#a time if the teachers thought their feet weren’t developed enough

[ripley-ryan]

coco finally came back in my room and is now laying on a blanket and purring loudly. we even had a conversation. gonna suck after this summer when i can’t spend all day here with her and have to go to classes. at least i’m not going to college out of the area. anyways all ballet courses at community colleges in the area are 8 am and i don’t like that. there’s one that’s at noon something but it’s a waitlist and it’s not in the system im enrolled at. plus it’s up to two hours on public transit although it’s a 15 minute drive. anyways i may end up just taking adult classes at the studio i went to as a child before my mom and i moved. and i know they’re good because my sister and i both went there

[asolitaryrose3]

Are you jealous?

Melissa schemmenti x fem!reader

Summary: Reader is shy and feels like Melissa is too far out of their league, but with enough nagging from Ava, and the presence of Gary, they finally tell Melissa how they feel.

Warnings: fluff, minor angst, jealous reader, comfort, Gary (for the plot only), my failed attempt at humour, Ava and readers are besties, Most of this was wrote at 3am, first time posting my fics on here, I’m trying my best.

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“I think you should tell her” Ava suggested, “why, so she can laugh in my face and ruin the perfectly good relationship we have? Yeah, No thanks.” You joked slumping further into your chair.

When you had joined Abbott you had instantly fell in love with the people there, janine, although she could sometimes be annoying at times, you know she means well by it all. Jacob was like a brother to you, he was nerdy and sometimes ruined a joke or two, but for the most part he was caring. Gregory took some time to open to you, but when he finally did, he was surprisingly funny and good to be around. Barbara was one of the kindest people you had met in your life, you saw how she mothers the younger teachers, Janine mostly, and it was sweet and admittedly wholesome to be around.

Melissa was at first cold and icy toward you, which you later learned that was normal for her, but eventually she warmed up to you. After some time she started to bring in cannolis from your favourite bakery, more recently though she started to even bring in home cooked lunches for you. She was sweet and you admired her, but eventually you realised after a while, that you had developed a crush on her. You knew she wouldn’t like you like that though, You were quiet and awkward, while she was strong and confident, not to mention gorgeous, and so you figured a woman like her, a woman who deserves the best, wouldn’t settle for a person like you. But that was fine, if friendship was all you could have, you were fine with that but, a date or two would be nice though.

Ava was your best friend at Abbott and the only person that knew about your little crush on the second grade teacher. When you first met Ava she thought you were like Jacob or janine, more on the awkward side, but when she ran into you one night clubbing, she found that you weren’t at all like you were at school.

That was why you were currently sat in Ava’s office sulking in the chair across from her desk. “But what if she feels the same though? I mean, your hot, so I don’t see why she wouldn’t” Ava said putting her feet onto her desk. “How could Melissa Schemmenti like me?” You questioned. “Oh come on? What are you gonna wait till someone else swipes her up? Girl c’mon live a little, you can’t avoid her forever” Ava asked, her face now serious. “Cause have you seen that vending machine guy? he’s been makin’ moves on your lady” she continued. “He has?” You turned to her with wide eyes, normally you would be in the break room at lunch but since your realisation you’ve been staying in your classroom as of late, not that you don’t want to be near Melissa, but you thought that if you distanced yourself, your feelings would eventually go away.

“But what if she doesn’t feel the same?” You questioned, concern filling your face. “But what if she does though?” Ava countered, The bell rang as she finished. Letting out a sigh you finally agreed with Ava, “alright, we’ll I’ve got to go get my kids from the gym” You pushed yourself up from your chair and walked out of your friends office.

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The next period ran over quicker than you thought it would. You were dreading going to lunch. You knew Melissa would never like you and yet after talking to Ava you somehow gained this false hope that if you asked Melissa out before Gary did, then maybe, you had a chance.

Finally, after many minutes of persuasion you went into the break room, you only saw Barbara at first, but then you saw…him. You had forgot Gary stocked the vending machine today, you saw the questioning look sent your way from Barbara, you walked straight over to the counter and grabbed your cup out of the cupboard and started to make a coffee, as you waited for the drink to finish you began overthinking everything, you knew you should have never thought you had a chance, it was obvious that Gary liked Melissa and of course she would like him back, he was good looking and he was sweet and thoughtful. Barbara had said it herself a while back, even she saw that they would be perfect together, and how could Barbara Howard be wrong?

The beep of the machine in front of you rang through your ears as you broke out of your thoughts. Grabbing the cup you tried to get out of the room as fast as you could. Opening the door you almost bumped into someone, it was Melissa.

“hey hon, slow down, your gonna trip over someone-” The second grade teacher hushed, “hon, are you alright?” She continued. The care in her voice sent a pang of pain to your heart, you didn’t want to avoid her anymore, but you knew it was for the best. “Yeah Mel, I’m fine” you rushed past her, practically running to your classroom.

You slammed the door behind you and slumped down in your chair. You threw your head back and let out the breath you didn’t know you were holding. Not long after, you heard a knock on your door and you groaned at having to talk to someone when you were on the verge of tears.

“Go away Ava” you murmured, with your eyes closed. You heard the door open and you began to speak again “Ava I’m not in the mood-” when you opened your eyes you had realised your mistake. “Oh- Um, hey Mel, sorry I thought you were Ava coming to talk about one of the student’s dad or whatever” you half laughed trying to seem alright in front of the redhead. Mel perched herself on the side of your desk, crossing her arms. “care to tell me why you haven’t been coming to lunch?” She questioned with a raised brow. “I- I’m just catching up on marking”

You weren’t necessarily lying when you said that. Most off your time was actually spent grading papers, while the rest was spent either sleeping or wallowing in your own self pity. “For two weeks straight?” She frowned at your petty excuse. “Tell me what’s wrong Hon, please” she pleaded with you, but you couldn’t look at her, “why do you care, shouldn’t you be with Gary” the words left your tongue like venom, the very Mention of the man made your fist clench and your heart ache. “Why would I be with Gary?” She questioned, confused at the relevance he had in all of this. “I don’t know, maybe because you always are.” You mumbled, jealousy taking over your words. “Oh c’mon that’s not true and you know it” She reasoned. “Oh please, every time he’s here, you only talk to him.” You retorted.

Melissa grew silent after that, as she re shifted her focus to your face. You felt you face flush beat red under her unrelenting gaze. After a while, her furrowed brow raised as a smirk grew on her face. Melissa stood from her seated position on the side of your desk and sauntered her way toward you. As she stopped in front of you, she lent down and grabbed both of the arms on the chair. With her arms trapping you and her legs either sides of your now closed knees, you were practically unable to move.

“Are you jealous, hun?” She asked, the humour in her voice evident. “I-uh…No, why would I be?” You stuttered out, knowing you did not seem convincing at all, as you looked down and away from the woman. You felt one of her hands grasp your chin in her hand and forced you to look her in the eyes, “I want your eyes on me, sweetheart” she practically growled, “now, are you jealous of Gary?” She asked again, her voice significantly lower than before. You contemplated on lying to her again, but as you stared into her piecing eyes, you felt you brain go foggy from her close proximity.

“Well, I- uh…maybe, yes” you mumbled as you stared at her with an anxious look, “I- I like you Melissa, like really like you” Melissa’s eyes softened, as she smiled. “That’s good to know” she chuckled. Suddenly you felt Melissa’s lips meet yours, you froze at the sudden action but melted in to her soft touch shortly after. You whined as she pulled away with a smirk. “I like you too by the way” she laughed again at seeing the adoring look on your features. “Wait but I thought you liked Gary?” You questioned. “Oh please, sure he’s nice, but you? Your amazing hun, I’ve practically liked you ever since you got here” Melissa smiled sweetly at you. “I’ve like you since you got here too” you grinned back at her.

“I was thinking, how bout this weekend you could come over to mine and we can have dinner?” She asked, sounding very small as she spoke. You smiled at her hoping to comfort her, “I would love to Mel." She rose to a standing position, she kissed the top of your head as she did so. “I’ll see you later, hun” You watched as she left and you smiled to yourself at the feeling of lips that still lingered on both the top of your head and your own lips. You spun in your chair at the thought of dinner with Melissa.

Once you turned to the direction of the door, you saw Ava’s head appear from around the doorframe. As she walked in to the room you the look she was giving you, “tell me everything” she gasped with shared excitement.

[word-wytch]

Don't Stand So Close To Me — Chapter 2

Eddie x Teacher!Reader

Chapter 2/? 3.1k. Series Masterlist

✏︎ The first thing that you learn — how long a touch can linger.

✏︎ Series Summary: Forced to move back home to Hawkins after your fiancé cheats on you, you begin to fall in love again with an audacious 20 year old metalhead, only there’s one problem — he’s still in high school and you’re his English teacher.

While you struggle starting over in a place you never thought you would return, Eddie struggles feeling stuck in a place he can’t manage to leave — until you offer to help him. Of all the lessons learned, the most important are the ones you teach each other.

✏︎ Series CW: forbidden romance, slow burn, smut (18+ mdni), true love, internal conflict, student-teacher relationship, 10 year age gap, mutual pining, sexual tension, emotions, drama, angst, character development, happy ending :)

Chapter warnings: sibling death mention (reader’s), drunk driving accident mention, pregnancy mention (not reader’s)

These things are mentioned very briefly but are important for backstory purposes!

Monday, September 30th 1985

“—listening to 93.5 FM WMXQ, MAXimum classic rock. Don’t touch that dial, we’ll be back with a non-stop POWER HOUR of all the h—“

You smacked the radio alarm clock in the darkness, hitting the off button rather than snooze this time. 

5:10 AM. 

Your bed was so warm, blankets heavy like a hug. You could hear rain softly pitter pattering against the window. You rolled over onto your stomach and stretched, warm limbs cooling as they sprawled out across the expanse of your queen size bed. Perhaps there were some benefits to sleeping alone.

After another five minutes of peace you sighed and sat up reluctantly. The room was pitch black save for the faint glow of a street lamp outside your window. So much for bright and early, there was nothing bright about it. Your feet searched for your slippers on the floor and slid them on once they made contact.

You shuffled to the bathroom to pee and brush your teeth in the soft glow of the night light by the bathroom sink. By the time you made it to the kitchen your eyes had adjusted, barely enough, to make the overhead light bearable when you turned it on. It still made your eyes burn. 

There was a sudden pang of missing again. Missing the soft light above the kitchen sink in your old house in Indianapolis. There was just something so sterile about the lighting in this apartment, about the white walls and linoleum kitchen floor. Sometimes you even missed him too, but you wouldn’t let yourself linger too much on that. 

You turned on the radio in your kitchen to combat the oppressive silence. 

Begin the day with a friendly voice

A companion unobtrusive

Plays that song that’s so elusive

And the magic music makes your morning mood

You opened the fridge and rolled your eyes at the song that seemed to mock you. 

Breakfast was simple, as it was every morning. Two eggs over easy and two pieces of toast to mop the yolks with — and coffee of course. 

After eating you sifted through the pile of mail that had accumulated on your kitchen table as you sipped your second cup, throwing out obvious junk into the trashcan beside you. 

Your hands paused over the small card with a hand written address on it. You slowly tore open the envelope with your finger along the top edge and pulled out the contents. 

Robert and Tricia

Save the Date

Saturday, July 20th 1986

You sighed and ran your fingers over raised lettering on the pearl pink card before dropping it into the trash with the rest. There was a pang of guilt as you did it, but you weren’t going, that was certain. You didn’t want to risk running into him at the wedding. Besides, they were more his friends than yours anyway.

After breakfast you rummaged through your closet to pick out something to wear. Something nice, something smart. Something that would make you feel put together, or at least look like it anyway. 

It wasn’t until you were carefully applying your mascara that the phone rang in your kitchen, causing you to almost put an eye out when you jumped. You cursed and attempted to wipe the smear of black off your eyelid but the phone just kept ringing and it was apparently going to take more than just licking your finger to get the smudge off. 

You stomped into the kitchen and snatched the phone off the receiver. “Hello?” you barked.

“Hello dear, it’s Mom.”

“Mom it’s,” you glanced at the clock on the stove, “6:37 AM.”

“I know dear, but see I knew you’d be home. Anyway, as you know, Mrs. Hutchins will be joining us for supper on Wednesday and I had the thought, you know maybe she could bring Andrew along.”

“Oh no, mom I haven’t seen Andrew since I was like twelve.”

“Well you’ll have quite a bit to catch up on then! Besides, I’ve already invited him.”

“Mom!”

“Come on sweetie, let’s not be rude. You know he just got a job at Ignition One, that new computer company downtown?”

“Fascinating,” you said flatly.

“You know computers are really going to be the future. He’s smart to get in early. There’s going to be a lot of money in that business, I just know it.”

You coiled the cord around your finger as you rolled your eyes. “Well that’s great for him.”

“Yes, well, he can tell you more about it than I can on Wednesday.”  

“Mom, please, I tutor a student after school on Wednesdays anyway, I’ll be late.”

“Well I’ll give her a ring and move it to 6:30 then. That’ll give you plenty of time.” 

“Mom, please —“

“Honey, you’ll be 30 in a few short weeks. Now I know that’s still considered young nowadays but don’t you think you ought to try meeting someone here in Hawkins? You know, someone from a nice family? What’s the worst that could happen?”

You dug your thumbnail into the gummy cord. “Yep. Sure. Fine. Mom, I’ve gotta go, I’m going to be late.”

“Alright well you have a good day sweetie, I’ll see you on Wednesday — 6:30. Love you.”

“Love you too, bye.” 

You set the phone firmly on the receiver and dragged your hands down your face in a silent scream.

______

“Happy Monday!” chimed Ms. Click as she fixed herself a cup of coffee in the teacher’s lounge. 

You sighed, offering her what little you could muster of a smile. “Happy Monday.”

It was then that Diane Kelley shuffled over to you, black curls bouncing as she grabbed a mug from the stack. There was a little smirk playing on her lips, her dark eyes looking at you from the side like she had a secret she was dying to tell. 

This time you couldn’t help but smile back. Her kind eyes had a way of disarming even the grumpiest of teenagers, which truthfully you felt like this morning. You could see why she went into counseling.

“I caved and called Darren yesterday.”

“Who?”

“You know, the guy who gave me his number the other night. At Mojo’s?”

“Oh yeah, him.” Truthfully he was forgettable even with the memory jog.

“Anyway we talked for like an hour. He seems nice enough, I dunno, we’ll see where it goes. I’m not sold or anything. He’s got tickets to go see the Colts play in a few weeks, he invited me of course but I didn’t give him a yes or no yet.” 

You raised your eyebrows. “Sports guy, huh?”

She shook her head. “I know, right? Am I crazy for calling him or what?”

“No, you’re not crazy. I mean hey, at least you’re open to it. More than I can say.” You grabbed the carton of creamer from the fridge and shut the door a little too hard.

Diane’s expression softened. “I know you’re still upset about what happened, I would be too. You can’t rush healing from something like that.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m over it. Happy for him.” you said flatly.

Diane sighed and folded her arms across her white sweater vest, her face was soft and full of concern.

“Sorry, I’m really on one this morning. My mom’s trying to set me up with a guy I went to middle school with. Called me at 6:30 in the goddamn morning to tell me about it.”

Diane visibly cringed, “Oh god that’s awful, you’re not going are you?”

You gave her a wide eyed look, “You don’t know my mom, do you?”

“Clearly not.”

“I’m just trying to keep the peace. I mean I love her and all but she can be such a bull. Got ten times worse after what happened to my brother.”

Diane gave a solemn nod. “Oh yeah. I’ll never forget it. I was a sophomore when that happened. Just awful. You weren’t even in high school yet were you?”

“No, not yet. Eighth grade. I suppose most people do stupid things when they’re 17. Can’t say I’ve ever driven drunk before though.”

“I can imagine why not after that.”

“Yeah. Anyway, my mom at least has one child left, so I try to be a good one.”

Diane offered a sympathetic smile, “I think you’re a great one,” she said, “Still, I think maybe having a little fun would do you some good, hm? Take you out of your head a little?”

You took a sip of your coffee and shrugged, “Maybe.”

______

The hallway was packed as you made your way to your classroom before the first bell. The noise of all the voices reflected off the lockers to form a sort of echo chamber. You could hear the lockers opening and slamming in a rhythmic cadence all around you. Suddenly you swore you heard your name rise above the clammer. You kept with the flow of traffic and glanced around to see where the voice was coming from. 

Nancy Wheeler waved her hand at you and called your name again. You met her eyes and returned the wave, veering off to the side to meet her by the lockers and stay out of traffic. 

“Hey Nancy, what’s up?”

“Hey, I’m so sorry but I just wanted to let you know that I left my homework on the kitchen counter this morning. I can run home and get it during lunch but I won’t have it for your class,” she said with a little grimace. 

“Oh don’t worry about it, you don’t have to run home, you can just turn it in tomorrow. I know you’re good for it,” you said with a wink.

It was then that you felt a hand on your lower back. 

“S’cuse me, miss,” Eddie said softly, squeezing past you to get to the locker that you were standing in front of.

You whipped your head around to face him. His warm hand lingered for a moment. He was so close to you. His hair was slightly damp. You could smell the faint shampoo still lingering on his curls, the leather from his jacket, the ghost of his last cigarette.

“Thank you so much, I’ll see you in class!” said Nancy, breaking your trance.

“Sure, no problem,” you said, feeling the heat rush to your face. Suddenly the hallway felt smaller than usual.

