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renx01 · 8 months ago

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Betrayed

Prompt: Your father is the head of a criminal enterprise, one which has come onto the kingsman’s radar. Galahad has the task to get closer to said head, so he starts dating you. After a lot of apprehension on your side, you finally let your walls be broken down by him. That is until you find out that he’s been using you all along. Pairing: Harry Hart x (GN!)Reader Fandom: Kingsman Tags/Warnings: angst, manipulation, established relationship Word count: 2569

A soft knock on the front-door of your apartment draws you from the book you were reading, pride and prejudice. You had started reading it after your boyfriend, Harry, had recommended it to you. Standing up, you quietly walk to the door and look through the peep-hole. It was him, which was unexpected and unusual, but it excited you nonetheless, as it had been quite a while since you last saw him. He had been away on a business trip to Canada for two weeks and the time difference made calling a challenge, especially with his job requiring to stay up late often. Opening the door, you notice that he’s wearing a new suit. While it still fits his usual colour-scheme with it being a darker grey with a white pinstripe, it has some red detailing around the buttons. The fit of the three-piece-suit was impeccable as always, accentuating him in all the right places. ‘Evening Harry.’ Your voice is cheerful as you greet him, ‘ I wasn’t expecting you to be back yet.’ He smiles softly at you, ‘I was hoping to surprise you.’ Leaning down, he kisses you, after which he pulls you into a hug.

‘I missed you, love.’ You tighten your grip around him. ‘I missed you too.’

Ever since the two of you had started dating three years ago, the two of you saw each-other at least twice a week when he wasn’t on a business-trip. He kisses the top of your head before slowly letting go of the hug. ‘Tea?’ You ask him as you walk towards the kitchen, ‘or would you prefer something stronger?’ It was half past eight on a Friday evening, so having a glass of wine or bourbon together wasn’t out of the ordinary. ‘How about some whiskey?’ He replies following you, his hand on the small of your back. ‘Sounds lovely’ you smile, ‘I should have some in my liquor cabinet.’ While you grab two glasses, he looks at your collection. Since you started seeing him it has grown significantly. He enjoyed teaching you about all the different types of liquor and what effects certain techniques may have if applied to the distilling process. ‘This one?’ He holds up a bottle of Scotch after kneeling down to grab it. It was one of your favourites and he had recently bought you a new one while in Scotland. Nodding, ‘You know me too well dear.’

The two of you sit down in your home library, where you had also been sitting previously. It was your favourite place to be in, as it reminded you of your grandparent’s mansion in Italy, which you had often visited while growing up. You have always been quite the reader, so their library provided many of the books you read as a child. ‘Excuse the mess, I’ve been reading and writing all day.’ You apologise for the clutter in your desk and the many books which lay folded open next to your reading chair, annotations sprawling across their pages. ‘Don’t worry my dear,’ he smiles as he sits down across from you, ‘we both know that this is a normal part of your creative process.’ Once you’ve set down your glasses onto the table that’s standing between the two of you, he fills them with the liquor of his choice. ‘So please, don’t apologise.’ After all this time, you still felt flustered at times. He was always so well-put-together, with his exterior almost always being perfect. It was the exact opposite of how you felt at times, yet he encouraged and supported you, telling you many times that one can never be perfect and that you should be comfortable in whatever clothes you decide to wear. ‘To us.’ He states, clinking his glass to yours. ‘To us.’ You reply before tasting the brown liquid. It was as delicious as you’d remembered it to be.

‘I see you’ve picked up Austen? Is it to your liking?’ After thinking for a moment you reply, ‘I’m enjoying it quite a bit, though I am still uncertain what to think of Darcy.’ ‘Ah yes, Mr. Darcy is quite a complicated man. I suppose depending on the type of relationship one holds with him the experience can be quite different.’ He muses. The two of you spent the rest of the evening talking, reading, and drinking scotch. Only at three in the morning did you realise how much time had passed. Because of this, Harry decided to stay the night at your place. Luckily he always had some spare clothes and his own toiletries at your place. Once he’s gotten changed into his pyjamas, he joins you in the bathroom as you are brushing your teeth. Reaching over your shoulder, he grabs his own toothbrush and starts doing the same. His hair is slightly messy, with some of its waves cascading down his forehead rather than them being pushed back. He had also taken off his glasses, which made him appear slightly younger and less serious, at least to an extent.

‘Enjoying the view?’ Harry jokes as he catches you staring at him through the mirror. ‘Why yes of course,’ you turn to face him, ‘mister Hart.’ He smiles down at you. ‘You don’t look too bad yourself my love.’ Leaning in, he tenderly kisses you, slowly becoming more passionate when you put your hands into his hair, pulling him closer. Pulling away, he puts his forehead to yours. ‘We should take this to the bedroom.’

The next morning you wake up relatively late, around eleven o’clock. Harry lay there with his arm around you, his pyjama shirt still open. Soft snores fill your ear, it was quite cute to see him sleeping so peacefully. He isn’t like this often, and it is quite the exception that you are awake before him, so you decide to enjoy the moment. After a few minutes, you supposed that it’d be best to brew some tea before Harry woke up. So very carefully, you climbed out of his grip and silently walked into the kitchen. Putting the kettle on the stove, you start looking at the different teas you have. ‘English breakfast… Chamomile… Mint…’ Pondering and mumbling, you eventually choose a black tea and put in some fresh lemon slices. As the kettle boils, you are putting some yoghurt, granola, and fresh berries into two bowls. Two arms suddenly wrap themselves around your waist. ‘Morning love.’ Harry’s deep voice greets you before he leans down to kiss you on your cheek. ‘Morning dear.’ You turn and meet his lips. ‘Want to go for a run later?’ You suggest as you put your breakfast and cups of tea onto the dinner table. He shakes his head before taking a sip of his tea. ‘I was rather hoping we could go to a museum, I was thinking of Tate Britain?’ You smile, ‘That sounds lovely.’ ‘We can go out for dinner after,’ a familiar smirk creeps onto his face, ‘I may or may not have pulled some strings and gotten a table at Nobu.’ He was definitely planning something, so you decide to agree without prying much more. It became much more apparent that he was planning something after he had picked out an outfit for you, which very much complimented what he would be wearing. While it was somewhat casual for Harry’s standards, many would believe it to still be quite formal. Black slacks, a perfectly ironed white shirt, a light-grey knitted jumper, and of course, oxfords, not brogues. As it was still somewhat frigid, especially in the evening, he decided to wear a black overcoat.

After a short walk to Tate Britain, the two of you strolled around the museum for hours, admiring the many pieces of art which were being displayed. He would make comments on the techniques which were used to paint certain well-known pieces, his knowledge ranging from historic to modern art. Offering his arm, he eventually leads you to John Everett Millais’ painting Ophelia. It is a beautifully detailed painting, displaying the character as it is described in Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. The two of you had originally found a connection through your love of literature, Shakespeare being one of the first authors which came up in your initial conversations. ‘It is quite beautiful, is it not?’ He whispers in your ear. ‘It is,’ you slowly nod, ‘must’ve been quite the undertaking to add all the details which were mentioned in the Scottish play.’ ‘That, I agree with dearest.’ He chuckles. After walking through the remaining parts of the museum, it is already quite late, so you decide to take a cab to the restaurant Harry had reserved a table at. After ordering a bottle of wine and your food, the two of you enjoy quite a relaxed conversation about his business trip and what you had been up to. The dinner itself was phenomenal, the wine complimenting it, bringing out its flavours and umami. You decided to share dessert before walking back to his place, as it was closer. As you pass through Hyde park, he suddenly halts and points at the stars, which are remarkably visible. Quietly, he describes to you which stars form the different star signs, Orion, Sirius, and more. A couple of minutes pass in silence before you feel him shift next to you. When you turn to face him, he is kneeling. ‘My love,’ he starts, ‘these past three years have been the happiest of my life.’ Pulling out a small box and opening it, he reveals a beautiful ring. ‘Will you do me the honour of spending the rest of your life with me?’ Words escape you. While you had expected him to surprise you in some way, this was outside of the scope you’d expected. Slowly, you nod, some tears escaping your eyes. ‘Yes, Harry. I do.’ ‘My love,’ He stands up, cups your face in both your hands and kisses you passionately, before putting the ring on your finger, ‘please don’t cry.’ As you look in his eyes, he himself seems moved, but something else in his eyes is unreadable to you. The rest of that night was a bit of a blur. Harry told you that he’d gone to your father and asked for your hand in marriage not too long before his latest business trip, who in turn, had agreed. He admitted that he’d been looking at rings for quite a while before that, however, because he is the gentleman he is, he thought it necessary for him to follow tradition. After a couple of weeks, the two of you decide to start living together full-time at Harry’s place, as it’d be easier to see one another on an almost daily basis that way.

Two months after your engagement to Harry, your parents come over for dinner, as it had been a while since you had last seen them. Your mother is over the moon about the engagement and has insisted that you and Harry should marry in Italy, where you had spent most of your summers as a child. If it were up to her, the wedding would already be taking place this very summer, but because of the perfectionist your fiance is, you have decided to plan for spring of the following year. ‘So Harry, how has your work been lately?’ Your father enquires before taking a sip of his red wine. ‘It’s been busy, but I’m happy to have my lovely fiance to support me.’ Harry says as he squeezes your thigh and smiles at you. Your father doesn’t seem too convinced, however, and lets out a snort. ‘I’m sure you have been busy,’ he slowly leans forward and whispers, ‘busy blowing up my men and warehouses, perhaps?’ After sliding a few pictures across the table, he leans back again. It was quite clear that it was Harry, the security cameras your father had installed recently in his warehouses after finding multiple men dead and the building in shambles, had captured a video of him. The second picture was Harry holding a gun and clearly shooting one of your father’s men, Antinio. You had rather liked Antonio growing up and had felt awful after his death. You turn to him after staring at the picture for what felt like an eternity.

‘What’s the meaning of this Harry?’

He swallows. ‘It is none of your concern, love.’ You stand up. ‘Yes it is,’ your voice wavering slightly, ‘Harry Hart, you are going to explain to me what you were doing shooting up my father’s people and business.’ ‘Please sit back down, dear.’ He doesn’t dare look at you. ‘Harry.’ You say sternly and he finally looks at you, the guilt in his eyes quite clear. ‘Please, I can’t, you kno-.’ He almost begs you, but it’s interrupted by the sound of a gun being loaded. You turn and look at your father pointing it at your fiance. ‘I expect you to be honest now Harry, or should I say agent Galahad?’ Harry sits deadly still, all the emotion he had shown you completely wiped off his face. Slowly, he stands up, his hands slightly up and clearly visible for your father to see. ‘You have flown too close to the sun agent; and you’re going to pay for deceiving my child.’ Your father’s voice rising to an almost screaming level. ‘Father please! Don’t hurt him!’ You scream back. ‘Can’t you see that he has used you?! The only reason he ever got together with you is to get to me! Isn’t that right?!’ You turn to Harry. ‘Tell me it isn’t true Harry.’ He doesn’t answer. ‘TELL ME!’ Tears stream down your face as he looks at you without a hit of emotion. ‘We can discuss this later, dear.’ He states before turning back to your father, whose gun was clearly shaking as a result of his anger. ‘No, you’re going to be honest, Hart, if that’s even your name.’ He motions Harry to walk around the table and stand in opposite of him, your mother shifting to stand next to your father. Your fiance didn’t seem to be phased by the situation in the slightest while your father looks like he is about to pull the trigger. Before he can, though, Harry suddenly and swiftly kicks the gun out of his hands, with it flying across the room. Pulling out his own gun, he doesn’t hesitate to shoot your father through the head. ‘DAD! NO!!’ Before you are able to move, he does the same to your mother, who had been relatively quiet throughout the argument. ‘Mo-mo-MOM?!’ You run and fall to the ground, trying to do anything to help them. Blood covers your hands and feet as tears continue to stream down your face. ‘Ha-.’ Swallowing, you try again. ‘Ha-Harry, wh-why…’ Your hands are shaking violently as you search for anything to grab onto. ‘Wa-was it- was it all fake?’ Grabbing your father’s gun you point it at him. He doesn’t look at you. ‘HARRY, LOOK AT ME!’ He turns, taking off his glasses and putting them onto the dinner table, the once white tablecloth now splattered with blood; tainted. Crouching down, he grabs your face and kisses you before pulling you into a hug, the gun you’re holding hitting his chest. ‘You may shoot now, my love.’ Is all he whispers into your ear.

~~~~~~

Part 2

#harry hart x reader #kingsman x reader #kingsman reader insert #harry hart imagine #harry hart reader insert #harry hart #fanfiction #fanfic #writing #angst #like a lot of it #established relationship #manipulation #open ending #ao3 writer #kingsman imagine #kingsman #small blog

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blackbird-brewster · 1 year ago

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CM Fanfiction on AO3

I'm a bit of a stats nerd, and I've been wanting to put this together for ages. The following are some statistics regarding Criminal Minds fanfiction of AO3. Do with this what you will, but if ever someone tries to tell me this fandom isn't misogynistic -- I will just point to this post.

I spent an abhorrent amount of time putting this together, hope it's interesting to other people. Please don't send me hate mail for my opinions.

Base Statistics

Total Fics Tagged Criminal Minds: 34,561

These stats were compiled by me on 20/06/23 via AO3's filtering system.

Note: These were taken at face value, meaning these numbers may not be exact. In order to get exact statistics, I'd have to stringently filter out things like mislabelled fics, spam, fics with multiple categories (to find pure slash, femslash fics), etc.

Tumblr will destroy the resolution of the graphs, just click to see full res :)

Fanfic statistics gathered from AO3, episode totals gathered from IMDB.

CM Fanfiction by Category

Most Popular Tag: Fluff (21.7%)

Fics Counted in This Statistic: *indeterminate due to crossover (multiple tags per each fic)

I honestly expected angst/whump/hurt/comfort to be first on this. I guess if you add up all the variations of those type of fics, they'd be top tag.

Obviously this one isn't ever going to be perfect, because tons of people either don't tag their fics, or they don't use the prescribed tags above. Still, I thought this was worth adding to the post.

For more stats please see my, [Tara Lewis Fic Stats Post]

#criminal minds #spencer reid #aaron hotchner #derek morgan #emily prenitss #jennifer jareau #penelope garcia #luke alvez #tara lewis #criminal minds fandom #criminal minds fanfiction #cm fanfiction #cm reference #master post #ao3 stats #cm commentary #cm meta

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mistressoftheelderitchwhorehouse · 2 years ago

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Should Have Said Yes

A/N: Brought to you by listening to the Nicotine Dolls.

TW: Clit pinching, voyeurism, toxic relationship

Fandom: Bungo Stray Dogs

Pairing: Unrequited! Ranpo x Reader, Dazai x Reader

Reader Type: Black coded, AFAB, Plus sized

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Ranpo was an arrogant man. He was well aware about this fact about himself. Most people would call him foolish, and expect him to fix his behavior. But at 26 he saw no reason to, as he almost always gathered the exact results he wanted.

Success and praise were the two things that Ranpo lived for. Money was fine, and snacks were amazing, but nothing quite made his brain radiate absolute joy the way that praise did.

Your praise in particular always made him feel euphoric. He took your honeyed words to heart, and hoarded them away where he could always reflect on them whenever he wished.

Then came some day in summer. It'd been one of those days where he swore everything that could go wrong did go wrong. He was sweating in his clothes, hungry, and all he wanted to do was get the fuck out of the office.

"Ranpo!" He looked up sharply from his bag as you walked up. You had sweat trickling down your temple, but you looked pretty relaxed either way. "Did you wanna go get drinks tonight?"

He stared at you for a moment. Your curls were in a bun and tucked with a sunflower. You had donned on some makeup, and your bottom lip was bruised. You had also changed from your usual attire to a sundress that honestly worked perfectly with your chubby figure.

"Don't you have a date?"

"Huh?"

He gestured to your person. "Probably at that place by the flower shop. You only get your flowers from there."

You touched the flower gently, the yellow contrasting with your dark skin. He rid his best not to stare too hard when you grinned at him. "Right as always, Ranpo. So is that a yes?"

"No." He tossed his bag over his shoulder. "I plan on going to sleep after this. Besides, I don’t like being the third wheel on a date."

"Well it's-"

"Besides, whoever you're going with seems to make you nervous. I don't want to be there for that sort of awkwardness."

He knew he was wrong the moment the words left his mouth. Your lips had pursed and eyebrows furrowed, but taking it back or finding something softer to say didn't matter. What's done was done. He went home, took his shower, and thoughts of what could have been danced in his head.

The next morning he saw you again. Your clothes were disheveled, actually they were the same from the day before. You had just tossed a shawl over your top, and plucked the flower out of your hair.

Your date must have went well.

He pushed any jealous feelings to the side and continued with his own work. However, being a genius detective, it hardly took much to realize you would giggle when Dazai would whisper something to you, or insisted on touching your hips or hands.

It didn't stop after that day either. The next day, a week, amd a month later their behavior continued. With their behavior came the onslaught of bitterness deep in his gut.

He never knew Dazai to actually stay in a relationship. He knew him to be the type to fuck anything with a pulse, and Ranpo honestly wouldn't put it past him to set even that requirement aside if push came to shove.

However, any and all suspicions were confirmed when Ranpo needed ink for the printer during the height of the summer. He went to the utility closet, his clothes sticking to him and the papers in his arms making it worse.

"Stupid printer. Why does it always run out when I need it-"

"Fuck! Just like that-Ah!"

He stopped his grumbling then.

That was your voice.

In fact, he could still hear your breathy moans despite something muffling them. He peered into the closet as the door was ajar, and found you laid out on an old table. Your skirt was pushed up and over your hips, and Dazai knelt between your legs, his face buried at your core. You had what was likely your panties in your mouth.

"I wouldn't have to gag you if you could keep quiet, Belladonna." Dazai said as he pulled back. "That or if we stopped meeting like this. Not that I mind. Making pretty girls like you cum is my favorite hobby, afterall. And to think you kept saying no to this."

He pinched your clit with two fingers, while he plunged three fingers of his other hand into your cunt. You shrieked around the panties, your thighs trembling. Dazai didn't let up the pressure, and made deep strokes in and out of your pussy until you stopped thrashing.

When you were finally spent and you laid there with your chest heaving, Dazai got to his feet. He unbundled his pants and pulled out his cock.

"My turn."

Ranpo grit his teeth and backed away from the door. The reality of his own actions began swirling in his mind, and the bitterness from before doubled down.

He was the world's greatest detective, and the world's greatest idiot.

#ranpo x y/n #ranpo edogawa #dazai x y/n #dazai x fem reader #dazai x reader #ranpo x reader #osamu dazai bsd #bungo stray dogs #bungo stray dogs x reader #black reader #fem reader #bungou stray dogs #ranpo x you

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maple-the-awesome · 2 years ago

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We'll Meet Again...I Know When || Chapter 14

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x GN Reader

Words: 2,100

Overview: Given your old-fashioned personality and obsession with all things 1940s to 1980s, it’s no wonder that most people refer to you as an ‘old soul’ who would’ve rather lived back then than in the modern era. Little do they know, you already did, but with your previous life as Hollie Stark cut short, you’ve been left with some…unfinished business, to say the least. Top of your list? Finally getting to marry your thought-to-be-lost fiancé.

Series Masterlist 🤎 Marvel Masterlist 🤎 Fandom Masterlist

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: RED ALERT

"Bucky hasn't had any incidents since DC! The Winter Soldier only came out with HYDRA’s influence. He's a different person now - he's his own person now!"

