#also that was the best way to ask someone out AGHHH

[miyamoratsumuu]

THISSS!!!

“I THINK I LIKE YOU” — sero hanta x gn!reader smau

AAAA this was so silly esp considering hanta is my FAVVVVVV!!!! also i guess this is a part 2??? i think. ml @miyamoratsumuu rq’d this along with others wanting a part 2!!!! i like to think hanta gives u song recs + texts u lyrics to his fav songs, so that’s what those ss’s are HEHEHE. also i think he’s super bold over text but not in person.

part 1 || part 2

SERO TEXTING YOU

SERO TEXTING DENKI + DENKI TEXTING YOU

SERO’S CONFESSION

[auroralwriting]

poker face

spencer reid x fem!bau!reader

spencer and you go to the casino to find the unsub. you think he looks pretty hot playing poker.

word count: 2.0k

warnings: making out, gambling, poker face spencer aghhh

"Forensics got a fingerprint match on the last victim. Eddie Langdon. We're looking into him." You said as you walked back into the office that held some of your team members.

Hotch came in behind you, "Hey, any luck?" Emily asked.

"No, they don't want to allocate agency funds for the buy-in. I'm still working on it." Hotch replied, looking down to his phone as he got back on another call.

Rossi chuckled, "Well, I can't imagine why not. We're only asking for fifty thousand bucks of taxpayer money so that FBI agents can play Texas hold 'em."

Emily eyed Rossi, "Hey, what about you?"

"What about me? What?"

"You could stake us the buy-in." Emily smirked.

Spencer sat down next to you, "Yeah, you're a best-selling author."

You nodded enthusiastically, "Don't forget a best-selling author and longtime FBI agent. You could loan us the money, or something."

"No," Rossi shook his head.

"Why not?" Emily frowned.

"One, it's against regulations, and I'd like to hold on to this job for a little while longer." Rossi began.

Under your breath, you muttered, "It's just a little violation, 's all."

Rossi just rolled his eyes at your comment. "And two, I prefer to spend my money on actual things, like single-malt scotch, a fine cigar, beautiful artwork."

"Poker chips are things!" JJ replied quickly with a smile.

Rossi just scoffed as Spencer spoke up again. "Maybe just think of it as like a new experience. I mean, at your age, how often does that happen?" Oh, no he didn't.

"At my what?" Rossi slowly turned his head to Spencer who just gulped and awkwardly looked away.

"Rossi, this may be our only chance to get this guy." You said slowly. "They government isn't going to give us the money. You're our only way to catch this killer. Please?" You paused for a moment. "And if it helps, you can just write a new book to get some more cha-ching."

Rossi sighed, "All right, fine. But I'm ignoring that last comment. I'm a decent poker player, but I can't promise that I can stay in the game long enough to--"

"You know what?" Emily interrupted. "I bet you're a great poker player, but what if we sent in Reid?"

"I am banned from casinos in Las Vegas, Laughlin, and Parump because of my card-counting ability." Spencer commented as if it was the most casual thing in the whole world.

You raised your hand slightly, "Why did I not know this sooner?"

"Look, I know I'm not a genius like the boy wonder here, but poker is not Blackjack." Rossi argued. "It's about bluffing, reading human nature, head games. It's not math."

That's when Spencer stood up, "That's not entirely accurate. There actually is a mathematical equation for knowing when to raise and when to fold. If P represents the size of the pot at the time of play, then P times N minus one, with N representing the estimated number of players in the final round of betting--"

"Okay! Fine, I surrender!" Rossi cut Spencer off quickly. "Just try not to lose all my money. Actually, you know what?" Rossi quickly spoke your name. "Take her with you, I don't want you losing all my money and if she needs to interrupt the game, then so be it."

Your eyes widened, "Rossi, I've never stepped foot into a casino in my life."

"You'll be fine!" Rossi waved it off as Spencer gave you a comforting look.

Oh, this was not what you expected at all.

Spencer and you had to get checked by security with the handheld metal detectors. Yours didn't go off, but Spencer's did. He played it off as just a pen. Thank god they accepted that.

The two of you walked in. For someone who stared at dead bodies and killers all day, this was the most nerve wracking thing you'd experienced in a while. It also didn't help that Hotch decided you and Spencer were to play a couple when you had such a big crush on him.

"Hey," Spencer muttered, "It's okay."

"Just nervous," You replied under your breath. The two of you made your way to the bar. Spencer got himself a drink, and you got some champagne. "Is it really just math?"

Spencer nodded, "Math, and a little bit of luck."

The moment you felt Spencer take your hand, you tried to pull away. "Spencer, what about germs--"

"I don't mind your germs, you're my friend. Plus, we have a part to play, remember?" Spencer muttered, locking his fingers between yours. Your heart pounded as you did the same.

"I'll observe as you play," You muttered, remembering the list of things you needed to look for to find the unsub. "I know you don't need it, but good luck."

Spencer smiled at you, the comment being just so sweet and innocent. "Thank you." You looked so nervous, so out of place. It made Spencer notice you more.

Spencer had taken a seat at a table, which you stood behind him, leaning over his shoulder. Your hands rested on the back of the chair. So far, no one caught your eye, until one man at another table did. Casually, you poked Spencer and he caught onto your stare.

"You know, would it be all right if I sat at table two instead of four? I have a pre-glaucoma condition and the light's kind of bothering my eyes." Spencer called over the employee, who took him to the desired table.

The men didn't just eye Spencer as he sat down, you noticed they eyed you too. Defensively, you wrapped your arms around Spencer's neck from behind. "Ah, I'm calling." One of the men said."

"I'll raise." One guy said. You stared at him, noticing his red eyes. Weird. "Eight thousand."

"Eight thousand.. That's, uh, fifty-six months wages for the average person in Bangladesh." Spencer commented casually. In reply, you giggled and played with some of hair, pushing it out of his face. Spencer hoped you didn't feel his face turn hot under your fingers. "Uh, kind of makes you think, doesn't it?"

"Hey, it's eight thou to you." One guy remarked. "Now, are you in or are you out?"

Spencer sighed, "I.. am in. And I raise."

"Three raise? That's too rich for my blood." The guy sighed. One man, the one who raised before Spencer, bored holes into him.

"Are you in, sir?" Spencer asked.

"I'll call."

"Call?"

Spencer flipped his cards, "Straight."

Based on everyone's reactions and Spencer's coy face, straight was a very good thing. Playing the act, you kissed Spencer's forehead and squealed lightly, deciding to stroke his cheek for a moment. "A gut shot straight draw? Are you kidding me?"

"That is just-- that is nuts."

It was no wonder Spencer was banned from casinos. Spencer's poker face was good. He simply just covered his mouth after a moment and stared, watching everyone's reactions. His hand slowly ran down to his chin, and in that moment, it did it for you. Sure, Spencer was your cute little nerd, but he'd never been so hot to you.

You noticed next to the man who was staring, he had an eight ball keychain. "Hey, mind if I look at this?" You asked, reaching for it.

The man was quick to grab your hand hard. Spencer jumped into action, pulling you from him.

"Hey. What's the problem, sir?" An employee asked.

"She's reaching for my chips!"

"I'm not even in the game," You remarked.

The employee grabbed your arms, "You need to come with me."

If Spencer's eyes could've gotten any wider, they would've popped out of his head. "Hey! Don't manhandle her! She can walk, let go!" Spencer ripped the mans arms off of you and pulled you into his chest. "Come on, love. Let's just go."

Spencer's words caused your chest to tingle as he guided you away. You watched as he clicked the call-device, it lit up red. The look on the mans face, your unsub, was clear. He knew.

You met up with the team as you were lead out the doors, "They're FBI agents," Hotch informed the guard.

"There he goes, plaid shirt, baseball hat." Spencer pointed.

After searching the whole casino, the unsub made a break for it. His name was Curtis Banks. You and Spencer were sent to his house to see if he was there. After a quick search, it was clear he wasn't there.

"Hey Hotch, he isn't here. There's a foreclosure sign in the lawn." You informed your chief.

"All right, you and Reid stay there in case he comes back." Hotch hung up the phone.

You shrugged to Spencer, "And we wait."

After a beat of silence, Spencer turned to you. "At the casino, you couldn't keep your hands off of me after I won." Spencer said out of nowhere. "Your physical proximity was close, you frequently stared at me--"

"I was playing my part," You argued.

"Yeah, too well." Spencer pointed out. "Were you checking me out?"

Heat rose to your cheeks, "No. Why would I do that?"

"Look at me and say it," Spencer demanded, but his tone wasn't harsh. It was simply just firm. "You won't look at me."

Slowly, you turned to look at Spencer, "I wasn't checking you out."

"You can't look me in the eyes. You've never not looked me in the eyes." Spencer continued.

"Stop profiling me," You tried to end the discussion. It was clear Spencer had caught you. You weren't interested in being turned down, especially when you were in some sort of steak-out with the genius.

Spencer frowned, "I'm not profiling you. I'm just telling you as it is."

"That's what profiling is," You countered. "We don't need to have this conversation. Was I checking you out? Yes, I was. Is that what you wanted me to say? That you looked so damn hot winning thousands of dollars with your best poker face while you let me all over you?"

Spencer said your name, but you kept rambling. It took him grabbing your chin and forcing your face closer to his to make you stop. "You think I'm hot?"

"Yeah," You stuttered. "Yeah, I do."

Slowly, Spencer trailed his finger over your bottom lip. "I always thought you were the most gorgeous girl I'd ever seen."

"Where's this confidence coming from?" You asked.

Spencer shrugged, "Gamblers frequently experience a phenomenon called the 'winning high,' it releases dopamine and adrenaline, making gamblers do riskier things than they'd normally do."

"You gonna use that high to kiss me?" Your voice was a mere mutter. Your lips were just grazing Spencers.

"Is that what you want?" Spencer lowly asked.

"What do you think?" You retorted.

Spencer's lips slammed onto your own, harder than you expected. His large hand had the back of your neck, and he pulled you impossibly closer. It was hot, just how you wanted it. Flimsily, Spencer reached to the bottom of his seat to scoot it back. His hands went to your hips, guiding you to move across the seats to his lap.

"You know, we're still on the lookout." You mumbled, pressing another kiss to the genius's lips.

"They haven't called us yet." Spencer challenged, hand running down your back to your waist.

Slowly, Spencer's hand began to creep up your shirt, just to your navel-level. His kisses descended to your neck, pressing opened mouth, warm kisses to your skin.

"Spence," You whined, grabbing his hair to push him closer. He sighed in reply.

You both jolted when your phone began to ring. You grabbed it quickly, "What?"

"Ooh, someone's frisky." Derek teased over the phone. "We got the guy. You two are all good to head back."

"Thanks, Morgan. See you back there." You hung up the phone, tossing it back to to your seat. "Looks like we have to wrap this up."

Spencer smirked, "We fly back in the morning. We'll find some time soon."

Spencer's words weren't a tease, they were a promise.

[whoisneo404]

Can you write about either nick with his bfs younger sibling or the other way around and it’s super fluffy, and they just look at each other like aghhh! Idk if that makes sense

Sisters’ best friend.

Summary: in which Nick has a little crush on you and you have a little crush on him but both of you are unaware of it.

Note: Nick is mentioned to be taller.

“Why did you buy all of this?” I ask my sister while looking at the chocolates, drinks and chips on the kitchen counter. “Are you having friends over?”

“Yeah, I’m having a sleepover with some friend. I told mom to tell you.” She talks while texting someone on her phone.

“Oh, cool. She didn’t told me anything, who’s coming anyway?” I look at her, I don’t raise my head, just my eyes. She looks up from her phone.

“The people that always comes, you can have all the snacks you want, just don’t bother us a lot.” I pout and nod.

“Understood.” I grab a small pack of gummies and go to my room. It has been a while, it’s night already, I hear people talking and laughing on the living room, my sister has a lot of ‘girlfriends’, of course she also has a lot of guy friends but they don’t come to the sleepovers… except for one, Nick. Nicolas is fun, I like him, he is very kind to me and I really like his style. I hear his laugh, it’s loud and it makes my cheeks grow red, I’m so dumb but I can’t help it, he’s just so handsome and has pretty eyes, he also brings snacks for me sometimes so I kinda like him. The fact that I know he is gay doesn’t help, because I think I might have a tiny chance with him.

I sit on my bed scrolling on my phone and panic texting my friends that Nick is here and that I might die if I see him. So, I wait for the noise to come down, I hear them go into my sisters’ room at around 12:40, I go out to see if they left any snacks and to grab some water. As I walk past my sisters’ room, I can hear the muffled music and their gossiping, I roll my eyes and keep walking to the kitchen, it was dark and a bit cold. I turn on the lights and go to the fridge, I smile when I see my favorite chocolate right in front of me, I take it out and turn around smiling at myself.

“I see you found my gift.” Nick is standing in the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest, his hair a bit messy and with his pajamas on. I gulp and my cheeks blush a bit.

“I didn’t knew you bought it, thank you.”

“It’s nothing.” He says and walks over to me. “So, how have you been?” he leans on the counter and watches as I fill my bottle with water.

“I’m fine, hm, how about you?”

“I have been good, thanks for asking. Why weren’t you with us while watching the movie?” I turn around and put my filled bottle water on the counter right besides the chocolate.

“Well, I, I don’t know. I didn’t feel like it.” He hums, and I look away from him. Suddenly I feel small, his taller body making me feel tiny, his crossed arms showing off his big arms and broad shoulders. I try not to stare too much, key word = TRY.

“Interesting, you used to love watching movies with us. You love horror movies, don’t you?” I nod. “Well, at least you love curling up to me.” he grins and my eyes widen a bit.

“No, I-“ he talks over me.

“It’s okay, I like it.”

“Oh… cool. I don’t know what to say.” Nick unfolds his arms and walks slowly to me; I start taking tiny steps backwards until my lower back hits the counter. “Nick.”

“Yeah?”

