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buckyseddie · 3 years ago

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unexpected date gone right

pairings — montgomery de la cruz x fem!baker!reader, featuring bff!tyler down x bff!fem!baker!reader

summary — in which, she lets monty take her out on a date to stop the constant harassment she endures from him.

word count — 1.9k.

warnings — jealous!monty, angst, mentions of hannah’s death and how reader feels about it, fluff.

notes — i just want to make two things very clear. i wanna clarify i wrote this fic BEFORE i found out that monty was gay. i’m only leaving it up because people wanted it to stay up. and secondly, i, in no way, support what monty did to tyler. that was completely wrong, and i have certain morals, so i don’t excuse his actions. however, i do have a soft spot for villains, and i feel that he, sort of, redeemed himself a little bit. and i also feel that if he hadn’t been killed off, prison would’ve taught him a lot, and maybe have redeemed himself. so, i just wanted to make that clear. and, p.s., in this imagine, monty never did any of the tramatizing things, like what he did to tyler. gif and divider creds to owner!

p.s., feedback is very much encouraged and appreciated <3.

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“THANK YOU, TY. I’LL TALK to you later, buddy!” she exclaims with a bright smile as tyler hands her the previously fallen textbooks.

“of course.” he says, before pausing, causing her to turn around with a questioning stare.

“um, i wanted to th—thank you.” he stutters out, wearing an uncomfortable expression.

“thank me for what?” she asks, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

“for always being so nice to me… and for being my friend. i know that you know how i acted towards hannah before. but, unlike everyone else, you didn’t judge me on that and i really appreciate it.” he admits, wearing a shy smile.

“aw, of course, ty! you’re so much more than your past. you’re a great guy, and i know that people will realize that one day.” [y/n] says, before pulling him in for a comforting hug.

“thank you — for everything.” he mumbles into her hair, finally hugging her back.

as he hugs onto her for a few more seconds, he feels confused and uncomfortable, considering he’s never had someone genuinely care about him or hug him like this, other than his family.

“hey, get away from her, stalker!” a snarky voice abruptly yells, causing [y/n] to slowly pull away from her friend, trying to find the person with the very familiar voice.

“what, was hannah not enough? you gotta move onto another poor, innocent girl?” monty exclaims, eyes almost blazing in jealousy.

“i was just—” tyler starts, but monty interrupts him. “—no. you leave her alone, freak.” he says, pushing the poor kid against the lockers.

“montgomery! leave him alone. tyler is my friend. leave him the fuck alone, asshat.” [y/n] exclaims, clenching her fists to keep her anger at bay.

“but, he—” he starts, but she swiftly pushes his fists off of tyler’s shirt — this isn’t very hard, considering the second her hands touch his, he instantly lets go of tyler.

“no. he’s one of my best friends. and if anything, he’s like my brother. so, if you go as far as even looking in his direction, you’ll have me to deal with.” she spits out, grabbing tyler’s arm and pulling him behind her.

“tyler, go to class. i’ll see you later, alright?” she orders, turning to him as he nods.

he turns around and rushes down the hall.

“what the hell is your problem? could you be any more of a stereotypical, cliché, entitled jock-asshat?” she asks incredulously, turning to him and practically glaring in his direction.

“you know what? honestly, why should i be shocked? you’re friends with fucking bryce, after all.” she mumbles, rolling her eyes as she walks down the hall, hoping the boy will just leave her alone for once.

but, of course, he doesn’t leave her be.

i mean, why would he? he has been bothering and annoying the girl for months now.

why? [y/n] has no clue.

but, that’s probably just because she’s super clueless.

“hey! just because i’m friends with bryce doesn’t mean i’m anything like him.” he exclaims, falling into step beside her.

“yeah, okay. why else would you be following me around, and annoying the shit out of me? it’s kind of obvious that you either want to piss me off, or get into my pants — and neither will be happening, anytime soon.” she states, stopping finally, and turning towards him, crossing her arms across her chest.

she raises her eyebrows in question, challenging him to tell her she’s wrong.

he sighs, anxiously fidgeting with his fingers — something that’s very unlike monty.

“spit it out already! i have a very important class to get to, and i really don’t have time for your shit today.” she groans, rolling her eyes at his sudden shyness.

“i like you, alright!?” he exclaims as she gapes in shock, not expecting him to stoop so low, to play this type of game to manipulate her.

but, the problem is, he isn’t lying. far from it, actually.

“w—what?” [y/n] asks, throat tightening up.

groaning, he shuts his mouth completely, so frustrated that he admitted what he’s been hiding for months.

“well? are you going to explain why you think pretending to like me is gonna work out with your plan to get into my pants?” she asks, glaring at him.

she couldn’t explain why, but for some reason, she didn’t like that he was using the crush tactic as a way to get under her skin, and to get what he wants.

the real question she doesn’t have an answer to is, why does this affect her so much? why does she care?

“y—you think i’m pretending to like you? why the hell would i do that? are you really that judge-mental that you think you know who i am just because i’m friends with someone who’s terrible? zach’s friends with bryce, but he’s nothing like him — the same with scott!” he exclaims, finally unmasking his hurt expression.

[y/n] sighs, mentally smacking herself for how mean she was seconds ago.

sure, monty’s not the definition of an angel, but deep down, she knows that he’s not a totally terrible guy.

and he is right.

she doesn’t know him at all — she just knows the side he shows her, which probably is just a ploy to distract everyone from seeing who he really is.

and being judge-mental is never the answer, which deep down, she knows.

she just couldn’t help it with him, she wanted to hurt him for being so rude to tyler.

“look. i’m sorry, monty. i don’t know you, so i can’t assume you’re like bryce. but, can you really blame me? you portray yourself exactly like him, so i can’t help but believe that. and how is it that one of the boys that tormented my best friend for an entire year — until it drove her to kill herself — could ever like me? i can’t help but think it’s just a joke. and not to mention, you always joke around about getting into my pants.” she admits, sighing as she drags her fingers through her now tangled hair.

“i get that and you have every right to believe that. but, i would never lie about my feelings — especially, towards you. my sister has had her fair share of getting hurt and played by guys and i’ve promised her i’d never do what others did to her to another girl. it’s heartless and disgusting to hurt a girl that way when all she does is care for you.” he admits, looking anywhere but her eyes, his anxiety becoming clear as ever.

“okay.” she sighs, looking up at him expectantly.

“okay?” he asks, slightly confused at what she means.

“i believe you. i know your sister and as much as i hate admitting this, i know you’re a good brother to her by the way she talks about you. so, that has to mean you’re at least not completely terrible. so, meet me at rosie’s at seven, alright?” she states as he nods, eyes sparking in utter excitement, before she turns and walks down the hall.

—————

SHE REALLY DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHY she told monty to meet her at rosie’s.

maybe, she was desperate for attention because guys never ever take her seriously.

or maybe she liked the antsy, nervous side of montgomery that she saw earlier in the day.

so, that’s why she found herself standing in front of her gigantic mirror inside her bedroom, wearing a cute, but casual outfit.

she wears an ocean blue cropped tank top with a jean jacket and a pair of light-wash skinny jeans. her hair sits down on her shoulders with small, innocent curls. and her makeup is natural; just some mascara and chapstick.

the whole point of her appearance that night, was to show monty that she isn’t going to change anything about herself, only for a guy.

when she does leave her house and arrive at rosie’s, monty is already sitting down at a table, tapping his fingers on the table anxiously.

“wow, you’re on time for once.” she states jokingly, trying to break how uncomfortable the silence is between the two of them as she sits down across from him.

“you know, this is the exact same place marcus harassed hannah. i’m not sure why i’d ask you to meet me at a place with such a bad memory…” she trails off, taking in a deep breath as she plays with her fidgety fingers on the table.

“i’m really sorry about that. a lot of the guys thought she was easy and marcus thought he could get her easily. he was a real dick that night.” he says, hesitantly landing his hands on top of hers, squeezing lightly.

[y/n] jumps in shock at the touch at first.

but, after a few more seconds, she relaxes, not being able to deny the comfort montgomery’s touch brings her.

“can i ask you a question?” she asks, looking at him this time.

“sure. what is it?” he asks, his nerves slowly unraveling as he lifts up one of his hands to run through his hair.

“why me?” she asks, her eyebrows furrowing, oddly becoming scared of the answer she will receive.

“what do you mean?” he asks confusedly.

“why do you like me? what’s so great about me that makes you like me? i can tell you right now, i’m not very interesting.” she admits.

“why do i like you? i like you, because you’re a good person, inside and out. you will do whatever you have to, to take care of your friends — to protect them. you never let anyone boss you around, or tell you what and who you are. and despite everything you’ve been through, you’re so kind and nice to everyone. you’re loyal and caring and you always put everyone’s lives and happiness above yours.” he says, sighing.

[y/n]’s quite shocked that he even knows any of that about her.

she tries to look for just one lying bone on him, but she comes up with none.

“h—how did you even know all that?” she asks, still shocked.

“i’m good at observing people and you’re an open book. you try to hide your real feelings, but it’s useless because you’re so simple to read.” he states, blushing a mad red color.

“o—oh…” she trails off, blushing hard, making her duck her head down, so that her hair covers her flaming cheeks.

“n—no one ever notices me… that’s why i was so convinced that you saying you liked me, was just a lie.” she mumbles, looking back up at him.

monty’s eyes widen in shock. “that’s not true. [y/n], everyone notices you.” he states, brows furrowing in confusion.

but, this little statement means little to nothing to her, considering everyone else never mattered to her.

she’d just wanted one person to notice her — at least, that is, before she saw how mean he was to others.

she finds herself becoming more comfortable around him and they began to talk about anything they could; things like her dealing with her sister’s death and the guilt that came with it, or monty’s issues at home with his father’s abusive behavior.

hours had passed by and soon enough, monty was walking [y/n] to her front door.

“i had a great time. maybe… we do it again, sometime?” she asks, leaning against the door.

“y—yeah, i’d like that.” he agrees, nodding as she lifts her body up off of the door and turns to turn the doorknob.

she pushes the door open and as soon as she’s in, she turns to the unbelievably, genuinely happy boy.

“okay, um,” she pauses, biting her bottom lip to hide her excited smile. “i’ll, uh, see you tomorrow at school, kay?” she asks as he nods.

“bye.” she gives a cute little wave, a few giggles leaving her lips, before she shuts the door.

although, she doesn’t see the genuinely soft and excited grin on the de la cruz boy’s face.

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dolliedarlin · 3 years ago

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MOMMY! | FINALE ⏤Katsuki B.

BAKUSQUAD ENDEARMENT SERIES PART 2 : KATSUKI BAKUGOU

PAIR. : single dad prohero bakugou x neighbour baker reader

SUM. : after all the hurt and turmoil, katsumi’s wish finally comes true

LENGTH : 4.3k

G. : fluff ; angst ; single dad bakugou ; neighbour reader ; baker reader ; single dad bakugou x reader ;

WARNING : fluffiness and bakugou’s swearing

A/N : here it is! The finale to yet another mini multi chapter to my endearment series, I hope you dollies enjoy it and thank you all so so much to everyone that has supported me and this series as it was being written. It was so motivating and encouraging to see that so many of you lovelies enjoyed my writing and were eagerly anticipating all future updates. Although this may be the end to bakugou’s main story in the endearment series, it doesn’t mean there won’t be future mini updates on his story with katsumi and yn, the same for kirishima, ren and yn. Additionally, I hope you all anticipate the next storyline in this series, featuring our beloved electric hero, Kaminari Denki!

After spending almost an eternity in suffocating darkness, you wake up in a hospital bed beside a large window. In the same bed beside you, Katsumi is curled up atop the sheets and pressing her face into the side of your waist as her arm lays atop your stomach. Her cute face is scrunched up uncomfortably and, although it makes you sad to see her upset, you can’t help but feel warmth spread through you from the fact that she’s worried for you even in her slumber.

Just as you go to gently shake Katsumi awake, the faint opening of the door across the room draws your attention away and stops you mid act. In walks Bakugou, who you instantly lock eyes with and smile at, ready to whisper a greeting in respect of Katsumi’s dreaming state. You weren’t given the chance to utter a single word as Bakugou makes it to your side in seconds. His strong arms are wrapped around you tightly as he presses his face into your neck. You recognise the feeling of being held in his arms; you can recall the blurred moments leading up to you blacking out whilst caught up in the thrashing body of the river. Was he the one that saved you?

“You’re awake...” Bakugou sighs in relief reaching up to stroke the back of your head, something he’s come to habitually do as a father whenever he needed to comfort Katsumi. In this case, however, it was his way of comforting himself, giving reassurance in the fact that you were okay and that you’re present. Of course, he was told that you would be alright and that they just needed to wait for you to wake up and do some quick checks before you could go home. That verbal reassurance, however, is different to seeing you awake and being your usual self.

Bakugou didn’t hesitate to jump into the waves after you as soon as Katsumi was as far away from the riverside as possible. The instant he removed the gear that weighed him down, Bakugou battled the furious waters, grateful for the training that helped him resist such conditions and maintain a cool head when his heart was pounding painfully from both worry and strain. The instant he spotted you in the waters, Bakugou rushed to your side despite desperately needing to go up for air, this caused a lingering ache to throb in his lung for an hour or so after your rescue. The discomfort had only just managed to dull out completely before the pain in his heart followed it at the confirmation of your full recovery ahead.

“I’m sorry for worrying you,” as much as you wanted to, you couldn’t savour the feeling of being tightly held when the blonde hero pulled away with his signature scowl.

“Shitty woman...you didn’t know how to swim, did you?”

Despite averting your gaze to avoid his piercing stare, you caved, “no...I don’t,”

“Why the hell did you jump in then, dumbass?!”

“I needed to save Katsumi,” you whispered sharply with a snap of your tongue, “I made a promise...” silence filled the air as Bakugou leaned back to admire you further, the action contradicting his ever present frown. You were just as heroic if not more heroic than his past partner - his first love. He saw bits and pieces of her in you but you were still your own person. You weren’t as stubborn, you were gentle and understanding, always looking for a compromise in every disagreement; you were more delicate but that didn’t mean you weren’t strong, you had strength in other things; you weren’t impulsive and spontaneous, it was a charm that his past love had that he fell for but you had your own charm when it came to your rational thinking and weighing of all possible options, only to go with one that had the most benefits across all parties. Compared to his first love you were almost the exact opposite but in things that mattered most, you were the same, loving, kind, compassionate and the only ones capable of entrancing him completely.

It hurt to think that he was, in some way, letting go of the first woman he ever loved and thought he would love for the rest of his life but a part of him said that it was okay. She was a stubborn one that grew green with envy easily but he knew that she ultimately wanted for him, all the things that made him happy. You make him happy. Katsumi too. You fit the empty space in their lives seamlessly. It’s as if the universe was saying this was his second chance at obtaining pure happiness. And he’d be an idiot to throw that away; he almost did, at first - what was he thinking?

He’s fully aware that he’s wrapped around your little finger now even though you don’t seem to notice.

It’s better that way...for his dignity. He may be head over heels but that doesn’t mean he’s gonna explicitly tell anyone about it. Instead, he’ll express it the way he knows best, through actions.

“Damn woman,” Bakugou uttered under his breath, almost laughing at himself for being so stupid this entire time, remembering how his old love used to complain about how oblivious he could be at times, especially with love. This was a perfect example of her claim.

“That promise was important to me!” you defended after hearing his utterance.

“More important than your own life?‘ the explosive blonde challenged, staring deeply into your eyes as they sparkled with a familiar determination.

“Yes,”

Bakugou’s eyes narrowed dangerously as a shiver travels up your spine but you don’t waver, “nothing is more important than your life...” the steely glow of his ruby orbs grow warm and soft, and you silently gasp, “Katsumi wouldn’t want to hear you say that...and neither do I,” you were speechless, “and if this incident really did cost you your life...” you don’t know when it happened but Bakugou was suddenly mere centimeters away from you, your noses touching timidly as his feathery lashes waved at yours coquettishly with every blink. His voice lowered to a whisper, “I might have stopped breathing if that happened,” you had no time to react as Bakugou captured your lips with his own and pulled you as close as possible with his hands on your hips. The minute you closed your eyes, Bakugou followed-suit and savoured the moment as if it was your last minute on earth. How long have you yearned for this? And how could you be so greedy for already wanting more in the midst of it?

You didn’t want to pull away but the ache of your lungs was becoming painful and relented as your mind remained foggy with elation.

“Oi, sweets,” you blushed at the nickname, “someone’s awake,” surprised, you turned to your side and smiled brightly as Katsumi cheekily peeled one eye open before jumping into your arms, cheering in happiness.

“Does this mean you’re going to marry daddy and live happily ever after?” your blush intensified having not completely dissipated from earlier.

“Wh-wha-?”

“How much did you hear and see?” Bakugou’s eyes were once again narrowed but this time.

“I didn’t see anything~...” Katsumi feigned innocence but, of course, couldn’t hold her own excitement back for long, “but I heard everything!” she giggled as Bakugou groaned, throwing his head back in embarrassment. Just as he was going to scold her for eavesdropping, he was cut off, “Daddy you were so romantic~” she sighed dreamily as if she had watched a k-drama scene unfold, “right mom?”