You're running - well, it's more of a quick jog to avoid crashing into anyone. You can barely see anything, the long hallways only being luminated in dull emergency lights and those annoying flashing red alarms. Even if you could see perfectly, you'd still be having a horrible time keeping up with Steve anyways.

"I got that already, but it doesn't change the fact that something's wrong right now whether it involves the Winter Soldier or not! I'm going to find out what!" Only then does he stop, halting in place to face you for the first time since you've both left that interrogation room," you need to stay here. It might be-"

"-Like Hell I'm staying here! Bucky's in trouble!" While Steve may have stopped, you continue right past him, picking up your pace.

He doesn't appreciate your stubbornness any day let alone in this particular moment where order is needed most, yet there's no time for him to start another argument. Instead, he chases after you down a path weaved around all the panic-stricken agents.

If thinking clearly, you'd realize that you have no idea where Bucky actually is in this gigantic building and neither does Steve; as criminals who helped a felon try escaping, you couldn't be trusted with his location.

"Sharon said he's at sub-level five, East Wing!" As your savior, Sam suddenly joins your duo with the exact information needed. Thankfully, you had already been going in the right direction.

Not wasting time with an elevator even if it could run on backup power, you utilize a steep staircase until reaching the sub-level floor in question. It’s there that you hesitate, stopping slightly in the entryway as you gaze over the hopefully unconscious bodies of guards littered across the ground.

Deep down, you’re beginning to worry. You trust Bucky and you trust that he’d be smarter than to hurt all these people trying to escape a highly secured facility, but could this really be the work of the Winter Soldier? You were truthful when you said he hasn’t had any incidents since DC, so why all of the sudden?

What you do know for certain is that something else is at hand here. The UN meeting, now this…It means Bucky’s in danger. That thought alone is enough to push you forward, although you’re stopped by Steve’s heavy hand upon your shoulder.

He leads you behind himself, taking the lead through the dark room where he quietly and slowly creeps around the fallen guards. Sam and you follow, staying alert for anyone who might still be awake enough to say what has happened. They might even be able to tell you where Bucky went and if he’s alone. You hope that’s the case - that someone else attacked these people and that he, himself, had managed to get away from the danger in time.

Fortunately, there's one person still conscious. A man calls out from where he lays limply across the floor at the end of the room, but contrary to your expectations, Steve, who is the first to make it to the man's side, doesn't provide him any aid.

Steve grabs the man by his coat, using it to effortlessly lift him up against the nearest wall, demanding sternly, "who are you? What do you want?"

You might've been more concerned if not for how stone-faced the man remained during this interaction. He shows no surprise towards Steve’s actions which tells you all you need to know. Perhaps he's a known enemy to Cap or maybe your friend just has good intuition, whatever the case, you don't get a chance to hear the man's reply.

You barely see it - honestly, you wouldn't have seen it if not for Sam grabbing your shirt collar, suddenly yanking you back with a shout just in time for a fist to fly mere centimeters in front of your face. Your grasp is echoed out by the terrible sound this fist makes when crashing into the stone wall, although you'd rather it be that than the original target it was aiming for.

Bucky isn't himself. You would've been able to realize it even if he hadn't tried to punch off your head just now. His stance is tense and the same goes for his muscles as he steps back towards you with curled fists. Given the lack of light, it's difficult to see his face too well, however when the alarms flash red again, you manage to catch a glimpse of his darkened and empty eyes. It's a look you haven't seen on him since DC...At the moment, he’s not Bucky, but the Winter Soldier; you can no longer deny it.

Sam steps out around you, throwing a punch towards the super soldier who easily deflects it before delivering one to Sam's stomach. This knocks the air from his lungs, delaying any possible reactions he could’ve given when the Winter Soldier grabs him by the face and throws him into the cage at the center of the room, one you assume Bucky was once being held in.

With Sam presumably knocked out, you attempt your own attack, ducking to miss the soldier's fist and successfully landing a hit to his ribs - then again, 'successfully' may be a strong word seeing that he doesn't even flinch at the feeling while you, meanwhile, grimace at your sore knuckles. You might as well have hit that stone wall behind you.

You barely dodge another hit from the soldier before Steve jumps in, having much more luck in punching the aggressor across the face. You're thankful for the switch which gives you time to run into the other room where the unconscious guards are. There, you search for a discarded weapon - anything you can possibly use to help Steve. You're blessed to locate a taser. While you have no idea if it'll truly do damage against an enraged super soldier, it'll be better than using your bare fists.

Steve receives many kicks and punches, attempting to return each one, however he's caught off guard when the soldier grabs his leg midair. Tugging him harshly, the Winter Soldier slams Steve into a desk, the computer and other items on top tumbling to the ground when it snaps in half under the weight.

Steve groans, yet he's unable to react in time for a punch to be thrown into his face. Then another, then another - till his nose is crooked, leaking blood, and eyes are heavy, mind dizzy.

The soldier raises his fist again, prepared to land another blow, but this one doesn’t come after you set the probes of the taser into his neck. You were correct in your guess that it does more than your fists had: the Winter Soldier jerks and lets out a pained shout, ultimately losing focus on Steve.

Although it hurts you to know that this is Bucky you're attacking, you don't let off the trigger, hoping the electroshocks will be enough to at least knock him off his feet. To your dismay, your luck finally runs out when he overcomes the electrocution he's receiving, allowing him to freely turn on his heel and wrap his metal hand around your throat.

You let out a gasp, dropping the taser instinctively to hold the soldier's wrist. There's no use in trying to pry his grip away nor can your toes reach the ground no matter how much you attempt to stretch them. In other words, you're completely defenseless as the soldier lifts you off the ground, showing no strain regarding the task.

"B-Bucky, it's me! I'm your friend!" You cry out desperately to no avail.

Instead, the soldier refuses to let go, walking a few steps with you hovering the air. The dim lights above suddenly become blinding and your breaths shallow as you struggle against him. You try kicking him away, you try digging your nails into the metal of his arm, but nothing works, in fact, your attempts seem to do the opposite of helping you. It seems that the more you fight him, the tighter those fingers snake around your windpipe until your vision is blurry and eyes red.

You're quite literally gasping for air, your plea hoarse and weak like a whisper despite your attempt at yelling it, "...It's H-Hollie...!"

You're not even sure if these tears are of sorrow or plain pain as your life is being suffocated within your throat. What is it that you're afraid of again? Dying? Well, that’s quite funny, isn’t it? As a teenager who realized reincarnation is a real thing, death became such a dull thought to you at least with the assumption that you’d just keep remembering everything. Around and around again until there’s simply too many lifetimes to recall…You had been angry with that thought, honestly. What’s the point of living a life that’s no longer special? No longer unique?

You like your life where it is. Alright, so it isn’t perfect. Steve hates you right now, it would be weird if you told Tony how proud you are of him, and your own fiancé doesn’t recognize you, but you were still happy because at least everyone’s here! You don’t want to die and be stuck remembering friends who aren’t around anymore…you can’t survive that again.

What kind of terrible fate is that anyways, universe?! To find a place you enjoy, surrounded by those you love deeply, only to be torn away from it all the second you get too comfortable? You don’t want this to be the end yet! You want to actually get to enjoy this life you’ve worked so hard to build up and you especially don’t want it to end by Bucky’s hand…again! Now, that would just be overly harsh to both of you!

The ground feels like nothing when you hit it regardless of the drop, but at least you were aware enough to cushion your head with your arm before collapsing upon the cement. Coughing and wheezing for air, you can't bear to move nor can you see very far.

With your mind so dizzy, you can only barely process the blurry scene ahead. You know Steve had been the one to leap at the Winter Soldier, knocking him off his feet which caused him to finally let you go before choking you further or deciding to snap your neck. The fight between the two then moves towards the hallway, leading back against the elevator door which the soldier punches through, ultimately pushing Steve in.

You want to worry for your friend. You want to call out his name and rush to the elevator to ensure he survived the fall which certainly would've killed a normal human...but you're too lightheaded to react.

Between pictures of darkness as you slip in and out of consciousness, you notice the Winter Soldier turn away from the elevator, his eyes setting upon the room where you are and, given the distance, it almost appears like he's staring right at you. Perhaps he knows you're not dead. Maybe he's taking a few steps forward to come finish the job. Even if you could get up and run, there'd be no use. You could never outrun a super soldier.

'Please...Please don't do this to him,' you pray to yourself, watching those few steps he takes hopelessly. You don’t want to die, however you really don’t want it to be him who kills you. You don't want your blood on his hands nor do you want to imagine the absolute torture it'll put him through to realize he killed his dear friend. God forbid he ever finds out you're Hollie either. To discover he killed you in two life times...there'd be no recovery from such guilt.

Then the soldier turns, walking in the opposite direction down the hall which leaves you alone in the darkness. If you weren't so tired, you would've laid here waiting for his return, but alas, you slowly succumb to the darkness, closing your eyes for what you internally plan to only be a second of quick rest, although in reality, it happens to be a bit longer than that.

A minute - actually three you'd guess. Something along those lines when you awake to the sound of Sam's rushed voice and the feeling of him shaking your shoulder desperately. When you blink open your eyes again, the first thing you see is his relief, his sigh further expressing such. Then, he's gently helping you to stand, allowing you to use his body for support.

"...Come on. We gotta go."

NEXT CHAPTER ➡️

⬅️PREVIOUS CHAPTER

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sjmkinkmeme · 3 years ago

Text

We have our first completed prompt!

Fandom: ACOTAR

Characters: Nesta, Gwyn, Emerie, Cassian

Pairings: N/A

Prompt: the Valkyries run into one another at the Antiques Road Show

Setting: somewhat modern AU | fluff

Filled by: anonymous

---

Nesta spied the competition with the eye of a hunter seeking out prey. The elderly, children, or strapping young men and women the prime of their lives, it didn’t matter. She would take every last one of them down and make it on tv if she had to break a few hips to do it.

In her arms Nesta clasped a parcel wrapped in cloth. She’d fallen asleep the night before imagining the look of surprise, amazement, and reverence when the antiques dealer first looked at the book she had brought to Antiques Road Show. She had spent enough time in the libraries of Prythian, in the Night Court and then in her visits to the Day Court, that she figured she had the good sense to tell trash from treasure. Especially where books were involved.

Nesta had slipped out of bed, leaving a snoring Cassian behind, before the sun had risen. She had managed to put Emerie and Gwyn off the day before, claiming a headache that would, unfortunately, make her unable to attend brunch.

She smiled as she pictured the shock on their faces when confronted with their fellow Valkyrie on television, on Antiques Road Show, the newly-minted millionaire smiling in smug contentment with her priceless find. It would be all over social media. She couldn’t wait. Finally, she would have something to lord over them, as they teased her about being Carynthians while she was merely Orestian.

Nesta would show them all.

As she found her place in line with the antiquarian who had the proper expertise, Nesta glanced around again. If she could just blend in with the crowd, get in, and get out, she could be back for lunch and no one would suspect a thing.

A familiar laugh sounded behind her, shattering that illusion.

Slowly, Nesta turned. “Gwyn?”

“Nesta,” Gwyn returned. “How’s that headache?” Gwyn’s hair was piled haphazardly on the top of her head, her robes slightly askew as if she had slept in them.

“Better,” Nesta said shortly. “What are you doing here?”

“I told Emerie I couldn’t make it either. I think she was just glad to be able to sleep in.”

The women were uncharacteristically silent for a moment, wanting desperately to inspect what each carried, but wanting just as desperately to avoid seeming interested, lest they seem threatened.

Finally, Gwyn jutted her chin out towards the package that Nesta held. “What do you have?”

“A book.” Nesta held it tighter to her chest. “What about you?”

“A book,” Gwyn echoed.

Silence took its place between them again. Around them, the happy sounds of people who would soon find out that their grandmother’s jewelry was paste and not jewels, and people with furniture that had been treated poorly, but was in no way antique. Nesta smiled at the thought of some poor fool who had bought a Picasso charger plate for $500, only to find out it had been mass-produced as a replica and was only worth $5.

“So,” Gwyn said, then cleared her throat. “What are you hoping for?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Nesta said, not willing to show her hand. “Enough to get on the show, at least. Maybe something to set aside for travel. A vacation home for Cassian and me.”

Gwyn nodded knowingly. “I wish you the best of luck.”

Nesta raised an eyebrow. “And you aren’t going to tell me what you think you have?”

Gwyn shrugged. “We won’t know until I get up there.” She paused, then broke out into a grin. “Hi, Cassian.”

Nesta whirled around for the second time that morning. “Cassian?”

“Nes,” he said, leaning forward and brushing a kiss on her cheek. “I didn’t expect to see you here this morning.”

“You were asleep when I left. It’s the weekend. What are you doing here?” The element of surprise that Nesta had counted on was quickly evaporating, but it figured that her mate and best friend had shown up at the exact same place she had on a Saturday morning, despite her best efforts at being stealthy.

“You were supposed to be at brunch,” Cassian countered. “Besides, I love this show. I thought I’d give it the old college try.”

“And what did you bring, Cassian?” Gwyn asked from over Nesta’s shoulder.

Cassian greeted Gwyn with a nod and held up his find. A pink porcelain pig with an iridescent glaze and a curly tail, it sat back on its haunches as it smiled proudly.

“Cassian, dearest,” Nesta said, “That is a piece of junk. A cute piece of junk, but it can’t be worth anything. Where did you even find it?”

Cassian clutched the porcelain pig to his chest. “Priscilla will hear you. Pigs are highly intelligent creatures. And I won’t reveal my sources. What did you bring, anyway?”

Nesta sighed and handed him her package.

Cassian stashed Priscilla under his arm as he unwrapped Nesta’s find. The soft, worn leather book looked like thousands of others that Nesta had seen, though she was certain there was more to it. She was counting on it, and had already thought about the words they would use to describe her when it was revealed. Astute. Discerning. Tasteful.

“The Anals, Trials, and Tribulations of Sir Leopold von Unruh,” Cassian read from the spine of the book Nesta had brought.

“It’s ‘Annals’,” Nesta corrected, snatching the book back. “And I’ll try to remember to write all of you from my mansion, once I’ve sold it.”

The line moved forward. The trio remained silent, unsure of whether they spoke with friend or foe in that moment.

When it was finally Nesta’s turn, she walked up to the display, throwing a quick “Good luck” to Cassian and Gwyn.

When they met back up a half hour later, they all wore sour expressions.

“So?” Gwyn held her book at her side, no longer treating it like a precious object. Nesta had unceremoniously thrown von Unruh’s tome into her purse.

“He was a charlatan and a schemer and nothing he wrote was worth the paper it was printed on,” Nesta spat out, repeating the antiques dealer’s evaluation. “And on top of that, there are thousands of copies in the world that no one wants. It was a waste of time.”

Gwyn began snickering.

“And yours was worth how much, Gwyn?”

Gwyn stopped laughing. “Nothing.”

The women turned to Cassian.

“What about you, Cassian?” Gwyn asked.

“Does it really matter? She means something to me.” He still held the pig in the palm of his hand.

“Ladies, Cassian,” a fourth voice said. “Fancy meeting you here. Must not have gone quite as you expected, looks like?” Emerie joined the circle, head cocked and slight smile on her face.

“Emerie, we were just-“ Gwyn began to explain, but Emerie held up a hand.

“I’m not an idiot. The only time Nesta gets a headache is if she’s up to something,” Emerie said. “And you were too eager to beg off after she did. Did you think I didn’t notice that Antiques Road Show was going to be in Velaris? Did you think that if you just didn’t mention it, I would never know? It’s a clever way to eliminate the competition, I suppose. If the competition is a complete idiot.”

“What did you bring?” Nesta asked, hoping that least they could have company in their disappointment.

“A tapestry.”

“Tapestry,” Gwyn echoed.

“And how much was it worth?” Cassian looked between the women as if watching a ball lobbed back in forth, waiting for it to strike home.

“More than you make in a year, Cassian,” Emerie answered. “In fact, more than you all make in a year, combined.”

“A tapestry,” Nesta said, trying to understand how she could have been so foolish, so pedestrian, so common as to have brought a book.

Emerie smirked. “What can I say, ladies? It pays to have taste.”

#acotar #acotar fanfiction #nesta archeron #cassian #gwyn berdara #emerie #completed request #fluff #modern AU #anonymous writer

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fandom-imagines · 4 years ago

Text

New Start

Fandom: Stardew Valley

Pairing: Shane X Reader; slight Sebastian X Reader

Words: 5.1k (I love him)

Warnings: None other than non-proofread writing I don't think, let me know if there are any that need tagging ^^

Note: There could be a part two if anyone would like x)

“Pelican Town,” the name fell involuntarily from Y/N’s lips as she hopped from the bus that had dropped her at her new home. “Guess we’re here, Luna.”

The midnight black cat rubbed itself against her owners’ leg, hopping onto the ground beside the suitcase that had landed mere moments before. A purr escaped the felines’ lips at the feeling off Y/N’s fingers gently caressing her fur, back arching in pleasure.

The cold air blew through the girl’s body as she stepped from the bus with once final ‘thank you’ aimed towards the driver. A shiver ran through her, arms wrapping around themselves to keep a grip on the little warmth she had left. Luna, who was now pressed tightly against Y/N’s leg, seemed to feel the same as her.

“Come here,” she smiled, kneeling with an open arm to allow the cat to hop into, soon surrounded with the warmth of the jacket Y/N had luckily worn for her journey. “Good girl.”

The sound of a young girl’s laughter sounded throughout the street, blending into her eyes along with the roaring engine of the, now departing, bus. A small grin crawled onto the Y/H/C-haired womans lips as she spotted a young, dark-haired girl holding hands with a man who seemed just as happy as she sounded.

“Shane, who’s that?” The young girls’ eyes were now fixated on the newest arrival to Pelican Town, legs shuffling themselves to move behind Shane’s body.

“Not sure, Jas.” The man’s own attention was now on Y/N, unsure as to what to say to her, if anything.

“She has a kitty!” Jas, or at least who Y/N assumed to be Jas, pointed towards Luna whose head had popped out from the jacket once the chatter had begun.

“She’s called Luna,” Y/N smiled brightly as she, once again, pet Luna. “You can pet her if you’d like!”

Jas seemed to ponder this for a moment, small fingers playing with the strands of her hair, “can I, Shane?”

“Sure, Jas. Just stay close, okay?”

The kitty owner smiled at their interaction, kneeling down to the ground so that the girl could have easier access to the kitten when she came over.

“Wow, she’s soft. Shane, feel!” Whilst her words were mostly directed towards the taller man, Y/N still felt slightly flattered at the compliment.

Shane, who was sporting his usual blue jacket, kneeled beside Jas, cautiously petting the cat with such care that it seemed like he feared he would break her.

The three of them remained on the ground for a few moments, Jas still as excited as before at the kitten, until an elderly man’s voice caught their attention.

“You must be Y/N,” he grinned. “I’m Lewis, mayor of this town. I see you’ve met Shane and Jas already.”

“I have, it’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Y/N returned his friendly smile, shaking his outstretched hand with pleasure.

“Likewise. I suppose I should get you to your new house, hey?” Lewis chuckled, brown cap falling down his head slightly as he did so.

“I’d appreciate that,”

“Come on, Jas. We should let Lewis show this girl to her new house.” Shane gave Jas a small, almost unnoticeable, smile as they climbed back onto their feet. “Thank you,”

“They were nice,” Y/N commented as the two people from before left.

