#and i thought 'oh this is a nice drabble i'll just quick finish it'

[finalfantasyxivwritings]

On Equal Ground

AO3 Version

Relationship: WoL!Reader/X’rhun Tia

Rating: General

Summary: “…Please do not cut yourself down, warrior,” X’rhun finally whispers. “There is a great many people who aspire to be but half the hero you are.”

There is a gentle seriousness in the sound of his words, as if speaking to you a truth that is hard to believe or comprehend. Perhaps they are in a form, a fact that you’ve largely decided to ignore, gone numb in the months where such praise was spoken in mystical awe than of genuine appreciation.

He sees beyond your title, and that is the greatest respect anyone can give you.

-

If you had to describe the experience of learning red magic with but one word, you feel the most accurate may very well be ‘enlightening’. There is much to the skill than one might assume, so deep in its complexity that to learn red magic in itself is analogous to learning an entirely new form of art: breathtaking when observed of a trained expert, but leaving the amateur daunted and in broken spirits ere the end of the first week of attempt.

If it wasn’t for the fact that your mentor was such a patient man, you doubted that your patience would have long-since fizzled out. It was hard enough to learn but one combative skill; to learn a second one from scratch might have seemed near-impossible to most people.

But you weren’t most people.

“I’d liken to say your sense of balance is fairing much better,” the Seeker says in barely-hidden delight, his voice as warm as the sunlight shining high above the two of you. “Did you see yourself drawing upon your ranged spelled easier than before?”

You take a moment to listen to him genuinely, letting your arms drop as the ache of hours-long training settles into your muscles. Truthfully you hadn’t noticed anything, not beyond the pain and exhaustion at least, and that had been a prevalent issue since the moment that the master red mage had placed the ruby soulstone into your palm.

So you shake your head.

“I mean, my aether seems to stretch a bit longer before I have to rely on the rapier solely to attack,” There’s a shrug to your shoulders as you place the sword back at your hip, keeping the crystal yet hovering over your palm. “-but that’s it, really.”

Though you were familiar enough in the heat of battle, the rapier felt little more than a clumsy piece of pointed metal. Where you had honed your mind and body to see one weapon as an extension of yourself, the careful tool of the red mage seemed nearly alienating–and that’s not even with the additional crystal balanced precariously above your opposite, outstretched palm, with it’s aetheric charge constantly tickling against your skin.

Black and white. Heal and harm. Melee and ranged. The art of the red mage seemed in itself a quandary, a twist of opposites into a form of combat all on its own–and one far different than merely combining the most common spells for the two disciplines of magic. In the same way that thread could be woven into a grand tapestry, so too was the skills of the red mage.

Exhausting. Painful. Confusing.

All things considered, it wasn’t as if your teacher was pushing you past your limits. X’rhun Tia was quite the gentleman in as much stature as in personality; kind, considerate, and happy to let you make mistakes and learn from them without the fear of failure. Considering that you had been used to the weight of the world upon your shoulders as the Warrior of Light, it was nice to feel allowed to be new to the skill. To be ignorant. To learn something.

It means a lot to you.

As if on queue, you hear X’rhun’s footsteps get nearer, signaling the end of the sparring session if at least so that you can catch your breath.

You raise your eyes up to the man just as he’s approaching you, hands on his hips and a smile upon his face that looks as natural as the sunshine–and just as warming to your cheeks.

“Don’t give yourself so little worth.”

For a mentor, X’rhun always seems to offer more compliments than critique–or perhaps the latter is simply woven to delicately that you’re hard-pressed to distinguish the two.

“We oft realize changes when they are happening to ourselves,” X’rhun steps closer to you, close enough that he’s able to reach out a hand over your aether crystal yet held in front of you. It gently glows a dull red in response. “…You’re learning to balance your skills without realizing it. The greater balance you achieve, the more you will be able to ask of yourself in battle before your reserves run dry.”

“I think you’re just being too nice to me,” you retort, though the words are spoken gently. “You’re not allowed to do that, because that display of mine was atrocious compared to what I should be able to do.”

X’rhun tilts his head in such a way that the light is able to play ever so delicately across his icy gaze. Even under the hooded shadow of his broad-rimmed hat, you can see just how sharp the lines in his face are; there are but a couple lines gained from age alone, but it doesn’t discount the fact that the Seeker is a very charming, handsome man.

Sometimes you notice it a little too well.

X’rhun doesn’t seem to notice your lingering attention over his face. He merely laughs, and the sound is pleasant to your tired ears. It rolls through the air like a distant waterfall–perhaps a sound that you’d almost call a purr if you had the slightest more bravery to put words to the thought.

“Am I truly too kind?” the man asks, tone gentle. “Not even the most powerful warriors are perfect at all that they try–but to make the attempt, to take up a skill you know will be difficult and you but give your greatest willpower for it…Now that is a feat of strength few people carry within them.”

X’rhun closes his eyes. A soft sigh ghosts over his lips just as the breeze picks up around the two of you, swirling up into the vast, open blue sky of Southern Thanalan.

“…I greatly respect you, if I’m being an honest man.”

You feel him reach a hand out and lay it on your shoulder; the weight is comforting, though you can’t meet the man’s gaze for more than a few idle moments when you realize how those icy blues seem but to glow in the shadow of his hat, or how his smile seems to match the warmth that blooms inside of your chest.

“You are more amazing than you give yourself credit,” he says. “With one who already has the weight of Eorzea upon their shoulders, the fact you are yet so willing to learn a challenging new skill is but proof of your fortitude and strength of will.”

His hand presses harder still over your shoulder, firm but not painful. There’s but a breath of silence, though the air is far from empty.

“…Please do not cut yourself down, warrior,” X’rhun finally whispers. “There is a great many people who aspire to be but half the hero you are.”

There is a gentle seriousness in the sound of his words, as if speaking to you a truth that is hard to believe or comprehend. Perhaps they are in a form, a fact that you’ve largely decided to ignore, gone numb in the months where such praise was spoken in mystical awe than of genuine appreciation.

He sees beyond your title, and that is the greatest respect anyone can give you.

So you smile. You smile wide and warm and stupid, until your face hurts and your chest aches, until you nearly feel tears gather at the corner of your eyes. It’s silly how happy the words make you feel. They sound genuine. Warm. Honest.

They come from a man who too has felt guilt and shame upon his shoulders–though he may not completely understand the way the world presses down around you (nobody ever might) the fact that he makes no attempt to idolize you, the fact that he is so bluntly honest in his feelings as a mentor, it…

Well, you do wind up crying, but only a little bit. You feel words bubble up to your lips and spring forth before you can stop them, if only because you don’t have a filter for the sort of mirth that comes to you so rarely.

“You’re a wonderful man yourself Rhun,” your words are nearly laughter, and you make no motion to try and remove the Seeker’s hands from your shoulders–they’re too comforting a pressure. “I appreciate being seen as an equal than as an idol.”

A moment passes. It’s not as if there’s a particularly long pause in the conversation, nor as if you suddenly feel a shift in the air between you. It’s simply a moment that passes, a thought that clicks in your head--and suddenly your eyes are open and looking forward and meeting an icy-blue gaze that looks at you with wonder.

For a moment, X’rhun looks many years younger.

And then he smiles, so much that the expression looks about as happy as you felt but several breaths before.

“Well, I can’t remember the last time someone put up with my company enough to call me by my name.”

