#also i would’ve been nicer about this but they immediately blocked me for what was a very nice message just so they could keep lying so!

[noxexistant]

newsies fandom! @glitter-ink posts ai art and stolen artwork, passing it off as their own!

i sent them a polite ask requesting them to at least modify the posts to address that it was ai in the caption or tags, and remove the stolen artwork - and they immediately blocked me, so!

block them! do not engage! don’t give their stolen stuff and ai trash any notes.

[lovessidney]

You're worth finding

Please note that this explicit story was written by an adult, for adults. If you are under the age of 18, please do not interact.

Trigger warning: Alcohol abuse.

Pairing: Gerard Way x Reader

Pronouns: none, I think (anatomy: AFAB).

Requested by: @xpsidedownn

Summary: You and Gerard get into a terrible fight. They’re drinking in a worrying kind of way and all you want is to help them, but it doesn’t go down the way you want it to. You spend the evening looking for them and in the end, you make up.

A/n: This request has taken me aaaaaaaaages, and I’m so so so sorry. I’ve had the worst writers block and have been working my ass off both with uni and actual work. But it’s finally done. 

Also, I'm switching up my writing. So, if you’ve read anything of mine maybe you’ve seen I’ve always written in third-person perspective. I don’t know why. However, that led to a lot of names, pronouns and (y/n)s, so I’ve decided to try first-person perspective. I hope y’all like it.

Second ”also”, I’m in no way trying to glamorise alcohol abuse, and I tried to be respectful about it. I fully understand it’s a very real disease and I’m in no way trying to portray it unfairly or disrespectfully. Still; if any of you feel like I’ve gotten something wrong or find it disrespectful, please let me know and I will do my best to alter the story or simply remove it.

Your timer beeped, letting you know it was time to start boiling pasta. The sauce to accompany it was already simmering in a pot beside the one now containing pasta. It smelled wonderful, you had to admit.

Gerard had had a very rough week, stressing a lot for tonight’s gig. In an ordinary situation, you would’ve been there to support them, as well as the rest of the band. Unfortunately, you had one hell of a cold and had spent most of the past few days in bed, accompanied by various medicines and wads of paper tissues.

Despite it all, you wanted to do something nice for Gerard. Dinner and a movie, at home edition. So you had made your way to the local supermarket, getting ingredients for their favourite pasta dish, as well as snacks and an unusually nice bottle of red wine.

When you got home, you had a shower and even dressed up just a little bit nicer than usual. And now you stood in the kitchen, just finishing up the last of the dinner preparations.

You looked toward the table. There were candles lit, a fresh bouquet of roses, and two glasses of red wine. Soft music played in the background, adding to the soft and romantic atmosphere.

You could hear a key being inserted into the lock. Or at least, it sounded like someone was trying to unlock the door. A few moments passed, and the struggle persisted. Your mind started wandering. It wasn’t the first time this happened. And as good as every time it did, Gerard was drunk beyond belief.

Your heart sank, and immediately your mood changed. You weren’t angry. Not at all. You were just worried about them. They had been drinking much more, and much more often lately. You knew something was wrong. Gerard probably knew it too, deep down somewhere. But they weren’t in a place to accept that or accept help. Not right now.

A few more moments passed by, and you decided to go let them in yourself. They almost fell inside as you opened the door. Clearly, they had been leaning against it while trying to find the right key and unlock the door.

You caught them in your arms and immediately smelled the alcohol on their breath. You wrapped your arms around them, holding them close. Even if this wasn’t what you had imagined, you were glad to have them home.

For a while, you just stood there, arms wrapped around each other. “Hi, honey,” you finally said and kissed them when you had let go of each other.

“Hi, you,” they answered, slightly swaying on the spot as you let go of them.

You tried not to let your brow furrow with concern as you looked at them. Still, they noticed. “It smells really nice. Have you been cooking?” they asked, in an attempt to cheer you up. But they were still swaying, their words were slurred, and it just broke your heart. It would’ve been one thing if they were drunk but otherwise in good spirits, but that sadness in their eyes worried you. You know that they hadn’t gotten drunk to celebrate another good gig, but rather to escape something, and it just killed you.

You smiled at them. “Thanks, Gee. Are you hungry?” you asked while lacing your fingers together. They nodded tiredly. You led them to the kitchen. It wasn’t many steps from the hallway to the kitchen, but they still almost crashed into a wall on your way there.

In the end, you decided just to sit them down on one of the chairs and serve them their food before getting your own. Before you sat down, Gerard had already emptied their glass of wine. You could feel the tears prickling behind your eyes.

“Honey, has something happened?” you asked them. Usually, they got drunk, but when they came home to you, they tried to dial it down. Not this time, though.

They looked at you with tired, empty eyes and said nothing. They just reached for the bottle and poured another glass. It was more than what you would usually pour into a glass of that kind. Especially for a somewhat romantic dinner. They lifted the glass to their lips.

“Gee, please, you have to talk to me,” you somewhat pleaded, somewhat demanded.

Gerard’s gaze flickered from the glass to you, their eyes clouded with a mixture of sadness and anger. “Talk? About what?” Their words were sharp, and their tone laced with bitterness.

“About what’s been going on, Gerard. You’ve been drinking so much lately, and I’m scared. Something’s not right, and I want to help you.”

They scoffed, their laughter tinged with bitter irony. “Oh, now you’re an expert on my life, huh? You think you know what’s best for me?”

You shook your head, tears welling up in your eyes as you struggled to make them understand. “No, Gerard, I don’t think I know what’s best for you. But I can’t just stand here and watch you destroy yourself. You’re drowning in this, and I don’t know how to help you if you won’t let me in.”

Gerard pushed themselves up from the chair, their legs scraping against the floor with an awful screech. Their face contorted with frustration and they jabbed a finger in your direction. “You think I’m the problem? You think I need to be fixed, like some broken toy?”

Your voice trembled as you tried to reason with them. “No, Gerard, you’re not a problem to be fixed. You’re a person who’s hurting, and I love you. I just want you to talk to me, to let me in. Please.”

They took a step toward you, their eyes blazing with a mix of anger and despair. “You don’t get it, do you? You can’t fix me! No one can. So stop trying!”

The weight of their words hung in the air, suffocating the room. You felt tears streaming down your face as you watched them walk out the door, leaving you alone in the dimly lit room, with the remnants of your romantic dinner and a heavy sense of helplessness hanging in the air.

The plates and the rest of the supposed-to-be romantic dinner sat on the table, untouched, a stark contrast to the emotional turmoil that had just unfolded. You knew that you couldn’t force Gerard to talk or change their ways. They had to want to change for themselves.

With a heavy heart, you got up and began cleaning up the kitchen. The candles you had lit earlier flickered softly as you extinguished them one by one. The roses in the bouquet still looked beautiful, but their presence seemed bittersweet now.

After cleaning up the kitchen, you found yourself sitting alone in the dimly lit room. Tears had streaked your cheeks, leaving trails of sadness in their wake. The bottle of wine on the table tempted you, almost like a silent, soothing friend. But you knew that indulging in it wouldn’t be right, not after what the fight had been about. So, you chose cold water to quench both your thirst and your emotions.

Sipping the water, you gazed out of the window at the dark night sky. Memories of what romantic dinners used to be flooded your mind. The laughter, the shared dreams, the way Gerard’s eyes used to light up when you surprised them with their favourite meal. You held onto those memories like a lifeline, knowing that someday, you’d find your way back to that happiness. And with that, you also knew that you had to find Gerard, wherever they had gone off to. 

With determination in your heart and a sense of purpose, you headed out into the night, leaving your home behind. The city around you was bathed in the soft glow of streetlights, casting long shadows on the empty streets. The echoes of your argument with Gerard still reverberated in your mind, but you refused to let despair consume you.

You got into your car and just drove, without any plan at all, as if you hoped Gerard would just turn up. You drove through the darkened streets, memories of your time together replaying in your mind. The city held so many moments – moments of joy and love. You remembered the motel where you had stayed temporarily when you last moved, a place that despite everything held many good memories and lots of hope for the future.

Though you didn’t know why, something deep inside you told you that Gerard might be there. Maybe it was a sense of nostalgia, a longing for a time when things were simpler, a time when you were each other’s everything.

As you pulled up to the motel, you felt a surge of both anxiety and anticipation. You hesitated for a moment, your hand gripping the car’s steering wheel, before finally stepping out into the night.

The motel was just as you remembered it – a nondescript building with a neon sign flickering intermittently. You parked the car and took a deep breath, unsure of what you would find inside.

Entering the dimly lit lobby, you approached the reception desk, your heart pounding with uncertainty. The tired-looking motel clerk glanced up from a magazine, offering a weary smile. “Can I help you?”

You hesitated for a moment, then decided to ask. “Has someone named Gerard checked in here?”

The clerk raised an eyebrow, seeming uninterested at first. But then, after a moment of thought, he nodded slowly. “Yeah, there was a guy who checked in about an hour ago, they looked pretty out of it. Room 205.”

Your heart skipped a beat. It was as if a surge of hope had washed over you. You thanked the clerk and stepped outside again, looking for room 205.

Gerard was sitting outside the door of 205, a pack of beer beside them and a cigarette to their lips. They looked absolutely miserable.

As you walked closer, Gerard looked up at you. They blinked a few times, just to make sure what they were seeing was true. They fumbled for words for a moment. “How did you find me?” they said, their words slightly slurred. “I don’t know honey. Something just told me you’d be here.”

You sat down beside Gerard and leaned your head on their shoulder. They held the cigarette out for you to take a drag, and they looked at you while you did. “You’re so pretty,” they said with sad, bloodshot eyes. 

“Gerard honey, so are you. You’re my darling.” You placed a soft kiss on their cheek. “I’m so sorry I got angry before honey. I just get worried about you.” 

Gerard looked at you with big eyes. “I’m sorry too. I know you’re just looking out for me. I know I’m hard to love sometimes.” You carefully pushed a strand of hair from Gerard’s face. “You’re not hard to love, honey, I love you the most in the entire world. I just want you to be okay.”

You just sat there together for a moment, taking turns with the cigarette. You leaned your head on Gerard’s shoulder again, just wanting to be close.

The night air was cool against your skin as you and Gerard sat there, side by side, sharing the cigarette. Time seemed to slow down, the weight of the argument and the tension from earlier dissipating in the shared moment of calm.

Gerard’s fingers brushed against yours as they took another drag from the cigarette. Their gaze remained fixed on the distant horizon as if searching for answers in the darkness. “I don’t want to be this way, you know,” Gerard finally confessed, their voice a mixture of vulnerability and regret.

You squeezed their hand gently, offering reassurance. “I know, Gerard. It’s not easy, but you’re not alone. We’ll face it together.”

A small smile tugged at the corner of Gerard’s lips. “You always know how to make me feel better,” they whispered, their words carried away by the breeze. “That’s what I’m here for,” you replied softly, leaning your head against their shoulder once more. “We’ll get through this.”

After a while, the cigarette burned down to its last embers, and Gerard extinguished it against the pavement. They turned their head to look at you, their eyes filled with a mixture of gratitude and affection. “You’re my rock, you know?” You chuckled, a warm feeling spreading through your chest. “And you’re mine. The ups and the downs, they’re all part of who you are.”

Gerard leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to your lips, a tender affirmation of your connection. “Let’s go home,” they said softly, their hand finding yours. Together, you stood up, leaving behind the worries and strife of the evening.

Back in the car, as you drove through the quiet streets toward your apartment, a comfortable silence enveloped you. Gerard’s hand rested on your thigh, their fingers tracing absent patterns as if seeking comfort in just touching you. The city lights twinkled in the distance, a reminder that life continued beyond the challenges you faced.

When you arrived home, you led Gerard inside, the familiarity of the space providing a sense of grounding. Gerard’s band posters adorned the walls, a testament to their musical passion. You once again settled in the kitchen. Gerard looked at you with a mixture of exhaustion and gratitude. “Thank you for finding me,” they said softly. “You’re worth finding,” you replied, a gentle smile curving your lips.

“How about some tea?” you suggested. “And maybe some toast as well?” Gerard’s eyes lit up for a moment. “Are you sure? It’s late, and you probably want to sleep, and-” “Nonsense,” you said, retrieving the tea and a kettle. “Anything to help you feel better. And I’ve heard eating bread is good when you’ve had alcohol.”

You put a record on, and soon, the kettle whistled, and you poured the steaming water into cups, the soothing scent of chamomile enveloped the room. With a plate of warm toast in hand, you settled on the couch, passing Gerard a cup of tea and a slice of toast. They took a sip and let out a contented sigh. 

“You really know how to make everything better,” they said with a soft smile.

“It’s a talent,” you quipped, a playful grin on your face. Gerard leaned in, their lips meeting yours in a soft kiss. 

“I love you,” they murmured against your mouth.

“I love you too,” you whispered back, your heart feeling full and light.

As you both savoured the tea and sandwiches, the world outside faded into the background. At that moment, it was just you and Gerard, a testament to the strength of your bond and the willingness to weather the storms together. The scars of the evening were healing, replaced by a renewed sense of hope and the knowledge that love could conquer even the darkest of moments.

You sat together, mostly in silence, listening to the soft tunes the record player emitted. An array of candles glimmered on the table in front of you. Gerard had had almost all of their tea, while yours remained mostly untouched. 

Despite having them back here with you, you still worried. You loved them so much, and all you wanted was for them to be okay. And the one thing you wanted least of all was to be angry. Sure, you knew that anger wasn’t the real emotion. The real emotion was worry, and feeling powerless, not able to protect them. And for some terrible reason that sometimes morphed into anger. The ugly, secondary emotion.

You looked over at Gerard, sitting curled up under a blanket at the opposite end of the sofa. They looked tired. Both as in that they needed to sleep, but also tired as in worn down, as in that they were having a hard time. You scooted closer and stretched your arms around them. A smile played on their lips for a moment. You allowed them to set their mug of tea down before pulling them into your arms. “Come here, honey.” They gladly fell into your arms and cuddled up there.

You sat together like that for a long time. You listened to Gerard’s breath and carefully stroked their hair. The record had come to its end, and the only sounds were now your breathing and Gerard’s yawns.

“Do you want to go to bed, darling?” you asked when you noticed the yawns becoming more frequent. They looked up at you, their eyes now tired instead of glazed over.

They nodded sleepily. “Yeah, that’d be nice.”

The slurring was almost entirely gone now, and when Gerard walked to the bedroom, they didn’t stumble anymore.

“Okay, I’ll be right there, honey,” you said with a smile their way before collecting the dishes and taking them to the kitchen. After the dishes were set down, you got a glass from the cupboard and filled it almost to the brim with water before bringing it to Gerard in the bedroom.

They were already lying in bed, looking like they’d fall asleep any moment. You reached out the glass of water to Gerard. “Have some water, Gee, I think it’ll make you feel slightly better in the morning.”

They nodded and reached for the glass. A few sips later, they put the glass down on the nightstand and reached out for you. You were too tired to properly hang your clothes up and simply threw them on the chair in the corner of the bedroom. You slipped under the covers and cuddled up close to Gerard. For a moment, you just lay there, looking at each other.

You scooted closer and nuzzled your nose against Gerard’s. Carefully, Gerard reached their hand up to caress your cheek. “I love you, honey,” you whispered. A small smile played on their lips. “I love you the most in the entire world, actually. And I’ll never stop loving you. You know that, Gerard?”

Gerard nodded carefully. “I love you too. And I’m sorry about before.”

That sadness reached Gerard’s eyes again. Just as before, it shattered your heart. You didn’t even know what to say, so you just leaned in to kiss them. ”You don’t have to apologise honey. I’m just glad to have you home again.” And with that, you kissed them again.

As the weight of the evening’s events began to lift, and the warmth of reconciliation and love enveloped you both, the bedroom felt like a sanctuary. The soft glow of the bedside lamp illuminated your faces as you continued to exchange kisses.

The kisses were soft at first, a gentle exploration of each other’s lips. Your fingers traced the contours of Gerard’s face, eliciting a soft sigh of contentment from them. Their hands moved slowly, too, caressing your back and shoulders as the intimacy between you deepened.

You couldn’t help but smile between kisses, the connection between you growing stronger with each passing moment. The taste of chamomile tea lingered on Gerards lips, adding a sweet and comforting layer to your kisses. In the dim light, you gazed into Gerard’s eyes, searching for any lingering traces of sadness. 

Their gaze met yours with a newfound intensity, a desire to be present in the moment, to be close, to feel cherished.

The tenderness of your kisses gradually gave way to a more passionate longing. Your breaths quickened as your mouths moved together with an urgency that mirrored the intensity of your emotions. Fingers began to trace the curves of bodies, exploring the familiar terrain of each other’s skin.

Gerard’s soft moans filled the room, a symphony of desire and affection. The layers of clothing became an obstacle, one that you both eagerly discarded, exposing the vulnerability and beauty of your bodies.

Skin against skin, your bodies entwined, the warmth of Gerard pressed against you. You savoured every sensation, every touch, every kiss. The scent of your shared perfume, the taste of Gerard on your tongue, the feeling of their soft hair under your fingertips. The slow and gentle movements, the tender caresses, the breathless sighs and soft cries of pleasure.

Gerards hands left their place on the small of your beck and found their way upwards, one cupping your breast and one around your shoulders to pull you closer. They caressed you carefully and you could feel them growing harder against you.

You ground your hips against Gerard, seeking the friction that you both craved, urging them to continue the exploration. They obliged willingly, moving downwards from your breasts to your stomach, leaving a trail of kisses and licks as they went.

Their warm breath ghosted over your body, making you shudder with anticipation. Their eyes were fixed on you, observing every twitch and moan of pleasure as their tongue made contact with your inner thigh. They were teasing you, taking their time, enjoying the moment.

Your body ached for more, desperate for their touch, but instead, they continued their leisurely exploration of your skin. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they kissed you there. You could feel yourself dripping as they slipped a finger inside you.

Gerards lips closed around your clit and they sucked softly. A strangled cry escaped your lips as they slid another finger inside you, curling it to find your most sensitive spot.

It was too much and not enough at the same time, your senses were overwhelmed by Gerard. You gripped the sheets tightly, arching your back as they continued their ministrations. 

Their mouth on your clit, their fingers inside you, pushing you closer and closer to the edge. Your breath came in ragged gasps, your legs trembled, and your whole body tensed as the pleasure built up. Gerards lips pulled back from your clit and their tongue pressed down against it.

"Oh god, Gerard...," you gasped as they worked their fingers inside you. The slow and deep movements made you dizzy with pleasure, and you couldn't help but grind against their hand. "I want you."

Your words had an instant effect on Gerard. They looked up at you, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Tell me what you want." It was not teasing or demeaning the way they said it. You knew it just turned them on so much to hear you say it.

You could barely speak through the waves of pleasure coursing through you, but you knew exactly what you wanted. "I want you to fuck me, Gerard. I love you so much and I want you to fuck me"

They nodded, removing their hand from your body and getting onto their knees. The sight of them in this position was almost too much for you to handle. They looked down at you, gaze full of desire and affection. "I'd be happy to, darling."

Gerard positioned themselves between your legs, entering you slowly, inch by inch, filling you with pleasure. Their thrusts were deep and deliberate, making you shudder with joy every time they bottomed out inside you. You wrapped your legs around their waist, pulling them closer, urging them to continue.

You could feel the warmth of their skin against yours as they moved inside you, the sensation sending tingles down your spine. Their kisses became more urgent, their movements faster, but still maintaining their steady rhythm.

As the heat between you intensified, the sound of your moans and gasps filled the room. Gerard looked down at you, their gaze full of love and tenderness. They kissed your lips again, eliciting a moan of pleasure from you. "I love you, my sweet," they murmured, their voice hoarse with pleasure.

Your climax was building quickly, the pressure inside you rising to unbearable heights. You threw your head back and rambled their name over and over as the wave of ecstasy crashed down on you, sending shockwaves through your body. They continued to move inside you, prolonging your orgasm until you couldn't take it anymore.

"Gerard, I... oh god, I can't..." You sobbed in pleasure as your body began to tremble.

They understood your need and stopped moving, letting you ride out the waves of pleasure that still made waves in your body. Gerard stayed still until your breathing steadied and you smiled up at them. You blinked at them for a moment, just taking in their beauty.

You pulled them downwards for a soft kiss before gently rolling them onto their back. They looked up at you with a confused expression, clearly not expecting this development.

"My turn," you whispered, kissing them again. "I want to make love to you."

Your lips found their way down their neck and chest, leaving a trail of kisses in their wake. You enjoyed the taste of their skin, savouring the salty sweetness of their sweat as you moved lower. Their breaths quickened with excitement as your mouth found their nipples. You flicked your tongue over their hardening nub and they moaned softly in pleasure.

You continued your descent, trailing kisses across their stomach until you reached their cock. You glanced up at them, smiling as you pressed your mouth against the warm skin above it. The smell of their arousal was strong, and you could feel yourself becoming even wetter with anticipation of another round.