“What are you doing?” he leans down a bit, one of his hands besides my body to cage me in, his other hand on my cheek.

“Nothing, just looking at you.” The tip of his nose lightly touches mine. “I really like your shirt, is it the one I gave you and your birthday?” he laughs a bit and I feel my cheeks burn.

“Nick, what if someone comes looking for you?” my chest feels heavy, my heart is beating fast.

“Let them.” he leans in, his soft lips touch mine for a few seconds. “I’m sorry, was that all right?”

My brain exploded, I can’t imagine how red I am right now, I nod quickly and put both of my hands on his chest. “Yes. I- Can you… please, kiss me again.’’ I see him grin, he kisses me again, this time it was longer, I wrap my arms around his shoulders and play with his hair, the hand that was previously on the counter goes to my waist. His lips move slowly and gracefully, it would be a lie if I said I know how to kiss, I am trying my best. I lean back a bit, looking up at his eyes.

“I wanted to tell you something.” He whispers. “I-“

“NICK!! COME HERE, CARLIE IS GOING TO CALL JAMES!!” Nick rolls his eyes when we hear the loud voice of my sister come down the hall.

“I’m sorry, I have to go. But, how about we go out tomorrow? Just the two of us.’’

“Like, a date?” it’s the first time I see him blush. He looks so handsome with his cheeks turning pink.

“Yeah, like a date. Sorry I have to go, I’ll text you” He gives me a quick kiss and fast walks to my sisters room, when I hear the door close, I let out a high-pitched scream and cover my face. God, what the fuck just happened? I think I’m dreaming.

Taglist: @freshloveforthefit @shywolfapricotfan @sturnphilia @matty-bear @thenickgirl @stvrniolvsp @paige05 @soursturniolo @miloisdone1 @teenagetrash00 @lovely-calypso @h3arts4harry @malirosee

[moonstruckme]

Also would love more of the art student x stem student peter writing,, again totally just self indulgent here but I adore their dynamic I could go on forever, like study dates but she’s working and Peter hangs around revising notes in her studio and they both just accompany each other AGHHH I could think about them for ages

-🍁🤭

Thanks lovely!

tasm!Peter Parker x artist!reader ♡ 727 words

Your hand comes into view, taking Peter’s attention from his notes for the first time in hours as you slide a paper plate stacked with pizza slices towards him. 

“They were out of stir fry,” you say, “but they let me take extra pizza since they felt bad.” 

Peter blinks, realizing his eyes are dry and achy. “When did you get this?”

“Just now,” you say, though it sounds like a question. Your brows twitch towards each other, somewhere between bemused and concerned. “Pete, I’ve been gone for like a half hour. You didn’t notice?”

Peter blinks again, hard. He gives his head a little shake. “No, I, uh…I guess I was too distracted. Thanks for the pizza.” 

“Course.” You kiss the top of his head as you round the table, sitting down across from him with a couple slices of your own. Peter watches as you zone back into your work, a pensive frown coming to your face. You’re in the beginning stages of a new project, and the last few hours have been a frustrating cycle of erasing, sketching, and erasing again. Peter doesn’t get how you can even see through all the faded, half-removed lines on your page. 

“How’s it going?” he asks, tentative.

Your frown worsens. “Not bad,” you say, in a tone that says not great, either. “I’ve landed on an idea, but it just…it doesn’t feel perfect. I don’t want to start and then have to change my mind again.” 

“Didn’t you say that’s how it usually goes?” he prompts. 

“Yeah,” you sigh, and you sound so upset about it that Peter has to—just has to—reach across the table and take your hand. You offer him a small smile and return the squeeze he gives your fingers.

“Want a break?” he asks you, and you raise your eyebrows.

“I just took my break,” you remind him. 

It’s difficult to love someone and see them treat themselves how you treat yourself. Peter would count a run to the dining hall as a break, too, but he doesn’t like it when you do it. Still, that doesn’t give him a lot of ground for argument.

“Then can I see?” he tries, hoping talking it through will make you feel better.

You chew your lip for a second before nodding, going to slide your paper towards him. 

“Nope, hold on.” Peter stands up on his seat, stepping one gangly leg and then the other over the table before lowering himself into the chair beside you. He wraps his arm around your shoulder, hugging you so that your face is squished against his bicep. “Better,” he says. “Go on.” 

You laugh at his over-the-top affection, but don’t move away, going into the details of your original idea versus what you’ve come up with on paper. The abstract always falls short of the concrete, Peter knows that, and yet he feels your disappointment in your inability to fulfill the full scope of your vision acutely. You grow more animated as you talk, eventually bringing the paper closer and sketching while he watches. Peter suggests his own solutions as you work. They’re useless of course, but he knows that having a sounding board helps you think, so he’ll keep the conversation going any way he can. To your credit, you don’t tell him all the ways he’s wrong. You only hmm and huh and then do your idea anyway. 

After a while, you come up with something you’re happier with. It’s still not perfect, but Peter reminds you again of your own tenets; that it never will be, and your only job is to do the best you can with what you have. You’re smiling by now, so it’s a win in his book. 

“You gonna talk me through your biochem notes now?” you ask him cheerily. 

“Aw, sweetheart.” He kisses the side of your head. “You’re a gem for offering, but we both know you’ll get a headache.” 

“I’ll eat my pizza while you talk,” you propose, picking up a now cold slice of your dinner. “C’mon, it’s only fair.” 

Peter grins at you, your face lined with tiredness and hand stained with silver pencil lead but eyes alight with that fizzy energy you get from creation. “Okay,” he concedes. “But when we go home, we’re watching the most mindless show we can find on TV.”

[ferrarihamilton]

how could i choose…..,,, AGHHH!!!!! THEY ALL SOUND SO SO COOL!! erm how about girl yuki and the mysterious hahahha document 🤓🫶

@tinytauris also asked for girl yuki so......

Yuki scowls. “It’s not a joke! Lewis said—” “Lewis?” “—he said that sex is the only way to fix. So you should fuck me.” Yuki keeps saying that. It’s distracting Pierre from— from— “Wait, wait.” His grin feels like it’s frozen on his face. “You’re a…” “Girl,” Yuki agrees impatiently, and then he tugs his shirt up. Pierre can’t help it; his eyes zero in. “Pierre,” Yuki says, and when Pierre looks back up, Yuki— he’s smirking, like he’s laughing at Pierre. Yuki’s the one with tits right now; Pierre doesn’t know what’s so funny. “How—” “Don’t know,” Yuki shrugs. “Do you want to have sex or not.” He doesn’t look that different, but then again, Yuki’s body is already lithe, compact, a sweet curve to his waist and a softness to his hips that Pierre usually associates with his ex-girlfriends.

the hahahaha fic is a thinly veiled attempt at getting my feelings out about moving away from my best friends lol. it's non-driver chalex au:

Charles doesn’t think much of it until someone asks him at a party, earnest and concerned, “And how’s Alex? Do you guys still talk?” Charles blinks. “Yes?” It’s May; Alex has only been away for two months. “We talk everyday.” “Really?” “Of course?” Charles is confused. “What do they expect?” he asks Alex later, bundled up in bed. It’s nearing 2am, and on the other side of the world, Alex is brushing his teeth in the bright morning light, getting ready to go into the studio.

[fallowtail]

Ghosts and/or WWDITS for the TV series ask game!! 👻🧛🏼‍♂️

GHOSTS TIME

Favourite character: Hetty. Hetty. Hetty. Have you guys heard about Hetty Woodstone???? Funniest character: Hetty...this is going to be a trend in all of my answers. What do you mean Ghosts isn't the Hetty Show? I'm pretty sure it is. But man Hetty gets such amazing lines and Rebecca's delivery is always so fucking funny, her vocal shifts are hilarious. Second runner up is probbbbably Isaac! I love when he asks a question and then acts like he totally also knows the answer, of course, he's just making sure you know. Best-looking character: Hetty again sorryyyy like LOOK at her! That dress! Her hair! Her bustle!! Queen!!! The way she holds herself is so perfect. 3 favourite ships: Hetty/Trevor!!!!!!!!, Sam/Jay, Hetty/Flower Least favourite character: I honestly don't have one...even the side characters in this show I enjoy immensely. Agh. I guess maybe the skeezy Woodstone-estate guy? He wasn't really fun to watch Least favourite ship: Pete/Alberta :[ It's the only one I don't really enjoy at this point because of how Pete is acting towards her in canon. I can still enjoy it in fanon, for sure, but it's the one "might-go-canon" ship that I really hope doesn't at this point unless they do some major reworking of it. It's getting hard to watch Pete repeatedly make Alberta uncomfortable and then still want him to win her over, as someone who has had to deal with "Nice Guys" like how Pete is acting in this situation in the past who won't take no for an answer...it's not as charming as I think the show thinks it is, which is my main issue with it. I’m not sure if it’s being intentionally written where Pete is doing something he shouldn’t be or if it’s being written with the intention of it being cute? I don't want to bash the ship though, of course, I don't have any huge problem with it or think it's too terrible, it's just not really what I want to see. If they can give us a plot where Pete realizes he’s not respecting Alberta when she tells him no and backs off and it’s shown as a character growth molent for him I might warm up to it, but for now…eh. I'm pretty heavily neutral on all the ships otherwise! Reason why I watch it: There's just something about it, I really don't know what it is. It's so cute and funny and the pacing is really bad at times but it's just so fun to watch the entire time it's on. I love every single one of the characters so much, the chemistry between the cast is just amazing and you can tell how much fun they're having. I think what really drew me into it was that the way the characters are written and the concept behind them is similar to the way I approach my own ocs. I just love the idea of them being ghosts who cannot interact with the world at all, and who are just stuck together in this forced found family, a group of people who have no business interacting with each other but they are and they all have so much in common because at the end of it all they're just people, people have always been people, etc...it's just really fun and the fandom is so sweet, I have had more fun in this tiny ass little fandom than I have had with any other in yearssss. Why I started watching it: I had seen trailers for it when it was first coming out (CBS is the channel that's always on in the breakroom at work), and though "oh wow, that looks right up my alley" because of the combination of "supernatural beings but also they're all just. normal guys. Blessed with suck!" but then I didn't get around to watching it for a year because I was too fixated on other stuff still to want to commit to something else. Aghhh! I wish I had picked it up sooner!!

[zepskies]

Ooooh my GOD, I'm loving everything about this, Wayne!!!

Losing futuristic devices like this was a big time-traveling no-no. Luckily, Soldier Boy was probably too much of a moron to puzzle it altogether. That might just be history’s saving grace

lmfao yep, I think that's Time Travel 101. 😂

Oof but I don't think she's giving him enough credit for how "street smart intelligent" he can be. (Though we all know he ain't exactly book smart." loll)

And he's so persistent! I mean, kind understand why since she's such an oddity to him. But he did not need to hit her with the "C’mon, you can’t do this to me.”" *cue charming smile* 🫠🫠

And my God, he seemed sincere! No wonder he had gotten attention from women like a goddamn bunny in a petting zoo.

“Oh, uhm, I’m sorry,” you apologized quickly and forced a smile. “You just looked like a soldier, I guess.” His cheeks reddened even more as he bashfully averted his eyes to the snowy pavement and scratched the back of his neck. “Well, uh, thank you.” He clearly took it as a compliment that he already looked the part of a hero. Nice save, you praised yourself.

Lmfaooo got 'im! 🤣 I still love this bit and I'm loving her sass, her inner strength as she tries to figure out this truly fucked situation, all while getting a front row seat to Ben's little "dinner and a show." 😝

He might not be Soldier Boy yet, but he's still a fuckboi with daddy's money to get him anything he wants (he thinks). I snorted every time he tried to impress her -- be it his flashy car or with his charm, and she shot him down most of the time. I very much respect her for it, and it's also easier for her to resist his charms knowing what he becomes in the future. 😅

“Uh… Cindy,” you replied quickly, not wanting to give him your real name and share too much. It was smarter to be careful.

Gotta say, I LOVE all the Cindy Lauper references throughout this. I'm such an 80s girlie, and not only does "Time After Time" go so well with this story, it's also cool in the sense that Cindy was such an icon for female singers--it adds some levels of female empowerment to go along with the commentary on feminism through the reader here. 💗

Exhibit A lol:

“Huh.” He stumped for a beat. “You know a lot of technical things for a woman.”

Ugh. Benjamin. 🙄🙄 It is understandable that he'd think that way, considering the times though. 🙃

“Don’t darling me, Benjamin, after you’ve been two-timing me with that tramp Betty Vanderbilt!” the girl yelled loud enough for the whole diner to hear.

Oooh sorry for this nerd alert lol, but is this referencing the Vanderbilt family who built up the railroads in the U.S.? It would be a cool connection since the Vanderbilts built mansions on Fifth Avenue. 🤓

“Are you, uhm, running from someone?” he asked, with not only concern but also determination to fight whoever was after you gleaming in his eyes. Ironic, you thought since you were running from him.

Aghhh, this is kinda heartbreaking in a way. 😭 SB is literally her tormentor in the present, to then be faced with this version of him that just wants to help her, even if he is intrigued by her and what she's doing there.

I also love how you're pacing this so far, especially with that last line (🤣😅)! With so much rich historical detail, the complicated web of this plot, and how you're drawing these two together, I have a feeling this might be one of your best series ever, my friend! 👏🏽👏🏽💛

Time After Time – Chapter 2

Summary: Unable to control your abilities, you’re stuck in the present with Billy Butcher, his team, and America’s first asshole. At this point, you’ve become Soldier Boy’s personal punching bag. But when an accident leaves you stranded in 1942, you run into a familiar face and suddenly rely on your future tormentor’s help as your only hope.

Pairing: Soldier Boy x supe!Reader

Warnings: 18+ for language, angst, humor, reader is a supe with chronokinesis (time manipulation), 1942 says hi, fluff if you squint, SB being a nice and kind human

Word Count: 4.8k

Posted on Patreon March 8, 2025

A/N: Welcome to Bizarro World, where Soldier Boy is somewhat OOC (but still a sly dog). Have fun snooping through his life, folks! Big thank you to everyone for your overwhelming support on Part 1 and kudos to all of you who figured out the little time travel theory we're going with here 🤓🩵

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Chapter 2: Is This the 40s?

