#a little lower on the angst today but i had so much fun writing it. real fire elmo energy

[sleepy-steve]

@steddieangstyaugust 05/08 // ‘Please Please Please, Let Me Get What I Want’ by The Smiths

wc: 2.2k // rating: M // cw: language, negative self talk // tags: YEARNING, post-s4 but vecna dies, eddie has some self-esteem issues, mild references to sexual content

divider credits @steddiecameraroll-graphics

Eddie isn’t sure when it started. When this… obsession took over his life. When he suddenly couldn’t think of anything but Steve Harrington.

It could have been when they started hanging out every day, the threat of otherworldly horrors gone and the Big Evil defeated. When they realised that while they don’t necessarily have much in common, they both care to learn about what the other likes.

It could have started before that, when Steve continually showed up to help him through his physical therapy, never wavering in his kindness despite how many times Eddie snapped in frustration or lashed out at him. Steve always took it in stride, but never patronised him. Or was it even before that? When Steve showed up everyday to his bedside in the hospital, at first appearing to just be chauffeuring Dustin, but then visiting on his own. Spending hours talking with him or letting the silence settle between them, filling the hours where Wayne couldn’t be there.

Shit, if Eddie really thought about it, it went further back than that too. Before Steve carried him out of hell and quite literally saved his life—though that alone was enough to make a guy swoon—and before the moment Eddie flirted with him in the RV (and really, what was he thinking with that?) and even before their little heart to heart in the aforementioned hell after the first bat attack.

No, if Eddie was honest with himself, it all went back to Steve’s surprise appearance in the boathouse, shoved up against the wall with a shard of glass pressed to his neck and fear in his eyes. Eddie remembers feeling Steve tremble as Eddie held tight to his jacket, watching as he swallowed, skin of his throat pressing against the glass. Eddie’s own hands shook around the broken bottle, from exertion and fear, and god help him he was not going down without a fight in that moment. Their all too literal colliding of worlds was not something he could have been prepared for, nevermind the fact that Eddie almost killed him. But it was that brief moment, so miniscule, right before Eddie let him go, that he realised Steve really wouldn’t hurt him. Despite being held up and almost having his throat slashed, Steve had dropped the oar.

It was the first hint he got that all those things Dustin had said about Steve were actually true. That all the ideas he’d previously had about Steve Harrington were undeniably false. And Eddie only continued to be proven wrong by the sheer magnitude of Steve’s kindness, his patience, his unending love for his friends. Which now, by some miracle, Eddie was a part of.

It had grown. Out of something that should have just been a trauma-bond that then dissolved once they were quote-unquote healed and realised they actually had nothing in common besides the shared experience of almost dying in an otherworldly dimension. It had grown into something much more than that, something that Eddie never really had before. He’d had friends before, sure, his little sheepies and his band mates, but nothing quite like this. It was both his fault and also not. When he arrived in middle school and was immediately bullied for daring to be a little bit different—despite the differences having more to do with his class status than anything he had truly picked at that time—the walls came up. People could get somewhat close to him, but ultimately Eddie decided just how much he would give to people, and arms length was always safest. They wouldn’t be able to hurt him at arms length.

And yet. Steve Harrington had somehow wormed himself past the walls, beyond the arms length barrier, and settled himself neatly within Eddie’s rib cage. Not only that, Steve brought along the rest of his little group, a family that knocked down Eddie’s walls and forged a space just for him. It went beyond the trauma bond. It had grown into something that almost felt like Steve cared about him. Actually, that wasn’t fair. Steve absolutely did care about Eddie. He’d shown it time and time again. Shown up and held tight and given his time and space and love, being the kind of best friend Eddie only dreamed of having.

And here he was, greedy. Desperately craving more. More of the connection, more of the love —platonic though it is—more of which he has already been given. Arguably he’s received far more than he ever thought he deserved (despite what his new friends might say). But Eddie can’t help it.

He wants. He craves.

He fucking aches for it.

It grips him in a chokehold, this desperation with which he begs to receive more. To have more. To be more. It wasn’t enough to have Steve’s friendship, Eddie wanted his whole heart. His whole soul, even. Every tiny speck of stardust that came together to create him, Eddie wanted it in his possession. Wanted it all to himself, to hoard like a dragon’s greatest treasure. To lock this man away and keep him safe and shower him with love and devotion every day for the rest of his life. He longed for it to the point of feeling more animal than man, a slave to his own desires. Helpless against his own hunger for a connection that would run bone deep between them, etched into his skull, woven into his blood. Eddie burned to fucking consume Steve Harrington and be consumed by him. To have their souls merge together in a supernova and, and, and…

And nothing. Because it would never happen. Not for Eddie, not the way that he wants it to. He reminds himself constantly that he should just be grateful to have the friendship, to cherish it for the special thing that it is. That guys like Steve Harrington didn’t want guys like Eddie Munson, at least not in that way. Not in the way Eddie wanted, because Eddie never got what he wanted.

Well, not never. But rarely. When he goes down this spiral, he struggles to remember times he has actually gotten what he wanted. In love, in romance? Never. Kisses—too fast, too hard, too scared—shared with boys who met him behind the bleachers and didn’t know what they wanted. Or rather, did know but wished they didn’t. Those that ended in the boys running away, or worse, threatening to hit him—to kill him—if Eddie dared to speak about what happened. Not that anyone would believe a jock would ever turn to Eddie The Freak Munson, even as an experiment. That’s all he ever was when he was younger, an experiment. It was all he thought he deserved, at least until he got a bit older and was able to venture out of Hawkins. Then came other stuff. Quick, filthy hookups in club bathrooms and dark alleyways in Indy. A stranger’s tongue in his mouth and their hands in each other’s pants and maybe their mouths on each other and the flash of a smile before leaving and he’d never see them again. It was fine. He got what he set out for in those moments, but nothing more. He never felt like he was owed more, never felt worthy of more, so why would anyone give him that? At least they didn’t end in threats of violence. At least he felt desired, somewhat. But, if given the chance, he’d trade all those experiences for one night of feeling like he was the prize, like he was the one worth fighting for, like someone wanted his heart.

And the craziest part was… sometimes he did feel that way. Sometimes Steve made him feel that way. Like Eddie was the most special person on the planet. Like no one else could draw his attention away. Like they were the only two people in the world. Like Steve could actually…

No. It wasn’t like that. Eddie had to remind himself endlessly. It wasn’t like that. This love wasn’t reserved just for Eddie, who watched Steve share it with all of them. When he picked up Dustin to take him wherever he wanted to go, despite the squabbling they shared. The way he and Robin seemed to read each other's minds, attached at the hip whenever possible. How he helped Max after she got out of the hospital, ready to drop everything at a second’s notice if she needed him. Spending afternoons training basketball with Lucas, giving him all of his tips and shining with pride at his skills.

Still… there was something. Something in the way Steve’s eyes lit up whenever Eddie arrived. Something in the way he was almost always too close, fingers brushing as beers were passed, arms and legs pressed against each other during movie nights, arms held tight when nightmares returned, and one glorious evening of warm cuddling and dreamless sleep after sharing a joint. Eddie lived in those moments, let them play on an endless loop in his mind, reading deep into each tiny interaction. Thinking about every smile sent his way and was it any different from the smiles anyone else got? God, he wanted to believe Steve had a special one just for him. One that was a little bit softer and sweeter and shyer.

The idea is nice, but it’s washed away by the cold reality of the fact that it would never happen. Even if, by some miracle, Steve was anything other than straight, why would he want Eddie? He could have anyone he wanted. And Eddie wouldn’t get what he wanted because that’s just how life was for him. Though he may beg and plead with invisible entities for it, though he might crave and ache to the point of feeling feral with it, though he might promise—swear on his life—to himself and anyone up there listening that he’d treat Steve so well if given the chance, Eddie knew it just wasn’t on the cards. The sooner he accepted that the better.

His resolve in place—forget about it, or at least bury it until it could be forgotten—Eddie makes his way up the driveway to the Harrington house. He wouldn’t think about it for the entirety of movie night. He absolutely would not.

“Hey, man!” Steve answers the door with a perfect smile and joy in his eyes. Eddie’s resolve wobbles. “Just in time.”

Eddie takes a moment to steel himself, firmly reminding himself of his goal, as he follows Steve into the house. And it lasts for all of two minutes before he’s pulled down onto the sofa, thigh pressed against Steve’s. Was there truly any reason for Eddie to be tortured this way? He tries to remember that Robin is on the other side of Steve, and that there’s limited room on the sofa but fucking hell… Their shoulders brush, the soft grazes through layers of fabric sending Eddie’s mind spinning, until Steve places his arm around behind Eddie on the sofa-back, not quite touching but close enough to feel the heat of his skin. And god, this is so much worse. The desire to lean in and cuddle him, just nestle right in and have Steve’s arm around him, drives him crazy. The idea that they could… that this could be normal for them, domestic even. It went beyond the physical, Eddie wanted to take care of him. To show him the love Steve had so willingly given to him, and give it back ten-fold, hundred-fold. To create a life with him. To be proud of him and show him off and love him endlessly. To go to the ends of the earth to grant Steve his every wish, if he could just have one chance, he was begging—

Get it together! Eddie’s internal voice hisses at him, and he tries to shove all his thoughts back down into a vault, feeling a bit like trying to get water back into a broken hydrant. He does his best, managing to get it back down to a simmer, rather than a rapid boil.

Steve shifts slightly, suddenly a bit closer. It all comes rushing back. The warmth where their thighs are touching becomes burning hot and all the aching, craving, yearning, wanting that Eddie tried to shove down and out of his mind is suddenly front and centre and focused on the way Steve laughs and those glorious moles dotting down his neck. He feels insane with longing, desperate to press his lips to those moles, as if that could ever convey the depth of his feelings for the man beside him. Overcome with the need to drag his fingers through that beautiful hair and maybe even pull on it a little, just to see what kind of noise Steve makes, Eddie hears the tiny voice in his mind telling him off for staring. He just can’t seem to drag his eyes away. Steve throws his head back with a laugh, exposing his throat, and Eddie might as well perish right then and there, distraught with how much he wants to bite it. To just sink his teeth into the skin and feel Steve’s pulse beneath with his tongue. To leave bites and bruises all over his body, everywhere Eddie thinks is beautiful…

Before he can summon enough shame to look away, Steve catches his eye, and just grins, eyes lit up with that same brightness he always seems to have when looking at him.

Eddie’s a fucking goner.

[tooscaredtopostonmainrip]

Hi bbg can u write a reverse comfort with Lilia and Ruggie (comforting lilia + ruggie ) where they think the reader does NOT like them back because they’re always seen with another person so They confront them and turns out they like each other !! Basically it’s overall fluff + angst !!

a/n: MY FAVOURITE READER HAS ARRIVED ,.,,,,,, i MAY be biased. ANYWAYYYY HERE U GO ALSO IM SO SO SO SORRY I GOT WRITER'S BLOCK. IM EMBARRASSED OF MYSELF SORRRYRYRYYR --- ALSO ... I TWEAKED IT A LITTLE BIT TO FIT THE WAY I'D THINK IT WOULD GO, SO SORRY IF ITS NOT TO UR LIKING

CW; BOOK 7 SPOILERS IN LILIA'S PART (if you dont want to read it, skip the first and second paragraph!!!)

🦇 LILIA VANROUGE

Lilia never really had time for romance. Between the war and the constant paranoia of being on the receiving end of an ambush, he never let himself lower his walls - to truly form an intimate bond with somebody that wasn't immediate family.

Infact, during the war, falling in love was one of the worst things that could happen: It meant having an open weakness. And if that person never came back, you wouldn't have time to wallow in despair since they'd immediately call you next to the front lines. It was one of the worst things to happen to somebody, and Lilia, therefore, found no interest in bonding in such a way. It would be truly unwise, especially since he had to lead an army. He'd have to split his attention between the army and the partner of choice, and he wasn't gonna add to his workload just for fun.

Now, it's all different. Times have changed, and instead of worrying about whether you'll survive the day tomorrow and what you will eat, you worry if your homework is due today or tomorrow at midnight, and if the test's results are gonna be coming back soon. Yes, almost everything has changed, but Lilia never really let his past ways go. Old habits die hard, as they say. (Especially after Meleanor and Levan...)

Well, they did until he met you. Sure, it wasn't love at first sight - more like, interest at first sight. But with time, he truly did feel as though you were an old friend. With time, he started letting his walls down and truly enjoy life with somebody beside him.

Now, he knew of your little crush on him. Why? Well, it was quite obvious. The way you'd fidget when you were around him, or how your eyes seemed to shine when you saw him loitering around in your peripherals. Yes, it was quite obvious. But on the other side, his own affection was, on your end, left unnoticed. It was fun to flawlessly conceal his own beating heart and the blinding grin he'd let out whenever you gave him a compliment - while also, at the same time, giving you mixed signals. He'd have no hand in you later realizing he was a lot more buddy-buddy with blurred boundaries with you than others, even though he denied all allegations. The game of cat and mouse was just too amusing, and he wanted to keep it going for as long as he could.

Everything you did drew him in, and your sweetness left him wanting for more. In his old age, he didn't feel like he should indulge in this, but your honeyed smile and warm embrace held a tight grip on his heart, and so he relented. The heart wants what it wants, he'd say.

Well, for as long as he could, that's true. He knew it would have to end someday, but it would've been better on his own accord. Well, he'd muse. Guess the fun has to finish one day. And today's the day, as much as he may loathe it, somewhat.

Recently, you've been hanging out with someone. He didn't even bother remembering their name, as they were so unimportant he just didn't feel like even putting the minimal effort to put an identity to that face. He didn't want to be petty, but when the person's "hanging out" times bled into his own alone time with you, that truly did the trick. Behind a toothy smile hid a thin-veiled annoyance that stuck to him like tar and ink. It made his nose twitch in annoyance, but he quickly smoothed it all over and kept his composure. He'd let the person have their fun with you for a while, but if they overstepped they'd be done for.

But at the same time, he'd started doubting himself. If he were his past self, he'd be absolutely scandalized that he'd let himself stoop so low as to not trust his own instinct, and he was sure that you were still somewhat interested in him, but the way you kept spending time with that person, and the way you'd immediately stop everything and help them, and the way you'd share laughs with them almost like you did with him... It was getting increasingly harder to keep his calm. (he's in denial, he was never calm.)

Next course of action? Talk to you. For the first time in a while - he'd open up to you, and tell you what he truly felt. He didn't want to be the one to talk about this, but since the problem wasn't going away, he'd have to take drastic measures. At the time he was sure you did like him back, but now it was all up in the air due to that uninvited variable. Maybe he was still sour about the game you were playing with him having an early end. (No, he's sour about someone trying to steal you away. But he knew that very well.)

And that leads to... Right now. The wind seemed to be trying to soothe him, but his thoughts were entirely elsewhere. On another dimension, where he thought about the way you talked to him and the way you always seemed joyous with him. But... Maybe he read it wrong? He scoffed at his own insecurity, but in a silent, small part of his mind... He'd still think about it. No one can grow if they don't admit they're wrong once in a while, yeah? Even though he thought he did all the growth he needed in his youth. Guess there's always room for improvement.

His bat refined hearing immediately picked up on you jogging over to him, and he quickly went back to his bright persona, but unlike with others, it was a little more relaxed. Dare I say, more real.

Your beaming smile, and your soft demeanor made him feel a little less on edge, and he thought that maybe, it'd be alright. That you truly did see something in him. He loathed being so vulnerable, but this wasn't a war zone. You wouldn't mercilessly use him and his feelings, you weren't the kind of person to do that. So, he waited for you.

On your end, you were excited to see Lilia. With all the hanging around you did with your new lab partner you'd been randomly paired with, you hadn't had time to give him the attention you desperately wanted to give him. He wasn't used to you not spending every bit of your day with him, you'd joke to yourself. Maybe he will demand an explanation, with a dramatic flair, of course. He'd always had a penchant for the theatrics.

But the moment you stepped in front of him, you noticed... something, in his expression. Now, everyone who'd hear you say that would side eye you because, on what basis are you saying that? Well... The vibe was off. He wasn't as cheerful as usual, and with how long you've been talking with him, you knew a few of his tells. All of this, on what basis? Well, on a best friend basis, of course. Even though, you'd prefer a title more intimate... But that's something that no one will catch you dead saying.

"My dear bestie!" And thus, his theatrics ensued. You cringed a bit at his use of modern slang, but it was endearing nonetheless.

You chuckled a bit but still greeted him with a quick "Hi Lilia!", afterwards - addressing the elephant in the room. "What's up? Any news?" You inquired.

His grin beamed, and he played up his tone of voice, making it a bit exxagerated. "Oh there is something up!" You definitely agreed with him. Something was up. And it was something wrong.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"You left me alone for oh so long! You'd do that to a cutie like me?" Why was he being so weird?

You were a bit put off by him acting so weird. "Lilia, what's really up? Please tell me."

His face soured, and the thin curtains opened for a second. You saw how he was internally berating himself for something, and how he was truly annoyed. It was a mix and match of emotions that you didn't quite get, so you waited for Lilia to explain himself when he'd be comfortable doing so. The curtains closed, and his eyes kept boring holes into you.

"What do you mean? I'm perfectly okay!"

You bit your lip, and tilted your head slightly. "Come on, what's up?" You squinted your eyes, and he decided that enough was enough, no more games.

"Do you like your new friend?"

The question shocked you, but you didn't let it show. Looking at his face... It didn't seem like he was joking... What was the best course of action? You didnt know, but you decided to stall the conversation to understand what was going on.

Your question was probably futile, but you tried anyway. "As a friend?"

"You know what I meant."

You glanced around, and feeling a bit embarrassed you tried to reason with him. "Come on Lilia, I-" The cutoff was quick, and he immediately asked the question again.

"Do you?"

He wouldn't let it go if you didn't tell him the truth. And so, with a bit of red dusted on your cheeks, you answered his query.

"No, I don't."

The silence was overbearing, and the way Lilia studied you made you want to hide in a hole and forget all of this. But you soldiered on, keeping a brave face and waiting for his move.

His eyes seemed to light up after a while, and you let out a breath you didn't know you were holding.

"Why so tense?" His light chuckles helped to alleviate the tension in the air, but you still thought that maybe... It was time to pop the question.

Lilia would've never, ever seen that coming. "Now why would I answer that first? You first-"

"Do you like me?"

And with renewed courage, you answered.

"I do."

His shock shined through, and he dropped all notions of dancing around the topic. His jaw was almost ajar, and he looked at you like a newborn hearing the sounds of nature for the first time.

Then, his grin came back at full force. But this version... It was sweeter. Like a childhood blanket enveloping you. Or your favorite candy from your childhood.

"I love you too."

And with that, he held your hand and smiled at you, the best smile you'd ever seen. He didn't need to know who was near you all the time, because he knew your heart belonged to him. And so did his, to you.

BONUS

("I knew it! Never shall I doubt my instincts again!"

"Uh oh... Your ego grew 10x in size."

"You say that, but you're still here!"

"Yeah, I am <3" )

🦇

Being from the slums isn't for the weak hearted, to put it lightly. Falling in love was a luxury few could afford - while sharing meals with somebody and having more manpower sounded cool and all, you're never truly sure if the other will one day just up and go with all the stuff you've gathered. Ruggie never wanted to gamble when it came to his belongings, so he didn't take the risk during those times. When he came to Night Raven College, he still found no reason to fall in love, it wasn't like people would really lower their walls easily, and he didn't feel like putting all the effort in doing just that. Plus, everyone was all so slimy, and to love you'd have to also lower your own walls - no doubt they'd take advantage of him. Overall, not an advantageous position, so no way.

🐆 RUGGIE

That's what he used to think. You... changed his view, somewhat. Of course, he didn't fall immediately like some fairytale. Unlearning all his instincts would be a death wish, and that would've been an insult to every hyena and beastman that was from the streets - he just had a bit of interest. He knew the stakes, so he didn't try his luck too much.

You showed him kindness, a warmth that was rarely, if ever, genuine. You weren't a happy go lucky like those snobs from Royal Sword Academy, but you weren't exactly gloomy either. You were, different. You showed him a world he'd never dreamt of seeing, and you were way too in the role to be lying to him. Still, being cautious was never a wrong move.

To be honest, his first thoughts were to just use your kindness. He, at the time, held no hard feelings about taking advantage of you. Lets be real, he never expected someone to just blatantly give him some warmth and not be expecting him to not even have at least one thought about what he could do with that, and not in a nice way.

But you were clever. You didn't let him take any chances, and you didn't let him backstab you. You were always one step ahead, and to his attempts at stealing and using you? You didn't bat one eye. He should've been deterred, but... Why? why are you making him feel so protective over you? Was it a mishap during potionology? What's this... warmth?

With time, he began to begrudgingly accept your kindness as it is, with no catches. He didn't try to find any flaws in your walls, and didn't try to use you as much as before. Food was game, though. You couldn't delete that part of Ruggie even if you tried. It was hardwired into his skull since day one.

He was in constant denial of his feelings, escaping all confrontation inside and outside his mind, and living "blissfully unaware" until it came to bite him in the ass. And when did that happen? You guessed it. Today.

Not exactly today, your switch up happened a week or so ago. It was more like, his tolerance ended today.

Long story short? you began hanging out with this no name low rep student, and you ditched your (self proclaimed) best friend. Now that was the plot twist of the century!

Had you... began to think he's using you? Well, the food part is obvious. But he never used you in other aspects! Well... You didn't give him a chance to, but that's just details. And now he's so attached (hurts to say, but denial cant go any longer) so even if he uses you he doesnt know how'd that end on his side. Seeing you get all chummy with... that. hurt him more than he'd like to admit.

He wasn't sure if he should've talked to you and just upped and confessed, but he also reasoned that he'd lose the free food. (and something more.), so... he waited for a bit. And he waited. And waited...

Each day, he felt more and more high strung. What was that no good scum doing? Why was he hogging you all to himself? What was he planning? Now, you don't even come over at lunch and hang out with him while giving him some of your food. You just... Go and sit with that idiot.

That's it, he thought. He would tell you that he wasn't okay with you breaking your (made up) deal of giving him food. Using stupid excuses, of course. You'd see right through him, but he'd try anyway.

And then, came the fateful day. He texted you to come over, and you did. The classroom was empty when you arrived, other than the hyena beastman looking a bit nervous.

He looked at you and gave you his trademark grin, before breaking into an exasperated facade, shrugging his shoulders and acting like a parent with a child.

"Wow, have been so caught up hanging out with your newest 'friend' that you forgot about the original!" He found himself emphasizing the word 'friend' with a slight snark that'd be missed if you hadn't known him for so long. That immediately caught your attention, but to be sure, you let him speak to hear what he had to say.

Ruggie noted the silence and kept going, finding no reason to just make the conversation die already. "Listen, you can't go back on our deal-" "-I chose to give you food out of my free will-" "-and expect me to not say anything!" Cutting you off while talking was uncalled for, you'd think. But you didn't care all that much. This was pretty amusing.

His stance changed, and he furrowed his eyebrows while folding his left arm near his chest with a dramatic flair. "Gotta eat someway! How could you just leave poor ol' me to fend for myself? Did you realize how hungry I was?-" "-I saw you stealing food-" "-How could you be so cruel!" His ear twitched, and with time he realized he wasn't getting anywhere. You weren't buying it, as expected. But... You looked amused. He was glad you were enjoying yourself. Wait! Focus. He wanted to get rid of that person stealing you, and he got into the role so he had to see it to the end. Definitely not doing this for you to have fun, too.

"So, you wouldn't let your poor friend starve, right?" ... "Well, tell you what, I know a way to let you save me.

"Well, I cant."

What?

"What?" Inside his mind, he was panicking. Did he just lose his chance? He needed to keep a cool head. But... It was getting increasingly harder. Why? Why can't you?

"Come on... I know I don't have the best reputation, but give it some thought? Please?"

"Sorry, but can't." For now, at least. you thought.

He was getting more and more desperate, something new for him. He'd never been desperate for anything but food and money. Being desperate for a person? Now that was new. And he wasn't sure how to take it.

But right now, he knew that his friendship (gosh how he hoped for more...) with you might be in danger, and he had to find a way to keep you with him, and fast.

"Hey hey hey. What about, I give you 5% of all my income? pretty good odds, right?" His trademark grin would've persuaded you, if it hadn't a hidden side to it. He seemed nervous. You thought it was funny how desperate he was for the miniscule bits of free food.

"Not interested, again. Sorry, but can't really negotiate this."

His grin wavered, and his eyes kept looking at you, looking more and more weary and worried by the minute. "Hey. Think about it." His voice was about to crack, but that wouldn't have been very persuasive, wouldn't it?

Free food, huh. you thought. Why is he so adamant on this?

"Please." His pleading made you stop what you were thinking. What? That sounded way too real. Why?