Their hips rose to meet you as you kissed them there, so soft and tender. Your hands wrapped around their cock, stroking them slowly, watching them shiver under your touch. "Oh god, that feels so good." They were beautiful like this, eyes closed, back arched, body responding to your every touch. You loved seeing them in the throes of passion, unable to contain their pleasure, giving into the sensations of your touch and tongue.

Your lips continued to move lower, kissing their inner thighs and sensitive areas that made them quiver. You took your time, enjoying the moment as you licked and sucked, exploring every inch of their skin until you reached the base of their cock.

Gerard looked down at you, gasping for breath, watching with wonder as you took them into your mouth. Your tongue was quick and deliberate, licking and sucking just the right way to make them see stars. They moaned as you took them deep inside your mouth, hollowing your cheeks and moving your head back and forth.

Their hips rose to meet you again, fingers tangling in your hair, guiding you deeper and deeper. You were happy to oblige, taking them all inside you until they gasped for air.

"Oh my god," they murmured, shivering as you continued to suck. "That feels incredible."

You hummed in agreement, the vibrations of your voice making them twitch and groan in pleasure. The sensation was delicious, and you knew it wouldn't take long before they came undone under your tongue. You loved seeing them fall apart like this, falling into your mouth and arms as you held them close.

Gerard pulled you upwards for another kiss. You moved closer, pressing your body against theirs, kissing their neck and chest as they struggled to breathe. Their skin was warm and flushed, radiating pleasure and affection. They were gorgeous like this, so needy and desperate for more.

You felt the heat rising between you again, bodies grinding together, their cock hard and aching for more. You kissed them again, pulling them into a deep and hungry kiss that left them gasping for breath before positioning yourself over them.

"Are you ready?" You whispered, gazing down at them with a gentle expression on your face.

They nodded, wrapping their arms around your waist. "Please, my love."

Their eyes fluttered closed as you lowered yourself onto their cock. You took your time, letting the feeling of fullness take over your body.

You began to move slowly, taking long deep breaths as you rose and fell, building a rhythm that soon became urgent and frantic. Their hands roamed over your skin, caressing your breasts and back. The warmth between you intensified and you both gasped for air as you continued to move, bodies sweaty and entwined.

The pressure inside you grew unbearable again, and you knew it wouldn't be long before you came undone. You looked down at Gerard, their gaze filled with wonder and lust. Their moans were beautiful, soft and desperate, their body trembled and shuddered under your touch.

"I'm so close," they murmured, throwing their head back against the pillow and urging you to move faster, chasing the orgasm that threatened to consume them. "Honey, please... I need more.”

You quickened your movements, grinding against them, making them cry out in pleasure as their cock buried inside you. They looked up at you, their eyes pleading with you for release.

"Oh god, my love...," they whimpered, climax building rapidly. You could feel it coming closer, their body on the edge of ecstasy under you. You were so close yourself, the pressure inside you rising to unbearable heights, almost too much for you to take.

"I'm with you, honey," you murmured, lips moving against theirs as you spoke.

Gerard closed their eyes and moaned softly, their body shaking and trembling under yours. Their release was beautiful, making you gasp with pleasure as you joined them in their orgasm. Your bodies were still tangled together when you opened your eyes again. You couldn't help but smile, breathless and sweaty from lovemaking.

You leaned over them, planting soft kisses all over their face, cherishing the moment, taking in the beauty of them. They wrapped their arms around you, holding you close, stroking your hair and whispering sweet words into your ear.

"Oh my love," they murmured, squeezing your hand. "I’m so lucky to have you."

Your eyes began to brim with tears, happiness bubbling up inside you. "I'm just as lucky to have you," you whispered, leaning in for a tender kiss. "I love you."

Their gaze was full of affection and tenderness, their fingers intertwined with yours. "I love you too," they whispered. "You are my world."

In the soft afterglow, Gerard cuddled up in your arms and you held them close, carefully running your fingers through their hair. The room was bathed in the gentle hues of the rising sun, casting a warm, golden light upon your entwined bodies.

You both knew this wasn’t a magical solution, and that Gerard would still have their ups and downs, it was going to be an uphill battle at times. But for now, everything felt good, and it felt like it was going to be better.

You smiled down at Gerard who had almost fallen asleep on your chest. You kissed the top of their head softly and pulled them closer. The sound of their breathing made you calm, and soon the both of you had fallen asleep.

I hate to sound like a YouTuber (no offence, lol) but thank you for reading if you made it all the way here. I hope you liked it. And don’t hesitate to send me any requests you might have. I have a lot to do right now, but I still like to hear new ideas. Okay, thanks a lot!

[ihateapbiology]

It’s A Date

Part 2 to Well Well Well

You rubbed your eyes and stretched and turned to your right… no Julien. You can still see the indentation of her body on the futon. “Fuck, well if she went back up to her room this is gonna be hella awkward.” You start to collect the few things you have and fumble for your phone to call an Uber. You check the outlet forgetting if in your tired haze last night you plugged it in but instead you find Julien’s block of an iPhone 5. You laugh to yourself and then think “wait wouldn’t she have brought her phone up?” If on cue you hear from behind you “morning sunshine.” You turn to see her holding two plates of food and two cups- well trying to hold it. You walk over to help her carry it all. Food a la Julien has always been your favorite.

“Thank you so much Julien wow you didn’t have to do that” you grin.

“no no i love cooking it was my pleasure” she responds.

“You fell asleep so fast last night” you tease digging into the food.

“It’s easy to sleep when you feel safe and comfortable” she says with a smile but the shocked look on her face after she realized what she said makes you take mercy on her and not press it.

“I’m loving this new house Jules you’re an official grownup it feels like.”

She beams “thanks I bought it last year I mean the realtor showed it to me and it was immediate. The windows are just like the ones we talked about.”

You nod and remember back in your guys’s small little Nashville apartment spending nights surfing Zillow joking about buying one of the fancy houses.

Julien continues “so with your fancy new job you gonna buy an apartment in DC and Nashville or…?”

“Yeah I’ve thought a lot about it and it just makes the most sense I mean I could get a dingier place in DC cause I’ll be there less and then hopefully a nicer one in Nashville.”

“That job sounds like it’s gonna be gettin you some good money huh?”

You blush and nod “mhm”.

She grins “so we’re both basically official grownups then huh?”

You swallow and nod and think to yourself grownups should be able to talk about their feelings. “Julien?”

She gives a half smile “I can tell where this next sentence is going.”

You smile “do you think breaking up was necessary?”

She sighs “Do I think it was absolutely 100% the only feasible option? No. Do I think it was okay in the long run and it had some benefits? Sure. I think it allowed both of us to make significant bounds in our respective careers without the stress of a long distance relationship. I think it also allowed us to look back at eachother fondly and not have to watch our beautiful relationship slowly dissipate and have resentment grow.”

You nod “I agree with everything you said I just..there were so many times in the past 3 years when I would know that whatever moment I was celebrating would’ve been 100x better with you.”

She gives a sad smile “me too y/n me too but I mean what’s that phrase distance makes the heart grow fond? From what I can tell you’re still an amazing woman and you’ve really matured. I mean hell you’re talking about your feelings.”

You laugh and rebuttal “let’s focus on how YOU are talking about YOUR feelings…I miss you Jules.”

“I miss you too y/n very much.”

You two sit in silence before Julien speaks up.

“I don’t know how to phrase this cause I’ve never done it before but could I get to know you again? Could I take you out some time?”

I grin covers your entire face “yes I’d like that a lot.”

She grabs her phone “what’s your number? Is it still the same or?”

“It’s changed here…Jules can that phone take another contact without imploding” you tease, you secretly loved her phone.

“Hey hey hey don’t make fun of my girl” she grins and types in the number you give her.

You guys finish your breakfast and you put on your clothes from last night to go to leave.

She laughs “I am not sadistic I’m not gonna force you to Uber or walk while lookin like you are doing the walk of shame.”

You blush “oh thank you yeah I didn’t need that embarrassment at 10 am.”

She brings you a hoodie and some shorts.

“Thank you!”

“No problem but now it forces you to see me again” she smiles.

“trust me I wouldn’t need a reason” you grin as you open the door “you better text me Baker.”

She smiles “well how about you text me where you’re staying now and we go to dinner tonight if you’re free.”

You nod “it’s a date.”

[biotic-boshtet]

Assorted mass effect fic, am I shipping my own background characters?

its more likely than you think!! tysm for the ask :))) <3

wip list

-

Lieutenant Commander Duncan Kimball eventually gets recruited into Kaidan Alenko’s Spec Ops team, as his second in command, a level-headed 2.5 biotic with good reflexes and fine-tuned control that he already knows well? Kaidan couldn’t pass it up. Then he finds out from an offhanded comment, that Duncan had gotten married a few years back, just months before the Battle of The Citadel. To Eddie Benton. The man who accidentally ripped a door of a Mako during a meltdown that Duncan triggered.

-

“Woah, woah, woah, back up, I thought you two hated each other. You’re married?”

“You really thought we hated each other? I thought you of all people would’ve seen through the ruse, Alenko. We were dating that whole tour. Put on a show to keep it quiet. The arguments were usually fake, but halfway through we realized how easy it was to set each other off. After the, uh, the Mako incident, Eddie and I worked on some control exercises in the cargo bay after lights out, to see if we couldn’t get him able to hold on enough to quit tearing things apart. It kinda worked.”

“I can’t believe you were dating that entire time, what the hell. Right under my nose. Three whole years?”

“To be fair, we slipped it past the captain for a good while too, he found out a year in, opened the wrong supply closet. Shut it immediately and gave us a talking to later about it. But he turned the other way until the week after you left, someone higher up caught the wrong glimpse at the wrong time. Then they shipped me off to the Fuji.”

“Damn, the Fuji’s a pretty nice posting, though.”

“It is, but the next time Eddie and I could scrape out some shore leave, he proposed to me on Arcturus. Didn’t even wait for me to step away from the airlock. Would’ve been nicer if I hadn’t had some scrappy ensign complaining I was blocking the door. But, you take what you can get from military relationships.”

“I hear that.”

“What about you, Kaidan? I know you’re unattached, you should come out with us sometime, y’know? Live a little.”

“I don’t know, Duncan. You know since Anderson set me up with Colonial Affairs, the paperwork’s just been grueling. Not to mention I have to review and sign off on everything you’re doing with the squad while I’m gone.” He hopes it doesn’t sound too much like an excuse. He really does have an armload of paperwork to slog through. He also just… isn’t ready to put himself back out there.

“I get it, the last thing I’m trying to do is push you into something you’re not ready for. Just, think about it, yeah? Eddie and I are going out for drinks with a few old friends from the Shanghai next weekend, and I think it’d be good for you to come along. Just a few drinks with some old friends. Catch up a little. Eddie misses you.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all I’m asking.”

[im-whatchamccallit]

New Normal//Mark Tuan (Got7)

Request: Could you write a Mark Tuan Scenario where he starts crushing on the shy short cute girl that works at his local grocery store? I hope this makes sense and I hope you are staying safe and healthy!

Pairing: Idol!Mark Tuan x Fem!Reader

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: Mentions of Covid-19

Words: 4.5k

(A/N: This is kinda all over the place so sorry about that (Also running on 0 hours of sleep for the past two days so the editing is a little sloppy). And I feel like I didn’t really execute the concept too well but this was just one of the plots I came up with that honestly stuck with me

Mark put on the fakest genuine smile he could as the two girls snapped photos, quickly pulling his mask back on as they checked to make sure the pictures came out perfectly. He was prepared to walk away as they said their thanks, bowing politely and even inching further from the area, only to stop with wide eyes.

“Wait, Mark, do you live in this neighborhood? We live just a few blocks away, I can’t believe we haven’t seen you bef-“

“N-no! No, I’m not from the area, I just had to find a fully stocked grocery store is all. Everyone’s been going crazy since the outbreak so-“

“Right!” The girls spoke simultaneously, still not moving away as they discussed how people have been handling Covid-19 so far, Mark staring intently and nodding as if he were listening but, really, he was using all his willpower to not roll his eyes in annoyance.

Mark didn’t hate his fans, he adored them more than anything, but the idea that even during a pandemic they would bother him for photos and autographs, even in a busy and buzzing grocery store, was irritating. He didn’t even want to leave his home that day, but the fact he was running low on toiletries and needed more perishables made the trip essential. But after standing in this one spot for the past ten minutes with a shopping cart filled with food, tissue, and body wash, and two girls that seemed to be in their own world as their topic jumped from Covid to Loona fancams, he was determined to make this his last trip for at least a month.

“But did you see Yves?! She’s so pretty and-“

“Excuse me, I’m going to have to ask you to move from the area and maintain a distance of 2 meters between all of you.” A man said with a cheery voice and smile that could be seen through his mask although it reached his eyes as well.

“Oh! Sorry! Thank you for the photos!” One of them said, dragging her friend along as Mark let out a sigh of relief, the man stepping slightly closer to him but not enough to invade his space.

“You don’t have to leave the area. One of our cashiers said those girls wouldn’t leave you alone and assumed you needed help. Sorry to disturb you.” He said, preparing to walk off before Mark hurried to tap his shoulder.

“Wait, which cashier?” He asked. He was tired of human contact at this point, but really thought they deserved a proper thanking.

“Oh, right there. Her name’s (Y/n).” He said, giving one more smile before finally walking off.

It seems like you had been watching the scene unfold for a while, gaze intense and focused on the male ahead of you and, even as you watched your manager point in your direction, causing him to lock eyes with you, you couldn’t bring yourself to look away. Well, not until you saw him walk in your direction with his cart ahead of him.

You didn’t mean to stare at him, it was natural for your eyes to wander to people entering the store, but to see someone this attractive? It felt like you spotted a unicorn. You would glance up occasionally to see if he’d pass by again, watching him going back and forth in the aisles as if he’d been there forever, yet you’ve never seen him before. Maybe it’s because you were working full-time now that you didn’t have to travel so far out to school, or maybe he was just new to the area. You wanted to ask, but how could you just approach someone like him? He was cool and you were…Well, you. He’d probably walk past you like you were some nobody. But once you saw him stop to speak with two girls, you knew you most likely had a chance, but you couldn’t just interrupt their conversation to start your own. So, you waited. And waited. And waited, until so much time had passed you managed to check out three customers with enough groceries per person to feed five villages, but you couldn’t shake off how expressive his eyes were. He was miserable, obviously not in the mood to stand around and chat all day, and if you weren’t going to start a conversation, you could at least help him go back to shopping and getting back home instead of lingering in the virus hotspot you called work. You thought all would be well and done once you alerted your manager, but you didn’t expect the very man you were creeping on to approach you.

You were freaking out, trying to look busy in hopes he’d go away but the sound of his cart only grew louder, a pathetic whine leaving your mouth once you looked back up, putting on the bright smile you typically did as you greeted him, not wanting to seem even more ridiculous than you did.

“H-hello, sir, are you ready to check out?”

“Uh, yeah, sure.” Mark said, clearing his throat as he began unloading his cart, eyes trained on you although your head was low, gaze focused on the items slowly approaching you on the conveyor belt.

He couldn’t see your face but he knew you were cute, your voice evidence enough of that. You were working fast but just slow enough for him to notice small quirks about you. You mumbled under your breath about how ridiculously priced a bag of rice was, making some joke about how it was probably the cure to every disease since it was so expensive. You weren’t talking to him but he could tell you had a sarcastic nature to you, your jokes making him stifle chuckles to save you from being anymore nervous around him. He didn’t like the awkwardness though, the way you avoid his eyes to continue scanning the candy he threw onto the belt in an attempt to stay in your line for as long as possible without speaking not what he had planned when approaching you. He was naturally timid, but the way you were watching him proved you knew who he was, so he didn’t have to be himself. Right now, he just had to think of you as one of the fangirls you saved him from, and his idol persona could ease the situation immediately.

“I just wanted to thank you for your help. I don’t think I would’ve gotten out of here if you weren’t watching.”

Your eyes snapped up to see his face, a blush creeping onto your own as you tried to find some excuse as to why you were staring before, nothing coming to mind except maybe just being honest, but is telling him you only noticed his distress because he was so gorgeous the right way to go? No, you had to be cool about this, maybe it’ll keep you from turning into a tomato, especially with the way his eyes went from doughy and sweet to sharp and flirtatious.

“W-well, I figured you just wanted to hurry out of here, y’know? No one wants to be out during a pandemic, right?” You giggled and Mark could’ve sworn he was having a heart attack.

He swallowed thickly, eyes scanning your entire being as you finally bagged the final item, pressing total and reading it back to him, your eye smile all he could see. He figured you knew who he was once he took of his mask earlier, but it seemed like you were completely oblivious. He didn’t want another encounter like before but, knowing he could simply pay and leave at this point was comforting, so giving a quick thanks to a potential fan that saved him wasn’t too big of a deal.

“You probably don’t have idols come by a lot, do you?” He asked, watching to see your reaction, only to find your eyes glancing to the side and brows furrow in confusion, deep in thought before gasping out loud.

“Well, not idols, but Son Heung-Min stopped by once and took photos with some of us! He was a lot nicer than he looks!” You joked, Mark nodding in both understanding and confusion.

So you were more of a sports girl? You certainly didn’t look that way. Even from behind the register, he could tell he towered above you by a good 6 or 7 inches, your introverted personality made it hard to believe you’d work well in a team, and you seemed just a bit too young to care more about sports than idol groups. Not that it was anything rare, but almost every girl in your age group knew one or more kpop group, but you managed to name a soccer player that plays six months out of a year instead of a single idol that had promotions almost year round. You treated him as if he wasn’t famous, like any other customer. And he loved it. He didn’t feel the need to repay you by making your heart flutter at the mere presence of his celebrity status, but rather as a human would another human.

Before he could think of such a way to do so, he found himself in your debt once more, your hands filled with ten bags of various items he purchased, placing them neatly into his cart before sighing in relief, giving another smile to him.

“I’m guessing we won’t see you here for a while.” You joked, his lips unable to curve upward in amusement at the statement, knowing he really had no reason to return any time soon, but his curiosity made it impossible for him to accept that.

You were strange to him. Other idols treated him like a celebrity even when they were at the same height of fame, fans treated him like some god, but you? You were instructing him to use the pin pad to complete his transaction like you did any other person to walk through your line. Maybe you didn’t care that he was an idol, maybe you just didn’t know, but to think you were someone he didn’t have to fear when leaving his home, someone he didn’t have to hide from in case they wanted to invade his privacy and risk his health. Ironically, you were the breath of fresh air he couldn’t seem to get in the outside world.

“Yeah, I guess I won’t be seeing you for a while.” He commented, watching you bow politely before diverting your attention to an elderly man slowly unloading his basket, Mark’s body reluctantly heading to the exit as he tried not to stare at you any longer. It really would be a while before he saw you again.

But a while for Mark was only three days. He made the excuse that he forgot to buy kimchi to come back, scanning the store until he spotted you pushing a shopping cart filled with cans, scanning the shelves before grabbing a few to place them into empty slots. He was hoping he could talk to you personally at your register again, but he figured this would do for now.

You didn’t sense him as you hummed an unfamiliar tune, hands busy tidying the two rows of canned corn before moving on to the canned bread, a grimace on your face at the idea of bread in a tin can.

“That sounds gross.” You nearly screamed as Mark’s voice echoed behind you, your body turning to face him as you shrank under his gaze. It wasn’t scary, just very intense despite his eyes being so soft and inviting.

“Oh. How are you today, sir?” You asked, bowing politely as you smiled brightly at him, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip as he tried to keep his face from going bright red, silently praying this interaction goes the way he fantasized in his head the past few days.

“’sir’? I’m surprised my hero doesn’t remember me.” He wanted to hide at how stupid that sounded, suddenly rethinking his entire plan of even showing up here, but the way your eyes grew in size while scanning the floor around you, picking apart your memories to decipher what he meant and who he was, slightly put him at ease once more.

“I-I don’t kno-“

“It’s me.” Mark chuckled, pulling his mask down just enough to give you a warm smile before covering his face once more, a relieved giggle leaving you as you realized it was only him.

“You really had me worried. I didn’t think you’d be back so soon.” You admitted, turning back and continuing to placing the cans on the shelves behind you, not wanting to slow down on your work.

Mark was anxious, not wanting to lose your attention but not wanting to seem desperate. You were most likely going ask how was his day then move on without another thought, but he didn’t come all the way back here just to have a two minute conversation with you. But that’s really all he needed, just a bit of normalcy in the now upside down world.

“Yeah, I just needed some kimchi. Didn’t realize I was running low.” He chuckled, growing worried as you remained silent, only to see you jumping pathetically to place a can of mackerel onto a higher shelf, your free hand grasping the shelf below it to hoist yourself up, a gasp leaving you as you stumbled backwards, Mark placing his jar onto the floor and catching you by your waist to hold you steady.

Your eyes were wide, flickering up to him as he set you back onto the ground, grabbing the can from you and placing it into its spot.

“How about I help you? I don’t want you to get hurt.” He said, your cheeks burning as your body felt like it was shrinking in on itself, trying to escape the tingles his invisible handprints left on you, your head low as you nodded with a meek ‘thank you’.

