#and for another i can only ever get one person to talk to me consistently at once

[unhinged-domestic-raccoon]

Miraculous Rewatch Where I Overanalyze Everything: Stormy Weather

Hoo boy, this one's a doozy! I almost hit the image limit! Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe this was the first episode produced, so some of the things I'm gonna talk about are gonna be early installment weirdness.

To start off, with: Alya is so good with kids and it's precious and amazing and adorable! This is one of my little fanfic note things, since I'm planning on doing a KittyBella AU, where Alya and her relationship with her family is going to be a major plot point. She is just so able to understand Manon and so caring with her, but still respects her (not just letting her win the clapping game for example). I wish this came up more in fanfic. If you have Rena Rouge on the team, I feel like she should be the best member at dealing with kids and the first to think of them and comfort them during a crisis situation. Like, to the degree that it's shocking to their teammates.

Continued under the cut:

Even though Alya is great with kids, Manon is so very attached to Marinette and I think that's so sweet, but I also wonder why that is. I mean, the obvious reason is that kids are clingy and don't like strangers and Marinette is her regular babysitter, but I do also think Manon likes how indulgent Marinette is with her. The whole "I can't say no to the babydoll eyes" thing is probably a big deal for Manon, who doesn't get a whole lot of attention from her very busy single mother. Just food for thought.

Alright everybody, place your bets now! Does Gabriel own Kidz+ and did he hire Alec specifically for this purpose? Is he actively encouraging Alec to lean into the cruel TV personality? Or is he just taking advantage of a rude person? Either way, I think that if you want to establish a proper rogues gallery for Miraculous that has more recurring baddies, Alec and Bob Roth are both great places to start. They'd absolutely willingly work with a supervillain, and I can totally see them getting akumatized multiple times.

Holy horror movie vibes Batman! This looks like something straight out of Arachnophobia! The score doesn't help at all, it's got the classic *reet reet reet* slasher violins! And the way that her umbrella doesn't turn black right away like it does in later episodes and instead slowly seeps with it! The flickering lights in the elevator that have NO explanation for happening without Gabe's influence somehow? The experience of getting akumatized was WAY scarier in this first episode, and I honestly wish they kept that vibe. It makes Hawkmoth seem a lot more threatening and a lot less silly.

This whole first season actually consists of Mothman (no I will not stop on the derogatory nicknames for Gabe) being way more outright villainous. Especially in this episode, he has extremely creepy undertones from his obsession with actual children. I'm positive this is because we didn't know he was Adrien's dad yet, so he didn't have to come off as sympathetic ever. He could just be evil. I do a love a good sympathetic and redeemable Gabe who's only doing this out of extreme grief (that's NOT what we got in the season 5 finale btw, that was just nonsense), but MAN if season 1 doesn't make me yearn for an uncomplicated Disney Renaissance Villain version of him.

Hey, why does Stormy Weather SERVE so hard?! She is doing a full on catwalk strut in this scene! This is why Aurore needs to be a more prominent background/recurring character. I know she's akumatized, but that is just SO MUCH personality! Let her be an unhinged theatre kid in more scenes please!

I do love that even when Marinette is being brave and heroic as a civilian, she does NOT have the enhanced physical capability of the Miraculous. She's not being at all clumsy in this scene, she's showing her inner Ladybug! But she also can't just jump the bench, she has to climb over it by straddling it like the rest of us regular schmucks.

Time for another Plagg highlight! I actually forgot about this running gag/character trait in season 1. Plagg is extremely lazy and never actually wants to transform. He's always either hiding or complaining when Adrien needs him. It's something that kind of disappeared with seasonal decay as the series got more complicated, which is a real shame. Not only is it funny every time, but it's also kind of important if you're going to let Plagg fulfill his TRUE role of being Adrien's mentor. Adrien already knows how to work hard and sacrifice for those he loves. He does it every day. Plagg encouraging him to be selifsh and lazy is HEALTHY for him.

Can we talk about the power level in this yo-yo? Both times, it didn't even have that much force---it just kinda accidentally fell and bopped the heroes on the head. But it's still a magical weapon, so obviously it hurts extremely bad. I'm gonna start keeping track of if civilians ever get hit with this, because I'm almost positive they do, and that's GOT to be a bigger deal than the show makes of it.

Also, we need to talk about how, even with the physical enhancements, Marinette isn't always the best at controlling her yo-yo. Before I started this rewatch, one of the things that frustrated me was that Marinette, a walking disaster in her regular life, suddenly becomes extremely physically competent as Ladybug. But I'm starting to realize that's not true. She actually struggles a lot more than Adrien does. Even in the sound design, Marinette tends to have more effort grunts when they're doing acrobatics than Adrien does. We'll get to another example in a moment!

Another stealthy hello from our favorite cat boy! He fully just climbed that fence without making a single sound! LET HIM BE SNEAKY AND CREEPY! I am BEGGING ya'll!

I'm gonna highlight these moments here to say that, for all Marinette gets annoyed with Chat's flirting (image 3), she flirts back plenty too. I didn't quite capture it in that second screenshot, but she *winks* at him when she says she'd rather he stick to the catsuit (instead of a swimsuit). During the fandom's Salt Fic Era, one of the things the salters targeted was that Chat is supposedly constantly pressuring Ladybug into a relationship even though she continually rejects him. But the joking flirting and teasing was honestly just a part of their dynamic for a long time. It just occasionally gets awkward because Chat is genuine about it while LB isn't (also LB tends to ease off when they're in the middle of serious moments while Chat continues to be goofy to lighten the mood, which irritates her and is something they should both probably work on).

I've seen a lot of discussion about whether this whole weather girl competition was rigged or not. The evidence used tends to be that Mirielle winning by half a million votes is actually bonkers and highly unlikely, and that there only seems to be merch for her and none for Aurore. While it's a fine theory, I'm not sure that second point holds water. All the Mirielle balloons and banners we see are being sold after the competition, and there are figures of Aurore around too, so it's plenty likely they just kept Aurore's merch boxed up. Also, both their faces are on this bus that she throws at the heroes:

In general, we gotta talk about how Aurore is an akuma who's fighting skills and murderous rage go really hard for someone who's supposedly just an average teen. Like, I think this is worse than the general upgrade in bloodthirstiness that comes from akumatization. It makes me wonder about what kind of issues she has in her personal life. Because even if she is just generally kind of angry and violent and there's no other reason, that's gotta make her a pain to be around.

Welcome to my personal hell where I attempt to figure out the timeline of these episodes! Stormy says that she's giving the summer forecast and canceling summer vacation in this episode, which implies to me that it's towards the end of the school year. But if we're to believe that all the episodes take place within a single year (which I've heard is canon but that I have no source for), then that can't be right because other important stuff happens after this. And it can't be during the summer vacation before the school year because it has to take place after Origins. I'm gonna go ahead and do as most of the fandom does and call BS on the "this all happens in one school year" thing. French school starts in September and ends in June or July, so I'm gonna say this episode happens sometime in May, which means it chronologically takes place after both the Bubbler and Mr. Pigeon. I'm also going to guess that Mr. Pigeon takes place after the Bubbler.

By the way, shoutout to these poor firemen who keep valiantly attempting to cut Alya and Manon free from their ice cube! I like when the civilians aren't just useless targets to get hit by the akuma and are actually attempting to help and keep themselves and everyone around them safe.

EEEEEWWW why is his voice clip for using cataclysm different in this episode? I mean, it's probably the same in French, but my guess is that they redubbed the English clip after this episode, because it sounds like he was going to say another word here and then got cut off (also he just sounds better in French anyway).

Chat Noir is so cool you guys. This is what I meant when I said that Marinette tends to struggle with the physical side of heroism in a way that Adrien doesn't, because he is more physically inclined than she is. Chat is capable of effortlessly dodging around all of Stormy's rapid-fire shots and doing complex acrobatics to cataclysm the billboard. It's just extremely impressive. This rewatch is making me remember how much I love most of the fight scenes! They're just so cool!

Here we see an extremely rare instance of Tikki encouraging Marinette to shirk her responsibilities in exchange for fun! She says Mari has totally earned the treat after saving the whole city, which I think is at odds with later seasons Tikki who tends to big on personal suffering for the greater good. Gonna have to see if this is a one-off, a case of seasonal change in character, or if I'm misremembering the later seasons.

That photographer is absolutely correct in adding Manon to the scene. I would be absolutely cooing over a magazine cover that had a teen model posing with an adorable little girl. I would not give a darn if it was a teenage model with a teenage girl. Sorry Marinette, the professional knows his stuff.

[bluebellhairpin]

I think im cursed to only have one friend at a time. I'd love to be part of a friend group, but I never fail to feel like an outsider.

[inkedbybarnes]

unclear

bucky barnes x fem!reader

summary: everyone thinks you're dating bucky, except yourself.

word count: 2.4k

warnings: 18+ minors dni. miscommunication (i love this trope, sue me), angst with a happy fluffy ending, quite stubborn reader, implied smut if you squint, usage of petnames such as baby and doll. lowercase for basically everything.

i haven't finished anything in decades, but i suddenly had an idea just now and decided to write it down. surprisingly, i finished it? might have a lot of mistakes and such since i haven't proofread it yet. also, sorry for using lowercase for this, i kinda like how it looks. hope you enjoy this one!

dividers by @cafekitsune!

comments, reblogs, and likes are highly appreciated. thank you! ♡

“you're confusing me. so... you're not dating bucky?”

wanda tilted her head, confusion etched on her face as you spent your weekly girl's night with natasha. it usually consisted of eating food you all desired, drinking until you got wasted, and spilling secrets to one another.

although tonight, you weren't sure if you had any secrets to spill.

"as far as i know, no. we're just friends, teammates. nothing else," you answered with a heavy sigh. "can we talk about something else?"

"hold your horses, young lady! we are not skipping this topic again. you obviously want a label but he isn't giving you one!" wanda protested. she has been constantly asking about you and bucky's relationship for the past weeks, and you always had the same answer. you don't know.

"have you never talked about it with bucky? he looks at you like you'd get lost if he looks away for a second. not a single soul in the tower would think that you're just friends," natasha interjected, taking another sip from the bottle of beer she held. she had a point, as always. "if he's just playing with you, which i highly doubt for barnes, then just end whatever that is. you deserve better than having doubts and confusion, babe."

you've tried asking him multiple times, but every attempt felt like you were stepping on his boundaries. after years of being controlled by hydra, you knew it was possible that he'd hate the feeling of being rushed and entering a relationship that could potentially feel like a cage to him.

but natasha was right. your "relationship" was no longer anything friendly. he sleeps in your bed, claiming he slept better in it, and wakes up beside you to shower you with kisses. none of you even tried to hide it after some time. you always cooked your meals and ate them together, casually feeding one another and stealing kisses in between. you even stopped going on dates and you had no idea if you were exclusive. you deserved to know what your relationship with bucky was, but you were too scared to lose everything once you asked.

"we're not dating. i only see him as a friend, so you can both stop worrying about me." you lied through your teeth, your chest aching as you realised how stupid this was. you sighed and faked a smile, shifting the attention to natasha. "so, tell me about your date with steve! how was the first ever date of captain america since the 40s?"

wanda was distracted by the question, immediately bombarding the now blushing widow with questions. on the other hand, your mind flew away for a minute, finally deciding to get an answer from bucky.

the annual ball that tony stark held for, well, nearly anyone, was nearing. you only had two weeks left, and you haven't even gone out to find something to wear. it was hard to find any motivation to do all that effort when the person you've been waiting to ask you as his date hasn't asked you yet.

although, bucky had a tendency to get shy and hold back. you knew that. so here you were, standing behind the doors to the gym, knowing that bucky would be training at this hour. you still haven't asked him the question you were supposed to ask him, so you decided to do it all at once.

after you've finished your small pep talk, you opened the door to enter the room and your first instinct was to search for bucky.

considering that he was a huge chunk of a man, he was easy to find. however, the sight of him standing in front of a woman that was too close for your comfort wasn't delightful.

he didn't see you entering the room since he was facing the opposite direction, conversing with the agent that happened to be training as well. she had the sweetest and flirtiest smile on her face, bringing her hand up to his arm, slowly caressing it. you didn't mean to easily hear their conversation as you walked closer.

"so, do you happen to have someone for me to have as a date for the ball? i don't want to be lonely on that night, sergeant," the agent said with an extra pout, swaying her hips side to side like a child asking for candy.

"oh, yeah? i think i have someone for you," bucky replied, breaking your heart into pieces with how enthusiastic he was with his answer. "i'm sure you'll—"

you sniffed. unconsciously. not knowing that your tears were already falling, causing your nose to get stuffy. how pathetic, you thought.

your little sniff caught the attention of both the agent and bucky, looking at you in shock. although, the girl was more pleasantly surprised than the opposite. thankfully, you already had your tears wiped before they could see them.

"oh, we didn't see you there!" she greeted you with your name. "we were just talking about our date for this year's ball. who are you bringing?"

"i haven't decided yet, no one's worth it even if i try," you answered bitterly. "so you're going together?"

before bucky could answer, the agent already had her arm wrapped around his, happily smiling at your question. "yeah! amazing, right? i actually thought you two had a thing, but i guess not. glad things worked out in the end."

and that was your last straw. "well, enjoy yourselves. i have to go and find natasha."

you turned to leave, ignoring the loud calls of bucky. you were glad that you never asked him about your relationship and the ball. you were going to be hurt either way.

you spent the next hours stuck in your room, body covered with a thick sheet as you ranted about your frustrations to friday.

it was silly, you knew that, but you refused to call natasha and wanda to remind you of your stupidity and decided to let an ai robot listen to your problems instead.

"and he even flirted back! answering coyly like a teenager. he's 107 years old, fri!" you whined, not noticing the new nickname you've given the alternative intelligence. "ugh, now i have a broken heart and no date in sight. how did it get to this?"

"perhaps you must discuss this matter with sergeant barnes first. your conversation ended quite abruptly with no clear conclusion."

"no, i don't want the truth rubbed on my face," you said, grabbing another piece of tissue to sneeze in. "you restricted him from entering my room, right?"

friday answered with a yes, then you thanked her for listening and decided to get some sleep after tirelessly crying for hours. you knew you had a team meeting with the avengers in a bit, but you couldn't bring yourself to even walk a few steps.

your sleep ended and you were woken up with friday's reminder that it was time for dinner with the team.

with a groan, you pushed yourself off your bed. bucky would be there, but you were too hungry to care. it would be awkward, of course, but you had to face him at some point anyway.

your feet padded towards the door, opening it after trying your hair in a bun.

"ah, fuck."

you jumped at the voice and the body falling to the floor as you opened the door.

"bucky?" you asked, still in shock. "were you sleeping outside of my room?"

you watched bucky stand up, his hand massaging his aching nape as he looked for your eyes. "friday won't let me in. i waited outside instead. i guess i fell asleep during that," he explained, a frown forming on his face. "did you restrict me from entering our room?"

your eyes widened at his choice of words. our room. he considered your room to be his room as well. while that would've made you melt in an instant, you were still hurt to entertain that possibility.

"this is my room, barnes. not yours, not ours. and yes, i had you restricted because i couldn't face you yet. what do you need anyway?"

"i wanted to see you, talk to you." a flash of pain crossed his eyes. "whatever happened at the gym, it's—"

"bucky, you don't have to explain anything to me. we're just friends. it's my fault i assumed we were something. i just need some time to get over it."

"but i thought we were something as well..." he replied, his voice was almost as quiet as a whisper. "i thought we were dating."

"were we?" you asked, genuinely curious. "we never.. you never said anything. i mean, yeah, i wished it meant something, but i thought you wouldn't want to be trapped in a relationship with me, so i just waited. apparently, i was right and i can't blame you for that."

"right about what? the thing that happened in the gym this morning?" he asked. you nodded in response. "i know it sounds like i was flirting back, well i didn't know at the moment, until i asked steve who was clueless but he called nat to help me out and explained that it looked like i was flirting back. i wasn't. i was just going to suggest sam as a date for her. i would never agree to anyone."

oh. so he just wasn't interested in anyone at all.

"besides this one girl who's constantly been in my head. that's if she'd even give me a chance and say yes. i fucked it up badly before i could even ask her properly."

you knew what hoping got you, but you couldn't help but think that he was talking about you. he'd have to be clueless to say all those things in front of you only for it to be someone else.

"i love you, baby. i should've told you that, i should've made it clear sooner. i'm so sorry i let you have doubts when i could've been reassuring you about what i feel for you."

"bucky..."

"i would never feel trapped with you, doll. only you made me feel so much love and freedom. i'd be a fool to let go of that. i'm sorry it took a few hits and harsh words from natasha to make me realise that i wasn't giving you enough when you deserve everything." he held your face in his hands, bringing you closer to him. you felt breathless, tears threatening to fall but this time it was out of joy. "hydra made sure i had no voice to express myself. now, i'll use it to let you know that i love you so fucking much that it hurts when you're not around. i promise to work on it. if anything like this happens again, ask me, baby. demand things from me. i'll give you everything in a heartbeat."

"even if i ask for your arm?"

he laughed, a sound that was music to your ears. "it's yours baby. although, i do like fucking you with my metal—"

"bucky!" you scolded him, hitting him lightly on the chest.

"sorry, baby. couldn't help it. missed my girl so much."

his girl. you loved hearing that.

"it's only been a few hours. don't be silly," you reminded him, but you knew you also felt the same.

"i miss you even when i don't see you for a second." you couldn't help but laugh at his words. "something funny, doll?"

"sorry, natasha said something similar about you a few days ago," you answered. "i'm sorry for assuming so quickly, bucky. you deserved the chance to explain."

"and you did let me explain. i can't blame you for assuming and getting hurt when i never gave you the confirmation to believe otherwise. don't apologise for it, baby."

"i love you," you said, causing him to grin widely.

"yeah? you love me too?" he asked, a hint of pink tinting his cheeks. "this is official now, right? we're dating?"

you nodded happily, giggling as he landed a kiss to your mouth. "so, you wanna go to the ball with me?"

he kissed you again. "don't. i'm supposed to be asking you that. i had an entire thing prepared for you, i even dragged half of the team to help me out days ago. besides wanda and natasha, of course. couldn't let them tell you about it."

your heart swelled, he was already planning to ask you before all of this misunderstanding happened, and it could've been solved with communication. lesson learned, indeed.

"well hurry because i can't wait to say yes," you playfully threatened him, kissing the tip of his nose until the loud rumble of your stomach interrupted your sweet moment. "ah, right. i was on my way to eat dinner when i opened the door."

bucky laughed, his eyes twinkling witth adoration as he kept his eyes on you. "we can't have you starving, that's for sure. come, let's get you something." he held your hand, and dragged you to the kitchen. he turned to look at you with a playful smile. "wanna cook together like the old times?"

you smiled. "like the old times."

in the middle of your cooking session, you heard whistles and claps along with the footsteps that entered the kitchen. you both turned to find the rest of the team with shit eating grins.

"finally! so is this real or do we need to smack your heads?" tony asked, his hand placed on his hip.

"it's always been real, stark," bucky answered, wrapping his arm around your waist. "except this time, i'm making sure my entire world knows it."

"i think everybody knows you have a thing for each other, barnes." clint added.

"i meant my entire world, not everybody." bucky looked at you with awe. "she's my world."

bucky's answer gained various loud reactions from the team, mostly calling him a cheesy old man and fake gags, but there you were, cheeks heating up as you looked back at him with the same amount of love, if not more.

and he did ask you to be his date to the ball the day after, surprising you with his so-called secret plan.

a year later, he surprised you with a ring as he knelt on one knee.

if you have any requests for bucky, send them my way! 💌

[quantum1mmortality]

Captain Curly; marriage hcs <3

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Chat I know I mentioned getting back into writing for twst but the current hyperfixation is too strong rn so just bare with me I NEED to write for mouthwashing

!this is written with an AU in mind; curly still works for pony express, but there's no ship. Just a normal job. Also J***y doesn't exist.!

Tw/cw; afab!reader, mentions of pregnancy and having said baby, MANHANDLING!!!!, teasing, use of pet names, uhhh I can't think of any else

Not proofread

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Sfw

I think Curly would definitely be a family oriented person. The further you'd get into your relationship, the more he'd ask about your opinion on kids and if you'd want any in the future.

I also think Curly would be on the traditional side, too. If you said yes to having kids, he'd take that as an opportunity to show you how good of a provider he can be, and how willing he is to become a father.

When you do eventually have children, he'd be more than willing to take off work to help around the house. You just gave birth, he knows it's hard for you, so he'd make breakfast, lunch, and dinner for all three of you.

Sidenote; Curly would definitely be a good cook. He probably took culinary in highschool

If he knew Anya at the time, he'd have her babysit your children so he could take you out on dates. This happens quite often, too; probably around once or twice a month. He just wants to show how much he appreciates you and everything you've done for him and your relationship <3

He'd take you to the most expensive restaurants and tell you to order whatever you wanted, and if you're done breastfeeding, he'd order a bottle of champagne for you both.

He'd be one of those "I love my wife" husbands. Everyone at his job is so sick of hearing him talk so highly of you. It'll be someone's birthday, they'll bring a cake, and he just won't eat it. Why? "My wife could make a better cake."

After you guys got married, he couldn't stop calling you his wife. That name felt so surreal to him; like the woman of his dreams is finally his? And there's a title for that?? Of course he's going to use it constantly.

He probably also took Anya out to help him pick out a ring. And thank god he did btw because he would've gotten you a ring with the biggest diamond they had 😭😭 (sorry to all the big ring lovers in chat rn they're just not it for me)

Nsfw

Curly is a romantic. He'd want to take things slow, cherish you as much as possible, especially if it's your first time.

He wouldn't think of it as sex, he'd think of it as lovemaking; showing you his worth and how much he cares about you.

He rarely gets rough, you have to ask him to be because he just won't do it. But, he's a suck up for you, so if you want something, it's yours.

So, he'd get rough. He'd go faster than he usually does, maybe put his hand around your neck and squeeze ever so gently. But afterwards, he'd feel awful; like he was hurting you or something.

He'd apologize profusely, say he's never gonna do it again, but does it a few days later. It's like going through the five stages of grief but skipping the first four and consistently being at acceptance

He's a hand holder. Since he's an intimate person, his preferred position is missionary. He likes this position for a few reasons; he gets to see your expression if you're enjoying it or uncomfortable, he gets to kiss you, and he can hold your hand. It's one of his favorite things to do, not only because he finds it much more romantic, but he also loves how you squeeze his hand when you're getting close.

Teasing is one of the things he does best. But verbal teasing, not physical. You can hear him giggle anytime he's inside you, practically taunting you when he knows you're close. He'd say something dumb like, "aw, is princess gonna cum?" And then have a shit eating grin on his face.

Pet names are another thing he uses often. Like I said previously, he'd call you princess, but there's also other names he'd call you during the act. Love, darling, and angel are the ones he uses for you most commonly, aside from princess of course.

I saw someone else say this on here and their hcs were actually what made me want to write (I swear on my SOUL I am NOT trying to copy them 🙏🙏🙏🙏 sorry if it comes off like that) but they said Curly would be buff and I completely agree. He would be HUGE, I'm thinking 6'3-6'5, easily over 220lbs.

The manhandling would go CRAZY, you don't like a position? No issue, he'll just pick you up and put you in a different one. Can't keep your legs open while he's being a munch? As much as he enjoys the feeling of suffocating between your thighs, which believe me, he does, he can't exactly pleasure you if he's unconscious from the lack of airflow. Not a big issue, a firm hand on each leg will do the trick.

Another comment on his body alone to wrap this up; he'd definitely be muscular in his legs and especially his arms. I think his stomach would be toned, not a six pack, but toned. Maybe even a little pudge and a v line 🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭

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A/N: hi guys pls send requests for curly fics plasplsplspslsplsplslsplspls I'm so thirsty for this man oh ky god I'm crynng

[grumpypixistix]

The lab assistant

Scientist!Miguel O’Hara x Shy!Reader

Warnings- Face sitting, slight corruption kink, slightly perverted!Miguel (if you squint), co-workers being dickheads, semi-public sex (let me know if I missed anything! )

MINORS DNI 18+

You had been working at Alchemax for a few months now. A few of your colleagues were generous enough to introduce you to the workplace and the other workers, but there was one person you couldn’t keep your eyes off of.

Miguel O’Hara.

When you first introduced yourself to him, he had already taken a liking to you. Something about how shy yet sweet you were made his pulse quicken and his cheeks burn. The way you smiled at him as you tried to introduce yourself, nervous about your first day at Alchemax. But you quickly felt at home when Miguel began to bond with you by taking over your “tour” of the place, making great conversation. Soon enough, your shell had cracked and you started talking about your personal interests, how you got hired, etc.

About a week after that day, he went home and couldn’t stop thinking about you for some reason. He didn’t know what to make of it, thinking it wasn’t too serious.

But then you started appearing in his dreams.

Miguel would dream about leaving marks everywhere on your body to claim you as his, fucking every ounce of innocence out of you.

And when he would wake up in a cold sweat, his cock was nearly on the verge of exploding, precum dripping everywhere. He felt guilty about it afterwards, it was just wrong for him to think about his colleague like that.