It takes a few moments for his words to click, to settle into your brain deep enough that their meaning comes to you. It takes that long for you to realize that, while speaking, you had called him by his name--no marker on the front. It’s meaningful, and it’s by no slip of the tongue either; not one that you didn’t in some way want to make in the first place.

But then again, your thoughts seem to be your worst enemies in general.

It’s a thing of respect and closeness to refer to Seekers without the prefix of their tribe hanging upon their first name. It’s often something shared between friends and family, a step more intimate than a mere nickname. Though you would have felt nervous about using it so brazenly towards a man who could have called himself only your mentor, he seems so very happy about it.

He’s beaming, really.

So all you can do is, in the moment, feel happy in return.

“I can’t remember the last time someone remembered I’m a person,” you say, trying to match his words. “So...that wasn’t....that wasn’t rude right? To call you that?”

“Far from it,” X’rhun says with a quirked brow, taking a step back but letting his hand linger for a moment longer than it needed to upon your shoulder. “ ‘tis a natural part of growing close. Though I may be your mentor in the art of red magic, our bond is yet as equals, and I would have you see me no other way.”

A chuckle comes to your lips, and amusement shortly thereafter.

“So does that mean you’ll go easier on me next time we spar?”

“Not for a moment,” X’rhun scoffs, then turns on his heel to begin walking towards a tree with a promising amount of shade to settle under for a while. “When we spar you are but a fledgling red mage before my eyes. I will ensure that you are allowed to make every mistake with honesty and nothing else weighing upon your shoulders.”

You watch the man eventually stop beneath the shade of a lone tree, but feeble against the rocky landscape. You watch as he takes off his hat, leans back against the trunk, and settles into a comfortable position. It’s only when the Seeker’s eyes turn towards you that you’re caught at last out of your thoughts--icy blue glinting beneath the shade.

A break amidst the sparring.

While you greatly appreciate the ability to sit down and rest for a while from the ache lingering in your body, it’s the company that really brings a smile to your lips and a grateful warmth to your heart.

You couldn’t ask for any better.

[spaceyflowerswriting]

Please please DG/James Lee fluff with pregnant S/O??? 🥰

ready (james lee x reader)

details: fluffy drabble, gender neutral reader but written in 2nd pov, general canon au, you and james are married

summary: you tell james about your pregnancy.

a/n: ofc, thanks for requesting 💖!! decided to do a oneshot since there was no specification, hope thats okay !!

×

Nighttime had fallen.

Your husband finally arrived home from a busy day. You had been itching to tell him the news ever since you found out this morning, but felt the need to express it in person rather than through text or call.

Despite having all day to prepare, you hadn't really thought about how to let him know. Best to just be casual, right? It's not like you two hadn't spoken about the possibility of having and wanting kids before. Still, it was a nerve-wracking thing to think about and you stayed nervous until you took a seat next to him on a couch in the living room.

James seemed to sigh in relief at the sight of you. "Hey." He leaned in, lightly kissing your cheek before pulling back to continue finishing up his glass of water.

"Hey," you softly greeted back. Your eyes darted to the side for a moment, hands fidgety. "How was your day?"

"Same old. How about you?"

"...Exciting?" You laughed nervously when he raised a brow. You didn't really want to derail the conversation so you figured you'd just get to the point. "I've got good news, that's all."

His lips turned upwards in amusement. "I'm interested in hearing it."

"Okay, well." Clearing your throat, you let him set his glass down and then continued, "I'm pregnant."

"Oh, that's nice." His quick, casual response left you baffled. Sure, you expected him to take the news well, and yes, this was a positive response, but not enough to relieve you of your current nervousness. Nonetheless, you smiled while James paused for a moment. Then, his calm expression shifted into one of glee. "We're going to be parents, huh?"

The realization of his new reality seemed to properly settle in and his words truly made the reality settle in for you as well.

"Yup," you chuckled.

Honestly, he wasn't surprised thanks to past conversations, so he expected this to come sooner or later. To say he felt unprepared wasn't right, but he definitely wasn't prepared either. Still, he knew he would be okay as long as he had you and he hoped you would feel the same.

"Come here, love." You blinked at him in curiosity and scooted closer to him. His arms gently pulled you in before wrapping around your waist and momentarily picking you up to set you in his lap.

"J-James!" you stammered, your back bumping against his chest, "You could've just asked me to move..."

"Nope, get used to this," he said in reply, resting his chin on your shoulder as his arms wrapped around your waist again.

"Huh?"

He smiled, a hint of mischievousness in it. "I'm going to treat you with extra care for the next 9 months."

You would've felt touched if not for what he just did. "I believe you, but manhandling me to express that is kind of contradictory."

Your husband laughed softly before leaning his head into yours. "I mean it, though. Breakfast in bed, massages, catering to all your needs... you'll be my only priority."

To say warmth didn't enter your cheeks at his sweet words would be a lie. "What about your job though?"

"Hm? Isn't it obvious? I'll just take a year-long hiatus."

"Are you sure that'll be okay??" You gave him a worried look but he just continued to smile.

"It's not a problem for me. If it does bother anyone, they can cry about it for all I care."

You scoffed, but not with ill-intent. "How do you even still have your job with that kind of attitude?"

"Talent, perhaps," he teased as his soft lips pressed against your nape. "Now, no more worrying, stress is bad for the baby."

After a playful roll of your eyes, you started asking him more serious questions about how to best prepare for the upcoming months. Naturally, he responded back with genuine care in his words, and by the end of the night, you felt at peace. Confident, too.

The road of parenthood was a bumpy one, but like James had felt earlier, you also knew things would turn out just fine as long as he was by your side.

[harmomay]

unexpected encounter with a bad ex?! - k.ayato

gender neutral reader :)

The sweet smell of drama..

E/N = Ex's Name.

Ayato knew you had an ex and he knew that your ex was bad. He just didn't know.. how bad.

--

The mouth-watering smell of classic inazuman cuisine filled your nostrils as you stuffed your mouth with food. It was a lovely afternoon: cool weather, upbeat crowd and the delightful chirping of birds.

That was until you heard their voice.

"Oh. My. God! (Name), is that you?!" E/N squealed, oblivious to the stares of old women trying to enjoy their lunch. They playfully wrapped their arms around you to pull you in a tight hug.

You coughed, shoulders stiffening from the uncomfortable warmth. After a short moment, E/N took their arms back. "Pff, cold much? I missed you so much! We totally need to catch up, just like old times!" They ended with a singsong note, and people view Itto as annoying..

With a shaky sigh and a now vanished appetite you declined, putting E/N in a fit. "Whaaaatttt?! You- I was trying to be nice!" They cried, stomping their feet adult-baby style.

--

Out of sympathy the restaurant owner politely told them to leave as per the noise. This just made E/N more aggravated. "Wha-?!"

"Is there a problem here?" Boomed a deep voice. The two of you turned your heads to be met with the one and only Prince Charming, Ayato. He was accompanied by Thoma, who stood behind him - concern starting to appear on his gentle face.

Your lover walked towards you, sliding a hand around your waist to act as a sort of protection. E/N's eyes widened by the Tri-Commissioners presence, their posture now straightening up.

'Can't believe I liked them..' You thought, a quiet scoff escaping your lips from their pathetic change in attitude. E/N made eye contact with you for a split second before eyeing back at the powerful man in front of them.

"Yes, I believe there is." Glancing back at E/N and raising your index finger at them, you answered Ayato's question - clear irritating lining your voice.

Your lover raised his eyebrow in an serious manner, his pale blue eyes narrowing. "Ah, I see." He looked your ex up and down before continuing. "Was this person bothering you, my dear?"