You stood at his side as he placed cans onto higher shelves, you working on the lower ones to keep him from feeling like an unpaid worker. It was a bit too quiet for your liking, your eyes glancing at him every once in a while to take in his appearance, hoping you could find something to talk about. He was only wearing black joggers and a white t-shirt, his hair a honey brown shade, the only thing that stood out was the beauty hiding beneath his mask, but you couldn’t start a conversation like that! It’d be too weird! You had to stop overthinking, the answer right in front of you as you noticed the jar of kimchi waiting idly by as he focused on making each row straight.

“Are you sure one jar of kimchi’s gonna be enough for you? I usually finish an entire jar with one meal.” You said, partially lying considering you could finish half a jar before feeling full.

“Uh, yeah, I don’t really eat it all that often but I was craving it today.”

“Oh.”

More silence. You didn’t bother to speak again, feeling as if he didn’t want to talk to you anymore. Maybe it’s because you’re making him do your work, or you’re just boring, that last idea causing you to feel a little embarrassed seeing as he happily came to you with the intentions of talking, only for you to have nothing to say. You wanted to just crawl back to your tiny register and hide at that point.

“You must work a lot.” He commented, your eyes snapping up as his words, body jolting when you realize he had his eyes locked on you.

“I would’ve figured you’d have a few days off since I last saw you, just so you aren’t too overwhelmed.” He added, a dry laugh leaving you as you returned to your work, crouching down to straighten the bowls of instant ramen that were suddenly mixed up and unorganized.

“Well, I could took some days off but if I don’t work, this place would be in chaos with everyone trying to stock up before this virus gets worse. Plus, it keeps me from being bored at home every day.” You admitted, not thinking the conversation would take such an upsetting turn, your mood a bit down as you finally felt weeks’ worth of exhaustion hit you, your words flowing out precariously as he listened carefully.

“I’m honestly really socially awkward, but I value human connection, so I try to stay positive and pretend nothing’s changed but, it’s like I’m always having one-sided conversations with customers. No one has time to talk when they’re busy trying to stay healthy, so I can’t really blame them. But, I was really happy when you talked to me, I finally had an actual conversation again. Talking to you makes it feel like nothing’s changed.” You giggled, finally facing the man above you.

Mark’s eyes were hard with a strange mixture of sadness and understanding. He had his groupmates to talk to, his family and friends as well, but facetime conversations were nothing like being there and present. It was comforting knowing you felt somewhat normal when talking with him, the same way he felt just by seeing you, but it pained him knowing that he could show up any day and you wouldn’t be here, cooped up in your home with nothing but your thoughts, or him staying home while you assisted customers that only acknowledged you when they were ready to pay and leave. He didn’t know why you made him feel this way, not acting on pity but a protective instinct that seemed to gnaw at his very being with every second that passed. You were his new normal as he was yours, and he wanted you to know that.

“You know, I only really came here to see you.” He admitted, slowly lowering himself until he was crouching at your level, your eyes locked on one another’s as he tried find the right words.

“When I met you, I thought you were so weird, but it makes me want to see you even more. And I hope you’re fine with seeing me too.”

“S-seeing you?” Your voice was small, the way you swallowed as you anticipated his next words was visible as he gave you a final glance before fishing his phone from his back pocket, pressing the ‘Create New Contact’ option and handing it to you, your eyes going between the device and his hidden but noticeably kind face.

“Whenever you’re working, let me know so I can at least stop by to keep you company, even if it’s for a few minutes. And, on your days off, we can talk as much as you want, m-maybe go out to any place that’s open.” He didn’t want that last part to sound like a confession, it was way too soon for that, but he was silently praying you took it that way.

It took a second to comprehend the situation, a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside of you as you slowly took his phone, typing away at both letters and numbers before pressing ‘Done’ at the upper corner. Mark allowed you to slip the phone back into his hand, a smile on his lips at the random string of numbers followed by a name he couldn’t stop thinking about since he met you. He hurriedly sent you a text before placing his phone back into his pocket, holding his hands out once more for you to take as you both slowly stood.

“I should probably get back to work. The cool manager isn’t here today.” You joked, hand cupping his as a silent plea for him to stay, but you knew he couldn’t, that’s what his number was for, right?

“You can always reach me if you need someone to talk to. But, I don’t think I’ll be back for a few days.” He said with a sad tone, your head nodding understandingly although your disappointment was evident.

“Don’t overwork yourself, okay?” He released one of your hands to ruffle your hair, your body shrinking under his touch as you giggled unconsciously.

The air around you seemed thick as you watched him collect his jar of kimchi and head down the aisle and away from you. It felt like an empty promise the way he said he’d be there for you, but you knew you couldn’t keep him there forever. It wasn’t fair.

You sighed, returning to the now empty cart to take it back outside for customers to use, but not before checking your phone. It was always on silent because they weren’t allowed to use it during work, but you never knew what kind of emergency could arise during your shifts. You took a quick peak, expecting nothing important before seeing an unsaved number had texted you, your finger quickly opening it and, at that moment, you couldn’t be happier about the sly lie you were just told.

‘I’ll stop by before the store closes :) -Mark’

Ever since then, Mark kept his word. He was always in the store whenever you told him you’d be working, he would pick you up from work and go to any available restaurant to make sure you’ve eaten, and he always text or called you on your days off to either invite you to hang out or just pass the time in your own homes, separate but together. You were two weeks into the new arrangement and haven’t felt more alive, mainly because the nervousness you felt in the presence of someone so handsome turned into a full blown crush, every interaction sending you into a fit of blushes and giggles. You both were shy but grew to be playful and a lot more flirtatious, Mark’s confidence with every pick-up line causing your once bold behavior to fade into the bashful one he experienced upon your first meeting.

He thought you were cute, he said it all the time. You thought he was cute, you admitted it just a few nights ago once you gathered to courage to explain how you ended up “saving him”. He was smart, kind, always sharing funny stories about his old “roommates” that you couldn’t get enough of. He would sing songs softly as they played from the speakers in his car, his voice soft and angelic just like the smile he adorned, everything about him screaming perfection. You never wanted someone more than you wanted him and, tonight, as you finally settled into the passenger seat of his car after an eight hour shift, his free hand in yours as he steered out of the parking lot, you know he felt the same.

“You’re a lot touchier lately.” You joked, your free hand playing with his fingers as his eyes flickered between you and the road.

“What? You don’t like it?” His lips curled into a smirk, your heart stuttering in your chest.

“It’s not that. I just didn’t think you’d be into awkward cashiers.”

“And how do you know I’m into you?” Luckily there was a red light so that Mark could give you his undivided attention, a wave of contentment washing over him as you looked away, still flustered by his simple acts.

“I don’t know. I guess the same way I knew you were a k-pop idol.”

“So you knew?” He chuckled, giving a quick glance to the light that had yet changed.

“You were really obvious about it. You asked me about it when we first met, you sing like an angel, plus you kept saying ‘your friend BamBam’ and, knowing he’s already pretty famous just for being hilarious, it wasn’t hard to find a simple picture of you two with the rest of your group.” You said smugly, almost as if you decoded a million piece puzzle that no one else dared to touch.

“I’d honestly spend hours daydreaming you weren’t an idol, just because the thought of dating a regular person is easier. But you’ll always be an idol, and daydreaming about dating an idol is no different than actually dating one; you’d never have time together so it’d never really work.” It was such a strange confession, almost as if you were pushing him away but begging to be by his side. Your eyes were low, voice filled with sadness at the realization this was all unreal and all fairytales had to come to an end, but Mark didn’t think it had to.

He didn’t expect to be here with you, not this soon or this fast, but the last few weeks felt like months to him. You were his biggest weakness now, a constant fear that his desire to be with you would cause a slip up. Maybe a tabloid will discover your yet-to-be relationship and expose who you are, maybe some fans will catch on he lives in the area with how often he visits you at work. He was scared by how reckless he was being, yet he didn’t care. For every reckless act he was met with a bright eye smile, a warm hug only for you to scream ‘2 meters apart!’ and launch yourself away from him, and the sound of your giggles. You were the best risk he’s ever taken and he’d be damned if he’d give you up after jumping through so many hoops to get to this moment

You looked at your joined hands, his fingers weaving between yours until they were firmly intertwined, your eyes slowly ascending to his face that held no amusement or playfulness, just sincerity and a sternness that demanded you take in his every word.

“(Y/n/n), I could be a million miles away or right next to you every day and night, and I’d always have time for you. And if I don’t, I’d find a way. I promised you that.” You felt like you could faint with the way his eyes bore into yours, or that you could melt with the way his voice was so gentle yet firm, but you damn near died with the way his face slowly inched closer to yours, heart hammering against your ribcage as you silently applauded yourself for taking off your mask earlier so that nothing would slow him down.

Your eyes fluttered close, waiting for the impact of his lips on yours when a sudden honk brought you back to reality, Mark’s body withdrawing from yours reluctantly before facing forward once more, the green light causing him to immediately step on the gas, both of you hot faced but at ease. Mark might not have gotten his kiss, but he got the confirmation he needed that he wasn’t crazy for feeling the way he did, that it wasn’t a one-side attraction. The weight on his shoulders finally gone as he was free to enjoy the night with no awkwardness, no tension, just you. It truly felt like he could breathe freely again.

[yunkiwii]

tattoos together | college au

Pairing: FWB!Seonghwa x Fem!Reader

Genre: Fluff დ

Warnings: slightly suggestive, drinking, language

Word Count: ~3k

Requested: no, but you can see how to do so here if you’d like!

A/N: I recommend listening to tattoos together by lauv, since this is based on that song. ♡

Summary: (y/n) met Seonghwa in college and they quickly became close, ending up as friends with benefits. On a night out with some friends both of them ended up drinking a bit to much and well, I think we all know where this is going.

⇘

“Whereee shouuuuld weee go next?” (y/n) asked, loudly, as she grabbed Seonghwa’s arm so she wouldn’t fall, being tipsy from all the wine she had been drinking with her friends at dinner.

“You should probably head back home before you hurt yourself or someone else.”

“Don’t be a mood killer, sweetie!” (y/n) groaned back to Mia, pointing a finger to her way too sober roommate and best friend. "We still have a long long night ahead of us!" (y/n) stumbles making Seonghwa hold her closer to him.

Seonghwa wasn't nearly as drunk as (y/n), just tipsy enough to go on board with her crazy plans without thinking twice.

"So, let’s go find a party to crash!" the boy started walking away from his friends dragging a smiley faced (y/n) with him, both clearly more intoxicated than the rest of the group.

They hadn’t gone far, mainly because of how slow their feet were moving, when Hongjoong intervened.“Guys! Wait up!” they stumbled on their own feet when turning around to look at their friend. Their two friends were already approaching them. “Do you guys really think it is a good idea to just wander around like that?”

“YES!” both stated firmly at the same time before bursting into laughter.

“Well, I’m not in the mood and since you’re both adults you can take good care of yourselves.” Mia shrugged her shoulders and was about to leave when she remembered something else, “Please be quiet when you get home, and be safe.” She threw a warning look at Seonghwa when saying the last words. She knew how crazy her best friend could get with a couple of drinks and a party, and Seonghwa had a strong effect upon (y/n) that Mia never understood, and she only hoped he would use it for (y/n)’s sake.

“I’ll take you home, Mia. See you tomorrow guys.” Hongjoong did a little run to catch up to the girl. The other two friends bursted into laughter again when they saw Hongjoong place an arm around Mia’s shoulder.

“Now we know why they wanted to go home so badly…”

“Oh Seonghwa, they’re not like us. They will probably just cuddle for now. Let’s go!” (y/n) grabbed the boy’s hand and started her demand to find a party again.

“What do you mean they’re not likes us? We also cuddle!” (y/n) giggled at how offended Seonghwa sounded.

“Hm you know, they want a real relationship, we’re just friends having fun. Besides, our cuddles are never just cuddling.” She said it like it wasn’t a big deal and didn’t really think much of it. Seonghwa on the other hand got hurt, he didn’t quite understand why though. They agreed from the very start that this was a casual friends with benefits kind of thing, nothing more.

He shook these thoughts out of his head, thinking perhaps it was just the alcohol speaking.

In the meantime (y/n) uploaded a story of them on Instagram asking if there were any parties they could crash. That story led them to a new club that had opened recently, making (y/n) almost run there out of excitement. This was her first night out in two months, after being trapped between her room and the library to study for exams. Now she was finally free and wanted to live it to the fullest, Seonghwa not minding at all to join in.

Unfortunately, the excitement soon turns into disappointment. They get to the club, ID’s in hand, bodies already moving to the muffled beat leaving the building, but the security guard stops them from going any further. They look at each other and back at the big, buffy man, that blocked the entrance with his arm, with confused looks. They had already showed their ID’s, it didn’t make sense.

Then, the guard pointed at (y/n)’s clothes. She was wearing black shorts, fishnet tights, combat boots and the piece of clothing that seemed to be the problem, an oversized boyfriend style t-shirt.

“You can’t come in with boy’s clothes.” The big man stated, without an ounce of emotion in his voice.

“WHAT?” (y/n)’s posture changed completely; a defiant look marked all over her face, “That doesn’t make any sense! These aren’t boy’s clothes; these are MY CLOTHES! And even if they were boy’s clothes, we live in a free country, I can wear whatever I want!”

“Then go wear whatever you want somewhere else. You can’t come in like that, it’s the club’s policy.”

“Fuck the club’s policy! That’s so unethical what the hell?! I can’t believe people were recommending me this shit hole!” (y/n) screamed into the guard’s face, pointing fingers, waving arms and when she was finished, she spat on his shoes. Yes, she spat. Seonghwa grabbed her hand immediately pulling her out of there before they got into trouble, and ran away into nowhere, just wanting to get away.

“I’ll make sure to fill a complaint later.” Seonghwa stated after catching his breath from the unplanned cardio. “Also, I think this run sobered me.”

“I can’t believe that wearing oversized clothes is breaking club’s policy, what the hell?” (y/n) sat on the sidewalk still annoyed with the situation. “I’ve would’ve spat on his face if he weren’t to be that freaking huge.” Seonghwa laughed loudly sitting down next to her, making her laugh as well. “Thank you for pulling me out, he could probably smash me with one hand.”

“That’s what I’m here for (y/n), Mia delegated me the job when she decided to go home. But I got to say, you scare me sometimes.” He bumped his shoulder on hers lightly, making her look up at him smiling. “What should we do now? Go home?”

“I guess... the night is ruined anyway, and I also think the run sobered me.” (y/n) chuckled, leaning her head to rest on the boy’s shoulder. This simple gesture almost made Seonghwa forget how to breathe, starting to feel funny things in his stomach. He remained as still and quiet as possible, afraid that even the slightest movement would make her stand up and break the contact.

They stayed like that for a while, still recovering from the run. Until (y/n) noticed something right in front of them that made her stand up with a sudden movement, startling Seonghwa. She widened her eyes and looked down at her friend, as happy as a kid opening Christmas’ presents.

“What?”

“This night can still be memorable! I’m a genius!” she started crossing the road, stopping in the middle to look at her friend, still standing up from the sidewalk. “Come one! Hurry up!”

Seonghwa could not believe how a person could change their mood that fast. A few moments ago, she was pouty, annoyed, angry, and just wanted to go home. But now, she looks like a child and is ready for a new adventure as if nothing had happened before. He did love that about her. Love? Wait, no what? He liked her, liked, as a friend. He was sure of it. Or was he?

“How?”

“How what?”

“How are you going to make this night memorable?” that question made her smile even wider, grabbing his hand for what seemed to be the hundredth time that night, dragging him to a small shop with a neon light sign. As soon as Seonghwa realised what it was he stepped back.

“No, (y/n), no way you’re getting a tattoo here!” his face expression was shock, and nothing else.

“No, I am not. We are!”

“What do you even know about this place? Is it even hygienic?” Seonghwa glanced over the tattoo shop with disgust.

“I don’t know,” (y/n) shrugged her shoulders, “but we should get inside and find out.” She stepped in without a care in the world, a little bell rang when she opened the door.

Seonghwa walked behind her looking around, analysing every small detail searching for any red flags that would tell him to get the hell out of there. So far, everything seemed nice, it was organized, the store overall seemed clean, and the tattoo drafts hung upon the walls were actually aesthetically pleasing.

“This doesn’t look so bad… but what kind of tattoo shop is opened until this late at night?” The boy wasn’t yet convinced, and (y/n) knew it would take him a while, being as cautious as he is.

“Stop being so septic about everything, Hwa!”

“May I help you?” a voice coming from behind them made (y/n) jump. A tall woman came out of the side door, probably leading to where the tattoos were made, and greeted them with a smile. “Sorry if I startled you, love.”

“Oh, hm, we want to get tattoos! Together!” Seonghwa glanced over at (y/n) wondering why she was being so weird and flustered all of a sudden, so lost looking at her that he didn’t even corrected the together part. But he went back to reality when the woman spoke again.

“So, you want matching tattoos?”

“NO! We don’t, I don’t, I haven’t agreed to this yet! (y/n), a word please?”

“We’ll be right back!” (y/n) said all smiley to the woman, who smiled back at her while she was basically being dragged to the outside again. “What the hell Hwa? You could’ve been nicer back there!”

“You are all heart eyed looking at that tattoo artist!”

“So what? … are you jealous Hwa?”, (y/n) smirked, tilting her head sweetly, pleased with how annoyed the boy looked about the situation.

“What? No! I don’t have any reason to be jealous, this,” he pointed between them,” this isn’t a relationship, so no, I’m not jealous. You wish. And don’t give me that look!”

“You look cute when you get nervous, Hwa.”

“Shut up, let’s just go home!” he said as he started to walk away, but (y/n) was stubborn and wouldn’t leave without a tattoo so she stood in front of him so he wouldn’t go any further.

“We haven’t gotten our tattoos yet. And I really want a tattoo on my thigh and I really want to do it with you!”, she pointed her index at him touching his chest slightly.

“Why though?”

“Because I don’t have any thigh tattoo yet, duh..”

“And you should get one, there’s plenty of space for it.” He smirked glancing at (y/n)’s thick thighs, getting a soft punch on his shoulder as a response. “But why with me? Do I really have to make one too?”

“Yes! I really want us to have something ours, I have one with Mia as well and you’re my only other best friend and I don’t want to lose you.”

“And how will a tattoo help you with that, huh?” he crossed his arms looking down at (y/n) with furrowed eyebrows.

“When I get mad at Mia for some reason and I want to hate her, I look at the tattoo we made together and it just brings back all the good stuff and I know everything will be okay, because at the end of the day we still love each other and that won’t change over a stupid fight.” The girl gets embarrassed as soon as she realises that she just shared something that until now was only hers, making her look down at her feet. “You probably think it’s silly and that’s okay, we won’t do it if you don’t want to.” Voice quieter than before, barely audible but Seonghwa heard her just fine.

“Okay, let’s get thigh tattoos. Together.”

(y/n)’s eyes widened at the statement, and the looks of happiness and excitement of before came back to life again, making Seonghwa laugh at how adorable his friend looked.

“Really? Thank you so much Hwa!!!” she hugged his torso so tightly that he almost went out of breath.

“I have one condition though. To make it more fun, you know?” (y/n) nodded, indicating him to proceed, “I pick a design for you and you one for me, and we can only see it after it is already tattooed on our skin. What do you say?”

“Uhhh that does sound like fun! But don’t make it too big nor too dark, please!” he nodded in agreement and they went back inside to pick the said designs.

They shared their idea with the tattoo artist, who got really excited about it and took them, one at the time, into the other room to discuss their ideas and bring them to life. (y/n) picked a woman’s body silhouette, besides looking really cool it just made sense since their friendship started as something more physical than emotional. Seonghwa on the other hand chose a minimalist alien, it reminded him of when they first met and (y/n) couldn’t pronounce his name correctly and would just call him alien face, he also asked the tattoo artist to make it face her so she wouldn’t have to look into a mirror to see it properly.

(y/n) went in first to get her right thigh tattooed, so excited that she didn’t bother to take off her clothes, simply ripping her tights in the spot she wanted the tattoo.

“Hm ok, that was hot!” Seonghwa said softly, trying to control himself avoiding looking at (y/n)’s now more exposed thigh.

“Keep it in your pants, Mr. Park.��� (y/n) laughed as she laid down to finally get the tattoo her dear friend picked, getting more and more anxious as the moment approached while Luna got her supplies ready. Seonghwa then pulled a chair to sit next to her and keep her distracted so she wouldn’t try to peak.

After a while, (y/n) stopped feeling the needle puncturing her skin and looked up at Luna, eyes wondering if it was already done. The other woman nodded, and she immediately stood up to see the result, a high pitch squeak leaving her lips as soon as she saw an alien facing her.

“Hwa!! I have your face on my thigh!!” her eyes wide, looking between her leg and her friend, a huge smile on her face and eyes almost tearing up at how happy she was. “I love it, I love it, I love it!” she wrapped her arms around the boy’s neck and gave him a kiss on his left cheek, squeezing him against her and holding him there for a few seconds before pulling away. “Now it’s your turn! Go, go!”