Deep breaths, you reminded yourself as you squatted in a puddle of mud in an abandoned alley, throbbing and roaring head in your hands. If you could only manage to control your jittering, fragile nerves, maybe you’d find your way back.

Come on, come on, come on…

“Miss?”

Fuck.

Your gaze lifted to the tall, shadowy figure by the mouth of the alley, already recognizing the unmistakeable deep timbres of Soldier Boy before he stepped into the light.

“I believe I told you to leave me alone,” you muttered, annoyed.

An idiot like Soldier Boy would not be history’s downfall. You had to ensure the timeline stayed intact. The less interaction you had with him, the better.

“I know. I’m-… I’m sorry, miss,” he apologized once more to you.

If you hadn’t heard it with your own ears, you wouldn’t have thought apologies were even part of his vocabulary, hearing him say the word twice was almost mind-boggling. Then your eyes fixed on the little black box tightly clasped in his left hand and widened in horror – your phone.

Losing futuristic devices like this was a big time-traveling no-no.

Luckily, Soldier Boy was probably too much of a moron to puzzle it altogether. That might just be history’s saving grace.

“You-, uh, you lost this. Just wanted to return it,” he said and tentatively held the phone out to you.

With an exhaustive sigh, you jumped to your feet and ripped the device out of his hand. “Give that to me!”

You huffed a ‘thank you’ and stomped down the alley, back towards the busy street. All you needed was a quiet and warm place to figure this out and return to your own time. But Soldier Boy was still hot on your tail, following you with a swift pace.

“Miss, wait! Wait a second! Hey!”

With a few long strides of his bow legs, he had flagged you down before you’d even reached the main street. But that didn’t halt your feet completely, although he’d slowed you down significantly.

“What? I told you to stay away. Stop following me,” you snapped.

“I’m just trying to ensure you’re alright,” he insisted, attempting to appear as harmless as possible.

At this point, you thought you were beginning to hallucinate because your mind tried to convince you there was actual, legitimate worry gleaming in his forest green eyes. In reality, he was probably just acting to save the damsel in distress, so he could warm her up at his penthouse and slip something into her drink.

Not fucking happening. 

“I’m fine.” You gritted a smile and opted to ignore him as you scurried past the first crowd of people on the sidewalk.

“No offense, miss, but you don’t seem fine,” he insisted and ran in front of you, blocking your way. With a frustrated groan, you finally stopped and sent him a glare, but he only met you with a sincere look. “Let me help you, alright? I promise I mean no harm or ill-intention if that is what you’re worried about.”

Ha! 

Internally, you snorted. But he raised his open palms again as if to prove his words, his eyes boring intensely into yours. He might as well have been fucking Mindstorm.

“Listen, you look like someone who’s used to getting what he wants all the time, but no means no. Stop following me, okay?”

You hoped you had finally drilled the message into his thick skull and he’d leave you alone after this, but alas he wouldn’t be Soldier Boy if he listened to you. One step past him, and a hand grabbed your arm.

Ready to fend him off, you were surprised to find his grip wasn’t strong by any means. It was barely a brush before he dropped his hand again and looked at you remorsefully.

“I’m sorry! I just-… Please let me help you,” he reiterated with imploring green eyes. “Look, you clearly seem lost. Just tell me where you live, and I can get you home safely, okay? C’mon, you can’t do this to me.” He tried to loosen you up with a charming smile and a puppy dog look. “If you leave like this, I’m going to be up all night, worrying you’ve died of hypothermia out here.”

And my God, he seemed sincere! No wonder he had gotten attention from women like a goddamn bunny in a petting zoo.

Musingly, you then chewed on your lower lip and assessed the man in front of you. The people who strolled by you threw you the occasional weird looks – you’d chosen a bad day to wear a Led Zeppelin t-shirt and ripped jeans.

Admittedly, you could use a little help here. Maybe if you were being careful with the timeline – and him – you could risk it.

You exhaled a hesitant breath, but your head nodded slightly. “Just-, uh, just get me to Fifth Avenue. I can find my way from there, alright?”

It was a simple request, but his brows drew together as if you’d just asked him something insane.

“Fifth Avenue as in New York City?” he questioned.

Oh no, you didn’t like where this was going.

“Yes?”

He clicked his tongue, scratching the nape of his neck where the collar of his coat ended. “Well, uh, I guess I could take you there tomorrow. It’s about a four hour car ride in this weather. I mean, if we took the train, we’d be a little faster.”

Four hours?! 

“Where-, uh… What, uh, what city am-, am I?”

He clicked his tongue again. This time, a little smirk twitched on his lips too, but he tried his best to hide his amusement. “Uh, Philadelphia. You know, Pennsylvania?”

“Yeah, no, I know geography, thank you.”

“Are you sure?”

Curling your lips, you tilted your head at him, your cheeks catching heat, even though you were practically freezing. Oh, he was trying to be clever now, wasn’t he?

Sheepishly, he met your eyes and smiled innocently.

But when that little fascinating moment had passed, you realized you were still stuck here, and the panic set back in. Your gaze flickered around – there was nowhere you could go. However, you then noticed something else – no one was staring at Soldier Boy, even though he was supposed to be America’s greatest hero. Was he in a disguise? Was that what he did back then?

“So, uhm… is this the 40s?”

There was beat of silence as he licked his lips. “Yeah, uh, this is the 40s, sweetheart.” He laughed heartily, throwing his head back. “You know, I’ve had some bad hangovers and woke up someplace, not knowing where I was, but I’ve never forgotten the year before.”

No surprise, you thought wryly and then swallowed, glancing back up at him.

“So, uhm, what year is this?”

“It’s January 24, 1942,” he replied patiently, his eyes watching you closely.

And then, it began to dawn on you.

“And what d’you do? Are you, uhm–“ Soldier Boy? “–a soldier?”

He laughed again, his cheeks slightly blushing in the cold. He adjusted the flat cap on his head. “Uh, no. Well, not yet anyways. I actually just came from the office downtown and enlisted when I ran into you.”

Holy fucking shit.

The man before you wasn’t a supe yet. He wasn’t Soldier Boy yet. He was just a normal human, and you felt like you were staring through the looking-glass and seeing Wonderland.

And if your math was correct, it also meant the guy in front of you was no more than 23 years old.

Holy fucking shit.

“But, uh, I also work at my father’s office,” he added after you hadn’t said anything. “Why are-, why are you looking at me like that?” he then asked with a flustered chuckle, and you realized you were still staring at him.

“Oh, uhm, I’m sorry,” you apologized quickly and forced a smile. “You just looked like a soldier, I guess.”

His cheeks reddened even more as he bashfully averted his eyes to the snowy pavement and scratched the back of his neck. “Well, uh, thank you.”

He clearly took it as a compliment that he already looked the part of a hero. Nice save, you praised yourself.

“Why-, uh, why don’t we get you warmed up a little, huh?” he suggested kindly and finally dared to step closer. Swiftly, he took off his coat and draped it over your shoulders and bare arms. “Here, take my coat. You poor thing must be freezing. Look at you, you’re shaking.”

His smile was friendly and reassuring as he adjusted the collar around your neck. Uncomfortably, you rolled your shoulders, though, and backed away from his touch.

“Alright, uhm, just please don’t touch me,” you said, your voice meek and barely audible. You knew technically it wasn’t the same guy who had abused, tortured, harassed, and bullied you for months on end, but you still didn’t want his hands anywhere near you.

“Okay, yeah, sure,” he resigned and raised his palms again before gesturing down the street, trying his hardest not to lay a hand on the small of your back and lead you there himself. “There’s a diner a few blocks from here. Would that be okay?”

Reluctantly, you nodded, wrapping the thick coat, which smelled like his cologne and cigars, tighter around you as you followed him.

Fortunately, the diner was quaint and dimly lit. The bell above the door jingled as you entered with your unwanted sidekick. He made sure to always stay one step behind you, and you didn’t know if it was because it was polite to let the lady go first, or if he just wanted to keep a watchful eye on you in case you’d make a run for it again.

You passed a row of customers sitting hunched over at the counter before Soldier Boy – or not Soldier Boy yet – then picked a table in a quiet corner, away from everyone else as if he knew you’d appreciate the privacy. The less people saw and noticed you, the better. You knew you had to get home fast before messing up the intricate fabric of time too much.

“So, uh, what’s your name?” he asked as the waitress placed down his simple black coffee and your Earl Grey, your cold hands quickly grasping onto the hot mug and warming against the ceramic.

“Uh… Cindy,” you replied quickly, not wanting to give him your real name and share too much. It was smarter to be careful.

“Cindy, huh?” The name rolled off his tongue with a subtle smirk as if he liked the sound of it. “Does that come with a last name?”

“Uh, yes… Lauper,” you replied and bit your lip hard. “I’m, uh, from the Lauper’s of Upstate New York, you know? From a small town called, uh… Flatiron.”

“Huh. Interesting…” he mused, pursing his lips. “Never heard of it.”

“Yeah, well, like I said, it’s a small town…” you deflected and sipped on your drink.

“Well, uhm, I’m Benjamin Brooks,” he introduced himself with a suave smile. “But, uh, most people just call me Ben.”

When you only gave him a disinterested nod, he licked his lips, his fingers tapping against the coffee mug in his hold before he looked at you again and cleared his throat.

“You’ve, uh, probably heard of the name. My father owns half the steel mills in the state,” he said with a bragging grin, which lost its energy when you still didn’t give him the time of day.

“Uh-huh…”

“Brooks Steel Company? You’ve never heard of it?”

“Nope.”

“Huh.” Somewhat defeated, he pursed his lips, his fingers tapping on the table this time. Then, a soft smile formed as he leaned back in his seat. “So, uh, what about you? What brings you here to Philadelphia?”

“Uhm… business,” you said as if you were answering a customs question at the airport.

“Really? What kind of business?”

“You ask a lot of questions…”

He chuckled slightly, his cheeks blushing. “Well, uh, excuse my curiosity, please. It’s just-… well, the clothes you’re wearing and the, uh, weird black box you’re carrying… What is it, anyway?”

Shit. 

“Uh, it’s a… flashlight,” you replied, thinking of the most basic function of your phone.

“Flashlight?”

“Yes, it’s a… prototype. Uses lithium-ion batteries instead of the carbon-zinc ones you find in flashlights at this… current time… right now,” you explained in a careful stammer and only realized you might have said too much when his brow raised.

“Huh.” He stumped for a beat. “You know a lot of technical things for a woman.”

Internally, you wanted to groan at the sexist remark, but considering it was 1942, you had to admit he was probably right. Even in the 21st century, it was still a rarity to find a woman in a STEM field.

“Yes, uh, well, my father taught me some stuff,” you lied. As a matter of fact, your father was a drunk loser, who couldn’t change a single lightbulb even if you turned it into a joke. “You know, just small… simple things. God knows I could barely understand what he was saying half the time.”

Your silly giggle at the end was the cherry on top of your sales pitch.

“Ah, that makes sense,” Ben bought it, chuckling.

Jesus fuck, shoot me…

“Where did you get it?”

“Huh?”

“The flashlight.”

“Oh…” Think fast. “I-, uh, I built it, yeah… To sell, you know? It’s an experiment, but it failed, so you can forget about it, okay?”

That was believable, right? Wozniak got nothing on you. And technically, you had already swapped out the broken screen glass of your vPhone multiple times – by yourself. It wasn’t so far-fetched if you really thought about it…

“Alright.” Ben nodded, a smile playing on his lips as he took a sip of coffee. “And, uh, is that why you’re wearing those clothes? Are you a mad scientist or farmhand or–“

Your eyebrows drew together. “A farmhand?”

He laughed lightly, shaking his head. “I promise I don’t mean any offense, sweetheart. It’s just women… people usually don’t really run around wearing… well, that,” he explained and gestured a hand up and down your frame.

Uncomfortably, you wrapped his wool coat tighter around you, the small, pleased twitch of his lips at your action sending a shiver down your spine. As you let your glance wander through the small establishment, you noted the tight dresses and skirts with tailored waists all women were wearing. You definitely looked odd and out of place compared to all the Mrs. Maisels around you.

Most of them were even wearing hats, too. Hats. Wide-brimmed ones and pillboxes and snoods and berets. Fucking berets.

And here you sat – with a messy bun that you hadn’t even bothered to brush once after rolling out of bed this morning.

“No, I-, uh, I just grabbed what I found,” you answered him quickly then but could see his lips parting with another question. Luckily, you were interrupted this time.

“Benjamin Brooks! You rat bastard!”

Ben’s green eyes widened almost comically as he shared a brief look with you before turning his head to the young, furious woman who stormed into the diner, heels clicking on the floor.

Ah yes, finally a more familiar side of the man you recognized from the future.

“Grace, darling!” Flustered, he rose from his seat with an awkward laugh, and you could tell he was trying to keep the drama on the down-low for your benefit.

The harsh slap across his cheek he instantly received, however, echoed loudly through the quiet diner. A few heads turned as cutlery clinked against tableware, but no one dared to say anything. You buried your face in your tea and tried to stifle your laugh.

Man, you would love to slap the human version of him, too.

“Don’t darling me, Benjamin, after you’ve been two-timing me with that tramp Betty Vanderbilt!” the girl yelled loud enough for the whole diner to hear.

Sheepishly and with a bit of charm, Ben scratched the back of his neck. “Well, to be fair, I thought you knew about Betty. We weren’t exactly exclus–“

He barely got the word out before another slap rang through the diner as her hand came down hard on his cheek once more. It was turning crimson red rather quickly and was a sight to behold. You had to admit you liked that girl.

“Not exclusive?! We’re engaged, you dog!”