“Sorry, just trying to beat the bell,” Eddie said with a little chuckle as his nimble fingers turned the dial. 

“Oh, it’s ok. I’m totally in your way.”

“You’re never in my way,” Eddie said sincerely, opening his locker. You had never noticed before how tall he was. How his denim vest exaggerated the broadness of his shoulders.

“Well, I don’t normally hang out here,” you said with a little chuckle. You clutched your leather grading binder to your chest.

“Well maybe you should, it’s where all the cool kids hang out.” he said, raising his eyebrows sarcastically. 

“Oh yeah? Well I’m cool enough to have a desk here now.”

Eddie smirked, “No offense but I hope I never get that cool.”

You laughed. “Honestly, I never thought I’d be that cool at this school, but I guess life is full of surprises.” 

Eddie’s expression changed. His mouth parted like he wanted to ask you something but the bell rang.

“Gotta jet, see you in class,” you said, turning heel to take off down the hallway. 

Eddie waved his hand, dark eyes crinkling as he smiled at you.

You were grateful for the rush of air hitting your hot face as your feet clicked hastily down the hall. You clutched your binder like a lifeline. Why the hell were you so nervous all of a sudden?

“Sorry I’m late, everyone,” you said, setting your things down at your desk in haste. For once you were thankful for all the noise in your classroom. You took a deep breath as you gathered your notes, trying to refocus. 

You would try all day. 

During first period it was the feeling of Eddie’s warm hand on your back, his closeness to you that kept creeping forward in your mind. During second it was his ringed fingers turning the dial on the locker inches in front of your face. During third it was the curve of his lips when he said “You’re never in my way.”

During fourth period it took all of your strength not to look at him, though you could feel his eyes on you for the full duration of class. 

At least he turned in his homework this time.

When the lunch bell rang you hung back in your classroom for a few minutes to collect yourself. Certainly if anyone had put their hand on your back like that you’d still be thinking about it? Cringing at it, more likely. Typically you hated it when guys did that, touch you without asking. 

But when Eddie did it you didn’t seem to mind, and that was just it. It was the fondness of your thoughts that frightened you.

You couldn’t believe it. You had to be better than this. 

It was not lost on you that today was a Monday.

______

Eddie Munson sat across from you. He was rolling a pen between the forefinger and thumb of his right hand. On his left hand you could see the faded ink from what appeared to be a hastily scribbled note to himself, or a drawing of some sort, it was unclear. What was very clear were the tendons in his hands, how they would flex and move under the skin as his restless fingers made contact with whatever was in front of him. 

There were chains sewn by hand onto the sleeve of his jacket in what looked like an effort to fix the zipper that no longer worked. They rattled as he gesticulated. 

“I mean he’s very opinionated, mostly negative opinions though, except when it comes to his family. He’s also really obsessed with ducks for some reason. I haven’t figured out the uh, symbolism yet I guess, but I have a feeling it’s important, or it will be anyway.”

You nodded attentively, trying to stay focused on his words and not the plushness of the lips they came from. 

“Hmm, it seems like you’re starting to understand the book now that you’ve started actually reading it, funny how that works,” you said with a little smirk. “What else have you got going on this week?”

There was a glint in his eyes. “I’ve got a dungeon crawl planned out, first of the season. The boys aren’t gonna know what hit ‘em. See, it’s not your typical dungeon with a bunch of giant spiders and shit. It’s like, this ancient dryad grove with a bunch of earth elementals and at the end there’s a chimaera that you have to fight. It’s gonna go on for weeks, I won’t go easy on them.”

You chuckled, your eyes crinkling to match the deep brown ones across from you that glimmered with youthful energy. 

“I meant in school,” you said, though the truth was you could have listened to him talk about it for hours.

“Oh, uh… I’ve got a history test on Friday.”

“Ok, let me see your notes. I’ve got a great study tactic that I think will be really helpful to you.”

By the look on his face it would seem that Eddie was almost reluctant to pull the beat up spiral notebook from his backpack and slide it across the desk to you. 

You thumbed through the pages. “Eddie, I don’t know how you’re supposed to study with this, you’ve hardly written anything down.”

“Man I really tried last week but it’s just so hard to pay attention. Ms. O’Donnell’s got this voice drones on and on. Puts me right to sleep, you know?”

You snorted a little. “Yeah, I know. She was my teacher years ago too.”

Eddie raised his eyebrows. “Really? Man, it’s hell here. I mean maybe it was different for you but I can’t imagine ever wanting to come back and like, work here.”

You offered a weak little laugh. “Yeah, I didn’t really want to either but here we are.”

Eddie narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean you didn’t want to? Somebody forcing you to be here?” he said, glancing around suspiciously.

“No, I mean —“ You paused, wondering if you should even get into it. “I used to teach in Indianapolis but I had to move home over the summer.”

“Had to? Why? What happened?” Concern furrowed his strong brows. 

“I — personal reasons. Sorry, it’s probably… unprofessional for me to talk about my personal life.”

Eddie gave you a deadpan look. “Come on, do I seriously look like the kind of person who’s here to judge you for how ‘professional’ you are?”

Your higher, logical brain wanted to resist — to stand your ground and draw your line but his eyes were just so sincere, so soft and captivating and your emotional brain wanted to tell him. Everything. About how mad you were, about how stupid and unbelievable the whole situation was. About how naive you felt, how lost you were. About how much it sucked and how much you hated being stuck here, back at square one.

You fidgeted with the pen in your hand. “I —“ you took a deep breath to steady your voice, “My fiancé um… well ex-fiancé…” Was there even a tactful way to say it? “He… knocked some other girl up. I just couldn’t live there anymore.” 

Eddie balked. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, seriously.”

You could almost feel the heat of the anger radiating from him. “He’s a fucking idiot.”

There was something about his rage that was so… validating. Something about it that thrilled you to see, perhaps even more than you wanted to admit to yourself. “Yeah, that’s an understatement.” 

“Yeah,” Eddie said with a dry laugh, “He doesn’t deserve you anyway.”

Your voice caught in your throat and you tried to swallow the lump away. It was the way he said it,  his words so thickly coated in a reverent awe that there was no mistaking what he meant when he said it. 

His gaze was so direct, so earnest and piercing that you had to avert your eyes for a moment while you collected yourself.

“Thank— thank you, um,” you tucked your hair behind your ear, “It’s been an adjustment, to say the least.”

His hand twitched on the desk like he wanted to do something with it but he didn’t. He shook his head sadly. “I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks,” you said, finding the courage to meet his eyes again.

“I mean, I know you’d rather not be here but… I’m glad that you are. For my sake at least.” 

You smiled, full and genuine. “I could say the same about you.”

______

A/N: Ok y’all next chapter is Eddie’s pov and it’s gonna be very juicy so sit tight.

I have one request — If you ask/asked to be put on the tag list, I ask in return that you reblog AND tell me what you like about this fic/chapter, even just something short and sweet! Please engage with me, it’s all I get in return for writing a story that you love for free 💜

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[kydrogendragon]

Monochromatic

Monochromatic for Day Six of Dreamling Week

Relationship: Dream/Hob Rating: Mature Words: 2060 Warnings: Forced Relationship, Teacher-Student Relationship, Age Gap, Body Horror and Dubcon to be safe. Ao3 Link

Thank you to @gabessquishytum whose ask here inspired this!

Hob should have known that something was gravely wrong when he opened his apartment door to see Dream perched on his kitchen counter. The young student smiles at him with eyes too sharp and knowing.

“Dream?” Hob asks, setting his bag on the floor, propped up by the wall. “What’s wrong? How . . . how did you get in here?”

“Any door can be unlocked if you’re determined enough,” he replies, curling a finger to beckon Hob closer. He keeps his feet firmly planted instead. The smile falls from Dream’s face.

This was getting out of hand and fast. Initially, he’d thought Dream was simply one of the occasional students of his that developed a crush on him. And that isn’t a terrible thing by itself—flattering, in a way—but, of course, a crush was all it could remained. And he had to give Dream props for actually asking him out on a date in the beginning rather than asking for “extra credit” as other students in the past had.

He’d said no, of course, but that hadn’t stopped Dream. He was still Hob’s student so it wasn’t as if he could ignore him, especially when he would drop by with questions during office hours and just happened to have extra treats to share. Sometimes it was coffee, other times it was cookies or pastries, but it grew further to actual gifts and finery, of all things. When Dream had tried to give Hob a golden bracelet that looked like it costed more than Hob’s life savings, he’d refused. Said it was unprofessional and that perhaps Dream should look into other classes than his in the future.

Well. That only made things worse.

When the gifts weren’t winning Hob over like Dream had expected, he changed tactics. He’d come to class with clothes far too tight and far too short that displayed every part of his body perfectly. Hell, one day he’d come to class in a mini-skirt and sat in the front row only. Which that alone would have been . . . fine, but when Hob turned back to talk to the class, he looked towards Dream and was met with spread legs and a view of the ruby red plug buried in his arse. Class ended early that day so Hob could hide in his office and lock the door to jack himself off before his next lecture. Something that Dream apparently noticed because he did it three more times after that, each with different colored plugs. Once with a cock ring and Hob swears there was a piercing on his cock (something he, begrudgingly, found out later was true. He’d gotten it pierced just the day before, specifically for him).

Hob’s not blind. Dream’s incredibly attractive and if he wasn’t his student and was a few years older, he’d have bedded him in a heartbeat. But he is Hob’s student. And he is younger—fuck, he’s fresh out of secondary school, just barely eighteen. Hob has an easy twenty years over him, not that Dream seems to give a shit. 

He wishes he could say Dream had just stopped at shamelessly flashing him in class. Christ, life was easier when it was just some kinda crazy kid going after him, but no. Dream’s apparently not just any kid. He’s the fucking son of Chronos and Nyx. He’s an Endless child. And when his bodyguard (and quite possibly his hitman as well) told him to give Dream whatever he wants with a knife pressed to Hob’s throat . . . well.

Hob likes his life. He likes living and teaching and enjoying all the small things that make it worth being here. And he’d quite like to keep doing those things, so he wasn’t left with much of a choice after that. And when Dream came to his office the next day and planted himself over Hob’s lap, he let him. And when Dream pressed his lips to his, Hob let him as well.

But he should have known it would only get worse. Should have known there’s no way Dream would have been satisfied with just simple kisses and knowing he’d won.

Dream carted him away for date nights after classes. He drug him to the fanciest joints in London, gifted him suits and jewels and other adornments to wear, most often delicate lace lingerie to wear under the fancy suits so there would be something pretty for Dream to find when he unwraps Hob at the end of the night. Hob thought, maybe, that Dream’s obsession would start to fade. That, given enough time, he’d realize that Hob was just a boring old maths professor and would drop him in favor of something else—or someone else—soon. But it’s been four months now since that guard of Dream’s threatened him and almost a year since Dream had first stepped into his class.

And now Dream has somehow found himself a way in to Hob’s flat.

“Dream, you can’t just break into my place! Good partners don’t do that kind of thing.” Dream’s eyes narrow as he slinks off of the kitchen counter. The edges of his classic black overcoat trail just above the floor as he glides closer to Hob.

“No,” Dream says, reaching for something in his pocket. “No, good partners wouldn’t break in, would they? But it’s a good thing I didn’t need to resort to something as petty as that. You gave me a key after all, didn’t you?”

Dream tosses whatever was in his pocket at Hob’s chest. He scrambles to grab it, only to see a set of brass keys on a ring. These, he knows for a fact, never came from Hob’s hands. However Dream got ahold of a copy of the keys to his locks didn’t matter. He had them know. And could easily get more, he assumed. And if Dream says Hob gave them to him? It’s as good enough as the truth now. That’s a lesson he learned early on.

“But—” Dream swiftly turns heel and steps back towards the counter where Hob can see something small lying on top by where Dream had been sitting “—you haven’t been a very good partner to me lately, have you?”

Hob blinks. Christ, Dream’s probably not wrong, if they were going by healthy relationship standards, but he thinks he’s been doing pretty damn well for feeling like he’s about to be shanked if he makes the wrong move. But that doesn’t matter to Dream. This is his story and Hob’s merely a character in it. And apparently he didn’t play the part right.

“No, you’re right,” he replies, stepping closer. He rests his hands on Dream’s hips. If he plays sweet and sorry, then everything should be fine. “I’m sorry. How can I make it up to you?”

Dream hums, fiddling with whatever was on the counter in his hands. Hob tries to peer over his shoulder, but all he can make out is the plastic bag but not what’s inside of it. “Do you even know what you are apologizing for?” Dream turns his head and meets Hob’s gaze with those calculating blue ones of his. He’s pinned in place under them.

He swallows, mentally running through the past week, trying to figure out what it is Dream’s referring to, but he comes up blank. He thought he’d done pretty well lately, but apparently not.

Hob sighs and shakes his head. “No. But if it upset you, then I’m sorry. Tell me what it was? I’ll be sure not to do it again.”

“You cheated on me.”

Hob’s eyes widen as Dream turns in place, cradled between the countertop and Hob. over the months, he’s gotten good at reading Dream’s face. He had to, it was a survival skill at this point. And the tightness around his eyes, the clenched jaw, and the fire in those blue eyes of his are all signs that point to danger.

Fuck.

Hob’s eyes dart around the room, trying to find wherever that damn bodyguard of his is. This is how he’s going to die, isn’t it? Stabbed because Dream thinks he “cheated”. Maybe he can still save this.

“Dream,” he says, holding his hands out. “I would never cheat on you! Why do you think I did?”

“You were flirting.”

“With who?” he asks, because he genuinely can’t think of who he might have been “flirting” with.

“With her,” Dream says, opening the small bag he was holding. He pulls out something cream-ish colored with splots of red and—

Oh . . .

Oh god . . .

Hob stares down at the bloodied finger between Dream's, his eyes feeling like they’re going to pop out of his skull. His heart is racing in his ears yet his body feels ice cold. There is a finger here. A severed finger. And Dream holds it in his hands with such ease and comfort that it might as well be a piece of candy.

Dream is smiling. He's talking. Hob faintly hears him through the muffled silence that weights down on him. He can't stop staring at the finger, at her finger. He can't stop staring at the green lacquered nail, the polish chipping at the base. He can't stop staring at the congealed blood that coats her skin.

Christ . . . What is happening? What is this life he's gotten wrapped up in? He's just a maths professor for fuck's sake! And now he's staring at the bloodied severed finger of the girl from the coffee shop who he’d chatted with because she was an old student of his. Fucking hell, he’s the reason she’s without a finger. His heart sinks.

Or worse. God, is she dead? Did Dream kill her?

"Hob." Dream's voice calls to him. He shakily lifts his head, meeting darkened blue eyes narrowed in displeasure. And there, just on Dream’s cheek, he sees it. Doesn’t know how he missed it before amidst the sea of white and black that is Dream: a streak of dark red. Of blood. God. He did this himself, didn’t he? It wasn’t even that guard of his that did this. This was personal. "Did you hear what I said?"

Hob blinks back the flood of tears as the reality of his situation crashes down on top of him. It doesn't help. They still fall and he thinks that Dream might even like it that way, judging by how his face seems to relax at the sight.

"No," he says, voice strangled. "Sorry, I'm so sorry, um—" he swallows "—what was it you were saying?" Dream tilts his head to the side. "Love! Um—what was it you were saying, love?" he corrects. Hob's hands shake.

“I said, you wouldn’t be foolish enough to do such a thing again, would you? Not when you have me.” Dream lowers the finger onto the kitchen island beside them as he closes the distance between the two of them. “Now, I can be forgiving. I know it’s natural to be curious about others, especially if . . . one is considering proposing. It’s understandable, the want to be certain of who you’ll spend the rest of your life with, but even so, what you did was unacceptable. But I can forgive you this once.”

Pale hands wrap around Hob's neck, slowly pulling him in for a kiss. Hob moves, afraid of what would happen if he didn't. He lets Dream's mouth meet his, parting them, and letting the younger boy's man’s—mob prince’s—threat’s tongue explore. His body goes on autopilot as his mind races through what Dream said about proposing and the not so subtle threat that if he ever so much as looks like he might be flirting, then that person is going to end up dead. And him too, quite possibly.

Fucking hell . . .

Dream parts with a happy sigh, nuzzling into Hob's neck. "Now, isn't that better? You belong to me, after all. No need to let anyone else get between us, is there?"

Hob can hear the threat laced over Dream's words. So much for thinking Dream would grow bored of him. Now, it seems, he's stuck with him and the only way out is death. And Hob, well. Despite everything, Hob still does love living.

"Yeah," Hob hears himself reply. "Much better."

It seems he’s got a proposal to plan. One that makes Dream happy enough not to murder him. To death do us part, indeed.

[blueiscoool]

Ancient Herculaneum Scrolls Blackened by Vesuvius are now Readable  

X-ray scans can just tease out letters on the warped documents from a library at Herculaneum.

The lavish villa sat overlooking the Bay of Naples, offering bright ocean views to the well-heeled Romans who came from across the empire to study. The estate's library was stocked with texts by prominent thinkers of the day, in particular a wealth of volumes by the philosopher Philodemus, an instructor of the poet Virgil.

But the seaside library also sat in the shadow of a volcano that was about to make terrible history.