Seonghwa got up right away and started to take his pants off, making (y/n) look away.

“Please (y/n), as if you’ve never seen me naked!” he chuckled throwing his pants at her as soon as got them completely off, catching her off guard making her laugh.

They repeated the same process, now with (y/n) seated in the chair keeping Seonghwa distracted by making terrible puns and dad jokes. The needle puncturing his skin stang a bit but, just like (y/n), he already had a few tattoos, so he got used to it quickly. When Luna finished the second tattoo of this iconic duo, as she started to call them, Seonghwa couldn’t help but laugh at (y/n)’s choice.

“This will certainly remind me of you and make me hate you a little less if it comes to that.” He chuckled making (y/n) blush a bit without him noticing. “Thank you for talking me into this, it’s a memorable night for sure.” And kissed her cheek, not as roughly as she did to him, it was a soft kiss, his lips barely touching her skin, and yet it was enough to make her even more flustered, awakening funny feelings in her tummy.

After spending all that money on the tattoos, they decided it would be best for their bank accounts to walk home instead of getting an uber, making their way across town to (y/n) and Mia’s apartment in a slow pace, most of the way made in silence for they were too tired and sleepy, needing to channel all their remain energy towards their legs to be able to walk.

As they were approaching (y/n)’s building their pace slowed down, stopping right in front of the pathway, the girl already looking for the keys in her messy bag while walking towards the front door.

“See you tomorrow (y/n)” he says as they reach the door, (y/n) with the keys in hand already opening the door, and he places a kiss on her forehead not breaking the contact right away. (y/n) didn’t say anything until he was already halfway the pathway.

“Hwa, wait.”

“Huh?” the boy turned around, standing near the sidewalk.

“Why don’t you stay for the night?” she asked almost in a whisper, but Seonghwa heard it anyway and took a few steps closer to her.

“Oh (y/n), I would but I’m really tired and-”

“Just for cuddles, Hwa…” she tried to keep her eyes in his but the vulnerability her request showed made her instinctually look down at her feet.

“Just cuddles? Are you sure?” Seonghwa couldn’t hide his amusement, since (y/n) always made it clear that to her the benefits part of their friendship should be associated with sex at all times because, according to her, getting emotional and cuddle just for the sake of cuddling would turn this into a real and serious relationship, even though the boy tried to convince her otherwise multiple times.

“Shut up and get in before I change my mind.”

They went up to the apartment as quietly as possible, making their way to (y/n)’s bedroom right away and changing into more comfortable clothing, which to Seonghwa meant underwear and nothing more.

He laid on his back wrapping an arm around (y/n)’s shoulders as she laid her head onto his chest, embracing his torso and putting one leg over his. It was comfortable, warm, and felt safe, for both of them.

“This still doesn’t mean we’re in a relationship Hwa.” (y/n) groaned falling deeply into sleep.

“We could be though.” But (y/n) didn’t hear it.

♡MASTERLIST♡

net: @ateezlovenet

[wlw-lovestruck-fiction]

I request an angsty but fluffy Lavinia fic, where she gets jealous of MC getting along very well with Ezra and spending more time with him (and also gets mad at Ezra, because she hasn’t gotten her heart back yet and she feels like he isn’t focusing on their mission.) Mc doesn’t know that Lavinia is the Ice Queen yet tho. 👀 (I hope this isn’t too specific. It’s okay of stuff changes.)

Pairing with: I’m in desperate need of some Lavinia content >///< Please please please do something cute and angsty and maybe MC’s and Lavinia’s first kiss. 

...

Written by @somekidnamedkai

She was glaring daggers at Ezra. ‘Why him? I’m so much nicer than Ezra is’ Lavinia thought as she watched Ezra and MC, practically chatting each other’s asses off. The two got along quite nicely, much to Lavinia’s chagrin. She wouldn’t say she was jealous, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t.

Instead of doing his job, like he was supposed to, Ezra decided to steal Lavinia’s friend for himself. And she just stood from afar and watched. It made her mad. She thought she and MC were becoming friends, maybe more, but then she suddenly spends all that time with the wolf boy. Of course, the two girls still spent time together, they’d talk in class, on the way to another, and the weekends.

But it wasn’t as much. Ever since she met Ezra and he stole her away from Lavinia. And for what? To avoid their mission? She was going to get her heart back, whether Ezra helped or not. She just.. well she would’ve preferred his help.

Lavinia was cut from her thoughts when she heard a yelp. She shook her head to see Ezra, with his arm around MCs waist, he leaned into her with a smirk, making Lavinia even madder. He better not try anything with her, she was Lavinia’s- friend. Just friend. She wanted to intervene between the two, but she didn’t want them to know she was watching them, although it was probably quite obvious.

A second later MCs laughter rang out, it was music to Lavinia’s ears. She loved hearing the other girls laugh, especially when it was because of her. Lavinia let a smile slide on her face and she let out a small chuckle. She stopped when she heard Ezra laugh also, remembering, MC wasn’t laughing with her, but with him.

Lavinia let out a low growl before leaving the cafeteria. She wasn’t mad, not at all, she just.. all of a sudden had a whim to go to class. MC did bring out the better in her, after all. But she still didn’t go to class, instead, she stormed off into the forest, ignoring all of the other students, the ones she didn’t ignore were the ones she pushed out of her way, “get lost,” she barked at one of them.

A couple of days passed, and Lavinia tried to shake off her jealousy, although she still wouldn’t admit it. She was still jealous. She was on her way to class, so she could talk with her crush, but once she gets there she’s met with MC, and not a shock, talking with her new best friend, Ezra. She rolled her eyes before walking up to them, “So. You two having fun?” She asked, biting back the venom in her voice.

MC nodded at Lavinia, “Yeah. I was just telling Ezra an interesting story about me, my brother, and Arin when we were in high school, it’s really funny,” She explained. “I can tell you if you want also.”

Lavinia smiled at MC, a smile that was only for her. “Yeah, if you wa-“ She started to talk but was interrupted by a couple of students who walked between them to get to class. Well, the three were blocking the door. She glared at the people who walked by. “Hey- I was talking!” She growled at them, to be returned by one rolling her eyes, and the other just ignored her, probably out of fear.

She looked back over to see Ezra resting his chin on MCs head, “Well you guys have fun, try and stop Lavinia from killing people, MC,” Ezra told them, teasing Lavinia. He earned a glare from Lavinia. ‘Who does he think he is? Stealing her away, and then mocking me’ she thought. He was so done for later. Lavinia could’ve sworn she saw him kiss MC on her forehead before he left, only making her madder.

“So, do you want to hear it, Lavinia?” MC asked as she walked into the classroom, but Lavinia still had her angry expression. “Lavinia?”

“Why don’t you continue telling it to your boyfriend? Since you two are so inseparable, leave me alone,” she spat out at MC, before leaving. Lavinia stormed out of the school, wanting to blow some steam off. She saw Ezra, he looked like he was minding his business, but she’d never know.

Lavinia marched over to Ezra, she had multiple bones to pick with him. “Ezra. Wolf.” She said, with a lot of annoyance in her voice. Lavinia was mad at him, and nothing was going to stop that.

Ezra looked back at her, “yeah, Lavinia?” he asked her nonchalantly, oblivious to the fact she was mad at him. She was rude and looked mad all of the time, so how was he supposed to know this time it was her fault?

She glared at him, “First you ignore your job that I’m paying you to do, next you go and cozy up with MC, and steal her away from me. What is your problem?” She told him, the venom in her voice she held back earlier, clearly being heard.

“My problem?” Ezra asked, getting angry. He may have been seen as a ‘bad boy’ in class, who doesn’t care about anything, but he still didn’t like people making accusations and spitting words at him. Even if it was one of his friends. “I’ll get you your heart. I’m looking. So I made a friend? You introduced us, need I remind you. And I didn’t steal her away from you at all, she’s not yours,” he growled back at her.

That made Lavinia madder. “Please you two are more than friends,” she argued.

“How, exactly?” Ezra asked, crossing his arms, looking at Lavinia, waiting for the answer.

Lavinia looked at him like he was an idiot before answering, “You love her.” She answered.

“She’s my friend. Of course, I love her.”

   “You know what I meant.” Lavinia barked back. She didn’t want to talk much about this, she was upset. She thought the girl she loved, loved Ezra.

“I don’t love her like that. Not the way that you so clearly do,” Ezra snapped back at Lavinia.

Without saying another word, Lavinia just stormed off, not wanting to hear another word. If they were just friends why would they be so flirty and close, if they were just friends why did he kiss her head, if they were just friends- she was interrupted from her thoughts by bumping into Nora.

“What’s your problem, Nora?” Lavinia snapped at her.

Nora immediately put her hands up, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. But I think I should be the one asking you that question,” She replied to the Ice Queen, who was on the floor from falling when they bumped into each other.

Lavinia sighed. She had a feeling she should tell someone, she may not have liked it, but she opened her mouth to tell Nora everything, “I don’t know. I’m just mad that Ezra and MC are so close, and they claim to be just friends, there’s clearly something going on there. Ezra is also neglecting the mission he’s supposed to be doing and find my heart, just so he can cozy up to- Hey why am I telling you this?”

A smirk crept onto Nora’s face as she answered: “I put an honesty spell on you a while ago so you have to be honest every time you talk to me.” Lavinia groaned when she heard the response. She just got up and left, not saying another word. Not wanting to either.

Lavinia decided to skip class for a day, which turned into two days, which turned into many days, which soon became a couple of weeks. She didn’t want to go to class, she could just cheat or get someone to do the work for her. “Lavinia! Where are you?!” A familiar voice called. She knew who the voice belonged to immediately.

“MC, what do you want?” She glared at the girl who turned around the corner. Lavinia half expected her to be smiling, but no. She looked upset. “What’s wrong? Did someone hurt you?” She asked as she walked over, immediately softening up for the girl in front of her.

“You’re my friend. And you seemed like you were mad at me, and I was talking with Ezra-“ MC started to talk, but was interrupted by a growl from Lavinia when she mentioned Ezra’s name. “He said you were mad at something, to do with him and me. I don’t want to be the reason you’re mad,” MC continued to explain, as a tear rolled down her face.

“I’m shocked your boyfriend didn’t tell you everything,” Lavinia said with a chuckle. She thought he would’ve ratted her out, because of what she said, part of her didn’t care, but most of her didn’t want MC to know who she really was.

“Ezra isn’t my boyfriend, we’re just friends,” MC replied. Lavinia heard those two call each other ‘just friends’ so much. She began to think it was a secret code saying: ‘we’re secretly dating.’

“I know you two aren’t just friends! I know you love him! Don’t lie to me. What friend kisses their other friend’s head, or who flirts with their ‘just friend’ or-!” Lavinia began to yell but was cut off by MC grabbing her cheeks and pulling her down, giving her a deep kiss.

“I like you. Not Ezra. We’re only flirty as a joke, he’s not the one I want to be with. I want to be with you,” MC told Lavinia after she pulled away, leaving the white-haired girl stunned.

Lavinia sighed. Great, she just ruined her friendship with MC right before, “You do?” she asked, sorrow in her voice, sorrow for everything, for yelling, for shutting her out. MC nodded in response.

Lavinia smirked slightly, “So if I didn’t just ruin everything, can I steal a kiss from you?” she asked, with a sad chuckle, as the other girl nodded, kissing her again.

[johnseedfanclub]

Wip Day

Startin this bad boy up (at least this is an attempt)

Chapter 6(?)

TW: Mentions of drugs, suicide, vulgar language, hallucinations, abuse, vomiting

Angel rose up out of bed with a groan followed by a stretch

“Good fucking LORD” Angel grinded out as he cracked his back “I feel worse than that one time I was injected with fucking ketamine...”

After contemplating his life choices, and considering putting a bullet to his head, Angel managed to drag himself towards the window of his room.

“Hmm. Still out here huh?” Angel grumbled discontentedly “I would’ve hope it was a dream” Angel looked up as if he were speaking to God himself

Angel made his way downstairs and looked around. House was still quiet. There’s no way that she was taken, right? Missy couldn’t be gone. Angel had his own “gifts” but Missy was a trained army soldier, maybe higher than just a soldier. All Angel knew was that she was trained in the army and probably had way more control over herself than he did over himself.

“..Missy..?...MISSY?!” Angel called, walking through the deathly silent home

No...no..this isn’t good...They couldn’t have possibly kidnapped her. She’s a trained professional. She would know what to do in these situations. Angel is more likely to get himself captured and probably nearly get himself, and others, killed in the process. And aside from that, if Missy is gone...what will be of Angel? He is nothing but a ticking time bomb waiting to lose control.

Suddenly the silence was broken as his radio cracked “Ayooooo Angel!!!”

Angel jolted nearly sending himself out of his skin “Who the fuck is that” Angel took out his radio “How did I not lose this shit...” he whispered to himself before clicking the radio “Hello..?” Angel answered back

A voice of happiness and relief was heard on the other side “Angellll! Great to hear you’re alive bud! Kinda heard a lot of ruckus going on back at the bunker since you were....ya know...spotted and all but this whole ordeal kinda died down a bit of course..for now that is”

Jesus Christ who is this guy and why is he rambling at a time like this...it’s too fucking hot and early to be talking a man’s ear off.

“Also uh..Sorry about the whole smoke sesh we had the other day I kinda got a bit too excited and gave you way more than a shoulda..You probably feel-“

For fucks sake.

“Jesus fuck you’re talking way too fucking much.” Angel clicked the radio and it went dead silent. Angel drew out a deep sigh and clicked the radio again “Sorry...Havin a bad mornin...what’s your name now?”

“Oh shit my bad- you’re probably feeling like a dog that got ran over!” Connor laughed on the other side “Probably can’t remember a damn thing either...I’m Connor! The guy you met in the bunker” Connor replied in benevolence

Angel paced in the living room “Connor.....guy I met in the bunker......smoking...” Angel froze in realization “This fucking dickwad-“ Angel clicked his radio “YOU’RE THE GUY THAT TRIED TO FUCK ME UP WITH THAT FUCKING BLISS- BULLSHIT.”

“Woah...hey now I said sorry for that already. I meant good intentions. I would never purposely fuck a gay man over unless he fucked me or my guys ov-“

“GOOD INTENTIONS? I HAD TO FIGHT THROUGH RUGGGED MEN WHILE NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE STRAIGHT” Angel blurted out

“HEY. I WAS TRYING TO BE NICE. TO BE FAIR I DIDN’T KNOW YOU HAD A RECORD” Connor yelled back drawling out the ‘record’

“WHATEVER. Say now....what did you give me. I nearly had night terrors because of that fucking plant. And there’s no fucking way that it’s just weed.” Angel sat himself down on the couch thinking about the nightmares he had last night

There was a silence after that question. Was it that it was a mistake? Should he not have asked? Or hesitation? Maybe there was something in that cigarette-joint whatever it was...he-...Connor had to have gotten it somewhere...this wasn’t no ordinary plant or mix of bad drugs in a plant. This was...different.

“Okay....look. I trust you. But you cannot say this to anybody.” Connor spoke carefully

Gullible for a man who works in a cult

“What I put in that joint was bliss oil and ground up Moonflower....l-look I’m sorry okay...the flower adds to the high and the oil makes it burn longer” Connor had a very regretful tone in his voice. But that didn’t explain what any of that substance was...

“What the fuck is bliss oil? And moonflower...sounds slightly familiar..” Angel said confused

“Don’t worry about it. Can you meet me near John’s ranch later?” Connor asked

“That asshole? Fat chance drug mule” Angel returned with a chuckle

“Ya know you should be nicer. And how do you remember him easily???” Connor huffed, malcontented

“This man has been harassing me the last four months ever since I moved here. I think at that point it’s safe to say he has a rememorable face....a punchable one too.” Angel sneered

“O-oh right....probably not a good place then huh...”

“Of c- didn’t you say that I had a record Connor?”

“Okay okay...I wasn’t thinking straight-“

“Obviously”

“Jesus Chr- DO YOU WANT TO MEET AT FALLS END THEN?!”

“That would be great love” Angel mocked

“Ain’t you a peach...you know...I’m starting to believe what John was saying about you.....hmm.” The radio clicked and went silent

“Oh I’m goin to nick his ears off...” Angel growled “Can finish a sentence but not a fight”

Angel got up after having a moment of planning to beat up Connor later and decided it might be better to head to Fall’s End...maybe after a nap of course.. he won’t have to worry about Connor till later.

Angel decided to head back into his room and throw himself on his bed “Oooh...” Angel breathed out “I have a feeling this is gonna be one fucking day.” Angel drawled out in exhaustion before closing his eyes shut.

"𝒜𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓁..."

Angel had a horrible gut wrenching feeling...that voice...that terrible fucking voice...

"𝒜𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓁...." the voice sang his name in a comforting tone...but that voice was never a comfort to him

He kept his eyes shut...but didn’t know how much longer he would have to for him to go away...it was impossible to ignore something that was so insisting and demanding...

"𝒲𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝓊𝓅...𝑀𝓎 𝓈 𝑜 𝓃."

He opened his eyes and saw red. Only red. The walls of his room. Red. The ceiling. Red. Where he slept. Red. The sky. Red. Everything was Red. He immediately felt sick but he couldn’t escape there was no escape. He sat up.

There.

There he was in the doorway. Blocking his only way out. The tall figure that loomed over Angel’s doorway. A Man that Angel could never fight, The Man that Angel fears the most more than anything...anyone in the world

𝓐𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓵𝓸 𝓢𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓱𝓮𝔃

Angel quickly looked around but realized he was stuck. He was backed into a wall. There was no way he would make it out alive.

"𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒽𝑒 𝒾𝓈...𝑀𝓎 𝓈𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓉 𝓁𝒾𝓉𝓉𝓁𝑒 𝒷𝑜𝓎." The voice said tenderly moving closer to him

“D-don’t call me that....” Angel moved back to try to move himself away from the Man but there was no use of it. He started breathing heavy. With every step the Man took the more weight he felt on his chest. He started to spiral, every fighting instinct left his body. He felt like a rabbit being hunted by a Lion.

“𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝒹𝑜 𝒾𝒻 𝐼 𝒹𝑜?"

“help...h e l p.” He tried to call out but struggled to get the words out between breaths “somebody help me. get me out of here.”

The Man grabbed Angel’s face and tightened his grip, enough to leave bruises on the skin. All the fight left his body...he froze in horror having to force himself to look in his eyes. Tears started to stream down his face and he whimpered and tried to scream.

"𝒮𝒽𝒽𝒽𝒽...𝓆𝓊𝒾𝑒𝓉 𝓃𝑜𝓌..𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓂𝑒" the Man stroked Angel’s face gently while shushing him like a puppy

“I don’t feel safe around you...I will never be safe or free in your hands....” Angel rasped out, nearly overworking his lungs for air “I will never call myself your son.”

The Man’s eye twitched but he cracked a smile "𝒜𝒽..." the man clicked his tongue before breathing in "𝒩𝑜..𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉'𝓈 𝒻𝒶𝒾𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉'𝓈 𝒻𝒶𝒾𝓇" he retreated slightly before taking both of his large hands and pressing them on Angel’s throat, tighting them and he watched Angel panick and try to push him away legging out a crooked laugh

Angel saw his vision fading and slowly going dark. He was trying to fight back but it was a losing battle to begin with. So, he gave up.

"𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒶 𝓅𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓉𝒾𝒸 𝓁𝒾𝓉𝓉𝓁𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝑜𝓃"

Angel immediately woke up and started coughing and immediately felt something coming up his throat. He ran to the bathroom and flipped the toilet cover up and immediately started retching. Fluids poured out of his mouth that burned his nose and throat. And when he thought he was done more came back up. After finishing he was shaking and his head was pounding, tears were streaming down his cheeks and he still felt that weight in his chest. He looked into the toilet and...it was red. He flushed the toilet quickly as the color made him nauseous again not to mention he didn’t even have a chance to eat. It was nothing but bile. Angel sat back. He couldn’t even bring himself to try to speak to himself. So he sat on the floor, trembling....crying. The silence in the house was loud. He has to get out of here.

Angel quickly got up in a panic and washed his face and brushed his teeth, wanting to get that awful taste of bile off his tongue. After he packed his backpack with survival tools and some basic needs to help him out...there...I mean there was just more than one man chasing after him...

He wasted no time leaving after, wiping whatever tears were left on his face, God, he hated looking vulnerable I mean he was already enough..

“I’m never taking a fucking nap again...not until the exhaustion comes over me...”

Angel made the trek to Fall’s End. And though it wasn’t a long hike, it was quiet...almost too quiet.

“Hey-“

Angel reached for his hun and aimed at the sudden greeting

“Woah! Hey now! It’s just me Angel Mary May spoke softly

Angel lowered his weapon quickly in shock ‘I could’ve killed her for Christ sake’ he thought

“You okay love? You seem...different? On edge..?” she spoke with a tone that was almost a comforting as Missy, Bless her heart if she’s still out there

Angel tried to get the words out “....I......uhm...y-yea....kind of...just had a nightmare...no big deal...” he manage to put on a smile that could fool a careless man. But Mary saw right through it.