“Yes, he was,” you whisper, forgetting to correct her way of addressing you.

“Stop calling her that,” Bakugou snapped, “she’s not your mom,” he stands up and turns around to leave the room and call for a nurse, the room’s atmosphere turning dismal as a familiar ache in your chest clenches around your lungs and heart, “not yet, at least” as quickly as the pain settles, it’s washed away from Bakugou’s final statement and Katsumi is squealing in joy, cheering and bouncing around in your lap, chattering up a storm about being a flower girl, rings and wedding dresses. You're surprised that with all her jabbering, you were still able to catch a glimpse of Bakugou’s red-tinted ears as he shuts the door behind him and giggled to yourself, remembering that he didn’t need to leave the room to call for a nurse as there was a button for assistance right at your bedside.

Despite being discharged at the hospital, Bakugou and Katsumi made you promise to take, at least, a day off of work so that you could fully rest. At first, they bargained with you taking an entire month off but you had responsibilities as an entrepreneur so you made them lower it to a week and eventually settled on one day but with the promise to do nothing the entire time, hence why you’re sat reading a book in your living room with the early morning sunlight slowly filtering in through your ceiling-tall windows.

A sudden knock at the door pulled you away from your modest bundle of sheets and pillows not expecting such a sudden visit but building up anticipation as to who it could be.

“What are you two doing here?” you laughed upon revealing who stood at your doorstep - you weren’t surprised but it still made you happy, regardless.

“To take care of you, that’s what!” Katsumi announces, hands on her hips and feet shoulder width apart, proud to make herself useful as Bakugou stands a little behind her, his arms piled high with god-knows-what in boxes, his ruby eyes barely peeking over the stacked heap in his arms.

“Haha! Then please,” you step aside and pull the door open wider, “make yourselves at home,” you didn’t know what they had planned but you were thrilled, nonetheless. Silence and solitude was always a pleasant way of passing the day but having others share the time with you, filling the hours with laughter and developing fond memories was just as, if not, better than the former.

It appears as though they had visited your bakery beforehand from the delicious baked goods Katsumi, sitting on the kitchen island, helped her father lay out beautifully on the available plates.

“This is for later!” Katsumi chirped happily after meeting your gaze only to finish up her work and asked to be brought to the floor so as to order Bakugou around some more, “Go help (Y/N) daddy while I make everyone some good ol’ lemonade,”

“Alright, firecracker,” Bakugou fondly ruffles Katsumi’s hair with a soft smile, “you got your step stool?”

“Yup!” she holds up the foldable stool with a grin then tucks it under one arm as she uses her other to push Bakguou towards you, “now, shoo!”

“Yeah yeah,” Bakugou rolls his eyes at her and finally turns his full focus onto you. He was dressed in his dangerously casual attire again; baggy, army green sweatpants that hang from his hips, sheepishly leaving a window of skin to view his v-line as his tight black tank accentuated his thin waist and toned physique. The blush on your face made him smirk. You were so cute shamelessly eyeing him up like that but it wasn’t as though he never did that for you too. You loved showcasing your shoulders and collarbones and Bakugou was grateful, it was an appetising sight he always readily devoured with his greedy eyes.

“U-ummm-” you began but gasped at suddenly being swept up into the blonde hero’s strong arms as a squeal of delight came from Katsumi in the kitchen. Both instances made your cheeks burn and your lips tug up into a smile that you buried into Bakugou’s exposed neck.

The rest of the day carried on like that. You found that Bakugou abandoned what little hesitancy he clung onto before and the distance he was displaying had completely vanished. In place of his prior aloofness, he made the effort of interacting with you more, the intimacy encouraged by Katsumi in, sometimes subtle but oftentimes undisguised pursuits. The cheeky six year old would even go so far as to demand the two of you kiss but each and every time, Bakugou would turn her down only to wait until she grumpily turned away to lightly peck your lips. No matter how many times it happened, you always became a flustered mess, rousing suspicion in Katsumi when she turns and takes in your frenzied state. Perhaps that was what made her so happy and bold when ordering her dad around, the number one hero, to do her bidding, most of her requests being about you.

In her happiness, she jumped up from the cuddle pile you were all huddled in and rushed to the kitchen, “I’ll get us more snacks and drinks!”

“Need any help with the fridge, firecracker?”

“I’m good! Thanks, daddy!” Bakugou raises an anticipating brow as his lips curl into a slight smirk, as if he was anticipating something, “I’m a big girl!” Katsumi finally shouts, to which Bakugou nods at with a knowing look on his face.

“She’s a ‘big girl’...” he whispers to you and you both smile in amusement, “but can she reach the top shelf with her small step stool?”

“Daddy! ‘Up’s please!”

“No, no she can’t,” you both laugh and Bakugou soon leaves to help his daughter, but not before giving you a soft kiss. Moments pass and your heart is still racing, even when the explosive blonde comes back to cuddle up with you again, “she insists on making the drinks look pretty,” he pulls you up to lay on top of him with a gentle grunt, making the right adjustments so that you were both comfortable, “I think she spotted your little umbrellas, fancy shaped ice cubes and edible flowers,” he whispers to which you smile at. For the uptenth time that day, you share a laugh and sit in comfortable silence until…”why didn’t you wait for heroes to arrive that day? You were fairly close to the city, we could have gotten there on time and you wouldn’t have had to put yourself in danger...”

This question again. You had had this conversation already and you were sure that you made yourself perfectly clear about your reasoning the first time but Bakugou is still obviously frustrated from the incident and your idiotic actions. For now, you’ll put up with it.

“I didn’t want to wait for heroes...” you stubbornly huffed but relaxed into his shoulder as he stroked your hair, “I needed to save Katsumi, especially because she couldn’t swim...”

“But-”

“And I made a promise, didn’t I?” your voice was firm but still kind and gentle, “I wasn’t going to go back on that promise,” even though he expected your answer, Bakugou was still shocked but pleasantly so at your consistent response, so much so that he smiled to himself as you drew patterns onto his chest with your finger. Finally, you lifted your face to smile at him. In that moment, he saw even more of his past lover in you. She too always stayed true to her word and kept all her promises, it’s a trait evident in Katsumi and he’s come to love the attribute very much - it appears as though all of his loved ones have it and he embraces that fact wholeheartedly.

The moon eventually rose after the sun set and the time came to tuck Katsumi into bed in your guest bedroom; she had insisted on a sleepover at your place and since the father and daughter duo had already spent the entire day with you, why not the entire night as well?

Naturally, the motherly instincts in you kicked in at the sight of Katsumi’s drowsy face and you began to sing her a lullaby, unaware of the loving gaze Bakugou was staring on at the scene with. This was an image he desperately craved to have with his old lover many times in the past. Now that it was unfolding before him, his soft heart ached at the bittersweet happiness he felt to see you fulfil such a role.

With this, maybe he can finally let go. And so, as soon as you stopped singing, he greedily captured your lips in a searing kiss backed by so much passion and indescribable emotions, you were overwhelmed and could barely savour the moment as Bakugou pulled away too quickly.

“We can’t have Katsumi seeing just yet...” he whispers.

Months pass and you easily integrate into their lives and them, yours. You have a spare room all to yourself and several shelving spaces in the kitchen and fridge to call your own, equally, Katsumi and Bakugou took over two available spare rooms in your penthouse. It wasn’t a forced change nor was it an unwelcome one; it simply made things easier as you’d spend several days at their penthouse before you moved back into yours and it didn’t take them more than a day to follow you and spend a handful of days at your penthouse too.

Most of the cooking was left to you despite Bakugou already being a phenomenal cook, his hero work always left him exhausted and it helped to take your pre made bento boxes to his agency, it helped give him a feeling of home while he was out fighting villains or toiling the day away in his agency on paperwork, it provided the right motivation he needed throughout an exhausting work day. It was also much nicer for him to return home without having to worry about cooking food for himself and Katsumi. At times, you’d return later than him but had everything prepared and set up on the kitchen table, even so, Katsumi insisted that they always wait for you so that you may all eat together. Bakugou agreed but also prepared a light snack during the wait. More often than not, you were, thankfully, the one home before him and after a ‘welcome home’ hug and peck on the cheek from both of his favourite girls, you ushered him to the bathroom to freshen up with his bath already made up, it was really a blessing to have you in his life as well as Katsumi’s. Bakugou could no longer imagine a life without you in it. In fact, it scared him to think about such a life, especially because you picked up such a big role for both him and Katsumi effortlessly, he couldn’t see anyone else bringing about the same comfort and happiness you did to his every day routine.

You’ve even taken up the role of dropping off and picking Katsumi up from school. Each and every time you do so, she wears a golden smile on her face. The first time you dropped her off, you were dressed for a magazine interview, professional and beautiful; intimidating but in an awe-inspiring way, you attracted more attention than you originally thought but your main focus was Katsumi.

Kneeling down to the elated blonde’s short stature, you gave a sweet smile, “Take care now, cupcake. Be good, be kind,” you lovingly stroked her hair, taking care not to disturb her adorable pigtails, “and have a wonderful day,” with a kiss and a hug, you let her go, staring at her for a moment when she puffed out her chest and her classmates ran up to her, beginning to whisper amongst themselves as you stood back and watched the scene with a restrained giggle. Not in any rush to leave and wanting to wait until Katsumi walked indoors to go for your interview, you stayed and witnessed the scene with your ears perked in alertness.

“Is she your mommy, Katsumi?”

“Yeah! She’s super pretty, right? She owns the famous bakery in the city centre.” the surrounding children awed unanimously, their eyes sparkling as you bashfully feigned ignorance. As if that wasn’t enough, Katsumi continued with her prideful gloating, “That’s my mommy, she’s really amazing, isn’t she? More amazing-er than yours and she’s all mine and daddy’s! Now, kneel down and cry!” even though she was treating you like a sparkly, rare pokemon card, you only felt flattered but coughed so that she didn’t build bad habits. You could practically see her cute button nose reaching for the sky as she proudly stood with her hands on her hips and her feet wide apart.

“Katsumi...” you sternly eyed her down for her lie and boastful attitude.

“Well...she’s not my mommy yet, but I’m gonna make her my mom, just you wait and see!”

Almost an entire year had passed and what an almost-year it was, you and Bakugou had a date all to yourselves almost every week as there was equal effort on both sides to make time for the other, in fact, it was encouraged immensely by Katsumi as well. If it wasn’t for her, your weekly dates with Bakugou wouldn’t have begun and if it wasn’t for the dates, you wouldn’t have discovered his love for hiking. WIth that, you made it so that you, Bakugou and Katsumi all went hiking and camping together once every three months or so, as long as the weather was good.

Bakugou couldn’t be more grateful. He felt so much happiness seeing you embrace and openly partake in an activity that you were pretty clumsy at in the beginning. It made him feel important. Yes, he was the number one hero but it was the validation he never knew he needed to have - that he was important enough in your life to spend three days away hiking and camping on a mountain every three months. He never knew how good it felt but as soon as he realised it for himself, he did the same to Katsumi and you. Every two weeks, he made sure to return home early so that he could cook dinner with you and let you boss him around in the kitchen. All this as Katsumi sat at the kitchen island giggling to herself from the scene and often getting so giddy that she joined in on the effort to make dinner.

Every time dinner was cooked together like this, the food tasted even better than normal.

For Katsumi, Bakugou found that her likes were always tailored to what she saw in himself and you. Whenever Bakguou approached her about what she liked doing, she’d express wanting to learn close combat and quirk training whilst with you, she’d want to do something about cooking or baking. For a time, Bakugou insisted that it didn’t have to be about what he and you liked but Katsumi persisted that whatever her parents liked, she liked it also.

“Stubborn squirt...”

“A lot like you~” you teased and ultimately started a fight you couldn’t win.

“So…” Katsumi began laying between you and her father under the pillowfort she insisted on creating for movie night.

“What is it, cupcake?” you hum in content.

“When can I start calling you my mom?”

Shocked at the sudden question, you take a moment to clear your throat and turn your full focus onto her, “For that to happen, a really big decision has to be made between me and your father...” you trail off, not knowing what else to say.

“How do you feel about it, then?” Katsumi pleads, “Don’t you want to be my mommy? I’m a good girl, I promise,” your expression softens at her trembling voice. She’s wanted this for so long but you and Bakugou have been taking your sweet time. It was unfair for her to be so demanding but at the same time it was unfair for you to make her wait so long when the answer was obvious.

“Of course, I’d want to be your mommy but your father has a say in this situation too,” you both turn to Katsuki, the name he now insists you call him by.

“Daddy?....” Katsumi asks softly but after an extended silence from Katsuki, she resorts to pleading, “You have to say yes! I want her to be my mommy! She does everything a mommy does! She takes me to school, makes my bento, plays with me and kisses my boo boos better! She looks after you and your boo boos too daddy!”

“Well...as long as she wants to look after a bratty little girl,” Katsuki softly chuckles at his daughter’s whine of protest, reaching up to pet her hair and calm her down, as if to say that he didn’t actually mean it, “and equally bratty grown man, I say, why not?” meeting eyes with you, he takes in your shocked but bubbling excitement and pulls you into an embrace, Katsumi remaining the centre of your arms. She looks up, completely silent as stars sparkle in her eyes, watching the scene before her play out like a scene in the movie. Without a word, you embrace the two tightly and bury your smiling face into Katsuki’s neck and nod, breathing in his intoxicating scent - a mix of sweet sweat and alluring aftershave. “Say it like you mean it, dumbass,” Katsuki urges with a gentle voice.

“Yes!” you squeal in pent up elation only to sigh in content right after, “I’d love that so much...”

You had almost completely forgotten that Katsumi was still cuddled up between you two if it weren’t for her clapping hands and cheers of joy, “Woah! Daddy! You were really romantic just then!” sparkly eyed, she stares at her dad but is reminded of the situation when she locks eyes with you again, “Wait! Can I finally call you my mommy now?”

“Well...” you and Katsuki lock eyes and smile, it wasn’t official but she’s been waiting so long, “go right ahead, cupcake!”

“Yes! You’re my mommy!” you thought you had seen Katsumi truly happy before but now you know that this is her at her happiest. Her smile could win against the sun.

PREV.

NAVI. | BNHA MLIST | ENDEARMENT MLIST

#bakugou x reader #bnha single parent au #single dad bakugou #single dad bakugou x reader #bnha bakugou #bnha aged up #aged up bakugou #prohero bakugou #bnha domestic fluff #bnha x reader #bnha single dad au #bakugou fluff #bakugou angst #bnha fluff #bnha angst

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fatliberation · 4 years ago

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Here Are Some Fat Positive Activists, Educators, Therapists, and Artists to Know!

First and foremost, the pioneer of organized fat activism:

• Bill Fabrey (he/him)

Bill Fabrey, a self-proclaimed fat admirer, founded NAAFA (the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance) in 1969 after gaining an understanding of the day-to-day oppression and discrimination faced by his wife, Joyce. Fabrey founded the organization in hopes to raise awareness of weight stigma, criticize biased studies, and increase overall acceptance and accessibility to fat Americans. He is considered one of the pioneers of the fat liberation movement, and is heavily involved to this day.

• Judy Freespirit, Sara Fishman, Lynn McAfee, Ariana Manow, & Gudrun Fonfa (she/her for each)

(Members of The Fat Underground, 1979)

Fat, radical, feminist members of NAAFA! Their agenda was much more aggressive than NAAFA’s, and eventually they broke off and formed their own group called The Fat Underground, which acted as a catalyst in the creation and mobilization of the fat liberation movement. Based in LA in the 1970s, the Fat Underground did not fight to change discriminatory laws but rather discriminatory thoughts and practices in different aspects of society, which included those of doctors and other health professionals who perpetuated the unhealthy habits encouraged by diet culture. In 1973, Judy Freespirit and Alderbaran published the “Fat Liberation Manifesto” which establishes that fat people are entitled to what they were denied on a daily basis: “human respect and recognition.” The other objectives then outline the commercial exploitation of fat bodies by both corporations and scientific institutions. (x) I will go into more detail about the Fat Underground in my next post, “The History of Fat Activism!”

• Dr. Lindo Bacon (they/them), PhD

(no photo)

Creator of the concept of HAES (Health At Every Size).

Dr. Bacon is best known for their paradigm-shifting research and advocacy upending the weight discourse. They have mined their deep academic proficiency, wide-ranging clinical expertise and own personal experience to write two best-selling books, Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight, and the co-authored Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, or Just Plain Fail to Understand about Weight. Both are credited with transforming the weight discourse and inspiring a hopeful new course for the fat liberation movement. Dr. Bacon holds their PhD in physiology, as well as graduate degrees in psychology and exercise metabolism. Dr. Bacon formerly taught at City College of San Francisco, in the Health Education, Psychology, Women’s Studies, and Biology Departments. A professor and researcher, for almost two decades Dr. Bacon has taught courses in social justice, health, weight and nutrition; they have also conducted federally funded studies on health and weight and published in top scientific journals. Their research has been supported by grants from the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health. A truly great pioneer in medical health research!

https://lindobacon.com/ | HAES | IG

• Aubrey Gordon, a.k.a. Your Fat Friend (she/her)

(no photo)

Aubrey Gordon writes about the social realities of life as a very fat person, previously publishing anonymously as Your Fat Friend. She is the author of What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Lit Hub, Vox, Gay Mag, and has been covered in outlets around the world. She also hosts the podcast Maintenance Phase, in which she and cohost Michael Hobbes debunk and decode wellness and weight loss trends. Her articles are incredibly heartfelt and enlightening. You can read all of them at www.yourfatfriend.com !!