But you plagued his mind consistently. The dreams slowly turned into daily thoughts that he finally caved into, fisting his cock at least four times a day to the thought of your body. But you had no clue what he was doing after he got off of work. You just assumed that he only saw you as a co-worker and nothing else, maybe even a good friend.

But God, were you so far off from the truth.

As you entered the building for another shift of the week, your boss had approached you with some new information.

“I’m really sorry this is a last minute notice, but I need you to stay a little later. I tried to get some other people to stay instead, but all of them couldn’t do it… but on the bright side, Miguel volunteered to stay, so you won’t be completely alone.”

Great, just what you needed. A longer shift after your horrible week.

Even though some of your colleagues were nice to you, there was a group that wasn’t as generous as them. Some of them claimed that you were too clumsy or stupid to be an assistant, others claimed you were like a lost dog or a prude. Whatever they said, you tried not to pay attention to it too much. But there were days where it would get to you, and this week happened to have a bunch of those days.

You just nodded at your boss and shot him the best smile you could muster up.

“Alright then, that shouldn’t be a problem, sir” You said in a friendly tone.

“At least Miguel will be here with me… maybe I can talk to him, get my stress out” You thought to yourself as you walked off to start your shift.

When you walked into the lab and took your coat off of the hanger, you could hear some voices from the other side of the room.

“Oh great, look who’s here.”

“God, I don’t even know why she’s still here. She should’ve been fired months ago, she doesn’t even know what she’s doing.”

“I’m surprised Miguel even hangs out with her, she’s such a prude.”

“Hell, you should’ve seen the look on her face yesterday. She practically bursted into tears when we called her useless.”

The other comments stung a little, but what got you the most was the part about Miguel. Sure, you had developed a small crush on him, but that had nothing to do with your guy’s friendship. The fact that the other colleagues had judged your bond just to get a laugh hurt you more than you felt it should’ve.

God forbid if they ever found out about your feelings for Miguel… you couldn’t help but become paranoid over the idea.

As you tried to ignore the group across the room and focus on your tasks, it seemed that one of them had read your mind and called you over.

Shit.

“Hey, newbie! Come over here real quick, we gotta ask you somethin“ One of your colleagues called out.

Your heart pounded hard inside your chest, quietly gulping before walking over to the group with a small sigh.

“What do you need?” You asked gently, silently praying it was something work-related and not just making fun of you again.

Some of the others chuckled and chattered a little bit before falling quiet.

“Sooo, you’re friends with Miguel, right?” The female colleague from before asked.

Your palms began to grow sweaty as sirens went off in your mind, biting your cheek before answering.

“Yeah, why?” You raised your brow at your co-worker.

Your co-worker slowly smiled. Oh no.

“Well, we were just thinking… with the way you act around him and all… you definitely have a thing for him, don’t you?”

Your whole chest sunk to your stomach, wishing this was just some horrible dream and that you would wake up soon. Trying to play it off, your eyes widened at the question and you shook your head vigorously.

“What?? No, he’s just my friend-“

“That wasn’t my question. I asked if you have a thing for him” She cuts off coldly.

Some of the others snickered quietly, making your throat close up as you tried to hold your emotions back. Your face contorted into confusion at the strange question, the others taking notice of it.

“Oh my god, she’s clueless” One of the colleagues muttered with a small chuckle.

Your co-worker lets out a small laugh as she noticed your face, clicking her tongue and shaking her head.

“Here, let me dumb it down for you: do you ever fantasize about having sex with Miguel?”

Your whole face flushed bright red as it clicked into your head, slowly shaking your head.

“N- No… that’s… that’s wrong” You stuttered, looking at your co-worker.

She stares at you with a raised brow, not believing you at all.

“Okay, sure… but you still like him, right? Being a prude and all, surely you at least have a crush on him.”

“Please, don’t call me that-“

“Or what? Huh? You gonna run off to your little boyfriend and cry in his arms? I’m sure he’ll baby you, he does every time he sees you” She hisses.

The feeling in your throat grew even stronger, your eyes slowly beginning to water. But you didn’t want to prove her theory, so you just stood there silently, not knowing what else to say. As the silence grew more, some of the colleagues just laughed.

“Wow… you really are stupid, aren’t you?”

“Who’s stupid?” A voice emerges from the entrance of the room, making everyone fall silent.

It was Miguel, standing with his arms crossed and his brows furrowed. The group of colleagues weren’t laughing or smiling anymore- instead, they actually looked nervous. The female coworker looked over at you for a quick moment before flashing a smile at Miguel.

“Oh, nothing! It was just something we were talking about from yesterday. Right, hon?” The co-worker said in an overly sweet tone, forcing herself to smile at you.

You froze, not wanting anymore conflict with the group, so you just went along with it. You quietly nodded your head and looked over at Miguel, giving your best smile.

“Mhm, it was just stuff from yesterday” You mustered up as your voice shook a little.

Miguel didn’t buy it at all, seeing how your eyes glistened, tears threatening to leave them at any second. He shot your co-worker a glare before looking back at you, a sigh leaving his lips.

“Ah, alright then… do you have the paperwork from last week? I just wanna make sure everything is right” Miguel spoke to you, his face softening a little.

You quickly nodded and walked away from the group to your clipboard that was in one of the desk drawers, skimming through the pile of papers to look for the documents. The group just watched as you eventually found the papers Miguel was referring to, handing them to him. He took out his glasses from his coat pocket and put them on, reading the sheet of paper. After a few moments of silence, Miguel took off his glasses and looked over at you, handing the paper back.

“This is perfect. Thank you, sweetheart. I don’t think I’ve ever seen paperwork better than this and I’ve worked here longer than anyone else has” Miguel praised, a gentle smile formed on his lips.

“Thank you, Miguel. That means a lot to me” You hummed in appreciation, returning the smile.

The praise alone made you forget about the whole situation from earlier, but the smile comforted you even more. Your cheeks burned up as you felt your whole body tingle, a small smile creeping up your lips. The feeling Miguel made you have was insatiable, you just couldn’t get enough of it. You wanted more of him, to have his lips on yours…

You almost forgot that there were other people in the room. Almost.

The sound of low muttering made your head turn towards the group, the co-worker giving you a dirty look before the group parted separate ways. You set the paper on the table and Miguel leans down to whisper in your ear.

“We’ll talk about this later.”

Your head spun when you felt his warm breath tickle your skin, almost not realizing what he just said. When you finally processed it, you looked at Miguel and nodded a little. For once, you were actually kind of glad your boss made you work later.



After hours of working and following Miguel around for assistance (as he asked for your presence), it was time for the others to go home. Usually, you would be getting off at this time, but since you had to stay later, that meant you would have to pick up dinner on your way back home. You didn’t really mind since it would save you time and energy to make food at home.

Plus you didn’t mind since it meant you could spend more time with Miguel.

Speaking of which, you couldn’t help but notice something was a little off with him. You assumed it was because of what happened earlier, because he seemed a little more tense than normal. But after everyone had left, he looked over at you, glad that the two of you were finally alone. You were finishing out today’s paperwork, slouching over the desk as you tried to fight off your tiredness. Miguel walked over to you and gently took the pen out of your hand, turning your chair around to face him.

“Everyone left, it’s just us. Now… about what happened earlier…” Miguel started, bending down to your height, “Tell me. What exactly did they say to you?”

Your face burned up a little as his face was inches away from yours, struggling to find your words. He just stared at you, waiting for an answer. But after a few moments of silence, his face softened and he let out a small breath, resting his large hand on your thigh.

“I won’t say a word to anyone, I promise. I just want to know what’s wrong… when I got here, you were on the verge of tears” Miguel spoke softly.

The feeling of his hand on your thigh made your chest flutter and your stomach turn, trying to keep your composure as much as you could. He was only just trying to comfort you… right?

“They… they were asking me questions…” You began, still debating whether or not you should leave out a few details.

Miguel hummed a little as he listened to you, his other hand now on your other thigh as he gently caressed your skin. Your stomach felt fuzzy and warm, avoiding eye contact with him.

“Questions about what? C’mon hermosa, you can tell me” He coos, tucking a small strand of hair out of your face.

You swallowed hard and bit your lip hard before answering hesitantly.

“They were… questions a- about you.”

Miguel stopped and looked at you, gently grabbing your chin and forcing you to look up at him.

“What did they ask about me?”

You stared up at him for a few moments and finally spoke again.

“They… they were asking if… I liked you” You whispered quietly.

That caught Miguel off-guard.

His eyes widened at you just the slightest, analyzing your face to see if you were messing with him. Once he noticed your flushed cheeks and nervous look, he knew you weren’t joking. After a moment of tense silence, Miguel licked his lips and started talking.

“…Do you?” Miguel asked lowly, looking down at your lips and up at your eyes.

His question had you in a slight panic, weighing out the odds. If you told him how you felt, it would either change your entire friendship or you would be stuck working alone for the rest of your time at Alchemax. Either one of those options sounded horrible, but if you didn’t tell him now, you were certain the group from earlier would do it eventually. Your heart raced so quick, Miguel swore he could hear it clearly. A shaky sigh left your lips and you nodded at him.

“Yeah… I do” You mumbled, scared that he would react negatively.

But instead, Miguel just chuckled softly and smiled at you, his hand cupping your face and his thumb dragging down your bottom lip.

“That’s good to know… because I’ve also liked you for quite some time now” Miguel responded, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

Your eyes widened at his response, a look of hope on your face as you slowly smiled.

“Really?” You squeaked.

Miguel chuckled again and nodded at you, his eyes flicking down to your lips.

“Of course I do… how could I not?” He whispered, his face slowly inching closer to yours.

Your face flushed all the way to your ears, finding yourself drifting towards him. Closer, closer and closer until you finally feel his warm lips on yours. It felt like hundreds of fireworks were exploding in your chest, slowly wrapping your arms around him and holding Miguel close. You were almost afraid to let go, and he seemed to notice this. Miguel gently moved his hands down to your waist, pulling you up out of the chair and into his arms. The more you kissed him, the harder it became for Miguel to keep his composure. He wanted to take things slow with you, not wanting to scare you away. But God, was it a challenge for him to just keep his hands on your hips.

After a little bit, Miguel finally broke the kiss to catch his breath, already panting softly. He looked at you and let out a groan that awoken something inside you.

“Shit, do you have any idea what you do to me?” Miguel huffed quietly, his thumbs barely peeking up the hem of your shirt and rubbing the bare skin of your stomach.

You just stared up at him, your mind still foggy from the kiss you two had shared moments ago. You shook your head with a quiet “No…”

Miguel sighed and looked down at your chest, his cock twitching inside his pants. He didn’t even bother hiding his erection anymore, moving your hips against his to show you the effect you had on him. You let out a gasp at the strange feeling, your fingers digging into his shoulders as your whole body felt hot now.

“I can’t help it… you’re just so fucking sweet… you haunt me in my dreams, I swear to god. Every night when I go to bed, all I can dream about is you and that fucking body of yours… all just for me.”

Your eyes widened at his words, not expecting him to say those kind of things to you. Normally, you’d be freaked out or even scared… but something about the way Miguel looked at you made you feel different. You weren’t sure if it was from the kiss earlier or your feelings for him in general, but you felt… ready in a sense. When Miguel saw your eyes widen at his words, his face dropped as he suddenly became worried.

“…Was that too much?” Miguel whispered gently, his brows furrowed together.

You slowly shook your head and placed a soft kiss to his cheek.

“No… I- If anything, I… I sometimes have dreams about you, too…” You admitted with a quiet tone, looking away.

Miguel nearly went off the rails when you told him that, his pants feeling tighter around his dick. He moved you closer to him once more, moving your hair to the side.

“Mierda… Tell me about your dreams…” Miguel mumbled against you, pressing slow kisses to your cheek and down your neck.

Your thighs pressed together as a wet patch formed in your panties, your stomach flipping as you felt his lips against your skin. A shaky breath left your mouth, nearly moaning from how good it felt to have Miguel treat you this way. It was definitely wrong, but it felt so right. If anyone else had stayed with you two during the late shift and caught you like this, you’d be fired on the spot.

But nobody else was here. Just the two of you.

“S- sometimes I dream about you k- kissing me like this… and even…” Your voice faltered as you quickly grew shy again, biting down on your lip.

Miguel kissed and nipped at your neck, leaving little marks on your skin.

“Go on, Cariño…”

You swallowed before speaking again, letting a soft moan slip out.

“Even… touching me…”

Miguel moaned at that, causing your head to spin even more. You felt so hot that you swore you were going to pass out, but luckily you didn’t. He moved up to place a firm kiss on your lips, pulling away to look at you.

“Have I done anything more than just touching you in your dreams?” Miguel muttered lowly, his lips wet and raw.

You thought for a second before slowly shaking your head with a small breath.

“I always woke up before… before I could find out…” You answered Miguel.

Miguel frowned at that, looking at the marks on your neck before making direct eye contact with you. He sighed and shook his head, clicking his tongue.

“Well… do you wanna know what I’d do to you in my dreams?”

You nodded at him, genuinely curious as to what he dreamed about when you weren’t there with him. His forehead pressed against yours as his lips were centimeters away from your lips, his hands trailing from your waist down to your ass.

“In my dreams… I’d have you sit on my face and I’d make you cum over and over again until your legs give out..”

The image Miguel just gave you nearly made you collapse. You felt weak to your knees, a gentle whine escaping your lips. Miguel squeezed your thighs and kissed you once more, his hands moving up to the hem of your shirt. He parted from you to look at your face.

“Can I?” Miguel asked, wanting to make sure you were okay with this before he went any farther.

You looked at him for a few moments before making a decision, whispering out a small “Yes” to him. He took that as his green light and gently took your coat off first before moving to your shirt. He rolled the material up your body and over your head, helping you take your shirt off. Once you were topless in front of him, Miguel’s eyes scanned your chest. He muttered something quietly in Spanish before letting out a breathy sigh.

“Have I ever told you just how beautiful you are?” He coos softly.

Your face burned up as you felt vulnerable in front of him, but when Miguel spoke, you slowly started to become more comfortable. A bashful expression appeared on your face as you just shook your head.

“Not entirely…”

Miguel hummed gently as he pressed a kiss to your forehead, reaching towards your back to unclip your bra.

“Well… I think you’re the most gorgeous person I’ve ever met… every time I see you, it’s always hard for me to look away. Shit, baby, it’s even hard for me to look away in my dreams. I wouldn’t give it up for any other view… you’re so fucking beautiful, sweetheart” Miguel spoke in between kisses to your face and lips while gently kneading your exposed breasts.

You couldn’t help but moan at his words mixed with his touch, kissing him back each time he placed a kiss onto your soft lips. Miguel couldn’t get enough of the sweet sounds you made, craving even more from you. His hands moved down to unbutton your pants, taking off every last piece of clothing on your body before leaving you completely naked in front of him. Miguel’s breath hitched as he looked at your body.

It was even better than he imagined in his dreams.

Miguel placed small kisses down your neck and collarbone until he made it to your breasts, gently kissing and sucking one while his hand toyed with the other. The sensation made you moan a little louder, biting down on your lip to contain yourself. Miguel seemed to take notice of this and removed his mouth from your nipple.

“You don’t have to be quiet, muñeca… it’s just us. I wanna hear your pretty moans.. god, I’ve been dreaming about this for so long…”

As soon as he said that, his hands gripped your hips and he stared at you with nothing but lust in his eyes. Suddenly, he placed you on top of him as he laid down on the large table in the room. You could feel the tent in his pants right against your wet pussy, a low whine leaving your lips which caused Miguel to groan softly.

“Want you to sit on my face, querida… please…” Miguel begged softly, his hands still on your hips.

You let out a whimper at his request, reluctantly moving so your hips were directly above his face. You were hovering over him, not knowing what else to do. Miguel let out a quiet sigh, not wanting to wait any longer. He wanted to taste you… he had to taste you.

“You’re hovering, sweetheart. Lower your hips for me, ‘kay?” Miguel instructed, looking up at you from between your legs.

You looked down at him, slightly embarrassed from the position you were in. Regardless of how shy you became, you obeyed Miguel anyways, slowly lowering your hips a little.

“Is this g-“ Before you could even get your question out, Miguel’s mouth immediately attached to your clit.

You let out a loud gasp and moaned, Miguel’s tongue exploring your folds and licking up your juices. He let out a low growl that sent vibrations through your body, making you squirm and cry out.

“Joder, nena, sabes tan dulce… todo para mi~” Miguel moaned, his head moving up more to lick and suck on your clit again.

You whimpered as he sucked on your clit again, afraid that you would crush him if you moved your hips any lower. Miguel’s hands moved up to your ass and groped it tightly, his tongue poking your hole and sliding inside of you. The warm and wet feeling made your hands slam down on the table, trying not to drop your hips directly onto his face. Small pants left your mouth as his tongue fucked your hole and his nose brushed up against your sensitive clit, moaning as you kept your eyes shut tightly.

That’s when you felt Miguel’s hands grip your hips and his tongue slips out of your pussy, making you whine in response. You gasp as he pulls your hips down with such force, your eyes widening as you look down at him.

“Ay, Cariño, what did I tell you ‘bout the hovering? Stop hovering and sit on my face” Miguel scolded, spanking your ass as he goes back to licking and sucking your poor abused clit.

You cried out as you felt a new wave of pleasure form inside you, sobbing as he hit all of your spots with his mouth.

“Miguel~! Mig-“ You gasped, pulling his hair with one hand as the other stayed on the table for support.

But Miguel could care less if you suffocated him. Hell, he wanted you to. The sound of his name coming from your lips nearly made him cum in his pants right then and there. Every pretty noise that came out of your mouth was better than his dreams alone, not wanting you to stop. Miguel kissed and teased your clit more, savoring your taste as much as possible. His breath grew heavier and heavier as sweat trickled down his temples, burying his face in your pussy.

Miguel’s mouth left your clit with a small ‘pop’ as he re-entered his tongue inside your soaked hole, making you rut your hips against his face. The way his nose bumped your clit and his warm tongue stuffed inside you made your eyes roll back, your legs twitching already.

“God, don’t stop~ please don’t stop, Miggy~ feels s’good~” You begged pathetically, your shy demeanor now leaving your body.

Miguel moaned against you and spanked your ass hard once more, his fingers digging into your thighs. His own hips twitched against nothing as he listened to your pleads and moans, fucking you with his tongue relentlessly. With the way you begged so nicely for him to keep going, Miguel swore he could feel his precum seeping through his boxers and pants. How could he refuse you?

“Miguel-! I- I think I’m-“ You tried to warn him that you were close, your legs nearly giving out on you.

If it weren’t for Miguel’s large hands holding your hips up, you definitely would’ve collapsed on his face. But you were so desperate to cum, continuing to grind on his face as he licked a fat stripe from your hole to your clit. He caught his breath and looked up at you for a moment, his eyes dark and full of arousal.

“Go ahead, princesa… cum for me” Miguel moaned, going back to sucking your clit.

With just those words alone, the coil inside your stomach broke. You cried out loudly as you came, chanting his name over and over again. Your legs shook and you nearly collapsed onto him, Miguel catching you just in time. He licked up every drop of your release, making sure to not let it go to waste. You whimpered as he continued to lick your sensitive pussy, becoming overstimulated from his tongue. Your hands pressed down onto the table to hold yourself up, catching your breath as you carefully crawled off of his face.

As you sat down on the table next to Miguel, he sat up straight and faced you, panting heavily. Your eyes widened as you saw his chin was soaked from your juices, a dark blush forming across your cheeks. Miguel noticed your face as he finally caught his breath, a small laugh leaving his lips.

“How do you feel?” Miguel asked, licking his lips and wiping his chin off with his coat sleeve.

A soft breath left your mouth as you looked at him, a sheepish smile forming on your face, “I feel… I feel like that was the best thing I’ve ever experienced..”

Miguel chuckled and leaned over to you, placing a tender kiss to your lips. You melted against him and returned the kiss, slowly pulling away to look at him.

“I’m glad I could make you feel like that… say, uh… our shift actually ended like… 10 minutes ago” Miguel spoke as he checked his watch.

Your eyes widened as you looked around for your discarded clothes, Miguel quickly grabbing them before you could get off of the table.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I got it. Just sit for a little bit, catch your breath” He mumbled, putting your clothes back on for you.

Your chest fluttered as he did so, smiling at him in a loving way. Miguel noticed this and chuckled as he helped you put your panties back on.

“What?”

“Nothing, nothing… I was just wondering.. do you wanna stay the night at my place?” You offered, moving your hips a little as Miguel clothed you.

Miguel grinned widely at the offer, placing a peck to your forehead and nodding.

“Of course, I’d like that… I’ll buy dinner for us on the way there. My treat for this” Miguel hummed, putting your shirt on and placing soft kisses to your knuckles.

Your smile widened as he said that, pulling him in for a kiss. Miguel wrapped his arms around you as he kissed you back, his forehead pressed against yours as you two pulled away. He helped you off of the table and the both of you made your way out of the building, holding your hand and rubbing his thumb across your skin.

“Oh, by the way… I heard everything that happened with your co-workers. I was listening the whole time” Miguel admitted, looking over at you.

Your head whipped over to him, a surprised expression on your face. “You were-??”

“Yeah, but don’t worry about it. I actually got promoted as a manager a few weeks ago, so…”

Your eyes widened as a small gasp left your lips. “Wait, so that means-“

“That means you won’t be having to deal with them for much longer. I know those assholes have been messing with you since you got here… plus, everything they said about you is wrong. You’re the best worker this place has to offer and those dickheads have been here longer than you have” Miguel responded to you, placing a kiss to your temple.

A grin formed on your lips as joy filled your chest, squeezing Miguel’s hand.

“Thank you, Miguel… that means everything to me.”

“Of course. I gotta make sure my girl is okay.”

You let out a laugh as he said that, placing a soft kiss on his cheek as you walked with him down the street.

“So, is that your way of saying I’m your girlfriend now?” You chuckled.

“Only if you want to be” Miguel answered with a smirk.

You gently smacked his shoulder with your other hand and scoffed playfully, earning a laugh from him.

“Of course I do, Miguel.”

“Good. Because I’m not letting you go.”

[thexsilentxwordsmith]

Simon "Ghost" Riley x Fem!reader

Author's Note: I had a comment left on my post HERE. The person who commented brought up this scenario of Simon being dared to kiss you and you think that he won't, but he actually does and sparks end up flying. So, of course, I had to write it because... I mean... Come on... (lol). And here it is.

Fandom: Call of Duty

Character(s): Simon Riley, Reader, Soap

Summary: During a game of Truth or Dare, your lieutenant is dared into giving you a kiss, but something about the way he has been acting lately may mean this is going to be more than a quick ordeal. And the way you have been feeling towards him won't be helping.

Word Count: 4k

Part 2: READ HERE

The night has started innocently enough: you and your fellow officers sit around together in the rec, blowing off a little steam after another successful mission. Some nice, simple fun of playing cards and shooting the shit like you usually do when leaving the base to go down to the bar isn’t an option. Everyone happens to be here tonight, including that brooding, mask-faced lieutenant that you can’t seem to keep your mind from drifting to as he stands against the wall behind you. 

Maybe it’s just your imagination, but you’ve noticed that the lieutenant’s presence has become more and more common lately, especially when you’re around. He keeps mostly to himself, staying on the edge of the fun by just watching, yet you swear that if you are stealthy enough from out of the corner of your eye you can catch his gaze lingering in your direction. 

Whether it’s just a trick of your mind or the truth, either way it makes your pulse race. And tonight is no exception.

All has been pretty calm so far, nothing too rowdy or out of hand. At least, it was until now as the night has waned on and inhibitions have fallen. What was once an innocent bit of fun has turned a bit more risque as Soap decides that cards aren’t enough to keep everyone entertained. What game is it he always seems to pick when everyone is more loose? One where the consequences always end up interesting: Truth or Dare.  

Several rounds have passed already where the truths have consistently gotten more honest and the dares even more spicy. No one is ready to call it quits just yet, but there is one person that hasn’t had a turn after all this time and that just won’t do, not if the Scottish sergeant has anything to say about it. Taking matters into his own hands, Soap turns his attention to the big man standing with his arms crossed, watching quietly. 

“Oy, Lt. Come on, you’re already ‘ere. Ya gotta join us,” Johnny says through the raucous laughter to drag the silent lieutenant into the merriment. “Or are ya chicken, hmm?”

As much as you want Lt. Riley to join in, you would rather him stick around and something like this could get him to walk out; you don’t want that to happen. “Fucking can it, Johnny,” you say as you strike him in the bicep with your fist. “You’re talking out of your ass, alright? Knock it off.”

To everyone’s surprise and yours, after a momentary pause, Lt. Riley steps up closer to the table with his arms still crossed. “ ‘s fine,” he dismisses your concern. “But, one round is all you’re gonna fuckin’ get from me, sergeant, so better make it count.”

Johnny nods his head in agreement, actually caught off guard that he is even able to get this far with the ever stoic and cold-shouldered officer. It all seems a bit too easy, but Soap isn’t going to pass up an opportunity like this to get the lieutenant involved. He’s gotta make this good whatever it is that gets chosen and so he pauses a minute to think of an idea for either scenario before speaking up. “Alright Lt, ye know how it goes. Truth or dare?”

Truth is never going to be an option for Lt. Riley, not with the level of secrecy he keeps to at all times when it concerns his life; he knows if he gives Johnny an inch he will take a goddamn mile. So, there is only one other option and though he tries to hide the fidgeting in his hands, he picks it.  