From the corner of your eye you could see E/N's hands folding into fists trying to contain their frustration, making you stifle a smile as you nodded to Ayato.

"Goodness me." He shook his head. "Thoma, would you care to escort this person outside to Komore Teahouse? I believe there's been some miscommunication on how to treat someone with basic manners."

The housekeeper nodded almost immediately, carefully leading E/N towards the private estate. Ayato apologised to the restaurant owner and its other customers for the disturbance, before sitting you back down to finish your meal.

"Thank you." You spoke, grateful you didn't have to go through another second of their outrageous fits. Your boyfriend only chuckled to himself, watching as you dug into the warm and meaty delight that was your lunch.

"I assume you're alright for the time being?" He checked, making you lift your head (and mouth full of ramen.) up from the bowl and nod as a 'Yes.'

"I'm glad to hear that, love." Ayato stood up from his seat and made his way around the table to give your forehead a quick peck. "I'll see you at dinner, alright? There's someone I should deal with now."

With a very small and mischievous grin, the Yashiro Commissioner silently made his way to the exit. Leaving you to only imagine how far he'll reach to properly teach your ex manners.

Guess you'll have to ask Thoma about it later..

~~

Justice is served! Hope you enjoyed todays drabble!

Till next time! ヽ(^o^)

[akeijies]

lowkey

mitsuya t. x reader

summary: mitsuya and reader are in the same club, cute pining, secret kisses, hushed confessions. college au but toman is still a thing hehe

contains: fluff, lots of fluff. the tiniest bit of angst like a sentence tiny draken appearance, headcanons and a little drabble

you and mitsuya are in the same club and you always admired how nice and soft spoken he was, he’s so nice to everyone and offers so much encouragement and big smiles and it just made you fall

the both of you start talking when he offers to help you with a sewing project, or he asks if you could model something for him so he could see how it looks on someone

eventually you both talk a lot more, he cracks little jokes, flashes his smiles, runs his hands through his cropped hair. you tease him about his little yelps whenever he sticks himself with a needle and the way his eyes light up like a kid in a candy shop whenever a piece he’s working on comes out perfect

the first time takashi kissed you was when he had a custom piece that he just finished and you wanted to be the first person to see it in all of its beauty

he thought your excitement was really cute and you were just showering him in little praises and he got all blushy and bashful like

“it’s not that great— it just a little something”

“yeah a little something that you made!”

his lips were really soft and it was this sweet soft kiss that made your eyes flutter shut and you only opened them after you both pulled away with a little sigh oh my

after that day you both spend a lot more time in the club room, shoulders pressed together, quick kisses once the club room frees of everyone but the two of you, fingers that brush against the others neck when they go to fix a collar or grab the measuring tape that hangs on shoulders

you both normally leave the club room and go your separate ways but one day it’s raining and takashi offers to take you home on his bike because no one‘s out on the street and he doesn’t want you walking in the rain by yourself

it’s a quiet ride home the both of you just the tiniest bit awkward in this environment outside the comfort of the club room but it’s nice, with your arms wrapped around his waist and your head resting on his back

you don't pass anyone who stands out on the street, but someone pulls up next to the bike that you and takashi ride and it's two guys one with longer blond hair and the one behind him has the end of a ponytail barely poking out from the bottom of his helmet

they don't say anything and you feel a little off so you tighten your arms around takashi an a few seconds after that the other bike rides off leaving you both behind.

eventually you both get to your house and takashi helps you off the bike and he offers you a hug and he can tell what you're probably thinking and he gives you a small smile and just "those were my friends, they were just reminding me that we have somewhere to be tonight is all. don't worry."

you know he’s in toman, it’s something that never ceases to worry you but you never ever bring it up because it’s not your business. takashi is grown enough to handle himself

the next day takashi isn't at club and your heart is in your chest and you can barely stay in the room after everyone leaves and when you walk outside the door and the same guy who was on the back of the bike from yesterday and he's cut up a little bit and he's got some scratches on his face and it doesn't make you feel any better.

"mitsuya's okay."

"w-what?"

"he's fine, he's outside actually. he didn't want everyone to see his face and ask questions."

"you're not helping at all."

"huh?"

you see takashi, outside and your heart leaps because he doesn't look like your imagined and he only has a couple of cuts and bandages on his face and he's deadpanning at the guy next to you and it makes a little laugh bubble out of you

"i could have went and got her myself, draken."

"yeah but you were taking too long so i did it." draken gives you a tiny smile that turns into a little smirks when he looks at mitsuya. "i'll see you later"

"you need to be more careful," you step closer to him; space smaller than it's ever been without any excuse to be.

your hands slowly come up to graze his jaw where a small bruise is formed and your heart aches when he winces away from your touch.

mitsuya sees the hurt flash in your eyes and he immediately grabs your wrist and places a small kiss to your palm, like he's telling you your touch could never hurt him.

"it was just a little fight, it wasn't too crazy." he sees how that didn't really help anything and he gives this cute, kiddish, quirk of a smile before, "--you should see the other guy."

that makes a laugh bubble out of you and you close the gap between the two of you and pulling him into a hug, that must hurt a little bit by how tense he is but he wraps his arms back around you, squeezing you back.

you both stand in the shadows for a while trading kisses, hands ghosting against each other's backs over sweaters and jackets.

mitsuya walks you home again once you both finally pull away from each other. legs move at a lethargic pace, backroads get taken, knuckles brush against each others. he tells you about draken and how they actually have the same tattoo, he laughs at your reaction because it's expected but so cute, and how mikey is a really great leader and friend and how he's really thankful for toman, and how he knows it's a dangerous thing to be involved in but he's happy he's involved in it with them.

you're at your house and you welcome him inside to press more kisses against his cheeks and his neck. your fingers trace where you imagine his tattoo to be.

he tucks his face into your neck and whispers about how he wishes he could take you out on a date, and that these little happenings couldn't only happen in little shadows and clubrooms and your bedroom, but he wouldn't know what to do if someone after him saw you and did something to you to hurt him.

you shut him up with more kisses, each one more heated than the last and explain to him that you understand and that you're fine with this and you're more than fine with him and that he's worried about bridges that you may or may not have to cross.

mitsuya leaves later that night. both of you drunk on intricately places touches, lips swollen with love, eyes full of comfort and smiles laced with the small promises of tomorrow.

you fall back into bed, body sprawled and limbs loose and you allow your heart to ease once you finally receive the "i'm home <3" text from mitsuya and you shoot back a response before letting your eyes droop shut.

[strongsassysexysloane]

Eight Day of Twelve - A Sweet Surprising Treat

A/N - these may be getting worse.. bit I'm glad everyone is enjoying them >.< When I first started I thought I'd have a bit more time to write but work is killing me with extra hours. So I'm doing my best lol.

As always click below for previous drabble

. . . .

"Jimmy, no." You glared at him from across the table as best you could. For some reason you couldn't pull off the Gibbs glare when it came to Palmer.

"Come on. I've seen the way she-"

"Oh sure, you can't see what's going on between Bishop and Nick but you somehow notice the sparkle in Sloane's eye when it comes to y/n?" Kasie all sass, taking another bite of her bacon. "When do you get out of your cave to spy on them anyway?"

"Oh please, that was all a bit of fun to see Nick's reaction." He waved off. "Plus I see everything." He wriggled his eyebrows and it seemed to take the creepiness out of his statement. Very Jimmy.