@ yrfatfriend on IG & Twitter

• Sabrina Strings (she/her), PhD

Sabrina Strings is an associate professor of sociology at the University of California, Irvine and the author of Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia, which exposes fatphobia’s roots in anti-blackness. Strings contributed an opinion story to The New York Times titled “It’s Not Obesity. It’s Slavery.” With Lindo Bacon (creator of HAES), she coauthored “The Racist Roots of Fighting Obesity,” published in Scientific American. Strings has a BA in psychology and an MA and PHd in sociology. This book is #1 on my to-read list!!

https://www.sabrinastrings.com

• Hannah Fuhlendorf (she/her), MA LPCC NCC

Hannah is a highly educated and experienced counselor whose work focuses on self acceptance, eliminating the effects of internalized oppression, and practicing through a HAES lens. She is a fat liberationist who puts out educational videos daily. Hannah is also married to a healthcare professional, and the two of them are working toward making the medical field more accessible to fat people in their local community, and offering education on how to be fat allies. I really admire Hannah and the work that she does!

@ hannahtalksbodies on IG and TikTok

• Tracy Cox (she/her)

Tracy is an award-winning performer and artist, who co-created the web series “Angry Fat People” with Matthew Anchel, which takes a pop culture approach on serious issues faced by fat performers. She has been interviewed by the New York Times on fat politics and accessibility, and currently has a huge following on IG where she unpacks fat performance, fashion, and politics. You may know her as the creator of the ‘fat vanity’ trend on TikTok!

@ sparklejams on IG & TikTok

• Da’Shaun L. Harrison (they/them)

Da’Shaun is a non-binary abolitionist, community organizer, and writer. They are currently a managing editor and columnist at Wear Your Voice Magazine. They travel throughout the United States and abroad to speak at conferences, colleges, and lead workshops focused on Blackness, queerness, gender, class, religion, (dis)abilities, fatness, and the intersection at which they all meet. Da’Shaun is the author of the book Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness, which is expected to be published in July 2021. They have an incredibly enlightening social media presence as well!!

@ dashaunlh on IG and Twitter

• Lauren Buchness (she/her)

Lauren Buchness is one of my favorite artists. She’s a contemporary artist and fat activist based in Tucson, Arizona. By combining painting & performance, she aims to question Western standards of beauty and create conversations that alter preconceived notions about the fat body. Go check out her gorgeous work!!

@ ladybuchness on IG and TikTok

If you’re interested in learning about diet culture and intuitive eating, check out

Shana Minei Spence (she/her), MS RDN CDN

Shana is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who opposes food restriction and encourages intuitive eating! She spreads food positive daily messages on her platform. She used to work in fashion, but she left after being dissatisfied with the industry and went back to school to become involved in food policy and public health. She offers counseling on a HAES approach. I have much respect for Shana!

@ thenutritiontea on IG

And right here on tumblr (who was my personal introduction to fat lib) -

@ bigfatscience !!!

An anonymous fat liberationist. They share so many great resources, diving head-first into the scientific research of weight and health, they’ve found that the relation between the two is extremely complex. They tackle the biases of research in a system that profits off of fatphobia, and they offer a fat positive perspective based on scientific studies. Their blog serves as an easily accessible resource for fat folx and fat activists who want to learn about fat positive science to support their own personal interests/activism. Thank you for your work, bigfatscience!! (if you have questions for them, you will have a greater chance of getting a response with anon off!)

• Sonalee Rashatwar (she/they), LCSW MEd

Sonalee is an award-winning clinical social worker, sex therapist, and grassroots organizer. They’re a superfat queer bisexual non-binary therapist and co-owner of Radical Therapy Center. Sonalee is specialized in treating sexual trauma, internalized fatphobia, immigrant kid guilt, and South Asian family systems, while offering fat positive sexual healthcare. Go, Sonalee!!

@ thefatsextherapist on IG

• Fat Rose (org)

Fat Rose organizes fat people, building a more radical fat liberation movement in strong relationship with other social movements, such as anti-fascism, anti-ableism, and anti-racism. Check them out on Facebook!

fatrose.org

Honorable IG mentions: (Some anti diet culture specific blogs in here, as well)

@fatangryblackgirl @msgigggles @thefatphobiaslayer @bodyimagewithbri @saucyewest @fatpositivetherapy @fatlippodcast @chairbreaker

BOOKS

And here’s an amazing list of fat-positive book recommendations from HannahTalksBodies!

Science & Health:

Health at Every Size by Lindo Bacon PhD

Body Respect by Lindo Bacon PhD and Lucy Aphramor PhD, RD

Secrets from the Eating Lab by Traci Mann PhD

Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison MPH, RD

Fat Liberation:

Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings PhD

Fat Activism by Dr. Charlotte Cooper

Fat Politics by J. Eric Oliver

The Fat Studies Reader by Esther Rothblum (Editor) and Sondra Solovay (Editor)

Fat Shame by Amy Erdman Farrell

Self Acceptance:

The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor

Things No One will Tell Fat Girls by Jes Baker

Eating in the Light of the Moon by Anita Johnson PhD

Happy Fat by Sofie Hagan

You have the Right to Remain Fat by Virgie Tovar

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to share this list of resources!

Image descriptions below.

1. [ID: A black and white photo of Bill Fabrey, a straight-sized, balding white man with thick black glasses wearing a suit and tie, standing at a poduim in front of a sign that reads, “NAAFA”. Beside the image is another photo of Fabrey, from his left side.]

2. [ID: A black and white photo of seven fat, female and gender non-conforming members of The Fat Underground, performing a recital.]

3. [ID: The cover of Sabrina Strings’ book, Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia. On the cover is an illustration of four upper-class white people in fancy colonial period clothing showing shock and disgust at a Black woman’s exposed body. Beside the book cover is a photo of Sabrina Strings, a straight-sized Black woman with dark brown curly hair wearing a blouse.]

4. [ID: Hannah Fulhendorf, a fat, white woman with straight hair dyed blue, wearing a black tank top and holding her shoulder while smiling brightly and looking into the camera.]

5. [ID: An artistic picture of Tracy Cox, a fat, white woman with long, straight brown hair, laying topless on a bed of flowers. There are flower petals placed strategically in her hair on her skin, and along her lower eyelid. Beside that image, is an image of the album cover for Angry Fat People, picturing two angry faces made out of white paper against a grey background. In the top left corner, black, bolded text that reads “AFP” and “FAT LIBERATION”.]

6. [ID: Da’Shaun L. Harrison, a fat, non-binary Black person with a beard, glasses, and long dreadlocks, wearing a shirt that reads, “TO BE VISIBLY QUEER IS TO CHOOSE YOUR HAPPINESS OVER YOUR SAFETY. -DA’SHAUN HARRISON” against a natural backdrop of autumn leaves.]

7. [ID: A watercolor painting by Lauren Buchness of a white and tattooed fat body, hands caressing abstract rolls of fat with wild blueberries and grapefruit between folds. Beside it is another Buchness watercolor painting of Black hands with long sharp nails, caressing the midsection of a fat Black body, with purple crystals growing out of the skin.]

8. [ID: Shana Minei Spence, a straight-sized, Black woman smiling with bright pink lipstick and her long wavy hair pulled back, wearing a floral pattern shirt and jean shorts. She is holding small marquee that reads, “BE CAREFUL OF WELLNESS COMPANIES THAT SAY THEY’RE PROMOTING HEALTH YET ARE STILL ONLY TRYING TO GET YOUR BODY SMALLER” and a heart symbol.]

9. [ID: Sonalee Rashatwar, a superfat, South Asian non-binary person with short black hair, wearing a long floral dress, standing in front of large glowing text that reads, “BIG GIRL ENERGY” against a coarse-textured wall.]

10. [ID: A circular logo with a red fist in the center, with text surrounding it that reads, “FATTIES AGAINST FASCISM” with roses separating the word “RESIST”. Beside it is another image, of eleven fat and superfat activists, standing and sitting on mobility scooters, holding fists and middle fingers in the air, wearing T-shirts and holding banners that both read, “FATTIES AGAINST FASCISM”. In front of the group is a large cardboard sign that spells the acronym “F.A.B.” which stands for “Fat Antifascist Brigade”.]

#fat activists #people #fat liberation #fat activism #fat positivity #resources #anti diet culture #anti-diet #anti-fatphobia #anti-racism #haes #masterpost

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anotheruserwithnoname · 2 years ago

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Gatwa indicates he isn’t filming yet

Ever since production began on the 60th anniversary season a couple months ago, with David Tennant and Catherine Tate returning, people have been wondering what about Ncuti Gatwa, who is supposedly (I use that word for reasons you’ll soon see) the next Doctor. Will he be in the special at all, will RTD instead be starting his second production tenure with a major-league flashback to arguably the most popular Doctor not named Tom Baker in hopes of winning back fans alienated by the current, soon-to-end era?

One bit of speculation that has picked up steam week to week is that Tennant is not actually playing the Tenth Doctor, but the Fourteenth, given that Moffat established that the Doctor may at some point revisit an “old favourite” face, and RTD technically established that the actual eleventh Doctor was in fact the Tenth Doctor keeping his appearance and personality out of vanity (Eleven’s words).

Anyway, in a new interview (published on Digital Spy), Gatwa confirmed he is still working with RTD on establishing the look of his Doctor (who may be Fourteen or Fifteen depending on who Tennant is actually playing). He also says he’s looking forward to starting filming, which confirms he hasn’t been working on the Tennant episode (at least not yet). There had been thoughts that maybe Tennant was the only one working on location, with Gatwa cloistered inside a closed set.

There will be no consensus on the soon-to-end current era, but I’m not stepping out of line to say that it wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea; ratings numbers and lack of merchandising interest support this. It’s brought to mind how The Man from UNCLE was a lighthearted spy series with serious stories, then for a season they decided to make it a camp comedy in the style of Get Smart, and the ratings collapse was so intense when they did a course correction the show only survived about a dozen more episodes. The only reason Doctor Who wasn’t cancelled last spring after the ratings collapse brought on by the 2020 retcon was because it was on the BBC. So RTD has to win back a lot of people. He said so himself if he ever came back it would be to save the show. That’s his No. 1 job - not to introduce a Fourteenth or Fifteenth Doctor, but to help ensure that someday there will be a Sixteenth Doctor, etc.).

Gatwa is an unknown entity to a lot of people (no one knows him in North America but the same could be said of most Doctors, so no big deal) and to be honest how he acts in Sex Education and the Barbie movie (chuckle) really has little bearing on how he may play his Doctor. But the problem is if he follows directly on from this less-than-popular era, he may not have the best chance to start with. But by throwing huge David and Catherine-shaped member-berries at the viewers, maybe the hope is that will regenerate the ratings (pun intended) and give Gatwa a chance at a stronger start than he might have if he debuts at the end of the November special that will close off an era with more fan disquiet I’ve seen since Enterprise was cancelled in 2005.

Personally, I’m still waiting to see if Gatwas gets his “Glasgow School of Art” moment. In early 2014 there was a major fire at the school and during a break from filming his first episodes, Peter Capaldi recorded a message of encouragement to his alma mater, and it (combined with another video where Peter and Jenna Coleman, on location for “Listen”, comforted a young child with autism who was saddened by Matt Smith’s departure) really gave people the idea that, yes, Peter would be a great Doctor and not just Malcolm Tucker in Space. Not saying I want a school to burn down for this to happen, but I’m hoping Gatwa gets a chance in the long months before he officially debuts to provide a bit of a taste that, yes, he will be a good Doctor (and I don’t mean interviews or panels).

#ncuti gatwa #fourteenth doctor #or fifteenth doctor #david tennant #russell t davies

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itjazzbicch · 4 years ago

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In Reality

Pairing: “Platinum” Max Caster x Fem Reader

Summary: On television, Max Caster and the reader are enemies, but behind the scenes, they are actually the best of friends and whenever Max and the reader are in a mixed trios match, on the opposite teams, Max's tries to do his signature rap, but he can't do it to the reader, instead, professing his feelings...

Warnings: SMUT! (18+ ONLY)

Requested by: Anon (Whoever you are, I hope you enjoy!)

Word Count: 3364

Tag List: @demonqueen29 @jessiebean00 @new-zealand-chic @crowleysqueenofhell @justamess44 @thatpanpal @hungmanhorsecarriage @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @linziland13 @yungbludjazz360

I DO NOT OWN THIS GIF

"Dude, you're wrestling the Sydal brothers! You have to make some kind of yoga joke!" I giggled, helping my best friend, Max Caster write a part of his rap for his match tonight and this one had me very intrigued.

Max and I were enemies on television but behind the scenes, we were the closest duo back there! We were travel buddies, we worked out together, supported each other's hobbies outside of wrestling. We were the best of friends, without a doubt.

I wasn't sure if Max had begun to work on my part of the rap because tonight the match up was:

The Acclaimed and Britt Baker (weird combo in my opinion, but it made sense since she was my rival) versus Matt & Mike Sydal and myself.

"You're right! Definitely gotta get that in there," Max laughed with me, beginning to jot some things down.

"So, what are you going to say about me?" I asked curiously, a smile on my face because I wasn't trying to laugh.

"Now, that's a secret," Max smirked, smiling back at me.

"You seriously can't even tell me a line?" I groaned, seriously wanting to know, but he wasn't budging, shaking his head no.

"Our match is up next! You'll know soon," Max protested and I just gave up, rolling my eyes but laughing:

"Alright! Just take it easy on me!"

"Can't make any promises!" Max laughed, watching me when I began to walk away.

Our match was up next and I was actually honored to wrestling with Matt and Mike. They were veterans and legendary. Our wrestling styles were also very similar, so that made it even more exciting. They were already waiting for me whenever I got to the guerrilla and Matt welcomed me with a smile, saying:

"You ready for the night?"

"Always ready," I smiled, but growing silent whenever I heard Mike say:

"I heard you over there with your buddy, Max. I hope he doesn't try and roast you too bad, tonight."

We all actually laughed and Matt whispered:

"I already know what to expect from him so, I'm prepared."

"So am I," I sighed, "Honestly, we joke around a lot. If he didn't roast me, I'd actually be surprised."

While I was finishing my sentence, Matt's music hit and Mike when up the stairs, Matt following along when he said to me:

"See ya out there!"

I made my entrance like normal, the fans always ate it up and next was Britt, damn it was annoying. It didn't take long though for me to get excited, hearing the beat drop for Max's music.

"Yo, yo, yo!" Max yelled while walking through the tunnel.

I thought to myself, boy is this gonna be good and it was, hearing the lines I helped him with when Max began:

"Sydal Brother!

Every time you get in the ring, ya'll say namaste

But when we whoop your asses you'll be running away

No one cares about you two hippies

I should slap your asses back to the 1960's!"

It was so hard to sit in the ring and act disgusted meanwhile I wanted to laugh my ass off, but at the same time, I was also preparing myself, knowing I was next, Max pointing at me, saying:

"And Y/N, don't even get me started!

You, you-"

I was actually surprised this time. Max was stuck, stuttering, like he was nervous which I never saw from him. No one ever did, everyone trying to encourage him, I even heard Britt yell:

"Roast her, Max!"

But Max, he did something no one expected, going back to his rap:

"You know what, Y/N, I ain't even gonna lie

Every time I see you, I wanna make you mine.

You, you're better than all these girls

And all I ever wanted was to give you world

I know we're supposed to get in this ring and clash

But you and me? We are the perfect match!"

I began to naturally drift to the center of the ring and I really couldn't contain my emotions, holding my mouth for a moment, trying not cry and every began to cheer, clapping and smiling whenever Max finished with:

"This is a special moment, so everyone observe and watch me go get my girl!"

My arms were wide open while I watched Max hop into the ring, coming right at me with the best hug I ever received. There were few moments when I heard a big pop in this ring and this moment was one of them, everyone just go ballistic, whether if they liked us or not.

I couldn't hold back the tears whenever Max hugged me, but everything stopped, like slow motion, the noise dying down. The only thing I could feel was Max's hand holding the back of my head, looking into his gorgeous brown eyes before they closed, feeling the warmth of his soft lips whenever they met mine.

It was like fireworks were going haywire in my brain, passion being the thing that lit the fuse for them. Just the way Max had his arms around me, for the first time, feeling emotions from him that I never felt before and with the way he kissed me, I just knew that everything he said was true.

Whenever our lips parted, I finally snapped back into reality, seeing the ring and the crowd again while Max just pulled me into another hug, holding my head to his chest, looking down at me as he smiled:

"So, you gonna be my girl?"

"Why did you even ask? I am your girl," I giggled, smiling so hard when my head popped up, giving him another kiss.

Max kept his arm wrapped around my shoulder, yelling to Britt Baker:

"Ayo! Get over there with them hippies! Y/N is our partner!"

