#and I’ll be sure to admire your shoelaces

[geopsych]

If you ever come stay in Nazareth this bench along Black Rock Road is a great place to watch the sun rise over the park. If I see you there I’ll say hi.

[cherryredcheol]

"baby"

tldr: all the way seungcheol uses your nickname a/n: this has been written and waiting to be posted forEVER but i'm finally ready (i am down horrific for this man)

seungcheol x reader fluff wc: 1k

reprimands: to make sure you know he's yours

“baby.” his tone is firm, controlling. he thought it would be a good idea to invite you to his shoot today, thinking you'd like to see him in the expensive clothes he was always put in for cover shoots. what he didn’t account for was you pouting over the friendly makeup artist assigned to him for the day. 

“don’t pout. you know i only have eyes for you.” he was trying to reason with you but his patience was wearing thin. you were being difficult on purpose and he couldn’t really do anything about it given the need to protect his image and act as professional as possible. you just huffed, frown settling deeper on your face. 

“you’re being a little unreasonable,” based on the look you gave him that was the completely wrong thing to say to you. he turned when he heard them call for him from set. it was time to shine. he walked over to where you sat, bending down to meet your eyes, “if you’re good for the rest of the day i’ll reward you when we get home, baby.” 

whines: when he doesn’t have your attention

“baby,” he could hear the pathetic tone in his voice but he just couldn’t help it. he’d had a long day of meetings and listening to presentations, the only thing keeping him going was knowing that you would be waiting at home for him when it was all over. you’d look at him with your soft eyes and dote on him all weekend, just how he liked. now here he was, waiting to be coddled and you were too busy giggling at your phone to spare him a glance. 

“what could be so entertaining on the phone that you can’t spend time with me?” he was laying it on thick but he was desperate at this point, especially when his question was only answered by another tittering laugh that was still not directed at him. at this point, he was fed up. he craned his neck to see what had you all giggly. 

“oh my god. you’re kidding me!” he couldn’t believe his eyes. playing on your phone was an edit of him from the most recent gose episode. the clip wasn’t even his best moment in the episode, but he did look quite handsome that day so he can’t blame you for watching. he still really wanted to be fussed over, “seriously, put your phone down. i’m much cuter in person, baby.” 

cat-calls: as you walk by in his favorite dress

“baby!” he called out to you, dragging out the ‘y’ sound. you paused, stopping in the middle of the bedroom as you crossed from the closet to the ensuite bathroom. he was seated on the bed, tying his shoelaces when he caught sight of you in the soft pink sundress he loved so much. you looked at him with big, curious eyes, wondering why he had stopped you in the middle of getting ready for your date in the park. 

“spin for me.” he got up from the bed and reached for your hand. he held it up, above your head and twirled you in a circle, eyes taking in every inch of you. he was excited to have a picnic with you but now he was considering scrapping the whole thing to stay behind. seeing you in a sundress always did something to him. 

“you’re so beautiful,” he was full of compliments, making sure you knew exactly how beautiful he thought you were. he considered himself a lucky man every day he got to spend with you. he supposed his desire for you could wait a few hours. he should spoil you rotten with a date in the park, before spoiling you in bed. “sure you really want to go out, baby?”

admires: because he’s proud of you

“baby,” his voice is soft, eyes even softer as he cups your face. he’d just gotten home from his schedule and you’d greeted him at the door, immediately sharing the news of your promotion with him. it was a small, mostly lateral move, with a tiny raise but you were still excited to share the news with him. he kisses you deeply, trying to convey his pride to you wordlessly. 

“i should tell my mom. she’s going to be so happy for you.” this made you blush. you knew he’d be proud but you didn’t really expect him to be so happy that he’d want to tell everyone. it wasn’t even a big deal. you begged him not to call his mom right that moment and instead conceded to a spontaneous celebratory dinner at your favorite restaurant. 

“i’m so proud of you,” this was now the sixth time he told you this since you shared the news with him, the second on the car ride to the restaurant. you blushed every time he said it, and had asked him to stop, to which he refused. in fact, he had doubled down. he threatened to have a cake brought to the table at dinner if you tried to silence him again. at a red light, he fished his phone out of his pocket, handing it over to you, “call my mom, for real. i want us to share the news with her. she’s going to be so proud, baby.”

barks: on accident

“baby!” the name came out harsh, frustrated. you’d never heard it that way before; this time, it wasn’t even directed at you. the dressing room fell silent and you watched the blush creep up his neck. the boys were never going to let him live this down. he turned from you, the conversation you were having before he went on stage now gone from his mind. 

“sorry, i meant to say ‘seungkwan’”. he was trying to save the situation but it was awkward. not only had he tried to reprimand his members but he’s accidentally used your name to do it, embarrassing himself in front of his members, staff, and you. what was once a bustling hub of movement and concert preparation came to a screeching, uncomfortable halt at his faux pas. 

“we know you like seungkwan, but we didn't know you liked him that much, hyung.” jeonghan broke the tension saving his leader and ushering in some polite laughter. the commotion slowly began again and he turned back to you. his face looked normal, probably due to the makeup, but his neck was bright red. he was flustered, “they’re never going to let this go, baby.”

[kayawolfhorse]

Anywhere You Go | Read on Ao3

My piece for the @boatemvillagezine! The zine turned out spectacular, be sure to give it a read <3

—☾—

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the air is fresh in Pearl’s lungs as she slides open the van door and steps out into the small parking lot, gravel crunching beneath her boots. Turning around, she offers a hand to Mumbo, who still looks queasy from the bout of carsickness that’d struck him earlier on the road.

“Grian is trying to kill me personally, I think,” Mumbo mutters, holding Pearl’s arm for stability.

“If I wanted you dead, I would’ve been rid of you by now,” Grian comes around the front of the van saying, offering Mumbo a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

Mumbo harrumphs, “You took that last turn faster than you had to and you know it. Why did we let you drive, anyway?”

“I’m a perfectly adequate driver, I’ll have you know! In my defense, I did not see that bend coming up—”

Scar climbs out of the backseat next, adjusting the tiny version of his scarlet top hat he’d insisted on bringing along, though his Swaggon attire had been swapped out for a more practical shirt and shorts combo of the same color scheme. Pearl admires the dedication to the theme, really.

Hooking an arm around Grian’s shoulders, Scar says, “Now, now, gentleman! Let the worries of our travels fall away as you admire the magnificent view all around us.”

Still sitting in the passenger seat, maps spilling out upon the dashboard in front of him, Impulse snorts, “You make it sound like you’re trying to sell them the forest, Scar.”

“Well, you know what they say, there’s profit to be had everywhere you look!” Scar hums, getting that all-too-familiar gleam in his eye.

“As your CEO, I appreciate the mindset, but you can’t sell us public land,” Mumbo points out with a laugh, straightening up looking significantly less ill. Scar shrugs, a cheeky smile on his face.

Adjusting the bandanna she’d tied around her braided hair, Pearl bounces on her feet. “Profits aside, we’re finally here! Let’s get going already!”

Earlier in the week, Impulse had proposed an overnight hiking trip, following a trail through the scenic foothills of the closest real mountain range, ending the day out by camping around the lake found in one of the higher-up valleys, to give the Boatem crew a break from building. The idea was met with enthusiasm, and just a couple days later, Pearl found herself crammed between Scar and everyone’s luggage in the backseat of Mumbo’s van as Grian drove and Impulse directed, Mumbo clutching the front of his pineapple-patterned shirt next to Scar for dear life.

After hours being stuck in the same uncomfortable position, Pearl’s more than ready to start up the trail. The others are quick to agree, and after packs are assembled, shoelaces are tied, and the van is locked, they’re off.

The woods feel like an entirely different world than the lot they parked in. Tall, thin trees with fluffy foliage form a lush canopy high above Pearl’s head, and between the trunks the ground is alive with brush, pocket-marked with fallen logs and framed by the soft brown pine needles of the forest floor. Lichen creeps up the boulders scattered throughout, and steep rock faces contrast beautifully with the greens of the plant life.

Mumbo’s the first to break the hush that had fallen over the group. “Wow,” he breathes, “just, wow.”

Impulse nudges Mumbo and points to a tree with a thicker trunk and hole in the center that, paired with the bits of bark surrounding it, almost resembles a mouth of sharp teeth. “Hey, look, it’s Treesa!”

Following his gaze, Mumbo laughs. “I see it! Could be Treesa’s cousin, maybe—it doesn’t quite have her eyes.”

“I knew it was going to be pretty, but I didn’t expect it to be this amazing! Would you just look at the shape of those trees!” Scar walks in front of the group and waves vaguely to the left, grinning.

“Uh, Scar, we’re surrounded by trees,” Grian teases in a deadpan.

“And they’re all beautiful,” Scar agrees, stretching out the syllables of “beautiful” with a studious nod.

“Oh, I completely get you. Look at this terrain! I’m getting so much inspiration for my mountain already.” Pearl wishes she’d brought her sketchbook with her. Such beautiful shapes! She’s determined to commit everything to memory to recount on paper later.

Scar and Pearl fall into step together as they walk, the path beneath their feet nothing more than a line of dirt trodden enough to be distinguishable from the undergrowth, laughter from Grian, Mumbo, and Impulse echoing all around them. Sunlight filters through the trees, dappling against the gorgeous landscape, and the conversation between Pearl and Scar is nothing short of gushing about every detail.

—☾—

The first three forks in the trail are marked with signs, and it’s easy to follow the arrow pointing towards the lake. The forth fork’s signpost, however, must’ve succumbed to the elements at some point, and now lays half buried in the mud puddle gathered on the side of the path.

“I can’t make out what any of it says, can anyone else?” Grian squints at the muddied sign, whose lettering has weathered away almost completely. After a chorus of no’s in response, he asks, “Impulse, would you be able to find the route on the map?”

“I sure can!” Impulse sticks a hand in his shorts pocket, only to frown. Checking the other pockets, his expression grows more worried, until he pulls off his backpack to root around its compartments. “I must have it here somewhere.”

Remembering the stack of maps piled on the dashboard of the van, Pearl sucks in a breath through her teeth and asks, “Did you actually grab it from the car? Before we left?”

Freezing mid-action, Impulse’s eyes go wide. “Now that you mention it… no, I didn’t. Do we go back for it?”

Grian shakes his head. “We’ve already been hiking for hours. If we go back now we’ll be trying to find the campsite in the dark. Should we just… follow the path and hope for the best?”

“It’s a terrible idea, but it might be our best option, and if that doesn’t sum up our group as a whole, I don’t know what does,” Mumbo agrees.

“Then it’s settled! Onwards!” Scar marches forward, before seemingly remembering that they haven’t decided which route to take. “Actually, which way are we going?”

Impulse points to the right, where the slope they stand on continues uphill. “The lake’s in a higher valley, it’d make sense to keep going up until we find it, right?”

With a shrug, Grian says, “Seems like a reasonable plan to me.”

From there, of course, it doesn’t take very long for things to go wrong.

Right over the crest of the hill they’ve been hiking over is a pool of sticky, deceptively shallow-looking mud that spans too far on either side to be avoided without getting tangled in dense vegetation. In their attempt to cross, Scar missteps and ends up in mud up to his ankle, his boot completely trapped underneath. Mumbo and Impulse manage to free Scar, but his shoe is lost forever, and the spare pair Impulse loans out to Scar is a size too tight.

On the other side of the puddle, the trail is notably not nearly as worn down as the rest of it has been so far, and after a while it fades entirely, leaving the group stranded.

“I can’t see anything!” Mumbo throws his hands up in defeat. “Isn’t a lake supposed to be big? Surely it should’ve been visible by this point?”

The part of the forest they’ve found themselves in is densely wooded, the trees close enough together that it’s near-impossible to see anything beyond the small clearing they’ve stopped to rest in. Paired with the slowly setting sun, Pearl’s suddenly struck by the feeling that she does not want to be here past dark, thank you very much.

Shrugging her pack from her shoulders, Pearl suggests, “I could climb a tree? See if I could spot anything from up there?”

The idea is met with mixed responses. “It’s definitely illegal, and stupid, and dangerous,” Impulse starts, “but… it would be good to reach a higher vantage point.”

“Oh, super illegal,” Grian agrees. “I’ll go with you, Pearl. We’ll make sure not to litter or destroy the tree. I’m sure the forest will understand.”

After leaving their bags with the rest of the group, Pearl and Grian set off to find a good climbing tree. The forest is predominantly made up of tall trees with narrow trunks, with their shorter, bushier counterparts dotted in between—nothing ideal for climbing.

“Oh, this one is pretty good!” Pearl says, as they come across a tree suitably large, with branches low enough down to act as footholds.

“Sure is,” Grian says, bending down to tie his shoe. As he straightens up, he tosses Pearl a grin. “Race you to the top!”

“Oi!” Pearl exclaims, grabbing at the first branch and hoisting herself up. The limb creaks, but holds fast, and Pearl reaches for the next. Partway up the tree, Pearl and Grian are neck and neck, and Grian sticks his tongue out at Pearl around the trunk, Pearl wrinkling her nose in response.

In the highest boughs that’ll support her weight, Pearl gives a whoop of victory, holding her hand out to Grian to help him up the last bit of the way. There’s no real place to sit, so instead Pearl takes to crouching on her branch with an arm around the trunk, Grian standing, holding a hand up to shield his eyes from the sun.

“See anything?” Grian asks, after a quiet moment of taking in the view.

Scanning the land around them, Pearl sighs. “No. It is quite lovely from up here, though.”

From so high up, the mountains are visible through blue-tinged fog, ringing the horizon like a crown. Rolling hills stretch out as far as the eye can see, and Pearl can just make out the rocks that break up the woods below. The cool spring breeze rustles the treetops around them as it does the loose hair around Pearl’s face, and when she inhales, Pearl’s surrounded by the scent of sweet, refreshing pine.

“Well, this was a bust, then.” Grian lowers himself, readying for the climb back down.

Carefully shifting her grip to join him, Pearl takes one final sweeping glance, when something shiny catches her eye. Turning fully towards it, she gasps, “Wait! Grian! I see the lake!”

“You do?”

“Yeah! Over there!” Pearl points to where the last remnants of the sunset sparkle over the water of the lake, mostly obscured by trees and uphill to their current position. “It’s not too far! We’ve been running parallel to it, looks like.”

Grian laughs, full of incredulous relief. “Sounds about right for us. Let’s grab the gang and get going!”

Feeling rejuvenated in their discovery, Pearl and Grian sprint to where the others are waiting in a small clearing, seemingly focused on the ground at their feet.

“Please do not destroy my shoes,” Impulse is saying as Pearl and Grian come into earshot. Scar, wearing said shoes, pouts in response, and Mumbo looks to be weighing the merits of the option.

“We found the lake!” Grian shouts in excitement. “It’s just beyond that hill over there!”

The trio looks up from the shoe debacle in almost perfect sync, which Pearl can’t help but snicker at. “You did? We’ve been this close the whole time?” Mumbo passes a hand over his hair. “I thought we’d have to camp out right here!”

“Don’t be dramatic, my good sir, have some faith in us! We would’ve been fine,” Scar assures. “Though, having an exact location streamlines the process, I will admit.”