"Why are you so insistent?"

"Because I love you!"

The silence in the room was overwhelming, and your shocked expression made him like he did the dumbest thing ever. Before he could say that it was a joke, you immediately replied.

"I love you too, Ruggie."

Another whiplash. He... Didn't expect to lash out like that.

"Funny joke. Real funny." His unbelieving gaze kept its place looking into your eyes, searching any tells of you lying. But... You didn't seem to be lying. His shock must've showed on his face, because you immediately rebutted.

"Ruggie, I love you. I truly do, I love all of you." Your gaze kept firm, and for the first time in a long time, Ruggie felt... Loved. Safe? It... was difficult to sift through and understand an emotion newly discovered. He never thought something like this would happen to him someday. He was still expecting you to get out a camera and say that it was all a joke. But as he waited, you... Didn't seem to have anything like that in mind.

He didn't cry, but you held his hand. And you promised to not leave him. And you told him that this wouldn't change anything, and that it's okay that he was jealous. It was weird for him, but he felt... Content.

Somehow, you made a hyena from the streets, one of the most elusive and mischievous species living on the streets, infatuated with you. Guess he did get a happy ending he never even dreamed of, huh?

BONUS

(Later that day, he found out that the person who led to all of this was actually a friend that was helping you set up a shop outside school so Ruggie could also work a bit at an honest job. Cue to him getting embarrassed and trying to brush it all off)

🐆

[seungkwanniee]

pairings : nonidol!seveteen x gn!reader

genere : fluff , angst ( minghao one )

warnings : little made fun of (jun) , panic attack but not at all (wonwoo)

synopsis : seventeen as love trope imo !

an : don't know when this is coming out but, -3 for bald Jeonghan. They are so fucking long that maybe i shouldve writed a whole series and not this but anyway

〔masterlist〕

SCOUPS 』

age gap , age ain't nothing but a number

He loves having someone on his knees no matter what, and we know younger people are more easy to manipulate but i mean it in a good way. Seungcheol would love have you wrapped around his fingers, have you doing all that just for him make him istantly happy, it fills his chest with love. But he would prefer way more to spoil you with gift, love and money. You need money? he is already putting them in your bra. You wanted that cloth? it's already yours. He likes have you wrapped around his arms that are way bigger than your whole body. Loves the height gap, so he can lay his chin on top of your head and wrap your neck with his arm. He could care less when someone points out the age gap, he loves you no matter what.

JEONGHAN 』

unreachable love interest , talking to you means a lot to me

Jeonghan is that one popular guy that everyone is in love with, so it feels like he is unreachable. He looks like an angel and seems also so sweet and caring but at the same time interesting to be around. You was only one of those people that is blinded by his beauty, why he would even notice you and your odd interest? He never showed love interest on anyone and never dated someone, he was a little bit cold, you were being just delulu right? It was so surprining for everyone when one day his steps weren't the same as he does everyday to walk into his class: he was getting closer to you, he was going trowards you. Your heart was beating so fast that you thought everyone could hear that, while your face was already red just by looking closely to his face. This unreachable angel was talking to you?

JOSHUA 』

slow burn , a lot can happen in 6 months but didn't expected this

At frist, when your friend introduced you two, you didn't minded about him too much. Sure, he was looking pretty and his behavior during the whole hangout was so gentle with everyone, but slowly he became part of your daily routine. He got involved in your group of friends more, so you automatically spent more time with him and became good friends. He was always caring, helping you to go down or upstairs, sometimes playing your food, fixing you hair etc... be he was like that with everyone, there was no purpose below. But when your heart starts flutter when he meet your eyes, you know something was changing. You no longer see his action innocently, you everytime internally begged him to make one more move, more closer to you, more intimate. Your skin pratically craving for his touch was everything you needed. Who thought that this could happen in six months?

JUN 』

the quiet ( and smart ) boy , I was quiet but not blind

Jun was the quiet, and maybe weird, guy everyone got in their class. He never talked to anyone, and no one ever spoke to him. Jun was smart enough to know that that class was a herd of kids who followed the crowd and he didn't want to be one of them, his few friends were already enough for him. As I mentioned, Jun was a smart ass boy, he noticed one girl in particular. He didn't liked her in that way, she just was the one he hated the less. His classmates didn't mind when he could hear the non-pleasant things they were saying about him, every single one said something except her. Rather, he had heard her complaining with her friends their behavior, sometimes he could ever hear the sound of a little slap, maybe in the head, after their words. During class, often you eyes land on him, his head almost always lowered to the desk writing something with his relaxed form but today something was different. His legs shaking up and down while his hand was playing with the pen that was supposted to write down the paper. when a "you are too smart to be friend with them" paper landed on you desk at the end of the class, you got everything, as if your vision was no longer blurred thanks to a stupid note.

HOSHI 』

childhood friends , it's always been you

Soonyoung was laying between your arms, while his eyes were red and puffed because of previous tears. You always warned him about the girl he was dating until few hours ago: she never liked you and you never liked her. You never knew why she didn't liked you, just because you were Soonyoung bestfriend was a stupid reason. Btw, you had a strong reason to not like her, a red flag swinging right in front of you bestfriend face that the decided to completely ignore. You always knew she was going to cheat, she did before nothing was stopping her just because he was Soonyoung. You stayed beside him the whole time, he needed to heal from this harsh breakup, but this made things change with the time. You noticed how he was more caring now, he always been but you felt something was off for sure. At one point it seemed like you was the one that needed to be healed, not him anymore. But he considered you like her sister until few months ago, what happened now?

WONWOO 』

fake dating , I like you more than I planned

When you told about this to him, all he could do was be shocked, and you kinda understand him. When your friends comes to you and tell you to pretend to be a coupla at a wedding it was pretty weird, no? Plus, Wonwoo is so shy and reserved, but it was the best choice you could come with. You hated all the invadent questions they ask, the last time they almost made you have a panick attack so you wasn't planning to go throught that hell once again. When you were standing beside him, he had his arms wrapped around your waist. Occasionally, he would also wrap you shoulder, adjust your hair or wipe your mouth from the crumbles. You would notice how his ears go bright red when his hands lays on your body, or how his hands were slightly trembling. You wanted to make fun of him, but you were exactly like him if not worst. He almost choke when one of your aunts ask you two a kiss, you would pat his back trying to keep him alive while with trembling voice explained how shy you are to do pda in public.

WOOZI 』

enemies to lovers , are you flirting or starting a fight?

when you hear that your partner project is Lee Jihoon, you just want to let out hundred curses. This was an important work project, almost depending your future and they paired you with the person for which you have hatred. At the start, you two only warned the eachother how important the project was and reiterated your mutual hatred, for what is still unknown and we'll never know because you two actually started to get along very well. It was the most unexpected thing for your coworkes see you talking like normal human being, working like you never hated eachother, how you two seemed almost like the realest bestfriends. From now on, you two enjoyed the each other comfort company and used the extra hour to stay toghether. Everyone already knew how you two will be lovers one day.

DOKYEOM 』

grumpy x sunshine , I loved you so hard that I softned

You don't know if adopt the cat you have now it was the best decision ever. It didn't fall in love with you, but with your neighborhood and you two aren't even friends. Your cat would sneak out in the most weird possibile way even figuring out how to open the balcony window and jump on the near balcony. You were so embarassed to knock at his door and explain that the cat that jumped on his apartment was yours. Maybe it was annoying him, maybe he was that kinda of grumpy neighborhood (spoiler: you were) and will yell at you. But when the door opens, you find the exactly opposite in front of your eyes. He was tall but his face looked so bright, you don't even know how to explain it but it was like that. Your little black cat was laying so comfortable in his way more bigger hands that it almost didn't wanted to come with you again. You regretted how cold you were with him, but you never saw him and it will continue like that, you tought. Never been so wrong: apparently your cat loved soo much Seokmin that now it almost live at his instead of yours. You were grateful that he wasn't annoyed by that, he was a little sunshine, but instead it was bothering you. You never liked having convo with new people, and your cat was pratically forcing you to do that. You even tought to give it to him forever just to avoid his attempt of conversation, or his invites you to come into his apartment and eat something together. But at the end, you will be always grateful to your cat that letted you met your now boyfriend.

MINGYU 』

soulmates , I meet another me inside of you

It was so shocking when you met him and discovered that you two have almost the same tatoo, it was like you two were made for eachother. It was a silly one, with no meaning behind it at all and this made the thing seem even more on propuse. The thing you two didn't knew it was that you were meant to meet and never leaving eachother side ever. The stage of being friends it never actually exsisted in your relationship, catching feelings was so fast and never been so easly that you almost thought that everything was just a fever dream, it wasn't actually real, so unreal in your head but it was like that. You have you boyfriend by your side everytime you need to, he loves you with all his heart and actually got another matching tatoo.

MINGHAO 』

forbidden love , in another life

when Minghao's family dicovered that his girlfriend wasn't chinese as him, they were disappointed from the start. They were a traditional family, and Mingaho knew that, but his heart choosed her and he can't help it. She doesn't even looked like a foreigner, at some point you spoke chinese better than him. He knew that they wouldn't like her at the start, thats why he went slow with them, but he never thought they would overreact so badly. His own mother didn't even talked to him for the frist weeks, letting him guess how disappointed and upset he was. His face was full of surprise when suddently they asked for a dinner togheter, they wanted to get to know her but all of the sudden looked a little bit of on his eyes. He putted aside his thoughts, he was so happy and excited when he got that his family was starting to soften about his relationship with a foreigner. He never regretted a decision more, they made you come for what? to embarass you, bring you down and made you feel not enough for him. He got so upset for you, he was blaming himself and apologize in his knees, you didn't deserved that and decide that you two should go in separate path.

SEUNGKWAN 』

insicure / unexpected love , & then I met you

Seungkwan always been the insicure guy: he thought no one would ever love him romatically, he was more like the class clown and only seem like a friend to the girls. He wasn't handsome, he wasn't the popular guy becayse of his look, he was only popular for his funny personality, sometimes he would even embarass himself in front of everyone just to make his classroom laugh. He never shows how this topic upset him, gotta always fake a smile and pretend nothing, but deep down himself he is almost sure no one will ever love him but also he will never be capable to love someone. He is scared and unexperienced: he can surely make someone laugh, but he can love? he can give the attention his future lover needs? he can make the person feel loved as he deresved? He was sure he was impeded in love, until you came in his life. You was the unexpected love of his life, and learned how he was really good at loving, giving attention and those things. When you frist you went to him, he thought it was a joke, someone better reveal the cameras and stop it because it wasn't funny, he would be so upset for his whole life for be made fun of. But you was dead serious, you didn't seen him like the weird funny and class clown, you saw deep down in his soul and it was so pretty, unique and majestic.

VERNON 』

innocent crush , I wonder how I look from my crush's pov

He may be the cold and dead serious guy, the one that never show interest on nothing, much less for a girl. But when he revealed his crush on you to his friends, even them were shocked. And now, forget everything about the cold guy you always knew, he become so awkward around you from now on. He always tries to get your attention, but in the end he just looks goofy and silly. Seungkwan and Dino not helping him at all too as they just look way goofier than him or just make him in weird situation. Like that one time where they made fall his whole lunch in front of you, but that just got an interaction between you two so a win is a win. But I feel like this would just be a school crush, and you two will never ending up toghter.

DINO 』

second chance love , I will always choose you

When you met those familiar eyes one again, after almost a year you two lost contact, you got it wasn't never with that boy you hardly fell in love. It was so crowded down the streets, when you stopped for few seconds because of the shock, you already lost the sight of your friends. You quickly flutter your eyes when he moves slight trowards you, not because he wanted to, but because one his friend just bumped into him. He looks at him dumbfounded because hell, there wasn't almost space to even breath why he was just staning in the middle of nothing looking straight like an idiot but he quickly relized when he looks straight too. Dino never shutted up about you, not even when you two broke up because of his dumbness, and his friends needed to hear him yap about you for so long. They even tried to pair him someone else, thinking he was just stuck and needed a push to go out of this never ending situation but every single dated ended up by the girl being bored about him yapping about the same thing or better, a person. They always thought he was overreacting but well, they got everything just by looking on his eyes.

[bg-brainrot]

The Night They Slept Together

Featuring: Astarion x Rogue!Tav

Series: Fits into Love at First Knife, AO3 link here

Summary: Tav pines, and their relationship with Astarion shifts ever so slightly. (They literally do just sleep)

Tags: 2nd person POV, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Pining, light hurt and angst, Astarion is Bad at Feelings, coping with feelings, act 2, pre-confession

A/N: some light angst as Tav comes to term with their feelings but we already know where they end up, so it's okay, right? :D

Word count: ~2.1k

--

Your tryst with Astarion should be over by now.

It was supposed to be a one off moment of passion, a way to destress after all of the danger you’d thrown yourselves into. He’d asked so easily, you’d agreed just as readily– a quick celebratory moment after defeating that goblin camp, when your spirits and libido were running high.

The second time? Well, that was easy to write off as well. You’d just fought off an entire creche, moving through it like a pair of practiced assassins, a synchrony you haven’t felt since– well, you’re not certainly you’ve ever felt so in sync with someone. Either way, it was another easy nod to his sly, questioning look. 

You’d had similar excuses for your first night in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, for the handful of midday, afternoon, midnight romps since.

It’s just a way for us to cope with the situation at hand, nothing more, nothing less, you’d told yourself.

That is, until you’d realized that it wasn’t just that. Not to you. 

Oh gods, I love this insane vampire.

The night you’d realized that everything had changed.

What had begun as a distraction for you both, had turned into a poison– one slowly working its way through your system, incapacitating you piece by piece at the thought of another night falling into his arms, sinking deeper into the throes of an impossible love. 

After all, what is this other than convenient? And if you continued to be a mere convenience to him, well, you doubt that this would end well for you. It’s high time that you cut off the source of this poison before it festers too far. Before it grips your vulnerable, aching heart.

That’s what you’d told yourself, but you’re finding it so much harder to cut off the source when he’s standing right in front of you, waiting for you with a smirk toying along the edge of his mouth, an eyebrow raising suggestively as his voice lowers to a sultry invitation. 

You’d come by his tent to say goodnight. Maybe, ‘Good job today.’ Any excuse to see him really, but now you’re met with a challenge.

Astarion’s words don’t make it much easier either.

“Oh my dear, you look positively wound-up after today’s bouts. Care for a little… unwinding?”

His voice drips with promise, with want, with a feeling that echoes through your own traitorous core. But, like a sweet that’s overstayed its welcome, it seems too tacky, hardening into something utterly indigestible.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” you ask, eying him carefully, fighting down your own building desires.

“Why shouldn’t it be?” he asks, a raised brow lowering in uncertainty. 

You hesitate, unsure how much truth you’re willing to part with. Certainly not, ‘Because I may have accidentally fallen in love with you.’ And you don’t want to shove him out of your life unceremoniously either. Just… to slow down, allow your heart time to adjust– to get over him, if need be.

After a pause that goes on for a second too long, you finally settle on, “It just seems as if we’ve already had plenty of ‘fun’, don’t you think?”

Astarion’s small smirk drops, a dark look entering his eyes as he registers your words, how they directly counter his own from your first night together. How they fall between you with the full weight of rejection. “Don’t tell me you’ve grown shy now, darling?” he says, voice a bit sharper than what you’re used to.

You’d known that trying to slow down wouldn’t be easy, but his downturned lips make you want to take back your words, dive back into the intoxicating miasma of his cold embrace. But you also know that if you don’t stand your ground now, you’re liable to fall too far too fast.

“Not shy per say,” you respond, measuring your words carefully. “Merely wondering if that’s what you want.”

Astarion seems no more placated by these words than your earlier ones. “And what makes you think I wouldn’t want this?”

Fear born of your heart, insecurity born of your nerves, damned logic born of your head– there are really so many reasons he wouldn’t want this, wouldn’t want you. But you don’t want to be too transparent, not when this adventure could all be over very soon. You say as much.

“Well, our days could be numbered.” Then your lips continue. “Perhaps there is someone else you would rather be unwinding?” The question slips out of you, an unbidden, unwelcome concern courtesy of the fear building in your chest.

“Is that what you want?” he asks, response quick, tone biting. His lips are pressed in a tight line, the muscles in his neck tense as he clenches his jaw.

Gods, you’d known your heart would lead you astray. Here you are, facing an Astarion unlike any that had made a home in your bedroll. An Astarion made of sharp edges and cutting words. Expression closed, mouth a tight line, you find his change in demeanor aggravating. You bristle at his accusation. “No, Astarion. I don’t want that. If I did, I wouldn’t be here, speaking with you. Though you’re making me regret doing that much now.”

He tilts back at your words, leaning back on the heels of his feet as if thrown off balance. “Then why did you even come over? To reject me then to–to taunt me?”

You had meant to do none of that. Really, you’d only come over out of habit, to see him, to… spend time with him. But it’s hard to say so without being entirely too forthcoming with your feelings. You wish that you could put your feelings into words, however it’s your burden to bear, not his. He has more than enough on his plate between the Absolute and Raphael’s deal. 

So you shake your head at him. “I didn’t mean to reject you, Astarion. I hadn’t come here for sex at all.”

Once more, he asks the question you do not want to answer. “Then why did you even come over?”

You could lie. It’s as easy as breathing for you– it’s how you and Astarion had grown so close so quickly. You should lie, you tell yourself. But one look into his crimson, pleading eyes and the lie dies on your lips.

He looks hurt. So genuinely confused at your presence in front of him, deeply convinced that you could only be here for one thing and one thing only. And you know then that you can’t lie.

“I wanted to see you,” you say, the honest words tightening your throat on their way out, You haven’t told him how you feel, but you may as well have, with the way the words sound utterly, sinfully soft, a secret lost on the cold wind of the Shadow-Cursed night.

“You… wanted to see me?” he repeats, tone losing all of its edge, losing any of its structure at all.

You nod silently, uncertain if more words would help or hurt the situation.

To that, Astarion only blinks. His mouth opens, head tilting in that cautiously inquisitorial way, as he asks, “And then what?”

There was no ‘and then’ in your mind. Merely the need to see him, spend time with him, even after spending an entire dark, dreary day with him. But you suppose he wouldn’t understand that if you said it. So you need to come up with something concrete, a reason to be here beyond words…

“I was wondering if you wanted to share a bedroll tonight. To sleep,” you say, infusing enough confidence in your words that you can hardly note the nerves. You expect Astarion wouldn’t notice them at all. 

His defenses noticeably drop, his shoulders sagging in relief, and a sigh escapes him as he shakes his head at you wryly. “Well, why didn’t you just say so, darling? I understand that not everyone has my stamina, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

You want to roll your eyes, defend your honor as it hangs on by a thread, but you’ve narrowly avoided disaster and you’re not proud enough to ruin that. Instead you play into the role, ignoring the dull twinge that twists through your heart. “I wasn’t sure you would be so magnanimous,” you say, giving him the slightest bow of your head. “I should have known.”

“That you should have,” he says with a breathy laugh and he sounds almost… relieved?

More than anything, you want to ask him, why? Are you relieved that my feelings have stayed silent? That this thing between us remains uncomplicated? That you don’t have to find yourself a new distraction?

But your questions stay just as buried as your feelings do.

Your damnable feelings, which seem to threaten to burst out each time his eyes linger too long, with every touch you weren’t expecting. It must be a talent, holding them in as you do now.

They stay hidden as he extends a hand to you, inviting you into his tent with a warm smile and a, “Shall we?”

You keep them dormant as you follow, tucking your head into the now-familiar red structure, narrowly avoiding the mess he’s left inside. 

They almost slip to the surface as he pulls you down onto his lap, and a heat rises between you as natural as steam from a hot spring.

It’s an invitation, of course. One last effort from Astarion for something more tonight, for you to be won over by his beauty and charm. But there’s nothing to be won over because you are already his.

You wish he could tell, from your drunken declarations, from the way you’ve made a second home in his arms. Maybe he can tell, but refuses to acknowledge it– you could hardly blame him if that were to be the case. But you also can’t blame yourself for barely holding back.

Even now, seated in his lap, staring into his mesmerizing red eyes, you’re not certain you could trust a single word that comes out of your lips. So you throw every word you’ve ever known, could ever know, to the wayside. And simply kiss him.

You press your lips to his slowly, contact feather-light as you balance on his thighs. Bracing yourself with a hand on his chest, you lean in, locking your lips together fully. 

They move together easily, dance partners on a familiar dance floor, to a practiced tune, but when you think of all of the things you wish you could say, an urgency rises in you– a deep-seated need to tell him how you feel, even if only through this.

So you kiss him harder, your hands holding him all the tighter. You kiss him with every word unspoken, every intangible feeling rising in your chest, every single ounce of you that he’s already won, if only he were willing to claim it.

Astarion moves to deepen the kiss, placing a hand on the back of your head, the other on the small of your back, not understanding where your desperation comes from. Misunderstanding your intent altogether. 

Of course, what was I thinking? you wonder to yourself as you pull away, panting lightly. That some magical kiss could make this man realize my feelings, could make him love me back?

But you’re not in some copper novel. This man harbors no hidden feelings for you. Only a deep need to lose himself, and you happen to be the person he’s chosen to do that with.

So, despite the confusion in his face, you crawl off of his lap. Despite the way his hand trails along your side as you lay down, you don’t get back up. You merely say, “It’s getting late, we should get some rest.”

Astarion murmurs his agreement, but you can hear the reluctance in his tone, see the bewildered expression on his face as he lies down, all of his clothing still covering his body. 

You could laugh at the absurdity of it all, how unnerved he is, how deeply your chest aches– gods, this didn’t go well at all. But you don’t laugh. Only a sigh escapes you as you wrap your arms around him, as you press your body to his with all of the affection you cannot contain.

His arms stumble, they falter, but they find their way around you as well. An awkward embrace from a man who has no clue how he’s arrived at this point.

It’s difficult at a moment like this to remember that you shouldn’t love this man. That there are a dozen reasons to tamp down your feelings, a dozen more to run away. This was never supposed to be more than a single night of fun.

But, face tucked into the crook of his neck, hands clutching his loose shirt, nose filled with his carefully curated scent– you can almost pretend that this is real.

[threelionsgirl]

Hey can you write one where the reader has a crush on Mason, but he says he only sees her as a friend, and that he has a crush on the reader's friend. But after y/n moves away from him, he realizes that he was always in love with her too. Please, with a happy ending!!!!

confessing love | mason mount

warnings: fluff, a bit of angst maybe? word count: 3767 notes: I LOVED THIS ONE!! remembering that english is not my first language, this has not been revised!!! i hope you like it :) masterlist | requests are open!

Y/N's camera lens traveled around the pitch during Manchester United's training sessions. And she loved her work as a visual media creator for the club's social networks. Combining her passion for football with her passion for photography was perfect. She was living a long-planned dream. Y/N was trying to get the best angles of the training session led by coach Ten Hag. She laughed a little when she saw Rashford and Casemiro play with the ball through the camera lens. He captured good moments of the two of them until she looked for her next target. That's when her lens passed Mason Mount. Y/N always liked to take pictures of Mason last because when her camera found him, it was hard to take the focus off him. She followed him all over the pitch, looking at him through her hyperfocus lens and taking more photos of him than of any other player. Of course, she knew it was a bit unprofessional, but no one needed to know, since she was the only one operating that camera and on the website and social media, all the players received the same publicity. The ones that remained, she kept in her personal collection.

Mason was running around the pitch, until he received a ball from Shaw, which he took on his chest and sent into the back of the net. Y/N made a point of capturing every moment as he celebrated by smiling, messing with his hair in a cute way and every bit of how his body reacted and the expressions on his face. Until he looked directly at her and realized that the camera was pointing at him. Mason began to make faces that made Y/N laugh as she recorded everything, without missing a beat. The truth was that Y/N was very friendly with all the players, they were nice and good company for going out and doing something fun, and nothing was more than friendship, but she had to admit that she had developed a special bond with Mason. She knew that with him, she didn't just want friendship, it was much more than that. But she felt too cowardly to admit it to him. He came running towards her, and she lowered the camera, finally taking the focus off him. She didn't need a camera to observe Mason Mount when she had him so close. "Too much work today, Y/N?"

"I'm always very busy, Mase." Y/N wiping the camera lens. Ever since she'd discovered her crush on Mason, she'd been a bit awkward around him because she found it hard to look at him and talk to him without looking like a lovesick idiot. A shiver ran through her body when he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and squeezed with his other hand. "You need a break to relax, you work too much." Y/N was going to ask him what his ideas were for her to relax, but she wasn't so bold. "Today is Maya's birthday." Maya worked in PR at United and was one of her best friends at the club. Working with her was amazing. They always went out together whenever they could. "Oh, I know, she invited me." Mason smiled in a different way, which made a thousand butterflies fly around in Y/N's stomach. "So, I'll see you tonight, right?" She hugged the camera, too nervous to answer and stuttering Y/N just shook her head up and down. Mason left a kiss on her cheek and pulled away when Ten Hag called out to him. Y/N stood there watching Mason walk away for God knows how long, that kiss on the cheek was capable of melting her entire system. She was so caught up that she didn't even notice when Marcus approached.