Maybe it’ll be something that’ll help him strike up a conversation with you later. “Dare,” he says. 

The grin that lights up Soap’s face instantly lets the entire table know that he is up to no good and the words that follow are a testament to that fact. You thought you knew Johnny well enough by now, but not even you could have been prepared for what came out of his mouth then. “Alright, I dare ye ta kiss our sassy little sergeant right here,” he says as he looks at you with an unwavering gaze. 

You meet his blue eyes and hold them in stunned silence. Is he fucking serious? As if Lt. Riley would ever go for something so fucking dumb as this. Johnny has to be out of his goddamn mind to put you in this position; it’s like he knows something he shouldn’t. Again your immediate reaction is to sock him in the arm, this time a bit harder to drive home the point that you are done with his bullshit. 

And yet… shockingly… you hear the lieutenant speak up.

“Fine,” Lt. Riley agrees to everyone’s amazement. 

You turn your attention to face him. “Are you sure? Johnny’s just being a dick, you don’t have to listen to him, sir,” you reassure as you shoot a glare that has the Soap nervously shifting in his seat, worrying about what is going to happen to him later for pulling such a ridiculous stunt.

“Said it’s fine,” he repeats, his gruff tone metered. “But I ain’t doin’ it ‘ere though; you’re not gettin’ a free fuckin’ show if that’s what you’re after Mactavish.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll give ya that,” Johnny concedes. Those blue eyes scan the room for a solution. “How about ‘round tha corner there.”

He points to the bend in the wall a few feet away; far enough from the group that they won’t be able to tell what’s happening behind it. Since there are now stipulations that the lieutenant has set, Johnny is going to add his own as well for good measure. “However,” he pipes up, “since it ain’t in front a us here, ya gotta stay in place for 10 minutes. I doubt ye’ll actually do anything, but might as well make ye both have ta awkwardly stand there for a bit. And don’t think yer gonna pull a fast one; I’m gonna be countin’.”

You look back at the lieutenant and he gives a nod. “Fine,” you agree as well. How you are able to keep your voice so steady when you feel that jolt deep in the pit of your stomach is a mystery, but you pull it off just fine.

With the rules set Lt. Riley stares at you as if waiting for you to get up from your seat first before he moves. You do and he immediately follows close behind as you make your way over to the wall just past the corner amidst the sounds of whistles and whoops. With a quick flip of the bird back over your shoulder to the group, you both vanish around the side and come to a stop a few feet from the edge. 

You lean your back up against the wall as he comes to stand in front of you, watching you intensely through the opening in his thin balaclava. As you wait to see who will speak first, you notice a tension in his broad shoulders that hadn’t been there before. This is the first time you both have ever been this close to one another and you can’t overlook the fact that he seems even bigger now that you are standing so near; you can’t help but admire how small you feel next to him.  

The longer he stares at you with those golden eyes, studying your face as if he is deciding something, the more rapid your heartbeat thumps heavy in your chest. He takes a step closer and then another before coming to a stop again. Now there is less than a foot’s distance between your bodies and suddenly there is a shift in the atmosphere around you both, a thick tension that is growing harder to ignore. 

The sounds of laughter filters over to the both of you, breaking you out of the haze of your thoughts. “You know, we don’t have to do anything. If you want me to lie, it’s fine, sir,” you speak before he has a chance to. “Fuck Johnny for putting us in this situation. We can just stand here in silence until we get called back.”

He clears his throat. “Who said anythin’ ‘bout lyin’?” he asks with a raise of his eyebrow that you can make out through the mask. “Just don’t wanna, is that it?” 

Something in the way he says the statement catches you off guard. Why does he sound slightly disappointed? Did he want to actually do this? You couldn’t really believe that; no, you must be reading this all wrong. “No, that’s not…” you stumble over your words; why is it getting harder to speak? “I just… didn’t think you’d want to… but… if you do then…”

“Yes or no?” he cuts off your string of stammering.

“Yes,” you confirm. 

Nothing else needs to be said other than that. His hand moves to his face, his fingers finding the bottom edge of his mask, and now you can’t breathe as you wait to see what’s under there. This is the first time you’ll be able to see more than just his eyes and that leaves your mind reeling.

Okay, you prepare yourself, it’s just a kiss, right? Nothing to it; you’ve been kissed before. This will be no different. Just breathe and we’ll get through it.

The mask is wrenched up above his nose so that his mouth is revealed and spread across waiting for you is a subtle, cocky smirk. Your cheeks flush as your eyes are drawn to the facial hair covering his jaw and outlining his lips; short, light brown outgrowth from not having shaved today. It accentuates his strong jaw perfectly and though you try, you can’t look away.

Still focused on his face you miss the warning as a strong hand suddenly finds its way onto your waist as he moves against you. His broad chest is pressed up to yours, you can feel it through the thinner fabric of his shirt, and you can’t tell whether it’s your own pounding heartbeat or his that you feel. That tension is suffocating now that he is this close, the air so thick it feels like you can cut it with a knife. You wait impatiently for the moment to finally break.  

It feels like you are holding your breath when after a few more seconds he finally speaks. “Good,” he says with a bit of breathiness to his voice, “cause I’m no liar.”

Leaning his head down slowly to reach you his lips inch ever closer until you can feel their warm, ghostly presence brush over your mouth causing your eyes to flutter shut as the ecstasy from the anticipation of them making contact overwhelms you. They are there, right there, and you plead with the universe to finally let them touch. You feel him inhale sharply and with that they are crashing against yours. It is with such an automatic, visceral intensity that it knocks the wind from your lungs.

Simon had been certain until the second your lips made contact that he could keep himself under control, that this was nothing more than sinless fun, but as he breathes in the hot, moist air from your mouth while he captures it again, he already knows that this is not going to end how he has intended. There is an immediate magnetism that you both cannot pull from and what is supposed to be something quick, turns mind-numbing in an instant.

Time stands still as your lips twine together in that familiar back and forth and what can only be a few short seconds extend out into an eternity. It’s like flicking on a switch how easily you melt into his embrace, like acquainted lovers, like your lips have always meant to be pressed tightly together. 

How can this be the first time you have ever kissed?

The stubble covering the exposed half of his face pricks along your cheeks the more he advances; the skin around your lips and your jaw growing more raw each time he moves, but the way it makes your face burn is far from painful. His breathing has become more strained, muscles tensing as he risks nipping carefully at the skin on your lower lip.

You inhale a sharp breath through your teeth and then it happens: an unconscious reaction to the pleasure surging through your veins like liquid fire. You can’t stop yourself as a sneaky moan creeps up your throat and before you can swallow it back down you hum it into his mouth. 

That low, alluring sound leaves that hulking military officer hungry to hear more. Those large hands of his desperately want to paw at your body, to caress all those silky curves against the coarse skin of his palms, to let his fingertips linger at all that delicately soft flesh for as long as he can. A deep, gnawing ache settles itself in his chest as he takes your lips with more feral aggression; Simon has never craved something more in that moment than to keep you like this entangled with him. 

The longer he goes, the more there is nothing tentative about his movements; he kisses you like he owns you. Lt. Riley steals from you as if your lips are air and he will suffocate without them, his desperation is the kind that feels like this is life or death and he needs you to survive. You are unprepared for the fucking bliss of it all, the raw, unbridled passion that his lips create as the friction abrades the tender skin of your mouth. 

And your thoughts scream for him to keep going.

You match his intensity with your own, kissing him back with everything that you have in you. He opens his mouth slightly and without thinking your tongue moves in and presses against his, trying to shove its way into his mouth. Fuck, he is not prepared for you to be so keen and it throws him off for only a moment before he leans into that passion and comes back with his response.

The lieutenant braces one of his large hands near your hip, pinning you to the wall while his mouth engulfs your own as he slides his tongue in between your teeth to fill the cavity full. It slithers over the surface of your tongue towards the back of your mouth, the taste of you intoxicating so that he cannot get enough. The pleasure is so intense that it severs his connection with reality and everything outside of your joined mouths fades away into background noise. His other hand moves from your waist and is suddenly wrapped around the back of your neck, his thumb holding steadily against your jaw to keep your head securely in his grip so that he can pull you as tight against his face as he can stand. 

Your head is reeling from the potency of those hot, feverish lips that are suck yours into their desperate embrace. Then his knee forcefully pries its way between your thighs and you are sure that you will not come back from this. It’s too much to handle and you’ve lost all control… no, that’s not right. You’ve yielded everything completely to him without even having to think about it and he has taken every single ounce of what he has been given as if it has always been his. 

Leaning up into him, you stand up on the balls of your feet as he guides the movement of your head by tilting it from one side to the other in that natural dance that happens when lips play. You are both insatiable as that carnal need to devour the other makes it impossible to not relinquish yourselves to the ecstasy that overwhelms in that moment. 

Never in your life have you wanted a man to possess you more than you want your superior to right now. Images of him picking you up and slamming your back into the wall, making you encircle his waist with your legs, his cock straining and throbbing between your clothed sex as you plead with him to take you, fill your mind until they make you light-headed. 

Lt. Riley is not faring any better and he has to focus his entire will into keeping his hands engaged so that he can resist the tingling in his fingertips to find the button on your pants and undo them. If you were alone without the threat of interruption, you might already be half undressed by now, but just as that urge reaches its peak and his fingers are moving in, you both hear the words that make your hearts sink.

“Eh, you two,” you hear Soap calling out from a distance, “times up.”

It is torture to pull away from you; Simon is on the verge of combusting from being forced to stop before he is ready.  But he has to or else he might be found out and there is still hesitation to admit that he might actually want more of this. Even after the ecstasy you both had just shared he isn’t sure how far he should let this go and so with a sigh of defeat he releases your lips from his own. 

By the time he lets you go and moves out from between your legs, your stance is unsteady and your mind fuzzy. The sudden lack of pressure against your mouth leaves you feeling empty and you have to stop yourself from whining aloud. As your eyes slowly flutter open you look up into his face and are met with that chocolate brown gaze lingering on you. There is something swimming in the depths of his eyes: a question, a statement, you’re not sure, but he doesn’t say it aloud. The need to say something yourself eats at you, but you close your mouth tight and bite your tongue to keep silent. 

You can’t bring yourself to risk admitting that you don’t want him to stop; what if he doesn’t feel the same? The pressures of putting it all out there at this moment is too much to handle. Instead, you let the moment die away quietly as you breathe deeply through your nose.

“Times up,” Lt. Riley repeats the phrase softly as he situates his balaclava back down under his chin to hide himself from you once again. The others are cheering for your return, giving you no time to collect yourself, so you simply sigh and stride back to the group together.

Heads turn your direction as you reappear back into the main room. “Well?” the heavily accented voice of the bastard that has orchestrated this whole thing questions you both. 

Trying not to stumble back to your seat, you play it off as if you hadn’t just had your soul sucked out through your lips. “Well what?” you return as the lieutenant passes you up and takes his place back behind the group.

Soap’s brow furrows. “Don’t play dumb with us, lass,” he chides. “Was he any good?”  

You cautiously take your seat back where you had been as everyone waits for your answer, trying to give yourself more time to calm your pulse that is still racing like wildfire through your tingling limbs. “It was fine,” you say, hoping you are collected enough to pull off such a bold-faced lie. 

“Oh really?” Johnny asks skeptically as he eyes you up and down to read your body language. Your heart leaps in your chest as you think you’ve been found out, that the bloom in your cheeks is still too noticeable, but he continues like nothing. “I think yer full a shit. Probably didn’t even get a peck, knowin’ LT. I bet ye did nothin’ back there, but stand in silence.”

You snicker at him, carefully adjusting yourself in your seat so you can squeeze your legs together to relieve the throbbing in such a way that it doesn’t draw attention. “Aww... Guess that’s only for us to know and for you to spend all your time worrying about, bitch. It’s gonna eat at you, isn’t it? Gonna lose sleep thinking about me and the lieutenant, hmm?” you pick back, which seems to get him off your case. 

“Ye wanna add anythin’ here?” Soap asks as he turns to the mask officer.

You risk a glance over your shoulder back at your superior, knowing that this could undo all your progress at regaining your composure, and you catch him completely lost in thought, not having heard a word that Soap just said. Quickly he recovers, clearing his throat. “What’re ya on about, Mactavish?” he questions back. 

“I asked if ye had anythin’ to add to her account of events,” Johnny chuckles. “Or are ye too stunned ta speak?”

The lieutenant shoots him a glare before pulling his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. “Don’t push yer fuckin’ luck, yeah?” he answers it like a threat as he flips open the pack and places a cig in between his fingers.

Soap holds up his hands innocently with palms facing out in agreement not to start any trouble. “Ye must a been terrible, lass,” Soap picks as he turns his attention back to you to keep the jovial atmosphere up. 

You slug him hard enough to make his chair squeak from the force before joining in the others laughter to disguise the heat still burning through your cheeks. Simon takes the opportunity to slip out unnoticed, though you let your eyes follow him one last time. It is a monumental task that he has to perform to actively put one foot in front of the other, to calculatedly focus his breathing to stay calm, and make it out of the door without anyone noticing that his composure is clearly broken. 

Once out of sight he hurriedly steps out into the cool night air and immediately rips up his mask as he lights his cigarette, taking a long, heavy drag off it as he leans up against the brick of the building. The nicotine tingles his throat and he hopes it’ll be enough of a distraction to stop the intense pounding in his chest. Breathing the smoke out in a weighty sigh he adjusts the crotch of his pants as they have suddenly become too tight for his comfort. 

“Fuckin’ hell,” he mutters under his breath as he leans his head back against the wall and closes his eyes, desperately trying to focus on anything in a vain attempt to calm himself, but he already knows its no use.

The second his eyes are shut all he can think about is that kiss: he can still feel his arm around you, detect the ghost of your lips against his, sense the warmth of your breath in his mouth. He tries to push the delectable sensations from his mind, but they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon and he knows it. 

Opening his eyes he stands back up off the wall with a need that compels him, making him move strategically so that he can peek through the door without being seen. Sneakily he stares back into the building, those brown eyes catching the sight of you smiling and laughing, those full lips making his blood pressure rise as he watches them move about as you speak, still red and swollen from being claimed. 

This is a problem, a big fucking problem. Now the only thing that that hardened military man can think about, instead of keeping his distance, is how he can recreate that exact scene with you again.

And maybe, just maybe, take it even further.

[smokeypeaches-and-honeyplums]

may I request headcanons for Wukong, MK, Red Son, and Macaque finding out their crush or S/O has a snort laugh that they try to hide?

please and thank you

PLEASE?????????????? GOD I HAVE A SNORT LAUGH TOO AND THIS FEELS SO PERSONAL I'M GONNA BLOW UP

Reader is Gender Neutral by default

MK

S/O

MK absolutely LOVES to make people laugh and you are no different

So when he finds out you have a snort laugh, he REVELS in it

To him, it's a sign that he's doing a really good job and! It's really fucking adorable for him

If you're self conscious about it, he won't push you too much about it

He'd never want you to feel uncomfortable while you're with him, so he'll never push further than he's allowed

He'll always express how much he loves it when he gets the chance to though, don't get me wrong

Eventually, it gets to the point he develops his own and it's a never ending cycle between you two

It feels nice to have a bit more of a positive about your snort, but it does hurt after a while--

MK gets worse when he purposefully does what he knows makes you laugh the most

Your nose and throat hurts by the end of it

If you're laughing especially hard, he'll be grinning ear to ear at just the sound of it

He's glad to have ONE consistency in his life, what with everything that goes on

So if he can listen to your laugh before the next crisis, that's enough for him

(THEY TOOK MY YELLOW TEXT--)

Crush

(darkskinredsontruthertilIdie)

You so happened to slip up one day when Redson heard it the first time around, immediately trying to hide it right after

He didn't think much of it, not in the way you'd think at least

He always associated it as another irritating staple that he loves so much about you and infuriates him that it is

Like, excuse me

How dare you have the most charming, cute and cheeky laugh he's ever heard?

A peasant like you shouldn't be making his heart soar so much and so easily all the damn time

What the fuck >:(

Redson wouldn't trying to fish for it as much as the others, his pride prevents him

But he does savour the moments you do do it, don't get me wrong

However, when he sees you hide it every time right after, a part of him wants to try and ease your worries. At least, that's what he thinks

"You know... you shouldn't feel like you should hide your laugh."

"For all the annoying little quirks you have, this one is..."

"It's... endearing."

Silence.

Silence...

"Redson? Are you going soft on me?"

"NO! No- Do not-"

"D'awwww, you care!!"

"Redson cares for me!!"

"Know what?! Forget I said anything."

Cue the laughter, only this time with a bit more snorting given his reassurance in his own special, Redson way

In your fits of laughter, you miss a small smile growing on the demon prince's lips

In all your teasing, it's worth it to see you like this

Crush

Wukong has a tendency to be cheeky to the tenth degree and then some

So trust and believe he already knows

And he REVELS in it

He likes the sound of your laugh in general, so the fact he manages to get you laughing so much that you start snorting makes his heart do flips

He doesn't like that you try to hide it, but he'd be the last person to talk about not hiding something you're self conscious about

Given the whole shared headcanon of glamour, it becomes pot and kettle

Has that ever stopped him tho?

No

So why would it now?

He tries to get you to feel more comfortable with your laugh because he finds it very important to him

Is it another reason amongst a sea on why he loves you?

Yeah

Will he admit it?

No-

Well?

Not now-

Ahem

Anyways, when he hears your genuine laughter, he's shining like the sun and absolutely BEAMING with joy and whines when you hide it

"NONONO, don't hide it! I love your laugh!"

"Don't hide it please :("

Pulls out the big guns (puppy dog eyes) just to make you agree

"Fine"

Happy Monkey <3

Of course, he genuinely does try to make sure you're comfortable about it and reassures you in his own Monkey King way, so don't be too worried.

S/O

Like Wukong, Macaque is the last person to tell you not to hide something, the scoundrel

Motherfucker is hiding EVERYTHING

Smoke and Mirrors the character™

But, that has never stopped him before

With that established, given how all doom and gloom this brooding monkey is, he finds solace in your laughter, and he's picked up on your snorting even when you try to hide it

He hears all

But, unlike the others, he won't push you or try to convince you to reveal something you don't feel like revealing

He would know how that feels personally

And if Macaque is anything at all, he's self aware. enough

He'll let you get comfortable laughing in front of him to your fullest at your own time, while giving you quiet reassurance now and again

Once you're sure he won't judge you for it and you're fully comfortable, your laughter makes him the warmest he's felt in so long

Who would've thought? The Six-Eared Macaque has a heart!/j

[inthelibrarybtw]

you want me to pretend? | ten

SERIES MASTERLIST

pairing: college!basketball!captain!rafe x college!student!reader content: fluff, college au, smau/irl, jealousy, jordan, rafe crash out, cursing

summary: You were trying to make one problem disappear. You were tired, so you lied. That small lie led you to contact the last person you wanted to ask for help. It wasn’t that you didn’t like Rafe; only that you didn’t want to deal with his constant teasing more than you already did. Also, you two weren't that close, but this one lie was going to bring you two closer and maybe help some truths come to light.

word count: 1.1k

authors note: ten? when did this happen? I'm really thankful for all the love that you guys have given to my blind children. Enjoy another flashback 😚 I intended to post yesterday but I got a fever and went to sleep it off.

09 | 10 | 11

Sophomore Year - October 2022

Sophomore Year - November 2022

Thanksgiving had been the perfect opportunity to finally get together with Angie and fully discuss the topic of Jordan. Ever since the day you two had met, you had been consistently talking to each other. While he had initially caught your attention, now it was a whole different story. You talked all day, every day—well, almost every day. 

“So you really like him right now?” Angie asked as she sat down on your bed. 

“I feel like we’re becoming really close; we talk almost all the time,” you said with a small smile. 

“Almost is not always.” 

“Yeah, on weekends he just disappears, but he’s with his family and doing a lot of schoolwork, so that’s why.” 

“Wait, so he just doesn’t answer on weekends?” 

“We talk, but it's very little on weekends. He reappears on Sunday afternoon, and we talk again. It’s a lot of voice notes, and I like that.” 

“Oh, he’s a voice note guy… Huh, he didn’t give me those vibes.” 

“Yeah, I like that because I feel it’s more real. You hear the actual tone in which he is speaking, and it’s just really nice to hear him.” 

“Maybe at first I wasn’t really sure about him, but I guess he’s not that bad.” 

“He is really sweet; we can talk about a lot of stuff,” you smile again. 

“You think it’s going to get deeper? Like are you and him, and me and Ethan, going to be having double dates soon?” she teases, and you chuckle. 

“Oh, we are already talking about that?”

“Yeah, why not? Ethan and I have been talking for two months, and I think he is going to be my boyfriend,” Angie says, smiling.  

“I’m so happy for you; he better treat you right.”  

“Same goes for Jordan; he better treat you right. But from the audio you have sent me, he does sound nice, and he was very unexpected, so…” She wiggles her eyebrows.  

“Yes, it could be something good. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself. We have been talking for just a month, so I don’t know where this is really going.”  

“So, Rafe…?” You shake your head softly, “like at all?”  

“I…” you stutter for a second.  

“Ha!” She pointed at you, “I knew it.”  

“I don’t like Rafe; I never liked him.”  

“Then why the hell is this on your bed?” She grabbed the jellycat he had given you for your birthday.  

“It was a gift; what was I supposed to do? Throw it away? It’s cute; I like it.”  

“So, no emotional attachment to that or the person who gave it to you?” You shook your head, not realizing your face was saying quite the opposite.  

“Right, so really, really nothing for Rafe?”  

“Yeah,” your voice faltered, “nothing at all.” You smiled, but Angie knew better than to believe you.  

“Zero? Nada? Nothing? Not even physically?”  

“Finding someone attractive doesn’t mean you like them; I told you.”  

“Ah, right, yeah.”  

“Angie, stop it; I don’t like Rafe.” She lifted her hands in defeat.  

“Fine, fine, you don’t like him.” 

Sophomore Year - December 2022

Rafe sat down on the living room couch. The house was anything but quiet, but at least the living room was now clean and free of a screaming Emily. His sister had gotten far too excited about her Christmas presents, and with every single one, she had screamed. He understood it, but he was also not in the mood. They all had helped her get her new toys into her playroom. Wheezie stayed with Emily, so that was why he had gone back to the living room. His loneliness didn’t last long.

“What’s that face for?” Sarah asked, sitting next to him.

“What do you mean?” he replied.

“You look all annoyed. I have a wild guess as to why, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”

“The thing is, I feel like I shouldn’t feel this way. It's not like she’s my ex, you know.”

“Yeah, but you like her.”

“Yes, that much was obvious; thanks for stating it again.”

“I’m just saying it's normal to feel this way. She likes someone else, and you still like her.”

“Are you sure she likes him?”

“I haven’t talked about it much, but she has mentioned it sometimes; not a lot, though.” He sighed.

“Well, according to Kelce, he has gone MIA for weeks, then goes back to talk to her like nothing happened, and he claims it’s just because he’s busy, but no one can be that busy.”

“I feel like your jealousy is making everything way worse than it actually is.”

“Yeah, well.”

“It’s okay, though; I understand it, but I do have to say that you need to eventually move on.”

“I know. I decided that a few days ago, but Kelce told me he thought she liked me, and that threw me off. I just started thinking about that.”

“And you didn’t talk to him about this?”

“Why would I?”

“Right, you don’t talk about feelings with the boys,” Sarah said, rolling her eyes.

“I have you for that; I don’t need them,” he nudged her with his elbow.

“Aw, look, you are nice,” she chuckled.  

“Shut up,” he chuckled back.  

“Back to the Y/N thing… I know this is not what you want to hear, but try to meet someone just for the fun of it.”  

“If you think I’m gonna get over her by dating someone else, you’re wrong. Before I say this, I know how cheesy and stupid it sounds, but that's just how things are.”  

“I’m gonna let you finish.”  

“I promise, the second I saw her, it was like the rest of the girls were nothing. I have tried, BELIEVE ME, I have tried talking to other girls and flirting with them, but they are all so… uninteresting, or maybe it is just because I really, really like her. I don’t even know why I like her so much,” he exhales and groans, “I’m so messed up.”  

“Wow,” Sarah said, looking at him. “Yeah… you are messed up, but hopefully you will eventually get over her, right?”  

“I hope you are right because this is embarrassing. Not even Topper got this down bad for you, and that man did some questionable things when he was trying to date you,” Sarah chuckled.  

“Yeah, well, it worked, so…”  

“For him. I’m not gonna embarrass myself, even if I wanted to. This problem is so easy to fix.”  

“Okay, now you lost me.”  

“Jordan. He is my problem. I could literally just kiss her, and voilà, problem solved.”  

“Oh geez…” Sarah sighed. “First things first, you would create more problems by doing that.”  

“Yeah, but he would go bye-bye.”  

“You spend too much time with Emily.”  

“She’s the coolest 4-year-old I know.”  

“Yeah, because she’s your sister.”  

As they started talking about Emily, Jordan and you got forgotten in the conversation, but not from Rafe’s mind. Much to his dislike, he was going to keep being annoyed and jealous about that for a few more months until he eventually called it a day.

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INTHELIBRARYBTW ✧.

