#also bashing on them before the show even ends is crazy cause you never know what could happen in season 5 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

lunaastoir · 3 years ago

Note

Hi! I really enjoy your writing so is it alright if i request xiao, diluc, childe with an idol s/o where one of their old stalkers come back or they just recently had a stalker in general but with how busy they were since they’re an idol they don’t even notice? And something bad happens (i cant think of anything</3) Thank you very much !!

hi anon!! a million apologies since this is so late but i hope you like the fic <3

there also aren’t any explicit details for anything bad happening - i briefly touched on subjects that you may not have control over, i hope that’s ok!

warning (?): struggled a bit on this prompt so i apologize in advance if this isn’t my best work LMAOO

gn! reader

tw: hints of assault, slight angst, very light abuse if you squint

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xiao

now xiao is a very observant man but he's also extremely busy keeping liyue safe

he makes it a point to always come to your shows even if you don't actively see him bc he cares a lot abt you and he enjoys listening to your music ‼️

it's normal for him to sometimes get lost between his own world of demonslaying and the world he shares w you

so one night, he's hanging on the rafters of a house with the perfect view of your singing

everything goes smoothly, he sets his spear down while lightly swaying his head to the music

the concert ends and fans disperse after you say your farewells

a night like this is rare since for once, xiao can walk home w you back to the inn sweet boy really cleared out his schedule for you huh

you're unsurprised when you see him materialize next to you, opting to flash him a smile and a hello

his cheeks are lightly flushed as he crosses his arms before talking quietly about how well you did

he relishes in the wide smile you give him as a result of his praise and he lets the corners of his lips curve upwards slightly

the quiet bustle of the harbor seemed to slow down as the night grew longer

since this was a fairly large concert, you had boxes among boxes of equipment so xiao decided to make your life easier by quickly flying them to their appropriate locations

when he got back however, he was surprised to see you talking animatedly with someone

he didn't think anything was wrong until he saw the person trap you between the stage and words filtered into his ears

your back was painfully pressed against the stage wall as you defiantly met their gaze. after xiao had left, they had immediately come over to you: first introducing themselves as a fan and making amiable conversation, before divulging in personal details of your life that made your skin crawl. you weren’t helpless, you always had your weapon on hand regardless of whether you were performing or not. the way they pushed you against the wall however, made it near impossible to summon your sword should you need it.

they leered down at you while balancing an arm against the wall next to your head. you had dealt with things like this before so you weren’t overly worried; you could defend yourself. you almost felt pity for the person in front of you as they asked for your number with a sadistic grin, disgusting words tumbling off of their lips. however, that was before you felt their cold fingers idly make their way to your stomach and you felt your breath hitch. oh no

the telltale sound of whooshing alerted you of xiao’s presence, and the press of the tip of his spear against their jugular brought you relief.

“back away” he tightly growled while his golden eyes narrowed into slits. they stared at him in shock before holding their hands up and moving to step a foot away from you.

“farther” he motioned with his spear before stepping in front of you as you attempted to collect yourself.

“ok ok, i’m far away can you put your spear down now?”

“no.”

you mentally cursed as you watched the two of them glare at each other. this was supposed to be a carefree night but this unfortunate twist made the air thick with tension. you could feel the anger radiate off of xiao in waves and in an effort to deescalate the situation, you spoke.

“i’m glad to meet such an...avid fan but i’m sorry the two of us must get going now” you hastily said before attempting to grab xiao’s hand and walk off past them.

the next words had you halt your steps as they divulged their secret.

words painted in careless arrogance with hints of violet overconfidence flew out of the person’s mouth - “judging from the weeks i’ve been following you, it didn’t seem like you had a boyfriend”

at the mere mention of prolonged stalking, xiao immediately lunged to pull you behind him. god, he didn’t kill mortals but he swore if he plunged his spear into this human being right here, no one would even blink twice considering how low of a person they were.

“if i ever see you near them again, i will not hesitate to kill you. i won’t blink twice, i already have blood on my hands.” he ground out.

at the threat, the person grudgingly turned their back to you before leaving the two of you alone in the quiet harbor.

you carefully reached a hand out to touch your boyfriend’s shoulder, but stopped after you saw the expression on his face. the mix of rage, sadness, and anguish imprinted his features as you watched his chest rapidly rise and fall - a result of his emotional battle.

“i’m sorry i didn’t notice them before. i should’ve been paying more attention to you” he whispered before silently striding away from your grasp

you knew that no matter how many reassurances you gave him about how, “it’s not your fault xiao, i didn’t notice them either” he would still blame himself.

he was supposed to protect you right? so why couldn’t he sense the danger beforehand? what would’ve happened if he wasn’t there?

it’s still a learning process for him to realize that things happen, and he inevitably couldn’t be there to save you from everything. he needs time to understand and adjust. you’re willing to wait, patiently helping him through it. why? because love is worth it.

god im sorry this ended up kinda sad whoops

diluc

i swear everytime i say i’m a childe simp diluc kinda wrecks me

ahem anyways onto the hc!

he’s kinda never around but similar to xiao he will overwork himself to clear out an hour or two just to watch your concerts

he’ll always stand off to the side too so if you tilt your head while you’re singing you can spy his red hair

you always flash him the sweetest smile and this man blushes like CRAZY before quickly lifting his hand up to give you a thumbs up

everyone watching the both of you like 😍😦

people think it’s the cutest thing i swear like c’mon the elusive “bachelor of mondstadt” being seen in public supporting you??? wow pls can we share him

he walks with you back to the winery, the entire time linking his hands with yours while gushing about your performance

1939248/10 it’s literally the sweetest thing

the next day however, adelinde brings you a pink letter addressed to you

he doesn’t pry because it’s addressed to you and it’s your business but as the letters start coming by everyday, he starts to grow curious

one day he straight up just asks you about it

“hey, you know those pink letters you keep getting? who are they from?”

you laugh slightly at his bashfulness and respond with a “just some overexcited fan” and he smiles before kissing your forehead

he loves that people are noticing your talent

loves it! until you get stalked by the same person who wrote you those letters while you were shopping!

diluc knows something’s wrong when you rush into angel’s share panicked after not returning his usual smile.

“darling? are you ok?” he asks worriedly before quickly setting down the glass he was cleaning to move towards you.

the widening of your eyes as you looked behind you at the sounds of someone else entering was all he needed to swiftly step in front of you, blocking their gaze of your face.

the slightly panicked look in your eyes before you hurriedly whispered, “they’re following me” made diluc glance at them subtly out of the corner of his eye. he watched as they walked over to find a seat next to the bar, seemingly ready to order a drink. he quietly asked if you would like to sit in the room reserved for the employees, away from their prying eyes. your hasty nod was all the confirmation he needed for him to let you access the door behind him.

the night went by fairly smoothly with kaeya’s usual teasing and venti’s usual begging for alcohol. diluc’s eyes narrowed however, when the person seemed to ask him questions regarding you. things like, “i heard you’re dating y/n... they’re amazing, how long have you been together?” and “do they live with you at dawn winery?” diluc answered these questions as short as he could, trying to convey with his body language that he truly did not want to talk to them.

everything was going well until he made the mistake of leaving the bar unattended. he had briefly forgotten about your residence in the room behind him as his mind immediately gravitated to breaking up a brawl. when he returned, the half drunk glass of liquor combined with the person’s absence from their seat, caused sparks of worry to light up inside his chest.

turning to the door, he knocked once.

“is everything alright in there love?”

the sounds of things rustling about and the occasional muffled voice had him opening the door quickly. he saw you with your arm being held tightly in their grasp, your mouth muffled with their hand, while you strained against them by pulling at your arm.

diluc immediately made his way over to you, quickly pulling your arm away before letting you enter into his embrace.

“get out.” the venomous words clawed their way out of his throat as he looked at them with eyes that screamed hatred. his blood was boiling as his mind replayed the scene; your scared expression and their greedy eyes.

diluc didn’t need to repeat himself twice as they ran out, trying not to trip over crates of wine. he made a mental note to find out who they were in order to make sure they never came near you ever again.

he quickly looked down at your form, relaxing slightly at the sight of your tentative smile. “my knight in shining armor” you joked before softly nuzzling your head into his shoulder. the anger had yet to dissipate from his veins, and although he knew you were still shaken up, he was sure you would be fine.

a pink letter placed on the table next to you caught his eye, and he made sure to quickly pocket it as he led you out, gently jesting with you about the “unnecessary amount of wine barrels in here, diluc this is a safety hazard!”

he would deal with this person later.

childe

ayo AYO ITS THE TOY SALESMAN

ok tbh he’s very rarely around so he unfortunately cannot make it to all of your shows

dw tho, he will try his hardest to be there for the ones he’s in town for bc what is he if not your number one hype king???

ok kinda creepy! alert

he’s tasked two of his subordinates to keep watch over you whenever he’s out of the harbor

it’s not anything creepy,,, he just gets extremely worried abt you and wants to make sure you’re safe

sO when he gets a ransom note??? he’s understandably confused but also very much freaked out

bc did they not know who he was??? the fact that they thought they could get away with holding you captive was quite honestly kind of funny to him

very stressed and angry tho - hides it behind a facade of smiles but he’s raging

takes him only a few hours to track you down bc he had everyone and i mean EVERYONE looking for you

the note crunched in his hand as the harbinger made his way towards windrise. his pace was erratic, long legs rushing towards the small cave his agents had found. they were bordering the perimeter of the enclosure, careful to not alert you or your captor of their presence. childe’s subordinate head had calmly stated that childe need not come out to rescue you, the situation was under control and they could do it for him. however, childe’s sharp gaze along with his sickly sweet words of “thanks but no. i’m coming out to see this sorry asshole for myself” had the agent backing away apologizing. he wanted to see the look on this person’s face before he shoved their sorry ass into the abyss himself.

as he reached the opening of the cave, he glanced over his shoulder at his head agent; a silent warning to keep the area sealed. his blue eyes glinted with a thirst for blood before making his way into the cave, sealing off the exit with his body.

“well well, playing games with the love of my life are we?”

his teasing words reached your ears as your eyes immediately found the face of your boyfriend. you weren’t horribly scared, just a little shaken up and sore from the bindings on your wrists. relief coursed through your body at the sight of him. you needn’t put in your plan of getting out of these bindings to fight your captor yourself anymore.

childe’s eyes quickly scanned over your frame, making sure you weren’t hurt. at the state of you completely unharmed, the harbinger let his heart calm down slightly. you were completely ok.

“wait a little longer, love? i promise this will be over soon”

the wink he sent you had you lightly rolling your eyes at his antics before he directed his attention back to your kidnapper. if your captor wasn’t scared before, they were certainly shaking in their boots now at the sight of childe’s twin hydro blades rotating playfully in his hands.

“listen, all i want is the money-”

“and all i want is your head”

your boyfriend smiled after cutting them off. the severity of the situation truly seemed to sink in at that moment before pleas of mercy fell from your captor’s lips, desperate to escape the bloodthirsty gaze of the harbinger. childe’s eyes flickered over to yours where you sat there, with your head ferociously shaking. a silent “no.” he sighed before swiftly bringing his arm up to hit your captor on the head, effectively knocking them out cold.

his hands worked at the ropes holding you and he gingerly rubbed at your bruised wrists. you silently thanked the archons he could never say no to you. archons forbid what would've happened if you hadn’t said anything. while you were explaining what happened, the young man quickly scooped you up in his arms before walking out of the cave.

you playfully hit his shoulder while muttering “drama queen” but you stopped when you saw his face morph into an expression of seriousness. you had informed him on the situation about your captor revealing themselves to be a recent stalker of yours, completely oblivious to the look of frustration on his face as he freed you from your bondages.

“i was scared you know.” he quietly divulged. “i knew that it wasn’t anything extremely serious but i... i was still scared”

you swore as you looked at him in that moment, he had turned ten again. the youth of his face betraying his vulnerability.

you quietly hummed before tangling your fingers in his hair. “i hope you know it wasn’t your fault. it wasn’t anyone’s fault. not even the two fatui agents who you sent to stalk me while you were away.”

he quietly laughed at that before mentally filing away a reminder for a lecture to those two agents in the near future.

“i’m just glad you’re safe. i know you can save yourself but i’ll always be here. i still wish you would let me take care of your asshole kidnapper myself though.” he pouted jokingly.

“i’m sure the millelith will lock them up for a long time.” you laughed sweetly.

his usual smile reappeared at your antics. maybe he didn’t get to beat your captor up and do...much worse. however at the end of the day, your smile was still intact regardless of what happened. that’s all he wanted.

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wukindly · 4 years ago

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A Touch of Your Love | Reggie Peters

"Omg if you’re taking requests for JATP can you please do a soulmate au for Reggie? 🥺 any trope any prompt will due i just haven’t seen much au’s for him! Thanks bb 💕” by @shellbeerocks

Pairing(s): Ghost!Reggie Peters/Alive!fem!reader Word Count: 8.4k Genre: fluff, soulmate au

Have you ever felt touched by someone without actually feeling their skin on yours? It isn’t just a physical thing, there are several ways to get to someone's heart. Sometimes, locking eyes with the right person can be enough to make you feel fuzzy and giddy. Maybe, just being able to be around them can be the reason you smile everyday. It is all about the signs, they are the things you should be looking out for.

It took (Y/N) (Y/L/N) a while to figure out her signs.

The first time she got in touch with her soulmate, even though she didn’t know nor noticed it at the time, was at spirit rally at school. Oh, (Y/N) could clearly remember how proud she felt seeing Julie Molina playing and singing again after the past year. She'd feared that she would never see Julie doing that again, but there she was, being the amazing musician she was meant to be.

But when a band just appeared on stage out of nowhere, the (Y/L/N) girl couldn’t help the feeling of confusion that took over her. The questions that started showing up through her mind, however, weren’t the main focus at the time - about how did that happen; who were those boys and why Julie had never even mentioned them, since, you know, they were close friends. (Y/N) couldn’t focus on any of it, because that was when her eyes met the bassist's.

Maybe it was because she always had a thing for bassists; dear Lord, she still remembered when she had her crazy phase for the young version of John Deacon. Or maybe it was because something was actually happening there, but (Y/N) couldn't take her eyes off him. She watched as he moved around, being so in his element right there.

A bashful smile became evident on her face as he winked at her during the performance. As soon as the boy saw her reaction to it, a proud grin took over his face and, just as she couldn’t stray her gaze from him, his eyes stayed on her throughout the whole song.

However, their moment was over once it ended, perplexity coming to haunt her as the band disappeared before everyone’s eyes.

She could see the panic on Julie's face, even after explaining that those boys were holograms. (Y/N) could had believed in it, if she hadn’t seen the bassist doing a little dance on the stage steps, her brows furrowing as she noticed that no one seemed to mind that.

(Y/N) wasn't the only one confused and bothered by that whole thing, as Flynn came to find her later that day. Things unfolded pretty quickly after they confronted Julie at her house, finding out the truth about the band, about what happened to Sunset Curve.

There was only one thing that was still bugging her a bit. Once their performance of Flying Solo was over, the boys disappeared, like she had expected them to. Well, the guitarrist and the drummer disappeared, but the bassist was still there for her to see.

As the other girls were talking beside her, (Y/N) kept her eyes on him, trying to figure out why he was still there and if he was going to vanish any time soon. The boy noticed her gaze, thinking that maybe she was just looking at the empty spot he’d left when he stopped playing. That was when he leaned his head to the side and she followed his movements.

“Wait, yu-you can see me?” his eyes went wide at seeing her nod, catching the attention of the others in the room.

The bassist looked to his side, apparently at someone, before turning back to her. Julie also seemed to be paying attention to whoever was there, looking at (Y/N) expectantly. The boy took a few steps forward, his eyes scanning her face as if he hoped to find some kind of answer in there.

“Do you?” the Molina girl asked after a few seconds of silence, causing (Y/N) to break the eye contact they had established.

“Do I what?”

Julie looked at the ghosts before looking back at (Y/N), who had only acknowledged the bassist’s presence until that moment. She hadn’t expressed any kind of reaction when the other boys said something, her focus seeming to be all on Reggie. “Can you see the others? Or is it just him?”

(Y/N) shook her head, clearly confused. “I can’t see anyone else. Are the others still here?”

Julie nodded, her brows furrowing. “Weird.” when she noticed the look of disorientation in (Y/N)’s face, she rushed to her side, holding her arm in a gesture of comfort. “It’s alright, there’s no reason to fuss over it. We will figure it out.”

“That’s so unfair.” Flynn came to her other side, wrapping her arm around (Y/N)’s shoulder, a small pout on her lips. “Why am I the only one who can’t see them?”

“You’re not the only one.” Julie shook her head, correcting her friend.

Flynn shrugged. “I wish I could see them too. I could like, go through them and not even know it.”

“She has a point.” (Y/N) agreed. It did sound a bit bizarre that she could be going right through someone and had no idea she was doing it.

“Thanks, babe.” Flynn said before letting go, pushing her forward slightly. “Try touching them. You didn’t before, it is a really weird feeling.”

"Wouldn’t that be a bit rude?”

“Nah, it’s fine.” the bassist’s voice brought her attention back to him, noticing that he was closer than before. He reached his arm toward her, encouraging her to touch it. And, just as expected, her hand went right through it.

It was a different feeling. It was almost like there was nothing there, but at the same time, she could feel something. It was a very faint pression in her hand that made her whole arm shiver from it. For some reason, maybe because (Y/N) wasn’t used to meeting ghosts on her daily routine, she expected something bad to come from that touch. It was quite the opposite, though - it did make her shiver, but it was warm.

The boy looked at her curiously, waiting for a reaction.

“Weird.” she chuckled, bringing her hand back.

“Right?” (Y/N) saw the boy grinning as Flynn laughed behind her. “I’m Reggie.”

There was something about that boy. She was already pretty sure of that when they’d first seen each other at school, and it had only been confirmed from what she had seen at the studio. (Y/N) couldn't point out what it was, though, which made her deeply frustrated. All of her theories of why she could see him not being plausible.

The girl made an effort to keep all of that in the back of her mind, trying to pay attention to other things rather than that - specially when she came over to the Molina's place to watch the band practice.

However, since that first time (Y/N) and Reggie looked at each other, something was set on motion, although it was not quite clear at the time. Both of them had taken two big steps toward what people could call fate. The third one came only a few days after that.

It was supposed to be a normal day, a boring one, to be honest. After spending so many afternoons at Julie's, her parents claimed that they'd missed seeing her around the house. So, her schedule for the day? Going home and spending her time watching cat videos on YouTube. Normal, boring. She had all of that in mind while she made her way home after school, rushing through the sidewalk.

"Hey, (Y/N)!" the sudden call made the girl jump, quickly looking for the owner of that voice. Her face softened as she saw the ghost bassist sitting on the steps of Julie's porch.

He was holding that smile she always saw on his face - it was a bit difficult not to smile back. "Reggie, hey!" she took a few steps closer. "What's up?"

He shrugged, pointing toward the house. "Not much, was having some bonding time with Ray today, but he had to leave."

(Y/N) chuckled at that. Julie did comment that Reggie had grown quite fond of her dad, following him around the house like a lost puppy and talking about him as if they were best friends.

"That sucks." she offered her words emphatically before looking around. "Are the boys here?"

Reggie shook his head. When they weren't practicing or hanging together, Alex spent much of his time with Willie - he couldn't blame him, though; he would do the same if he were the one that found his soulmate. And Luke, well, when he wasn't around Julie, he liked going out by himself.

"I've been alone for a while now." that sentence could've sounded sad if it hadn't come from Reggie; he had a soft grin on his face as he spoke. "Where are you heading to?"

"Just my house." she pointed to the direction of her home, shrugging. "Promised my parents I would arrive early today."

"Oh, cool." he nodded at her, looking away for one second before his eyes met hers again. "Can I come with?"

(Y/N) raised her eyebrows in surprise, not thinking that he would ask such a thing. She'd been around him before, going to their practices and such, but never actually had time to have a proper friendly conversation with him. It wasn't a problem for her, though - Julie described Reggie as questionable, but he seemed like a sweetheart to her.

"Sure thing." she motioned for him to tag along. "Can't let you be alone in such a nice afternoon, right?"

In a blink of an eye, Reggie was standing right beside her, his smile only widening. "I like the way you think."

(Y/N) chuckled, leading the way. "Come, it isn't that far."

As they were walking down the street, (Y/N) did her best to discreetly answer Reggie as she didn't want to be known as someone who talked to herself in public. It wasn't hard; after she asked him where the other boys were, Reg excitedly told her about how the band's drummer met his soulmate.

(Y/N) listened attentively as he talked about what Alex had told him. If there was something that most people longed for throughout their lives was the day they were going to meet their person. All it took was one touch, one small touch, and you would know that you found your only one.

Soulmate bonds were interesting. There were those who would follow a romantic path with each other, just like (Y/N)'s parents did. It wasn't a rule, though. It was pretty common to find soulmates that were best friends and only that, being free to find romantic partners or not. Each relationship seemed so unique. (Y/N) had always wondered how hers would turn out to be.

Reggie was still talking as they got to her house, (Y/N) turning to him. "So, we gotta keep quiet till we get to my room, okay?"

The boy nodded, making a zipping gesture over his mouth, motioning for her to go first. (Y/N) smiled as she opened the door, keeping it open for him to get in. He thought of telling her that she didn’t need to do that - he could easily go through her door - but decided against it.

“I’m home!” the girl made her presence in the house aware before heading toward the stairs.

Reggie heard her parents answering back to her, his curiosity getting the best of him as he almost went to the living room. It was her whispering voice that stopped him from going any further.

“Reggie?”

“Oh.” he gave her an apologetic smile before following her upstairs. He paid attention to every little detail of her house, his eyes scanning through family photos as the girl rushed him to get in her room. The boy stepped inside, his eyes wandering all over the place. "I like it."

"Thanks." (Y/N) chuckled as she saw him looking curiously at every inch of it. "Feel free to look around. Gotta change, I will be right back."

The pictures glued to her wall were the first thing he noticed, being quick to get a closer look at them. He recognized Julie and Flynn in some of them, even if they looked way younger than they were at the moment. There were ones with kids her age that he didn’t know. And there were ones with the same two adults that he’d seen in the photos in the hallway; her parents, he assumed.

In every picture she was in, (Y/N) was grinning or making a funny face. Reggie couldn’t help but smile when he noticed that, taking one last look at them before moving to the other side of the room.

"You have a lot of snow globes." was the first sentence she heard once she got back to her room. Reggie was in front of her shelves, her collection of globes having caught his attention. His eyes turned to her as his hand approached one of them, quietly asking for permission to grab it.

The girl nodded as she walked to her bed, sitting down. "I was a bit obsessed when I was younger, which should explain my collection."

"You were right to obsess over them." Reggie said as he held one in his hands, shaking it a bit to see the fake snow flowing around the globe. He turned to her, smiling, shaking it more before putting it back to its original place. "These are neat!"