She could say that Marcus was one of her best friends. He was the first person she had been close to since she started working at the club. She felt she could count on him for anything. "When are you going to tell him?" "What a fright, Rash!" She looked at him unconcerned. "You need to stop this!" "And you need to stop running away from my questions, Y/N." "I don't know what you're talking about…" "Come on, you don't lie to me. You've got a thing for Mase." They both watched Mason from afar. She looked at her friend and rolled her eyes. "How do you know that?" "I know you, honey." He laughed, pinching her nose. "Do you think I don't notice how you spend hours and hours stalking him with that camera?" "Yeah, I have a crush on him, so what?" "So you're really going to leave without exposing your feelings?" Marcus raised an eyebrow and Y/N bit her lip. A few weeks ago, she had received an offer to become a Real Madrid staffer. Moving to Spain wasn't in her plans, but the offer was too good to turn down. Her photos had been successful, and she was getting recognized for her talent, but she still didn't know if she would actually accept. She loved Manchester, she loved United, and she loved the players with whom she was already familiar. To change would be to leave that behind. Leaving Mason behind.

"I haven't decided yet. It's a good opportunity, of course, but…" "I bet having Mason would make you say no to the proposal." "Rash, you don't know what you're talking about." "I'm just suggesting it. I'm going to miss you, and I'd rather you didn't go, but I understand, and I'm advising you, if you go, go without this weight on your back." Rashford winked at her and turned back to the pitch. Y/N took one last look at the two of them before heading to the administration building, she needed to edit those photos and publish them. She knew she had a big decision to make, wondering if her friend Marcus was right. Would Mason be a good reason to make her stay in England?

Later, Y/N was at home getting ready for Maya's party when she received a message from Mason:

mase: do u want me to come and pick u up?

The truth was that Y/N didn't need a ride, but Mason's invitation was impossible to refuse. The minutes she spent in his car in the passenger seat, watching his profile drive through the streets of Manchester, were almost magical. So she quickly replied that yes, she wanted his ride. What she really meant was that she wanted his company at every moment of her life. She finished getting ready in an hour, which was about the time Mason pulled up in front of her house. In the car he seemed very excited about Maya's birthday party and for some reason that was giving Y/N confidence. Maybe Marcus was right, and she should get those feelings out soon before they suffocated her. Maya's birthday was taking place in a fancy hotel and Y/N was enjoying it with her friends, her Manchester United friends and, of course, Mason. He was great company at parties, always daring her to knock back shots of booze or asking her to dance. On the one hand, Y/N loved him, but on the other she felt sad. Every touch he made on her waist or anywhere on her body sent shivers down her spine, and when he looked at her smiling and fiddled with her hair without taking his eyes off her?

She couldn't resist. But the worst part was seeing other girls flirting with Mason when he was with her, and not being able to do anything about it, since Mase wasn't someone she could call her own. So she decided to hide in the bathroom for a while. What was supposed to be five minutes turned into almost thirty, and she decided to go out and look for Marcus. She needed her friend more than anything at that moment, but instead of finding him, she bumped into Mason, who looked five times more altered than the last time she'd seen him. "Mase?" "Y/N! You're gooone!" He said in that slurred, shuffling voice. "What happened to you, Mase? I leave you for a few minutes, and you decide to drink the whole bar?" He moved his mouth laughingly, and she supported him with her shoulders, helping him to walk. Mason in that state meant it was time to go home. She knew the friend she had. "Where are you taking me?"

"To your house." "I'm usually the one who takes the girls there." "Funny." She laughed and pulled him away. They arrived in the parking lot and Y/N guided Mason to where he had parked his thousand-euro car. "The key." She held out her hand, and Mason slipped his hand into the front pocket of his pants without complaint and handed it to her. He wouldn't let just anyone drive his car, but in that state he either obeyed Y/N or he obeyed Y/N. "There. Here we are. You can get to your room on your own, can't you?" she said from outside, in front of Mason's door, who didn't look very well, but well enough to get into his own house. He looked at her worriedly. "How are you going home?" "I'll manage, Mase. I can order an Uber." She shrugged, wanting to get out of there. "Not at all. You can sleep here. I'll drop you home in the morning." He suggested, taking her by the hand and leading her into his house, but Y/N didn't move, letting go of her hand. Mason seemed somewhat loving, but she needed to remind herself that whatever he was doing at that moment, he wasn't in his most sober state. Alcohol could easily manipulate his actions, and she didn't know what was real. "I'm not sleeping at your place."

"Why not?" He frowned at the refusal. Normally, Y/N never said no to him. "You've slept here before." "There were other people along." She said quietly. It was those parties that got a bit out of hand and went on until late, and everyone thought it was safer to spend the night than to drive drunk. "And what's wrong with not having other people?" He asked, moving closer. So close that Y/N could have sworn she felt something in her body fail. It could have been her heartbeat or her breathing. She gave a half-smile, refusing to answer that question. There were all the problems in the world spending the night with a guy she couldn't call her own. It was too much of a disservice to her poor heart. "You look strange." He pointed out, looking right into her eyes. "You were weird the whole party." "I wasn't."

"I know you, Y/N. Yes, you were." Mason took another step forward, holding one of her shoulders. "You don't want to tell me why?" Y/N analyzed for a few seconds, hating that moment. She knew Mason wouldn't stop until he got an answer out of her and that's when she thought of the response she'd gotten from Rashford that morning. So she took a deep breath, making one of the two decisions she needed to make at that point in her life. "This is going to sound really stupid…" "You can tell me anything." "Look…" She looked away, but Mason held her face and his touch felt so good, it brought the best feeling in the world to her heart. "I'll say it straight away, okay?" He warned and Mason nodded, interested. Y/N took one last breath and quickly poured the words over him. "I like you, that's all. I know we're friends and that I shouldn't like you, but I do and I couldn't keep it to myself any longer. I like you. Holy shit! I didn't want to like you, but I do, so what am I going to do? Hell! It's not my fault, I'm not in charge of my heart. Mase, I can't be around you without my heart leaping three hundred times and I need to know what you're thinking right now!"

Mason blinked, a little stunned by the revelation, and felt something bad inside him. The alcohol in his brain wasn't letting him think straight. "Shit…" He muttered softly, letting go of her shoulder. "Y/N…" "What?" she asked, bracing herself for what was perhaps the worst thing she could hear.

"You know I think you're amazing, right? I like you a lot Y/N you, but not like that…" He concluded and the sentence almost made Y/N's world come crashing down. That was definitely not happening. She felt pathetic. "I was actually interested in Maya…" Mason swallowed before saying it and that was the end of the world for Y/N. She could deal with unrequited love, but a relationship between Mason and her best friend? It was too much for her. "Oh my God…" She took a step back, wanting to get out of there and holding back any tears that might fall. "Mason." She whispered and he continued talking as if that wasn't the worst thing he was doing. "I'm really sorry." Y/N couldn't look them in the eye, the street seemed less painful. "We can still be friends after that, right? Nothing have to change…"

She suddenly looked at him, hurt. How could he ask her that after saying he liked her best friend? "I-I…" She stammered. "I don't know if I can go through with this until I'm sure I've gotten rid of all my feelings for you. Bye, Mason." Y/N turned her back on him and walked away as fast as she could. She couldn't do that. Walking away was the best option, until she no longer felt anything, until she saw Mason Mount as just a friend. The problem was that for Y/N it could last a lifetime.

A few days later…

Mason felt strange, he could even say a little unhappy. An unbearable emptiness. Ever since Y/N had left him, he hadn't seen her for a few days. What was that withdrawal? He couldn't even say. He even thought about asking Maya, but he felt like such an idiot after that conversation. He really had an interest in the girl, but after what had happened with Y/N, Mason didn't care, he just wanted to get that feeling out of him. Because his current condition was: he missed a girl with whom he was hopelessly in love. Like almost all of his clubmates, he was always asked what was going on between him and Y/N. Mason always denied any love interest. But it wasn't possible! Could it be that only they didn't see what everyone else saw? Or at least, only he didn't see? Maybe what he felt for Maya was just physical attraction and the person he really liked was Y/N. It had been so long since he had liked anyone and when this person appeared, Mason was terrified.

She was the one who greeted him at the CT with a smile every day and made him laugh with the photos she took of him while he was distracted. It was fun how she would blackmail him with those photos to ask for favors like buying her a milk shake or autographing his shirts. Even though Mason never said no to her, he loved their dynamic. He also liked having her at all his games, cheering him on and giving him a big hug when the game was over. Shit, Mason wanted that back. He wanted Y/N back in his life, he understood her pulling away, but he wasn't going to let it continue.

"Rash, do you know where Y/N is?" He asked Marcus as soon as training was over. "Y/N? She's resigned, Mase." Marcus replied a little sadly, but it had been Y/N's decision and he would respect it. Mason, on the other hand, looked shocked. "What do you mean?" "She received an offer from Real Madrid. Yesterday was her last day. She must be on her way to Madrid…" Marcus looked at his watch on his cell phone. He had managed to say goodbye to Y/N the day before. "Right now." "You can't be serious." "Serious. We've lost the best photographer in the world to a Spanish team." He felt a little guilty. "Do you think…"

"If she went to stay away from you?" Marcus concluded, holding Mason's shoulder. "Don't think too much of yourself, the proposal was very good, but yeah, I think what you said to her may have influenced your final decision." "Damn. I was such an idiot." "Yes, you were." "Do you think I can reverse it?" "If you want to, you can, but please, man, try not to hurt my friend anymore." That hurt, but Mason nodded and understood that it was up to him. Marcus gave him some details, but told him that it might be too late. Y/N was leaving for Madrid at that moment and Mason might have to wait a little longer. Mason found himself defeated for only a few minutes before he realized that if he really wanted her forgiveness, he would have to want it badly and to show it he would have to start right then and there. He left CT like a hurricane in his car and drove as fast as he could to the airport. He wore a hood over his head to avoid being recognized, it would slow him down too much. He looked at the screen and boarding for the next flight to Madrid had already started and Y/N was probably already in the departure lounge. He went to the nearest counter and bought the first ticket he saw. At the counter, while waiting to pay, he thought he was acting out a scene from the clichéd movies Y/N liked, but he couldn't have cared less. Y/N was worth it and if he hadn't been such an idiot, none of this would have been necessary. After passing through the boarding gate, Mason looked as quickly as possible for the flight gate, when he found it he saw the queue forming and Y/N was currently first in line, handing over her documents before getting on the plane.

"Y/N." He shouted so loudly that not only Y/N but most of the people present looked in his direction. She felt someone taking her headphones off and when she looked back she was surprised. "Mason?" The girl went static when she saw him. He came closer and she took the document back and walked over to him. It hurt so much to see him again, but she was curious and a little surprised. "What are you doing here?" "I'm asking you. I can't believe you'd leave without saying goodbye to me." She looked at him a little guiltily. "Besides, you forgot something of yours with me." "What?" "Me." He said quietly, holding her face. At that point, Y/N's brain was going haywire, as if she couldn't imagine that Mason Mount would come to the airport after her to propose. "Answer me this, why did you say that day that you didn't want to like me?" She swallowed. "Why… Because I knew you wouldn't like me back and that would ruin our friendship, like it did." "And how did you know that was true?" Mason arched an eyebrow and Y/N looked around for something to get her out of that situation.

"Well, you told me yourself." "I lied." Mason shrugged his shoulders feeling bad, even worse with the face Y/N was making. "Oh, you lied? Lied that you were interested in my best friend? What did you want with that? To make me feel bad?" Y/N took a deep breath because at that moment she was starting to get angry. "That hurt me so much, you have no idea, and now you come here after me thinking I'm going to be with you whenever you want, Mason?" She finished saying it and took a step back, at which point Mason realized that things were getting very bad for him. He approached her holding her hands, willing to make things right with Y/N. "I'm not proud of it, it's just that I was a bit terrified Y/N. I haven't liked anyone like that for a long time and I loved our friendship, but I didn't even know how much I liked you." He confessed and Y/N had to admit that it shook something inside her. "I found myself smiling for no reason until I realized that I was thinking of you. And that I couldn't waste another day of my life without you. Please give me another chance!" Y/N hesitated. This was difficult because on the one hand she was very hurt, but on the other, the fact that Mason Mount had come up to her in an airport and declared himself like that was all she had ever wanted.

"But what about Maya?" "I have nothing to do with Maya, I never have, and I don't want to. Please understand that." Y/N hesitated for a moment, looking at Mason for sincerity. She sighed, allowing herself to consider the possibility of a second chance. "Mason, it's not easy to forget what happened, but…" She looked into his eyes. "If you've really changed, if you're willing to be honest this time, then maybe we can try again." Mason let out a relieved sigh, his eyes shining with gratitude. "I promise, Y/N, no lies. I want to be more than a friend to you, I want to be someone you can trust." Y/N smiled, giving in to the moment. "All right, Mason. Let's start again, but this time, no secrets. Bring out your true feelings from the start." Mason agreed, determined to make things right. "I'd like that. And I promise I'll make up for any hurt I've caused." The two hugged, deciding to put the past behind them. "So, what's the next step?" Y/N asked, trying to keep things light. Mason smiled. "A date, maybe? Something simple, just to get us started."

Y/N laughed. "That sounds good. But this time, no made-up love triangles, right?" Mason laughed along with her. "Absolutely. Just the two of us, no complications, but…." "What?" "Let me kiss you now? I didn't want to wait until the date." Y/N laughed along with him, letting herself go and kissing Mason as she had always dreamed. And so, with laughter and a promise of honesty, Mason and Y/N took the first step towards a new beginning, redefining not just their friendship, but building something more meaningful and true.

[metal-mouse]

Kinktober Week Two

Pair: Toji Fushiguro x F!Reader (M/F Pairing)

Themes: Smut. Kinktober Week Two: dacryphilia + rough sex.

Warnings: 18+ MDNI. Smut. Diet angst? Toji is a toxic man + makes you cry on purpose. Rough sex. Choking. Unprotected p in v. Light brat taming. Spitting in mouth. Degradation. Idk, he's rough with you.

Summary: 2.2k. Toji knows it's kind of an asshole move to make you cry, but damn it, your tears just get him going. Of course he apologizes every time in the only way he cares to - by railing you into the mattress! Or the wall, maybe the couch... the kitchen counter?

Note: okay being so fr right now, if a man treats you like this outside of a consensual kink space the dick ain't worth it even if he's hot. I had so much fun writing this one, and I hope y'all enjoy it. I'm making a separate AO3 for anime fics and misc fics, soooo this won't be up on AO3 until I get the invite link :). Anyways, hope you enjoy. Very little proof reading. Week Three: Choso Kamo x f!Reader.

Toji knew he should stop antagonizing you. Doing things he knew you’d get upset about. Flirting with women in front of you, disappearing for days on end without a word, showing up wasted at impolite hours of the day... There was just something so sweet about the way your cheeks would flush as you yelled at him. It was just so captivating when he intentionally wound you up - playing off your words, disregarding you, often telling you that it was all your imagination or you needed to lighten up. The tip of your nose would go pink and your eyes always welled up with tears. God, those tears. They got him every time, watching them stream down your cheeks.

Today had been one of those days, where he stood in front of you while you cried. His eyes were trained on your face, watching as it scrunched up as you tried so hard to hide how upset you were. Toji had taken you out for once, it was a big deal really. And yet, he’d spent the entire night flirting with the bartender. ‘It’s just for the free drinks, baby. Don’t worry.’ He’d said over and over with a smug little smile. The waterworks and yelling had started the moment you walked through the door of his apartment. He’d barely listened to your emotional ranting, it was hard to pay attention when you looked so fucking pretty  while you cried, and while his cock was rock fucking hard in his pants. 

It was always the best part of the night, the ‘apology.’ Toji never quite managed to say he was sorry, and tonight was sure as hell no different. He’d brushed your tears away with a gentle touch, licking the salty aftertaste from his thumb as he held your gaze. You knew what was coming just as much as he did, and he knew you were already soaked. This fucked up form of foreplay was an addiction. A vicious cycle. One that Toji was in no rush to break.

“Fuck you, Toji.” You spat venomously, trying to shove him away as his massive frame crowded you against the wall. 

“Fuck me? I know you wanna.” He said, that lazy and arrogant grin spreading on his lips. He could see that temper flickering in your eyes, a few stray tears running down your cheeks. He roughly yanked you against him and leaned in so you were trapped between him and the wall. His head dipped to kiss you, but your hand came up and pushed his face away to block him. 

Toji’s response was to simply grab that hand and pin it to the wall above your head. He loomed over you, his lips nice and close to yours, “Don’t be like that, baby. Why do you act like you don’t want this?” His free hand roamed from your hip to your ass, giving you a squeeze before he lowered his hand to your thigh to lift your leg and hook it around his waist. 

“Piss. Off.” You hissed, and Toji had to stop himself from laughing. He found it so cute when you tried to tell him off. Had he gone a little far tonight in his flirting with that bartender? Maybe. But he knew you’d melt into his arms with a bit of button pushing. 

“Oh, we’re playing like that huh?” His hips rolled forward, the prominent bulge in his pants pressing up against the apex of your thighs. “See what you do to me?” He knew just the words to say, just the moves to make. His nose bumped against yours as he crowded your face, his lips lingering dangerously close to yours. You’d fold. He was sure you would, especially when your breath caught ever so slightly every time he ground into you. 

“Go jerk off then if you’re so horny, you fucking prick.” Toji had to hand it to you, you were more fiery than usual. Jerk off? Nah. Not his style, at least not when you were pinned there in your little dress and glaring at him with your pretty red-rimmed eyes. 

“Who do you think you’re talking to like that?” Your eyelids fluttered as his tongue ran along your bottom lip and his grip on your wrist tightened. He didn’t miss the way your head tilted back ever so slightly, your posture starting to open up to him. Toji had you exactly where he wanted you. He rocked his hips against you, grinding against your clothed cunt. When you let out the tiniest little sound, your eyes closing and your free hand coming up to his chest, he knew he’d won. 

With this little crack in your composure, he crushed his lips against yours. It was a sloppy, heated kiss that left no room to breathe. He pulled up on your wrist, making you rise up onto your tippy-toes before dropping his hand to grab your thigh and lift you up so both your legs were wrapped around him. God damn, he was going to enjoy this. His kiss was rough, as was his bruising grip on your thighs - and you met him every step of the way. It wasn’t long before your dress was on the floor, rapidly followed by Toji’s shirt. With one arm holding you up, and the other smoothly unclasping your bra and discarding it, he walked you across the hall into the bedroom of his modest apartment. He tossed you onto the bed, and he was between your legs with his hands on your hips pulling you against him before you even had a chance to recover. 

“Are you going to keep having an attitude, or are you going to be a good girl and spread your legs for me?” Toji rested on top of you, letting you take the brunt of his weight as he pressed you against the mattress. His hand snaked down between your bodies, his fingers experimentally pressing up against your pussy. He lightly caressed along your clothed slit, feeling how you’d already drenched your panties. That was answer enough, but he wanted to hear it from you.

A shuddering breath caught in your throat as you tried to squirm out of his grip. Toji’s broad hand roamed over your belly, before palming your breast. He pinched one of your pebbled nipples between his fingers, gently rolling it and prompting a little squeak from you. Those were the sounds he was looking for. 

You let out a sound of pure frustration, “Please, Toji.” You pleaded. He loved the anger and resignation in your tone. The cherry on top was the way you wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him. There was a neediness in your kiss, which he accepted as his hands slid down your sides to your hips. You kissed him like you were trying to prove you were the only one he needed - that you were better than anyone he flirted with or looked at. 

He ripped your panties, the thin lace not standing a chance against him, and tossed them to the side. He sat up, looming over you as he removed his belt and unbuttoned his jeans. He watched as your eyes roamed up and down his toned form without discrimination. He had no patience for this shit. Toji’s pants and boxers hit the ground, and he was on you in an instant. 

His broad hands gripped your inner thighs, wrenching your legs open as he bent over you and bit down on the curve of your neck hard. You cried out, your back arching. His hips rolled forward as he rubbed the length of his cock through your folds. His eyes closed from how wet you were, and all for him. 

Toji guided one of your legs over his shoulder, and he held the other against the mattress as he plunged his thick cock right into you. No need for preamble, not when you clearly needed the main event. He leaned his weight into you, his free hand coming up and gripping your neck. “I’m going to fucking ruin you.” He promised, squeezing your neck giving you that light-headed sensation that made your mind tingle. That was it, your only warning before he started to drill his hips into you. Your eyes widened, a loud cry spilling from your lips from his merciless thrusting. Toji grunted, his grip on your neck and your thigh tightening as he was overcome with white hot pleasure from the way you were wrapped around him.

In his peripherals he could see the way your toes curled. You writhed against his hold on you, so he leaned into you more to keep you still. Your hands wrapped around the wrist of his hand at your throat. You were incoherent in your whines and moans, your entire body bouncing with every thrust of Toji’s hips. If he didn’t have such a tight grip on you, he was sure you would’ve been fucked right off the bed. Wouldn’t be the first time. 

Toji watched your face as he fucked you, the way your mouth had fallen open and your brows were scrunched up. He leered at you, grabbing your jaw to tilt your head to look up at him. You obliged, looking up at him through heavy-lidded eyes. His grip on your jaw was tight, and he forced you to open your mouth wider. He leaned in, spitting into your mouth before pushing your mouth shut and holding his hand over your mouth muffling your moans. 

“Swallow.” He ordered you, feeling the way your cunt fluttered around his cock. Dirty, little slut loves it. Your thighs were shaking already. Toji had the stamina, he’d pound into you without hesitation for however long he fucking felt like it. Right, apologizing.

His hand dropped from your mouth, groping at your tits. He loved the way the soft flesh felt under his rough palms. His hands were meant to kill, but he was more than happy to use them to make you mewl like this too. Your arms wrapped around his shoulders, holding onto him for dear life. 

“Oh fuck!” You wailed out when his pace changed. He rolled his hips into you slower now, but harder. The steady pace and punishing depth he set had your head falling back and your nails biting into his skin sure to leave long, red scratches. God damn, he wanted to see you fall apart. To hear you scream.

Toji brought his hand down, his thumb rubbing circles over your clit in tandem with his thrusts. Your loud gasp and the way your eyes squeezed shut told him everything he needed to know. Right there. His balls were tightening, a man could only last so long. Yet, he wouldn’t give into that pressure building at the base of his cock until you’d had your fill. 

“Yes-yes-yes-yes–” You babbled out with every thrust as Toji sped up the pace ever so slightly. Your muscles began to tense up, your nails pausing on his back and digging in hard. “‘M gonna… fuck Toji!” Your sobbing whine almost made him cum then and there. 

“Cum, baby. For me.” He said, his voice low and husky. His thumb circled your clit faster, and he kept up his pace. It started out as a tight little squeal as your jaw clamped shut. Your muscles clenched around him, and he took that as his sign to keep going just as he was. When your mouth fell open in screaming moans, he couldn’t help but grin. You looked so fucking good when you came. That explosion of sensations rocked your whole body, your cunt pulsing and coaxing Toji deeper. 

He obliged your body, his hands dropping to your hips to pull you in closer as he started to drill into you with reckless abandon. Faster, and as deep as he could go. His grunting mixed with your sobbing moans, until his head fell back. That tight pressure in his core was going to snap, his cock twitching and his balls tight anticipating his orgasm. His thrusts faltered ever so slightly as his length grew more and more sensitive, until he couldn’t hold on any longer. He pulled out, his hand flying to his length that he stroked fast and hard with the aid of your slick. He groaned in ecstasy, his hips twitching as his seed covered your belly, painting you like a piece of fucking art. 

Slowly coming down from his high, he stopped stroking himself and looked down at you. You were a fucking mess, shaking, panting, with his cum all over your belly. Toji leaned over you, his hands on either side of your head. He lowered himself down low enough to press a soft kiss to your lips, so gentle compared to the man he’d been only moments before.

“Let me get you a rag and some water, baby.” He mumbled against your lips. Oh yes, he’d be sweet now. He’d take such good care of you. Clean you up, hold you close, and do anything you ask. He’d protect you, and love you. Up until he needed his fix, that is. Then, the game would be back on. There was no chance in hell he was breaking this cycle.