The 79 A.D. eruption of Mount Vesuvius is most famous for burying Pompeii, spectacularly preserving many artifacts—and residents—in that once bustling town south of Naples. The tumbling clouds of ash also entombed the nearby resort of Herculaneum, which is filled with its own wonders. During excavations there in 1752, diggers found a villa containing bundles of rolled scrolls, carbonized by the intense heat of the pyroclastic flows and preserved under layers of cement-like rock. Further digs showed that the scrolls were part of an extensive library, earning the structure the name Villa of the Papyri.

Blackened and warped by the volcanic event, the roughly 1,800 scrolls found so far have been a challenge to read. Some could be mechanically unrolled, but hundreds remain too fragile to make the attempt, looking like nothing more than clubs of charcoal. Now, more than 200 years later, archaeologists examining two of the scrolls have found a way to peer inside them with x-rays and read text that has been lost since antiquity.

"Anybody who focuses on the ancient world is always going to be excited to get even one paragraph, one chapter, more," says Roger Macfarlane, a classicist at Brigham Young University in Utah. "The prospect of getting hundreds of books more is staggering."

Most of the scrolls that have been unwrapped so far are Epicurean philosophical texts written by Philodemus—prose and poetry that had been lost to modern scholars until the library was found. Epicurus was a Greek philosopher who developed a school of thought in the third century B.C. that promoted pleasure as the main goal of life, but in the form of living modestly, foregoing fear of the afterlife and learning about the natural world. Born in the first century B.C. in what is now Jordan, Philodemus studied at the Epicurean school in Athens and became a prominent teacher and interpreter of the philosopher's ideas.

Modern scholars debate whether the scrolls were part of Philodemus' personal collection dating to his time period, or whether they were mostly copies made in the first century A.D. Figuring out their exact origins will be no small feat—in addition to the volcano, mechanical or chemical techniques for opening the scrolls did their share of damage, sometimes breaking the delicate objects into fragments or destroying them outright. And once a page was unveiled, readability suffered.

"Ironically, when someone opened up a scroll, they would write on a separate sheet what they could read, like a facsimile, and the original ink, once exposed to air, would start to fade," says Brent Seales, a computer scientist at the University of Kentucky who specializes in digital imaging. What's more, the brute-force techniques usually left some pages stuck together, trapping hidden layers and their precious contents.

From 2007 to 2012, Seales collaborated with Daniel Delattre at the French National Center for Scientific Research in Paris on a project to scan scrolls in the collections of the Institut de France—former treasures of Napoleon Bonaparte, who received them as a gift from the King of Naples in 1802. Micro-CT scans of two rolled scrolls revealed their interior structure—a mass of delicate whorls akin to a fingerprint. From that data the team estimated that the scrolls would be between 36 and 49 feet long if they could be fully unwound. But those scans weren't sensitive enough to detect any lettering.

The trouble is that papyri at the time were written using a carbon-based ink, making it especially hard to digitally tease out the words on the carbonized scrolls. Traditional methods like CT scans blast a target with x-rays and look for patterns created as different materials absorb the radiation—this works very well when scanning for dense bone inside soft tissue (or for peering inside a famous violin), but the method fails at discerning carbon ink on blackened scrolls.

Now a team led by Vito Mocella of the Italian National Research Council has shown for the first time that it is possible to see letters in rolled scrolls using a twist on CT scanning called x-ray phase-contrast tomography, or XPCT. Mocella, Delattre and their colleagues obtained permission to take a fragment from an opened scroll and a whole rolled scroll from the Paris institute to the European Synchrotron in Grenoble. The particle collider was able to produce the high-energy beam of x-rays needed for the scans.

Rather than looking for absorption patterns, XPCT captures changes in the phase of the x-rays. The waves of x-rays move at different speeds as they pass through materials of various density. In medical imaging, rays moving through an air-filled organ like a lung travel faster then those penetrating thick muscle, creating contrast in the resulting images. Crucially, the carbon-based ink on the scrolls didn't soak into the papyrus—it sits on top of the fibers. The microscopic relief of a letter on the page proved to be just enough to create a noticeable phase contrast.

Reporting today in the journal Nature Communications, Mocella and his team show that they were able to make out two previously unreadable sequences of capital letters from a hidden layer of the unrolled scroll fragment. The team interprets them as Greek words: ΠΙΠΤΟΙΕ, meaning "would fall", and ΕΙΠΟΙ, meaning "would say". Even more exciting for scholars, the team was able to pick out writing on the still-rolled scroll, eventually finding all 24 letters of the Greek alphabet at various points on the tightly bundled document.

Even though the current scans are mostly a proof of concept, the work suggests that there will soon be a way to read the full works on the rolled scrolls, the team says. "We plan to improve the technique," says Mocella. "Next spring we have an allowance to spend more time at the Grenoble synchrotron, where we can test a number of approaches and try to discern the exact chemical composition of the ink. That will help us improve the energy setting of the beam for our scan."

"With the text now accessible by virtue of specialized images, we have the prospect of going inside the rolled scrolls, and that's really exciting," says Macfarlane. Seales agrees: "Their work is absolutely crucial, and I am delighted to see a way forward using phase contrast."

Seales is currently working on ways to help make sense of future scans. With support from the National Science Foundation and Google, Seales is developing software that can sort through the jumbled letters and figure out where they belong on the scroll. The program should be able to lump letters into words and fit words into passages. "It turns out there are grains of sand sprinkled all the way through the scrolls," says Seales. "You can see them twinkling in the scans, and that constellation is fixed." Using the sand grains like guide stars, the finished software should be able to orient the letters on the whorled pages and line up multiple scans to verify the imagery.

The projects offer hope for further excavations of the Herculaneum library. "They stopped excavating at some point for various reasons, and one was, Why should we keep pulling things out if they are so hard to read?" says Seales. But many believe there is a lower "wing" of the villa's collection still buried, and it may contain more 1st-century Latin texts, perhaps even early Christian writings that would offer new clues to Biblical times.

"Statistically speaking, if you open up a new scroll of papyrus from Herculaneum, it's most likely going to be a text from Philodemus," says MacFarlane. "But I'm more interested in the Latin ones, so I would not be unhappy at all to get more Latin texts that are not all banged up."

For Mocella, being able to read even one more scroll is crucial for understanding the library and the workings of a classical school of philosophy. "Regardless of the individual text, the library is a unique cultural treasure, as it is the only ancient library to survive almost entire together with its books," he says. "It is the library as whole that confers the status of exceptionality." The scanning method could also be useful for texts beyond the Roman world, says Seales. Medieval books often cannibalized older texts to use as binding, and scans could help uncover interesting tidbits without ruining the preserved works. Also, letters and documents from the ill-fated Franklin expedition to the Northwest Passage in the 19th century have been recovered but are proving difficult to open without doing damage. "All that material could benefit from non-invasive treatment," says Seales.

By Victoria Jaggard.

[singguks]

the unbearable lightness of being ✩ knj

✩ FIRST CHAPTER OF EVERYTHINGOES

which includes... fluff and slice of life content ⏤ 822 words.

━━━━━  NEXT !

in which... he feels the heavy weight of his routine and serendipity goes his way !

Spring was turning around the corner and somehow Namjoon’s life felt dull and bloomless still. 

He had been strolling aimlessly all Saturday, thinking if he should take a break from his job starting Monday. Or maybe just run away from his manager for a while. Do something else with his life. Go to another country, and live a brand new adventure. That’s how he came to know the little vintage library tucked on the corner of a busy street—because of his equally busy brain and restless feet. 

There was no one inside besides him, a kind-eyed grandpa behind the counter, a calico cat, and tons of dusty books—just how Namjoon liked them. And yet the books weren’t what he felt pulled toward to inspect. 

On top of two piles that were flooding the floor, there was a ham radio. The aged equipment had a collection of space stickers adorning it which only contributed to filling Namjoon’s brain with nostalgia and fond memories. A long time ago, when he was still a kid, he got to know about the existence of such a radio. Later on, it resulted in tons of questions about its functioning, something that his Physics teacher was eager to provide the answers to. 

He heard the old man clearing his throat snapping him off his down-to-memory-lane trance. “If you like it so much I’m more than happy to see it go.” 

Namjoon had to double-check on the smiley grandpa behind the old wooden structure. It was a fact that he would be glad to display the device around his house next to the art he collected… It was inspiration after all. Something to connect him with his inner child, even if the equipment wouldn’t work anymore. But not a week ago his mom teased about his house looking like a science fair museum and he wouldn’t want to contribute to that statement. “How much for it?” he asks while pondering and the elder dismisses his offer, going around on the counter. 

“Oh no. That one isn’t priced,” he said as he approached with some difficulty. “I would be glad to see it go to a new home after so many years!” 

“Are you sure?” Namjoon asks and then looks at the device. “It’s a relic now, sure, and that’s why it should have its price…” he regarded, feeling bad to take the offer without paying something to the old man. 

The grandpa let out a chuckle, eyeing him with fondness. “And that is precisely why I’m giving it to you.” he continued with a look that told Namjoon he had already lived plenty to know what he was talking about. “Everything goes, son. But it’s when you know the value of things that you are considered worthy enough to keep ‘em.” he gave Namjoon a gentle tap on his broad shoulders before turning around, “Take it. It was already yours, to begin with.” 

Namjoon went home that Saturday with a ham radio underneath his arm and a little paper bag holding an old edition of The Unbearable Lightness Of Being by Milan Kundera. A book that he had already read many times before but upon the gentleness of that stranger, it seemed the right thing to do or the right price to repay. 

✩ April 7, 2018

…

“Can someone hear me? Hello?”

…

“Ugh. I swear this will never work…”

...

“Um… Hello?”

...

“Oh, my God! Hi! Can you hear me? Is this real?”

...

... 

“Uh… Yes? I can hear you”

...

“Thank heavens! It’s been a week already. I couldn’t pick up anyone’s frequency…”

...

“I’m Hyori by the way!”

...

...

...

“Hello?”

...

“Sorry! Uhm, yeah, nice to meet you! But uh… What do you mean by anyone’s frequency?”

...

“You do this regularly? Like a channel or something?”

…

“Oh gosh, no. *laughs* I’m currently developing something for the company I work with, that’s why the radio.”

…

“A friend of mine suggested it since I need the opinion of strangers… He said this is how he did a survey back in college, so I thought… Let’s risk it!” 

...

“Wouldn’t it be easier doing it the obvious way? Don’t get me wrong! I like the effort *laughs*”

...

...

...

“I thought about the newspaper as well but I don’t know, the idea seemed gnarly…”

…

“What’s your name again?”

...

“*soundly laughter* you’re funny!”

…

“And I’m Namjoon.” 

...

...

“Namjoon… I like it! Nice to meet you, now officially” 

...

“Same!” 

...

...

“Listen, I really gotta run but um… If it’s not asking much, would you please tune in at this frequency tomorrow? It would literally save my life!”

…

“It’s just some silly questions about routines really… Please?”

...

“I mean… Yeah, sure. I see you when I see you or…?” 

...

“What? Nevermind- Are you sure? Can I count on you?” 

...

“Yes, *chuckles* you can”

…

“THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! This is stellar!”

…

“Are you ok with tomorrow by, umm, 4 o’clock?” 

...

...

“I’ll be waiting.”

✩ ━━━━ everythingoes' masterlist here !

[ameliajeanxxx]

It has been an off couple of months.

I haven’t felt like myself. I don’t like to smile anymore. It hurts my face. It doesn’t feel right. I shouldn’t be able to smile and laugh after what he has done to me. So I don’t. I’ve stopped. I’ve controlled as many things in my life as I can. I control when I smile, when I eat, when I write, when I study, when I sleep, when I wake, when I read, when I walk, when I run. I control it all. But I can’t control what happens in my school. I can’t control how ignorant everyone else is.

Instead, I walk around the school I’ve known for years, headphones blasting music far too loud to hear anything going on around me. No one walks with me. People shove and yell. They bump into me, but they don’t seem to notice. My shoulders tense every time I feel another body collide with mine.

The lockers aren’t better. My classmates push each each other and cover my locker so that I’m unable to walk closer than 3 feet to it. So I stand in the middle of the hallway, as people bump into me, making me stumble all over the place. I wait until the hallway is almost empty. Class has almost started. I open my locker. I leave my phone, and the too loud music, in my locker. I triple check the lock to make sure it’s secure.

Being in class definitely isn’t better. I’m at a table with people I don’t know. They don’t make an effort to speak to me. Instead, they speak through me. They speak to each other. They yell at their friends on the other side of the classroom. I keep my head down to do my work. It limits the distractions to doodles on a page. The teacher starts to talk. I’ve gotten pretty good at looking through them, looking like I’m paying attention, when really, I’m just trying to stop my head from spinning.

I wish I had my music.

Class to class, teacher to teacher, learning to learning. Yet in every class, I think of two things and only two things; my music, and her. Oh how beautiful she is.

Sometimes I see her, in the halls of the school, laughing over her shoulder, smiling at her friends. Sometimes, she spares a glance in my direction. It’s never a long glance. Sometimes I doubt if she even remembers who I am, even though I knew her for 13 years. Maybe she just… forgot.

I think about calling her off, for ignoring me, for only wishing me happy birthday and refusing to spend time with me. Those were the two times we talked this year. I think about our fights, how stupid they were and how stubborn we both were. I can imagine another one between us, only I imagine it as the last…

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

“What’s going on with you?” She asks. Her face twists up in disgust.

“I’m just having an off day, okay?” I responded, shaking it off. I turn to walk away, but she calls out after me.

“You know what, recently, every day has been an ‘off day’. I’m getting really sick of it.”

I want to laugh, but my stomach starts to churn. “I’m sorry if I’m not as happy as I used to be, but since you must have missed it, we’re teenagers. That means that the amygdala in my brain is developing faster than everything else in my brain, which is going to cause me to be just a little bit more emotionally unwell. So I’m very sorry if my bad day can affect you, but imagine how it affects me.”

“You need help,” she says quietly. Her expression is still full of disgust.

This time, I do laugh. “You think I don’t know that?” I ask, still laughing. “Do you really think that I don’t know how fucked up I am? I get it, trust me, I do. You’re the one who was never able to see it. All fucking year, I’ve been a cry for help. But you were too busy to notice. All you do is focus on yourself.” I take a couple steps towards her until I’m right in her face. “You know, I was here when you needed me. I was there when you broke up with Gabe. I was there for every fashion crisis. I was there every time you thought you weren’t enough, and you know why?”

“Why?” she asks. She keeps her voice low and laced in revulsion.

“Because I loved you.” I barely managed a smile. “I loved you, and I was trapped in that love. Yet all I could do was admire from afar as you shone brightly, not giving a damn about me.” I feel tears start to swell in my eyes. “Where were you when I needed you? You’re supposed to be my best friend.”

Her eyes glaze over and she clenches her jaw. “You really thought we would be friends forever, huh?”

“You didn’t?” I ask. My voice breaks as I speak.

She looks down at the ground. “Well I’m right, am I not?”

I take a step back, staring at her. I slowly nod my head. “Yeah, I guess you were.” I wipe the tears off my cheek and leave the room.

I leave her behind, not bothering to look back. It was her decision. I tried. I really tried to keep us alive, to stay friends. I was unable to throw away 13 years of friendship. But it was easy for her. She did it and she didn’t seem to care.

Maybe it was different for me. I loved her in a way that she could never love me back. I loved her differently, and I continue to love her differently. She’ll never understand the way I felt for her, or the way I'll continue to love her for years to come. She’ll never understand the numbness that I feel when anyone but she touches me. The way my body tenses up and I suddenly feel like punching the person who touched me. She’ll never understand why I hate going back to the house that she loves so much. She’ll never understand the headaches that I get and how they split open my skull.

And she will never understand that she makes it better. That seeing her face or hearing her laugh can heal all that is wrong with me. Used to heal all that was wrong with me.

Now, the spot in my heart that I had reserved for her is empty, and it has dropped down to my stomach, making my insides spin, making me feel just a little bit less. Because losing her, I have lost a piece of my heart that I wasn’t even sure I had.

I lost the ability to love another as I loved her, because no one could ever compare to her. No one could make me smile at a picture the way I smile at pictures of her. No one could make me enjoy Summer, if she’s not there to enjoy it with me.

She is half of my soul, she is all of my love.

I only wish she could love me as I love her.

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

Love.

It’s funny how it works, isn’t it?

-A girl, hopelessly in love with another girl, who could never love her back.

[229zmi]

NOTE EXCHANGE

PAIRING: Tsukishima Kei/Reader

CONTENT: note-passing, reader calls tsukishima babygirl

WORD COUNT: 0.9k

You remember the first time you saw Tsukishima. It was during one of his volleyball practices; you were simply taking a stroll when you noticed the door to the gym building was wide open and then decided to adhere to your human instinct that was nosiness by sticking your head inside. Though you weren’t — and still aren’t — well-acquainted with the mechanics of volleyball or whatever, he looked pretty cool the one (1) time you witnessed him block the ball before you hurried away to the nearest vending machine to bully some snacks out of it.

Then you remember talking to him for the first time — or rather, attempting to. Really, you try not to think about the interaction that much because it gives you second-hand embarrassment looking back on your past self, who, you aren’t sure how but somehow, had developed something of a crush on Tsukishima. (Ew! Yuck! Blegh!)

“Excuse me?” you whispered to him. He sat only a few feet away in front of you, so you figured he’d be able to hear you just fine, and if he was any closer, you were sure he’d be able to hear your heartbeat racing. “Could you help me with this question, I don’t und—“

Without even sparing a glance at you, Tsukishima replied curtly, interrupting the middle of your sentence, “Ms. Sato would be more than willing to help you.”