“They are. That’s Jas and Shane,” Lewis began speaking whilst leading Y/N towards her new home. “Jas is his goddaughter, very shy but talks a lot once she’s out of her shell. And Shane, well there’s more to him than meets the eye, but I’m sure you’ll figure that one out.”

The two of them walked in a comfortable chatter, occasionally being stopped by the townsfolk to either greet the new villager, or to say hi to Lewis who then introduced Y/N to them anyway. Everyone she had spoken to had seemed extremely kind, not having a single rude thing to say to either of them, some aweing at Luna who was now hidden inside the jacket, fast asleep from the long journey.

“Here we are!”

The house in front of her was small, but it was cute and big enough for herself and Luna. She knew that it only had a single bedroom, something that was to be expected considering her situation. The place seemed as though it had been deep cleaned recently, which was likely.

“It’s pretty, I like it.”

Lewis let out a soft hum, handing her the keys to her new place, “I’m glad! I’ll leave you to get settled in! You should try and meet some people tomorrow, everyone here is friendly; I’m sure you’ll get along well with them all.”

“Thank you, Lewis,”

“Anytime!”

The house was cosier than she had expected.

The fireplace was already lit, filling the entire place with warmth during the cold weather. In front of the fireplace stood a couch, placed just on top of a blush rug which Luna gladly hopped onto, curling up into a ball, enjoying the fires heat.

“Get some sleep, Luna.”

The kitchen was neatly laid out. Everything was pressed together whilst still maintaining the comfortable feeling of the house. It was clear that this place was cheap. She couldn’t complain, it was perfect for her; away from her old life, tiny yet comfortable, everything about this place screamed ‘perfect’.

The bedroom was larger than expected, a double bed seated in the middle of the room with a cabinet placed at the end of the frame. Other than that, the place was ready for her to make it her own.

Ditching her suitcase on top of the duvet, Y/N grabbed her shower supplies along with some night clothes and headed towards her new bathroom.

“Here’s to a new life,”

Early the following morning Y/N rose to the sounds of birds chirping.

Luna was laid asleep beside her, snuggling into the duvet alongside her owner who was doing the exact same. The unexpected noise didn’t startle her, it simply confused her. Having forgot where she was, Y/N was incredibly confused as to why birds were singing in a dull city.

“Wait,” her voice croaked. “We’re in Pelican Town.”

The sound of her owners’ voice seemed to wake Luna from her own slumber, tongue sticking out to lick the human before cuddling into her warmth, the duvet seemingly not as comfortable as her favourite person.

A silent giggle left Y/N’s lips at the kitten’s actions, hands raising from the cover to stroke the dark fur which Luna seemed to enjoy judging by the soft exhale that she let out, something that simply made Y/N continue her actions.

“Morning you little rascal,”

The two lay in bed for a few more moments, the clock soon hitting 7:00 which was when Y/N decided she should, most likely, get ready for the day having planned to go around town and meet some of the others that live here.

As though she sensed the sudden idea to get out of bed, Luna snuggled further into Y/N as silent plea not to leave just yet; to stay and enjoy the warmth and comfort of the creaky oak bed.

“I know you want me to stay, but I need to meet people,” a soft sigh escaped her lips as she spoke. “I promise I’ll bring back some treats, okay?”

The mention of treats alongside a promise seemed to be all the motivation that Luna needed to get up. Her small frame raised itself up from the warm sheets, dropping herself onto the floor with a soft thud, something that earned a giggle from the human.

“Come on, let me get ready then you can have some treats.”

“Be good for me, okay Luna?” Were her final words as Y/N left her new home, locking the door behind her.

The ground was layered with autumn-coloured leaves, the sound of them crunching beneath people’s feet being oddly satisfying to those hearing it. The wind blew threw Y/N’s Y/H/C locks, tossing them into her face which caused an annoyed from to coat her lips as she tugged the strands away, back to their original place.

In the distance, a large building could be seen with a sign that simply read ‘Pierres’ above it. Deciding to head there first in search of treats, Y/N took off with a newfound spring in her step. It wasn’t everyday you get to have a new start in a new town now, is it? A chance to be who she wants to be, without anyone saying otherwise; it was perfect.

“Welcome, you must be new here!” A polite man with glasses greeted from behind the counter. “I’m Pierre, owner of the shop. This is my daughter, Abigail,”

“Hey,”

“Please feel free to have a look for anything you need.” Pierre finished once Abigail had also greeted the newcomer, pointing around at various displays and their signs.

“Thank you,” Y/N gave them both a polite smile, immediately heading towards the pet aisle.

“What’re you looking for?” A soft voice startled her, pulling her away from her search for treats. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m Abigail,” The purple-haired girl, now known as Abigail, introduced herself.

“I’m Y/N. I’m just looking for treats for my cat, Luna, I promised I’d bring her some back.” A blush crawled onto her cheeks, embarrassed at admitting how she talks to her cat as though she was a human, despite knowing many do it.

“I’m sure she’s sweet. The treats are just down here!” Abigail said with a smile, the two of them walking down towards the end of the aisle, determined to find Luna some treats. “I always wanted a cat, my dad would never let us though. Shame really.”

“Cats are great, they can be a pain sometimes though,”

“I’m sure they can.”

It wasn’t long until they finally found what they were searching for, Y/N quickly choosing a pack of treats she was sure Luna would like judging by the flavour; all the items in the store being homemade meant she couldn’t get anything that she would usually buy, not that she was complaining,

“If you ever want to come hang out, I’m usually around here somewhere,” with one final smile, Abigail was heading back to her previous place when Y/N had first entered the store.

After paying for her items, Y/N left with one final waves to Abigail.

One long walk later, Y/N somehow found herself seated inside the local saloon with her new friend Abigail who had looked for her, inviting her for a drink with herself and a few other of her friends which they were currently waiting for.

“So, Y/N/N,” the use of the nickname made the named blush. “What made you move to a town like this?”

The question made her freeze, drink still raised slightly to her lips; she was certain that the shock was evident on her face.

Having not had time to come up with a perfectly constructed lie, Y/N simply said the first thing to come to mind, “new start I guess.”

“Makes sense. A nice quiet place where nobody knows you, I wish I were able to do that,”

An internal sigh of relief formed inside Y/N’s mind, relieved to have gotten away with such a short and simple answer; it was something she wasn’t used to. In fact, being able to get away with anything was a miracle in itself.

“I’m sure you’ll be able to someday,”

“I have some good friend, but sometimes I want something new, you know?”

Y/N gave a simple nod, completely understanding what she meant.

The saloons comforting warmth floated throughout the room, the background noise being ignored as the two continued to chatter about anything and everything, Y/N blissfully unaware of the gaze of another drinker fixated on her and her friends.

A banging head was what Y/N awoke to the following morning, only made worse by the ringing of her alarm clock which she switched off, a disgruntled groan leaving her lips and she did so. The noise simply made the pain in her head worse, a sigh sounding from her once she realised this. The sun shining through the open window also added to the pain.

Luna meowed from beside her, placing her paw on her owner’s face in an attempt of waking her.

“Sorry,” she apologised to the cat. “Want feeding?”

Feet padding across the cold wooden floor, Y/N headed towards the kitchen, both to take some painkillers and to feed Luna.

A smile crawled across her face as Luna sat at her feet, desperate for her food. Chuckling once Luna darted for the food, Y/N decided to finally get some painkillers to ease the banging pain in her head.

The wooden cabinet stood high in the air, too high for the girl to reach.

“Are you kidding me?” She sighed, attempting to jump to the height of the shelf. “I just want some painkillers,”

It took a few minutes for her to finally give up, a sound of defeat echoing throughout the room. Unfortunately, there was only one chair currently and it was plastic, no way anybody could stand on it without it breaking in two. So there was only one option: give up and suffer, at least until she was able to get some.

“Maybe Pierre’s sells some,”

It was a simple decision, her only idea as a matter of fact, and so she decided to head to Pierre’s and hopefully she’d bump into Abigail.

The autumn air was chilly yet still retained some type of warmth within. The leaves were, once again, coating the ground with their coloured patterns, blowing away on an adventure throughout the town. Despite the temperature being colder than she would have perhaps liked, Y/N pressed on, desperately praying that the fresh air would provide, at least some, relief to her head.

“Morning, Y/N,” Abigail smiled upon seeing her enter, evidently not as hung over as she was or maybe she just had painkillers, who knows?

“Hi,”

“You look hung over,”

“I am,”

The two continued to talk whilst searching for something to ease the pain.

“I hate to say this, but I think you’ll have to try Joja Mart,” Abigail sighed. “It’s up the road, just past the blacksmiths, you can’t miss it.”

“Oh, thank you.” Y/N gave one last smile as she left, ready to continue her search for what she needed.

Joja Mart was just what she was expecting, bold and flashy; everything she hated. Perhaps the hate stemmed from working for companies similar to this, or maybe she had always hated bold and flashy things, perhaps a mixture of the two. Either way, she had no choice but to go inside and find her painkillers.

The inside of the building was just as bad. Spotless and bright with posters plastered all over the walls advertising their own business, despite the customers having been inside their shop already. It was strange to say the least.

Y/N wandered the aisles of the store, searching high and low for any sign of painkillers; sadly, there were none. At least, not until she reached a shelf in the middle of the store that seemed to hold painkillers. Unfortunately for her, somebody was blocking the shelf.

“Excuse me,” her voice was meek. “Could I get some painkillers please?” Despite her pain, Y/N still mustered up a smile for the man, hoping to ease the clear annoyance on his face.

Wordlessly, the worker grabbed a box for her and gave her it before turning his attention back to stacking the shelves.

“Thank you,”

Swallowing the pills with a sip of water, Y/N was looking forward to feeling better again.

It was always fun drinking with friends, but the aftermath was not so fun. Despite all this, it was still worth it, at least in her opinion. Spending time with Abigail, Sebastian and the others of their crew was enjoyable, and it was fun to finally be able to let go and be who she wanted to be, who she is, with other people around her. She had thoroughly enjoyed doing so.

It was nearing late afternoon, the sky darkening and the moon replacing the sun that once sat high in the sky. The masses of people around Pelican Town had faded, leaving only a few lone wanderers to explore the territory; quiet and beautiful.

Deciding to remain outside instead of heading home, Y/N wandered to a place she had found yesterday with her friends.

The bridge was long, holding itself above the water with various wooden pillars below the surface. The water itself was a calming blue, moving steadily down the river, moonlight reflecting from the waves.

A content smile crawled onto Y/N’s lips as she took a seat at the end of the bridge, placing her shoes that she had removed whilst walking here on the ground beside her whilst dipping her, now bare, feet into the warmth of the water.

Time passed, the only reason she knew this was having watched sky darken further until it was a deep shade of blue, bordering on black.

“Hey!” A woman’s voice sounded behind her. “You look like you could use a drink, I’m Pam, and this is Shane.”

Looking behind her revealed both a man and a woman.

The woman was shorter than the man, whom she recognised from when she arrived at the bus stop, with short curly hair and a slightly distorted facial expression which Y/N assumed was caused by alcohol.

Shane looked the same as he was her first day there, blue jacket and green t-shirt keeping him warm and the tiniest bit of stubble covering his chin. He seemed slightly unhappy to be here, even more so when Pam flopped down beside Y/N, dragging Shane with her as she offered them both a drink.

“No thank you,” she politely declined the drink that was held out to her.

“More for me then, kid,” Pam’s voice was slurred, the stench of alcohol leaving her open mouth as she spoke. “What brings you here anyway? I know you’re new around here,”

The same question Abigail asked yesterday, why did everyone seem so intrigued by her sudden appearance? Then again, it’s not like you get many new faces in this town from what she had both seen and heard.

Shane’s attention seemed to be caught by this question, ears wide open to hear her answer but gaze fixated on the bottle of beer in his hand.

“Uhm- “hesitation was evident in her tone, something that only piqued the man’s interest. “I needed a new start.” It wasn’t entirely a lie; a new start was desperately needed for her. “Personal stuff I suppose,” she giggled nervously, running her hand through the warm water.

“Sounds about right, hey Shane?”

Shane wordlessly nodded, raising his beer to his lips to take a sip.

The three of them sat in a comfortable silence, the occasional sound if wind blowing through and the clanking of beer hitting wood being the only sounds that could be heard between them. None of them knew how much time had passed, only that it was nearing midnight.

“I should probably get home; my cat will be hungry.” Y/N sighed, lifting her feet from the water and putting her shoes back on.

“Be a darling Shane and walk her home,” Pam smiled at him, chuckling as Shane rolled his eyes in annoyance yet no remarks left his lips, simply standing up alongside Y/N.

“Come on,” Shane muttered, walking down the bridge with Y/N following quickly behind.

The short walk back home was quiet, Shane ignoring her attempts at making conversation, disregarding them along with a rude comment. It’s not that he wanted to be rude to her, she seemed lovely, but he had to.

His behaviour was confusing to say the least, leaving Y/N worried that she had done something wrong. This thought was clearly written on her face, almost making Shane apologise to her, feeling bad for making her doubt herself but alas he didn’t.

“Uhm- thanks Shane,” despite his rude behaviour towards her, she still offered him a smile. “I appreciate it.” And with that, she headed inside her house.

“Yeah, no problem,” Shane whispered once the door had shut behind her.

A few weeks had passed, and Y/N was getting along with most of Pelican Towns residents, especially Abigail and Sebastian who she would definitely say are her best friends with Penny being a close second.

Much to her disappointment, Shane was still quite rude towards her which sucked considering that she found him pretty cute.

“He’s like that with everyone he doesn’t know,” Abigail told her. “Don’t take it personally.”

“I guess,”

Despite all this, she was starting to feel safe and at home here in this small town. It was a small step towards her desired future, but it was one that she was proud of. Baby steps.

It was a quiet Saturday morning, Y/N on a usual morning walk to pick up some food for both herself and Luna. This was a routine for her, one she was used to by now. Less than a month ago she had found herself stuck doing everything for her mother, and now everything she did was for herself and her cat, just the way she liked it.

“Morning, Shane,” Y/N gave the dark-haired man a soft smile, watching as he directed his gaze towards the ground.

“Will you just leave me alone,” he snapped, not enjoying the way her smile dropped slightly before swiftly changing back into a bigger one.

“Sure,”

Shane watched with slight guilt as the girl walked away from him, desperately trying not to let his words get to her.

He knew she was nice. She had helped Jas and Marnie quite a bit in her first few weeks here, but he couldn’t let her get close to him. He didn’t want to ruin her innocence and kindness with his harsh and troubled personality, no matter how much he wanted to talk to her.

He couldn’t apologise.

More time passed and Shane found himself missing his, albeit small, interactions with Y/N. Instead of wishing him a good morning, she simply ignored him, staying true to her agreement of leaving him alone.

He would watch out for her of course, silently praying that she would say something, anything, to him so that he could politely reply to her. Nothing was said, not to him at least.

The small smiles and touches she shared with Sebastian at the Saloon irked him for some unknown reason. Shane hated the way Sebastian’s hand brushed hers as he handed her the drink that he had just bought her. The mere sight of Y/N and Sebastian together was enough to ruin Shane’s mood for the rest of the day, especially when they were alone together. It was clear Sebastian liked her as more than a friend, but the question was, why did Shane care so much?

The dark nights sky hung high above Y/N, the moon shining brightly alongside it to provide at least some light to anyone who may be out this late. It was a relatively clear night, not many stars littering the sky.

She had skipped meeting up with Abigail and Sebastian to instead sit alone, dipping her feet into the water much like she had done a few weeks before.

She was too deep in her thoughts, that she missed the sound of somebody walking down to sit beside her. It wasn’t until they were sat next to her, that she realised.

“Y/N,” they said.

“I thought you didn’t want me to talk to you, Shane.”

Her words made Shane wince. Despite the words seeming harsh, there was no harshness in her voice.

He hesitated for a moment, before doing what needs to be done.

“I’m sorry,” he sighed. “I shouldn’t have said that to you, you were only being kind. There was no reason for me to be so rude, so I apologise.” His own words made him feel uncomfortable, not used to apologising like this.

“It’s okay, I get it. You’re scared of getting close to people, so you push them away,”

Shanes eyes widened at how accurate her deduction on him was; he didn’t know what to say in response.

“I-“

“You don’t have to say anything, Shane. It’s fine, I forgive you.”

Sincerity laced her tone, words being completely truthful. He didn’t know what to do, so instead he watched her. Her gaze was fixated on the night sky, feet gliding through the clear blue water. She looked truly beautiful.

That’s when it clicked inside his head: he likes her.

“I should get going, it’s late.”

Shane watched as she lifted herself up onto her feet, picking up her shoes soon after.

“Wait,” he called when she began to leave. “Let me walk you home?”

And that was how their friendship began.

The pair would greet each other each morning, meeting up in the morning to walk together, Shane going to work and Y/N going for her daily walk. In fact, that’s where they were now.

“It’s a bit chilly, isn’t it?” Y/N giggled, wrapping her arms around her bare arms in a vain attempt to avoid the cold winter air.

Shane glanced at her cold frame, shaking his head slightly. “Should’ve worn some clothes then, shouldn’t you?” His words were clearly a joke whilst he laughed, slipping off the blue jacket covering his own arms, gently placing it around her.

The jacket itself was too big for her. The sleeves fell below her hands and the body buried her body; it was comfy.

“T-thanks,” Y/N smiled, praying that the cold weather had made her cheeks red, hiding the blush that had just formed.

“Don’t mention it,” Shane was praying the exact same thing. “Why aren’t you wearing a jacket anyway?”

“I uhm-“unsure as to what to say, Y/N glanced down at the ground, silence filling the air whilst she fiddled with the sleeves on Shane’s jacket.

“Hey, what’s up?” Shane halted his movement, noticing that Y/N had done the exact same.

Nervously, he walked towards her until he was stood in front of her. She remained still. Shaking his head slightly, Shane raised his hand to her chin, tilting her head to face him. “What is it?”

“I’m not supposed to wear them in winter,” her words were rushed as she immediately tried to turn away from his concerned gaze, but to no avail.

“Why?”

“M-my mum told me not to,”

Shane’s eyes widened at her words, finger unconsciously running across her red cheeks. He had no idea what to say to her, no idea how to comfort her; it was clear that she was getting upset. So he did the only thing he could think of and enveloped her in a tight hug, resting his chin on top of her head, enjoying the way her arms wrapped around his body whilst her head rested against his chest. His hand moved from her back to her hair, wordlessly stroking to hopefully provide some comfort.

Neither of them knew how long they stayed there, both just enjoying the others touch.

“You should get to work,” Y/N said, pulling away from his embrace. “You’re probably already late.”

“Being late is worth it as long as you’re okay,”

“Hey, Y/N/N!” Sebastian yelled as he saw Y/N outside Pierre’s, looking at the calendar.

“Hey, Seb,” she smiled sweetly towards the man who gladly returned it. “How’s it going?”

“It’s going,” he chuckled. “Hey I’ve been meaning to ask you something!” Despite his attempts at seemingly calm, it was clear that he was nervous.

“Oh? What’s up?”

“Well, I was just wondering if you wanted to go on a date? … With me…”

Surprise covered Y/N’s face, unsure as to how to react.

Sure, he was nice, but she didn’t like him, not like that.

“I, uh-“her sentence was cut short by another man behind her, someone who had clearly heard the question.