[minkkumaz]

DISASTEROLOGY

hyunjin dreamed of you and the things you'd do together, and not one soul knew about it. he finally draws up the courage to show you his intentions

PIERCE THE VEIL series

PAIRING hwang hyunjin x gn!reader WC 1.1k TAGS friends to lovers. lovesick hyunjin. confessions. smooching. slightly angst. fluff. suggestive implications. OMI NOTE i think out of all the members i struggle with writing hyunjin the most. i literally dwelled on this for so long but honestly turned out better than i expected. @skullverse, my ptv twin. this one is for you my schmookum wookums bc ik he's ur fav!!

a single finger traced over hyunjin’s abs, making him take a sharp breath. there were a million different kinds of fun, but that was only a figment of his mind’s eye. when he was tucked in between his sheets, a tainted dream resurfaced every night.

but this wasn’t true, no, it was completely impossible. nobody knew that he dreamt about you, the dates he’d take you on, and the way he’d hold your hand so perfectly that not one person would get a single idea besides ‘they must be together.’

this was his imagination, and when he wasn’t happily rested within it, the world felt like it was at end.

often time’s he’d wake up in a cold sweat. running a hand through his hair to detach the pieces that stuck to his forehead. his shirt clung to his body, lacking the touch of you underneath.

hyunjin sighed, looking over to his blinking alarm clock that had a small sketchbook next to it. you were meant to come over soon to spend some time with him since days like that came rarely. one quick nap later and he was soon reminded of how badly he wanted you, yet couldn’t have you.

it was everything. the way your lips parted slightly when you were confused, how you stabilize yourself by holding onto his shoulders after he teaches you choreography, or maybe when your hand brushed against his as you walked alongside him.

a low groan of annoyance fell from his lips, moving from his spot on the bed to freshen up in the bathroom. looking in the mirror was only a reminder that today was supposed to be the day he’d say something to you; imply that he wanted so much more than to just be friends.

all he saw was his fear looking back at him. out of every drawing he’s ever made, he could never sketch out a coherent idea of how he fell victim to your spell. so instead he settled with drawing you. just you.

it was now or never, right?

picking up his phone from the charger, he sent you a text to let you know that it was okay to come over. it wouldn’t take very long, as you didn’t live too far. in the meantime, he pushed down these possessive thoughts and cleaned himself up.

the clock felt like it was ticking slower than ever, but that was just a misconception when he heard the gentle knock on his door. thousands of butterflies awoke in his stomach, and he had never been more nervous than in that moment.

he walked over to unlock the door and let you inside. you were cozy in some pajamas, with a jacket hugging your body.

“hyun!” you grin, reaching your arms around him in a hug, enabling his hands to snake around your waist.

“hey, i haven’t seen your face in awhile.” he ruffled your hair gently.

“pff, only because you’re too busy with tour.” you tease him, pulling away to follow back to his bedroom.

“okay maybe i was a little busy! but i have a present for you from when i was on tour.” he tells you, grabbing the sketchbook on his night stand and handing it to you.

“for me?” you flipped it open to see an image of yourself laying prettily on the first page. 

every pencil stroke dug into the paper, getting only the finest of details. you lower yourself back on his bed, still admiring the drawing.

“do you like it?” he smiles at you.

“do i like it? i love it oh my gosh!” you bounce slightly on his mattress, giddy with endorphins.

you place the book next to you on the comforter, reaching your hands out to pull him towards you in another embrace. in the midst of this all, he falls against you on the bed.

all you could do was let out quiet giggles with the boy on top of you, his head stuffed in the crook of your neck.

he lifted himself up, leaning up on one of his forearms. his free hand traveled to your face, moving small strands of hair that were blocking your vision. a pink hue played across his cheeks; this position felt too similar to the ones in his imagination.

“i don’t know how you were able to get all those details of me. you even got one of my moles!” you beam from underneath him.

“you’re just on my mind all the time, how could i not?” 

“uh huh, you’re too busy being one of the most desired men on the planet.” you joke with him, failing to realize he was being serious. your expression shifts when he doesn’t laugh.

“did you know that i dream about you, y/n?” he says tenderly, grazing his fingertip over your jawline.

“wh– pardon?” you mutter.

“there’s so much i want to tell you, but i don’t want to scare you off.” he looked intimidating, towering over you. but there was so much care in his words that it confused you.

“hyunjin.. you could never scare me off. i value all of my time with you.” you respond calmly, trying to mask your flusteredness.

the line he drew down your face stopped, instead drifting down your neck and across your collarbones. a shiver travelled down your spine.

“are you sure that you mean that, y/n?” his voice was composed sweetly.

“i mean it.”

“whenever i draw you, i think back to these daydreams i have about you. about us. we did so much together, but none of it was real.” he stopped, “it made me second guess things a lot. but i figured that even if the world was ending, shouldn’t we spend the rest of our time in love?”

“i– i don’t know what to say.” you lay below him with a shocked look on your face, but you were far from scared. you were curious.

“don’t say anything. just imagine us, please?” there were undertones of distress in his words.

“i like you, so much. but i don’t want to ruin things between us. i was so terrified.” you confess, biting back a frown.

“you won’t ruin anything, my muse. you’re anything far from poisonous. things will be okay.” 

“how will i know for sure?”

hyunjin looks into your glazed eyes, you were looking like you were about to cry. this only made him smile more.

he leaned down closer to you, until he was only inches away from your ear. you could feel every inhale and exhale sliding down the side of your neck.

“you’ll know if you stay. i want to create something beautiful,” he whispers, “then destroy it.”

© 2023 minkkumaz, all rights reserved support your writers by reblogging + giving feedback! it is greatly encouraged and appreciated. thank you! → why feedback + reblogging is so important. ~ (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ if you'd like, donate to minkkumaz ! PIERCE THE VEIL series

[pizzaboerr]

From nothing to something.

(Sanji x reader, part 5)

Part 1 , part 2 , part 3 , part 4

Summary: After a long day of running errand and being stuck in your own head, Everyone decided to have a few drinks at the bar, not thinking about what could happen.

Word count: 3K words

Content warnings: reader smokes cigarettes, angst, tension, mentions of kissing, use of curse words.

Authors note: Once again very sorry I didn’t upload earlier. Next week i’m on holiday so be prepared for multiple parts during the week! Thank you all so much for the support that I have gotten. I’m really pleased that you guys like the story just as much as I like writing it🫶

P.S.: Sorry if there are sentences that are grammatically incorrect, English isn’t my first language, so my apologies in advance.

~~—~~—~~—~~

You woke up pretty early the next morning, completely ready for the day. Today was the day that you were finally going to an island and have some fun. You quickly got ready, combed your hair, put on some light makeup and made your way to the kitchen.

You smiled as you saw Sanji preparing breakfast and humming. You knocked on the door before entering.

“Good morning Sanji. What are you cooking?” You looked at the ingredients and smiled. It always surprised you how Sanji could cook with all kind of random ingredients that he had laying around.

“I’m using up our last ingredients before we dock at the new island, which is soon hopefully.” Sanji said half laughing.

You walked over to where he was standing, reached into his pocket and grabbed his cigarette case. Sanji looked at you confused and laughed. “Didn’t know you smoked love, I would’ve offered.”

You laughed and grabbed two cigarettes. “Do you have time to smoke one now or are we going to wait until after breakfast?” Sanji’s cheeks reddend and he smiled as he grabbed the extra cigarette from your hand. “I certainly have time now. After you mademoiselle.”

You smiled as you heard the nickname again and led the way to the upper deck. You turned around to see Sanji already smoking his cigarette. He grabbed his lighter again and held it up for you to light your cigarette. You smiled politely as you took a hit from the cigarette. “Haven’t had one in a long time and not going to lie, I missed this.” He laughed and shook his head.

“You know you could always ask for one, I’ll even give you my last one if you needed it really badly.”

You laughed and nodded. “Thank you Sanji.”

There was a little silence but it was not awkward at all. Sure you weren’t sure how you really felt about him, which made it a little tricky but it wasn’t terrible or anything.

“So, what are your plans once you set foot on new territory?” Sanji asked while he flicked his cigarette away. You looked at him and looked at the land in the distance.

“Well first of all, I’m have to run a few errands, just to make sure we get everything we need, maybe some extra medical supplies, cigarettes.” You said smiling towards Sanji. “After that maybe I’ll go to a bar and have a good time, away from the going merry.”

Sanji smiled and nodded. “If you need anyone to keep you company with gathering everything, I can help, maybe combine it with my errands?” He said that more like a question but you smiled. “Yeah sure, let’s have some fun instead of you teaching me how to fight and kicking my ass in the process.” He laughed and looked away.

~~—~~—~~—~~

Everyone ran past each other, to make sure the ship docked without any problems, you helped Ussop and Zoro with the masts while they didn’t really need help but nevertheless you still felt somewhat useful.

“Good job crew! Now let’s have some fun!” Luffy yelled as he used the ship like a catapult and flew away into the city. You laughed at how goofy this all looked and saw Nami standing on the lower deck, ready to go. “Ready to run the errands y/l/n?” You smiled and looked at the ground.

“Well I am ready to run errands but Sanji asked to help so we’re going together, you can still join us if you want?” Nami laughed and grabbed her backpack. “No thank you, I’ll leave you two alone, have fun on your little date.” She said drawing a heart shape in the air. “No Nami, I think you got it all wr-“ You tried to explain but you got interrupted by Sanji who was also ready to exit the ship.

“Are you ready to go mademoiselle? Do I need to carry anything for you?” He asked politely while trying to grab your bag. “No It’s fine, maybe on the way back” You smiled as you quickly winked at him. His cheeks turned, once again, bright red and he looked at the ground.

The walk was quite relaxing, You looked at the shops that were there and back to your list. Sanji needed some new knives, as much food and drinks as he could get so you tried to memorize that as well.

You were done fairly quickly, Sanji just followed you like a lost puppy, carrying everything so you could relax a little. Sanji on the other hand had nothing yet. You were deeply in conversation with Sanji about the different bars that you saw, trying to figure out where to go later that day, when you spotted a tiny shop where they sold different kitchen utensils.

It was relatively busy on the streets, so you grabbed him by his hand and dragged him into the store with you. “Amore what are- Oh my god! This is amazing!-“ He started walking around, still holding your hand.

The shop owner smiled towards the two of you and after five minutes she walked up to Sanji, who let go of your hand seconds before that because he saw the prettiest knife set ever.

“Hello, is there anything I could help you with?” She started off slowly, playing with a strand of hair. You rolled your eyes and hoped Sanji would ignore this. “Ah yes, How much for this amazing set mademoiselle?” Sanji asked, smiling brightly. “For you I’ll do 50 berries, as long as we get to drink something together.” She said smiling, stepping a little closer and placing her hand on his chest.

You huffed at this and decided you needed to get some fresh air.

He blushed slightly and looked back to meet your gaze but you were nowhere to be found. He turned back around and smiled politely. “I’m sorry amore, Even though I would never say no to a beautiful lady, I do have to decline, You see the lovely girl over there-“ Sanji started and the owner got slightly pissed. “The price is 150 berries.” She quickly changed subjects. Sanji paid the berries, got his set and made his way out of the shop.

You were sitting outside of the shop, waiting for him to return. “Love where were you? I thought I lost you!” Sanji said dramatically and you shook your head. “Had to get some fresh air.” You lied. You couldn’t stand seeing Sanji flirt with another person, Even though you never told him that you maybe liked him, you felt your stomach twist the second she started flirting with him. You didn’t wait until the end of the conversation to leave the store, so you just assumed they were going on a date.

“So what else do we need?” You asked him while avoiding any eye contact. “We only need to get food and drinks and then we’re finished!” Sanji smiled happily while walking towards the market that was there. “Might as well take a look here, c’mon love.” Sanji said excitedly while linking your arms together and dragging you along.

~~—~~—~~—~~

Once you got everything you needed for the ship, you two put everything in its place. Sanji smiled when he put his knives set on the counter and looked at you. “Thank you for this lovely day Amore, I wouldn’t have done it with anyone else.”

You once again rolled your eyes at him, not convinced anymore that he had any sort of interest in you, after what happened in the kitchen supply store.

“Yeah no worries, gotta go.” You quickly said, walking away, deciding that it was probably for the best if you went on a little walk, just to clear your head. You didn’t want to believe that Sanji was going on a date with someone else and the last thing you wanted, is to see her again with Sanji.

A few hours had passed, you got back on the ship and walked back to your shared room, where Nami was eagerly waiting.

“What happened?” She asked while you sat down in the hammock.

“Sanji is going on a date with some girl he just met.” You casually said while you were fidgeting with one of your rings. Nami was confused and shook her head. “Well I haven’t heard anything from him about that.” She slowly said waiting for a reaction.

You looked up to meet her gaze and saw her grinning like an idiot. You could also see that she was wearing a nice dress and slight makeup.

“Why that stupid grin?” You asked slightly irritated. She wasn’t helping at all. “You know what, I think you’re just jealous.” She bluntly said.

You stood up and huffed. “Pff, No I’m absolutely not jealous. Why would I be jealous?” You tried to say calmly, but you said it more like a silent shout.

“This is why I think you’re jealous. C’mon y/l/n. I’m not stupid. You’re always on your toes with him, irritated when he’s ‘flirting’ with other girls and you’ll do everything just to have an excuse to see him.” Nami also stood up.

You were quite taken aback from everything she just said. It was like a realization you didn’t want to have yet.

“Cat got your tongue?” Nami laughed while saying this. “I hate it when you say stuff that makes sense.” You said with a hint of defeat in your voice, as you sat down in the hammock again.

“Okay enough of this, you get dressed, we’re all going out to have a few drinks. No excuses.” Nami warned you as she walked towards the door. “20 minutes and if you’re not there, I’ll drag you out of the room, don’t care what you look like.” She said, closing the door behind you.

You let out a big sigh and placed your head in your hands. She was right. You got up, got dressed into a cute but casual dress and redid the makeup from earlier. You grabbed your glasses, a bag with some berries in it and made your way back towards Nami.

~~—~~—~~—~~

Nami told everyone to go to the bar that they decided on and waited for you. “Are we the first?” You asked slightly confused. “No I told them to go already and that we would join them a little later, just to give you some extra time.” Nami smiled. “You do look amazing.” She added. truthfully.

You smiled whole heartedly. “You look stunning as well Nami.” She thanked you quickly and started walking towards the bar.

Once you stood in front of the bar you stopped walking. Nami turned around and laughed softly. “After you.” She basically pointed towards the door. You knew she wasn’t going to move unless you went inside. You nodded and walked in.

You looked around and saw a lot of drunk people dancing, having the time of their lives, while others were singing along to the live band that was playing. You spotted Zoro and looked back at Nami, who was standing behind you. You grabbed her hand and guided her through the crowds while she took that opportunity to pick pocket.

You reached Zoro who wanted to say something until he realized it was actually you and not some girl that wanted his attention. Zoro scooted over and you sat down next to him. “You look good, didn’t think you would wear a dress, like ever.” He said softly.

“I’ll just take that as a compliment, thank you.” You rolled your eyes playfully and nudged him in his ribs which caused him to grunt a bit.

“You look absolutely breathtaking Mademoiselle.” Sanji said and you nodded. “Thanks, does someone want a refill?” You asked before standing up again. Turned out, everyone wanted a refill.

“You better save this seat Zoro or I’ll kick your ass. Again.” You said laughing, leaving the irritated Zoro behind. You walked over to the bar, got your drinks and walked back over to your crew.

~~—~~—~~—~~

The night went pretty smoothly. You mostly tried to ignore Sanji, not because you wanted to but because you didn’t want to get hurt by him.

You excused yourself from the group and went outside to smoke a cigarette. You were looking around in your bag for a lighter as you heard a lighter behind you flare. You turned around and saw Sanji standing there, smiling politely as he held out the now ignited lighter.

You sighed but smiled back. Of course he wasn’t going to let you go outside alone, not when it’s already dark out.

“Are you okay?” He asked you while he lit his cigarette.

“I’m fine, just a little tired.” You tried to wave it off. “Okay different question.-“ He looked at you for a second before continuing. “Did I do something wrong? You seem annoyed with me.” He was now standing in front of you, looking at you for any signs of denying or conformation.

“I am annoyed Sanji, but I’ll be fine. I’m suprised you haven’t said hello to your date yet, She’s waiting inside.” You took a hit of your cigarette and looked into his mesmerizing blue eyes.

“M-my date?” He choked on the question and looked in shock. “I-I think you got the wrong idea my love.” Sanji tried to explain, now realizing what was happening.

“I don’t think so, I heard everything.” You said confidently. Sanji just smiled softly. “I don’t think so mademoiselle.” You looked at him confused before turning bright red.

“I told her i’d have to decline, that I wasn’t interested. She cut me off before I could even finish my sentence.” Sanji explained calmly.

You were so angry at yourself, for putting up a wall for something that stupid. You sighed and he smiled. “Relieved?”

You smiled slightly. “Kind of.” He laughed and nodded. “I’ll try to do better my love, now let’s go inside, I don’t want you to get sick.” Sanji placed one hand on your lower back, which caused you to get shivers.

“I’ll come back in a second, just need a little bit more of the fresh air and some time to think.” You smiled.

“Then I’ll also stay, if you don’t mind?” Sanji blushed slightly while he removed his hand from your lower back.

“Sure, do whatever you want.” You laughed. “Okay.” Sanji said before pulling you into him and he smiled. “Can’t let you get cold can I?” He tried to say smoothly but you could hear his heartbeat flutter and laughed.

You looked up at him and smiled. He was already staring and quickly looked at your lips and back to your eyes. “Did I already tell you that you look absolutely mesmerizing today?” You hit him playfully on his chest and smiled. “Yes you did, thank you, you’re too kind.”

He held you close and he lit another cigarette. You shared the cigarette and a few stories before getting ready to head back to the rest of the crew.

You got up before Sanji could and started to make your way back to the entrance. Sanji grabbed your hand and spun you around, causing you to giggle.

“I’m so sorry mademoiselle but I can’t wait any longer.-” He started. Your head was spinning and you suddenly got really nervous. He placed one of his hands on your hip, pulling you closer and cupped your face in his other hand, causing you to look him into his eyes. He was blushing heavily but you thought that it was cute. “M-may I?” You nodded slowly and he smiled. “Lovely.”

Once his lips connected to yours, you felt fireworks going off in your stomach. He was so sweet and careful while still being really eager to kiss and taste you.

He tasted like cigarettes, wine and mints, which surprised you but you didn’t expect anything else.

You both pulled back after a little while, catching your breath. You were flabbergasted he would kiss you but you blamed the alcohol he had earlier.

You took a step back and looked at him. He was speechless. He wanted to kiss you from the first moment he laid his eyes on you. He smiled softly and looked at you. You could see that he was slightly drunk.

You looked at the ground while trying not to freak out. “I’m sorry, we shouldn’t have done that.” You said while walking away. “My love.. Don’t do this, We can talk about this.” Sanji pleaded. You shook your head. “I’m so sorry Sanji, we’ll talk later.”

You grabbed Nami by her arm and pulled her into the lady’s room. “Nami listen.-“ You started trying not to cry. “Sanji kissed me, but he’s drunk and I’ve left him outside and I don’t know what to do!” The tears were now streaming down your face as you sat down on the ground.

Normally Nami would kept hassling you until you told her everything that had happened but she could see that you needed a friend. She sat down next to you and pulled you close. “Why are you crying? Because he kissed you? Or because he might not remember?” Nami asked you while she was trying to calm you down by slowly rocking you back and forth.

“Both. I’m scared he will wake up tomorrow and not remember anything but if he remembers I don’t know what to do. Sure I like him but that doesn’t mean that he likes me. I told him that we’ll talk later but I’m scared Nami.”

Nami shook her head and pulled you both up from the ground. “You know what, we’re gonna ignore it for now, just have a good time, I’ll get you something to drink and when we’re back on the ship we’ll discuss it again okay?” She smiled while wiping away the tears. You nodded and followed her.

As you walked back to the crew, you saw Sanji sitting in the booth, next to the girl from the shops. “You have to be fucking kidding me.” You whispered as Nami followed your gaze. “Is that?” She quickly asked.

You nodded once again. “His date.”

[literatecowboy]

Dr. Feelgood

6. Volunteering

Part 1

Summary: You've been in trouble at work several times before for "lack of professionalism" but now you've gone too far. You've been reassigned to Task Force 141 as a temporary doctor to replace the ones they've made quit out of frustration. You must either prove yourself and earn your former position back at a prestigious military hospital in California or face dishonorable discharge. Author's Notes: This is my first fanfiction - please be gentle. Additionally, the reader's callsign is "Feelgood." I have done my best to write the reader as ambiguous regarding appearance, but she/her pronouns and AFAB anatomy will be utilized. I hope for this to be a slow-burn romance with Simon "Ghost" Riley.  Warnings: Gunshot wounds, medical terminology and procedures, mentions of infants, children, and the NICU, masturbation, voyeurism, snuggling. Mild angst, fluff, and light smut

-----

Your next date with Ghost was much like the first. He’d come into the med bay a little before noon to have his dressings changed, and after you’d finished, he’d put his hand on your lower back and ushered you outside and towards his car. 

“Where are we going? I’m still in my scrubs,” you said, laughing as he helped you into the passenger’s seat and got in to start the engine. 

“Lunch. Nothing fancy.”

—

It was a quiet little spot near the edge of a village fifteen minutes away by car. The food was brought quickly and you ate together on the patio under a large umbrella, listening to birds chirping in the distance. 

Your phone vibrating in your pocket pulled you away from watching a stray cat prowl the alley across the street. The number was unknown, but it was British, so you picked it up. 

“Hello?” you asked, resting your hand on your palm. Ghost frowned but said nothing. 

“Hi, is this the doctor who goes by Feelgood?” the voice asked. You frowned and sat up straighter. 

“That depends on who’s asking. Who is this?” you asked. 

“Dr. Whitman, head of the emergency department at the central Memorial Hospital on your base. We’ve had a mild staffing crisis over here and I’d like to request your assistance in the operating room as soon as you can make it,” she said. You didn’t have to think about it. 

“Of course, I’ll be right over. I’ll be bringing you a…volunteer,” you said, looking Ghost up and down, a devious smile on your face. 

—

You took the wheel on the way back to the hospital and practically sprinted into the emergency department when you arrived, leaving Ghost trailing behind you and looking lost. He watched as you spoke to several people before a tired-looking older woman came to greet you and ushered you away to the back. You pointed at him as you went through the swinging doors and she looked back and nodded, and then you were gone. 

Ghost sat down on a chair in the hallway, scanning the emergency department from where he was sitting. Doctors, nurses, and other personnel bustled around him and hardly anyone spared him a glance until a chipper young man in a pastel pink scrub set approached him. 

“Hi, you must be the guest Dr. Feelgood mentioned! She spoke quite highly of you, I’m delighted to have you with us for today! Come, follow me and I’ll show you where you can help us out. She made sure to tell us to give you one of the fun jobs,” he said excitedly. Ghost rose from his seat warily, looking back at the doors where you had disappeared before following the young man out of the emergency department and into the greater hospital. 

Several maze-like hallways and corridors took them to the opposite end of the hospital, past countless different wards and departments until the man in the pink scrubs tapped his badge at a scanner and brought Ghost onto the ward they were headed for. And even then there were more hallways. 

Eventually, they found their way to a comfortable, private room with a large armchair, and the man ushered for Ghost to sit, which he did. 

“I’ll be right back with one of the little patients and then I’ll explain to you what to do,” he said with a soft smile before he disappeared and the door shut behind him. 

Ghost sat alone for a moment, wondering where the man had gone and what he’d meant by patients. Surely volunteering would just mean stocking boxes of gloves or writing things down for nurses?

His thoughts drifted to you and how you’d gone back into work mode the second your ass touched the seat in the car. Your voice had gone serious - you’d asked clipped questions about scenarios, diagnoses, and asked for numbers using acronyms he’d never be able to remember without a cheat sheet by his side. It impressed him, really - your intelligence, your skill, your care for others. 

The door was opened quietly and the man in the pink scrubs returned, breaking his chain of thought. He had with him an infant no older than a week. 

“On account of your injury, your friend has asked that we take you on as an enrichment volunteer here in the NICU,” the man said in a low voice, taking the baby from its carrier and slowly approaching Ghost. 

“What…do I do?” Ghost asked. There was genuine concern in his voice and he looked down at the little bundle with nervousness in his eyes. 

“Just hold her. Read to her, if you’d like. These babies desperately need affection - they’re in this ward for so long that it can be upsetting for their development. Just hit the call button on the wall if you need anything.” the man said softly. 

And with that, Simon was handed the baby. 

She settled into his broad arms in her sleep as the man in the pink scrubs left the room, closing the door behind him quietly. Simon gazed down at her little face as she slept, taking in every feature as he studied her. 

His heart stilled and his breathing settled as he focused on being as comfortable of a surface as he could. He looked at the child in his arms and he thought about you. 

Was a dead man capable of love? Could a weapon of war sleep peacefully at night, the woman of his dreams in his arms? Would the little thing in his arms recognize him as the killer he was?