Holy shit! Soldier Boy used to have a fiancée? Well, you’re not surprised that didn’t work out…

“I already forgave you once for sleeping with Sheila! I can’t believe you did this to me again!”

As much as you enjoyed the show, you appreciated the distraction and saw it as a perfect opportunity to sneak away and finally get rid of him. Stealthily, you rose from your chair and crept by the arguing couple to the exit.

You were warmed up enough to find shelter on your own and hoped the timeline wasn’t too cracked when you’d return. Mostly, though, you hoped Soldier Boy was too self-centered to remember someone like you.

You had made it all the way to the sidewalk again before his voice reached your ears. You sighed your frustration but kept on walking, ignoring his calls.

“Cindy! Hey, uh, wait!”

Shit.

Why was he so fucking fast? He wasn’t even a supe yet.

Once more, he came to a stop in front of you and blocked your way. “Why-, uh, why did you leave? I mean, I know this looked really bad, but–“

“Look, uh, thank you for everything,” you interrupted his beginning of an excuse with as much patience as you could find within yourself. “I know you’re trying to be nice and all, and you’ve been super kind… But I’ve got it from here, alright? Just forget you ever met me, okay?”

Amused, he snorted. “Well, kinda hard to forget someone like you, sweetheart.”

Fucking fuck.

“What d’you mean? I’m completely normal.” You tried to shrug it off, but you’d never been the best actress – another thing the two of you had in common.

“No, you’re not.” A smirk rose on his lips that he tried to bite back. “I mean, sure, you’re exceptionally beautiful, but you’re also kind of… mysterious. Guess that’s what intrigues me.”

Fuck. In all your effort to get rid of him and save the timeline, you had actually attracted his attention more. It seemed like your dismissiveness and aggression had only piqued his interest instead of deterring it. Your fallacy was thinking he’d back off from a strong, rude, and unruly woman like you.

You probably should’ve acted more like Grace, Betty, and Sheila – be forgettable.

“Alright, out of curiosity, does this little routine usually work for you?” you challenged, arching a brow. A smile played across your lips as you watched his reaction.

“What routine?”

“Oh, you know… Turning up the charming smile and being nice, while also dropping your rich daddy’s name and how much money you’ve got,” you retorted. “I mean, I guess it must work, right? Surely worked for Grace, Betty, and Sheila so far.”

Bobbing his head, he pursed his lips for a moment while you enjoyed your win. But with a smack of his lips, he found your eyes, the little smirk on his lips not fully vanished yet.

“Alright, I know how this looks, okay? But it’s not what you think,” he started.

“Oh, so you didn’t sleep with all of these women?”

“Well, uhm…”

Complacently, you threw him a smile. “Goodbye, Benjamin.”

“No, wait! Why don’t you come back inside with me where it’s warm and let me explain everything?” he proposed and then sent you that charmingly cute smile again. “I’m kinda starting to freeze here, you know? You’re still wearing my coat, sweetheart.”

“Oh, uh… Sorry.” Your brow knitted as you stared down at the warm, long clothing item around you. Flustered, your cheeks blushed, but as you began to take it off with the intent to hand it back to him, he stopped you.

“No, uh, please keep it. I can find another one,” he said, laughing softly. “Besides, it looks better on you.”

God, you wanted to slap him like Grace.

“Well, uhm, thank you, but I’m still not coming back in there with you again, alright?” you said firmly. “I have to get going now. Don’t follow me anymore.”

You tried to push past him, but of course, he still wasn’t listening to you.

“Wait! Just wait a second!”

And you knew if you didn’t stop, he would just keep following you till you both died of hypothermia. So, you spun to face him with a deeply impatient frown.

“Do you even know where you’re going? Do you have a place to stay?”

“Yes.”

“Where? In New York? You know, you’re not going to make it there on foot today. Especially during this weather,” he noted with a bit of playfulness in his voice. “Unless, you’re planing on stealing a car.” He chuckled but then lifted a brow at you. “You’re not, are you?”

“No, of course not!”

Well, not the worst idea…

“Alright, look, my parents are out of town for a month. Got the the whole mansion to myself. Just stay at my place for the night, and we can figure out how to get you to New York in the morning, alright?”

“You do know what that sounds like, right? Are you even hearing yourself?” you questioned, causing him to laugh again. It was still weird to hear it without undertones of viciousness in it – like a temporal whiplash.

“The house is big enough, and I promise you’ll have your own bedroom. Not mine, alright?” he clarified but tried to hide a smile. “Unless–“

“Nope.”

“Alright, well, uh, the point is, it’s big enough, so you don’t even have to see me if you don’t want to,” he added with an innocently imploring look. “Just let me help you, please.”

You crossed your arms over your chest, your brow only creasing more. “Why do you wanna help me so badly, huh? I don’t understand. I mean, are you really doing this out of the sheer goodness of your heart of gold? What’s your angle here, soldier boy?”

He chuckled, his cheeks warming with a flush. “Gotta say, kind of like that nickname.”

“I bet you do,” you muttered wryly. “So, why? Why are you helping me?”

Ben scratched his jaw and took a step closer to you. The air shifted, a part of you wondering if he’d finally drop his mask. He kept his deep voice low as he spoke.

“Look, I don’t know what’s going on here, but I know you’ve been serving me a lot of bullshit today.” Your heart stopped, but when you glanced at him, he wasn’t angry. He was… worried. “I don’t mind, okay? You just-… you look like someone who’s in a bit of trouble, and I guess I can relate, so let me help you, alright?”

“I-… I don’t know,” you replied honestly this time, both hesitation and caution shimmering in your eyes as your teeth clawed into your bottom lip. “What if I say no, you’re gonna hand me over to the cops? The asylum people?”

“Is that where you broke out from?”

A bit offended, you gasped. “The asylum?!”

Granted, you were acting a little crazy – for the time period. You were perfectly ordinary and sane in your own century.

Oh God, was that how Soldier Boy felt in your time? Always displaced and out-of-touch? What a horrible feeling…

“No, jail,” he said then, which caused your brow to raise in surprise.

“Oh.”

He cocked an eyebrow at you. “Wait, did you break out of jail?”

“No!”

“Alright, uhm…” Ben laughed and rubbed his palms together, probably to keep himself warm. His sandy-blond hair had collected quite a bit of snow. He must’ve forgotten his cap inside the diner. “Listen, I’m not going to call anyone. I promise you can trust me, okay?”

That seemed like a trap, right? A demon tricking you into making a deal for your soul.

“Are you, uhm, running from someone?” he asked, with not only concern but also determination to fight whoever was after you gleaming in his eyes.

Ironic, you thought since you were running from him.

“Uh, no, not really,” you replied hesitantly.

“Were you held somewhere?” he asked next, carefully licking his lips. “You know, against your will?”

Yes, by you, you wanted to scream.

“Kinda, yeah,” you admitted softly. And in a way, it felt weirdly therapeutic to confess that to the Dr. Jekyll version of your future Hyde.

“Okay, uhm…” He swallowed subtly, nodding. Then, his eyes bored so sincerely into yours you really thought you’d fallen down the rabbit hole. “Well, you don’t have to be scared. You’re safe with me, alright?”

Fuck. You were fucking screwed, weren’t you?

“So? You’re finally gonna let me help you?”

You exhaled a deep breath as you assessed the man in front you once more. You had no place to go, it was cold, and the sun was beginning to set. Your powers, on the other hand, still seemed to be dormant.

“Fine,” you caved at last. “One night. And you better not crawl into my bed, alright?”

Placatingly, he raised his hands again but there was a broad smile on his freckled face this time. “Understood, loud and clear. I heard you earlier – no means no.”

Wow. You began to wonder what really happened to the guy in the following 80 years to shape him into the toxic piece of shit you have to deal with on a daily basis.

“You sure your fiancée won’t mind if you take another woman home? I don’t wanna get burned at the stake again,” you quipped, but there was wariness behind it. Grace’s slaps looked pretty painful. You’d rather avoid it if you could.

“Again?”

“Long story,” you sighed. When you first had told Soldier Boy about your past, he’d been kind and understanding. He’d said it was a good thing that all those people who tried to burn you were dead now – which was about the nicest thing a guy like him could’ve said.

Then he turned around and made fun of you for months on end.

“Well, uhm, I can assure you she won’t kill you. It’s not like that, alright? She’s not my fiancée. Trust me,” Ben said, amused.

“That’s not what she said,” you pointed out. You were definitely believing that woman over him. He was a fucking dog – as Grace put it. You were sure that personality trait was the same at any point in time.

“Technicality.” He shrugged it off. You arched a brow. He smirked. “It’s a long story, too.”

You rolled your eyes, sighing. “Alright, fine.”

Ben’s smile twitched eagerly to rise higher by the heartbeat. “Okay, uhm, my car’s over there.”

He gestured down the street past the diner and let you pass, only walking closely next to you but careful not to touch as his arm only hovered protectively behind your back.

“Still no touching there, alright, Romeo?” you reminded him with a stern finger.

“I know,” he sang, chuckling. “Just trying to be proactive here. There’s a lotta ice, you know? Wouldn’t want you to slip in your basketball shoes.”

For reference, you were wearing a simple pair of black Chucks.

“Fine, I’ll allow it.”

“You allow it, huh?” he teased with a boyish grin.

“Yeah, I’ll allow you to protectively guard me from a distance,” you retorted. “You’re not supposed to enjoy it, though.”

“Oh, I don’t think that was the deal we made, sweetheart.” His grin grew even wider now.

“Don’t make me regret this already,” you sighed.

“Well, uh, too late. We’re already here,” he then said and stopped, motioning to a deep emerald green, elegant, sleek car with a beige convertible roof. “That’s it. It’s a Cadillac 75. What d’you think?”

“I don’t know enough about cars to be impressed,” you told him.

He laughed, rubbing his chin. “Well, worth a shot.”

Ben then opened the door for you and waited till you were safely seated inside (or trapped) before rounding the vehicle and sliding into the driver’s seat.

And as the two of you drove down the snowy streets of Philadelphia, you wondered if you had just gotten into a car with Clarence or with the fucking devil himself.

▶️ Chapter 3: I'm Going To Be a Lady If It Kills Me – APRIL 11

Ah, yes... Wouldn't we all love to slap him like Grace in the future? 😂 What do you think of young Ben so far? While he seems nicer and kinder than his alter ego, there are surely some core personality traits present 😜

Coming Up:

Reluctantly, you stepped into the hallway, unsure of how to ask, but the need to find something – anything – took over. It wasn’t like you could just wander around in a towel, although you were sure your host would probably appreciate the sight.

“Uhm, Ben?” you called softly, your tone a little shakier than you'd intended.

A few moments passed before his voice answered from down the hall, a bit too loud, as though he’d been waiting for this. “Yeah?”

“I-, uh, I don’t have... anything to wear,” you said quietly and swallowed, your gaze drifting to your bare feet on the floorboards.

There was a long pause before he appeared in the doorway, his face flushed. “Right. Well, I-... I can get you something,” he said. His eyes flicked to the floor for a moment before meeting yours again, the awkwardness hanging between you like a palpable thing that you could reach out and touch with your fingers. “I–” His voice dropped lower as he turned away for a second, his hand on the doorframe. He then gave a brief chuckle, almost self-conscious. “I don’t usually keep spare clothes for, uh, guests. But I’m sure I can find something that fits you. One second.”

You felt tethered to the ground as he disappeared down the hall, unsure whether to laugh or fucking scream. He came back a few moments later with a shirt and pants, an outfit clearly meant for a man, and you were pretty sure they were his own. The fit would be loose, but better than nothing.

“Here,” he said, offering it to you. His gaze lingered on you a second longer than was probably polite before he turned away again, his cheeks tinged pink.

Yeah, you had to get rid of the towel. You didn’t want to give him any ideas – or more, for that matter. He’d already seen you naked various times in the future. You knew privacy was an alien concept to that man.

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@hunter-or-the-hunted @k-slla @just-levyy @mrsjenniferwinchester @illicithallways

@muhahaha303 @ultimatecin73 @nancymcl @leigh70 @brightlilith

@nesnejwritings @samslvrgirl @xx-spooky-little-vampire-xx @fromcaintodean @barewithme02

@impala67rollingthroughtown @star-yawnznn @spnaquakindgdom @thej2report @americanvenom13

@lamentationsofalonelypotato @supernotnatural2005 @stoneyggirl2 @kr804573 @m0e0v0v

[ruiniel]

Hi, it's me again! Sorry I couldn't respond to the earlier post for some reason so sending in an ask.

First off, thank you so so much for linking the series and responding so promptly!!!!! Omg I'm so happy haha 😭❤️❤️ I'm also really sorry if you intended to keep it unavailable for personal reasons, and I'm digging something up! I just really loved the series. Both because it is honestly an incredible piece of work and it came at a time in my life where I had a lot of stuff going on and reading this book was my favourite escape.

You should know that I will forever adore your works and miss any that you take down!! Not just paths afire but also works like 'Within these endless walls' and 'Circles'. I also discovered 'Astray' through you! And it's lowkey making me tear up when I say this but these stories are so close to my heart, and I'm beyond thankful to you for the effort that has gone into writing them. You're one of the authors I'd pay to read (been meaning to ask forever - do you have a patreon?)

One last request (gosh I'm really sorry again to be a bother) - any chance you have a draft or copy of One, Wild Celandine and Healing that you can share? It's illegal how much I've enjoyed them 🙈🙈 I understand you don't want them out for public consumption and completely respect that, so if you don't want to share anything I get it. But if you feel like it, then I'd be elated to get a copy through email or some other medium.

As someone who has read and read and read fanfiction for the better part of my life now, I'm beyond grateful to authors like yourself. Your works have put a smile on my face so many times!

Really sorry for this crazy long ask! Sending you love and the best wishes ❤️❤️

Hi! Aghhh I'm so happy that something I wrote at one time helped in this way, this, this is what really makes it all worthwhile (aside from the enjoyment of writing things, which I'll never stop doing).