“Let’s go, Y/N,”

“Shane?”

Y/N felt Shane’s hand grasp her arm, the gentleness of the grip contrasting the dark look on his face.

“I-okay?”

And with that, the pair left a confused Sebastian behind.

“Shane, are you okay?” Y/N asked once the two were alone. “You’re kind of scaring me,” her hand reached out to Shane, resting itself on his arm.

“Do you like him?” His voice was merely a whisper, gazing at the ground as though he was too afraid to look at her.

“Well yeah, he’s my friend so of course I like him,”

“No, do you like him?”

“Shane? No, I don’t. I like y-“ Y/N’s eyes widened at her words, realising that she had almost confessed to her crush without thinking. “No, I don’t like Sebastian.”

Shane’s eyes glanced towards her, noticing her blushing cheeks.

She was still wearing his jacket; he could feel the sleeve on his bare arm as he melted into her touch. She looked adorable.

“Good,” Shane sighed, stepping closer to Y/N who was simply confused. “Because then we might have a problem,” his hand rested itself on her blushing cheek which darkened further at the contact.

“What do you mean?” It was her time to avoid looking at him, hoping that the blush wouldn’t get any worse. “I mean, it’s not like we’re anything, so why would we have a problem?”

“Because I like you,”

Y/N’s eyes widened at his confession, gaze darting up to the taller man. “You what?”

“I like you, okay? I have for a while now. If you don’t feel the same, just say and I won’t bother you again.”

Y/N stared wordlessly, unsure of what to say to him.

“Got it, I’ll leave you alone,” Shane’s hand dropped from her cheek to his side, slowly walking away.

“Shane,” she called out to him, only to be ignored. “Shane!” This time she ran towards him, taking hold of his hand to spin him around, lifting herself up to his height to connect their lips.

Her spare hand reached up to his neck, pulling him down to her. The faint taste of beer could be tasted on his chapped lips. Shane’s own hand moved to her cheek, melting into the kiss.

“I like you too,” she whispered against his lips once they pulled away.

Shane simply kissed her again.

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duskwood-legacies · 3 years ago

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Words: Waves 🌊, home, longing, sky.

Genre: Up to you ;)

Pairing: Jake x MC <3

"Hues of Pink and Blue"

•Fandom: Duskwood •Pairing/Character: Jake x MC •Word Count: 1.7k •Genre: Romance, Fluff •Summary: Long ago Jake discovered a place, hidden away from human touch and left deserted inside the face of earth. Nothing but ocean waves and himself have touched the secluded area that provided him shelter from his most worrisome days. As time went on and courage took the best of him, the moment he'd share this place with MC had finally come. •Author's Note: At the end of the story

-----

Emotions flourishing inside his chest and thoughts filled with imagined reactions, Jake pulled MC behind himself. His fingers intertwined hers, holding on tightly as he marched on.

Dawn settled over the wilderness. Dragonflies and waking-up fireflies passed them, increasing the anticipating burn on Jake’s skin. He longed this moment to come. He longed for the day courage took enough of him to lead MC this way.

The path Jake walked down on his worst days, the course he had taken as hope vanished from his life.

MC followed suit, trust fated her bond with Jake long ago. Secrets became a foreign phenomenon to them, tying both of their souls tighter together, day by day.

“Jake! Careful!” MC shouted. In the heat of his eagerness, Jake had picked up his pace and almost made him and her tumble to the ground. “You’re gonna hurt yourself!”

As they ventured along the coastline, she pictured all kinds of places Jake could take her. Fields filled with flowers, a deep blue deserted bay, a waterfall they’d share a long and passionate kiss under.

Although, her imagination was beyond underestimating the extent of the beauty she would witness in mere seconds.

The sacred sight of a cave’s entrance struck Jake’s vision, making him smile like a foolish child. It was everything he wished to do, introduce MC to all the beauty hidden behind the face of earth.

Fatigued light coated the entryway. MC’s interest was piqued, her eyes, curious as a puppy, inspected the way Jake was leading her along, the place he likely was aiming for.

One final glance back, one final grin, shot through Jake’s face as he turned around. MC couldn’t stop the small laugh inside her throat. His face shone with so much excitement and happiness, it reminded her of a young kitten chasing a ball of tin foil.

Colorful lights crossed their way as they stepped foot into the translucent cave, a gasp resonating from MC’s direction. With carefulness and a pleased smirk Jake led her along the trails made of stone. The walls and ceiling were lined with hundreds and hundreds of luminous crystals, large as trees. A place long forgotten, long untouched by humanity.

Serene ocean waves sang their gentle songs through hues of pink and blue. MC’s gaze wandered in awe, mouth agape, eyes wide open and breath captured inside her lungs.

Jake maneuvered her through the cave with ease and confidence, determination edging his frame.

His gaze constantly fell behind, an act of assuring himself of MC’s comfort and safety. Each time a smile would climb onto Jake’s face, feelings of love and affection dawning back on him, exactly like the day MC first admitted her interest in him.

Memories of their first meeting flared inside Jake’s mind, every so small detail invading his subconscious senses. The way MC’s confident and cheeky self fell into a shy and held-back demeanor, the way it matched so well with those other aspects he fell in love with.

One moment would always linger along this memory. MC’s voice broke off the first time she laughed in his presence, causing his own to erupt into a fit of laughter. It was such a small thing to her, yet it kept a safe and dear place inside his heart.

The image made his skin tingle with happiness.

Jake stopped on top of a bridge nature has carved between two cliffs. He turned around, dedicating every fiber of himself to MC. Her smile was comforting, eyes so soft and excited it made his stomach feel bubbly.

With all gentleness he was capable to collect he caressed MC’s cheek, making new sparks ignite inside her chest. She understood they were thinking of the same day, the same faithful evening. Those colors the crystals were illuminating enlightened Jake’s face and irises with a capturing trance. MC savored every piece of this moment, imprinted every shade and detail in her head.

The gap between them closed and their eyelids fell shut. MC combed her hand through Jake’s hair before letting it rest on his cheek, lightly pulling him closer. Thunder rang inside their hearts and veins, every kiss they shared felt like the first one over and over.

They broke apart. MC chuckled, closing in to rest her hand and head on Jake’s chest. He pulled her into an embrace, holding her softly as a thin piece of porcelain.

After eons he pulled away. He led her farther into the cave, walking on and on as MC followed him suit.

The crystals formed a harmony of blue, pink and grey the deeper they went, the more they dove into the secrecy of this hidden place. Eventually a large, clearing like area laid ahead. Sparkles on the floor shimmered in the colors of the shining stones around. A glowing, ashen like shine entwined the place, the calmness of the moon seeping into Jake’s and MC’s frames.

In the middle of it all Jake peacefully pulled MC down with him, observing her reaction with attention and excitement. She seemed happy, awestruck.

Both sat in lulled silence, listening to the harmony the ocean melodies were offering.

Once more Jake looked aside, expression falling at MC’s now faded smile. She didn’t resemble an image of confidence anymore, more so she looked unsatisfied and drifted away in the wrong thoughts. She tugged on her crop top and attempted to pull her already high-waisted jeans higher.

Jake examined her with caution. No long after he recognized the root of the problem. A sting made itself present inside his chest, the thought of MC minimalizing herself to something so small, so natural ached him.

He scooped closer to her, wrapping his arm around MC and placing his hand under hers on the crop top.

No muscle of hers moved, no word of hers was spoken. Jake placed a kiss on her temple. Offering reassurance to someone wasn’t one of his core strengths.

“Hey, look” He whispered, pulling back from MC and greatening their distance vaguely. Her focus parted away from her invalidating thoughts, briefly finding serenity inside Jake’s voice.

Jake pulled his shirt up, squeezing the rolls his belly now had due to sitting down. “I have them too!”

A surprised and grateful smile slithered onto MC’s expression, contaminating Jake to join in. He remembered all those times she comforted him on his darkest of days. Somehow she had always managed to demonstrate him he wasn’t alone, proved his emotions weren’t suffocating him with no opportunity for escape. The least he could do was attempting to pay her back the exact same way.

They laid back down onto the ground, a deep breath passing MC’s lips and leaving Jake to wonder. Was his attempt enough?

The moon shone brightly onto their faces. MC reached out, fingers stretched out and arm extended, longing to touch the moon, longing to take off into the sky and leaving behind nothing but scattered memories and insecurities. Desiring to take Jake’s hand and walk the moon’s cold surface.

Her daydream was interrupted by fingers intertwining with hers. Jake softly pulled her hand down to his mouth, placing light kisses on its back over and over until he rested it on his chest. His eyelids fell shut to quiet giggles of MC, a soft breeze of fresh adrenaline rushing through his veins.

Peaceful silence, nothing but waves and their thin breaths were heard.

A quiet weep took MC off guard. She drew her attention to Jake, rolling onto her side and gaze lingering on him with a worried, unfelt touch. A tear on Jake’s face betrayed what his mouth wanted to say, rendering him silent instead of telling excuses.

“Love…?”

One word. One word was all it took to disarm him. A smile, soft as the silver light, formed on Jake’s lips at MC’s innocent whisper.

His reaction evermore confused MC. Jake’s hand increased strength and pressure around hers, pushing it even further into his chest. He swung his free arm to cover his eyes, a low laugh crackling from his mouth and warming MC’s senses.

Jake’s head turned to look at her. Her breath hitched, a warm sensation running over her body as MC looked into his mellow gaze. His eyes gleamed with admiration, void of all the saddened emotions she expected to see.

No words were exchanged.

Yet both souls understood.

Jake’s thumb tenderly brushed over MC’s on his chest. Lost in lights of silver, blue and pink on her face, his brain froze the moment and relished and memorized every inch of MC’s features. Her grace dimmed the light of the crystals, made them look like child’s play, like a flower amongst many. So ordinary, so normal.

“I cannot believe I found someone like you.” A soft mutter ranked through Jake’s voice. MC chuckled, cheeks heating up with the bliss his words brought into her spirit.

“Likewise”

For minutes they laid on the crystal dusted ground, doing nothing but gazing at one another. Their hearts fluttered inside their chests as subtle shivers and trembles crept through their bodies.

Overwhelmed by emotions Jake looked skywards, vision grazing the lenient moonlight. The illusion of a small cottage on top of a cliff, blacked out by the bright shine of a full moon appeared in front of Jake’s inner eye. Outside he’d sit with MC, stargazing, holding hands and enjoying nothing but the night and each other’s presence. The home he had dreamed for both of them.

Sudden movement interrupted his imagination. MC laid curled up beside him, her head rested on his stomach and her hand still firmly held onto Jake’s on his chest. A sight so divine, so angelic he desired to never move again.

MC’s gaze lingered on their hands, the beauty of a million cherry petals on top of a flowing river sparkling inside her eyes. She made him feel at ease, made him feel like he doesn’t need to fantasize about a perfect home. Any place with her was more perfect than the most gracious of mansions, the most comfortable of apartments and more home than any house could provide.

Jake laid his head back down, closing his eyes and snaking his free arm around MC.

Their souls were at peace. A tranquil moment they shared, enough to tighten their bond, their trust, to a point unfathomable by human mind.

A tranquil moment, enough to erase the rest of the world out of their heads.

-----

A/N: Hi everyone!!💕 Writing this story was a lot of fun and, I must admit, I'm incredibly proud of the setting!🌿 Thanks a lot to @dreamer-writer-fangirl for enabling me this opportunity by requesting four words for me to write a story about💕

#duskwood #duskwood jake #duskwood mc #duskwood jake x mc #duskwood jake x player #duskwood jake x mc fanfiction #duskwood player #duskwood fanfiction #duskwood everbyte #everbyte studio

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nobodies-png · 3 years ago

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Okay. So this is like, the funniest prompt that I found, wrote a bit for, and forgot about. I wrote it for a different fandom, and then thought "Organization XIII would be funny for this..." Org. XIII is turned into children and now the Reader has to (make sure they don't die) take care of them. Ages like... 4-9 because that's when children are the funniest. Do what you will with it

ngl im a sucker for old cliche prompts like these, every fandom has at least an au for this specific setting or some kindergarden au lolol

anyway here’s some HCs as to how they’d act and stuff !

Xemnas :

One of the oldest kids, but you don’t really know what to make of him. You were expecting Xemnas to still lead the rest, scare them into submission with a simple glare or something - turns out he’s rather timid. Barely speaks, you get the feeling he’s ignoring you on purpose, just makes a lot of faces and noises to indicate what he’s feeling.

Somewhat clingy too, but unlike Demyx and Xigbar who want to get your attention through any means possible, Xemnas just grabs onto the hem of your shirt and follows you everywhere in silence. Doesn’t cause much trouble, but he doesn’t help you keep the others in check either, a true neutral I guess.

Sometimes, he will just disappear and show up whenever you least expect him. Loves to climb and sit on tall places. Spaces out a lot. Compared to the rest, you can probably leave him to his own devices, as long as he’s not left alone with Xigbar or Larxene.

Xigbar :

Actually the oldest, but pretty annoying and high maintenance. If he got on your nerves as his regular self, then you’re in for a fucking ride - this Xigbar is here to cause problems on purpose. He likes to talk, a lot. And it’s sucks because it’s usually endless and mindless chatter or pointing out everything that he sees.

If he starts to get bored, he’ll scurry off to bother someone else, but it usually ends with someone crying or hurt. Don’t even bother keeping him on a leash, the bastard is too smart to be contained.

Xigbar is one of those kids that can be extremely useful if you get him on your side, as he has no problem snitching and ratting out the others. The best way to keep him from losing his other eye or gouging out someone else’s is to bribe or trick him into helping you (just know that he can also be bribed by the other kids, Xigbar WILL betray you).

Xaldin :

You expected Zexion to be the loner type, but turns out it’s Xaldin - he’ll always be on his own or avoiding the others, usually around the kitchen since you’ve banned everyone from going in there until they return to normal (not that they listen to you, but oh well).

Xaldin is pretty much like those kids who hate being treated like kids and who pretend to be above the rest. While he might seem calm, it’s really easy to get him riled up, a simple “I bet you can’t do this or that” and he’s off to prove himself.

Oddly enough, he gets jealous easily - if you give Roxas a cookie or whatever for behaving, then you GOTTA give Xaldin one too or else he’ll throw a fit. The best thing you can do with him is be honest and confess that you need him to chill the fuck out and Not Die :tm: while you take care of the others, he’ll feel all grown up because you told him the truth and will calmly stay in his room.

Vexen :

One of the oldest kids, the stereotypical kid who only has ONE interest and won’t shut the fuck up about it, which is cute but not everyone has the patience to sit through a 6 hour talk about dinosaurs. You never expected this baby Vexen to be so into dinosaurs out of all things. Of course, just because he only talks about them, doesn’t mean he’s not curious about all that shiny lab equipment.

You can’t keep him distracted with dinosaur books all day, he still has the heart and mind of a scientist ! Because he’s a very obvious nerd, he’s the target for a lot of members in the organization, namely Larxene - and when Vexen gets flustered or frustrated, he freezes up. Literally. He WILL freeze the entire room too.

Your best bet is to pair him up with Zexion or Xion, since they’ll gladly sit down to listen and learn. The three will gladly stay locked up in the library learning and reading. You just gotta hope Vexen doesn’t instantly crush Zexion and Xion’s dreams by ruining their fairytales with facts and logic.

Lexaeus :

Also one of the older kids and the tallest too. This Lexaeus is just as stoic and intimidating as the original, but apparently he’s also very sensitive. Everytime he speaks to you it sounds like he might be about to cry. But he looks fine ? So you really don’t know what to do about him.

Either way, Lexaeus is also very helpful and responsible, so you can trust him to watch over the rowdy kids and keep them relatively safe, just try not to pair him with the suuuper loud ones.

Probably the type to take the blame and responsibility for any pranks gone wrong under his watch, even if you fully know there’s no way he’s responsible. Lexaeus is the epitome of “I just want everyone to get along”. Somehow, he’s very gentle with the others (as gentle as one can be when straight up dragging Xigbar out of the ventilation system) but he’ll break any toys and other items given to him.

Zexion :

Zexion is very very small, so you can probably understand the stress he’s going through, surrounded by these animals. Like Xemnas and Demyx, he’d be pretty clingy but he wouldn’t be able to follow you around or cling to you with all the others pushing and fighting around.

So you can either just carry him on your shoulders or leave him with Lexaeus or Vexen as mentioned before. If not, Zexion will wander and either fall asleep in the Grey Area or find the library on his own.

Not a problematic child, really. Zexion lacks the energy and the feralness to join any shenanigans - he's also smart enough to know that he’ll be better off listening to you and staying clear out of safety hazards. Though there’s always the chance of other members taking advantage of Zexion’s naive and curious nature.

Saix :

You were expecting him to be a tiny version of his regular self, bitter and strict. Surprisingly, he’s way more fun as a kid, glued to Axel by the hip too. They’re the duo you should look out for - Axel is the one who gets them in trouble and Saix is the one who makes sure you never notice they were behind it all.

The one with a TERRIBLE temper right after waking up. Saix won’t hesitate to bite and claw anyone who tries to wake him up, even Axel knows better than to try. If it’s nap time, let him go, don’t even try to stop him. Don’t let anyone else near him.

Other than that ? A very nice kid in general, he feels a sense of responsibility when it comes to the younger members, so he’ll be the one to keep Axel in check whenever Zexion, Roxas or Xion are around. As for the older ones ? They’re on their own.

Axel :

Axel is the first one to say “fuck” and it spreads like wildfire. So if you start hearing a bunch of kids swear at the top of their lungs, you know who caused it. You’ll also know because you’ll find him laughing and wheezing on the ground.

Somewhat naive, if you tell him he can’t say “invertebrae” because it’s a swear world, he’ll believe you. But SURPRISINGLY he’s very aware of how dangerous his fire powers are - like, Axel wants to cause trouble on purpose, but he doesn’t really want anything to escalate and get anyone actually hurt. Unless it’s Vexen. If it’s Vexen, then it’s fine by him.

You might hear “Y/N, LOOK” before seeing Axel in the kitchen casting fucking Firaga on a bag of Totinos or something. He and Demyx somehow keep getting targeted by the Dusks, who love to play pranks on them.

Demyx :

Most likely to eat food off the ground, or anything shiny and colorful, really. He has the exact same vibes as the little brother who likes to follow people he thinks are cool to try and impress them, just to be considered a cool kid too.

Demyx is very clingy but also a sneaky kid, he can easily cry his heart out so you’ll pay attention and protect him from people he’s pissed off. This is literally why most of the kids don’t like to be around him, cause he’s THAT kid who will ruin everyone’s funs by calling the responsible adult if he gets upset.

Instead of being musically inclined, Demyx just makes a lot of noise - constant loud humming, blowing raspberries, stomping his feet or tapping/hitting things, repeating funny noises or phrases he picks up. Probably has an old ass iPod or an MP3 you can distract him with.

Luxord :

DO YOU KNOW THOSE LITTLE KIDS WHO ARE SMARTASSES ? The ones who act like they know the mysteries of the world and give you a look of superiority because you clearly don’t know what tubby custard really is ? Yeah, that’s Luxord.

Full of fun facts that he LOVES to brag about, but most of them are fake and he’s none the wiser. You cannot correct him either because it’ll be like telling an 8 year old that Santa isn’t real. Thankfully, you don’t HAVE to correct him because that’s what Xaldin is for.