"Since when do you play with people like that?" You raised a brow, you were slightly impressed. Trying your best to ignore the stalker intent he mentioned. You'd circle back to his spying ways another time.

"Everyone seems to come to me with their secrets and problems or does it just happen because people confess more when there's a dead body around?" He questioned the universe, genuinely asking if that was the case.

You laughed, taking the last bite of your pancakes and washing it down with some coffee. This was your second cup in under half an hour. Last night had been a long one, Jack hadn't let you go to sleep until midnight. You shook your head at your own thoughts. Jack didn't let you do anything, you just didn't want to be the one to end the texting first. You paid the price with the lack of sleep and early morning rise for breakfast with friends.

"What you shaking your head at and don't say Jimmy." Kasie leant back in the booth beside you.

"How do you know it wasn't at Jimmy. I shake me head all the time at some of the things he spots out." That made Kasie laugh, mainly at Jimmy's reaction of shock humour.

"I shake my head at myself too but mainly I'm just running away because Gibbs always-" He looked over his shoulder and you both laughed at him.

It was good catching up with them outside of work. It had been a hectic month or so which meant everyone was busy sleeping if they weren't at work. The office Christmas party was only a week or two away and you and Jimmy seemed to be the only two excited. Probably because he wanted to show off his new ugly Christmas sweater he'd been raving about for weeks.

Breakfast was over too soon which Kasie being called into work to follow up with another teams case and evidence being brought in.

"Please. Let me."

"Why is everyone buying things for me lately." You huffed.

"Oh boo hoo. Poor me, I have a secret admirer who buys me gifts." Kasie fake wiped her eyes and rolled her eyes.

"You know in our line of business it could be classed as creepy."

"Thanks for putting that one in her head Jimbo." Kasie patted his back. " Mr always positive is lacking today."

"Gotta keep it real, kids." He cracked his knuckles as you pushed the door open and let them exit first.

"Never say that again. Please." You both laughed at Jimmy's pouted lip but agreeing nod.

"See you at work tomorrow." Kasie waved, hopping into her car.

"Enjoy your freedom." Jimmy grinned, walking a bit further to his car.

You made it to just after lunch when you got the call. It's not like you weren't expecting it and at least you got 24 hours rest before heading back in. First you needed to make a pit stop before who knows how long you'd be up til tonight. You needed the extra caffeine because the diner coffee was starting to wear off.

You got ready in a rush with the priority being coffee from your local around the corner. It technically being your Sunday you didn't put much effort into your attire and raced out the door.

You pulled your car into a spot just up from your coffee shop and slipped your gloves on before stepping out of the car. It was cool days like today where you wished you had a nice thick scarf to stop the icey breeze from hitting the back of your neck. You jacket collar just wasn't cutting it these days.

The coffee shop was warm and a nice breath of hot cocoa hit your nose when you opened the door.

"Ah there you are. I was wondering when you'd come in. No work this morning?" Sharon, the owner, came out from behind the counter with a cloth, wiping down the table beside you.

"Technically my Sunday but we got called in anyway." Your shoulders slumped and you added a little pout to make yourself seem even more whiney. "Need a pick me up, don't know how long it's going to be."

Sharon smiled, wiping down another table in two quick swipes before scooting around the counter to start your order. "One extra large coffee with two sugars and cream annnnd..." She turned around from the computer and picked up a box resting next to the coffee machine.

"What's this?" She placed the cardboard takeaway box in front of you.

"Open it silly." She beamed, finishing off your order in the computer and tapping her finger on the credit card machine.

You tapped your card before opening the box. It was six of your favourite cookies. "What?" You were even more confused.

"I got a call this morning. Don't bother asking who was it, I swore on my life O wouldn't give anything away." She held up her hand just as you were about to but in. "Nah! No questions. You get free cookies and no answers." She beamed as you rolled your eyes and grumbled a little. "Shush, I'll make your coffee and you go save the world."

You laughed, she had quickly become one of your favourite people in the neighbourhood. Always making conversation with the regular customers and making you feel cared about. She was very concerned one day when you hadn't shown up for a week ( you were on a stakeout) almost said she called the cops but then she remembered you were one and that you were most likely on important business. She was sweet and kind, giving you extra shots when it looked like you needed it and she'd tell you too.

Now she was in on this rouse and there was no way of getting information out of her. Not even Gibbs could crack this woman. I don't think he'd dare try.

You happily accepted the coffee, which had three shots in it not two like everyone got. With the box of cookies tucked under your arm and the caffeine already flowing through your veins again you headed to the crime scene with only one question on your mind. Who the hell was this secret gift giver?

. . . .

Hope this is ok, hardly edited >.< Enjoy while I work almost 9 hours when it was meant to be my day off. Ah Christmas in retail. Hate it.

[beesonestopcurioshop]

Safe

Note: This is my second Drabble attempt. I actually like this one better than the first. This one was for my dear friend @boogiewrites I hope you all like it! The prompt I was given is number 14 from this list. I’m also posting from mobile again, so disclaimer I can’t add a keep reading bar lol.

Warnings: Some violence. Yelling. Knives. Guns. Alfie Solomons.

Word count: 1410. Oops. I got carried away. 😂

Photo Credit: Quick google search.

••

Josephine took a deep breath. The smell of London infiltrated her nose. It was very harsh and city-like. She loved it. It made her feel at home. Safe. Even in the midst of the chaotic bustling energy. She wanted to go for a walk and see where her feet led her. It hadn’t been long since she had been back. Just long enough for things to change. It would be nice to get acclimated again.

Something felt different than before. Unstable. Kinetic. Combustible if handled incorrectly. New hands laid in power for different sections of the city. There were whispers of three brothers coming in and taking over a nightclub. The Shelby brothers making a grand entrance into London life. If they were anything like what she had heard, they would fit right in.

Walking through Little Italy was a dangerous game to be played. Especially when the Italians knew your face and didn’t approve of the company you kept. She had to fight off the urge to roll her eyes into her next life. Darby Sabini had always been around. He probably would be, or at the very least his legacy, until the end of time. He was an insufferable little man. He was definitely a thorn in a lot of people’s sides.

The one rise to power that did not surprise her one bit, was one Captain Alfred Solomons. Or Alfie as he liked to be addressed. Alfie ran a tight ship. He always had. She was excited to see him again. In his element, but in a different manner.

Jo walked around taking in the things that had changed, and things that stayed the same. In this day and age, businesses came and went. Especially with the people who actually ran the city versus the elected officials.

The bakery she was looking for wasn’t far. She had noticed a tail on her a while ago in little Italy. Sabini most likely already knew she was back. She was surprised he didn’t know the moment her feet touched London soil.

Josephine was livid at the audacity of Sabini’s men following her into Alfie’s territory. These were newer faces, so they probably only had the shadow of a story about her. So she let them tailing her slide. They appeared to have been employed long enough that they should have known their boundary lines better.

Coming up on the bakeshop she could see that there was a side alley. It was perfect for making her point. She made a quick duck into the side street and placed her back up against the bakery wall. She reached into the waist belt on her dress for her knife while she patiently waited.

One of them jogged by. She let him pass. They were panicking that they had lost her. ‘Good. Let those fucks flounder.’ She moved to the other wall of the alley. If they circled back around, which she was sure they would, she wanted to get the jump on them.

Hearing one set of dress shoes slapping against the walkway she counted the seconds as he got closer. ‘Three, two,’ she struck out onto the walkway and gripped his collar tight. She pulled him violently into the side street and pushed him against the wall with her knife at his throat.