[blainesebastian]

not my type

word count: 12,775 ship: Nick Leister x reader rating: R (for sexual situations and expletives) summary: But maybe you should know better that there’s a fine line between not being able to stand someone and fizzling attraction.(essentially an 'enemies' to lovers fic) notes: really appreciate all the kind comments, likes, reblogs and everything in-between 🥰 glad you all are digging these. notes2: gifs from here, masterlist here

When you first met Nick, it started off on the wrong foot, something that’s never quite been corrected. An uncoordinated dance, an imbalance of snarky commentary and obscene gestures (you love giving him the middle finger with a grin, and he loves being less than a gentleman any chance he can get). Your small friend group keeps you in one another’s orbit, but that doesn’t mean you have to like eachother. He just…he gets under your skin in the worst fucking way. 

But maybe you should know better that there’s a fine line between not being able to stand someone and fizzling attraction. 

Nick may be gorgeous, which he seems to know, but he’s also a giant pain in your ass. And he likes being that just a little too much. 

—

Your first interaction consists of bumping into one another, literally, on the dance floor. You’re carrying drinks back to Jenna and her boyfriend Lion, attempting to settle into your new life after moving from New York to London. It hasn’t been the easiest transition to say the least, but your parents work with Jenna’s, and the moment you met her, you two hit it off. You’re extremely grateful for having someone to talk to, to invite you out, to get along with. 

If only you knew it was going to include this briar patch of a person. 

You’ve heard of Nick Leister, of course, before the unfortunate meet-up—his reputation precedes him. Successful at seventeen, a lot handsome, a little arrogant, and altogether frustrating. He looks down his nose at you when drinks are jostled in your hands, a sharp hiss leaving your lips when some spills onto your red party dress. 

“Should probably come with a turn signal in close quarters like this.” 

You scoff, seriously? “You bumped into me.” 

“Anyone would bump into you with your elbows out like that.” 

Your mouth falls open, pink staining your cheeks and heating the back of your neck, “That’s got to be the worst apology I’ve ever gotten, congratulations.” 

He crinkles his nose—it shouldn’t look so attractive, and you quickly toss that thought away, “I don’t owe you an apology.” 

You’re about to toss one of these well-balanced drinks into his face when Jenna pushes her way through the crowd, “Oh Y/N!” She grins, “I see you’ve met Nick.” 

Nick’s gaze bounces between Jenna and you, a look of annoyance flittering across his features as he realizes that his friend is your friend…and that he won’t be rid of you so easily. For some reason, that awareness fizzles like water dripped onto hot coals in your stomach. But instead of giving him the satisfaction that you’re bothered, you tip your chin and give him your brightest smile, 

“Yep,” You pop your ‘P’, “Utter pleasure.” 

There’s the tight flicker of amusement in the browns of his eyes, gone almost as soon as it appears. The corner of his mouth tilts up, as if pulled by an invisible string, “Pleasure is all mine.” 

—

Your friend group keeps you in similar circles, you spend time hanging out, getting to know one another, but you’re not sure you would call him a friend. The real problem is? When you’re wrapped up in distractions, when you forget the prickling animosity between the two of you…Nick’s someone you don’t mind spending time with. He makes you laugh, you like the passion that kisses his syllables when he talks about something he cares about…and you’re not going to try and deny that you’re attracted to him. At least not to yourself. 

He’s got a boxer’s body, long lines and a sturdy tone, the muscles in his biceps defined, strength behind how he moves. He’s balanced, graceful, a beautifully contained force. You think about his hands far too often, how they form fists, how they might feel on your skin. Nick’s a tactile person, he speaks with his hands, there’s purpose in every touch he makes. A brush of his fingers along your arm, a hand pressed to your lower back when moving through a crowd, squeezing your hand when he helps you down from a high spot. 

It’s frustrating, really, because he gets so easily under your skin. And yet you find yourself drawn to him nonetheless. The strong shape of his jaw, that smirk tugging his full lips, the pleasure and warmth sometimes in those brown eyes. 

Completely unfair. 

You lean back into your poolside chair and sip on your pineapple flavored drink, a small smile on your face as Lion and Nick toss a ball back and forth in the pool. He begins to swim towards the edge when Lion misses a throw, a laugh slipping out of his chest. He pulls himself out, water cascading down his skin and dripping onto the pavement. 

Your eyes flicker over his chest and arms, tracing pretty line tattoos, wondering why he’s gotten each of them, if he wants any others. Chewing on your straw, your gaze lingers over the Roman numerals under his shoulder blade—

“Eyes are up here, sweetheart.” 

And you feel your face go red as he catches you. Fuck. You huff out a sound, trying not to feed into the fucking satisfaction that’s already written all over his face. 

“Don’t call me that.” 

“Would you rather I call you something else?” 

Your thoughts spin in your head like a washing machine stuck on a rinse cycle as he grabs a towel, running it over his hair and down his chest. You’d rather pretend like the last three minutes didn’t happen. 

Straightening your shoulders, you decide to go with denial, “I know this is maybe sore for your ego, but just because you’re here without a shirt on, doesn’t mean someone is checking you out.” You motion to your sunglasses which have, thankfully, shaded your eyes and their traitorous direction from him. 

He’s just guessing. (He’s right, but that’s besides the point). 

Nick smirks, humming a little as he moves to sit down on a lounger next to yours, Jenna getting up from your other side to join Lion in the hottub. “My ego’s just fine, but it’s cute that you’re concerned about it.” 

“I’d be more concerned about your belligerent personality.” You smile sweetly, “Not going to get a date that way.” 

“So you are concerned about who I date?” He asks, raising his eyebrows. He leans forward as if intrigued, his elbows resting on his knees. The dick. 

“No.” 

You must say it far too quickly, because he’s smiling again, something slow and annoyingly handsome. Like a cat that’s caught a canary. “Oh you are,” He hums, “Well, you’ll be happy to know that you aren’t my type.” 

A scoff slips out of your throat and despite heat curling in your veins, you try not to take offense and rise to the commentary leaving his mouth. He wants to bother you, upset you, you’re not about to give him that gratification, “And who’s your type? Blonde, emotionless and rude? Quite the pairing.” 

Nick licks his lips, drawing in a soft breath as he sits with what you’ve said, “Anna and I are just friends.” 

And fuck—you didn’t even mean to describe Anna. Not exactly. You just…sort of flashed upon those personality traits in your mind, came to one conclusion. You’ve only had a few interactions with her but it’s been more than enough. She’s nasty in a way you didn’t realize another girl could be, and you barely know her? You can’t figure out why she’s been so unwelcoming.

“In case you’re concerned about that too.” Nick smiles, eyes roaming over your face, playfully pushing your sunglasses up the bridge of your nose before standing to get himself a drink. 

You let out a slow breath, trying to tell yourself that it doesn’t matter what Nick’s told you about him and Anna. That you could care less about who he’s dating or interested in or…anything like that. Why would that matter to you? 

You pointedly ignore how your lips have twitched into a smile, that tell-tale flush working its way down your chest. 

—

You’ve decided you want to go home. A little drunk and a lot tired, you’ve overstayed your limit at the latest underground car lineup. That’s what you like to call these little get togethers—when everyone shows up in their fanciest car and shows them off, maybe even races. You’re here because of Jenna, to have a good time, to drink a little too much and dance in the coolness of the parking garage, the music vibrating the concrete and reverberating in your chest. Admittedly, you love it a bit more than dancing in a club or someone’s house. 

Jenna playfully tugs you away from someone you’re dancing with, the guy all hands, but handsome, long legs and a grin that gives a dimple. But apparently he was trying to take you back to his place and Jenna’s got her wits about her to not let that happen. 

“Think it’s time for you to head home, sweets.” She laughs as you wrap your arms around her, resting your chin on her shoulder. 

“But I want to dance more.” You pout. 

She cups your cheeks, planting a kiss on your forehead. “And as much as I love seeing you dance, your knees are as wobbly as Bambi right now.” 

You huff, even though in the back of your mind, you know she’s right. You got a ride with her, so at the very least you don’t have to worry about leaving your car here. But you also don’t want to ruin the rest of her night, it’s still early? 

“I can see if Zach—”

“I can take you.” 

You blink, turning to see Nick standing near the trunk of Jenna’s car and…when the hell did he pop up here? Your eyes tick over his form quickly but it’s not missed by him however, because there’s a twinge of a smirk on his lips. He looks good, and that’s annoying within itself. 

“Uh, no thanks.” 

He raises his eyebrows. “Oh, you going to walk back?” 

Your eyes narrow into a glare. “I don’t need your help.” 

He smiles, far too handsome, Jenna stepping forward to pat your head. “Babe let him take you home, okay?” 

There’s a soft grumble in your chest because the last thing you want is to lean on him for help, to smell the pristine leather of the seats in his car, the rumble of the engine encompassing your body, the sensation of him far too close. You’re not my type vibrates in his timbre against your eardrums, your nose crinkling at that conversation. 

“I’m not exactly thrilled about it either,” Nick says, misreading your expression, “I got a lot of other things I’d rather do.” 

You scoff, as if he didn’t offer in the first place, but disentangle yourself from Jenna, your knees a little unsteady, “Well I’d hate to interrupt your very busy night,” You throw back, voice dripping in sarcasm, “I’ll find my own way home.” 

You turn, far too quickly, and practically tangle up your feet. You don’t faceplant though, as you suspected, and land right against a firm chest. Nick’s arm wraps around your waist, helping you keep your balance, and you wish he didn’t smell like that—expensive cologne, laundry detergent, something purely him. He smells good. 

“Thank you,” He replies and fuck—you did not mean to say that last part outloud. 

“I wasn’t talking to you.” 

Nick smirks, tucking your hair behind your ear and out of your face, “Sure, okay.” 

“Bye babe,” Jenna grins, reaching over to press a kiss to your cheek before disappearing around her car to find Lion.

You pull a little bit away from Nick, insisting on not needing him to walk, and his arm leaves your waist. His hand slips down, squeezing his fingers around your own, letting you lead even though you have zero clue where he parked his car. 

Eventually, through some of the crowd, he begins to tug you in the direction of where you need to go. When you pass the dance floor, one of your favorite songs on, you stop short. Nick jerks to a halt, an accidental yank on your arm as he turns around to look at you. 

“I want to dance to this.” 

His eyebrows draw together, glancing towards where people are moving to the beat of the music. You bounce a little on the balls of your feet in anticipation, “And I want to be unbothered the rest of the night—that’s not going to happen until I get you home.” 

You huff and Nick’s lips twitch, an almost smile he tries to hide, “One dance.” 

He’s immovable. “No, I’ll carry you if I have to.” 

Your mouth falls open, taking a step back even though his fingers have automatically laced with yours. You didn’t even notice until right this very moment. How long have they been like that? “You wouldn’t dare.” 

Nick raises his eyebrows and the glittering in the depths of the brown tells you that he’s accepted that challenge. He purses his lips, looking away for a brief moment before he moves—in one fluid motion, he places his arm along the back of your thighs, hauling you up over his shoulder. 

You choke out a squeal before slapping him on the ass, “Put me down.” 

A laugh empties out of his mouth before he quickly walks in the direction of his car. Fuck, you cannot believe he fucking picked you up like some sort of caveman. You try not to squirm but it feels like he’s barely holding on as it is, jostling you as he weaves through other parked cars, 

“Nick!” You snap out, one of your hands gathering the material of his shirt to ground you. Jesus, being upside down is making you even more dizzy, “I can walk—I swear to God, let me go.” 

He stops suddenly, though you’re not sure if you’re at his car—either way your stomach bottoms out as gravity gives way. Nick does let you go, assisting your tumble to the ground. A squeak leaves your lips and you land right on your ass, an unladylike oof leaving your lips. 

“Are you serious?” 

“Just proving a point,” Nick smiles, something so amused that there’s laughter wrapped around his syllables when he speaks, “I can’t figure you out. You wanted down and now you’re upset you’re on the pavement?” 

You kick your legs a little, boots on your feet echoing the clacking heel noise around you. There’s a pout on your lips as you look up at him, “You dropped me.” 

Nick shakes his head, but he’s still smiling, crouching down so that he’s eye-level with you. He gives you a onceover, making sure you’re okay, “You need help up?” He offers his hand, to which you smack away. He smirks, “Alright then.”

Your mouth, you swear, is completely disconnected from your body. You proved that by telling him that he smells good (he does) —but the longer you stare at him, the more you feel like asking him something that you haven’t been able to get out of your head since he told you. The words spill out of you before you can reign them in—

“I’m not your type?” 

Nick’s eyebrows draw together in soft confusion, like he can’t quite understand how you got from point A to point B. He then sighs out, reaching over to adjust the strap of your dress so it’s back on your shoulder and not halfway down your arm. 

“You’re still thinking about that?” 

You shake your head slowly, “...no.” 

Nick smirks but doesn’t press. You notice he doesn’t respond to your question, either, just reaches both his hands out to you, palms up. “Can I help you up?” 

You look at his hands, the silver rings on some of his fingers, the chain-link bracelet hanging from his wrist. Things that, for some reason, make your chest ache before you nod. He shifts forward to hook his arms underneath yours, hauling you up from the ground. The garage spins a little and you have to grab onto his arm to steady yourself. 

“Okay?” He asks, waiting until you nod. He guides you to his car, opening up the door, “You gonna be sick at all?”

“Just sick of your face.” You mumble, bending to get inside the car. 

Nick laughs, something warm and altogether too bright. “Feeling’s mutual.” 

Yet his actions don’t match his words, even when they’re said in teasing. He buckles your seatbelt for you and brushes his thumb along your collarbone before closing the door. 

—

You hadn’t exactly been going for drunk given the last time you drank because your hangover was fucking awful. Being a bit tipsy feels safer, in which the room spins a bit in a rose-colored glaze. Not too over the top, but still having fun. You’re looking to avoid what happened last time, your cheeks heating with embarrassment when you think about you and Nick eye to eye—

You’re still thinking about that?

Dumb, so dumb. You’re glad that he hasn’t mentioned anything, so you’re allowed to pretend it never happened. You push those thoughts aside, thinking about tonight instead. 

Jenna is one of your favorite people to dance with and Lion has been teaching you how to play pool, and your goal is to spend the rest of the night in the hot tub after drinking some water to balance yourself out. 

Adjusting your swim top, you come out of the bathroom and make a b-line to the kitchen, opening up the fridge to grab a cold bottle of water. You hum softly, resting the cold plastic against your neck, leaning against the counter. 

“Like that swim top.” 

You open your eyes, glancing over at someone you don’t know, a tall guy with auburn hair and freckles on his cheekbones. You give a small smile, curling your hair around your ear, “Thank you.” You unscrew the cap on the bottle, taking a long swig. The guy moves closer to you and your stomach flutters in discomfort, but you don’t move. 

He licks his lips, “Blue’s definitely your color.” 

You draw in a breath, “Thanks, it’s my favorite.” 

And maybe it’d benefit you to start heading out of the kitchen, or put some distance between you and whoever this guy is. You can tell his gaze is slightly glassy, the intentions of what he’s after written all over his face. You nearly know what’s going to come out of his mouth before he says it—

“Wanna grab a drink?” 

You’re not sure if he means right now or later, but either way, “Oh uh,” You shake his head, “No thank you.” 

He takes a step closer, nearly crowding your space and you hate that you’ve practically backed yourself into a corner in the kitchen, nerves beginning to fray as you realize you’ll have to push past him to leave. He’s not that much taller? But he feels like he towers over you. 

“C’mon, just one drink.” 

“She’s not interested.” 

The guy pulls back and when his body disappears from your field of vision, you see Nick leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen. His body is relaxed but it conflicts with the muscle flexing in his jaw, a sharp light in his brown eyes. You let out a soft breath as this guy steps out of your personal space, Nick wandering into the kitchen to grab another drink for himself. 

Tall guy no longer seems interested once Nick is there, and mumbles whatever as he turns to leave. You roll your shoulders back, turning a little to speak to Nick, maybe even thank him for saying something? But what he says next douses a cold bucket of water on you. 

He gives you a onceover, eyes lingering on the cloud-print that’s on your bikini top, before his eyes meet yours. “You’re too nice.” 

You blink—what? That’s the last thing you expect him to say. There’s a prickle of annoyance underneath his tone and your mouth opens a bit in surprise as you realize…it’s not directed at the guy who was practically folding you into the counter when he walked in, but that it’s towards you. He’s frustrated with you. 

What…is that supposed to mean? “That’s coming from you? Someone who thinks glaring and grunting are personality traits?” 

A twitch of a smile, but not quite. He turns towards you and wanders over with his beer, setting it down on the counter. He’s standing close, but not as close as that other guy. Not yet, anyways. You can feel the heat from his skin and smell his expensive cologne—it draws your heartbeat up into your throat. You tip your head back a little to meet his eyes, refusing to back down. 

“See,” He comments softly, motioning to your eyes, “Where was that?” 

Your eyebrows draw together, “What?” 

“Where was that fire in your eyes? That attitude you seem to only have with me.” 

A laugh stutters forward, “You ever seem to wonder why that is?” 

Nick closes the distance between you, creating a cage around your body with his arms as his hands press into the counter. Your stomach flip flops, your eyes boring into his own, and you force yourself not to look at his lips—even when he speaks. 

“You’re too nice,” He repeats, “What would have happened if I hadn’t walked in?” 

You’re not sure why it matters, why it’s any of his business, why he cares. Yeah, that guy was making you uncomfortable, but you would have…he would have gotten the point, right? “I was just about to tell him that he wasn’t my type.” 

Low blow—so much for not thinking about that. 

Nick doesn’t take the bait, however, even though there’s a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. “I don’t believe you.” He says softly.

Heat kisses the back of your neck, goosebumps spreading along your skin when you feel the fabric of Nick’s shirt brush along your arms. 

“You need to stick up for yourself Y/N, put your foot down when you deserve something. Tell someone to fuck off if they’re getting under your skin.” You swallow over a foreign emotion in your throat. The words bubble on your tongue just to prove a point—but he’s not agitating you, not really. He’s right. He’s right and that’s why you’re annoyed. You weren’t going to say anything. 

And even if you had? That guy was never going to listen to you, no matter how many times you told him, nicely, that you weren’t interested. You’re so worried about hurting someone else’s feelings that you never look out for your own. 

“You’re not a doormat,” Nick lifts his hand, playing with a strand of hair near your ear. Your stomach hits your knees when his finger brushes your cheek. “So stop acting like one.” 

It should piss you off, what he’s saying, but you find yourself utterly distracted by the nearness of his body, the way if he leaned in just a little, your lips would brush. 

You tilt your head up and don’t miss the way that Nick goes still, like he didn’t anticipate this, like he wasn’t expecting you to lean into his touch. You’ve caught him by surprise. Your noses bump, and Nick draws his lower lip into his teeth as he looks down at yours. 

Something heated slides down between your legs as his knuckles rests along your jaw, thumb brushing your lower lip. 

“Nick,” You whisper, hand resting on his chest. 

And just when you think he might lean in and kiss you, you push on his chest, sending him a bit off balance. “Fuck off.” Your voice has bite, fueled by his advice, his proximity, the fact that he sees you without trying. 

You hate that. (Or perhaps it’s because you don’t hate it at all). 

He draws in a breath, letting it out through his nose as you walk past, amusement and something you can’t name dancing on his handsome face. 

How’s that for not being a doormat? 

—

The next time Tall guy comes around at the party, trying to slide up against you while you’re outside the hot tub with Jenna, you turn and give him a firm I’m flattered but stop bothering me. He straightens, huffs out an annoyed sound, but turns and leaves you alone. Period. No room for interpretation. 

When you turn your attention back to your friend, you spot Nick watching nearby, a ghost of a smile on his lips. 

—

“What’s going on between you and Nick?” 

You turn a little towards Jenna, your friend’s eyes bright and open as you linger in the kitchen of Nick’s place, intent on going back out to the pool. Just a day to waste time, planning the next trip to Ibiza and the like. You wish it was just the four of you, but somehow Anna got invited, along with her insufferable friends. You’re trying to keep it friendly, but you’re pretty sure your emotions are clear on your face. 

“Not sure what you mean.” 

Jenna gives you this look, like don’t bullshit me and you…suppose you understand what she’s talking about. There’s been this odd heat that seems to fizzle between you and him—like you’re always ten seconds away from catching on fire. Though you’re not sure what that means. It’s hard to tell whether it’s mutual attraction or something worse. 

You might want to kiss him, mostly just to shut him up, but how much trouble would that be really worth? 

“You don’t get what I mean?” She asks, skeptical, “There’s obviously something there, babe, otherwise you wouldn’t look like you’re sucking on a lemon because Anna’s here.” 

For fuck’s sake. “Or it’s because Anna has the personality of a leather couch.” 

Jenna grins, tossing an arm over your shoulder, “Whatever you say.” She sing-songs.

You chew on your lower lip, debating for a moment whether you should voice what you’re about to. But…at this point, it’s sort of become a thing for you. So what does it hurt mentioning it to Jenna? Or at least seeing what she says. 

“He said I’m not his type.” 

Jenna smiles but bites on her lower lip, like she’s trying not to laugh, “And that bothered you, huh?” 

You roll your eyes, groaning as you cover your face with your hands. “He gets under my fucking skin.” 

“You don’t sound broken up about that.” 

“What does that even mean? I’m not his type? Maybe he’s not mine!” 

Jenna smirks, “I’m sure Nick likes to think he’s everyone’s type.” 

You let a slow breath out of your lips. Is his ‘type’ based off looks? Personality? Their taste in music or movies or cars? You hate that you’ve given this so much thought. 

“Maybe he just wants someone as rude and snarky as he is.” You grumble but even as the words leave your mouth, you know they’re not fair. 

A knowing hum leaves your friend’s mouth and she puts an arm over your shoulders again to guide you outside,  “Nick may seem prickly on the outside, he certainly loves a verbal spar as much as tossing his fists. But he’s a good guy.” 

“Deep down?” You mumble, even though there’s no heat to your words. You don’t mean it and you know it’s not. You’ve seen him be someone kind, considerate, thoughtful. Even though that kitchen conversation rubbed you the wrong way, you know the words themselves came from a place in which he cared—otherwise he never would have intervened, never would have said anything. 

She smiles, almost knowing, playfully tugging on a strand of your hair, “Not that deep.” 

There’s a moment in which you really take in what she’s saying and consider giving him that chance. You’ve known Nick long enough to understand that he’s complex and so is your relationship—there are layers that he’s never seen of you, so maybe it’d be fair to say the same about him. 

But as you turn past the corner of hedges, that thought goes right through the sky when you see him pressed against Anna in the pool, whispering something into her ear. Something green and sickly curls in your stomach and you have to pull your gaze away so quickly that you nearly topple right into your friend. 

On second thought? Maybe only knowing one layer of Nick Leister is more than enough for you. 

—

You can’t remember the last time you went to one of these bare-knuckle fights at Lion’s warehouse gym but you’re quickly recalling why the gap in attendance existed in the first place. 

Wincing as Nick takes another hit to the face, you tear your gaze away, a sharp breath gathering in your lungs. You try to convince yourself that it’s the violence itself that bothers you and not the fact that Nick is getting hurt. Granted he’s winning but…that doesn’t make it any easier. 

Rubbing the back of your neck, you glance up at the fight in front of you, the roar of the crowd drowning out the grunts of the fighters. This is the last round, though you’re not even sure why it’s needed. The guy across from Nick is taking wild strokes, obviously tiring out, sometimes landing something, most of the time not. You know Nick’s stance well, at this point, he’s letting him get hits in. 

When time finally ticks down and it’s over, you feel like you can breathe again, smiling just a little (though it feels too tight on your face) when Nick’s win is announced. As the crowd begins to dissipate, you follow Jenna back to the locker room where Lion is discussing payout. You stand nearby, leaning against a set of lockers, arms crossed over your chest. 

Nick is seated on one of the bleachers, listening to Lion, an amused stretch to his mouth as Lion practically beams with pride and being 20k richer. 

“Celebratory drinks at my place,” Lion comments, his hand coming down on Nick’s shoulder, and you don’t miss the soft wince that passes over his features. As he playfully tugs Jenna with him when he leaves, talking about tossing fifties in the air tonight like confetti, you draw in a soft breath and try not to let annoyance seep out of your pores. 

One of the only things you wildly disagree with when it comes to Lion is treating Nick like some sort of prized racehorse. You know that Nick can stand up for himself, can say no if he really wanted to, but that doesn’t mean you have to like the idea of him getting slapped around in the ring. 

Watching him struggle with antiseptic and cotton balls, you step towards the bench. “Here, let me help.” 

You straddle the bleacher, inching closer to where he’s seated sideways. He pauses, glancing up at you as you sit down, handing over the first-aid kit. You put it on the floor, rifling through it for clean cotton balls and more antiseptic wipes. It feels incredibly intimate like this, sitting so close to him, the empty echoes of the locker room, him with his shirt off and a light sheen of sweat on his skin. 

“Nothing’s broken right?” 

Nick shakes his head, watching you fiddle with the antiseptic wipes. You finally manage to tear one open and hold out your hand so you can look at his knuckles. They’re not too bad…you look up at his face, your stomach doing a somersault when your eyes meet his. Suddenly you feel too overwhelmed having him this close, the heat of his body reaching through the layers of your clothes. 