Most likely to steal Xigbar’s eyepatch for himself and somehow convince everyone else that it was HIS eyepatch in the first place. How ? We don’t know, we just don’t know. Also Luxord might just steal little trinkets from everyone and stash them under his bed like the little creacher he is. If you can’t find your keys, you know who’s got em.

Marluxia :

A natural big brother figure. Very understanding too, even if you’ve heard from Larxene that he’s tired of everyone pulling his hair and that he might shave it all off just so they all stop. Yeah, there’s some lingering resentment in there. He’s 50/50 on being a little bastard and an angel.

Marluxia volunteers to help you take care of the other kids, mostly because he likes bossing others around and because he also likes reading books to Zexion and Xion so they fall asleep.

LOVES to leave trails of petals and flowers wherever he goes, but REFUSES to clean up. Always seen with Larxene - Marluxia is also lowkey competitive so he sees the Axel + Saix duo as rivals. In what, exactly ? Who knows. VERY picky with food too. Actually, just very picky and petty in general.

Larxene :

The one kid who develops a personal vendetta against you from day 1. Larxene DESPISES being told what to do, so if you’re constantly telling her not to do this, to do that and whatever, she will make your life a living hell and do the opposite out of spite.

You didn’t hear this from me, but Larxene is GENUINELY upset that she keeps accidentally zapping people whenever she plays with them. It’s really hard for her to apologize too, so you’ll have to step in a lot to de-escalate the situation.

Larxene sticks forks in outlets JUST to scare others, since she cannot get hurt at all by electricity. She just seems to enjoy making others afraid.

Roxas :

One of the youngest, Roxas doesn’t KNOW what “using your indoor voice” means, he’s either DEAD quiet or SCREAMING about how he’d like to have ice cream as a treat, please and thank you. It’s really fucking funny to see honestly. Just make sure he doesn’t sneak up on you and scare you shitless.

The type who gets dragged into shenanigans rather than cause them - he’s a very neutral and calm kid otherwise. The worst thing he can do is just steal everyone’s dessert or something because of that intense sweet tooth he’s got.

A lot of the older kids LOVE trying to get him and Xion to laugh, because Roxas has this permanent poker face AND because they both have really funny snort giggle laughs.

Xion :

Also one of the youngest, very sweet, patient and polite ! Xion also tends to be very clingy, always needing to hold hands with someone whenever she walks around Castle Oblivion. No one has the heart to tell her no, either.

Can get VERY VERY irritating and angry when someone tries to make fun of her or Roxas. Like a little hurricane of puppies - Xion won’t stop pestering all the meanies until she’s received a proper apology. If she somehow ends up hurting someone, she’ll insist on making up too.

Xion also tends to copy people she likes, similar to Demyx. You might catch her imitating your movements or way of speaking, or even copying the Dusks’ movements - but just make sure she doesn’t see you, Xion will explode out of embarrassment.

#KH headcanons #reader insert #organization xiii #xemnas #xigbar #xaldin #vexen #lexaeus #zexion #saix #axel #demyx #luxord #marluxia #larxene #roxas #xion #writing for xemnas and xigbar hurts a lot more now that KHUX is over

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helena-thessaloniki · 3 years ago

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Hi Helena! Big fan of your writing here🥺♥️ Your rivamika fics are my safe space 😭 (if you have time to answer) i’d love to know when you first started shipping them, why, and what made you continue to love this ship (or anything else to do with your journey as an RM shipper)? i love your characterisation of both levi and mikasa individually, but even more so, your portrayal of their dynamic as a couple, which is why i wanted to ask so badly ☺️ x

Hey anon! Oh woah, first of all, thank you so much. Second of all, oh god, you probably shouldn't have handed me the mic. heh 😅

I’m afraid to look at the word count of this response, I’m sure it’s much more than you bargained for, but I appreciate the question and enjoyed thinking through my response (: Most importantly, I’m so glad you find my stories as a safe space. It’s really an honor. Thank you for sharing with me 🖤🖤

TL; DR As a longtime reader, writer and lover of stories and story-telling, by being someone who pays attention to how stories are crafted and deliberately developed from beginning to end, I sincerely thought Isayama was setting up rivamika as an endgame relationship. So, I read into and interpreted meaning out of ALL their interactions and became deeply invested.

I don’t necessarily ship them cause of the parallels, age gap, enemies to lover trope, height difference, or some of those common reasons and/or kinks. I’m more basic and boring than that. I love the concept of them coming together as though it’s inevitable.

They both are unbelievably strong, selfless, and have suffered so much loss— so, no one else could truly understand them as well as they can understand each other. They both probably would have always settled for a stable, simple life, and been alone and lonely even without realizing it— instead, they find each other, and realize what it means to actually no longer be alone, to do more than just survive. It’s this understated bond, as opposed to a dramatic and passionate romance, that I envision in them and that I love so much.

Then, the passion, heat, the romantic "spark"— I think that’s an added bonus, the cherry on top, the perfect final puzzle piece. They’re both so physically capable, can speak through their actions, and don’t show much need or capacity for emotional/ verbal communication, so the ability to connect with each other through physical intimacy and mind-blowing sex seems like another given.

Still, at the end of the day, for me it comes back to their ability to fully depend on each other, to the inevitability. Not like some soulmate trope where they 'have no choice' in it, but like the stars aligned to prove it's right. How each of them have only one other person on the whole planet who could see and understand them, to be on par with them, to make them realize there’s more to life than settling and surviving, and they happen to find it in each other.

You asked, I rambled 😅 Here’s a breakdown of my thought process in my rivamika journey. For those who make it to the end or want to skip to the end, I'll finish with the excerpt of the very first rivamika scene I felt compelled to to write.

I've tried before to re-watch and remember the exact scenes, exact moments, that initially captured my full attention, but I guess it was all of them, the gradual and cumulative compilation of their earliest interactions.

Mikasa always appearing cool and indifferent, and paying no attention whatsoever to others fawning over, like Jean initially falling for her, but then her strongly reacting over Levi in the courtroom showed how uniquely capable he was at getting under her skin.

Of course, the scene in the forest chasing the Female Titan was a critical one. I think of that as the first time both Levi and Mikasa were truly able to see the other's strength, mental and physical. And for them, orphans and trauma survivors who have suffered extensive loss, I think that seeing strength in another person made them feel less alone. Less alone in a deep, quiet but cataclysm, life-altering sort of way, even if not a romantic one. Like they didn't know it was something they didn't have, something they didn't expect to get from life, but then found it with each other.

(Even when we found out Levi was an Ackerman, I was disappointed if it meant they were immediate relatives, but willing to accept it wouldn't be a romantic end to loneliness, it would be a familial end to loneliness. But... the author never explored that. Not once.)

In that forest scene, manga and anime, the way that Levi pauses to really look and see Mikasa and think about who she is, what she’s gone through, and how strong and dedicated she is now— that was a defining moment. It was also a visual demonstration of Levi breaking character, from aloof and ruthless, to considering and curious. I thought Yams was showing both of them do that on purpose.

Then, Levi getting hurt because of Mikasa in that scene felt like another clue. Sure, it was while saving Eren, and sure, it could have been meant to humanize super-soldier Levi, or sure, it could have been another aspect of how Mikasa rushing into things over Eren ends up hurting other people that later changes in her character development, but it felt like a very pointed statement about Mikasa being a vulnerability for Levi. And that's swoon-worthy, right? Most of us have been exposed to and conditioned by stories about how special and romantic it is to be the one and only girl who can make an otherwise disinterested or unattainable guy actually pay attention to her, and so admittedly I fall right for it.

I’m sure I’m forgetting plenty, but the opening of season 3 felt like confirmation. When Levi figures out Kenny's behind things and entrusts Mikasa with instructions to share with the others, instructions about fighting people instead of titans that ultimately everyone else besides her struggles with, and when Mikasa lets Levi hold her back from chasing after Eren, her most important way of trusting and having faith in Levi, I honestly took that as cues from the author that rivamika was endgame. I let myself get truly invested from then on. That’s that understated bond I was referring to. To me, that unspoken but undeniable trust is the most important dynamic.

Seeing them fight together or fight similarly has always been fun and powerful and fulfilling.

I'm newer to the snk club. I was originally an anime-only fan and started watching in fall 2019, I think. I wasn't on tumblr, twitter, or anything else to see fandom discourse. So, I didn't know that the rooftop scene of Mikasa fighting Levi over the serum was such a staple for our ship until much later. I love the scene just like many do for all the reasons we do, but I don't think the actual scene was pivotal for me, so much as it's aftermath. I thought it represented two things.

One, it was an important marker in Levi's characterization. Hands-down one of the most striking scenes to me is the one where Levi is in the alley, somber and alone, listening in on Eren, Armin, and Mikasa talking together. It artfully shows his longing for hope and connection. So, when Levi chose Armin for the serum, that represented Levi choosing hope. And when Mikasa ultimately gave up fighting Levi and didn't choose Armin, which Armin finds out about later on, I see that as an important marker in Mikasa's development. It puts a wedge between her and Armin/Eren [Armin, because he knows she would have let him die, and Eren, because Armin is too special to him and he couldn't look at her the same way after realizing she would have let him die]. That distance between her and her childhood friends is one I don't think could ever be healed completely, one of those painful lessons in growing up. By doing that, it then also puts a distance in Mikasa's own childhood self to her current self. I thought that matured her and separated her out in a way that was another clue toward eventual rivamika developments.

That's a whole other conversation on Mikasa, but I’ll stay on track. Her love for Armin was absolutely authentic and fierce, but at the end of the day, at the core of her being, she chose survival over hope. Meanwhile, Levi chose hope over survival. To me, that was soft, fertile ground for the reasons why eventually, if/when Mikasa found hope and chose hope, that could directly tie together with her inevitably in coming together with Levi. Again, less butterflies and fireworks, but more natural and in a way that was just a given.

I wrote Beyond the Walls before reading the manga from the Marley Arc and on, so that's why most of that story is her journey into embracing that hope. *manga spoilers* There's a lot of meta, criticism and talk about Mikasa's silent, off-screen and subtle style of character development in the Marley Arc and afterward. I won't go down that road, I'm still processing the end of the manga to be honest, but I think it's fair to say she does eventually end up choosing hope over survival when she lets go of Eren and saves humanity instead. I love the “Stay with Me” line and think it’s perfect; a simple but profound display of trust and their deep-rooted bond in a really understated way. *end manga spoilers*

Here's something I always wanted to talk about in full but haven't. It honestly reads to me like Yams was building toward rivamika, and didn’t do anything to stop that until too late. There are tools authors can use to ensure we stop shipping a pair or start shipping a new one; love triangles are commonly used in every artistic medium and we’ve all been persuaded by these tools. But Yams didn’t use these tools to make sure readers didn’t feel convinced by rivamika. For all the reasons I listed above, more I'm forgetting, and for the following:

If he wanted us to think they were family and it would be incest, he should have added in a conversation between them realizing they were (close) family and that they weren't the only ones left in their biological family like they thought. But he didn't.

If he wanted us to think it was completely inappropriate between a child-and-adult and student-and-teacher, then he could have done something to ensure Mikasa looked childish or Levi looked older, but no. They barely look ten years apart. I do think it's unacceptable and that there's a power imbalance between a child-and-adult relationship regardless of that, and that there can't be true consent when one is a superior and another a subordinate, so I personally age-up Mikasa in my head and try to handle his position of power responsibly in my writings... but the point being, by the end of canon, there's no inappropriate or non-consensual romance between them, yet there's a lot of history and chemistry that could naturally lead to an age-appropriate and consensual relationship. If Yams didn't want us to think so, he could have made it more clear that there were reasons it wouldn't happen.

The only thing that makes sense to me is the author planned on rivamika endgame but was shamed/pressured out of it (either internally or due to others) OR that the author somehow accidentally created such vibrant chemistry and an incredible dynamic between them. Like, he didn't put enough convincing substance of eremika in, didn't make Levi look old enough, didn’t have one of them do something unforgivable in the other’s eyes, etc. Those are some of those tools he could have used. Romance was never a key component in snk. And since we now know Yams planned or needed eremika endgame for sake of plot and the conclusion of the manga, I personally think he didn't know what to do with the riveting rivamika substance and chemistry being much more convincing to readers. Once he had them so well built-up, maybe the only option he felt he had was to just stop putting the characters together. We get little-to-no rivamika interaction, platonic or practical, after season 3 all the way up until the very end. But there was so much of it beforehand ?? So, it simply doesn't make sense. I think the author just straight-up cut any and all interactions out between them because it was too convincing and moving, more convincing and substantial than eremika. But, as the end of canon shows, we needed to have some eremika buy-in. It's messy writing and unskilled in the romance department, but considering for how long and how complicated snk has been in a creative process and how lackluster the eremika romance (the main and apparently pivotal romance) is developed, I think it’s plausible to say the author effed up.

As far as writing fanfiction goes, there's just so much room to explore them. In canon, we aren't given enough insight into their individual perspectives, let alone their dynamic together, so it feels like a blank canvas to work from. I think that's part of why I love to write them, and also why I don't necessarily read much of them. When I first started shipping them while watching the anime, I read a few of the classics that were canon-verse, but I haven’t really read much since. For me, exploring and discovering them as a writer is the most fun. (It's one of the reasons Naruto and Harry Potter have such large fanfiction collections. There's so much world-building and so many characters, but there's also so much left to the imagination.)

In general, I'm drawn to strong characters, especially women, who are multidimensional enough to be real, vulnerable and soft. Mikasa is the pinnacle of that. I don’t necessarily like to write about her love or infatuation with Eren, but I do respect and admire and consider it integral to her character and her amazing capacity to love. We can have strong, kickass women who falter when it comes to love but are still considered strong for it. The two don’t have to be mutually exclusive and Mikasa is a beautiful example of that.

And Levi is strong, but real and vulnerable too; he’s honestly a fantastically developed character, from Petra explaining to Eren in the beginning how he’s not the amazing hero he’s painted to be to the public, to how Levi genuinely cares for Erwin and others and chooses hope despite all he’s suffered.

The end of the manga wrecked me a bit. Kind of like Games of Thrones. You have something that was so epic and well-done for so long, a rushed ending that isn't immediately sensical and isn't fulfilling is hard to stomach. Eventually, I'll move on from the denial of that and process what I think and feel about it. The whole reason we have fanfiction is to expand on canon, but it's made me put rivamika on the back burner until I figure it out. So I'm a little less hyper-fixated on the pairing right now even though interacting with you all and asks like this remind me what brought me here in the first place. 😊

To conclude, I’ll share that the very first rivamika content I wrote was a compilation of moments I thought could be inserted into season 3. These are still moments I plan to edit and publish one day. For anyone that actually read this far, I’ll put a rough and unedited excerpt of the first scene I ever wrote about them.

Thank you again anon 🖤😊

BEGIN EXCERPT [after the rooftop fight for the serum, immediately following the ceremony where Eren touched Historia by kissing her hand]:

Part of her was embarrassed at such a flagrant act of disobedience to a superior, especially to one who saved her and countless others' lives in the past. But mostly, she was anguished by the situation Captain Levi put her in once he revoked the serum meant to save Armin and planned to use it on Commander Erwin instead. Her current ostracization and self-loathing was not entirely her own fault. Anger she felt toward herself was just as easy to wield against him.

It must have shown in the grit of her teeth or defiant tone, because he turned to look at her, more aloof than curious.

Like a flint struck to steel, it ignited the fury she felt toward him.

“I shouldn’t have hesitated. I should have just killed you,” she answered him at last, piercing him with eyes darker than the night.

He wasn’t concerned. “You’re good, but not that good.”

Her hands fell to her side, fists clenched as she stood with a single, fluid movement. Before she could let loose a threat, he sighed.

“What’s the problem, Ackerman?” He was dismissive, his shoulders relaxed and posture loose.

The fire too furious to contain, she went sailing for him with the same speed from the battlefield. Her fingers already curled, she tightened her grasp as she swung her fist into his gods-damned apathetic face.

Levi wasn’t unprepared. He easily side-stepped her, then snatched her wrist to steal her momentum. Though he tried to toss her aside, she was no less fast; Mikasa dug her heel in and spun, her other arm shoving hard into his chest.

Too graceful to stumble, Levi used the chance to hook her second arm too. He caged both her wrists in a grip so strong, she was sure it bruised her bones. Still, he only looked at her warily, almost bored.

“Shouldn’t you be grateful? I chose Armin.” If his reminder was meant to ease her anger, it had the opposite effect.

Fury and desperation gifted her additional strength. She shoved into his chest hard. Levi shifted backward, nearly forced into loosening his grip; within that split second of an opening, Mikasa slammed her elbow into his chin, rocking his head backward.

“You did,” she seethed, but as fast as the fire inside her exploded, it was doused. Her next words came out broken and damp. “But I didn’t.”

Levi remained stern and otherwise unmoving as he attempted to flex his jaw through the spasm of pain. As the momentum of the fight died down, he loosened his hold on her wrists and evaluated her distraught frame.

Mikasa immediately released her own hands and turned away from him, eyes stinging from tears she refused to shed as she focused on the stars ahead. Admitting the harsh words aloud hurt her far more than any injury she could inflict onto him.

Not only was Armin one of the only friends she had, but he’d been a steadfast one throughout almost all she could remember of her life. After the trauma of her childhood, it was Eren and Armin who embraced her, whom she learned to love. Now, though, there was a wedge between her and Armin she was not sure could ever be removed. What was worse, as deplorable and selfish as she knew it proved her to be, was the painful wedge it now put between her and Eren too.

Once again, she found Levi standing at the peripheral of her sight, close enough to see but far enough to be a blur at the edge of her watery vision.

“You almost killed me.” Levi repeated his earlier words, but he said them with an odd bite, torn between frustration and patience. “You would have killed me to save him.”

Too late, Mikasa realized he hadn’t meant these words as an accusation, but an odd form of validation. She bit her bottom lip, teeth puncturing too hard; the tang of metal was sharp on her tongue when she swallowed blood.

“You thought about letting your closest friend die,” Levi said quietly, tiredly. “But I did let mine die. I left him for dead, when I could have saved him.”

Mikasa was startled from her selfish reverie, for the first time acknowledging the sacrifice he made on that fateful afternoon. She’d been too absorbed in her own relief, and then, her own regrets to consider what the decision had done to him.

For a brief moment, she considered turning to face him, but the stark reality of the matter made her refrain. How could she feel pity for his loss, when his loss enabled her gain? An uncomfortable knot tightened in her stomach.

“Tch,” Levi sighed. He was only one notch less taciturn, but for him, that was soft. “You’ll live with your guilt, and I’ll live with mine.”

His words granted Mikasa’s tears the permission to spill. She buried her face further into her scarf, both hands trembling at the worn threads. As quietly as he arrived onto the roof, Levi disappeared from it.

It was rare for him to indulge in alcohol or celebrations, but Erwin’s absence felt more tangible than his presence ever did. Levi distracted himself with the chaos of the few remaining Scouts that Erwin had died entrusting his legacy to, and attempted to drown the pain with whatever drink Connie Springer shoved into his hands.

He found Hanji with their ale long-forgotten about on the table as they half-stood from their seat, frantic while explaining some morbid experiment in great, vivid detail to an unsuspecting and slightly horrified MP officer.

Though Levi wordlessly took the seat beside them, Hanji paused their rant to slap him hard on the back, an enthusiastic greeting flying from their drunken lips. The MP took this chance to excuse himself, a pathetic attempt at politeness, but Hanji either didn’t care or didn’t notice.