(Y/N) laughed at that, motioning him to sit on the bed with her. "Okay! Why don't you tell me something about yourself? I don't think I know anything about you." she leaned her head to the side. "Besides being the best ghost bassist I've ever met."

Reggie fake-giggled at her as he sat down. "Oh, stop it! Actually, can you say that one more time?" (Y/N) smiled at that, shaking her head. He took a deep breath, trying to figure out what to say. "My name is Reginald, I'm 17, dead." she nodded - alright, that wasn’t weird at all. "I like puppies. Oh! And pizza. Honestly, I could eat anything."

(Y/N) frowned at that, confusion clear on her face. "Do you guys, like, still eat?"

"Nah." he said sorrowfully. "Which really sucks."

She hummed at him in agreement. Now she had a bit more of information on him. (Y/N) wondered if he had a dog when he was alive, since he thought that fact was worth mentioning to her. He didn’t brought up the question she was most curious about, though.

"How did you-" (Y/N) cleared her throat, fidgetting with her shirt. "Y'know, died?" her eyebrows furrowed after the words left her mouth, concern filling her face as she noticed how rude she must have sounded. "Is that an okay question to be asked in the ghost community?"

"Well, honestly, I haven't hanged around many ghosts myself, so I can't speak for the community." Reggie offered her a smile, trying to calm her nerves. "But it is an okay question to me."

The girl sighed in relief, nodding. "Thank God."

"I ate a bad hot dog."

As soon as those words left his mouth, (Y/N)’s eyes shot up to his, widening a bit. For a few seconds, silent took over the room as they kept staring at each other. As if they'd set that up, the seriousness of that moment was suddenly broken when both of them started to laugh.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure that it's not alright to laugh at this." (Y/N) tried to keep it to herself, but couldn't take that grin out of her face.

"It is funny, though!" he agreed, a big grin gracing his own lips. "I mean, you never think that a hot dog is going to kill you, right?"

That was a very bizarre way of going out, that was for sure. (Y/N) shook her head, letting another fit of laughter come out of her mouth. Reggie followed her on that, chuckling along.

"C'mon, tell me something about you, about your life!" he prompted her, but stopped a moment later. "Is that an okay thing to be asked in the living community?"

(Y/N) shook her head at the familiar words. "I know many living people and I think it depends on the person." she shrugged, grinning to herself. "But it is an okay question to me."

"Let's hear it!" he eagerly signaled her to go on.

"Alright. My name is (Y/N), 16, alive." Reggie offered her a little wave at that; she gestured back at him. "I've never had a puppy, but I really wish I could get one."

"Oh, same."

"I live with my parents. They are, well, pretty ordinary, I think." he rested his chin on his hand, nodding as she talked. "I don't have much experience in the food area. Like, I think that I've only eaten two types of pizza in my entire life."

He squinted his eyes at that, paying attention to her words. "Which ones?"

"Only pepperoni and cheese."

"Why are you wasting your life like this?" Reggie looked at her like she had said the most outrageous thing ever, taking his hand to his heart. "You should take more risks! If I were alive, I would call a pizzeria right now and order a half chocolate, half ice cream pizza! I haven't eaten it before, but it sounds delicious."

(Y/N) scrunched her nose, shaking her head slightly. "Yeah, I'm not a big fan."

"Can't believe you're a hater of good things in life.” he looked at her disappointedly. "What kind of things do you like to eat, then?"

(Y/N) hummed as she thought about it. "Well, the ice cream part didn't sound that bad. I would take any flavor of ice cream any day."

Reggie nodded. "Alright, you're forgiven." not even a moment after, he snapped his fingers at her direction. "Oh, music! What kind of music do you like?"

"Anything, really."

That seemed to pique his interest. He looked around before leaning his head to the side, raising one eyebrow. "Country?"

(Y/N) almost giggled at his actions. "Yes, I do like it."

He straightened his position, winking at her. "Just you wait for the Julie and The Phantoms' country album."

She stared at him, a questioning look in her eyes. "You guys are gonna have a country album?"

Reggie shrugged, seeming to be pretty chill about the idea. "Yeah, I'm sure I'm going to convince Luke at some point."

(Y/N) tried not to laugh at his words. Of course, she could imagine Julie doing country songs, but from all the things she'd heard, she couldn't picture the Luke doing that. She wasn't too sure about Alex, though - she still needed a bit more information on him to form an opinion.

Suddenly, a thought came to (Y/N)'s mind. "Alright, buckle up!" she left her bed to get her laptop, an excited smile widening on her face. "I'm gonna show you the best country hits of the last two decades."

Just as she was, Reggie seemed enthusiastic about the idea. It was crazy to think that she was chatting and sitting right next to a ghost, but, after all, he was the ghost of a musician. The least she could do was to catch him up on the best songs he'd missed.

They didn't stay much focused in music content, as one of the recommendations caught Reggie's eyes. It was a silly little video of a cat dressed up for Christmas. And that led to another one of a hamster doing a backflip, which took them to a cute video of puppies just having fun at a daycare. The ghost boy seemed to be having a blast watching all of it.

The problem with the internet is that sometimes you don't intend to spend so much time on it, but when you notice, you've already been there for 5 hours. (Y/N) and Reggie were so entertained scrolling through YouTube, laughing and commenting on the funniest videos, that they didn't even notice how long they'd been doing that.

It was only when (Y/N)'s eyes accidentally found their way to the clock that she saw how late it already was, noticing they had spent the entire day in her room. (Y/N) glanced at her window, being met by the sunset.

"Man." her eyes moved back to Reggie, that seemed to had had the same realization as her. "Do you think the guys are freaking out looking for you?"

Reggie's eyes were slightly wide. "I don't usually stay out that long."

Out of all of them, he was the one that didn't go out as much as the others. He'd rather stay at Julie's, either talking to Ray or messing with Carlos’ technology thingies, searching for cool rock content. And, whenever he actually went out on his own, he'd make sure not to go back so late. That afternoon was really atypical for him.

(Y/N) stood up from the bed hesitantly, not really feeling like saying goodbye to the boy, but feeling bad for having kept him there all day. "C'mon, I'll walk you to the door."

Although he knew that he could easily teleport back to the studio, Reggie once again decided against it, getting up from his place. He had a small grin on his face as (Y/N) opened her room's door, keeping it like that after walking out so Reg could do the same.

As he followed her down the hallway, he felt his heart getting heavy. It seemed like something was trying to tell him to stay, even if for just a bit more. Thankfully, they didn't get too close to the front door after walking down the stairs.

"(Y/N)!" a voice caught their attention, both of them turning to the source of it. "We were about to call on you, dinner is almost ready. Your father is making your favorite tonight!"

A woman, the same one from those family pictures, was sitting by the table in the room next to where they were. Reggie took a few steps closer to it, wanting to take a look at the rest of the house. From there, he could see another door; he assumed that it would take him to the kitchen as he saw (Y/N)’s dad leaving through it.

"Oh okay, I'm just going to-" she montioned to the front door. "Julie is coming to give me-" she locked eyes with the boy, who seemed amused by her sudden flustrated state. "Something."

Her mom raised her an eyebrow at that, before chuckling. "Don't take long."

"I won't." she nodded to the door, expecting Reggie to follow her.

He did take a few steps in her direction, looking at her parents once again. A content expression on his face. "They seem nice."

She smiled, almost saying something back when her dad’s voice found her ears. "We heard you talking quite a lot today." it didn’t seem like an accusation, he was asking out of curiosity. "Was it Julie on the phone?"

"Oh no, I was-" (Y/N) looked at the bassist, grinning a bit to herself. "In a video call with one of her friends, actually." both of her parents looked at her with interest, as did Reggie. He acknowledged that he was feeling way too giddy that she didn’t lie about spending time with him - that she did not erase him from her day. "You know, from the band she's in?”

"The Swedes?" the woman asked, having heard her daughter commenting about it after the spirit rally. "International friends, I like that!"

Her dad fiddled with his apron. "Aren't they boys, though?"

Reggie quickly turned to the man. "Oh, don't worry, I'm nice." he tried to assure him, looking at (Y/N) for backup. "Aren't I?"

(Y/N) couldn’t help but smile at the exchange, nodding. "No need to worry, Reggie is quite something.” she turned her gaze to her parents once again. “In a very good way, he’s very nice."

The adults shared a knowing look, her dad letting a smirk widen on his face. “Well, if you say that Reggie is nice...” her mom tried to contain her laugh as he winked at her. “Then Reggie must be nice.” he laughed before going back to the kitchen, not noticing his daughter’s glare on him.

The woman shook her head in amusement, motioning at the young girl. "You’re free to go."

(Y/N) sighed in relief, not hesitating to rush to the front door. "Be right back!"

"Bye!" Reggie waved at them before following her closely. Once again, the girl kept the door open, waiting for him to pass so she could close it behind her. "I like your parents."

She chuckled, feeling a bit embarrassed. However, the boy didn’t seem to mind anything that they’d said. "I'm glad." she stopped at her gate, standing in front of him. "It was really fun having you around."

"It was fun being around." thankfulness was clear in his eyes. "Thanks for letting me stay here."

"You can come back whenever you feel like it." (Y/N) was right. Reggie was great company. Questionable? Yes. A sweetheart? Totally. "I know that you like hanging out with Ray, but if you ever feel like you want to talk to someone that can, you know, see you, you know where I live."

"That's so exciting!" his enthusiasm was enough to get to her, bright matching smiles growing on their faces. Their eyes were locked on each other as Reggie took a few steps back. "See you soon?"

She nodded gently. "See you."

That grin on his face before he poofed out stayed on her mind through the rest of the night. And for the most part of the next day too. It was hard to forget it, to forget his presence, specially since Julie came to ask her about it, having heard Reggie’s full report on how it had been to spend time with her. Of course that neither she or Flynn let (Y/N) live it down for the remain of the week.

Fortunately, the boy took (Y/N)’s offer into account. In the beginning of the next week, after she came back from school, she heard a knock on the front door. The girl was in the living room, so she saw when her father opened it and Reggie was on the other side, giving her a small wave.

She waited her dad to leave the room to open the door once more, facing the bewildered boy. “He closed it right in my face!”

It kind of became a routine between them. When they weren’t hanging out with their friends, Reggie would most likely come over to spend time with her. Sometimes she would come back from school and find him already sitting down on the sidewalk in front of her house - according to him, it didn’t feel right to be there without her.

“Boundaries.” he would say.

They were quick to find a friend in each other. It was just easy to keep the conversation going between them. They could talk about anything that came into their minds, not mattering how silly or stupid it sounded. Sometimes they would play games, or just listen to music. (Y/N) was also willing to listen to any new song that he’d put together, being happy that he felt comfortable enough to share them with her.

Movie marathons became a common thing for them too. After all, Reggie had twenty five years of amazing movies that he hadn’t seen. They were starting with all of her favorites - the boy would always pay attention to them, taking a bit of each and every thing she showed him to his heart.

Reggie loved staying over for dinner. (Y/N) had asked if it wasn’t a bit torturing for him to see her family eat and not being able to do the same, but he didn’t mind it. He liked seeing them interact with each other and trying to do the same. (Y/N) made sure to throw some of his comments to the conversation so he could actually feel like they were talking to him, and for that he was thankful.

There was this another thing that turned into a routine for them too. Something that they kept to themselves, never mentioning it for their friends.

The first time it happened, it was an accident.

Reggie had stayed for dinner once again, really enjoying the healthy and loving environment that (Y/N)'s house held. They went straight to her bedroom afterwards, thinking it was a good idea to watch something together before they had to say their goodbyes for the night. It was cold outside, meaning that the girl was wearing a fair amount of clothes to keep her warm - and being there, watching a movie, liying on her bed right beside Reggie, it was just too comfortable.

The teenager ghost noticed the room was way quieter than it used to be when they were watching something, missing the comments that (Y/N) would throw in here and there to start a conversation or make him laugh. It was then that he noticed her closed eyes and peaceful expression.

"(Y/N)?" he asked in a very low voice, just making sure that she was in fact asleep, but not wanting to wake her up. The girl didn't move, not giving him any indication that she had heard what he'd said.

Reg got up from her bed quietly, trying his best not to make a sound while he moved around her room. He headed toward the TV first, turning it off - he made sure to memorize in what scene they'd stopped so they could continue from there on later.

As he turned to the bed, Reggie pondered on what he should do as he saw that (Y/N) was lying on her covers. If he tried to take it from there, she would most likely wake up. The night was cold and, even though she was wearing warm clothes, his mind kept telling him he couldn't leave her like that. He asked himself if he should look for something in her wardrobe, but it sounded like invading her privacy. Julie was always talking about boundaries and opening (Y/N)'s wardrobe without her consent did feel like overstepping it.

The boy looked around the room, searching for something that could be warm enough to get her through the night. It was when he saw a coat hanging on her chair. That would have to do. Reg was quick to take it from there, carefully placing it around (Y/N)'s upper half. It seemed cozy - he couldn't help smiling a little at that.

He went to his last stop, turning off the light. He hoped that, if she woke up during the night, she wouldn't be startled at the sudden darkness in her room. Reggie looked around once again before poofing out of there.

(Y/N) brought that up the next time they hanged out. She seemed a bit embarrassed that she'd fallen asleep while they were together, but Reggie assured her it was fine. And he was more than happy when she thanked him for making sure she was comfortable before leaving.

The second time that happened, however, wasn't accidental at all.

Reggie had stayed a bit longer than usual and, being in a similar scenario as they were lying on her bed watching videos on YouTube, (Y/N) could feel her eyes getting heavier by the minute. This time, unlike the first one, Reg noticed it before she could actually fall asleep.

He sat up, grinning as he saw (Y/N) trying to keep her eyes open to look at him but failing at it. "I'll come tomorrow after practice, okay?"

(Y/N) nodded at the question, but tried to reach for him, seemingly forgetting that she couldn't touch him. "Can you stay? Just a bit more?" she brought her hands back to her side, letting her eyes rest as she finally accepted that they were too stubborn to stay open. "Until I fall asleep."

(Y/N) missed how Reggie's grin turned into a soft smile as he heard her words. She did feel some shifting on the bed, assuming that he went back to his original position beside her.

"Good night, (Y/N)." she felt her lips slightly turning upwards at his whispered words.

"Night, Reg."

Those situations became quite frequent after that. It usually happened whenever one of them had a bad day - they would stay there at her bed talking to each other or watching something until she fell asleep. As soon as that happened, Reg would poof out to Julie's garage to meet the boys.

(Y/N) never mentioned it, but it was disappointing to wake up and not see him at her side. Surely that she didn't know that Reggie never stayed because he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. As a ghost and not being able to sleep, it would be a bit weird to just stay there for hours not knowing what to do.

Everything considered, things were apparently going great for both of them. Well, for a while, at least. It didn’t take long till those eventual jolts that Reggie decided not to tell her about got worse and their reason was made known.

Julie was the one to tell (Y/N) about that whole issue with Caleb. The Molina girl was rightfully upset, but Reg wished he could had been the one to tell (Y/N) about everything when they noticed they’d ran out of options. It pained him to see the hurtful look in her eyes when she saw him again. Obviously, he did understand why his friend was so troubled by the news, just as she seemed empathetic to his situation.

They did have a long conversation that night. He told her about everything - about the Hollywood Ghost Club, about Caleb, the stamps, the jolts and, most importantly, how they would get to cross over after they were done with their unfinished business.

Upon the realization that they wouldn't see each other again after their so dreamed show at the Orpheum, Reggie and (Y/N) couldn’t help but to feel distressed. Neither of them had to ask the other for him to stay the night at her house - it was mutual that they wanted to be together for the last time.

It was a confusing feeling. Like previous times, it brought comfort to them being there for each other, but there was also a touch of agony in that sensation. Knowing that there wouldn’t be an another night for them didn’t help to calm their hearts.

Reggie was laying by her side like usual, the two facing the other as they had their eyes closed. The ghost boy did it out of habit, even though he knew he wouldn’t fall asleep. Noticing that the girl hadn’t said anything in a while, Reg opened one of his eyes, peeking at her. It was way past midnight and, in a normal occasion, he knew that she’d already be out.

"(Y/N)?" he whispered, wanting to make sure that she wasn't awake anymore.

However, (Y/N) shifted a bit closer to him at hearing his voice, groggily saying "Not sleeping yet.". She was trying her best to stay awake, not wanting to miss a minute of being conciously near Reggie. (Y/N) knew that, if she could, she would stay talking to him during that whole night. The girl didn’t want to have any regrets after his crossing.

He noticed her hand reaching for him, something that she did quite often when she was too tired. Reg inched his hand closer, letting it brush against hers. A small smile made its way to (Y/N)'s face as that weird sensation could be felt - the one she would get any time they touched in their own way.

The ghost and the girl stayed like that for a few more minutes as silent took over the room. The boy, who was trying to keep himself busy by looking at their “touching” hands, moved his eyes to her face. Reggie knew that he could be naive at times, but his mind worked pretty quickly when it came to (Y/N). For him, it wasn't hard to connect the dots, to realize that he had finally stumbled on that one person he'd longed to meet.

It was intriguing the fact that, apart from Julie, she was the only one that could see him when he wasn't performing. And that Reg was the only ghost that she could see. It was noticeable how comfortable they felt around each other, how things between them just worked. There had always been something pulling them to each other - it was very subtle, but started the moment he winked at her for the first time. Reginald was one hundred percent certain that girl was his soulmate.

He knew it. However, he couldn't prove it.

No matter how many times he tried, ghosts just couldn't touch lifers. It made his heart ache to think that he would never get that tingly feeling Alex said that went throughout his whole body when Willie fell onto him when they met; that electric sensation that made him aware that he'd found his person, that feeling that he still felt whenever he touched his soulmate. It broke him a bit to know that (Y/N) would also be deprived of that.

When he was alive, Reggie used to think a lot about soulmates - he could imagine them coming to his gigs and cheering in the audience, the only person he'd ever need to cheer for him. He longed for being able to spend time with them, taking them out on dates or just stay at their house talking about anything, everything. He hoped for someone caring and kind, someone that would care about him and his problems without him having to ask for that. Reg just wanted to hold their hands the entire time to remind him that they were there and wouldn't leave.

Upon seeing Alex meeting Willie, even after death, Reggie dared to hope a little. That's when he started to spend more time with (Y/N) and, when he figured out that she could be his soulmate, it was like heaven on Earth.

He still felt like that whenever she was around, even though Reggie knew that wasn't a normal soulmate situation - that neither of them would get a standard experience like other people and ghosts did. It bummed him a bit, of course, but the awesomeness of having met (Y/N) overcame anything. He was just thankful that he was there for her as much as she was for him for the time they had.

Reg had thought about telling her of his suspicions. No. About what he was certain of. It never felt like the right moment, though. Now, it just didn’t feel like it was fair to tell her about it and then rip her soulmate right out of her reach soon after. She deserved better than that. In his eyes, (Y/N) deserved every good thing. He wished she could have the best in her life, even if he wasn’t the one giving that to her.

"(Y/N)?" Reggie called her quietly after some more minutes of silence.

She didn't have any kind of reaction that time, though. It pained him the idea of leaving her - he knew that he would see her at the Orpheum for his last performance, but that was their last time by themselves. Reggie allowed himself to smile softly as he sat up on the bed, glad that (Y/N) seemed so peaceful in her sleep.

Soulmates didn’t have to be romantic, he knew that. However, there was no doubt that he loved that girl in every way he could. As a best friend, as a lover. Maybe they could had been more if their situation was a different one; if they'd met back in 1995, or if he were a 2000's kid. It could had happened, but it didn't.

With one last look at her direction, Reggie left.

(Y/N) woke up with the spot next to her empty. She was used to it, but it felt different. Her heart ached at the thought of Reggie, it was as if she could still feel his ghost touch on her hand. She was going to miss it, she was going to miss him.

The girl told herself not to cry that morning. She knew they were still going to see each other that night, that she had to be strong enough to go through it. It didn't help that the boys gave everyone quite the scare by being late. (Y/N) didn't know what had happened, but it did lead Julie and her to a breakdown minutes before their performance.

(Y/N) could never put in words how much she admired Julie Molina. When that girl went to the stage, her face still swollen because of the tears, (Y/N) felt chills all over her body.

Those chills didn't stop, as the boys appeared one by one to play with Julie. She could had cried the second that Reggie showed up on that place, playing his bass with his whole heart. (Y/N) felt a hand squeezing hers, turning to see Flynn smiling at her just as emotional as she was. It was so great to see them all singing together, even if it was for the last time. It was epic.

Her heart felt heavy when the song ended, the band standing side by side in the front part of the stage. Before they bowed, (Y/N)'s eyes met Reggie's as he turned his face slightly to her. She could see the mix of emotions on it, it was a bittersweet moment. The girl couldn't help but smile at him as he grinned back at her. And, just as the first they'd seen each other, he winked at her.

In the next moment, however, as he curved with the others, he was gone.

(Y/N) didn't cry at the Orpheum. She made sure to be strong enough to support Julie, who must had been feeling just as broken as she was. She didn't cry when she got home with her parents. They still had the time to spend a few minutes in the living room together before they went to bed, leaving the girl alone with some really cliche movie playing on the TV.

That was when the tears finally got out. (Y/N) tried her best to be quiet, not wanting to be questioned by her mom and dad. She wasn't even sure what she would tell them if they caught her like that.

It hurt, it hurt a lot.

Was it silly? To cry over a ghost?

(Y/N) didn't think so, specially when she felt about him the way she did. It wasn't hard to see the connection between them, something that Julie and Flynn often pointed out to her. They were right, she was deeply attached to him. Reggie had managed to become a close friend, a confidant, in just a few weeks. It was hard not to let him into her life, they just clicked as soon as they started to hang out.

Some of the feelings she had for him weren't just friendly, (Y/N) knew that. She tried not to pay attention to them as much as she could. It never worked that well, though. As the tears streamed down her face, the girl was certain she wasn't just mourning the loss of a close friend - she was suffering from the loss of a first love.

It wasn't silly, it was real.

(Y/N) took a deep shaky breath, trying to get control over herself again. Some of the tears still insisted to get out, but she did her best at wiping them. She had to take comfort in knowing that Reggie was in a better place now, that he didn't have to worry about Caleb anymore.

While she tried to convince herself of that, the teenage girl heard a tap on the window. Her breathing stopped for a moment before realization hit her.

It was him standing at the other side.

She shook her head slightly, frowning in confusion. "What are you-"

Reggie pointed to the door, motioning for her to meet him there. (Y/N) didn't know what she was doing. To be honest, she wasn't even sure that she was awake. Maybe, she had cried herself to sleep and that was just a cruel dream. Cruel, because it was something she wanted.

However, when she opened the door, the girl was sure it wasn't just in her head. Right in front of her stood Reginald Peters. He was still wearing those same clothes from the show, his eyes were a bit red and swollen - he'd clearly been crying.

"Hey, (Y/N)." a small smile, that smile she'd seen on his face every time they met, widened on his face.