"What? You can't just change the match!" Britt yelled, trying to get in Max's face and that's when I stepped in.

Max was always a bit of an instigator, but this time, I didn't mind. Max and Anthony were on standby though whenever I got in Britt's face and said into a mic:

"You heard what my man said. Now get over there! Either way, I'm kicking your ass tonight!"

"Yeah! Get over there and catch this whoopin!" Max laughed, all of us watching whenever she just stopped trying and went to her corner while we went to ours.

Now, it was time to get in the zone and Anthony started out first with Mike. This was the first time I had ever team with Max and it was so hard to not smile and jump around to let out the excitement. It also took all my might to not get on Max and have a little match of our own. I was just on top of the world.

Our match was also a lot of fun. The only thing bothering me was that, Britt refused to be tagged in. She was abandoning her partners, which she would have done regardless of what side she was on. Max and Anthony had a tough time handle Matt and Mike.

At the climax of the match, Max just broke out of Matt's submission move, super-kicking him and they both collapsed. The only two people on the apron was Britt and myself.

"Come on, Max!" I yelled, stretching out my arm as far as possible.

Again, Britt abandon Matt, but Max made his tag to me. She had no choice but to get in here. Britt, of course, tried running away, but whenever she made it to the outside, right by the front of the ring, I ran against the ropes and hit her with a suicide dive, ramming her into the barricade, picked her up and threw her in the ring and that's when the real fun began.

Britt did have her moments where she was having the upper hand. At one point, I was almost put into her finisher, but she couldn't hook my other arm, which gave me an opportunity. Elbow after elbow, finally made her break her submission.

Matt and Mike tried getting back to the apron, to break up a pin if needed, but Max and Anthony were on it, taking them out while I was thinking on the top of my head, hitting her with a pump handle, flat-liner, planting her face in the mat and picking up the win.

As soon as that bell rang, Max came right at me, making me laugh as he about knocked me over. It was hands down, the best moment I ever had in that ring, Max and Anthony putting me up on each of their shoulders, raising me up high to celebrate.

Whenever we got backstage, that celebrating didn't stop. When we had open space, I just hugged Max again and we were both just so happy; Max spinning me around in his arms.

"I'm so happy you didn't show me the rap you had planned for me," I giggled, still raised up in his arms, looking down at him.

"If you want me to be honest," Max sighed, admitting, "That came off the top of my head. I could never talk about you in a bad way. It came straight from the heart."

"Max! I already cried enough tonight!" I whined, but smiling, making me laugh a little and I just wrapped my arms around his neck even tighter, laying my head on his shoulders, legs wrapping around his waist.

"You guys wanna call it a night?" Anthony suggested, we didn't have anything else to do truthfully.

"Wanna get out of here?" Max whispered to me, "Have some time to ourselves?"

"I would never pass that up," I cooed, kissing his cheek, "Just know though, I'm not letting you go."

Max just shook his head, smiling while patting my back, just listening and walking off to the locker room with me in his arms.

Backstage, we heard a lot about what happened out there and I was happy to hear a lot of sweet comments. We basically stole the show and both Max and Anthony agreed that I was now, officially, the third member of The Acclaimed.

I have always been the kind of person who couldn't contain their excitement and tonight, it was even worse, but also in the good way. I was shaking, jumping, squealing, just having the best night ever. Whenever Max and I got to the hotel, in our own room, I was still so excited, smiling whenever he came in and shut the door:

"So I am seriously apart of The Acclaimed?"

"Yes!" Max said for about the millionth time, laughing, "How many times are you gonna ask?"

"I'm sorry," I chuckled, admitting, "So much just happened tonight and I'm like, freaking out! I can't believe all of this!"

For once, it rarely happened, but Max got seriously, standing in front of me when he asked, "Why can't you believe it?"

"It-" I began, truly caught off guard, but I got serious too, admitting my true feelings, "I just can't believe that you feel the same way and you got to say it first. Telling the whole world. It's like a fairy tale dream and I'm living it."

"Dreams," Max sighed, stroking my cheek, "They do come true, baby."

"They do," I smiled, stroking his cheek too, "I'm so happy I don't have to keep dreaming anymore."

Just like in the ring, our lips clashed and it was even better. My knees seriously grew weak, shaking from anticipation, excitement wanting to grow, but moving through my body ever so slowly. When I wished in the ring that Max and I could just be one on one, that wish was coming true right in that moment.

I took a handful of his shirt, kissing him a bit harder and he understood the feelings steaming off of me, delivering that right back, picking up the tempo whenever he threw off his shirt, his hands unbuckling his pants while my shirt was gone next.

For a moment, we just stared at each other. By the way his chest was heaving, I could tell his heart was beating quick and hard, just like mine. Reality hitting me never felt so good, another hard kiss from Max finding my lips again, his strong arms picking me up by the thighs, wrapping them around his waist while he climbed onto the bed, laying me down softly.

While our kiss just grew even more intense, I pulled my shoulders in, my bra straps loose enough to fall down on their own. At the same time, Max spread my legs open wide, allowing himself to throw off his jeans.

A quick rush made my body shake a little, my blood running hot, growing whenever I felt his hard on hitting right at my clit, even through my tights I could feel it. It made me pick up the pace, sitting up, pulling away from our kiss when I whispered in a sexy tone:

"How about we get even, huh?"

The look in Max's eyes, I had never seen it before, laser focused while watching me kick off my tights and throwing my bra off the bed.

Slowly, he just looked me up and down, knowing that he liked what he saw, his cock growing even harder, it showing through his briefs, his erection making it tighter.

He liked it, so I gave him even more, bringing my legs together, smiling:

"What? You shy?"

Again, he just watched, following my every move while I threw off my panties next and finally, that's when he finally snapped back into place, smiling devilishly when he got off the bed, saying:

"Trust me, I'm not shy," At the same time, his briefs dropped to the floor and I definitely liked what I saw, a very impressive size, smiling hard again as he added, "I just can't get over how beautiful you are."

Max always knew how to make my heart flutter, my heart rate unstable at that point, but it never felt so good, it growing when I watched him crawl his way back up to, my legs naturally opening wide for him, eyes adjusting to the lighting quickly when he reached over to the left, turning off the lights.

I thought my blood was running hot? Max was like a human space heater, hands steaming hot and that alone gave me so much relaxation from the moment of contact, his hands covering and kneading at my breasts, feeling his hard, hot cock laying against me, his kiss leading from my lips down to my neck.

Each kiss on my neck was slow, his right hand falling down my side, picking me up a little by my lower back, taking a handful of my ass, keeping me in that position, holding it better once he took a hold of my thigh and I was left gasping, grabbing his shoulders quickly.

His crown began to push through and into me, the moisture taking a moment to hit, but even when it did, it was a lot, having me whine already.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" Max asked quickly, noticing my reaction.

"No," I gasped quickly. He wasn't at all, I was just trying to focus on the feeling of being so full, "I just never felt this way before."

"Is that a good thing?" Max chuckled, smiling when I let my head fall back into the pillows, praising him already by saying:

"It's so damn good, baby."

"Good," Max whispered, kissing me softly, moving his hips a little more, feeding me some soft thrusts, working his way up so that eventually, our hips would meet.

That didn't take long, Max spreading my legs a little wider, which helped, sliding all the way in slowly and it made a deep moan fall from my lips, that same moan turning high pitched whenever I felt his crown go past my sweet spot and it felt amazing.

From the sounds of my moans, he knew that he was making me feel good, sitting up straight, my legs hooked around his button of his arms, dragging every inch down slowly, and putting it all back a little quicker, going deep just like last time.

"That feels good, huh?" Max smirked, squeezing my thighs hard once he did it again.

I just nodded my head, looking up at him for a moment while I murmured, "You found a new way to make me feel good and I love it."

"You love it?" He asked, picking up the pace and the feeling was so overwhelming, I could barely nod my head, overtaken by all the moans and noises that desperately needed to escape me.

Each thrust hitting my sweet spot, it jolted everyone one of my nerves, from my head to my toes, making me tremble a little, all the heat in my body growing hotter from how fast my blood was running, on top of Max's body heat.

Before I knew it, I was moaning out his name, more praising from those and just senseless babbles, my back arching hard from my nerves just searing my body. One of his hands found the arch of my back, pressing into it softly, his other hand keep him up a little, but our bodies still coming together.

We both could feel my walls spasming, clenching him so tight, my arms quickly wrapping around his neck, holding tightly because my body was just so close to losing all control. By keeping my hips up, he was sliding in so deep and with the quickened pace, it made my walls spasming even harder, signaling my orgasm.

"M-Max," I stuttered horribly, with the way he was moving, it was just hard to comprehend anything, only wanting to focus on all of the sweet, powerful pleasure.

"I'm here, baby," Max whispered in my ear, "You o-"

I didn't mean to cut him off, but even though he moved a bit slower in that moment, my whole body was in sensory overload, every part of me sensitive, his previous thrusts hitting my sweet spot multiple times because he was only pulling back a little, the soft impact also hitting my clit, making my body shudder, the heat in my body just dropping down, triggering me.

He knew the moment my hands latched onto his shoulders and I cried, "Max, oh my god, I'm cuming."

I could barely breathe, even Max having trouble trying to keep it together, letting out some groans whenever my walls just gave him a death grip, drenching us both.

Max actually helped me out by taking my hands, interlocking them with his and putting them above my head, it actually expanded my lungs, getting more air, but like always, he knew how to make me breathless.

His head was against mine, our noses nuzzling and he was still feeding me a few soft thrusts, but I paid close attention, even more overwhelmed whenever he cooed:

"Y/N, I love you."

My eyes opened slowly and he picked up his head to see mine, smiling when I whispered, "I love you too."

I was about ready to cry again, just hugging him, his head laying on my shoulder while he pinned his hips against mine, rocking back and forth a little, both of us breathing heavily when we felt another wave a heat that took us out.

Max literally just rocked my world, from the beginning of the night during the show till now, pulling me on top of him whenever he withdrew, falling back to lay down on the bed. I gladly took the cuddling invitation, placing my leg over him, cuddling up to his chest while he wrapped his arm around me.

"Max," I whispered softly, just looking at him in awe whenever he looked down to me, "I really love you."

Max rarely showed emotions out in the ring and on television but when it came to me, he didn't mind putting those walls down, wiping away a small tear that fell down my cheek when he cooed:

"I love you even more."

#wrestling #wrestling imagine #wrestling fic #wrestling smut #wrestling oneshot #aew #aew imagine #aew fic #aew smut #aew oneshot #platinum max caster #max caster #max caster x reader #max caster imagine #max caster fic #max caster smut #max caster oneshot #request #read and enjoy

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undertakerslxt · 3 years ago

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dedicated to the lovely @williamtshakespears and her oc jelena spears! (seriously, go give them some love.)

this took way too long to post and i am so sorry for that. anyway, i absolutely adore roleplaying with you (your undertaker portrayal is brilliant) and i hope you enjoy this.

WITH YOU, ALWAYS, BY MY SIDE

HE HAD NEVER FELT SO HAPPIER. For him, such a feeling could be said to be unusual. His days were normally filled with paperwork and tedious overtime, sometimes interrupted by rowdy subordinates and field missions. His days had been long. Dull.

And then she had come along, with stars in her eyes and a song on her lips that enchanted him. He couldn't help but be pulled to her in a way that made no sense - every time she smiled at him, his heart fluttered a little faster. Every time she spoke his name, he couldn't answer fast enough because he wanted to be close to her.

Was this love again?

The natural answer was yes, of course. The way he lit up when she spoke to him, and the way he had something to look forward to at the end of his shifts now… This was love. Such a strong word, and yet when he looked down the aisle to see her in all white, it was the word he chose.

She was the one he chose, now and forever.

He swallowed hard as she neared, and reached his hand out to receive her. If the priest was speaking, he couldn’t hear because she was so beautiful and she was his world. He didn’t need anything else, just her.

He had never thought he’d feel this way again.

William dragged in a breath as her hand was laid into his and she faced him, her own tears glittering in her eyes. She mouthed something and with a jolt he realized it was ‘I love you’.

‘I love you too.’

The Grand Library was quiet enough that he could think. It was a relief, really; Grelle was constantly throwing herself at him, or there were constant juniors asking for manager approval on things they really should know already.

He let out a soft breath, pushing his glasses up his nose and refocusing on the books in hand. Cinematic Records, to be exact. He wasn't even supposed to be here, but the junior who had erroneously left them in his office had run off with Ronald for drinks.

William stepped quietly through the shelves of the Library. He had quite a lot of things to be doing, and as nice as this little breather was, he couldn't afford it. Oh, well. What was done was done. He kept moving through the shelves, finally finding his way to where the Head Librarian's desk was. He didn't want to attempt to place these back by himself, knowing she had a preferred system more than likely.

"Miss Taylor?" He called as he neared. The woman sitting there looked up, bright chartreuse eyes matching his own. "I came to return these to you."

"Oh, thank you." She offered him a smile and stood. She held her hands out, taking the Records back. "I appreciate it. Supervisor Spears, correct?"

"Indeed. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." He could be cordial, after all.

"Would you like to try some cookies I just made?" She set the Records down and picked up a plate from the desk instead, offering it to him.

Oh, well, perhaps he had a few more minutes to spare. She seemed nice enough. "These look lovely, thank you." He picked one up, and bit into it. He blinked. These were far more than delicious, they were absolutely amazing. He'd heard the Librarian was an excellent baker, but this was beyond excellent.

"These are absolutely wonderful." He picked up another at her offer.

Her cheeks heated up at the compliment, and it made him smile just a little. She was quite beautiful.

Perhaps he'd have to find more excuses to come to the Library in the future.

"Mr. Spears, would you like to say your vows?" The voice drew him out of his thoughts and he smiled at Jelena.

"I, William, take you, Jelena, to be my wife. When you need a friend, I will be your best friend. When you need help, I will be there for you. When you need care, I will support you. When you want to try something new, I will encourage you. And when you do the same for me, I will appreciate you.

You have shown me love when I thought it wasn't possible. You've been a light in the darkness, and for that, I will never be able to truly express how grateful I am. I love you, Jelena Taylor."

He had promised himself he wouldn't cry, but there were tears freely running down his cheeks. The wonders Jelena had done for him couldn't be put into words; she had saved him, healed him, and made him see that there was more to the afterlife than paperwork and death.

He leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her lips. Jelena giggled against his lips, knowing he was supposed to wait until she said her vows. Once upon a time, he'd been resigned to this afterlife.

Now, he was excited for it.

#williamtshakespears #william t spears #black butler #oc

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sxfterhearts · 4 years ago

Text

53. [4:07 pm]

➳ pairing: yugyeom x reader

➳ genre/warnings: fluff fluff fluff, baker!au, baker!yugyeom, exchange student!y/n

➳ word count: 2,040 words

➳ summary: “Sit down, I’ll get it.”

➳ author's note: rach-stop-mentioning-food-in-every-single-timestamp-challenge: failed. just the thought of baker!yugs and bread has me feeling all soft and gooey inside. which is why i whipped this one up! it has been a phat minut since i last wrote so yea :”) (also i should mention italicised are korean!!) regardless i hope this will help brighten up your day a little!! sending many warm hugs xx

Your phone screeched from its resting place on the other side of your room, signalling the start of your day. It was strategically placed atop your wooden, old-fashioned dresser, with the sole purpose of motivating you to get out of bed and turn the damn thing off.

With a groan, you stretched all four of your limbs, releasing a satisfied yawn as your joints popped after a good nights’ rest.

It was late afternoon. The rays of sunshine splattered deep orange and gold as it sneaked past the cracks the half-open blinds, painting your tiny studio apartment with lazy signs of life.

You dragged your sleep-ridden body to the dresser, still reluctant to start the day after what was an immensely taxing Friday night. Having just arrived in this bustling Korean city a mere two weeks ago, you were somewhat proud of yourself for landing a part-time job to support yourself when you started your semester of exchange. The only problem was, it happened to be a bartending job in a rowdier part of Seoul, commonly patronised by sleazy middle-aged men and their younger lady companions.

It wasn’t like you had much of a choice, anyways. Your Korean was still very much at an elementary level, which didn’t prove to be a hindrance in the bar you worked at. Most of the drinks were named in English, and the owner of the bar, a surprisingly kind, motherly lady in her sixties, paid you well above the minimum wage.

Still, it was your second Friday shift ever, and it clearly took its toll on you. Staring at your reflection in the bathroom mirror, you cringed. The eyebags under your eyes were so dark it could’ve easily been mistaken as a smoky-eye look gone wrong; your lips were awfully chapped and an alarming shade of red, while a few nasty pimples threatened to break through the surface of your skin.

In other words, you looked like a wreck.

Grabbing your phone, you checked the time. Ten minutes past four. Oh no, you winced internally. You were going to be very late if you didn’t leave your house in the next fifteen minutes. As though an internal switch flipped on, you turned the shower to full blast and stepped inside, sucking in your teeth as the cold water splashed against your skin.

In eight minutes flat, you were tugging on your beat-up sneakers and dashing for the elevator in your only pair of clean, non-alcohol-stained jeans and a plain white t-shirt that you conveniently picked off the pile of dry clothes on your sofa. You jammed the down button a couple of times, all while checking the time on your phone.