“Ah, Levi,” they smiled at his drink, though it didn’t entirely reach their one eye. “Where you been?”

Levi didn’t answer. “You know, shitty-glasses, you’re even more unbearable about your experiments when you’re drunk.”

Hanji waved dismissively and reached for their ale. Years spent in battle and command together had gifted both of them with an eased familiarity, and sometimes, genuine friendship. In the same manner he ignored their question, Hanji ignored his lack of response and went on with their original inquiry.

“Careful, Captain,” Hanji warned lightly. “Now that there’s far fewer Scouts, you having a favorite might cause some division.”

Even though Hanji meant the words, there was a glint of mischief that twinkled in their remaining eye.

“It’s not favoritism,” Levi countered bluntly, turning his vision toward the young man on the far side of the room. “Eren is simply the best chance that we have in this war.”

Hanji laughed as if he’d made a joke and Levi looked back to stare at them, unable to be surprised at their quirks or oddities any longer, but still a touch curious about what spurned this current demonstration.

“I wasn’t talking about Eren,” Hanji said at last, a pointed nod toward his injured chin.

Levi blinked. He didn’t realize he was nursing his injury with the hand not on his drink. As though it were too hot to touch, Levi dropped his hand.

Hanji was not judgmental, nor inquisitive. In a war-torn life of losing too many cadets entrusted to him, the fact that Levi found a soldier with the strength and skill to remain safe was not only rare, but worth special attention. Still, it made him too lenient.

“Sometimes I think you’d let her get away with murder,” Hanji chided halfheartedly.

When he thought of Erwin dead in his grasp, sometimes he wasn’t sure if he already had.

#my asks #my thoughts #rivamika #rivamika fanfic #lena writes

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procrastinatorimagines · 4 years ago

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Hostage

Fandom: Chicago PD / One Chicago

Pairing: Jay Halstead x Reader

Warning/s: hostage situation

Word Count: 1,727

Requests: Can I have a jayxreader imagine where reader likes Jay, but thinks him and Erin are a couple, she talks to Kim about it, and so she kinda avoids them both, then she somehow gets In like a hostage situation and Jay is panicking about it and when they go in he goes to her to check on her and she just brushes him off and ignores him more 😔 and when they get back to PD he corners her In locker room to ask why she’s ignoring him and confessions are made

// AND //

Hi! Could I request a Jay x reader in which goes crazy with worry when reader exchanges herself in a hostage situation (exchange wasn't planned beforehand)! Thank you!

It was strange, the things you thought about when you had a gun pointed at your head, and you’d know, this wasn’t exactly the first time.

When the drug exchange Intelligence organised had gone sideways in the backroom of a bar in Canaryville and a patron had been taken hostage, you’d decided to do the smartest and most well thought out thing you could think of: you offered to take her place at the other end of the barrel.

Needless to say, this wasn’t the turn of events your unit had planned for, and you just knew the exact conversation you’d be having with Voight about your recklessness later. If there was a later.

But a civilian was safe and out of harms way, you’d done your duty.

Your Sergeant had sent you in with Jay to make the deal, though you weren’t actually partners, but Jay had the Canaryville insight you needed to make an introduction and Erin had spoken to your suspect in an official capacity the previous day, so Voight had paired the two of you up together.

Now, you couldn’t help but think about the conversation you’d had with Kim, your actual partner, that morning about the whole situation, despite the gun to your head and Jay panicking in front of you, unable to give up your covers but trying his best to talk down your erratic suspect.

The whole situation being your feelings for Jay. Oh yeah, you had it bad. And the make it even worse, you were pretty sure he and Erin were together anyway. Kim had told you she wasn’t sure, but everyone had noticed the tension between Jay and Voight recently, and his not so subtle warnings about keeping things professional with Erin. He always swore it was, but you couldn’t help but wonder.

So you’d decided to try and avoid them both, sort out your feelings, but apparently that was too much to ask for when you’d found yourself partnered up with Jay.

“Listen man, we can work this out okay, we have the money, we showed it to you,” Jay tried to reason with Barney, the suspect in question with the very much loaded gun. He’d been jumpy from the get go, twitching during the entire deal, and Jay had wanted to pull out. You, however, had had to be stubborn, still annoyed about him and Erin even though you’d had no right to be, and so you’d insisted you stay.

Voight was so going to chew you out for this.

“Nah, nah man I don’t like this, something’s not right,” Barney shook his head, his gun hand very much as unsteady as the rest of him - was he high? Not that it mattered in the moment, you didn’t have to be a sniper to find your mark when the barrel of your gun was firmly pressed into the side of a person’s forehead.

Jay took a deep breath, eyes wide with worry as he looked to you, “take the money,” he blurted, hands still out to try and show Barney he wasn’t a threat.

“No man, the deals not happening-” Barney tried to tell Jay again, but he only shook his head.

“I’m not talking about that deal, okay? Take the money and give me back Rachel,” he offered instead, still using your cover name in an attempt to keep the situation from going nuclear.

You blinked, surprised by his offer, you hadn’t expected him to go quite so off the book. Barney seemed to hesitate too, “the money for the girl?” He clarified slowly, other arm slacking a little from where it had been wrapped around the top of your chest and shoulders.

Jay nodded immediately, slowly and deliberately reaching for the bag of money on the table and dropping it at his feet, Barney’s eyes following it with eager curiosity. He may have been suspicious, but he wasn’t very bright.

The whole point of the exchange was to see the drugs and make the bust, not that pointing a gun at someone wasn’t cause for an arrest enough, but you’d needed to see the product to link it back to a bigger supplier, without that, you were back to square one and out a fair amount of money.

But Jay didn’t seem to be thinking about that right now, he seemed to be entirely focused on you.

“I kick you the money at the same time as you let her go, how about that?” Jay negotiated, not really hiding his concern. Part of you wanted to object, this wasn’t exactly the objective, but you weren’t in any position to argue, if you’d just listened to Jay in the first place this wouldn’t have happened.

Barney mulled it over before nodding, the large bag of cash being too good to resist as his grip on you started to relax. Jay kicked over the money, gesturing for him to let you go and take it.

Hell no, you thought. As soon as his grip on you had relaxed enough you aimed a sharp elbow to his gut, throwing another one into his nose as he stumbled back, spinning around and disarming him before he knew what was happening.

Intelligence was bursting in in seconds, Jay rushing to you to make sure you were okay. “Y/N, Y/N are you okay?” He reached a hand out to your shoulder but you brushed him off, shaking out your arm and rubbing your elbow.

“Fine,” you basically snapped, surprising him. Honestly, you were more annoyed at yourself at this point, but for some reason you were taking it out on Jay. You knew it wasn’t fair, but you needed some space right now, heading past him to Kim as Erin cuffed Barney, trying not to look at Jay’s confused and hurt face.

A tonne of paperwork and an ear full from Voight later you found yourself sat in the locker room at the end of your shift, head in hands as you thought about the day, unable to make yourself move.

You’d let your personal feelings for Jay interfere with your job, something you’d wanted to specifically try to avoid by avoiding him and Erin in general, but it clearly hadn’t worked. What were you going to do?

“You still here?” A voice came from behind you, making you jump as you looked back to see Jay wandering in, heading for his locker as he regarded you carefully.

“Just heading out,” you replied coldly, forcing yourself up to grab your things out of your locker as quickly as you could.

Jay, however, had other ideas. As you slammed your locker shut and turned to leave, echoing a generic ‘night’ in his direction as you did, he stepped quickly into your path.

You nearly collided into him, blinking in confusion. “Jay-” you began but he cut you off.

“You’ve been avoiding me for days, and today- Y/N, I don’t understand what I did, I thought we were at least friends, but you’ve been giving me the cold shoulder and I need to know why,” he said, clearly getting something off of his chest that he’d been debating saying for a while.

You took a breath, not sure what you’d expected really, of course you couldn’t have kept it up forever, but you weren’t really prepared to answer him. “I- I’m not- look, I know I messed up today-”

“It’s not just about today Y/N, but if I’ve done something to offend you I’m sorry, we need to talk about it though, sort it out so it doesn’t affect our job again,” Jay explained, expression softening as he added: “you could have been seriously hurt today, and I couldn’t handle that.”

“I’m sorry,” you swallowed, mind racing to come up with something to day besides telling him the truth, “it’s not you, really it’s not, I’m figuring something out... it won’t happen again,” you promised.

“If something’s wrong, I’m here if you need to talk,” he offered, “I’m worried Y/N, I care about you and I-” Jay stopped himself, as if saying something he shouldn’t have.

“I’m good Jay, and I don’t want to keep you, if Erin’s waiting upstairs-” you slipped up, wincing in realisation as Jay gave you a puzzled look.

“Erin? Why would Erin be waiting, she went home about an hour ago I think,” Jay told you, “you almost sound like Voight.”

“Is he... wrong?” You dared ask, kicking yourself for even doing it, definitely not being subtle anymore. Though, you hadn’t exactly been subtle before.

“About me and Erin? There’s nothing going on between me and Erin, she’s not the one I... I just, no, I don’t like Erin like that,” Jay fumbled an explanation, looking a little sheepishly at his feet.

“Oh,” you replied, sounding a little too happy about that fact as you thought about his words, “but you do... like someone like that?”

Jay looked back up at you, rubbing the back of his neck. “Don’t you know?” He asked, looking at you in a way you couldn’t quite describe.

You looked at him questioningly, mind trying to figure out who he was talking about as he looked at you, and then it dawned. Was he talking about you? He couldn’t be, could he? No, surely not. But the way he had said that, the way he was looking at you...

“Oh,” you gasped as he cleared his throat, looking embarrassed.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything, it’s not like I expect anything-” he started but you cut him off with a surprised laugh. Well, he’d been honest with you, the least you could do was be honest back.

“Jay, that’s kind of why I’ve been avoid you,” you said, clarifying quickly when you saw his face fall, “not because I thought you liked me, but because I thought you were with Erin, and I liked you, I like you, and I didn’t want to be weird or awkward, which I guess it exactly how I ended up acting really, but...” - breath god damn it - “I feel the same way, is I guess what I’m trying badly to get across.”

There was a pause before Jay smiled, you loved that smile, “can I buy you a drink?” He offered, gesturing towards the door.

You smiled back, “I’d like that.”

#jay halstead #chicago pd #one chicago #jay halstead x reader #jay halstead imagine #chicago pd imagine #one chicago imagine #jay halstead imagines #chicago pd imagines #one chicago imagines #jay halstead one shot #chicago pd one shot #one chicago one shot #one shot

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perfectpaperbluebirds · 3 years ago

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@sicktember Prompt # 24: Sneezing

Title: Dust and Mold

Fandom: Black Tapes Podcast

@matilda3948 gave me this prompt (among many others) some time ago. The prompt: "Strand and Alex are investigating an old, dusty house for one of their cases. Strand tries to hide his sneezing attack and fails miserably." Glad to be able to use it here! Was obviously written for Sicktember, but I haven’t been able to post it until now.

What's a journalist to do when her investigation partner can't stop sneezing? Alex helps Dr. Strand while researching a case.

CW: Mentions of death, mentions of paranormal activity/haunting but nothing specific.

Dr. Richard Strand was the most enigmatic person Alex had ever met or would ever meet again. He was brilliant and fascinating, and he was logical to a fault. He rarely acted on emotion, rarely even showed emotion. In many ways he seemed robotic or alien. For that reason, when he was forced to show his humanity it always threw Alex for a loop.

One such instance occurred on a sunny autumn day. Richard and Alex were doing some preliminary investigations for a new case involving an abandoned house. The last three consecutive owners had died the exact same way in the exact same spot in the house, so the locals were insisting it was haunted. With that rumor came other rumors of course, like knocking sounds and odd lights in the house all hours of the night. No one would step foot inside anymore, so the county owned the house now, and there had been no issue with the pair coming to poke around before the "official" paranormal investigation this evening.

The house was massive, old, and very dusty. After the last owner had been found dead, no one had wanted to come clean out the house, and the owner had no heirs or other family, so everything was mostly as it had been the day he died. Looters had been through a few times to scavenge for valuables, but that was it. The house was unsettling even to Alex, who had seen her fair share of creepy places by now. One definitely had the sense that the house, or some presence within the house, was frozen in time, waiting for something.

Dr. Strand had taken his time exploring the upstairs, especially the area where the owners had all been found dead. He had then proceeded into the basement to try to debunk the knocking noises and lights. Alex had stayed upstairs and was simply exploring the house from a non-paranormal standpoint. She found herself studying the overflowing pair of bookshelves in the living room. The looters had evidently missed the most valuable things in the house, for even her mostly untrained eye could see that there were many valuable books here-- lots of rare volumes and first editions. Yet here they sat, collecting dust and mold (this house especially seemed particularly inclined to grow mold) until they were disposed of or passed along to a new owner.

"It's so sad to see a person reduced to the things they’ve left behind when they die. And to see a house reduced to just a storage place for stuff,” Alex called out, loudly enough for Richard to hear. He didn’t respond. This wasn’t completely unexpected. She went to stand at the top of the basement stairs, suddenly feeling eager for human company.

“Have you found anything?” she called again. Once more he did not respond. His not responding to general musings was common; his not responding to direct questions was not. Worry flickered in her heart.

“Dr. Strand? Are you alright?”

“Yes,” he finally said, though his voice sounded oddly strained. She heard a strange squeaking sound, then: “I’m fine.”

Alex didn’t believe him, and though she hadn’t been keen to explore the basement, she went down anyway. “What are you doing?” she called.

He again did not respond. She found him in a dim corner of the basement with his back to her. As he came into view, she saw his shoulders twitch and his head snap forward into a desperately stifled trio of sneezes that ended in the high-pitched “gttchh” sound that she had heard while upstairs.

Alex blinked, surprised. A sneezing Dr. Strand had not been what she expected to find. “Bless you!” she said with a little giggle, regaining her senses. “You scared me. I thought something happened to you.”

He turned to face her, and in the dim light she could see his nose was red and irritated looking.

“S-hiihh-sorry,” he gasped, his handkerchief pressed desperately to his nose. “So muh-T’CHHUU!-much mold down here,” he croaked.

“Oh, are you allergic to mold?”

He nodded miserably, his eyelids fluttering closed against his will for another barrage of sneezes: “Huhh’REHHSHHHoo! ESSHHHyoo! Kuh-hh-HUSSHHHoo! Huh’ISSHHoo! Hh-h... huh’KIISHHoo! Heh-hh... Hiihg’KSSHHoo!

“Oh no, oh bless you!” she laughed. “That must be awkward in this line of work.”

Ih… hiih!.. It can be,” he muttered, his eyes streaming and his nose still twitching. “My handkerchief is toh-HNNXT!-totally soaked,” he groaned, holding it out to show her.

“We have some masks in the case right? Let me go grab one for you.” She darted back up the stairs before he could reply. By the door was the case he brought with him to every investigation, which contained, among many other useful things, a package of N-95 masks for occasions such as this where it probably wasn’t wise to breathe in the air. She grabbed one out, then rushed back down to the doctor and presented it to him. He took it with a grateful look, putting it on immediately.

“Guh,” he exhaled deeply. “Thank you. That’s much better.” He continued to sniffle and clear his throat, clearing the residual particles from his sinuses.

“Don’t mention it. Have you ever considered a different line of work, though?” she teased gently. “It seems like dusty basements are a pretty severe occupational hazard for you. I’ve never seen anyone soak a handkerchief in such a record time.”

He deigned not to reply, but the dirty look he gave her spoke volumes.