"What are you doing here?" she shook her head, not entirely understanding what was going on. "Didn't you cross over? I thought-"

"That's a long story." he interrupted her, fidgeting with his fingers. "Orpheum wasn't our unfinished business."

"It wasn't?" (Y/N) frowned. "Oh my God, are you going to-?" her hand went straight to her mouth as she felt the tears coming back to her eyes. "You came to say goodbye."

"Quite the opposite, really." Reggie chuckled, trying to get the girl to calm down. "Like I said, it's a long story. I don't think I understand half of it."

She studied his face. "Is there a part in this story that you say that you're staying here?" (Y/N) dared to ask him, her voice sounding more hopeful than she intended.

It was like a weight being taken from her shoulders when he nodded. "Something happened back at Julie's, we're not sure what, but-" the mix of emotions were back to his face; he certainly seemed relieve and happy, but there was also something like fear and hesitation in his eyes. "I had to come see you."

(Y/N) was thankful for that, truly. She was glad that he didn't wait to see her in the morning. It brought such comfort to her soul to see him there, to see him okay.

"Thanks for letting me know that you're not dead." he raised an eyebrow at that. "I mean-" her heart skipped a beat at the sound of his laugh as he clearly found her confusion a bit amusing. "That you haven't left."

He bowed slightly. "You're very welcome, beautiful lady."

(Y/N) shook her head as a smile showed up on her lips for the first time after the concert, not being able to take her eyes away from his. The glint of hesitation in Reggie's gaze grew strong and clear at the eye contact. She would've asked about it if he hadn't popped up a question right after.

"Can I try something?" Reg reached his arms toward her, his palms turned up, motioning her to take his hands. "Is that weird?"

(Y/N) furrowed her brow, curious to what he was trying to do. It felt like the day she saw him in Julie's studio for the first time, when Flynn basically offered Reggie's arm for her to touch. This time, however, he was the one inviting her to touch him.

"It's fine." she assured him before stepping closer and reaching back to him.

Surprisingly for her, when (Y/N)'s hands touched his, they didn't go through like they used to. She actually touched his skin.

It was the weirdest yet the best feeling she'd ever felt in her life. It was like a wave of energy starting from the place they were touching and passing through every inch of her body. (Y/N) could feel Reggie's hold getting tighter as the sensation grew even more, making her hands, the epicenter of that feeling, tingle.

"I knew it." Reg's whisper was what brought her back to the moment.

Everything started to make sense to (Y/N). The connection from the second they'd locked eyes with each other. Those growing feelings, those shared emotions. The soulmate bond. She didn't exactly know before that; she wasn't as sure of it as he was, but (Y/N) knew that was something different about him. About them.

As her gaze went from their holding-hands to his face, (Y/N) saw Reggie's eyes already on her. Her heart ached at seeing a few tears streaming down his face, so softly that he didn't even seem to have noticed that.

(Y/N)'s hands left his, slowly making their way up to his face, cupping his cheeks. Reg closed his eyes, leaning into her hands. It was only when the girl ran her fingers on his face to wipe the tears away that he noticed he was crying.

He opened his eyes, trying to get himself to stop. "I'm sorry." his voice cracked slightly. And that was it for (Y/N).

There was no moment of hesitation before she pulled Reggie into a hug, bringing him as close as she could. She felt herself melting into his touch, welcoming the warm feeling that made her whole body tingle this time as he wrapped his arms around her.

That was the right move for both of them. After being around each other for so long without being able to do that, holding each other was just what they needed. (Y/N) stroked the back of Reggie’s hair with one hand as the other still firmly clung to his back.

"Can you stay for the night?" she asked quietly, feeling her neck tingling as the boy buried his face in it. "I don't think I can let go of you so soon."

Reggie squeezed her in his arms before taking one step back, not entirely pulling away from the hug. She could only feel love and fondness as a bashful smile appeared on his face, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

"Can I hold your hand while we go upstairs?"

With that question, (Y/N) knew that he wasn’t ready to let go just like her. They were soulmates, finally in each other’s arms. As friends, as whatever they wanted them to be.

Feeling his warmth against her skin, the girl let her hands wander back to his, holding them tightly. "You don't even have to ask."

MASTERLIST

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malarki · 3 years ago

Text

Harry Potter FanFiction I greatly enjoy (it’s just tomarry and sevitus)

Fair warning, I’m not good at describing stuff, and most of these are not complete (yet) but if you have similar tastes as I do then you’ll definitely like these stories.

Meddling of a Mischief Maker - by Athy

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5380535/chapters/12427268

I enjoy this fic because it shows a more human Voldemort with him still being an asshole as per usual. They do a good job of having Voldemort believably change into a not crazy murderous bastard haha. It also has Sirius interacting with Voldemort and for some reason I find those scenes hilarious in any fic I read.

“Harry's being a horcrux is a bit reworked here in this AU Story set during the summer after 5th year. A Mischief Maker intervenes in the Ministry during Voldemort and Dumbledore's duel, changing the course history. MorallyGrey!Dumbledore, Sirius, Restored Souls, HP/TR”

Draw Me After You (Let Us Run) - by ToAStranger @toast-ranger-to-a-stranger

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22327684/chapters/53334382

This story is a delight, it’s tone is very good and they do a great job of writing in the characters ‘voices’ for their pov’s. I especially like the posh way Voldemort talks and acts. This story is also hilarious on top of just being a very good slowburn, AND it has Sirius, which as you might have guessed, I love dearly. They also don’t bash any of the characters, and instead make them well rounded but flawed individuals, which I really appreciate.

“Harry Potter,” comes the soft, sibilant hiss of a voice he has heard in his dreams, in his nightmares, in his waking hours for years.

Slowly, carefully, Harry twists over and pushes up onto his hands and knees. He stays there, short breath fogging in front of his face, and his pursuer lets him. Harry has no doubt of that; he’s being allowed this respite. This small moment to catch his bearings, heart pounding in his ears, blood singing.

“It seems I have finally caught you.”

Consuming Shadows - by Child_OTKW @childotkw

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7040089/chapters/16011331

I’ve read two of childOTKW’s fics and both of them are fantastically written and attention grabbing stories. This one was the first one I read, and it has a very interesting take on lily Potter (one which I really enjoy) and the plot can leave you on the edge of your seat at times. The characterization is great, and the process of Harry and Tom getting to know each other is done very well.

“His attention skipped passed the students and moved to the politicians’ pavilion. His gaze locked with crimson, and he nearly faltered under the sheer hunger in those eyes.

It unnerved him how fixated the man was on his dirtied, exhausted figure.

But what troubled him more was the slight smirk he could make out on the man’s lips. It was almost pleased.

On the night of the attack, Lily managed to escape with her infant son, but at the cost of her husband’s life. Distraught and distrusting of her friends, she fled to France with Harry, to raise him away from the corruption in Britain and the rising influence of the Dark Lord. She trains him to the best of her abilities, shaping him into a dangerous, intelligent and powerful wizard.

But when Britain re-establishes the Triwizard Tournament, and Harry is forced to return to his once-home, he finds himself questioning whether he really wants to kill the Dark Lord. Voldemort finds an unexpected challenge in the child, and as his intrigue and amusement grows, so too does the desire to possess the spark in those defiant green eyes.”

A story that is kind of similar but not really: The Train to Nowhere

You Belong To Me (I Belong To You) - by child_OTKW

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11270490/chapters/25203408

This is a story inspired by the manwha ‘At The End Of The Road’ by Haribo. A comic I read before reading this, which is very good I recommend it. They do not take the exact plot from the comic though, obviously changing significant details for it to work properly as a Tomarry Fic, but one main thing stays the same, which is that this is a body swap. Honestly I really enjoy childOTKW’s works, and this is no exception. The characterization is wonderful as always, and Harry is Fantastic. Plus I’ve always been a fan of time travel fics. (Fair warning this is another slow burn and Harry centric)

“What I find absolutely fascinating,” Riddle said, stalking closer, “is you.” He marched forward, backing Harry up until he was pinned to the cool wall of the common room. “Do you know why?”

“No. And I’ll be honest here, Riddle, I don’t particularly care.”

The taller boy grinned at him, small yet infinitely pleased. “That. Right there.” One hand rose and brushed some of Harry’s fringe from his face. “Nathan Ciro was a spineless little boy too afraid of his own shadow to dare even glance in my direction. But you…”

He leaned closer, “You look at me like you want to stab me.”

“After an accident, Auror Harry Potter wakes up in the body of fourteen year old Nathan Ciro, a tormented Slytherin who recently tried to end his own life. Seeking answers to his strange predicament, Harry returns to Hogwarts, and causes quite the stir through staff and students - especially when they come to realise he is not the same boy as before.

He tries to avoid suspicion, but as his quest for the truth draws more and more attention to him, Harry begins to think that he might not like what he will discover.”

Some Bonus AU tomarry

A Thousand Paths Among The Stars - by Haplessshippo @haplesshippo

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12015060/chapters/27191238

This is a star trek au and it’s honestly my favorite tomarry au fic. Granted, I am a huge sci-fi fan. There’s also a bit of a twist at the end, or at least it surprised me, due to the way we usually expect tomarry plots to go.

“Harry Potter, newly appointed Captain of the Marauder and son of the famous Captain James Potter, was falling apart at the seams. His crew didn’t respect him, he was lost in the empty expanse of space, nightmares plagued his sleep, and his Commander deserved the Captain position more than he did. Good thing multiple attempts on his life and a vicious warlord after his head was all it took to turn it all around.

Alternatively, that space fic in which Harry Potter almost dies too many times, Tom Riddle slowly becomes the most smitten fool on the ship, and the rest of the crew are all just a bunch of assholes with popcorn watching the show. And exploding ships, don't forget the exploding ships.”

The Matchmaker - by TanninTele

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16507676/chapters/38664089

I am ALSO a huge true crime fan, and this story has a criminal that kinda reminds me of one that might appear in Hannibal (but with less murder). I enjoy the characterization, though tom is pretty tame in this compared to more cannon fics, considering he’s not the criminal and instead an investigator. Harry is also different from how people usually portray him, but I still like it.

“'The Matchmaker' is a serial abductor whose modus operandi consists of pairing two same-sex individuals together in a coffin, six feet underground - buried alive. He isn't a killer. He's a kidnapper with morals, and Detective Chief Inspector Tom Riddle finds himself obsessed with solving the case.

Unfortunately for Tom, the Matchmaker is just as intent on knowing him.”

And on to the Sevitus Stories

Far Beyond A Promise Kept - by oliversnape

https://archiveofourown.org/works/547431/chapters/974693

A classic, Harry stays with snape and unintentionally proves all his assumptions wrong and makes snape care about him. Both the stories have this aspect, but this one has snape a bit nicer from the get go. Probably because it takes place during the third book, so they’ve only known each other two years. It’s quite wholesome though, and I rather enjoy the progression of their relationship.

“Snape never wanted anyone to know of his promise to Dumbledore, but has realised that he can protect Potter much better by taking a less passive role in the boy's training. Actually liking Harry Potter has never been part of his plan. mentor/guardian.”

Crime And Punishment - by melolcatsi

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24102232/chapters/58018174

Snape and Harry have way more of a rocky start in this one, and Snape having to pick Harry up from the police station Really Doesn’t Help Snape’s opinion of him. This story very realistically shows the progression of their relationship, going from enemies to family, and near the ‘end’ (it’s not finished) it becomes very wholesome with Snape trying to help Harry with his mental and physical health after years of abuse/ neglect.

“Harry is accused of burglary. The Dursleys leave him to rot. Dumbledore sends Snape to remedy the situation. Harry finds himself in the care of an irate Snape. Not slash, gen-fic w/ focus on Sevitus relationship. Angst galore. Warnings: coarse and suggestive language, mentions of abuse/neglect. Un-betaed and un-Britpicked.”

#tomarry #tom riddle #harry potter #sevitus #severus snape #fanfic #fanfic reccomendation #ao3 fanfic #ao3 #archive of our own #tom riddle x harry potter

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rainydaydream-gal18 · 4 years ago

Text

(The Bad Batch) Tech x Reader: Pause - PART 2

(Set during episode 3 “Replacements”)

SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 3 below if you haven’t seen it yet!

Note: I had multiple people ask for a second part to the first one, and I had so much fun writing it, so here we are! This had me swooning at 8 in the morning while I was writing up the end! I really hope you enjoy!

Link to Part 1 (set during episode 2)

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

“I should’ve gone with them,” you muttered to yourself, staring through the viewport of the ship into the darkness outside. “Omega is so young. She really shouldn’t have gone in the first place.”

“Hunter will look after her,” Tech spoke up as he welded a few parts of the ship together at one of the main consoles. He didn’t take his eyes off the project in front of him, only spoke over his shoulder. It gave you room to admire his profile for a moment while he so diligently worked.

“You’re right,” you sighed. “But still, I can’t help but worry. Please give me something to do so I don’t drive myself crazy thinking about it.”

Echo chuckled as he worked on a separate console on the other side of the cockpit, nodding you over. “You could hold these sheets of metal while I screw them back into place.”

“Yes, sir.” You clambered past the assorted parts and pieces that littered the space, catching your foot on a particularly heavy chunk of metal. It made your eyes water. “Okay, ow.”

“Are you alright?” Tech actually paused his endeavor and pulled his helmet up to glance your way.

“Yeah,” you replied, shaking off the pain. “I just tripped on this thing.”

“Be careful.”

“No worries, I’ll try not to break any of the parts.”

“The parts weren’t what I was concerned about.”

Your gaze found his for a split second before he lowered his helmet back on and resumed welding. Rather than dwell on it too much, you turned your attention back to Echo and took hold of the metal sheets so he could screw them into place properly. Wrecker was causing a bit of a commotion in the back of the ship, most likely putting together the room he announced he was going to make for Omega after she and Hunter had departed. You were touched by his gesture and listened with amusement to the sounds of stuff being dragged around and dropped back there.

“Hey, _________!” he called. “Could you give me a hand with something?”

You exchanged looks with Echo who had finished replacing all the sheet metal on his side by now. He gave you a nod, letting you know he could spare you for a minute.

“I’ll be right back,” you told him. You headed down the hall to see Wrecker holding a strand of lights in his hand with the other hand ghosting over the spot where he hit his head during the crash. “What’s up?”

“Can you hold this end of the strand? While I hand the other side?”

You smiled. “Sure. You know, this is really nice of you. Omega is going to love it.”

“You think?”

“I know it, Wrecker.” The two of you exchanged grins before setting to work on hanging the lights. Wrecker paused when he reached the end of the strand, and you were struggling to hold it up so high. “Uh, what’s the hold up?”

“I took too many hooks,” he said.

“Oh,” you nodded. “Well here, you hang the last part, and I’ll put the rest of the hooks away.” He dropped the set of hooks into your palm, and you made your way to a compartment where the squad kept miscellaneous supplies. On your way through the doorway, you encountered a figure on its way out.

The first thing you registered was Tech’s eyes widening slightly in surprise as the two of you ended up squeezed in the small space together, nearly chest-to-chest.

“Sorry, ________.”

“No, it’s my bad,” you insisted. “I didn’t look before going in.”

“Well, I didn’t look before going out.”

Meanwhile, neither of you had moved from the spot. His close proximity sent your heart racing as he gazed down at you, close enough that you could lean in a few inches and kiss him if you wanted- which you did want, of course. Did he?

“Everything going okay up there?” you asked.

“Yes, most of the individual parts repairs are complete. “All we need now is that capacitor.”

“That’s good news.” Your face fell a little. “I just hope Hunter and Omega both make it back alright.”

His gaze was so sincere as he responded, “they will." The hand he had just rested on your shoulder twitched as he hesitantly pulled it away. “We, ah, never had a chance to talk on Saleucami.”

You nodded. “Yeah, things have been a little crazy. What was it you wanted to talk about?”

“I recall we both had something to speak to the other about.”

You suddenly felt bashful and tore your eyes from his and let them fall to the floor. “Well, you first.”

He went quiet for a moment. “Alright.” He inhaled deeply as if gathering the nerve. “I wanted to speak with you because over the course of our missions together, I’ve developed feelings-”

“_________!” Wrecker called, his thudding footsteps nearing the closet.

Tech clamped his mouth shut while you replied before he reached the closet.

“Yeah, Wrecker?”

“Omega’s room is done! Wanna’ see?”

“Oh, awesome! I’ll be there in a minute!”

His footsteps faded down the hall again, and you glanced back at Tech with a chuckle. He adjusted his goggles, a small smile on his face at the amusement of the situation. You were convinced that he was about to say what you really, really wanted to hear.

“Anyway, as I was saying,” he continued. “I’ve developed feelings for you, _________. It’s never happened before, and I only know from what I’ve read that the proper thing for me to do would be to tell you and to ask to court you, if you wish to do so.”

Your heart was fluttering, eyes were watering, and the smile on your face grew even wider. “Tech, I feel the same way,” you told him. “I know this situation we’re in as a squad isn’t conventional, but I do have feelings for you and would love to ‘court.’” The last word broke off into another giddy laugh. You only had to move forward a few inches to wrap your arms around his form in an embrace. It wasn’t super comfortable with his armor on, but it felt right when you pressed your cheek against his chest plate, and you felt his chin on your head. The two of you stood there squeezing each other for a minute or so and listened to the quiet breaths that filled the air. Then, you pulled your head away to angle your face up towards his, and he accepted the invitation. His eyes fell closed as he kissed your lips. It was warm and a sort of relief washed over you as your hands traveled up to grip his shoulders while his pulled you in tighter. He was still a little rigid at first, but as soon your lips moved against his he responded.

Your back fell against the cool metal wall as his lips chased yours.

“Ah, sorry,” he murmured. You bit your lip and smiled, leaning in for another kiss.

“It’s okay,” you assured him. “Didn’t bother me.”

The moment was beautifully awkward as he pulled away to stare at you like he had many times before. The pause went on longer than you expected, so you finally spoke again in a humorous tone.

“What?”

“I’m just admiring your beauty,” he said, reaching up to run his thumb down from your forehead to the tip of your nose, a small gesture that made you smile again. “So many times I wanted to have this moment.”

“Well, now it’s here.” Then, your brows went up. “Oh, I need to go see Omega’s room. I told Wrecker I’d be there in a minute.”

Tech was hesitant to let you go, but he seemed to understand. He most likely also wasn’t up for a situation where Wrecker would come looking for you and see the two of you in the supply closet. Even if he didn’t see any lips making contact, the jokes would go on and on for the rest of the time on this moon. Neither of you were entirely up for it. You’d let the rest of the squad know about your new relationship when the time was right, though Hunter might pick up on it before then. He was pretty observant.

“I’ll go with you,” Tech said. “Wrecker will want me to see the room anyway.”

“Okay,” you nodded.

“Ladies first.” He gestured to the small doorway, and you grinned. You took his hand and headed out the door first, him following behind. Neither of you let go until you neared the room where Wrecker was showing Echo already.

“There you two are!” Wrecker said. “Check it out!” He gestured to the room past the lifted curtain to show the space he had made for Omega, and you gushed at how great it looked while he stood there proudly. The lights shone in your eyes and reflected off Tech’s goggles beside you.

There had been some rough times behind you, and there were sure to be more ahead. The galaxy was in disarray while this new Empire claimed it was order. The squad had lost one member. Everyone missed Crosshair, but there was hope of bringing him back.

This moment felt like another pause from all of that. It was a day of new beginnings.

#bad batch tech x reader #tech x reader #the bad batch x reader #bad batch reader insert #tech reader insert #tech x you #bad batch tech x you #the bad batch imagine #the bad batch fanfiction #tech fanfiction #the bad batch tech fanfiction #star wars the bad batch reader insert #star wars the bad batch x reader

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kaz11283 · 4 years ago

Text

The Shape of You

Summary: While at one of Tonys top end parties the god of mischief asks you to dance to your suprise. You didn't think he was the type to dance muchless to the song that he decided to ask you to dsnce to.

Characters: Loki, Thor, Tony, Natalie, Wanda, Clint, Steve

Pairings: you x Loki, you x Thor (platonic), you x Tony (Brother, sister)

ANNOUNCMENTS: I got this idea while listening to "Shape of You", then I really started getting into the story everytime that I listened to it (which was a lot). Ive had this on my head for a while now but i had to finish up I think I'm in love and part 2. I also got 200 followers today, next is 300, lets get this! BTW I know that this is a GIF from High Rise but it gives you a PRETTY good iead whats going on. 💚💚💚

Loki Masterlist

"Why do you insist on bringing me to the boring ass parties Nat?" You asked trying to pull the hem of the dress down that she had picked oit for you. It wad a dark blue thigh length dress with a very low v neck, the shoes where a high heel ankle strap black shoe with small bows on the side the same color as the dress.

"Stop. Stop pulling, your not gonna make it any longer by doing that." She said swatting your hands away. "I bring you to these 'boring ass parties' because you spend to much time in the library doimg research, in your room working, or sitting in the lab trying to make something better. Point is, you are always working."

"I dont hear you complaining when something of yours gets improved, or an upgrade. Nat I love you but I am a weponds expert. I work better in the quite, thats my zone. Not here."

"Is that why you enjoy spending time with Loki? Because I have to tell you y/n hes not really the quite type." She rasied an eyebrow to look st you.

"Hes not the quite type around all of you because you all make snide remarks. Hes usually quite around me because I dont pick on him or call him names." You turned and looked straight at her.

"All of the other reindeer, use to laugh and call him names." Tony sang walking up to the two of you with a drink. "Couldnt be talking about reindeer game could you?"

"Thank you Tony, and we were just finishing talking and Loki." You answered walking off to sit at the bar where Steve and Thor was sitting.

"Your brother throws one heck of a party." Steve saod tilting his beer to his mouth. "Defiantly better than some of the parties I've been to."

"It is a good party but nothing like the ones on Asguard." Thor boomed with laughter. "You must come some time, we would have a grand celebration in your honor."

"Hes always been a little over the top, if you cant tell. Always had an eye for big, expensive things. Flamboyant parties, playboy style women, expensive cars. Whatever he wants he gets, now dont get me wrong he does work his ass off, but sometimes it would be nice to just have a weekend were the walls didnt shake while I am trying to work on something."

"Ah but little sister, all work and no play makes y/n a dull boy." Tony answered lightly slapping your back.

"Jesus Christ Tone, stop quoting movies, it gets rather annoying."

"Another round, bartender, for little sister." Tony said ruffling your hair.

"You realize I cant stand you right?" You shot him a sideways look.

"Thats why I dont let you work on my toys." He answered giving you a kiss on the top of the head before walking off.

"Thor?" You turned to the god of thunder.

"Yes Lady y/n?" He turned to were he was facing you, his legs on either side of your thighs.

"Do you know of your brother is going to show up?" He laughed turning back to the bar. "Dont get me wrong I absolutly love your company but...."

"You would rather have the company of a more slender, raven haired man tonight." He raised a brow while taking a drink of his beer.

"Well, yes. He is quite interesting to say the least." You laugh.