“You were just planning to cut Impulse’s trainers into sandals!” Mumbo retorts. “You have no standing to be calling me dramatic.”

“My toes are all cramped! I see where Impulse is coming from, unreasonable as it is, but it would’ve been worth—”

“Fellas!” Grian interrupts. “We can keep arguing about shoes all you want later, but for now it’s getting dark and we still have a couple hundred blocks to go. Let’s get a move on.”

“Fair point,” Mumbo concedes, holding a hand out to help Scar to his feet. After Scar’s up, they’re moving, anxious to get to the campsite.

The woods beyond the clearing are far darker than Pearl expected them to be, and the torches are broken out almost immediately. The birdsong that had accompanied the daylight is quiet, save for a few stray chirps here and there. Even amidst the shadow, while surrounded by the glow of the torchlight and soft chatter of her friends, tired from a long day of hiking, Pearl feels safe.

Nighttime has settled over the land entirely once they reach the lake. Stumbling through thick brush, Pearl breaks through to the water’s edge—only to find herself looking at the campsite, tiny from so far away, on the other side of the lake.

“…Well, at least we found the lake?” Impulse winces.

Mumbo sighs, picking loose a few thorns stuck in his shorts. “There’s no way we can walk all the way around, is there?”

“We could take boats across?” Scar suggests.

“That’s a great idea, actually! I packed a few extra, just in case.” Pearl pulls the boats’ compacted versions from her backpack, setting three down in the water and watching them grow to full size.

“You’re a lifesaver, Pearl,” Grian thanks, climbing into one of the boats. Scar settles in behind him, and Mumbo and Impulse get into the next one together, leaving Pearl with her own.

Grian’s boat leads the way, and as Pearl rows behind it, she catches sight of the stars, reflected against the water, disrupted by the ripple of her oars. Slowing to a stop, Pearl lets her boat drift as she looks up to admire the scene, filled with more galaxies than she could count, the moon hung high above. Stars all around her, in the water and night sky, Pearl feels like she’s floating through the void beneath the Boatem hole, untouched by the chaos of the world above.

Apparently noticing Pearl’s inaction, Impulse’s rowing peters out, and she waves to let him know she’s alright. After a moment, Mumbo calls out for Grian and Scar to stop, and the soft lapping of the water against Pearl’s boat and rustles from the surrounding forest are the only noises to break the silence as they all take in the view.

They soon start for the site once more, docking against the sandy bank. Five tents are arranged in a semicircle around a campfire, and dinner is shared over it. S’mores are an irreplaceable classic to any good camping trip, and after a proper mess of sticky marshmallow and gooey chocolate is made, Pearl bids her goodnight, and heads for her tent, exhausted in the best way.

In the morning, the hike back is easier than the one the day earlier, and they make it back to the van in the early afternoon. The drive back home is filled with blasted music and recounts of their adventures, and towards the end of it, Pearl isn’t the only person to catch a quick nap on the final stretch of road.

Returning to Boatem, Pearl sets down her bag and immediately goes for her sketchbook, stored by her bed in her little starter boat. She has so many ideas for her megabase.

(Reblogs do more than likes!)

[saphscorner]

Maybe a short Pearlsuma drabble? If that’s okay?

hey anon! since pearl and xisuma have previously expressed some level of discomfort with shipping, i prefer not to write them romantically. i've written a platonic scene instead, and i hope you still enjoy! word count: 645 words pairing(s): pearl & xisuma (platonic) warnings: none general tags & vibes: friendship bracelets, fluff

Spread out on a picnic blanket, Pearl and Xisuma sat across from each other, soaking up the last warm day of autumn. Sunny, clear blue skies painted the illusion of summer’s remnants, and there seemed no better way to spend it than in each others’ company enjoying a much needed rest.

Xisuma clicked his pen idly, twiddling it between his thumb and forefinger as he tapped it against the back of his book. He was alternating between reading and jotting down notes in the margins, occasionally shifting to stretch and readjust. 

Pearl was sprawled on the other side of the blanket, knotting embroidery floss into a friendship bracelet. The small project was secured to her jeans with a safety pin, using her clothing as an anchor point to keep it steady as she continued to build the bracelet down. She was nearly done by then, working through the short untied ends. 

“Would you rather a bracelet or a bookmark for yours, X?” She asked. 

“Oh, that’s a good question,” Xisuma said as he looked up, “I’m really not sure. Surprise me, I guess.” 

“Surprise you,” Pearl echoed back. “Well, alright.” She smiled as she went back to work, tying off and trimming the remaining threads. She fished through her small box of supplies, eventually finding a small plastic clip. She set about securing closures to either end of the bracelet, clipping and unclipping it a few times to ensure the mechanism worked properly. 

“Here we go,” she finally said. 

Xisuma marked his page, closing his book to set it aside. “What did you decide on?” 

“Both!” Pearl answered brightly. She held up the finished creation, demonstrating how it could be clipped and unclipped. “You can wear it around your wrist like a bracelet, or you can undo it and use it like a flat bookmark. Best of both worlds, right?” 

The corners of Xisuma’s mouth upturned in a smile. “Yeah, that’s perfect actually.” He held his wrist out, and Pearl immediately put it on for him. 

“Look, we’re matching now!” She exclaimed, holding her wrist next to Xisuma’s to show off their matching purple bracelets with a little laugh. 

Xisuma admired his own bracelet for a moment, before he unclipped it. He picked his book back up, wordlessly swapping his old bookmark out for the bracelet Pearl had given him. “I love it, really. Thanks, Pearl.” 

“Of course,” she replied. “What’s next then, want me to bead your shoelaces to match mine?” She teased. Pearl uncrossed her legs, extending them to show off the laces of her sneakers that she’d adorned with a few star-shaped plastic beads scattered throughout the lacing. 

“You think I could pull off the look?” Xisuma asked, glancing skeptically at his practical work boots. 

“Oh for sure,” Pearl replied. “Colors of choice too.” 

“You know, maybe. But I’ll have to make something for you to return the favor first.” 

Pearl swept her bracelet materials back into their carrying case. “Really? Like what?” 

“I don’t know yet,” Xisuma admitted. “But just something. You made something for me, now it’s my turn, right?” 

Pearl smiled. “Well, okay. I’m sure I’ll love whatever it is.” She resituated herself, rolling over to lie on her stomach beside Xisuma.

As Xisuma reopened his book, he resecured the bookmark around his wrist into a bracelet, laying the book open in his lap so Pearl could read along with him. Propping up on her elbows, Pearl did exactly that, reading on as Xisuma continued with his reading and annotations. 

Their afternoon continued on in comfortable silence, Pearl and Xisuma simply happy to coexist in the same space together on a sunny afternoon. When the day would be over, they’d have a matching set of friendship bracelets to take home as a lasting token of a day well spent. And maybe one day, they’d just do it all again.

[cobiehaven]

Dove — Jacob Bae

SYNOPSIS; jacob wants to ask you something that has been on his mind for a while but he isn’t sure how to ask.

PARING; jacob x reader

GENRE; fluff, drama, short story

WORD COUNT; 0.7k

TAGS/WARNINGS; highschool crush!jacob, reader has a lesbian bsf, reader and jacobs relationship is formed basically only on notes.

AUTHORS NOTE; the way that when i thought of this au, i actually screamed

swinging open your locker for the 5th time that day, you were excited to see the note that was sitting at the pit of it. usually your notes were scattered all over the place, wherever your secret admirer knew you were going to be next. and right now, they seemed to guess right as you always had to go to your locker after lunch time.

flipping open the folded paper, you smiled when you read the kind and familiar handwriting forming the sweet words you always looked forward to reading.

yes, you knew who your secret admirer was. and he knew that you knew.

it didn’t take long for the two of you to figure out, but once you did, both of your relationships were formed solely through paper and pen. the sudden change to be talking in person was definitely out of your general comfort zone. you had already told him so much through pen that you become nervous whenever you see him up close.

besides, the love letters made for some pretty good and cringy reads.

“you really need to confess and get this over with,” your friend said, coming up from behind you.

you jumped at the sudden voice.

“last time i checked, you still have a crush on my lab partner and haven’t confessed yet soooo..” you snickered, folding the note into your pocket and rummaging through your locker for a loose paper. “that’s because she doesn’t even know me!” your friend exclaimed to which you rolled your eyes. “sure she does, you’ve made your existence clear on many occasions.”

you laughed, remembering the way your friend embarrassingly introduced herself and tried to make a move and all of them being failed attempts.

“my favorite is the time you tripped over your shoelaces and fell on her, i can’t believe her mom threatened to call the police on you for accidentally spraining her wrist!”

“it was a serious matter! i swear i apologized a million times.”

“right, especially when you-“

you were cut off by a familiar sweet voice. “hey y/n.” you spun around, your eyes growing wide when you locked eyes with the one person you weren’t sure if you were happy or scared to see. you could feel the dark smirk burning into your back from your friend. “i- uhh- hey! jacob..” you stuttered. you felt so stupid. why could you never hold a lasting conversation with him?

you watched him carefully as his eyes trailed from you, to your friend behind you, somehow exchanging silent messages. “ah, i’ll get going now, see you in class, y/n!” your friend waved you off.

you wished she hadn’t of left.

it was silent for a few moments now with your friend gone, you played with your fingers, still holding onto that loose paper that you had been looking for just a minute ago.

“was that going to be for me?” jacob asked, gesturing to the blank page in between your finger tips. you nodded, not trusting yourself to not stutter in front of him. you could tell he was starting to get uncomfortable with the awkward silence as he kept shifting from one foot to the other. you felt awful for making him feel such a way.

“can i write something on it?” he asked, you quickly extended your arm out to him. he giggled, the vocals warming your heart in a way that nobody else’s could.

you handed him a pen and he got to writing, you waited patiently for him to finish.

once he was done, he handed you the pen back. “i’ve been wanted to ask this for a while.. but i wasn’t sure how to ask it. i wasn’t sure if paper and pen would be enough or if it would be too weird to say it in person but..” he trailed off before flipping the paper over for you to silently read. your eyes widened and your cheeks grew into a deep rosy blush.

‘will you go on a date with me?’ the note read.

you were speechless. you nearly dropped the pen that you were holding.

“well, what do you say?” jacob asked, your attention catching onto him.

“of course i will!”

© cobiehaven 2023

[valentine-cafe]

. ˚◞♡ 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐◞ ₊˚

𖹭. a selection of characters as your partner and the attractive things that they do 

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ HAITĀO 209 ꒱ lights a cigarette after a fight. rolls his sleeves up. hugs you from behind + squeezes you thighs. traces your throat with his calloused thumb. gives you once overs when he knows you’re watching. manspreads, pats on his thigh - why aren’t you getting on your seat? swipes the blood off of his chin with his thumb. chuckles softly when you do something silly. learns new recipes for you if there’s any new food you wanna try. “do you know how beautiful you are?” gentle kisses in the morning. wraps you up in all of his blankets and pulls you close to him after. helps you wash your hair. fixes your makeup for you whenever he notices some of it is melting or smudging. drops off gifts for you whenever he doesn’t have enough time to see you because of work. stealing kisses from you when you least expect it.

grim reaper x reader, demon x reader, mercenary x reader

 

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ RASUI 9948E ꒱ rolls his shoulders back. flicks his wrist to check his watch. stares at you from across the room, the meeting, doesn’t care if someone catches him. fixes your buttons. tucks your hair back and holds it gently by the back of your head ( if applicable, cups the back of your neck if not ). hoists you up onto his desk with his warm hands at the back of your thighs. . . ties your shoelaces for you. cups your neck, tilts your jaw up with his thumb. “didn’t anyone tell you staring is rude? I’ll let it pass for your pretty eyes.” folding his arms when he is listening to you. gives you his undivided attention without getting distracted by anything outside. very verbal on how he feels and what he thinks. dances you around his office afterhours.

fire elemental x reader, mercenary leader x reader

 

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ SEONG-JIN 9948E ꒱ presses kisses behind your ear. always whispering to it. squeezes your waist. drapes his coat over your shoulders. cracks his knuckles when frustrated. stares down at you without tilting his head or leaning. cages you between his arms. follows your walking figure with his gaze always. opens the car door for you. compares your hand size to his. slips his hands into your pockets when he’s behind you. if you’re both arguing, always makes sure to text you goodnight and that he loves you - doesn’t want you to think he’s going to bed mad at you.

grim reaper x reader, detective x reader

 

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ RISHEN 1311 ꒱ leaves his lipstick stains on you. eye contact, so much eye contact. rests his hand on the small of your back - or makes you warm it between you thighs. leans against his desk, the wall, the railing, wherever he can - arms folded. hooks his fingers into your belt loops and drags you back against him. watches your lips while you talk. flex his neck. swipes his thumb on your bottom lip. does your makeup for you. cooks for you when he has the time. teaches you bass. “use your words.”

spy x reader, assassin x reader, admiral x reader

 

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ XĪYÁNG 9819 ꒱ lifts your chin with his in index or thumb. drags you to him with his scythe snatching around your waist. pulls his mask down and leans down to kiss you. looms behind you and stares down whoever’s talking too sweetly. stares at you and flashes a small smirk when you catch him - flustered. snatches onto you when you’re facing a mirror so he can squeeze you thighs. always makes time for you regardless of when you pay him a visit at work. tilts his head down when you’re talking to him. tossing you over his shoulder. “oh yeah?” “mhhm?”

grim reaper x reader, mercenary leader x reader

 

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ ALESSIO 164 ꒱ licks his teeth when excited. curls his tail around you thigh or wrist and yanks you back. rests his arm on the back of the sofa when you’re sitting with him. always finding some reason to scoop you up bridal style. glancing at your lips when you’re arguing with him. coming up behind you and kissing up your neck. guides your hands in his when teaching you spells. helps you get dressed in the mornings. “eyes on me baby.” makes the bed for you when you’re tired. likes giving you coffee/tea/hot cocoa, whichever you prefer when you are tired to help you either wake up or fall asleep. gentle tugs at your sleeves to bring you closer to him when you are out.

god x reader, sorcerer x reader

 

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ VALERIUS ꒱ puts his jewellery on you. always calling you by some sweet nickname. hums or groans if you play with his hair. guides you through crowds and so on with a tender hand on the swell of your hip or around your waist. holds the door open for you. kisses your knuckles in greeting. cups your face in both hands - sometimes rubs his thumbs on your cheeks. tucks flowers behind your hair. lets you lay on his chest and tells you ancient tales. steals kisses from you. always dragging you back for extra kisses.

demon x reader, rhytaari x reader

[chiisai-writes]

Pocket Full of Sunshine ☀️

Eddie Munson x F!Reader (Platonic?)

Warnings: Eddie is smoking, a couple of swears. Reader is depicted as a bit of an airhead?

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Eddie was late. He was very very late for band practice.

He was rushing around his room and the trailer getting ready making sure he had everything he was packing up his guitar, grabbed his jackets and then flew into his van and sped off out of the park leaving a pile of dust in his wake. 