“Shit,” You cursed under your breath. 4:19. You couldn’t wait any longer.

Throwing all caution to the wind, you sprinted down the fire escape and did not stop for a single breath until you reached the final destination: a charming little bakery across the road from your apartment.

Rushing to the bakery just before closing time had become a habit for you. Amidst the chaos of moving and finding your feet in this new city, the bakery and its never-ending stream of patrons were your source of stability. Not only was it less busy and crowded during the evening, but it was also much easier for you to snag a couple of good bargains in the form of randomly-packaged, discounted breads.

The fact that the cute baker was the last one in store and in charge of closing up was just an added bonus.

A high-pitched, annoying chime broke him out of his daze. With a groan, Yugyeom straightened his slumped figure and stretched his arms above his head, releasing a satisfied sigh as his backbone cracked.

It was late afternoon. The rays of sunshine splattered deep orange and gold as it flooded through the drawn, white lacey curtains, painting his grandfather’s bakery with calm and relief; a peaceful conclusion. The end of daylight was drawing near.

He wiped a stray trail of saliva off the corner of his mouth before sucking on a mint. Checking the clock that hang above rack upon empty rack which usually contained baked goods, his palms inexplicably grew clammy.

4:27, Yugyeom mused. He shook his head to clear his spiralling thoughts. Keep it together, dummy. Just because she came the past few days doesn’t mean that she’ll come today too. She has her own life, her own friends, maybe even a boyfri-

Oh?

Just as his mind was about to veer off course and crash into the thorny garden of unrequited love, Yugyeom caught sight of a blurry figure at the corner of his eyes. Intrigued, he stood up straight and watched as you appeared in front of the bakery’s double doors. For a few seconds, you simply clutched your knees and huffed and puffed. Yugyeom could barely stop the shit-eating grin that split across his face and had to bite down hard on his bottom lip to avoid looking like a fool.

Then, you did the unexpected. From the back pocket of your jeans, you pulled out your lip balm and applied it on your lips, using the bakery’s glass window as a mirror. At that, Yugyeom threw his head back in a hysterical fit of laughter.

It was hard for him to explain the feeling in his chest, really. The first time you walked through the doors of the bakery, eyes twinkling with pure wonder and amazement as you browsed the array of baked goods like how a girl would admire a display of diamond rings, he was screwed. You captivated his interest as you fumbled for the right number of coins to pay for your discounted breads, tongue stuck out and head tilted adorably while doing so. He gave you, the damsel in distress, a helping hand, by laying all your coins out on the counter and ordering them from lowest to highest value. Probably not the most helpful of gestures, but Yugyeom liked to tell himself that he was performing his civic duty by welcoming a visitor of Korea through non-verbal currency explanations and an introduction to the locals’ favourite breads, pastries and drinks. That evening, the two of you sat on the high table by the window, slowly savouring melon breads, injeolmi toasts, ang butter or red bean butter breads and an assortment of cream cheese breads. While the breads were wonderfully fluffy and the sweetness was at an acceptable level, Yugyeom instructed you to wash it down with an iced Americano.

Since then, the mere thought of the bakery, going to the bakery, its breads and pastries, its drinks and Yugyeom coated your insides with sweetness. Admittedly, the reason why you kept visiting the bakery was to create more memories with Yugyeom and ride the amazing sugar rush you felt whenever you were around him.

After rearranging your hair for the nth time, you bravely pushed open the doors and walked in at 4:29pm.

“Hello!” You called out in Korean as you waved at him, a wide smile plastered on your lips. There was an obvious language barrier (you with your kindergarten-level Korean and him with his Game of Thrones-standard of English), but it wasn’t obvious. The two of you came up with creative ways to break it down.

“Hi Y/N! Sit down. I’ll get it.” Yugyeom answered in English, emerging from behind the counter with his trusty English-Korean dictionary and a matcha latte he prepared in anticipation of your arrival. He walked towards you with an air of confidence, reminding you of a model in a fashion show despite wearing his typical slacks and white button-up, with sleeves rolled up and cross drop-earrings adorning his ears. Yugyeom quickly set the items down before pulling out a chair, nodding towards it to encourage you to sit.

You muffled a giggle at his gentlemanly actions, but complied, nonetheless. You glanced over to the boy, sipping on the creamy drink as he retrieved two large plates from the cake fridge. Sure, the assortment of cakes should have been the main attraction, but your eyes drifted and settled on the stern look of concentration on his face and his prominent collarbones peeking out of his shirt. Unbuttoned, you assumed, as he was going to be off work soon.

You were halfway through the drink when Yugyeom returned to the table. He noticed this and didn’t pass up the opportunity to tease you about it. “Is it really good?”

“Thirsty. I just woke up.” You admitted, cheeks heating up in slight embarrassment.

Yugyeom’s wholehearted laughter filled the entire bakery.

“H-hey! Bad boy… Mean…”

“No, I…” Yugyeom stifled another round of laughter as he tried to pull himself together. “Cute. You wake up, come to see me in bread house.”

“Not ‘bread house’, ‘bakery’.”

“Ah, thank you. Bakery.” He tested the word on his lips, getting used to the pronunciation. “Bakery…”

“What are these?”

Yugyeom handed you a small cake fork while taking a seat. “Here. This plate is for tarts, and this one is for cakes. The tarts have the same filling – custard. But we use different fruits, like strawberries, berries, grapes and peaches. Whatever’s in season, really. Strawberries and cherry tarts are really popular in winter. Try some!” He reverted back in Korean whenever he was explaining, which was a great opportunity for you to pick up new vocabulary.

It was also a fantastic opportunity to try delicious pastries. You rotated through the entire plate painted in shades of pinks and green, taking a bite of each tart. Yugyeom just sat there, head in his palms, and admired the slight changes in your expression whenever you tried a new flavour. As creepy as it sounds, watching you eat the food he prepared was gradually becoming his favourite pastime.

“Cherry! That one is the best! It’s…” You quickly reached for the dictionary, softly muttering to yourself as you thumbed through the pages. “Here, acid. Acid, not too sweet. The strawberry one too.” Your eyes crinkled at their edges as they met his intrigued orbs, proudly smiling at yourself for learning a new word today.

“The word you’re looking for is ‘acidity’. ‘Acid’ is for chemistry.”

“Acidity?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Yugyeom reached over, his huge palm caressing the top of your head before ruffling your hair. You pouted and feigned annoyance, all while your heart squeezed and pounded away in your chest.

“Hey…” You protested weakly.

Yugyeom’s hand retreated. He placed it on the table, right next to your smaller ones. The distance between your hands taunted him; tempted him to close the gap and intertwine your fingers with his. Honestly, Yugyeom wasn’t used to this; wasn’t used to feeling like his insides were going to explode. His mouth opened and closed several times as he pondered his next move, wondering whether it would overstep your boundaries.

But then you stared at him in anticipation with your beautiful brown orbs, innocent and confused, as your lips wrapped around the straw of your matcha latte. Your gaze asked him an unspoken question, urging him on.

Yugyeom dragged your chair closer his, eliciting a high-pitched squeal from you. He rested both of his palms on top of your knees, gaining your full attention. “I like…” Yugyeom paused, catching his bottom lip between his pearly whites as the corners of his mouth tugged upwards. “I like this time with you.”

The soft giggle was purely involuntary, you swore to him afterwards. Yet, as you watched his expression flicker into one of panic, you were quick to cast out his worries. “No, no! Don’t get me wrong. Did you mean, you like spending time with me?”

“Ah, I was trying to be romantic. Stupid English…” Yugyeom cursed under his breath in Korean, unaware that you were familiar with the word ‘romantic’ due to the hours you spent (wasted) binging Korean dramas. “Yes, I do.” He said while squeezing your kneecaps in affirmation.

You had to remind yourself time and time again to keep calm in the presence of this charming man and his magical hands. “Me too, Yugyeom. You’re my favourite time of the day.”

Needless to say, your afternoon ritual continued for weeks and months to come.

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13-reasons-ideas · 4 years ago

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Can’t Go Back Part 18

A/N: This chapter got away from me a bit. It’s over 6 thousand words so tuck in guys. I hope you like it. And as I’ve said before, any time a character gets sick in this, it’s nothing more than a flu or common bug. Given this is a Before chapter, COVID didn't exist, but just given the situation currently. I feel like it is important to say that. Just a note on temperature. According to Google 52 degrees F is roughly 11 degrees C. 45 degrees F is roughly 6 degrees C. For my fellow non-USians. Feedback is appreciated as always and much love. -Em

Winter formal was upon us. It was only one day out now. Jeff was still on me about going, like he had been for weeks. I still had no intention of going. And as luck would have it, I had just run into the perfect excuse not to go. I woke up Friday morning to my stomach cramping and churning. Oh god this is awful. I feel like I got hit by a truck. Before I even had time to wake up wake up, I rolled over and grabbed my trashcan. My body shook as I coughed. Sitting up, I flung my legs over the side of my bed. My mom knocked on the door. “Addison? Are you alright honey?”

“Yeah Mom. I’m okay. Just not feeling very well.” She opened the door and peeked inside.

“Let me check your temperature.”

“Can I brush my teeth first?” Mum looked around the room cautiously.

“Of course. I’ll be downstairs. Come down whenever you’re ready.” I nodded and held my stomach.

I went downstairs once my teeth were cleaned and I had rinsed my mouth several times. Mum and dad were in the kitchen. I groaned. The smell of coffee brewing was making me queasy. “I already called the school. You’re staying home today.” Mum said, coming to fawn over me. I waved her off.

“Okay. I’ll call Justin and tell him he needs to get himself to school.” I grabbed a pack of saltines and a Gatorade to take upstairs.

“Feel better.” Dad called after me. I heard him say to mum that it probably wasn’t really that bad. “She should still go to school.” Mum didn’t answer. I changed into a different pair of pyjamas and crawled into bed. My crackers and juice were set neatly on the nightstand by my bed. I grabbed the book I was reading last night. As a last-minute decision, I grabbed my trash can and pulled it closer to the bed.

I called Justin after I got comfortable. “Hello?”

“Morning Justy.”

“Morning Addy.”

“I’m sick.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. You’ll need to find your own way to school today.”

“I can do that. Are you sure you’re sick? Or are you just trying to get out of going to Formal?”

“I have crackers and Gatorade. I wasn’t even out of bed yet.”

“Oh.” He exclaimed. “Um. Yeah. You stay in bed. And remember to drink water. And dry toast.”

“I will. Can you grab my homework? And tell Jeff Atkins that I’m sorry I won’t get to enjoy the magic of Winter Formal tomorrow.”

“Sure thing. Feel better.”

“Mhmm. Love you.”

“Love you too.” I rolled over in bed and tried to get a little more sleep. It was a useless venture. I spent half an hour tossing and turning. I couldn’t get comfortable. It was too hot with the blankets on. It was too cold with them off. One leg out didn’t feel much better. My head was starting to hurt. My stomach was doing flips and cramping. Frustrated, I threw the covers off and went to the bathroom. The bottle of Tylenol was shoved in the back of the medicine cabinet. I took two of the foil packets and went back to bed.

Briefly, my mind went there. I had a flash of another kind of foil packet. And a flash of a calendar. My eyes widened slightly before I counted. Then I remembered that we hadn’t not used a condom, ever. I had an IUD. We were protected either way for…. I couldn’t think the word. We also hadn’t had sex in a month. And I had gotten my period between then and now. I sighed in relief. That thought did make me realize I hadn’t texted Monty yet. I took my phone again and saw that he had texted me about fifteen minutes ago.

Morning Addison. I swiped left and his message opened.

Morning Montgomery.

You’re up late this morning.

I’ve actually been up.

Oh? Everything okay?

Yes and no.

I’m kind of sick. But it’s nothing to worry about.

You sure?

Yeah. I’m alright. Just need to eat my crackers, drink my juice, and sleep. On the plus side, I can get out of going to the dance without lying to Jeff Atkins.

I can come by tonight if you want.

I’ll think about it.

Okay. A few minutes later he sent me another text. Why do you call him Jeff Atkins and not just Jeff?

I dunno. He calls me Addison Hawthorne. No one else does it. It’s kind of just a thing we do.

Can I call you by your full name?

No.

Not even occasionally?

No.

Why?

Is your name Jeff Atkins?

No?

Then there is your answer.

Fine, fine. Feel better, okay?

I’ll try.

I’ll text you later baby.

Mmkay. The Tylenol I took was starting to kick in and my eyelids were getting heavy. Before I could drop it, I put my phone on the nightstand. I woke up again around noon. My stomach was feeling a little better, so I sat up and ate a few crackers slowly. The medicine had worn off by now. I grabbed my phone and scrolled through my missed notifications for a bit. Nothing too interesting had happened. I sighed heavily and tossed my phone to the side of my bed.

My book was more interesting than I expected it to be, and soon enough I was almost done. The tri-tone buzz of my phone distracted me. I rested the book in my lap and grumbled to myself. “Who’s texting me now?” It was Jeff Atkins.

Hey Addison Hawthore. Justin tells me you’re sick. I hope you aren’t trying to just avoid the dance.

Jeff Atkins. I would NEVER. I am definitely sick. Doesn’t seem like anything major though. Probably be at school Monday. I trust you will give me a very thorough report on all things Clay Jensen and Hannah Baker?

Glad to hear. Leah says feel better by the way. I’ll find you.

Tell her thank you. Now. I don’t want to be rude, but I’m almost done my book.

See you Monday Addison. I didn’t answer him. I texted Monty instead.

Don’t worry about coming over tonight. I should be fine by Sunday. I’ll see you Monday.

Sounds good.

The rest of the day I lounged in bed. My mum came in to check on me when she got home. Saturday was much of the same as Friday. I stayed in bed. I read another book. I slept. My illness was doing better. Not well enough to go to the dance, but I could handle toast which was a good sign. Justin called me while he was getting ready at Bryce’s.

“Hey Justin, what’s up?”

“Getting ready with Bryce and the guys.” I could hear the boys roughhousing in the background and Justin’s voice seemed far away. He must have had me on speaker.

“Hi boys.”

“Hey.” They called back.

“You stuck me with him tonight.”

“I’m sick Bryce. I would not be very much fun or help at the dance tonight.”

“You say you’re sick.” Bryce kidded back. He must be in a good mood.

“Would you like me to describe to you in detail what I spent my day doing yesterday?”

“Not really.”

“Didn’t think so. Now boys.”

“Yeah Addy?” Justin asked.

“I need all of your attention.”

“We’re listening.” Zach laughed.

“Oh no. Is she going to give us the lecture?”

“What lecture?” Anders asked.

“Yes. She is.” I said. “Please try to keep the shenanigans to a minimum.”

“But they’re fun.” Justin complained.

“So is not getting arrested. Do not add to the population. Remember that is often a permanent commitment. However, I do support the right to choose. Do not fight anyone tonight. And please, for the love of God, if you are going to drink, do not spike the punch bowl. Do not be that guy. And don’t be messy drunk. I want to hear no stories about messy drunk athletes come Monday. And another thing, do not drink and drive. If you need a ride, my mum is perfectly happy to go get you and take you home.”

“She took the fun out of a dance in two minutes.” Someone grumbled.

“That was not me taking the fun out. I’m more than okay with some shenanigans. I encourage some. Please have fun for me. I just don’t want you getting anyone pregnant. You’re all old enough to go to the drugstore or the corner store and buy yourselves some damn condoms. If I can go do it, so can you. As for the drinking and driving thing, a DUI is bad. Especially when you’re underage. My mum likes Justin. So she will gladly give someone a ride if they need.”

“Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Back up. You have condoms?” Bryce asked.

“I’m not the Virgin Mary.”

“Who could you possibly be having sex with?”

“None of your business. And I swear Bryce if you say Justin.” I laughed. I may have said too much.

“You’ll what?”

“She won’t anything. I will.” Justin laughed.

“Oh! One more thing. Don’t screw up Clay’s night.”

“Fine. We won’t. Gotta go, bye.” Bryce said. I could hear him grumbling before Justin hung up. “Wonder how far she’ll go with Jensen, hey Justy?” I rolled my eyes. How can he go from fun and not horrible to a disgusting pig in thirty seconds flat?

By Monday, I was back to feeling like myself. I grabbed a soft cream sweater from my closet and paired it with a floral skirt. A worn in pair of black combat boots and silver studs rounded out the look. I left my hair down to let it air dry without a weird kink in it. Bounding down the stairs, I smiled brightly at my parents. “Morning mum. Morning dad.”

“Morning sweetie.” My mum laughed brightly. My dad looked at me strangely.

“You’re awfully happy this morning.” My smile faltered slightly.

“Well, I’m not physically sick today. I think that warrants being happy. And it’s the last few days before winter break.” There was a voice in the back of my head I tried to ignore. I was happy. I plastered on a smile and grabbed a packet of oatmeal. Silently, I warmed my milk and stirred my breakfast. My parents were going over their schedules for the day. It was just about grade deadline for mum, so she had a stack of tests and papers in her office. Dad was already prepping for tax season in a couple of months. The office at work was stacked too, I’m sure.