You cringed a bit but quickly recovered as much of your dignity as you could and did as told, standing up from your desk. He seems to think he’s the shit for whatever reason, you thought to yourself as you made your way toward the teacher’s table. What an insufferable scrub, you continued to bitterly muse.

But next you remember, a few weeks later, being assigned as partners for some project in school and visiting his house to work on said project. You remember meeting his family, how you were greeted with such great hospitality that it almost made you queasy; remember the days where you’d prolonged your stay for so long that his mom made him walk you home just to be safe and eventually the days where you were invited over even when there was no longer a project to work on.

You remember when everything finally clicked into place, when he was no longer an insufferable scrub to you and you were no longer like a rash on his arm, a stressful presence in his life, as Tsukishima so kindly told you once, that stayed around just because of the fact that his mom thought you were kind of funny.

The word relationship tasted strange on your tongue for the longest time, but you got over it anyway.

And now you’re in class, sharing AirPods — one in your ear and the other in his. In your ideal world, you would’ve been sharing wired earbuds, perhaps on a bus or train, to fulfill your Pinterest couple dreams, but given the two of you are in the middle of a lesson, you suppose that this is as romantic it’s gonna get.

Even so, you fixate your eyes on him, giving him a placid stare as the new song blares in your ear. Tsukishima, for some reason, pretends not to notice this, deciding to instead focus on writing down notes.

In a moment of silent rage, you tear off a large piece of your notebook paper and begin scribbling something on it. Once you decide you’re done, you crush it into a ball, extend your arm outward to your right, and drop the note on Tsukishima’s desk, all while making intense eye contact with the words written on the chalkboard up front as if that indicates you’re paying attention. You’re only lucky that the teacher’s attention isn’t on the class at the moment.

Tentatively, Tsukishima flattens the piece of paper out of its wrinkles with the palm of his hand, smoothing it once and then twice before reading its contents.

Can you change the song plz ♡ xoxo [Y/N]

He glances back at you, giving you a questioning look. You’re not sure why because you think your message was clear enough by itself. Regardless, you respond by pointing to your ear, distaste written all across your face. Tsukishima’s gaze doesn’t waver until you blow him a silent yet dramatic kiss.

Trying his best to ignore the immediate reddening of the tips of his ears, he writes something down in response to your note. After a few moments, he crumples the paper and tosses it onto your desk in a much more discreet manner than the way you did it.

Why?

Not too long passes before you send it back.

This song is an earsore ♡♡

Forgetting for a brief moment that he’s in class, he audibly sighs. The teacher shoots him a glare, which he ignores.

Not that I don’t agree with you, but I can’t change the song right now. My phone is in my backpack. It’ll be too obvious.

Booooo you SUCK!!!! ♡♡♡

You’re going to eventually fill up the page if you keep adding so many hearts.

Live with it babygirl my love for you has no limits ♡

You carefully watch his reaction as he reads your last message. Finally, with another annoyed sigh, he reaches into his backpack, and a couple more seconds pass when you hear the beginning of a new song.

Don’t say things like that. You were right though, that song was getting unbearable.

No you changed it cuz you love me ♡♡♡

His reply arrives after some minutes, for no apparent reason.

Maybe. ♥︎

You look up and Tsukishima’s smiling at you — faintly, but it’s definitely there, vanishing off his face almost as soon as you see it. Perhaps you’re still like a stressful rash on his arm, but if he has to be honest, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

[hamburg-denks]

Let’s Stay like this, Forever

character(s)  -  Gojo x Reader

word count  -  922

genre  -  hurt/comfort

warnings  -  little angst, loneliness

summary  -  expecting this year’s birthday to be spend all alone like every other year, yet only to be surprised when a special someone shows up

a/n  -  hello, welcome back, yes, I haven’t been posting a lot, life has been quite hectic. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this piece I’ve been working on, and also feel free to remind me if you see any grammar and/or spelling mistakes :))

For as long as you knew, you’ve spent most of your days alone. You sleep alone, eat alone, live alone, celebrate special events alone. It also applies to your job, being one of the few special grade shamans in the jujutsu world, you’re more often dispatched on missions alone than not. 

It gets easier over time, developing certain habits, how the living room of your apartment remains mainly unused, dust collecting on the decorative shelf of the guest bedroom, how everything belongs to you and there isn’t a single thing that was gifted from someone else.

This is what your parents wanted you to achieve, independent, self-supporting child. You went along with their requests, yet once you’re at the top, it feels like everyone around you is happy. Everyone apart from you.

Fairly enough, you adapt to living alone quite well, but alas there’s always some holes that you can’t fill. Daily life seems to not bother you too much anymore, spending sleepless nights alone, public holidays alone, events and festivals alone.

The loneliness gets to you less and less every passing year, yet why do you still feel lonely on your birthdays? It shouldn’t get to you, you shouldn’t let it get to you, right?

Yet, every year, nothing seems to change during your birthday. You still come to school like any other day, attend meetings, get assigned on missions, so on and so forth.

At some point you thought that maybe taking a day off would help. Oh how wrong you were. If anything, it made you feel worse. It truly made you aware of how lonely you are, all alone in everything.

You planned nothing this year, hoping that simply letting it pass like any other day would help. You weren’t assigned on any missions today, leading to you sitting under a tree near the training grounds.

You closed your eyes for a while, basking in the sunlight, enjoying the faint chattering of the 2nd year students on the field. When you open your eyes, you choose to just stay where you are, observing in the distance. 

Maki and Yuuta sparring each other while Inumaki and Panda sit on the side, busy chatting with each other. Oh how you wish your youth was filled with those laughter, oh how you wish you had somebody by your side.

You got up from your place under the tree, sitting outside no longer piqued your interest. Just as you were about to walk towards the teacher’s office, a tap on your shoulder halted you.

Gojo stood there, hands behind his back while he looked at you. “What is it, Gojo-san? Is there something on my face?”

He put one of his hands on his chin, acting as if he was thinking, “no, unless you were talking about the beauty on your face, then I guess that’s a yes?” He gave you a smile, a classic, iconic, Gojo Satoru smile.

This, this is Gojo Satoru, the man that can swoon girls off their feet with a simple smile. You return his teasing with a confused face, "eh? Me? You’re bluffing”

Gojo’s pose straightened back up while he finally revealed what it is he is holding behind his back. A box, a simple box, “I’m serious, but besides that, happy birthday!” 

You were shocked, how, how did this man figure it out? You don’t remember telling him about your birthday nor anyone, out of shock, you muttered under your breath “how?”

A teasing smile was plastered on Gojo’s face, he said, “Well that, it a secret that only I know”

You took the box into your hands and opened it, a necklace with small light blue pendant sat perfectly inside the box. Gojo quietly muttered, “I don’t really know what you like, since we’ve never really spend time together, but I was walking by a store and the necklace looks so pretty and I thought you would-”

Gojo’s muttering however was cut by you, “I love it, thank you for this, could you perhaps put it on for me?”

After clipping the necklace on for you, Gojo asked you to turn around, being in complete awe on how perfectly it matches you. “It looks so pretty,” you said, “I’ll cherish this, thank you so much Gojo-san”

“Satoru. Call me Satoru”

You invited Gojo over to your apartment to have dinner, nothing special, just some takeout and a cake.

Finished with dinner, you both sat on the balcony overlooking the city. You both enjoyed glasses of wine together, talking to each other every now and then. You simply sat there, enjoying the presence of somebody with you. It feels so 

“Are you okay?”

Snapped out of your thoughts, your eyes averted to Gojo, worry evident in those blue, sky colored eyes. You nodded, contemplating your answer, you picked up your glass and turned back to the city lights below.

“Nothing special, I’m just wondering when I will have another chance like this, you know? It’s not everyday that I have time, let alone spending it with somebody by my side. I just-,” you cut yourself off, trying to find the right words, “I sometimes just wish that moments like this could last forever, but I know it would never happen, it’s just how it is”

Once you finished, the glass of wine had apparently become the most interesting object, your eyes were glued to it. You tapped on the side of the glass with your finger while you waited for a response from Gojo. 

“Then let’s make it last forever,” Gojo said, taking you by surprise, “Let’s stay like this, forever”

[itsallyscorner]

hey. can u do part 2 to the’ Being a High School Student on A Marvel Set’? :)

💌

Period Buddies

Pairing: platonic!Sebastian Stan x teen!reader, platonic!Anthony Mackie x teen!reader

Summary: I’m currently on my period so I wrote this to help me cope:) Basically Anthony and Seb being the biggest and supportive guys to you during your period:)

Warnings: Umm not much, some mentions of blood and periods.

Hello my love!💞 Thank you for the request! I was actually planning on making another ‘High School student’ fic with the Marvel cast, so I decided to use that idea for this request! I hope you like it🥰 Also sorry I haven’t uploaded a fic in a while; I was lacking motivation to write and school was pretty hectic😭 Thank you for your patience my loves x

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

fluturaș - little butterfly

✧───── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *. ☽.* :★. ─────✧

You were laid out along your couch in your trailer, a fluffy Sherpa blanket wrapped around you and your head resting atop two soft pillows. You were laid on your stomach, the pressure of the couch slightly helping with the stinging pain in your lower abdomen. Your geography teacher was teaching via Zoom, though your laptop was on the coffee table that was inches away from you; knowing you weren’t feeling your best, you’ve decided to stay on the couch for school and moved the table closer to the couch so everything was within your reach. You had been lazily taking notes—or attempting to with the remaining energy you could muster up.

You had been surprised by the devil himself when you woke up earlier today at around six in the morning. You knew your monthly was coming; with the constant cravings, body aches, and the newly developed pimple gracing your face, your period was around the corner. And you were right, a dark red stain was splotched onto your white floral bedsheets when you woke up today. What a way to start the morning.

Yes, no woman ever felt their best during their period. You were always bloated, hungry, and blood was constantly flowing out of you, yet you were still expected to show up to both work and school. Not to mention, the pain you were currently enduring was making it really difficult for you to to focus on anything. Your teacher’s voice seemed to fade into the background as your body was blinded with the stabbing pain in your lower abdomen. You may have been overreacting, but everything just hurt.

Geography was your midway class, meaning that you were halfway through your school day. Which also meant that you were soon to be called to set. You had a lunch break and some time to do your homework, but either way you still had to get to set. Usually you’d be antsy to get the school day over with, practically buzzing to get to get into your costume and do some stunts with your two favorite guys on set. Although today was different, the thought of heading to set and being active felt dreadful. You just wanted to curl up into a ball, snuggle into your Sherpa blanket, and take a well deserved nap.

Your teacher’s voice was interrupted by a knock on your door. Already knowing who it was, you let out a faint “come in” to the two men outside your trailer. A second passes before your trailer’s door slowly opens and Anthony’s head pops from behind it. His sparkling yet dark brown eyes and toothy grin etched onto his friendly features. Sebastian pops up behind him, an equally wide smile on his face as he wiggled a white take away box in the air.

“What’s up buttercup.” They cheerfully greet you.

Though both of the men’s smiles drop once they see you bundled up on the couch. Anthony fully enters your trailer, Sebastian following suit. Approaching your little set up, Anthony glances at your laptop.

“Isn’t your camera on? Did your teacher allow you to attend school like this?” He asks you. He knew you were a responsible kid and had no troubles keeping up with your education. But that’s the thing, you were still a kid. Having kids of his own, he knew how unmotivated children can get in the middle of the school year and the laziness that came along with it. Seeing you lounging on the couch while your teacher was lecturing was just a bit concerning for him.

You stiffly nod, “My camera’s off. I just don’t feel good.”

The last sentence catches both of the grown men’s attention. Sebastian rounds the corner of the coffee table and hovers over you, observing your face. He softly places the back of his hand onto your forehead, checking for any alarming warmth.

“You’re a bit warm, but it’s probably because of the blanket.” He mutters, choosing to sit on the arm rest of the couch. “You alright, fluturaș?” He looks down at you in concern, lips tilting down into a small frown.

Anthony had settled beside your feet, one of his arms using your ankles as an arm rest. Strangely enough his arm brought you comfort instead of adding to the ache in your legs.

“I’m just—I’m on my period.” You mumbled in response. You wait for the awkward tension to build but it never came. You glance at the two men and see the realization settle in them.

“And I have really bad cramps at the moment, that it’s just hard to do anything. So I decided to stay on the couch today.” You explain with a slight shrug. They didn’t understand the pain you were going through, but they understood what you meant. While the both of them had female friends and what not, they were somewhat aware of what you were going through.

Anthony claps his hands to his thighs, “Alright, it’s ok to give yourself some rest. You just relax and listen to whatever your teacher’s going on about.” He motions to your laptop and continues, “Is there anything we can do to help you?”

While taking down notes, you momentarily glance at them, “No it’s fine, you guys already brought me food. Thanks, by the way.”

They didn’t want to leave you alone, you were clearly not feeling well and they both wanted to do something. They couldn’t do anything about the pain from your menstrual cycle, but they can help distract you from the pain.

“No, we’re gonna help you. Have you eaten ever since breakfast? I’ll spoon feed you if I have to.” Sebastian insists. You thought he was joking, but when you looked at his face he was serious.

“I had a brownie—wait, aren’t you guys supposed to be filming?” You question the both of them.

“Something went wrong on set so now we have a few hours or something till they figure it out.” Anthony answers, scrolling through his phone. He abruptly stands up to his feet and heads towards the door. You and Seb send him a questioning look.

“I’ll be back.” With that he pulls your door open and jogs out, leaving you and Sebastian in your trailer. You decide to tune back into your class, resuming to take down notes from the slides your teacher shared. Suddenly, a large hand gets in the way of your notebook.

“Gimme that.” Sebastian takes the pencil and notebook from you, placing them on his lap and staring at your screen. His eyes scan the PowerPoint, looking for the part you left off on. He hums when he finds it and began to write the notes himself.

“What are you doing?” You raise a brow at him, scanning his appearance. He was dressed in Bucky’s clothes, minus the black and gold ‘metal’ arm. He was still sat on the arm rest, slightly slouching so he could bend down to use his lap as a table.

“I’m doing your notes for you.” He answers nonchalantly. He motions to the white take away box on your coffee table, “Eat your lunch, I got this.”

You hesitate to sit up, feeling bad that Sebastian was doing your notes. Though, he did insist on doing it and you weren’t feeling your best. After an internal argument with yourself, you decided to let it slide and let Sebastian do your notes. Besides, he looked like he was enjoying taking notes on agriculture regions and the different types of farming.

“Are you sure, Seb?” You ask him again, slowly sitting up on the couch. He responds with a distracted ‘mhm’, his eyes focused on your notebook and his tongue sticking out in concentration. You quietly thank him and get up to use the bathroom.

While you were gone doing your business, Anthony had entered your trailer again. This time he had a plate full of brownies, a medium sized cup of ice cream from the vending machine, and one of those red hot water bottles in his arms.

“Where’s the kid?” He balances the things in his arms while carefully placing the plate of brownies onto your coffee table. Anthony locates your mini fridge and stores the ice cream in the freezer.

“Bathroom.” Sebastian acknowledged, still focused on writing the notes correctly in your notebook. He made sure to write neatly and copy the way you organized your notes. Saving you the hassle of missing out on important parts of the lesson and from decoding his personally sloppy writing.

Anthony empties his pockets to reveal more of your favorite snacks from crafties and the vending machine. “So...what are you doing?”

“I’m in geography class.” Anthony snorts at his friend before taking a look at your laptop screen, “And what are y’all learning in geography class?”

“Pastoral nomadism.” Seb bluntly answers. With his arms now free of the items he brought, Anthony decided to tidy up your couch. He folded your blanket neatly, fluffed your pillows, and made space for Seb to actually sit on the couch.

“What the hell is pastoral nomadism?” Anthony thought out loud.

“It’s when people travel from place to place with domesticated animals. It’s usually practiced in dry land climates.” Sebastian explains, eyes never faltering from the screen or your notebook. Anthony let’s out a sound of approval at Seb’s explanation. When he was done cleaning up your couch, he took the white take away box and headed to your kitchen. Emptying the contents of the container onto one of your plates, heating the food up for you.

You walk into the kitchen section of your trailer, shutting the bathroom door behind you. A delicious aroma lingers in the air, your nose picks up on the smell, sending it straight to your stomach. In response, your stomach lets out a low growl, making Anthony snicker at you.

“I’m heating up the food.” Anthony mentions as you pass by him. You thank him with a small smile as he gently nudges his shoulder against yours.

“Want me to make tea or something? I heard it helps reduce the cramps.” You raise a brow at him amusingly, “Where’d you hear that?”

“I read it on Google. You know, research, gotta make sure our girl’s comfortable.” He proudly tells you. Your heart warms at the fact that both him and Seb were willingly helping you while you were in pain. The microwave dings catching both yours and Anthony’s attention.

As he gingerly takes the plate out he asks you, “You wanna eat at the table or the couch.”

“The couch, I still wanna listen in on the lesson.” For a moment you forgot that you were supposed to still be at school, taking notes, and listening to your teacher teach the lesson. You enter the living room and sit next to Seb, who’s hand was digging into your pencil case.

“Want me to take over?”

“Nah, I got it, I’m too invested to stop. Which one?” He held up three of your highlighters, one was light blue, another was a peachy pink, and the other was a typical yellow highlighter. You grin, picking the peachy pink one. He tosses the other two back into your pencil case and uncaps the highlighter. While your teacher wraps up class, he began to highlight the new terms from today’s class.