Eddie arrived at Gareth's garage at least 10 mins late, he jumped out of his van flinging his jackets on and grabbing his sweetheart out of the car. The boys all jokingly berated him as he jogged up the driveway “i’m so sorry man, lost track of time” The boys brushed it off and they started practising, about an hour into their session they were taking a small break eddie was smoking a cigarette outside the garage when they all heard wheels rushing down the pathway. Eddie looked up to see y/n hurtling down the path on her skateboard, a big smile on her face, wind blowing through her hair not a care in the world. 

He heard Gareth laugh from beside him “sunshine is here finally” they all had a soft spot for her, she's been part of their group for a while, playing DnD with them and becoming a metalhead herself despite her outwardly sunny personality, Eddie always joked saying his favourite thing was corrupting her. She hopped off her skateboard kicking it up into her hand almost tripping on her shoelace coming up the driveway causing the boys to laugh at her. They all waved at her when she got to the top of the driveway 

“Hi guys! I bought you some drinks!” 

She placed the carrier bag onto the box in front of them and they grabbed the drinks and thanked her for the sweet gesture, Eddie was the last to grab his, another cigarette in between his fingers as he managed to crack the cold can open with just one hand. 

“Thanks angel, are you staying for the rest of practice?” She spun on her feet towards him and smiled “you're welcome eds! Uh no i have to go soon sorry” a small pout on her lips as she did like to watch them practise but she was busy today. He nodded as he took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling the smoke in the air away from her. 

She continued a few conversations with the others then she had a look on her face like she’d remembered something rummaging around in her jeans pockets “Aha! I forgot the reason I came here! Eds c’mere!” Eddie walked over to her a confused smile on his face, he always endured her silly antics all the boys did. He looked down at her as her hand fiddled with something, she grabbed the denim of his jacket and placed a pin on a spare space on the pocket. A small victorious smile appeared on your face and a nod seemingly liking your placement. He craned his neck to look at the new pin to find a little sun on his pocket, it had a little smiley face on it. She looked up at him excitedly “Do you like it?!” He laughed a small smile playing on his lips “i love it but a smiling sun isn't very metal y/n” 

She pouted her lips and stuck her tongue out at him and he did the same back teasing her even more. “I think a big flaming ball of gas in the sky is pretty metal if you ask me munson” 

The boys all laughed and Eddie pulled her into a spine crunching hug “okay okay you got me, it’s pretty fucking metal thank you sunshine” He said as he spun her round. She pulled away and patted the little sun with a triumphant smile. She looked at her watch “oh i gotta dash, i’ll see you guys another time yeah?” she said while jogging down the driveway, she stumbled and Eddie grabbed her before she fell and ate the pavement. “Jesus H Christ y/n, you’re going to be the death of me, be careful sweetheart” She brushed herself off and mumbled a thank you before hopping on her board and kicking off down the path, waving at them. 

Eddie admired the little sun on his pocket patting it softly, he shook his head as he watched her fly down the path. Gareth interrupted him by grabbing his shoulders and walking him back towards the garage “you’re so fucking whipped man” he cackled at him. 

“HEY! get fucked man you're just jealous you didnt get a fucking cute pin off a pretty girl”  Eddie pushed him to the side, a small blush across his cheeks.

[sacredsorceress]

Three’s a Crowd || Bucky Barnes

pairing: bucky barnes x fem!reader

summary: when you come down to visit your boyfriend, bucky barnes, at the wilson residence and see his interaction with sam’s nephews firsthand- you can’t help but entertain the idea of having a family of your own with the super soldier.

a/n: here’s some short and sweet fluff prior to the season finale! reblogs and/or replies are super appreciated!!

word count: 2k

warnings: mentions of starting a family? it’s pure fluff

masterlist || request || taglist

“Hey sleepyhead.” You hummed, running your fingers through your boyfriend’s hair.

At the sound of your voice and the gentle touch of your fingers slipping through his hair and brushing against his skin ever so slightly, Bucky opened his eyes to bet met with your figure sitting at his side, staring down at him. 

No matter how many times he woke up to see you first thing in the morning with the sunlight highlighting your features, he would swear he was in heaven- utterly consumed with the feeling of pure bliss.

“Hi, doll.” He smiled, his voice still raspy.

At the feeling of his hands moving to lay on either side of your waist you smiled. “Hi.”

“What are you doing here?” He asked, realizing that you had come all the way down to the Wilson’s home when the last place Bucky had left you before going on his mission with Sam was at your shared apartment in New York.

“I missed you.” You shrugged. 

“I told you I was coming home today, Y/n.”

“I know, Buck.” You said, now laying your palm against his cheek. “But I heard about everything that happened and I couldn’t wait another day to see you.”

Looking up at you and leaning into your palm that was cupping his cheek, Bucky couldn’t believe how he ever got so lucky as to have you.

Breaking him out of his moment spent admiring you, he heard the sound of Sam’s nephews running into the room, and turned his head only to see them playing with the famous vibranium shield in their hands.

“Hey!” He exclaimed.

Immediately upon being caught by the super soldier, the boys dropped the shield onto the ground, scurrying out of the room, no doubt scared about getting caught with their uncle’s prized possession.

“Look at you babysitting.” You laughed, playfully swatting at your boyfriend’s chest.

Bucky caught your hand midair and scoffed. “I’m not babysitting... it’s just... dangerous... you know?”

“Sure,” You smiled. “Whatever you say, tough guy.”

Grasping the dog tags that were lying on his chest, you gently tugged on the chain and brought his face inches away from yours. Seeing his sleepy, smiling face- you brought your lips to meet his for a soft kiss before pulling away.

“One more?” He asked, quirking his eyebrows.

“Go brush your teeth first.” You laughed, watching as he threw you a fake pout. “Then I’ll see what I can do.”

-

Although the two of you spent the remainder of the day apart- Bucky training with Sam and you helping Sarah with things she needed done around the property- you came together again on the docks that evening while the Sun began to set over the horizon.

Carrying a crate in your hands that you had assured Sarah wasn’t too heavy for you, you made your way near the boat again, laying your eyes on your super soldier boyfriend for the first time since that morning.

You swear your heart could’ve burst right in your chest, taking in the sight in front of you.

Bucky was stood at the end of the dock, one hand on his knee while he chatted with Sam and his sister beside him. His other arm- his vibranium one- was stretched out and you couldn’t help the smile that crept onto your face as you witnessed Sam’s nephews and other children you hadn’t seen before hanging off of it, laughing to one another in awe about how “cool” his arm was. 

With the golden hue of the sunset setting over your boyfriend’s features, you wished you had a camera on you so you could never forget the moment. You could’ve sworn you would’ve stood there for eternity staring if it weren’t for Bucky catching your eye, waving back at you smiling.

Although you couldn’t hear him, you watched as he said something to the kids, gently shaking them off of his arm, before striding over to you.

“Here, let me take that.” He offered, taking the crate from your arms and setting it down on the dock.

Watching as he did so, your mind was still utterly consumed with the image you had just seen in front of you.

“So kids really seem to like you, huh?” You asked.

“What?” He asked, before remembering what he had just been up to. “Oh that?” Bucky asked gesturing back towards where the kids were playing at the end of the dock. “No... they just like the arm, you know?”

As much as you loved your boyfriend, you knew that he was completely naive when it came to the positive effects he had on people.

“Buck...” You cooed, reaching for his hands and pulling his body closer to yours. “When are you going to realize that people like you for you? They think you’re cool! Sure, the metal arm helps, but just admit it babe- kids like you.”

Resting his hands on your waist, you watched as a teasing smirk formed on his face.

“Why are you so obsessed with how kids act around me today?”

As soon as he asked, you began to feel flustered by him not only noticing, but calling you out on it. You hadn't realized you were being so obvious, but you could barely help yourself. Seeing your boyfriend, Bucky Barnes, surrounded by kids? You couldn’t help but think of him surrounded by children of your own. All you could think about all day when not engaged in an active conversation with those around you was entertaining the idea of starting a family with your favorite 106 year-old man.

“I’m not!” You exclaimed, playfully swatting at his chest. “Why are you so obsessed with me being obsessed about you with kids? Hmm? Wanna answer that old man?”

Watching as you laughed while teasing him, Bucky couldn’t help but get lost in the moment.

“Buck-” You began.

“You know you look so beautiful right now?” He cut you off.

You bit your bottom lip to try to hide the large smile that was creeping over your face at his compliment. No matter how long the two of you had been together, or how many times he complimented you, he always knew how to make you feel the same butterflies you did the first time you met him.

“Especially with the sunset? You look beautiful all the time, doll, but... wow.” He said.

“Bucky, stop flattering me.” You insisted, running your hands up his chest before wrapping your arms around the back of his neck.

“I mean it, Y/n.” He said. “You’re the best looking thing on this damn planet.”

Utterly consumed in the moment, you couldn’t help but smile.

“Me?” You asked. “Have you ever seen yourself? I swear I want our kids to look just like you.”

As soon as the sentence slipped out of your mouth, you regretted it. It came out so naturally you hadn’t even had time to think about it before you essentially just confessed to your boyfriend that you wanted to have children with him.

Although you and him had no doubt in your minds that you would spend the rest of your lives together, you understood that now might not have been the best time to bring up such a big life change with both of you only being thrown back into existence half a year ago and him being consumed in his work not only in saving the world, but in saving himself.

Embarrassed, you tried to weasel your way out of his grasp, but he only gripped his hands tighter on your waist pulling you towards him.

“What did you say?” He asked.

“I’m so sorry! Forget I said anything-” You pleaded.

“No, Y/n, stop. Stop apologizing.” He said. “Were you... were you talking about kids all day because you were thinking about... were you thinking about me being a dad?”

As you looked into his eyes, you could see how serious he was and you knew you couldn’t lie to him.

“Yes.”

The two of you stood staring at each other in silence for a few moments and just as you were beginning to grow afraid that you might have ruined everything, you watched as your boyfriend began to chuckle, a light smile playing on his lips.

“What?” You asked. “What is it?”

“Thank God.”

Quirking your eyebrows you pressed again. “What do you mean?”

“What do I mean?” He asked playfully, pulling on your waist to tug you closer towards him. “Do you think I haven’t been thinking the same thing all day?”

“What-”

“Y/n.” He said seriously, the smile leaving his face. “You’ve been taking care of Sam’s nephews all day. Do you think the thought hasn’t crossed my mind? I know... I know I’ve been through a lot... we’ve been through a lot... but I want this with you.”

You could feel your heart swell in your chest, listening to your boyfriend’s words.

“What are you saying, Buck?” You asked.

“You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?” He asked, smiling once again. “Okay. Today when I couldn’t tie the kid’s shoelaces because of my hand and you stepped in and did it for me I thought about how good of a mom you would be. You’d be such a good mom, Y/n. I’m a piece of work- I know that- but God you would be so good at it and if I have... you know... mini me’s running around I wouldn’t want anyone else because I know that they would be the most loved and cared for kids in the damn world having you as their mom.”

You once again couldn’t help the smile that spread across your face as you listened to your boyfriend’s praise. It wasn’t uncommon for bucky to worship the ground you walked on, but for him to give such a compliment regarding a future family of your own, you couldn’t help but feel as though you had been personally escorted to paradise.

Unable to find the words to describe the joy and excitement you were feeling, you spoke the only words you could find it in yourself to say to him.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” He said.

“I want it all with you too, Buck.” You said, moving your hand to cup his cheeks, “And for the record- you would be a great dad. I know you put on the tough guy look for everyone else, but as the luckiest woman on the planet- I’ve seen the love you have in your heart. You would spoil those kids rotten with love.”

You watched as the very rare instance of blush coated Bucky’s cheeks. Still smiling- so much so it almost began to hurt- you pulled your boyfriend’s face towards yours, allowing your lips to meet his. Just as you were about to deepen the kiss however, you heard a loud whistle, sounding from behind Bucky.

Peeking behind Bucky, you saw Sam standing a few feet away, sleeves rolled up and hands on his hips.

“Hey!” Sam teased. “There’s kids here!”

“Thanks for ruining the moment, Sam.” Your boyfriend grumbled beside you, and you couldn’t help but chuckle.

You watched as Sam, laughing, took a swig of the beer in his hand, the sun setting behind him.

“I’m just messing with you, man.” He said. “Are you two staying tonight?”

The two of you glanced at one another, wordlessly communicating while smiling- both knowing what the other was thinking.

“I think...” You began. “I think we’re gonna start a family.”

When the words slipped out of your mouth, you and Bucky couldn't help but gaze at each other in awe of the situation. You were really going to do this. You were going to start a family with one another. You could hardly believe it, but you also couldn’t be happier than you were in that moment.

In front of the two of you, however, still stood Sam who spit out his beer at the sound of your words.

“Not on my sister’s couch you’re not!”

[quicksilverownsmysoul]

Sparks pt.1

Quicksilver is my current obsession and I’ve been missing his content especially x-men content so I decided to create this fic! Hey y’all this is gonna be my first fic on this account so excited to share it with y’all Be sure to like, follow and comment to let me know what you think! (Full disclosure it’s been a while since I’ve watched the X-Men movies so some facts may be off. I am gonna try and rewatch them soon)

Word Count: 1214

Peter noticed that there were more people than usual gathered outside the school when he arrived. He had just come back from his house, going home for the weekend to restock on his supplies of various hostess snacks. There was a gym bag slung over his shoulder filled with them and a new walkman which just happened to end up in his bag when he was speeding through a convenience store. Totally not stealing.

  There seemed to be an event of some kind going on, he cocked his head to the side and took another bite of his twinkie, his fifth one in the last hour. There also seemed to be a lot of noise and faint music coming from the house. Maybe Charles finally decided to loosen up and let him have the summer party he’d been bugging him about for the last couple months. He took one last bit of this Twinkie before readjusting his goggles and zooming up the path that led to the school. Time slowed as he picked up speed, the bees that buzzed past seemed to move in slow motion, he smirked and sped up even more. 

He came to a stop a few meters away from the entrance of the school. Even as he stopped the world around him remained frozen, everyone stuck in their current positions, as he was free to roam. Peter looked around and saw a banner hanging from the archway of the school. It read, New Students Welcome. The writing was clearly Jubilee's and it was covered in glitter, as he passed underneath it some of it rained down on him. It was colored blue and yellow, horrible color choices in his opinion. So it was orientation day then, not his summer bash of the century, bummer. That didn't mean he couldn't have some fun messing with the newbies. Charles was sitting outside the school, hand extended greeting a new student. Peter ran up to the student and messed up his perfectly combed hair and flicked his finger against his chest every so slightly. He then proceeded to terrorize the rest of the newcomers, tying their shoelaces together or swapping their suitcases with one another. He even messed with some of the school's current students, stealing Scott’s sunglasses, moving Jean away from Scott and posing her and some new kid so it looked like they were making out. Placing a spider in Jubilee’s hair. He stood back and admired his handwork, planning on zooming away to his dorm before getting caught. But then he saw Kurt out of the corner of his eye. Of course this wouldn't be complete without messing with his favorite blue buddy. As he ran up to Kurt he noticed that he was talking to someone with a smile frozen on his features. That was rare, Peter slug his arm around Kurt and followed his eyes to see who was making him smile in that way. It was a girl with (y/h/l) (y/h/c) hair, she was wearing a Queen band shirt tucked into a pair of blue jean shorts. Her hair was blowing around her face, which was lit up in a brilliant smile, eyes squeezed shut as she laughed at something that Kurt had just said. 