Whew, Circles and ...walls are still up on my ao3 account (though the latter needs me to run up my sleeves and do some rewriting). Circles is still one personal favorite out of the Tolkien fanfic I wrote along the years, so thank you!

Astray! Hell yes antiheld is an amazing writer and friend, has inspired me so much, I'm sure @pickingfightswithsprites would be happy to read about this!

Uh oh, you know what, give me some time (traveling now) and I'll dig up & send you copies of the glorfindel-smut-shots in a message here. Least I can do!

And no, don't have a Patreon thanks for asking, but I'm setting up (taking forever...) a Kofi, though it'll be focused on my drawings and original writing most likely.

But, if you hang on here, I sometimes open writing requests (closed for now), where people can send asks with writing prompts for characters/pairings based on this! Once I wrap up a few things, I'll open requests here again.

Much love and thanks!

[madame-fear]

Imagine reader is on her period, but Luke doesn’t know. Whenever he’d see her in pain and holding her belly, he would ask her but she would say it was nothing. Then, Luke comments to Rhaenyra about that and says he is worried. His mother would smile and explain why reader is feeling this way. After they talked, Luke would help reader feel better with whatever he could during her period 💗

THIS🥰🥰🥰

The second Luke notices you are wincing in pain and holding your stomach continously, I know he'd grow extremely concerned. He would ask you so many times whether if you're okay, or if he needs to call a maester or someone — but everytime he does so, you just dismiss Lucerys telling him you're alright, even if he can clearly see you aren't.

This would happen several times, and everytime it happens, you never tell him what's the problem; which makes him grow concerned and genuinely worried of not being able to help you out with whatever thing is troubling you. So, eventually, being desperate of not knowing what's the matter, he'll immediatly make a comment about your situation with his mother, shortly after she is finished with a meeting with the Black Council, and would stress to her how profoundly concerned he is about you, and your health.

Naturally, a small chuckle would escape her lips, and she would immediatly try to explain to Lucerys about menstruation in the best terms he can understand. Even, she'd show him a medicine book one of the maesters has about the female system, where it also explains about periods... and right there, realisation would fall onto him. The reason of why you were wincing and squirming in pain, plus holding your stomach, is because you were on your period!

Once he finally understands everything and finishes his talk with his mother about periods, Luke would immediatly rush to you already knowing everything he has to know, with high hopes of comforting you properly. You're a bit embarrassed of telling him about your period and your pain, but seeing how caring and loving he is with you, you'll eventually open up more about it.

Lucerys would attend every single need of yours while you're on your period. You're intensely craving something sweet/salty? He'll send the servants to have you prepared something that meets whatever you're craving for. You're sensible and/or too emotional? He's your shoulder to cry on, and the one that would whisper sweet nothings for you. You need some cuddles and warmth? He'll lay on your bed by your side, and he'll hold you tightly against his body while he plants several kisses on top of your head, and your entire face.

Seven Hells, he'll even call for a maester to give you some herbs that help decrease the intense period pain, or anything that helps with pain in general kwkdkdkdk aghhh he's such a sweet sweet boyfriend that will do his absolute best to make you feel better, and see you happy 🥺

♡ taglist : ♡

@jjamieberry @anemicroyalcore @countsmoon @tickle-euphoria @beeebo234 @manuholland6 @capellaadara @kyuupidwrites @tchatso @dopepersonacloudllama @zzz000eee

[stevieharringtonwifeguy]

You talking abt drag queen stevie is giving me life bc for weeks the scenario of her enetering drag race has been playing in my mind. Like she's an old queen, an established name, people know her and when she eneters the girlies are gagged bc that's her!!!(i wrote Life Is Ours We Live It Our Way so drag queen Stevie will always be Princess Dingus to me <3).

And like the first mini challenge is a photo shoot and then they're all getting out of drag and while many have seen Stevie out of drag no one has really seen her get in and out of drag and they're all just shooketh as all these scars are revealed. I'm specifically thinking about the confessionals of another queen going like "I look over and Princess Dingus is wiping off her make up and she's just covered in scars. Bad ones. And im over here thinking like, girl, what the hell happened to you."

The competition goes on etc etc, I think Stevie wouldn't mention the scars at first, just go on. She's like one of the bitchy queens that is actually really sweet, think Bianca Del Rio (season 6). She of course has adopted one of the younger queens of the season. Then the producers push bc of drama so when they're getting ready, one of the other queens asks: "Who is that?" in regards to a picture with Eddie.

And Stevie will be like : "That's my husband." and everyone is of course saying how cute they look together whatever and then someone asks how they get together and Stevie just tells them: "We got held my a serial killer together back in '86 and then managed to escape during the earthquake that hit our town."

Like can you imagine the drama, the big eyes, the reactions. Just aghhh i love drag queen Stevie

!!!! holy shit i love life is ours!!!!!! one of the best Gender stevie fics out there, big fan!!!

and oh my godddd i love this, i think like. tv would love to milk her whole 'oh im scarred and thought i wasn't beautiful but drag made me feel better about myself :')' storyline and stevies just like. i mean. okay. do what you gotta for $100,000 ig (i feel like she wouldn't win but she would get miss congeniality bc even if she's kind of a bitch she just CANNOT turn off her mom energy)

also when the show comes out every week someone has to tie rob and eddie to chairs and lock their phones away for at least three days or else they'll start Ungodly Twitter Feuds over like. one slightly mean comment someone makes to stevie. god help whoever knocks her out of the competition

[aroaceconfessions]

So ahhhh

I'm aspec

I broke up with my allo partner of about 10 months

I hate how relieved I feel

I was lying about my feelings for him cause he couldn't except that what I felt wasn't what he could understand so I just said that I love him romantically and I think I've told him I find him sexually attractive

I don't love him like that, not in a way I actually recognize it as anyway and the whole sexually attracted thing was a lie

My friend, that honestly I adore more than I did him but i actually expressed with him, told me I was acting like a lovesick doll

And I was, I was a little Marionette doll for him and that hurt both of us

This entire experience was something I want to look back on fondly as it was the most free I felt from my cage but it was also one of most loneliest cause I noticed I felt lonely

We agreed we'd stay friends and I don't want to lose him or our mutual friends

I don't want to lose our mutual friend more than I don't want to lose him tho

I was friends with this mutual before we dated and because I was that he saw me as someone he wanted to date

I'm lost on how I'm supposed to live now we broke up cause I was basing my future on him being my partner

I'm terrified of being alone which is probably why I agreed to date him even tho it wasn't very alright with me

I was scared if I told him I didn't want to and was more forceful in saying no I'd be lonely

I can't imagine my life past a few more yrs time

And anything I do want to do with my life I can't until I'm way older and if I was to be with him that would have meant I'd be even longer before I could

He was taking the blame for the break up cause he needs someone perfect

I am no where near what he needs in a partner

We both knew this

I need someone who can keep me stable and he needs the same but we can be that for each other

I've tried and it isn't enough

I wasn't enough in any way

We're incompatible and I knew that the entire time but just didn't want to let go

And he couldn't either

We both have mental health issues

Every one around us was telling us to break up

It was a peaceful one on our own terms

He's my one and only shot at relationships like that

So many people had issues with how I wasn't telling him off for stuff that they thought was wrong like how I was 'letting' him talk to an ex of his or how he missed this other ex

Like yea that 2nd one hurt a bit and sent me spiralling the 1st time it was brought up

But I don't understand how people can go around policing other people's relationships like that

I was asked so many times how I was okay with letting him do shit with other people

Like what does that have to do with me???

He has friends and god I hate that mentality

It was stressing me out so fucking much that I was the only thing that made him happy - he'd say that to me

Like yea I understand why you're like that

But bloody hell why were other people so

Aghhh

Pushy with how they want us to act when you're 'together' with someone

I wouldn't put it past us to get back together

That really wouldn't be the best for either of us tho

[angloie]

Beach trips and I'm Falling in Love • 2.5/2

When Annabeth meets a strange boy on vacation, she doesn't expect for their relationship to grow much. He's... terribly sarcastic. Cocky. A not-so great match for her witty self. But after learning he visits the same beach every year she does, their strange friendship blooms into something more.

Their realtionship isn't the only thing that blooms over the yearsー that meaning a certain raven-haired boy.

genre ; childhood friends to lovers, fluff, strangers(?) to lovers, exchanging letters au, percabeth mortal au.

warnings ; swearing, suggestive(?) themes.

prev.

That night, Annabeth can't fall asleep.

(Percy can't either, because he can't stop thinking about Annabeth and how he thinks he saw her back there.)

What is Rachel to him?

Annabeth thinks. Her mind is something like a broken recordー stuck playing the question on repeat. 

Not that she could judge, however, if Percy enjoyed her company more than hers, then that would be... Fine. Just fine. Rachel was probably more close to him after all these years unlike the blonde; who has been away for six years.

When Annabeth turns on her side to look at the shell seated stop her bedside table, she grimaces.

"You better make sure to return it!"

"I'll be waiting!"

Why does that make her frown?

The morning comes slow, slower than Annabeth would like, when the birds start chirping and evening comes to dawn after her sleep-deprived thoughts. 

She knows that Percy's curled up inside his bed, (though certainly not the cabin he used to occupyー there's no one next door) snoring like he always does. She knows that Percy doesn't know that she's here, and Annabeth also knows that he'll be asleep until promptly one in the afternoon.

Annabeth thinks she'll meet him around sooner or later.

The lull of waves crashing across the shore gives her chills. Mornings, she now realizes, are the best part of the day.

The rose gold sun comes down in tiny slivers along the sand.

Percy is loyal. He's a great friend, much more than Annabeth deserves, witty and sarcastic.

Percy is not hers. He never was in the first place, really; him with his cocky smile and his big heart. That heart of his can only hold so much, can't it?

She starts to wonder if she's in there.

The shell in her pocket suddenly feels heavy when Annabeth reaches for it, the chipped and cracked coat somehow still intact. She'll give it to him when the time comes of course. Just not now. Annabeth couldn't even muster up the courage if she wanted to. 

So, sandaled feet dug into the sand, she scans her surroundings.

At first glance the beach is beach is deserted, aside from a few lingering beach-goers that occupy the waves on their surfboards and the sand with their umbrellas.

It's quite tranquil on her ownー  under the morning sun and all. She's been to beaches near her house back home,e but nothing can really beat this view.

Her eyes dart towards the ocean, where the surfers ride on the waves, laughing and cackling whenever one of their friends falls face-first into the cold waters. She laughs a bit, too, the scene reminds her of how she always used to fall when she was learning to surf.

Speaking of the surfers... They all look like they're having a blast. You know, Annabeth might start to think that the raven-haired guy looks like Percy, that he has the same smirk as him, but that's just illogical.

Right?

It's only until that they lock eyes is when Annabeth freezes.

Same sea green. Same sparkle.

Same Percy.

And it's only until he freezes, eyes widening and stopping to stare, is when she thinks Oh shit.

Then he's starting to come over, and her legs start moving on their own. 

Away from him.

This can't be happening. It can't be. Not when she's not ready, when she's too nervous to even muster a word, not when Annabeth can't even look at him without her heart racing like never before. 

She starts to walk faster. Not so fast that it looks suspicious, but fast as to escape his gaze and go back to her cabin.

Annabeth can hear him saying he needs to ‘do something' to his friends. Annabeth can also hear his surboard digging into the sand, as well as his footsteps getting closer and closer. So close, that she thinks it'll only be a few steps longer until he reaches her.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, Her thoughts get even more rapid, Can't the universe just wait for a second?

Annabeth completely shuts down when someone grabs her wrist.

"Annabeth?"

It takes so much to not year away, to not run, to not speak. It takes so much to turn her head and look at him, more, though, when his tone is the most heart melting thing she's heard in a long time. (good timing, really, and just when she's been trying to get all the feelings she holds for him.)

"Percy." She breathes out, eyes widening when she finally gets a good look of him.

He's... Grown. 

His shoulders are broader. His hair, once unruly and messy, is exactly like in the previous pictures he's sent: Perfectly perfect and endearing. Annabeth notices that he towers over her figure quite a bitー what happened to the scrawny little Percy? Back then, she could easily look over him; but now? It's quite the opposite.

There’s an air around him, too, one that makes Annabeth gulp and her thoughts race.

Holy fuck.

Before she can let out a single word, she's engulfed into a bone crushing hug.

Thats pretty much when it all hits her.

Sure, he's wet and damp and smelling like saltwater and sweat, but she can't really pay any mind to that. Percy's warm. His touch is soft, gentle, just as Annabeth remembers. 

Why was she avoiding him in the first place?

Just when she thinks that it's fineー that she will not tear up over something like thisー her body betrays her and she starts to sink further, further into the hug.

Is she tearing up right now?

"I missed you," Percy mumbles against her head in a way that makes her heart pound dangerously against her rib cage. “So much.”

So just like that, Annabeth nearly falls for him all over again.

"You dumbass!" She pushes him off, hands fumbling through her pockets. "I m-missed you more." Hands come to wipe at her fresh tears. 

“H-here!” Annabeth sniffs as she hands him the one thing her mind has been lingering on non-stop: the shell.

He, blurry eyed and open mouthed, looks taken aback. For a second she thinks that he might be angry. That is, until he smiles.

“You kept it?” Percy asks. It's almost like he can't really believe it, like he didn't really expect her to keep it. 

"Of course I did, seaweed brain,” She gives a lopsided toothy smile. It doesn't really match her flushed face, but who's paying attention to that? 

When he looks at it fondly in his hands, Percy smiles to himself. “Its been too long, wisegirl." He looks her up and down. “You’ve changed."

She raises a eyebrow. "Like in a bad way?"

“N-no!” He's quick to correct himself. His looks the other way, trying to discreetly hide his blush. "No. Like i-in a... uhm- fuck." Percy covers his face.

"You've changed too.” Annabeth grins. “In a good way."

They smile each other for a second before someone from the shore line calls out Percy's name. He whips around, scowl growing on his face.