"Well lady y/n, he said he would be down shortly. He did say he was going to make an apperance though."

"Thank you." You stood, leaning down to kiss his cheek before walking off to find someone else interesting to talk to.

"Hey y/n! Over here!" Clint shouted waving you over to were he, Nat, and Wanda were sitting.

You sat talking to them for a little bit about what new stuff you had added to their weapons and gear, Clint was excited about trying out some of the new arrows that you had developed. You kept gnacing around the room hoping to catch a glips of Loki when he decided to come down.

While you and Wanda was in the middle of a conversation you felt a tap on your shoulder. Turning slightly you seen Loki stamding there was a know it all smirk on his face, he was wearing a completly black suit with his hair slicked back, you coud have swore that your heart stopped.

"Hello Darling, I heard you had been asking about me?" He offered you his hand to help you stand.

You laughed tucking your chin down slightly, you could feel your cheeks heat up. "I am going to kill your brother." He lead you back to the bar and getting you a drink handing it to you.

"You look quite ravishing tonight." He leaned in whispering in your ear. "Dont start being bashful tonight, after what happened last night." He had caught you off guard causing you to spit your drink back in your glass.

"Loki," you hissed smacking him on his shoulder. "We dont need Tony going all Iron Man on you tonight."

"Dance with me." He took your glass sitting it back on the bar and grabbed your hand.

"Oh no no no no. I dont dance." You tried stopping but he pulled you to the edge of the damce floor.

"Then dont dance, let the music guide you, or just follow my lead." He grabbed your waist pulling you closer to him, the song was an up beat song and he started moving. "Midguardian dances are so simple, it would be a type of tango I am assuming." He took you hand and wrapped it around the back of his head before placing his hand on your lower back pulling you even closer.

"This is crazy." You laughed after a few practice steps. It was simple yet intimate at the same time, you had a feeling you knew where this was heading.

"But simple, you are better than what you give your self credit for." He spund you around a few times as the tempo changed, when he spun you back to him his chest ws aginst your back as his hamd splayed across your abdomen.

He traced his nose up the side of your neck as you both moved causing you to give a small moan. "My bed sheets still smell like you." He whispered.

"Loki, can I let you in on a secret." You turned back in his arms to face him.

"Of course my dear." His fingers stroked your back.

"I think I'm in love with you." You wrapped your hand around his head so that you could pull his ear down to your level. You heard him take a breath and the dancing faltered slightly but he kept moving.

"It feels as though I might be returning those feelings y/n." You smiled up at him he turned you in a few more circles causing you to be facing away from him again. His hips following yours in a delicious manner causing your thoughts to go back to the night before. His trailing kisses down your neck to your collar bones, fingers caressing up your sides pulling your shirt over your head. You returning the favor and being speechless at finally seeing him with out his shirt on. He had a more slender figure but his muscles were still there. Remembering the feeling of his chest clenching as you ran your fingers up and around his neck to pull him closer for the earth shattering kiss that had lead to so much more.

"You reliving some of last nights activities, y/n?" He asked quietly.