Peter felt himself smile as he looked at you, maybe with you here this place wouldn't be as unbearable. A tinge of annoyance wiggled his way into his heart at the fact that you were laughing with Kurt instead of with him. He continued to stare at you until he realized the whole reason he had come over to you guys to begin with. He took out a sharpie he had pocketed from the convenience store, he popped the cap off with his teeth and twirled it for a moment before deciding what to do with it. He decided to doodle a mustache on Kurt’s upper lip. He then turned to you, marker still in hand. He looked at you for a moment more before deciding that he wasn't going to mess with you, at least for now. That was until he saw the yellow scrunchie on your wrist. Surely you wouldn’t notice if it went missing, and if you did he’d have a reason to talk to you. He slipped it off your arm holding your hand in his, taking a silent note of how well it fit in his own. He took the scrunchie and stuffed it into his pocket along with the Sharpie. He then made a move to dash away thinking about how he could dash back and make a grand entrance. One that would hopefully impress you. But fate had other plans as he moved to run. He tripped over Kurt’s tail and landed flat on his face. Time caught up with him and everything seemed to happen all at once. The new kid fell back on his butt, Jubilee screamed for someone to get the spider off her, Jean pushed away the kid that she had been set up with and Scott gritted his teeth in an annoyance. A loud collective shouting of Peter rang out.

Kurt poofed away in surprise and you let a little laugh out at his expense. Peter was sprawled out on the floor, hair a mess. He was cursing under his breath about Kurt and his stupid tail and how he was gonna chop it off one of these days. He made a move to try and get up before you noticed him but Kurt reappeared on top of Peter. Peter let out a groan in protest of the unwelcomed weight. Kurt’s voice joined the chorus of cursing Peter’s name. You looked at Kurt with an eyebrow raised and let out an airy laugh “Peter? Who’s Peter?” 

An annoyed look rested on Kurt’s face as he pointed down to the silver speedster still laying at your feet. You looked down to see Peter lying on the ground frozen as you locked eyes with him. He felt his face turn red and cleared his throat letting out a choked “Hi.” An octave too high. He then got up a record speed, knocking Kurt off him, pushing past the crowd and disappearing inside the school. He clutched his gym bag to his chest trying to calm himself down as he ripped into a Twinkie. His heart was beating incredibly fast and he could feel his face getting warmer by the second. He couldn't believe that he had made such a fool out of himself in front of you. He peered around the corner and saw you helping up Kurt with a smile on your face. Great, he had helped you guys get closer. 

You helped Kurt back to his feet as you picked up the snack cakes that had fallen out of Pete’s gym bag during his getaway. “Peter seems-”

Kurt cut you off, ‘Annoying.”

You let out a little snort. I was gonna say “interesting.”

“If you say so.” Kurt changed the subject and offered to carry in your bags. Your reluctantly gave him one and you both made your way into the school. Peter watched you two as you came in and promised that the next time you meant he wouldn’t make a fool out of himself.

I hope y’all enjoyed the first part! If it does well I’ll be updating it next Wednesday! In the meantime send me fic or headcannon requests to my inbox and I’ll reply as soon as I can!

[quirrrky]

『MASTERLIST』 « PREV ⁃ NXT »

𖧵 1k+ words 𖧵 Your childhood best friend, Keiji is the editor of your romance novel; is it too late for him to figure things out? 𖧵 oblivious/mutual pining, friends to lovers? unrequited love?

“Akaashi-san, what do you think about it?”

“Huh?” Keiji’s mind wandered as his co-worker told him about her most recent project.

“I mean the approach of the current manga I’m working with.”

“Oh, I…” He pushed his glasses up his nose. Nope, he wasn’t listening. “I guess it’s great.”

She giggled and smiled primly. “Thank you, if you say it’s great then I believe that it is. After all, it’s you Akaashi-san. You’re- I- I really admire you a lot.” A blush crept across her face. “Oh, excuse me. My shoelace.” She bent down and tended to her shoes.

Keiji fixed the sling of his messenger bag on his shoulder and watched. He watched as her fingers worked on the lace and he was then reminded of you. How he never let you tie your own shoes because he’d rather do it himself. It’s like he had a sixth sense that he had only for you. Whenever you needed him, he’s right there ready to come and heed your call.

“I’m sorry, Akaashi-san.” His co-worker called out as she stood up straight, cutting him from his contemplation.

“Oh- Uh, yeah…”

It’s a stroke of luck when the cafe they were supposed to have a meeting in was already fully occupied. Now, they had to settle at your favorite place. The aromatic scent of coffee welcomed him and the thought of you automatically sprang to his mind. It had been days since you’d last talked to each other. He messaged you multiple times but you said you were busy. He didn’t want to come off as intruding so he gave you space. Space which he’d never thought he’d find very cold and distant.

“I’ll get us drinks.” His co-worker volunteered as Keiji put his bag down on the table.

“Sure,” he sat down. Looking outside, it began raining just like that last time you had last seen each other.

“Here,” she placed own two cups on the table and took her seat. “I didn’t know what you like so I just got you a latte.”

“That’s fine, that’s fine.” He got his cup near his lips. He noticed that she was about to sip her drink and he accidentally asked. “You forgot to add cinnamon?” She tilted her in question.

“Cinnamon?”

He pinched his brows and shook his head. “I’m sorry. I forgot. It was someone else.”

It was you. He remembered how you would complain to him at time she forgot to add cinnamon to your coffee.

“Hmm…Akaashi-san

“Yeah, it’s fine. It’s good. That manga our chief has asked me to help you with, what’s it about?” He asked and took a sip of his coffee as he leaned in on his seat.

Keiji tried to listen, initially, trying to keep his mind busy with work, but even that didn’t seem to be effective. He’s supposed to be jotting down important notes, but his brain was completely elsewhere. Last night was even worse. Did he get a sleep? Of course...not. He turned and twisted all night. His mind was going around in scribbles.

Trying to veer himself from thought of you during a meeting, his eyes lazily wandered to her and noticed that she had a coffee stain right across her lips. He fetched a table napkin and handed it to her. “You have a stain.”

She immediately took it from his hand and he watched as she wiped it away. He recalled reaching out for you from across the table just to wipe the stain yet he didn’t feel the same compulsion for anyone else. Was it just pure coincidence? Does telepathy every exist? He asked himself this sort of questions but somehow, he had this better knowing, that it’s not telepathy nor crazy coincidence, it’s him. He wanted to be the one by your side.

“I-I’m sorry. Thank you for pointing that out.” She said, but Keiji was still so lost in thoughts.

Flustered, she lit up a little at his focused gaze. She smiled sweetly to him. The kind of smile that could surround anyone with warm white light; a smile that would make it seem like the world just stopped.

Keiji felt it all and his eyes showed longing. His lips painted the same smile on his face like he had finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel. He never thought that he’d finally wake up and everything would finally come to him and everything has new meaning.

In his sight, it was you all along, the one always smiling back at him.

And it felt all too wrong to be seated here spending time with another woman in your favorite place.

“I’m sorry.” Without any second thoughts, Keiji stood up.

“Akaashi-san?” She called out to him but he didn’t listen.

He ran towards the direction of your university, hoping that he could still catch up to you. Looking at his watch, the rain drops fogged the time, but he didn’t care anymore. All he knew was he wanted to get to you as soon as possible. All this time, how dumb of him. He’d never thought that he’d wake up to the thought of loving you.

They've been best friends for a very long time...if he truly loves her, he must've known all along.

He must’ve hurt you when he said it was a stupid thought, but now the same stupid thought was everything running in his mind over and over as fast as he ran to you.

The things he thought only existed in fiction...in your fiction, were actually his reality all along. He wanted to be the one who wipes away your tears. You were the one whom he always called first whenever he had problems. All this time, he’s doing everything so you would remain in his life. How come he hadn’t correlate all this things much earlier?

The traffic light stopped him from his tracks and he saw the classmate whom you always told was bothering you from across the street. Perhaps, he wasn’t too late. He instantly smiled as soon as he saw you emerged. He was about cross the street, but stopped when he saw your classmate wrapped an arm around you close under his umbrella.

She deserves someone better. Someone who wouldn't take her feelings for granted and someone...who wouldn't overlook her.

Droplets of rain dripped from the tip of his fingers and so were from the strands of his hair. His own words thrown at him like daggers of ice. Keiji stood frozen.

A/N: I hope you will forgive me in this chapter 🙏 TAGLIST: drop this emoji 🍁 on my ask box to be added

🍁 @bethbat @moon-mars-ikemen @tessabrown101 @bakaashit @sweet-lovely-bambam @vicolangelo @god-has-forsaken-me @avis-writeshq @putmeinyourdeathnote @queenelleee @books-music-fangirl @kozuken-ma @shimmerains @tinyegg 

REBLOGS ARE DEEPLY APPRECIATED ♡ Please help me reach other viewers. Thank you so so much!

© quirrrky 2021 - All rights reserved. No work shall be reproduced, reposted, modified, translated in any form or by any means. ✧ DAYDREAM MUSEUM ✧

[enhalovebot]

moonlight ੈ☪⋆｡

➻ yang jungwon x reader (gender neutral)

➻ fluff

➸ ˗ˏ ➶ [☁️]. ✧ ˚

⤷ over the course of your relationship, you never thought you’d love the nicknames that came with it. no matter how cheesy they can get.

Never would you have thought that you’d end up with Jungwon. The boy was so reserved and quiet when you first met him that you didn’t notice just how cheeky and playful he could be. At first, it wasn’t noticeable at all, but after some time, it gradually became very apparent. It started with something simple.

Bubs. 

It was a lazy afternoon, and the rest of the boys were out, claiming you both deserved some quality time. Either that was the reason, or maybe Jungwon might have shoved all of them out the door. We will never know. But you’re just happy to spend time with your boyfriend.  

“Hey, bubs? Can I lie down there?” Jungwon pointed at your lap. He didn’t notice the nickname. It just slipped out. But judging by your reaction, he may use it a couple of times until you're ready to blow up from the heat flowing in your cheeks. 

“Yeah, s-sure.” You adjusted from your previous position, allowing him to lie his head on your lap. The moment his soft hair made contact with your pajamas, you knew you were doomed. Jungwon made himself comfortable on your pajama-clad thighs, enjoying the feeling of being loved as he is. 

“We should do this more often, bubs.” There it was again. It was a simple nickname, yet it brings so many emotions you can’t control. “I agree,” you replied as you carded your fingers through his soft hair.

Babe. 

It has been a while since you’ve seen Jungwon since both of you have different schedules, and finding time together is starting to get a little bit difficult. And now, for the first time in months, you finally found the time to visit the boys. 

“y/n’s here! Make way losers!” Ni-ki excitedly pushed the door open to let you inside. Sunoo pulled you in by the arms in an attempt to hug you but was quickly interrupted by Jungwon, who whisked you away from the other boy’s arms. And the next thing you knew was the smell of familiar cologne. 

His cologne. 

“That’s not fair. You always hog y/n all to yourself when they visit.” Jake called Jungwon out from the couch, while the others only smirked in return. It was obvious the boy missed you. He missed you so much that he didn’t mind the countless teases thrown at him. 

Whatever, Jungwon thought. He’ll deal with them later. 

“I missed you so much, babe.”

There folks, is an arrow straight to the heart.

Darling.

You stood on the pavement waiting for Jungwon to meet you at the bus stop. He initially planned out a date, but it seems like he’s running late. Tirelessly, you sat down on the metal seats, moving your feet back and forth. Sounds of vehicles passing by kept you occupied as you waited for him. 

You were expecting to wait for another ten minutes for Jungwon. However, sounds of aggressive panting came your way, followed by frantic footsteps. You glanced up to search for the source of the noise, and lo and behold, there he was. His hair was a mess, strands all over the place. His navy blue sweatshirt was ruffled and disheveled. And his shoelaces came loose by his furious running. And to top it all of, his flushed face matched his flustered state.

“I’m here, present.” Jungwon bent down, putting his hands on his knees, taking in massive inhales as he caught his breath. 

“What happened to you?” You patted his back. 

“Just took care of something.The guys were chasing me, kept asking me where I was going on a Saturday.” Jungwon met eyes with you, lifting his hand to caress your cheek.

“Glad to see you made it out alive.”

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world, darling.” He slyly wrapped his strong arms around your waist as he emphasized the word ‘this.’ “Let’s get going, yeah?”

Cheeks. 

“Hey, y/n?” Jungwon’s booming voice resonated from your doorway, feet planted on the floor in a stiff stance. You hummed, not looking up from your laptop. “Hmm?”

“Can you do the thing?” Jungwon drags his feet on the ground, shoulders slumped. “Do what?” Your eyes connected with his. There was a pregnant pause in the air as he carefully chose his following words.

Jungwon fiddled with his shirt, wringing the material in nervousness. He didn’t know what’s happening to him. His heart was going crazy. “You know..” He shifts from his weight on his heel. “Can you do the thing?”

Your eyebrows arched in confusion before it finally clicked.

Oh. The thing. 

A smile slowly formed on your face as you stared at Jungwon, who was now sitting on your bed.  He leaned in, eyes sparkling in admiration. “There it is. There’s the thing.”

“You feel better now?” You raised a hand to brush away the strands from his eyes.

“Yeah. Thank you, cheeks.” He suddenly stood up, racing out the door. But he made sure to give your cheek an affectionate squish before exiting the room.

Honey. 

“Jungwon, have you seen my blan-” You paused, cutting yourself off as you saw Jungwon wrapped up in your favorite blanket on your bed. “Nevermind, I found it.”

Jungwon rolled on his side to face you with his face squished on the mattress. He looked adorable. “Sorry. It’s so soft I couldn’t help myself.” He paused and looked up at you in realization. Jungwon slowly raises the blanket, “Wanna share?” 

A chuckle left your lips, shaking your head at his cheekiness. Jungwon happily invited you in his warm embrace once you started getting comfortable in his arms. “This is nice,” you yawned. 

“Right? I could get used to this.” Jungwon hugged you even tighter.

Your breathing evened out as time passed by, and this didn’t go unnoticed by Jungwon. “Sleep well, honey.”

Buttercup.

You were laid down in the middle of the living room, bored out of your mind. “This is so boring.” You said, dragging out your words. 

Jungwon, who was sitting down on the sofa, judged you in your current state, his eyes full of judgment as he looked you up and down. He didn’t mean to do it, he just loves seeing you react with just his eyes. 

“Stop looking at me like that.” You snapped at him.

“Like what?” He grabbed the remote, switching to different channels as he did so, searching for something good to watch. Jungwon doesn’t meet your eyes, though he feels like burning from your gaze.

“Look at me, Won,” you sat up, arms folded over your chest. 

Jungwon mindlessly allowed his eyes to meet yours. “What?”

“See? Stop looking at me like that.” You pointed out the way his eyes stared at you with so much judgment.   

Jungwon laughed upon seeing how you reacted to his staring. “You’re cute, buttercup.”