“Here ya go.” Anthony sang; grabbing a pillow, placing it onto your lap, and carefully setting the plate of chicken teriyaki fried rice on top of it. You happily thank him and began to dig in. He slumps onto the couch beside you, “Tell me if you need anything else. I’ve got ice cream in the freezer, brownies, a hot water bottle, and a whole box of tea.” He throws his arm around your shoulder, letting it rest against the back of the couch.

You pause your eating, pouting at the two men beside you, “You guys really don’t have to do this. But I appreciate it so much, thank you.”

Seb looks at you over his shoulder, sending you a sweet smile, “Anything to make you happy, fluturaș.”

Anthony squeezes your shoulder, “Anytime munchkin, starting today till you’re not a ketchup packet anymore, Seb and I’ll be your period buddies.”

You snort shaking your head at him, “Again, I appreciate it Ant, but please don’t call yourselves period buddies.”

“What’s wrong with period buddies? You’re on your period and we’re all a bunch of buddies. It makes perfect sense!” Anthony reasoned defensively. Seb looks at the both of you over his shoulder again, “I like period buddies.”

“See! Thank you.” You playfully rolled your eyes at the two. “Fine, period buddies it is.”

Your geography teacher wraps the lesson up and ends the Zoom call. Seb shuts your notebook and puts it to the side. Clapping his hands, he asks you, “Alright, what class do we have next?”

“Calculus.” You smirk, followed by the groans of Anthony and Sebastian filling your trailer.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

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[tom-holland-parker]

I Wanna Wear Your Tie

Request: Can you please do a professor tom x student reader, she’s of age of course, and he takes a liking to her for being so smart and he can barely contain himself with every outfit she wears. And one day after class he asks her to hang back and things get very SMUTTY?

Warning: 18 + SMUT (oral, choking, vaginal sex), student/teacher relationship, cursing, age gap (legal)

Pairing: Professor!Tom x Student!Reader

Word count: 4081

Masterlist

Tom knew from the first time you walked into class he was going to have a hard time. Not because you were a trouble maker, he heard from your other professors that you were an extremely bright and well rounded student, but because you liked to wear the shortest sundresses he’d ever seen. Tom knew he fucked up by developing a crush on his student. It was immoral and he could lose the job he worked so hard to get. 

Tom had been staring at the email all weekend, debating all his choices. He knew the right thing to do was to report it and let the school handle everything, but a big part of him told himself to do otherwise.

Dear Professor Holland,

I want to wear your tie while you fuck me

Love Y/N

Tom let out a deep breath as he rubbed his eyes, refreshing his inbox once more in hopes you had sent another email, an explanation or maybe even an apology, anything that would avoid him having to send the response that he had drafted Friday night after he received your message. Of course as the hours passed he knew that hoping was pointless, Tom sighed looking over his drafted email for what seemed like the 100th time before hitting send. 

Ms. Y/L/N

In regards to your last email I have no choice but to report it to the school. I do, however, acknowledge that you are one of my highest scoring students so it is only fair that I give you a chance to explain yourself. Please meet me in my office Monday after class

Professor Holland

Little did Tom know you were freaking out, spending Saturday nursing your hangover from partying Friday night. It was a drunken mistake, you would’ve never sent the email had you been sober but leave it to the vodka to let you do something stupid.

You had one day to come up with some apology and still couldn’t find the right words. Countless drafts saved in your notes app, but none good enough to express the regret you felt by sending that email. Of course time wasn’t on your side and the hours moved faster than usual. Finally it was Monday afternoon and you sat in your door waiting for your final class of the day, his class

“Maybe if you just tell him it was a mistake he’ll understand” Your roommate Kendra laughed as she looked at your computer, you’d been rereading the email for hours, hoping it would go away. Glancing at the clock you sighed, “I have his class in an hour, how am I going to face him”

“You could skip”

“I’m already in enough trouble as it is I can’t skip class” You sighed, closing the laptop as you moved to put on your shoes, “I’ll just give the best apology he’s ever heard of and hopefully it’ll all work out”

Kendra chuckled, “who knows maybe you’ll get exactly what you wanted”. You rolled your eyes, “I’ll text you after class”

///

Tom watched as you entered class, his eyes trailing over your outfit, you were wearing his favorite dress, white with blue flowers. He chuckled at your innocent appearance but frowned when he noticed you taking a seat in the back instead of your usual seat in the front.

You showed up to class right on time, looking at your feet to avoid any eye contact with Tom. It was hard to concentrate when all you could think about was that stupid email. It didn’t help that he was wearing a tie today, the same tie you’d imagine him gagging you with on most nights. You shook your head trying to focus on forming an apology that wasn’t absolutely pathetic

“Alright class is over, If you have any questions about the assignment you can” his gaze shifted towards you, “email me”

Your eyes widened as you distracted yourself by putting your things in your bag. As if the universe wanted to see you completely embarrass yourself in front of the teacher you’d been crushing on all semester, you piled out the class with the rest of the students, trudging down the hallway towards his office. You stood outside the door for a few minutes, pacing back and forth as you tried to compose yourself. You took a deep breath, gathering all your courage as you knocked on the door 

“Come in” You heard his muffled voice from behind the door. You took a deep breath as you twisted the door knob walking into the well lit office. 

“Hi Professor, you said you needed to see me” You say trying to seem innocent. He cleared his throat pointing to the leather seat in front of his desk, “Please have a seat” 

Slowly you make your way to the seat, placing your bag on the floor as you stare at him. Tom took a deep breath, opening the email as he passed you his laptop, “When I get an email from my brightest student I expected a question about her latest essay not this”

Your face heated in embarrassment as you handed him the laptop, “Professor I’m so sorry I was very drunk Friday night and I know that isn’t an excuse but I didn’t mean to send that. If I could take it back I would just please don’t report this”

Tom watched as tears slowly began to trail down your face, “y/n I’m not going to report you”. 

You looked at him in disbelief, “Seriously”

“but you’re not getting off that easily” He closed his laptop, “You’ll be spending the week and your weekend helping me grade papers”

You let out a sigh of relief, “thank you professor I’m really sorry it ever happened”

Tom chuckled, “You’re one of the smartest girls in my class. I would hate to see you get in trouble because of one drunk mistake” You wiped your tears away, feeling yourself relax now that you knew you weren’t going to be in too much trouble. “After all you’re only young once, just try to keep your thoughts in a diary and not your emails”

You chuckled, picking up your bag as you got up to leave, “will do professor”

///

Tom instantly regretted his decision. Don’t get him wrong, having the extra help was amazing but it was hard to concentrate when all you wore were short dresses. He spent all week sitting at his desk, too afraid to get up for fear that his body would betray him and you see the hard on he was trying desperately to get rid of. Seeing you in class was hard enough but when he watched you in what seemed like your natural element it changed something in him.

He watched as you sat on the couch in his office, your hair tied back and your glasses slowly sliding down your face, every once in a while you had to push them back in place. Tom couldn’t help but smile at the faces you made while reading the essays, a look of annoyance when you read over an obvious mistake or the way your eyebrows furrowed when you wrote the feedback. He tried his hardest to keep his laughter inside whenever you got distracted and drew little faces in the margins. He hated to admit it, it made him feel terrible, but he was a professor falling for his student

“Professor I’m not sure about this” You said getting up from the couch as you walked towards his desk. Your voice knocked him out of his trance as he watched you hand the paper to him, “See the evidence goes along with the topic sentence but the explanation is still choppy” 

You watched as Tom took the paper from you, your breathing hitching when his hands grazed over yours. You shook your head reminding yourself that you were already here because your stupid feelings and if you kept letting yourself indulge in what was supposed to be your punishment you were going to end up in the deans office.

“I see what you mean,” Tom said looking over the paper, “just circle the paragraph and place it in the pile and I’ll look over it later.” He looked up, surprised to see how close you were to him, your chest inches away from his face. It was just his luck that you decided to wear a low cut dress today.

“Okay” You replied, taking the paper from him as you slowly moved back to the couch. Tom glanced at the clock noticing how late it was getting, “Well it’s getting late and you probably want to spend the you weekend somewhere way entertaining than here so you can leave, punishment over”

“Are you sure? I still owe you two more days and it doesn’t feel fair to end my punishment early” You said, grabbing another paper. You weren’t sure if you wanted to stay because it actually felt unfair or if you really just wanted an excuse to keep spending time with him. 

“Well if you insist, '' he chuckled, a part of him happy that you weren’t eager to leave, “But we can finish this tomorrow afternoon, I’ll walk you out”

You gathered your things, meeting Tom at the door where he waited for you, his hand resting on your back as he guided you out the room, locking the door behind him. “It’s dark, I’ll walk you to your car, Where are you parked?” Tom said looking at the parked cars on the street

“I don’t drive” You said awkwardly, “But my dorm is only a few blocks away from here I don’t mind walking”

Tom shook his head, “No way I’m letting you walk, it's too dangerous, I’ll drive you.” You watched as he took his keys out his pocket unlocking the black BMW parked across the street.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to get in the way” you looked down on your feet, here you were again too flustered to even look at him. Tom chuckled at your nervousness, “Don’t worry about it. I insist on it.” Your breath hitched as he placed his hand on your back again, guiding you towards the car.

It only took a few minutes for him to get to your dorm building, “well here we are” He said, parking his car before looking at you. You glanced at him nervously, “Thanks Professor”

“Call me Tom” he chuckled, “But only when were alone”

You wanted to punch yourself for feeling butterflies but you couldn’t help it. “Well Tom” You laughed, calling him by his name felt weird, “thank you”

He watched as you moved to grab the door handle but froze, “Oh I forgot to ask you about your assignment”

“What’s up?” he shrugged. “Well I know you wanted us to write about how the author uses the women in his novel to display power but I can’t write about that. The author clearly doesn’t see the woman as symbols of power he sees them as sex objects, which is shown multiple times throughout the text so I can’t write about something that isn’t true”

“So you don’t believe sex is a form of power?” Tom questioned trying not to smile at the way your brows furrowed in concentration

“Of course I believe sex is a form of power but for the author to display women having sex as a symbol for powerful femininity the woman would have to own their sexual desires and wants”

Tom chuckled, “If you really feel so strongly about that then write about it, I’d love to hear more about what you have to say about owning your sexual desires. Seems to me you know a lot about that” 

“Oh my god” You hide your face in your hands, “I didn’t even realize-”

“Don’t be embarrassed, if you can’t joke about it then you’ll let it eat you alive” Tom chuckled

“Well” you smiled, “I should probably get to writing”

“Yeah you should”

You both didn’t even noticed the way you both began to slowly lean into each other, the tension in the car growing thick

“Goodnight professor”

“It’s Tom” He said with a smile

You scrunch your nose, “Goodnight Tom”

Your faces were inches away from each other. He couldn’t help but steal a quick glance at your lips before looking back at your eyes. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t do the same, “Goodnight y/n”

You both stayed silent, letting the tension take over. Your lips grazing over each other. The kiss was slow at first but it soon progressed into passionate open mouth kisses, both of you giving into your desires.

Your hands reached to grab his face, shocked at how soft his cheeks felt. “Wait wait wait” Tom said, pulling away slowly. 

You caught your breath, wiping your lips as you moved back into your seat, “I should probably go”

Before Tom could say a word you were out the car rushing towards the dorm building. “Fuck” he said to himself as he leaned back into his seat. He knew he’d fucked up, but he couldn’t help the way he felt when he kissed you.

///

When you knocked on Tom’s office door the next day you were even more nervous than you were Monday. You were too embarrassed and instead of facing the problem head on you did what you did best, ignored it. 

You spent the afternoon on the couch, headphones on as an excuse to block out Tom. If you had a question you didn’t ask it and when you had a comment you didn’t say it. It was pure torture for you and Tom, yet you both chose to ignore the elephant in the room.

As the hours passed and the sun began to set Tom’s patience was growing thin. He couldn’t pretend like the kiss never happened, and if he was being honest with himself he wanted more.

You sighed in frustration, as hard as you tried to concentrate on the papers in front of you, you just couldn’t. Thoughts about last night flooded your brain making it hard to concentrate on even the simplest sentences. You threw the paper on the couch, ripping your headphones off, “I’m sorry but this silence is killing me, can we just get this awkward conversation over with”

“Alright well” Tom stared at you, unsure what to say. Yes he felt wrong but he also didn’t care. He got a taste of you and now he wanted more, “I apologize for what happened, it was completely unprofessional on my part”

You cleared your throat trying to find the right response, “yeah, well, I'm sorry too, we were both in the wrong and it shouldn’t have happened and I’m really hoping we can just move past this” 

“Yes I agree” Tom nodded his head, “So how are those papers coming along?”

You shrugged, sitting down in the exact leather chair you’d sat in on Monday, “There needs to be a study group or something, I mean if this is the writing skills of our future world leaders I’m honestly a little concerned”

Tom chuckled, his hands instinctively reaching for his tie, something you noticed he did subconsciously. Your heart skipped a beat as your stomach fluttered, “god get a grip girl” You thought as you blinked your lust filled thought away.

Tom smirked, noticing your reaction to the way you reacted to him, “Yes well not everyone has an easy time with writing as you do”. He touched his tie again, this time tugging on the knot a little.

Your breath hitched as your brain went foggy. A low chuckle leaving his mouth as you shook your head, “Well I’m not that great of a writer, I mean I have countless drafts that no one sees”

“Really?” Tom played with his tie, loving how much the simple habit affected you, “How many drafts did you make before you sent that email?”

Your eyes widening in surprise, “no drafts. Drunk me is the best writer”

Tom smiled, getting up from his seat as he moved to stand in front of you. You watched as he leaned against his desk. You bit your lip as you leaned back into the chair, enjoying the way that Tom seemed so much taller than you.

“You know you probably shouldn’t say that to your professor”

You smirked, “There’s a lot of things I shouldn’t say to my professor” You were playing with fire but the heat felt too good, it made you want to know what the burn felt like. “Fuck it, what’ve you got to lose” You thought to yourself as you smiled.

“Oh yeah?” Tom’s eyebrow raised in question as he leaned down towards you, his face only inches from you, “things like what?”

You smiled bringing your lips close to his ear, “Like how much I want you to fuck me”

The groan that left Tom had your thighs clenching together, “Yeah you definitely shouldn’t tell me that.” You chuckled as you leaned back in the seat, Tom’s eyes moved over your body like you were a work of art, “but then again as a teacher I probably shouldn’t want to fuck my student so badly”

Your lips parted in surprise as Tom smirked, his fingers gently trailing up your thigh. Your breath hitched in anticipation but a disappointed sigh left your mouth when his hand didn’t move past the hem of your short dress. “If this happens no one can know”

You nodded your head as his hand grabbed your chin, keeping your head in place and forcing you to look into his eyes, “Words darling”

“No one finds out” You gulped, your body frozen. You could feel yourself getting wet from the power he held over you. The feeling of his having control over you was intoxicating

“And you understand that I will never use this against you? You can leave right now and I will forget this ever happened and we can go right back to our normal professional student-teacher relationship”

“I understand professor” You nodded, wanting nothing more than for his hands to be all over you. 

“Good girl” He smiled, placing a quick kiss on your forehead, “Now go sit on my desk and spread those legs”

You smiled, quickly doing as you were told. Tom chuckled, amused by your excitement. You watched as he got on his knees, his eyes never leaving yours as he places kisses up your thighs, occasionally leaving a mark that would stay for days to come. “You’re so wet, all this over a couple of kisses?” He teased

Before you could answer Tom moved your underwear aside, placing a gentle kiss on your clit. You moaned, your hand instinctively reaching for his hair. “I knew you would taste good,” He said, licking his lips. He ate you like you were his last meal, licking and slurping you like a starving man. 

You’d never been more thankful that the school was empty on Saturdays, no one around to hear the moans that Tom was coaxing out of you. “Oh god” Your hips shamelessly bucking against his face as he pulled your legs onto his shoulder.

“Tom please” You whimpered as his tongue slowed down to a teasing pace. He groaned, his large hand slapping your thigh, “It’s professor.” His voice was demanding and powerful. Your eyes rolled back as his fingers stretched you, toes curling as he effortlessly found your g-spot. “Professor please I’m gonna cum”

“Cum for me baby” He moaned, “I want your cum all over my face”

His fingers moved faster as you reached your breaking point, loud moans leaving your mouth as your back arched. You could feel Tom smirking against your clit as your legs began to slightly shake. 

“You sound so pretty when you cum” Tom said as he stood up, your cum making his face glisten in the last bits of light that came from the windows of the office. You couldn’t help yourself, grabbing his shirt to pull him closer as you licked your cum off his face. 

“Someone’s eager” He joked as you kissed down his neck. “Hmm I can’t help it, you just look so sexy with my cum on your face. Plus I’ve been wanting this all semester so are you gonna give me what I want or am I gonna have to get it from someone else”

Tom’s jaw tightened as he grabbed your wrist, “Don’t be a brat or I’ll edge you all night and leave you with nothing”

You whimpered as Tom pulled you off the desk, “Now if I remember correctly,” you watched as he loosened his tie, “You wanted to wear this.” You nodded your head, watching as he took off the blue and white tie, taking a deep breath as he placed it around your neck. 