“I’m going to take this to school.” I mumbled.

At school, I grabbed my cup of oatmeal to eat before class. “Peaches and cream. Interesting.”

“Jesus.” I gasped. “Morning Monty.”

“Morning Addy.” I began walking to my locker. He fell into step beside me.

“Did you need something?” I was sure people were watching us.

“No. Just wanted to say hi.”

“Okay? You know we are at school, right?”

“Yes. We have chemistry together. Is it really so bad to walk to your locker together?”

“I don’t know Monty.”

“For all anyone knows, I’m looking for Bryce. Who will probably be with Justin. Who will be at your locker.”

“I guess.” I sighed. I handed him my cup of oatmeal. “If you’re going to follow me to my locker, hold this while I get my spoon.” Pulling my bag around me, I took the spoon from the front pocket. Monty handed back my breakfast for me to eat while we walked.

“Peaches and cream oatmeal.” He muttered.

“Huh?”

“Nothing. Just making a mental note.” He smirked. I could see the smile behind his eyes though.

“It was on sale. It was this or plain and plain oatmeal is….”

“Plain.”

“Exactly.”

We made it to my locker, where it just so happened that Justin was waiting for me. With my least favorite white boy in tow. “Hey Justin. Walker.”

“Addy.” Bryce nodded.

“Feeling better?”

“Much. What did I miss Friday?”

“Not a whole lot.” Justin shrugged.

“A better question would be what did we miss?” Bryce asked, looking between Monty and I.

“I was on my way in when I saw her pull in. Figured I’d stop and tell her about what she missed in chem.”

“Which apparently wasn’t much.” I shrugged, scraping the last of my breakfast up. “I need to go to class. I expect a full report on what I missed at the dance at lunch.”

“Jeff will give you one. Don’t worry.” Justin laughed. “You’re awfully invested in Clay and Hannah.”

“I could have been invested in you and Hannah. But….” I looked at Bryce briefly. “Here we are.”

“I don’t think she put out for him, if that’s what you’re wondering.” Monty added.

“Gross.”

“Don’t think he would even know how.” Bryce laughed.

“And I’m leaving. Be nice boys.”

My classes were abuzz with talk of the Winter Formal. Mostly talking about what so and so wore, or who such and such was dancing with, or that one song Tony played that went like this or that. Clearly, I hadn’t missed much. Apparently, Jessica had had one or four too many nips off Bryce’s flask. I rolled my eyes internally. I mean, at least the boys weren’t messy. By the time lunch came, I was excited to hear about anything that wasn’t the dance. I knew, of course, that wouldn’t be the case. But still.

Sliding into my usual seat next to Justin, I placed my head on the table. “What’s eating you?” Scott asked.

“Nothing. I’m just bored of hearing about the dance.”

“It wasn’t that bad. And you haven’t heard Jeff’s retelling of Clay Jensen and Hannah Baker’s dance.”

“I want to hear about that. And then nothing else.” He nodded in understanding.

“Seriously though, are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah. Just had a long weekend is all. Guess it knocked more out of me than I thought.” I heard him hum. Jeff laughed jovially as he sat down. How can one man be so damn happy all the time?

“You missed quite the dance on Saturday, Addison.”

“It seems that way. Though, anything would be better than what I spent the weekend doing.”

“Fair. You’re feeling better?”

“Yeah. Just tired now.”

“I bet. Now. About the dance. More specifically, Clay and Hannah at the dance.”

“Yes. And then no more dance talk please.”

“Okay. So, Clay was being a wallflower.”

“As usual.”

“Yes. But he was sitting on the bleachers across the gym from Hannah. And he waved and nodded at her. When I told him to go, he was all ‘I can’t dance’ and so I was like ‘no one can dance. It’s a dance.’”

“Of course. No one likes the ones who can dance.”

“That’s what I said! He was awkward as hell and then they were cute. Danced around like idiots. Had the best time. Leah thought it was fantastic. I was waiting for the slow song that was coming. Or I hoped it was. And then it did. They were awkward again.”

“Right.” I adjusted my position and leaned in to listen to him better.

“Hey gu-.” Justin said, sitting down.

“Shh.” Charlie cut him off. “Jeff is telling a story.”

“They almost kissed.”

“Almost?”

“But then Jess….”

“Ah, this part of the story I know. She was messy. And Hannah cleaned it up.”

“Yes. But that was the dance. Good time.”

“I’m sorry I missed it.” The boys around me spent the rest of lunch having their own conversations. Or giving me their own rundown of the dance. I tuned most of that out. It was hard to pretend not to notice the small glances Monty was sending my way. I sent a few his way too.

Christmas break, finals, and January flew by. Before any of us knew it, it was February. Valentine’s Day was fast approaching. Which, if you didn’t know from looking at the calendar, you certainly knew by the annual Oh My Dollar Valentines posters. There were little heart shaped boxes of chocolate at all the stores in town. The price of roses soared exponentially. I rolled my eyes as I passed one the first day of February. Justin tried to get me to buy one that day.

“No. I’m not interested in paying for cheer camp.”

“You’re always on my ass about school spirit.”

“Yeah. Because like it or not, you and your friends run this school. School spirit is not paying for the wonderful cause of sending the squad to cheer camp.”

“Fine.” He grinned mischievously at me. I watched him reach into his pocket as we passed one of the many tables lining the halls. “Two Dollar Valentines please.” My eyes widened.

“Justin. No.”

“Oh but it’ll be fun.” He laughed.

“I don’t care.” I couldn’t help but smile. He held it out to me, but I shook my head. “No way.”

“Suit yourself. I know you well enough to fill it out for you anyways.” Justin grinned and stuck his tongue out at me. You little shit. I reached out to grab the paper from him. I was going to return it. He held it above his head. I tried to grab it again and he waved his arm around.

“Give it to me.” I laughed.

“Nope. Get taller and maybe I’ll consider it.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Well then I guess you won’t be getting the survey.” I huffed at him. He lowered his arms and I tried to take it again. He pushed my hand away and took off running. “It’ll be an exciting surprise.” Justin yelled as he ran.

“Justin Foley!” I yelled back. I love that boy. But sometimes I just want to…. Oh. What am I going to tell Monty?I sighed and turned around, intending to cut Justin off at his first class and steal the stupid survey from him. When I turned however, I collided with someone.

“We should really stop running into each other like this. People might think we are together or something.” Monty said.

“Or they’ll think you have a thing for me. Since you seem to be the one who always approaches me.”

“That is definitely a possibility.” He handed me my keys. “Might need these later. Wouldn’t want someone finding them and trying to use them.” He started to walk away backwards. I followed after him.

“I highly doubt someone would try to steal an ’09 Camry.”

“Never know.”

“Besides. It’s Evergreen County. Nothing ever happens here.”

“True. I’ll see you at lunch?”

“Yeah. I need to have some words with Justin Foley.”

“Uh oh. Trouble in paradise?”

“Maybe.” I rose a brow. Monty gave me a funny look. “I’ll explain later.”

At lunch I stopped Justin in the hall on the way to the cafeteria. Pulling him into an empty classroom, I locked the door. “I need that survey back Justin.”

“Why?”

“Because I have no interest in going on a valentines date with someone. You know I hate Valentine’s Day.”

“It could be fun.”

“I highly doubt that.”

“Well, you have thirteen days to change your mind.”

“What do you mean?”

“I submitted it on the way to second period.” I blinked at him. Did he just say…?

“You what?”

“I submitted it already. You’ll be receiving a list of ‘promising matches’ on Valentine’s Day.” Oh no. Throwing my head back, I sighed very heavily.

“I hate you.” I groaned.

“I love you too Addy.” Justin brushed past me to leave. “I’ll save you a seat?”

“Nope. That’s okay. I need a break from the testosterone today.”

“Okay.” As soon as he was gone, I texted Monty.

Hey. I need to talk to you. Can you meet me in the library?

Yeah. Bring a book?

Please. My locker was on the way, so I grabbed my books for the rest of the day.

There was a table free in the back of the room. I snagged it so Montgomery and I could have some privacy. He found me a little while later. I was pretending to be taking notes. In actuality, I was doodling and trying not to think about his reaction to Justin’s little stunt. Or reactions. “What’s going on?” He asked as he sat down.

“Hi to you too.”

“Sorry. Hi. What’s going on?”

“So don’t freak out.”

“Don’t start with don’t freak out and I won’t freak out.”

“Justin uh,” I paused.

“Justin? What?”

“Justin filled out and submitted a Dollar Valentine for me.” I quickly added, “I didn’t ask him to. He just bought it and did it. I was going to get it back from him at lunch, but he submitted it on his way to second.” I looked up. Monty was staring at me. And he was… what is he doing? And then his lip twitched. He was trying not to laugh. “What?”

“That’s what this is about? That is what was so urgent?”

“Yes?”

“The fact that Justin Foley filled out a Dollar Valentine for you?”

“Yes?” I was extremely confused.

“Addison. I really don’t care if he filled out a stupid survey for you. Are you going to go on the date?”

“Of course not!”

“Then I don’t give a shit.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s good.” I was still a little hesitant to say anything. “Oh. I should probably mention. I hate Valentine’s Day.”

“Really?” He frowned in confusion.

“Yes. Is that really so hard to believe?”

“Honestly? Yes.”

“Why?”

“You’re a romantic.”

“I know. Which is why I hate Valentine’s Day. It’s the least romantic holiday. If you want to do something nice for me, or get me flowers, show me that you like me, do it on a random day. Not when you have to because it’s a Hallmark holiday.” I was careful not to say the word love. It may have been five months, which is a long time in high school, but we weren’t there yet.

“So, you’re a romantic who hates Valentine’s Day. Okay. Coffee date though?”

“Sure. But not because of what day it is.”

“No. Of course not.” Monty winked at me and then got up to leave. “Come find me after school.” I nodded.

“I’m going to stay here and make Justin sweat a little.”

The next couple of weeks passed slowly. I had forgiven Justin for filling out a Valentine for me a couple of days after he submitted it. After school on the thirteenth, I ran to Walplex to get ingredients for macarons. I browsed the aisles in search of almond flour and raspberry flavouring. Before I left the lot, I texted Monty. Turns out you’re worth it after all. He was busy with practice. I didn’t expect an answer any time soon.

At home, I unloaded my ingredients and put the carton of egg whites in a bowl of lukewarm water to come to room temperature without overheating them. “Hey Siri. Play State Champs on Spotify.”

“Playing State Champs.” I sang along quietly while I went about making my macarons. I said very kind and loving things to the batter aloud. In my head, I was swearing at them with words that would make a sailor blush. He really is worth it.

Dad came home while I was piping the batter onto the Silpat.

“Hi.”

“Hi. What are you doing?”

“Making macarons for my friends.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow.” I shrugged. Dad scoffed and shook his head. “What?”

“Nothing.” He snapped. My face didn’t react. Inside, I felt the familiar sensation of becoming smaller and my insides closing in on themselves. Just ignore him. It’s okay. You’re okay.

“Okay.” I replied meekly. Instead of responding, he went and shut himself in the office. I sighed softly to myself and started on my macaron filling while the cookie batter sat on the tray.

Once my cookies were baked and cooled after dinner, I began to fill them. I picked a Wilton number 18 tip, a small star, and piped chocolate ganache around a raspberry on half of the cookies. When they were all filled, I topped each one. Then I carefully placed them in a container and grabbed several napkins. I also put five each in two disposable aluminum containers. One for Justin. And one for Montgomery. “They won’t notice if one is missing.” I muttered to myself. I took a bite, and it was perfect. Not hollow. Still had a chew to it. The outside was crisp. The slightly bittersweet filling complemented the sweetness of the cookie Perfect. I moaned softly. Setting the containers in the fridge so they didn’t melt overnight, I went upstairs to take a shower and get ready for bed.

The next morning it was Valentine’s Day. As much as I hated the holiday, I wasn’t opposed to dressing up. I dug around my closet for something to wear. I had a red circle skirt in mind. I just needed to find something to wear with it. “Hey Siri, what’s the weather today?”

“It’s currently cloudy and forty-five degrees. The high is expected to be fifty-two degrees and the low will be forty-five degrees.”

“Thank you.” Only fifty-two. I can wear a sweater. I pulled out a couple. The red cable knit was too match-y. The plain black was too plain. My last option was a black sweater with white hearts. This is nice. Shrugging it on, I pulled on a pair of black tights to cover my legs. Topping off the look with my favourite diamond studs and a simple charm bracelet, I checked the clock. I had time to paint my nails.

Soon, I was ready for school. I redid my nails in a nice nude shade. Knowing I was going on a date today, I went quite neutral on the makeup. I wanted my skirt and top to be the focus of my look. My parents were putting their breakfast away when I went downstairs. “Morning guys.”

“Morning sweetie.” We exchanged pleasantries with each other. “You look lovely Addison.”

“Thanks Mum. May not like today, but it’s an excuse to wear this sweater.”

“Very true.” She kissed my cheek gently, so her lipstick didn’t transfer.

“Why are there three containers in the fridge Addison?” Oh crap. Uh….

“Because one is for Justin, one is for my friends to share, and the other one is for me when my friends inevitably leave me with none.”

“I see.” He didn’t sound convinced. Or interested for that matter. When does he ever sound interested? He called after me as I was leaving. “Remember your mother and I are going out tonight for dinner and date night.”

“I know.” I smiled at him. “You kids have fun. I’ll see you in the morning.” I smiled brighter when he dipped my mom and kissed her. Gross but so cute.

“I love you, Margot.”

“I love you too, Brooks.” My mom replied.

My friends were waiting at my locker when I got there. “Hey guys. What’s going on?”

“Justin said you were bringing macarons to school.” Charlie grinned.

“Ah yes. You’re here for snacks. Of course. Hey Clay.”

“Hey Addy.” I shooed the boys away from my locker so I could put my bag in and take out the large container.

“These are for sharing.”

“We know. We can share.” Bryce nodded. Sure, you can. I rolled my eyes playfully. Then I set about passing each of the plethora of boys gathered around my locker a napkin. And then I gave them one macaron each. Jeff got two so he had one to give to Leah.

“Why does he get two?” Luke complained.

“Because he has a girlfriend. And I like her. Do any of you have girlfriends I like?” My eyes shifted to Monty minutely. He smirked softly and quirked a brow quickly. No one seemed to notice. “No? Then you get one for now. You can have more at lunch.” The bell rang. The boys began to disperse to their respective classes. I grabbed Justin and gave him his container.

“You’re the best.” He grinned and kissed my temple when he pulled me in for a hug.

“So are you. Now go get educated.” I texted Monty as I walked to class. I’ll give you yours after school.

I think I like being worth it. This is delicious. Why don’t you make these all the time?

Make them with me sometime. You’ll see.

On my way to lunch, I stopped to pick up my Dollar Valentine. “Hey Sheri.”

“Addison! Oh my gosh. When I heard you filled out a survey, I almost didn’t believe it.”

“Justin did it.”

“Oh. At least he knows you. I hope you get better matches than I did.”

“We’ll see.” I waited while she printed out my list. I glanced at it when she handed it to me.

Andrew B.

Cody K.

Daniel R.

Justin F.

Bryce W.

“Oh. My. God.” I laughed.

“What?”

“I matched with Justin. And Bryce Walker. How the hell?”

“Well, Justin knows you best. And he did the survey for you.” Sheri shrugged.

“Okay fair. But Bryce?”

“I don’t have an answer there.” We both laughed and I left to go to the cafeteria to join my friends. While I walked, I called Justin.

“Hey Addy, what’s up?”

“Hey Valentine. Have you picked up your matches yet?”

“I’m just looking at them now. I was just about to call you to see who you matched with.”

“Well, I think you’re my best match.”

“No one else up to your standards?” I was behind him now.

“Nope.” He turned and hung up. “But I have very important plans tonight, so I’ll need a rain check.”

“No problem. Your annual Bones marathon?” Sure.

“You know it. Next season is the last one.”

“Since I can’t take you out tonight, at least let me escort you to lunch.” He held his arm out to me. I grasped it dramatically.

“Such a gentleman.” We laughed hysterically.

Montgomery loved the macarons. We met at Monet’s after school to get coffee to go because it was crowded. Thankfully no one questioned us if they saw us. They were too wrapped up in their own dates to be concerned about us. Our date was wonderful. There was no chocolate in heart shaped boxes. There weren’t any overpriced roses. Just the two of us spending time together privately. Since my parents were out for the foreseeable future, he came back to my place. We hung out for a bit until he had to leave to avoid my parents. All in all, it was a pretty good Valentine’s Day. He found it hysterical that Justin and I were matched for Dollar Valentines.

Spring had sprung in Evergreen in mid-March. By the time April rolled around, flowers were in full bloom again and it was getting warmer and warmer. On a particularly nice Saturday, I woke up in an unusually good mood. I looked out the window and it was sunny, not a cloud in the sky. As I was sitting in bed, I looked around my room. My camera caught my eye on my bookshelf. Maybe today is the day I introduce Monty to my camera. I got ready but didn’t get dressed. It was still early for a Saturday. And I knew Monty was a big fan of sleep.

After an hour or so of putzing around in my room, I decided to call him. “Morning Addy.” He answered. His voice was still thick with sleep. I smiled.