“Look I know you probably don’t wanna talk about whatever is going on with you bit don’t try to fool me with a smile m’kay” Mary scolded Angel a bit and started walking forward to Fall’s End

“Okay mom” Angel huffed out a laugh “Funny seeing you out here huh” Angel followed after her like a little duckling

“Funny seeing me out here? It’s noon Angel! Did you oversleep again?” Mary looked at Angel teasing him a bit

“Very funny. I was up earlier but was still tired from yesterday so I took a nap......unfortunately it didn’t work out in my...uhm....favor” Angel cleared his throat

“Well why don’t you tell me all about it?” Mary asked curiously

‘This is gonna be a common thing huh...’ Angel thought before breathing out “Where do I start?”

Tagging:

@mrspaigeomega @mrsladydiana @oorah22 @minilev @lilwritingraven @scungilliwoman

[starlightbuck]

20 for the meet cute prompts 👀👀👀

20. You walk out of a dressing room asking if the outfit suits you, but it’s not your friend waiting outside the room like you thought. 

the way you look tonight || read on AO3

“Why are you walking so fast?”

Chim darts an unimpressed glance over his shoulder. “Because I’m a man on a mission. Now hurry up, Buckley.”

Buck picks up speed, trying to understand how it is that he’s struggling to keep up. His legs are longer than Chim’s, so shouldn’t he be the one setting the pace for the two of them? Not vice versa?

“If I walk quicker, will you finally tell me where we’re going?”

Chim had showed up at Buck’s apartment less than an hour ago and all but dragged Buck out the door without any explanation. Buck had gone willingly, mostly because he was bored and didn’t have any other plans for the day. That hadn’t stopped him from wondering what destination Chim had in mind for them.

He had asked where they were going once they got into the car. His question was met with silence so Buck decided to ask a second time. That time, Chim just raised the volume all the way up on the radio. Buck caught the hint and didn’t ask again.

“If you walk quicker, you’ll find out on your own.” Buck, having not yet caught up to Chim, sticks his tongue out at the back of his head. “Very mature, Buck.”

That stops Buck in his tracks. “How did you see that?”

“I didn’t. I just know how immature you are.”

They continue walking at an almost grueling pace until finally, Chim slows down. It’s such a relief to Buck that he doesn’t even acknowledge their surroundings until Chim is pulling a glass door open and gesturing for Buck to walk in. He does so immediately, drawn in by the cool air conditioning that directly contrasts the overbearing Los Angeles heat.

It’s once Buck steps foot inside the store that he realizes where he is and promptly does an about face.

“Uh uh.” Chim blocks Buck’s escape route, standing in front of the door with his hands on his hips. “You’re not going anywhere until you find yourself a new suit.”

It’s the same thing Maddie has been telling Buck for months now, apparently unhappy with the perfectly good suit he has hanging up in his closet. He doesn’t understand why she’s so adamant about him not wearing it. It cost him a fair amount of money and he knows he looks good in it. Why would he waste his time and money buying a new one?

He’s about to say as much to Chim, but is cut off by a wave of Chim’s hand.

“And don’t tell me you already have a suit. Maddie has deemed it unsuitable and what she says goes.”

“Doing my sister’s dirty work now, huh?”

Chim’s expression doesn’t waver, lips set in a straight line as he takes a couple of steps towards Buck. “Yes I am because she’s carrying our unborn child and I love her.”

Buck can’t say he was expecting that response and it works to disarm him long enough for Chim to grab his forearm and march the two of them to the front of the store.

“Didn’t take you for a romantic, Chim.”

Chim doesn’t rise to the bait like Buck’s hoping he will. Instead, his future brother-in-law sets his sights on one of the store’s employees and lets her know that they’re on a quest for a new suit for Buck. She is very efficient, taking Buck’s measurements and then leading him over to the first rack of suits to get a feel for what styles he prefers. Once that has been accomplished, she guides Buck to a fitting room and lets him know that she’ll be back with a few options for him to try.

“I can’t believe you betrayed me like this,” Buck whines through the curtain as he buttons up a burgundy long-sleeve top and slides on the black suit jacket.

“This isn’t so bad.”

Buck pushes the curtain aside so he can show Chim the fourth suit combination he’s changed into. “That’s easy for you to say,” he grumbles. While Buck’s been forced to change in and out of suits like some kind of Ken doll, Chim has been lounging in a comfortable armchair with a cold water bottle one of the employees brought out for him.

“I don’t think that’s the one either.”

“Why not?”

Chim shrugs, not even bothering to hide his smirk. “Just doesn’t seem right. Let’s see the next one.”

Buck clenches his fist and stomps right back into the fitting room before he can say something that might be used against him in the future. This is exactly why Buck refused to go suit shopping when Maddie brought it up, but at least she would’ve been a better shopping companion. She would’ve actually offered constructive criticism whereas Chim is just turning down everything Buck has tried on. Buck can’t tell if Chim is doing it out of spite or if he genuinely hasn’t liked anything Buck has tried on so far.

The final suit left to try on is olive green and definitely not something Buck would’ve chosen for himself. It’s why he left the option for last, hoping that any of the other suits he tried on would’ve been a winner. He changes slowly, knowing that once this suit is rejected, he’ll have to wait all over again for the same employee as before to pick another round of things for him to try on.

“Alright, here’s the last one,” Buck announces, not bothering to look in the mirror before stepping back out to face Chim. He fiddles with the cuff link, waiting for Chim’s opinion. “What do you think?”

“I think you look very handsome.”

Buck startles at the sound of a voice that definitely doesn’t belong to Chim. His suspicions are confirmed when he looks up and finds a young boy with sandy hair and glasses in the chair that Chim was sitting on only moments earlier. “You’re not Chim.”

“No, I’m Chris,” he answers with a toothy grin. The kid, Chris, is far cuter than he has any right to be. Buck finds himself smiling for the first time since stepping foot inside of the store. “That’s a nice color.”

“You think so?”

Chris nods emphatically, glasses tipping precariously on the tip of his nose when he does. He pushes them back into place and gives Buck a once-over. “It’s different, but I like it. Can you spin?”

“Spin?”

“Yeah, you know. Spin.” Chris twirls his finger around in the air to show Buck what he means. “Abuela says you have to look at an outfit from every angle to make sure it looks good.”

Well if that’s what Abuela says, who is Buck to argue?

“Make sure to do it slowly so I can see you,” Chris instructs and Buck does just that, taking his time as he walks in a small circle. He does it twice, moving his arms around during his second spin to see how the suit feels when movements are involved.

He’s just about to face Chris again to receive the child’s final verdict on the suit when Buck sees his reflection in the mirror.

I don’t hate it is the first thought that comes to mind. This might be the one is his second thought.

“Does it look good from every angle, Chris?”

Buck turns back around and almost chokes on his saliva.

Chris is still sitting in the armchair but he’s not alone anymore. There’s a man, an extremely attractive one, standing beside Chris with a collection of suits slung over his arm and amusement shining in his brown eyes.

They’re really nice eyes.

Attached to an even nicer face.

“It looks very good,” Chris answers solemnly, completely unaware of the tailspin Buck’s mind has just been launched into. What does it say about Buck that this kid is able to concentrate on the task at hand while Buck has been sidetracked by someone’s presence? “Daddy, what do you think?”

And oh. If Buck thought having this man stare at him was a distraction before, it’s nothing in comparison to how he feels when the man brings his free hand up to stroke the scruff that covers his chin. It’s a contemplative look that has Buck’s heart doing a backflip or cannonball or something else ridiculous and unbecoming of someone of his age.

So not only has Buck’s brain short-circuited, but his heart has as well.

Traitors.

“It’s a good look,” the brunette finally decides. The words shouldn’t hold anywhere near as much weight as they do. “Definitely a top contender in my opinion.”

Buck is not blushing, he’s not.

Maybe if he tells himself that enough times, it’ll eradicate the tinge of pink that he knows has stained his cheeks.

“Does that mean you’re gonna buy it?” Chris’s question breaks Buck out of his stupor. “Because I think you should.”

Chris’s dad raises his hand. “I second that statement.”

“And I third that statement,” Chim says, appearing out of nowhere wearing a smile that always spells trouble for Buck. Of course he’d choose now to show up again. “Who are your friends, Buck?”

“I’m Chris!” He holds his hand out for Chim to shake. “And this is my dad.”

“Eddie,” his father supplies, also taking a second to shake Chim’s hand.

“Buck was looking for you before.” Chris explains and Buck is glad that the kid is explaining the situation because Buck doesn’t think he would’ve been able to. “But don’t worry. I helped him and told him how handsome he looks.”

Buck doesn’t have to look at Chim to know that he’s withholding his laughter. “Oh you did, did you?”

Is it wrong of Buck to wish that a black hole will appear and swallow him whole? It’s probably dramatic, but he can live with that. At least then he would be able to retain some of his reputation. He already knows that Chim, and by extension Hen, will never let him live this down.

Buck decides it’s best to cut his losses and heads into the dressing room to get changed. The curtain muffles the voices outside, but he can still hear Chim’s laughter. Buck can’t tell if this is a blessing or a curse.

By the time he exits the dressing room again, the laughter outside has subsided and Eddie is nowhere to be found. Buck swallows back his disappointment, a fact made easier by the bright smile Chris directs at him. “Buck! Are you ready to help daddy find a suit too?”

“I-uh what?”

“Help Eddie find a suit,” Chim repeats, as if the problem Buck had with that statement was that he didn’t hear it. “I told Chris that he could keep you for the afternoon so you could pay him back for helping you.”

Buck’s jaw falls open as he stares at Chim in disbelief. Buck was only gone for a few minutes, how did Chim manage to set this whole thing up that quickly?

“I’ll take these off of your hands,” Chim says, taking the suits from Buck. “You can pay me back for the suit later.”

Chim’s final sentence is accompanied by a wink that lets Buck know he’s going to be expected to pay Chim back for more than just the suit. He’s gone before Buck can so much as put up a fight and then Buck is left alone with Chris.

“I’m ready, Chris!” The low voice comes from the dressing room right beside Buck’s and he does not think about the fact that Eddie was getting changed at the same time he was. “You ready for me?”

“I am! Buck?”

Buck glances around the room, curious as to where that employee who helped him earlier is. She’s the one who supplied Chim with a water bottle earlier and something tells Buck he’s about to be very thirsty. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

[dc41896]

Penny for Your Thoughts

So I saw an ask on my good sis @honeychicanawrites page (if y’all don’t follow her already please do because her writing is 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾❤️❤️ *chef’s kiss* AMAZING!!! She’s so wonderful and deserves all the love💕💕!!) from @damnitaa mentioning football player Chris with a buzzcut, and not only was I shook by this image (whew chile the flavorrr🥰!!!) but I soon got inspo for an imagine based off of it and I hope you guys like it☺️! I also had song inspo from “I Know You” by Craig David ft. Bastille and if you guys want to check it out I highly recommend it, it’s one of my faves!

Pairing: QB!Chris EvansxBlack Reader

⚠️: Mentions of cheating, drinking, same old fluff as usual💕

Swallowing the last of his third beer, he gently slides the glass bottle to the side raising his hand just enough to get the attention of the owner/cook so he could get him another one.

He could already hear his coach’s booming voice yelling “if you guys want to drink and party go ahead, but know you won’t win any championships!” from the sidelines during practice tomorrow. Was that gonna stop him from indulging in more of the bitter liquid though. No chance.

“Alright kid, I’m cutting you off after this one.”

“C’mon-,”

“Nope if I let you keep going you’re gonna drink out my whole supply,” Paulie chuckles, lightly smacking his shoulder before going back to ESPN behind the counter.

Hearing the ding of the bell from the front door, the click of heels and a soft voice divert Chris’ attention away from the latest headlines to the stranger sitting at the counter.

“There’s my girl! How you been? You haven’t come see me in a while, I was starting to take it personal.”

“I’m sorry, I’ve just been busy with work and school. I promise to come see you more often,” you smile as he sets a plastic cup in front of you.

“Okay now, I’m holding you to that. I don’t want you coming in here when I’m 80 years old saying ‘long time no see’,” he replies making you giggle. “What can I get you sweetheart?”

“I’ll just have some fruit and a water.”

“Alright you got it,” he smiles before disappearing in the back.

He tried not to, but Chris couldn’t stop glancing in your direction. All he could really see was the back of your head and partially the side of your face, but you seemed familiar to him. And your voice only made that familiar feeling strengthen as he searched his brain for the answer.

Well the best he could feeling the buzz of the alcohol start to set in.

“Here you go, fruit but with no strawberries since you don’t trust them and your water.”

“Thank you Paulie!,” you smile immediately grabbing your fork to dig into the colorful contents. “So how are they treating you at that job on campus?”

“My coworkers are fine but some of the customers make you want to scream with their complicated orders-,”

“Starbucks girl!,” Chris shouts accidentally making you jump and Paulie look at him like he was crazy.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to be loud, I was just trying to figure out where I knew you from and I just remembered,” he responds with a nervous smile.

“It’s okay. I’ve been there before, just maybe not as loud though,” you softly laugh going back to your fruit.

Motioning him to sit at the counter, Chris shakes his head no fearing he’ll embarrass himself more than he already has. Plus he didn’t want to intrude if you were trying to have a peaceful night to yourself.

“You’ll have to excuse Chris here. He’s been hit in the ole noggin more than enough times,” Paulie jokes making you giggle.

“I have not! Well okay I have, but that’s not why- you know what, let’s just start over,” he says waving his hands to stop everything. “Hey you look familiar, where do I know you from?”

“Well I go to school at Boston College, so you might’ve seen me around campus. Or you might’ve seen me at Starbucks since I work there.”

“That’s where I know you from! I go there all the time,” he smiles propping his head on his hand and making you laugh.

A comfortable silence falling over the both of you, Chris takes a drink of his last beer of the night watching the man on television talk about the upcoming NFL season as you retrieve a book from your bag.

Taking another glance at you, he notices the circular frames now on your face as you remove the plastic bookmark and eyes follow the words on the paper in front of you. Respectfully eyeing your outfit, his interest now peaks as he sets his beer down in front of him.

“Sorry if I sound intrusive, but I feel like you weren’t supposed to be here tonight.”

“Oh? And what makes you say that?”

“From your outfit and how that’s definitely not a first choice for someone who wants to come to a diner at 11pm on a Friday night just to read,” he smirks.

“Maybe I’m different then,” you reply matching his smirk and making him softly chuckle. “But you would be right. I was supposed to be meeting my friend at Scenic for drinks, but her boyfriend called last minute and I’m sure you can guess where that left me.”

“That sucks,” he answers taking another swig.

“Yea I’m a little mad, but also I know that’s her boyfriend and they want to spend time together so I feel like I just have to deal,” you shrug. “And if you don’t mind me asking what brings Make A Way Evans here on a Friday night by himself?”

“For the lovely company of my man Paulie of course,” he smiles raising his bottle to the middle aged man who gave him a tip of his hat in return as he leans against the counter.

“Oh of course, everyone knows Paulie’s the best,” you add with a giggle as he winks at you.

“But before I came here, I was planning on surprising my girlfriend with a present. Turns out we were both surprised from me finding her in bed with my best friend and teammate.”

Eyes now serious and painful as he looks down at the table, his fingers tap against the dark glass in his hands. You immediately wanted to hug him and tell him he would be okay although he might not feel it right now, but restrained yourself knowing it might be a bit weird.

“I’m so sorry that happened Chris.”

“It’s alright, I’ll get over it. Better yet, I’ll ‘make a way’,” he sarcastically smiles finishing his drink.

“Hey I know we don’t really know each other, and you’re probably not in the mood to talk, but if you are, I don’t mind.”

“Nah it’s ok, I don’t want to take away from your reading time.”

“I’ve actually read this book before so I’m not missing anything,” you smile tucking one of your long twists behind your ear. “Like I said though I completely understand if you don’t want a stranger knowing all your business.”

“Well I’ve pretty much already done that,” he chuckles standing to his feet and making his way to the barstool beside you. White sneakers squeaking against the floor, his dark grey long sleeve shirt clung onto his defined chest and arms as his jeans almost looked to be skinny ones from how they fit on his muscular legs. Necklace resting ever so perfectly around his neck, you knew the girlfriend must’ve been crazy to cheat on such a specimen.

“The only thing missing now though is your name.”

“Y/N,” you answer as he stuck out his hand which you joined with yours.

“There, now we’re not strangers anymore.”

For the next few hours you both talked about any and everything that came to mind from classes to sports to your favorite movies. Noticing your lack of a Boston accent, he asked where you were from, which then led to both of you talking about your childhoods. You guys could’ve stayed there talking forever, but Paulie had to close so he could get some rest before coming back for the lunch crowd.

Having walked to the diner since his apartment was only a couple of blocks away, he planned on doing the same to get back but you refused to let him from how late it was and offered to drive him home.

“I’ll be fine there’s no one out there.”

“That you know of,” you replied making him roll his eyes.

“Listen to her kid, she’s only trying to look out for you,” Paulie added as the three of you stood outside while he locked the door.

“Fine if you insist,” he jokingly groans following you to your car once you both told Paulie goodbye.

Within 15 minutes you were parked in front of his place standing on the passenger side to make sure he exited the car okay.

“I promise I’m not that drunk, I can walk perfectly fine,” he chuckles closing the door and meeting you at the front of your car.

“Hey I’m just being a responsible chauffeur and making sure you enter your place in one piece sir.”

“Well thank you I appreciate it,” he smiles walking close beside you.

“Oh watch your-,” you began trying to warn about the upcoming step only to be brought to the ground with Chris landing with an “oof” on top of him.

“Sure you’re not that drunk?,” you ask with a smirk.

“Yes I just accidentally tripped I promise,” he laughs.

“Yea I’m not sure how much I can trust your promises now.” Covering his mouth, he tries to avoid waking any of his neighbors with his boisterous laugh, but it still somehow echoed as it carried down the street.

Of course your laugh mixed in with his probably didn’t help diminish the noise.

“Ugh you kids don’t care where you do it now huh?,” an elderly woman in a pink, fluffy robe with curlers in her white hair calls from her window.

“No Ms. Waters it’s not what it looks like, we just-,”

“I don’t want to know what you were just doing. Don’t do it out in the open next time.” Forcefully shutting her window, you and Chris only laugh more at your current situation.

“You know, you’re the first person besides my family to laugh at me falling.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. It would’ve been nicer to ask if you were okay first.”

“No don’t apologize, I meant it in a good way! The slightest trip or bump people are always asking if I’m hurt and worrying about me being able to play. It’s weird, but it’s nice being laughed at.”

“I guess you’re welcome then..?”

Chuckling at your confusion, the streetlight burning above making the side of your face and eyes glow momentarily causes him to lose his breath from the trance the sight had him under. It made your face look so soft and delicate like a painting hung in a museum.

Realizing how he had been holding you there for quite some time, he clears his throat as he begins to sit up.

“I guess we should get off the grass huh?,” he chuckles standing up with you still being held close to his side. “You okay?”

“Yea, my pride’s a little bruised that’s all,” you answer checking for any grass on your clothes. Following him upstairs, he opens the white door to be met with barks and nails hurriedly tapping against the floor as they come closer to the both of you.

“Hey booboo! Did you miss me?,” Chris smiles as he locks the door. “You don’t have a problem with dogs do you? Like are you allergic or anything?”

“No no I’m fine,” you giggle as the excited dog circles around your legs looking up at you asking for scratches. “What’s his name?”

“Dodger.”

“Hi Dodger, you’re such a pretty boy!,” you smile scratching behind his ears making his tail swing back and forth while he lies his head in your lap.

“He just met you and he’s already in love with you.”

“That’s probably because I’m doing what he wants.”

“Possibly, but he never lied down like that on Kelly or gave her much attention really,” he admits sitting beside you and patting Dodger’s back. “Maybe if I listened to you bud I wouldn’t be in this situation now. They do say dogs have an excellent sense of character.”

Looking over at Chris, you see his head tilted back and eyes closed causing you to mentally awe at how peaceful he looked. Having the day he had plus a game coming up soon you were sure he had a lot on his mind and just wanted to rest.

“Hey I’m gonna head home ok? You go to bed and get some rest. I’m sure you have practice tomorrow.”

“So soon? The night’s still young,” he yawns lifting his arms over his head.

“The night might be, but your battery isn’t,” you giggle standing up to head towards the door.

“Alright you have a point.” Following behind to see you out, Dodger softly whimpers beside him poking your leg with his nose looking up at you with soft big brown eyes.

“Dodge come on bud she has to go home. Also I feel some type of way since you haven’t done that whenever I leave in a long time.”

“I’m sorry I can’t stay longer Dodger, but take care of your dad ok? Make sure he actually goes to bed and doesn’t trip anymore,” you giggle bending down and giving him a final scratch as he licks your hand.