“And as much as I love you in this dress, I think I’d prefer for you to be out of it” He smirked. You chuckled, turning around so he could unzip the dress, letting the fabric pool at your feet. Tom’s arms snaked around your body he pulled your back into his. His fingers playing with your nipples, squeezing and pulling the sensitive area. You bit your lip, rubbing your ass against his hard on, your pussy desperate for more attention.

“Professor” You wined, “I want you”

“So needy baby” He chuckled against your skin as he kissed up your shoulder and neck, “Don’t worry, you’ve been a good girl I won’t tease you too much”

Your head rested against his shoulder as his hand twisted the tie, making it tighter around your throat, “Is this okay?” You nodded, wincing when his hand roughly slapped your ass, “Come on sweetheart you're smart enough to know that when I ask a question I expect an answer. Now use your words”

“Yes Professor” You said moaning as his hand gently rubbed the area he’d just hit. Tom quickly unbuckled his pants, pushing them down as he aligned himself with you. He teasingly rubbed the head of his cock on your clit, loving the low whimpers that escaped your mouth as your hips jolted up. 

Tom’s grip on your hips tightened, pushing you down into the desk as he bottomed you out. You moaned loudly as he began to thrust into you, “This is what you wanted right? Your professor fucking you like a slut”

You gripped the desk, trying your best to keep your balance. Tom gripped the tie again, the fabric pulling your head back. “Faster please Professor” You begged as you moved your hips. 

His hips sped up as his hand moved in front of you tracing figure eights on your clit. You became light headed from how tight the tie was but you couldn’t care less it all felt too good. “Sir Please It’s too much I’m gonna cum”

“Go on baby cum on my cock, give it to me” Tom sped up, becoming needier as he came closer to cumming. He pulled your body into his, fucking up into you as he kissed the harsh line where the tie met your skin. The sensation was too much for you as you came, your walls squeezing Tom, milking his cock of all his cum as he came shortly after you.

Your body went limp, leaning against the desk so you didn’t fall to the floor. Tom sighed, pulling out of you, groaning when he saw his cum leaking out your abused hole. “You did so good” Tom whispered as he kissed up your spine, “Such a good girl for me”

You slowly got up, turning around to face him as you wrapped your arms around his neck. Tom smiled, picking you up and moving you to the couch, where you sat cuddled in his arms. “Are you okay?” he asked, still placing kisses all over your body

“I’m cold” You said, your head resting against his shoulder. He chuckled, quickly grabbing his jacket from his chair before returning to your tired body. You laid in his lap with his jacket wrapped around you, Tom’s hand running up and down your spine as he kissed your forehead.

You glanced at the clock, “it’s getting late”

Tom sighed, “let’s just stay like this for a little while, then we’ll get you dressed and I’ll drive you to your dorm”

[ye0ncore]

it’ll always be you - yang jungwon

hello loves! i’ve really been missing writing so here i am trying to get more fics up for you guys. i have school, work and a sport to juggle so updates may be a lil slow but just bear with me lol. also, this fic took way too long to get together, my tumblr is fucking high. anyways, love you guys <33

>> pairing: jungwon x female reader

>> synopsis: you and jungwon have always been best friends. and that’s all you saw each other as. or so you thought. that was until you got an outside perspective.

>> rating and genre: pg, fluff

>> warnings: kissing scene, a few curse words,

>> word count: 1834

“so y/n, is there any special boy in your life right now,” your new friend daeji asked, a mischievous smile on her face. you giggled and shook your head at the question, the smile staying on your face. you had only met daeji a few days ago but you already loved her. she was a transfer student from another district and the both of you had gotten very close, very quickly.

both of you are still in the process of getting to know each other, hence why the question was asked in the first place. “what?! how is there not, i’ve never seen anyone as pretty as you. is there anyone you’re into, though,” she continued, making you smile once more at her kindness.

“no there’s not,” you confirmed, making her slump in her seat. you laughed once more, and as if on cue, jungwon walked up. daeji perked up at someone of the opposite gender walking up to you, a small smirk on her face. you had mentioned jungwon once, but only as a close friend. she had never actually met him, and she was not disappointed. you’re pretty, he’s pretty so why weren’t you dating?

“hey y/n,” he said, his eyes bright and his smile wide. you greeted him back and motioned for him to sit down, which he immediately did. he set his backpack down and his eyes landed on daeji. “who’s this, y/n?”

“oh, jungwon, this is daeji. she’s a transfer student and one of my new friends. daeji, this is jungwon, my closest friend at this school,” you said with a smile, it widening when you turned to jungwon. daeji smiled and waved, and glanced at you, noticing how close you and jungwon were sitting. ��there’s no way they aren’t dating,’ she thought.

the three of you sat there for a while, speaking about anything that came to your heads. that was until jungwon had to go and meet up with jay. apparently they were partners for a project and needed to work on it. “alright, it was really nice to meet you, daeji. bye y/n,” he said, leaning down to give you a hug. you two hugged the same way you always did, your arms around his neck, his arms wrapping around your waist. he gave you a small smile before rushing off to find jay, leaving daeji awestruck.

you looked at her and laughed at the shocked look on her face. “what,” you asked, still giggling.

she looked at you like you were insane. “y/n who the fuck is that, and why aren’t you dating him?” now it was your turn to give her a weird look.

“jungwon? no no we’re not like that. he’s my best friend,” you assured her, but she clearly didn’t believe you. which was understandable.

“best friend my ass, y/n. you’re in love with each other and i can see it! the way you looked at each other… holy shit i’ve only ever seen that in movies.” did he really look at you like that? “and you look at him the same way! a few other guys have come up and talked to you within the past few days and you didn’t look at them anywhere near the same way you looked at jungwon.”

“i told you daeji, he’s my best friend. we’re not like that,” you said once more, but that doesn’t mean the thought didn’t creep into your brain. all she did was laugh and call you crazy once more, saying her final goodbyes to you for the day. you made your way home and you couldn’t help the fact that what daeji said was stuck in your head.

she had a point. you and jungwon were always close. you had been best friends since you were little, so he always had a special place in your heart. did jungwon really look at you the way she said he did? and did you look at him the same? you tried to shake off the thought. there’s no way it would work. but you still felt that little bit of hope.

the next day at school, you met up with jungwon like you always did. every morning, without fail, you and him always met up by your car so you could walk into the school together. when he walked up to you, you took notice of the way he looked. really took notice. he was wearing a black and white striped sweater, and black sweatpants, his hair a perfect mess atop his head. your breath got caught in your throat. he looked amazing. how have you never noticed this before?

oh who are you kidding. of course you noticed. you always noticed, you just never wanted to admit it. he walked up to you, a big smile on his face. you greeted each other the same way you always did, a hug and a small ‘hello.’ except, this hug was different. you hugged the same type of way, but it just felt different. he lightly squeezed you, making you laugh and the only thing going through your head was how badly you didn’t want to let go.

unfortunately, he did let go, and led the both of you into the school. you two walked in with huge smiles on your faces, daeji giving you two a smirk when she saw you. you walked up to daeji, jungwon glued to your side, daeji immediately taking notice. ‘the only people who don’t know how they feel about each other is each other, this is just sad,’ was exactly what was going through daeji’s head.

so when the first bell rang and you went off to your class, hugging jungwon goodbye, she decided she needed to do something. after you walked off, jungwon continued to watch you for a moment, not turning back until daeji pretended to clear her throat. after she did, he whipped his head back to her, acting like nothing had happened. all she did was give him a knowing look, and he visibly deflated. “why are you looking at me like that,” he asked, still playing dumb.

daeji simply scoffed. “you like her.” jungwon froze in his spot, immediately tried to deny it. “don’t even try to give me the whole ‘she’s my best friend’ thing, i hear it enough from her when she tries to deny her feelings for you.” jungwon’s heart dropped to the floor, as did his jaw. did he hear her right?

“i’m sorry, one more time. what???” daeji laughed at his reaction.

“you both are so oblivious. everyone can see the feelings you both have for each other, except the two of you,” she explained, jungwon still looking like a deer in headlights. he simply couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

daeji was right. jungwon had developed feelings for you a very long time ago. he had seen you at your best, when you turned 16 and got your drivers license. and he had seen you at your worst, when your first boyfriend broke your heart. he stuck with you through all of it because he loved you and he never wanted to be without you. did you really feel the same?

“go find her, jungwon. i’m tired of seeing the both of you pine after each other. even if i’ve only known you for a day.” jungwon only nodded, running in the direction you left in, frantically searching around to find you. then he remembered exactly where you would be. the art room. that was the class you had just gone too, and he knew the teacher. they were cool with each other and you and the teacher were also very close.

he rushed to the art room as fast as his feet would carry him, the only thing on his mind being you. when he finally arrived he pulled the door open and his eyes immediately locked with yours. you smiled softly at the sight of him, stopped what you were doing and walked up to him. “hey. what are you doing here, aren’t you supposed to be in chemistry,” you asked, your tone soft and playful.

“uh….yeah i am supposed to be in chemistry… mrs. fleming might kill me, but there’s something i need to tell you, and i don’t know how much longer i was going to be able to wait,” he explained, his nerves building every second. you simply nodded, grabbed his hand and pulled you into the empty hallway. the small touch sent waves of electricity through you, bringing a wide smile to the both of your faces. if only you two knew what was about to go down.

“alright, here goes nothing. i was just talking to daeji and she called me out for staring at you…” his tone was soft and comforting, calming your nerves immediately. but as soon as the words left his mouth about daeji, you knew she had said something.

‘great, now he knows. he’s just gonna tell me he doesn’t see me like that. oh god let’s just get the rejection over with,’ was the only thing spinning through your mind. your mind didn’t even process that he said he got caught staring at you.

he seemed to notice your hesitation, but he knew he had to get this out in the open. “y/n i know this may be overwhelming and a lot to take in but i really need you to know how i feel.” he took a deep breath, and relaxed when you took his hand in yours.

“you can tell me anything, jungwon.” your calming voice was enough to give him the confidence to finally get the words out.

“alright so… y/n i really really really fucking like you. you’ve been there for me through absolutely everything and you’re genuinely the most beautiful girl i’ve ever seen. you make me so damn happy and i’m so thankful to have you in my life. whether that’s you as my friend or something more. i just wanted -”

you cut off his rambling by pressing your lips against his. you supposed he wasn’t expecting it because it took him a second to respond, but eventually he was kissing you back. one hand found it’s way to your waist and the other cupped your cheek. both of your arms were wrapped around his neck, pulling the both of you closer to one another. the kiss was soft and passionate, making it clear the both of you had been wanting this for a while.

when you finally pulled away, both of you were breathing heavier, but there were wide smiles on your faces. his hands stayed on your waist as he pulled you into a hug, you nuzzling your face into the crook of his neck. “the feeling is mutual, jungwon.” you felt like you could hear him smile, him pulling you even closer if that even possible. “it’s always been you. it’ll always be you.”

[swbumblebee]

What if Qui-Gon Jinn was not particularly special in his post-mortem abilities?

AKA “Old Ben” and his many Force parents.

They had all watched, their collective Force aura swamped in sadness, grief and longing, as Qui-Gon finally introduced himself to Obi-Wan.

They’d never call him ‘Old Ben’. The fact that he was only 40 years old notwithstanding, this was the boy they’d raised, grown up with, idolised. They remembered him toddling about the gardens, fascinated by the brightly coloured flowers; Getting shy around pretty people and developing awkward crushes. They remembered him standing alone at the head of an army, quietly confident and immeasurably capable. They had vivid memories of him carrying them back to the creche, so steady and strong; of his measured wisdom, and the confidence that Obi-Wan Kenobi would always triumph.

They remembered the mullet.

Nobody named “Old Ben” ever had a mullet.

The man they now, as they always had really, looked to for a light when everything else went dark.

They didn’t catch the murmured words. They were Jedi after all, (even if they were now technically one big Jedi rather than a temple full of Jedi) and eavesdropping was rude. Nobody listened to the sulky mutterings of the presence that was Quinlan Vos.

Their boy was nodding, sitting quietly on the floor whilst he finally, finally after weeks of careful and gentle persuasion, of them all keeping a tight rein on the order’s maverick (“Do not, we repeat do not, come out of the water tank. You’ll give him a cardiac arrest or something”) believed in the presence he saw before him.

They watched once more, pleased, as their missing piece allowed himself to be bullied to his feet, and guided over to the pile of blankets he called a bed.

They could feel Qui-Gon’s bitter relief as he perched next to his former student, his longing to pull the blankets up around his boy and smooth back his hair.

But words were all they had.

Still, as Obi-Wan Kenobi had shown the Galaxy; you could do a lot with words.

---

They’d argued (as much as an incorporeal fusion of spirits could argue) at length over who got to go next.

“I knew him longest, he’ll trust me!”

“He needs someone calm, measured. I will go”

“No offence Master Plo but you’ll make him cry. He needs cheering up, I’ll go!”

“Vos so help me Force-“

“I was the Master of the Order, I should do it”

“Master, we’re dead. I’m not sure seniority applies.”

In the end it was narrowed down to two options; Bant Erin, Obi-Wan’s oldest friend. Sweet natured and kind, she would be the perfect choice.

And Mace Windu.

It turns out seniority does still apply beyond the grave.

---

A small part of Obi-Wan’s subconscious was telling him that it was starting to get a bit awkward.

The transparent blue form of Mace Windu was looking down at him, the welcoming smile quickly turning into a grimace.

“…Obi-Wan?”

No. no no no this was not happening. He didn’t have time to go round the bend he had a child to protect!

He wasn’t sure if it was reasonable to measure sanity on the volume of dead loved ones he was hallucinating, but somehow one seemed saner than two.

Though it turns out he’s insane, and so not a good barometer of these things.

He knew his stare was starting to get very unnerving as his hysterical inner-ramblings reached a fever pitch.

“…Obi-Wan, are you alright?” Imaginary Mace Windu asked, concern and a tiny bit of nervousness showing on his face.

“I’m fine, how are you?” Obi-Wan asked, remembering a solid piece of advice from his formative years; Always fall back upon good manners when in unfamiliar territory Padawan mine.

Well, this was about as unfamiliar as it got.

Imaginary Mace looked at him, utterly baffled for a moment.

“Well…I’m dead, I suppose, is how I am” he answered awkwardly.

“Right. Obviously.” Obi-Wan nodded politely. “My condolences”

There was another awkward silence.

Imaginary Mace tilted his head for a moment, listening for something.

“Well…here I am” he said, spreading his arms a little.

“…yes.”

The other Jedi frowned at Obi-Wan’s strained reply and his act of scrubbing his hands down his face as if to wipe away the image in front of him.

“Qui-Gon didn’t…didn’t mention we were coming?” he asked tentatively.

Obi-Wan shook his head, wordlessly.

The frown on Imaginary Mace turned into a complete scowl as the pieces seemed to fall into place.

“JINN” he bellowed, and Obi-Wan felt it echo in the Force like nothing before.

“He can’t hear you, he’s with Yoda”

Another figure popped into existence next to Mace, and Obi-Wan rubbed his eyes once again as Depa Billaba bowed to him.

“Obi-Wan” she greeted with a grin.

“…hi” He took a deep breath, mentally cursing his absent-minded Master.

“Are you alright?” Depa didn’t stop for a reply as she looked down with him and gestured at him, gently instructing him to get up from the floor. “Oh look you’ve scraped your knee there! Master I knew you’d startle him!” she scolded her former Master.

It felt like he was having an out of body experience as Depa ushered him into a chair (the only chair in the hut), Mace looking on anxiously.

“There we go” Depa soothed as she got him settled “I wish we could make you some tea my friend.” She said disappointedly.

Obi-Wan cleared his throat.

“You ah…you can’t?” he asked, something permeating the haze. Of this whole situation, that seemed by far the most unfair thing.

Mace smiled encouragingly, seemingly happier to be on more binary ground.

“I’m afraid not, we are beings of the Force, like your Master.” He explained, before scowling again. “Who, I would kill if he weren’t already dead,” he growled.

“I’m so sorry Obi-Wan” Depa said, dismayed “We all wanted to come and be with you, but we though Qui-Gon might be best to start with, so as not to overwhelm you”

“Sorry about that” Mace said apologetically.

They sat in silence a moment, Depa and Mace watching him process.

For the first time ever, Obi-Wan had exactly zero thoughts in his head.

He was starting to feel the pressure.

“All?” he tried.

Depa and Mace looked at each other.

“You ah…you said ‘all wanted to come’” he clarified.

Depa nodded happily.

“Yes yes, we’re all there Obi-Wan” she smiled at him

“Any Jedi slain by a Sith, or the machinations of the Sith, is there” Mace explained.

Obi-Wan was having the slightest bit of trouble taking deep breaths. Neither of his companions seemed to have noticed.

“Where?” he asked, only mildly aware that his voice was getting just a little pitchy.

“In the Force, we’re all one in the Force” Depa started again, and then paused a little lost for words.

“We’re all together and we kind of…share our presences” Mace picked up, with difficulty “Everyone who was killed by Palpatine’s evil, everyone from us right down to the littlest initiate, we share one consciousness in the Force.”

Obi-Wan was none the wiser.

Mace waved a hand frustratedly.

“Sorry, Plo explains it better”

“Plo?” Obi-Wan loved Master Plo. He loved all of them. And they were gone.

“Hello Obi-Wan”

“Well, if Plo and Depa get to see him I’m bloody well here too!”

“Hi Obi”

“Obes!”

