped out of her shoes; shoes Harry didn’t even get to look at because he was so distracted by how much he wanted to kiss her he couldn’t take in the rest of her and how pretty she looked. He took a moment now to note her dress, all black with some buttons and a tie sinched around her waist. It fell to just below her knee but left room through the slit for him to see part of her thigh.

She was stunning.

“God, Cupcake, you’re so beautiful,” he murmured went back to kissing her. His hands roamed over her waist making her insides turn to mush wherever he touched her. She shivered again letting her tongue run over his lower lip as he kissed her. He groaned into her mouth. Her hands held onto his belt loops, tugging him closer to her. She could feel the way their kiss was affecting him. It made her want more to feel his arousal.

“Can I...?” She swallowed pulling from his lips and her hand started for the front of his pants.

“Oh fuck,” he croaked.

“I...” she looked at him nervously. He made consent sound so sexy but she felt stupid for asking.

“Yes,” he nodded firmly. “Whatever y’want, Cupcake, m’all yours.”

For whatever reason she thought of Niall saying how Harry was whipped for her when they hardly knew each other. He called Harry her boyfriend and now she wanted to take his belt off and rip his pants off.

Was it too fast? She didn’t let Jack take her home and she knew him about as much as she knew Harry at the time. Was she overreacting? How could he ruin this moment even though...? How come—

“Cupcake?” Harry asked quickly. “Y’okay there, sweetheart?” He asked softly. She blinked in surprise, realizing she spaced out as her thoughts reeled. Harry was holding her face gently. “D’you want to stop?” His pants were unzipped and unbuttoned—she didn’t even realize she had done that. Her fingers tucked into his beltloops once more, ready to pull them down further. The Calvin Klein band poked out from his shirt and the shift of his pants falling lower on his hips. Harry was staring at her nervously. Her gaze was blank as she looked back at him; as if she was unsure of her own actions. “Kitten?” he repeated and removed his hands from her face. He tugged her fingers loose of his loops. “Can y’talk t’me please?” He asked, separating them a bit more. He pulled his pants back up, zipped and buttoned them. “You’re making me nervous, Cupcake...” he trailed off eyeing her uncertainly.

Her heart felt sad for him. He was so gentle, so nice, so careful. He steered her to the couch, putting space between the two of them. The only part of him that touched her was his knee bumping into hers. “Sorry,” she whispered, finally.

Relief rushed through him at the sound of her voice. “There’s nothing t’apologize for, Cupcake,” he promised reassuringly.

“But you’re—” Her eyes looked at the bulge against the zipper of his pants. He shrugged.

“S’not important.”

She disagreed strongly. That bulge nearly made her mouth water but as much as she needed her brain to focus on it, her mind had other ideas. “I just... need a minute,” she leaned back against the sofa and sighed. She stared at the ceiling, her hands covering her face. Harry was hot. He was so kind. His lips tasted like sunflower oil—perhaps it was his chapstick. He smelled so good and looked so good. It was unfair that someone from nearly a month ago could continue to ruin her date.

“You can have all the time in the world, Cupcake,” he continued to assure her so soothingly, it made her heart melt. “Did I do something—”

“No,” she shook her head and looked him straight in the eye. “You didn’t do anything,” she promised.

He sighed with relief and leaned back beside her and smiled. “Good,” he draped an arm along behind her head across the back of the couch and kissed her temple. “Take your time, Cupcake. M’not going anywhere.”

She swallowed hard, the lump in her throat trying to break her esophagus open wide. “He ruined it,” she whispered.

“Ruined what, sweetheart?” Harry’s voice was so soft. Like the way it felt to snuggle in bed on Christmas Eve when she was little. It was so comforting. It made her feel safe. She sniffled and turned her face away from where Harry was.

“Our first date.”

“No, he didn’t,” his voice was still soft, but the tone was firm. He was certain when she very much wasn’t.

“But I want to—”

“I know, Cupcake.”

“Don’t you want to?”

“Do I want t’have sex with the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met before we go to dinner?” He asked bluntly. “No, sounds like a terrible waste of m’time.”

She blushed, closed her eyes; still turned away from him. “I don’t know who this most ‘beautiful woman’ is you’re talking about. I just see a snively baby.”

He snorted. Gently he coaxed her to turn her around and look at him again. His expression was still gentle, and she was sure he wanted to be mad. She wondered what kind of self-control that took. Maybe it was the Oxytocin covering for him.

“Show me,” he murmured.

“Show you?” She repeated.

Harry smiled. “Practice.”

“Practice what—oh. Oh,” she looked at him in confusion. “You want me to practice my self-defense moves?”

“I like when y’repeat me,” his eyes were warm, smiley on their own.

“I’m wearing a dress.”

“Look, I could say m’dying t’know what’s under your dress if that will make y’feel better.”

“Harry!”

He pushed off the sofa and moved the coffee table toward the side of the room. He grabbed her hands pulling her up, so she was standing in front of him.

“Well, t’be really honest, Cupcake. You’re not going t’have much say in the matter of what you’re wearing if y’need t’use the moves,” he reminded her gently, he cupped the side of her face and looked into her eyes as if his life depended on it. She gulped in response. He was so intense. It made her forget every one of the moves she was supposed to practice. “C’mon, it’ll make you feel better...and me, honestly.”

“You?” She questioned.

He didn’t even comment that she repeated him. “Want t’know you’re safe, Cupcake,” he skimmed his thumb along her cheek. “Always.” She grabbed his hand against her cheek and smiled at him.

Then swiftly she pulled his arm behind his back and twisted it up. He chuckled peering at her over his shoulder. “Good. Again.”