“Good morning sunshine.” I heard him shifting in bed.

“You’re chipper this morning.”

“It’s nice out. It’s finally spring.”

“It is.” He smiled.

“I was wondering if you had plans today?” I eyed my camera.

“No, I don’t think so. What did you have in mind Bookworm?”

“I thought I could introduce you to my other hobby Casanova.”

He gasped dramatically. “You mean to tell me you like things other than books?”

“Yes.” I laughed. “What do you say?”

“I’m in. When and where?”

“The park by the docks? Say, one o’clock?”

“Sure thing.”

“Wear something comfortable.”

“Okay. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Bye baby.”

My parents were in the office working. It was ten am on a Saturday. But it was getting close to exam time for my mom, so she was busy. Tax season was ending, so dad was busy. I opened my bedroom door and called into the house. “I’m going out later. I don’t know how long I’ll be out.”

“Okay honey. Have fun.”

“That’s nice.” I sighed and closed my door. After a quick shower I got dressed. I knew I would probably be moving around a lot today, so I picked a pair of leggings and a loose black t-shirt from American Eagle. I really should go get one of these in every colour. They’re the best shirts. I threw a random cardigan on my bed. It was later joined by my wallet and camera.

Sitting down to do my hair and makeup, I decided to just do a quick French braid. It kept the hair out of my face. I contemplated my makeup for a while. I still had plenty of time to spare. Pressing play on my Spotify and it picked up on a random Beartooth song. Artist Radios are always interesting. I hummed and tapped along with the music while I dug through my vanity. I didn’t have an excessive amount of makeup. Maybe I had a little too much lipstick, but it’s my favourite type of makeup. I kept everything but my lipstick fairly light and neutral. My skin was actually nice today so I could just use concealer and set it. With the rest of my makeup done, I dug through my slightly embarrassing amount of lipstick. “I’m feeling bold today. Red?” I asked myself in the mirror. “Red.” I nodded. I was ready to go now. I chucked the tube of lipstick in my wallet.

It was close to lunch so I texted Monty. Did you want me to make a couple of sandwiches or something?

Sure. I went downstairs and dug through the cheese drawer.

I have turkey, ham, and some other white meat. Possibly chicken?

Ham is okay.

Cheddar okay?

Yup. I made our sandwiches. I knew how he liked his sandwiches now. Placing them in the fridge, I ran upstairs for my camera, camera bag, and now my purse. Our lunch was set on top of my wallet. I threw an ice pack in to keep everything cold and food safe. A couple of snacks joined in before I grabbed my keys.

“I’m leaving now. I’ll see you later.” I called.

“Okay.” My parents called together.

At the park, I met Monty over by a tree. He was wearing jeans and a plain white t-shirt. No flannel. That took me by surprise. He looked damn good though. I stopped on the way over for a couple of coffees from Starbucks. “Hey Casanova.”

“Hey Bookworm.”

“Lunch now or later?”

“Now is good. I could eat.” I rolled my eyes. “What?”

“You’re always hungry.”

“I’m a growing boy.” He defended.

“If you grow anymore, you’ll give Dempsey a run for his money.”

“Never know. They say boys grow again around nineteen.”

“Oh god. I don’t know if I could handle you getting taller.” He laughed.

“Might have to. Never know.” I looked down to hide my blush. I didn’t read into what he said. He was right. You never knew where you could end up. We talked quietly while we ate. Monty regaled me with stories of the baseball game I “missed” yesterday.

“Sounds like a nail biter.” I smiled.

“You don’t like baseball, do you?”

“No.” I replied quickly.

“That mean you’ll never come to a game?”

“Quite possibly. I will go to as many football games as I can though.”

“Deal. Now. What did you want to show me?”

“This.” I said as a pulled my camera out of the bag.

“Oh?”

“Yes. I told you I like photography.”

“I remember. I’m just surprised it took you this long to show it to me.”

“Good things come to those who wait.”

“Okay. I won’t question you.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not Tyler. I keep my photography to when people know about it and can see it.”

“I kind of figured.” I spent some time showing him my camera. It was the first thing I had spent any big amount of money on. I got it a few years ago. I saved up birthday and Christmas money. I never really got an allowance so that’s what I had to work with. I looked out at the water and stood up. Holding my hand out to my boyfriend, I nodded in the direction of the dock.

“Come on.” Montgomery took my hand and we walked to the railing. I examined the water for a few moments quietly. Then I lifted my camera and started shooting. It was beautiful. “It’s nicer at sunset. But daytime shoots are so fun.” I could feel him watching me. A bird was flying close by, so I snapped a picture. “It’s beautiful.” I said softly.

“Very beautiful.”

We wandered around the park together for a few hours. Occasionally we would stop to sit and just people watch. During one of these stops I noticed Monty had turned to look out over the water. The way the light was hitting his face was perfect. I quickly snapped a photo. I wanted to preserve the peaceful look on his face forever. Lord knows the boy could use some peace. He turned to me when he heard the click of the camera. Luckily it didn’t ruin the shot. He was smiling. I couldn’t help myself. I took a quick scan of the area and kissed him. When we pulled away, he quickly wiped the lipstick off. I laughed and dug around in my purse for a makeup wipe. “Here. Use this.”

“Thanks.” I touched up my lipstick. While I was doing that, he took my camera from my lap and snapped a photo of his own. “I’m not very good at this, so don’t be shocked if it comes out crappy.”

“I’m sure it’s great. Here, let me see.” He handed it back. I scrolled to the photo. It was really nice. “This is great Monty.” He nodded but didn’t say anything. Instead, he threw his arm over my shoulder and pulled me in close to him. I rested my head on his shoulder. Turning the camera around, I snapped a picture of the two of us. It wasn’t exactly a candid, but it was as close as you could get with a selfie. We called it a night around six o’clock. He had to get home for dinner. I had some homework to do. I also wanted to get our photos transferred as soon as possible.

I walked into the house smiling to myself. Today had been a really great day. I felt good. “What the hell is all over your face?” My dad asked. Not a hello. No other acknowledgement.

“What do you mean?” I reached up to touch my face. Is there something on my face?

“You really caked it on today, didn’t you?” Oh. My makeup. I’d forgotten that he didn’t see me before I left.

“I put on a little makeup. I’m trying to use up a red lipstick.” I shrugged. The small feeling had begun to grow again.

“It makes you look like a prostitute.” Wow. That escalated quickly. My good mood vanished. I set my face. I wouldn’t let him see that he had hurt me.

“Thanks Dad. That was my goal today actually.”

“Don’t take that kind of tone with me, young lady.”

“Okay, whatever. Where’s Mum?”

“At the grocery store.”

“Okay. I’ll be upstairs.”

“Take off the paint while you’re up there.” He called after me.

When I reached my room, I closed the door and slid down it. Not wanting him to know I was crying I went to the bathroom and grabbed a towel. I curled up on my bed and sobbed into the towel. I didn’t care that there would be makeup stains on it. My phone buzzed on the floor. Sitting up, I stood to grab it. It was Monty. I want to see those photos baby.

Okay. I’ll send them over when I’m done.

Looking forward to it.

Yeah.

If I forgot to say, you looked pretty today.

Thanks. I wasn’t sure I believed him after what my dad said.

Any other mystery hobbies you want to show me?

Don’t think so.

Not even the art of knitting?

Maybe.

You okay Addy?

Yeah. Just tired.

Okay. I’ll talk to you later then.

Sure. I didn’t answer his next text. It was too much effort to do it now. I just wanted to lay in bed and be sad.

#can't go back #montgomery de la cruz #monty de la cruz #monty x oc #monty imagine #monty x reader #montgomery de la cruz x oc #montgomery de la cruz imagine #montgomery de la cruz x reader #13 reasons why #13rw #13 rw #Thirteen Reasons Why #fanfiction #fan fiction #fanfic #fanfic writing #creative writing #writeblr

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dreaminae · 4 years ago

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We All Need The One Friend

Author's Note: After watching 3x10 I see that the CW writers are going to take the self-care route long term. This means my mind will be swirling with what-if scenarios. So let's jump into a less angsty spelivia shall we?

Chapter 11

"Wake up, lazybones!" Kia goofily demanded, tossing a pillow at a slumbering Olivia.

"What the hell!" Liv grumpily moaned, wiping her eyes as they slowly opened. Scanning the room to find the intruder, she was surprised to find her hyper friend, Kia, smirking.

"Wake your behind up! And come eat with me." Kia snorted, ignoring Liv's confused expression.

"Wait, what are you doing here?" Liv muttered, wondering if she having a strange dream.

"Bringing you breakfast." Kia responded in a 'duh' tone. "Bring your ass on. I want to know what I missed in the last 24 hours."

"Only one hell of a night." Liv snarked, forcing herself to get up before Kia decided to do something drastic to get her up.

Following her friend out of the room, Liv stretched her arms out, yawning away her drowsiness. Kia giggled at the irritated expression on Liv's face as her body finally released all the built tension.

"You still haven't told me what you're doing here." Liv's moaned, slumping her shoulder as she glanced at the breakfast pastries on the counter. "Other than bringing me food."

"I could ask you the same thing," Kia remarked sassily. "Last I heard, Spencer was supposed to be here alone. Or at least that what Coop thought."

"Coop? Coop is here too?" Olivia asked, wondering what more drama was about to brew. "I thought she wasn't talking to Spencer."

"Not to his face," Kia mumbled, "She kept complaining about him to me so much, I had to drag her down here to face Spencer. Otherwise, she would've talked my head off." Kia exaggerated.

Liv nodded her head, biting into her bagel. Smirking, Kia switched the topic back to Liv.

"Now tell me what's going on? Because I saw your car, and what I assume to be Jordan's car when I pulled up." Kia detailed from when she and Coop first arrived. "So what happened hmm? Did I interrupt a Baker double date?"

"It's not like that," Lic grumbled, swallowed her food. "Spencer hasn't been to this cabin this Corey passed away. I didn't want him to be alone. So Layla and I convinced Spencer's friends from Beverly to come as a show of support."

"So that you wouldn't get caught," Kia remarked nonchalantly, reading between Liv's coverup.

"What are you talking about? I was hiding anything." Liv shrugged, feigning obliviousness.

"This is me you're talking to, Liv. Are you going to pretend you didn't decide to invite everyone to keep Asher and Layla from getting suspicious?" Kia pressed on.

Liv bit into her bagel to keep from responding.

"We both know that Spencer would be been perfectly satisfied with only you coming down here. But Layla and Asher would've thrown a fit had you decided to take that route." Kia predicted, choosing to it real for the moment.

"It doesn't matter anymore. They both know the truth now." Liv revealed, stunning Kia.

"You and Spencer finally came clean about summer?" Kia asked, intrigued.

"We didn't have to, they figured out the main points on their own," Olivia replied exhaustively.

"And, what happened?" Kia inquired excitedly, "I need details."

"Another day, Ki," Olivia muttered restlessly. "Last night was an emotional wreck and I don't feel like retelling it." She sighed heavily, walking around the wooden counter. Her hands played the cupboard doors, as Kia surrendered.

"Fine. At least tell me you and Spencer talked about summer. Like for real." Kia hoped aloud.

"We were just dumped from our relationships, so no we haven't talked about what it might mean for us." Olivia hastily stated. "We both have a lot going on, without adding a new relationship to the mess."

"I'm not saying to just right into a relationship." Kia insisted, desiring her friend to take her advice. "It's just without everything out of the closet, this would be a good time to at least talk about where you stand with one another."

"We're friends who have feelings for one another but can never seem to get the timing right." Liv summed up aloud.

"Except this is good a time." Kia encouraged. "Maybe not to date, but to put your feelings out there and see what you can make of things."

"I will think about it." Liv concluded as Kia nodded, strutting away for a moment.

Maybe it had been a knowing instinct when Liv's hand swing the cupboard door open again to spot a bottle of booze inside.

Her throat with dry with a pleading desire to drink. All the problems of the last few hours weighed down on Liv's shoulders. Her hand began to reach out for the bottle in hope of seeking clarity, but was stopped by Kia's abrupt returns.

"Look who I woke up!" Kia chuckled as Jordan follower behind her, yawning and still half sleep.

Slamming the cupboard shut, Liv went widen eyed like a deer in head lights.

"You okay?" Jordan asked worried, as his sister went pale.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Liv muttered, her discomfort flying over her drowsy twin's head.

Kia smiled faltered as she gaze, Olivia, a strange gaze but was diverted by Simone's presence.

"Do you get any sleep last night?" Simone moaned in Liv's direction, dragging her feet slowly as she strolled into the room.

"Sort of," Liv replied indifferently.

"When did you get here?" Simone inquired of Kia's arrival.

"Like an hour ago," Kia replied.

"Oh," Simone said back. "Cool."

"I'm going to get dressed." Jordan muttered, too tired to make small talk.

"Me too. I hate morning breath." Simone groaned following behind her lover.

"They don't seem too pleased at the moment," Kia observed.

"It was a long night for everyone," Olivia commented. "Which is why I just want to get dressed and head back home." She urged quickly, bolting out of the kitchen.

Kia furrowed her brows as her friend brushed by her. Walking to where Liv's previously stood, Kia scanned the area. Unsure what she was searching for, she began to go through the cupboard, wondering what made Liv so uneasy.

Pausing at the sight of a bottle of booze, Kia sighed sorrowfully, unsure what her next move should be.

#3x07 #all american #olivia and spencer #olivia baker #spencer and olivia #spelivia #spencer james

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writeraquamarinara · 4 years ago

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as with everything else in life, I’m late to making this post. I tend to make one around Jan 1st every year, but it’s now a few days after that, and all i can say for myself is that time is non-consequential during a pandemic, right? right.

anywho, this is my usual “thank you for keeping me going this year” post, but with even more fervor. 2020 would not have been nearly as tolerable without you all in it. and when i say all i really do mean all. thank you to anyone who follows me here or has read and supported my work on AO3 or has sent me a message or an ask or even just likes my posts. you can never know how many people’s hearts you’ve touched, lives you’ve made better, but i’m telling you now: you made me smile and laugh and feel love in a year that could have easily stolen all that. thank you for sticking around.

a few more specific shoutouts are under the cut to keep from flooding your dashes. i hope you’re all having a wonderful start to the new year.

much love, mari

to @anniemurphys: ria, i cannot thank you enough, for so many things. you played such a vital role in turning this year around for me. your friendship, and the friendships you’ve helped me make through book club, kept me smiling from week to week. i never wanted to leave our meetings, no matter how long they’d already gone. I could listen to your literary analyses and life advice for days on end. you’re such a kind, patient, loving person, and I’m so lucky to have you in my life. here’s to another year of freaking out over taylor swift albums and the power inherent in voluntarily turning oneself into vegetation.

to @bigdsgirl: heidi, you’re one of the sweetest, most hard-working people i know. you amaze me, and you graciously humor my latest hyper fixations—somehow always knowing, always reblogging content related to what i’m obsessing over at the moment. you give such great advice and have such a calming presence that i love being in chats and on calls with you. i cannot wait for more zoom movie nights in 2021.

to @hellodinoflower: raptor, you’ve supported me for so many years now, and whenever i feel down about my writing i’ll go back through the comments on some of my old fics and yours always make me tear up. you’re so thoughtful and kind and excited about my work that i cannot help but be the same. i hope you enjoyed the little dino reference in pride & publishing—i tried my best, i really did—and i hope you’re doing well. sending you so much love.

to @soyforramen: soy, i promise i’ll get to your head canon asks some day. i promise i haven’t forgotten them; i’m just uncreative and uninspired, but what else is new. you, however, are brilliant and kind and thoughtful, and your guidance in making both life and fic-writing decisions has been so important to me this year. wishing you so much luck with school this year, and even more happiness.

to @ithoughtyoulikedmereckless: rach, where to even begin? you’re the person i talk to when i’m feeling happy or sad or annoyed or angry or pretty much anything, really. our FaceTime convos are my favourite, no matter what time of day we have them at (somehow, the ones at 10pm are just as crazy as the ones at 3am, and i don’t really understand how or why, but i love that for us). i’ve learned so much about myself through my conversations with you, and you keep me level headed when i start doubting myself too much. you understand me on such an amazing level and i’m so lucky that you reached out to me so many years ago. i’m so lucky that we just happened to find each other on here and just so happened to move near each other this year. i still cannot believe i get to see you in person and go on walks in the woods with you. you’re such a talented photographer, writer, painter, baker, and all around artist; an incredibly kind and funny person; and i aspire to be you. i’m rambling now, but just know that i love you.

to @catthecoder: lav, my light, my love. seeing your icon and username on my dash makes me smile so hard. you just give off the best vibes and chatting with you always leaves me feeling like i’ve been basking in the sunlight for the past few hours. we need to make a resolution to sprint with each other more often this year, even if 2021 is going to be as hectic as ever, as i find so much joy in reading your snippets as we go along. you’re such a wonderful writer, and i often read your gift to me from years ago for inspiration and comfort. i hope you’re doing well and am sending so much love.