He could only watch, speechless, as the faces of old friends, comrades, mentors and carers crammed into his hut, all looking at him with unadulterated, unfiltered pleasure and love was the last thing he saw before his scrambled brain decided it’d had enough, and he knew nothing but darkness.

---

It turns out, living with the forms of all your dead teachers, carers and friends was actually rather trying, after a while.

“Oh thank goodness you’re not still drinking that awful caff”

“I like caff – Master Plo please don’t try and lift that”

“Relax Obi dear, we’re incorporeal”

“Can still see things though”

“Vos get out of my fresher!”

“What does this do?”

“Never you mind. No don’t – Ugh. Why don’t some nice, well behaved padawans ever come to see me?”

“They’re not allowed, only those who knew you personally can visit. We thought it might get a bit stressful otherwise.”

“…I can’t imagine.”

Aside from having to adapt his busy routine to accommodate half a dozen fidgety and curious…ghosts (?) poking around his small hut at any one time, another unexpected addition to his (attempted) isolation on Tatooine was the nagging. And Force could they nag! The concentrated worry of many, many, beings with nowhere else to direct their extra energies was powerful.

“Obi-Wan you haven’t drank enough today. Go and check the vaporators”

“Padawan aren’t you going to eat?”

“Listen, that plie of cloth can’t be good for your spine”

“Force! Get some sun block Kenobi or you’re going to look like an old shoe in three months”

“No right, I saw a sunhat he can buy at the market”

It was…weird. He’d always been very self-sufficient, not to mention being the centre of everyone’s attention was difficult, to say the least. But as the months went on, he found himself transitioning from awkward acquiescence to see-sawing between mulishness and good-natured obedience. The stubbornness rising usually when the despair did. But those days were few and far between.

And now, when they did occur (for one can only avoid one’s demons for so long) and he felt like he was drowning in the weight of existence, he could rely on his friends for encouragement, care, and the motivation to carry on.

“If you join us before your time I will KILL you Obi-Wan Kenobi. Now kriffing well eat something!”

---

Of course, when their brother, friend, son, comrade, teacher and last hope did at last join them, there was no nagging or disappointment (or violence). The ultimate Jedi was back in the fold and they were once again complete.

[heliads]

The Football Player (Part One)

Based on this request: “Bucky is a football player and you are a fan of the team but you're also really shy. Secretly Bucky also developed a crush on you. He sees you getting mocked by some idiots and he gets in between to stand up for you. Later then he asks you for a walk and he kisses you.”

masterlist / part two

According to every ounce of common sense still left in your body, you should be paying attention. You’re in school, might as well actually learn something, right? You have a test next period, and if you were smart or wanted to pass at all, you should be focusing right now, tracking every single word that your professor is saying. The only problem is that you’re not doing this whatsoever. No, your gaze is instead directed out the window, where a certain football team is just beginning practice.

It’s not like you were intentionally trying to get distracted. You had come to the classroom right on time, pencils lined up and notebook out, ready to start the day. Your gaze just happened to accidentally shift to the window instead, and when you saw number seventeen in red and gold, well, how could you focus on math at a time like this? You’d seen James Barnes around the school many times, but he never ceases to amaze you.

Honestly, even talking about him tends to light a fire behind your cheeks. You’ve seen this movie dozens of times before: shy, studious girl falls for the football player, hijinks ensue. However, this isn’t a Hollywood blockbuster. Bucky is a star member of the team, and you’re just a fan of your school’s football games. Whenever you do icebreakers in class and you’re forced to describe yourself in one word, you always reach for ‘bookish’ or ‘smiling’. Certainly never ‘superbly athletic’ or ‘on Bucky’s radar in any way’. Those aren’t even one word.

However, you never quite seem to let yourself be brought back to reality. Time and time again, you don the red and gold colors of your school- Mid-Capital University, or MCU, ready to go cheer on the team and your favorite player especially so. In fact, there’s a game tonight, you’ll be going with your friend. No matter how many times you laugh at yourself, though, you can’t shake your crush. You doubt it’ll be going away anytime soon.

The night is young, the shouts loud. You cheer with your friend and the rest of the school as the football team runs out onto the field. Their manager, a Mr. Stark, watches from the sidelines, yelling directions or complaining about how much the equipment is going to cost. The team jogs over to their captain, Steve Rogers, to huddle up and discuss final strategy. Steve is a senior, and you’ve heard rumors that he’s chosen Sam Wilson to take his place as captain next year. He’s Bucky’s best friend, so you’ve heard, although they pretend to fight often enough that you’d think they were rivals.

Bucky is here as well now, eyes glinting from underneath his helmet. He’d had long hair for the longest time, but when he’d cut it over the summer there had been more than a few desolate sighs from the cheerleaders. You had to smile at that- at least you weren’t head-over-heels enough to give up your crush based on his hair. You weren’t that bad yet.

As you watch, the team takes their position. They’ll be playing their rivals tonight, the Hydras. Steve heads to the back, Bucky and Sam on either side of him. Further along the team, you can begin to recognize other players- Scott Lang, a kid who’s scrawny off the field but seems to grow twice in size the second he puts on his gear, Peter Parker, the freshman who managed to make it on the team within his first few days, and Natasha Romanoff, the one girl on the team who’s got a death stare promising she’ll tear any objectors to shreds.

The whistle blows, and the teams are off. You watch with bated breath as Bucky darts left, right, catches the ball from Steve and takes off down the field. Apprehension grows across the student body until at last- touchdown, your school! You rise with the others, cheering in unison. Maybe you’re just being silly, but you could swear Bucky looked at you with a smile just as he started off back towards the line.

The rest of the football game is a breeze. Your school wins easily, and Bucky definitely did his part to secure the victory. The next day, everyone is still buzzing over the catches and near misses with their friends, not wanting to miss a single moment. You suppose it’s still on your mind, which is why you’re frozen in your tracks when your new lab partner sits down beside you in biology.

It’s Bucky. Of course it is Bucky. Of course, the one time you have to have a new lab partner in class, your teacher manages to have the terrible luck to place you with the one person who reduces you to a blushing mess every time he steps within ten feet of you. Bucky slings his backpack down beside his chair, offering you an easy smile like a flyer, free of charge.

“I’m Bucky.” He says, and you remember yourself. “I know. I saw the game, you were really good. I’m Y/N, uh, by the way.” Bucky’s smile grows even wider when you mention the game, if that’s possible. “You saw the game? That’s so nice of you.” You feel like you can’t form a coherent thought. “Yeah, I went with my friends. Your team won.” You want to slap yourself in the head- of course he won, he was there. You’re stating the obvious.

But Bucky doesn’t laugh at you, or act like you’ve said anything strange. He just nods, shoulders slumping slightly as he thinks about last night’s game. “It was hard. I guess every time you go against your rival school the pressure’s just ten times worse. It took a lot to just run out on the field.”

He stiffens slightly after he says this, like he wasn’t intending on sharing that secret just yet. However, you’re just grateful that you’re not the only one saying whatever pops into your head. “I can’t blame you. If it’s worth anything, though, I thought you were great.” Bucky’s beaming smile is back, brighter than ever. “It’s worth a lot from you.”

Maybe this sudden seating arrangement won’t be that bad after all.

Your friend catches up to you the second you leave the biology room behind. She looks back and forth between you and Bucky’s retreating form, something in between astonishment and a teasing grin lingering on her face. “Tell me I didn’t just make that up. Tell me you’re actually the lab partner of the one and only Bucky Barnes, the guy you’ve been crushing on for, like, forever.”

You shove her slightly, although you can’t help but smile. “It’s true. I don’t know how, but it’s true. Guess the bio teacher really liked me that period.” Your friend loops an arm around your shoulders. “It’s not just him who really likes you. Did you see the way he was looking at you? All through class, he kept stealing glances. I think Bucky Barnes has a crush on you.”

You stop in your tracks. “That’s impossible. He would never.” Your friend crows in victory. “But he did! You don’t stare at somebody like that unless you’re hopelessly in love with them. It’s the same way you stare at him.” Indignation rises in you like a spring. “I don’t stare at him. I just observe, casually.” Your friend snorts. “Well, you casually observe him a lot. Honestly, I just see this as a success. If you can get the star football player to fall in love with you, then I think I can win the lottery or something.”

Even after your laughter rises and dies away, you can’t help but think about what your friend said. Surely it’s impossible- Bucky would never so much as talk to you outside of class, let alone have a crush on you. But your friend wasn’t exactly lying. You had seen Bucky out of the corner of your eye, the way a smile lingered on his lips when he glanced over at you. That wasn’t just nothing, right? Honestly, this whole lab partners deal might be more pressing than you ever thought possible.

The only way to move on is to go through the next day, and the next. After that, however, you have biology again, and that means finding your place next to Bucky Barnes and pretending like your heart rate isn’t skyrocketing the second he smiles up at you, saying he’s glad to see you again. Your friend keeps stealing glances your way, eyes wide and thumbs raised in an expression of impressed awe.

As it turns out, your friend isn’t the only one to see something between you and Bucky. You make your way out of the bio room, unable to hide a smile, although your happy outlook disappears the second somebody blocks your path across campus. This somebody just happens to be Mandy Fleming, bottle blonde junior who thinks she owns the school, and her entourage of preening followers.

Mandy folds her arms over her chest, considering you. Her lip purses. Evidently she finds something lacking. “You know, I don’t think we’ve had a proper conversation in a while. We need to make a few things clear.” You force a smile, trying to step around her. “Can we do it later? I have places to be.” Mandy curls her lip. “I don’t wait. This can’t wait. See, you’ve developed the unfortunate habit of spending too much time around Bucky Barnes.”

You raise an eyebrow. “We’re lab partners. What, you want me to ignore him?” Mandy’s eyes narrow. “That would be preferable. Next class, you’re going to go up to the professor and tell him you want to switch partners. Make something up about wanting to be closer to the board or something, I’m sure he’ll believe it.” You can barely listen to her. “And why would I do that?” Mandy takes a step closer. “Bucky is mine, not yours. I’m going to need you to back off.”

You stare at her. “You want me to switch lab partners all because a boy you’re not even dating is sitting next to me?” Mandy’s head rears back. You’ve obviously struck a nerve. “Listen here, honey. This isn’t an issue about me, it’s an issue about you. What, did you really think Bucky would ever even give you the time of day? You’re a nobody, a nothing, somebody not even worth a fraction of his time. Honestly, I’m doing him a favor by getting rid of you. He doesn’t want to see you, not for a second.”

With every word, you can feel your confidence plummeting. Mandy notices this, a smirk burning even deeper into her lips. Sometimes, you swear she can smell fear just like an animal. “You’re worried because you know I’m right. You’re pathetic, really, and Bucky Barnes wants nothing to do with you.” Just as you feel like you want to go back to your dorm room and never see the light of day again, a voice rings out from behind you. It’s a voice you recognize instantly, and one that Mandy does too, as she shrinks back the second she hears it.

“You couldn’t be more wrong.” Bucky steps forward, taking a place next to you. Mandy forces a smile. “I, uh, don’t know what you’re talking about. Y/N and I are just having a little chat about homework. We had homework, right, a textbook reading and-” Bucky cuts her off coolly. “I heard every word. If you think I’d want to choose you over her, you’re wrong. She’s a hundred times the girl you’ll ever be.”

Mandy stammers, fishing around for words but coming up with nothing. It’s almost cathartic to watch. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, Y/N and I have somewhere to be. And if I hear you trying to talk to her like that again, believe me when I say that this won’t be the worst I’ll say to you.” Bucky offers you a hand like a proper gentleman, and you take it, letting him steer you away from Mandy and her followers, who are still gaping at your backs.

The second you’re out of earshot, Bucky turns to you, apologies and regret written all over his face. “I’m so sorry about that. It’s all my fault- she’s been trying to flirt with me all semester, and I finally gave up and rejected her, and now she’s taking it out on you. I wish none of this ever happened.” You manage to force a smile. “Trust me, it’s fine.”

Bucky looks at you, concern still lingering in his eyes. “Are you sure? I can talk to them again if you think they’ll bother you.” You laugh at that. “Don’t worry about me. I’m perfectly alright.” Bucky smiles at that. “Well, if you are perfectly alright, I was wondering if you were busy this Saturday. I saw this new park that opened, and it looked really interesting, but if you’re busy or something we can totally do something else, or nothing at all, whatever you-”

You cut him off, unable to hide a smile at his rambling. “I think that sounds excellent. I’ll see you there?” Bucky’s face lights up. “I’ll see you there.” He gathers his courage one last time, then leans forward to kiss you. He flashes you one last perfect smile before disappearing around the corner, leaving you with a smile and the memory of his lips on yours. When you look up, you see scores of jealous girls staring at you, but for once, the attention doesn’t bother you. Why should it? You have Bucky at last, and he doesn’t want anyone but you.

marvel tag list: @mycosmicparadise​

[aminiatureworld]

Opposites

Characters: Xiao, gn!reader

Word Count: 1,594

Warnings: Swearing

Premise: In which the reader is the brain and Xiao is the brawn

Author’s Note: I wasn’t sure what the general setting should be so I put it in a vaguely college/university setting. Prolly cause that’s around my age and also because I cordially dislike highschool AUs. Hopefully that works out alright!

I had to type out almost 2,000 words on my iphone. I never want to do that again.

Xiao

Honestly none of your friends are actually sure how you two got together.

After all, if someone were to take a picture of you and your partner side-by-side then show it to people not in the know, well the prevailing emotion would be something along the lines of: “Are they classmates or neighbors or something?”

To be fair, when the two of your first met even the idea that you would ever end up in love was something laughable. Having been pushed together for a project, your knee-jerk reaction had been: Oh I’m totally going to end up doing this all by myself.

Thankfully however you’d been quickly proven wrong. Although Xiao hadn’t necessarily been the best about planning and other such things, his work was organized and he always showed up to every meeting with his parts completed.

By the end of the project you never wanted to work with another person on a group project again.

And, to be completely honest, you’d definitely developed a crush on your slightly aloof group partner.

Xiao’s reaction was much harder to read.

At first he appeared to want nothing to do with you. Work was emailed to you with not so much as a subject line; meetups passed in awkward silence broken by tentative questions on your part. You’d sort of assumed that he saw you as annoying and the group work as useless - which to be fair it sort of was useless.

So when he emailed you a few weeks later asking for your number and if you wanted to do something, well, safe to say you almost fell out of your chair.

Though the start was a little awkward, Xiao’s conversational nature didn’t develop much in general, you two fell into a routine of sorts, a relationship of unspoken boundaries and spontaneous confidences.

During the first few weeks of you odd sort of relationship you’d come to the conclusion that, though not a talker, Xiao was ultimately quite apathetic in nature. Eventually however you realized apathetic wasn’t the right term.

Though he might’ve appeared sullen on the outside, Xiao never actually acted in a way that hinted at any resentment or irritation; he never dragged his feet about something or implied it was stupid that you should ask for help or for a favor.

His assertiveness, which might’ve been mistaken for aloofness, was endearing. Xiao never half-asses anything, even when if wasn’t doing something for another person, like you.

You appreciated this side of his personality, the fact that he was quick to act, admired if even. It certainly stood in stark contrast to your tendency to overthink things, something that could quickly end up kneecapping you depending on what decisions were being debated.

It was an alien concept to you, the sort of philosophy Xiao seemed to live by, and its novelty was refreshing.

As your thoughts slid more and more to focusing on Xiao you became more and more aware of the rumors that abounded about him.

He was a troubled youth, he was prone to fighting, he had been so uncontrollable in secondary school that only one teacher had been able to get him to do anything. The only times he spoke was to wound, and he never had a word to say that wasn’t angry.

Well, obviously that wasn’t the truth, but any attempt to clear up the situation was quickly met with odd stares and responses that all smacked of: “Oh you poor idiot, you just haven’t learned yet.”

You would’ve liked to think that you didn’t let it affect your relationship with him, but evidently the rumors had begun to catch up to you.

“Hey, you’ve been avoiding me.”

“Have I?” You shifted awkwardly in your seat. Xiao sighed, evidently aware of where this was going.

“It’s because of what people say about me, isn’t it?”

“Maybe.”

“I see.”

That had been the beginning and the end of the conversation for quite some time, almost as if Xiao had yet to decide whether or not you were one of the few in whom he could entrust the truth. Yet despite the rumors and the odd looks you still found yourself gravitating towards Xiao, and soon enough that initial pull turned into something much deeper.

The day that you two became “official” was the day Xiao told you the truth. He had been a delinquent as a teenager.

Born into a family full of troubles Xiao shouldered the circumstances as best he could.

However things cannot stay untouched forever; the distress that Xiao experienced only grew, the pressure ratcheting up with every incident, every item thrown to the ground, every fight that ended in humiliating pain.

Eventually it became too much, and when it did Xiao took his anger out not on his family, not on the people who had failed him, but on any classmate who antagonized the vulnerable child.

Fights became a regular part of Xiao’s life until university, and it was only in meeting his mentor, Zhongli, that the lost young man had managed to pull his life together.

Things made more sense after that, though one couldn’t say that everything was right with the world. Students, coworkers, the particularly idiotic TA, all of them still carried the sense that Xiao was not to be trusted. You could see how it upset your partner sometimes, when he was ignored at the coffeeshop or excluded from class group chars in the like.

Whenever he did that Xiao tended to retreat into himself, as if worried he might explode again. It took a lot of coaxing to get him out of such situations but it was always worth it to see your partner’s expression soften, to see his small smile once more.