You reach up and gently run your fingers through the front part of his hair, even though you don’t have to, pretending to look at a bruise forming on his one eyebrow. You then give your attention to his cheek, his lip, where there’s cuts. Nothing that needs stitches but definitely need cleaned. 

Your one hand moves to cup his jawline, tilting his head back towards the lights on the ceiling, beginning to swab the jagged line on his cheek. He jerks a bit, letting out a sharp breath. 

You raise your eyebrows, smiling a little, “Don’t be a baby, I’ve barely touched you.” 

You continue cleaning his cheek until you’re satisfied, moving on to his lip. Your thumb brushes his lower one, trying to ignore how soft it feels beneath your touch. 

“Having trouble finding the cut?” He asks, voice a touch low as he definitely notices you getting caught up. 

Heat spreads along the back of your neck and your thumb moves to press along the corner of his mouth where it’s red, just a touch bloody. His reaction is immediate, a hiss between his teeth and the heat that was in his brown eyes suddenly sparks with indignation. 

“Found it.” You smile sweetly. 

“Your bedside manner could use some work.” He grumbles. 

Humming, you run your thumb along his jawline, almost in apology. You then begin to disinfect his lip in soft silence, making sure to get all the dried blood. You chew on the inside of your cheek in concentration before a thought wanders into the forefront of your mind. 

“Why were you letting him get punches in?” 

Nick raises his eyebrows, maybe almost impressed that you could tell he was doing that. He shifts on the bench, “I’m surprised you noticed, any I time I saw you in the crowd, you had your head down.” 

I don’t like seeing you get hurt, is what you want to say, but those words never make it out. “Why?” You ask again. 

He breathes out, shrugging his one shoulder, “He doesn't have the best record, he was going to lose the minute he stepped in the ring.” An eyeroll from you—cocky. “Figured the night shouldn’t be a total waste for him.” 

You shake your head, “No one is going to want to date you if you look like a potato.” 

You’re joking, of course, but Nick’s hand suddenly comes up and wraps around your wrist. You swallow as his thumb drags across your veins, the air seeming to crackle around you as he says, “That’s the second time you’ve been concerned about who I’m dating.” 

“I was…” Words, “I was just pointing out that no one is going to date you with your face all…like that.” 

He smiles, just a little, a twitch of his lips. “My face like what?” He licks his lips, glancing down at yours. “‘No one’?” He tosses your words back at you, “I don’t know about that.” 

A shiver runs down your spine, something Nick can definitely feel based on his proximity. You don’t remember leaning closer to him, but you do, noses bumping, lips brushing—

And then the door to the locker room slams open. “Oi!” Lion calls out, “Can’t celebrate without you! Let’s go!” 

You practically fall off the bench you back up so fast, Nick’s eyes light with mirth and something else. Something you don’t wait around to identify before muttering you have to go, passing Lion on your way out. 

—

Shivering as you cross the street, you tug your phone out of the pocket of the dress you’re wearing to call Jenna to see if she’ll come pick you up from this fucking awful date you were on. This is your own damn fault, you know that, but you’re pissed nonetheless. You have no idea why you talked yourself into this (yes you do) but you decide there and then that you’re not going on any more dates unless you know the person. This is a guy that you interacted with once at a party and that should have told you all you needed to know. 

Jenna doesn’t pick up on the first call and you close your eyes, tipping your head back towards the night sky because this is also a rookie fucking mistake. You let the guy pick you up, drive you to the bar that’s now across the street.

“Idiot,” You mumble to yourself, trying Jenna’s cell again. 

Honestly? This is all Nick’s fault. He’s got you fucking twisted up in a way you cannot explain or sus out your feelings for. Seeing him close with Anna in his pool, patching him up and nearly doing something regrettable like kissing him, listening to his advice about not being a doormat… it just. It all builds up. 

You’re not my type. 

You let out a harsh breath—this is how you’ve ended up out on the sidewalk, trying to call a ride home. 

You told your so-called ‘date’ to stop trying to kiss you, that you weren’t even sure you wanted to finish the night out, let alone kiss him at the end of it. One point for standing up for yourself. Negative one point for your date telling you to fuck off and find your own ride home. 

Charming. 

“Fuck,” You pull your phone away when Jenna doesn’t answer for the third time. 

Chewing on the inside of your cheek, you debate ordering a ride but…the last thing you want to do is spend more time with a different strange man tonight. There’s another name that your thumb hovers over and you already hate yourself for wanting to tap on it. 

He probably won’t pick up anyways. 

But, of course, he does. 

Before he can even speak, you try to explain, “I tried calling Jenna three times but she’s not picking up.” 

Nick lets out a breath through his nose, “What’s wrong?” 

You wince, not wanting to tell him. You begin a slow pace, back and forth, across the edge of the sidewalk. “Uhm. I was on a date and…turns out he fucking sucks, so, I need a ride home.” 

Chewing on the inside of your cheek, you almost spill into a tangent about how you can order a ride or maybe…call someone else? Try Jenna again. You expect Nick to make a wiseass remark about calling so late, or give a scornful comment on how it sucks that your date was terrible. 

He surprises you by doing neither of those things, “Where are you?” 

You blink, opening and closing your mouth, “I’ll drop a pin.” 

Despite the silence, he stays on the phone with you until he turns onto the street, the familiar sound of the rumbling engine a comfort you can’t explain as he pulls alongside where you’re standing. Tugging the door open, you slip inside, a soft sound leaving your lips at the warmth of the leather seats. 

Nick’s in a pair of sweats, a plain white t-shirt, zip-up hoodie. When he sees you trembling, he turns the heat dial up, his hands resting back on the steering wheel as you put your seatbelt on. You’re not sure if he was at home or…somewhere else, but you’re grateful he showed up. Regardless of the tumultuous relationship the two of you have, he came to get you. That means a lot. 

The bruises and cuts on his face are healing quite nicely from his tussle in the ring. In about a week, it won’t even look like he was fighting at all. 

“Thanks,” You sniffle, rubbing the end of your nose with the back of your wrist. “You know, I really don’t understand guys. I mean—you seem to have a few good conversations with them and then they jump right into being a jackass when you won’t kiss them. I mean, what the fuck?” 

You glance over at him as he pulls out of the parking spot, the muscle in his jaw flexing, knuckles a bit white as he grips the steering wheel. 

“He didn’t even take me to dinner before the bar,” You shake your head. “I’m starving.” Not that you’re expecting to be completely wined-and-dined and everything but…what ever happened to good food, good conversations and a late-night drink? 

A soft huff leaves your lips, leaning back against the seat and wrapping your arms around yourself. 

“He tried to kiss you?” 

You blink, looking back over at Nick as he drives. His eyes are on the road, but the tone of his voice envelopes you like a warm blanket, causing a shiver to course down your spine. You’re almost confused he asks because…you weren’t even on that topic anymore, moreso on your rumbling stomach and wondering what you’re going to make to eat when you get home. 

“Yeah,” You shrug, “Wasn’t happy when I wasn’t into it. Told me to fuck off and find my own way home.” 

Nick lets out a short breath, stalling the car at an intersection even though the light isn’t red. There’s no one behind him but your eyebrows draw together as he seems to debate making an illegal U-turn. 

“It’s not too late—I can turn around, go back, punch his lights out.” 

You find yourself staring at him, at the open display of protectiveness, how pissed he sounds. On your behalf. You almost have no idea what to say for a moment, not expecting this reaction. For him to offer to turn the car around and…

Letting out a slow breath, you reach over and gently touch one of his wrists, smoothing your thumb along the tree of veins there until he visibly relaxes. He presses his foot against the gas, getting the car going. You appreciate the gesture, as fucked up as that might be. But he doesn’t need to hit anyone for you. 

Both of you are quiet as he drives, until a soft giggle climbs up your throat, “You know…punching him might have only done him favors, feel like he wasn’t very handsome to start.” 

Nick rolls his eyes but there’s a gentle tilt to his lips, a smile that wants to happen but doesn’t quite get there. “Would have made me feel better.” 

You hum softly, “Because he ruined your night?” You’re not sure what he was doing before you called, but you’re sure it was probably better than this. 

He licks his lips, putting his turn signal on, “Because he ruined yours.” 

Heat flushes over your cheeks and suddenly, you’re not feeling so cold anymore. Every time you think Nick’s not capable of surprising you, he says something like that. The sentiment dips into your chest and squeezes your ribs, releasing butterflies from their cages and fluttering them all throughout your system. 

It has you thinking about what Jenna said, that Nick’s a good guy. You suppose it’s something you’ve never doubted, just…never got to see much of it angled in your direction. 

When he puts the car into park again, you realize it’s not outside your place, but instead… “A diner?” You raise your eyebrows, turning a little to look at him. 

Nick takes his keys out, pocketing them before glancing at your abdomen. “They can hear your stomach grumbling a city over.” 

You grin, quickly getting out of the car, excitement spurring you forward as Nick follows you inside. The smell of grease and fried food greets you like an old friend and you grab a menu to look at as you wait for the hostess to come back from seating another couple to put you at a table as well. 

And just when you think Nick’s done surprising you, you feel the warm weight of his zip-up hoodie land over your shoulders as he tells the hostess that there’s two of you. You look up at him but he’s not paying attention to you, smiling at the older woman as she grabs silverware and says that she has the perfect booth for the both of you to sit at. 

Absentminded. Like he does something like this all the time—putting his hoodie around your shoulders and bringing you to a diner after a bad date. You press your arms through the sleeves, the warm fabric that smells like him is almost completely overwhelming. 

Something changes between you two, you can feel it. You’re not sure you can name it or even grasp it between your fingers, but a transformation nonetheless. 

Before you sit down on one side of the booth, you lean over and plant a kiss to Nick’s cheek. It’s quick, almost a distracted movement, but you mean it. He hesitates in sitting down, watching you take a seat. You can feel the warmth of his skin against your lips, and you resist the urge to touch your mouth as you take a look at the menu again as if it’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever seen. 

“What was that for?” He asks, finally sitting down across from you. 

“Just because.” You reply and enjoy the feeling of his legs leaning into yours under the table as you decide on what to order. 

—

Something shifts. It’s in small smiles, snarky comments, the brushing and grazing of your hands. It’s in the way you tug on Nick’s curls or the way he squeezes your waist in a spot he knows you're ticklish. It’s when he calls you softie as an insult, but he’s smiling. It’s in how you haven’t given him his hoodie back since the night you were at the diner. It’s wearing it in front of him and he makes no move to take it. 

It doesn’t have a name, just a feeling, an emotion that’s heavy and weightless all at the same time. 

—

You knew today wasn’t going to be the best day when you rolled over and saw that your phone died. On a normal Saturday? That wouldn’t be such a big deal, but of course today you promised to help your mother set up for this charity event she’s been talking about non-stop. Again, usually not a big deal? But this afternoon is also the deadline for a summer art program that you've been wanting to sign up for. You can admit it’s your fault for leaving things to the last minute (your portfolio is done, but the essay portion is not). Also? It’s your fault for being interested in such a pain in the ass prestigious program in the first place but…getting into this program could open doors for you that were never even a possibility before. Doors that you didn’t even know existed. 

You have to get in. 

But your alarm not going off because your phone died because you forgot to plug it in creates a domino effect that successfully throws off your whole fucking day. 

You’re flustered getting ready so you burn your hand by pouring coffee on it. Because you’re late to the venue, there’s no parking, so you have to find a spot even further away. The heel of your shoe snags on an uneven patch in the pavement, and you fall straight down, barely catching yourself in time. Sore and late, your mom wants to hear zero excuses when you finally find her amongst circular tables and place settings. 

She keeps you longer than she promised, punishing you for wasting her time this morning and by the time you make it back home? The deadline for submission has passed. 

You just kind of stare at your laptop in disbelief, a red banner with the words SUBMISSIONS CLOSED staring at you like a slap to the face. You draw in a soft breath, trying to laugh over the comedy of errors you suffered today, because what else can you do? You try to tell yourself that there’s always next summer and other programs and…your art is capable of speaking for itself. You don’t need a fancy program to tell you things you already know or to create networks for you. 

You don’t need it. 

You distract yourself with friends, heading over to Jenna’s place to have a bonfire and maybe go skinny dipping. Something a little wild, distracting, fun. You head back inside to make yourself a coffee because there’s a bit of a chill in the air, trying to ignore the slightly red skin on your hand from the coffee mis-hap earlier in the day and draw in a deep breath to attempt to mellow yourself out. 

You’ll settle back outside with your hands wrapped around warm ceramic, listen to Giles tell another ridiculous story about how when he was younger his parents put him into boarding school, and try not to watch how pretty Nick’s features are with the orange glow of the fire on them. 

Tugging your phone out and ignoring a particularly scathing message from your mother about how you did something wrong with the place-settings for the charity gala, you tap open Instagram. Your parents have never been supportive of your art, so it’s not surprising that your mother doesn’t care that you missed out on this art program. She thinks you’re wasting your time and need to plan for a future that’s more guaranteed, lucrative. You bite down, hard, on the inside of your cheek. 

You mindlessly scroll through posts of Instagram accounts you’re following…but then come across a video about the very same summer art program��all the opportunities you’ll be missing out on. You let out a harsh laugh, the sound sneaking up on you, because of course you’d wander onto this after the day you’ve had. You quickly close the phone, but not before your fingers start shaking, a fragile sort of hurt feeling that’s been building up in your chest since this afternoon finally breaking free. 

Trying to breathe through it, you take in a soft breath in through your nose, letting it out your mouth…but your lips are wobbling. And the next intake of air is sharp and painful and you squeeze your eyes shut against the onslaught of tears. A choked sob leaves your chest and you cover your mouth with your hand, attempting to stop this breakdown before it really gets going. But a part of you knows you just need to cry about this in order to feel how you feel and to move on. 

That’s what you’re about to do, turning to head to the bathroom when you hear voices down the hall. They’re walking too fast for you to make it to your destination and suddenly you just have nowhere to go. You straighten your shoulders, quickly turning away to face the coffee pot as Nick and Giles enter, talking about needing more wood for the bonfire. 

You sniffle, wiping your cheek, keeping your back to them. There’s a sudden silence before, “I’ll meet you back outside.” 

Giles makes a noncommittal noise before the sound of his footsteps disappear. Meanwhile, you feel Nick come closer to you before his hand gently wraps around your elbow. You attempt to hide the tears from him but there’s no use. Wiping a hand over your cheek does little to help. 

“Hey, what happened?” He asks softly, his thumb dipping along your inner elbow. 

That simple question cracks open your chest and your face crumbles, chin dipping as your shoulders hunch. All the day’s wrongs just bubble up and over.  Nick moves quickly, taking a step forward to wrap his arms around you, drawing you to lean against his chest. You press your face into his shoulder, all the frustration and disappointment just pouring out of you. You can feel your tears dampen his sweatshirt, but the entire time, Nick doesn’t seem to mind. 

Instead, he’s more concerned with his hand rubbing up and down your back, his fingers threading through your hair, a soft shh against the shell of your ear until you calm down. Until your breathing isn’t so labored. 

He doesn’t pull away until you’re ready, reaching for a few tissues near the sink to place into your hand. A hiccuped sniffle follows and you feel utterly spent from letting yourself go. Distantly, you know you’re a little better, despite that hollow sensation still sitting heavy in your ribs. Nick moves your hair over your shoulder, his hand resting along your neck, thumb brushing back and forth. 

He’s patient, waits until his gaze catches your own before he repeats himself, “What’s wrong?” 

You shake your head, cheeks splotching a bit in embarrassment at having a small meltdown against his chest. You gently touch the fabric of his sweatshirt, sniffling, “Ruined your hoodie.” 

His eyebrows draw together before he gently waves you off, “I don’t care.” The fingers that are still on your neck dip back, putting pressure along your shoulder blades. 

Nick doesn’t ask again, but you know he’s waiting on an explanation. So you take a moment to draw in another breath, concentrate on your voice not shaking, “Today’s just been a really…shitty day.” 

He hums lightly, doesn’t press, even though it’s obvious that there’s a lot to this bad day. You lean against the counter, playing with the tissues between your fingers, and he moves his hand from the back of your neck to trace his thumb across your cheek. 

“I get it,” He replies, “Sometimes I like to have a good cry in the weight room at my house.” It takes a moment for you to realize he’s joking—teasing you, “Good acoustics in there.” 

You can’t help but smile, a soft laugh leaving your lips and Nick’s thumb dips to your lower lip, the corner of his mouth tugging up too. “There we go.” He whispers, like getting you to laugh was his only intention.

You’re both quiet for a few moments, nothing filling the kitchen except the sound of your shared breathing, the hum of the refrigerator, the gentle hiss of the coffee machine after your coffee is brewed. 

“Why don’t you head outside,” He offers, “I’ll grab that for you.” He motions to the coffee with his chin and you nod, finding yourself too tired to deny him. 

—

That feeling that doesn't have a name? You're starting to be able to describe it in words that make sense. But those words are kept to yourself, silent commentary, afraid that speaking them outloud will shatter their meaning. 

—

Turns out, Nick knows exactly how you take your coffee. You didn’t even realize he paid attention to that sort of thing. He hands you the mug as you sit in the grass on a blanket, wearing his zip up hoodie. You assume he’ll find another seat but he places himself behind you, his hands settling on your shoulders. You expect yourself to tense, to feel uncomfortable…but you don’t. 

Instead you notice you lean back into him, into his hands, especially when they start massaging your shoulders. His thumbs press into the tight muscles of your upper back and your head tips a little as your eyes close. If anyone notices that you and Nick are sharing this blanket in front of the bonfire, no one bats an eyelash. You can feel Jenna’s eyes at you at one point across the flames, but it’s gone as quickly as it appears, a small, knowing smile pulling at her mouth. 

You gravitate towards Nick’s touch until you’re tucked back between his legs, his hands still working the tense muscles of your shoulders. You can’t remember the last time you’ve felt so relaxed, at ease, almost falling asleep with this mug of coffee in your hands under his ministrations. Everything seems to fade around you, all the other noise, all the other conversations. 

Your head tips back a little to look at him and his fingers pause, “I can stop.” He offers, because this isn’t…something you normally do with one another. This is part of that something shifting—the fact that Nick has always been a handsy type of person, but now there’s this. Something close and altogether intimate and new. 

You shake your head, appreciate the offer but, “Your touch feels good.” You admit softly, a small smile tugging the corners of Nick’s mouth from your response. 

He nods, continuing to rub your shoulders. That point of connection between your bodies makes your stomach flip and you allow your eyes to close for a few moments, enjoying the warmth of Nick’s body along your back while the heat from the fire kisses your face. 

“You know that summer art program I’ve brought up before?” You mention quietly after a few moments. “I didn’t get my submission in before the deadline closed.” You swallow, running your thumb along the rim of the mug in your hands. 

“It’s my own fault. I procrastinated and then…my whole day was thrown off. Just couldn’t get it done in time.” You chew on your lower lip for a moment. “And I know it’s not like…the be-all, end-all of doing my art but…I was just really excited about it.” 

“You should still apply,” Nick says after a moment, “I’m sure there’s an email or something in which you can send everything in.” 

“Yeah, maybe. But what’s the point? They closed submissions.” 

You can feel more than see Nick shrug his shoulder. “Things change all the time. You never know.” 

Your lips twitch, “That’s very optimistic of you.” You turn just a little to look at him, your breath catching in your chest as it’s confirmed that the orange glow reflecting against Nick’s skin makes him all the more breathtaking. You resist the urge to trace the dark golden rings, almost like honey,  in his curls. 

“Think someone is rubbing off on me.” He mumbles with an eyeroll that is completely for your benefit. 

“Careful,” You smirk, “Wouldn’t want to start calling yourself nice, now would you?” 

Nick purposely bumps your noses together, a laugh sounding through mostly air leaving your nose. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” 

—

You do what Nick suggests—you create a submission anyways and email it. You’re not expecting anything out of it, no need to get yourself wound up in disappointment all over again. Except, then you get an email a week later—apparently there was an extra spot, a place for you, your submission has been counted. You’re in. You’re in the summer art program. 

You stare at the screen for so long that your eyes water. You then jump out of your chair, rushing towards the door to your bedroom. It takes you fifteen minutes to drive to Nick’s house, oddly the only person you want to see to tell this news. You’ll unpack that feeling later, but when you’re let into his place and take the steps two at a time to his bedroom, knocking—

“Did you run all the way here?” He asks, leaning against the doorframe as he watches you catch your breath. 

“I–got—in.” You lick your lips, a grin spreading across them after the fact. 

He raises his eyebrows but he doesn’t look surprised. “You got in?” 

“Yes,” You’re beaming now, like you’re holding the sun in your mouth. Your one hand reaches out and touches his forearm, “The summer art program,” A giggle slips, “I submitted things like you suggested and I got an email, I got in.” 

“Oh so you’re saying you listened to me?” He asks, a smile tugging the corners of his mouth. 

“This is what you’re getting out of that?” 

He shrugs, “Pretty good message—listen to me more often.” 

He’s such a shit but you’re in a really good mood, you don’t even care. You take a step forward and press yourself up on your toes, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. He takes a step back, not expecting the momentum, but he squeezes his own along your waist. He then picks you up and does a half spin, another giggle slipping from your throat before he sets you down. 

When your feet hit the carpet, you’re looking up at him, grin wild on your face, chest pressed against his own. He’s smiling too, his hand cupping your cheek, tracing the corner of your mouth with his thumb. Your heart ricochets into your chest at the simple action and you wish you could blame what you do next on your good mood. 

You lean the rest of the way up and kiss him. 

It’s far too quick and far too soft, you wait for that tell-tale moment where Nick pushes you away. But he doesn’t. Instead, he dips his head down, capturing your lips more firmly, arm that’s still around your waist picking you up against his body. 

Your fingers weave into his curls, tugging, keeping him as close as you can. His hand cups your cheek, slipping down to the back of your neck, his tongue teasing the seam of your lips until it’s rolling against your own. 

A soft noise leaves your throat and that’s all the encouragement he needs to back up into his bedroom, closing the door with his foot.

—

You end up on Nick’s bed, laying on your stomach, Nick on his back. You’re shoulder to shoulder, your fingers playing with one of the curls in his hair. Your lips are still tingling from kissing him, a smile you can’t quite get rid of playing with the corners of your mouth. Regardless how often you and Nick seemed to clash, it felt right, your body against his own like that. 

He turns his head a little to look at you and you brush your thumb along his temple. 

“Sorry I just showed up out of the blue, I was just…excited.” And I wanted to tell you. 

Nick shakes his head, “I’m glad you came here.” He turns to lay on his side, his fingers brushing yours. “What are you excited about the most, with the program?” 

You breathe in, thinking about all the things the summer program has to offer. Different art classes, resources, networking opportunities—you’re not sure which one is standing out to you the most. “I think I’m just looking forward to doing my art in a place that feels like…it sees me.” It’s a quiet admittance. You have your friends, of course, who have always been supportive but…your family? It’s never been like that. 

Nick brings his hand up, brushing it through your hair, tucking it around your ear, “I see you.” He says quietly and you tip your head into his touch. The way he says it sounds a lot like I’ve always seen you. 

A small smile tugs the corners of your mouth as you look at him. “I know.” 

You touch his cheek, playfully pinching his chin between your thumb and pointer finger. He smiles, leaning forward to press his lips to yours. 

___

There’s a set of words, a phrase said in a teasing tone, that lives in the back of your mind, springing forth in the most inopportune times. It conflicts with the fluttering feeling in your chest, clipping wings and sinking to your knees. 

You’re not my type. 

___

When you tell Jenna and Lion, they’re just as excited for you, Jenna rounding the counter in her kitchen to hug you. You squeeze back before pulling away, reaching for the bowl of snacks she has set out to bring outside for the small friend group gathered. Everyone is mostly doing their own thing but the goal is to project a movie outside tonight after the sun goes down. 

“I’m just glad I listened to Nick. Submitted something.” 

Jenna hums warmly. “Never thought I’d hear you say that.” 

You roll your eyes but you’re smiling. “I know, don’t mention it to him again. His ego is big enough.” 

She purses her lips, leaning her elbows onto the counter as she pops some almonds into her mouth. “Speaking of, doesn’t Nick’s dad donate a lot of money to that program?” 

You blink, your mouth opening a little but then closing. Wait. “To the summer art program?” 

Jenna tugs her phone out of her back pocket, doing some googling until she comes across the website for the program, nodding. “I recognize that logo,” She sets her phone down. “Mr. Leister funds some of that with charitable donations.” 

What feels like a stone tumbles into your stomach, a sinking sensation. Did Nick…have his dad pull strings for you?  While you want to be…honored and grateful, and yes you are those things, you also wonder if money just bought you a spot. That you earned nothing on merit, late submission or not. 

“You alright?” Jenna asks, “Y/N?” 

You blink, coming back to focus, that sinking feeling swirling into something sick. You feel your heartbeat tick up, nerves biting into you about this whole thing. The excitement and pride you once felt now seems kind of cheap. You just…if Nick spoke to his dad about this, you’re not sure why he wasn’t just honest with you about it.

“Yeah,” You smile a little, lying through your teeth, “Yeah, I’m okay.” 

—

You are not okay.