“Why the fuck does Darby Sabini have a shitty tail on my heels? Huh?!” The edge of her knife pushed into his neck harder the more she jumped toward him. He pleaded in Italian. He honestly seemed like he was about seventeen.

“Oh, are you the one they sent without a gun? You haven’t even lost your training wheels yet, boy.” Jo leaned backward with a light laugh as his eyes widened.

“They really didn’t tell you a damn thing about who you were following, did they?” She heard a door open and close behind her. It must have been the big side door to the bakery. Alfie would most certainly be out here in two minutes flat.

“Hey! Let him go! I’ll shoot you and not think twice!” A quivering voice shouted from the mouth of the alley.

“Oh, will you? Did Darby tell you to do so on another man’s land? Stupid move boy.” Jo backed up, allowing the other boy to move to safety.

She watched as the one with the gun assessed his partner to make sure he was okay. They had to have been brothers. The slightly older one was worried sick. He didn’t hide it well. His worry told her he could very well have pulled that trigger. She felt sympathy for the boys. That was until the older one opened his mouth.

“Sabini will hear of this! Your head will be on a pike in front of Alfie Solomons’s business by tomorrow morning.”

“Oh plea…,” she didn’t get the chance to finish. The doors behind her opened up with a cacophony of sliding and slamming. There was a fury behind the motion.

“Gentlemen! Right, you know you’re not supposed to be over this way, right? I have a meeting with this lovely lady here, and I don’t think Sabini would like hearing that his… boys got caught would he?!” Josephine smiled darkly pleased at the voice booming through the lane. It sounded like a god had descended upon the passageway ready to pass judgment.

“Boys, if I were you? I would toddle along. You can say I went out for a walk, and then went home to my flat. Darby doesn’t have to know any different.” Ollie came up beside her to gently usher her backward toward the side door. Normally this would aggravate her, but she let him lead her to Alfie’s office. She hadn’t even been back for 24 hours and she had already caused a stir. She calmly took a seat on the couch in his office.

“Thanks, Ollie. Good to see you again, mate.” Jo smiled and Ollie looked helpless. He knew she was in for it. The thundering footsteps that climbed the stairs confirmed just as much.

“Fuck off Ollie! Right fucking now.” Alfie commanded. Josephine gave Ollie a wink to let him know she would indeed be okay through the storm she had created.

“You know, yeah. When I told you last to get my attention when you got back to the city, right, I did not mean almost START A FUCKING WAR.” Alfie roared. His eyebrows came down over the bridge of his nose and his lips curled inward in a snarl. She sat there determining her next move. A small huff of a laugh escaped her.

“You think this is funny?” The roar continued.

“No, Alfie. I don’t. If Darby didn’t have children doin’ his grunt work, maybe he wouldn’t have to worry about someone noticing and potentially causing a problem. Especially someone he knows can, will, and has caused issues before when slighted.”

“Look if you wanna get shot so bad, I'll shoot you, right?!” His hand landed on his gun. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought he would shoot her right where she sat.

“Look, Alfie. I wasn’t actually going to hurt them. I was just getting a point across that I don’t appreciate being followed.” Jo stood and made her way over to Alfie. She gently placed her hand over the top of his on his gun. She ran her fingers across the back of his tattooed hand hoping to reign in the beast.

“You and I both know that I’ve suffered worse than a gunshot.”

“Yeah, well I’ll be damned if you have to ever again under my rule. Right outside of my bakery, yeah.” He sighed heavily through his nose. Josephine would be the death of him one of these days. He called it back in the war, and it still stood to this day.

She grinned at his grumpy face. The dimples in her cheeks peeking out, melting his irate nature the smallest bit.

“If there’s anywhere I know I’m safe, it’s here.” She raised her right hand, “I, Josephine the magnet for trouble, solemnly swear that I’ll behave to the hardest degree of my ability.” She paused and took in his cantankerous visage. “Now hug me, you grouchy man.” She pulled him in, gripping him tightly. She hadn’t realized how much she missed him.

The door opened behind them, Ollie peeking through. “Sorry to interrupt, but Thomas Shelby is here to see you, Alfie.”

••

I hope you all enjoyed this as well!! 🧡🐝

Taglist: @boogiewrites @ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes @deanscroissant @justanothershelby @parochialism @hazelnmae @reyloshipper-starwars @smallheathgangsters

[majiniesthings]

¨i still have your phone number memorized even though i haven’t called you since we split and somehow i remembered it even though i’ve had like six shots of bourbon and hey, i know you’re pissed that you’re here at this dingy club at 3 in the morning to pick my drunk ass up, but you have to admit that’s pretty impressive¨ AU ~~ as frostiron. When you're finished I'll prompt you for more of those amazing au's :)

“I'm gonna write a quick angsty drabble”, shesaid. Now, 3294 words later... anyway. Hope ya like it, love, I don'tknow if I do, I'm tired, it's late, I need sleep.

Tony had deleted Loki's number from his contactsweeks ago so he wouldn't get drunk and tempted to do exactly what hewas doing now. Turns out his memory was better than he had givenhimself credit for, because even with Lord knew how many shots he'dhad and at oh-god-o'clock in the morning, he'd managed to type in thefamiliar numbers. It had seemed like a good idea, too, until Loki hadactually picked up.

“Hello?” Groggy, rough from sleep, a littleconcerned. Of course. It wasn't like he got calls in the middle ofthe night all the time. “Who is this?”

“Heyyy.” Tony greeted, drawn-out and a littlegiggly. “Din't think you'd be pickin' up. Din't think I'd get yournumber right, actually.” He slouched in his chair, chin propped upin his hand, and listened to the silence on the other end of theline. “'s 'cause I'm a genius,” he added. “Numbers are nice.Helluva lot easier than people, too.”

There was another moment of silence from Loki. Then:“How many drinks have you had, Anthony?”

Tony hummed contemplatively while he considered thequestion, eyeing the near-empty bourbon in front of him. After a fewseconds, he answered with absolute certainty: “All of 'em.” 

Somewhere behind him, there was a crashing noise and laughter.

“Are you home?”

“Nahhh. 's kind of empty.” Tony traced patternson the wood of his table morosely. “Flat's too big for one person.”His words were slurring together as he spoke, but he couldn't reallybring himself to care.

Loki muttered something under his breath that soundedlike it might be Norwegian. Cursing, probably. There was the rustleof movement, fabric. “Is someone with you?”

“Nah,” he repeated, slouching down in his seat.“Jus' me. An' the bourbon. Tastes like shit, too.” He reached forhis glass, downed the last finger still left and waved an unsteadyhand in the direction of the bartender.

“Where are you?” Loki's tone was clipped, curt,hell, even to Tony it was obvious that the man was pissed, but hehadn't heard his voice in weeksand he'd missed it, damn it. He missed Loki. “Anthony.” Nobodyever called him Anthony. With anyone else, it would annoy him, butLoki made it sound different. “Stop. Tell me where you are, now.”Had he been talking out loud? “Yes, you have.” Loki groaned.“Gods, you're plastered. Anthony, I need to know where you are.”

“Oh,” Tony madeeloquently. “'s the bar– the one you din't like. Said it's got noclass.” He giggled, then hiccuped. “You were right, too, thisplace is a mess. I'm a mess. Loki, I'm a mess.”

“I can hear that.” Asigh, sharp, annoyed, short. “Stay.”

The line went dead.