“Thanks for the ride Y/N and everything else tonight, I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem, you don’t need to thank me. And everything’s gonna be okay. She was crazy to cheat on an amazing guy like you and I know you’ll find a girl who’s ten times better and loves you unconditionally.” Giving him a small wave, he watches you walk down the hall and the staircase before closing his door with a small smile on his face.

Feeling something tap against his leg, he looks down at Dodger walking back and forth by the door as if anxiously waiting for someone to return.

“You literally just met her and you like her that much?,” he chuckles beginning to cut off the lights and leading him to the bedroom as part of their nightly routine. “Can’t blame you too much on that though, I like her too.”

———

Entering the back for your shift, a sigh leaves your lips already hearing someone complain about their drink clearly not having extra soy in it since it didn’t taste right. Tying your apron around your hips, you see a note with your name on it in the spot you usually store your belongings slightly confusing you.

“What’s this?,” you thought unfolding the notebook paper as you leaned against the metal table nearest to you.

“Hey thanks again for last night and keeping me company. Maybe we could do it again sometime? Without the falling on the grass and being judged by my neighbor of course lol. -Chris”

Smiling to yourself, you immediately pull out your phone adding the number he left to your contacts before sending him your reply.

Y/N: Hey it’s Y/N aka Starbucks girl lol. So I just got this mysterious note at work...know anything about it?

You didn’t expect an answer right away thinking he was still in practice, but was pleasantly surprised to feel your phone vibrate and see his name light up your screen.

Chris: Lol hey! And that depends, what’s your answer?

Y/N: I’d love to

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[whichstoodonrockyshores]

Chapter Four

(bitch-)

As much as Lorcan hated that meeting, he did think that Indiana guy was nice. Very nice, in fact. He had already put his number into his phone, but was way too nervous to text him. What if he said something wrong? Or his English didn’t make sense to the American? But he needed friends, or he’d be way too lonely when he moved in..those were his main thoughts as he drove to his apartment.

Aine was calling. Already? He probably should’ve predicted this, she called Lorcan a lot. He ignored her call. Knox called soon after. That was actually surprising, Knox barely called anyone. He hated talking on the phone. Lorcan ignored him too, and eventually just turned his phone off completely. He flopped down on the couch. Well, it was nice enough. His house was nicer, but this wasn’t so bad. It was lonely, but his house wasn’t much better in that regard. He would be fine.

He turned his phone on again, immediately getting yet another call from Aine. He just hung up, and blocked her number. He also blocked Enfys, Knox, Henry and Janette’s numbers. He couldn’t deal with any of them right now. He sighed, and went quiet. What could he even do? He sighed, and remembered Indiana. He calmed himself down again, and started typing.

“Hey, this is the right number for Indiana, right?” He texted, immediately regretting it. What if he just ignored it, or forgot who he was somehow-

“Yeah, hi Irelnd” Indiana texted back. He let out a sigh of relief.

“You misspelled my name lol” he replied with, a smile creeping across his face.

“Yeah sorry I’m tired”

“Then go to sleep!”

“Nooo you texted!”

“I’ll stop texting you then”

“That was a text right there, your keeping me awake lmao”

“Just go to sleep!” Lorcan giggled to himself.

“Finnnneeee” Indiana texted back, and that ended the conversation. Lorcan found himself feeling better after that, and laid down on his bed. He covered himself with fluffy blankets, and he was surrounded by pillows. He loved relaxing like this, as he grabbed a small bottle of whiskey, gently sipping it as he watched some TV. He found his eyes getting droopy as he yawned. It was getting late.. he put his bottle away, curled up in the blankets again, and fell asleep to the sound of the TV.

—

“Irving Indianapolis!”

“Maribeth I told you, it’s Irvin-“

“Why the FUCK did you let a random stranger take you home?!” Maribeth shouted. She had stormed in and ruined Irvin’s nap.

“Because I didn’t think it would be a big deal, he was a country-“

“Yeah, I get that! But you don’t do that, you idiot! You could’ve just waited- and I would’ve taken you home!”

“Well, he invited me! I can’t reject a man with an Irish accent!”

“I’m literally IRISH!”

Maribeth looked super angry, and stormed out after a little bit more arguing. Irvin just sat in his chair, staying very quiet. He sighed, forcing himself back to his bed. He found himself smiling at Lorcan’s texts, and fell asleep again soon after. He didn’t even need the whiskey, which was odd. He didn’t sleep very well however, waking up soon after because of a nightmare. He saw he had some angry texts from Maribeth… he chose to ignore them and block her. He could deal with this later.

Irvin felt kind of like shit. He was tired, and felt..heavy. It was hard to describe beyond that. Like he was..weighed down by something. He found himself on the verge of tears, drinking his emotions away with alcohol. There wasn’t anything else to do, right? And that’s why he ended up sending Ireland:

“Hej”

“Hello..?” he replied, being very quick.

“Haha sorh Ireloajd Im kinda deuk.”

“Oh I can tell. Go to sleep!”

“Nooo my sistan hatles me”

“What? Why would anyone hate you?”

“Cuz I didny listtan fo her”

“Indiana, I’m sure she doesn’t hate you, just go to sleep.”

“oka”

Irvin turned his phone off again, and went back to drinking instead. Eventually he just passed out instead, and he woke up with a killer hangover. His head felt awful. He generally felt awful, but it wasn’t like he could do anything about it now. What was done was done, even if he made Maribeth mad. He turned his phone on, and quickly realized he had drunk texted Ireland the night before, god dammit-

“Sorry for texting you drunk last night” he typed, feeling pretty embarrassed about it. He sighed, and put his head down. He always had to make these stupid mistakes, which ruined his relationships with people. He wouldn’t be surprised if Ireland hated him already-

“It’s okay!” Oh.

“Well, okay. Have a killer hangover rn ha”

“Oh no, that’s too bad. Can I come over for a minute, just to check on you?” That confused Irvin, but it wouldn’t hurt. Why did Ireland even care?

“If you wanna I guess”

“Alright, I’ll be there in like 15 mins.”

“15? You’re way closer than I thought”

“Yeah, I guess! See you soon.”

Irvin put his phone down, and lit a cigarette in bed. He couldn’t really move, otherwise. His head hurt too much, and the bright phone screen wasn’t helping. There was a knock on the door. Did 15 minutes already pass? He put out his cigarette.

“DOORS OPEN!” Irvin yelled, and someone came in, and soon came into his bedroom. Well, it was Ireland. 15 minutes had definitely passed. Ireland walked next to him, and he turned away. This was super embarrassing, he didn’t even know him that well and he was already doing this..

“Hey, Indiana. Everything alright in here? Your place is a mess..”

“Wow, thanks..” Irvin stated, sarcastically. He sighed, and Ireland sighed as well.

“Are you hungry? I can make you something, if you want..”

“I’d love that..”

“Okay, what do you want?”

“Can I have macaroni?”

“Mhm. Okay, give me a minute.”

Ireland walked out of the bedroom, and a little while later, came back with a bowl of Mac & cheese. Irvin sat up, and silently started eating.

“Thank you.”

“No problem, Indiana!”

“You can call me Irvin. I know we just met and all, but you’re a nice guy, Ireland.” Irvin said. He meant that, no one had ever been this nice to him, especially not his siblings.

“Lorcan, that’s my name. And thanks, Irvin. I’m sure you’re nice too. I should be going now, though.”

“Okay, well, I’ll see you then. Thanks again for the food..”

“I said it was no problem! See you soon, okay?”

“Okay..” Lorcan wanted to see him again? After this? Well, that just proved he was nicer than Irvin ever would be. He sat and ate his Mac & Cheese in silence.

[mattzerella-sticks]

A Healing Touch/New Experiences

15x17 coda, Post-Finale, Dean/Cas, Adam, Serafina, Sam, Jack, 2/2 chapters, 4.7k

Chapter 1: A Healing Touch (ao3 link)

Maybe if Cas hadn't abandoned him, he wouldn't have agreed to Adam's offer. But with free will finally theirs, Cas made his choice, and Dean his. Now he has to live with the consequences - even if they are awkward. He won't die from it, certainly.

It's only a massage.

But what Dean doesn't know, is that it's more than a massage. It's healing.

           Dean’s grip tensed on the towel, pulling its fabric closer against his waist. Terrycloth rubbing his crotch like sandpaper, making him even more aware of his current state of undress than he already was.

           Damn Adam, for talking him into this. The placid cadence of the First Man wreaked havoc with Dean’s judgement. Lulled him into a false sense of security. Now that his armor’s been cast off, Dean realizes how terrible an idea this really is. Briefly, Dean considers turning tail and jumping back into his outfit. Pretend this never happened. Play dumb. But then Adam emerges, parting the beaded curtains and motioning him towards a table set up in the middle of the room. Dean trudges along, window of opportunity slammed on his fingers.

           “Relax Dean,” Adam croons, lighting one of the many candles that surrounds the room. Interspersed with crystals, totems, and an incense stick that suspiciously smells like a VW van at a concert. “This is going to be a transcendent experience.”

           “If you say so…” He sits, kicking his feet. Hunched over, spine protesting from the angle. Ignores twinging pain with practiced ease.

           Doesn’t matter how well he masks it in the other man’s presence; Adam arches a brow at Dean and orders him to lay down. “You’ll feel better that way.”

           He stills, clutching at the towel with both hands. Frozen with an unnamed emotion Dean swears isn’t fear. Staring with wide eyes at Adam while the other man waits. Finally, he breaks the silence, “Can’t you just… do my shoulders?”

           “I will,” Adam promises, drifting closer, “Along with your sides… your back… anywhere I believe you might need.” He brushes featherlight fingers across his chin, a scant distance from actually touching it. Lips stretched in a lazy smile. “If it’ll make you more comfortable, though, I’ll look away while you get settled.”

           Dean clears his throat, gaze darting away. “You will?”

           “While I don’t agree with your shame,” he says, pulling back, “I understand it. How it works. So, when you’re ready to start, let me know.” Adam spins on his heel, grabbing for tinctures and potions on a nearby counter. Mixes them. Feigns busyness while Dean readies himself.

           He slides off the table, glancing from Adam to the exit. Wonders if he can sprint fast enough, snatch his clothes, and jump into his Baby. Put Santa Fe in his rearview, even if it meant leaving Cas. Finding a new path home would serve him right, abandoning Dean immediately for Serafina. Former and current angel leaving for lunch, catching up after millennia apart. Dean stuck with Adam. Biding time, making awkward small talk; listening as he rambled on about differing memories patchworked together while he played hopscotch through his timeline. So bored and confused he didn’t realize what Adam offered until he locked the bathroom door behind Dean, instructions rattling around in his head. Towel in his arms instead of around his waist.

           “Dean,” Adam chimes in, laughing, “I’m almost done.”

           Thinking, not acting, wasted too much time. No other options left Dean unfastened his towel. Held it while he climbed onto the table, carefully lying down. Adjusting his junk so his weight wouldn’t crush it. Then, face pressed into the appropriate hole, Dean fixed the towel. End hanging off the edges, censored his freckled ass from view. “Okay,” he says, croaking the next few words out. “I’m all set.”

           “Perfect.”

           Dean nearly asks when Adam will start. As soon as the question forms in his throat, he swallows it. Adam’s wet, warm touch sliding over his back. Spreads a slick substance that makes his skin goosepimple when the air meets it. Elicits a sudden, breathy response from Dean. “Sorry,” Adam apologizes, continuing his ministrations, “probably should’ve warned you?”

           “Would’ve been nice…”

           “Well, we can’t go back, now can we?” He kneads Dean’s shoulders, loosening a tight muscle with his thumb. “Let me do all the work…” Adam speaks aloud, calling on a nearby smart device. Tells it to play a certain playlist, whining strums pouring from his speakers. Dean rolls his eyes. The added hippie music only pours salt in the wound. “You’ve got a lot of knots, Dean.”

           “I’m not surprised,” Dean says, “the stuff I do? My body’s been through the wringer.”

           “You should take better care of your body, Dean. We only get the one.”

           “Yeah, we do…” Dean sighs, shifting. Too aware of Adam’s touch. Counting the differences between his expectations and the reality. They’re softer than what he expected a man’s hands should feel like. And gentler. These motions were more tender than Dean was used to, especially from a stranger. Part of him wants this over with, while a stronger, quieter part begs for more. He shifts, squirming. “Hey, what’s this you’re rubbing me with?”

           “Oh, the oil?” Adam laughs, pinching his sides, “I had it specially delivered from some small town I last visited years ago, in Morocco. When it was all the rage, kids fleeing for the East in search of enlightenment. This herbalist was teaching in the streets…”

           Dean tunes Adam out like he did the music, drowning his voice in the waves of his mind. Lets it sink deep below while Dean splashes around shallower waters. Like how this trip was planned.

           After Chuck, after the Empty – after their last cosmic showdown, the Winchesters faced a new challenge. An ordinary day. It’s been years since Dean could wake without worrying he forgot something. Walk and not look over his shoulder, at where he imagined someone with vengeance in their eyes and death in his future. Greet his family and not doubt that he will see them later.

           It’s everything Dean wanted. Except he couldn’t handle it.

           Sitting at the breakfast table, his family discussing pointless, trivial affairs, Dean broke. Maybe because of Sam’s bright smile while talking about a road trip he planned with Eileen, or Jack’s list of shows he wanted to watch. Maybe it was when he caught Cas’s gaze, his foot nudging at Dean’s, with a well of emotions Dean hadn’t deserved. Similar to that horrid night, although less sadness darkening his expression. Less blood staining his hands. Dean flashed between those two images and stood, hitting his knee on the table. Left with a meager and suspicious excuse.

           Somehow, an endless cycle of near-death experiences made things simpler. Being trapped in a never-ending story meant exactly that. They would live forever. Exist in the unknown, remain unchanged.

           Now that freedom is truly his, what will he do? How will he end? Will he become someone he doesn’t like? Will people he thought would stay forever slip out of his grasp? Does he go first and leave so many people behind?

           He couldn’t sleep those next few nights. Cas caught on after his third bout with insomnia, bags heavy under his eyes. Looked across the canyon from his side of the bed, arms curled tight around himself. Chained there. “What’s wrong, Dean?” His fingers twitched in aborted need. Another easy piece that proved more difficult to fit into place. “Isn’t this what you wanted?”

           Dean stared at Cas. Saw the streaks of grey that tickled his hairline, and little crusts around his eyes from sleep. Reminders of how fast things can change, and what little they have left in the tank. If Cas were an angel, he thought, they’d have more time. Can stay alive through his grace, healing even the littlest signs of age. Like Serafina did with Adam.

           It slipped out like a leak, and then poured free. Inch given; mile taken. Frantically repeating how he met the First Man who loved an angel, and they lived normal lives in Santa Fe, and they seemed weird but in love, and –

           “Okay,” Cas said, “we’ll go visit them.”

           “Dean,” Adam whispers. Dean creaks an eye open from below the surface. “Where were you just now?”

           His heart lurches. “Can’t really go anywhere, now can I?”

           “Only in the physical sense,” he tells Dean, “your body can be here, but you can also be a million miles away.” Adam kneads harder on his back, forcing a grunt through Dean’s clenched teeth as he poked a sore muscle. “What’s more important that you’ve allowed your mind to wander far from the present?” He stops massaging, bending. Meets Dean’s squinted gaze. “Would you rather not be here?”

           “What did I ever do to give that impression?”

           Adam doesn’t flinch from Dean’s bite, smirking at him. Followed by an airy laugh that sounds nicer than it should. “Y’know, my hands can only do so much,” he continues, standing. Clawing at Dean with blunt nails, repetitively raking patterns like he were a rock garden. “Massages are a give and take. I can only leech away what you’re willing to part with. And there’s a mountain of stress buried here you’re still holding onto.”

           “Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dean growls. Closing his eyes hard enough white, hot stars burst from behind his lids. “Maybe you’re a shitty masseuse?”

           “Nah, I’ve been doing this since Alexander the Great was in toga diapers. Can’t be that.”

           “Just because you’re old doesn’t mean you’re any good.”

           “That’s true.” Adam pinches Dean’s lower back, at the dip right where his ass curves from beneath the towel. Electricity jolts along his nerves, up his spine, and makes Dean bite his lip. “Then let’s say my intuition is sounding the alarm you’re blocked.”

           Dean snorts, “Then give me some Pepto and we’ll call it a day.” Another pinch. This time his knee jerks, foot jumping into the air. “Can you quit it?”

           “When you start taking this seriously.”

           “Sorry,” he says, each syllable drenched in sarcasm. “I didn’t think your types took anything seriously.”

           Adam places his hand on Dean’s neck. Touch shocks him enough he lifts his head, finding the other’s stern expression. “If not for me,” he says, “then Castiel.”

           He still feels Adam on his neck, and the second hand hangs at his side, shiny. Yet there must be a third. Because how else can Dean explain the pain in his side as anything other than a stab wound. Knife stuck there, cruelly twisted, cutting his insides further. Dean subtly nods, going slack. Adam guides his head back to its resting spot. Resumes petting him with much more severity. Each stroke like a match scraping against a striking surface, sparking but never lighting.

           “Do you feel my hands, Dean?”

           “Am I supposed to feel anything else?” Dean grouses, “Because if this is you coming onto me…”

           Adam squeezes Dean’s ass over the towel, Dean yelping. “Why I’ll admit you’re a beauty, my heart is spoken for. As is yours.”

           Dean waits as the coiled heat in his stomach unravels, breathing raggedly all the while. “Yeah,” he says, “I can feel your hands.”

           “Good,” Adam says, “and how do my hands on your body feel?”

           “Um… good? I guess? Like any other massage.”

           “You’ve gotten other massages before?”

           “When I could, I guess.”

           “And your masseuses,” Adam asks, coating more of the oil along his shoulders, “were any of them men.”

           No. “Why does that matter?”

           “I’m just asking,” Adam says, “guessing, actually, if your hesitation during this process has something to do with my gender expression.” He rubs at his biceps, fondling them. “So I’ll ask again – have you ever been massaged by a man.”

           He’s fought with countless men. Punches and kicks and elbows at throats acceptable foreplay. Love bites that stung far too long, bled too much. Shook hands with many hunters while crossing America during his early years where he was figuring himself out. Their intimidating grip thrilling Dean more than they should while near his father. John’s idea of what makes a man still living in his mind, a shadow that won’t disappear no matter how many curtains he draws or lights he turns on. Persistent.

           Sometimes Cas’s hand lingered, back when their relationship was new. Finding its footing despite Chuck’s story. He blamed it on his angel’s inexperience with humanity. But the more he stayed on Earth, the longer they lasted. More significant. A game of chicken, each daring the other to drop first.

           That’s the most intimate he’s ever been with another man.

           It’s been too long since he and Cas touched like that. Circling, never committing. Losing before the game starts.

           “I…” Adam’s touch feels different, headier. Matchhead catching, flame bursting atop it. He sighs, “I’ve never been massaged by a man.”

           Adam hums, “You’ve never had the opportunity?”

           “I’m pretty sure I’ve had lots of opportunities,” Dean tells him, “I just… never took them.” He shrugs as best he can. Sighing when Adam brushes one of his love handles, scratching it. Warm delight making Dean’s toes curl. “It wasn’t something a guy like me was supposed to do.”

           “Supposed to,” Adam parrots, “someone else was making these decisions for you?”

           Bristling, Dean shifts as if to raise his head again. Adam shoves at Dean, keeping him there. Adds an ounce of pressure that should stoke his anger. However, Dean responds with no retaliation. Stills, and when Adam removes his hand, continues talking. “I made these decisions,” Dean tells Adam, “I… there were a lot of expectations, being me. People I couldn’t disappoint. If they knew I went to get… massages, by men… things might not have been the same.”

           “Even if it hurt denying this part of yourself?” he asks, “Suffocating it because other people had opinions on how you should live your life?”

           Dean scowls despite how dedicated Adam works at kneading the skin above his tailbone. “You wouldn’t understand, okay. Being the first person gives you leeway, make your own rules. I was born into a certain role – there was an image I had to fit. If I wanted to survive and I… and it got easy, over time. I wasn’t hurting anyone –“

           “You were hurting yourself.”

           “I’m used to it.”

           Adam reacts violently, nicking Dean’s hip hard enough he expects blood. But his thumb soothes the spot, caresses it far more lovingly than Dean thinks is appropriate. He doesn’t voice his concerns. Busy thinking about the sudden callouses he feels on Adam’s thumb.

           “That’s a dangerous point of view to have, Dean,” Adam warns, drawing him from the off-ramp. “How can you speak so carelessly about yourself like that?”

           “I… I – uh…” Dean had a response. A common one he trotted out whenever a question like this appeared. Now, he finds the stable empty. He has nothing. “I…”

           “You’ve been given a wonderful gift, Dean. The gift called life. Gone are the oppressive forces steering your judgement. Controlling how you grow.” Adam’s voice rises, passion seeping into his skin. Mixing with the oils, providing a euphoric numbness. “Now is when you should slash through those bindings and grow into the person you were always meant to be!”