"I'll be back soon!" Percy rolls his eyes. He then turns to her.

"We should catch up," he says frantically, thoughts running on overdrive, "Have you been downtown yet? I'm staying at a new cabin a while away from hereー I'll take you there soon. Oh! And have you been to our spot? We can visit there later if you want.”

Annabeth cringes when the words fall from his lips. Our spot. She chews on her bottom lip. She can't really blame him for taking someone up there. Not even if she wanted to.

The rest of the day, and the next day after that, is bittersweet.

"I-Id be happy to.”

The sweetness is seeing Sally again. It's eating her famous blue cookies with Percy wearing bright smiles and her sporting the new sweater Sally crocheted. It's surfing for hours on end, it's playing with their dogs and meeting Mrs. O'Leary.

The sweetness is being with Percy once again; even if she does cringe when they go to their spot again.

The bitter, on the other hand, is meeting her.

Rachel.

Don't get her wrong. Annabeth was never much of a possessive or jealous person; and she still is not. She's level-headed, logical, and observative. Rachel is... Fine. She's crafty, Annabeth can tell by her paint-stained clothing and wry smile. She's pretty cool too. Rachel doesn't seem to have much of a problem getting along with her, so why does she feel so off about her?

"I'm Rachel," Annabeth remembers her smile quite clearly: It didn't quite reach her eyes. Or maybe Annabeth was just over-analyzing things? "It's nice to meet you, Annabeth!"

"Likewise." Annabeth gave a small smile. “Percy’s told me a lot about you."

“Oh, has he?” She giggled, "Well, I hope it's all good things." Rachel gave a teasing look towards Percy. 

Now thinking about it, Annabeth might have been a teeny-bit judgy. 

Percy, munching on a blue cookie, looks at her from his spot in his room. He narrows his eyes at her.

"I couldn't help but notice," He starts, as if reading her mind. "That you were a little on edge about Rachel.”

"Was I now?” She lazily questions, head hanging off his bed. 

“I think so." Percy hums.

"I was not," Annabeth scoffs. “I was just... Cautious."

"What's there to be cautious about?” He asks, spinning three times on the chair near his desk. He pauses to let the dizziness swirl his vision before coming back to look at her. the dog beside him, Mrs. O'Leary wags her tail lazily.

She sighs. "Nothing, I guess? It's just... Y'know what? Nevermind.”

"Spit it out.”

"No!”

"Yes!”

“No!”

“I’ll make you a container of blue cookies for the next three days?"

"...Fine!" Annabeth breathes after a beat.

She stretchesh her arms high above above her head. “What... W-what is she to you?”

Percy freezes, and she instantly goes into a panicky state. “Actually- Ignore that. Thats a stupid question so you don't need to answer, I just really-”

“Aww, is my little Annie jealous?" He unironicaly coos, “Don’t worry about it. Rachel's great."

Annabeth notices that Percy says her name in a intimate way. She notices how heat instantly flushes her face. She also notices that how he never answers her question in a way she'll understand.

Now that she's left hanging, Annabeth really can't stop more questions from flowing in her mind. 

Annabeth thinks that she's really been underreacting about Percy and his air of coolness. or maybe likeability?

Her arms flop down, and Mrs. O'Leary woofs.

Popularity?

Whatever it is, anyone can tell that Percy's much more than the dorky lame kid that used to be.

The group of girls that giggle and twirl their hair as they stare at him from their spot under an umbrella can surely see that, too.

It's not even those girls (who for the fact are pretty, much prettier than Annabeth) that can see that. Her neighbours talk about the 'handsome and nice young man that helped me carry my groceries'. (Guilty as chargedー the one and only Percy) or the 'Attractive boy who surfs early in the morning'.

The grannies at downtown's farmers market even gossip behind his back and treat him like some sort of Greek god with a perfectly structured jawline with a fit build and coy smile.

Oh, and did she mention he's as hot as the fucking sun?

(Which he, Annabeth thinks, owns up to.)

(She's really whipped for him.)

But he's respected her boundaries so far, so she'll keep her M rated thoughts to herself. But it's so fucking hard to not stare when he, clad in nothing but loose swimming shorts, shows up to her room at the crack of dawn.

"Looks like you're the talk of the town," Annabeth says teasingly as they settle into the sand. The umbrella provides the cool shade desperately need, to which Annabeth relishes in. “Is seaweed brain..." She feigns a fake gasp. “Actually likeable now?”

Percy threatens to shove a handful of sand down her throat, and she shuts up.

"Whatever," He mutters under his breath, eyes looking away from hers. For some reason he's avoiding looking at her. Annabeth thinks he's just embarrassed, but the way Percy steals glances at her when she's not looking, says otherwise.

"So where's Rachel?” She absent-mindedly asks. Not that she genuinely cares, or whatever, but theres really nothing else that occupies her mind. 

“Around,” He replies. "She told me she's going shopping in the next town for some swimsuits. Or something.”

"Ah."

A seagull screeches from above.

“Wanna see who gets in the water first?"

Annabeth already jolts upwards into a sprint towards the shoreline. "Hey! No fair!”

So the next while is spent with nothing but firendly smiles and secretive glances from Percy, surfing and swimming and having the most fun they've had together in a while. Annabeth grabs his ankle from under the waves, and she thinks that that might be the loudest scream she's ever heard.

Percy, mind stuck with thoughts on revenge, tried to come up with a scare of his own, until his lame scare comes out as throwing a peice of seaweed on her forehead.

 “Lameass!" She laughs, popping her head above the water.

“Smartass!” He yells back, eye twitching and tone sarcastic.

It isn't until the sun sets and the crabs crawl back into their caves is when they both flop back into the sand. Tired. Exhausted. Muscles sore and skin sunburnt.

For a solid thirty minutes it's just comftorable silence as the waves set the soundtrack. Along with the occasisonal him of the ocean, or even the cries of the cicadas back where the beach grass is.

For a solid thirty minutes, Annabeth thinks that she couldn't be more happier.

For a solid thirty minutes, all is calm, all is well, and nothing could be more perfect.

She closes her eyes for a minute thinking that she can spare one nap. Thinking that Percy will just wake me up, so it's fine if I snooze off, right? 

Annabeth dozes off with thoughts of him.

When she wakes up, Pery isn't beside her.

Nor is he on the beach.

For a hot minute Annabeth freaks out, squinting through the darkness to search for his figure. The lantern her doesn't really provide much light, let alone three feet away from her.

But then she sees that his surfboard isn't wedged into the ground, and his things are still there.

So where is he?

Oh. Annabeth thinks lamely to herself when she spots the figure swaying with the waves atop his surfboard. There he is.

It's illogical, really, for her to go after him.

If you don't go, that Rachel girl's got him forever, her head prods, you'll lose him forever.

It's even more illogical when Annabeth grabs her surfboard with a determined look; sandy hair and all.

The waves are calm tonight. No huge crashing of the chilled water, no raging seas or bitterly cold air. The clouds enclose the pale moon, only tiny beams managing to escape. She thinks it casts a blue hue to everything.

Using her arm to paddle her way over, Annabeth catches a glimpse at the stars.

Gods, the stars.

They're brightー brighter than the city that isー and bigger, too. They shine in a way that leaves Annabeth breathless.

Percy hums when she closes in next to him. His limbs dangle off of the surfboard and into the cool waters, occasionally shifting to keep steady. She hums back in reply.

A small wave laps across the shore.

 “That's Perseus.” Annabeth says lazily. She lays down, too, hair splayed across the board. "The constellation, I mean.”

“Perseus, huh?" Percy follows where she points: diagonal from the pair. “Like my name?"

"Like the Greek hero Perseus.” She murmurs quietly.

“You've told me about him." He recalls, "He slayed Medusa and saved Andromeda, right?"

"Mhm," Annabeth nods. "He also had a happy ending. That is, for most Greek heroes.”

She smiles to herself, and Percy can't really think of anything more beautiful than her.

Believe it or not, Percy is good at hiding things. 

Like when he hides the secret stash of snacks under his bed from his mom, (for three years straight and running) or when he hid Mrs. O'Leary when she was just a pup in his closet.

He likes to think that he's good at hiding his feelings too.

Feelings about Annabeth, of course.

Not that he really has anything for herー it's just that whenever he sees her he gets a fluttery feeling in his stomach, his voice gets all awkward, his mind instantly goes to how fucking gorgeous she looks, and how she practically radiates coolness and calm.

Okay. So what if he's head over heels for her?

Percy thinks it started a while ago.

He thinks it started when Rachel first called him seaweed brain.

“-Seaweed brain,” it falls from her lips on a warm spring day, when they're sitting in his room while it rains. 

Percy freezes to look at her. "What?"

“I said It raining cats and dogs out there,” Rachel repeats, “Seaweed brain."

When she catches the slightly shocked look on his face, she frowns. “Something wrong?”

"No,” He murmurs, looking down. "Actually- kinda. that nickname just threw me off a bit, I guess.” Percy give a lopsided smile.

Annabeth only calls me that, he thinks. It feels weird when you say it.

“Oh." She deadpans. “Should I not call you that then? I saw that Annabeth girl call you that, like, a ton of times in one of her letters.” Her eyebrows raise, and Percy reels.

“You were reading my letters?" He frowns. “...Whatever. The nickname- its kind of a personal thing. You know, between me and, uh... her. It'd be cool if you didn't say it.”

“Oh. Okay.” Rachel huffs.

Somehow, Percy never labeled it as love.

Percy didn't label it as love when Annabeth became the ‘nothing!' that came out of his mouth when Sally asked why he was smiling so much. Not when he couldn't stop staring at her in her swecause fuck, she looks so good. Not when Percy was confused on why his love for her became something more.

But that night, that one single night, when Annabeth came to join him under the stars, is when he thought otherwise.

With sunkissed sunburnt skin, 

lips cracked and dry,

moonlight against her face,

The last day of Annabeth's vacation comes on a sunny humid day with the clouds nowhere to be seen. 

He did label it love.

There isn't an air of despair, however, Annabeth'll be back next year for a solid week in winter. College would be a pain, so she'll have one last vacation with her family before she starts her career.

For some reason Percy isn't sad when the news comes to him on her college. New Rome, a prestigious school in the middle of both their cities. All he gives is a coy grin; she can't wrap her mind around hit quite yet.

 "You got plans tonight?” Percy asks suddenly, his voice echoing through Annabeth's room. 

“No.” She tilts her head. “Why? Got something planned?"

“Yeah, actually.” He grins. “We're going to a party of a friend of mine.”

“What?" Annabeth nearly falls off her bed, eyes widened and mouth agape. A party? Tonight? 

“Yup! You better get ready, 'cuz we're leaving in...” Percy checks the clock on her bed side table. "Two hours. See ya!" Is all he says before he hopes out of her window. 

Annabeth nearly screams, but remembers that he's been climbing and jumping out of her window for years now. she lets out a ragged sigh of relief.

"Fuck you!” She yells out to his figure, already dashing away. He turns around, sly smirk on his face.

“Only if you watch!" 

And then he's gone, leaving Annabeth with a red hot face and a flustered mess.

Fuck.

.

.

The next two hours is- um, well...

Chaotic.

Just plain chaotic.

Her who closet is thrown into her bed in a contemplation what to wear. Light or dark? Whats the occasion? How much people are attending? What's the setting?

You're overthinking things again, Annabeth's mind jolts. Just throw something on!

Along with chaotic, she would also describe the scene as a fever dream. 

She opts to wear a black bodycon dress with stringy ties and a loose and light jacket. Annabeth can't really deceive the rest of her look- her mind is all gushy and mushy.

So here she is, standing in front of the booming house, (Percy didn't even bother to drive here there, the jerk) hands fidgeting like she can't stop.

(She can't.)

Annabeth takes a deep breath. She won't be here for a while, so whats she so afraid about? Sure, there's somone puking in a bush that she wants no part in, and there might be concerning sounds coming from inside the huge building, but who's paying attention to that?

Before she can back out, a voice calls out her name.

"Wisegirl!" Percy beams, “Hey!”

“Seaweed brain.” Annabeth crosses her arms as a her bottom lip juts out. "We're were you?"

“Lets not focus on that." He nervously laughs. “But c'mon inside. I want you to meet a few people.”

"Hm?”

The house is just as bad as she thought.

Red Solo cups everywhere, the smell of alcohol and cigarettes especially strong near the kitchen and couches. Bodies bump into her here and there like some sort of mosh pit. They don't even apologize, instead murmuring something with a tipsy tone.

"Grover!" Percy calls a guy over. "Don't you remember Annabeth?”

"Annabeth?" Grover, what she can assume is his friend, looks over to them. His eyes light up when he meets her gaze.

"It's been a while!" Annabeth smiles. Grover! It's been a minute since she's seen him, back when they were all kids. She fondly remembers beach trips with him back then, eating popsicles on her cabin stairs and all.

“It certainly has,” He sighs happily.

Percy then introduces her to many others: Hazel, a bright girl with a even brighter smile, Frank, a towering guy with a friendly touch, Jasonー a blonde guy with a oddly stapler shaped scar on his lip, Piper, a bubbly girl with a flirtatious smile. 

She'd go on about more of them, but at that point Annabeth would be rambling.

"Have you seen Percy around?" Annabeth asks to Grover when she loses him in the bustling crowd.

He nods his head no, and someone tugs on her arm.

“C'monnnn," A girl she met earlier drunkenly tugs harder, “We’re playing truth or dare downstairs!"

She wants do pull away, say no, but then Annabeth spots him in the crowd with people slung around him.

By the looks of it, they're flirting with him, words forming and lips ruling into flirtatious smiles. They touch him in ways that make her cringe. 

Annabeth hates herself for frowning and continuing to stare. The worst part, thinks, is that he's not trying to pull away. Nor is he denying their actions. In fact, he's indulging in it. 

Shit. She shouldn't be thinking this way. Percy's popular and nice. He's bound to attract a few people, and he's not hers.