Angel. 

Sounds of sheets shuffling emitted from your phone speakers, “Why aren’t you asleep yet, angel?” Jungwon placed his phone on his bedside to see your face better. 

You released an exasperated sigh, “I got a lot of work to do.”

“You can continue doing it tomorrow. You need your rest.” Jungwon insisted on the other side of the screen. 

“But I can finish it tonight if I stay up a little longer,” you took a glance at your screen to see, Jungwon already looking at you with a stern gaze. 

“Go to sleep, angel. It’s past two am already.” He reasoned with you once more. 

You bit your lip as you contemplated the consequences. If you get to sleep now, then maybe you’ll have more time to do your task. Then, on the other hand, if you don’t go to sleep now, you’ll have to face headaches the next morning. And for sure, you also have to face the never-ending speech Jungwon prepared for you.

“Fine, I’ll go to sleep.” You settled your things away, cleaning your desk of the mess you created. 

“Goodnight, angel.”

“Goodnight, Won.”

Love.

“Don’t come near me!”

“Love, you’re being a dramatic mess right now. It's just a cold.” Jungwon placed his hands on his hips as he stared you down from six feet away.

“You’re gonna get sick if you come any closer.” You dramatically swatted your arms in the air. 

Jungwon howled in laughter, shaking his head in feigned disappointment. He loves you so much, honestly. 

“Nothing will happen to me, love. Put some faith in me.” Jungwon ignored your protests as he brought himself closer to you, not stopping until he was face to face with you. 

Heat came rushing to your cheeks when you noticed him come closer to you. So, you lifted the sheet up to your face, hiding from the boy in front of you. 

A teasing chuckle slipped from his lips. Jungwon slightly tilted his head to the side. “Hm? Why are you hiding from me?” His hand came up to gently tug the soft material off from your face. 

You mustered a weak reply to save yourself from embarrassment. “No... I’m sick.” Your voice muffled under the blanket.

“Don’t get all shy with me now.” Jungwon grinned at your actions. All he got in reply was a slight nudge, indicating you said ‘no.’

Feeling his lips on yours left you speechless because it wasn’t really a kiss. But it had the same impact. The things Jungwon does to you.

Again, he shakes his head while giggling like a fool. Jungwon tipped his forehead on yours, pressing a soft kiss on your lips, which was covered by the sheet. “Get better soon, love.”

Starlight.

Music blared from the studio, booming like there was no tomorrow. Noises of shoes squeaking against the floorboard kept you going. But mostly, it was because of the boy dancing in the middle of the room. He had a smile painted on his lips, his eyes full of love, and his hands were reaching out to you.

“Come dance with me!” Jungwon ran to you, his hands holding yours as he spun you around. 

You laughed at his antics. There was no other place you'd want to be. Being here with him was enough. Maybe more than enough. The both of you continued jumping around the room, not counting it as dancing anymore.

The song soon goes somewhat quiet, building up to the beat drop. Jungwon drew closer to you, preparing for the right time for the bass to drop. You stared back at him, confused as to why he also went quiet.

“Baby, you’re my starlight,” he perfectly timed his actions to the beat. And as the beat drops, Jungwon tugs you closer, giving you a light peck on the nose. Then, the sudden urge to get him flustered washed over you. “I think you missed,” you pointed to your lips.

Jungwon chuckles at this, but nonetheless, he still pulled you in for another kiss. This time on the lips.

Moonlight.

It was late. 

Like, really late. But that didn’t stop Jungwon from dragging you out to the night. “Isn’t this fun?” Jungwon spoke with a mouthful of noodles in his mouth, making his cheeks look even more adorable than it was before.

“Chew your food, love,” you patted the stains away from his cheeks. Jungwon’s heart almost leaps out of his chest from how beautiful you looked under the convenience store lights. Simple is a word he associated with you. He loves the simplicity looming around you, reminding him that he is human too.

Both of you were in some 24-hour convenience store, spending your extremely early morning together. “Want some?” You pushed a plate of sandwiches. Jungwon shook his head, instead, he picked up a napkin and proceeded to dab away at the stain you didn’t notice you had. 

“You got a little something…” Jungwon’s voice faded into a soft whisper as he concentrated on wiping away the mess on your chin.

“And... Done!” He threw the tissue, shooting it straight in the bin. You continued to stare at him while Jungwon went back to eating his meal. He didn’t notice you until he peered back at you from the corner of his eye.

“What?” Jungwon asked, unknowingly tilting his head a bit to the side. 

You shrugged, “Nothing.”

“What is it?” Jungwon scooted his chair closer to yours.

“I’m just glad I met you.” You couldn’t meet his eyes. So, you fixed your gaze on the table in front of you while you fidgeted with your long sleeves.

There was a profound silence.  

“I’m glad I met you too, moonlight.” 

You almost flinched at his voice, seeming that it was so quiet before he spoke up. But something felt new.

“Moonlight?” You questioned. 

Jungwon nodded, “You make me want to give you my heart, y/n.” 

“Well then, you’re my moonlight, too.” Your hand traced the dimples slowly revealing themselves as Jungwon smiles at you like you’re the only person in the world. 

They call me moonlight, too. Jungwon smiled at the thought. 

all rights reserved © enhalovebot

[jostepherjoestar]

Maybe Jotaro, Risotto, Prosciutto, Bruno and Leone friendship HCs with a fem friend thats llike your generic dumbass but they are just like a soft dumbass, she is just too cute to get mad at no matter how stupid she is. So basically a smol sweet dumbass that just radiate baby energy. Like she just runs up to them saying she want to show them something cool and its just a pretty rock but she looks so happy xjsbkss 💖

Pure of heart, dumb of ass fem!friend with Jotaro, Risotto, Prosciutto, Bruno and Abbacchio HC’s

sfw // fem reader

lemme just say, reader is baby and that’s valid 🥰this is so adorably pure ugh ya done killed me anon 🥺💖✨(can very much relate tho, glad my friends put up with my dumb antics)

Jotaro:

“Why am I friends with you again? Yare yare...” A phrase you’ll hear every time you’re hanging out with this tall bastard. He’ll tease you for being a bit of a dumbass but is incredibly drawn to how kind, sweet and absolutely thoughtful you are.

You remind him of Josuke and Okuyasu which only makes him like you even more. And the added cuteness-factor made him admit to himself he does indeed love cute things, no matter how adamantly he denies it to you.

His favourite thing to do is bring you along to the beach for field research, knowing just how wide eyed and giddy you get when you’re allowed to collect shells and rocks or even poke a jellyfish. You seem very good at spotting irregularities in your surroundings, making quite the good assistant to Dr. Kujo.

You’re even allowed to help with lab research, studying petri dishes filled with algae as you excitedly point out a very important detail he hadn’t noticed yet, too tired from working such long hours. Sometimes you’re quite the genius without even trying.

More than anything he loves the amount of lightness you bring to his life, his studies and general headspace take a large toll on him. Any relief is a welcome one.

He’ll often find himself smiling at the thought of hanging out again, staring at the collection of trinkets he keeps in a cute little Hello Kitty box you once gave him, which rests on his nightstand as a reminder that it can’t hurt to adapt your lifestyle of mindless giddy; even just the tiniest bit.

Risotto:

Being close friends with Risotto seems a bit impossible without being in his squad, he’s very insistent at keeping outsiders of Passione more than an arm-length away. Good thing that the stoic man is your capo, phew!

He’s apprehensive at first, not really sure why the soft round pebble you brought him reminded you of the man as he studied the mineral, admiring its softness. “It’s like you! Soft and worn down, but very sturdy and unbreakable.” smiling sweetly at him, excitedly awaiting a response.

What was this new feeling of being appreciated and cared for? Risotto’s never really experienced a friendship so pure. He’ll quietly thank you for the pebble and keeps it on his desk, staring in awe as he’s reminded of your kind words every time he spots it.

He knows the others like to tease you for not always being aware of general human knowledge, shooting them an intense glare as a warning to keep any rude comments or jokes to themselves.

Your friendship consists of him mostly listening to you, quietly taking in all the stories you divulge- so full of excitement, telling him facts you picked up somewhere; the source of these often containing varying levels of credibility. He won’t correct you though. (unless it’s something that might actually endanger you)

He values your friendship so.much. He’s not used to being treated so kindly, receiving random gifts, being praised for a job well done, having someone who doesn’t judge him in the slightest. He’ll do whatever he needs to keep you safe, from others and yourself, along with trying to return your kindness and care. (he tries his best and it’s so cute)

(you guys hold hands for safety when you’re out in the city... just saying, it’s adorable)

Prosciutto:

Prosciutto has a chronic case of “caring older brother disease”. Will need to hold himself back from tying your shoelaces for you, the man knows you can do it it yourself but it’s just taking sooo long.

Just like Risotto, you’d have to be a team member to get close to him in any way. Good thing he recruited you ;)

It’s a bit hard to make him open up about anything personal. You feel like he knows everything about you, while you barely know a thing. When he sees your pouty lip and begging gaze that is way too cute to deny, he’ll cave. Perhaps finally realising it’s alright to lean on others.

He’ll still struggle with continuing the openness, but find relief in your loyalty and understanding. The way you intently listen to his troubles, there to hold his hand if he ever needs it, it makes his heart hurt to know how sweet and gentle you are.

Will keep you and Pesci separate during missions, he’s already getting a migraine from imaging everything that could go wrong without his guidance.

For someone who’s a little more on the dense side, you make up for it in emotional intelligence. Whenever you see how stressed he tends to get, eye twitching without even realising while his shoulders hunch together in discomfort, you come over to hug him. It’s something he had to get used to, the small gesture always calming him down enough to keep going.

Does not appreciate you slipping cute trinkets in his suit pocket. Especially not after finding a snail that one time. You’ve been forbidden from leaving pocket gifts since the incident.

Bruno:

It concerns Bruno just how clueless you can be from time to time. That one time they almost left you behind on a busy station with no cellphone because you found a coin on the ground made him realise you need some extra supervision.

He’s not the type to hold you back from doing things that are guaranteed to result in disaster (unless it’s literally deadly), he wants you to experience the consequences of your own actions.

You do make him hold back his laughter when you try out a stupid idea you know has failed in the past, but change your methods slightly to hope for better results. And you know what? Now he’s curious too.

The man has a weird sense of humour that sometimes even surprises you. He’ll copy your habit of picking up strange trinkets or rocks and asks you to compare findings with him. Like trading marbles, he’ll barter with a smirk.

“Mhh, if you give me that cute shell and that pointy rock... I’ll give you this keychain.” His alluring offer making you question if you’re getting swindled or not. “Hey! That shell is at least worth two stickers!” He’ll heartily laugh at your reply, a mischievous smile while thinking over the trade. “Ok, two stickers and a pebble then.”

With a firm handshake the deal goes through. The rest of the gang never knows how to respond, staring in amazement as their grown-ass capo barters with their grown-ass teammate. He loves being silly with you and forgetting all the pressures of life for just a moment.

Bruno takes his time opening up to you, but finds your presence so comforting it becomes very easy to trust you. As a vital part of his team he finds it important to be able to lean on each other for support and is glad you offer him just as much trust and loyalty.

Abbacchio:

Will never admit he can’t live without you anymore. You’ve become the shining beacon of assumed happiness the man never thought existed. He knows you won’t always be go-lucky and have your own troubles and struggles but admires how you handle them.

Don’t get me wrong, he’ll still gladly tease you for your occasional (well, more like frequent) stupidity. He’ll let you know with a big huff you should smarten up; “Read a book that doesn’t have pictures in it for once.”

He’ll be the first to correct any wrong info you’ve been given, unless he thinks it’s funny. Like when Mista made you believe you needed to order dessert at Libeccio or they’ll kick you out for breaking their beloved rule. It’s only when he saw the panic in your eyes when you finished your main course one day -too full for any sweets to come- that he assured you it was a dumb joke. (he’ll put all the blame on Mista)

Abbacchio seems to tether to people who have a positive influence on him without even realising, it won’t be obvious to him, but just like with his loyalty and admiration for Bruno, he’ll make sure you know it once he finds out.

Not that it’s a bad thing, his need to cling to anything that might help him stay afloat just needs to stay healthy. You didn’t even realise your effect on him, you were too busy trying to figure out a way to turn that scowl into that smirk.

After gifting him a handmade friendship bracelet that had the shortened versions of your names spelled on it, he hugged you. So tightly it was suffocating, you were shocked since he’s never been the touchy type. “Leone! I can’t breathe...” He’ll let go after the complaint but that look on his face will never leave your memory. The face of being loved unconditionally by choice, no matter how unworthy he might think himself of it.

[teawaffles]

The Adventures of John: Chapter 4, Part 1

Setting off from Piccadilly Circus, Laura walked through Trafalgar Square, then headed down the Strand and Fleet Street. Without looking left nor right, she kept moving eastward across London.

Laura seemed to have been deeply affected by something; as they tailed her from behind, Sherlock let out a small laugh.

“Ha, she is really is a kid after all. Heading straight to her destination like a fool after sensing the slightest bit of danger. And not even considering the risk of being followed like this.”

John, who was walking beside him, spoke up.

“The way you’re talking, it sounds like you know where she’s going.”

“Of course. The address Wiggins said earlier — something’s hidden there. The stray dog sneaking into the building was just an outright lie, yet she turned pale upon hearing it.”

Though John understood what had happened earlier, Sherlock’s words completely eluded his grasp.

“What on earth do you mean, Sherlock?”

At his partner's baffled expression, the detective cracked an exuberant grin. Then, while keeping up the pace, he began to explain in a low voice.

“Well then, let’s start pulling back the curtain. In order to smoke out this shadowy ring of thieves, I used Wiggins and his friends to lay a trap.”

“The Irregulars?”

“Yeah. I asked them to search the slums; but at the same time, I also instructed them to spread a certain piece of information — that the stolen goods from the arrested thieves were being kept at our apartment. As such, there was a chance the other thieves would pay us a visit to retrieve the items.”

John thought back to the jewellery sitting on the sideboard. That had looked pointless at first, but in fact, there’d been a good reason why they were there.

“To be honest, it was a gamble — even I thought there was only a fifty-fifty chance it’d work, but it was a resounding success.”

Sherlock looked at the figure of the girl up ahead, and John was incredulous. At that moment, the pair had just walked past the facade of St Paul’s Cathedral.

“You’re talking about Laura? You mean, that child is one of those thieves from the slums?”

“Don’t underestimate her just because she’s a child. However, judging from how nervous she’s been, I’d say she isn’t one of the thieves exactly; I get the feeling that she’s been forced to follow their orders.”

Hearing that, John thought back to the scene at the cafe.

When he asked Laura if she’d been hiding anything, she had frantically denied it. Placing that reaction in the perspective that she had actually been trying to hide how she was abetting the thieves, it did make sense.

However, John was starting to get confused by all the unexpected revelations, and he fired back doubts of his own.

“Sherlock: to start with, how did you know Laura’s from the underclass? From her appearance, one would think she’s from the middle class.”

“Oi oi, isn’t that obvious? Her fingers were strangely brownish, weren't they? That trait’s often seen in merchants who shell walnuts and sell them on the street.”