           “What if I…”

           “Hmm?” Adam stops massaging him. The music ended at some point, leaving only silence. “What if you what?”

           Dean slowly rises from the face hole, Adam not fighting him this time. Leans on his elbows, staring at the floor. At the small droplet that splattered there. “What if I don’t like that person?” he mutters, “What if I look in the mirror one morning and I don’t… don’t recognize that it’s my reflection. What if I become someone so wholly different now that I… now that I can grow, and change, that I lose parts of myself. Lose my family, because they don’t like who I’ve become?”

           Adam’s hand rests on his shoulder, fingers curling over a spot that doesn’t belong to him. When other people touched it, his skin crawled. Itched like fire ants crawled and bit. It’s the opposite feeling, with Adam’s hand. As if Dean’s soul breached through the shadows and filled him with so much light, he could overpower the sun. But only one other person has ever made him feel like that…

           “If your family truly loves you, Dean,” Adam says, stepping into view. Guides Dean’s gaze from his feet towards his face using both hands. Smiling, “Then they love your most core, basic parts of yourself. And those, I know, will stick with you as you journey into a new era of self-exploration. Just as they will. You shouldn’t be afraid of change. It is the most powerful force in existence. Change cannot be stopped, cannot be controlled… how we choose to respond to it, however, is where humanity finds its freedom.” He lets go, drifting backwards into Serafina’s waiting arms.

           There’s still a hand on his shoulder.

           Dean turns. Instead of a thin, linen shirt, there’s a starched white button-down. Blue tie where he expected a scarf and chunky necklace. Dark hair with touches of gray, and blue eyes rimmed red with tears. “Cas…”

           “Dean…” he says, squeezing his shoulder, “I love you. I… I won’t ever leave you.”

           “How can you promise that, Cas?” he asks, “How do you know that? We’ve… what if Chuck was the only thing keeping us together? What do we do now that he’s gone?”

           “We live Dean… day by day.” Cas kneels, pressing a thumb against his chin. “You’re right, I can’t be certain about the future. None of us can, not anymore. But, before Chuck, all I saw was bleakness. Now that he’s gone… after every hardship we’ve been through, the clouds have parted. It finally looks bright. And we could have a thousand more days or one more day, but in this moment Dean I want to experience everything with you.” He kisses him, breathing that promise into his body. Words mingling with his heart and soul. “My first, and most important act of rebellion was loving you. In these few years we’ve known each other I’ve lived more than I ever have. I’ve grown, not because of Chuck or despite of Chuck… but on my own terms. And you’re still here, with me.”

           “Cas I…” Dean knocks their foreheads together, “You’re someone I never expected entering my life… and if you left, I don’t know if I can go back to living without you. Every time you were taken from me I… part of me died. A part that never came back, even though you did. When the Empty took you, I thought that was it. If I lost you one more time… I fought so hard for this – to live by my terms that I… I don’t want to lose it. Lose you.”

           “Then don’t act like you already have,” Cas tells him. “Let me in. Let Sam and Jack… we’re all figuring this out together. Shoulder your burdens with us and we will do the same to you. That way we can enjoy our time together. And when one of us goes, the other will always have the memories of what we’ve won to remind us how the fight – how life was worth it.”

           Dean nods, dropping another kiss against Cas’s lips. Rises with Cas, uncaring that the towel fell. He already felt more exposed from this simple massage. Modesty seemed a… a moot point. Cas slips between Dean’s legs, wrapping him in a hug. Dean returns it.

           Then he looks at their voyeurs, watching from the sidelines. “Was this what you had planned all along?”

           “Before you came here,” Adam says, “I had a vision.”

           “…Right.”

           “And in that vision,” Serafina adds, swaying with Adam. Fingers threaded through his curls, petting him, while his oil-covered hands stained her patchwork skirt. “He saw you two sticking around for a few more days.”

           Dean arches a brow, huffing, “We do?”

           “Oh yes,” she says, “you’ve only just begun to heal, the both of you. It’s a process – like growth – that never really ends.” Serafina’s gaze darts from him to Cas, and back again. “Plus, if you stay, we can introduce you to some new things. Offer some wisdom from our many lifetimes on Earth that may prove… beneficial.”

           Dean and Cas share a silent conversation. He grins from that, knowing he can tilt his head or flutter his lashes and be understood completely. “Okay,” Dean answers, “it’s not like there’s anything else we need to be doing.”

           “Perfect!” She claps, “Oh I’ll – I’ll go put some tea on, and Adam can show you to our meditation room. We can spend the rest of the evening just sharing, maybe even fall asleep under the stars. In all of America, Adam and I’ve found they don’t shine quite like they do here.”

           Dean leans his head on Cas’s shoulder, listening as Serafina rambles about possible plans. Adam interjecting with his own ideas every now and then. Watching them, a strange feeling flutters inside his chest.

           He isn’t sure what to expect from hanging out at their commune or drinking their Kool-Aid. But, for the first time since they’ve closed the book on Chuck’s story… he’s excited.

(chapter 2)

[darktypeimagines]

Can I request a scenario where Leon and Raihan(seperate) meets up with their S/O's ex which so happens to be Steven from Hoenn? (Note: Steven is still a gentleman and they broke things off on a good terms)

I found this one a bit challenging.  Maybe it’s just me, but I feel break-ups are very different person to person.  So it’s a bit hard with such little information. Not only that, I have difficultly relating to dealing with exes, as I don’t actually have any myself. (I’ve only dated one person for the past 10 years, and while we broke up once early on, we got back together and are still together).

I spent a week thinking about this one, but couldn’t come up with a good, unique scenario for Leon.  And since the Raihan scenario turned out really long, I decided to only do one of them.  I hope you still like it though!

—————————————————————————————————

It had been almost a year since you broke up with your ex, Steven, the former Champion of Hoenn.  While there were numerous rumors as to why the two of you split (many of which were not flattering), it was amicable separate overall.  

It just wasn’t working anymore, and the two of you, fortunately, both agreed. 

It wasn’t long before you found someone else and settled into a comfortable relationship with them.  But while you had moved on, it was always weird for someone who had previously been such a huge part of your life suddenly gone.  You hadn’t really heard from Steven since the split, and it was a bit hard to find information on him lately.  When he gave up his title, he had become much scarcer publicly.

You had only been dating for a short time, but being with Raihan was a bit of a whirlwind at times.  Steven, in contrast, was a stroll through a park on an autumn day. Sentimental, not necessarily boring… But much more stable.  With Raihan, while he was chill most of the time, he could be quite intense when excited. While you didn’t know what to expect, in a way, this was refreshing.

So, when he suddenly announced he wanted a Salamence, you weren’t totally surprised.  What surprised you was he bought tickets to Hoenn.

It was pretty clear what his plan was.  But, you asked him what his plan after was.  How exactly was he planning to take a Salamence (or it’s pre-evolutions) across the Galar border?  It was restricted.

He grinned and said you’d find out.  What did that mean?!  You knew you wouldn’t get it out of him, though, so you settled for enjoying the vacation and experience.

You two landed in Mossdeep City; in addition to having the launch pad for the space center, there was also a small airport on the island.

As you walked through the city, to get something to eat and eventually take a boat to the mainland, you passed by Steven’s house.  It was odd, seeing it again.  You hadn’t been here since you broke up.  You had many memories, mostly fond ones, inside.

After a couple of days of travel (neither of you were in a rush), you finally came to your destination; Meteor Falls.  A bit of online research led you two to believe this was the only place in all of Hoenn where Bagon could be found.  But even then, they were very rare.  You could be here for a while…

You searched each floor meticulously.  The first floor proved fruitless, so you scaled the waterfall to further up the caverns.

The next two floors didn’t seem to have Bagon, even. You were a bit disheartened, but Raihan urged you forward and was calm. Salamence were rare after all, he said, so that must mean the pre-evolutions must be rare, too!  He knew it wasn’t going to be easy!

But, it was harder than you both expected.  You got lost in a room filled with columns and debris. After carefully stepping over rock piles and past cracks, you saw a figure off in the distance, in a narrow corridor.  It couldn’t be…

Yep.  It was Steven.  Somehow, you weren’t surprised.  You knew he was fond of this place, and he seemed to spend half of his life inside of caves.

You and Raihan greeted him, and you asked why he was here.  Turns out he wanted to get away for a while, do some “soul searching” as he put it.  You thought he was just doing he normal spelunking…  Of course, he also asked why you were here, and you told him about your search for Bagon.

He seemed interested, and mentioned he might have an idea of where they might be.  Fortunately, he was rather familiar with the Falls, and could guide you there.  After hours of searching, you two eagerly agreed.

Steven led you to where he thought he saw the Pokemon. The three of you caught up along the way.  While you never spoke negatively of Steven with Raihan, he was understandably wary at first.  But, by the time you three made it to your destination, Raihan was completely at ease with your ex.

It was a relatively small area blocked off by water; you two probably would’ve missed it had you not met Steven!  However, you didn’t see any Bagon at first.

But, there appeared to be tracks.  So, your group was in the right spot, at least. You overturned rocks and looked in every crevice.  Nothing.

Eventually, Raihan suggested they might be hiding somewhere because of them.  It was decided to move back a little, across the water.  Steven had the idea of leaving his Cradily there, hiding below the water.  Cradily was an expert at ensnaring prey with its tentacles, and could hold a Bagon in place so the trainers could return in time to catch it.

It took longer than you expected.  These Bagon seemed very cautious; maybe it’s because of all the trainers that come to try to catch one?  You spoke some more in the meantime; it turns out Steven is thinking of traveling.  Raihan suggested he come visit Galar sometime, maybe stop by his Gym for a battle! Steven seemed to seriously consider this.

But, before the conversation could go further, Cradily cried out, and the three of you rushed over.   Cradily had a Bagon tangled up, and the little dragon was putting up an incredible fight despite the size and experience difference!  The other Bagon, if there were any, were nowhere to be found.

Steven ordered Cradily to use Confuse Ray on the Bagon before letting it go.  The little dragon stumbled a bit, but didn’t appear to be looking for a place to run off to.  It seemed ready to fight.

And, now it was time for Raihan to shine.  He was the one looking for the Pokemon, after all.  He sent out Gigalith.  A sandstorm (somehow?!) enveloped the cave system due to its ability, further disorienting the Bagon.

Despite having losing odds, the Bagon still didn’t back down.  It rushed into the sandstorm, using Headbutt on Gigalith!  Only… to immediately fall back, in a bit of pain.  Turns out headbutting what is basically a sentient rock isn’t the best idea.  The Bagon got back up, though.

Raihan had Gigalith use Stealth Rock to limit the Bagon’s movements, then Sand Tomb to further hinder it.  The Bagon seemed frustrated.

And in its frustration… it seemed to draw on new power. A blinding light shone, and the Bagon began to evolve, while being held by Sand Tomb!

It became Shelgon!  And in evolving, it broke the Tomb, and launched a Dragon Breath at Gigalith. Seemed it learned to not headbutt rocks!

Gigalith took the hit, then used Rock Blast in response to weaken it.  The Shelgon withstood the attacks well, but everyone could tell it was starting to tire out.

Raihan threw an Ultra Ball at the Shelgon, which it broke out of instantly.

It turned into a long battle.  The Shelgon flung itself away from each ball, and broke out of most of the others.  Raihan even had to ask you for more, as he run out! Luckily, you came prepared.

Finally, Raihan made an excellent throw.  It smacked Shelgon right in the face.  The ball didn’t move at all at first, then after a few shakes, it clicked shut!

Raihan let out a cheer, then ran to scoop up his catch.  You had to remind him to withdraw Gigalith though… The Sandstorm was a bit strong.

Once it subsided, you finally got a good look at Steven again, and he looked completely disheveled.  His hair was a complete mess, and he was working on dusting sand off of himself.  You couldn’t help but laugh a little, and in seeing you laugh, he laughed a bit, too.

The three of you left Meteor Falls together, and when he found out you two had to go back to Mossdeep for the plane, Steven continued to travel with you.

The rest of the trip was uneventful.  Raihan tried to befriend the Shelgon on the road, but the little one seemed stubborn.  It would take time to win them over, it seems, but Raihan was up for the challenge.

You split up with Steven in Mossdeep.  It was a bit bittersweet, but it was nice seeing him again, and it was even nicer that he helped you two in your quest.

The Shelgon turned out to be quite the fighter.  In only a week, it had evolved into a Salamence, and became a permanent member of his team.  When it finally evolved, it was so happy, it nearly burned down the castle! It was quite the news story in Galar.

And no, you still have no idea how he was able to pull strings to get the Pokemon across the border.  But hey, Kabu had a Torkoal, so it’s possible.  You figured he just ironed everything out before getting the tickets…

You and Raihan started weekly flights over Hammerlocke on the back of Salamence at sunset; it was an amazing way to bond and see the city

[sweetest-honeybee]

To Hell and Back

Chapter 15

Summary: Hels takes a visit on his own to Beef and things don’t go as he initially planned. Not to mention, he seems to be changing too.

Characters: Helsknight, Beef, Ex mention, Impulse mention, Wels mention

TW: Implied threats

——————

Less than a week later, Hels had met each and every Hermit on the server- except Beef. He saw their bases, Scar’s village being his personal favorites, and had at least one decent conversation with at least half of them. Others he simply greeted and they had other tasks to perform before they had a chance to get to know him.

It was odd having so many people view him as nothing more than another Hermit. They didn’t fear him in the slightest, not even Stress. Though, he’d admit the little lady was a tiny ball of wrath if you wronged her. But again, he was very soon simply able to visit everyone as he pleased.

With that also came the ability to claim some land to build on. He couldn’t stay in Ex’s base despite the reoccurring offer, the knight needed some privacy at least. He opted for a smaller, similar castle to what Grian had built. Maybe he’d add some of his own touches. Instead of prismarine, he’d use Nether brick, and many decorations revolved around obsidian and basalt.

Unfortunately today, Ex was unavailable to assist him in the beginnings of the castle, but it wasn’t like he practiced a bit in building sometimes. Compared to many of the other residents in Hels, he was one of the better builders. It wasn’t every day people from Hels were visiting the Nether building bastions like he did.

Hels decided about half the size of his reference would be good enough. He didn’t need anything large and luxurious. Just enough for a few farms and storage. The Hermits were nice, but not everyone could just walk on in and use each other’s farms and villagers without paying a price and he had no intentions for IOUs with his immense lack of diamonds.

This wasn’t new to him, at least. In Hels, everyone was greedy and kept to themselves and their farms so he’d always usually build his own. Though, usually it was blown up within a couple days.

Finally, he had a floor plan set up on a hill near Ex’s base. It was funny how many flowers and greenery there was on the outside of it, certainly more than Hels could count just by staring. He had to admit, it was a bit of an eyesore for those who flew by. Ex wasn’t exactly an amazing builder. Hels could still see some dirt blocks hanging around a mile away accompanied by several wool, concrete, glass, cobblestone, brick, and whatever else kind of blocks possibly existed in the game.

Still, he kept to himself for the entire afternoon, not once taking a probably well needed break. That was until he had finished the facade of it. He stepped back and admired his work with a grin. Unfortunately, no other hermits were around to gawk at the detail of it, but he was sure someone would fly by eventually.

With that, he decided he was done for the day. It was the early evening so he could do more, but it could wait. He could find something else to do.

Ex still wasn’t back to check on the knight and Hels never saw the figure of him fly to his own base. He must’ve been quite busy to be gone for that many hours. Whatever Impulse needed him for, it was taking quite a long time. Not that it mattered of course, Hels thought. He was willing to wait.

Alone.

On his front steps.

No other bases around than the empty one a hundred blocks away.

He sighed. Well, that was pathetic- pitying himself. It wasn’t like the other Hermits weren’t almost constantly busy. Even if Ex was finished with his tasks with Impulse, he had every right to go spend time with other people. Not like he hadn’t practically been glued to Hels’s side for the last week.

He stood from the steps and threw on his elytra again. Today, he decided, was the day he’d go back to the sandstone village and greet Beef again. This time not through puffy eyes and heaving breaths. He was Helsknight for crying out loud, he could handle anything. He also just needed something to do.

And yet, the anxiety still stood. Lord only knew what Wels told him and what he probably thought of Hels but considering their last interaction, the butcher most likely had no ill intentions. Like the other Hermits, he treated Hels just the same as he would anyone else.

That was, if he wasn’t stuck on the whole “Wow, I made a clone successfully” thing. Hels wouldn’t have been surprised if the man didn’t poke and prod at him and ask a million questions a minute. Given a particularly invasive recent interaction between himself and Doc, he wouldn’t have been surprised. The old man was more curious than he looked.

With that being said, the knight took a deep breath and lifted off into the sky quickly.

And within a second, he had already forgotten where on earth the little village even was. He groaned and pulled out a map.

Minutes later, he finally made it to his destination. He landed near where they landed the time before next to the library and peeked his head around the corner. What was he hiding from, Hels honestly had no clue. Despite being a couple buildings away, he could hear the whirring of some kind of machinery and a periodic clanking of metal.

Well, better to get it over with now than wait and hide like a coward. Oddly, the thought turned his head to the general direction of where Wels’s base was, but he disregarded it.

The knight peered into the building and watched as Beef replaced several different parts of the machinery. The butcher whistled and hummed while he worked with his back towards Hels. Only after circling the machine did he notice Hels watching while he leaned against the wall. He practically leaped into the machine itself.

“Holy- Jeez! Don’t scare me like that!” Beef laughed. He tilted his head with a confused grin. “You’re the last person I expected to be here.”

“Hm, well, I thought it was about time I came back. You’re the only hermit I haven’t had the pleasure of actually greeting. I also uh...came to apologize for what happened the other day.”

Despite the kind statement, it only made Beef frown, remembering his recent interaction with the other knight. “Wow, you’re….different than I expected.”

Hels cocked his head to the side with a raised brow. “What do you mean? I don’t feel different.”

The butcher rubbed at his neck. “Just nicer I guess? At least nicer than what Wels depicted you to be. Though, given what he’s said to me recently, I think I might know why.”

That only made Hels more curious. “What did he say?” he asked.

“Nothing too bad, I guess. He’s just not him, ya know? More ignorant I would say and...threatening.” Beef sighed through his nose. “Anyways, hope you were okay after the other day. You weren’t looking too hot.”

Now it was Hels’s turn to rub at his neck. “Right, yeah, I am. Village just gave me a scare, iron golems aren’t the nicest.” Too easily, Beef could tell he was lying through his teeth.

“Are you sure? Nothin’ about this machine here?” The knight’s breathing hitched and much to Beef’s surprise, he stammered. This wasn’t the egotistical ignorant knight he had expected from Wels’s descriptions.

“Well I’m- I’m sure that might be one reason,” Hels laughed nervously.

“If I may ask, how’ve you been feeling recently?” Beef stepped closer to Hels, this time with his head lower into a glare. “More emotional?” He stepped again. “Careful?” Step. “A bit more kind?” One more step and he had Hels by the wall. “Not yourself?”

Beef then unsheathed his sword.

“Oh, um- I just-“ The knight kept stuttering and pressing himself into the wall as if Beef was practically a ravager. He was frozen in place. This was it. This was where he’d die and he’d never see Ex again. Bracing for the attack, the knight screwed his eyes shut and ducked his head.

That was until Beef stepped away again with wide eyes. “You didn’t fight back....”

“Wh….” He lifted his head, slowly opening his head. “What?” Hels heaved.

“I was testing something, don't worry.” Beef put the sword back in its sheath. “I was trying to threaten you but you didn’t pull the sword on me.” Reminded of Wels’s current state, he visibly deflated. “Oh this is bad. This is very bad.”

The butcher began to ramble and Hels watched while he paced around the cloning machine. This was utterly confusing, what was he talking about?! Hels just wanted to have a nice conversation.

“Does this have to do with Evil X?!” Beef finally concluded, growing more exasperated.

“I don’t….understand. What’s wrong here? Am I missing something?”

Beef tugged at his hair. “Hels, dude, you’re starting to act like Wels- well- Wels a few weeks ago. I mean he would’ve drawn his sword if someone was threatening him though...” Again, Beef started rambling. “But even then, he wouldn’t resort to immediately attacking, he’d say something to get me to stop, wouldn’t he?”

“Look, I don’t know what happened between you and Wels, but I think I’m gonna go-“ Before Hels could leave, he was grabbed by the wrist.

“Hels, I need you to stay here. Something is wrong with you and Wels, I can feel it.”

Suddenly, Hels seemed quite upset, not hardly trying to escape from the grip around his face. “And why do I need the help when Wels is your friend? I’m just a clone. You can just get rid of me.”

Beef gasped as if Hels said something offensive. “Because I care, Hels! I created you! You’re not just some clone to me!” He deflated and dragged a hand down his face. “I- You’re just important, alright? I created you and- well, you’re sentimental. I just want to help you.” The butcher let go of the knight sadly.

Though, what he didn’t expect was a set of arms to wrap around him tightly.

[thebonggirll]

Chapter 19 - Extra

Chapter 18

Both of them were taken to mend their injuries...mostly that Y/N caused herself. She was still feeling a bit lightheaded though.