Simon pushed his feet against the ground, carefully turning the recliner so that it faced away from the door and toward the large windows that looked down upon the hospital’s memorial garden. With one hand he reached up and slid the mask up, letting it rest on his forehead. He didn’t want it to scare the child if she woke. 

—

What seemed like a decade later after you’d finished surgery, you said goodbye to your patient, the team that had worked with you, and Dr. Whitman, and headed across the hospital to see if Simon had bolted. 

Even once you’d become a full-fledged doctor, you still returned to volunteer with the infants in the NICU every once and a while. It was your favorite thing to do in the hospital and you’d requested it for Simon, thinking he’d appreciate the calm, quiet job as well. 

You found him in the little room, not having budged from the recliner. His balaclava had been swapped for a black surgical mask and he’d pulled his hoodie up and drawn it mostly closed. 

There were two little babies snuggled up against him, one in each arm. His eyes were closed and he was sleeping quietly in the recliner, arms wrapped protectively around each infant. 

“Simon,” you murmured softly, your hands finding his shoulders and squeezing gently. He stirred and was awake in an instant but did not budge. You smiled at him and took one of the infants carefully, sitting down on the other recliner and studying him as you rocked the baby. 

“So, how’d you do? No crying,” you murmured. 

“I’ve needed to piss for two hours.”

—

You headed back to the barracks together later that night. As soon as the infants had been taken away, Simon had turned his back and tugged the balaclava back on, returning to his normal self. 

“Get some sleep tonight, doc. You need it,” he grumbled as he walked you to your door, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear absentmindedly. 

“And what’re you going off to do? You need to be resting. You haven’t fully healed yet and if you make that wound worse I’ll fucking kill you,” you teased, unlocking your bedroom door and pushing it open, ready for a shower. Simon only shrugged. 

“Been missing working out,” he huffed. Your jaw fell open and you grabbed his wrist, doing your best to yank him into your room. Amused, he played along, following you in. 

“I’m not even letting you fucking joke about it. You’re grounded. Sit here while I shower and then we’re going to watch a movie. You’re not leaving my sight,” you grumbled. Simon only laughed and pulled out your desk chair, folding his arms over his chest and watching as you headed into your bathroom and pulled the door shut behind you. 

It didn’t close all the way but you didn’t notice as you turned your shower on and stripped out of your dirty scrubs, jumping in as soon as the water was warm enough. 

Steam creeping out from the gap caught Simon’s attention and he dragged his eyes away from his phone. His eyes widened as he caught a look of you in the shower - naked, wet, and glistening. Your hands worked up and down your beautiful body and through your hair as you hummed quietly, your eyes closed. 

Simon got hard so quickly that he was glad he was sitting down. As if to prove that there was no blood left in his brain, he continued to stare, his eyes wide as he imagined creeping up behind you in the shower and pinning you to the wall, fucking you slowly from behind as you moaned his name and begged for more.

He considered raising his phone and snapping a picture, or worse, taking a video. Military self-control won out in the end, though, and he rose quietly from your chair and slipped out the door, shutting it silently behind him. 

Once back in his room with the door shut he sat in his own chair, facing his own dark, empty bathroom, as he yanked his pants and boxers down, his cock springing free. He regretted leaving your room as he wrapped his fist around his length, a low growl tearing from his lips as he bucked his hips into his hand, replaying that memory of you in the shower in his head like a GIF. 

In the other room, your shower turned off. He fucked his fist harder, more quickly as he imagined you bending over to dry yourself, your perfect little pussy exposed as if you were begging him to take you against the countertop. 

Simon hissed as he came without warning, cum covering his hand as your name escaped his lips with a groan. 

He felt dirty when, as he was washing up in his own shower, you hammered on the door. For the thrill of it, he answered it in a towel, feeling his cock twitch again as a look of surprise and embarrassment crossed your face. 

“I thought I told you not - not to leave,” you stammered, your eyes tracing the muscles of his chest down to the lines of his hips that lead to his–

“Wanted a shower,” he said. 

“Then we’ll watch the movie in here,” you said sternly. He complied, holding the door open wider for you. You did your best not to stare at him as he reentered the bathroom and dressed, sitting down on his bed and opening your laptop to set up the movie you’d chosen. 

He didn’t warn you before he lifted you to manually scoot you over when he came back to his bed in only boxers, making you squeak. He laughed as he settled in beside you, pulling the covers up over you both but not touching you further. 

“What do you want to watch?” you asked, scrolling through the list of movies that were freely available online. He shrugged, leaning up on one elbow to watch you. 

“You’re interesting. Maybe we should just go to the med bay so I can watch as you bustle around,” he said with a chuckle. You rolled your eyes and shut the laptop, tossing it to the end of the bed and sitting up fully. 

“If you don’t want to hang out with me that’s fine,” you said quietly, pushing the covers back and trying to climb over Simon to leave. He grabbed you gently by the hips and pulled you down onto him, flicking the light switch above his bed. 

“Simon, what–”

He squeezed you gently, nuzzling your hair and resting his chin on the top of your head, gently rubbing your back as you settled down against him. 

“Of course I want to be with you, m’ just tired. Now sleep,” he grumbled, closing his eyes and going still. You sighed quietly and made yourself comfortable against him, nestling into his chest and falling asleep securely wrapped in his arms.

-----

Taglist: @iamaliceinwonderland, @itsmeamysworld, @ghostlythots, @oranoyaora, @keiva1000

[andydrysdalerogers]

The Type You Save ~ S E V E N T E E N

James "Bucky" Barnes and OFC Alexandra "Alex" Richards

Detective James Barnes hasn't seen the love of his life in three years. Since the night she was almost caught stealing a painting. He knows it was her and she disappeared leaving him confused and heart broken.

Alexandra Richards never expected to be pulled back into her old life two years after she left it. She had found love and a home and was happy. Until a note blackmailed her to take one last job. Three years later she walked into the last person she expected to see in San Francisco. Because he lived in New York right?

They always put family before everything. And he would do anything to get his family back. Because she's the type you save.

TW: mob, death, smut, rape intentions, angst, guns, family abandonment, dub-con, manipulation

A/N: because of the Valentine one shot I'm posting tomorrow, I'm posting the final chapter of The Type You Save today. It has been fun writing a different hero this time.

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

Divider by @firefly-graphics

Previous: S I X T E E N

Series Masterlist ~ Main Masterlist

Alex stood on the grass in San Francisco, her black dress swaying in the cold wind, a storm coming in.  She sighed as she watched the casket being lowered into the ground. She tightens her grip on James’s hand as he held Drew on his other side.  

“I’m glad I was able to do this for him.”  

“Me too doll.  You ok?” 

“Its just hard.  I thought…” 

“I know Allie. But its closure.”  

She could barely listen to the prayer, her mind whirling from everything that had happened.  After everything had settle, Zemo sang like a bird.  He explained how he got involved with Grey, the threat Grey had on his family.  Grey made it seem like all he wanted was to take Alex, not explaining that he was going to kidnap Drew a week or so after his plan to break her.  

The police found Grey’s will and a letter for Alex.  Alex took a moment a couple of days after her rescue to read it.  

Alexandra,   If you are reading this, it means that I have die, probably at your hand.  That’s hard to write, considering the amount of love I have for you.   If you haven’t discovered yet, let me explain some truths.   When I first saw you, you were the most beautiful creature I had ever seen.  I wanted you from that moment on.  But your brother refused. I tried to persuade Simon, reason with him. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out.  We buried him close to the house in Boston. I hope that brings you a little peace.   As for your parents, they threaten to harm you as they blamed you for your brother’s disappearance.  I had them change their will to leave me as their benefactor before they were killed.  I wanted to keep your inheritance safe.   I left everything to you, my pet, my queen. My hope is that this letter is unnecessary, but I wanted to be sure you were taken care of, should anything happen.   I love you so much Alexandra.    Yours,   Christian.   

Alex sobbed at the letter with James holding her as she wept.  Her entire adult life before James was built on a web of lies.  When she got confirmation of his location, she had her brother reburied.  The toll of the bell snapped Alex back to the present.  

The father completed his blessing over the casket.  “We celebrate your life Simon Richards, a lost soul that has been found and now taken to the Lord. Amen.”  

They all murmured a reply and then came to give Alex their condolences. After everyone left, Alex turned to James.  “I want to see him, Jamie.”  

James sighed, “Allie, I…” 

“I need to see him.  He did this for me.  It’s the least I can do.”  

James adjusted a sleeping Drew on his arm.  “Ok, ok.  Let me make a few calls.”  

A couple of hours later, Allie sat beside a hospital bed.  Its occupant was asleep.  She took his hand and his eyes fluttered open.  

“Hey Allie Cat.”   

Nate’s face was still pale and his movements slow but there he was three weeks after being shot.  

She reached over to press a kiss to his forehead.  “Hey Nate.  How are you feeling?”  

“Tired.”   

“Getting shot will do that.” She gave him a soft smile. “What have the doctors said?” 

“Recovery is going well. Docs say I just have to be patient to get stronger.”  

“That’s good.” She rubbed her thumb over his knuckles.  “We had the funeral today.”  

Nate could see the pain in her eyes.  “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there. I’m just glad I was able to give you that.  I’m sorry I hadn’t told you sooner.”  

“Its ok. I probably wouldn’t have believed you then.”  She looked away to blink her tears away.  “How is your case looking?” 

He chuckled.  “Since I help saved two cops and a witness, its looking like I’ll be able to plea to a lesser charge. Maybe a year.”  

“That’s good. Steve, James and I are ready to testify for you.”  

“Thanks Alex.  I should rest. I have physical therapy in a couple of hours.”  

“Ok.  I’ll be back again now that I can get to see you.”  She hugged him gently and went to the door.  “Open on bay 7.”  There was a buzz and a click before the door slid open.  She glanced back at Nate with a smile and went through the door.  

James was sitting in the visitor’s lounge, checking his email when Alex walked in.  “Hey Allie.  How is he?” 

“He’s good.  Still kinda pale and slow but he says he feels stronger.”  She popped a shoulder.  “Ready?” She held out her hand.  

He took and tugged her to him, her back to his front, hugging her, breathing her in. Something he doesn’t take for granted anymore. “Ready, doll.  Steve called and said Drew asked if they could go to the park.  I said ok. Wanted some time with my doll.”  He placed a kiss on her neck.  

“Jamie, we are in the hospital,” she moaned quietly as he continued with his gentle assault.  

“I��ve missed you, Allie.  My perfect little doll.”  

She melted right there. “Ok, ok, get me outta here Detective.”  

“Its Sargent and you know it.”  

“You’ll always be my Detective.” She spun in his arms and looked into his stormy blues. “Take me to bed Jamie.”  

“Oh Allie,” James moaned. He kissed her hard before releasing her, taking her hand and guiding her out of the hospital.  The drive was laced with anticipation, the air heavy with lust from the couple.  They hadn’t been intimate, since before, with Alex dealing with the emotions of her past coming to light and Drew being attached to his parents in fear of never seeing them again.  James held onto Alex’s hand, his thumb moving over her knuckles, the sensation like bolts of lightening to her core.  

“Lightening touches,” she whispered.  

“What was that?” 

“Lightening touches,” she said a little louder.  “Before all of this, your touch always gave me the feeling like lightening through my skin.”  

James smiled.  “I remember. I believe it was the same night we conceived Drew.”  His smile grew wider. “That was a great night.”  

“It was.” Alex brought his knuckled to kiss. “I’m sorry I’ve been distant.”  

“Don’t be doll. I understand.  We’ve all been through a lot.” They made it back to their apartment.  It was eerily still.  Alex looked around as James pulled her to their bedroom.  “Tell me what you need baby.”  He sat on the edge of the bed as Alex settle between his legs.  

“I need you,” she whispered.  

“You have me, doll.” James began to kiss around the hem of her blouse.  He motioned for it to be taken off and Alex swiftly pulled it off.  “So beautiful.  My Allie,” he whispered in between kisses.  

She ran her hand through his hair.  “My Jamie.  I love you.”  

“I love you too, doll.” He stood up and lifted her into his arms.  She wrapped her legs around him as he flipped them around and he laid her on the bed. “Let’s make a baby.”  

“Now?” 

“Now.  No more threats, no more secrets.  Its just us now doll. James and Alexandra. Bucky and Alex, Jamie and Allie.”  

“Never called you Bucky. But Bucky and Alex works.  Just like mommy and daddy.” She ran her fingertips over his chin. “I love you.”  

“Oh doll.  I love you.” Soon all their clothes were gone and James was hovering over his wife. He stared deep into her eyes as he rubbed his tip through her folds.  “So wet doll.  Almost as if you were excited to make me a daddy again.”  

“Jamie, don’t tease,” Alex whined.  “I need you.”  

He grinned as he sank into her, stretching her slow.  He watched as her head tilted back and her eyes rolled back. “Feel good?” 

“So good baby but you have to move,” she moaned.  James started on a steady pace, not really using force, just letting her feel good. “Oh god, Jamie,” she cried.  

“Yeah Allie.” James flipped them so she was on top.  She swiveled her hips and he groaned.  “Just like that doll.”  She bounced on him, feeling all of him. He could feel her starting to tighten.  “You close baby?” 

“So close.  You feel so good inside me.” He grasped her hips tighter, pulling her down harder onto him. “Gonna cum.”  

“Do it, love.  All over me Allie.” James grunted at the force, wanting to be closer to her.  He flipped them again and moved his hips hard. She gave a silent scream as she tightened around him.  “Ah fuck!” He let go as well, moving slower, working them through.  

They laid there a moment, the cloud of bliss still over them. The memories of lost love, love found, and love made flooded them.  James held his girl, thankful that she wasn’t lost.  She was saved.  

F I V E  Y E A R S  L A T E R 

“Andrew! Delilah! Its dinner time!” Alex called out to her children. She felt something around her ankles and looked down to see their white kitten, Alpine, twisting herself around her.  “Yes, Al, dinner for you too.”  Her children raced in, their German shepherd, Brooklyn, racing after them.  “Wash your hands!” She turned back out the door.  “Bucky! Steve! Dinner!” 

James and Steve trudged in, still arguing on the best way to fix the bike.  “I’m telling you it’s the exhaust,” Steve argued.  

“Whatever punk, the pop noises are from the clutch, guaranteed.” James wiped his hands off and went to Alex.  “Hey momma, how are you?” 

“Tired but good.” His hand rested on the small bump on her belly, and she placed her hand over his. “Still too early to feel them, love.”  

“Can’t wait to meet them love.  Its everything we ever dreamed of.”  

“It’s more Jamie.  It’s so much more.”  

James and Alexandra. Bucky and Alex. Jamie and Allie.  

Family over everything.  

*~* The End *~* 

@patzammit

@texmexdarling

@slutforchrisjamalevans

@firephotogrl74

@tinkerbelle67

@before-we-get-started

@bunnyforhim

@alexakeyloveloki

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[my-adhd-gremlin-blog]

JimmyVillainArcJimmyVillainArcJimmyVillain-

I wrote a fic.

It's my time to shine, folks. Nothing makes me happier than to write a bit of angst, and Jimmy's last episode was fuel for my angst fire 🤣.

I think it was in a stream that he said he wanted to fix the gunpowder farm so that he could "blow up the other empires", and you know I just took that and ran with it.

As much as I love Jimmy, though, he's a soggy biscuit and I don't know how well he could pull of a villain arc, so I'm manifesting with this fic, basically🤣.

(I don't usually write fanfiction, let alone share it, it isn't really my style, but Jimmy's villain arc has so much potential for angst that I had to give it a go. It's also been so long since I've been this invested in a fandom, so I actually had fun writing this. Enjoy 😁).

Edit: Whoops! I forgot to put cw: character death/suicide (in the Minecraft sense; they respawn)

____________________________________________

The tiny, mechanical heart thuds in Jimmy's chest as he rises from his bed in Tumble Town. Gem, the pacifist princess, murdered him in cold blood. What made Jimmy a target? Why were they out to get him? Straightening his hat, Sheriff Jimmy set out across the mesa, heading toward the gunpowder farm that they all so loved to tease him for. As per usual, pickings were slim. No matter, he thought, as that was about to change. Even if it took all night, Jim would get what he needed. Enough was enough; it was time to make everyone pay for making him feel so small.

It's game time.

•

Stratos was first. He and the god may have reconciled, but Jimmy hadn't forgotten who made him this way to begin with. No one was safe, not anymore. If he wanted to prove his point, the whole world had to suffer. It was a sunny morning when the Sheriff decided to pop in to visit God Joel. Early rise, just like he was taught. Joel wasn't alone; the goblin and that traitorous princess were with him, making trade deals and small talk. From the sky, they looked like good friends, catching up on the week's events. Friends. The word left a bitter taste in Jimmy's mouth as he soared lower and lower, just catching the end of Joel's conversation with Gem.

   "...dropped Hermes off with Daddy Sausage in Sanctuary last night. They've started asking questions about where babies come from, little tyke."

Gem laughed delicately. When Jimmy landed, no one payed him any attention. He cleared his throat, and the others looked around, unable to identify the source of the noise. Fwhip spotted him first.

"Oh, hey, little fella," he said, too brightly for Jimmy's liking. He crouched down to the toy Sheriff's level, and continued, "What brings you out of Trouble Town today?"

Jimmy said nothing. He just stood there, staring down the people who he once so desperately sought the approval of, feeling nothing at all. Fwhip stepped back, rising back to his full height. He was smirking like nothing was wrong, but when Jimmy was through with them, no one will be laughing.

"I think the Sheriff has gone shy. What's the matter, Jim, all tuckered out from playing with Andy?"

Joel chuckled. "Be careful, Fwhip. You don't want to be on the receiving end of Jimmy's short temper."

"Come on, guys, leave him alone," protested Gem. "It's a long journey to Stratos for a guy so small."

Still, Jimmy did not speak. Instead, he smiled. A smile that the others did not recognise. It was not his usual bright and toothy grin. This smile was cold and emotionless. It did not reach his eyes, and looked completely wrong on his face. The others' face changed, too. Gone was the playfulness, replaced with worry, and just a hint of fear.

"Uh... Jim? You doing alright, buddy?" Joel asked nervously.

"You know we're only teasing you, right?" Gem added.

"Yeah, it's just a joke, pal," said Fwhip.

Jimmy sighed. "That's your problem. You think this is all a joke. You think I'm a joke." His voice was rough and gravelly. It cracked from unshed tears. But Jimmy was not going to cry in front of them. He had too much left to say.

Turning to speak directly to Joel, he said, "You ruined my life, and you laughed. Again and again, you've humiliated me. You gave my son away!" Jimmy bowed his head, and took a deep breath. "All I wanted was respect, for someone to see me for me, not this twisted version of me that you turned me into. I wanted someone to stay." He looked at Fwhip as he spoke that last sentence, but he was thinking about Scar. The man who saw passed the stitches and stuffing, who saw the potential in him and his humble Empire. The world felt a little less lonely when Scar was around, but even he chose to leave him. No one wanted to stay with him, not even his rancher, his Tango.

If the world didn't want him, then he would watch it burn. "I'm so tired of being the butt of everyone's jokes. But I'll be the one having the last laugh. Stratos is rigged to blow."

The other leaders were rendered speechless. This was not the Sheriff they had gotten used to walking all over.

"What do you mean, 'blow'?" Joel asked, slowly.

Jimmy laughed lightly. "So glad you asked, poser. You're all familiar with the Tumble Town gunpowder farm? Well, you should be, you've mocked me for it enough times. That 'pathetic farm' has been working overtime, and has produced me enough TNT that when I light it up, this sham of an Empire will be blasted right out of the sky. If I'm lucky, Chromia will be taken as collateral damage."

The god, usually so strong and unshakeable, looked terrified. He dropped to his knees, and began to plead with the monster he'd created.

"Jimmy, please. I thought we were friends, don't do this. There are innocent people down there."

"Do you really think I care? Did you care about anything you put me through? No, I don't think so. Man, if they could see their god now. Trembling before a toy."

Jimmy pushed back his vest, revealing the stick of dynamite in his holster. He lit his flint and steel, touching it to the fuse. It began to spark immediately.

"I'm not a toy, Joel. Do you hear me? Are you all listening?! I - AM - NOT - A - TOY!"

Each word was laced with venom, and by the time Jim had finished speaking, the fuse had burnt out.

Smallishbeans was blown up by SolidarityGaming

fWhip was blown up by SolidarityGaming

GeminiTay was blown up by SolidarityGaming

SolidarityGaming blew up.

•

That tiny, mechanical heart began to beat again. Jimmy sat up in his bed, satisfaction growing as his actions truly began to sink in with the others.

Stratos was gone, and Tumble Town was as quiet as the grave. Its residents were long gone, not knowing what had become of their Sheriff. Not knowing how damaged he truly was.

Joel would be waking up at spawn by now, scrambling to salvage what was left of his Empire. The goblin and the princess would try to help, but there would be nothing left to save.

One down, eleven to go, Jimmy thought. I think Gobland will be next.

____________________________________________

(Notes: I felt like I had to note that Hermes was not in Stratos while this happened. No demigod children were harmed in the making of this fic 🤣. Also, I don't really know what kind of toy I imagine Jimmy as. I guess something similar to Woody, but if he was human before and was turned into a toy, there has to be working organs in there, right? So I imagined his heart as like, a tiny ticking clock, just in case that wasn't clear. Thanks for reading.)

[kumeko]

A/N: For the Crystallize zine! I have no smut skills or I’d write the angst smut after this.

…

…

…

…

Of all the places Tartaglia expected to find Emperor Zhongli the night before his birthday, sitting in a pavilion with a cup of baijiu in one hand and a red soldier piece in the other was not one of them. In the late hour, the golden sweeping roof looked like burnished bronze, the cherry-red pillars like dying embers. A sliver of silver moonlight bathed Zhongli, giving him an ethereal glow as he set the soldier on the xiangqi board beside him.

For a moment, Tartaglia stood stock still at the threshold, unable to break the scene in front of him. Rain drizzled lightly around them, a moon shower that did little to hide the stars. The emperor’s robes flowed around him like a flower’s petals.

Zhongli looked over his shoulder, a welcoming smile on his lips. “Oh, there you are.”

The spell broke, and Tartaglia padded over to the king. Smirking, he asked, “Oh, you were expecting me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Befuddled, Zhongli placed a second cup next to the xiangqi board. “You come every night.”

It was silly, really, how that second cup made Tartaglia happy. It was a simple sense of expectation, of routine, of someone waiting for him. He sat down and took a sip to hide his growing grin. “So I’m becoming predictable, got it.”

Zhongli regarded him with dark eyes and shook his head. “I could call you many things, but predictable is not one of them, Childe.”

Childe. The sound of his alias was like a splash of cold water. Tartaglia lowered his eyes, studying the clear baijiu in the delicate ivory cup. Maybe he should take his own words more seriously. He was becoming predictable. He was falling into a routine.

He was a spy. It was the one fact he wasn’t allowed to forget. It was the one fact that he couldn’t escape. These nightly visits were just for gathering information. They weren’t supposed to be a highlight in his day, something he looked forward to as he skulked around the palace.

At some point, Childe had started to sound like his real name.

At some point, he had stopped looking at Zhongli as a target.

At no point was any of this permitted. Forcing a chuckle, Tartaglia changed the topic and pointed at the board. “Is it really that fun playing by yourself?”

“It was a good way to organize my thoughts.” Zhongli picked up a red cannon and moved it down two spaces. “You can play the other side now.”

“Don’t come crying when I win,” Tartaglia teased, forcing a levity he didn’t feel. It felt natural sitting and talking like this, with only the moon as their witness.

“Why would I cry?” Zhongli cocked his head, confused. When they’d first met, Tartaglia had thought it was an act, that no one could be that oblivious. Then he’d realized that despite the emperor’s intelligence, his social awareness was worse than a toddler’s.

“Never mind.” Tartaglia studied the xiangqi board; the game was only five moves in. The pieces looked haphazardly placed. Whatever was on Zhongli’s mind, it was serious. “I thought you’d rest early tonight. Tomorrow’s a big day, right?”

“It is?” Zhongli stared blankly before his lips formed a soft ‘o’. “It’s your birthday.”

The laugh that burst out of Tartaglia was real. “It’s your birthday.”

“Right. I should remember that.” Zhongli rubbed his chin. “That is a big day.”

“Why does it sound like you’re asking a question?” Tartaglia murmured, shaking his head.

Tomorrow was a big day in many ways. A birthday. The Tsaritsa’s invasion. He’d thought it’d be ironic before, to overthrow Liyue on a frivolous emperor’s birthday. Now it was just tragic. He should never have started these nightly sessions. Regret was a heavy thing and he didn’t want to carry it.