“……I see.”

Hearing the detective’s precise analysis, John nodded in admiration. He had first noticed that peculiarity of Laura’s at the cafe, but Sherlock had spotted it right at their first meeting, and seen through her guise straight away.

“Let’s say you’re right. But then, why did Laura disguise herself like that?”

“It’s simple: the thieves knew that I was fairly certain they hailed from the slums, so they wanted her to hide her status just in case. It’s not clear whether she bought those clothes herself, or the thieves stole them — but anyway, that disguise didn’t fool me,” he quipped. “And you should also know that the details — her cuffs, thumbs, nails, and shoelaces — were extremely important and provided a wealth of clues.”

“But even if she is from the underclass, isn’t it at least true that she came by to ask us to search for her dog?”

“That’s a natural question, but I’ll tell you later why that was a lie.”

Putting aside the truth behind her request for the time being, Sherlock continued to explain his reasoning.

“Getting back to the topic: right when I dangled the bait, that kid showed up. But at that point in time, she hadn’t come to take the stolen items by force. Together with Miss Hudson, we were three adults against a child — the difference in physical strength was obvious. As such, our opponents definitely had another plan up their sleeve.”

“A plan…… Do you mean the search for the dog?”

“Precisely. In all likelihood, it carried three meanings.”

Sherlock raised three fingers.

“First: a simple reconnaissance.”

Hearing that, John agreed right away.

“They had to confirm if it was really you looking after the stolen items, rather than the Yard; so Laura visited us on the pretext of making a request.”

“Correct. It looks like you’re starting to get it. Then, reason two: under the guise of having us search for her dog, she wanted to make us both leave the flat.”

“……Ah.”

John finally understood what Sherlock had meant earlier — and he shuddered.

“If we’d left the apartment with her, then only Miss Hudson — a lady — would’ve remained behind……”

“The thieves were probably banking on that opportunity to break into the flat. Although we’d still only be three people even if we stayed behind, it’d be smoother if there were only one woman in the house. Hence, their ruse to have us ‘search for her dog’ was genius. It’s a reasonable request, coming from a child; moreover, it’s not something on a level where you’d go to the police, so it only feels natural for her to approach a detective about it.”

“These thieves sure have a horrible way of thinking, huh……. But as I said before, these are all premised on the assumption that Laura’s request was a lie: they’re still just hypotheses.”

“And as I said, I have definite proof that it’s a lie,” Sherlock replied. “But I’ll tell you about it later……. In the end, the thieves weren’t able to achieve the two goals I mentioned. And that’s because I anticipated their motives, and turned down the request. As insurance in the event of this scenario, Laura’s visit also carried a third meaning…… Sorry to break it off halfway, but we’re almost there.”

Just as Sherlock was about to reveal the final answer, it seemed Laura was nearing her destination.

She had arrived at a set of disused, run-down warehouses along the bank of the Thames, near the Tower of London. [1] The girl looked all around her carefully, then headed deep into the silent industrial district.

Then, she stopped before an abandoned warehouse, and stood there in a daze. Apparently, some kind of excessive shock had made her mind go blank. And upon seeing it, John — who had yet to know the full picture — was also shaken.

Before the girl’s eyes, in the open space before the warehouse—— stood dozens of people, their dirty clothes lending them the appearances of vagrants. Among the group were several hooded figures, whose faces couldn’t be clearly distinguished.

Upon seeing Laura, the vagrants all moved toward her in unison. Sensing the gaze of the crowd on her, she shrank and took a step back.

“……U-Um, why is everyone here? I thought we weren’t supposed to gather here in large numbers, since the bobbies would get suspicious……”

John was presently concealed somewhere behind the girl. From the way she had spoken, it was apparent that the crowd of people was familiar to her. Furthermore, at the very least, she had done something that would draw the attention of the Yard.

At Laura’s question, a middle-aged man stepped forward from the group. And upon seeing his eyes, John felt a glimmer of recognition.

“That’s what I wanted to ask you. What the hell was that?”

The man’s tone was one of formidable menace, and Laura shrank further and further away.

“W-What’re you talking about……?”

At that vague reply, the man tutted in frustration.

“……Then I’ll explain it to you. In the evening, I came all the way here to hide the cash we recovered from that softhearted chap.”

The man stared at the warehouse behind him, as if glaring at it, then returned his gaze to Laura.

“Then when I went into town, I heard some brats saying that there were stray dogs making mischief near these warehouses. I got curious and came back. But for some reason, the others also gathered here one after another. And when I asked them, they all gave me the same story about dogs or burglars or something showing up nearby.”

“Stray dogs……”

With a start, Laura spun around. Then Sherlock stepped out of the shadows with a dignified air, and revealed himself before the crowd. John still didn’t fully understand what was going on; but for now, he placed his belongings on the ground, and went to stand beside Sherlock.

“Dr Watson, and Mr Holmes? ……Did you both follow me here?”

Her own mistake finally dawned upon her, and she paled. But in contrast, Sherlock smiled like a child whose mischief had succeeded.

“It’s about time you realised. It seems your horizons are rather narrow: you should pay more attention to what’s behind you next time.”

At his suggestion, all Laura could do was to groan inaudibly. Then, the man who’d been speaking to her spat out a curse.

“This brat, getting completely tricked like that — what useless scum.”

Sherlock’s tone became derisive.

“Oi oi, a good adult shouldn’t talk like that to a kid, y’know. Still, you got the gist of my trick, right? I got the Irregulars to follow some of the vagrants in the parks, and that’s how I identified this place. As for the remaining people I’d investigated, who seemed to be your accomplices — one by one, I made them overhear rumours that all established the idea that this place was under threat. Then, as planned: everyone got antsy and gathered here in one friendly bunch.”

Trembling, Laura asked him a question.

“That boy Wiggins from earlier: was that your doing, Mr Holmes……?”

“Exactly. But as for the rest of these guys, I didn’t think it’d succeed this brilliantly. You all got way too panicked at the smallest sense of danger. But I’ll give you credit for hiding the loot in such an old warehouse; it’s no wonder we couldn’t find them, even after searching the slums down to its corners.”

Sherlock gazed at the warehouse in admiration. Speechless, Laura just stood there, rooted to the spot, and the man gnashed his teeth in frustration.

Standing beside Sherlock, John listened to their conversation while watching the man with the sharp gaze closely. A doubt arose in his mind, and he observed the rest of the crowd standing petrified before the warehouse — when he gasped in surprise.

Among the group, was the old walnut-seller from Regent’s Park.

The other people he’d bought items from, and given money to in order to obtain more information about Laura’s dog — John also recognised their faces in the crowd.

As he stood dazed, Sherlock patted him on the shoulder and revealed the truth.

“Now you know the third meaning from before. In other words, it was as though they were trying to recover their stolen goods — they used sightings of the dog as bait, and worked together to cheat you of your money. It’s a sly trick; and considering the odds of success, just getting it to work the first two or three times would already be a big achievement. But since you’re more of a softy than they anticipated, it seems you gave them nearly every penny you had.”

“…………”

As he recalled, every time he had decided on their next destination, Laura had confirmed it in an excessively loud voice. He himself hadn’t noticed; but in all likelihood, Laura’s accomplices had been in the vicinity, and that’d been a way of communicating their next location so the group could get there ahead of time. The cash the man mentioned at the start probably referred to the large sum that had disappeared from John’s wallet.

At long last, John understood the whole picture. But more than indignation at having been tricked, to have completely fallen for that: he felt ashamed at his own idiocy.

The man before them was now cornered. Even so, he regained his composure and spoke.

“Hold on, Mr Detective. It seems you think we’ve committed theft, but that’s all a misunderstanding.”

Opposite Laura, who was standing with her head drooped, the man launched into an eloquent speech.

“It’s true that we’re all working together. But as for our relation to this place, it’s just a meeting spot in the event of an emergency. Even if you were to search that warehouse and find stolen goods inside, that would just be a coincidence. It’s all just a series of misfortunes: in the end, you have no proof that we’re the thieves.”

He emphasised that it was all a fluke, though his assertion was a little forced in terms of logic. In itself, there was no issue with the group assembling before this abandoned warehouse. Of course, the amount they’d cheated from John had all been freely given by his own hand — as long as he didn’t ask for his money back, it wasn’t as if a crime had been committed.

However, just as Sherlock had declared right before they’d arrived here, he had the ammunition to shoot down that clumsy argument. Languidly, he approached the girl; and without hesitation, he reached into her pocket.

“——Then, what’s this?”

Footnotes:

[1] This seems to be the St Katharine Docks, which are located right beside the Tower of London. They had their heyday in the early 19th century, and so were probably in decline by this point. (A London history blog)

Translator’s notes

Laura’s path across London

Here’s a rough map of her nearly six-kilometre journey:

A: Piccadilly Circus

B: Trafalgar Square

C: The Strand (a street)

D: Fleet Street

E: St Paul’s Cathedral

F: Tower of London

G: St Katharine Docks

[sleepyowlwrites]

find the word tag CCCXXVII

apparently I am thoroughly averse to moodboards. other people can like them and I'm thrilled for them, but I despise making them or using them for my own stuff. ever since I used one for anxiety story and it fell woefully flat. so if you tag me in a moodboard-requiring game, I'll probably quietly just not ever get to it. but I'll look at yours and admire you for making them. @akindofmagictoo been tagging you a lot lately but I'm not even sorry

plan (summon story d0)

“Sure, the summoning won’t take that long, but properly drawing the array takes time since I’ll be the only one doing it, not to mention we haven’t actually collected the supplies yet.” Shae’s argument stood, but her face was trying so hard to be stern that Zan wanted to laugh.

He looked off the the side and collected himself. “Alright. So we’ll plan out the array language and draw up the glyphs with charcoal beforehand, then recruit someone to die, then do the summoning, then go eat lunch. Does that sound like a plan?”

plead (dirt in the doing)

“Jet.”

He hears more than just his name, he hears the urgency in the shape of it, the pleading at the edges. There’s a requirement for a response to that, to make the asker’s agony cease. There doesn’t seem to be much he can do for his own, so he settles for a response. His mouth sore, lips and tongue clumsy as they form words.

“’M okay,” he manages. The effort brings with it a catch in his throat and a feeble cough to follow. One more thing to hurt.

“Can you look at me?”

He chances a longer blink, and this time it yields results. His vision takes a few second to work, but the fog dissipates somewhat, revealing a figure looming over him.

“Hey.”

Jet waits and the figure solidifies and he can see their expression, their hands, the red in their hair. Her hair. “Rune.”

plain (youth story d0)

“Which of you are sober right now?” Nyks asked crossly, focusing on Irina’s hair in his hands. “And which of you should I tie together the shoelaces of so you don’t wander off?”

R ran a finger through Nyks’ hair just because he could. It was soft, same as it always was. “Not me, I don’t think. But really I’m only tipsy. I could probably drive a car if I had to.”

“No, you couldn’t,” Evie said with her cheek smashed up against Mark’s back. “You can’t drive.”

Mark was holding himself incredibly still inside the circle of Evie’s arms, his expression terribly soft and vulnerable. R watched him gently detach and then pull Evie around so she could rest her head on his shoulder in a less awkward position. It was both calculated and wonderfully plain. R could’ve smiled fondly if he had any ability to feel regular, affectionate feelings toward Isanz.

play (dirt in the doing)

Jet can’t get a good angle to hit Yarrow so he settles for pinching his arm. Not very hard, because he’s less angry that he thinks he should be, but enough to make Yarrow whine like a cat.

“Play nice, please, boys.” Rune taps around with one hand before it awkwardly hits Jet in the jaw.

He pushes her hand away and sighs. Then, a thought, “Who else do you let stay over at your apartment?”

“At the moment, nobody, since Yarrow turned me down. I think I might try to recruit Shadow next. He always looks so miserable in the mornings. Could probably use some of my coffee.”

better, shoulder, offer, answer. BONUS: capture, borderline. @livvywrites @caitwritesstuff @diphthongsfordays @yejiwritesthings @talesfromgringolandia @enchanted-lightning-aes OR ANYBODY or nobody

[pollenat]

SEVENTEEN and 5 ways to say I love you

S.COUPS

Droplets of water resting on his cheeks, reflecting moonlight. The rain has surprised you on an evening walk, and right now you’re standing by the crosswalk, his arms holding the coat above your heads while he stares at the red light. You should be shivering and getting annoyed at the discomfort of wet clothes, but you can’t stop staring at his ethereal side profile.

A gentle smile blossoming on his face whenever you compliment him. It’s so powerful, you can never stare at it long enough. He may say “Of course, I know that.”, but that doesn’t make him any less happy. And when you tell him how great he is in the tough moments, Seungcheol doesn’t respond. Instead, he hides his head under your chin, where he is always welcome to regain confidence and comfort.

Kissing him goodbye when he stops the car by your house. It’s lingering, your arms embracing one another to keep it going as long as possible. Neither of you are ready to part ways, despite the late hour. His hands press at your lower back, and after long minutes of being entwined, you pull away with sadness matching his eyes. Seungcheol grabs you once again, for one last kiss, and then finally lets go, his eyes following you until you disappear inside.

Taking a step back when his voice raises. It’s different - an irritating blaring alarm compared to the sweetness of his usual tone. His eyes are also strange. So stark, you feel the pain they’re meant to inflict. But the hurt doesn’t make you close in on yourself. Instead, it’s like a log to your fire. You need to stand up to it, fuel the useless aggression, even if it will burn you in the end.

Carefully spreading the blues of a face mask on his face. His eyes are closed, and open only when you can’t stop yourself from laughing any longer. “What’s so funny?” you genuinely want to explain, but another look at the numerous pigtails sticking out in different directions forces you to hide in one of his shoulders. “What did you do to my face?” his question is trying to be humorous, but the terror is all too evident in it.

JEONGHAN

The sight of snow covering every surface possible. His voice when he complains about the cold. The redness of his nose poking above the scarf you’re tying around his neck. “You’re being embarrassing.”, but Jeonghan fails at hiding his smile behind the material. He doesn’t know his eyes are betraying him. “Yeah I know”, you answer him, now indifferent to the teasing.

Tired smile decorating his face when he visits you in the evening of your birthday. Training clothes crumpled, hair a mess, shoelaces untied and tucked into the sides. You tell him he didn’t have to, he’s done enough for you and needs rest. But truth be told, you’re selfishly happy to have him here. “If it’s for you, I don’t mind giving up few hours of sleep.” he says with calm certainty.

The times you have to wait for him to acknowledge you because of a petty fight. He’s not the person to back down from one, and you sometimes feel like pulling your fingers out from the amount of frustration you’re going through. You know he’ll eventually relent, let you in, lock you in a tight embrace, if only to ask why didn’t you say anything sooner. You’ll want to pick up the fight again, but what for?

Pieces of clothing he deliberately leaves at your place, so he can tease you whenever you put them on. “I was wondering where it disappeared.” “But you-” “It’s okay. I know how good I smell.” “Jeonghan-” “Shh, you can hold on to it for now.” As much as you want to argue, you end the fight with an angry sigh.