Annabeth was never the jealous type, but for now she can let the horriblefeeling in her stomach slide just this once. 

She accepts the girl's prodding with a feignged smile.

[yehet-about-it]

I Like Me Better | 10 - An Evening Interrupted

~ A Wayv Social Media AU Series ~

< Prev || Series Masterlist || Next >

Synopsis: You’ve just moved into a new apartment with your best friend Yangyang, but you’re immediately faced with a problem: your incredibly noisy upstairs neighbour Xiao Dejun, or to friends, Xiaojun. You spend the first few weeks of your acquaintance hating his guts, but after a sincere apology and a fascinating revelation about his passions and motivations you slowly begin to see past his cold exterior to discover the real him. What will happen as you get closer to this troubled boy and how will those closest to you react?

Pairing: Reader x Xiao Jun

Themes and Warnings: Explicit language, mild sexual content, mild violence and references to drinking/alcohol. Deals with themes of toxic masculinity, insecurity, gaslighting (sort of), and jealousy…

A/N: Sorry it's late today! I forgot to schedule the post for today and it took a while to edit!!

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Word Count: 1.9k Summary: This is literally just Kun being a badass dad friend... Not my best writing, but enjoy! ;)

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You sighed contentedly as you washed up the last of the dishes, draining the sink as Kun folded the dish towel, neatly hanging it on the towel rail. You’d had a pleasant evening cooking with him, making a number of Chinese dishes you’d wanted to try, like hot and sour stir-fried napa cabbage and beef noodle soup. You’d originally wanted to do all the cooking yourself and surprise the boys, but seeing as though now it was just the two of you, you’d thought it probably best to make use of Kun’s culinary skills. Having thoroughly tidied the kitchen and boxed up all the leftovers for Winwin and Yangyang, the pair of you made your way to the living room, dropping down onto the sofa which had become your pride and joy of your apartment. “Ahh I’m so full,” you said, exhaling heavily. “That was so good!” Kun chuckled. “Yeah, it turned out quite well,” he said, shifting the cushions behind him. You internally fist-pumped, secretly a little bit pleased that Kun enjoyed your meal. To be complimented on your cooking skills by chef Kun himself was the highest honour, although you couldn’t take all the credit since he’d actually done half the work. “Mainly thanks to you,” you said, smiling at him appreciatively, to which Kun chuckled dismissively. “Ah, you did most of the work, I was just your assistant,” he said. “A very helpful assistant,” you replied pointedly. “Wanna watch a movie then?” you asked as you reached for the remote control off the coffee table. “Sure, what were you thinking?” “Hmm, I’m not sure,” you said, wearily switching on the TV and xbox. You spent the next few minutes browsing Netflix to find something to watch and once you’d settled on a film you shifted closer to Kun, reaching for the blanket which had been lying haphazardly at the end of the sofa to keep you both cosy.

A few minutes into the movie, you felt the ceiling begin to vibrate and the heavy echo of pounding bass surge into the room. Kun turned to you to give you a look that seemed to say ‘what on earth?’ and you leaned your head back, letting out a frustrated groan realising that yet again it was your neighbour’s ridiculously loud music interrupting what was supposed to be a relaxing evening. “Is it always like this?” Kun asked, frowning. You shrugged. “I mean, it’s not everyday, but it’s pretty much always this loud…” You pouted sinking lower under the blanket. “I didn’t realise it was this bad. I’m surprised you get any sleep at all. I mean how can people be so inconsiderate?” You could hear the irritation in Kun’s voice. You were pretty angry about the constant noise emanating from upstairs, but you were generally quite passive whereas you could clearly tell Kun was starting to get pissed. “Yeah, I don’t know. It sucks, but I guess we’ve kind of gotten used to it now,” you replied. “How are you supposed to get used to it when you can barely even hear your own TV over it? You shouldn’t have to put up with it.” Kun said matter-of-factly. You groaned in response, burying your face in the blanket. “Aghhh I know, but it’s not like I can do much about it, I already tried asking him…” you whined, looking up at Kun in exasperation, but he met you with what can only be described as an unsympathetic look. “Of course you can do something about it! Why don’t you just talk to him again? And actually assert yourself this time? Or if that doesn’t work just talk to the building manager or put in a complaint or something. Honestly, you and Yangyang are hopeless…” He did have a point. There was plenty you could do but you just didn’t have the guts to do it. You were rather non-confrontational and didn’t want to end up in a nasty row with your neighbour after only one month of living there, but it seemed Kun had other ideas. “Ughh Kun, you know I don’t like confrontation. I don’t want to end up with a neighbour that hates me,” you said. Kun sighed. “So you’d rather have to put up with this everyday for the foreseeable future than have some asshole who’s not worth your time potentially dislike you?” You looked back at Kun sheepishly, almost as though you were a student who’d just been caught acting up by their teacher. You knew he was right, and you were being irrational, since Dejun’s music caused you problems daily, not to mention reducing your nightly sleep to an average of 4 hours, but you just didn’t have it in you to confront the issue. There was a pause before Kun pushed the blanket off his knees and stood up. “Well, if you’re not going to do anything then I will,” he said, before taking off toward the entrance hall of your apartment. “Wait what?!” you shreiked, panic bubbling up inside you at the thought of what he was going to do, and leaping to your feet you scurried down the hall after him. Kun swung your front door open as you caught up to him, and marched out of your apartment, turning to go up the stairs to the next floor. Now realising his intentions, you halted at the door, too embarrassed to also make an appearance at your neighbours door. Instead you stayed in the doorway peering round to the stairs and watching as Kun ascended. “Kun!” You squeaked. “What are you doing?!” Kun barely paused to look back at you before continuing on upwards.

As much as you wanted to chase after him and drag him back down the stairs, by the determined expression on his face you knew there was no point, so you stayed put, but after wedging your door open with one of Yangyang’s shoes that was cluttering up the entrance, you moved a little closer to the bottom of the stairs so as to try and hear what was going on. Soon you heard the clunk of a door opening, but clearly the walls were too thick, or something like that, as all you could hear was a faint mumbling, and you could only pick out one or two words. Nonetheless, you decided to stay there and listen, waiting in anticipation for the outcome of Kun’s abrupt disturbance of your neighbour’s evening.

~ Upstairs – Kun’s POV ~

“Yeah?” Xiaojun answered the door wearing a black long-sleeved t-shirt and sweatpants, his dark brown hair flopping softly down over his equally dark eyes. His expression was one of disinterest, Kun thought, which only served to fuel his irritation. “Hi, I’m Kun. I’m a friend of y/n downstairs?” Kun faltered a little in his conviction. Confrontation wasn’t really in his nature, however his years battling to make it in such a competitive industry as his had taught him to take control and make a stand when he needed, so after taking a split-second to recompose himself, he spoke again, this time his voice much firmer. “We were wondering if you could possibly turn your music down. It’s incredibly loud and right now we’re trying to watch TV and it’s quite distracting. And actually y/n said it’s been a problem before.” “Huh. Why doesn’t y/n come ask me herself then since she’s the one who actually lives here?” Xiaojun challenged. Kun growled internally. The cheek of this guy. “I believe she already did, but apparently you didn’t listen, so I thought you might need a reminder,” Kun jabbed, becoming a little passive-aggressive. Xiaojun raised his eyebrows, sensing the frustration in Kun’s voice and scoffed. “What, you her boyfriend or something?” With every passing second Kun grew to dislike Xiaojun more and more, and that remark certainly didn’t help one bit, thus, deciding that he’d had enough of the shorter man’s attitude he decided to throw all pleasantries aside. He was done being nice. “So what if I am?” He said, standing taller, but to Kun’s displeasure, Xiaojun just chuckled darkly looking at the ground before lifting his eyes and smirking at the older man in front of him. “Heh, pretty bad boyfriend if she’s still using Tinder…” Kun clenched his jaw. Clearly that Lucas guy had been talking, making his tactic completely useless, but who the hell did this guy think he was? This level of antagonism was completely unreasonable, and over what? Turning some goddamn music down. “Look,” Kun said. “I don’t want any trouble, but could you please just turn the music down? Y/n’s tired all the time these days because your music keeps her up all hours and she has to get up to go to work early in the morning. Just because you’re a failed musician or something doesn’t mean no one else has jobs to go to.”Kun hadn’t intended on saying the last part of his speech, since he knew himself how hard an industry it was to break into, and it wasn’t really his style to shame someone like that, but something about Xiaojun’s attitude just made him annoyed beyond reasonable reaction and boy did his outburst hit a nerve. “Excuse me?” Xiaojun replied, his voice much louder than before and his posture much more aggressive compared to the casual position he had been in just seconds ago. But Kun wouldn’t be intimidated, and glared at Xiaojun, looking him directly in the eyes to make one final comment. “Just keep it down, or we’ll be putting in a formal complaint”. “Yeah, whatever,” was the only reply Xiaojun gave, before stepping back and shutting the door in Kun’s face. Could’ve gone better, but it certainly got the message across.

~ Downstairs – Your PoV ~

You stood in the stairwell fidgeting your hands and straining to listen to the exchange between the two men upstairs. It had only been a couple of minutes but it was making you tense nonetheless. You were silently willing Kun to waltz down the stairs saying everything was fine but suddenly you heard a voice from upstairs much more clearly. Your eyes widened and you cringed as you heard Xiaojun’s raised voice rhetorically asking “excuse me?!”, realising the conversation wasn’t going as pleasantly as you had hoped. You weren’t sure you wanted to hear the rest of it, but you kept on listening. Luckily for you however, the voices returned to the same muffled humming as before, until you heard a door slam, Kun emerging on the stairs a moment later. “Kun! What happened?!” you whisper-shouted, as though you were afraid Xiaojun might hear you, moving out of the way as Kun strode past you before following him back into your apartment. Kun stopped in the hallway briefly to look at you. “Lets just say I don’t think he’ll be bothering you anymore.” You wanted to ask what on earth had gone on, but clearly that was all Kun was willing to say on the matter, so you simply followed him back to the living room where he flopped down onto his place on the couch. “Come on then, now we can actually watch the movie,” Kun said, stretching his arm out to you as you wandered towards the couch. Obediently, you took his hand and he pulled you down next to him so you leant against his shoulder, throwing the blanket that had earlier fallen to the floor over you both, and with that you spent the rest of the evening watching the film in peace, but with the niggling thought in the back of your mind that your neighbour Xiaojun may very well have just put you on a vendetta list.

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[razieltwelve]

Hiding and Seeking (Final Rose AU)

This is set in the Penny x Ruby x Weiss AU.

X     X     X

“Heheheh!” Li struck a pose as she cackled malevolently at Luna and flexed her biceps. “You’re no match for us at hide and seek!”

Alison nudged her with her elbow. “Try to be nicer when you win.”

Luna huffed at her cousin. “You’re only beating me because you’re a Faunus.”

“That’s not true,” Li protested. “I’m beating you because I’m awesome.”

“Actually,” Alison pointed out. “The only reason you can find her when she hides is because you’re following her scent.”

Li huffed. “There’s no rule saying that Luna can’t try the same. It’s not my fault that my sense of smell is better.”

“You could still be nicer about it,” Alison insisted. “Blake Mom is always telling you to be a better winner.”

“Well, I bet you couldn’t beat my Penny Mom,” Luna declared. “She’s invincible at hide and seek!”

“Yeah?” Li folded her arms across her chest. “Go get her. I’ll beat her right now because I’m even more invincible.”

Alison sighed. “That’s not how invincibility works.”

X     X     X

Fact #1: As a cat Faunus, Li’s sense of smell was roughly ten to fifteen times more sensitive than a human’s.

Fact #2: Penny’s stealth capabilities included near-complete scent suppression.

X     X     X

Li huffed and smelled the air again. It was like Luna’s Penny Mom had just vanished completely. There was definitely a scent trail leading from the house into the garden, but after that it just vanished. 

“Hah!” Luna jabbed one finger at Li and danced a merry jig around her in a display of sportsmanship that was the equal to Li’s earlier gloating. “You can’t find her, can you?”

“I can totally find her!” Li sniffed the air again. There had to be some trick to it. People couldn’t just make their scent disappear. 

“You’d better hurry up then.” Luna was grinning from ear to ear. “Because you’re running out of time.”

X     X     X

Fact #3: Penny’s stealth capabilities also included adaptive camouflage across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, as well as Aura suppression and sound suppression. Essentially, she can turn invisible.

Fact #4: Penny had moved precisely three feet to the right of her starting position and was currently floating an inch off the ground, so as not to leave any impressions in the grass.

X     X     X

“AGHHH!” Li threw her hands up in frustration. “Fine! I'm out of time! Your Penny Mom wins.” 

“I told you so!” Luna resumed her merry jigging and finger jabbing as Alison did her best to hold back her irate twin. “Penny Mom, you can come out now.”

“You weren’t that far off,” Penny said to Li, appearing behind her.

“AHHHHH!” Li did a magnificent impression of a cat as she leapt into the air and then landed in a crouch. “What? You were there the whole time?”

Penny nodded. “Yes.”

Li’s eye twitched. “But how come I couldn’t smell you?”

“I can suppress my scent.”

“But shouldn’t I have heard you breathing or something?” Li asked.

“I can suppress sound around myself, but...” Penny smiled. “What makes you think I need to breathe?”

“Because...” Li covered her face with her hands. “You don’t need to breathe, do you?”

“No.” Penny’s smile widened. “I also don’t have quite the same sort of heart as you do although I suppose my Aura Core might qualify as a heart of sorts.” Penny rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Then again, if you think of the heart as the organ that pumps blood through your body, then you might be able to say that I have several since I do have multiple ultra-small-scale anti-matter reactors...”

Li made a face and looked at Alison. “Do you think that counts as cheating?”

“I don’t think so.” Alison chuckled. “Just admit you lost.”

“I guess...” Li sighed and then struck another pose. “But I’ll win next time! Or my name isn’t Li Xiao-Long-Rose-Branwen-Belladonna-Schnee-Nabaat!”