"Yes but sadly I am having trouble remembering some parts. You might have to remind me." The song ended as you pulled him off the dance floor and through the doors leading to the hallway.

~~~~~

Tag List:

@kgirardin

@sophlubbwriting

@supbeeches

@high-functioning-lokipath

@rosaline-black

@serpentargo

@drbaureid

ANNOUNCEMENT 2: Wow wow wow, ok so some slightly adult situations but oh dear lord, my face is a little red just from writting that. I've read worst but never wrote. What I would give to be twirled around the dance floor like that by him. Thank you guys for reading! I really hope you enjoy this one. Like I saod I have been thinking about this for about a week now and here it is. I habe to say this is like top 3 of my faves (my first was and still is my fave "Bath Time For a Prince") Thank you again for all the love and the support!!!!

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lollytea · 3 years ago

Text

Girl Talk

(ngl I hate this sm. I wrote this fic yesterday, the file corrupted and i lost everything, had a breakdown, rewrote everything the next day because I am obnoxiously stubborn. Anyways Hunter and Luz content. Bon Appetit?)

(READ ON AO3)

“Okay, but what am I even supposed to say to her? Oh! Maybe I could write down some jokes on the back of my glyph slips in case things get awkward. Wait, no, I don't want her to think I'm not taking this seriously. I don't need to be goofy all the time just to hang out with her. I need her to know that I'm serious about her and this whole...romantic thing. And I know she gets upset when she thinks I'm making fun of her so...”

“Alright, so, get this. It says here that there was once this old witch who lived on the outskirts of Latissa and his whole thing was experimenting by mixing paints and magic together. Apparently the stuff he created was like....super powerful.”

“I mean, she said she likes me 'cause I'm goofy and funny and lovable and...and...and I'm sure there's other adjectives I could use but I'm drawing a blank here. So, who am I to deprive her of what she signed up for? But I can't just....ugh, I can't even think right!”

“It doesn't have a lot of info on his specific technique but I'm sure if we did some more research, we could successfully replicate his experiments. We're pretty good at figuring stuff out. Woah, wait. I wonder what would happen if we created glyphs with this paint....maybe it would enhance the spell's level of power. Oh, that would be so cool!”

Luz stopped pacing, the floorboards practically burning after she thoroughly wore down the surface with her frantic footsteps. She set a hand on her hip and turned a withering look on her guest.

“Call me coocoo but I don't think you're listening to a word I say.”

Hunter lifted his head to blink up at her, chewing on the end of a pen. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, boxed in by towers of Eda's Wild Magic books.

There was a glassy look in his eye, as if he was trying to get his bearings after being abruptly yanked out of an alternate dimension.

He had been, in a way. Luz was inclined to call it “Booksville.”

When Luz first met Hunter, this sort of stuff was a big, huge No-No for him. She could've invited him to take a look at any one of those books, packed with information on that obsession of his and of course, he'd be crazy with intrigue but he would hesitate. If he even opened the book at all, he'd card through the pages with an almost jumpy sense of caution, as if the paper itself would sting his fingers.

Well, that ship had certainly sailed. It had taken him a while to get fully comfortable but nowadays, Hunter didn't ask twice before digging into the contents of Eda's books, soaking up every tidbit of every sentence until he had exhausted every page.

He had even brought his own index flags to mark his favorite passages. He had gone on a little rant earlier about how Eda was an outright maniac for dog-earring the page corners.

Luz made a mental note to never show him the state of her Azura books. He would probably cry.

Hunter had become so lost in the Wild Magic sauce, he didn't even seem to care about the fact that he was not supposed to be here.

Of course, Eda didn't mind that he was here. That is to say, Luz didn't technically tell her he was here. She and King were currently out, being menaces to society and all that fun stuff, as they usually were before Luz would sneak Hunter in.

So, to be fair, Eda had never specifically said that Luz was not allowed to let The Golden Guard of the Emperor's coven into their home.

It was probably fine, right?

Yeah, it was probably fine that Luz had been hiding The Golden Guard of the Emperor's coven in her bedroom like some kind of forbidden pet.

Speaking of forbidden pets, that precious red cardinal of his was perched like a Christmas decoration atop his shoulder. That little rascal did wonders for Hunter. He seemed so much cuter than he was when there was an adorable little palisman snuggling up to him.

Once Hunter had processed what Luz said to him, his features screwed up tight. He was offended.

“Whadd'ya mean I'm not listening? I bet you can't repeat anything I was just talking about.”

“Ugh! Yeah, Hunter, I heard you. Paints! You wanna start painting as a hobby and let me just tell you, I fully support your budding creativety and will hype up your work with my entire heart but please. Right now I am having a full blown Amity Calamity!”

“Yeah, okay, that is not what I was talking about. Also, I get that you're freaking out n' all but....what do you expect me to do about it?” He threw his hands about wildly, at a complete loss. “Man, I don't know anything about that stuff,”

“I don't knowww....” Luz groaned. “I just....ugggghhh.” She buried her head in her hands, ruffling her hair into oblivion, like it would miraculously stimulate her brain cells into action. It released some pent up frustration, at least. “I wish it was easier for us to just talk about girls together.”

Hunter perked up. “Talk about girls? Are you kidding? Of course we can talk about girls, dummy!”

“Wait, really?” Luz asked, taken aback by this apparent development.

“Yeah, for sure. One sec,” Buzzing with eagerness, Hunter dove into his stacks of books, emerging seconds later with a worn, dust encrusted volume. It was so ancient, the title had faded away but Hunter still put his finger to where the big letters should be.

“Notable Female Witches of The Savage Ages,” He rattled off delightedly. “They were considered the mothers of Wild Magic. Their style of spell was really quite advanced, see they--”

Despite her frayed nerves, Luz sill managed a weak laugh.

As insufferable as he could be sometimes, she really did like this nerd a lot.

“Okay, Hunter. Buddy,” She said gently. “This stuff sounds really cool and I wanna hear all about it at some point buuuut....when I say girls, I mean...y'know. Amity specifically.”

“Oh. Right. Yeah.”

Hunter's face fell with disappointment but he was quick to snap back into a look of cool indifference. He shut the book in his lap with a soft thump, set it aside and turned his full attention to Luz.

“Sooooo...” he began awkwardly, scratching at his ear. It could not be more obvious that Hunter wanted nothing to do with this discussion. But Luz appreciated that he was trying. “Girlfriend problems, huh? Shoot.”

Luz's cheeks darkened. “Heh. 'Girlfriend'. Yeah, that's...uh...” She was suddenly very inconvenienced by the existence of her own hands so she clasped them together tight to keep herself from fidgeting. “That is.....a word for Amity.”

Hunter frowned, puzzled. “Okaaaay? So, what's the issue?”

“Ohhhhhh, boy.” An ironic, long suffering smile stretched across her face. “Let me just tell you that there is a lot goin' on up here, pal.” Luz tapped her finger against her temple. “So if I'm gonna give you the full unabridged version--”

“You could summarize it.”

“You know I don't know how to do that.”

“Yeah, I know.” Hunter sighed. “Figured it was worth a shot. Okay, let's hear it.”

“Alright but this is gonna be a lot so I suggest you strap yourself in,”

Luz sucked in a deep inhale, with full intent to let the entire flood of thoughts cascade out her mouth.

Hunter's eyes snapped to the floor, like he was actually looking for a safety harness to attach himself to. Then he seemed to realize that was ridiculous, as he scowled to himself. Little Rascal chirped and he irritably mumbled something under his breath in response.

And then Luz took off.

“Alright, so!” She announced, clapping her hands together. “So me and Amity have known each other fooooor...a while now? Yeah, it's been a while. And we've been pretty good friends ever since and then one day, she rescued me from her scary mom and she had this black flowing cape and her voice went all low and then suddenly, huh. Doki doki, y'know?” She thumped a fist against her chest. “I was gettin' all feelings-y up in here,”.

“And then a little later I figured out that we were both feeling kinda feelings-y and I was all like,” She mimed a brain explosion. “Pshww....”

“Pshww....” Hunter repeated quietly, testing out the little sound effect on his tongue. “Doki...doki....?”

“Yeah. Exactly. Doki doki. Pshww.” Luz nodded, as if he had made a valuable contribution. “So, now we're both here in the same boat, fully shish kebab-ed by Cupid's arrow.”

“Hold up. What language are you speaking?”

“And things are....great? Nice? Sorta hard to believe but stuff actually happens. We hold hands a few times, we...” The volume of her voice dropped to a bashful murmur. “we kiss a few times. There was so many beautiful, amazing romance-y moments that happened, just like in movies, y'know?”

“Movies....?” Hunter's bewildered stare turned from Luz to the bird on his shoulder, as if he was going to get any further clarification from either of them.

“Right! But here's the thing. It sorta feels like all that stuff just went by in a blur. I don't even know how I did any of that. The hand holding, the smooches the....ugh! It was like I was on autopilot or something and now I have no idea how to operate. Now, no matter how hard I try to get the vibe right, I can recreate those moments. So now it's starting to feel like...I don't know how to do anything!”

Luz's arms were whizzing around like an out of control windmill.

“I mean, Sure, Amity takes the lead sometimes but I can't make her carry this entire....relationship? Flirtationship? Whatever it is that's happening here! I gotta act or something! But I've been thinking about it waaaay too much. I never know the right time to hold her hand, I never know if she wants me to tell her she looks cute or if now maybe isn't the right time or...it's awkward, okay?! I've been making it awkward 'cause I don't know what to do! I-I don't even know for sure if we're dating! We've never talked about it!”

The last sentence came out as a squeak and Luz realized she had used up all her oxygen and needed to take a breather.

Hunter had not said a word but Luz did not know what to make of that dissecting stare of his, that studied her with a mixture of confusion and fascination. Like she was some kind of peculiar animal. A flushed, panting, peculiar animal.

“So.” He said finally, holding his palm out for Little Rascal to migrate from his shoulder to his hands. “Why don't you talk about it?”

He asked like it was the obvious solution. Luz was a little irked by it, but she kept her patience.

“Oh, Hunter. Sweet Hunter.” She heaved an exhausted sigh. “It is not that simple.”

He still didn't seem to understand. “Well, why not?”

“'Cause it's--.....Uh.” Luz trailed off, twirling her wrist around as if expecting to snatch an eloquent articulation out of thin air.

“Okay. Lemme put it like this. Amity is....really special. To me. Sometimes I still can't believe that she's real and she's friends with me and she likes me and....whew.” She pressed her fingertips to her cheek, surprised by the warmth. Even thinking that sort of stuff prompted a blush or two but it seemed saying it out loud made her face scalding.

“Anyway, now that we're going through....this, everything feels so much more....fragile?” Her voice rose in pitch, uncertain if 'Fragile' was even a suitable word to describe her feelings. It was just a vague, wishy-washy concept to describe.

“Like I feel like I could break it all so easy, just by....” Wait, she knew. She had figured out her handle on this.

“Just by being me.” She felt an ache just by admitting it, but it was the truth. Luz exhaled unsteadily to compose herself, clasping her fists tight into the fabric of her shorts and she continued...calmly.

“I can't risk doing anything that's gonna push her or make her uncomfortable or scare her away or...y'know, ruin this.” She held up her palms with a heavy shrug. “I-I don't have a plan and it would be way too reckless to wing it. Who knows what would come out of my mouth? She tells me a billion times that my weirdness is what she likes about me but...it can just as easily be the thing she hates if I overdo. I can't overdo it.

Luz was expecting Hunter to look at her like she was dumb again, but surprisingly, he nodded. A slow, thoughtful nod, as he absentmindedly scratched Little Rascal under the chin.

As the silence filled a little longer, she was starting to believe he had nothing else to add, which was fine. She had wanted to rant her heart out but realistically, she couldn't imagine Hunter having any advice for her. This wasn't exactly his area of expertise.

“Hey, Luz.” He said at last, voice surprisingly breezy. “You know those books that you really like? Uhh, with the nice witch Azuzu or whatever,”

“It's the Good Witch Azura!” Luz snapped, hands flying to her hips. “And I know you just pretended to not know her name. You're just trying to be cool.”

“Yeah, yeah.” The corner of Hunter's lip tweaked upwards. “And wasn't there that other witch that you liked to pretend was Azura's girlfriend?

Luz scoffed, finding it utterly unbelievable that this obnoxious little man had the audacity to be so dismissive towards her favorite book series, when she had been sweet enough to smuggle him in here.

“She was not her 'Girlfriend', she was her 'Soulmate' and if you even listened to me talk about it, you would know that. For your information, her name was Hecate and she began as Azura's rival but over the course of the series, they developed a beautiful, unbreakable bond that was jam packed with heavy romantic subtext. I mean, even their declaration of their eternal friendship in Book Five, which was really emotionally poignant by the way, reads so much like a love confession, it's a crime. And it's like...Ladies! Just kiss already!”

“Okay. Right. Sure. I understood some of that.”

“I mean, I guess I've read a ton of Heczura fanfics to tide me over. It's hard to find a fic where they don't kiss. Hold on, you know what fanfiction is, right?”

“Yeah.” The light in Hunter's eyes dimmed. “You made me sit through that three hour long slideshow presentation, remember?”

“Oh, right,” Luz popped a finger gun. “That was fun,”

It was fun, but a lot of work. Hunter was pouting over losing a measly three hours of his time. Well, newsflash, nerd, Luz spent two weeks working on that. Nobody is getting their hours back.

“And what usually happens in those fanfictions?” Asked Hunter, propping his chin up with his hand, as Little Rascal hopped over to a pile of books. “How do they end?”

“I told you, they kiss. A lot of the time they look deeply into each others eye and talk about how they complete each other like two halves of one heart. And y'know, moments of miscellaneous fluff.”

“Uh huh. Interesting,” He mused, tapping his pen against his bottom lip.

Luz knew Hunter could be a little...eccentric but was he really analyzing fanfiction right now? Where did the sudden interest come from?”

“So, uh, besides Azura and Hecate, are there any other...boats(?) that you--”

“Ships.” Luz corrected him.

Hunter snapped his fingers. “Right. Ships. Basically love stories that you really like.”

“We talkin' canon or non canon?”

Hunter squinted at her, lost. Seems somebody was not taking enough notes during the slideshow presentation. “Both? A-all...?”

“Oh, well, there's a bunch.”

Luz had no intention of listing every single ship that had captured her heart. They would be here all week.

“I've spent my whole life reading books, watching movies and anime and--”

“Anime...?”

“Hunter, please!” Luz squeaked as calmly as she possibly could, but she could not deny that she had started to vibrate. “You have no idea how excited you just made me at the thought of teaching you about anime but I'd need to dedicate a whole day to that 'cause I need to meet Amity soon and I'm still sorta in crisis mode. So, let's stay on topic.”

Her brow furrowed. “Whatever the heck the topic is! Why are we talking about ships, Huntifer?”

He waved off her question. “Okay but how does the story usually end for all your ships? The book ones, the anime ones, all of them,”

“We've been over this with the fanfiction discussion. They kiss, Hunter. Geez, you want a diagram or something?”

“But what else?” He prompted.

“What do you mean 'What else?'”

Now this was just getting ridiculous.

“They kiss!” Luz said with a huge amount of emphasis. “And again, miscellaneous fluff. They'll do stuff like pick each other up and swing around, hold hands and....walk off into the sunset, y'know?” She waved off all that extra padding as unimportant to the conversation. (Though Luz did really enjoy miscellaneous fluff.)

“Well yeaaaah,” Hunter was giving off vibes of a grade school teacher who gave her little nudges in the correct direction but ultimately wanted her to figure out the right answer herself. She wished he could just give it to her because honestly, she didn't know where this any of this was going.

“But when exactly do they ask each other if they're dating?”

“Whaa?” Well, that settled it. He had paid no attention to the slideshow whatsoever. “Nah, nah, they don't do stuff like that. They don't have to 'cause they're already perfect for each other. All they gotta do is look into each others' eyes and they just...” Luz shrugged, feeling lightness bubble in her chest at the very thought. She had a feeling her smile looked pretty dopey. “They just know.”

“Right. And why don't you and Amity just know?”

The bubbles burst and the lightness turned to dead weight.

The question speared through Luz's gut. Her entire body went rigid.

She had known but...

She had been trying not to...

Not to think about it.

Because if she thought about it, she knew she'd cry.

But there is was. A culmination of every coil of underlying dread that had been gradually writhing in her stomach in a monster of anxiety, summarized in a short and sweet collection of simplistic little words.

Luz did not just know when it came to Amity. She was constantly taking shots in the dark. That is, if she was even brave enough to take a shot at all.

The two of them together were not as seamlessly synchronized as couples in love were supposed to be.

Her throat stung.

Her vision went cloudy with blotted tears but she managed to catch Hunter's stony expression break into one of sheer panic.

“Wh-- Luz! Hey!” He yelped, scrambling to pick himself up from the floor. He nearly tripped over his books as he stood and hurried over to close the distance between them. He made to reach out to her but his hand stopped, just as it was about to brush against her shoulder. It hovered there for a moment, fingers curling and uncurling with uncertainty.

“Luz, listen, I wasn't....I-I mean, what I meant was...uhh. C-c'mon, cut it out!” Hunter's voice crackled with desperation and despite crying her eyes out, Luz felt the watery chuckle at the back of her throat.

“Aww, does crying make the Golden Guard uncomfy?” She tried to tease but her words came out all wobbly.

In fairness to the poor guy, it probably did. Luz couldn't imagine that dealing with tears in a delicate matter, was ever something he would need to handle in his line of work.

For all she knew, this was his first time having to comfort someone like this.

“You don't get to make jokes and cry at the same time. You gotta pick one.” Hunter snipped, but his tone was not nearly as cutting as usual. Luz was almost tempted to call it soft.

Clearing her eyes with the heel of her hands, she finally felt that warm touch on her shoulder, and then another rest against her upper arm.

Somehow the gentleness cracked all her remaining composure and she dissolved into ragged sobs.

Hunter did not speak nor did he let go out her until she got every tear out of her system. He waited patiently, tracing circles with his thumb into her skin.

Eventually, her sniffles fell silent and her eyes no longer blurred. She took a deep breath and the following exhale was shaky but manageable.

“Are you....good?” He asked cautiously.

Luz nodded.

Hunter removed his hands so carefully, you'd think doing so would cause her physical pain. He must have heard once that people were more prone to being hurt when they were already upset and assumed it was literal.

“Do you really think that...Amity and I....” Luz's voice was low and quiet but her jaw was set tight. She refused to let her words be whimpered. She looked up, meeting Hunter's eyes. “Aren't right for each other?”

“What? No! No, no, no,” Hunter looked positively alarmed at the accusation. “Luz th-that's not even remotely what I meant by that.”

“Well, then I guess you accidentally hit the nail on the head.” Luz managed a strained, bitter little smile. “'Cause it's true.”

“Luz, c'mon,” Hunter groaned, exasperated. “Don't talk like that, you've got it mixed up.”

“No.” Said Luz, tone quiet, polite yet strikingly obstinate. “You were right, Hunter.”

For someone who loved being right, he didn't seem thrilled at all.

“When it comes to Amity, I don't just know. I don't always know what she's thinking or what she wants from me. After all this time, I-I shouldn't still be trying to figure her out,”

Luz wanted to figure her out. Every time she was in her orbit, she wanted nothing more to turn over every last piece of that girl and find every hidden gem.

But now, it like she was barricaded. Something was keeping her from moving forward, from discovering Amity.

“I mean, we've kissed.” The memories of Amity were turning more and more bittersweet by the second “I told her I loved her! We had our happy ending already! A-at least I thought it was a happy ending. But we're not acting like people who are made for each other are meant to act!”

“How do you even know how people who are meant for each other are meant to act?!” Hunter demanded, as though it wouldn't reach Luz's skull unless he raised his voice. “In all the love stories you've read, it always ends with a kiss, doesn't it?”

“And--”

“And miscellaneous fluff. Yeah, I get it.” Hunter shooed the detail away before clearing his throat.

“Point is, they never talk about what comes after. You don't read about all those awkward talks where they decide if they're dating or not and talks about what they're okay with and what they're not. It always just cuts to the perfect, shiny romantic stuff, all tied up with a bow and because of that,” He clutched Luz by the shoulders.”You don't know how to move forward in a relationship 'cause you've never had a frame of reference to help you along.”

“Hey, that's not true!” She tore away from Hunter's grip. “I'll have you know that I imagine my favorite ships as couples all the time,”

“Yeah and lemme guess,” He droned, setting a hand on his hip and launching into a mockingly saccharine tone of voice. “They understand each other soooo well all the time, they can practically read each others' mind and everything is smooth sailing and peachy all the time.”

“Yeah, duh.” Luz didn't quite what he was making fun of. “That's what being a ship is all about.”

“Okay, fine, maybe, but I cannot stress this enough,” He ran his fingers through his hair before making a cutting gesture with the side of his hand, directed at Luz. “You are not a ship.”

“Well, yeah, obviously. I'm only one--”

“I mean that the two of you aren't a ship! Listen to me, you're not Azura and Hecate. You're Luz and Amity. You're real people. You've got like a million different emotions and they're messy and crazy and you don't understand most of them.”

“Okay, Hunter, I get it, I'm a hot mess. You don't have to rub it in.”

“We're all hot messes, Luz!” He exploded. “Every single one of us. 'Cause we're real and not book characters.” He was pacing back and forth now as he ranted and raved, gesticulating like a madman.

“We gotta handle all the awkward conversations that don't fit into books. You gotta talk to real people to get them and you can talk to them for years and years but you're never gonna entirely understand them. In your love stories, it's all kisses and happy endings and it's shiny and sparkly and perfect and nerds like you Eat. It.Up!”

Hunter emphasized his point by poking Luz's forehead, shocking a startled laugh out of her. As wound up as he was, the noise surprised him too.

Her laugh was contagious and soon the room was silent, expect for the sound of quiet, breathy giggles.

One of the knots in Luz's stomach had untangled itself. Hunter did make a point that she could understand. Yeah, okay, maybe she had been a little too wrapped up in fiction to successfully navigate through her own life. Luz had never been the most logical person so it was comforting for a levelheaded counter-argument to whatever was currently inflaming her anxiety.

Obviously, this didn't fix everything. Now, she understood why this wasn't easy but that didn't mean she magically knew where to go from here.

Once the shadow of Luz's smile had finally faded away, she looked up and studied Hunter for a long while. Her gaze may have been a bit intense as nervousness began to creep into his features.

“H-hey. Uh. Sorry if I was a little too--”

“Huntifer, I think you might be on to something with this one,”

He blinked at her before brightening with relief, shrugging it off. “Oh. Yeah, maybe. I dunno, I guess it's worth some thought.

Astonishing how Hunter could switch from the cockiest, most obnoxious kid in the Boiling Isles to a remarkably humble guy. Maybe it depended on context. Or he was just embarrassed that he sorta lost control of himself in his impatience.

Luz nodded. “I'd say a lot of thought. But..I think things are still gonna be awkward. With Amity. I still don't know how I'm supposed to talk this stuff through with her.”

Hunter snorted, loosely folding his arms over chest and resting his weight on one hip. And just like that, with that simple change of posture, he looked full of himself again “You wanna know a secret that's probably not much of a secret?”

He beckoned Luz to lean in closer and said in a stage whisper. “Amity probably doesn't know either.”

Huh. Yeah, Luz knew that. She knew that at the back of her mind but...she hadn't really thought about it much. She was a little too preoccupied with her own inexperience.

Hunter's lofty grin softened. “So, it's a good thing neither of you are doing it alone, right? Don't you think you could figure out how together?”

Figure out how together....

The realization sank from the surface of her mind, and everything was processing very fast then suddenly, everything clicked.

Amity.

Luz knew Amity. Luz trusted Amity. Luz loved Amity. If there was any person Luz believed would stumble alongside her through things they didn't quite understand yet, it was Amity. And it occurred to her that Luz would help Amity in return without hesitation.

With enough notches and trimming and smoothing edges, if they worked through this together, Luz and Amity could click too. Maybe not perfectly, not for a while just yet.

But enough that they could make each other happy.

A swing of confidence so strong flooded Luz's system, she swore she nearly collapsed. She felt the grin tugging at her mouth.

She could try. She could absolutely try. They could both try.

“Is...that a yes?” Hunter asked, gauging her expression.

Luz nodded so speedily, it made her head hurt. But then she realized something else and she turned a very specific look on Hunter.

But before he could ask if she was about to attack him, she held up two fingers on each hand and then placed them on either side of her head so they jutted out just behind her ears.

“Man, I don't know anything about that stuff,” Said Luz, in what she believed to be an uncanny imitation of Hunter's voice.

He frowned. “What are the theatrics for?”

“You lied to me!” Luz was delighted.

“I-I didn't lie!” He loudly objected, pointed ears scorching bright pink. “That was just common sense, you doofus. You know, that thing you lack.”

“You know, that thing you lack.” Luz parroted, swinging her hips from side to side. Once again, her impression remained flawless.

“Don't do that!”

“Don't do that!

“Stop, you weirdo!”

At the peak of riled up, Hunter floundered for a retort that Luz wouldn't shoot back at him with childish mimicking. But then he cracked and wound up sticking his tongue out at her.

Luz simply mirrored him and Hunter huffed indignantly, turning on his heel and stomping back towards his books.

He had barely made a few steps when Luz lunged at him from behind, draping her long, lanky arms around his shoulders.

“Wha—Hey! Get off!” He squawked, struggling to pry her off him as Luz squished her cheek against his.

“Huntifer~” She singsonged. “Can you please calm down for two seconds and let me say thanks already?”

Hunter knotted his arms and his scowl didn't soften but Luz didn't miss how he stopped trying to squirm out of her grip.

“Even though you were kinda rambly and all over the place, what you said helped. It helped a lot. I know this is something I can handle and I know that 'cause of you. Thanks, nerd.”

She waited patiently until she felt his shoulders loosen. And then he glanced back at her and there was a smile. A small, tight, subtle smile but it was good enough for Luz.

And then with a burst of adrenaline, she gripped him tighter and planted a big, wet raspberry on his cheek.

Predictably, Hunter blew his top. He screeched furiously and his hands went wild to push her off but Luz was stronger than she looked. And so help her, she would give Hunter this affection or die trying.

Dying trying did not seem unlikely, actually. Hunter had told her once before that if he ever murdered her, it would probably be her own fault. Luz could not argue with that.

“That is so gross!” He griped, once Luz had finally released him.

“You're gross~” She chirped, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Hunter wiped the spit off his cheek with his palm before looking up at Luz with narrowed eyes

Luz did not have time to brace herself and suddenly she was tackled to the ground. She kicked and she screamed as Hunter dragged his disgusting wet hand across her face.

“GrossGrossGrossGrossGrossGrossGroooooss!”

Hunter cackled maniacally the whole time.

They carried on like rowdy toddlers for a while until Luz had to go meet Amity, leaving Hunter and his palisman to themselves.

It was too weird to admit out loud but he was disappointed that she was gone. Hanging out with her like this wasn't that bad. Talking with her, arguing with her, wrestling with her. It all made Hunter feel....so much like a kid.

Something that he had realized recently was that he still liked being a kid.

In spite of the doom and gloom of white of gold, of the clawed scars in his shoulder, of the spear that grazed his hair, a spark of childishness remained in Hunter that had never been entirely snuffed out.

It wasn't until he met Luz that he began actively trying to keep that spark alive.

The sun had long since fallen asleep by the time Luz returned and the moon was pooling in the sky. A little after sun down, he heard the downstairs door slam shut and the loud exuberant voice of The Owl Lady boomed from the floorboards beneath him. By the sound of it, she was celebrating a successful day's work. Hunter wondered what she and the cute little demon had managed to steal today.

His snoozing palisman was tucked snug in the crook of his neck, a pleasant warmth against his skin. It was a good idea to keep the bird close. If someone other than Luz came barreling into the room, he'd better have his staff on hand to magically conceal himself.

But once an hour passed and the chatter of the witch and the demon below gradually faded into loud snoring, Hunter presumed they had passed out on the couch. For the time being, he should be fine.

Hunter hoped that creepy owl tube thing wouldn't rat them out. Fortunately, Luz had promised that Hooty was willing to take a bribe but unfortunately, gossip spread fast in the Boiling Isles. Now The Golden Guard had a reputation for being a lunatic who visited the night market several times, buying dead mice in bulk.

He snorted to himself, combing through 'From Bones to Fire: A Study of Wild Magic Volume 2'. Everything he went through just to get his hands on knowledge.

Well, also to be young with Luz.