“Anything you want?” Tartaglia asked, pushing aside his thoughts. He was thinking too much today. “Something manageable for a guard.”

“Managing…” Zhongli pursed his lips and looked at the moon. “I suppose that’s why I’m awake.”

“To manage something? You know, if you wanted to stay up, you could have just asked. I know better ways to spend the night.” Tartaglia waggled his eyebrows.

Zhongli stared at him for a second before realization dawned, his ears turning a soft red at the idea. Tartaglia grinned wickedly. If there was one thing he never tired of, it was flirting with the usually impassive emperor. It was impossible to guess how he’d react, only that it’d be interesting.

Clearing his throat, Zhongli shook his head. “No, that…that’s fine. I was just…” He lowered his gaze to his baijiu, studying the moonlight reflected in it. “Lumine and Aether showed me the town today.”

The twins. The only possible wrench in the Tsaritsa’s plans. No one really understood where the pair had come from but everyone knew that their strength was nothing to be laughed at.

“And, how was it?” Tartaglia asked lightly, moving a soldier forward. “See something you want for your birthday?”

“There were a lot of things I wanted, but Aether refused to let me buy anything,” Zhongli replied, sounding put out as he moved his advisor. “He said no one actually buys an entire store.”

Tartaglia snickered. Those were exactly the kind of problems he’d expected. He moved his advisor as well. “So that’s what’s wrong?”

“No, it was…” Zhongli’s hand hovered over his piece. “Management. I did not realize the state of my citizens. It is different to receive reports here than it is to go down there and see it for myself.”

Part of him wished that Zhongli could have stayed oblivious till the end, secure in the belief that he had done his best for his people. Tartaglia looked away. “Is it that different?” he asked, pretending he wasn’t fully aware of the corruption that flowed freely under the emperor’s rule. As though he hadn’t made it worse, pushing the Tsaritsa’s money and influence into the cracks he found, until Liyue’s people were split between wanting to protect their oblivious emperor and wanting to overthrow him. A divided nation was easy to conquer, and the Tsaritsa never liked to leave things to chance.

“Extremely.” Zhongli frowned, crossing his arms. “Food prices are higher than I had planned. There are ruffians stealing goods. The poor are not receiving enough help. I thought I had made the right laws and contracts, but I must have made a mistake somewhere.”

“Someone else could have made the mistake,” Tartaglia countered, not liking how Zhongli’s expression had darkened with each statement. He raised his cup, letting the alcohol burn a path down his throat.

“Perhaps, but I am the emperor. In exchange for my power, I must make sure my people are taken care of.” Zhongli hummed thoughtfully, his fingers drumming his thigh. “I will have to correct this.”

In another world, Zhongli would have succeeded, Tartaglia was sure. But in this one, factors beyond Zhongli’s comprehension were at work. In this one, it would take more than good faith and trust to keep the flames of revolution at bay.

“I’m sure you will,” he lied. He dug his fingers in his thighs. “Did you see anything you liked, or did the twins only show you the worst parts of town?”

“Anything I liked…” Zhongli rubbed his chin, considering the question. “I did like the lanterns and flower wreaths they made for tomorrow. I wonder if I can make them myself.”

It was an amusing image, Zhongli with a look of intense concentration as he put together a lantern. More likely than not, he’d get it entirely wrong. Tartaglia cracked a smile. “I doubt it.”

“You never know.” Zhongli’s expression finally brightened. “We should go see them tomorrow.”

“Oh?” It was all too easy to flirt, to tease, and Tartaglia fell back into familiar patterns. “Like a date?”

“Yes, a date,” Zhongli confirmed easily, without even taking a second to think about it. “That is the right word for it. Will you go on one with me?”

Now it was his turn to flush. Rubbing his ear, Tartaglia mumbled, “We would need a disguise.”

“I suppose. Lumine said that today too before we left.” Zhongli sipped his baijiu. “We could use the same disguise again tomorrow. I will be Rex Lapis.”

“Rex Lapis?” Tartaglia snorted. “That’s what Lumine came up with?”

“No, that was Aether’s suggestion.” He cocked his head. “You do not approve?”

“No, no, it’s…fine. One name is as good as any other.” Tartaglia wondered how well the trip had actually gone. It was hard enough to catch Zhongli’s attention when one called his real name—using a fake one must have been near impossible. Add in his odd ticks and well…it was impressive he had never gotten caught.

Pleased, Zhongli moved his elephant across the board. By now, the xiangqi game was perfunctory. “We will need a name for you, as well.”

He didn’t think, didn’t stop to consider the consequences before he breathed, “Ajax.”

It was a risk. A foolish, stupid risk.

It was the only time, the only chance he had to hear his real name roll off Zhongli’s lips instead of the moniker forced onto him by a distant ruler.

Zhongli didn’t notice his reaction. He nodded. “Ajax. That’s a good name.”

Tartaglia’s breath hitched. Speechless and unable to handle Zhongli’s warm eyes, he stared at his cup. His murky reflection smiled back.

He wanted to hear it again. He wanted to never stop hearing it.

They both fell into silence. The moon continued its steady rise, the night breeze rustled through the trees. Somewhere, cicadas buzzed and crickets chirped. The xiangqi game continued, though Tartaglia didn’t know which pieces he moved. His mind was stuck on a single moment, a single word.

“Oh, I know.” Zhongli set down his now empty cup. “You.”

This broke through his thoughts and Tartaglia finally lifted his head. “Me?” he repeated, bewildered.

“A gift you can afford, Childe. A gift that I want.” Zhongli interlaced their hands, squeezing lightly. “You.”

That simple declaration left him speechless. Zhongli’s hand was warm, his grip steady. Tartaglia should pull away, should step back—tomorrow, the emperor’s blood would be on his hands and no one would call him Childe anymore, no one would quietly kiss him behind the pillars or invite him for moonlit drinks.

Tartaglia was stuck in the web he spun, unable to break out.

At some point, he had started to fall for his own lies.

At some point, he had started to fall for Zhongli.

But it was too late for love and far too late to back out. Zhongli’s hands would only be warm tonight, his smile would remain only for the next few hours. Either he’d die or he’d never look at him the same.

“Let me give you an early gift then,” Tartaglia whispered, his voice thick with emotion. He leaned forward, knocking the pieces off the board as he kissed Zhongli, as he pushed him down and pinned him in place. 

There was some small hope that Zhongli would survive. The twins could protect him. His guards could help him escape. The Tsaritsa didn’t need his death to succeed, just his empire. Zhongli could live in exile.

He’d never look at Tartaglia the same. Tartaglia swallowed. There would be no love in his voice after tomorrow. And that was all assuming the Tsaritsa’s carefully woven plans somehow fell through, that Zhongli managed to escape the destruction with his life.

A new sense of urgency filled him and Tartaglia broke their kiss. Brushing Zhongli’s ear with his lips, he mouthed the words he couldn’t say aloud, the feelings he wished he could have denied.

Before Zhongli could respond, Tartaglia crushed his lips in another kiss.

Just for tonight, he would be Childe. Just for tonight, he didn’t want the sun to rise.

Just for tonight, he would dream of a happy ending.

[bensolosbluesaber]

Moments - Part 2 (Jake Lockley x f!reader)

Summary: There’s no rules for how to cuddle with Jake; you’ve never done it before. The first time you and Jake hold each other. Spiritually, this is a sequel to Moments, but you don’t necessarily need to read that. I wrote Moments before the Jake reveal and felt incomplete without him.

Fluff, pinch of angst

Pairings: Jake Lockley x f!reader, tiny tiny tiny hint of Steven Grant and Marc Spector x f!reader

A/N: Not the fic I thought I’d publish today, but I needed to write some fluffy soft Jake. There’s almost no dialogue in this, which is weird for me. Not edited, but I can’t look at my computer any longer:) Can you tell from my fics that I’m obsessed with Oscar Isaac’s nose and hair?

--

In all the weeks you had known him, Jake Lockley has touched you exactly two times. The first time was on your first date when you both reached for the check and brushed hands. The second was a few minutes ago when he politely touched your waist and moved you so he was the one walking closest to traffic.

Since finding out about Jake, you had done your best to include the man in your already complicated relationship with Marc and Steven. He liked it, liked taking you on dates, insisting on paying, driving you all around the city, watching you do little tasks. But Jake doesn’t touch you. Three official dates, and just two barely there touches.

You enter your shared flat together, and you turn to face Jake, shifting on your feet awkwardly. Usually at this point, Marc or Steven will front, and you’ll fall asleep with one of them or cuddle together on the couch. It’s not what you want tonight; you love them, of course, but you want time with Jake.

“Well-” he starts.

“You could stay,” you interrupt before you can think better of it.

His eyebrows twitch together, confused. Don’t you want Steven or Marc now? You kick off your shoes, discard your jacket, and change into sweats and one of Steven’s white shirts. Jake politely looks away, but you can see him sneaking the occasional glance at you through his lashes. You don’t mind. If you did, you wouldn’t be changing in front of him.

You flop onto the bed then fix your gaze on Jake. You nod to the empty spot beside you. It takes him a minute, but he changes into his own pajamas and settles next to you, turning off the lights as he lays down. You’re like two stupid teenagers who can’t communicate, but there’s something just a little bit fun to the whole thing.

There’s plenty of space between you. You’re two idiots laying on your backs, staring at the ceiling, with at least a foot of empty sheets separating you. It’s ridiculous. You set your hand in the space between you, palm up, and wait.

His fingers brush your wrist first, hesitating then moving lower across your palm until finally, finally he interlaces your fingers with his. His thumb traces tiny circles against your skin. You can’t help but smile, and though you’re curious to see his expression you resist the temptation to look, not that you’d be able to see him in the dark anyway.

Jake reminds you of Marc. Like Marc, you worry Jake might be scared off by too much affection too fast, might believe himself to be unworthy of your love. Marc has already worked through that with you. Jake hasn’t. Plus he seems to be twice as stubborn. The last thing you want to do is drive him away.

The bed shifts as he turns his head to look at you. Jake has never fallen asleep with someone. Is he supposed to just hold your hand all night? Does he let go when you fall asleep? Should he cuddle you? Marc said you like that.

“Doing great, mate,” Steven says sincerely, trying to calm Jake’s racing thoughts.

He and Marc have been pushing Jake toward you for a while. Marc needs loved, touched, cared for. Steven too. Jake needs all of that more than both of them combined.

Touch-starved. That was the word Steven used to describe Jake once. For so long Jake only fronted when absolutely necessary to the system’s survival, and that didn’t give him much time to experience the soft things in life. Soft moments like falling asleep beside someone he loved were alien to Jake Lockley.

“Think of it like a hug, but laying on your side,” Marc adds.

“Do I look like I’ve hugged a lot of people?” Jake growls silently.

That makes Marc and Steven go silent; they know all too well that Jake has probably never hugged anyone. A moment later, they’re gone and it’s only Jake fronting.

Like a hug, he tells himself.

When Jake lets go of your hand it’s disappointing. You try in vain not to feel upset, after all, it’s more intimate than anything else you two had done. So when his hand touches your cheek, it actually startles you. He must have given control to Marc or Steven... except when you turn to meet his eyes in the dim light you are certain it’s Jake.

Your body follows your head so you are laying on your side and nose to nose on the same pillow as Jake. Without conscious thought you raise your hand to smooth away the worry lines on his face. He blinks at the touch, then leans forward to press his forehead to yours, your noses bumping gently, a few stray curls falling in your eyes.

When you don’t shy away that’s it for Jake. Any hesitation is gone as he wraps an arm around you and pulls you closer. He tangles your legs together, and in return, you toss an arms over his waist, accidentally finding bare skin with your fingers where his shirt has ridden up.

Goosebumps prick his skin. The position is intimate, the both of you pressed up against each other, not sure where one body begins and the other ends. But the real intimacy is in how your eyes lock and a rare smile graces Jake’s handsome face. He doesn’t smile for many people.

You tuck your head under his chin, nuzzling into his chest. His smile is so unexpected, so pretty that happy tears are pricking your eyes. You don’t want Jake to see that.

Only when he thinks you’re really asleep does he press a gentle kiss to the crown of your head, running his fingers across your temple and brow with a gentleness he didn’t know he possessed. You relish in his soft touches as you hold him tight and press your bodies as close together as you can.

“Buenas noches, amor,” Jake whispers and kisses your head again. “Duelces sueños. Sweet dreams.”

--

My Masterlist

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This is my most updated Moon Knight tag list. I think I got everyone, but if I missed you or you want to be added please let me know!

[seriowan]

family ties - dad!hunter x mom!f!reader (AU)

main masterlist ao3

⭒ summary: Five years have passed since Crosshair's betrayal. Five years since Omega's last step on Kamino. Five years since the birth of your and Hunter's son. In these five years, the past was nothing more than a whisper. Forgotten history. A stain that lingered ever so faintly, but never acknowledged. Yet even you are aware that history never stays hidden for long. One way or another, the past would resurface and your son would know of it all. Until then, you and Hunter decided that while you had the power to choose, you would do what was best for your child... including the long overdue meeting with his outcasted uncle. ⭒ word count: 4,8k ⭒ pairing: dad!hunter x f!reader ⭒ cw/tw: angst, fluff, parenting/motherhood, talk about having more children, au - i know i said this is a dad!hunter fic (which it is) but all the batchers have scenes in this because i love them all ⭒ a/n: hunter is legit a dad(dy) so this was soooo easy to write; i will say that it is 3 a.m and while i was determined to finish it, i was also falling asleep at multiple points during this writing so be aware that there might be mistakes cause i don't beta read :) have fun reading!

Underneath the control panel in the cockpit of the Marauder, Tech wiped his grimy forehead with the back of his forearm before resuming the tedious crank of his wrench. His wrist ached, eyes burning from staring at the bolt that was less than an inch above his head. Everything smelled of metal, so much that Tech could even taste it. 

   When he worked alone, Tech often became dead to the outside world. He fell into his own bubble of concentration, blocking out any distractions that would hinder the efficiency of his task… until Koda came around. 

   Koda was only five but the older he grew, the more he presented himself as the not-exact-clone of his father. While he certainly had Hunter’s looks and long frizzy locks (which he refused to cut), Koda was half as much of you as he was his father - talkative, temperamental, and undeniably curious. 

   “Uncle Tech?” 

   “Yes, Koda?” 

   “What’s that?” 

   Tech had to crane his neck at an awkward angle to see the little boy in the pilot’s seat. Usually, Koda would have been sporting civvies that were too big for his small body, but today his mother dressed him in gray overalls and a red t-shirt. It was one of the few clothes that they bought to associate Koda with Clone Force 99, right alongside your own gear. 

   “What is what?” 

   Koda’s feet kicked back and forth as he pointed to the wrench in Tech’s hand. “That.” 

   “This is a wrench.” 

   “What’s it for?” 

   “Tightening nuts and bolts.” 

   “Why?” 

   “It is a tool that I frequently use for my repairs,” Tech prompted, turning his attention back to the panel. It took every ounce of self-control to refrain from using the correct jargon. Even so, Tech had a feeling that the young toddler was smarter than he led on. Since they were essentially sharing a percentage of identical DNA, there was some hope that Koda would end up an exceptional, intelligent pilot like his [favorite] uncle. 

   “Uncle Tech?” 

   “Yes, Koda?” 

   “Can I fly the Madara when I turn six?” The five-year-old pushed his hair away from his eyes and held up a single finger. “I turn six in one month.”

   “One year,” Tech said, though it came out as a grunt when the wrench wouldn’t budge. “Technically, eleven months and sixteen days. In standard time, of course.” 

   “I said that.” 

   Tech lowered his hand with a deep breath and wiped his face with his grease-stained palm, smudging it across his face. He slid out from underneath the control panel and sat up, resting his elbows on his knees. With his hands in his lap and his back as straight as a board, the little boy looked like a perfect angel. Tech could only narrow his eyes at the clear deception. 

   “If you memorize the specifications of the ship before you turn six, then I may let you copilot.” 

   Koda let out a whine. “That’s in so-o-o long.” 

   Tech rolled his eyes, hiding a small smile as he muttered, “I would argue it is not long enough.” 

   As he leaned back to resume working, Koda huffed a dramatic sigh and looked around the cockpit. He kicked his feet and played with his fingers in his lap, brown eyes flickering across the colorful buttons and bright blue flashes on the center control panel. He licked his lips as a thought began to develop; a thought that snowballed as Koda’s attention settled on the steering helm. 

   With a sneaky smile, he scooted to the edge of the too-big chair and wrapped his small hands around the sides of the helm. Sucking in a deep breath, Koda closed his eyes and began to fly the Marauder in his imagination, blowing raspberries to mimic the ship’s roaring engines. 

   Tech spared another glance and smiled, watching with the slightest look of fondness as Koda pressed various buttons and yanked the helm left and right. In the fluorescent lighting, with his hair down and scattered over his face, with his lips pulled back in the widest grin of childlike excitement, Koda looked so much like his father that Tech found himself sentimental over their childhood. They were once just as happy. Under different circumstances, of course, but he could vaguely remember Wrecker laughing like that when they were cadets. 

   It was a peculiar thought that he found himself pondering more and more as the months went by and Koda continued growing. He wondered how their pasts would have been, had they been raised like normal children. 

   Well, as normal as a clone could be. 

   But Koda was not a clone, and Tech believed that was what made his nephew particularly unique. Koda was only half clone. Only half of the DNA that made him identical to millions of others. The other half belonged to someone else entirely. He had your tenderness and empathy. Your kindness and affinity for helping others. He put bandaids on Echo’s prosthetics and showered Wrecker’s scars with kisses, but only after watching you gently kiss Hunter on the forehead when he was overwhelmed. Now, Koda looked like Hunter in fluorescent lights; like Wrecker whenever he laughed; like Echo when he pouted; like Crosshair when he glared; like Omega when he was too curious for his own good; and like Tech, full of joy and concentration when he flew. 

   Tech could only smile to himself as he resumed working. 

   Heavy footsteps echoed up the gangplank before Wrecker walked into the ship, turning his head left and right in search of something small. When he glanced toward the cockpit and saw Koda playing in the pilot’s seat, Wrecker’s face instantly brightened with a grin. “Hey, little guy!” 

   Koda forgot all about Tech and piloting the ship as he leaped out of the seat and sprinted right into his uncle’s open arms. He instinctively braced himself, shrieking with laughter as Wrecker tossed him up in the air and set him back down. 

   “Hi, Uncle Wrecker,” the boy grinned, reaching up to grasp a single finger with his small hand. “Can we play outside?” 

   Wrecker apologetically frowned as he crouched to a knee. He ruffled Koda’s long hair, muttering, “Can’t. Sorry kiddo, but your mom’s been lookin’ everywhere for ya’.” 

   Koda’s lip jutted in a pout, his gaze softening until he looked like a pleading pup. Wrecker groaned with guilt, cupping his hand over his eyes. “Don’t do that or I’ll end up sayin’ yes to everything and your mom and pop are gonna be mad at me.” 

   “But they can’t put you in time out.” 

   “Oh, yes they can,” Wrecker chuckled.

   Koda’s mouth fell open in shock. “But you’re too big!”

   “And you’re too small,” Wrecker growled, grabbing the boy by the back of his overalls to hoist him up in the air. Koda laughed the entire time as he was seated behind Wrecker’s head, legs hanging over his uncle’s shoulders. He placed both hands on Wrecker’s shiny head, stuck his nose up in the air, and dutifully cried out, “Spin, Uncle Wrecker, SPIN!” 

   When little Koda asked, Uncle Wrecker answered. How could he possibly say no to his nephew if he could hardly say no to Omega? They were the only two that could bend him to their will without even raising a pinky. Wrecker might have been the biggest, but he was certainly the softest when it came to the kids. 

   If only he had the energy for them. 

   It only took a few minutes of spinning and pretending to be a spaceship before Wrecker paused to catch his breath. Koda continued pretending to guide him, only pausing when he heard Omega’s voice coming from behind the ship. His eyes lit up as he craned his head to see her. “Is that Auntie Meg?” 

   Wrecker nodded and set out to find Omega. He walked around the ship, instinctively observing the forest around them. It wasn’t really a unanimous decision when they decided to land on Alderaan for repairs, but Tech assured them that the Empire wouldn’t bother looking for them on a planet that was so viciously protected by a previous senator of the Republic - and a devout one at that.

   You only allowed it because you didn’t want Koda to be in a faulty ship any longer than he already had to be. The trip back to Ord Mantell was long enough as is and the ship had taken some damage during its last mission. There was no time to fix the ship the last time they were planetside, so you did some persuading the moment the ship landed on solid ground. As always, your argument was won by a landslide against Tech’s meager, “The ship’s integrity is adequate enough to make it to Ord Mantell without any further complications.” 

   The moment you gave him a motherly glare, he sighed and got ready to work on the repairs.

   While Tech was inside the ship, buried underneath the control boards, Echo and Omega were outside to fix the few bumps and cracks in the Marauder’s underbelly. Omega stood by the ship with a flashlight in one hand and a long metal tool in the other, patiently waiting by the cybernetic legs that stuck out underneath the ship. Echo’s hand suddenly appeared, fingers curling as he said, “Spanner wrench.” 

   Omega placed the tool in his hand just as Wrecker and Koda approached. The sound of crunching branches and leaves caused her to turn her head. Whatever fatigue she felt from the labor suddenly faded, replaced by excitement as she cried out, “Buggy!”, and ran towards Koda with her hands raised. 

   Wrecker leaned over to let Koda slide right off of his shoulders and into his hands before resting him gently on the ground, only to be picked up moments later and placed on Omega’s hip. “Oh man,” she grimaced, struggling to adjust his place on her side. “You’re huge now, little bug. I think I’ll have to start calling you big bug from now on.”  

    Koda turned towards Wrecker with a smug expression, and Wrecker could only bark out a laugh when the boy mumbled, “Uncle Wrecker said I’m small. ”

   Omega rolled her eyes. “Uncle Wrecker likes to be mean sometimes.” 

   “Hey!” 

   Koda smiled as Echo rolled out from underneath the ship and stood. He wiped his hand free of grease with a nearby rag before playfully pinching Koda’s cherry-red cheek, greeting him with a warm, “Adi’ka.” 

   “Ba’vodu,” Koda grinned. “Are you helping Uncle Tech fix the ship?” 

   “Yes, I am.” Echo sighed, scratching at his head as he skimmed over the mess of ship parts and tools. “But it’s a lot more than I thought it’d be. Thankfully, Wrecker’s here just in time to help me. Right? ” 

   Wrecker furrowed his brows and opened his mouth to object when Echo suddenly tipped his head towards Koda and Omega. He warily glanced at them, sagging his shoulders when he saw just how happy Omega was to be holding Koda. Defeated, he begrudgingly agreed to stay. 

   Echo smirked, satisfied. “Good. Omega, why don’t you take Koda to Hunter and the Missus? They should be by the lake.” 

   Omega visibly relaxed, melting into her shoes with relief. She nodded and glanced at Koda with a grin. “Ready to see your parents?” 

   Koda hastily nodded. Initially, he wasn’t too happy about giving up his time with his uncles to go to his mother and father, but the longer he thought about them, the more he began to miss them. Even if it was just a few hours since you and Hunter departed, Koda felt as if it had been a lifetime. 

   “Bye ba’vodu Echo!” Koda waved as he and Omega walked into the forest. “Bye Uncle Wrecker!” 

   Wrecker and Echo grinned and waved. The moment the kids were out of earshot, he leaned over and muttered, “He knows he’s comin’ back… right?” 

   Echo’s face twisted into an are-you-serious-right-now expression. Wrecker just shrugged. The two turned back to the ship and put their hands on their hips at the same time. 

   “This is gonna take a while.” 

   “Aw, man.” 

In the woods, Koda walked alongside Omega with his hand in her own. She happily pointed out the bugs and different trees that she researched on Tech’s datapad during her brief breaks. Koda listened intently, hanging onto every word that she spoke. Out of the many reasons why Omega loved being in Koda’s company, his desire to learn was definitely one of her favorites. No matter the subject, Koda always seemed happy to not only listen while Omega went off on a tangent but he was quick to dissect and understand everything she said. 

   “-and this is a Brigsby Beetle.” They both crouched by a boulder, watching the black beetle that slowly crawled over the moss. Koda reached out to touch it but Omega gently seized his wrist before he could be pinched by the beetle’s massive pincers. “We don’t want to touch this one, buggy. It has something called venom and venom doesn’t feel good.” 

   Koda furrowed his brows. “Venom?” 

   Omega nodded, briefly thinking of an explanation before she settled on,  “Like a nasty tummy ache, but a lot worse.” 

   “I don’t like tummy aches.” Koda shuddered and took a step back.

   “Ko-o-o-da!” 

   The two children perched their heads up at the sound of your sing-song voice. Koda grinned, excitedly bouncing on the balls of his feet at the thought of seeing his mother. 