Luna snickered. “Heh. Your name is way too long.”

Penny raised one eyebrow and ruffled Luna’s hair. “I think yours is just as long, Luna.”

“What?” Luna’s brows furrowed. “Actually...” She whispered to herself. “Luna Rose-Xiao-Long-Branwen-Schnee-Polendina... uh oh.” 

X     X     X

Author’s Notes

Heh. Li can be a bit of a troll, and Luna isn’t someone who’ll take that behaviour from someone else although it’s really all just in jest. Alison is the calm one out of the three, so things generally work out. But, yeah, don’t challenge Penny to a game of hide and seek unless you’ve got some really great senses or abilities.

Funnily enough, Li could theoretically win if she brought along someone who lives nearby. Pyrrha and her family live nearby and although Penny’s adaptive camouflage would normally conceal her from any electromagnetic sensor techniques, Pyrrha’s mastery of her Semblance is such that she would be able to notice the minute differences. 

Also, their surnames are a reference to the struggle their grandparents had. In this AU, Summer, Taiyang, and Raven are a thing, but they could never quite settle on what their combined surname should be. In the end, they kind of just went ‘screw it we’ll hyphenate’ resulting in something of a monstrosity. The reason Luna’s surname starts with Rose and not Xiao-Long is due to Ruby choosing to have her surname start with Rose because of her similarity to her mother while Yang opted to start hers with Xiao-Long due to her similarity to her father (and the fact that Raven only returned later).

This has led to all sorts of legal aggravation that persists well into the future. As for why Li has Nabaat at the end of her name, it’s because Neo took Nabaat as a surname after eventually getting adopted by Jihl. Yes, Jihl eventually admitted that she saw Neo as a daughter and not as a tool. It only took years of badgering from Lebreau and amused taunting from Jahne.

Contrast this naming debacle with Averia’s situation. Her name after marrying Elsa is simply Averia Yun-Farron Arendelle although, amusingly, Elsa signs her private correspondence with Averia as Elsa Yun-Farron. Meanwhile, Serah is chilling as Serah Villiers.

[set-phasers-to-whump]

“don’t look”

prompt: “don’t look”

whumpee: kurt wallander

fandom: young wallander

hi i am going to be honest this may very well Suck...i am not feeling very good which is just Great and i didn’t spend a lot of time like, writing or editing so idk

Something creaks ominously above him. Kurt glances up, seeing only the various pieces of the top part of the building - pipes and tubes and other metal parts of the like, presumably part of the building’s heating and plumbing systems. Seeing nothing of importance, Kurt shrugs and continues on behind Rask, their footsteps echoing off the concrete floor. 

All of a sudden the creaking noise returns, and then there’s a sort of rumbling, shuddering sound, and Kurt again looks up in time to see a large metallic box - air conditioning unit, maybe? - which is about to fall directly on top of him. 

He dives out of the way, hitting the concrete hard, and covers the back of his neck with his hands until the noise of the thing crashing down subsides. 

Kurt moves to get up, blinking open his eyes in the dust, but finds he can’t. His left leg isn’t moving, and he feels something pressing into it. He tries again to move the leg, but feels a strange sensation in it, even as it moves a tiny bit. Something tells him to stop, so he does, then raises his head to get a look at whatever it is that’s stopping him from moving. 

“Don’t look,” Rask says from next to him, a warning tone in her voice, but of course the second she says it, he has to look. 

As soon as his eyes light on his leg, he feels a wave of dizziness and nausea roll through his body, followed quickly by a pain greater than anything he’s ever felt before. 

He can’t tear his eyes away from it all, in a sick kind of fascination. There’s a metal...box of some kind, what he presumes had produced the ominous creaking sound, sitting on his leg, which is absolutely screaming in pain. Even though quite a bit of the injury is hidden to him, courtesy of the metal box currently atop it, he can see enough of it, from when he’d tried to pull himself away. 

His leg is mangled, there’s no other word for it. If he concentrates hard enough he can see the bone sticking out through the skin, horribly white and pale and covered in blood. It looks almost alien, and it absolutely terrifies him to look at it. 

It also hurts more than anything he has ever experienced in his whole life, a crushing, breathtaking, and unbearably hot pain. 

He screams, unable to stop himself. It’s raw and unending, a mix of pure pain and terror at the sight of his leg looking not at all like it should, and hurting more than he thinks can even be possible. 

Dimly, Kurt registers hands touching him, voices above him saying something, but he’s disconnected from all of it. The only thing he can really feel is the pain. 

He passes out just as his voice breaks from the screaming. 

—

He wakes up once, lying down, voices all around him. He’s curiously numb and feels really weird, dizzy and lightheaded and completely disoriented. He passes out again as he’s trying desperately to think of where he is. 

—

The next time he wakes up, he stays awake, and he still feels kind of numb, but fairly normal, if tired, otherwise. 

He looks around himself, pointedly not focusing on the cast on his left leg, which evokes some kind of subconscious pain just from looking at it. The room he’s in is empty, save for him, and for Reza, who is standing by a window. 

“Hey,” Kurt says to him, voice scratchy. 

Reza comes over immediately, looking Kurt over with scrutinizing eyes. 

“Hey,” he echoes. “How you feeling?”

Kurt shrugs. “Okay,” he says. Nothing really hurts, except his throat, and he thinks overall he could be doing a lot worse. 

“Here,” Reza says, and he carefully hands Kurt a plastic cup of water from the table next to his bed. 

Kurt drinks the water, which feels nice on his aching throat. He wonders why it hurts, feels the hint of a memory, but decides not to dwell on that too long. It can’t be anything good. 

Someone knocks at the door then, and Reza gets up. Kurt watches, sees him make some kind of gesture through its window. 

“Close your eyes,” Reza instructs. “Don’t look.”

Kurt obliges, though he can’t help feeling a sense of unease at Reza’s words. His eyes slip closed, and he feels his body already trying to sleep again. 

“Open!” cries a young voice that is definitely not Reza. Kurt opens his eyes, thoughts of sleep forgotten, momentarily stunned by the scene around him. 

Reza’s still there, to his right, but now Jas is there, too, holding Reza’s hand, and Shaba’s standing between them, grinning at him. At the end of the bed stands Rask, and behind her a few other members of the Major Crimes division. To his left is Mona, a small smile on her face that is equal parts worried and fond. 

He finds himself physically incapable of speaking for a moment as he takes them all in. Shaba climbs into the bed next to him, throwing surprisingly gentle arms around his neck. 

“Shaba!” Jasmine scolds, but Kurt shakes his head.

“It’s all right, Jas.”

She looks at him worriedly for a second before stepping closer and putting a hand to his cheek. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she says. 

He feels his face heat up slightly at the thought that anyone had been worried about him, as Reza sets a hand on his shoulder. 

“We’re all glad you’re okay,” he adds, turning and kissing his wife on the cheek. 

Rask moves closer and pats him on his uninjured foot. “Don’t you fu-” she stops, eyes landing on Shaba, still sitting next to Kurt. “Don’t you do that again,” she warns, and Kurt feels like this is a bit unfair - it’s not like he asked to get crushed by a...whatever the hell that thing had been. Air conditioning unit, maybe? He tries to remember if the metal had felt cold, but all he can remember is blinding pain, so he abandons that train of thought and simply replies, “I’ll try my best not to.”

Mona goes last, running a hand through his hair and pressing a kiss to his forehead. She presses their foreheads together and whispers, “you scared me, Kurt.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay, I know it’s not your fault,” she reassures. “You don’t need to apologize. Just get better, yeah?”

He nods. He can do that, he thinks. Probably. 

“And don’t you think you’re gonna be alone in that,” Reza says, and Kurt turns his head quickly to look at his best friend, having momentarily forgotten that they’d had an audience. 

“We’re all gonna be here for you,” Reza asserts, and Kurt sees everyone else nod in agreement. It’s a bit overwhelming, really, to have this proof laid in front of him that he is surrounded by people who care about him. He can’t stop a few tears from welling in his eyes, and he sniffs, trying to stop them before anyone sees.  

“Don’t cry, Uncle Kurt,” Shaba says, putting a small hand to his face. “We’re gonna make you all better.”

He smiles at her, raises a tired hand to ruffle affectionately through her hair. “I know you will,” he says, looking around the room, worried that someone might disagree, even now. 

“Of course we will,” says Rask, of all people. 

“We’ve got you,” Reza agrees. 

“Always,” adds Jasmine. 

“We’re here, Kurt,” finishes Mona. 

He knows he ought to be feeling a lot of things right now - upset at his injury, worried about the road ahead, pained by the memory of being crushed - but as he looks around the room, packed full of the people he cares about, and who care about him, all he can feel is happiness. 

thanks for reading this and sorry if it sucked! aghhh

[mandelene]

For your drabbles: Can you write one with doctor/dentist RusAme of Alfred or Ivan taking care of each other, please?

Sure thing. 💖 Here’s what I came up with! Enjoy! 

Home Improvement

Word Count: 955

“Dr. Braginsky, your husband is in bed eleven and he’s asking for you. He’s got a nail in his hand.” 

“What?”

“He shot himself with a nail gun,” the nurse explains.

Ivan can feel his heart skip a beat, and his limbs turn cold with anxiety and concern. He hurries down the hall, pulls aside the privacy curtain to bed eleven, and steadies a fearsome glare at the patient lying before him.

Alfred is visibly shaken – his face is pale, his white t-shirt is soaked with sweat, and his ocean blue eyes are fixated on the gruesome wound in his palm, just above his wrist, where a one-and-a-half-inch nail is firmly embedded in the soft flesh.

“What happened?” 

“Uh, heh heh…Hi, babe. There was an incident. Got a bit of boo-boo, you know?” 

“Yes, I can see that,” Ivan sighs, walking closer to the bedside and taking Alfred’s arm in his hand for a better look. The nail is thin, but it’s lodged quite deep, which is going to be a problem. “How did you do this?”

“You know that kitchen drawer I was building? Well, I got distracted for a sec, and uhh – just please tell me you can fix it. I thought about pullin’ it out myself, but I figured it’s better if a professional does it, right?” 

“You were going to pull it out?” Ivan asks, raising his brows in disbelief. “Are you crazy? And no, I can’t pull it out. You have to get an x-ray first. If the nail hit a bone or tendon, it’ll have to be surgically removed.”

Alfred pulls his hand away as if he’s been burned and his eyes widen. “Surgery?”

“Possibly. How many times have I told you to stop renovating the house on your own when we could hire someone who knows what they’re doing?” 

“Hey, I know what I’m doing! It was just an accident!”

Ivan rolls his eyes but doesn’t allow the argument to continue – there will be ample opportunities to chide him later. “I’ll put in an order for pain medication and an x-ray.”  

“Thanks, honey. Knew you’d save me.” 

“Don’t be so sure…” 

But fortunately, it’s Alfred’s lucky day, because an hour later, the images come back, and it appears the reckless American is free of any fractures and injuries to his joints or tendons. Nothing more than some tissue damage.

Ivan informs him of the news and prepares some supplies for the extraction, but not before joking, “Maybe we should keep that nail in as a reminder not to play with nail guns ever again.” 

“No, we really shouldn’t!”

“Fine, if you insist,” Ivan says with a teasing smile, prepping a syringe and rubbing some betadine around the area he’ll be working with. “I’m going to give you a local anesthetic. This is the worst part, and it’s probably going to hurt.” 

Alfred frowns and cradles his hand closer to his chest. “Aren’t doctors supposed to be reassuring or whatever?” 

“I’m reassuring, but I also don’t lie to my patients. It’s going to be a little painful.” 

“You know I hate needles!” 

“If it makes you feel better, I doubt it’s going to hurt as much as it did when that nail impaled you. And if I don’t give you a local anesthetic, then it’s really going to hurt.”

“Okay, fine…Just make it quick.” 

“I’ll try my best. I need you to hold still. Here comes the pinch…”

“Aghhh! FUCK!” Alfred shouts, gritting his teeth and screwing his eyes shut. “That hurts like a fucking bitch!” 

Ivan barely holds back a laugh as he’s pulling the needle out. “There. It should feel numb in a few minutes. I’m going to get the forceps ready…” 

“Oh, Jesus Christ.” 

“Don’t worry, you won't feel a thing now,” Ivan promises with a soothing chuckle. “I’ll take it out, clean the wound, wrap it, and you can be on your way out of here.” 

“But then I won’t get to see you anymore.” 

“You’ll see me at home.” 

Alfred pouts. “This is what happens when you leave me home alone for too long – I have to find ways of getting your attention.” 

“This is the absolute worst way to get my attention,” Ivan huffs, poking Alfred’s palm with his index finger. “Does that hurt?” 

“No.” 

“Okay, good. That means the anesthetic is working. Don’t move. You might feel a little pressure but no pain.”

Ivan grabs the head of the nail with the forceps and carefully tugs. There’s a fair amount of resistance. He doesn’t want to aggressively force it and cause additional trauma, so he takes his time, slowly drawing it out until finally, the whole thing is out and all that’s left is a small bloody hole in Alfred’s hand.

“Gross,” Alfred groans, gagging.

“You can keep it as a souvenir if you want,” Ivan says with a grin. He flushes the wound out with saline, puts an antibiotic cream and gauze over it, and then secures the gauze with medical tape. “All better?” 

Alfred bats his eyelashes dramatically. “No, you’ve still gotta kiss it.”

Ivan snorts with laughter but picks up the injured hand anyway and pecks it with a kiss. “There. Don't get the gauze wet. The nurse will discharge you, and when I come home tonight, I’m throwing that nail gun straight in the garbage.” 

“Dude, that thing was like a hundred bucks on Amazon!”

“I don’t need you getting injured again. You’re lucky this wasn’t worse and didn’t need surgical intervention. Go home and get some rest.”  

"All right, babe. Thanks again. But I’ve still gotta finish putting together that drawer for the –”

“No. No more DIY projects.” 

“You’re never any fun.”