And it must be something that’s plain on your face because Nick brushes his hand down your arm, gently tugging on your elbow to step to the side of the patio as everyone begins to sit to watch the movie in the yard. 

He gently guides you towards the back door, where it’s more private, and you can hear the beginning of whatever film is put on, the chatter of Lion tossing out snacks. 

You don’t meet his gaze for a moment, even though you can sense Nick dipping his chin as he tries to get your attention. When you don’t, he reaches out and clasps your cheek, tilting your head back with his thumb until you’re looking at him. 

“What’s wrong?” 

You could deny it, but you know he wouldn’t believe you anyways. You draw in a soft breath, carefully removing yourself from his touch, “Did your dad buy my spot into the summer art program?” 

Nick goes still, his hands returning to his sides as he draws in a breath, your name said in a gentle reply. But it tells you everything you need to know. 

“Oh my god,” You scoff out, running a hand over your cheek. “He did.” 

“It’s not like that,” Nick replies quickly, “I came home in a mood because you were so upset, when my dad asked what was wrong—he was just trying to help. He called the program to ask about spots, realized he could pull some strings. It was a favor.” 

“Nick—”

“He did not buy your spot.” 

“It’s the same thing!” Your voice raises, your cheeks flushing as exasperated tears fill your eyes. You draw in a breath, trying to keep your words from shaking. “I didn’t get in on my merit, on my art.” 

“They wouldn’t have even looked at your art if my dad hadn’t called,” He keeps his voice level, smooth, even though frustration is printed on his face. “Sometimes everything boils down to who you know.” 

Something ugly crawls into your chest, pent-up sourness from previous conversations, from being afraid to trust him, from not quite understanding what you are to one another. You’re upset that he didn’t tell you, that it feels dishonest even though you know he was just trying to look out for you, that he cared you were upset. 

“The point is that you didn’t tell me,” Then without any connection whatsoever, that ugliness spits from your mouth like venom, “Oh I see—is your type not someone who values trust?” 

Nick visibly bristles, his jaw working as you seem to hit a nerve. “For someone who keeps bringing it up, you’ve never outright asked me who my type is.” 

“Tell it to someone who cares.” You snap, moving to pull the backdoor open to head in the house, to leave out the front. 

Nick reaches for your elbow, and even though his touch is gentle, you wrench your arm away, “That’s bullshit.” 

“I’m not interested in someone who lies to me.” 

Before he can get another word in, you close the door in his face, moving quickly and with purpose to head to your car to go home. 

—

You take space and Nick gives that to you. He doesn’t try to chase after you or show up at your house to try and talk. He doesn’t call or text or mention anything to Jenna and Lion. Which is…which is fine. You think you need that radio silence to really figure yourself out. 

Because you’re wrong on so many counts. 

You are interested in Nick and maybe in a way, you always have been. That feeling you could only describe with words finally has a name to them—a few, actually. 

Endearment, fond, smitten—

love-struck. 

—

You head to Nick’s place, a cup of his favorite coffee in your hands, and you’re let inside. Apparently he’s on his way back from visiting his sister, but you can wait in his room if you wish. You do so, taking the steps two at a time and winding your way towards the familiar bedroom. You swallow over an emotion stuck in your throat, pushing the door open. His room is pristinely put together, bed made, everything in its place except for a hoodie tossed onto the bed. You catch whiffs of his shampoo and cologne as you sit down on the edge of the mattress and wait for him. 

When you hear the front door open and close downstairs, you’re almost worried he’s going to turn you away—you suppose you wouldn’t blame him if he did, given how the two of you left things. You draw a breath into your lungs and stand as he rounds the corner, pausing as he sees you. 

“I uhm, I should have texted,” You realized, “Or called or something.” 

He stares at you a moment, licking his lips as his gaze falls to the coffee. 

“Brought you your favorite, it…might be cold now.” 

Nick nods softly but doesn’t take it, glancing past you towards where his closet is. He says nothing as he walks towards his intended destination, leaving you alone in the space. You close your eyes a moment before putting the coffee down on his bedside table, turning to follow him. He’s moving around his closet, clearly getting things out to change into, going about his business like you’re not even there. 

You wring your hands together in front of you, gathering all the strength and nerve you can not to back down and leave, “I’m sorry,” You blurt out. 

Nick lets out a slow breath, turning a little to look at you. His face is stoic but…you think there’s something in his eyes. A warmth there, maybe, which encourages you to continue, 

“I know when you talked to your dad about the summer art program that you just wanted to help,” You take a step towards him, “My pride took a bit of a hit but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.” You draw in a soft breath, scared that you might have fucked this up. You reach out for his hand, brushing your thumb over a finger that has a silver ring on, “I’m really sorry.” 

“What about the other part?” He asks softly, turning his hand a bit in your grip so that his fingers nearly slot with your own, “That you don’t care who my type is.” 

You huff out an embarrassed laugh, your cheeks feeling hot, “I think we both know what you said is true—utter bullshit.” 

If anything, you think you care a little too much. 

Nick’s quiet for a few moments, his thumb brushing over yours. He doesn’t speak until your eyes find his, “I didn’t think you were my type,” He crinkles his nose, “Any time we watch a movie that has an animal in it, you look up to see if it dies,” Your mouth falls open a little, sort of giving him a slow blink because— “I’m pretty sure you’re at least ten minutes early with anywhere you go—” 

“Uhm, there’s nothing wrong with being early—”

“Even though being on time is perfectly fine. You’re too nice,” He talks over you, squeezing your fingers, “I thought you were going to become best friends with the woman who made your latte the other day.” 

“Carole had a great sense of humor.” 

“She was seventy.” 

You huff, “So?” 

“You’re absolutely wigged out by scary movies, yet you watch them anyways and always want to watch them.” 

“I feel like this is turning into a list of things you don’t like about me.” 

Nick steps closer, crowding your space, so you take a step back until you bump into the storage block that’s in the center of his closet. His hands rest on either side of you, creating a cage with his arms. 

“You’re sweet and passionate and stubborn,” You let out a soft breath, your heart beginning to beat wildly in your chest from what he’s saying and how close he is. “You’re a lot of things that I’m not.” 

“I wouldn’t sell yourself short,” You say softly, your noses bumping, “You’re plenty stubborn.” 

He smiles a little, lifting his hand to cup your cheek, “You took me by surprise—made me want things I didn’t know I could want.” 

Brushing his thumb along your lower lip, your oxygen stutters in your chest, making your body feel warm all over. The press of his own against yours, the heat of his skin, the scent of his cologne mixed with something purely him, the slight height difference he has over you, the way he’s leaning down, the way you feel tucked up against him perfectly. Your gaze zeros in on his mouth—

“You’re my type in every way that matters.” Nick barely finishes that sentence before your lips crash into his. 

A soft groan rumbles in his throat and his restraint crumbles, he pulls at you, picking you up into his arms. He holds you easily, supporting your weight against his chest, carrying you somewhere—

“Where are we going?” You laugh softly against his lips. 

“Where I was headed before you got here,” He nips at your lower lip, “Shower.” 

But he doesn’t take you to the glass shower he has in his bathroom, instead, he gently deposits you right in front of the tub. You raise your eyebrows in soft amusement, running your hand along the edge of the white clawfoot tub. Nick leans over to turn the faucet, feeling the tap and putting the stopper in. 

“What, no bubbles?” You tease, grinning up at him as he shifts over to you. His fingers curl underneath your shirt. 

“Can I take this off?” 

You nod, lifting your arms to help him. The fabric is pulled off in a flourish, tossed to the side before he tugs you closer by curling his fingers into your belt loops. A laugh tumbles out of your chest, your arms loosely wrapping around his waist. 

“What about you?” You ask softly, playing with the fabric of his shirt between your fingers. 

He nods and you work it off his body. A soft sigh leaves your lips, lifting your hand to trace some of the tattoos on his skin, brushing over the silver chain resting on his chest. You lean into him, planting a kiss to the Roman numerals under his collarbone. 

Nick dips his head down, a kiss placed in your hair. 

You stand there together for a few moments, slowly undressing, eventually getting into the tub—and Nick does add bubbles, bright and pink, that smell like roses. An amused smile tugs the corners of your mouth as he sits down first, encouraging you to sink between his legs. A shiver courses down your spine when Nick leans forward, when you can feel the heat of him press into your back, when he plants a kiss on your shoulder. As you lean back against him, you can feel more than hear him sigh, his hand slipping around the front of you, down, down. 

Time spent in that tub is definitely not used for getting clean. 

—

Leaning against the edge of a pool table, you watch as Nick and Lion mix drinks, a small smile tugging the corners of your mouth as you wait with Jenna across the room at another hang-out. Jenna follows your eyesight and playfully nudges you with her elbow. 

“Who knew?” Jenna grins. "Don't get me wrong, I love Nick, but he's different from you in a lot of ways." And sometimes, you know, opposites don’t attract. 

You laugh because she's not wrong. He can be brash, a hothead, a twinge of arrogance wrapped together with pride. But you've also seen him be sweet, gentle, protective and thoughtful. You love the duality, the way he keeps you guessing. 

Nick begins to wander over to you, making his way through the crowd, “He's just my type.” You tell Jenna and kiss him once he's close enough.

[fallinqstxrs]

buttoned up.

content - caitlyn x autistic!reader. suggestive (ish?). 1k words. reader and cait are a bit younger than in act ll.

a/n - hihi so first fic ive ever posted on tumblr!! lmk if i should make a part 2 to this because i lowk love it and i hope you guys like it too :)

to the contrary of what others may have thought, caitlyn kiramman hated social events. sure, she was raised in ballrooms and galas with good posture and pretty dresses, but it really wasn’t her scene. the people were absolute assholes who were only concerned with being self-righteous and pompous, and they all got off on making money and discriminating against anybody who didn’t fit their standards of perfection. it made caitlyn’s stomach turn with utter disgust.

however, she found herself stuck at one of those said events tonight. it was quite frankly a dumb gala for piltover’s council. her mother had dragged her to it with a harsh tone and sweet nothings consisting of status and a ‘good appearance’ for the kiramman family. that had led her to now, donned in a floor-length black dress and swirling a champagne glass idly in her perfectly manicured hand. caitlyn gazed around the room, looking for anything that was remotely worth her time. there was cassandra, talking with other council people, whom she didn’t particularly care about enough to know their names. there were a few other girls talking and laughing in a corner, pointing and laughing at something. caitlyn followed a girl’s pointed finger in her line of vision and - oh. oh. 

those girls were laughing at a person. you. you were sitting on a high stool at the open bar, talking to the bartender who had a kind yet… slightly pitying smile on his face. you had a glass of sprite on the counter close to you, and something was sat in your lap. caitlyn couldn’t quite tell what. she sighed softly, downing the rest of her champagne glass in one gulp - a gesture cassandra would say was ‘unladylike’ - and started to stride towards you, heels clicking against the floor.

she pulled out the high stool beside you, sitting down with little difficulty because of her 6’1” frame, accentuated with the heels. “can i have a glass of champagne?” she asked the bartender in a soft tone, her british accent lilting at the edges. the man scurried away, seemingly thankful for another task to do.

caitlyn looked at you, observing without judgement. you were certainly very pretty, hair slightly falling in your face with gold jewelry adorning your ears, neck, and wrists. you had a strapless navy blue dress on, which was very pretty (albeit very short, but caitlyn didn’t mind the view of your creamy and soft-looking thighs). however, there was one thing that surprised her - you had a small stuffed bunny in your lap, your hands playing with its ears as your lips quirked up in a smile.

caitlyn was slightly surprised when her own voice interrupted her thoughts. “i like your bunny. does it have a name?”

you looked up, eyes drifting towards caitlyn. “are… are you talking to me?” 

caitlyn noticed that your gaze rested on her cheek, never quite making eye contact. she smiled softly, not wanting to scare you off. “yes, i am.”

“oh. well… his name is button. i bring him everywhere.” you were slightly chewing on your lip, smudging your pretty lip gloss that caitlyn definitely didn’t want to taste.

she shook those thoughts out of her head. god, was her libido really that high? “i like that name. it’s very cute. i’m caitlyn.”

you looked back down at the stuffed bunny in your lap, smiling softly. when you said your name, caitlyn almost fainted at the way the word rolled off of your tongue. she snapped out of the slight trance she had fallen into when she heard a soft “it’s nice to meet you” escape your mouth.

“how old are you?” caitlyn turned herself more to face you, getting a better view of your face and your upper chest, which was slightly revealed due to your dress. caitlyn filed that thought away for… other purposes.

“i’m eighteen. how old are you?” you turned towards caitlyn a bit, almost an imperceptible amount. she could feel your gaze on her collarbone, still not looking her in the eye.

“nineteen.” caitlyn smiled softly, drumming her nails on the counter.

 you were enthralled by caitlyn’s smooth voice, its tendrils coating your skin and soothing it from the itchy dress that your mother had made you put on for this event. you remember tears prickling at the edges of your conscience and threatening to spill in fat, wet streaks down your cheeks. you never liked being told what to do and straying from your routine, but this new girl didn’t seem like an… unwelcome difference.

“that’s cool. are you friends with those girls over there?” you pointed to the corner from earlier, caitlyn’s eyes traveling to the girls who were still standing there, whispering and staring with what she knew were snarky tones. her gaze traveled back to you when you continued your question with the soft words “they were laughing at me earlier. i’m not sure why.” your grip tightened on button as caitlyn’s heart ached for your naivety. 

“no, no, sweetheart, i’m not friends with them. i’m sorry, darling, they seem mean.” caitlyn’s eyes didn’t miss the slight redness that colored your cheeks as the pet names carelessly spilled from her lips.

“okay. it’s nice to have someone to talk to who isn’t grown up.” you smiled into your lap, still not looking directly at caitlyn, playing with button’s stuffed limbs.

“yeah. you’re nice to talk to. button is also nice to talk to, too.” caitlyn reached out her hand to tap on the stuffed bunny’s head. your breath became slightly irregular at caitlyn touching your bunny, but you decided to let it slide because your brain didn’t think she was being mean. more like hoped.

your voice slipped from your lips at a higher pitch, but you managed to even it out halfway through your sentence. “button doesn’t talk, but he’s really good at listening.”

“oh? i like to think i’m good at listening too. maybe button and i have something in common.” caitlyn grinned, showing off her tooth gap that she knew made girls melt.

you let out a soft breath that you didn’t know you were holding. “yeah. maybe.”

[dekariosclan]

I was watching the characters' kiss animations the other day and i saw that every other character has their dialogue prompt to kiss be like "i want to kiss you, can i kiss you" etc. but i noticed gale is the only one that has "i want you to kiss me." it could be nothing but i found it interesting 🥺

on another note gale is also the only one who doesnt have voice lines with his kisses and it makes me so sad😭! of all people i would think he'd be the one with things to say lol

🥰 let’s talk about Gale kissessssss!!

Anon, how did you know that’s my favorite topic?? 😘

Your first point regarding the other companions’ kiss animations is a very interesting one, and one that I was not even, um, aware of, actually, uh, because… I have only ever romanced Gale in my multiple playthroughs lol

So I sat, pondered, ignored several important work emails, and thought about why the exchanges are all so different, and you know what? I think the “I want you to kiss me” line pairs with Gale perfectly.

Because of all the companions, Gale is the one that consistently needs gentle reminders and reassurances that yes, Tav wants his kisses. Yes, Tav wants him. Yes, he is enough.

And best of all, in the epilogue, after Gale and Tav are together and Gale has finally realized his worth, Tav doesn’t have to say it anymore—the prompt for the kiss is just ‘Kiss him.’ 🥰

Now, to your second point: You’ve got perfect timing, anon. Because it goes perfectly with the ask I just answered regarding Gale’s short response to Tav revealing they’re a Bhaalspawn.

To summarize: Gale gets quiet/less talkative when he’s emotionally invested and the situation is a serious one. But he gets especially quiet when he’s sharing physical affection with Tav. The instant things get physical in the Astral or ‘old ways’/bed love scene, Gale is no longer talking, and the same goes for his kisses. It’s the one time he’ll let physical communication and expression take over for him. He even tells Tav directly: “A bond like ours hardly needs words to express it.”

Now, I totally get being disappointed that he doesn’t have voice lines with his kisses. We Galemancers stan our yappy wizard. But at the same time, what better way to show how completely, utterly and totally in love Gale is than for that feeling to be powerful enough to silence him completely? For him to actually shut down his non-stop intellectual mind, and just immerse himself fully in this other person?

Who needs words when this says it all:

[vhygoxo]

Twilight New Age

After inheriting her grandparents house in the Quileute reservation, La Push, Y/N moves to her home rez. Hoping to start a new life she is soon involved with what she thought were just old legends.

Paul Lahote x Reader

Romance | Fantasy | Drama | Angst

CHAPTER 3

<<CHP 2

The music was playing loud with the help of Embry’s subwoofer. Everyone was feeling the drinks as the group talked over one another. Only the older members sat around the bonfire. Consisting of Y/n, Quil, Kim, Emily, Leah, Sam, Embry, and Jared.

Leah and Embry sat beside y/n on either sides. Emily and Kim eventually found their way to their respective partners. Kim and Jared sat next to each other basically fondling one another. Emily and Sam were too absorbed with one another to even join the group conversation.

Almost an hour and a half had passed since Paul had left. Y/n still sat with her heart racing out of her chest as she barely finishing her first drink. Still nursing what was left in the can. Wondering anxiously when Paul would get back. Feelings in turmoil as she switched from feeling desperate to frustration at herself.

The three outside of y/n seemed to take no notice or care about the couples. It seemed that it was just something normal for the others. Y/n faded in and out of the conversation, thinking of him, then snapping into reality. She wondered if he’d even come back.

She was getting along with Leah, there were some qualities they shared, even some interests. Y/n was relieved to know she wasn’t as scary as she thought. She was one of the most welcoming and generous people out of the group aside Emily.

“So your grandma said you’re living all alone down at her old place?”

“Yeah just me out there at the moment”

“Seems a lot of work for one person. How are you handling it all?” Leah asked with serious concern. Y/n nervously laughed “I’m handling it so far yeah. It’s true it’s a lot of work for me but not much besides the house I have to look after. I’ll worry about the yard once the snow is fully melted.“

“Well if you ever need any help I live nearby your place. I’ll give you my number in case of anything. Or if you just want to hang. I’m sure you can handle but it’s still scary for a single girl to live alone there. It’s a pretty isolated area”

“Really? I appreciate that it’ll help. I’ve been worried about the recent wolf sightings in my area. Least I know you’re around”

Leah fell silent after they exchanged numbers. Embry she enjoyed as well but y/n found it hard to befriend men most of the time. It never lasted long with her guy friends in the past. Besides she wasn’t sure if she was wanting to just befriend him.

Other times she’d be really enjoying herself. But after feeling that intense connection earlier from Paul she wasn’t sure about much now. It didn’t help the fact that Embry and Leah kept bickering with one another quite loudly.

“So how are we feeling tonight y/n?” Embry asked catching her attention. He wore a soft smile on his face. “Great. How’s your night so far?” She asked earnestly with a smile as he leaned in closer. Her cheeks flushing at how close they were at the moment.

“Same here. You’re not much of a drinker are you” He asked looking down at her empty can. She shrugged her shoulders “Usually” she said as he scoffed. “Usually? Why not tonight? I thought you were having a great night” he asked with a worried look.

“I mean I am but—“ y/n trailed off nervously. Embry shook his head slightly. “But?” Gazing into his eyes he gave off a unique Intense energy. An unsuspecting darkness was hidden inside him. He must’ve noticed from Leah and y/n’s reaction how he was behaving. Leaning back slightly away from her as Leah got up to leave.

“I just…” Y/n trailed off trying to figure what to say. Explain that she somehow missed Paul even though they literally just met? She wasn’t sure If one could even call that an introduction.

“Look, I get that you’re not used to being around people like us. We can come off how do I put it. A bit scary? Intense? I dunno but personally I hope you have a good time here with all of us. In the meantime can I get you a new drink?” He offered which made y/n smile.

“Sure, thank you” she answered as Embry stood up. But before he could leave she pulled onto the edge of his sleeve. “I just wanna say I am having fun. I don’t wanna give off the impression I’m not. It’s just that I didn’t realize how tired I am y’know? But I’m sure a drink will help with that”

He smiled slightly at her nodding in acknowledgment. Leaving to get a drink out of the cooler for her y/n sat in thought. Her heart beat was still pounding loudly. The lingering energy settled over her and her heart.

It wasn’t as if she thought everyone was scary. They seemed interesting in a way she couldn’t describe. A certain mystery that she wanted to unravel about all of them. They seemed so close and familiar. It made the feeling of being a new person all the more obvious.

The evening was great so far, but with how much time had passed, she wondered if Paul would return. Would she even cross paths with Paul again? She wanted to rid herself of this inner conflict she was going through already.

Maybe then she could actually focus on her surroundings. She kept getting flashbacks to her dreams. Running in the woods wildly, the light of the moon, with the sounds of howls echoing the valleys. Chills ran down her back all the way across her spine.

Embry came with her new drink in hand. She kept harshly blinking as to help with her vision, fading in and out of reality, then back to her place in her dreams. As she reached for the can she saw a flash of fierce piercing grey eyes in her mind. Making her gasp in surprise she almost dropped her drink.

The loud noise of truck pipes echoed as a black truck rolled up. Instantly catching the attention of everyone as the driver slammed into park. Y/n once again felt a wave of chills go through her. She knew there was only one person it could be.

Paul had returned with Seth by his side. He wore a completely different outfit than the one had a few hours ago she noticed. Glancing up he found her and locked eyes instantly. She was frozen in place as he made his way down to the area.

Sam rose to greet the two as Paul kept his eyes on y/n. The rest of the group eventually stood along with y/n. At this point all y/n felt she could do was look away and stare into the fire. Feeling his intense look baring down into the side of her neck.

“Paul you made it” Sam said as he was almost instantly ignored. Embry stood beside y/n not bothered by his entrance. Paul was glaring at him, while y/n scanned Paul once more, looking upon his face closely.

“So” His voice was smooth but gruff. He had a slight smirk across his face standing in from of her. Y/n looked up as she breathed in regaining composure. All everyone else could do was watch and wait in anticipation.

“You’re her aren’t you?” Paul said in a tone that made her heart race. “Her?” She answered as he wore a stern expression. One that seemed like he wouldn’t let up. His intensity was something y/n had never experienced before.

“The one. Everyone has talked about you at least once a day since you came” He said making y/n lift an eyebrow, she felt he was somehow annoyed, at how much everyone was excited over her. “Yeah well that’s me. And you are?” She asked as he smiled slightly at her response.

“Paul” he said causing a short pause between the two. For both it felt like an eternity fit into a second. Y/n’s eyes trailed from his eyes down to his lips. Down to his neck and chest focusing on his collarbone. She was too busy taking in his features to realize he was also.

“I never got your name” he said as she felt the warmth on her face spreading. “My name is y/n… Not just the one” y/n bluntly corrected Paul. He smiled finally breaking the harsh exterior he held. “I’d hope not” he said as y/n felt somehow more at ease now that he was back.

The rest of the guys broke the conversation by pulling Paul to the drinks. Catching both of the two by surprise. Everyone erupting into conversation as y/n caught her breath. Separating into their respective corners.

She felt her nerves calmly settling down. As her heart beat steadied she sat down clutching her chest. Embry took notice as he joined her side once more. “Hey you okay?” He asked worried as she nodded her head.

“I’m fine it’s just a bit cold out here. Still getting used to it I guess” she tried to assure while he shook his head. Embry wore a thick fleece lined flannel jacket which he was trying to take off.

Leah instantly as she seen the sight and got up to intervene. Knowing how the situation would bode with a certain someone. Paul was already shooting deathly eye glares from his corner. Leah rushed over with a blanket, wrapped up y/n, before Embry could place his jacket on her.

Y/n flushed red as Leah wrapped not only the blanket but her arms around her. “Here” Leah said looking down at her, she could smell her scent waft past, which was a mix of rain and lavender. Embry frowned as he shuffled his jacket back on.

“Even from where I sat you could see how cold you are” Leah smiled teasing y/n who was bashful. As Leah rubbed her shoulders for warmth before sitting back beside her. “Thank you. I’m not used to the weather here just yet” y/n replied in a soft tone.

“Is it bad if I hope you don’t?” Leah said as she peered in close to y/n. Gazing at her through her thick lashes y/n felt flustered. Noticing how close the distance was to the two. Jared and Kim sat with Paul who was sitting on the edge of his seat.

“Now why would you hope for that? You wish for me to be freezing all the time?” y/n answered trying to focus. But Leah had her own intensity to her that y/n struggled to match. Leah in the other hand couldn’t but find her demeanour cute.

“Because. Then I wouldn’t be able to warm you up like this” Leah made y/n instantly blush heat spreading across her face. Leah sat with a sly but subtle smirk as she stifled a laugh. Quil on the other hand was sick of watching everyone fight over his cousin.

Everyone was acting different since she arrived he noticed. It was as if they all forgot how to act in the first place. When did everyone get so sweet? He rose from his seat eager to march right over. Paul determined to follow him but Sam whipped a glare to him.

The loud sound of a car arriving interrupted everyone. As they all shifted their heads to see who had pulled up. Y/n felt her heart drop into her gut in an awful way. Everything in her body told her she should flee. Instead her body froze stiff in place.