Yet another hour passed and somehow, being surrounded by his own obsession, Hunter got a little overstimulated. To give his brain a rest, he was now flipping through some tattered old magazine that Luz brought with her from the human realm. Some of the articles were practically gibberish to him but overall, it was okay. He learned he was a Scorpio. He didn't know what that entailed but it sounded cool.

He nearly jumped out of his skin as Luz burst into the room, announcing her return.

Startled, his palisman flew into a fluster, cheeping like crazy before it settled down atop his head. Hunter, meanwhile, had flung the magazine away so fast, it was like it had contaminated him, and snatched up the closest book to pretend he was reading it the whole time.

Thankfully, Luz didn't notice.

“Hey there, Little Rascal,” She cooed, prancing across the room and plopping down next to Hunter. “And hey, you little bookworm, you.”

“Bookworm?” Hunter knocked his shoulder against hers. “You looking for a fight, kid?”

“Whaaaat? Hunter, you wound me, I was just....Ohhh, my bad. I always forget that our bookworms and your bookworms are two waaaay different things.” She paused thoughtfully before shaking her head. “Actually, I don't retract anything. You look like a bookworm.”

“Yeah, well, you smell like a selkidomus.” Hunter smirked.

“Hey!” Luz bumped their shoulders. “Can you blame me? I've had one heck of a day with lots of nervous sweating!”

He was surprised that got him laughing but that tended to happen around her.

“So, how'd it go?” Hunter asked, even though he already knew the answer.

Luz's beam was as bright as a dozen of her light spells. The corner of her lip was twitching, as if she wanted to smile wider but it was physically impossible.

“We're dating.” She stated, no more than a whisper.

It obvious since the moment she entered the room, far bouncier and bubblier than usual but Hunter still grinned.

He had expected her to scream it from the rooftops, to grind his ribcage into powder with the force of her hug, to set off a riot of firework glyphs, spelling it out in lights.

No matter how she could have chosen to tell him, he would have been just as giddy as she was.

And yet, despite the lack of fanfare, somehow, it still felt so much like Luz. Though he knew that in the morning, she would tell the entire Boiling Isles, right here, right now, only Hunter knew. Something about that felt nice.

But the quiet serene scene was momentarily ruptured when Hunter spotted Luz re-adjusting herself out of the corner of his eye and he was immediately on high alert. Another raspberry, he could sense it.

“Luz, don't you d--”

It wasn't a raspberry.

The feather-light peck against his cheek was gone before he fully processed it, as Luz drew away with that big stupid smile still plastered on her face.

Hunter blinked away the surprise, looking to her with a raised eyebrow.

“What's that look for? In this family, we give each other hugs and kisses~”

He felt his lip quirk upwards as he scoffed, turning away with a shake of his head.

“That was so gross.”

“You're gross.”

“For real, it was even more gross than the raspberry.”

Luz burst into giggles and Hunter could understand why everything was suddenly a million times funnier to her. She will still fizzling with that giddiness that Amity had kissed into her and now it was all spilling out.

To be honest, listening to a teenage girl gush and squeal about her girlfriend did not seem like something Hunter would ever willingly subject himself to.

But this was Luz. His friend, Luz.

He lightly pinched the pudge of her cheek. “Heeeey. You wanna tell me all about it, don't you?”

Luz snapped her head over to gawk at him, astonished. And then the excitement took hold and her hands started flapping and she looked about ready to explode with delight. Her mouth was already flying open to give every solitary detail of her evening with Amity Blight.

But then she stopped, a crease forming on her brow. He caught that unreadable look she gave him and the way her eyes skimmed over the books that scattered the floor around them.

“Hmmm.” She stroked her chin with an over dramatic 'thinking' face. “Y'know what? I'll think I'll keep it all to myself.”

“Oh, really~?” Grinned Hunter. “I can only imagine all the romantic schmaltzy sickening stuff that occurred tonight. Miscellaneous fluff, right?”

Judging by the blood that stained her cheekbones, he must have been correct.

“Hey, Hunter.” She said quietly, resting her weight against his side. “You've been lost in your books for hours now. Would you mind telling me all about the most interesting you read about today? Reading myself is fine but it's way better to hear all about it from a bona fide nerd.”

Frankly, it was embarrassing how fast the giddiness practically electrocuted him and suddenly he found himself rambling. He rambled until his voice gave up but it didn't bother him at all because it was just Luz.

Luz hung on every word he said.

#the owl house #toh #luz nozeda #the golden guard #toh Hunter #lumity

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sylvies-chen · 3 years ago

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Chenford + #11 “Wow, you look… amazing.”

Thank you!!!

The LAPD throws a charity event for the first time in forever.

It's for a good cause, Lucy supposes. But there are fountains there and expensive champagne and more glass chandeliers than she can count, and she thinks the LAPD might have their priorities a little backward, spending more money than will actually be donated. Whatever. These rich snobs are donating to a good charity at the end of the night. That's all that matters.

What also matters, admittedly, is that she gets to wear a dress. Call her vain, or girly, or too self-obsessed, but Lucy's been spending the last six months doing UC operations and minor drug busts. That whole ordeal involves more sweatpants and messy buns than she cares to admit, so going to this function with her colleagues is like a dream come true. She picks her favourite black satin slip dress, with a small slit to let her leg breathe at the bottom, and her favourite pearl earrings. Nova may be a slob but Lucy Chen is a sucker for nice dresses. Especially if it's for a good cause.

If someone just happens to take a good look at her and drool, that's an added bonus.

They're about an hour into this charity event, Lucy chatting with Jackson and Nolan in between the shallow speeches of various high-ups in the LAPD, when she sees Tim Bradford walking in from across the room.

He's an hour late.

He looks grumpy as hell.

She doesn't even think he made a donation yet.

But damn. If he doesn't look good in a tux.

Lucy feels herself being drawn towards him before she can even stop herself. Neither Jackson nor Nolan seem to notice her drift from the conversation so she keeps walking towards Tim. His eyes meet hers when she's halfway there and soon trail all the way down her body, absorbing the full glamour of the outfit before looking back up to her eyes with a surprised gaze.

"Hi," he blurts, as if shocked that she's here.

"Hey, you finally made it." Lucy feels a blush creep onto her cheeks and fights the urge she gets to try and swat it or slap it away.

What is it with Tim Bradford and making her a complete mess?

"Wow, you look... amazing," he awes, scratching at the back of his neck.

The blush on her cheeks intensifies instantly. "Thank you," she offers shyly.

For whatever reason, whether it be the dress she's wearing or the way he's ogling her like she's the only thing worth a damn in the room, she feels confident. So, before she can talk herself out of it, she smooths out a tiny wrinkle on his suit and pats his chest gently, pinching the bowtie momentarily. Her hand lingers on second too long, but she pulls away quickly when she realizes it. "You clean up pretty nice yourself. I didn't know you had such nice suits, Officer Bradford."

"I just don't get many occasions to wear them, that's all. Or ones I want to be at, at least," he adds under his breath.

"Is that why you showed up an hour late to this thing?"

"Maybe," he replies cryptically.

"What's your grudge against this event anyway? They do it every year, and it's for charity. Shouldn't you be used to it by now? Isn't this a good thing?"

"That's cute," Tim scoffs amusedly. "No, charity is the last thing these events are about. First, it's good PR for the LAPD. Then, it's blatant ass-kissing and networking for cops who want to climb the chain. Then you have your regular rich wives wanting their husbands to take them out more often, the lonely guys like Smitty who only come to get out of the house. Then maybe, maybe, it's charity."

"Oh come on," she chuckles. "You're too cynical sometimes, you know that? This is a good cause, it's good people helping good people!"

"Did they even tell you what the charity is?"

"I--" she bites her tongue, thinking about it for a moment before scrunching her nose in embarrassment. "No, they didn't actually."

"It's for animals. They're donating the money to an animal hospital, one that just so happens to host the main rehabilitation clinic for injured police dogs and horses."

"Huh," she replies, slightly bashful.

"What was that about me being cynical again?" Tim throws her a confident smirk and Lucy finds it more than a little attractive, even through her slight frustration.

"Oh shut it," Lucy giggles, rolling her eyes. "You get cocky when you're right about something."

"I must be cocky a lot then," he offers, again with that damn smirk. She shouldn't find it as hot as she does. He's her former T.O. and Lucy's pretty sure Jackson doesn't think these things about Angela. No, she's definitely straying beyond professional and it makes her brain turn to exhausted mush. But frankly, they've been pushing that line for months now.

She doesn't know when the flirting started, or when it became more than professional, but something's been going on between them for some time. So yeah. She's alright admitting to herself that she finds him attractive. They haven't acted on it which means it's still completely fine. She's in no trouble yet, right?

"Well you certainly didn't have that cocky swagger when you walked in and saw me in this dress," she points out before she can think about how stupid it must sounds. Especially to Tim who, for all she knows, harbours no feelings whatsoever. It's a bold statement for her, to say the least.

"I..." he swallows hard, his eyes never leaving hers but still pooling up with something intense and unwavering and... complicated.

Fuck. Did Lucy just make a total ass of herself? Did she just put them in an awkward position?

"I didn't, did I?" He finally speaks, looking at her bashfully. "I'll admit, I was a little... surprised by it, that's all."

Her face lights up, a cocky smile of her own forming now. It's mixed with the slightest amount of amusement and is crooked because yes. Lucy's had a few too many glasses of the champagne . She's a little carefree tonight. Sue her.

"Admit it," she chuckles, pointing an amused finger at him. "Just say it, man: I look hot!"

"I already said you look amazing, I think we've covered that," he backtracks with a blush of his own crawling onto his cheeks.

"No way," Lucy protests with a laugh. "Amazing is different than hot. Everyone can call a good hamburger amazing or-- or a donation to charity amazing, but no one calls it hot. Hot is different."

He stares at her, bewildered. "You've had too much of that champagne, haven't you?"

"A little bit, yeah," she admits with a snort.

"Fine," Tim decides after a beat of silence.

Lucy's confused for a second. She doesn't quite know what his grumbled and begrudging "fine" means but suddenly, Tim's stepping in, leaning close to her until his lips brush against the hair near her ear. It sends a shiver down the back of her neck.

"You look... very hot in that dress," he admits, his voice raspy and low in a way that drives Lucy crazy. And shit, if it isn't the most confusingly sexy thing that's happened to her in a while.

Tim backs up after that, flashes her a bashful smile, and walks away to talk to Grey. Lucy stands there in place, frozen by every muscles of hers that feels like it's on fire, and thinks maybe she's in a hell of a lot more trouble than she realized.

#it's 1 am here and this could be total ass but I sort of like it??#flirty chenford rights!!!!#abby writes #prompt requests #chenford #lucy chen #tim bradford #lucy x tim #tim x lucy #chenford fanfiction #fanfic prompts

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i-cant-sing · 3 years ago

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Okay, Moon anon was able to contact me and I'm gonna post their chapters 3-6 here.

Daniel and YN 3 🌗🌗

Rainy days are crazy. Some of YN’s best and worst memories were on a rainy day. It was a rainy day when Daniel was born. His parents overjoyed when he decided to join the world early. The Sunny morning turned rainy when they saw something was wrong. The sky was so dark when the doctored explained that their baby didn’t get enough oxygen in the womb or when he came out. That his brain was impacted by the trauma. It took four years for Daniel’s mother to stop blaming herself, four years for her to understand that she couldn’t have known that something was wrong in her womb. Four years when they had their second child. It was a rainy day when YN and Daniel got lost. Holding each other’s hand, tightly they wandered the Kamino Ward. Hoping that their parents would be right down an alley or around the corner. That was a terrible 6th birthday for YN. The steps Daniel left in the dirt started to get deeper and more burnt. The boy slightly started to tremble. “Daniel.. it’s gonna be ok. Momma and Pop are going to find us we just have to-“ “Are you two lost?” A very tall man in a black suit asked. YN couldn’t remember his face, but his voice was eerily calm and smoothe. His head had snow white hair on it. A look at him would’ve left even the hero All Might scared. “ye…Yes. My brother and I can’t find our parents..” “Oh dear. Well I can help you. They couldn’t have gotten far.” He held his hand to Daniel. And he almost took it had YN not stepped in. “We’re not supposed to touch strangers.” “Oh yes, that’s a very good rule. Well my name is.. Shigaraki. Now what are yours?” “…yn.. and daniel..” “Now we aren’t strangers. Let’s get you two somewhere safe. Your brother’s quirk might level the neighborho-“ “YN! DANIEL!” The relieved voice of their father shouted out. And the two quickly turned away, toward his calls and open arms. Tears running down their faces, swearing to never wander off again. The day was saved. When YN went to turn to Mr Shigaraki to tell him it was fine, he had disappeared into the crowd. But one question lingered in her head. How did he know Daniel’s quirk could be dangerous? It was a sunny day at first when YN and Daniel went out to the park for their Day out. YN had already planned to tell her parents that she wanted to come back here for her 12th birthday in a few months. Daniel kept over-stimulating himself with every single thing that caught his eyes. The anthill, the trees, the way the wind carried the leaves, when he and YN jumped around over the hopscotch drawings. When the rain came down they didn’t want to leave. They wanted to splash in the wetness like a couple of ducks. But Momma was insistent it was time to go back to the apartment. Inside the car YN immediately put on her headphones to listen to nightcore covers of popular songs. It wasn’t until she noticed her mom’s terrified expression and felt her dad’s fear did she take them off. “-I DONT KNOW ITS NOT BREAKING!” “WE’RE GOING RIGHT INTO TRAFFIC! DO SOMETHING!” “..momma?..” “DANIEL! YN GET DOWN!” That was the last thing her mother said to her. The rain hit the car harder. Daniel was quick to cover his little sister as the car swerved towards a large truck. YN felt her brother shield over their bodies. The last thing she heard from her father was a yell. Before they crashed into the truck. Before YN and Daniel were flung out into the side of the road. Scratches beginning to litter their arms and cheeks. YN felt the rain on her face as she tried looking up. Tried finding her parents. It was a rainy day when the last image of her parents was the crushed front end of the car. 🌗🌗

Daniel and YN 4 🌗🌗

The incident at the cafe left a bigger mess then was intended. Of course the waitress didn’t say a word about who caused the mess, still terrified of the threat, but the manager still called the police. At the moment it was being investigated as a break in. It wasn’t until they started to bag the broken vases as evidence did they think to call a hero as they believed this was a terrorist villain trying to strike more fear. When the first cop touch the broken vases he immediately fell over and started seizing. Like someone had sent hundreds of volts up through his gloved fingers and into his blood stream. The second cop tried picking up the glass with prongs so that she wouldn’t get the same effect. But she still felt some pain and volts. Even the glass windows were giving off static. When they were examined no one could find a point of impact. It was almost like they spontaneously exploded. Worse and more confusing yet was the fact that the material seemed to give off radiation spikes. From a computer screen image, it was like a red glow was emanated from the glass. When the police tried to check the cameras, all the footage was either ruined, too melted to gather anything. It left them in a stump. So they had to make a plea to the hero society to get fresh eyes and help on the case. Not expecting any big response. Some heroes wanted to solve the mystery because it stumped them as well. This quirk residue was something unseen before. Calls and emails were left. All saying they would look into it. And it seemed like this would just be a mysterious case left forgotten. That is until the All Might showed up in the station one morning. Along with his protege Deku. They said they wanted to solve the case because if this person left such a dangerous residue after using their quirk, then they were a danger to themselves and others. No on saw the real intentions in their eyes. When they asked about the only other patron in the cafe the police said that they tried tracking them down, but they were gone into the wind. The only other patron at the cafe made their way into a compound. Holding treats meant for a little girl. But first he had to make a stop at his boss’s office. “Hey.. Kai. You won’t believe what Just saw.” Meanwhile in the station two separate rats made calls to two separate people. “Put me through to Shigaraki…. Hello. I have something interesting to tell you. Something that might please you and your Sensei.” “Oh hey there Aizawa. Detective Tsukauchi here. Look I you know about that cafe destruction a week ago? Yea well I think you outta here about this.” Indeed the cafe incident left a bigger mess than intended. 🌗🌗

Daniel and YN part 5 🌗🌗

They’d been gone for at least two months. YN’s feet hurt and Daniel missed his own bed. But they had to keep going, with no intended final destination but a goal to keep away from the previous home they ran from. After the morning at the cafe, YN and Daniel had kept to the shadows for the rest of the day. But they couldn’t keep going like this. They needed to eat today but not at a restaurant. There was only one dreaded… dreaded option. The grocery store. So after they checked in at the latest motel with kitchens in the rooms, the siblings ventured off to the store.YN couldn’t leave Daniel alone yet. He’d panic and probably have a fit. The store was minimally packed. Since it was still early in the day it seemed like they would zip in and out with relative ease. After grabbing the bare essentials, and what she could pack in a backpack without much drag, it was time to go to the candy aisle. It was a long journey thus far, a journey deserving of some sour candies. But of course there had to be another person there. Invading space and looking right at her favorites. She wanted to just grab and go. But her hand and the stranger's hand touched as they reached for the same one. “Sorry. I should’ve watched where I was going heh..” The tall redhead said. A small blush on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s fine. Lemme just grab and go here.” She looked back for Daniel, luckily he was close by staring at the varieties of pocky they had. Turning back she noticed his uniform. UA, that might prove to be a complication. But YN was desperate for some kind words and a brief moment to talk to someone her own age. “So you go to UA? Are you a general student or a hero course student?” “Oh hero course definitely! I even have my hero name chosen!” “Wow that’s great. I hope in a few years I get to be saved by…?” “Red Riot!” “Like Crimson Riot?” “Exactly! I really admire him and I hope I live up to his-“ “OI SH**TY HAIR! WE’RE GONNA BE LATE! GRAB YOUR CRAP AND LET’S GO!” A blonde kid shouted down the aisle, also wearing a UA outfit. YN couldn’t place why but she felt like she’d known him before. That volume felt very familiar, but it startled her brother who jumped in fear causing the pocky he saw to fall off the shelving. Time to go now. “I should go anyway. It was nice meeting you.” “Wait, we could walk you and your brother to your school if you guys want?” “We have to go.” The blonde got closer and she could tell something was perpetually up his ass. “Bye.” “Wait! My name’s Eijiro Kirishima. What’s yours?” “YN. Just YN. That’s my brother Daniel.” And before he or his companion could ask anything else the two siblings fast walked toward the checkout and were out the door before they got another chance to talk to them. “YN… huh she was pretty cool right bakubro!” “What ever. Let’s get going before we show up after Deku.” But that name was familiar to him. The girl had long since faded from his mind, but how could anyone forget the day when a quirkless kid tried bashing your head into the dirt. He planned on apologizing the next day for his comments but she was gone. Gone and almost forgotten. It could be possible that this was just someone who shared the same name. But maybe.. possibly.. the universe was giving him the chance to apologize. “YN.” 🌗🌗

Daniel and YN part 6 🌗🌗

YN never really liked her neighbors. She never outright loathed them, but she was uncomfortable with how Inko kept trying to be her mother, and how Izuku had this strange obsessive stare when he looked at her. As long as they stayed in their apartment and never bothered them it would all be fine. But their parents couldn’t watch them all the time. So on days when momma and pop went out Miss Midoryia would graciously watch them. YN never liked pity. So when Miss Midoryia tried to pity and feel sorry about YN’s quirkless status, that just made her dig her heels in longer. She didn’t need people to fuss over her like she was a glass doll. At least with Izuku she could’ve had a companion. She did try to get along with him. But he was so weird. Just because they both were quirkless didn’t mean they’d would be close. “So why are you homeschooled?” “I get into fights.” “Why?” “Because people are mean and they think they’ll have no consequences to their words. I proved them wrong.” “Were they mean because you’re quirkless or because Daniel is… different?” Now obviously he didn’t mean any harm by that. But an emotional 10 year old girl is not someone to mess with. So with a sharp glare to his face the conversation quickly died. In the dining room, Daniel would usually be coloring. Or playing with his legos. Something to stim and distract his mind. Sometimes he’d just pull out a old painting his dad got him, and he’d spend hours looking at the strokes and would mentally add a new feature. Twirling the hair on his head whilst sucking/biting his thumb. “Daniel? Would you like some water?” “No miss. I want momma.” “I know sweetie but she won’t be gone forever. And you call me Inko” Though she’d prefer him to call her something more affectionate. Throughout the night Inko kept trying to mother them. She hovered over YN’s neck and tried petting her head which resulted in a swipe from the little girl. By the time YN’s parents got back, she was relieved and spent the rest of the night complaining to her mom about how she didn’t want to go over to the neighbors anymore and how she felt uncomfortable. Across the hall the two greenettes were enamored with the two kids. Inko adored how sweet Daniel was, how shy he looked to her. Izuku was star struck at this girl without a quirk who was so quick to fight against the norms put in place by a society against them. They'd soon make it a habit to try to talk to the family in the hall, or bump into them on the street. One day, after the family had been gone for a couple weeks, they saw the two with several police officers and a social worker packing away all their belongings. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that something terrible had happened. When Inko offered to watch them, the social worker confirmed the worst and took the children away. Three weeks later, as her son was at school Inko kept trying to find the legal way for her to gain custody of the kids when her door was knocked. Her husband, AFO, on the other side. She tried telling him to go away. Tried saying that he had no part in Izuku’s life anymore. But he had a bigger role than known. “How can you be so cruel my love? Especially now that I’ve opened the door for you to gain what you want?” “What do you mean?” “I’ll help you gain custody of the two children you are craving. I happen to have a fascination with them as well.” “I can’t ever guarantee that we’ll be a whole family ever again.” “Of course not. I wouldn’t expect you to. But let’s try something for now.” So Inko made a deal with the devil, to gain two angels. 🌗🌗

Now that AFO is in the story, I'm like so excited! Great work, Moon anon!

#moon anon

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arcturusreads · 3 years ago

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Christmas Whiskey Part Two - Merhayes

@merxmac asked for a part two to this fanfic so I hope this doesn't disappoint. Also, if y'all have prompts please send them my way, my dissertation is killing me and I'd love a distraction

Cormac wasn’t surprised when he got home on Christmas Eve to find his boys still awake playing video games and Irene in the kitchen prepping the turkey. He’d managed to draw the boys’ attention from their game long enough to propose the idea of dropping in on Meredith and her family during their walk.

He wasn’t at all surprised at Irene’s eagerness to the suggestion. His sister-in-law had been wanting to meet Meredith since her own visit to the hospital. Once she’d found out that the General Surgeon was out of her coma and back on her feet, she’d kept asking Cormac when they could meet. So far, he had managed to put her off by saying that Meredith was still recovering and that everyone’s schedules at the hospital were still crazy as they came out of the peak of the pandemic. What Cormac had been surprised at was how easily the boys agreed to it, Austin even saying that he was looking forward to it.

***

Christmas morning had passed. By the times the boys had woken up, it was more like afternoon. They’d opened presents, lit a candle for Abigail and the boys messed around with their presents, which included a new set of goalposts in the garden that were a bit studier than the ones that Cormac had put-up when they had first moved there, and a drone. Cormac and Irene spent most of their time in the kitchen sorting out Christmas dinner. Afterwards, they’d all sprawled out around the living room, half comatose, wondering why they decided that a second helping was a good idea.

It was 5pm by the time the four of them had managed to haul themselves out of their seats and change out of their pyjamas. As he shrugged on his jacket, Cormac couldn’t help but feel slightly jittery at the thought of seeing Meredith today. He had texted her that morning to wish her a merry Christmas and ask if they should bring anything over to hers. She’d said that there was no need, they had enough food to last them until the end of January but said she was looking forward to seeing him.

“Mac, you ready?” Irene nudged him with her elbow. “What are you smiling about?” She teased.

Cormac hadn’t even realised that he had been smiling in the first place and quickly replaced his expression with a more neutral one.

“Probably thinking about Dr Grey again,” Liam joined in on the teasing as Austin made kissy faces behind his brother.

“You know it’s not too late for me to take those drones back.” Cormac threw an arm over each of his sons’ shoulders and began walking towards the door.

***

There was a large park that happened to be smack in the middle of the route between Cormac Meredith’s houses. After taking a long walk around it and having a kick about with the football the boys had bought with them. They began to make their way to Meredith’s.

“Are you sure we shouldn’t have brought anything with us?” Irene asked him for the 20th time as Meredith’s home came into view.

“We’re bringing Da, I’m sure that will be more than enough.”

Cormac groaned, a red flush crawling up his neck. He stopped in his tracks and turned around to face his family. “Can I trust you all to behave when we go in there?” He was praying that they wouldn’t make any comments in front of Meredith, or he would be mortified.

“I’ll have you know that me and my nephews are the best-behaved people you know.” The smirk on their three faces told him otherwise and he shook his head and he began walking again.

“Heathens, the lot of you. Don’t know why I put up with it.”

He was responded to with snickers and rolled his eyes. As the Hayes family walked up to Meredith’s door, Cormac cursed at the butterflies in his stomach. Damnit, he was a grown man with two teenagers. He should be past this stage of feeling nervous about seeing a woman. It wasn’t like this was a date. She’d invited him over as a friend, their kids were going to be there.

Cormac continued trying to convince himself of this as he knocked the door. It didn’t work though because the moment Meredith opened the door to his family an entire zoo erupted in his stomach. She wasn’t dressed up to the nines, in matching white loungewear and hair half pulled up but it was the flush on her cheeks that caused a wave of feeling to wash over Cormac. The grin on her face, the glint in her eyes and the ease of her shoulders. She was radiant.

“Hey, sorry it took a while to get to the door. We’re used to people just walking in and out. Come in!” She ushered, Cormac, his boys and Irene into her home.

Before Cormac was able to say anything, Irene stepped forward with a grin on her face. “Meredith, I have to say it’s nice to finally meet the woman behind the name. I’m Irene, Mac’s sister-in-law.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Irene. Sorry we couldn’t meet sooner.”

Irene waved off the apology, “I hear you were a bit tied up, so no worries. Thank you so much for inviting us to your home.”

“I have an open-door policy at this house, you guys are always free to drop in if you need anything. Most people do. Austin, Liam, feel free to hang your coats up. You guys have a good Christmas?””

Mer turned to the boys who were slightly surprised that she had managed to identify them both correctly. They’d only met two or three times and they hadn’t even expected the surgeon to have paid much attention to them.

The boys nodded and launched into how their Christmas had gone so far. Cormac couldn’t believe with how much ease and comfort the boys spoke to Meredith. Sometimes he found it hard to get two words out of them when he got home from work.

Meredith began to herd the four of them into the living room where everyone else was lounging around. Cormac realised he hadn’t actually said anything to Meredith since he had gotten there, he reached out and gently grabbed her arm, pulling her back towards him.

“Hey?” Meredith looked at him, slightly confused.

Cormac quickly let go of her arm, “Uh, sorry.” He rubbed the back of his neck, “Just wanted to say Merry Christmas.”

“The same thing you text me this morning?” Meredith teased, arching a brow. “Merry Christmas to you too, Hayes” She grinned at him, seeing him slightly bashful was a new thing. Cormac was usually a lot surer of himself.

“Come on, let’s head in.”

Meredith found that there was no need to make any introductions to the kids. Austin and Liam and sat on the floor with them, which was covered with blankets and cushions. Liam had started to chat with Zola and Bailey whilst Austin was taking a keen interest as Ellis showed him what she had gotten for Christmas.

As Cormac said hello to the other surgeons in the room, Meredith headed into the kitchen and began to heat the milk to make the hot chocolate. Whilst she was never going to be the next MasterChef, hot chocolate was one thing that she could manage.

Stirring the pan of milk, Meredith looked out onto the living room. Seeing the way both Cormac and Irene had settled into conversation with everyone else. Seeing both her and Cormac’s kids getting along so easily. A feeling passed over her that she had not felt in a very long time. Not since Derek had been alive.