to @stirringsofconsciousness: stirrings!! i know you’ve had a super busy year, but you still made time to chat with me and i’ll be forever grateful. i often think about the advice you’ve left for me and the thoughtful responses you’ve given to my personal posts and find so much inspiration in your own words and actions. i also still cannot get over the time when you sent me a post of artful vases because you thought of me when you saw them. mortifying ordeal of being known who? anyways lol, i just wanted to thank you for being in my life and wish you a happy 2021.

to @heavy-lies-the-crown: alex, i just wanted to thank you for putting your time and energy towards answering my incessant questions this year. you’ve been an inspiration to me as a writer ever since i first found your work, but you’re also an inspiration to me as a person, and i’m always thinking about the advice you’ve given me. i hope you had a wonderful end to 2020, and that 2021 brings you even more joy than seeing your posts on my dash brings me. much love.

to @stonerbughead: maria, you brought so much happiness to my 2020. your support for my work took my breath away every time, and I swear I nearly cried when I saw your latest comments on pride and publishing. you put so much time and energy into this fandom, and into supporting the people in it, and I hope you know that it doesn’t go unnoticed. we all love you, and we’re so lucky to have you; your fics are brilliant, your podcast highlights are a joy to read, and your disdain for ras is hilarious. thank you for being you. sending lots of love.

to @sullypants: sully, it’s been years and i still marvel at how lucky i am to know you. you’ve taught me so much, from how to be more thoughtful to how to navigate therapy and self-love to how to be a kinder person in the world. you introduced me to ask polly and you send me really nice asks and you’re one of like four people who interacts with my posts on a consistent basis, which makes me feel a little less alone in the world, if that makes any sense. i’m going to stop myself from rambling on or else i might cry, but i just wanted to thank you for—here comes the cliche—changing my life (doesn’t everyone we meet change our lives, in some way or another? but you’ve changed mine considerably, and for the better). sending you so much love (in the form of both yellow and blue heart emojis)

to @justcourbeau: mel, our paths cross less frequently now than they used to, but that doesn’t mean i don’t think about you and the conversations we’ve had, or smile when i come across your posts on my dash, or when i happen to open up instagram once in a blue moon and see you’ve posted on your story. please never stop sending me sparknotes memes—especially cask of amontillado ones. your words of advice from the night i called you, distraught, a few years ago live in my brain rent free, and i will continue to carry them into 2021 with me. i hope 2021 treats you well, and that you achieve all you want and more. sending you an immense amount of love.

to @protectorofthesmoll: your string of comments on pride and publishing made me cry multiple times, i swear. i still read them back every so often, when i’m trying to muster the courage to start up on the new chapter. your support means so much to me, and it amazes me how far back it goes: I’m pretty sure I have at least two asks of yours sitting in my inbox, from back in 2018 when I had barely any followers or supporters, both of them writing prompts that I never filled. i promise i’ll get to them one day. anywho, i just wanted to thank you for your support this year, and every year before that. wishing you so much love and happiness in 2021.

to @panalegs27: 2020 was the year of figuring out that we have so much in common: a hatred of dating apps, confusion over tumblr’s obsession with the raven cycle, and an attraction to logan lerman with gray hair. thank you for chatting about all of these things, and more, with me; seeing that you’ve sent me a post always makes me smile, and our conversations make me laugh. wishing you even more love and laughter in 2021.

to @indiebughead: maria, it’s been so lovely getting to know you more over the course of this year. i love listening to your stories and living vicariously through you, lol. (i want updates on new neighbor boy, asap!) thank you for listening to my petty rants and for encouraging me to make bad decisions and be salty on main when i want to be. i couldn’t have asked for a more supportive conspirer ;) sending lots of love.

to @redundantoxymorons: iz, you’re one of the smartest, most eloquent, most supportive people i know. i know 2021 will be both stressful and exciting in many ways, and i wish you all the best. i know you’re going to thrive wherever you end up, and i’ll cheer you on as you navigate this new world, just as you’ve done for me all these years. i’m so lucky to have you as a friend, supporter, and beta, and all of our conversations bring me so much joy. pls continue to gush about taylor swift and rec books and send uquizzes with results that make me feel Known in 2021. i love you very much <3

to @cracklr: leda, i’ve missed your passive aggressive smiley faces, but your gushing insta comment more than made up for that, i promise :) sending you so much love and happiness in this new year <3

to @dottie-wan-kenobi: dottie, the posts we send each other make me so upset, but in a good way—the “if i just had to see this nasty shit then so do you” kind of way—and i love that about our relationship. who else would understand how disgustingly hilarious something is other than my wife? no one, that’s who. i often think about how you were the first friend i made in fandom, and i’ll be forever grateful for that: i couldn’t have found a better person. i love you so much, and am sending you all my love.

this list of shoutouts is really much shorter than it should be, but my brain is currently friend and i cannot seem to think properly anymore. therefore, i’m going to call it a day and reiterate my above statements that I love you all, and I hope you have a fucking amazing 2021.

#i can't find my 2019 one of these so i've decided i need to start tagging them with something so i can read them back #so for posterity:#end of the year appresh #anywho #none of this is edited or read over #so if it's embarrassingly cheesy or there are typos... welp

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tabby-shieldmaiden · 4 years ago

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This is for @promptsforthestrugglingauthor ‘s Friday Night Fights. Please make sure to check the tags for content warnings, and I hope that you enjoy this!

Reblogs would be appreciated! Comments too!

Just like any day where I have a scheduled exam, I arrive at school as early as I can. I had packed myself breakfast to eat there. Mostly out of habit. I like to eat at school, for some reason. It was a simple meal, two peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches and some coffee in a thermos. I ate it all while sitting under the old tree in the centre of the school’s courtyard. Afterwards, I pack away my lunchbox into my pack, pick up my sword, and head over to the centre of the yard.

I take in a deep breath, and adjust my stance. Then I determine my next move. My mind runs through the many ways I could swing my sword at a hypothetical monster. Most of them were moves I saw from other trainers, expert swordsmen. I had looked through lots of diagrams in the library, and I tried to recall as many as I could. I swung, trying to recall all the advice given to me. Took in a deep breath. Swung my sword again.

It wasn’t as good as having a sparring partner or a dummy, but for the time being, while the gym was closed and I was partnerless, this was as good a practice I could get. Especially before the practical.

I wanted to pass this test. I wanted to be a good sword fighter period. I always wanted to be a knight or a magical girl or something along those lines ever since I was a little girl. In a world with so many monsters, where more and more different variants are spawning by the day, where researchers and the fighters of monsters are constantly dropping like flies while on the job due to the sheer number of new monsters, I was encouraged to go for it.

At least, I was encouraged to go for it by my teachers. Other people who knew me for my interests at school.

My mother is still scared for me. I came from a long line of seamstresses. My father had been a baker’s son, before serving some time as a soldier against the monsters, and then dying. He was poorly-trained, and he was already a rather scrawny, sickly man. It was during a particularly intense battle. A lot of people died. Traditionally, in my country, funerals last three days. His funeral lasted three hours. Right before one, and right after there was another one.

It stuck with me. For years, it was all I could think about. I wondered if there could have been a way for him to live. I wished that I could grow up strong and brave. Eventually, I began asking myself questions. Could I get stronger, faster, become a better fighter than my father? Fight the monsters who took his life?

Those questions, those hypotheticals, became challenges.

As it turns out, I could. I got good enough to get past an audition, and into Northport’s School for Monster Hunters and Monster Research. Mother was scared, but ultimately supportive. “You’re a tough girl, Janey. But please, be as careful as you can.” I have her and my younger sister Lila praying for my safety every day. Every day, I make sure I work as hard as I can for them.

What no one told me was that most people who enrolled in these specialised schools for monster hunters were trained all their lives. They came from lines of acclaimed monster hunters. Powerful people, great fighters, who spent their youth slaying monsters and keeping the land safe, and then were lucky enough to retire and go on to start families.

My classmates were proud. They were good at what they did. They trusted very few. Cliques were common among the people I went to school with. Most of my classmates were better fighters than I was. They were more skilled, thanks to spending a lifetime around monster hunters. While I played with dolls and balls, their toys growing up were swords and shields. And they needed to learn how to use them well. Their families expected them to. And among themselves right now, because of their cliques (the environment was very cliquey), they trained and pushed each other every day. I was mostly friendless, and I had to do a lot of training by myself. It made things like sparring more difficult. Who was I supposed to spar against if all I had was myself most of the time?

I thought I was pretty good before. I was the neighbourhood bully hunter. The girl who would never go anywhere without her makeshift armour. Being an aspiring warrior was my ‘thing’. But once I started school at Northport, I suddenly became a small fish in a very big pond. Especially in terms of my fieldwork.

I was decent at theory at least. I studied monsters and the best ways to take them down - all their common weak points and vulnerabilities - as much as I could, and I was rewarded for my hard work in the form of Cs, Bs, even an odd B+. They, for the most part, are what prevent me from flunking out. I suppose this is a sign I should get into research more than fieldwork… hm…

In any case, in the present I need to focus on my swordwork. I’d been practicing in private a lot lately. Hopefully, they’ll be good enough for the examiners. I always found theory exams much easier than practicals. But hopefully, this time I’ll be good enough to pass this one the first time ‘round.

I go from stance to stance. Rehearsing how to carry myself, and the right next steps after. They weren’t supposed to be static, which was the problem. The trainers always said I was far too stiff. I needed to be dynamic, flowing, my movements striking and powerful. I’d been practicing loads. But I still wonder, I question, I doubt. And I froze.

Shit, that wasn’t supposed to happen. If I had overthought my next move out in the field, I would have died. They had always said the problem was my way of thinking. Mainly, that I thought too much. “You’ll choke out in the field if you overthink it,” they said. “Just go with your gut, trust that you’ve practiced and let your instincts kick in.” Most everyone in the class was so good at going with their gut. It came as naturally to them as breathing.

I had to argue with my mother to even get a sword. Prior to this, I had only a year of official training. I think what got me into the school was my good grades in my formal education. I pour countless hours into practicing my fighting skills. But I think too much when I really shouldn’t. I always have. Ever since I was little. And so far, it’s hard to turn that part of me off.

I sometimes wonder if anyone else in this school felt the same way. But honestly, if they grew up in a family of monster hunters, I don’t know why they would. I envy them sometimes. Growing up, they had access to some of the finest monster hunters to train them in the craft.

After a while, I stop and drop my sword. Panting, I pick up my bag, and make my way to the bathroom. It was about time I took a break anyway. I can’t go and take my exam while exhausted. Right now though, I needed to freshen myself up. I have to at least look presentable.

Well, technically I didn’t. The people who judge fieldwork are all seasoned warriors, and they all know not to judge a fighter by their appearances. But I still feel the need to look neat and tidy anyways.

I walk into the bathroom, and I steer myself towards the sink. I wash my hands. Scrub them clean of grime. And once they were clean, I splash some water onto my face. The sweat washes off my brow, and I felt a little more refreshed. I’m still all sweaty from the neck down, but at least my face was clean.

I wish I had brought some deodorant. Ah well. I still should try to do what I can to freshen myself up anyways. I undo my braid, which was already coming apart, and I start to redo it again.

Halfway through, my ears pick up a soft sound. Previously, I had thought that I was the only one in the bathroom. But upon closer inspection…

I turn around, and realise that there was actually a locked door behind me. Another soft sound. Something muted. If I had to classify the sound, I would say it was a sob. It sounded like the person wanted to make a softer sound, but ended up sobbing louder than they had wanted to.

I slowly walk to the stall, my concern growing. Was it any of my business? Probably not. But I was an ex-bully hunter. I always, out of instinct, would want to check up on anyone who appears to be having a miserable time in the school bathroom.

I tap the door once. Twice. “Hey,” I whisper.

A sniffle. “Are you okay?”

No response. Another attempt at a muted sob, which came out loud regardless.

“Are you crying?”

“Please,” their voice cracked against the word. “Don’t acknowledge it.”

I pause, and bite my lip. For a moment, I contemplated between walking off and leaving them alone, or staying with them. But that decision ended up being harder to make than I thought. I most likely had no idea who this person was as all. Would they even appreciate having a random stranger hang around for them in the bathroom? They sound like me being here was already a pretty big blow to their dignity.

On the other hand… call me a chronic do-gooder, but I don’t like people being left alone to suffer. I just don’t. But I knew I had to respect them. If they want to be alone, they should be allowed to be left alone. Something my mother told me once regarding heroics was that assuming what was best for someone wasn’t necessarily doing what was best for someone. I had trouble grasping that concept when I was younger. Now, I think I should try to work harder at remembering that.

With as gentle a voice I can muster, I ask them, “Would you rather be left alone now?”

A loud sniffle. A pause. “N-no. It’s fine.” Another sniffle. A choke.

And then there was silence. I tap my fingers together, I wonder what to do. “Could… could you stay for a little while?” They asked, their voice soft, tinged with embarrassment.

“Oh, uh, of course.” I dug into my backpack and pulled out my phone. From there, I check the time. I still had a couple of hours before the exam would start. Ultimately, I guess it was a pretty good decision to head to school early.

It was awkward there. I tried to focus on anything else. The weight of my sword hanging from my belt. The whirring of fans. The strong smell of cheap air freshener. The suspicious looking puddle leaking out of the stall in the far right. Then, they started talking again. “If you promise to not tell anyone else,” a sniffle, “can I vent a little to you?”

I was… well I was a little surprised at the request. I’d had a lot of people vent to me in my lifetime. But those had all been people I knew. Ergo, I knew what words to say to them to comfort them. But I didn’t know who was on the other side of the door. What does one say to someone who may be a complete and total stranger?

Maybe they really do just need someone to vent to though. “Sure,” I say. Maybe all I need to do is listen.

A sniffle. “Okay… okay…” And then a moment of silence. I figure they probably needed some time to put their thoughts together. So I stood there, patient.

“I…” they trailed off again. “I guess I’m just… I’m just worried about disappointing people in the fieldwork exam today.” My eyes widen. They were taking the test today too?

“I… My Mom and Dad expect a lot. They were all really skilled monster hunters back in the day… and… and… so’s everyone else in the family. I come home every day and I always hear about how even though they were so great, they all had their close shaves. And how someone like me could never be a good hunter like they all were…” Trailed off. More crying.

They calm down. “Like, sometimes I feel like I’m the talentless one of the bunch. I feel like I’m in the wrong place. But I actually wanted to be here. So I can only blame myself for failing.” A choke. A sniff. “I just made it into this school. If there had just been one more person auditioning, who… who had more potential than I did… I wouldn’t have even made it… I’m pretty sure.” I chew my lip. Regardless of whether or not I knew them, I honestly didn’t know what to say to help them feel better.

They continue, after taking more time to cry. I stood there, waiting patiently, growing more and more uncomfortable with my inability to truly go in and comfort them. Why couldn’t I think of anything which seemed like the right thing to say?

“And all my friends… They’re so much better than I am at everything too. They get better grades at everything they can stick with their study schedules… I think I’m actually pretty replaceable to them. Anyone else in my class just seems so much more hardworking than me, and I don’t know why… I don’t know why I can’t seem to ever work as hard as they do. I want to, but I can’t, and now I’m scared I never practiced enough to pass.” They cry some more. It sounds like an insecurity they’d been grappling with for a long time.

I swallowed after hearing that. Did they… are they a classmate of mine? And if they were, was I actually an object of envy in some ways?

The perspective I had just been given, along with how it was revealed to me, only made me feel something strange. I wasn’t quite sure what I would label that emotion. They continued to sob behind the bathroom stall.

“I see,” I replied, after they had quieted down. I still had no real words of comfort to give them. A bit more crying from behind the door. I look down at my sword, and kick the tiled floor.

“Thanks,” they say, “thanks for listening by the way. Promise you won’t tell anyone about this?”

I nod. “Of course I won’t.” That was a promise. “I’ll… I need to go now too. Good luck for your test.”

A sniffle. “Thank you.” I leave the bathroom.

It was weird now. Just earlier I had been worried about being held back, and now… those fears have been given a bit more perspective. And well… I suppose I am still worried about the test. But at the same time…

I look down at my sword, and then make my way to the holding room. Hopefully, it should be open by now. It was not. That meant loitering around in the corridor for a bit. Ah well.

I read a lot of stories about great heroes back in the day. Beyond monster slayers, there were also many fictional tales about great heroes I loved. I still love them, somewhat. But I also realise, as I grew older, that so many of those tales made it feel like the world revolved around one very successful person. And everyone else there was merely a prop to help them attain greatness. And though the world doesn’t revolve around a person, at times, I found myself feeling more like a prop and less like the hero to my own tale. Simply because of how powerless I feel sometimes.

There were exceptions to those though. The hero sometimes needs to learn that the world did not revolve around them. They needed to learn to accept their weaknesses while acknowledging the strengths of their friends. Then they empowered each other to live happily ever after together. Working together to make up for each other’s shortcomings.

Strangely enough, I suddenly got the feeling to reread one of those stories.

Maybe after the exam. Hopefully, the practice will pay off.

#tabby says something #original writing #fnf #friday night fights #action girls #death mention #trauma mention #panicking in the school bathroom #attempting to be a good listening ear #I'm still practicing so don't expect this to be great #also assume the mc uses the gender neutral bathroom #first person pov #my writing

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