   “It’s mommy!” He whispered happily, clenching one of Omega’s fingers to give it an excited shake. With that, Koda took over and began leading her to the lake, following the sound of your voice and the splash of water. It was his enhanced hearing that led him to the rocky shore of one of Alderaan’s beautiful lakes; his sharp vision that noticed you and Hunter long before Omega even thought to look.

   While she took a moment to gape at the gorgeous view of mountains and trees, Koda let go of her hand and ran toward the two silhouettes sitting comfortably on a log. You were wet from head to toe having just gotten out of the river. A woven basket of gutted and cleaned fish lay in front of you and Hunter like a testimony of your teamwork. 

   The sound of Koda’s giggles had Hunter standing on his feet before you could even acknowledge it. You turned just in time to see Koda barrel into his open arms before being hoisted up to Hunter’s chest. Koda’s arms wrapped around his neck while Hunter cupped the back of his head, the two savoring a second just to squeeze each other tightly. 

   “Hi, daddy,” Koda murmured into his neck, melting into his father’s arms with relief. He pulled away to shyly tuck his chin to his chest, cheeks flushed red. “I missed you.” 

   “Not me?” You faked a pout as you joined them, poking Koda’s red nose with your fingertip. He held out his arms and Hunter wasted no time shifting him over to you, giving you a chance to hug your son while Hunter greeted Omega with a ruffle of her hair and an affectionate smile. 

   Koda pulled away to kiss your cheek.

   “I missed you too, mommy,” he said like it was a well-known fact. “Always.” 

   “Me too, buggy,” you said, kissing his temple. “Me too.” 

   Hunter pushed back Koda’s hair from his face, frowning. “Where’s your bandana, adi’ka?” 

    Koda innocently shrugged. 

   Before Hunter could even ask, Omega held up her wrist, offering her hair tie with a knowing smile. He thanked her and slipped it off, shifting behind Koda so that he could pull his long hair back and tie it up in a loose bun. “There, that should do it.” 

   “Thank you, daddy.” 

   You shut your eyes and softly exhaled through your mouth. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. He’s just cute. You don’t have to cry. Seriously- 

    “So,” Omega hummed, placing her hands on her hips. “Why are you two still here if you caught so many fish? Echo, Tech, and Wrecker are all working on the ship and I think repairs would go by faster if we all helped.” 

   For just a moment, you didn’t know what to say. In that second, Omega sounded and looked so mature that you felt like you were talking to a mix of all the guys. Even Hunter, who paused for a moment, seemed to have this revelation as he stared at her. The two of you shared a sentimental look before he glanced toward the other side of the narrow lake, observant eyes narrowing ever-so-slightly. 

    Hunter wanted to tell her the truth but you could see that he was hesitating. Neither one of you wanted to hurt her or the others, but now that she was here, you had no choice but to be honest. Handing Koda off to Hunter, you gently took Omega’s hand and walked her to the lakeshore. 

   “Omega…” You bit your lip and she frowned. “We didn’t tell the others because we didn’t know how this would go… but we didn’t land here just for repairs.” 

   Her brows furrowed and for a brief moment, you saw Crosshair in her facial expression. “What? Why are we on Alderaan then?” 

   As if waiting for her to ask that exact question, the sound of footsteps and crunching branches echoed from the treeline. Omega didn’t miss the way you defensively tensed, locking eyes with Hunter as he carried Koda to you. Gently setting him down on the ground, Hunter took a step in front of his son to hide him behind his legs just as a charcoal silhouette stepped out of the forest. 

   Omega immediately went still. 

   Crosshair looked just as worn and tired as he did five years ago on Kamino, albeit the scar on the side of his head had faded into nothing and his face was greyed with stubble. That damned toothpick was still in the corner of his mouth, right where it belonged. But there was something different in the way he walked, as if a phantom limp was slightly deterring his balance. Regardless, he kept the same sly confidence when lifting his shadowy gaze up from the ground.

   “When I got your message to meet here, I thought you were joking.” 

   Five years. Five years and that was what he had to say? After you, Omega, and his own brothers, saved him on Kamino just for him to turn his back once again? 

   Your anger suddenly outweighed the grief of his absence. 

   “You prick-” Angrily taking a step forward, you moved with the determination to choke him alive when a meek little voice made you stop and crash back into reality. 

   “Mommy?” 

   Koda looked just as confused as he was afraid. He was too small to understand anything other than the fact that you were trembling with anger, Omega looked like she’d seen a ghost, and Hunter was silent yet rigid with the protectiveness of a bear. You could only imagine what was going on through your little one’s head. 

   Taking his hand in your own, you pulled Koda in front of you and crouched, bringing his cold fingers up to your lips for an assuring kiss. “It’s ok, buggy. This is Crosshair.” 

   Koda nervously looked at Crosshair, who stared at him with a blend of shock and disbelief. Just as quickly as it came, the surprise faded and Crosshair’s expression hardened when it shifted to Hunter. 

   “I see you’ve been busy.”

   “This is a mistake,” Omega immediately interjected, reaching out to grab Hunter’s tense wrist. He ripped his attention away from his brother to glance down at the worried blonde. “We can’t let him see Koda. He’ll mention it to the Empire and they’ll know about him and-” 

   “Relax,” Hunter advised, his voice surprisingly steady. “He’s not here to hurt us.” 

   As if to reinforce this statement, Hunter locked eyes with Crosshair. 

   Crosshair only grunted, shifting his toothpick from one side of the mouth to the other, eyes flitting back down to you, then to Koda. Unbelievably, his cold stare softened. 

   “Does he know about me?” 

   “No,” Hunter responded gruffly, dismissing the stinging betrayal that briefly flashed across Crosshair’s face. “Wasn’t sure if you wanted him to know.” 

   Crosshair’s shoulders dropped just slightly. If the comment stung, he hid his facial reaction well. “Hm. Good call.” 

   “I asked you to come here so I could give you a chance.” Hunter glanced back at you before giving Koda a small smile. He held out his hand and like a magnet, Koda took it, allowing Hunter to pull him up to the front.

   You took Omega’s hand in your own and she squeezed it tight, hoping to ease your own nerves. 

   Crosshair moved his toothpick again and Koda watched it with confused fascination. The boy’s expression was so similar to Hunter’s that for just a heartbeat, Crosshair looked as if he’d seen a ghost. 

   “You know I won’t go back,” he murmured after a pause of silence. “You know I can’t.” 

   “That’s not what we’re asking, Cross,” Hunter muttered. “I just don’t want to keep my son away from you any longer.” 

    My son. 

   By the look on Crosshair’s face, you assumed that the words had barely just settled in his mind. This wasn’t just another child; not another clone to look at with annoyance. This was Hunter’s son. Your son. Crosshair was just another stranger to him. Crosshair, the brother that once was his closest confidant; the one who’d have his back in every battle across every star system. Now he was a no-one, both to Hunter and his son. 

   Gathering your wits, you took a step forward. “Crosshair… you know how important you are to this family. Something like that isn’t so easily forgotten. Don’t let the Imperial be the man that we introduce to Koda. Let him know the friend that I once had when we fought for the Republic; when we fought for good in this galaxy.” 

   The toothpick snapped in half. Crosshair discarded it but didn’t retrieve another as he flitted his gaze between Koda and Hunter. The resemblance was uncanny. Crosshair took another moment to stare before slowly exhaling through his nose. He finally moved, opting to sit on a large boulder. 

   Slowly as to not make any sudden movements, he removed his pack and set it down, unsheathing his knives and hidden blasters. When he was left in nothing but his bland charcoal armor, Crosshair stood and walked towards you and Hunter. Even weaponless, you couldn’t help but feel unease.

   Crosshair stopped just an arm’s length away from Hunter and Koda, and with a glance towards his brother, he crouched in front of his nephew. 

   “Koda, huh?” 

   Koda nodded nervously, shrinking into Hunter’s side. Hunter kneeled, gently palming the boy’s jaw to turn his head towards Crosshair. The moment he looked, Koda returned to the safety of Hunter’s neck, burying his face there as if he could shrink his whole body and disappear. Hunter soothingly rubbed his hand up and down his son’s back. “You don’t have to be shy, Koda. This is Crosshair, he’s your…” 

   He hesitated, cautiously meeting Crosshair’s eyes. . 

   “...Uncle,” The silver-haired clone finished with the ghost of a smile on his lips. 

   Koda unfurled from the shelter of Hunter’s body. He nervously looked between Crosshair and his father, only moving further after receiving an assuring smile and a little nudge. 

   “Go on. He won’t hurt you.”

   Crosshair watched with a peculiar expression as Koda timidly approached him. The boy’s hair was up in a rough bun but a few strands fell in front of his face; Crosshair had to clench his jaw to refrain from calling him Hunter by mistake. 

   “Go on, adi’ka,” you encouraged softly. “Crosshair is just like Uncle Wreck and Ba’vodu Echo.” 

   “He’s family,” Omega finally spoke, meeting Crosshair’s gaze for the first time since he arrived. He lowered his chin but held her stare and in that brief second, the two had an exchange far more powerful than words could ever describe. A silent apology and its silent forgiveness. Not that she really needed time to consider it anyway. A piece of Omega would always find forgiveness for him, regardless of how many years they spend apart.

   This seemed to ease Koda’s nerves. He looked more relaxed as he walked right up to Crosshair, stopping just a few inches in front of his wayward uncle. Crosshair uncomfortably refrained from making eye contact but before he could keep it that way, Koda’s small hand cupped his cheek, holding him in place. 

   “You look like daddy,” he curiously whispered, soft enough for Crosshair to hear and Hunter to detect. The two of them shared a sad glance before Crosshair cleared his throat. 

   “He’s my brother.” 

   “I don’t have brothers,” Koda stated smartly, his chipper tone easing the noticeable tension. 

   Crosshair arched a brow and looked at you, giving you a familiar smirk that made your chest ache. “Maybe you might one day. Or somethin’ else. You’ve got options.” 

   Crossing your arms over your chest, you snorted and rolled your eyes. “Yeah let me just get accidentally pregnant again.” 

    The brief banter made Hunter smile. You and Crosshair used to be like this all the time, from the day you were assigned to their team to the day that the war ended. Bantering was your form of friendship and now, even if the moment was short, it felt so right. Like nothing had changed and the two of you fell right back into step with one another. 

   Crosshair opened his mouth to add something else when Koda held up his hands with an expectant smile. 

   “Pick me up?” 

   Crosshair paled. “No, I don’t think-- I can’t-” 

   Koda jutted his bottom lip. “Please?” 

   Crosshair’s evident discomfort made you giggle. Nonetheless, he gently scooped Koda up by his armpits and held him out with his arms extended and his elbows locked. “You’re a funny-looking thing.” 

   Koda’s brows furrowed. “Mommy says I’m the handsomest.”

   “Mm. She would say something like that.” 

   You leaned against Hunter’s side as he put his arm over your shoulders, holding you close enough to press his lips against the shell of your ear. While Crosshair had seemingly accepted Koda and vice versa, you could feel the tension still lingering in Hunter’s guarded stance and weary stare. 

   The last thing he wanted to do was get his son attached to his brother, only for Crosshair to deal the same cards as he did on Kamino. The galaxy would surely burn if Koda’s heart were to ever break. 

   “Did I make a good decision?” 

   Now that he’d been a father for five years, Hunter was better at voicing his worry. When it came to his son, he’d never shy away from concern or worry, even blatant overprotectiveness. 

   “You made the best decision for today,” you murmured, turning your head to kiss his cheek. He exhale and leaned into your touch, soaking in the assurance. “We’ll worry about tomorrow when we get there.” 

   Omega’s small hand wrapped around Hunter’s, squeezing tight enough to make his head turn her way, brows furrowed in worry. 

   “You promise you can trust him?” 

   Hunter hesitated. He couldn’t make an empty promise like that, even if his son was now standing by Crosshair’s side, holding onto a slim finger as he led the unwilling sniper toward the lakeshore in search of bugs and shiny rocks. In an odd, messed up way, Hunter always felt willing to trust his brother, to die for him, but that was just years of habit. He’d always felt that way, so when the time came for him to prioritize his wife and son, Hunter had to unlearn this instinct. His brothers would always be equipped to keep themselves safe but you? Koda? He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he made the promise only to have it broken in the future. 

   So you decided to make the promise for him. 

   “I trust him,” you assured, brushing a strand of hair out of Omega’s eye and behind her ear. “I trust him with Koda because Koda?” You met Hunter’s eyes. “ He is evidence that there’s a future for us beyond smuggling and running jobs for Cid… And I think he is helping Crosshair realize that.” 

   Maybe Koda could successfully warm Crosshair’s heart. Maybe the boy’s love of rocks could somehow chip away the cold walls that Crosshair had built. Or maybe, after the sunset, when Koda would climb into the cot with his parents, Crosshair would report to Rampart the news that Hunter,  the leader of Clone Force 99, had a son. One with enhanced hearing, at that. A product of a clone, surely to be taken and examined or eradicated entirely for being seen as nothing more than a nuisance. As if the Empire needed more children born with rebel ideology. 

   Or maybe, just maybe, the sound of Koda's giggle and Crosshair’s light chuckle was a sign that something had already begun to change. 

   And now it was simply time to wait and see. 

author's note: yes, koda's name was inspired by cody 🥲❤️

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[ughdontbeboring]

Changes

Manny x YN (WoC)

Manny comes home with some news

warnings: MAYANS S4 spoilers , angst, cussing, hm I think that’s it 🤷🏽‍♀️

note: I’m supposed to be sleep for work but I had to write this really quick bc it wouldn’t leave my head. Also again I am Puerto Rican and Black (with a few other things😂) so character (you,reader,YN) will always be inspired by that kinda of upbringing. So WoC reader ALWAYS and thicc af! No permission for my work to be used anywhere else in any form by anyone!

and if y’all fucks with it let me know 🙂🫣

X

X

Moving to the beat of the low playing music she danced around the kitchen putting the finishing touches on dinner. Bella was asleep early, YN made sure she had a fun filled day because daddy was coming home today. Her man was finally allowed to come home and she wanted nothing more to spend some one on one time with him. 

She adored their daughter but it was hard to grab some of the Mayan’s time when their energetic 3 year old was awake. She kept the music low and the banging around while cooking to a minimum to avoid waking the kid and so she could hear from her baby monitor. They both were set on keep it for a while, both very over protective especially given certain career paths.

Apart of her felt bad she made sure Bella would be sleep to the point she knew she would sleep through the night. The other part of her didn’t knowing Bella had such an amazing day, nothing was off limits to the toddler for the day. She did her best to make sure the little girl didn’t turn rotten from being spoiled beyond belief on an daily but once that Kutt walks in the house she knew it would simply go back to being Bella’s world. She couldn’t help the smile that graced her face at the thought of how lucky she was to have her little family. 

She put the lid back on the rice pot and slid it over to one of the burners she hadn’t used. Everything was finally finished, she would wait to plate the food to keep from having to use microwave. 

The song had just switched to something more sensual when she heard the familiar rumble of a certain bike. Butterflies erupted in her stomach as she dashed towards the door after throwing her apron on the counter. There was no time to get dressed but she knew he would be happy with her either way. 

Her bare feet swift on the cool marble floors, she almost ran into the door as she tried to slow her self down. She could hear his boots thudding closer to the door along with the jingle of his keys. Her hands quickly went to the lock and unlocked it, pulling the handle as she flung the door open. 

She didn’t even a chance to look at him as she threw herself into his arms as he stood at the entry way. The humidity from outside hit her as he caught her. His hands automatically falling to grip her ass. Before he could comment on her lack of shorts she crashed her lips into his. Passionately kissing him. Her tongue ran over his lips, he had to suppress a chuckle at how aggressive she was being. He wasn’t going to complain he loved that shit. 

They continue for a moment longer as he pressed her against the side of the door, his lower body grinding into hers. She moaned as he bite into her full bottom lip, letting it go with a pop. 

Their foreheads touched while they stood there staring at each other, their breathing heavy. 

“Hi” she said sweetly as her hand ran over his buzz cut. He smiled at her that smile she loved. 

“Hey mama” 

“I missed you so much” she said before pulling him into another quick kiss.

“I missed you more” He quipped with a smirk 

She rolled her eyes then leaned into his neck her teeth tugging his ear lob.  

“Impossible” she whispered.

“Nah it’s not mama” 

If she only knew how much he loved her, he told her but he doesn’t think he’s ever done good enough at explaining it. Maybe the reality was he could never, that no one could ever explain how he felt about her.

Before either one of them could speak about who missed who more, Manny’s grip tighten on her plump ass. He could feel the softens of bare ass. His hand glided over more to find the string of her thong.

“Oh mama you know better then to be out here in just my shirt and a thong” He felt that familiar pang of possessiveness and hungry fill him.

She rolled her eyes again before grinding against his harden cock. Her head tilted slightly to the side in faux innocents.

“But you like it daddy” she whispered seductively. 

He had to tamper down the lust starting to consume his body. The whole point of him coming home was to talk with her. He had a very heated conversation with Canche and there were things she needed to know. Manny started to feel bad about the decisions he made without her but there was no other options.

She could see the change taking over his soulful brown eyes. She felt a slight twist of worry as she tried to read his face. Something was going on and she had a feeling she wasn’t going to be happy about it. But then again could anything be worse then him almost dying a few weeks ago in that Mayans blood bath? 

She was fully aware he was stabbed and thrown off the roof. She cursed him out so bad for thinking it was a good idea to climb the roof. But it did work in his favor, he black out and then was left out of the rest of the blood shed, no one paying him any mind, most likely thinking he was dead as he laid bleeding until Alvarez showed up. She had to swallow to push back the acid that threatened to rise just at the thought. 

“Let’s go on the house mama”

X

They were staring at each other, he was intensely watching her as she stared back at him in disbelief and anger. 

She was conflicted but the only thing she could think to say was “No”.

“No?” He repeated, he shouldn’t be surprised but he was. He thought she’d jump at the chance for them to be together again after weeks apart.

“Absolutely, Manny are you and Canche fucking crazy?” She hissed at him. 

They were sitting on opposite couches in the living room. Once he broke the news about having to stay in Santo Padre until further notice and him renting a house so she and Bella could move out there in the next 2 days she plopped on the couch across from him, she couldn’t even sit next to him she was so angry.

“We’d be together”

“I know Manny, I want nothing more but our whole lives are here!” She started to yell.

He sat there watching her, letting her express how she felt.

“I-I mean, our friends, your family! My job! I-we can’t Manny. You have to talk to Canche, he needs to know this doesn’t work for our family” She said in a final tone, shaking her head. 

“YN-“

“No Manny” She said as she got up, “I will not move my whole life again! I already moved here to Yuma to be with you! I left my family behind! The only life I ever knew! And th- the club gets you whenever! Did I know that from the jump? Yes! Did I still choose to be with you? Yes! But they don’t get to do this!” She fussed as she paced back and forth infront of him. 

“Canche isn’t-“ 

“Fuck Canche! I know what happened was horrible to his son but Manny you have to see this isn’t right! Bella’s whole life, my life, has to change because of what Canche wants?!” 

“It’s just for a while” Manny replied.

She scoffed as she walked towards the kitchen. 

“You just said you didn’t know for how long Manny! Don’t bullshit me!” YN threw over her shoulder at him. She turned to ignore him as she went to pack up the rest of the left overs. 

“Stop yelling!” He said slightly raising his voice. 

She took deep breathes, knowing if Bella woke they wouldn’t be able to have this conversation. 

“Listen mama, Bella is still young enough-“

“DON’T! don’t use her age as if that matters! Her life is HERE! MY LIFE IS HERE!” She yelled with her back facing him, the need to be quiet gone almost instantly. 

Within seconds she heard the thud of his boots and felt his hand grip her arm to swing her around. Her back being slightly thrown into the counter. 

“IS WITH ME!” Manny yelled as he winced from the pain of his healing chest wound. “YOUR LIFE AND BELLA’S LIFE IS WITH ME AND EVER I AM!” He yelled. He deep brown eyes blazing with anger. She knew it wasn’t toward her but toward this situation he couldn’t control. He winced again as he tried to control his breathing. 

Her eyes started to gloss over. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. They should be eating or fucking right now and their doing neither, just this bullshit. She pressed her lips together to try and stop the sob that threatened to rip from her chest. He should be focused on healing not this.

Apart of her knew he was right. Their lives were meant to be lived together regardless of where that was. But this just don’t seem fair. She would have to pick up her and Bella’s lives in 2 days and move almost 3 hrs away. 

Manny leaned forward, his face close to hers as she looked down at the spot on his chest she knew the wound was healing. The tears started to slip and she didn’t care to cash them away. 

“Hey hey hey” Manny said as his hands left the side of the counter he was caging her in between and gripped her face. His thumbs whipping away the tears. 

“Mama look at me” He said softly, he waited til her eyes found his. 

“I need you and Bella with me. I can’t go another day being so far away wondering what y’all doing, how y’all day is going, are y’all safe?“ He whispered, “My life is nothing with out y’all. I can’t control what is going on right now but I can make sure my family is with me, I cant live anymore days not being able to see or hold you and Bella when I want, and I couldn’t live with myself if something happened and I was so far away” He confessed in a soft voice with a hint of fear. 

She leaned her head forward so it leaned on his chest. Her soft sniffles the only thing that can be heard now. They stood like that for what seemed like hours. Just holding each other in the peacefulness of their home. The home they spend the last 4 years building together. 

“Ok” she whispered into his chest.

He stilled. She could feel the weight and tension leave his body after her acceptance of the situation.

“Thank you mama, I promise I’ll do whatever I can to make this easier for our family” He promised as he kissed the top of her head, his large hands running up and down her back. 

“The house better be just as nice as ours here” she sassed him,She felt his chest rumble before she leaned back into the counter pulling from his embrace, “and I don’t want to get rid of our home here either”. 

“What ever you say mama” He answered smiling down at her.  

She rolled her eyes at his charms as small whines could be heard from monitor, letting them know Bella would wake any moment. YN watched Manny eyes light up. 

“Go get her daddy” She said shooing him away to go get the toddler would be ecstatic to see him.  He pecked her lips once more before turning and jogging towards the stairs. She watched as he flung his kutt and shirt on the couch. His lean bare back disappearing up the stairs. 

She smiled seeing some things may never change. When home he always rid his shirt and kutt before embracing this daughter especially after a long ride through the Desert. 

She felt a little bit of peace wash over her as she heard his voice speaking to their daughter through the monitor, knowing he would keep his promise to do everything he could for their little family. And though they had to make this move to Santo Padre, their family would always be first to them both. 

x

🥹🥹

[sweet-pea-channie]

Forbidden Love - S.S. AU Pt.5

Author: @sweet-pea-channie​

Words: +6.5k

Warnings: mention of abortion, angst, fluff, happy ending

A/N: The last and final part of Forbidden Love for you guys! Thank you so much for sticking by! I really appreciated your feedback and I’d love to read some more :) I really like the series and I hope you do, too! It was so much fun to write it even though I had to google so much because I wasn’t always sure, if they already had watches and stuff like that :D  But anyways, have fun reading the final part of Forbidden Love!

Masterlist - Series Masterlist

"Damn it," you grumbled, throwing the ribbons on the floor in anger. Once again they weren't long enough and if you went back to Beatrice now and asked for new ones, she would know immediately what was the matter. 

To make a long story short, the ribbons for your corset were once again too short, just like a few weeks ago. And there was only one reason for that. You were pregnant, to sum it up quickly. 

Starting with loss of appetite and pulling abdominal pain, to fatigue and exhaustion. There was everything that pointed to a pregnancy. And when your bleeding finally stopped, it was clear to you. After you went to town to see a midwife, she could only confirm that you were pregnant. Of course, you also thought a few times about terminating the pregnancy in certain ways because life as a single woman with a child at the castle was not so easy. No man would want you anymore. But the thought that the child could possibly look like the father and also be a piece of him made the whole decision much easier for you.

Meanwhile, it wasn't so easy to hide the pregnancy, either. Until recently, the belly was not really visible, and you could hide it under your skirts and dresses. But now the belly was getting bigger and bigger, and slowly the corsets were getting too tight. 

"Come on, I'll help you," you heard Adela suddenly behind you. You quickly turned around and tried as best you could to lift the corset tightly behind your back so that she wouldn't notice. 

"I didn't even hear you come in," you said, turning your back to her, so she could lace your corset tighter. 

"I was just walking by and thought I'd stop by and see you. You weren't at breakfast today, so I was a little worried," she replied and began to lace the corset. Furthermore, you held your breath and pulled your stomach in as best you could. 

“I wasn't feeling so well. I preferred being outside in the fresh air." 

“Well, pregnancy symptoms like that don't go away overnight either," she added, now hiding the cord in your skirt. 