Tony stared at hisphone for a few moments, letters and numbers blurring, before hedropped it on the table when the waiter placed another shot in frontof him. He snatched the glassimmediately, liquid sloshing out over his fingers when he pulled ittoward him and downed half of it. It burned in his throat and madehis stomach churn and he wanted to cry or throw up or maybe both. Hewas probably going to end up doing both.

He'd been doing both a lotthe past few weeks. Calling Loki, that was new.

“Stupid,” he murmuredunder his breath, dropping his head into his hands. “Fuckin'stupid. Idiot.” They'd kept up radio silence until Tony just had togo and drunk-call his ex. Genius indeed.

Tony wasn't sure how muchtime passed just sitting there, musing and feeling sorry for himself,a finger absently tracing the rim of his glass. He was about to liftit again to drain it, call it a night, go home and wallow in selfpity where he had a bed, when paler, slender fingers wrapped aroundit and set it down out of his reach.

Surprised, he lookedup. Met Loki's eyes, narrowed, lips pressed into a thin line, hairhaphazardly pulled back into a loose bun at the back of his neck,dressed in a loose hoodie andjeans. Looking pissed.

“You're here,”Tony heard himself say, or at least he thought that was what he said.His tongue felt heavy and clumsy inhis mouth, words slurring together.

“Astute as ever,” Lokiresponded. “Up. Come on.” He sounded just as clipped as on thephone, expression unreadable.

Tony beamed at him.“You gotta admit s'impressive,” he slurred while he stumbled tohis feet, steadying himself on the table. “Didn'tthink I'd get enough brain cells together to actually remember yournumber.” He took a step forward and promptly stumbled when theworld started spinning wildly. “You always told me I was smart,”he murmured, muffled by the fabric of Loki's hoodie.

“I'm doubting it rightnow,” Loki muttered, grabbing a hold of Tony's arm to sling it overhis shoulder. The other wrapped around Tony's waist and he leanedinto Loki's side heavily, inhaling deeply.

“I still gotta...”He waved his free hand in thegeneral direction of the bar counter, hoping that Loki could fill inthe missing words.

He felt more thansaw the taller man shake his head. “I covered your tab, just get inthe bloody car. If you throwup on my upholstery, I'm going to make you walk.”

Tony murmureda quiet “charming” beforehe fell silent, eyes half-closed while he let Loki lead him. Heconcentrated on keeping his liquor down. Hereally didn't feel like walking.

He made a quietnoise of protest when Loki more or less dropped him in the passengerseat of his car and went around to get to the other side. Tonyslumped in his seat, head tilted back to stare at the roof of thecar. They'd done thingsin this car, he remembered fondly, things that involved him somehowfolding himself into the space between passenger seat and back seatand Loki's hands in his hair, hushed, breathless praise andencouragement in the air.  

The slam of the driver's side door closing jerked himout of his reverie and he looked over just as Loki glanced at him andheaved a sigh.

“For pity's sake, Anthony.” He leaned over andfor a second, Tony thought he was going to kiss him, tilted his headexpectantly, but then Loki just reached over him to fasten hisseatbelt and then dropped back against his own seat to do the samefor himself.

Of course.

Tony slumped into his seat, arms crossed and a pouton his lips. “I don't wanna go home.”

“Good, because I am not driving across town just todrop you off there,” Loki shot back while he pulled out of theparking lot. “Why did you even bother driving this far to getdrunk? There's enough bars around your block, this was hardlynecessary.”

“We met here.” Tony turned his head, watchedLoki's profile, illuminated every few seconds when they passed undera street light. “You were with Thor an' the other blond guy an' Ipicked a fight with Thor an' you told him he was...”

“I remember,” Loki cut him off, keeping his eyesso fixed on the road it must hurt his head. His knuckles were whiteagainst the steering wheel.

Tony watched for a few seconds, words bubbling up inhis throat, and he meant to keep them to himself, he really did, buthe found himself whispering an “I miss you” anyway.

If possible, Loki's grip seemed to get even tighter.“Don't,” he snapped, sharp, and Tony flinched and turned his headto stare down at his hands in his lap.

“Loki, I'm sor–”

“I said don't,”Loki cut him off again.

This time, helistened. They spent the rest of the brief ride in icy silence, Tonytwiddling his thumbs  andpicking at his nails, eyes falling shut every so often before a holein the road made him jerk awake again. He was feeling tired andnauseous and ten more kinds of miserable, especially knowing thatLoki was right here and Tony had screwed up, he'd screwed up so bad–

He stayed silentwhile Loki got him out of the car and up the stairs to his apartment,half-dragging Tony along as he went, andonly when they were at thedoor to the flat and Loki was fumbling with his keys did Tony curlinto him further, burying his face in the other man's neck. He couldfeel Loki tense slightly, but then the door was clicking open and hewas being hauled inside.

“Alright, get onthe couch,” Loki commanded, attempting to dislodge Tony's hold onhim, but Tony just threw his other arm around Loki's shoulders aswell and breathed in deeply, face still tucked against Loki'sshoulder. “Anthony. Get off of me. Geton the bloody couch.”

“No,” hemuttered, slightly muffled, and then “no”with more determination, andhe wasn't sure whatbroke the dam but suddenly he was talking, babbling.“Look, Lokes, I knowI fucked up, I'm sorry, I didn't know how to– I don't know, Ican't–”

“Anthony, stop.”For the first time, Loki's cold, annoyed demeanour cracked, togetherwith his voice. “Quit it.”

Tony clung to hishoodie tighter in response, shoulders shaking and breath coming inshort, hitched gasps. “Please, Lokes, 'm sorry, really, I–please, lemme fixthis, I love you, I do, I swear, andI shouldn't've run, but I don't know how this, I don't know how to–”

“Shhhh,” Lokimade, and it sounded soft,almost sweet, and then he was wrapping his arms around Tony andslender fingers were carding through his hair gently. “Hush,darling. Shh.” He kept up the soothing, repetitive motion and letTony cry, messy andugly and with tears soaking his hoodie, while Tony chided himself forever, ever lettingthis go in the first place. “Let's get you to bed, come on,” Lokimurmured in his ear, quietly.

“Please,” Tony chokedout, not sure what he was asking for, tightening his grip. He turnedhis head to the side, pressed a kiss to Loki's neck and felt himfreeze. Placed another kiss right under his jaw, got onto histip-toes to reach his cheek–

Yelped in shock whenLoki shoved him away forcefully enough that his back hit the wallbehind him.“I told you tostop,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “You're drunk, I am nottouching you when you're like this, get in the bedroom.” With that,he turned on his heel and disappeared toward the kitchen.  

Tonystayed where he was, let his head drop back against the wall with hiseyes squeezed shut. Stupid,he chided himself. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Heshould have never called Loki, he shouldn't have let himself betempted like this, shouldn't just have assumed that Loki wanted himback–

The way to thebedroom, achingly familiar, was made in small, stumbling steps andTony wanted to cry again when his face hit the pillow and he inhaledslowly, basking in Loki's scent while he blearily kicked off hisshoes and curled up on top of the covers. He was exhausted, had beenfor weeks now. He was ready to crash, already half-asleep a fewseconds after he'd closed his eyes.

Distantly, he heardLoki enter the room and set something down on the night stand firmly.“Drink,” he ordered. Then, quieter: “For heaven's sake.” Tonyfelt a hand on his shoulder, turning him around, then a glass wasbeing pushed to his lips and he obediently parted them, draining theglass and spilling surprisingly little of it.

He thought he feltLoki's lips pressing against his hair for a moment after he'd droppedback into the pillow, but it was probably his imagination, and hesuddenly felt too worn out to care.  