#sickfic #sicktember2021 #prompt 24 #everyone is hotter with a fever

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androgynousblackbox · 3 years ago

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Thoughts about the fifth season (spoilers)

Okay, so normally I would make these posts as neutral as possible because I want them to reach anyone who enjoys the show. Even if you are someone that really fucking hates incest ships you can read them and still have an idea of what I liked, what didn’t, etc, without me bringing up that element. You can disagree or agree without being reminded “oh, yeah, he is one of THOSE fans I don’t like” and that is totally fine by me. Curate your own online experience and all that. But this is season is quite literally about the relationship between Rick and Morty, so as a rickmorty shipper I just can’t separate that from what I enjoyed about it and thus I am going to be talking from that position during all of this. If that makes you uncomfortable, that is cool, I get it. You can skip this one if you want. Also, this is going to be a general big mess of thoughts and whatever because I have lots of them so, bear with me. -Some of the shippers I was with on a server will know this already, but from the very first episode I was sure we were going to have two major themes: 1. Rick is a flawed human being, not a god, not a ultra genius who is always destined to be on top of everything and knows how to get out of any situation. Just a man. And that is why he needs other people, which is somethig he had to accept and understand about himself, especially after the fourth season was all about dethroning him as the patriarch of the family and break away the illusions that Beth had about her own father. We have standed too long having Rick win on everything and coming out like a badass, so it’s time to kick him down a bit and let him lose. 2. Morty’s heart is always going to get fucked over, which is something that gets even more explored on the Planetina episode: he wants a place to belong with a person who doesn’t make him feel like the odd one out. Combine the two and my idea was: they want to assure us about their relationship on some kind of way, this is about them and what they feel regarding each other. Probably about why or how Rick became so jaded because why else include Rick freaking out about Mr Nimbus just mentioning Diane’s name and how much he changed, on a first episode no less, if this isn’t something we are setting up to see later. They explicitely brought someone from Rick’s past to talk about that past and make a point to tell us that changed Rick. -So, we have the two major player set up like this: on one hand, Morty aspires for that companionship but he is not willing to compromise his own moral for it, whatever he has left after starting to take on some Rick’s traits. He is desperate for that connection and if that means leaving Rick behind, so be it. Rick will still be there anyway. On othe other hand, Rick also wants that connection and companionship but it’s too disfunctional and can’t make it quite work because there is always a part of him that wants to keep distance. With the alien lady, evne with the crows, it’s all about escapism and pretend like everything is fine, it’s just fun and he doesn’t have to care because they are just having a good time together. He tried to do that too with BP by keeping away the info about his daughter, but he called his bluff because BP knew Rick too much to not see that comic. It’s rebound after rebound because he is missing the one person that can keep him in check, that truly knows what a piece of fucking shit he is and somehow still comes back to him. BP saw that, knew what was happening, and prefered to get the fuck away because he didn’t want to compromise his own values like that either. But Rick doesn’t have that problem with Morty. It truly is Rick and Morty one hundread years because, no matter how fucking bad it gets, they still choose one another. -Now, the way they keep building up this relationship, these connection, even regarding the rest of the family, to me is brilliant in restrospect because it perfectly illustrate how much they have changed from what they were before and what that means. Morty is more independent and less afraid, right, but that doesn’t make him more happier because he is still lonely and Rick is being reminded, over and over again, that he can’t be alone either. -Regarding the way Morty have behaved, I have seen some people being concerned about how Morty is becoming more independent and therefore not relying on Rick as much for anything, so it’s like what is the point of their relationship anymore. And like, to me it makes sense they show because they have already told us on past seasons that Morty has stopped viewing Rick with that wide eyed expression for a long time. He is learning from him and can defend himself, so why does he need Rick at al? The answer is because he loves him. You can read that as platonic or romantic or whatever, but for better or for worse Morty just loves Rick. You shouldn’t love people because you need them, or at least that is not a healthy basis for any relationship. I said this on another post: you cannot make anyone to be your center for your mental health like that, and I feel like they aware of this point, which I really fucking love because it would have been easy as fuck to write any pairing like that. -If you stay for the “Behind of scenes” scenes, the writers talk about how this season is about building trust between Rick and Morty. So it starts with Morty going around cleaning up some of the messes Rick left behind without telling Rick and then fucking the portal gun because he doesn’t trust Rick to not “kill him” to finding out he did that, just like Rick in fact doesn’t trust Morty to not be doing unnecesary bullshit. So Morty, hurt because his suspicions were right, puts an ultimatum and Rick, being the petty fuck we all know him to be, takes it kind because of course he would. -What does Morty does immediately after this? Latch onto another sketchy as fuck older man whose name ends with Ick and hope that is the connection he craves, because after all “we are like brothers now.” So rebound for him, rebound for Rick, rebounds for the crows, rebounds for everyone. Yay. -I know it has been however many years have passed since this show started, and it was obvious for fucking everyone who watched it, but I do really like that they use the exact words for how their dynamic has been: unhealthy, toxic, abusive. Lack of trust, lack of boundaries, secrets. Just straight up calling it as it is. So they have both of them confronting that fact, being aware of it, and to top it all off, make Morty the only being now on their universe that knows everything about Rick, every single thing he has kept even from BP, like the true reason he joined to their guerilla group, and still makes the conscious choice to go after Rick even when, as far he was aware of at least, there was another option. -So, okay, now what, might someone ask. We have put everything out there and we have talked about what is wrong about their relationship, does this mean we are doing the boring healthy bullshit now? Well, nope. Considering that Morty did went out of his way to guilt trip Rick into getting back and Rick admits point blank admits he get it, Morty refusing to demand things be different because he is just desperate... they are still and probably always going to be a condependent mess, but hey, a condependent mess that at least is kinda self aware about it and won’t pull the “I am going to break up with you on a whim” move again, hopefully. I do think and expect some things to change, but only as far their dynamic during adventures goes and regarding the rest of the family, with everyone being on the know that those two are an item neither of them can get in between. Rick is probably still going to want to keep some things in control, he is still not going to express his feelings to Morty directly and Morty is still going to be a little shit that will want for validation that won’t come his way. It’s a shithole house, but at leat it’s their home kind of thing, and personally, that is how I like it. -The “adventures as a metaphor for a relationship so this is not like a real break up” is real funny when you hear the writers literally calling it a break up and a relatonship. Also, the amount of times that they say “my partner”. Like, I am sorry, but how the fuck I am supposed to believe this wasn’t for the shippers, fucking how? Like even if you aren’t one, and you go “it’s a metaphor!! it’s not like an actual relationship, they are not saying they are together as a couple”, that is flimsy as fuck because we have determined already that Rick uses adventures as an extension for all his relationships. There is a intentional paralel between BP and Morty and how Rick treats the both of them, like he would do anything for them but still be kind of a lying piece of shit too, so it’s definitely canon on the sense -Omg, we had miniature cute Mortys who like crayons and also big hot adult Morty, fucking finally. I cannot fucking believe they wouldn’t know the blessing they were throwing to fandom with that one, they know what they are doing. -Rick as a boy dressing on the same colors of Morty could have been a cute little detail, like aww, they are family, so they pass down those colors from one generation to another because family, but fuck all of that, let’s make it creepy and fucked up because why not. But it’s also interesting because if Ricks breeded Mortys and put those colors on them, isn’t that another way of saying “you are connected to us just as much as we are connected to you”? Because they didn’t had to chose those colors, but they did it because it meant something for them. On a very fucked up way, I think they might even feel themselves more fathers to Morty than even Beth, because many of them didn’t cared manipulating her in order to gain more Mortys even if they could just clone them easily. -”You all really are bred for forgiveness”... Not really, or else “Evil Morty” wouldn’t exist and Cop Rick, the good one, would have never been attacked by using the attachment of Ricks against him. But Morty had made his choice and that choice was Rick, and even then Rick cannot fucking believe it so he has to reduce it to his breeding. -So, the finite curve has been destroyed and almost all Ricks were killed, the ones that weren’t coincidentally fucking off to another place just when that happened. That means that now there is true infinite universe where Rick is not the smartest man on the universe, where Rick doesn’t even exist at all, so we may have adventures where other people where the smartest people on their universe and Rick could finally meet his equal or someone even worse. -The final speech of Mr Poppybutthole is kinda the perfect ending to everything, because he is talking avoid being afraid of the people he loves finding the “true” self of him and not loving him anymore, but Morty did that and he still loves Rick and, listen, I have FEELINGS about it, okay. -After exploring this, which was the true only canonical mistery of the whole series, while also dumping off the backstory of Rick so nobody has to theorize about it anymore, it feels like they going two routes: either we are dumping anything about serialized anything, at least for a while, and we are back to just silly adventures with asshole grandpa and traumatized kid, or... we are introducing another big baddie that we are going to drag to hell and back. Maybe Evil Jerry? That could be fun to explore on the show. My bet is on the second option because I think that is the kind of thing that Justin really enjoys doing and that is why it appears on Solar Opposites as well, with the whole Wall as a central points behind all the shenanigans of the aliens. -The only misteries left are: the weird Rick that killed his family, if he wasn’t killed already on the Citadel, and Birdperson reunion with his daughter, for which he might ask Rick’s help in the future when he cools down or maybe Rick gets his daughter back for him on a ridiculous plan to make him return his calls, because that is something he is going to pull. The Jessica thing and her quest for becoming an actual character with her own thing going on. -This finale made rickmorty canon on all the ways it could without having them literally making out willingly, and after Naruto, I don’t think that is a line they are not willing to cross at some point in the future, even if it’s just a joke. They already did with the parasites. I honestly don’t even know how you can watch the show and think “fuck yeah, they hate those ships just as much as I do!”, because with the way the writers talk about it and literally this entire season being nothing but a building up for their relationship, I would have been turned if I didn’t ship it already.

#rickmorty #incest implied #andro is talking

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sheerfreesia007 · 3 years ago

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Roadside Assistance

Title: Roadside Assistance

Fandom: Kingsman

Pairing: Agent Whiskey x OFC

Author: @sheerfreesia007

Words: 2,028

Warnings: None

Permanent Tag List: @paintballkid711, @fioccodineveautunnale, @phoenixhalliwell, @linkpk88, @weirdowithnobeardo

Author Notes: I blame this little fic on Sparkles, after she got a flat while driving. I told her to imagine Whiskey coming to her aide with the tire trying to cheer her up. Low and behold we now have a fic. Ugh now I’m thinking of other scenarios for Whiskey, expect more cute scenarios between these two.

The loud thumping of rubber on asphalt made you curse as you tried to correct your line of driving with the steering wheel. Easing on the brake you slowed your car down and steered it over to the shoulder of the semi busy highway you had been traveling on. Managing to pull your car over far enough on the shoulder you finally stopped and put it in park. Sighing loudly you let your head fall forward as you still gripped the steering wheel in your hands.

Shaking your head softly you blew out a harsh breath and then opened your door to step out of the car. Cars, trucks, and semi-trucks sped past you on the highway making debri fly up around you causing you to lift your arm to shield your face. Looking down to the tires on your car you thanked your lucky stars that the blown tire was on the passenger side away from the fast paced traffic.

Walking around to the back of the car you popped the trunk open and leaned inside to grab the spare tire and pull it out. Letting it bounce slightly on the ground once it touched you rolled it to the side and let it fall in the tall grass at the side of the road. Leaning back into your car you pulled out the car jack and other tools you would need to fix your wheel.

Placing the jack and tools next to the front passenger wheel that was now flat, with what looked like a large puncture hole in the top of it, you stood back to your full height and began walking towards the spare tire that you had left in the grass. You slowed your step as you noticed a sleek black heavily tinted Aston Martin slow and pulled over to the shoulder not far from your parked disabled car. Feeling the hairs on the back of your neck rise, you subtly reached into the trunk of your car and pulled out a spare hand ratchet holding it to your side as you watched the driver’s door open on the probably more expensive than your mortgage vehicle.

You watched slightly stunned as a real life bonafide cowboy climbed out of the low vehicle. He was a tall man with dark brown hair with a gray cowboy hat sitting atop, a red and white plaid button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a large gold belt buckle with some ‘s’ emblem that you didn’t recognize, a pair of well worn blue jeans, and soft looking cowboy boots on his feet. To say he was the exact opposite of what you expected to climb out of that vehicle was an understatement and you stood there for a moment stunned.

“Everything alright there, miss?” he called out concernedly over the loud traffic not far from the two of you. You gripped onto the hand ratchet tighter as he stepped closer to you and nodded towards your car. “Do ya need help?” he asked as he stopped a few feet from you. You watched as his eyes darted down to the hand ratchet in your hand and he smiled softly before holding his hands up in faux surrender. “I come in peace, honest. Just saw you blow yer tire and wanted to make sure you were alright.” he tried to ease you.

“I’m alright, I can change it myself.” you reassured him loud enough to be heard over the flow of traffic.

“Ya sure? I don’t mind!” he called out as he gestured to the tire. “Ya can even keep your ratchet while I change it for ya.” he offered and you grimaced softly. You knew it’d probably be quicker for him to change it for you since you’d only done it once before on your own. And not to mention you were running late for your first day at your new job as it was. Nodding your head you moved to the side so that he could change the tire for you.

“I need to make a phone call and let my new boss know that I’m going to be late.” you said as you held up one finger to the cowboy. He nodded as he picked up the spare tire and began rolling it towards the passenger side.

“No worries sweetheart. I’ll start changing the tire while you make the call.” he said easily and you turned to face him while raising your cellphone to your ear. You still didn’t fully trust him so you kept yourself facing him so that you could watch as you pressed the contact number for Mrs. Brew, your new manager.

“Good Morning Statesman distillery this is Mrs. Brew!” came the cheery greeting over the phone.

“Good Morning Mrs. Brew I just wanted to call and let you know that I would be running late. My car got a flat tire while I was on the highway.” you explained regretfully feeling stressed and anxious that this would be a mark against you at your new job.

“Oh no! Are you alright? Do you need us to call a tow truck for ya?” came the worried response from your manager. You were surprised by how kind she was as your eyes focused on the cowboy fixing your tire, it was a far cry from the harsh cold treatment you had grown used to in the city.

“No, there’s a nice cowboy changing my tire for me. He stopped when he saw it blow out on me. Do you mind staying on the line with me until he’s done. I don’t trust him and don’t want to-” you began to explain unsure if she’d stay on the line with you.

“Of course! Smart thinking by the way. You never know with people these days, anyone could mean to do harm.” she said easily and you smiled at knowing she understood you. “By the way what does he look like? And what does he drive?” she asked curiously. You shifted on your feet as you watched the cowboy pull the last lug nut off your bad tire and take the wheel off the car.

“He’s driving a heavy tinted black Aston Martin. He’s tall, brown hair, mustache, unsure about the eye color, red and white plaid button up, blue jeans, a large gold belt buckle with an ‘s’ on it.” you relayed to her easily as your eyes danced over the man knelt down next to your car. You watched silently as he easily changed your tire as if it was no effort for him at all.

“Oh good description. Is he almost done with the tire dear?” asked Mrs. Brew on the line. Just as she finished asking her question the cowboy cheered loudly after tightening the last lug nut on the spare tire.

“Yes he just finished.” you replied amused at his actions. Mrs. Brew laughed softly in your ear as she heard him in the background.

“Sounds like it.” Mrs. Brew said softly and fondly. “I’ll stay on the phone with you until you get back in your car ok?” she reassured you and you hummed softly in response as the cowboy walked up to you holding the blown out tire. You quickly moved to your trunk once more and let the cowboy set the tire in there for you.

“Thank you very much for helping me. I really appreciate it. It’d probably take me much longer to change it.” you said in thanks to him as you walked behind him and went to grab the tools and the jack to put back in the trunk.

“No worries sweetheart! I can now tell work that I already got my workout this morning.” he said with a wink sent your way which made your breath catch in your throat. “Are you alright to get to work now?” he asked concerned and you nodded your head at him after placing the jack in the trunk and he moved forward to grab the tools from you to help set them in the trunk for you.

“Yeah I think I should be good. Thank you again.” you said to him with a pleasant but still distant tone. You smiled softly at him trying to be kind but still not trusting him. You couldn’t help it, after growing up in the city you knew that you had to take care of yourself and there were some out there that wanted to hurt anyone they deemed lower than themselves. There was always going to be a slight sense of paranoia in you because of where you had grown up. You liked to think that it made you smart and cautious. “Anyway, thank you again. I really appreciate it.” you said and waved at him as you began walking to the driver’s side door.

“Don’t forget to get a new tire. If you work in this area you can go to Dixon’s Repair Shop and tell them Jack Daniels sent you, they’ll give you a good discount.” the cowboy said and you turned to him with a furrowed brow.

“Your name is Jack Daniels? As in the whiskey?” you asked confused as you set a hand on the side of your car. The cowboy looked down at the ground as he scuffed his boot against the asphalt and nodded his head before looking up to you. “Huh, well it was a pleasure Jack Daniels. I hope you have a good day.” you said with a soft tilt to your lips and turned back to open your driver’s side door. Slipping into your car you breathed out softly and shook your head at the notion that the man shared a namesake with the whiskey company.

“You alright sweetheart?” came Mrs. Brew’s voice in your ear and you jolted, having forgotten that she was still on the line.

“Yes! I’m so sorry. I’m back in my car now. I'll be in to work shortly.” you said quickly as you buckled yourself in the seat and started the car.

“Get here safely I’ll see you when you get here.” Mrs. Brew answered and you easily hung up the phone as a loud car horn beeps at you and you waved at the Aston Martin as it pulled back into the flow of traffic. You turned your phone onto the map app that you used and plugged in the address to the distillery that you would be working at from now on. Seeing that you were only ten minutes away you sighed gratefully and pulled back into traffic following the route as your mind turned back to the kind cowboy who had fixed your tire for you this morning. Maybe you’d take his word and find Dixon’s Repair Shop and get a new tire. Smiling softly you shook your head setting the cowboy out of your head as you traveled to your new job.

*-*-*-*

“Brew to Whiskey, ya copy?” came the sweet sounding voice of someone Jack knew very well. Smiling at the radio in the car he tapped the console and brought up the secured line she had started.

“Whiskey here.” he responded easily and waited for her to relay her message.

“Did you just fix a young woman’s tire on the highway?” came her question and Jack furrowed his eyebrows at the console wondering how that woman knew what he had just done. His mind easily flashes back to the pretty cautious woman standing on the side of the highway gripping a ratchet tightly in her hand for protection. He grinned softly at her memory in amusement.

“How’d ya know that?” he asked in a gravelly drawl.

“I have my ways. You’ll be seeing more of her soon enough so be nice.” Mrs. Brew warned him and Jack scoffed softly.

“I’m always nice.” he snipped out and she laughed amused over the line before the line went dead. Jack shook his head as he focused on his route to work before smiling brightly at the thought that he’d get to see the wary woman again. She’d certainly brighten up his day and make things interesting now.

#my writing #agent whiskey x ofc #agent whiskey #kingsman the golden circle

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d0llhousess · 4 years ago

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⇢ fandom: daiya no ace ⇢ pairing: miyuki kazuya x f!reader ⇢ genre: angst ⇢ warning/tags: exes to friends to lovers, so much angst it’s ridiculous, angst w/ hopeful ending, mild language, pining, coffeeshop!au basically, pro player!miyuki

⇢ summary: you met him at the wrong time of your life, yet fate has awarded you a second chance to fall in love with him once again. ⇢ word count: approx. 3k

⇢ a/n: let me tell you, being hit with a massive wave of insecurity about your writing through the week you post the most is not fun but like yooo here we are. This is Day 3, and I hope you enjoy it! I’m not too happy with how this came out, but I do hope it reads well for you guys.

⤆ Back to Week of Fic’s Masterlist

It’s hard to recall the moment you first fell in love with Miyuki Kazuya.

You were young, in your teens, navigating through highschool in the best way possible. He was just a mutual friend of yours; someone to just say ‘hey’ to when you spoke to Kuramochi. You couldn’t quite remember what led to the two of you hanging out more and eventually going on a few dates, but you clearly remembered the emotions he elicited from you.

Being with him made all your problems fade to the background, it made you feel, believe, that you were on top of the world. Being in love with Miyuki Kazuya was an experience like no other. Yet, you weren’t his first love. You didn’t hold his heart like he did yours, and eventually the dates faded. He stopped making time for you, and you stopped pushing to be a part of his life. In hindsight, your issues could’ve been resolved with a simple conversation, but both of you were young.

So, instead of soft words explaining how neglected you felt, your feelings exploded into hurtful, sharp phrases that led to the demise of your relationship. Gone were the lingering touches in the hallways, the soft good luck kisses before a game, the playful teasing remarks between the two of you. He’d faded into a stranger, and when the both of you graduated high school, you stopped seeing him all together.

There were nights you would replay your relationship in your mind, you would linger on your regret of never mending the bridge between the two of you, because him leaving your life left a slight hole in your heart. Yet, the loudest part in your brain never failed to remind you that communication was a two way street, and that if he truly loved you, he would’ve fought for your relationship.

But that loud part of your brain didn’t stop you from scrolling though his Instagram feed in the late hours of the night. It didn’t stop you from lingering on the sports article that covered him going pro, and it definitely did not stop you from sinking into a deep funk when news broke of his engagement.

If you were honest, you felt a bit pathetic. You were still hung up on your highschool sweetheart, and he was about to get married.

Honestly, how pitiful could you get?

So, instead of holding onto your dead relationship, you allowed yourself to relive the emotions the relationship elicited out of you. You allowed yourself to come to the terms that while Miyuki was terrible at communication, you were too.

You both were too young, too immature, for the seriousness of your relationship, and that was okay. It was okay that things didn’t work out. Sure, lighting doesn't strike twice in the same place, but you were too young to even realize that lighting had struck. It was okay to have regrets because that’s how life was. It was rare to have the perfect conclusion to, well, anything, and with that realization you were finally able to move on.

As the years passed, you chased your passions. You attended culinary school, and graduated which eventually led to you opening your own local cafe. It wasn’t much, but it was your own warm little abode that you’d built from the ground up. It was a physical representation of your hard work, and you couldn't be more proud of it.

Through those years, you didn’t think much about Miyuki. You didn’t scroll through his feed for updates. When you saw a sport’s article with his name in bold letters, you’d turn away from it. He was a person of your past, and you were content with that. You didn’t need to know how he was doing, what he was up to, because you were over him.

Well you were over him until he walked into your coffee shop.

It was a normal winter day. The city streets have been recently plowed because of frequent snowfall; the air was bitingly cold, yet the warmth of your cafe brought in a decent amount of customers who couldn’t wait to get their daily fix of caffeine or sweet treat.

Your mind had been occupied with getting each customer served, that when you heard the familiar chime of the front door’s bell, you only called out a light greeting, not looking up from the cash register as you logged in the current customer’s order. Yet, when you lifted your head, mouth parting to recite your practiced greeting to the next customer, you felt the words die on your tongue.

Your eyes widened, gaze locking with bright amber eyes that you’d only seen in pictures over the past few years. Your heart speeds up in your chest, and it takes everything in you to still your shaking hands. Never in your life did you expect for him to waltz into your coffee shop, fixing you with that crooked smirk that always seems to make your thoughts stutter.

You blink once, then twice, before you allow a professional smile to spread onto your face.

“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” You greeted, head tilting as you hoped that he didn’t notice the way your brain short circuited just moments before, “What can I get for you, Miyuki?”

“I hope you aren’t saying I aged bad,” He immediately responded, drawing out a soft giggle from you.