The men all stood up on alert before the truck could even fully park. Sensing something that y/n was somehow also reacting to. Paul whipped his head over to Quil then y/n. Embry left y/n’s side walking over to stand by Sam.

Quil marched over to y/n taking Embry’s place at her side. Y/n noticed Quil’s protective stance as everyone else stood up alert. Leah also rushed in front of y/n as if to block her from something.

Out from the truck was Jacob and the girl Renesmee. Y/n stiffened again as the two immediately locked eyes. Sam rushed up to meet with Jacob who walked with Renesmee in stride.

The two men began to talk in harsh but hush tones to each other. Renesmee kept her eyes on y/n who was trying to stray away from the girl. Looking down eager to avoid y/n felt utter chills throughout her body.

“Hey there. It’s me from the diner remember?” Renesmee beamed innocently with a bright smile. Strolling over past the two men and the rest of the group confidently over to y/n. Everyone eyed her with wild and fierce eyes shocked.

Y/n slightly gasped upon hearing her voice, seeing her coming over, she felt her self hesitate. Quil and Leah immediately closed ranks sliding close to one another. Shoulder to shoulder they blocked Renesmee from approaching further

“Just the other day was when we met. I’m sure Quil remembers. I didn’t think you’d be here what a nice surprise!” The girl continued as Quil nodded with a straight stern face. “Yes it’s good to see you too” he tried to dismiss her. But to no avail as she peered over and in between the two to look at y/n.

“Yes hi Renes—”

“Jacob” Paul called out in a serious tone as he hovered close by. Arms crossed as he showed obvious discontent. “Renesmee” Jacob called out making the girl look back concerned. In a brief moment she sighed and joined his side once more.

Y/n couldn’t help but notice everyone’s strange behaviour. How the energy shifted as soon as these two pulled up. But she wasn’t quite sure how to react given the mood so far. Kim and Jared looked at one another before they separated.

“C’mon y/n I think we should go for a quick cruise. Leah come with us. We’re almost out of drinks” Kim chimed in as y/n looked back up at Renesmee. A sad look upon her face as she gazed into the fire. Kim quickly linked arms with y/n pulling her away from the area.

“Em you too” Leah spoke in a firm tone as Emily nodded. The four left together explaining they’d be right back. Y/n didn’t know what Kim meant by saying there were hardly drinks. When there were at least two coolers full still. She understood there was something weird going on they didn’t want to say.

Whatever it was had to do with Renesmee somehow. Or at least Jacob she decided in her mind on the drive to the liquor store. Even the girls didn’t dare bring the two of them up. Leah drove since she didn’t have anything to drink.

As she parked the car y/n made the other two girls go inside. Wanting to sit alone with Leah for a moment. Y/n waited for Leah to light her cigarette. Watching as she exhaled her smoke into the air.

“So that was Renesmee and Jacob huh? I remember Jacob but I’m not sure who the girl is”

Y/n tried to make her intentions discreet. Leah took a long drag, thinking of what to say, she took a moment before answering. “I thought she said you met at the diner” y/n agreed but quickly dismissed her.

“But that was quick I barely spent a minute with her” Leah nodded slightly. “Yeah well that might be for the best” Leah answered as she took a drag. Her ash lighting up as she inhaled. She seemed so reserved y/n thought as she looked at her.

“For the best? What do you mean by that?” Y/n peered curiously. Wondering what could be so wrong about Renesmee. “I hardly know the girl either. Just that her and Jacob have been gone for like 3-4 years until now. The girl can be a bit much at times from what I remember” Leah continued.

“And Jacob? Is that his…” y/n trailed off unsure whether to say it out loud or not. Leah glanced over with a small smirk. “His what?” Leah questioned as y/n blushed. “I mean is that y’know… His girlfriend?“ Leah laughed slightly as she flicked her cigarette out the window.

“No that’s not his girlfriend. They’re close like…” she struggled to explain as y/n tried guessing. “His little sister?” She answered as Leah agreed. “Yeah… Yeah something like that…” Leah finished her cigarette putting it out. The two girls were coming out the store now with small bags.

Once they returned y/n noticed how they came with more bags of ice than anything. More so than the booze they were supposedly getting. She didn’t want to question since no one needed to black out tonight. Hopefully these boys weren’t black outs who’d fight each other when wasted.

“Good to see Jacob back isn’t it?” Kim brought up lightly, her and y/n sat in the back, as the other two sat quietly. “It is yeah…” Emily said drifting off onto something unrelated. The topic of Renesmee wasn’t brought up in the slightest. It was like she didn’t exist to these people.

Getting back to the beach Jacob and Renesmee were gone, everyone explained they just came for a bit, since Renesmee was supposedly tired. Jacob decided to bring her home instead. Explaining he won’t be able to make it back until another day.

Unadmittedly y/n was disappointed to know she was gone. There was something about her y/n felt she needed to uncover. Why does she keep haunting her dreams with her presence? It all wasn’t making much sense to her. Figuring if she got to know her maybe it’d explain somethings.

Jacob as well she surprisingly missed. She’d cross paths with him as a child growing up. Since him and Quil were always close, she had hardly recognized him, not like she knew him that well anyways. But it was a missed opportunity she was hoping to get another day.

She tried not to focus on it too much and instead focused on visiting here. Tonight would most likely not be different than the rest. Renesmee would likely be awaiting for her in her dreams. As she went to sit down on the logs with the rest Paul came towards her.

She felt nervous as he stepped close, in his hands were a warm blanket, looking up at him he wore a stern expression. “Have this” he said bluntly making her quickly take it in her arms. “It’s cold out tonight. You’ll need it to stay warm” he said very matter of fact. He smelt of firewood smoke and a faint smell of cologne.

“Oh okay…Thank you” she said softly as he handed her a drink, the kind she was drinking before, instead it was a fresh one. Before he walked away satisfied back to his seat. Wrapping herself in the blanket she couldn’t help but blush at the interaction. How thoughtful she thought as the rest watched closely.

The rest of the evening y/n spent with Kim and Emily. Despite y/n’s attempts hardly anyone spoke of Renesmee. The conversation always somehow leading back to Jacob. It bothered her since she was overly curious of the girl.

“So y/n what do you usually like doing around here? Now that you’re fully moved back?” Emily had asked y/n. “I mean there’s not much to do around here really. Well at least from what I remember” she said making everyone laugh.

“That’s quite true” Emily said as she calmed down. Y/n couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed for the comment. “I love going to the beach but it’s not warm out yet. Hiking too but again it’s so cold yet. I’m mainly at home unless I travel out to the city” she said trying to shift the focus off of her somehow.

“Well how about sometime this week you come over for dinner? I usually cook big meals and we’d love to have someone new come by. I can show you what we do for fun here” Emily was sincere and kind which y/n was glad for. “Yeah of course I’ll come” y/n said eagerly making the rest smile, except for Paul, who looked over to Sam and Emily concerned.

“Just let me know what kind of dishes you like. I can cook whatever it’s no issue. Since these guys hunt I usually have a variety of wild game” Emily insisted sweetly. Ignoring Paul’s glares and Sam’s concerns.

“Wow really? You guys hunt?” Y/n asked the rest of the men who were surprised by the sudden attention. “I mean yeah all the time” Embry said in a semi sarcastic tone that y/n caught. Y/n frowned slightly as she turned away. Soon as she did Paul elbowed Embry’s side harshly.

“I can bring by some meat to stock your freezer. I know you love elk meat” Quil chimed in making y/n perk up. “Really? I’d really appreciate that since I haven’t eaten it in so long” y/n said as Quil nodded.

“Wait a minute. I knew I recognized you! But I wasn’t sure from where. You’re the cousin that Quil took to prom right? What was that? Junior or sophomore year?” Jared exclaimed as he finally remembered. Both Quil and y/n’s face flushed with embarrassment.

“Yeah it was grade eleven I came out for the prom. It was a goodnight” y/n explained much to Quil’s objections. “Sorry I didn’t remember sooner. But damn that was bugging me for a while” Jared said relieved.

Everyone got a rise out of that as they shared stories of that night. “I remember because everyone thought she was your girlfriend. Awe man most of the guys were so jealous until they knew she was your cousin” Jared continued on.

It was starting to annoy Paul as much as Quil. “Yeah well I had the prettiest girl on my arm that night that’s all that mattered” Quil defended his self while the boys continued to tease him.

“That’s because you couldn’t get a real date” Embry started as the two broke into rough housing one another. “Fuck you, you didn’t even show up with a date, at least I did” he bickered as Embry tried choking him.

The conversation trailed off into what the guys wanted to show y/n. Once the two broke apart thanks to Paul. Which was just basically a variety of the sports they all played. She got along with Embry and Quil the most. Since they all had somewhat nerdy interests. Embry’s sarcastic humour was starting to rub off on her.

Y/n had started to notice Paul’s presence more with each passing moment. Eager to steal secret glances to look at him, but their eyes would meet each time, making her heart skip a beat. It was as if he was staring at her long before she could look at him.

It caught her off guard in some moments. Or how if she shifted her position and seat he’d find a way to sit directly across her. How he leaned in each time they spoke to one another so far. Just their few passing words was somehow enough for her to feel smitten.

The visit was cut short since Sam got a phone call. Apparently the majority of them work on as a type of security, for the community, Sam was one of the leadings officers. All eventually decided to leave and end the night.

“It’s not unusual for Sam and some of the guys to leave like this. It takes some getting used to” Emily explained as she sighed. Trying to hide her obvious disappointment at her fiancé leaving.

Y/n laid in bed that night tired and tipsy. Thinking back on what had happened. She was glad to have met everyone so far. But Paul stood out amongst the rest even against Renesmee. How intense she felt being near him, in some moments she felt her heart beating so loudly, thinking it’d run right out of her chest.

Paul made her feel things she never thought she could. Tossing and turning her mind was filled with Paul. Despite the erratic emotions she felt somehow at ease also. Each time she closed her eyes to sleep it was as if he was staring back at her.

A howl echoed in her mind as she was lulled to sleep. It was the first night she didn’t have a weird terrible dream. Instead only remembering comfort that came in waves and the howl that echoed.

Y/n finally felt refreshed and rested after what felt like forever. The weird dreams were really messing with her quality of sleep. Thankfully not much happened last night to disturb her. The only thing she couldn’t get her mind off was Paul. Somehow switching him for Renesmee in her mind.

It still freaked her out about the other day with Kim, how Renesmee was in the middle of the road, that she couldn’t explain. In all honesty it messed with her confidence driving. Honestly her confidence in general.

She seemed so alluring and captivating. Despite only spending a few moments with her. Coming off as somehow hauntingly sweet. It wasn’t so great thinking so much of her. Luckily she had the thought of Paul distracting her.

Getting ready for the day she continued with her chores. Continuing to clean and tend to the house. She gradually felt cooped up and uncomfortable, surrounded by chaotic mess, boxes and items left scattered everywhere. She texted Kim to see if she wanted to hang.

But after waiting a minute Kim didn’t respond. Unusual since she always answered quickly. Deciding to just suck it up she wanted to go to the book store. Have a day to herself of shopping and being spoiled.

A chance to get over her nerves and get out. She finished what was left of her chores. Putting on her coat she grabbed her keys out of the bowl by the door. Once last look in the mirror she headed out.

Leaving the house she turned to lock the door. Only to hear a ruffling noise coming from the trees. Whipping her head quickly to see a huge gray wolf, shocked she dropped her keys, but for a brief second she made eye contact.

It was true there were wolves around here! Would it leap and attack her she thought? But the serene energy she felt told her otherwise. Holding the eye contact before the beast turned running into the forest.

She stood for a moment in disbelief. And also just to make sure there weren’t anymore around. After realizing what just happened was real and not a dream she gathered herself. It was her first time seeing a real wolf. Picking up her keys and driving down the road.

The sight of the wolf made her wonder. In all seriousness y/n was spiritual especially with how she grew up. Wondering if this was the same wolf that plagued her dreams and thoughts. Her grandfather always said there was a power, a certain energy, to the wolf.

Overwhelmed y/n knew she needed to just focus on herself today. Everything since moving here was so weird and different so far. She just needed to do something normal and docile. Something that was familiar to her. Hopefully there wouldn’t be any wolves on her way back.

Driving she listened to music to calm her nerves. Getting into a better mindset she got herself a coffee through a local cafe, going through the drive thru, before heading to the stores.

Shopping around a few clothing boutiques she wandered around. Finding a new small store she explored. Not realizing it was an indigenous owned store. There was a wall filled with jewellery. Different types of beaded, dentillium, shell earrings and jewelry.

Coming across a stunning pair of wolf earrings that were beaded. It was more intricate and detailed than what she’d found. She was so taken by them the lady at the register even noticed.

“Those were all made by local artisans in the community. Every item bought a portion goes back to them”

“Really? Do you happen to know the name of who made these?” She asked as the lady who looked at the earrings. “Usually these have a tag with their names and contact info of the artist. But this is missing one” she showed the other earrings with tags.

“I’ll still get them if that’s alright” y/n insisted as the lady happily rang them up. The earrings were too pretty to pass up. Especially after that encounter with that gray wolf. These ones had a gray wolf with an orange sunset coloured background.

Reaching the bookstore she noticed it was also indigenous owned. Something she wasn’t used to where she lived with her parents. It made her excited since she needed more indigenous literature on her shelves.

The man at the counter greeted her as she entered. It was semi busy with people mingling around. Looking around she found a section dedicated to Quileute knowledge and history. Which immediately caught her interest as she went towards it.

Scanning through she found a book on Quileute myths and legends. It reminded her badly of her grandfather. Growing up when she’d be at their house he’d always tell stories. Passing them down from his grandfather to her and her cousins.

Most were stories of his time as a child. Before diving into myths and stories he knew about. She and Quil spent the most time with him out of the grandkids. He’d always take the time to explain what each story meant.

Skimming through she was entranced by the story she landed on. It reminded her of a certain story she had trouble remembering of his. Because he only told it maybe once in her lifetime. Reading the title of the chapter she began reading further.

“Myths and legends of the Quileute tribe

In times before the white man came to the country, the Quileute tribe have been a small but resilient people, with their own unique traditions and power. Recognized and respected by the surrounding communities as fierce warriors.

They are also recognized for their mysterious ‘gifts’ and so called ‘blessings’. Some say they have multiple types of strong magic and power. One being their connection to the wolves. Accounts from other surrounding tribes speak of their unnatural abilities and ties.

The Makah people specifically, have certain accounts, and stories of such abilities. For when encountering them in battle, the Quileute owned what was believed to be direwolves, which are now extinct to the modern world. They’d send them out to assist during battle. Many believed they raised and trained them among their own. But there’s no such evidence to support that.

The direwolves were said to be as big or even bigger than the average horse. A different breed of wolf that was uncommon in the Washington area. On the battlefield they would announce their arrival by howling. Sometimes striking so much fear into the enemy they’d flee.

The Quileute people say otherwise about the direwolves. Claiming that they themselves were the direwolves. Denying that they ever raised such beasts, hence no evidence, but there was no proof to support their original claim.

As a tribe they were used to human threats. Other men trying to conquer their tribe and land. All until the arrival of the ‘cold ones’, people that were made of hard stone, and an unnatural thirst for human blood.

Claiming that the reason they could shift into the powerful wolf, was to kill such horrific creatures, in order to best protect not only their people but humanity it self.”

It sounded like they were describing vampires y/n thought. She only had fuzzy faint memories of her grandfathers story. Surely she would’ve remembered if he mentioned talk of vampires.

The thought of them sent shivers down her spine. How could vampires even be real? The way her people described them made her feel scared. How would they even come across one, let alone many, and also be able to kill them?

Just how big did these wolves get to be? What was shifting exactly like? It was almost describing a werewolf. Intrigued by the idea y/n continued further.

“The cold ones were creatures born of the night. They are unnatural and forever ravenous. Wishing to only feed on human flesh, the Quileute describe them as cannibals, cursed to live forever for their sins of eating human flesh. They appeared as attractive and seductive. With cold solid skin that shimmered like the sun on the water.

Their ability to transform into wolves they say came from one man. Whose name was name was long forgotten. As was his bloodline, they say the last of his line, died honourably to save the tribe. He was named as the last shifter and last wolf of the tribe.

A cold one had strayed from his partner and the trail. Belonging to a group of French colonizers who were trapping. The man found the village first, coming across a band of women and children, bathing and washing by the river.

Legends say the last shifter had to sacrifice his self to save the tribe. Other say it was him and also his sons who died in battle. All the stories end the same way. Wth both of the cold ones being killed and burned to ash. Stating that the cold ones ate many women and children before the last wolf could stop him. Their bodies looked deflated, pale, and flat for they had no blood in their bodies”

An image was attached, a hand drawn depiction of the grimly scene, a woman being sucked at the neck with bodies surrounding. The cold one’s eyes looked dark and ominous. Her eyes were piercingly light as she dressed in fine furs.

“Found yourself a good book I see?” A familiar voice chimed behind y/n surprising her out of her trance. It was Renesmee who stood with a sweet smile. Giggling slightly at y/n’s scared reaction.

“Renesmee! I didn’t realize you were here” she replied as her nerves settled. “I seen you come in earlier but you looked interested in reading. I didn’t want to disturb you but I wanted to say hi. I wasn’t able to talk to you at the bonfire the other night”

“Yeah sorry about that we thought the cruise wouldn’t be so long. I was hoping to see you too”

“Jacob ended up wanting to leave. I think he was too tired to be honest. But anyways I heard from Jacob you recently moved back here. Is that true?” She asked with eyes full of wonder. Y/n couldn’t help but take notice of her ethereal beauty, how perfect her brown hair was, or how her skin glistened under the sunshine.

“I mean yeah but I’m not new to the area—”

“Great to hear. That means I can show you around. Y’know I’ve read this book before and it’s a great read” she said as y/n clasped the book close. “Y-Yeah it has been so far. I think I’m going to buy it actually. I want to read it more” she said her hands covering the front of the book.

“Wait… I’m not sure this is the same one I’ve read actually. Can I check the cover?” Renesmee asked as she reached to flip the book over. “Sure—“ y/n replied before her hands touched her, as they did the air from her lungs sucked out, and her field view changed before her.

She was stuck in the middle of the forest again. The same exact spot she had been stuck in the past. Another flash and the sky was no longer night but day. With a blinding sun that shined down on her.

The next was the moon flashing in her face. With the same intensity as the sun somehow. The sound of heavy footsteps on soft earth intensely struck the ground. Shocked and scared she couldn’t move not even a budge.

All she could see now, was a pair of eyes, glaring at her in the dark. Peering out through the darkness as it came forward. Gray eyes revealed to be the gray wolf once more. As he stepped out of the shadows to reveal itself.

Renesmee’s grip loosened as y/n stumbled backwards. Air rushing back into her lungs. Dropping the book to the floor suddenly. A cold sweat was running down her back as she looked up at her. Renesmee’s eyes fixed onto her neck, before looking back up at y/n, as she smiled Innocently.

“What’s wrong? I don’t want the book *that* bad. I said I read it already *remember*?” she said with such a nonchalant tone. Y/n felt her stomach instantly turn into a big huge knot. Something was *off* and she *needed* to leave.

Picking up the book Renesmee helped her with it. “Here. You have to be careful“ she said in a sweeter and much softer tone. But not enough for y/n to feel even slightly normal. Rushing to get up she felt her gut turning worser by the second. Her hand somehow brushed against hers once more.

Flashes of red filled her vision, similar to a strobe light, it made her stumble down again. “Are you sure you’re fine? You keep stumbling all over the store here” she said clutching y/n’s arm. Upon her touch she writhed away from Renesmee’s grip.

Turning around immediately she slapped a large money bill on the counter. “Thank you?” The man behind the register said as she practically ran out. Renesmee stood quiet as she watched her take off.

In a panic she ran down to her car. Only to be met with something in front of her stiff as concrete. “Woah there. You okay?” A voice said making her look up, it was Jacob his self, he held her shoulders as he helped her steady.

“Y/n?”

“Jacob?”

She asked bewildered by the encounter. “Yeah I’m okay you just surprised me” y/n replied as he smiled. “Me too. You came out pretty quickly. Like a bat out of hell. You okay?—“ he tried asking again but it only triggered her flashbacks to the vision. She could see sharp teeth snapping down, the sound of growling and snarling, as the wolves ran beside each other.

Y/n’s face drained of its colour turning her pale. Jacob noticed as he furrowed his eyebrows. “What’s wrong?” He asked with a genuine concern. His face somehow reminded her of the weird visions she was plagued with.

Renesmee stepped out of the book store. Jacob turned and greeted her like normal. But y/n fled down the path way with no shame or warning. More focused on her and her own sanity.

Y/n hopped into her car and sped home. Hoping and praying she wouldn’t come across Renesmee on the road. She so much as didn’t even want to think or utter her name. For fear of somehow summoning her.

Her grip was tight on y/n’s hand but she felt warm. At least she was warm instead of having an unnatural coldness. It actually surprised y/n she was warm, but it didn’t rid her of her suspicions, there was something about Renesmee that was different.

If she was a cold one, like she suspected, what could she even do? They were cannibals, literal blood sucking monsters, how could one defend themselves? They had to be just some stories elders told to keep kids inside.

Ridding the thought of her she hustled back home. It was raining outside, not as much as usual, it was more of a spit than anything. The smell was calming her down somewhat. Not as much as she wanted or hoped really.

There was no way she could think otherwise if she wanted to feel safe. That girl Renesmee just had to be a sweet normal human. And something else was plaguing the mind of y/n. For her to even experience something as this so often.

How far would these delusions go? It wasn’t as if she was this fascinated by such fantasy’s. Vampires never interested her much. Werewolves also she never paid attention to any fiction such as that. It was a big question on why y/n kept having such delusions.

Flashes of what she experienced kept coming to her. How Renesmee’s eyes although sweet were filled with a never ending darkness. Last she seen her eyes they were so dark. But this time they were a lighter color, a brown almost auburn, how could she never notice?

Her hands were practically shaking as she gripped the steering wheel. Driving fast she kept her eyes on the road. As the rain continued to pour down onto the ground. She could see something following her in the corner of her eye. But she dared not to look away from the road.

Although y/n wanted desperately to go back home, to her safe space, in her gut she knew it was a bad idea. Since Kim didn’t want to answer she knew who she could rely upon. Her grandmother Molly, she was a great comfort to her, anytime she was in need she answered. Even now she answered her obscure call.

“Gramma? Are you home?” She called out with clear desperation in her voice. “Yes. Whats wrong?” Was all she said to make y/n melt into a child again. “Nothing… I’m just missing you and wondering if I would be able to sleep over?” Although y/n was trying to be discreet Grandma Molly could sense her true intentions.

“I’ll be home my girl. Drive safe it’s raining out” Grandma Molly knew she’d arrive sooner than later. Y/n needed to grab clothes but she dreaded going back home. Pulling up to her driveway she sat in the car for a moment.

“Shit” y/n said out loud as she groaned. The anxious feeling churning deep in her. It’ll have to be quick but simple in and out. Stepping out she rushed to the door, still worried about the wolf from earlier, almost dropping her keys out of fear.

Getting inside the house it was quiet and undisturbed. Taking a second to pause and wait. A wave of peace fell over her in the moment. Debating if she wanted to stay and just visit her grandmother. Come home sometime later this evening. It’d be great if she could truly relax.

All until she could hear creaking floorboards in the upstairs hallway. The sound of weight shifting around the floors. A sinking feeling made her stop in her tracks.

‘What the fuck?’ She thought frozen in place again, a familiar eerie feeling washed right over her, she knew it wasn’t right to come here. A moment passed as she awaited for something she didn’t know.

Pulling her courage from somewhere in her. She grabbed the baseball bat she left hidden by the door. Y/n marched right up the stairs into her room ready to face whatever it may be. She wasn’t dumb enough to not have a weapon nearby. Especially as a young woman living alone.

Her bedroom window was open slightly with watery tracks everywhere. Nothing was taken or trashed but someone was inside. Only her bedroom was on the second floor. Who knew how to climb and then open her window?

After checking the house top to bottom with no intruder in sight. Y/n packed up a bag to go and see her grandmother. Locking every single window and door in sight before leaving.

Arriving at the house she felt relieved. This was the familiarity she has been searching for. Since y/n moved in the house her grandmother moved in with her sister Melissa. Everyone in the family called her “grandma Milly”. Who was Kim’s direct grandmother, since they were getting older, they decided it best to look after one another.

“My girl” Molly cooed as she hugged y/n tightly. Sinking into her arms she felt the comfort she needed. “What’s wrong?” She immediately asked y/n once they both let go. Shaking her head profusely “Nothings wrong. I just miss you is all” y/n answered.

Grandma Molly looked at her searching for dishonesty. Y/n didn’t feel it’d be appropriate to tell everything so far. She would eventually but for now she just wanted peace. As if she knew grandma Molly didn’t push any further. Instead bringing y/n inside for dinner.

“How are you settling into the house? Are you feeding yourself? You look pale” she fussed over y/n at the table. “I’ve been feeding myself yes—“ she tried to say before grandma Milly cut her off. “Are you sure? You look thinner than last I seen you”

“I’ve been adjusting to living alone. I don’t think I’ve withered away that much” y/n joked but the two didn’t let up. “Hm” was all Milly said as they finished dinner. Eventually she cleared everyone’s dishes. The two could sense something was up with y/n very quickly.