Her friends came to visit her except Ochaco. Kyoka said, "I had no idea you got these moves under your sleeves."

"Uhh...yeah, me neither." Y/N said in a strained voice, "I-I am so sorry. I didn't kno-"

"Oh please don't apologize. This was a competition and you gave your best." Shiozaki smiled.

When Y/N felt better, she decided to look for Ochaco and wish her luck.

Ochaco was always the cheerful one in the group, always positive. But this was the first time that Y/N her nervous so much. In her situation, Y/N would've been the same. She knows her quirk is a strong one, but she still doesn't have as much control as Bakugou does. And going against with someone who's physical strength is as powerful as their mental strength isn't easy. Ochaco was going to go against that.

Y/N knew that Bakugou was going to win. Even though Ochaco had her brains and zero gravity as a quirk, it is hard to bring him down. Bakugou's single blast towards her was enough to throw her out of the boundaries. And knowing him, he wasn't the type to go easy on someone just based on their gender or capability. If someone was fighting with him, he would make sure that they fight with what he is, his true power. It wasn't about just strength to him. Y/N felt that Bakugou would show a person how weak they are compared to him, just so that they get back up and be stronger, and ofcourse fight him again.

".....So he's like a grumpy old man." Y/N mumbled, watching her friends enter the arena as a small smile crept up on her face , "Well, I'm grandma to him too."

"Awww, how cute. Cheering for your boyfriend?" Kyoka nudged her.

"Oh shut up." Y/N said blushing a little.

Kyoka stared her face for sometime and asked, "What happened? You look...happy. I mean, way happier than I have seen before."

"Nothing just...Bakugou seemed different when we were talking back there. He....tried to cheer me up."

"NO FUCKING WAY."

Y/N chuckled watching her friend's reaction, "In a negative manner but I knew what he meant."

"Ofcourse you did. Oh the match is starting."

"You're the one who screws around with gravity. Right pink cheeks?" Bakugou asked looking at his opponent.

"Pink cheeks?!" Ochaco exclaimed.

Y/N would never admit it but she did feel a bit jealous. "I mean, grandma for me and pink cheeks for her?!" She thought, "Whatever. I hope Ochaco kicks his stupid ass."

"Well if you're gonna give up, do it now. Cause I'm not gonna hold back." Bakugou said.

"Sometimes I just have this strong urge to slap him, I swear." Y/N mumbled.

"Giving up is not an option!" Ochaco said.

The fight looked unbearable. Bakugou was not at all holding back on her. While a part of Y/N thought that it's good that Ochaco was facing his true powers, she couldn't help but feel bad for her. Even though she had a good plan up her sleeve, it took one blast from Bakugou to end it all. Going back to the waiting room, it was strange to see her unaffected about the fight. For someone who rarely showed her true emotions, Y/N knew that her friend was in fact holding back and didn't want to break down in front of them. The least she can do is to give her some space and that's exactly what Y/N did.

Back in the stands, while everyone was calling him a villain to annoy him, Bakugou observed the seats and found Y/N in the same place where they sat. Except, now Kaminari and Sero were sitting with her. He quietly sat beside her and grumbled, "I definitely wouldn't call that girl frail." in response to the classmates talking about Ochaco. Y/N looked at him and noticed light bruises on his cheeks . "Did you not go to recovery girl?" She asked looking at his hand. "I've got spray for pain relief." There was no doubt that it definitely sprained his hands when he used his quirk that fast and with that shot. "And don't worry, Ochaco is kinda sulky but she'll be back to being herself."

"Did I ask grandma?" Bakugou shouted, "I don't need your stupid spray!"

"Oh please, give your stupid masculinity a rest." Y/N said taking out the spray, "Either use it or I'll apply it on you myself."

"Shut up!" Bakugou said snatching the spray from her hands. He would never allow her to do something like this in front of others. "Or anyone as a matter of fact." He thought and looked back at her tired demeanor. She was being way nicer than she has ever been and something about that didn't sit right with him. What was she planning? Why was she being so...gentle with him all of a sudden.

"God, stop glaring. You can just tell me to take back my spray." Y/N said, chuckling.

"Oh my bro wasn't glaring." Kaminari said with a smirk on his face, looking at Bakugou.

Something about that made him feel self-conscious and he blurted out, "Shut up! I don't even care about stupid extras! Why would I fucking stare?!"

"Ah...now that stung a little." Y/N thought, as she forced a small smile on her face and said, "Stop it, Kaminari." She pat him on his shoulder and looked at the arena as Midoriya finally cracked Todoroki, and he used his fire. It ended with Todoroki as the winner as Midoriya fell unconscious and out of bounds.

It was now Y/N vs. Iida and although Iida had his speed Y/N was quick to use her quirk when they were near the boundaries. She jumped and back-flipped, using him as support and took the opportunity to kick Iida out of line. It was over in a minute, it was fast but Y/N knew he was going to use his high speed to throw her out.

Either that or he would use his speed and attack her suddenly for which Y/N planned to use her quirk on his biggest strength but which also can be considered as his weakness - his feet. If she used a fair amount of her quirk on his calves, his quirk would actually stop working for a long time. And it would be easy for her to throw him out. Iida chose the first option. But using her quirk all of a sudden and with great amount of force was making her light-headed.

Y/N was not in the stands with her friends anymore. She didn't need any kind of distraction when her next opponent was the one who out-witted her in losing the first training that they had. Ofcourse she needed to work on her skills because she really believed that because of her being not that good in studies, she wasn't good either in the field when it is actually needed. Strategy is one of the strongest factors in fights and which some people like Midoriya and Tokoyami can come out with, in an instant - something that Y/N didn't have. None of the heroes were perfect and she knew no one can ever be perfect, but now wasn't the time to dwell on that fact. The only thing that she can do is understand how Todoroki worked and come up with a plan according to that.

She planned on using the last move she used with Shiozaki but the thing is...she had no idea how she did it. All she remembered was her trying to keep all the vines out of her hands and the fact that she moved around a lot. But except for that she had nothing.

Coming in the arena, she heard the crowd cheering loud. It was infact, a good match for the audience. Water against fire and ice. But something was wrong. Yes, Y/N felt scared. If she knew better then Todoroki wasn't going to use fire with her.

"Just so you know, I'm not going to hold back." He said.

"I don't want you to." Y/N said.

As soon as the match started Todoroki used his quirk to block Y/N's path wherever she wanted to go. She used her quirk to jump and avoid getting frozen. She used her quirk to speed up and get near him. She planned to use her quirk and release whiplash trick along with hot boiling water which for sure would take him by surprise.

Y/N knew something was wrong the moment she entered the arena. Even though she was trying to be as focused as possible, she couldn't because she wasn't able to hear anything. Her body was slowly giving up. She knew if she had to do something, she needed to do it fast.

And she did. Y/N never moved so fast before, and the speed at which she arrived near Todoroki was so high that if it wasn't for those huge screens, no one would've understood how she got there. Todoroki lit up his left side and moved his hands fast to defend himself as she took the opportunity and hit him on his waist with the move she thought of before. And it did take him by surprise, but not enough as he was quick to use his ice quirk to avoid getting thrown out of the boundaries.

Todoroki used his ice quirk to attack immediately, and Y/N took some time but she dodged. The next moment she was face to face with him. He used the little time to predict her moves and arrive the spot where she was going to be after dodging. She was about to use her trick again, but looking at his face which strangely looked blurry now, something made her stop. He took the opportunity and froze her legs.

"From the starting of the competition, you used your legs more than anything. It's obvious that I just needed to stop-" Todoroki's voice faded, as Y/N closed her eyes, feeling drowsy. She couldn't even life a finger any more. She just didn't have the energy.

When Y/N woke up, she was with Recovery Girl and Midoriya on her left side. "How are you feeling?" She heard Kyoka's voice.

"Ugh..." she groaned as her head felt heavy, "Felt better?"

"Man...did Midoriya get into you head or what?" Kyoka scolded, "Both of you overused your quirk. The move on Shiozaki took a lot outta you Y/N. Try not to strain yourself much now."

"So...is the festival over??" Y/N asked. Just like everyone else, even she was curious about who will win if Bakugou and Todoroki fought with each other.

"No. You're in luck. Also, that purple-haired dude came to visit you." She wiggled her eyebrows, "Someone's getting popular among boys, huh?"

"Shinso." Midoriya corrected, "I didn't know you guys were close."

"If you call days of annoying a guy just to become his friend a move to become popular, then you need to open your eyes. I-I am not...that...visually appealing. Strange when my brother got so many fans. Anyways!" Y/N changed the topic quickly, "Sorry Midoriya, I knew about his quirk but I just couldn't tell you about it. He...looked like he trusted me and I just-"

"Oh don't worry about that. After hearing him, I can understand why you did that." Midoriya chuckled.

"Okay chill, don't sulk now." Kyoka said, "Oh and just so that you know, the photographers clicked a very....controversial image of you. And I'm sure it's gonna be on the front page of several newspapers and all over the social media."

"Fuck the media." Y/N said, gradually getting more annoyed with them. She knew how her family was also going to be dragged in everything that she gets involved in. It's almost like she has cameras on her all the time and it is just during the festival but she was already getting tired of them.

"Y/N," Midoriya called her, "I saw you and....I know that if you wanted, you could've used that move once again and this time with much more force and speed, which surely would've been enough to strain him down. But...you just stopped in the middle. It's not like something you would....do..."

"I just couldn't do it. I don't know if you have noticed but....whatever happened to his face wasn't something that he was born with. Some kind of accident happened, and going by the type of burn...I know what that caused." Y/N looked at him, "I have made mistakes when I was a child and had no control over my quirks."

Midoriya cleared his throat and looked away at the door, "We should go. The final match is going to be in a few minutes." Y/N observed his face. Even he had some secrets that he was avoiding to tell her.

She felt it. They've drifted apart and now were close friends, just not best friends anymore.

Chapter 20

SEASON - II

Ignite

MASTERLIST

tags: @captncappuccino​

[fae-redux]

rules of the game: ch. 7 - melt your headaches, call it home

Story Summary:

The Evergreen and Imagi were never quite in peacetime. Roman’s just trying to figure out how to survive and succeed his mother. Logan wants to live long enough to use his magic however he wants. Patton is coasting while repressing everything, still trying to figure out what feelings are.

Virgil doesn’t want to change the world.

Luckily, it isn’t up to him.

first | ao3 | prev

Chapter Summary: Learning the learning process.

Word count: 2484

Pairings: future lamp, platonic anxceit

~|~

“Now remember, Val isn’t still settling so she will be there if you go wandering off. If you don’t stick with me, who knows what could happen?”

Dee’s tone is light as he leads him further into the building, but Virgil can’t help the shudder that racks his spine as he follows him. It’s not like Dee has much to worry about, being a winter fae in a winter court. Virgil has done his research and being a spring isn’t likely to do him any favors here. 

Building is a term he would use lightly, room even less so, the three walls towering over their heads, separating the space from the rest of the woods. The floor of the structure is marbled in an ice-like design that casts a light glow. Tall windows end somewhere in the sky, their edges pointing in tips, glinting in the light. The entrance is a gradual shift between the fields and the marble, like one second he could be walking in grass and the next he could skate along the floors.

At the end of the room, there is a singular throne. The cool marble travels upward to create the back, branches of wood curling to the arms and sides. Just looking at it, Virgil can feel the skin of his fingers itch to reach out, to touch.

Behind the throne, a spiral staircase leads into the sky, disappearing as the walls get cloudier. He stares upwards to try and see where it leads, but there’s nothing above it. Dee shoves an elbow in his side before he can get a better look. 

“Unless you want to see Val angry, I wouldn’t suggest you take another step forward,” Dee tugs him back to his side. “I don’t understand that you’ve never been to a fae court before, but you definitely have been in a court before if your past isn't to be believed.”

With only a few feet between where he stands and the throne, Virgil can barely comprehend how he let his curiosity get the best of him. He deliberately takes a few steps back and locks his gaze to the floor. If Adelaide had seen him do something so audacious as to approach her throne while she wasn’t in the room, she would’ve done something worse than take his head off.

The fae queen didn’t seem to be that kind of ruler, but Dee is right. There’s no telling what she would do to him if she were to find out he was within a five feet radius of her throne. Sticking with Dee suddenly feels a lot easier with the context of Adelaide’s court thudding around his skull.

So, taking the gloved hand that tugged him back in his own and clearing his throat, he says, “I would feel better if I could just hang on to you for now, so I don’t,” He gestures around to the throne, “You know.” Awkwardly, he ducks his head down again so he doesn’t have to see Dee judging him.

Instead, Dee softens and offers him his arm, “This won’t be more comfortable. I can’t steer you in the right direction.” Smiling, Dee pulls him through an arch in the wall a little further away, he continues, “We aren’t almost where we need to go anyways.”

Virgil takes a deep breath, fits himself further into Dee’s side, and lets himself be led.

~|~

Dot hasn’t had a coffee all morning. In fact, she hasn’t had a coffee in five days because Larry refuses to get her one from the human town on the outskirts because he hasn’t found the perfect shop yet since their regular one closed. 

To conclude, Dot is very, very tired. 

She is so tired that the boy who is sticking to the side of her very good friend Dee gets her full attention as soon as he walks in the room. The poor thing is shifting his gaze awkwardly back and forth, skittish, clearly here under some sort of duress.

“Oh no, nope, no, I’m not having it, where did you find this kid, Dee? Did you kidnap him?” She nudges herself in between them, using her body to pull him away and set the small fae next to her desk, turning back to shoot a glare at Dee before she turns to him, “Did he kidnap you? Are you okay?”

When the kid just blinks at her, stunned from the fact that she had just moved him like he weighed as much as a feather, she rounds on Dee, who immediately puts both his hands up in surrender, his cane hanging off his thumb. “Can you define kidnap?” He smiles innocently at her enraged noise and moves his hands to block her strikes as she takes off her glove just to whack him with it. 

“I’ve no time for your kidding, Lapointe!” She snaps as he backs up giggling. 

“Uhh, Lapointe?” The tiny fae speaks for the first time since the pair entered the room. As what seems to be an afterthought, he adds, “And he didn’t kidnap me so much as make sure I couldn’t go back to where I was before.”

“On purpose,” Dee adds, like it would make his story any nicer. He dances out of the way as she reaches for him again. 

“Of course you did,” Dot sighs and rubs at her temples. This would be so much easier to figure out with a single drop of coffee in her system. “So you’re okay with him?” Tiny fae nods. “Then what are you here for, Dee?”

“He doesn’t have plant ancestry and there’s nobody to teach him. I didn’t cover the magic I knew, but I do know the first thing about plant magic, so I wasn’t hoping you would know what to do.”

Dot considers the situation for a moment. The fae standing next to her desk had to be at least a teenager, fifteen years old easily. If Dee had taught him illusion magic and the fae had been able to replicate that magic, there would be no way he had plant magic. 

Fae don’t really mix magic. In children born to two different magical backgrounds, they would receive an affinity for one or the other, not both. Even with that in mind, by Val’s decree, it would be impossible for a fae this old to never have been taught to use their magic until now. The children of this kingdom started early. Really early. Like, five years old, early.

“How old are you?” She settles on asking first because this onslaught of magical theory is probably not what he needs at the moment. “And what should I call you?”

“Vee, and I’m seventeen,” Vee fills in, shifting uncomfortably behind the table, eyeing Dee and the exit behind him.

Once more, she rounds on Dee. “Does Val know about him?” There’s no way someone withholding training from a fae for this long wouldn’t be punished. Forgetting how dangerous it was to keep a fae’s magic wild, it was abuse. By the looks of him, his ears hadn’t even pointed yet, so he mustn’t’ve had much time exposed to the Evergreen’s magic. Val would be furious enough to organize a hunt.

“She didn’t know since he came to live with me,” So he probably took care of the party in question, Vee’s answer about the kidnapping theory makes more sense now. She relaxes. Dee hesitates, “I wouldn’t like to train him as an apprentice if you agree to help him.”

“For your potions?” She pointedly looks at him over her glasses. He nods and taps his cane down. “Okay. So. Plant magic.” The lesson plans she has are for the younger fae in the kingdom, but she can teach an older kid. What’s a little more work anyways? 

She’s already making a list of the materials she would need for an older fae. There are fae better suited for teaching older kids, but the kids they teach are usually versed in the magic they specialize in. There are so many people she would love to talk to about this, but with dual magics, it should probably stay private. It makes its way into her muttering and into her hands as she reaches for a notebook and pens.

Vee doesn’t look ready to bolt anymore, a little more relaxed now that she’s absorbed in her work. If he had any training earlier, there would be things to avoid. Especially from someone who purposefully kept him from the education he needed. Dot needs to know so much more about him to get the plans right. 

“I’ll need to see Vee every day for the next week so I can plan properly to curate the lessons to his learning style,” Gathering her focus to talk to the two of them, she lets Vee get out from around her desk to get back to Dee. “Otherwise, you’re free to go. Tomorrow after lunch?”

At Dee’s nod, she gets back to work. Dual magic is wild. There isn’t a single fae in the forest with it. To start training a fae so much older would be difficult, but if she does this right, he will have both magics in full capacity without losing either affinity. Let no one say Dot isn’t ever up for a challenge.

~|~

Dee can hear the sound of a clock ticking time away in the back of his skull the longer Vee stays with Dot. 

He’s been slowly but surely developing more fae traits, the tips of his ears curving up more, his hair turning a more violet color, and his two incisors elongating. It’s startling to see how much exposure to the Evergreen has affected him.

Dot has way too many questions, ones she only asks when Vee is out of earshot. If she didn’t care about Vee’s well-being so much, it would be annoying. She’s managed to figure out how to get him to stop flinching every time they come near him and he takes to her like a baby duck imprints on the first thing it sees. He lets her go with the assumption that Vee had been with some dastardly fae that he had stumbled upon by chance. 

If people were to find out about where Vee really was from, riots would start for a bargaining chip on Adelaide, and if he knew Vee, and he did, the kid would offer in a minute. The last thing Vee needs is any more stress on his head.

As it stands, the magic lessons are also kept under tight wraps. There is no precedence for a fae with two types of magic. In fact, he’s gone through every ancestry book he has, and there hasn’t even been a case where a fae made a deal into two types of affinities. A normal fae couldn’t make deals into it as far as history dictates.

With his magic registers filling up the more he uses his magic, Vee is getting confident. The added benefit of going to court so often, he’s finding it easier to traverse the Evergreen without Dee. The clock gets louder every time he asks to go exploring on his own.

The cord connecting him to Vee gets heavier, too. The deal made Vee immortal, or it was supposed to replicate Dee’s own immortality, and as far as he’d seen, the only thing it had done was make Vee more fae. Guilt sits in him like a stone, heavy and unmoving.

His reasoning when he had found him was to keep him alive, but he hadn’t really known why at the time. He hadn’t been lying when he said Nellie had been a part of it, along with the mercenaries from Adelaide, but there had been something about him, fate or something equally nonsensical, that made Dee hesitate to go back inside. The naiads would have finished healing him, but Dee needed something from him.

He just knows he needed that something, whether it be company or maybe he saw potential or worse kindness, and that’s all. The cord is the brightest one, a beautiful, royal shade of purple, and it's the strongest of them as well. He doesn’t tell Vee about the feeling.

It doesn’t help that he looks so much like Linus.

Or that he talks so much like Thomas.

The work of true love’s kiss had maybe had a little to do with how much he reminded him of how things used to be.

Regardless, certain Vee’s going to leave as soon as Dot gets comfortable enough to trust him to use his own magic safely, Dee uses the time he has with Vee to teach him the basics of potion-making and how to recognize plants for the craft. 

Not surprising with the groundwork that Dot has been laying, he picks it up like a duck to water. Even less surprising, the first thing he manages to summon successfully is catmint, smiling smugly from the floor as the cats surround him as Dee blocks the doorway so more cats don’t figure out what he has (a useless endeavor). The cats stay in the house for days. 

Even the snakes have picked up on Dee’s perpetual insecurity of Vee’s leave. They hiss at his feet whenever he goes outside to drop Vee at Dot’s, or even when he supervises Vee’s interactions with the other animals of the forest. He can feel their judgement coming from where they gather in the library.

The inevitability comes after six months of daily training. There’s a clearing a half-hour’s ride away from Dee’s place that Vee has taken a fondness too, as well as a chicken who claims to own the place. It stands to reason he will take the cats with him.

Dee waves him off, telling him of course he can’t stay as long as he pleases and to never come visit, and Vee grins back at him saying he’d be over so much he would get sick of him, dad.

He putters around like he didn’t hear the title, but internally he registers it with a growing fondness for Vee and all the things that come with him. He considers all the names that belong to him, names that are as much a part of him as his hands, names he can’t have, all the names he gave up and the ones taken away from him, and to the end of that long list, tacks on father. 

If Vee said it in jest or not, it doesn’t matter. Vee has added this name to his life. 

Dee is fairly certain he will miss him dearly when he chooses to leave.