Shocked, you turned around and looked at your friend with wide eyes. She just smiled at you and pulled a little more on your corset as if she had just said something normal. "How did you...?" 

"It's quite easy to figure it out if you pay close attention, Y/N. Your skin is glowing, and you're quite sensitive about certain smells, let alone the nausea you've been trying to suppress and hide all this time," she replied. 

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything, but I thought maybe I could keep it a secret as long as possible. Maybe someone else would have come to the castle, liked me a lot, and I could slip the kid to them. But now it's already too late anyway. I can't really hide the belly anymore," you confessed to her, lowering your gaze downward. 

"And why don't you go back to the kid's father and try again?" 

"To Stephan in France?" you lied, trying not to make the situation worse. 

"I don't see why Stiles would be in France, but I was thinking more along the lines of you going back to him." 

If you were shocked before, you were even more so now. You didn't even know what to answer. But luckily, Adela took care of that for you. "Y/N, even when Stiles arrived here at the castle I knew who he was, and I have to say I was a little confused why he would pretend to be the cousin of France's prince. But then when I realized how much time you spend together, it was clear to me." 

"Oh Adela," you sighed and sat down on the sofa next to you. Adela did the same and sat down next to you. "I feel so bad. I owe you an apology for so many things." 

"You don't have to feel bad. And most of all, you didn't have to keep the pregnancy to yourself. We all would have been there for you. Even if the baby's father isn't. But just tell me this, Y/N. How do you know each other? And why is the king of one of the greatest empires pretending to be someone he definitely is not?" she finally asked you.

You sighed and looked at your friend. Not really knowing where to start, you began to finally tell her the truth. "Stiles and I have known each other since we were kids. I grew up in the village and at one point was lucky enough to work at the castle. You must know that I am not a lady-in-waiting and never have been. I was just a simple kitchen maid who had been deeply in love with the prince since childhood. And he had also felt exactly the same. Eventually, everything came to light and I had to leave the castle. Queen Claudia sent me on a ship, but Noah was able to prevent worse and made it possible for me to live with the fake title... I'm sorry that I've been playing you all this time." 

"You're still you, even if you have a better reputation now, you've always remained yourself. I could feel it from the beginning that you were a heart person. You didn't care who talked to you. Was it the workers here in the castle, or my mother. You treated everyone here the same, and that's what I really appreciate about you, Y/N. Of course, this all makes a lot of sense to me now that you've told me this. But let me know one more thing, why didn't you travel back with Stiles?" 

"I have you guys here, here was my new home. Here I'm a lady-in-waiting and there I'm just a kitchen maid. It wouldn't change my reputation, even if Stiles is now the king. In the eyes of most there at the castle, I will forever remain what I once was. But now, with the knowledge of having a child by him, I don't know if I may have made the wrong decision after all," you admitted, seeing in Adela's face that she could completely feel for you. 

"You still have the option to go back to him. You've made a name for yourself here that no one can take away from you, even if you were a kitchen maid in your former life. You have grown up and shown everyone here what a strong personality you have. Without you, I wouldn't be the person I am today. You shaped me a lot, Y/N," she smiled at you and took your hand to squeeze it a little tight, just like Stiles had always done to show you that everything was okay. 

"Are you serious?" 

"If you really want to go to Stiles, then do it. I'm married now and no longer depend on your help. While it would be nice to continue to have you as one of my best friends here at the castle, I can see how not being able to be with Stiles is weighing on you. I've noticed all these years that something was missing from you, but I never knew what. I thought it was Archie at first, but all this time it's just been Stiles. And don't worry about Claudia, you have us behind your back. We will strengthen you and not let you leave court empty-handed, I promise you that." 

"What if Stiles has since found someone and fallen in love all over again? He said his mother was looking for a new wife for him and that was in the winter. It's almost summer now. What if I'm late?" you asked, finally putting out loud the question that had been haunting you for a few days. Of course, you knew that you would never have the chance to marry Stiles. Your reputation just wasn't made for that. But the fear that he might find someone and love them more than you plagued you for several nights. 

"You won't know until you find out. There's a ship leaving the port in a few days to go to New Spain. You could be on board. Of course, again, it will take time for you to get there, but I'm sure everything will be fine." 

"I didn't even say goodbye to Stiles, I just left him a pathetic letter. I'm sure he was so disappointed in me that he doesn't even want to see me anymore..." you mumbled and got up from the sofa to go to the window. You couldn't sit still any longer, as the conversation with Adela once again threw your whole thoughts into confusion. 

"I think when he sees the reason for your visit, he will do anything but send you back. Why don't you take a bath first? I'll let the girls know to run you one. Then you can talk to them again, and I'll sort out everything else if you tell me now that you want to go back. Unless you want to stay here," Adela suggested. 

"I want to see Stiles, yes."

You can't describe the feeling you had when the ship docked at the port of your old home. 71 days had passed since you had boarded the ship with all your belongings. Even though the situation was completely different this time, you felt the same as last time, not knowing what to expect. 

Adela had kept her promise and had made sure that all your belongings came on board with you, as well as your papers that you had received from Noah back then. She made sure to add a few words, of course, to make your arrival at the castle easier. After all, not just any random person was allowed to travel to the castle. 

Although the thought of seeing Stiles worried you the most, you were also happy to see your family again, should nothing have happened to them in the meantime. But first, you had to make sure that Stiles heard the news. The ship that sailed to New Spain was full of goods and actually only intended as a freight transport, so the longer it took until you could leave the ship and find someone to take care of you there. When the harbor finally emptied, you found a carriage with a nice man who offered to take you to the castle for a few gold coins.

And so you found yourself on the way to the castle. The driver of the carriage recently said that it wouldn't be long since you had been traveling for a while, and yes, he was right. The watch that you had received from Stiles at that time clearly showed that several hours had already passed since your arrival at the harbor and that it was not far to the castle. The surroundings also already seemed familiar to you. 

 And it wasn't until you had driven past your old village that you were so truly aware that you were back home. You couldn't hold back the few tears that ran down your cheek. After three years, you were back, even though you thought you would never set foot in the country again. 

Finally, the time had come, and you could see the castle as you stuck your head out of the carriage window. It was still far away on the horizon, but it was clearly visible. With one hand on your now clearly growing belly and one hand in front of your mouth to suppress possible sobs, you hoped that everything would turn out well for you in the end. At least for you and the baby. 

When you finally stood outside the castle and the guards at the gates asked for an invitation, you opened the door to the carriage and pressed into their hands the papers Adela had given you. It said that the Queen of Monaco sent you with the ulterior motive of finding new alliances. And so the gates to the castle opened for you again. 

With shaky legs, you got out of the carriage and asked the driver to take your chest with your valuables out of the carriage first, that someone else would then take care of it. He thanked you when you gave him a few more coins and sent him back on his way to the city. 

In the courtyard, a few people had already gathered and were watching who arrived at the castle. But you didn't know any of the faces. So you thought of going straight in to look for Stiles there. But on the way there, someone you were very happy to see caught your eye. "Alice!" 

Alice stopped at the call of her name, but didn't turn around at first to see who had called out to her. The voice was all too familiar to her, only she didn't dare turn around, thinking it was impossible. "Alice!" 

But when she heard you calling for the second time, she finally turned around and dropped the basket she had been holding. And with a leap, set to running in your direction. As good as you could, you came to meet her and threw your arms around her slender body when she finally reached you. You heard Alice start to sob, holding tightly to your robe that you had put on to hide the pregnancy for now. 

"Oh, Y/N. It's really you," she murmured after quite a while. "It's really you." 

"It's really me," you repeated, holding her an arm's length away from you, "It's so good to see you, Alice." 

"What are you doing here? And where have you been all this time? How did you get into the castle?" she asked without taking a breath, looking around frantically. "What if someone sees you?"

"Alice, take a breath," you smiled and grabbed her hand to pull her behind you. Alice reached out for the abandoned basket on the way and followed you across the backyard to the garden, where you sat down by the fountain. "Are you all right?" you asked her first thing, straightening her apron, which was almost coming loose from her dress as the loop became loose. "How have you been the last few years?" 

"Not much has changed with me. Helena's gone. She met someone who works a few villages away, and she left the castle when she moved in with him. Since then, I've been here alone at the castle still with the others from the kitchen, you know," she replied, nodding her head towards the kitchen. "But I don't want to talk so much about myself. As I said, not much has changed. But I want to know everything about you. What the hell are you wearing?" she asked, pulling at the robe you were wearing, opening it in the front. And when she saw what you were hiding underneath, she held her breath and looked at you in shock. 

"I was in Monaco at the castle, and I was by the side of Adela, the princess there. And yes, by the side means one of the three ladies of her court," you nodded and began your narrative. Starting with the letter Noah had captured for you and how Stiles had visited you over half a year ago. "Adela advised me to return and tell Stiles. He deserves to know about his child, after all." 

"I can't believe any of this," Alice said, shaking her head. "Everyone had said you'd probably be working far away in a hull somewhere, if Claudia hadn't foreseen worse things for you. If only we'd known you were all right after all, we wouldn't have worried so much." 

"I had tried to write to you, but my letters never reached you all. After that, I had given it up and resigned myself to the fact that my old life was untouchable for me," you replied. "But I couldn't believe it any more than you could. And then one day Stiles stood before me, pretending to be Stephan." 

"Stiles had told the castle he had been to Saint Lucia to visit Caroline's family. He was going there to look for a new wife. And all the time he was with you in Monaco," she murmured. She still couldn't believe how lucky you had been. 

"He tried to persuade me to come back, but I was just too scared, I think. But now I know I had made a mistake. Actually, I shouldn't have slept with him at all, and I managed to prevent it all the time, except for the last night before he left. That's why I have to go looking for him now." 

“As far as I know, they are in the Cabinet Room. I guess they have something to talk about. At least that's what we overheard at noon today when we were preparing lunch," Alice replied. "Oh no, I think I know what they have to talk about." 

"Like what?" 

"I don't think it was really a complete lie from Stiles when he claimed to be traveling to Saint Lucia. After all, he had only announced he was going to marry Caroline's little sister as soon as she reaches the age now to keep the alliances going. I'm sure they'll discuss it there." 

"When was this announced?" you asked in shock, hardly able to believe what Alice had just told you.

"Just a few weeks ago. Right after, he came back from the trip. Caroline's sister's birthday is in a few months, and she'll be ready to enter into the act of marriage, Y/N!" 

You nodded and stood up from the bench before closing the robe back in front of your stomach and crossing your arms over it. "Okay then, I better hurry up and actually go see him now. I'll come back by your place later, no matter what, okay?" 

"Aren't you afraid of Claudia?" 

"Not anymore," you shook your head and looked toward the castle. "I have someone who is very supportive of me through all of this. And if things go wrong, I have plenty of options. I'm more afraid of how Stiles will react after I let him travel back alone." 

"Okay, you know where to find me," Alice said before standing up and giving you another tight hug. "I can't wait to tell the others you're back." 

You smiled at her as you broke away from her and sent her on her way back to the kitchen. Once again you took a deep breath before making your way to the castle. Your legs trembled as you thought about Stiles getting married again soon. 

You held the letters from Adela and her mother tightly in your hands as you walked through the old familiar corridors of the castle, making your way to the Cabinet rooms. Cabinet rooms were made for spending time away from aides and guards, mostly to discuss secret things that really shouldn't concern anyone. And so this was actually the perfect room to tell Stiles that you were pregnant.

Your heart beat faster and faster as you got closer to the room and when you finally stood in front of the doors, you pushed the papers into the guards' hands. One of them briefly read through what was written on it and took one look at you from head to toe. You weren't sure if he recognized you or if he was just surprised that a woman was sent to make alliances. Eventually, he opened the door for you and stepped aside, so you could pass them. 

Before heads turned towards the door, you could already see him standing there. Next to the large wooden table, he stood with his crown on next to his mother and the Lord Chancellor, who was already standing by Noah's side. He was the first to see you standing under the door, as he was standing at the table turned directly to you. Shocked, he looked you in the eye before nudging Claudia's arm. And before she could turn to the door, you already entered. Stiles was the next to see you, and he too looked at you in shock. More with joy, though, instead of shock. He could hardly believe that you were standing there in front of him. 

"Guards!" was the first thing you heard Claudia yell when she finally spotted you. "Arrest her and throw her into the dungeons! And, yes, fasten the shackles tightly on her!" 

"Stop!" you interjected, raising your hand up with the papers. "Before you do anything, you have to know that I am with child. And I am sure that you wouldn't want to be responsible for starving the mother of your future grandchild to death. Also, I think that this here, could be really beneficial for you." 

"With child?" you heard Stiles mutter as his mother walked up to you and tore off your robe to expose your belly. 

"It can't be. You're telling tall tales," she said, looking at her son.

Stiles ignored his mother and walked around the table to approach you. He put his hands on your stomach and looked you in the eye while saying, "Is it true?" 

You nodded and smiled at him. All the fear you had about meeting him and telling him the news were gone when you saw the look on his face. He wasn't angry at all, his features didn't show any hatred or anything like that. "They say there's a very good chance it will be a boy." 

"Listen to her Stiles! She's trying to foist a child on you that can never be yours!" 

"Mother, that's enough!" finally snapped Stiles at his mother, turning to her. He stood in front of you to protect you and show you that he would be there for you. "I know for a fact that it's my child. After all, I was also the one who visited her in Monaco and put the baby in her. I have never been to Saint Lucia. I had Louis the Envoy handle all that." 

"Stiles! How could you?!" 

"How could I? How could you send her away then? After all, Father was so helpful and turned everything around, so she could get to a much better place and live at the castle again without you having your fingers in the pie. Who knows how she would have fared in Morea!" Stiles defended himself and warned his mother by gesticulating wildly. 

 "I've been wondering all along why I haven't heard about her. My contacts in Morea didn't tell me she had never arrived there. Tell me, Missy, what have you been up to that you can wear such a beautiful dress?" 

"Don't talk to her like that," Stiles warned his mother, taking a step toward her. 

You, however, put a hand on Stiles' shoulder and pushed him a little to the side, so you could walk past him to stand right in front of Claudia. "What I have done is to stand by the Princess of Monaco, to be a friend to her and to help her through difficult times, but also to laugh and celebrate together with her. All this I owe to a good person who has a much bigger heart than you can ever have. What I have done is just be myself, and thus I have managed to be one of Adela II of Monaco's best friends. And that's exactly why I have this with me." 

You handed Stiles the papers Adela had given you and gave him a quick nod to assure him that it was good news. Stiles took them from you and removed the band that held the papers together, spreading everything out on the table in front of him. Chancellor Manro took one of the papers and also looked at what was written on them. Claudia just stood there and watched the whole event. She didn't like this happening at all. 

Stiles skimmed the papers and couldn't believe his eyes at what he had in front of him, neither could Chancellor Manro. "This is incredible. That would be worth so much more than anything else." 

"What's going on here?" asked Claudia finally, squeezing in next to Stiles to skim the documents as well. 

Meanwhile, you took Stiles' arm and pulled him aside a bit, so you could ask him something undisturbed. Stiles took your hand and accompanied you to the other side of the room and opened a door that led to another room where you could be completely undisturbed. He closed the door behind him and looked you up and down again. "I thought I was really never going to see you again this time, Y/N."

"I was also convinced not to come, but the situation did not make it easy for me to stay in Monaco," you answered. 

Stiles walked back to you and put a hand on your belly again, because he still couldn't believe that you were pregnant with his child. He also had no doubt that it was his child. He didn't insinuate that you were possibly trying to foist it on him, no way. "I'm grateful to you for coming here and letting me be a part of this." 

"I don't want this child to grow up without a father, Stiles. I know how hard it was growing up without a mother and I don't want our child to have to go through that," you confessed to him, placing your hand on his that still lingered on your stomach. "Is it true? Is it true that you're going to marry Caroline's sister?" 

"Yes," Stiles murmured, looking down at the floor. He was silent after that, not daring to look at you. Even though the news, hit you hard again, you had expected it and somehow also resigned yourself to the fact that you just weren't made for each other. That's why you didn't come back with him and continued to go your own way. Maybe you could live with the fact that you were not the woman at his side. Why your view had changed so much was what was growing in your gut right now. 

"Marry me." 

Stiles lifted his head as he made the statement and looked you in the eye to see your reaction. But you just looked at him with wide eyes and had your mouth open a little. You had to process what words had come out of his mouth first, because you had never expected those two words. "What?" 

"Let's get married, already tomorrow. The priest can leave right away tomorrow morning, and then we can be married by the evening. We can-" 

"Is that what you really want?" 

"That's all I've ever wanted, Y/N. Only I thought it would never be possible. But now I'm the king, no one can tell me what I can and can't do, not mother or anyone else. If I want to marry you, I will. I don't care what anyone else thinks or says. All that matters is that we want this, that you want this... Do you even want this, Y/N?" asked Stiles, taking your hands in his. "Do you want to marry me?" 

Although you had to process what Stiles had just said, you nodded quickly and felt the smile spread across your face. "Yes. Yes!" 

Stiles smiled back and wrapped his arms around your body. You hugged him tightly and buried your face in his shoulder, where you first took a deep breath to understand what had just happened. The whole trip back home, where you were shaking so much because you didn't know how everything would turn out for you, had paid off. You would leave that room with so much more than you could ever dream of. 

"I can't believe I'm really going to have you with me forever now," Stiles whispered, kissing your temple while still holding you close. 

"And what are we going to do about your mother? She'll never accept this," you asked him as you broke away from him again. Stiles put his hands on your cheeks and held your face like that, so you could just look at him and not have the chance to look away. 

"Let me worry about that. You just saw Manro's reaction. I'm going to use that to convince him that this is the only right idea. The papers you brought from Adela are worth a lot. An alliance with Monaco, which also has France behind it, is strong. So we would have one of the biggest countries in the Middle East on our side. This alliance would strengthen us much more than one with Saint Lucia. Mother will just not know that there is a wedding tomorrow. I will send her to the city with the belief of organizing something for the wedding with Caroline's sister. And by the time she gets back, it will be almost too late," Stiles replied, nodding several times as he told you so. 

"Okay," you mumbled, taking one of his hands in yours to squeeze it tightly twice. Stiles laughed briefly when he noticed you mimicking his typical gesture and squeezed tightly twice as well. "It's going to be okay." 

"Everything will be fine," he repeated, looking toward the door. "I think someone outside will be happy to see you, too." 

"What do you mean?"

"Your father. He is still working here at the castle. After mother kicked him out as well, the first thing I did was bring him back. So I did with your sister, she takes care of the farm horses with the others," Stiles replied. 

"You did that?" 

"Of course. Your family wasn't doing too well when you had to leave, and so I didn't want them to have to work in the village for little pay, so I brought them both here and made sure they were doing as well as possible." 

You shook your head, unable to believe what a kind person Stiles is. Even though you were miles away, and he didn't even know where you were, he was making sure your family was okay. You couldn't hold back anymore and walked up to Stiles again and finally kissed him. Stiles smiled into the kiss before deepening it and hugging you tightly to him. "The secrecy is over now, Y/N." 

You broke away from him and stroked his cheek once before walking back to the door and opening it. Claudia was still standing there with Chancellor Manro, arguing with him loudly, though you ignored that and just walked past them, Claudia calling out to you several times. You heard Stiles say something to her as you walked past the guards outside, but not before Stiles made sure of something else. "Y/N has the right to walk anywhere in the castle and go inside where ever she wants to, do you understand, guards?" 

It was as if you had never left the castle. You knew the paths here at the castle by heart and always knew exactly where to go to get to your destination. However, it took a while until you could spot your father. After all, it was already late, and he could have been on his way home, but when you made a detour into the castle garden, you saw him sitting on a bench while eating a sandwich, and fortunately he was not alone. Because next to your father sat your sister, who was eating the bread together with him. 

A smile spread across your face as you saw the two of them sitting there so happily together. Both of them had probably had a great day here at the castle and were now sharing their stories with each other, it looked like. So you walked closer to them and saw your sister raise her head when she saw someone coming in her field of vision. Her facial expression changed so rapidly that tears could only well up in your eyes, and you could see her slap your father on the arm with one hand so that he, too, would look in your direction. He raised his head and dropped his bread in fright. You came closer and closer to the two, but before you could take the last steps towards them, your father stood up and ran to you. He was so euphoric that he couldn't get a word out, so he wrapped you in his arms, where you could only hear his sobs, and shortly afterwards you felt another pair of arms wrap around your body. 

"Y/N," you heard your sister whimper as you too took her tightly in your arms. Tears ran down your cheeks, so you couldn't get a single word out and just held them both tightly in your arms. 

"I thought I would never see you again," your father said after he finally managed to pull himself together. 

"Believe me, that's what I said," you confessed, breaking away from their embrace. 

Your sister immediately knew what was going on and opened your robe to see your belly, and although she could guess it, she gasped out loud once. Your father followed her gaze and could clearly see that you were pregnant. He smiled at you and stroked your cheek with his hand. He was so happy to see you, especially to see that you were doing so well. All the while he could only hope that his request back then with Noah could do some good, but seeing you standing there in front of him like that, he knew Noah had done everything he could to make sure you would be okay. 

"That reminds me, Father. Will you walk me down the aisle?" 

"Y/N, what?" stammered your father, not understanding what was going on. "Is the child's father somewhere here? Did you two travel here?" 

"I've always been here," you heard Stiles, who had been watching the whole thing from a distance. The three of you turned and watched Stiles approach you until he stopped beside you. Your father and sister greeted him appropriately, though they still didn't understand what was going on. 

"I don't really understand," your sister mumbled as she looked back and forth between you and Stiles.

"There's a lot to talk about," Stiles answered for you, taking your hand in his. "But why don't we go inside together? It'll be dark soon, and then it'll get nippy out here pretty quick, too." 

"Okay," your father replied before grabbing his bag. Your sister was still very shocked and confused and just followed you two while you put your free arm around her shoulders and hugged her tightly to you as you walked into the castle together. 

"I still can't believe you're about to marry Stiles," Alice said as she helped you with the final details. 

"I even less so. I really expected anything yesterday morning, but not this. There was no way I was thinking of standing here now, waiting for the moment that I could become Stiles' wife.... Do you know how often I used to wish for that even though I knew it would never be a reality? I used to lie in bed at night and imagine what it would be like to live here at the castle as Stiles' wife." 

"And now it's just reality," Alice finished the sentence just before there was a knock at the door. 

The guards opened the door and let your father in, who for the first time in his life was not wearing his work clothes here at the castle, but had been freshened up by Stiles himself and given his own clothes. 

"You look fantastic, Y/N," was all your father brought out as he looked at you. You smiled at him and took one last look at yourself in the mirror before Alice asked you to bend over, so she could put the hair ornament on you. 

"Thank you," you replied, giving her another tight hug before leaving the room with your father to go to the great hall. "And before I forget...this room is yours from now on." 

"What?" asked Alice in shock, looking at you with wide eyes. "You mean... does that mean... I get to live here at the castle now?" 

"Of course," you replied, looking around the room. "You more than deserve it, Alice." 

Alice smiled at you and jumped into your arms one last time. "Now go out there and show them that a princess or queen doesn't always have to marry a king! Show them what kind of woman you are!" 

So with your torso erect and a proud grin on your lips, you walked up to your father and hooked your arm around his. And no matter how many times that thought crossed your mind last night, you couldn't stop thinking about it. If even one person had told you five years ago that you would one day marry Stiles, you would have laughed coldly at that person and asked them if they were okay, even though it had always been your greatest wish at the time. 

Your father sensed that you were deep in thought and decided to walk with you towards the hall in a comfortable silence. For him, too, it was all so sudden, without warning, and now he suddenly had the opportunity to live at the castle where he had always worked almost all his life. Nevertheless, he had decided to move with your sister to the house on the hill, which was still on the grounds of the castle, but he could have his peace there. 

Your life had improved a bit more than three years ago, but now the leap from lady-in-waiting to wife of the king and thus to become queen was a much bigger leap. One that you first had to get used to. Stiles assured you last night that he would teach you everything little by little over time, but that you should concentrate completely on the pregnancy for the time being. After all, he didn't want to catch you off guard and over stress you, either. After all, that wouldn't wear well on the baby. 

So now you were standing just outside the great hall, where you could already hear the music and knew that it would only be one or two more steps until you could see Stiles. You were more excited than afraid. You didn't care what the others could possibly think, as long as you kept your eyes firmly on Stiles, everything would be fine. 

"Ready?" your father asked you, hearing you take one deep breath. 

"Ready for a better life, Father," you replied, smiling at him once more before you walked through the large gates and your eyes met Stiles'. 

Stiles' smile was unmistakable, he was beaming from ear to ear, because finally the woman he had always wanted to marry was standing in front of him in an unbelievably beautiful white dress, making her way to become his wife. 

And so it happened that once a simple kitchen maid married her great love, the king of one of the greatest countries.

The End

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