…

Tonywoke with a low, pounding headache and a feeling in his mouth likesomething small had curled up and died there. He muffled his groaninto his pillow and considered rolling over and going back to sleep,but he spotted a glass of water and painkillers on the night standwhen he reluctantly blinked his eyes open, so he sighed and draggedhimself up, downing two of the little pills and emptying the glasscompletely.

Herubbed a hand over his face while he willed the effects to kick inquickly, swinging his legs out of the bed. Yesterday'sclothes,he noted absently. Classy.Far from being awake, he shuffled into the bathroom, and plucked histoothbrush out of its holder, determined to get the foul taste out ofhis mouth.

Itwas only halfway through brushing his teeth, staring at himself inthe mirror, that he realised thatwasn't his mirror.It hadn't been his bed, either.

“Ohgod,” he muttered, mouth full, and numbly bent down torinse. “Oh, god.” He splashed some cold water in his face, ranhis wet hands through his hair to get it into some semblance oforder, and then met his own gaze in the mirror, cheeks red withhumiliation. “You fucking moron,” he told himself.

Hedried his hands and face off with a towel and straightened hisclothes as best as he could. Fiddled with the buttons of his shirt.Stroked some more stray strands of hair back, washed out the sink,wondered why Loki hadn't thrown his toothbrush out two months ago.

Whenhe realised he was stalling, putting off the inevitable, he forcedhimself to straighten up and take a breath.

Hewas a fucking mess without Loki. It was pathetic.

Bitingthe inside of his cheek, he stepped back into the bedroom, gatheringup his shoes from where he'd kicked them off, and then slowly steppedout into the living room.

Lokiwas curled in his armchair, in the hoodie and pants he'd worn lastnight, hair let down and glasses perched on his nose. There was abook on his knees and a mug of hot chocolate, probably cold by now,on the table next to him. He didn't look up.

“Hey,”Tony greeted softly. Awkwardly.

“Morning,”Loki returned, still not lifting his gaze. His voice was quiet andguarded. “Did you find the painkillers?”

Tonycleared his throat quietly. “Yeah. Thanks.”

“Good.You know your way out.”

Heflinched at the clear, harsh dismissal, shifting on his feet for aminute. A great part of him was tempted to just turn tail and run,but he'd done that the last time and he could see where it had gottenhim. He needed to dosomething.

“Loki,look, I'm sorry for the way that I–”

“Idon't want to hear it,” Loki interrupted him, still not looking up,sounding strained, tight. “You know where the door is, Anthony, youhad no trouble finding it last time.”

Yeah,he'd probably deserved that one. “I know I wasn't being fair –”

“Youweren't being fair?” Loki echoed, and now he did look up. For thefirst time, Tony noticed the dark shadows under his eyes and hispaler-than-usual skin tone, found himself wondering if Loki had sleptat all after picking him up. The sound of his book snapping shutcracked through the room like a whip, making Tony flinch. “That'sone way of putting it, yes.” Loki got up from the chair, takingslow steps toward him. “You could have at least had the decencyto talk to me, you know, instead of just cuttingme offlikeI'm some... some...” He stopped halfway through the room, running ahand through his hair and shaking his head. “I'm not doing this.Getout.”

Tonystepped forward, a little defiant. “Come on, Lokes, you gottalisten to me at least.”

“Iwould have listened to you!” Loki snapped. “I would have listenedif you had talkedto me, instead of running off – you didn't answer your phone, youchangedthe keytoyour bloodyapartment,we had radiosilence.I resorted to asking your friends because I was worried sick. Thefirst sign of life I received from you in over two months was adrunkenphone call!” His voice cracked on the last word and he drew a shakybreath, turning away from Tony, who stood rooted to his spot, shoesstill in hand.

Fora few seconds, the only sound in the room was Loki's quick, hitchedbreathing. Then, Tony shook himself out of his stupor. He set hisshoes down gingerly and then padded across the room on his sockedfeet, approachingLoki and very carefully resting his hands on the other man's waist.When Loki didn't immediately shake him off, Tony stepped a littlecloser, fitting himself against Loki's back and wrapping his armsaround his waist completely.

Loki'ssigh sounded almost resigned.

“Ifreaked,” Tony began hesitantly, murmuring into the back of Loki'shoodie. “I... you have more stuff at mine than over here, I knowthat for a fact, I've been wearing your hoodies, and I have enough ofmy things hereto last me a few days, and– and we basically live together most ofthe time and it is so fucking weirdto wake up without you and we can tell each other 'I love you'without freaking out and I guess I just... I realised how goddamncommittedweare and I got scared I was gonna fuck up because it actually meanssomethingthis time around–”

“Youdid,” Loki interjected, and Tony ground to a halt, blinking inconfusion.

“Huh?”

“Fuckup. You did. You fucked up.” His shoulders were shaking and Tonyhoped to god that it was with laughter.

“GuessI did,” he muttered, then cleared his throat. “I was trying toget to a point here.”

“Praytell, what was it?” There was a trace of his usual sarcasm inLoki's voice and Tony almost cried with relief.

Tonybreathed in deeply, closing his eyes while he leaned his cheekagainst Loki's back. “The point being, I thought it was gonna bebetter if I pull out of this before doing it gets worse and evenharder later and I realised it was stupid a few days into it but Ididn't know how to tell you what was going on, I didn't know if Icould face you without panicking again, and so I kept up the radiosilence which was a dick move, I get it, but...”

“Yourpoint, Anthony,” Loki reminded him gently, and Tony nodded jerkily.

“Yeah.Yeah. Well, basically, my point is that I was being stupid and thatI'd never, everwant to not have you in my life, and I know you have every right tobe pissed at me and if I fuck up again you can kick me out and I'lldeserve it but I'd like a second chance please?” He'd gottenquicker the longer he talked, words tumbling out of his mouth in whatwas hopefully the correct order, and now he was holding his breathwhile he felt Loki's chest shake with a silent laugh. God, he hopedit was a laugh and he hadn't made him cry.

Hefelt more than saw Loki raise a hand to wipe at his face while hetook a slow, unsteady breath.

“Youare buying me dinner tonight,” Loki announced eventually and Tonythought he was going to sob with relief. “And if I hear youcomplaining about your hangover, I'm leaving.”

“That'sfair,” he agreed immediately, a little choked up. “Yeah. Okay.Let's do dinner.”

[remedialpotions]

I'll Help You Now

So, this is a follow up to this drabble - the lovely @aloemilk inspired this one (and by inspired, I mean that she gave me the idea, she was like “what if after that, x happened?” and I was like “omg yes!” and then the below happened). Hope everybody likes it! 💕

***

Hopefully, Hermione thought, it wasn’t too embarrassingly obvious that she’d all but moved into the hospital wing, but what else was she meant to do? Ron had nearly died, would have done if not for Harry’s quick thinking, and her last words to him would have been unnecessarily cruel. And even though he was, by all accounts, going to be completely fine, that knowledge had lodged a very stubborn pit in her stomach, an awful, gnawing sort of guilt that she didn’t think would ever really fade.

And so there she sat in the chair beside his bed, with an enormous stack of textbooks next to her to give the illusion that she was treating the hospital wing as though it were no different than the library. As though she hadn’t come there for the express purpose of watching him lie there and idly flip through Harry’s copy of Which Broomstick. As Harry was holding an emergency Quidditch practice, they were alone, the rustling of pages filling a remarkably comfortable silence between them. In the blink of an eye - in the time it took to shove a bezoar into someone’s mouth - they had dropped whatever animosity lingered between them. Ron had forgiven her for the canaries and for holding a grudge for months and they were friends again, just like that. Hermione almost didn’t want to disturb it.