Settling in the living room they spent the evening watching TV together. Checking her phone she wondered about Kim. It was unusual for her to not answer. Chalking it up to her being busy, she wished she would answer, she needed her support.

“I’m going to go rest. My meds are kicking in” Milly said as she left the room. Bidding goodnight to the two girls. Y/n continued to watch tv as her grandma looked over at her with worry.

“My girl are you sure you’re okay? I don’t mind a surprise visit like this. It’s just… You seemed panicked earlier when you called” Grandma Molly pushed her. Seeing it was just the two of them alone y/n sighed in defeat.

“I mean I am fine. It’s just ever since I got here I just… I don’t know” y/n struggled to find the words. “I love the house. I’m very grateful for everything you’ve given me so far. So I don’t want come off as rude”

“I knew it! The house is too much work for you isn’t it? I was worried this would happen but I figured you wanted your own space. Quil was so adamant you get the house when we talked about it—“

“No no that’s not the issue here. The housework I can handle” y/n explained making her grandma sigh in relief. “It’s just ever since I moved in… a lot of stuff has been bothering me—“

“Oh I know you loved your grandfather. It’s a hard loss for everyone and a big adjustment—“

“I mean like actually bothering me” y/n almost spat out making Molly sit up. “What do you mean? I thought I told you to smudge the house after I left. You know it’s important especially since we cleared everything from there. You don’t want something else moving in” Milly explained as y/n sighed deeply. Figuring out the best way to explain.

“I did smudge with sweet grass even. What I’m trying to get at is my dreams have been crazy lately. And I can’t help but feel like they’re trying to tell me something. Show me something anyways…” y/n trailed off unsure on what her grandmother would say.

Molly sat quiet for a moment as she looked at y/n. “What did you see?” She asked as y/n looked up into her eyes. “The first couple of times I’m lost in the woods. I’m being chased or else I’m running to find something. I’m not sure really“

“Oh I’m sure your dreams are just reflecting how you feel here. I’m sure you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by everything” Molly tried to understand. But all y/n did was shake her head.

“I seen grandpa in one of them” y/n said making the expression on Mollys face drop completely. “What happened” she asked with quite a serious tone. “It was… strange to say the least” y/n shivered thinking back on it. Molly awaited for y/n to continue.

“Each time in my dream I’m in the same spot in the forest. Confused and lost. All of a sudden, in this one dream, someone had asked me if I was lost. I looked up and it was grandpa. He laughed, went behind a tree, he came out as his younger self” hearing this made grandma Molly gasp. And tear up at the thought as she covered her mouth.

“Aw well that tells me he’s doing well. Don’t you think so?” She asked y/n who sat quietly. A solemn look on her face told Molly otherwise. Raising her eyebrows at her granddaughter y/n gave in.

“When he left he… he was… I swear he turned into a wolf and ran into the tree line” y/n finally confessed. Y/n expected her gramdma to chalk it up to some crazy dream. That stress had been affecting her and her sleep so of course she’d dream crazy.

Instead grandma Molly sat quiet with a hand on her mouth. Staring off into the distance in deep thought. “Gramma?” She peered curious thinking it’d snap her back to the conversation.

“Have you seen Kim lately? Did she or anyone else come talk to you yet?” She asked making y/n confused. “No she didn’t answer me. What do you mean talk to me yet?” Molly sat up and held y/n’s hand in comfort.

“You must be tired. What with all your stress. For me the dream is just grandfather coming to visit you. You know how he’s always been attached to wolves and their spirit. Rest easy and have some peace of mind” Was all Molly said as she basically dismissed the conversation. Feeling like there was a blockage y/n settled with just going to bed.

There was no dream or nightmare that night as well. Maybe it really was just stress y/n thought. Eating breakfast with her two grandmothers they discussed their day ahead.

“Me and Milly here have to attend a meeting today. You’re welcome to stay here if you want while we’re gone. Fridge is stocked and the TV will be free”

Y/n knew her grandma Molly was a councillor. But grandma Milly wasn’t, she questioned what meeting they would have together, but instead of being too nosey she let it slide. She wasn’t quite sure what grandma Milly did to be honest. Besides bingo and chain smoke everywhere she went.

“Yep you’re lucky my show isn’t on today” grandma Milly teased her making the two chuckle. “No that’s okay grandma I think I ought to head home. There’s some things I left unfinished” y/n picked her fork around her breakfast. She wondered about Kim for some reason.

It was quite unusual for her not to answer y/n, especially since it’s been a whole day later, surely she wasn’t upset at her? Or even worse she was in some danger? It seemed ridiculous but y/n knew Kim was never not on her phone. The ignorance from Kim seemed deliberate.

“Well you’re always welcome to stay again anytime. Me and this girl aren’t usually this busy most days”

“I’m glad I came, I really needed this visit, thank you guys” y/n smiled at the two. Finishing up their breakfast the three departed on their separate ways. Y/n wasn’t lying about having a great visit. It’s just she left with more questions than answers.

Would nothing explain these crazy delusions she’d been having? Perhaps she needed to just focus on self care, cut out her stress somehow, to make it all stop. But it all didn’t explain the possible intruder in her home.

It wasn’t like she just dreamt up the wet muddy tracks in her room. But really what could she do about it? She lived alone and it wasn’t like her grandmother could do anything. She’d tell Quil but what would he even say or do? Most likely just call her crazy and be bothered she made him check the house.

Getting back to the house she sat in the car for a moment. Her beloved childhood home was starting to feel different. She knew the energy would change once it was just her in the house. She didn’t want to think it, but sadly, it was starting to feel unsafe.

With a deep sigh she stepped into the house. Pausing for a moment to hear anything. Doing a quick perimeter check there was no one around. In moments such as this she wish she had someone to rely on.

That evening she did what she could to cheer herself up. Deciding to clean up her room and area. Before doing a complete pampering routine, a hot bubble bath, fit with a sheet mask to keep her skin soft. Doing what she could to also make herself feel comfortable being here alone.

Watching reruns of her favourite tv shows, she kept all the TVs in the house on, as a way to fill the eerie silence. Cooking her favourite foods she settled in somewhat. Praying that her windows would stay shut tonight.

As she slept she had a very lucid dream that freaked her out. It started out with her in laying bed like usual. Opening her eyes a few times to her room like normal. Until in the corner stood a dark shadow, a woman with long hair stood, just out of sight. But y/n knew she was there watching.

As her vision faded in and out the woman eventually stepped out. The light from the window shined down on her. Only to reveal the one and only Renesmee, her eyes dark with a straight expression, her mouth slowly started to open wide.

Revealing small but sharp fangs it made y/n startle out of her sleep. As she sat up Renesmee wasn’t in the room as she thought. Her window wasn’t open and there weren’t any tracks on the floor. But her heart was racing more than ever.

It was five am and y/n couldn’t go back to sleep for the life of her. She was way too freaked out to even think of lying down. Instead she hyped her self up with many cups of coffee. She did message Quil to try and hang but no answer from that guy either.

She was already not trying to overthink about the bonfire. But now she was starting to wonder did she mess up somehow? Or maybe their friends didn’t really care about her? She wasn’t sure but it was unusual for those two to ignore her.

Everything so far was making her feel so isolated. Was it truly a good idea to come back to the rez? This was what she was trying to escape, being alone in isolation, but it seems it what’s she’s walked into. Maybe even a worser case now with the delusions.

All day she spent it on the couch, the heavy rain seemed to match her mood, as she anxiously awaited nightfall. What would await for her when she fell asleep? She didn’t even want to fathom it. Listening to the rain pour down onto the house it calmed her slightly.

Watching the tv she began to slowly drift off to sleep. Feeling somehow safer on the couch with the dim light of the grey clouds. Eyes and body heavy as her eyes fluttered shut. It’d be best to get sleep while she could. Hoping not to see Renesmee once more.

Suddenly someone was knocking and pounding on her door. In a very erratic and panicked manner it shocked her. Sitting up she checked her phone but there were no messages. No one called her either it confused her who would be there.

“Please! Open up it’s me!” The girl begged as y/n recognized the voice. Rushing to open the door to reveal a rain soaked Kim. Standing there with tears streaming as she sobbed hard. “Kim?” y/n asked worried and concerned. “I need you” Kim sobbed out as she grabbed y/n’s shoulders.

Chapter 3 is finished 🤍 Finally settled into my home after moving in a short while ago. Got caught up with writing more. I wanted to write more insight into an outsiders perspective. How shifters and vampires would look like to ordinary people. Especially the tribe’s over all insight. The next few chapters will be interesting🤍

[gh0stly-mp3]

would you break my heart, oliver?

oliver aiku x teammate male!reader

synopisis: oliver aiku, your best friend, shows up at your apartment at 3 AM after breaking up with his gf cause he cheated, but you get mad at him

tags: bff!reader, center back!reader, reader is lovely, oliver is bad with real feelings, both are secretly in love

warnings: cheating, angst w happy ending, fear of unreciprocated love, pretty gn (like 2 mentions of gender)

Oliver is the typical womanizer (but with all genders) who never dates the same person for more than two months. According to him, he gets bored very quickly, which is why he has a new partner every few months.

You, on the other hand, have always been in long-term, consistent relationships, taking a while to confess to whomever you liked and always wanting to make sure that you both feel the same way about each other.

Even though you were opposites, you were still best friends and teammates for a long time, and you always scolded Oliver for his inconsequential attitudes towards his love life (but he hardly ever listened).

The last straw for you was when he showed up at your house at 3 AM because his then-girlfriend kicked him out after discovering he was talking to someone else on instagram. You were incredulous; you knew he was a scumbag, but you didn't expect it to be this bad; after all, he was there when you got cheated on, something that affected you a lot.

"What the fuck, Oliver? What are you thinking, man? Jumping from relationship to relationship is one thing, but cheating is another level! I can't believe this, dude." - You yelled.

"I made a mistake, okay? I'm sorry, it's just..." - Oliver tried to explain himself, visibly nervous about your reaction.

"I don't care! If you stay at my place tonight, tomorrow you'll have to apologize to her and admit that you're an idiot... Oh, and you'll sleep on the couch".

"What? I know i fucked up, but it's cold, man, you always let me sleep with you".

"Not today, cause if you betray the trust of someone who trusted you with their body and heart, why the fuck would anyone else trust you? Grow the fuck up..." - You said harshly, heading for the cupboards and taking out a pillow and a blanket for Oliver. - "Good night, Oliver. We'll talk tomorrow"

As you lay down on your bed, you curled up, clutching your legs. If he could do this to a girl as beautiful as Haruka, what could he do to you? You were just one of his male friends.

You've been friends forever, you were the first guy to talk to Oliver when he joined your team. Your bond was incredible, you understood each other so well, you liked the same things and had the same mindset on a match. You two occupied the same defensive position as center backs, and together you were unstoppable.

But how did it all end up like this? How did you end up falling in love with him? Oliver was incredible at everything except relationships, and the one thing you shouldn't have wanted was exactly what you did want. His love.

You listened to the way he talked about his partners and wished he'd talk about you the same way, but then you remembered what was to follow, a dry and emotionless breakup. How could such a gentleman be such a whore at the same time?

Anyway, there you were, crying silent tears, thinking that if you tried to confess your love for him, you would end up with a heart broken into more than a thousand pieces. While these thoughts were running through your head, you heard footsteps and then a knock on the door.

"Hey... Can we talk? I..." - It was Oliver, speaking in a low, weak voice. "I don't want you to think I'm terrible..."

"Oliver, not now..." - You replied, distressed at the thought of him seeing you cry. - "It's okay, man..."

"Promise you won't hate me?" - He asked, scared. - "I didn't know you'd be so pissed off and... You're the only person I really have, I don't want to lose you over something I did without thinking..." - Definitely something you'd rarely hear come out of Oliver's mouth, he was finally putting his real feelings into something.

"It's not that, Oliver..." - The words, stuck in your throat, urgently wanted to come out. Just say it, three words, that's all. - "I..."

The door handle is pushed down slowly, you see the face of a distressed Oliver, which makes your heart squeeze a bit. You don't hate him, it's quite the opposite actually, but you can't tell him that, can you?

"Look... I was a jerk to Haruka, and besides, I did exactly what you said I should never do. I'm sorry, okay? I just don't want you to hate me, even though I might deserve it... I just want to have someone like you around, you know?" - Deep down, Oliver knew exactly what his problem was, his stomach full of fluttering butterflies was a symptom he'd hardly ever felt. A symptom of this so-called love.

"Would you cheat on me? If you loved me, would you betray me too? Would you get tired of me?" - You asked hopelessly, not wanting to hear the answer.

"Never. Absolutely never." - He answered without hesitation. - "You?... only a complete lunatic would cheat on you. For fuck's sake, I've been your friend for years and I've never even been bored around you! I'd give anything to have someone like you!" - Oliver shut up abruptly when he realized that perhaps he had said too much.

"How could I be sure of that?"

"If I cheated on you, I'd give up soccer" - a direct and honest answer, the truth of his heart. Few words would have such an impact on you as those.

You widened your eyes, wondering if you had actually heard those words come out of Oliver's mouth. He would give up soccer for you? Really? A wave of emotions washed over your body and with an impulse you got out of bed and hugged him tightly.

"Please don't give up soccer... Keep playing with me... And love me." - the most heartfelt words you've ever said, put into play, all your cards on the table. Now it was his turn.

"I already love you, idiot."

[mrs-monaghan]

Not to go into detail and make this long but I remember how a while ago, I was in your blog and I came across you saying;

But, it is of my personal opinion that if they broke up it would destroy JK. Jimin would be heartbroken and devastated too but it would hit JK harder.

And now that we found out Jungkook was the one to sign up for the buddy system and wrote Jimins name for who he wanted to be his partner.

https://x.com/thekmlogic/status/1881424425972814167?s=46&t=DiZ6pHHxW3ahpd70quaKnA

And it really does prove your point to a whole other level. Not that I needed another reason to believe it but because this type of love doesn’t exist for “just friends” and I’ll never know why or how people don’t see it.

We seen how deeply not having Jimin there effected Jungkook. The man was crying on live..

They went on vacations for AYS together, even back to Juju Island again, without V. Who knows about Busan after the last Juju trip.

They could last 18 months away from friends, family, ARMY, but never each other.

That’s why they’re still out and about together even on vacation.

https://x.com/stopkookminpls/status/1882055760152347025?s=46&t=DiZ6pHHxW3ahpd70quaKnA

Vmin. JiHope. Namkook. JinKook.

(My baby, Yoongi isn’t an option.)

So many close friends in BTS who could have went together. Nobody but Jikook went together. Is that not a sign something is different compared to the others?

Anybody could have went with Namjoon seeing how bad he’s struggling to be happy but no.. At the end of the day, this is just more proof on how real their relationship is.

Oh yeah! 1300% So many reasons to believe in Jikook but enlisting together... that was... that was definitely something. From what I've heard, K-taekookers stopped existing after get out of your imagination happened. Then we lost more vermin after GCF. Matter of fact many of them became jkkrs. (Unfortunately that's also when so many more were created thanks to tkk-lives, but whatever) Then more were lost after Rosebowl. And some more left after the talk during ITS 1. and of course we lost a good number after the Taennie walk in Paris. A few more left after AYS dropped but not enough stopped shipping tkk when Jikook enlisted together. But if you ask me, this is what should have had them all leaving fr fr. This... enlisting together was no small fit. Not only has it never been done before, but they really didn't have to. You know? Like u said, RM too should have enlisted with a member if it doesn't carry as much weight as we jkkrs think it does. Know it does.

It was a huge risk they took but they did it anyway because to them it was necessary.

JIKOOK👏🏽IS👏🏽MOTHERFUCKIN👏🏽REAL!!!👏🏽

So, anon is talking about this post. And while there are deeper reasons connected with their enlistment, we already know how bored JK can be without Jimin. We've seen it

(Thanks @chicknbunny13 😘)

Sidebar: boyfriend V is right there on his phone doing nothing and yet, JK is bored out of his mind. Hmm 🤔✍🏽✍🏽✍🏽✍🏽

We've seen it with every single time he came live only when Jimin left the country, talking about how he got bored and missed us.

JK is a lying liar who lies 😂 but we forgive him. If I had a Jimin I would do the same 🤣

So back to your tweet, anon. My friends and I did suspect that that's what the numbers on their helmets meant

But there was no way to be sure. All we knew to be fact was that it had to have been JK's idea.

What i love about being a Joker is that, we are never wrong. We have earned the right to be cocky. You know what I mean?

It's what happens when you actually stan the real couple. Couples, have patterns. That's why the vermin are always changing their stories... nothing about being a tkkr is consistent. Their theories change overnight depending on what they discover or decide to make up that day.

Meanwhile, Jikook are predictable because they are the true couple. And that's why when we make guesses we are rarely ever wrong.

Thanks for the tweets anon. Support Jikook for clear skin

Damn, they're fine as hell!

[rootspiral]

Agatha All Along deep dive: episode 8 part 6

(Wandavision entries: [1][2][3])

(AAA entries: ep1 [1][2][3][4] ep2 [1][2][3][4] ep3 [1][2][3] ep4 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][+1] ep5 [1][2][3][4][5] ep6 [1][2][3] ep7 [1][2][3][4][5][6] ep8 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] ep9 [1][2][3][4][5][6])

agatha looks wistfully at billy. now that jen is gone, all that's left to do is to save him - or doom him, she doesn't even know anymore.

funny how billy has no idea he's created the Road and needs to ask agatha for guidance. and the truth is, agatha is the creator, author, perpetrator, whatever you want to call her. not only did she came up with the con, she actively manipulated billy into shaping the Road the way she wanted.

agatha asks billy to let her siphon some of his magic. you never know, she's covering all her bases. billy thinks she's gonna kill him, obviously. I wouldn't, she says, I won't. and she still isn't lying, killing billy at this point would be useless. but she has twisted the truth so much and so consistently that billy can't tell the difference anymore, and doesn't care to.

look how he challenges her. agatha always tries to have her cake and eat it too, she tried to keep billy all for herself without doing any emotional work, she wanted to bond with him without opening up and making herself vulnerable. she wanted to take without giving anything in return. and billy won't let her.

yeah, she didn't think that would work. there's only one way left to get billy out of this situation.

she'll have to be the bigger person, for once. yikes.

what gets me is that agatha knows how to do this. she has studied so much and has such a deep knowledge of witchcraft that she can piece together what billy needs to do, based only on the few hints rio just gave her about reincarnation. she knows how to use billy's magic, wanda's magic, better than they ever did! no wonder she coveted their power, no wonder she thought she deserved it more that them.

on the other hand, her extraordinary book knowledge would make her into the perfect teacher, as this scene is about to prove. but she's not selfless enough for that, not yet.

and if billy gets what he wants, he'll get transported out of the Road. what do you know! she is being selfless!

no, no she ain't. she promised rio she'd get billy out. there's never anything straightforward with her.

billy has the power to bring back a loved one, give him another life, another spin on the dance floor. can you even imagine how much agatha COVETS that power? how much she resents rio for wanting to stop billy, to prevent it?! this is why she went after wanda in the first place, she was looking for this specific power.

she knows exactly what to say, how to guide him, when to be soft and when to be strict. I keep thinking, imagine if her mother had allowed her to be part of the coven and be taught and learn freely. this is so obviously her calling. imagine all the good she could have done for witchfolk with her research, with the knowledge she's be eager to teach to her pupils.

nicky died in his sleep too. she also felt him close, she felt at home, she fell asleep listening to him breathing. how many times has she wished she had this very power, the power to go back to that moment and catch nicky's soul before rio took it? how many time has she pictured it in her mind? of course she knows what billy needs to do.

she is being so reassuring, so sure, so in control. I can't.

you breathe for yourself. you breathe for him. you breathe for everything he is. you hold it all inside of you. but it can't stay there. the memories. the feelings.

she is talking about nicky. fuck.

ha, she even gets to nerd out a little. of course she would know, she is a serial killer and she was married to Death!

billy absolutely felt that boy die, didn't he? he's having a lot of new experiences today, talk about a coming of age story, speedrun edition!

that's why he absolutely needs a guide, all that rogue ability, you leave him alone for a second and he starts reshaping realities and killing innocents left and right. he deserves better than that.

this is heartbreaking. tommy shepherd, dying alone, scared and forgotten. just one of the 120 bodies a minute.

this FUCKING SHOW

out of death, life. tommy maximoff kicks out of the water with so much force it cracks the floor. and the crack looks like water too, doesn't it? she's even in her shift like when she gave birth to nicky.

yes I'm saying that agatha absolutely just delivered tommy and she's his mom now. I'm not making the rules, just pointing out the facts.

and her hands are empty again

a step forward that took her so many years and so much pain, suffered and inflicted. even if she can only admit it to herself.

it wasn't rio's fault. it wasn't anybody's fault.

sometimes, boys die.

agatha alone and unguarded is such a sad wretched thing

a dandelion is the perfect metaphor for nicky, a little seed that the wind will blow away in a moment

like, death cannot exist without life. rio is as much life as she is death, she helps things grow as well as decay. agatha was so stubbornly focused on rio (and/or nature) taking nicky away that she forgot how rio gave him life too.

nicky's dandelion seed, agatha's tears, the soil from the crack that birthed tommy. this is ancient spellcraft.

and since this is agatha we're talking a bout, she has to bitch and moan and bargain with nature a little

and the little dandelion is born and gone in a second.

this. fucking. show.

next up: rio is taking the break up as well as you'd expect.

go to episode 8 part 7

[grimalkinmessor]

The parallels between Tsubomi and Reigen drive me so fucking insane you have no idea like—that shit had to be at least SOMEWHAT intentional even if not in a specifically romantic way.

For one, Tsubomi and Reigen are two of the only few people that call Shigeo "Mob" consistently. (Yes Tome also calls him Mob eventually but she starts out calling him Kageyama-kun and likely picks up "Mob-kun" from Inukawa or Reigen later on). We don't know how Reigen started calling Shigeo "Mob", though we can assume that Tsubomi was likely part of the group of kids that originally misread Shigeo's name as Mobbu to begin with so she's less of a mystery on that front. Maybe Reigen saw it written on his backpack or his shirt tag and started calling him that too, or maybe Mob even just told him that that's what everyone else called him and was what he prefered to be called at the time. Either way, it's a little odd that Reigen's one of the only people who use that nickname when we don't really get a reason why beyond "it can also be read like this", especially since Reigen is a grown man with (presumably) full literacy of kanji and would know how to read it.

Then there's the other obvious parallel that's made in the show; how Tsubomi and Reigen treat Mob. How they see his powers. They're not special, they're just a part of him. Nothing to be scared of—even though they kind of,,,,are lmao. The fact that Tsubomi continues to sit in the park even though a literal hurricane is approaching because she thought Mob sounded upset on the phone happens at the same time Reigen goes sprinting full-tilt into said hurricane because Mob is in trouble always stands out to me. It's less obvious than Mob's own words: "She never treated me any differently because of my powers" "Master never treated me any differently..."—but it's still a pretty blatant parallel to me.

Not to mention that both Reigen and Tsubomi's personalities are actually very similar as well! They're both described as people that hide behind a mask, a facade, while still being brutally stubborn. If Tsubomi doesn't want to do something, she's not gonna do it. While Reigen is more laid back because he's used to getting his hands dirty for work (money), he's still very stubborn himself when he doesn't wanna do something. He'll find a way to wriggle out of it and talk circles around you if you let him. Dimple even says that Tsubomi is the type of person who can't be swayed by words or peer pressure. She and Reigen were actually, again, two of the only people brainwashed through airborne Vibes™ instead of through food like everyone else. The biggest difference between them on this is that while Reigen lies fairly blatantly, Tsubomi seems to only lie through omission. Tsubomi is more of an introvert too, compared to Reigen's extrovert (though you could argue that both of them are good with people, with the only difference being that Reigen enjoys being the center of attention while Tsubomi presumably does not).

Plus they're both pretty goofy too once you think about it lmao. They're both prideful and hate to be humiliated, but they also care a lot about their public image and how people perceive them. Every time the scene with Tsubomi and her friends outside cleaning up leaves comes up, her expressions and panic always remind me of Reigen. And then there's Mob, calm and unjudgemental, willing to help her with no questions asked. Mitigating her humiliation, just like he does for Reigen :)

Another thing that always strikes me is how Mezato says, "If you can accept her for who she really is..." followed by Reigen's echo during his confession: "This is who I really am". Mezato essentially tells Mob that Tsubomi isn't who she seems on the outside and that if he wants to be accepted by her, he needs to also be ready to accept her as well. Which, we don't get to see much of Tsubomi's life outside of Mob—wow just like Reigen—so we don't ever really know who she is beyond that outer mask, but we see her slowly opening up to Mob later, as a friend. But the fact that Reigen's own confession mirrors Mezato's words to Mob about him accepting Tsubomi always makes me vibrate in place a little like,,,Confession Arc my beloved 🙏

I don't know man, there's just so much there, it makes my head spin. I could go on and on about it but I better cut myself off because if I don't I'll start crawling on the walls going feral about it because what, what was the point of this if not to make it clear that the relationship between Mob and Reigen is supposed to parallel his relationship with Tsubomi like what do you MEAN—