She’d always felt at home here, a sense of belonging but now there was a feeling of completion within her. There was nothing missing, her heart didn’t feel as though it was yearning for anything. It was like something had just clicked into place.

“Can I help you out?”

Meredith had even seen Irene approach her, “You’re our guest! Go and relax.”

“You wouldn’t let us bring anything, the least I can do is help you with the hot chocolate. Where can I find the mugs?”

Knowing that Irene wasn’t going to take no for an answer, Meredith directed her towards mugs. “They’re in the cupboard to the left of the sink.”

“You know, I haven’t seen Mac like this since before my sister died,” Irene placed all the mugs on the counter next to the stove and began to spoon the cocoa powder in there. “When he first moved back to the states, I was excited to have him and the boys here but he wasn’t himself. Not that I was expecting him to be after everything he’s been through.”

Irene sighed, placed the spoon on the counter and turned to face Meredith. “Ever since he told me that you were awake again and leaving the hospital, there’s more light in his eyes. He’s more playful, like he was before. His tread isn’t so heavy anymore.”

“I, uh,” Meredith wasn’t quite sure what to say. She knew that things had changed between her and Cormac, but she didn’t think that any of the changes that Irene had mentioned were down to her. “I mean, work has gotten a lot more manageable lately with the Covid numbers going down so that’s probably helping.”

Chuckling, Irene began to stir the hot chocolate and Meredith poured milk into the mugs. “We both know that isn’t true. My brother-in-law has started to fall hard for you, Meredith. I just don’t want to see him hurt if you don’t feel the same way but from the way you’ve been looking at him, I’m going to guess that you do.”

With that she picked up two mugs and walked into the living room with them. Meredith stood, mouth agape as she watched Irene walk away. Her own sisters had only danced around the topic about Cormac and her, teasing her and making the odd comment when they were seen together. They definitely had not been as forthright as Irene had just been with her.

“Momma! Hot cocoa time!” Ellis’ voiced pulled Meredith out of her thoughts as she took as many mugs as she could carry into the living room.

Eventually there were only two mugs left and as Meredith made her last trip from the kitchen, there was only one person, other than herself left without a mug.

“Hot chocolate?” Meredith offered the mug to Cormac who took it gratefully, their finger brushing against each other.

“Thanks, Grey.”

Looking around for a place to sit, Meredith found that the only place left was next to Cormac on the two-seater.

“Do you mind?” She asked, motioning to the seat next to him with her head.

“That you sit on your sofa in your house?” The glint in his eye made simultaneously made Meredith’s stomach flip and made her want to punch him

“I don’t know why I bothered asking…” Meredith muttered under her breath, but Cormac managed to hear and laughed.

From the other side of the room, Irene kept an eye on them the entire night. Now 100% sure that Meredith Grey did feel the same way about Cormac and come hell or high water, she was going to make sure that they both did something about it.

#merhayes #grey's anatomy #cormac hayes #meredith x hayes #mcwidow #meredith grey #mcwidows #cormac x meredith #excuse me whilst i rearrange the alphabet

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r3almellow · 4 years ago

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Sexy Workout Time With The MLQC Boys (NSFW)

Not sure if this is the same person, but here it is! Hope you enjoy!

Warning: NSFW!!

Click Keep Reading

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Kiro

You’re in the middle of stretching, following along with the trainer on your TV screen, when Kiro walked through the doors of your shared apartment with a large box containing a brand new console in his hand. “Miss Chips, guess who scored a-” He stopped in his tracks as soon as he got a good look at the position you were in. You were bent over standing in a wide legged forward pose, giving Kiro a full view of not only your ass that was unfortunately covered by the skin-fit workout shorts, but also of the slight outline of your pussy.

Did you have any idea how appetizing you looked like that? The way you were bent over unknowingly bearing yourself to him, made Kiro want to eat you up in more ways than one.

“Hey! Did you manage to get the PS-” You shivered slightly, as you felt a hand lightly trace your ass. Seconds later you felt a slap hard enough to make you jump up from your position.

“K-Kiro!” You were blushing like crazy and all Kiro could do was give you sly smile and blocking your view of the TV.

“Kiro, I was just about to start my workout....” He pulled off his shirt revealing his nicely toned torso. You pouted as he pulled you against his chest. His hands glided down to cup your ass before hoisting you up, forcing you to wrap your arms and legs around him. It was impossible to ignore the feel of his bulge pressed against your clothed entrance and there wasn’t an ounce of shame on his face. He wanted you to know how badly he wanted you.

"Why don’t I give you a real workout? Don’t worry I’ll make sure you work up a sweat.”

Gavin

You liked going with Gavin to the gym. Most of the time he would rent a private training room for him to teach you some self-defense techniques. This time was no different. He showed you a new move which you managed to master after a few tries. You had him pinned on the padded floor with the most triumphant grin on your face.

Gavin was practically speechless as he looked up at you. The way you straddled him slightly panting and beads of sweat rolling down your body had his mouth feeling dry. It was a good thing you were straddling his waist because if you moved just an inch lower you would feel the hardness that threatened to give away how hot he thought you looked on top of him like this.

The thought of you riding him in the middle of the training room where anyone with clearance could walk in didn’t help the fact that he really wanted to feel your walls gripping his dick. If anything that made him want to do it even more.

When he was silent for a lot longer than you expected you called his name only for him to roll over to have you under him. His lips eagerly pressed against yours before you got the chance to question him. He slipped his tongue between your lips causing you to moan softly. You almost forgot you technically weren’t alone and that anyone could come in on you two. Almost. You managed to pull away panting heavily and a blush coating your cheeks. Your bashful demeanor didn’t stop him from laying kisses all along your check and neck. You squirmed slightly.

“Gav, I’m sweaty and I probably taste salty...” You scrunched up your nose at the thought. He rose from his position a small smirk playing across his lips.

“You taste pretty good to me.”

Victor

When you walked into his private home gym, you donned shorts that could have easily been mistaken for underwear and a sports bra that did little to conceal your erected nipples. At first Victor thought he was reading too much into it. Maybe you felt comfortable since it was just you and him, but for some reason he couldn’t take his eyes off you.

When you stretched you made sounds that sounded a little too explicit for them to be innocent and then you had the nerve to turn to him with a small smile before hopping on a machine. And when you were on the machines your movements were slow and...so sensual. You were doing this on purpose. You had to be. There was no way you were unknowingly doing all of this and thought Victor would be sane.

Victor knew he needed to focus on himself, but you were a distraction. He hadn’t even changed the level of the treadmill he was on to his usual level and its been about twenty minutes!

All he could think about was you. He could move that poor excuse of a shorts to the side and take you right on top of the machine you were currently occupying. That could be yours and his workout for the day which would be a good justification for changing up his normal routine.

It wasn’t until you were on the Chest Press machine did Victor give in. You were right in front of him while he was on the treadmill. Legs spread and chest pushed out making it that much easier for him to see your cleavage. He could hear sound of your labored breathing and could see the sweat that formed and trickled down the body he wished to have under him.

You had a huge grin on your face when Victor marched over to you with an irritated look on his face. He wasn’t going to entertain your amusement.

“Get on your knees.”

Lucien

You burst through the doors of your home panting heavily. Lucien looked up from his book and greeted you with a small smile. You looked at him apologetically a pang of guilt hitting you as you realized he was already in his going out clothes. Lucien had made dinner reservations at a restaurant to celebrate your recent achievements at work. You had scheduled a yoga class in the afternoon thinking it would wrap up before your date but clearly that wasn’t the case.

You quickly ran over to give him a quick kiss.

“I’m so sorry! Yoga class ended a lot later than I expected! Give me thirty minutes and we can go” You said as you began taking off your workout jacket revealing a purple tank top that hugged your chest perfectly.

Lucien only chuckled and told you not to worry. He took note of your body still damped from sweat and the heavy panting like you had just run a marathon. He also noticed the slight jiggle of your ass in the leggings you wore as you briskly walked passed him, heading into the bathroom.

Lucien always appreciated seeing you in your workout wear. Whether you were only in shorts and a t-shirt or had on yoga pants and a sports bra, just the sight of you created a burning desire that he could never ignore.

You heard a small knock at the door before you could undress and was surprised to see Lucien come in. Lucien was quiet for a moment and that had you nervous. Was he upset with you for being late? You had no chance to question him when he suddenly bent you over, forcing your hands to rest against the sink. You felt his chest against your back and shuddered. Lucien slipped a hand under your tank top cupping one of your breasts firmly.

“Lucien, we’re late as it is! L-let me go show- ah!” You whined when he pinched your nipple roughly. His hands then traveled down to the curve of your ass, gripping the fabric of your leggings. In one swift movement, he roughly ripped the leggings a part revealing your panties.

Lucien leaned forward, pressing his lips against your ear.

“Let me do the honors of cleaning you up, my dirty girl.”

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

Done! If you like my writing pls check out my MLQC masterpost!!

#mlqc #mlqc lucien #mlqc kiro #mlqc gavin #mlqc victor #mr love #mr love queens choice

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unmaskedagain · 5 years ago

Text

Raise yourselves up (We’re done)

Two prompts in one; let’s do this. I tweaked the ideas a bit though.

It was Bustier who broke the news to Marinette and Chloe, and she did it once again the most inappropriate fashion, “-And so the class feels it would be best if both of you were excluded from the class trip at the end of the year.” She finished. The class was just about to let out and she told the two girls in front of them all.

There were mean snickers and smug looks from the other students. The ones who just avoid the girls’ gazes; Adrien, Juleka, and Rose. The three had decided to stay out of it and just side with the majority. Marinette and Chloe had become best friends after Lila had gotten her hooks into class the year before. She turned all of Marinette’s dearest friends to ex-friends and turned them into bullies. That was fine with Marinette. She was done with two-faced people; done with turn-coats, and cowards. Marinette didn’t need them. Or want them. Chloe at least had the guts to stand on her own two feet and for what she believed in. It was a new year and a new Marinette.

Neither blond nor bluenette blinked.

“That’s fine,” Marinette shrugged. “It will be a relief not to have to fundraise for the trip.”

Chloe smirked, “Ditto. A trip to New York City, completely unfunded by the school, is going to be a lot to pay for.”

“They’ll have plenty of time though,” Marinette hummed. “A little less than a year.” The two girls cast them cool looks, “Good luck!” They chimed as the bell rang.

No one understood why they didn’t react the way they thought. Alya had expected tears from Marinette. Rage from Chloe. Then apologies and promises to do better. In fact, they all did. But they didn’t get it. Instead, they were left wondering why the two girls laughed their way out of the classroom.

It would take them months to realize.

Both girls knew though. Chloe always managed to convince her parents to fund thirty percent of whatever grand trip the class took every year. Marinette managed to put together enough amazing fundraisers to raise sixty percent of the funds needed. Everyone else in class only ever managed to pull together the last ten percent. Barely.

The next day the brand new World Travelers’ Club announced their formation and invited anyone to join. A few members of the class perked up until they heard Marinette and Chloe were the presidents. Instead, the class bashed the club and joked it was the girls’ lame attempt at making friends.

That was the last they heard of the club.

To the rest of the students of Bustier’s class’s credit, they attempted right away to start fundraising plans. However, no one in the class knew just when they should start and no one had any unique ideas; they only had a car cash fundraiser, the usual bake sale, maybe a raffle. Standard stuff they were sure would work. After Marinette, the former class president, and resident bully as far as they were concerned, always started off with those. Never realizing that she only started out with them at the very beginning of the year, and never stopped there. Nor did they realize just how much planning went into each event.

The class's first event was a car wash in November. It was a poor idea, as the weather had begun to take a turn for the worst and barely any cars showed up. They hosted it at the school figuring people would want to help out school children. Nino played music. And all the friends had a blast. But the kids made a total of 143 dollars a days’ worth of work. They vowed their next fundraiser would be better.

During the two months, Marinette and Chloe and the rest of the World Travelers’ club; Kagami, Claude, Aurore, Marc, Luka, Ondine, and a bunch of other students who always wanted to see the world fundraised like crazy. They decided that their class trip would be to six different places; Los Angeles, Star City, Central City, Metropolis, Gotham, and finally New York City. It would be a tour. They would spend two weeks in each city, touring and visiting, before moving on to the next. Each city had its own highlights and hotels that need to be arranged and paid for. Marinette did the math; they would need to raise a little less than $35,000 to pay for everything. She made it an even $40,000 to be safe.

Marinette set up a go fund me page an hour later. It wouldn’t be easy but Marinette knew they could do it if they worked hard and fast. (She only half-heartedly glared at Chloe when two grand mysteriously was donated to the club’s go-fund-me five minutes after she announced it the class. She did glare when Jagged and Clara both gave five grand each to their favorite designer and faux-niece. But stopped when Kagami said her mother was also donating $3,000 to the club.)

A week after the club’s formation, they had their first fundraiser. A car wash. Marinette knew it was best to get that one done as soon as possible while the summer heat was still around. It went great. They had it at a local park. Chloe played music off her phone. During the event, they sold ice cream and other cold sweets. Ondine had the great idea of selling full water balloons to children so they could run around. Marc sold quick funny Caricatures of customers. They raised a total of $2752, minus the two hundred for expenses that Chloe and Mariette fronted themselves.

The second fundraiser Bustier’s class held was a bake sale. It was in the middle of December and more or less a last-minute idea. Alya spearheaded the event, remembering how much money they pulled in from the last bake sale. She had the smart idea of doing it during a pep rally. Only to remember at the last minute that Marinette usually supplied all the best goods freely given from the bakery. Or made them herself. It didn’t take a genius to know that Alya nor any of the class would be welcome in the bakery based on the cold looks Tom and Sabine had given Alya last time she went in with her mother. So Alya declared all the kids would make their own goods.

…Four people got food poisoning; one of them was Kim. Most of the baked goods were dry and hard and virtually unappealing. Rose’s sugar cookies sold well but mostly because they were one of the few things that tasted and looked good. The class made a total of 128 bucks. They were lucky they weren’t sued.

The World Travelers’ club’s second fundraiser was actually a pool party at Chloe’s. She had led the entire event. The weather was still hot. They got Luka and his new band My Shadow’s Wonderland to play; Kitty section had sadly broken up due to Lila’s schemes months before. The club members sold tickets to get in. They also sold food: hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, ice cream, and funnel cakes. Kagami sold Balloon which caused her friends to do double-takes. Because Kagami knew how to make balloon animals, what in the world? Marinette and Marc did face paint and temp tattoos. Nearly everyone from school showed up. Even Bustier’s class, though they hadn’t seemed to realize The World travelers’ club was hosting. They earned a total of $3101. Marinette had long since learned the greatest trick of the fundraiser; don’t let make it obvious it’s a fundraiser. Make it fun and people would come.

Their third fundraiser happened two weeks later just at the beginning of October. It was Claude’s idea and he called it; “Can you Arcade it?” No laughed but he thought it was hilarious. They had got permission to use the gym to set up a video Gamers’ paradise. He got this idea when he heard the old arcade had finally shut down after Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone had opted to retire. He got the couple to donate the old game machine for a day to help them out. Claude only had to babysit their pet Parakeet for two weeks while they were out of town. Old arcade games line the walls. New games with TV borrowed from the club members were set up with the new game systems. They sold food and anything they thought a gamer would want. Aurore somehow got the local Taco Bell to sponsor the event so ever twenty minutes or so they had a deal with commercial playing in the background. This fundraiser attracted most parents with younger children; though a good percent was just nostalgic dads who ended up playing the games as much as the kids. $1700 was earned; most of it in quarters.

Their next fundraiser happened at the end of October and it was a haunted house; or rather a haunted school. They teamed up with a few other clubs to put the event together. They didn’t earn that much money; $300 after it was split between the clubs. However, all the kids had a ton of fun.

When November hit, and the weather turned cold, and everyone wanted everything pumpkin spice. (And Bustier’s class first fundraiser was about to happen) Marinette held did her bake sale. She with the help of the other members of the club made all the sweets; for once she didn’t have to get her parents to donate the baked goods. In additional, Marinette and the gang sold handmade little dolls of Ladybug and Chat Noir and the new miraculous heroes that had replaced the last team. The dolls were a big hit. Such a hit that Chloe got the idea of marketing them online for a much better price. The fundraiser earned about $600 bucks which weren’t bad.

Chloe and Marinette started selling the dolls for $10 bucks each plus shipping and handling. Chloe and Marinette made the dolls. The others took care of the shipping part. The

dolls only cost 2 bucks to make, as they were mostly yarn, so they profited 8. Chloe said that was how the business made money.

By the time December hit, they were had raised more half of their overall target goal.

During the fundraisers, each kid used their own influence via social media to get people to go their Go-Fund-me page. Luka and his band, all of who members of the club anyway, used Youtube and Instagram to promote their bands also asked fans to make a donation. Aurore used her Ladybug site Bugout to ask her fans. Ondine did swim training videos did the same. Marc who did drawing tutorial asked too. They didn’t get a lot from; a dollar here, three there, maybe a five if they were lucky but every bit count.

Their next fundraiser was a raffle in one of the empty unsure ballrooms of Chloe’s hotel, and it happened not long before Christmas break. This was spearheaded by Aurore. The strategy was sound; most people were still rushing to get presents. All they have to do was bid on the item they want. She got local businesses to donate. A fancy dinner from one restaurant, a bouquet of roses, expensive perfumes, a massage chair; a bunch of gift cards of various stores. Chloe got her dad to donate two items a spa day and a luxury Spa weekend. Marc offered art lessons. He also auctioned off some of his portraits. Ondine offered swim lessons. Aurore got offered a meet-and-greet with Ladybug, who even showed up to make an appearance. Kagami offered sword fighting lessons. Luka offers guitar lessons. His bandmate, Naomi, offered drum lessons. Another girl, Bridgette offered piano lessons. Marinette offered her usually big-ticket item; a custom design by MDC. The night was a hit. Once again, Marinette’s item was one of the highest bid items of the night. All in all, the kids brought in a total of $4728.

January came and Bustier’s class decided it was time for another fundraiser. Just as the World’s traveler’s club decided it was time for a break. Though they still sold the dolls; which had brought in $1800 since they had started selling them; Ladybug and her crew apparent had fans all over the world. This meant by the time February hit, they had just over $10,000 left to raise and five months to do it. They would leave at the beginning of June. They already paid for all of their plane tickets and paid for their hotel rooms. All their tours booked and paid for. All reservations made. And then reconfirmed by a rather stern Chloe. Passports were bought.

Bustier’s fundraiser idea was once again headed by Alya, the new class president after Lila decline the role as she would be far too busy. Alya decided a raffle would be perfect. The one they did the year before had been amazing. Again, Alya forgot that Marinette and Chloe handled nearly everything which was why it was such a big hit. Alya had to use the school gym.

“It’s not like I’d ask Chloe,” Alya huffed to her boyfriend. “I’m just glad I won’t have to deal with her or Marinette on our trip.”

“You said it, babe,” Nino leaned back in his desk. “No need for that kind of drama.”

The raffle was their most successful fundraiser so far much to Alya smug face when Marinette and Chloe walked into class on Monday. All the kids in the class participated and offered their own talents for use; offering lessons or gift cards from their parents' businesses. Their biggest hit was a picture and an autograph from Adrien Agreste.

“We raised over a thousand dollars,” Alya crossed her arms. A satisfied look on her face. She had worked hard. They had all worked hard. “Beat that!”

Marinette and Chloe shared a look before they literally fell to the ground laughing. “I can’t!” Chloe gasped for air. “I can’t breathe!”

Marinette struggled to contain herself, “This! I!” She couldn’t even get out the words. She was laughing so hard.

They didn’t even bother to pay the glares they received any attention. It was just too funny.

For the rest of the week, it was the running joke between them. Every now and then, the other students in the class would “Beat that!” And laughter from the back of the room.

February came and the kids decided in anticipation for Valentine ’s Day. They would do a Date Auction. It was Ondine’s idea and it was a huge success. Surprising considering it, it was supposed to be simple and easy and something to get them back into the fundraiser's mood after a month's breath. Most of the kids now had a strong online following and become popular among the youth of Paris for their awesome parties. So when word spread that the World Travelers’ Club was doing a date auction; a lot of students from school showed up. A lot of students from other schools showed up. One girl traveled from England specifically for Luka.

Marinette, followed by Chloe, Then Luka, then Kagami, then Aurore was the highest auctioned date of the night. Claude and Felix were both a little put out. Marc didn’t mind. Mostly because of the best looking guy at the auction bid on him.

All in all, they raised $2100.

The next fundraiser was in March. The spring warm weather had hit in full. Flowers were blooming. The fundraiser was a carnival Luka planned. Everyone set up carnival booths and games and fun prizes. Live music. They had it in on the school soccer field. A lot of parents with their kids showed up, looking for a family-friendly event to enjoy. Total they raised $2421.

Marinette’s dolls brought in an additional $900. Then it was official they only needed 5,000 more.

Bustier’s class tried another fundraiser; a dance party in the school gymnasium; hosted by Nino. They sold tickets to get in, snacks and drinks. They put off filers everywhere and did everything they could to promote the event. They made $750 dollars. And were proud.

In April, the World travelers’ club did another bake sale and another car wash and a ping pong tournament was a really big hit for some reason. By the end of April, they had met their goals. All loose ends tied up. All the tickets bought. Permissions slip signed. Four teachers, who were more than excited to volunteer to spend near all-expense-paid vacation in the most popular cities in the world, would be chaperoning. They were done.

By the first Monday of May, Chloe and Marinette breathed a sigh a relief as the stress had finally left their shoulders. The only thing they had to worry about was packing, and they had a month to do it.

The two girls once again arrived to see the smug grins of the classmates' faces. Bustier’s class had been fundraisers like crazy so much so that even the teacher was looking over her students proudly.

“We’ve raised $5,829,” Lila announced. The Italian girl looked smug as she had done al the work. “Fundraising was hard but we did what we had to.”

“Way better then we did under the last class president,” Alya hissed.

Marinette and Chloe looked at each other again. It was Chloe who spoke, “So you’re not going to New York?”

The question caught everyone off guard.

“What?” Alya hissed. “Of course we’re going to New York!”

Marinette sighed, “No, WE” She pointed between her and Chloe, “And the World Traveler’s club is going to New York and a bunch of other places. We raised over $40,000.” Most of the students turned green.

“$40- $40,000,” Nino stuttered. “What? how?”

“We worked hard, like we always,” Chloe flipped her hair. “That was our goal since September. Its how much it would cost to pay for the entire trip. For every member and required chaperones to go. Why? What was your goal?”

It went quiet. Alya spoke next, “Goal?”

Again, Chloe and Marinette

“Goal,” Marinette nodded. “The amount you needed to fund the entire trip to New York?”

“We didn’t have a goal,” Rose answered.

The two girls stared at them.

“What airline are you using?” Chloe asked. “How much do the tickets cost?”

No answer.

“What hotel are you staying at?”

No answer.

“Did you get your passports yet?”

Nothing.

“Have you made any reservations?” Marinette asked. “Any down payments?” No answered. Just pale faces.

Chloe just shook her head, “Did you at least get approval from the school board to clear the trip?”

“We need them to approve it?” Kim asked. “Why it’s our trip?”

“Safety and legal concerns,” Marinette said slowly. “It takes weeks to get approved. Permissions slips have to be signed and turned in. Chaperones found.”

“Miss Bustier’s our chaperone,” Mylene said brightly, and the teacher nodded eagerly.

Marinette fought the urge to scoff. Bustier couldn’t chaperone a ping pong tournament. “Fine but with a class this size, you need at least two more. Maybe three.”

Chloe crossed her arms, “How were you getting to New York? What were your plans? Did you book any tours? What were you going to do in New York?”

No one said a word.

Marinette smirked, “Good on you, I guess. You must have some killer fundraising ideas with only a month and a half until summer break.” She sighed. “I couldn’t do it myself. Way too much stress. The World Traveler’s club was killing ourselves since September to get everything done.”

“September,” Rose gasped. “Really.” She deflated. “We didn’t start till November, and the car wash was pretty bad.” There were nods.

“Yep,” Chloe said. “I think we did about fifteen or more fundraisers. Little ones and big ones. How many did you guys do?”

Nino frowned, “Five.”

“We worked really hard, though!” Alix slammed her fist on the desk. “Nothing worked.”

Marinette and Chloe shared another look.

“Shame,” Marinette said as they glided to their seats.

“Last year, the class did so well,” Chloe smirked. “Wonder what changed?”

“Nothing!” Alya shouted. “We did the same thing we do every year. Bake Sale, car wash, Raffle, Dance Party; everything!

There were nods.

“It’s not fair!”

“We didn’t do anything wrong.”

There more shouts and complaints.

Bustier calmed everyone down, “Now class, let’s not give up hope. Our trip last year was a success. And I know we can pull it off again. What did we do then that we aren’t doing now?”

The class went silent as they thought up what they were doing wrong. Surprisingly, it was Juleka who answered, “Marinette did most of the organizing,” She whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear; one of the few brave things she did all year. “Her and Chloe come up with all the fundraiser ideas and they plan them out too. They always did; every year.”

“This year they didn’t,” Rose frowned.

And just like that, it was like that, it was like a balloon burst inside the students.

“They always plan the best fundraisers,” Kim frowned. “And we always met our goals.”

Lila glared. She didn’t think that when she convinced the class to kick the girls off the trip that they’d be getting rid of anyone who did any real work. However, the glare quickly turned into a frown with a few crocodile tears, “Then we didn’t they help us? We needed them obviously.”

Before any of the other students could direct their anger to the girls at their betrayal, Nino shrugged, “Because we told them they couldn’t come with us, remember? So they didn’t help out. They told us they wouldn’t. Why should they? It wasn’t their trip.”

Frustration and rage built inside Alya. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. The class should’ve been headed to a glamorous trip to New York, with Marinette and Chloe left to suffer alone in Paris wishing they had been invited. Where was justice?

“I bet you're happy!” Alya growled at her ex-friend. “Our trip is ruined thanks to you.”

Marinette smirked, “No. I didn’t do anything. I was and am in no way involved with your class trip. Just like you wanted.”

“You could’ve helped us!” Alix yelled.

“Why?” Chloe asked.

Silence.

“You made it clear we couldn’t go to New York with you,” Chloe said. “Why would we help you? It’s not like we’re friends with you.”

Angry eyes and red faces filled the classroom. No one wanted to admit that they got themselves into trouble.

Alya had to be held back in her chair by Nino, “You could’ve warned me how hard being class president was. Or what we needed to do to go on the trip. But you didn’t care about us. You don’t think about us at all.”

Marinette leaned back in her seat, an easy smile on her face, with frost in her eyes, “Sweetie, I haven’t thought any of you for months.”

Before anyone could say anything else. Bustier decided to try to take control again, “Marinette, Chloe; there must be something you can do. Maybe the class can tag along on your trip.”

Hopeful expressions overtook the students' faces.

Both girls looked at the teacher like she was stupid.

“Even if that was possible,” Chloe narrowed her eyes. “And it’s not. We had everything booked for months, reservations made. How will they pay for it? We only raised enough for the World Travelers’ Club.”

It was Adrien who answered, “Can’t you do something?” He said with hopeful eyes. “Our friends are really looking forward to it.”