The smell of grass during a sunny day. Tree bark imprinting itself on your back, and Jeonghan’s head weighing down your thigh, his breath calm. There’s no doubt - he’s asleep. The guy could doze off anywhere. Somewhere in the back, a guitarist is playing for tips, light melody mixing with distant chatter. Your hands put away the book, tired of holding it in the air. Instead, you let the strands of Jeonghan’s hair entertain you.

JOSHUA

The cheesiness of slow-dancing in a room illuminated by the moon only. A song you came to like is playing, and Joshua’s voice joins the singer every now and then, before he stops himself. You’d rather listen to him singing. He laughs at the idea. “Don’t be cheesy!” but he can be?

Helping him fix his tie and collar before going to theater. His chin is pointing upwards, but his eyes are set on your face. You aren’t sure what he’s looking for, and the constant observation makes you self-conscious. “Why are you staring at me?” the question makes him smile. You take note of that, but remain busy with the tie. “Just admiring my beautiful plus one.”

Sitting by the table, him in front of you. It’s night time, and you’re both tired. It’s crazy how despite a hectic day, Joshua has managed to make you dinner. “Oh, this? It’s nothing!” was what he said after putting the plates of a complicated dish down. You can’t help, but smile to yourself in silence. Joshua’s foot nudges your underneath the table, and you look up to see him frowning questioningly. “It’s delicious.” has him smiling proudly.

The movie being just a background noise, neither of you interested in what it has to present. Not when you’re cuddled on the sofa, almost (!) sleeping. Joshua has his head tucked under your jaw. His breathing is regular and warm on your neck.Your fingers get tangled in the longer hairs on the top of his head. Eyes finally closing, the last thing you register is the characteristic smell of his shampoo.

Seeing his shoulders closing in on him. Head down, eyes empty, lips shut tight. Your approaching footsteps have no effect on his stature. He’s sitting still in his pose. A hand on his shoulder ends up shaken off. Words directed at him earn no response. After what feels like forever of standing dumbfounded by his side, you take a step back and leave him be. Maybe he needs space. Maybe he will call for you when he’s ready. Maybe, maybe, maybe. One thing is sure - you do feel a little hurt by rejection.

JUN

The weight of his hand on your shoulder when you’re standing in a crowded space. It’s a bit suffocating, you can’t lie. Having Junhui’s protective arm embracing you forces your attention to focus on his presence instead. He can’t bring himself to look at you, sure you’ll tease him. Still, he can feel your admiring glances. “I know, I’m very chivalrous.” leaves his mouth before he can bite his tongue. “Don’t ruin the moment.” “Okay.”

Kissing your forehead numerous times when he notices it’s warm. His jumper is already on your chest, shyly given earlier after you commented the weather. Jun’s cold hand rests on your cheek to check its temperature too. After one last peck he finally declares “You have a fever.” in a bewildered tone.

Opening your phone’s gallery to twenty new selfies that Junhui has taken when you weren’t nearby. They’re almost all the same, but you can’t bring yourself to delete any. Even if it means he gets teasing material. “Obviously, I’m just too good-looking, right babe?” “Oh my god, yes you are, Junhui.” “Exactly.”

A noodle hanging from his mouth, and the suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows. You think of the scene that the two of you saw the day before - the connection is obvious. Jun smiles when you hesitate to follow his lead, proud to bring your cheeks the warmth of embarrassment. Then he chokes on the noodle, because you decided to strike back and take the other end in your mouth. As if he was the only one allowed to tease in your relationship.

How odd it is to see him indifferent and actually nervous around you. There’s a fear that it might’ve cemented the incoming end of your relationship. That maybe he wants nothing more to do with you. But Jun’s train of thoughts is far away from the breakup sphere, rather unsure how to make things normal again. It’s only a matter of time, right? And why are you just as strange about everything as him?

HOSHI

Sharing a blanket with each other on the cold wooden boards, your group of friends seated in a circle, as you take turns telling scary stories. Your and Soonyoung’s terrified glances meet every now and then, before he leans on your chest so you can lock hands over his shoulder protectively. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe.” His giggles at your promise score you numerous scolding looks.

You’re not the first one to notice him. Once his silhouette comes into your view, he’s already jumping in place, flailing his arms in the air for attention. A big smile spreads across his face, pushing his eyes almost shut. Soonyoung mouths something, but you can’t read his lips at all. Then he starts running towards you with arms wide open for embrace. Laughing, you do the same. It is embarrassing, but your suffering ends as soon as your face can hide in his neck.

Spoons of your meal disappearing in his mouth, although his half-finished own is resting right next to it. After five pointed glances, you give up to watch him full-time instead. Soonyoung is clearly enjoying his food. “Why are you not eating?” “I’m full already.” “You and your small stomach!” Him and his big stomach!

The collection of old Halloween couple costume’s you’ve collected over the years. Each worn just once, each as memorable as the previous one. Soonyoung throws himself at the mountain of colorful materials, his lips pouting. “You want to get rid of them? Our memories?!” “They’re taking up too much space.” He groans disgusted. “So?” “Get off and help me pack them.” “Make me!”

His sad eyes following your every move as you walk around the room gathering things. There’s a stark contrast between his watery gaze, and your angry stare. Every few seconds he starts senseless sentences, more a product of desperation than solid argumentation. And then you leave him alone, to get lost in his sad thoughts, to wonder what could’ve been done to avoid the conflict altogether.

WONWOO

Eardrum-bursting noise of speeding cars. You flinch in your spot, then shoot a glare to the man that accidentally sat on remote control. “Wonwoo!” He smiles apologetically once you point out the volume. Sighing, you pick up the phone. Its clock reads 2 a.m, but even the realization doesn’t make you tired. “One more mission, come on!”

No matter when and where you’ve agreed to meet, he’s always the first one to appear. It’s not the nicest feeling - being always waited for - but Wonwoo rejects your attempts at confrontation. He says he’s used to it and prefers things that way. Why worry your head, when it’s all figured out. He doesn’t know that you know that he’s very particular about being the first one everywhere. Talk about chivalry.

The avoidance of physical contact. Yes, you are in a disagreement. Yes, some feelings were hurt. Yes, both of you are mad. The tension is thick, waiting for a knife sharp enough to cut through it. Tired of frowning, you reach for the rock you can always lean on, but the rock moves. You’re pushed away without him pushing, and at that moment the word hurt is redefined.

Summery evening spent by a lake. There’s a picnic table, usually posing nude with its graffiti, today dressed in a checkered cloth. A basket of half-finished lunch rests above all, closed, hopefully keeping the fruit away from insects. You watch another stone skipping the surface of calm water. It’s not a record-breaker, but you still cheer for Wonwoo. Sunset glances off of his glasses when he turns to look back.

Going through the pictures you ordered. A large frame is placed on the other end of the table, the blankness waiting for colors. But it’s been hours, and aside from leaning over the pictured memories, no collection has been decided. Wonwoo’s hand closes over yours when you hand him a particularly funny photograph. His deep hum resonates in appreciation.

WOOZI

The look of bewilderment he puts on when your hand offers him a spoonful of food. You don’t mind the public, only nod at him in encouragement, and although shy, he accepts the offering. “Please, stop doing that.” “I can’t hear you because this stew is so amazingly delicious! You should have a taste once more!” Another spoon glares at him under your innocent gaze.

Hugging him tightly as you’re waiting for sleep to take over. The duvet is too cold for your liking, and Jihoon offers the only source of warmth you accept. You know that in the morning you’ll wake up separated, but for now you plan on enjoying being so close to him. Every now and then he leaves lingering kisses on your forehead without saying a word.

The deepness of bass syncing with your heartbeat. Jihoon is facing away from you, propped on his locked hands and gazing at the computer screen. He always closes off to focus on analyzing his tracks. As much as you want to remain silent and follow his lead, you’re convinced you’ve heard the same tune before. Then you recognize it from Jihoon’s humming a week prior.

His tear-strained face after a big argument. You’re shocked to see him so broken, and all the anger that’s been boiling your blood disappears. Jihoon accepts the embrace, his arms closing on you tightly, as he whispers “Don’t argue with me anymore, please. I don’t want you to leave”.

The day you run up the stairs to his apartment. The neighbors nod at you in mute greetings, all offering smaller or bigger smiles. Your fingers quickly put a memorized code in. The front door opens after you press the handle. There’s a pair of slippers already waiting. Jihoon walks into the hallway to welcome you. His hair is still wet from the shower.

DK

The annoyingly omittable grocery store playlists. They’re so subtle in their existence, you hum, but never remember exactly which melody. That is unless that song comes on. Seokmin who’s been pulling the cart from the side, turns to face you with a knowing smile. “Please, not here.” you ask, but Seokmin just turns away and begins singing along. People look, and you’re both extremely embarrassed and eager to listen to his voice more.

Instead of being angry, like you are, he’s sad. Misery written all over his infuriatingly beautiful face. It’s petty to continue attacking him with hurtful words. The ammo you’ve loaded now just a steam coming from na overheated gun. Seokmin doesn’t speak. He’s silent. It’s as if you’re the only one who can decide when will all the arguing end.

Finding a birthday gift a week before. Seokmin is terrible at hiding things meant for you, and although you’re itching to ask him “Your underwear drawer? Really?” you act as if nothing ever happened. Even if your fun was ruined, you do not wish him the same. He genuinely believes your act of surprise later.

Sitting chest to chest, legs around one another, while you’re brushing his hair. He doesn’t shy away from admitting that this tradition is his favorite one. That’s why you run comb through his locks for way too long, to keep him close, and bask in the familiarity of it all. When your eyes fall down, they always catch his big ones, patiently waiting for you to finish, and gift him a kiss.

A surprise backhug when you’re washing the dishes. Seokmin should be drying them off with a towel, but some time ago he abandoned the task, He’s always been quick to lose interest. His head rests on your shoulder, voice impatiently asking when will it be over. You want to laugh at him. Tell him to get back to work. But then again - you’re enjoying the warmth he’s radiating. Like fire in a chimney.

MINGYU

Styling his hair after he has left the shower. Mingyu giggles hysterically as you put finishing touches to his mohawk. “You could be a punk rock guitarist.” his canines come into full display at the comment. Later he tells you to make him a greaser, with a carefully twisted lock of hair falling down his forehead.

A letter he has written when he realized things weren’t completely alright with you at the moment. A collection of words that to you make much more sense than to any other person. The letter itself can’t take the weight off of your shoulders, but the gentleness of his words, the constant encouragement, and the amount of love confessions do give you a new feeling, this time - a good one.

The giddiness when you know you’ll see him a matter of minutes. And as soon as you do, a smile breaks out, because how can it not? His is similar, just as full of warmth as yours. The only things warmer than it are his welcoming embrace and your cheeks rubbing. “I’ve been waiting for you for so long! You’re not late? Well, I was still waiting to see you!”

The warmest and securest of embraces he offers at any time of the day.  Mingyu may be busy and still take a moment to hug you when things don’t feel quite right. Just a look, a pout, a sigh, a call of his name, or a hand on his shoulder - Mingyu drops whatever it is he’s doing and opens his arms. Most times, as an added bonus, he offers you quick pecks of pure honey. Anywhere he can reach.

Sneaking hands into one another’s sleeves when the weather is cold. It may not be the smartest move, because there’s not much two adults merged in a pose like that can do. Mingyu giggles at the feeling of your ice cold fingers grabbing his arms, meanwhile almost jumping away from you. Only the hold you have on his limbs stops him from parting ways. “You’re too cold! I didn’t sign up for this!” “You’re supposed to warm my hands, so stop complaining!”

THE8

The warmth of his arm as the two you huddle in front of a painting in the museum. Minghao‘s telling you what he thought of when he saw it for the first time. Then he encourages you to share your opinion. His eyes look genuinely curious. “I didn’t think of it like that!”, but you doubt his words. Still, it feels nice to be appreciated and listened to.

His tendency to fall silent in the middle of argument that does nothing to cease your annoyance. In the back of your mind a voice is telling you that it went too far, and you should follow suit, but the wind’s silence can never extinguish a raging fire. Blinded by rage, you throw the book you were holding on the ground, turn around and storm off, ignoring his voice calling your name. “Stop being childish!” annoys you only more.

The first thing you notice while falling into his arms being his perfume. It’s so rich, and so his, you feel safe and right in place before you can sense the plush of his flesh under fingertips. Minghao giggles at your strengthening grip. His ears pick up on your sniffing and after some time of letting you soak in his presence, he makes you look him in the eyes. You can’t argue - who would reject a kiss of adoration from a man like that?

Sharing a piece of cake in a cafe. It’s a red velvet, with strawberries on the side. There’re no words being exchanged, you just steal small smiles in each other’s direction. The cake disappears slowly, each spoon frugal and shy. It’s not that you can’t afford another one. The cake is an object of sentiment - something shared between two close people.

The delicateness of his fingertip on your upper cheek. It swipes to the side and (sadly) leaves. Minghao’s eyes follow his thumb as he transports a lost eyelash to the front of your lips. “Make a wish.” he says with a gentle smile. Heart fluttering, you struggle to glue together a proper plead. It’s the first dream that came up and you have nothing better to offer. Then you blow the eyelash into the air. Please world, make it happen.

SEUNGKWAN

Trivial words that hurt like a stabbing knife. Now, instead of blood, they’re a source of all-consuming guilt. Even if the argument was mutual, you want to take everything back, because the present feels empty without Seungkwan. Your phone lights up with a message before you can drown yourself in sorrow. “We’ll talk tomorrow.” and tomorrow you hope to see him.

A band-aid that’s turned useless, but cannot be taken off. It’s what remains of Seungkwan’s touch, before he left for work overseas. The material is dirty, and sticking out at ends, and you should just get rid off it, because it’s a stupid reason to hold on to. Yet here you are - just pressing it down every five minutes in silent acceptance.

Poking your head into the hallway. TV is playing in the background, but a singing voice breaks through the noise. You smile in recognition and slowly make your way forward, towards the bathroom door. Seungkwan is in the middle of a shower. Happy to catch him off-guard, you sit down by the wall and listen. No plead is enough to make him sing consciously in your presence.

The melted chocolate you forgot to hide in the fridge. Seungkwan is scowling at his fingertips, sunk in the dark brown smudge. From his eyes alone you can tell he’s about to start scowling you. “Don’t be such a baby! Just go wash them!” He’s about to argue, but you push him out of the kitchen. “We wasted perfectly good chocolate!” We? That’s a first. Although he left, you hear him smacking lips. Seungkwan couldn’t allow the sweets to just waste.

An empty sofa to your side. A soft rug in front of you. Pillows thrown around the room. And yet, you and him are sitting huddled on the armchair, something designed for one (1) user. Seungkwan has his head lying on your shoulder. You’re too engrossed in TV to notice his lack of attention to the show. With passing moments his mouth moves closer to your neck, eyes on your side profile, hands on your hip.

VERNON

Seeing him in a badly sewn beanie that you wouldn’t have given to him if he hadn’t found it in your kitchen cupboard. It’s a mess of unfinished threads and misplaced crosses. Still, Vernon assures you that he loves it. “I look pretty cool in it, right?”, the earnest smile put on display. You look for the signal of a lie, but between the messy fringe, and the perfect pearls on display, you can’t find even a trace of it.