You shook your head, denying his claim, because no matter how much you did not want to admit it, he became even more handsome with age. You allowed your gaze to roam over his features as he gazed over the menu that hung above your head.

You noted how he’d grown just a bit taller, how despite years passing he somehow had the same style of black frames that he had in high school, and how his features seemed to be more pronounced. Before you could linger over his face any longer, you quickly snapped your gaze to the digital screen of your cash register, because you could not be caught checking out your high school ex.

“What do you suggest?” You hear him ask, and you lick your lip as you thought about your answer, recalling the seasonal drink options and your usual menu.

“Well, what are you in the mood for?” You eventually respond, turning your gaze back to the man on the other side of the counter, “If you’re feeling festive we have an array of cinnamon or ginger based drinks, yet if you’re a fan of more simple drinks, we have your basic cappuccinos and lattes.”

Shifting your stance, you watch as he mulls over your response, eyes still firmly locked on the menu before he waved his hand in an indifferent manner.

“Just make me your favorite drink.”

You nod, immediately logging in the order, refusing to allow yourself to think too deeply about the request. He was just here to get coffee. He was just another customer. He was just Miyuki.

After you told him the total and he paid, you began to work on his drink. You ignored the way he seemed to watch you buzz around behind the counter. You refused to glance at him again. No, you solely focused on the task at hand.

Once you finished his order, you handed it to him over the counter, ignoring the slight sting of electricity that shot up your arm as your fingers brushed against each other. You watched as he brought the cup to his lips before taking a small sip of the drink, eyes fluttering shut briefly before they met your gaze once again.

“Oh this is good,” He mummers, and you open your mouth to explain what's in the drink, yet he holds up his hand to stop you.

“I don’t need to know what’s in it.” He explains, causing your brows to furrow in confusion.

“But how will you order it again if you don’t know what it is?”

Miyuki is quiet for a moment, bright eyes roaming over your face as he leans against the counter, “How often are your shifts here?”

You blink at the question, a bit confused at what he was getting at, “Uh, I’m here nearly everyday.”

The smirk that spreads onto Miyuki’s full lips and it lets know that you’d fallen for something, yet you’re still unsure of exactly what that something is.

“Perfect, then you’ll just have to take my order every time I come, right?” He chirps, taking another sip from his coffee cup.

“Um,” You begin to say, but before a full sentence leaves your lips, he’s already bidding you goodbye, leaving just as fast as he came.

Throughout the rest of your workday, you’re plagued with thoughts about Miyuki and why on earth did he come to your cafe. Fuck, how did he even find out about your cafe. You attempted to push the thoughts away from your mind, yet they still plagued you even after you’d closed.

The next day, Miyuki comes into your coffee shop again, but this time he lingers.

It was a slower day for the cafe; your usual morning rush wasn’t that heavy so you knew who he was the moment the bell chime rang through the nearly empty coffee shop. Immediately, you began to go through the process of making his drink, handing it to him as you began to ring him up.

“Slow day, innit?” He commented, and a small smile played onto your lips.

“Yeah, but that gives me more time to do other things besides just making drinks,” You responded before telling him the price of his drink.

He handed you the exact amount of money you’d said, causing your brows to raise in slight surprise, but you don’t comment on it. Instead of leaving right after he received his coffee, he remained in your cafe, eyes lingering on your form as you cleaned up your work space.

He asked you questions, seemingly catching up with all of the things he missed in the years you’d grown apart, and fuck did this puzzle you. Why on earth did Miyuki just randomly breeze back into your life? Why was he behaving as if the last conversation the two of you held didn’t end in scathing words and tears?

You wanted to ask him this, to demand answers on how he learned about your little cafe, but you didn’t, you couldn’t. You were afraid of the answers to those questions, and seeing him again, even for a few minutes, brought a sense of peace in your life.

When you gazed into his amber eyes, you felt as if it was the very first time you’d seen him all those years ago. You’d missed the banter he brought, you missed his jeering, you missed him. You wished you could press rewind on the clock, to go back to the very moment of your relationship’s demise, yet you couldn’t.

Besides, you were getting ahead of yourself. To him, you were sure he just viewed this as catching up with an old classmate. He was happily engaged, and just engaging in a purely friendly conversation. At least, you thought he was engaged until he informed you that he’d broken off the engagement nearly a year ago. You don’t have much time to respond to him after this confession, because he’s wishing you a goodbye.

Yet, just like the day before, your thoughts are riddled with him.

You can’t help the bubble of curiosity in your chest. Did he seek you out for a sense of familiarity after a failed engagement? Was it purely chance that he’d walked into your cafe? You didn’t know, and frankly you were slightly afraid of the answer, but you knew that you needed to ask him these questions.

It takes weeks for you to build up the courage to ask him the questions that swarmed in your mind the moment he left your eyesight.

Sure, he still came to your cafe, ordering the same thing nearly everyday, engaging you in light conversation topics that filled in the gaps of the years you’d miss of his life. He told you about university, about the pro league, about how he was in general. Yet, his engagement was never brought up.

He’d ask you about your life, and you’d found yourself telling him about it rather candidly. You told him about the slight funk you fell into after graduation (of course you didn’t tell him the reason for the funk), about culinary school, about opening the cafe.

The unspoken questions linger in the air between the two of you, and though you find yourself tentatively growing closer to the man that visited your coffee shop nearly everyday, there was something actively holding you back from him.

So, when he walked through the door of your cafe after nearly a month of being your number one customer, you decided that this is the day that you’d ask the questions that’d been causing you to keep him at arm's length. You fall into the routine of fixing his drink, and as you hand it to him, instead of giving him your usual playful greeting, a question falls from your lips in a jumbled up mess.

“How on earth did you find out about my cafe?”

Miyuki’s gaze widens behind those black frames, and his usual smirk is dropped from his face. The pair of you look at eachother, minds filling with unspoken words, and the nearly empty cafe is so quiet that you’re sure he can hear your heart hammering away in your chest.

“How about we talk about this after you close?” He offers, and you nod as he paid for his coffee (the exact amount of cash like always), and bid you farewell.

The rest of your day is spent in an anxiety induced haze, until you’re flipping the open sign closed. Nursing a cup of your favorite warm beverage, you wait for Miyuki at one of your window seats and a mere five minutes pass before he’s walking into the cafe, discarding his snow littered coat. He sits beside you, thanking you for the drink you’d prepared for him as well.

The two of you are quiet, unsure where to start. Years of tension hang in the air, and you can feel your leg begin to bounce out of sheer nervousness. You hear Miyuki chuckle softly and your eyes shift to his grinning face. You raise a singular brow in question, and he shakes his head.

“It’s just funny how you still do that,” He comments, and you then halt your bouncing leg, soft laughter breezing through the warm air of the cafe.

“You know what they say,” You responded, facing him fully with a soft smile, “Old habits die hard.”

Miyuki’s grin melts into a smile that mirrors your own, and just a bit of the tension dissipates. You open your mouth to apologize for the rather random question that led the both of you to your current position, yet before you can even utter a word, he begins to tell you about the events that led him to your cafe.

He told you about how devastated your breakup left him, about how you broke his heart, about how he knew he broke your heart as well. He tells you about how thoughts of you plagued his mind all throughout your time apart, about how he yearned for a simple “do over.” Then, he begins to tell you about his engagement. A part of you wants to tell him to stop, because you don’t want to hear about the man you’d loved for years falling in love with another person.

Yet, you allow him to continue because he needs to get this off his chest, and you need to hear it.

You listen to him as he recounts the engagement, at how the relationship deteriorated into something toxic simply because he refused to let go of his love for you. Your hands began to shake around your coffee mug as you listened to him admit that the reason called off his engagement was because of you.

You nearly begin to cry.

You don’t know what to think, what to say.

A part of you wants to throw your arms around him, to weep into his chest about how much you missed him, but another part needs him to finish recounting his tale. So you anchor yourself to your seat, encouraging him to continue.

Finally, he tells you about how he heard about your little cafe. He tells you about how Kuramochi mentioned it in mere passing when they were catching up, and about how he couldn’t resist seeing you again. By now, your heart is beating so heavily in your chest, that it’s nearly hard to breathe.

Here he was laying his heart out bare for you to judge, to even reject. He wasn’t the boy that you’d turned your back on all those years ago. He didn’t brush off your questions with jokes, no, he answered them truthfully.

He was being vulnerable with you, and never in a million years would you have expected Miyuki Kazuya to approach you with his heart in his hands. You exhale shakily, hands removing themselves from your now cool mug, before you placed a soft hand over his larger one.

“Kazuya,” You breathed out, facing him fully, if he could bare his heart to you, then you could do the same, “I never stopped loving you.” Your confession fills the air between the two of you, and your hand squeezes his closed fist that rested on top of the table.

“Even after all these years, Kazuya,” You whispered to him,“I’m still in love with you.”

A mere second passes before his lips are on yours, and the same electricity you felt clap through your body from your very first kiss with him, strikes through you. Goosebumps littered your forearms as you melted into his embrace, pressing your body even more closer to his.

Apparently, lighting did strike in the same place twice.

#dayia no ace #dayia no ace x reader #diamond no ace #diamond no ace x reader #miyuki kazuya #miyuki kazuya x reader #one shots #nghts week of fics

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krreader · 4 years ago

Text

final opportunity.

pairing: kim taehyung x reader fandom: bts warnings: language genre: angst ; fluff word count: 2.2k+

summary: there had been countless of opportunities for him and you, but you missed them over and over again. now, will be your final one before you and him truly had no future anymore.

a/n: I think I re-wrote this like ten times because I had too many ideas on how to begin this, but I’m really happy with how it turned out now. I hope you guys like it too!!!!

You shouldn't feel this way.

If your best friend tells you that he plans on proposing to his girlfriend, you should feel excited and over the moon for him, not like he had just stabbed your heart with a knife.

So why was that? Why did you feel that way after countless of years of friendship?

Was it that kiss that you had shared when you were teenagers because you wanted to 'practice' for future partners? Was it that first night that you had spent together because neither of you 'trusted anyone else with it'? Or maybe it was that drunk confession that he had made five years ago as you were dating someone else, that confession that you had shrugged off as drunk behavior and he had never brought up again, only shortly after finding his own partner, whereas you broke off your relationship only two months later.

Which of these moments had made you think that maybe, one day, you would be more than his best friend?

“(Y/N)? Did you... hear what I said?” Taehyung's hand on your shoulder made you snap out of it, looking up into his eyes.

“Yes,” you nodded, taking a deep breath, then you gently pushed off his hand, but you still forced yourself to smile, “That's great news, Tae.”

“Are.. you sure? You don't seem to be so happy.”

And you hated yourself for that. A true friend would not think so selfishly, but yet here you were..

“I'm happy,” you lied, “I'm so happy for you,” and so that he wouldn't see straight through the lie, you simply pulled him into an embrace and hid the tears that welled up in your eyes.

You could feel him tighten his arms around you, letting out a sigh.

“It's a big step,” he whispered, “I hope it's the right one.”

It sounded like he was unsure about it himself, but despite your wants, you didn't want to say anything that day. If this was the path that he wanted to choose, then who were you to deny him his happiness? You'd rather get your heart broken than break his by ruining what you had now.

Normally, if your best friend told you that he'd get married, that'd be the only topic to be discussed that night. But both of you seemed to silently agree that you weren't ready to fully talk about it yet. That should have been another red flag for you, that Taehyung wasn't doing this for the right reasons, but you didn't have it in you to talk about it, not now.

And so you talked about everything and anything, but not about his upcoming proposal.

And even after he left, the days that followed after that night, you two barely exchanged ten messages in total.

You, because you couldn't. Every time you so much as thought about him, you ended up sobbing about a future that could have been if you have had the guts to tell him about your feelings. But now you were too late and he had found someone else.

Him, because he didn't know what to say. That he had doubts? That he wished things had gone differently with you? No. He couldn't do that, he wasn't the type of man to do that while he was still with someone else, he had too much respect for his partner.

And so weeks went by and eventually, you stopped talking completely.

Your feelings had ultimately destroyed your friendship after all, without you even confessing to him.

At that point, you were actually sure that he had already gone through with it and the more you thought about it, the more miserable you became.

That is until you got a phone call.

“(Y/N)?”

“Huh?” the voice of Taehyung's mother made you sit up in bed, “Are you okay? Is Taehyung okay?!”

She let out a snort, “You young kids really are going to be the death of me. I never understood why he just couldn't tell you what he felt when he was a teenager.”

She had always been very involved with the two of you, the typical 'You two would make a good couple' or 'I know you'll get married eventually' things that mothers liked to say. But as far as you knew, she actually really liked Taehyung's new girlfriend.

“We're not teenagers anymore, though.”

“I doubt that very much, sometimes,” she lowered her voice at the thing she was about to say next, “Listen to me. You don't have a lot of time, so I'm going to make this quick. Two days ago, Taehyung came by and told us about his plan for the proposal. We... gave him our blessing, but he talked to me in private afterwards. He told me about his doubts. That he is afraid that he's making a mistake.”

“He's not making a mistake, he found a woman that he loves.”

“Yes, but not a woman that he is IN love with. That role belongs to someone else and has for years and you know it, (Y/N),” she let out a heavy sigh, “Both of you have always come up with excuses, that you were simply friends with a strong bond, but you and I know that there is much more to it than that. I told him that if he had doubts, he shouldn't do it, that he should be honest with himself and be with the woman that he truly wants to be with.”

You pushed the blankets aside, beginning to nimble on your lower lip as you walked over to the window, “What... did he say?”

“He said that there is no use. That when he confessed to you years ago, you didn't seem to feel the same way.”

“He remembers that? He was so drunk.”

“He wasn't. He pretended like he was, because he felt like you had rejected him and to save your friendship, he had to come up with an excuse.”

And because you were a little tipsy yourself, you didn't even realize that he was lying all along.

Fuck.

“Oh god,” you crouched down, the earth around you suddenly spinning and turning.

“I love my son more than I can say, (Y/N), and I want him to be happy for the rest of his life. And I know that if he's about to go through with that proposal, he won't be.”

“But what am I supposed to do now? It's too late!”

“I'll text you the address. He plans on proposing there in two hours. If you hurry, you can still make it in time and tell him what you feel for him... you can still show him that you want him too.”

And the moment her text came in, you grabbed your keys and wallet and started running.

It was too far away to take public transportation and you most certainly couldn't go there on foot, so you jumped into the nearest taxi and begged the driver to go as fast as he could.

So many things were running through your mind that it was hard to pinpoint an exact emotion you were feeling in that moment.

You just hoped that his mother hadn't read too much into it and that he really felt the same for you that you felt for him.

At the same time, guilt was eating you up alive that you were about to ruin the chance for his girlfriend to marry him, but... if he didn't love her, truly love her... then she didn't deserve that anyways.

It took nearly an hour until you finally made it to the hotel, sprinting into the lobby and checking your phone once again, rereading the message that his mother had sent you.

“He plans to do it on the rooftop.”

And so instead of taking the elevator, you sprinted up the flights of stairs, the adrenaline that was pumping through your veins being the sole reason you even made it up there, completely out of breath when you finally made it to the top and pushed the doors open.

And there he was, turning around in surprise, as countless of rose petals were surrounding him, as well as multiple lit candles, the approaching sunset in the back making this truly the most romantic proposal anyone could wish for.

And once again, you hesitated.

“(Y/N)? What are you doing here?!” his eyes were wide.

“I...-” you had practiced what you had wanted to say in the car, but now that you were looking at him, none of those words seemed to be the right ones.

He waited for a few moments, his chest heaving heavily like he was anxious about what would come out of your mouth, but when you didn't respond, he finally let out a sigh and shook his head, “You should leave. She's about to be here any moment now.”

“No, wait,” you took a deep breath, then you took a few steps forward until you were right in front of him, “I should have said what I'm about to say years ago and I am so fucking sorry that I'm only doing this now, Tae.”

And as if he knew, he immediately shook his head, “Don't... please don't.”

“I love you, Kim Taehyung,” but you said it with a smile, despite the tear that rolled out of your eye, because it felt so good to finally be honest with yourself, “I have ever since I was 16, but I never thought that you could ever feel the same way for me, despite the kiss, despite... everything else. When you told me you loved me that night and I laughed it off, I thought you were drunk, because you knew that I was dating someone, so why would you do that? Why would you tell me that you loved me, when you knew that I was with someone else?” you let out a snort, “Yet here I am... doing the exact same thing. How the tables have turned...”

His eyes were so sad when he looked at you that it almost broke your spirit right there, “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I'm hoping that you might still feel the same way for me. Because if you do, then... then I don't want you to do this. It wouldn't be right.”

And the longer it took him to reply, the more your shoulders slumped.

Eventually, he closed his eyes, his head falling forward as he rubbed his temples with his fingers.

“I think you should go.”

And see, that wasn't what you had expected, but should have. Just because you asked him to, didn't mean that he would drop everything for you. You had took too much time and now it was too late.

You were about to lose him and could do nothing but watch.

The love of your life, slipping through your fingers like sand.

“But..-”

“Please, (Y/N). Go,” he looked back up into your eyes, “Please go.”

Your mouth opened and closed again and again, tears now streaming out of your eyes as the realization hit you that you were too late.

There was nothing left to do.

You had tried.. but he had made his decision, rightfully so, and now you had to accept that.

You had no other choice but to do.

And so you turned around and reached for the handle of the door. The last thing you said to him, that you thought would be the last thing you'd ever say to him was: “I hope you find happiness, Taehyung. Truly,” and then you left.

You wandered around the city for hours on end, not quite ready yet to drive back.

Eventually you found a quiet spot at a beach and sat down at a lonely bench, your eyes falling on the hotel that your best friend, the love of your life, was currently proposing to his girlfriend.

You didn't remember how long you sat there and stared at the building, you didn't remember how many tears landed on your pants and stained them and you didn't remember your way back home from how hard it was to see through all the pain.

Life had to go on, but for the first day and the following, it didn't.

It was as if it just... stopped.

His last words still ringing in your ears, his expression branded into your mind and every time you closed your eyes, you saw him looking at you like that.

But you didn’t want to remember him, or your time spent together, with this image as the main picture. You wanted to remember the cheerful boy that had brought you so much happiness in the last years... not the heartbreak.

You fell into a huge hole that nobody was able to pull you out of but yourself.

And one other person.

When the doorbell rang, you thought it was the delivery guy that you had ordered from twenty minutes ago, but when you opened the door, you were surprised and shocked to see the one that you were sure you'd never see again.

Your eyes widened, “What... are you doing here?”

He looked as anxious as he had the night when you had surprised him. But with one deep breath, he took all the courage he had to say the things he needed to say to you.

“I broke it off. That night... at the rooftop... after you left, I cleaned everything up and I... broke up with her,” Taehyung gulped down hard, “When you told me you loved me, I was happy, you know? And I felt so guilty for feeling that way, when I was about to ask someone else to marry me. I asked you to leave, because of that guilt, because I thought that if you just left, it would be easier. But then I started to think about the future and no matter how hard I tried, there was only one woman in my future and it... just wasn't her. It has never been her.”

You had started crying halfway through, “Why now? Why not sooner?”

“I took some time to think, to really be sure. And I am, (Y/N). I am so sure,” he shed a few tears himself when he cupped your face, “It's you... and it always has been.”

And then all you two could do was hold each other while crying into the embrace of the other.

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