“No.” Marinette snapped. “They are not my friends. And even if they were, it would take another 40 grand to get everyone in class on the trip. There’s no time to get that type of cash. Even if there was, it would still be weeks to get School board approval. The World Travelers’ leave on the first. There’s nothing to do.”

“We’re not risking our trip for yours,” Chloe and Marinette chimed together, looking very much like the Ice Queens the students had called them behind their backs.

That was that. Alya and the other students would shoot glares at the two girls, and make mean comments for the next month; mostly about them being selfish. The girls didn’t pay them any mind. Lila tried to join the World Travelers’ club at the last minute, only to be unanimously told to come back in September. Damocles, at the urgency of Lila and Alya, tried to intervene and stop the trip the ground, it wouldn’t be safe. Boy, was he surprised when the school board called him into a meet to speak about his future employment and the rampant bullying and oversight that had been going on in the school.

Bustier’s class ended up going to Disney World Paris for the weekend, before the end of May. And posted tons of videos, most of which had comments about getting away from bullies and the drama of the class.

The World Travelers’ Club left on schedule on June 1st. They would return for two months.

The pictures they posted was the talk of the school. Which was saying something since the school wasn’t even in session. The first pictures were of the grand hotels they stayed at, the amazing strange American food they ate. Carne Asada fries, yum!

In Los Angelus, the club toured Warner Brothers studios and ran into the cast of the new Star Trek movies. They attended the world premiere of the Joss Weadon Superhero movie. They got all the classic tourist pictures of Los Angeles. Though Marinette and Chloe, when they had explored by themselves, ended up running into the Rock and had a picture of themselves hanging from his biceps as he posed.

Their next stop was Star City. They toured the local museum, toured Queen Industries, met Oliver Queen himself. Then they even got to meet the Green Arrow.

Alya nearly broke her phone when she saw Aurore and the superhero.

After that, the Club went to Central city where they visited Star Labs. It was Aurore’s idea. It was the most meta-filled city in the world; known for the most outrageous heroes and rogues in the world.

It didn’t take long for the club to run into the flash, in this case, he was fighting against Captain Cold, Heatwave, and the rest of the rogues.

The fight wasn’t favoring either side. But the class watched eagerly from where they stood on the sidewalk.

They had to duck quickly when Captain cold was blasted into the wall next to them.

Leonard Snart was surprised when a young girl helped him up. He looked and saw a bunch of kids standing there, torn between watching him and watching the fight.

“Are you okay, Mr. Cold?” She asked, with a heavy French accent, her blue eyes big with worry.

“…Fine, kid,” He answered. “Shouldn’t you lot being running off.”

The bluenette and the blond girl next to her shared a look.

“Can we get a picture?” The Bluenette asked.

Leonard Snart paused, “…Sure.” There was, in fact, a first time for everything.

The kids cheered. And each one started scrambled with their phones to get their picture. It wasn’t long before Heatwave showed up to see what was wrong, only to be pulled in by a push blond to take pictures as well.

That was when the flash Showed up but Aurore quickly pulled him into an interview. Slowly but surely, the rogues and the team flash found themselves entertaining and signing autographs for a bunch of French kids; answering all their questions and telling stories.

Later when Aurore and the rest posted their pictures, and the interview with the Flash and his rogues, Alya did break her phone. As far as she was concerned life was fair.

In metropolis, They met Superman, Supergirl, Krypton (the former superboy), and the new Superboy. Superman had heard from the other league members of the French class touring different cities and how great they were.

They toured the Daily Planet and Aurore got one on one time with Lois Lane. They got to see LexCorp and had a tour given by Lex Luthor himself. Lex had heard about the class from Queen and Wells, the CEOs of Star Labs and Queen industries, and decided one-up his competition in any way he could

Then the kids' wen to Gotham. The pictures from that trip made half the kids in Bustiers’ class cry. The best pictures were of Marinette sitting in the Batmobile; Batman looking stern next to her. The ones of the club with Bruce Wayne and his kids were pretty epic too.

Finally, their lasts destination was New York City. And the kids saw everything. They did the entire tourist thing; The statue of liberty, times Square, New York Times. Everything. However, the highlight was the tour of Stark Tower/Industries; led by Tony Stark, with Pepper to manage him. Because Tony Stark didn’t get one-upped by Lex Luthor or Bruce Wayne. Then the kids took a surprise trip to the Avengers compound.

Marinette and Chloe decided walking into the training room only to see Captain America, Thor, and Bucky Barnes working out with their shirts off was the best part of the entire trip.

Pictures and videos were taken of each member of the club holding various Avenger weapons. Chloe refused to admit her hand trembled when she was given over Captain America’s shield.

The funniest video was supposed to be each member of the World Travels’ club struggling to pick up Thor’s hammer. It was pretty funny. Until Marinette lift it like it weighed nothing. Mouths dropped. The Avengers were stunned. Who was this small bluenette worthy of Thor’s hammer?

Then Thor shouted that Marinette would come to Asgard with him.

Then Tony had to tell Thor that he couldn’t kidnap kids.

To which Thor said, “What about Peter? Where did he come from?”

“I’m his mentor,” Tony groaned.

Thor nodded, “Then I shall be the girl’s mentor. The Captain shall train young Chloe. Natasha will have Kagami as they are suited for each other; mostly because they strike fear in hearts everyone. Pepper will get Aurore; as they were meant to rule. Hawkeye will get Claude. The Soldier of Winter will get young Luka. You shall have Peter. The rest will be divided among the rest of the avengers. There. All done.”

A moment of silence, and then Tony yelled, “That’s not how this works.”

It was all on video.

It went viral in an hour.

Marinette had to portal back to Paris to deal with several different Akumas several different times; most were just about jealousy.

When the kids returned to Paris. They wasted no time relaying the stories of their adventures.

When September came and school started. Marinette and Chloe once again walked into class together, with smiles on their faces, only to meet glum looks on the students' faces. They paid no mind as they headed back to their seats in the back.

Before class could begin, Rose approached them, a hopeful smile on her face, “Marinette, Chloe; we were hoping you’d come with us on your next trip.” Her smile widened “And Marinette, maybe you’d like to be class president again.”

None of the other students looked happy at the idea but all of them could admit that the World Travelers’ club had been amazing. And if they ever wanted another great trip, they had no choice but to deal with the Ice Queens.

Marinette and Chloe shared a look and then shot the class cold smirks, “No!”

“We’ll be far too busy,” Chloe smiled, coolness in her tone. “We decided we can no longer want to go on any more class trips. With you.”

“The World Travelers’ club takes a lot of work,” Marinette added.

“Good Luck though,” The two girls chimed together. “You have plenty of time to fundraise though.”

“A little less than a year,” Chloe said. “Our club starts planning in about two weeks. We’ll start fundraising right after. We’re thinking about Japan. Luckily this trip won’t be as expensive as our last.”

“Good luck with your trip though,” Marinette leaned back in her seat. “Who knows? If your lucky, it’ll be as fun as your last one. We know you worked so hard. Earned over $5,000 right?”

“Beat that!” Chloe added.

Then both girls burst into laughter.

Marinette wiped her eyes, “Besides you don’t want us there on your trip.”

“Too much Drama, right?” Chloe offered.

The bell rang. And the class’ resident ice queens sat in back with smiles on their faces and ice in their eyes.

#ml salt #ml salt fic #Marinette deserves better #marinette dupen chang #chloe bourgeois #chloe deserves better #class salt #adrien salt

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evanescentreverie · 4 years ago

Text

Perform (SVT Hoshi)

I love it when you perform

The first time you saw him was on stage, his whole being poured into his dancing. The way he moved his feet to the beat, the way his arms never missed the perfect angles they needed to be in but most importantly, you saw how much he poured his emotions into dancing. For you, it was absolutely ethereal and you felt lucky to even be standing on the same stage as he.

You knew at that moment, you fell in love with his passion.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"I really admire Hoshi from Seventeen. I just really enjoy it when I see him dance."

You watched yourself as you muttered those words. You saw how your cheeks turned a slight pink, how your fellow members told the interviewer the things that you would rather keep to yourself. You saw how you turned into a bashful girl in front of the camera, shying away from the spotlight.

"Is there anything you'd like to say to Hoshi?" The emcee had asked you. You cringed when you saw how nervous you were being.

You remembered taking a deep breath before answering, "Hoshi-sunbaenim, I really hope you continue to dance your heart out because you inspire me, as well as the others, to do what they desire to do." You gave a small smile at the end as you bowed, waving at the camera once you stood up straight.

You threw your phone on your bed as you felt your cheeks heat up, heart pounding in your chest, "Oh gosh, what if he sees this?"

You walk towards your bed, jumping in it and taking your phone to scroll in Twitter. Immediately, you saw that Hoshi was trending and you somehow had a feeling as to why. You sighed before shutting it off, reminding yourself that it wasn't wise to look at the tweets. Realizing you weren't going to be able to sleep, you stood up from your bed and headed towards the door, ready for another night of polishing your dancing skills.

"Let's just hope he doesn't see that."

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Thank you so much for your love and support Carats! Horanghae!"

You couldn't believe your eyes, your inspiration was right in front of you and within arm's reach. You were sure that your eyes were starry, admiration clearly showed on your face. You were happy for them, you were happy that they have won. Their song was something you listened to multiple times a day, even going as far as learning the dance (Hoshi's part of course). So, to see him right in front of you, close to doing an encore, was something unbelievable.

The groups on the stage slowly dispersed, allowing Seventeen to perform fully on stage. As you passed by them, you took a glance at Hoshi, only to see that he was already looking at you. Your cheeks flushed as you bowed respectfully, Hoshi bowing in return as he smiled his signature smile at you.

He was the first to look away as you exited the stage. You felt dizzy, feeling as if the scene in front of you was unreal. You held your cheeks, fanning yourself to cool down your face. You saw your members worrying about you, causing you to smile and wave off their concern.

You walked to the bathroom, thankful that it was empty as you took a moment to calm yourself. 'That was too much.' You closed your eyes, taking a deep breath before looking at the mirror. You couldn't stop your smile, heart feeling giddy as you remembered the interaction. 'I can't believe Hoshi looked at me.' You giggled to yourself. You swore that if people were to look at you right now, they would believe that you were going crazy. Maybe you were but that only meant you were extremely happy.

Once you were sure that you were calm, you exited the bathroom. What greeted you as you did, however, was the very person that caused your pounding heart.

Your eyes widened as he approached you, waving at you with a smile on his face. You froze on spot, unknowing of what to do in this situation. Do you wave? Do you smile? Do you greet him? Your thoughts ran a hundred miles per hour, mind malfunctioning at the very sight of him approaching you. He stood near you, his smile never leaving as he reached out his hands, a signal for you to shake it.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Hoshi!" You looked at his hands, clenching your fist as it was feeling very clammy. You wiped the sweat off of your hands as you nervously reached out for his hands.

"Hoshi-sunbaenim! It's... It's a p-pleasure." You mentally kicked yourself for stuttering, cheeks feeling red as you removed your hold from his.

He chuckled at your form, "I saw your video and I really want to say that I appreciate your words. It really meant a lot to us as a group but most importantly, me as a dancer." He looked at your eyes, a small genuine smile present on his lips. "So, thank you."

You felt your brain shut down at the sight of his smile. You could hear your heart loudly pounding against your chest, your stomach feeling a sense of anxiousness.

"I-I-I..." You looked down, hands fiddling with the hem of your skirt. "Thank you for inspiring me, Hoshi-sunbaenim."

You heard him chuckle, "You know, you're not a bad dancer yourself. You're the main dancer of your group right?"

You could only nod, mouth unable to form any words.

"I can definitely see why. You have this aura when you dance that mesmerizes the viewer." You gaped at him, mind not believing his praise. You felt your whole body fill with happiness, the sudden praise serving as a newfound passion in you.

You gave him a bright smile, eyes teary from the surge of emotions. "To hear that from you," You paused as you pursed your lip, trying to contain the amount of happiness that resides in you. "It really means a lot to me Hoshi-sunbaenim."

The conversation stopped as Hoshi stared at you, causing you to feel a sense a feeling of self-consciousness. Seeing this, Hoshi's grin returned, "Hey! we should hang out sometime! You know, to give you a couple of pointers."

It was then that your brain short-circuited, cheeks warming at his sudden invitation. You could only stare at him in shock as he waited for an answer. A few minutes passed and Hoshi's expression switched to that of concern, waving his hands in front of you.

"(Y/n)?"

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"I like you (Y/n)."

Very rarely does Hoshi's expression turns serious and right now was one of those moments. At first, you thought that he was joking, seeing as you were closer now than before. You could even consider each other as best friends so seeing him confess to you was something that you didn't expect any more. Sure you had a crush on him the first few times you met but you realized that the friendship the two of you had was priceless and quickly brushed the feelings aside.

"What?" You gaped at his statement, still finding his sudden confession hard to believe.

"I like you, (Y/n). I have been liking you for a while now." He looked away, "It's okay if you don't like me back but know that I do."

Your heart pounded against your chest, lips pursed as you thought of a reply. The more you think about it, the more you didn't have to. You smiled as you held his cheeks, forcing him to look at you directly.

"You idiot," You gave him a warm smile, "but you're my idiot. I like you too."

You saw how his face slowly changed into a happy one, maybe even going as far as elated. "You do?!" His whole being exuded happiness, from his shaking shoulders to his large grin, you knew he was extremely happy.

You laughed at the change in his demeanor, admiring the way he releases his happiness "I do. I like you more than you know."

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"You will break up with him or there will be consequences."

You remembered the CEO's words as she yelled at you, demanding you to remove Hoshi from your life. She had found out from an unknown photographer that send pictures of the two of you strolling on a late-night once.

Your lips quivered at the thought of leaving him but you had to. You still had a lot to do, a lot to show, and a lot of promises to keep.

There was also the fact that he had so much more to lose than you. So you had to leave him, to keep the both of you safe.

You allowed yourself to cry, feeling as if you had to be strong in front of him. "I'm sorry, Soonyoung."

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"I'm tired of this. Let's break up."

Often, you wonder about a life different than what you have. If things would have turned out differently. If the two of you had very different jobs and if you two weren't bound by a contract.

You stared at him as he cried, cried as you held it desperately inside of you. You didn't have the right to cry with him, you didn't have the right to show how absolutely devastated you were. You kept your face stoic and your eyes cold, expression void of any sort of emotions.

You rarely saw him like this. In fact, it was the first time you saw him weep like this. He held your hand tightly as he kneeled in front of you, head buried in your palms as he begged for you to stay. Your heart broke at the sounds of his cries, used to hearing his melodic laugh.

"Let's talk this through, okay? Please," He looked up at you and it took every willpower you've got to hold back your emotions. "I need you, (Y/n)." His voice broke at every word as tears spilled from his eyes. You removed your hands from his hold as you took a deep breath.

"There's nothing to talk about. I just don't love you anymore." You heard him sob as you felt your heart drop. With one more glare, you spoke once more. "Don't call me, Don't contact me. Just... leave me alone."

With that, you walked away, the tears you've been holding back finally letting themself drop. You held in a sob before entering a taxi. The moment you've entered, you choked out a sob, your emotions spilling as you failed to hold it in. You hid your face in your hands as you sobbed, your body trembling at the overwhelming sadness you felt.

'I'm sorry it had to turn out this way.'

��── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The crowd buzzed as you look for your seat with your friend. You hid your face as much as you could, not wanting to be recognized by this large crowd. It would cause a lot of controversies, after all.

"Um," You lowered your mask as you tapped the shoulder of your friend beside you, the girl immediately turning to you.

"Yes?"

You gave her a sheepish smile, "Do you mind if you bring my album with you for them to sign?"

She glanced at you with a confused expression, "Why? Do you not want to meet them?"

"I do but with what happened, I'm not sure I have the courage to do so." You chuckled sadly. She gave you a knowing look before nodding, "Alright, give me your album and I promise to return it after."

You shot her a grateful smile, "Thank you so much."

She smiled before nodding, standing up to get in line. You raised your mask back to its original place and watched as she waited, the line moving at a steady pace. You watched as she approached each member before finally reaching him. Your heart beat nervously, wondering what his reaction would be.

I love it when you perform

You saw how his eyes widened, how his head shot up immediately to look at the person in front of him. You saw how his expression saddened when he realized it wasn't you. You saw him look around the crowd, making you alert of his scanning.

You lowered your hat in order to avoid being seen, biting your lips in anxiety. You counted a few seconds before returning your gaze towards him, smiling sadly when you see his visible disappointment. You knew that you had made the right choice and you knew in your heart that things were better this way.

He returned his attention back at the album, a bittersweet smile now placed on his lips. You watched as he wrote something before handing back the album. As your friend reached the final member, she walked towards you and handed your album back.

You once again muttered your thanks, smiling as she told you it was nothing. You opened the album, turning to the page. You held your breath as you read the message, holding back your tears as you did.

I love it more when you cheer me on, (Y/n).

Your heart ached the more you saw it, your hands tracing the familiar handwriting. You slowly looked back at his form, a sad smile now etched into your face. A few minutes later, you stood up from your seat and left, muttering your silent goodbye.

"I really love it when you perform, Soonyoung."

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

#hoshi #svt imagines #svt x reader #svt #svt oneshot #svt one shot #svt hoshi #svt soonyoung #seventeen x reader #seventeen #seventeen imagines #seventeen hoshi #seventeen hoshi x reader #soonyoung #soonyoung x reader #svt imagine #oneshot #angst #fluff

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ikeromantic · 4 years ago

Photo

Reunion

A Mitsuhide Akechi fanfiction - this scene occurs toward the end of Ch. 10. Approx. 2000 words.

First: Mitsuhide and the Maiden

Previous: Peace

Waking to the feel of his little one in his arms was, Mitsuhide reflected, the single best way to wake. His body still hurt from a myriad of wounds and he still felt a tiredness that was bone deep. But her warmth and the steady sound of her sleeping breath made any discomfort less.

He intended to lay there and just enjoy their closeness, but his hands could not help stroking her. Light touches on her belly and sides. Stroking her arms down to her hands. She was all softness and beauty as she made little sounds of pleasure in her sleep. Smiling, Mitsuhide pressed light kisses to the back of her neck and shoulders.

His little mouse took a sharp breath as his lips found an especially sensitive spot under her ear. Her eyes fluttered open, heavy lidded with desire. She turned to face him, pulling herself close.

Mitsuhide started to say good morning, but she caught his lips in a kiss. It was sweet and slow. Full of yearning and the promise of satisfaction. It would have been so easy to give himself up to it. To her.

Instead, he broke the kiss and took a breath to steady himself. “It is late morning. We need to get up.”

She made an adorable hiss of frustration and then nodded. “Fine. But I’m continuing this discussion with you later.” Then she scooted out from the covers to get dressed.

They were both mostly ready when the door to the room slammed open to reveal a red-faced Hideyoshi. While Mitsuhide had been expecting his arrival, he hadn’t imagined it would begin quite like this.

“I’m coming in,” Hideyoshi shouted, already stepping into the room.

“We can see that. Could you not shout it?” Mitsuhide quirked an eyebrow.

Hideyoshi’s eyes traveled around the room, clearly trying to determine what he had - and hadn’t - walked in on. Satisfied, he approached Mitsuhide. “Hold out your hand, you slippery-tongued devil.”

“May I hear what i’m being admonished for first?” Mitsuhide wondered what crime it was that Hideyoshi sought to punish today. And what he intended to do. Slap his hand? Break his fingers? Neither seemed quite . . . mother-hennish enough.

“No.” Hideyoshi put a fist to his hip. “Now put out your hand.”

The chatelaine watched from the other side of the room. She looked a bit worried.

Mitsuhide was more curious that afraid. Hideyoshi wasn’t often able to confound him but he’d managed this morning. Mitsuhide stuck his hand out. “Very we-” His words caught in his throat as a loop of rope tightened over his wrist. “Ahem. Hideyoshi?”

The other end of the rope was attached to a similar loop around Hideyoshi’s wrist. With a tug, he brought their hands together and then looked at Mitsuhide with a grim smile.

The kitsune warlord had been bound many times in his life. With rope. With iron shackles. In a cage. By need and desperation. But he’d never been tied hand to hand with someone quite like this. “And the purpose of this would be . . .”

“It’s so you don’t run off again.” Hideyoshi brought their bound hands up, gesturing with them. “And in case you’re wondering, we will stay tied like this until we reach Azuchi.”

The chatelaine’s eyes went wide. Not with surprise, but with a sudden frustration. Mitsuhide didn’t need to be a mind reader to know what went through her thoughts right then. Afterall, he dearly wanted to finish their ‘conversation’ too, and preferably without Hideyoshi’s participation.

“Spare me this emotional nonsense, Hideyoshi. I swear to every god in existence that I have no intention of running again. Now. Untie me.”

Hideyoshi chuckled. “Nice try. But I know you don’t believe in any of those gods. And even if you didn’t, I wouldn’t believe you. You’re just going to have to put up with it, just like me.”

“Are you saying you don’t like being tied to me?” Mitsuhide couldn’t help but tease. “You’ll hurt my feelings.”

“Pffft. After the suffering you’ve put us all through, you should feel bad.” Hideyoshi tugged Mitsuhide forward.

“Hey!” The chatelaine approached the two men as one might come close to growling dogs. Cautiously, but with the intent of getting in the middle of the conflict.

Hideyoshi ignored her protest, glowering at Mitsuhide. “Lord Nobunaga told me everything you were up to.”

“Did he?” Mitsuhide’s smile widened. He doubted even Nobunaga knew the full scope or even guessed at some of his machinations.

“Yeah. And what I want to know is why you think you have to do everything on your own?” Hideyoshi pressed his face close enough to kiss.

It was, Mitsuhide decided, significantly less pleasant than his little mouse. “I do what is efficient.”

“That - exactly that - is what makes me crazy.” Hideyoshi’s hands darted forward and grabbed Mitsuhide’s collar, lifting him off his feet.

Mitsuhide wanted to ask him why this sort of thing had to be repeated so often. It was unpleasant and mussed his clothes. He refused to be shaken by it though. “You may hit me now. Not only will it soothe your temper, I expect it to be very amusing when I fall and you fall with me.”

“Like punching you would make up for anything!” Though Hideyoshi did look tempted by the offer. “I’m going to do something even worse. I’m going to keep you living - and make sure you spend your whole life making this up to the Oda forces.”

Mitsuhide had to admit, that was a pretty good threat, on balance. Better than the usual from him, anyway. And it was impossible to miss the subtext there - that Hideyoshi wanted him around. Wanted to work with him again, and resented this distance between them. Mitsuhide smiled with a certain gentleness. “You know that if I return, I’ll cause you no end of trouble.”

“I’m used to it.” Hideyoshi’s gruff voice also held a note of tenderness.

They both chuckled and Hideyoshi finally set Mitsuhide back on his feet. He looked almost bashful. “It’s not like I expect you to share all your secrets with me. Just . . . send me a letter or something when you plan to disappear. Alright?”

Mitsuhide knew he couldn’t swear to that, not with any honesty. “I make you no promises.”

“You should! Especially after this mess.” Hideyoshi gave him an exasperated look. He was clearly still angry, but his temper had cooled.

Thankfully there was no reason to respond. Masamune intervened, coming through the open door as if this was his room. He gave the chatelaine a wink and spoke loudly. “You two arguing again? Knock it off and come eat breakfast!”

Though the interruption was appreciated, Mitsuhide didn’t appreciate that little . . . flirtatious gesture. And now his little one was practically beaming at Masamune. Hmph.

The one-eyed dragon ducked out of the room only to come back moments later, arms laden with trays of food. He knelt and set them down. “It’s nothing fancy but it’ll put something in our bellies before we leave for Azuchi.” He sat himself down and looked at them expectantly. “Well, come on. Nobunaga has already eaten so we don’t want to keep him waiting. But don’t rush either.”

The chatelaine didn’t need a second invitation. She sat down, eager.

Hideyoshi looked from the food back to Mitsuhide. “Alright. I’m postponing this discussion for Masamune, but only until we finish eating.”

“If that’s what I have to look forward to, then I’d rather starve.” Mitsuhide tugged his arm closer to him, but the gesture stopped short.

“We’ll eat and then we’ll talk,” Hideyoshi frowned. He sounded like a frustrated mother, scolding her teenage child.

Mitsuhide took a breath to calm himself. This wasn’t the time to become frustrated. He gave Hideyoshi a thin-lipped smile and sat with him. Thanks to the rope, that put his little one across from him, beside Masamune. Unacceptable.

Masamune watched them, his one eyebrow rising. “Are you two . . . are you bound together at the wrist?”

Perhaps another chance to lose the rope. Mitsuhide put on a pitiful expression. “It was horrible, Masamune! I pleaded with Hideyoshi to stop, but he forced me!”

Hideyoshi’s cheeks took on a scarlet hue and for a moment, he seemed tongue-tied. “Never- never describe it like that again.” He coughed. “Masamune, this is to keep track of him on the journey back to Azuchi. He won’t be able to sneak off this time.”

Masamune grinned widely. “Oh? I thought it was just the two of you taking the next step. Glad to hear it’s working out for you!”

The chatelaine nearly spat her rice ball out as she held in a laugh.

The crimson spread down Hideyoshi’s face to his neck. “I - did you hear anything I just said?”

Ignoring the outburst, Mitsuhide tugged on the rope at his wrist. “I just realized, I can’t use my chopsticks like this.”

“I’m not taking it off of you,” Hideyoshi said flatly. “No matter what.”

Exactly the response Mitsuhide hoped for. He gave the other warlord a heavy lidded gaze. “Oh, I know that, Hide. I wasn’t asking you to remove it. I was asking you to feed me.”

“No. I’d rather punch you.”

Mitsuhide held in a chuckle. Hideyoshi was too easy to spin up. Now if he could mold that into a need to untie the rope . . . but this path hadn’t yielded fruit so far and Hide’s temper was starting to show. “Ah, I was only kidding.” He turned to look at his little one. “Would you feed me?” He opened his mouth, waiting.

She blushed, her eyes dropping to her plate. It made Mitsuhide want to kiss her.

“Just ignore him and eat your food,” Hideyoshi snapped.

“If you ignore me, I might cry,” Mitsuhide teased.

The chatelaine took a deep breath. “Alright, look. I’ll feed you - but just because you can’t feed yourself right now, ok?”

“Thank you.” Mitsuhide had only decided to ask her because he thought it would be cute to get her to feed him - and because the gambit had run its course with Hideyoshi. But this new tactic seemed to get under the other warlord’s skin just as well.

His little mouse held out a bite of pickled beet.

Mitsuhide ate it delicately from her outstretched chopsticks. There was something sensual about being fed by a lover. Or, there would have been without an audience.

“Hmm,” Masamune grunted. “That’s gonna be time consuming. How ‘bout I feed you while you feed him, lass? Here - open up.” And he put a bit of carrot between her lips.

Mitsuhide’s eyes went wide and the words came out, instantaneous and uncalculated. “No! If anyone is going to feed her, it will be me.” He snagged a bit of daikon and held it out to her. “Say ahh . . .”

Her surprised look made him want to kiss her again. The way her lips closed over the chopsticks . . . Mitsuhide dearly wished for another few hours alone with her. No, more than a few.

“Hey! Wait a minute! You’re using those chopsticks just fine.” Hideyoshi shouted it, as if he made a surprising discovery.

“Oh am I? It’s a miracle.” Mitsuhide smiled across the table at his little mouse and then clacked his chopsticks at Hide.

Hideyoshi grimaced, and was clearly coming up with a retort but whatever he thought of never made it out. The chatelaine derailed his train of thought by laughing.

A sound of pure happiness that seemed almost out of place after the night’s battle. And yet, it was joy that healed wounds and laughter that proved you were still alive. Masamune joined her and Mitsuhide could not hold back a chuckle. Even Hideyoshi gave an embarrassed chortle.

When she could speak again, she smiled at the three brightly. “It just feels so good to be together again. Reunited with my family from Azuchi.”

Next: Interlude - Before the Hunt

#ikemen sengoku #ikesen mitsuhide #ikemen mitsuhide #Mitsuhide Akechi #otome guys #otome #fanfiction #fanfic #fluff

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