*

After a while of practicing her moves, Harry ordered pizza. He took his jacket off and described a series of moves she could try that she hadn’t learned in the class. She took them seriously; the little pucker of her brow made her so adorable—Harry wanted to kiss her.

“Let me make brownies,” she offered heading to the kitchen and mixed the ingredients within minutes of opening her cabinets. It took maybe ten minutes and soon her place smelled like brownies. Once the pizza was delivered, she pulled out seltzers that Maeve left behind after a girls’ night in. She put on a reality show about baking that she watched two years ago when she was sick with the flu. “The cake challenge is my favorite part,” she told him.

Harry had his arm around her, her body slumped into his embrace, and she snuggled deeply against him. He was so happy to be curled up on the couch with her. It was like they had watched TV together for their whole lives. Had been spending date nights in for twenty years. It made him unbelievably at ease.

Eventually, without realizing, they fell asleep on the sofa. Harry woke up with a slight strain in his neck that he was certain Louis would be pissed about, but the sight of her sleeping beside him made him smile. He scooped her into his arms and carried her toward the bedroom. “Are you kidnapping me?” She yawned.

He chuckled, kissed her temple. “No, Cupcake. Putting you on the bed. Want you t’be comfortable. I’ll go back on the sofa.”

“You don’t want to sleep with me?” She pouted.

He chuckled. “I do,” he promised. “Do you want me to sleep with you?”

She nodded. “Do you have to work tomorrow?”

“No,” he shrugged. “Do you?”

She shook her head. “Do you want to stay here?”

“Always, Cupcake. Always.”

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I'm sorry if I missed anyone in the taglist. Please let me know if you'd like to join, if it didn't work, if you no longer want to be included, etc. :)

If you like this, check out my masterlist here

[ioniansunsets]

please just a crumb of heartsteel sett 🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️

✖ Heartsteel!Sett Headcanons ✖

✖ Word Count: 876

✖ Tags: Established R/S

✖ A/N: Just crumbs! I am UNINSPIRED! Aaaa it's just very domestic headcanons. Feel free to ask for more specific things if any of these make you excited!

----

- He likes picking you up, he's strong enough to. You cant reach something? No, he's not helping you, he's picking you up so you can do it yourself. Huh, walking is tiring? He's carrying you. Oh damn there's a puddle, alright up we go. Sett makes sure he can lift your weight. There is no instance you would catch him lacking, man will hoist you.

- Sett is always looking for you. Like actually turning around to make sure you're in the room. Waiting and searching to see if you are still following him. Walking around a store to make sure he has his eyes on you. He likes knowing you are there, that you are near so every so often you can see his head rise and turn as he looks for you, making sure you are there. The same for when he performs! Sett is constantly scanning the audience to find your face. Hoping to see you. Smiling widely when he does. He loves you! He WANTS to see you as often as possible.

- His ears get cold! He likes it a lot when you lightly rub them, actually being able to feel the warmth of your hands heat it up. Because he works out so often he is just a natural warm guy, so he feels the cold when the wind blows at his ears. Its why Ma made him the beanie anyway. If you kiss his ears they twitch. When he blushes they get warm. When you scratch them you might hear him purr, its a deep rumbling, a warm tone.

- Sett thinks its adorable if you want to work out with him! He will spot for you, give you advice, help you every way he can. Meal plans, tips and tricks, your personal trainer and motivator. Soft kisses when you hit a goal. Big hugs when you survive a gruesome set. He loves spending time with you and if you follow him to the gym he can do just that. Tired after? He's carrying you out.

- He likes body contact. He likes when you sit by him, lying on his lap as he practices singing or rapping. He likes you holding his hand as you walk around on dates. He likes to hug you from behind as you do things. He likes the physical reassurance that you are by his side. A hand around your shoulder as you two sit and chat. The gentle touch of his hand on your thigh when you talk to him. His arms wrapping around you when he falls asleep by your side. All the small things. He loves feeling You.

- When he gets the chance he always tries to buy you thoughtful gifts. He remembers! Ma taught him well. When you talk about needing a new bag because your old one is breaking? He find the best one and buys it for you. You talk about your favorite colors and animals? He remembers! He buys you cute little gifts that remind him of that. Damn, winter is cold, you forgot you lost your old gloves? He already bought you a new pair in fall. There are cuter moments too. You bringing up snacks you miss from childhood? He learns, he bakes them for you, buys them for you, finds Someone who sells them to get them for you. He is attentive. He is an idol with money, he will do what he can for you how he can.

- If you can and show up for his shoots or practices he gets excited. Doing his best, making sure to get things done as soon as possible so he find you during a break. Happily chatting with you while he hydrates. Laughing and joking at his mistakes with you when he fumbles. You warm his heart. If you get along well with everyone else in Heartsteel he gets happier. They are like family to him afterall.

- He refuses to have you spend money on him when its band related, he gives you all his merch. He gets a copy anyway and they are YOURS. Sett is happy to see you wearing a tee with his face! Have posters of him (signed) in your room. He likes if you show him off as much as he shows you off. He loves loving you and loves being loved.

- If you get hurt or get sick he's is nervous and frantic. He wants to be there for you at all times, making sure you are ok. He frets over you, genuinely worried that a little cold will be life or death. He doesn't know how to actually help you thought, it takes help from messaging his mother and Yone to realize he needs to keep you cool, get you food and just let you rest. Which he hasn't been doing cos he's been in and out of your room non-stop. But he's learning.

- He hums a lot! You can catch him singing or humming songs while working out, showering, doing chores. He is a rockstar and music is important to him, it shows. He doesn't get embarrassed if you point it out, its more like a " Eh? I didn't realize it was even doing it. Must be a good tune." Moment.