What you didn’t tell him was that you were just as angry as he was, just as resentful at the people within your major which were hellbent on acting like they were still in high school.

Eventually however the trials of your early were utterly forgotten, the questions and the secrets replaced by a sense of slightly hilarious domestic bliss.

You were definitely the brains of the group, something Xiao didn’t seem to mind - though he probably would find that actual statement somewhat silly.

Xiao, on the other hand, held the esteemed position of Person Who Actually Got Stuff Done. You relied on him to get you out of your mental spirals, to pull you out of your room and out of your brain fog and to get you to do something; even if it wasn’t the thing you were thinking about.

In return it was your job to make sure Xiao didn’t get himself killed doing something stupid.

Xiao’s reticence masked an almost supernatural recklessness. Though your partner didn’t own a motorbike, if he had you were completely convinced he’d ride one without a helmet. His almost total disinterest in his own safety was something that you brain shrunk from, and more often than not a crazy plan of his would end with you listing the terrible things that might happen if something were to go wrong, even if those things weren’t always the most realistic.

There was a storm in twenty minutes? It was the perfect time for a walk! There was cavern nearby with tunnels were so tight you had to walk single file? Sure why not!

He would talk about such things as if there was nothing to it, as if it didn’t send your heart rate spiking. There wasn’t the slightest acknowledgment of danger. Even his tone was as gruff as usual, as if it was the most natural thing to want to go mountain climbing, not interesting enough to get even a little excited about.

It was probably good he did martial arts. You didn’t even want to think about where all that energy would go otherwise.

Xiao’s straightforward nature came out in softer ways too, ways that you envied much more than his full-steam-ahead recklessness.

He was never afraid to state what was on his mind. Whether it was correcting a waiter who got his order wrong or telling a rude doormats to fuck off, all these things were natural to him.

To be honest you completely envied that aspect of him, unable go replicate such a mindset in yourself.

When you’d commented on it once Xiao had stared oddly at you. After a moment he told you that he figured it came from his background. Sometimes you had to learn how to say “no” or “that’s wrong” or “you’re a shitty person.”

Just as you tried to curb the most extreme parts of Xiao’s recklessness, so too did Xiao work to bring you out of the spirals your mind went down sometimes, and so did he try to coax you out of the overthinking that kept you from asserting yourself in your life.

Saying you two were complete opposites wouldn’t really be accurate. You shared similar views, similar passions, similar opinions on what mattered. Yet it was true that, in some ways, you complemented one another. And when it came to those traits in which you differed, well you would like to think that your differences just made you stronger as a couple.

Maybe your friends couldn’t understand how you two got together, or why you were so deeply in love with the person you’d chosen to be your partner. But you didn’t care.

You loved Xiao with all your soul, and, at the end of the day, that was all that mattered.

[anotheranimestan]

hi! I just read “all bark no bite” and omg it was so good!! looking forward to more of your writing and possible a part 2 if you get the chance!

Thank you!!!!!😃🧡 Your wish is my command!

All Bark No Bite (pt. 2)

Bakugo angst + sexual tensionnnn

Read part 1 here

wc: 3k

I hope this is as fun for you to read as it is for me to write! Also why is he 👇 this fineee for no reason.

The next morning, you woke up trying to convince yourself it was all a dream...or a nightmare. But the way you could still feel the softness of his fingers around your neck completely contradicted your wishes. You also had to keep wiping little smiles off your face throughout your entire morning routine. You tried to combat them by listing all the things you hated about Bakugo but it was helpless. Every train of thought ended with the shape of his lips and how nicely they molded with yours.

You and Mina walked to class together and you swore she’d developed a mind reading quirk. You felt her eyes on you like a blazing sun. Although this was really all in your head. She only asked “are you okay?” because you kept looking at her like you’d committed a hate crime.

You and Bakugo didn’t look at each other once during class. No leg shaking, pen stealing or insults. Not even a well timed scoff when you were called on to answer a question. You tried your best to clear your mind and forget everything that had occurred in that hall last night. After a while of this torture you even were having a little bit of success.

But of course your peace was ruined as you walked to lunch. He couldn’t let you have anything. And of course he wasn’t going to leave you alone.

“Hey Little Bite, I hear we get to pick our groups for combat training today. All Might is going to make me a team captain, obviously. So if you want to be on my team let me know. I mean I assume you don’t wanna lose. You just gotta ask me nicely.” His usual cocky tone crept under your skin.

You desperately tried to ignore him as he followed you. Each footstep he started gaining on you being more annoying than the last. But what really did it was the pencil he threw at your head.

“Please, actively do not pick me.”

He ignored your objection and continued on his line of bullshit.

“I suppose I could take you. Your quirk would be useless, I’m all the attack power we’d need to win but I could use you as a decoy or something.”

You rolled your eyes. “I don’t want to be on a team with you, moron. Your pea brain doesn’t know how to do anything but blow shit up. You’re like an explosive cave man. Besides being too close to you for too long makes me wanna vomit.”

He cackled. You knew exactly what he was thinking and immediately regretted your words.

“That’s weird—“

You picked up a rock from the ground and threw it at his head. But he just caught it and made it explode with a smug look on his face.

“Ugh. I cannot stand you.” You groaned.

“You sure about that?” He said with a suggestive eyebrow.

He was so hot....it made you want to punch him in the throat. Without thinking you shrugged off your backpack and swung it at his face. His reflexes bested you again though and he caught the bag, yanking it from you. The force was harder than you expected, it sent you flying into his chest. You both tumbled to the ground and landed shoulder to shoulder. Your skull hit a small rock with a wack. Rubbing the back of your head, shooting pain surfaced.

“Ow!! That fucking hurt dumbass!”

“Sor—“

You swung your arm, aiming to kill, and hit him in the stomach.

It must have really knocked the wind out of him because he made a loud grunting noise that hinted at his surprise. It wasn’t often people got to land a punch on Katsuki Bakugo. King Explosion Murder.

“Do that shit again Little Bite! You’ll regret it!” He grabbed your wrist, attempting to clear a way to get you back. You both started wresting trying to punch each other in the gut. Literally rolling around in the grass in a red hot death match of who could out curse the other.

“Omg, are you guys about to kiss right now?” Mina teased from out of absolutely nowhere, scaring the shit out of you.

You both froze solid as the blood drained from your face. She knew about last night? How did she find out?!

“You told her!?” Bakugo’s entire face was contorting through a whole range of emotions. Shock, horror, embarrassment, accusation, cheekiness, embarrassment again.

“What!?” You panicked. “No! I didn’t!” You swear you didn’t. You replayed your whole morning in your head just to double check.

You turned to your pink friend. Her eyes were wide and her mouth fell open. You watched the gears turn in her head as she realized she’d stumbled upon a miraculously juicy discovery.

“OH. MY. GOD!!! No freaking way!!” She squealed unable to contain herself.

She started blabbering as she attempted to cope with this information. She had absolutely no idea what to do with it.

Your stomach fell as you realized this fatal error. Wait....this wasn’t your error. You pushed him off you and you both scrambled to your feet.

“This is your fault! Why’d you say that!” You shoved a finger in Bakugo’s chest. Which actually hurt because....he’s solid.

“Don’t yell at me!” He yelled back at an even louder volume.

Mina started running around in little circles. “They kissed!!!” She then abruptly stopped in her tracks and you watched a lightbulb flicker on.

No.....

“KIRISHIMA!!!! KAMINARI!!!” She screamed as she ran toward the cafeteria.

“MINA DONT YOU FUCKING DA—“ Bakugo exploded into a full sprint to chase her down. But she was like a rocket.

You chased after them desperately trying to reconcile all this is your mind. But it was no use, your brain was melting. Everyone was about to find out. The relentless jokes...they would never end. You could die right here.

Both of them ran so fast you fell horribly behind. By the time you rounded the corner and caught up to them a whole event had already taken place.

Bakugo was screaming on the top of his lungs. You could practically see the steam coming off the top of his head.

Kaminari was standing there in his stupid form with a half torn shirt. Jesus, what did Bakugo do to him?

Mina and Kirishima were laying on the ground, their face covered in tears. They were laughing so hard no sounds were even coming out.

“Oh my god,” Mina squeaked out between gasps for air, “Bakugo has a crush.”

“It’s so adorable!” Kirishima said wiping the tears from his eyes as he attempted to stop laughing. With no success, they both bursted again after seeing Bakugo slamming his fists into the grass. The teasing was making him want to rip his eyes out. He couldn’t stand it.

“Shut up Kirishima!!!” He jumped on top of his friend and started repeatedly banging his head into the ground. Of course this did absolutely nothing to the hard head. It just made him laugh even more.

Poor Denki just stood there drooling with a little smile on his face and giggling.

You were frozen. Stunned. It was like watching a comedy movie in which you were the punchline.

But all the laughs fell a silent as a furious voice cut through the air.

“What is this.” It wasn’t a question. Mr. Aizawa looked like he hadn’t slept in three days and this used up his last bit of patience.

“Bakugo. Get off him immediately.” He growled.

You knew how this looked. Bakugo was attacking Kirishima after successfully making Kaminari fry his own brain. Your friends’ laughter wasn’t enough to hide Bakugo’s apparent violence even if it was over something as stupid as a kiss. Mr. Aizawa couldn’t possibly know that.

“I overlooked your behavior yesterday, picking a fight with Miss. y/n. But now attacking your other classmates as well? This is violent behavior is unacceptable.”

“Mr. Aizawa—“ Kirishima tried to defend his friend but it was no use.

“Not another word.” Your teacher was glaring at Bakugo with laser beams.

The hot head just stood there in silence with a scowl on his face and two tightly clenched fists. He was really just going to take the heat for everyone? No arguments?

“I’m putting you on house arrest for the rest of the day. No more classes and no combat training.” You watched the dagger go through Bakugo’s chest. Today was going to be offensive training with All Might. You knew he was looking forward to it. Guilt punched your core.

“Mr. Aizawa wait. I’m the one who picked a fight with him yesterday. I challenged him. He shouldn’t get into trouble because of me.” You shuffled toward him timidly. He was scary when he was like this.

Everyone looked at you in surprise. They all knew it was true, that you’d egged him on. And he wouldn’t be raging right now if you hadn’t kissed, so today was also partially your fault. But they were truly surprised because you normally would revel in Bakugo getting scolded. But you weren’t fucking evil. And this wasn’t Bakugo’s fault at all...although he really needed to get his fucking temper in check. Idiot.

“Is that true?” Aizawa asked Bakugo.

The hot head took a deep breath. “Does that sound like me at all? I’d never give into her weak attempts at baiting me. I fought her because I wanted to.”

Your eyes popped out at his words. He lied. Why the fuck would he do that?

Mr. Aizawa escorted Bakugo to the dorms, lecturing the entire way.

“This sucks.” Kirishima said with a frown.

“I know. I feel so bad!” Mina cried sadly.

You had no words. The four of you walked to lunch with drooping heads. You held Kaminari’s hand the whole way until his brain recharged.

Recalling you’d left your backpack in the quad you ran back to get it. Upon arrival you realized Bakugo’s backpack was also there. He wouldn’t even have his stuff with him to finish homework or study during house arrest. You groaned. This guilt was horrible. It ate at you for rest of the day. The rest of your friends didn’t feel any better. And combat training wasn’t the same for you without that familiar sound of explosions going off in the background. It actually made the class feel kind of empty.

As usual at the end of the day you sat in the common area with the rest of the girls.

“So...is it true y/n?” Ochaco poked hesitantly.

You glared at Mina. Loose lips as usual.

“Sorry y/n. I talk when I’m stressed.” Mina cried only kind of regretful.

You sighed. You didn’t have the heart to actually be upset with her. You were the villain here. Getting Bakugo into so much trouble.

“Yea.” You huffed out. Talking about it made you cringe. It was like admitting your sworn rival had defeated you somehow. Even if you sort of didn’t mind the way he did it...

“What was it like?” Mina asked excited for the details.

“Is he a good kisser?” Ochaco added.

Your mind fell into a fog as you replayed the kiss again. Your skin went electric as you remembered the feel of his hands on your waist and those noises he was making. His lips wrapped around yours....

“Oh my god...Ochaco shes in love!” Mina concluded from you zoning out for what ended being like 15 seconds of you staring into space with a little smile on your face. She was practically singing.

“I am not!” You yelled flustered.

“Why are so many people yelling today?” Kirishima chuckled as he rounded the corner to join the couch.

“So is he mad?” Mina’s voice had changed into the sad one from earlier.

“I don’t know. Every time I knock he just tells me to go away. But that’s not that different from normal honestly.” He smiled. Their friendship was so odd.

Suddenly his backpack flashed through your mind. It was sitting in your room.

You got up to leave. You tried to be sneaky about it as they discussed how to cheer the victim up. But to no avail, they’d never let you sneak off again.

“Where you going huh?” Mina’s voice was painfully suggestive.

“To my room!”

“Uh huh, we’ve heard that one before.”

You stuck your tongue at her.

Kirishima twisted to face you over the back of the couch. “So if I ask Bakugo tomorrow if he saw you tonight he’s gonna say no, right?” Who knew he could be this ruthless. No mercy.

You pinched the bridge of your nose in frustration. You’d been cornered.

“Look. He left his backpack earlier and I’m just going to give it to him! Jeez do you want to do it or something Kiri?” You were seething.

“Nahh, you should do it. He’ll just yell at me to go away again.” He winked. It made you cringe again.

You could peel your skin off from this teasing. But you know someone who hated it even more. You knew that’s why he wouldn’t let Kirishima into his room.

You ran off before they could crack any more jokes.

On your way to the elevators you heard a creepy cackle come from somewhere. You spun around, alarmed, as a “what the fuck” escaped your lips. Your eyes landed on one eyeball peeking through the crack of a doorway.

“Can I get a kiss too?” The voice was wet with drool and lust. “Just one?”

“I will kick your face in Mineta.”

The door quickly shut. Did Mina tell the fucking whole class!?

With more haste now you stormed to your room to get the stupid backpack that was causing you so many problems and made your way to your other problem’s door.

Before you knocked you realized your hands were shaking. Nervous? Seriously, over this moron? You shook it off with resolve and knocked.

“Fuck off Denki, for the hundredth fucking time I’m busy!” A gruff voice yelled from behind the door.

“Oh please, busy with what?” You retorted reflexively. Earlier you had decided you were going to try to be nicer but that sentiment wore off as soon as you heard his annoying voice.

The door swung open.

“What do you want?” He said with a raised eyebrow.

Your mind went blank. He was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. Of course it made his biceps look better than normal. He was wearing a black t-shirt that made his skin look perfectly tanned and was snug in all the right places. And why did he always smell so good damn. Today it was like vanilla and woodsy aftershave.

Stop staring. Stop staring. Speak bitch.

“Here’s your backpack. You should keep better track of it. I had to carry it around all day. That’s annoying.” You tossed it at him.

Why couldn’t you say anything nice? He took the heat for everyone. It’s like your mouth was rebelling against you.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Maybe you should work out more weakling.”

Panic panged in your chest as he started to shut the door in your face.

“Wait—“ you stopped it with your hand.

He paused. Mild interest dawned his brow.

“Why—why did you lie?”

“What?”

“To Mr. Aizawa. You could have told him it was my fault.”

“What do you care?” He pressed. His tone always managed to infuriate you.

You spun on your heels and started to walk away. “Nevermind.”

“Because I felt bad. You hurt your stupid head.”

You’d forgotten about that with all the guilt that had been overrunning your head. It didn’t even hurt anymore. You were surprised he’d even noticed.

“Oh.”

“But obviously you’re fine now so I guess it was all for nothing.” He added quickly trying to sound indignant.

The guilt punched you again. Especially now that you were face to face with him. He didn’t even look mad. He actually looked calm. And he looked good. You tried to deny your attraction to him. But flashes of his hand on your waist started invading your mind again. You could feel him wrapped around your neck. The way he was gentle and rough at the same time.

“Instead of just standing there you could actually make yourself useful. You owe me anyways.”

You snapped out of it trying not to look flustered. You shot him a confused and slightly offended look.

“Fill me in on what I missed in class...” he explained. He wouldn’t make direct eye contact though.

“Are you saying you need my help?” You had to do it. You couldn’t not take an opportunity.

“Tch. Obviously no—“

“Let’s do it. Move.” You said as you pushed past him into his room. Your hand made full contact with his abs and you felt that heat again.

He shut the door behind you and your heart started off like a race horse as you heard him lock it.

You suspected it was to lock the other boys out. God forbid they catch you in his room after all this.

Shit....you were in his room. Alone. With your hot head. The day after he kissed you. The evening after he took all the fury of Mr. Aizawa for you and moments after he asked you to help him study even though he gets way better grades than you.

He cleared a spot for you to sit on his bed and then leaned back into his chair with his hands locked behind his head. His flexing muscles were distracting you again.

“You better actually remember everything.”

“Shut up.” You rolled your eyes at him.

His words were supposed to rile you but the way he looked at you, like he was secretly loving that you were here was making your stomach flutter. You could feel your face red and you prayed he wouldn’t notice. At this rate you were going to throw yourself at him before he had the chance to kiss you again. As long as you two didn’t start fighting again first.....

~~

💥 YES there will be a pt 3!!! 💥

It’s going to be called “sTuDyiNg” HAHA (hint: Bakugo doesn’t actually wanna study “dumbass”)

Update: Pt.3 is up now!! Read it here