The moment he pulls away for a breather, his eyes hooded, lips swollen. It’s afternoon, though you do not care about the time. You marvel at the shadows, dancing with purple light on his face, but can only take a mental picture. His mouth is quick to return to yours, hands right behind it. The buckle of your belt clings with the button of his jeans.

Standing on a beach during a cold afternoon. The wind plays with whatever it can touch - waves, strands of hair, the lightest grains of sand. Above the howls you can hear Vernon’s breathing. He doesn’t say anything, maybe listening to the same things as you, maybe thinking about the things beyond. But his presence triumphs over the coldness.

The feeling of being watched that pops up randomly. Always with him, always when he’s sure you’re too busy to notice, always without a word spoken, always in your peripheral vision. You can’t tell whether he just gets lost in thoughts or is admiring you, but you never point it out. Others do it for you.

The buzz of adrenaline surging through your veins when he closes the door behind him. He’s mad, but doesn’t use the piece of wood to have the last sound. He rarely raises his voice, never shows anger through strength, never takes it out on the inanimated objects. The observation instantly causes you to miss him. But you can’t decide which feeling you should listen to - fresh anger, or even fresher loneliness.

CHAN

His voice reaching your ears through the phone every night, without a day off. Sometimes it’s tired, sometimes excited, but always there. He protests whenever you tell him to just hang up and go rest. “Don’t you want to talk with me?” “Of course I do. But you sound sleepy.” “Just five more minutes!” A long silence, and then a sigh. “Alright.”

The times when the only source of comfort he accepts is your embrace. You’re lying on the couch, arms opened for his frowning face. Not a full second passes, and he’s placed on top of you, nose in the crook of your neck, hands on your sides, legs digging underneath yours. Questions are avoided with simple I missed you’s.

Collecting tears down his jawline. Offered hug is rejected, but his pushing hands are weak, unsure in their movement. You can read him like a book, though you do not admit that aloud. He wants you to stay and comfort him. Cling to him despite his attempts at rejection. Chan sniffles. This time when your arms circle him, he does nothing to stop them.

The embarrassment you have to bite down. You’re just as flattered, but the latter feeling is much easier to hide. People are watching, some giggling, honestly enjoying the show,  some are feeling for the position you’re put in. Chan is still smiling widely, his pupils full of adoration. Too scared to do anything else, you decide to hide in his arms, already opened for an embrace. He’s the best type of both lovely and shameless.

Skipping down the stone stairs hand in hand. The rain has made a prompt run to shelter out of your slow afternoon walk. Suddenly, you can feel his fingers pulling at yours. Not down the stairs, but to his side. Chan slips. It’s a split second, somehow long enough to push heart up your throat. He manages to lean on the other leg to regain balance. Again, for a moment. Chan jumps down the last few stairs, straight into a puddle of rain water, successfully spraying you with the small tidal wave created from the impact. “I’m sorry!” but he laughs, so is he really?

➛ pollenat’s list of reactions

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[cabinofimagines]

Falling Face First

bro i’ve never written poly and there was a request for Lercy so yknow i have to at least try :( anyway here’s Leo being a simp and the reader also being a simp but hiding a little better than inferno boy.   - day

pairing: Leo x gn!Reader x Percy

warnings: I mean it’s poly so??? Fluff omg so dangerous, swearing too but that's the norm for me

requests:

imagine being someone who roller skates and dating Percy so going to the skate park for dates + Could I request Leo with a reader who really wants to learn roller skating but is scared to try, since they know they’d be bad at it at first and they’re scared of people judging them for falling/being bad at it? I’m kind of in this situation at the moment 😅 + poly!Lercy aswell, ugh i can't <3 <3 <3 so cuteeee

You shivered and turned into the warm embrace behind you, feeling their chest rumble as they held you. You could hear Leo’s whining still, unfortunately. He was reluctant to come back to the very spot he made a fool of himself in front of his boyfriend. It seemed like he wasn’t aware that his poorly planned scheme actually pushed Percy into your lives, but you were too cold to explain that to him.

Instead, you reveled in the warmth that came from the tall man, his chin resting atop your head as he spoke, “Leo I don’t know why you’re so hung up on that one moment.” He laughed, “there’s plenty to get hung up on!”

Leo cracked a smile at Percy and waddled over in his skates, sandwiching you in a circle of warmth. Leo felt like a fireplace, warming you up after walking home in the snow, and Percy was comforting, like a couch after a long day of work. Oh my gods, did you just compare one of your boyfriends to a couch?

Percy pulled away first, grinning widely and stomping in place, “C’mon! Before the amateurs get here!”

You and Leo separated, Leo giving him a incredulous look, “I’m an amateur, babe. What are you talking about?”

Percy tugged Leo’s hand into his own, gripping it tight, “Sweet, now I have an excuse to hold your hand.”

You scoffed and held Leo’s free hand, bringing both of their attention to you, “You need an excuse to do that, Jackson?”

Leo chuckled, “You guys, there’s more than enough of me to go around”

You smirked when he lost his footing briefly, increasing his grip on your hand to avoid falling. He never got any better at skating.

 - - -

i.

The cold wind nipped at your nose causing you to bury your face in the scarf you had wrapped around your neck. You definitely were not built for this snowy weather, but you were excited to skate and show up Leo’s egotistic ass. Well not entirely egotistical, but he definitely thought he would be better at skating than you despite having never gone skating before.

When the idea was originally brought up to Leo as date night sort of thing, he was a bit too enthusiastic and said you should go to one rink in particular—even though that was much farther than the one you were thinking of going to. Although you were glad, he wanted to go, you were curious as to why he was set on the rink uptown near the Queensboro Bridge.

“I’ve just heard a lot of great things!” He stammered, fiddling with his camp beads, “Very big, very… icy.”

Turns out it wasn’t just because it was very big and very icy, but because Percy Jackson frequented the skate park not far from this rink. Leo had concocted this scheme of throwing himself in the path of Percy to grab his attention and in turn, you as well.

You hated how much you looked forward to how it would turn out. If it went badly, you could laugh at Leo’s hopeless attempts at flirting. If it did work, well…

So, you sat there, freezing your ass off and tying the shoelaces of your skates. You decided to keep your head down and let Leo do all of the pining, it was what he was good at. He was always the one to shoot his shot first and joke about it if he was rejected, he got too ahead of himself when you actually said yes and nearly rejected himself.

Leo hadn’t put his skates on yet and was looking around for his love interest rather obviously. You were just about to reprimand him for paying too much attention to someone who wasn’t his partner when he hurriedly rushed over to you.

“Shit shit shit he’s actually coming, oh my gods I don’t even have my skates on. He’s gonna think I’m stalking him!”

You laughed loudly and watched your boyfriend struggle to tie his shoelaces, “He’s not going to accuse you of stalking him when you’re just tying your skates, dummy.”

You laughed and glanced around the mostly empty rink, seeing couples skating hand in hand and siblings racing each other on the track. You wanted to skate a few laps before the kids got there and to get used to skating again before you had to help Leo. It wouldn’t do him any good if you were getting used to it while he was flailing about.

“I’m gonna make a few laps, okay?”

You didn’t wait for his reply and stepped onto the ice, pushing off and doing your best to remain upright. It would definitely take you a minute to get back into the rhythm of skating but teaching Leo wouldn’t be that difficult. If he’d let you help him, that is. Just as you were turning the corner at the very end of the rink you spotted a tall, dark-haired guy standing in front of Leo holding his hands as he led him forward on the ice.

You really couldn’t leave him for 5 minutes without him getting into trouble.

You hurried over and nearly knocked the pair over much to their surprise. Upon closer look you realized that Percy Jackson was here just as your boyfriend planned and he was more than happy to assist Leo in skating.

Percy looked up at you with a breathtaking smile, “I was wondering where you might’ve been!” His attention went back to Leo who was overplaying how bad he was at skating, “Leo basically fell flat on his face as soon as he stepped on the ice.”

“Did not!”

You hummed and took one of Percy’s hands away from Leo, seeing him flush at the contact, “How about we share Leo? You take one hand and I’ll take the other, so he doesn’t fall on his face again?”

Leo huffed, “I did not fall flat on my face!” He paused and watched as both you and Percy took his hands, interlacing fingers and feeling how cold both hands were against his own warm ones. He couldn’t lie and say that you weren’t smooth about including Percy in on your plans, but he would still take the credit that Percy came over to help him first. So, he saw it as a win on his part.

Percy’s mind was spinning at the interaction though. He was always attracted to both Y/n and Leo, but when they started dating each other, those thoughts never did stop. He wondered if it were possible to date both of them at the same time. Would they be open to that?

He almost missed the mischievous look Leo shot your way and the smile you sent back, the message behind it though clear to the couple were up for interpretation in Percy’s eyes. He made up his mind that today wouldn’t be the last time he went out with these two and he’ll be going out with them more frequently.

ii.

Much to your pleasure, Percy didn’t say his goodbyes after helping your overzealous boyfriend learn how to stay upright. He stayed and talked to you long after Leo mentioned that he needed to sit a down for a bit, accompanying you on your trips around the ice rink. 

You could understand why Leo had a crush on him now, he was too perfect to be real. Of course, you’ve talked to him before, but then it was only in terms of the ongoing war and no real bond had come from that like it had with Leo, though you wish it had now.

He talked animatedly about his little sister, Estelle. He must’ve taken 15 minutes to tell one story completely, but it didn’t matter much to you. You were admiring the twinkle of affection in his sea green eyes and were ashamed to admit that you wondered what it would be like if he looked at you with the same twinkle.

You were so busy looking at him that you didn’t notice a rock on the ice in front of you, although he did. He reached out and grabbed your arm, pulling you to him gently and quickly so you wouldn’t fall over.

“You good?”

You could only nod and give a small smile, your eyes drifting to his lips breifly before coming to your senses. You didn’t want to scare him.

He seemed to notice though and was reluctant to let you go, feeling his face warm up; whether it was from the cold or the interaction he didn’t know for sure.

You cleared your throat and jabbed a thumb over your shoulder at Leo who was doing a horrible job at minding his business, “I’m gonna go check on Lee, he might want some hot chocolate or something to eat soon.”

Percy, finally coming back to his senses stammered out quickly, “I’ll go save us a seat at Astoria’s!” He wasn’t sure if you heard him, but he went anyway, hoping to collect his thoughts if he was away from you for a while.

You fumbled over to Leo who tried to meet you halfway, practically falling into you. His wide grin was infectious and you soon you were doing the same.

“Shit Percy is so cute, dude.”

“See? I told you!”

“My gods you didn’t tell me his eyes sparkled, this is important information Leo.”

“Must have slipped my mind when I was trying secure him as our boyfriend, my dear.”

You took a breath and helped Leo back to the bench so you could both take off your skates and return them. Leo was hungry for Percy content and kept pestering you on the way over, “Well?! What did he say? Was he talking about me? Did he talk about how bewitching my eyes are?”

You scoffed and moved to help him unlace the skates before moving to your own, “Of course he did, who wouldn’t talk about your eyes, babe? He said you had a cute butt too.” 

Leo leaned back on the bench with a quiet gasp, “I knew it.” he mumbled before smiling widely, “But for real, tell me what he said!”

You both stood, intertwining your hands and moving toward Astoria’s. You filled Leo in on the things Percy said, well what you could remember anyway. You were too focused on his eyes to remember every detail.

You were only a few steps from Astoria’s when it finally clicked in Leo’s mind that you weren’t headed home, “Hey wait, why are we going in here--” He made eye contact with Percy who grinned and waved at the pair.

“Why didn’t you say we’re grabbing hot coco with him? I’m not mentally prepared for this.”

“Chill out! Aren’t you supposed to be cool boy supreme or something like that?”

“Right, right.”

The bell on the door chimed as you walked in and headed to the table in the back. Percy looked all too cute bundled up in his blue scarf and puffy jacket, he sat in the middle of the booth so that Leo and yourself would be on either side of him. Which you didn’t mind entirely.

Leo messed with his curls with a small smile, “Hey Perce, I didn’t know you liked hot chocolate.” He blinked at how dumb his own statement sounded but decided to stick with it.

Percy chuckled and leaned forward, resting his head in his palm, “Yeah, yeah I do.”

There was a weird pause and you let out a loud sigh, “Well, sit down already Leo!”

He slid in next to Percy, his eyes looking up at Percy like the tall male just gave him his favorite candy. It was obvious that Leo had already fallen hard for the son of Poseidon and you knew it wouldn’t be long before you followed suit.

After getting some of the best hot chocolate in New York, conversation flowed easily. Leo got to see the sparkle in Percy’s eyes that you were so infatuated with, and you got to see the lopsided smile Leo always seemed to put on his face. It’s a wonder that you all didn’t become close during the war, but with circumstances being what they were, you could understand why it wasn’t a priority to play icebreakers.

“So...” Percy spoke after a short pause.

Both Leo and you leaned in unconsciously to hear what he had to say next, eager to keep talking to this boy for the next 5 hours if he’d let you.

“We should meet again soon?”

You cocked your head in confusion, “Huh? What are you-- are you saying you wanna go out with us again?”

Leo looked toward the flustered boy with interest, “Did you have fun with us today? What was your favorite part-- ow!”

You gave him a look, bringing your foot back to it’s former place. You were pulling for a certain answer and Leo was diverting from him giving it. You’ll apologize for kicking him later; if you remember.

Percy glanced worriedly at Leo but answered you a little nervously, “Yeah like maybe, I don’t know... tomorrow?” After a shocked silence overtook the table he added quickly, “I mean you guys don’t have to and you might already have plans but I have to go soon because my mom made pasta and--”

Leo made a bold move, resting his hand on top of Percy’s and giving a reassuring laugh, “Percy, we’d love to go out with you again tomorrow.”

Percy’s eyes shifted to Leo’s hand and he tried hard to fight the ecstatic grin that wanted to crawl onto his face. He made a quick glance up at Leo’s pretty brown eyes before letting out a happy chuckle, “Cool! We can meet here tomorrow at noon?”

You nodded and shared a victorious look with Percy, “Yeah! Sounds great.”

Another pause, but this one was full of joy from each one of you. Although you could sit in his presence for a few more hours, you remembered that this boy had some pasta to inhale at home.

“Percy, do you need to go? You said your mom was making pasta tonight.”

His eyes widended at your words and looking towards Leo who had moved his hand and scooted out of the booth so he could get out, “Yeah uh, yeah uh I gotta go but--” He slid out and turned to face the table before leaving, “I had an amazing  time guys and I can’t wait to see both of you tomorrow. See ya!”

And he was gone. 

Leo went to say something but you beat him to it, wrapping him in a hug and kissing him firmly on the mouth, “I have never been more grateful for your dorky ass!”

He decided to ignore your remark and relish in this moment for now, both blissfully unaware of the sea green eyes that watched outside the shop. 

Percy had turned back to glance at the couple one last time and saw a scene that made his heart swell up in affection. He grinned and looked away, a silent hope that tomorrow was the start of something new in the back of his mind.

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(a/n: bro i’m deadass about to cry bc i wanna date both of them now)