“You like studying in here, huh?” Ron remarked, setting his book down on his blanket-covered legs.

“It makes for a nice change of scenery,” Hermione replied, opting not to clarify that for her, he basically was the scenery. Not when he still technically had a girlfriend.

“Well, thanks for keeping me company, anyway. It’s boring as hell in here.”

“You must have homework of your own to do,” she found herself saying. Evidently it was rather easy to slip back into her old habit of pestering him about his studies. “Don’t you need to do that Potions essay? I’ll help you now with it, if you want.”

“Oh.” Ron’s lips twitched briefly. “I kind of reckoned being poisoned would get me out of doing homework for a couple days, but - yeah, I finished that already.”

Hermione paused, the pieces falling into place in her forever-racing mind. “You did?”

Two days ago he had stood before her, requesting just a tiny bit of her time, but when she had looked at him all she was able to see was the memory of his mouth glued to Lavender’s and so it was too painful to be around him. But actually, if she was honest with herself, she did miss their little study sessions. She had always been glad for an excuse to smell his hair and sit close to him, glad for an excuse to stay up late in the common room…

Had it been the same for him?

“Yeah, it wasn’t that bad,” said Ron, still shockingly nonchalant about the whole thing, shooting her a smile. “I just sort of thought it might get you to talk to me again. Of course, it didn’t work,” he chuckled as he picked up Which Broomstick again.

“I’d have thought it was obvious how to get me to talk to you again,” Hermione said, biting her lip to keep herself from saying anything more.

“Yeah, get poisoned,” he grinned, holding his book up as a shield as she moved to swat him on the arm.

“That’s not funny, Ron!”

“You have to admit, it was effective,” he continued, biting back laughter as she glowered at him.

“It really isn’t funny,” she snapped, the force of her words startling him into seriousness. “You don’t know how scary it was, I thought you were going to die thinking that I hated you and I don’t, I - I was just really scared, okay?”

“All right, all right, sorry,” said Ron defensively, holding up his hands.

“And that’s not actually what I meant,” she added. Immediately she cast her eyes down to the textbook on her lap, scared to look at him, scared to see if he’d picked up on the implication.

“Oh.” A silence, punctuated by the sound of Ron nervously clearing his throat, fell between them, and then he spoke. “I really am, you know. Sorry.”

“I am too,” Hermione whispered.

Looking mildly dazed, Ron let a forceful breath out through his lips and mustered up a smile. “So what’re the chances McGonagall lets me out of that Transfiguration essay for tomorrow?”

“You haven’t started that yet?” Hermione exclaimed. “For heaven’s sake, Ron. Come here.”

Taking a sheet of parchment and a quill from her stash, Hermione inched her chair up against the side of his bed. She leaned toward him, watching as he dutifully inked the title of the essay onto the page.

“So, there are five exceptions to Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration,” Hermione began. “The first one is-” She froze, noticing him smiling at her in a way he hadn’t done in months. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing at all.” He poked her leg through her robes. “Keep talking.”

***

you can find more four word prompts here!

[spaceyflowerswriting]

Heyyy can you write danny and reader kissing ? Thx bye bye

lots of love (daniel park x reader)

details: fluffy drabble, gender neutral reader written in 2nd pov, general canon au, you and daniel are dating

summary: daniel gets rewarded by his partner for the many nice things he's done for them.

a/n: thanks for the cute request :] <3

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Daniel wasn't sure what was up with him today, but he wasn't going to question it when every single one of his acts of services expressed to you was met with your sweet smile. Honestly he was starting to convince himself that he'd just be like this for the rest of his life if it meant he could see you smile like that.

"Devoted to them for the rest of my life..." Like a doting husband.

He blushed at the thought. What was he thinking? You two were still highschoolers with uncertain futures in the making. He shouldn't be committing to such a heavy decision at his age. Still, the thought was nice.

A happy sigh passed his lips and you were quick to notice.

"Are you daydreaming again?"

"Sorry," he replied with a laugh, going back to sweeping the floor.

You smiled and went back to your own chore of tidying the classroom by sorting out some books. "You don't have to be sorry, I was just pointing it out. What were you daydreaming about, by the way?"

"Um..." He quietly cleared his throat, unable to stop the pink that was beginning to color in his cheeks. "Nothing much." In an attempt to avoid further questioning, he asked, "Do you want to take a break? We should go get a drink of water or something after our hard work."

The playful look you gave him made his heart race but he calmed when you went along with his suggestion.

He set his broom down and made a beeline for the door of the classroom. "Okay! I'll run and go get some water bottles for us--"

"Nuh-uh. You've done more than enough for me, today." You stepped towards the door, clearly intending to block it.

Daniel kept walking over anyway. "But--"

"Nope." Once you stood in front of the door, he stopped moving to pout. "Stay right where you are. I'm going to get the water bottles."

There was a momentary lighthearted staredown, although Daniel was only using his puppy eyes. That, combined with his pout, made for his ultimate charming tactic. Or at least that's what he hoped. Thankfully, it worked either way and he brightened up as soon as you huffed.

"Okay, fine, you can come along."

"Thank you!" He hurried to follow you out when you left the classroom.

"Seriously, though, you've done way too much for me today."

Daniel cheekily remarked with, "There's no limit, is there?"

You lightly elbowed him. "Yes, but I'm starting to feel guilty. I mean, you even gave me a shoulder massage earlier."

Maybe that was a little over the top, but oh well. He continued to tease, "Well, that's just because I'd do anything for you."

"Daniel, you are too much sometimes, you know that?"

"In a bad way or--" Before he could finish, you grabbed his collar and slightly pulled him down to your height to kiss him. He quickly melted into the kiss and his hands found themselves resting on your hips.

Usually he was unsure of where to place his hands whenever the two of you kissed, but at the moment it came naturally to him. Seemed like something really was up with him today. He could only hope it'd last so long it became a part of him.

After you pulled away, you leaned in to his ear and quietly said, "I'll give you more kisses later~"

His cheeks colored in pink the same way as before and a big grin formed on his face while you properly pulled away this time and continued to walk off. He trailed after you like the lovesick puppy he was.

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bonus extra writing below that i thought was funny but scrapped lol (original plan for this drabble/oneshot was daniel being awkward about a first kiss)

"Be gentle... and fast. Be manly... but kind. Got it?"

"Zack, that sounds awfully familiar to something you've told Vasco before."

"Hey, if a piece of advice works, there's nothing wrong with repeating it. And it's not like you have any advice, Jace."

Jace's smile cracked. "Yeah... but still. Daniel asked how you kiss someone."

"And? My advice still applies?"

Daniel rubbed at his nape, glancing between his friends. "Uh, but Zack, how exactly do you kiss someone in a manly way?" He was only met with silence and Jace awkwardly looking away.

Eventually, Zack managed to mutter, "Well... you just..."

Jace sighed and lightly slapped Zack's arm, making the latter glare at him. "Stop making shit up, you're just going to confuse poor Daniel."

"I'm--!"

"Daniel, just talk to your partner about it. Learn together or something. That's the best advice I can offer."

"Ah, okay! Thanks, Jace." Daniel politely bowed his head at Jace and then nodded at his other friend. "You, too, Zack."

"Anytime, Daniel," replied Jace as Zack gave him a thumbs up and a, "Come back anytime for dating advice!"